Shadow over Riddleport

Game Master Joana

"We cornered his drunken ass in the Goblin last time. This time, we won't show any mercy. We'll kill him for what he did to Larur, and then he'll tell us where Lil is." -- Braddon Hurst


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Who is trying to ruin Saul Vankaskerkin? Everyone in Riddleport seems to have a motive; you probably will too by the time you've known him a few days. But right now he's offering you a job and a place to stay, two things that can be hard to come by for a newcomer to the City of Cyphers, and all he asks in return is that you find out who's trying to put him out of business and keep them from succeeding.

So, what's the deal? This is a game for 1st-level characters, set in Riddleport and loosely based on the events depicted in Shadow in the Sky. The mood is noir, and the format is a mystery. While there will be combat encounters, interactions with NPCs and social skills will make up a large part of advancing the plot. This is not a game for wallflowers or for people who don't like dialogue. There's always something going on in Riddleport, but if the PCs don't get out there and interact with it, they'll never know about it. I'm looking for active players who will take the initiative to make a story happen instead of waiting for the plot to pull into their station.

Who are you, anyway? Hi, I'm Joana; I've been active in play-by-post here since March 2009, but this will be my first attempt to GM a game. I am terrified, as I have seen many excellent GMs get overwhelmed and have to walk away. As such, I am loath to overpromise and underdeliver. I am committing to run this game up to level 3 or 4. If we all have fun and none of us have a nervous breakdown, I do have ideas to continue your PCs' story past the unraveling of the mystery at hand, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

What are you looking for? I'm not interested in numbers right now; just tell me who your PC is and how and why you came to Riddleport. You could have arrived on one of the many ships that make port every day, a sailor or pirate desiring a change of occupation. Maybe you were a stowaway, an escaped slave or just someone looking for travel or adventure. You could have arrived as part of an overland caravan, buying and selling exotic or not so exotic wares. Many dwarves travel to Riddleport seeking employment at the Gas Forges, where adamantine and other rare metals can be smelted and forged: a difficult and admittedly dangerous job but one which promises a steady income and benefits for family back home. Or maybe you're just looking to work your way up the ladder of one of the city's gangs and claim a piece of the action for yourself. Other inducements to visit Riddleport include one of the most infamous non-elven temples of Calistria in Avistan and the Cypherlodge, a mage's guild devoted to studying the Cyphergate, the ancient Thassilonian artifact that spans the harbor in a great semi-circle. Please be advised that, like many people who come to Riddleport, you may not end up doing what you thought you would there.

Any specifics? Core races only. 20 point buy. No Riddleport natives: I want the whole party to have to navigate city politics and rumors on an equal footing. Core classes preferred. Lawful types probably won't like living in Riddleport. Two traits, neither of which has to be a Second Darkness campaign trait.

Anything else? I was an English major, so spelling, punctuation, and grammar all count. Heaven knows I've blushed over enough mistakes in my own posts after the editing window has closed, but I expect everyone to make an effort. We all, I believe, know that the English language uses capital letters and punctuation marks, for example.

No dialect. If your PC has a heavy accent, that's fine; mention in your first few dialogue posts how hard they are to understand, but I do not want to have to interpret phonetic spellings every time your character speaks.

Actual girl gamer here. In my experience, the number of men who can believably play a female PC is much lower than the number who think they can. I have had the pleasure of gaming with several who are up to the challenge, but please think several times before pitching a cross-gender character. If you find yourself describing a potential PC as "buxom" or "curvy" or "sensuous," ask yourself if you have any male PCs whose genitalia you feel the need to qualify in the descriptive text; if not, you don't need to be specific about the female body either. It's squicky.

No RPing amongst yourselves in this thread. I don't recruit in your gameplay thread; please don't roleplay in my recruitment thread. Posts can easily get lost in the banter, and more importantly, the PCs' meeting for the first time will be handled in-game; I don't want you all "getting to know each other" in some make-believe tavern in the recruitment thread. The tavens in the gameplay thread are all entirely nonfictional, of course. ;)


Meekly raises hand and utters "Please Ma'am, may I have some more?"

Dotting with a dot ;) - assuming you're not sick enough of me already.

Sovereign Court

Dot...

Sczarni

A large half-orc walks in. He has tanned leather covering his chest, but his arms and neck are covered with knotted muscles and a falchion rests at his side. He has a few gaudy rings on, and an oddly flawless face for a half-orc. he wears a large feathered hat.

"Arrg maties, I'm half-mad Captain Baccus and I'm here to seek my forture!"

Barbarian (sea reaver) who plans on going oracle then rage prophet. CN and hilarious, stirs up more trouble than he fixes

edit: I do have a pirate's accent, but most of my grammar issues will probably make you laugh rather than sound the word out

Dark Archive

So tempting, but I'm all full up. Y'all are up for some Rough Times in Riddleport, watch your backs!


Dot.

Any other specifics other than core races and 20 point buy? Are APG, UM, and UC available for use?


Joana is an excellent player and no doubt her players are in for a treat with this one.

Dark Archive

Would a Wizard of the Air elemental school (form APG) be ok?

Link

The concept is the character was trained as a ship's Wizard, used to speed travel times up, or slow enemy's down, put out fires, mask their presence, etc. He Paid for his Passage to Riddleport by working, lending his Spells to the Captain. He's headed to Riddleport to Study the Cyphergate, and look for possible employment.

Sczarni

Josh Shrader wrote:

Would a Wizard of the Air elemental school (form APG) be ok?

Link

Concept is the Character was trained as a ship's Wizard, used to speed travel times up, or slow enemy's down, etc. He Paid for his Passage to Riddleport by working to speed up the travel times. He's Headed to Riddleport to Study the Cyphergate, and look for possible employment.

Oh cool, wanna be the wizard from MY ship? lol

Dark Archive

Sure!

Sczarni

Yay, characters already know each other! haha keep in mind i'm ridiculously CN, you're just as likely to get a hearty laugh as a sword in the belly from me


Interested!


This is REALLY interesting. It's been a while since I've seen a GM that forces good literature.

If you prefer core classes, I'd like to ask about your preference towards archetypes and other non-core rules such as feats, alternative racial traits, etc.


Of all the gin joints in all the world I had to walk into his...
Greetings, I am Deter Leoni. If anyone can find your culprit it's probably me. Fret not Mr Vankaskerkin your looking at a professional Private Eye.

It sounds like fun, and I'd like to run the Bard(Detective) Archetype. I know it's not technically core but the class is! If the Archetype is a no I can make it work anyway.

EDIT: Sorry I forgot to introduce me. I'm Austin and I just recently found PBP, aproximately 2(?) weeks ago. I'm an Economics major and I love a good puzzle. I love the roleplaying aspect of Pathfinder and D&D before it. That's probably what drew me to it in the first place. I loved reading fiction books and now I love playing in them. I've played a fair bit of D&D in real life, but I only started probably 4 years ago.

Sczarni

Deter Leoni wrote:

Of all the gin joints in all the world I had to walk into his...

Greetings, I am Deter Leoni. If anyone can find your culprit it's probably me. Fret not Mr Vankaskerkin your looking at a professional Private Eye.

It sounds like fun, and I'd like to run the Bard(Detective) Archetype. I know it's not technically core but the class is! If the Archetype is a no I can make it work anyway.

Logen raises his eyes at the newcomer. Oh boy, hope he's not looking for me. Be interesting to start this all off with a barfight

Logen leans back and lowers his hat over his eyes, hiding his face. You notice he's drinking just water


Not to be a party pooper, but:

Joana wrote:
No RPing amongst yourselves in this thread. I don't recruit in your gameplay thread; please don't roleplay in my recruitment thread. Posts can easily get lost in the banter, and more importantly, the PCs' meeting for the first time will be handled in-game; I don't want you all "getting to know each other" in some make-believe tavern in the recruitment thread. The tavens in the gameplay thread are all entirely nonfictional, of course. ;)

Sczarni

ooh my apologies, i'll stop


Interesting. I'll need to simmer a bit about what to offer as a potential participant.

Proper use of American English is important to me, as well. Sadly, my typing skills are really very poor. Far worse than my spelling . . ..


Hey Joana,

I don't see any mention of how long you're looking to keep the recruitment open. If we've got a couple of days, at least, I'll submit something. If not, I'll just read along. :)


Most definitely interested and will be returning with a fleshed out character concept by the end of the weekend.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4

Dotting for interest... I'll probably submit an elf inquisitor of Cayden Cailean.


I've been told I'm hard to read. I hope it's too much art.
I'll dot the thread, and come to speed, perhaps enough to start.


dot


Just dropping in to dot. Pay me no mind... :-)


Talomyr wrote:
Any other specifics other than core races and 20 point buy? Are APG, UM, and UC available for use?
Hoogie wrote:
If you prefer core classes, I'd like to ask about your preference towards archetypes and other non-core rules such as feats, alternative racial traits, etc.

Case-by-case basis. Most archetypes and most everything from the APG will probably be fine; same with the softcovers from the Companion and Campaign Setting lines. I'm not really thrilled with some of the switching out of racial characteristics allowed in the ARG. If there's something from another book that you feel would be an integral part of your character, run it by me, and I'll take a look at it. Otherwise, I'm happy to leave specifics until players are selected and characters being built. If I see something in a character pitch in this thread I'm not sold on, I'll let you know so you can work around it rather than just dismissing you out of hand because you want to use a feat from Flumphs of Golarion.

Thanks for the kind words, Dan and Set! Set, I've had an eye on Mordecai off and on ever since he first set foot in Riddleport; hope he makes it off Devil's Elbow in one piece.

KRNVR wrote:

I've been told I'm hard to read. I hope it's too much art.

I'll dot the thread, and come to speed, perhaps enough to start.

Though it's tempting, I won't actually be enforcing an all-iambic-heptameter requirement for either gameplay or recruitment. I honestly don't know if I'd be more impressed/concerned if you did that by accident or if you actually took the time to scan it out.

Oh, hey, here's another thing. Paizo and their trait system sometimes seem to disagree with me, but in my games, a 1st-level character has 0 XPs. That means you are just starting out on your adventuring career and don't have a terribly heroic backstory. Served in the village militia and took part in chasing away a small group of invading goblins, yes; single-handedly held off a savage horde of orcs, no. Part of a pirate crew that participated in taking merchant ships, yes; the leader of the raiding team famed for the number of highly-trained naval officers you have killed in solo combat, no. Fresh out of school, yes; regionally famous for your knowledge and skill, no. The beginning of the game thread is your first real chance to make your mark in the world, not an opportunity to pad an already-impressive resume.


I am in like Flynn.

Sczarni

Oh, hey, here's another thing. Paizo and their trait system sometimes seem to disagree with me, but in my games, a 1st-level character has 0 XPs. That means you are just starting out on your adventuring career and don't have a terribly heroic backstory. Served in the village militia and took part in chasing away a small group of invading goblins, yes; single-handedly held off a savage horde of orcs, no....

Aye aye captain. i'll just have it so right after i took over my ship i didn't get long before i started getting sick and seeing hallucinations


Dot!


At this time I have two concepts.

A small-town halfling with less than stellar morals, coming to the big city in order to ply his chosen profession in a location big enough that both he and the stolen goods can disappear . . .. Obviously the young fellow had more than one interaction with the village elders that led to them recommending he move along.

This character would be a "me-first" burglar focused on breaking and entering and avoiding conflicts (or getting caught).

A young half-elf seeking more knowledge into the arcane arts. His training to date has specialized in the Transmutation school. He has a far more cooperative approach to life, and sees his place in it as an assistant to those around him. He believes his role is to help other people do more than they could without him, not to be or have the great name himself.

I think the focus here is fairly obvious. This character will focus on providing buff spells and potentially useful information.

No, I haven't looked at mechanics for either character, yet. Nor do I have a preference for one over the other, despite the fact one was presented first. I will try not to look at either too deeply without an indication from Joana that I should.


Can I get your opinion please?

Backstory:

My name is Deter Leoni, I have spent many years training under my mentor Luchio Custa who is the greatest detective I have known. I have recently set off to make a name for myself as an investigator. Riddleport is the perfect place for me, with no shortage of crime I'll have no shortage of mysteries to solve.

It's not that easy though. If someone is going to trust you, a reputation is invaluable. So I have to find a way to build it from nothing. All I have is my trusty hat. I'll find my way though. Taverns never dissapoint for leads.

Appearance:

Deter is a gnome with purple hair so dark it borders on black. He wears a great blue hat, he wears a relatively plain outfit with a trenchcoat. His skin is a rish brown that helps him blend into his coat. His eyes twinkle with excitement and are always watching taking in the world around him.

Grand Lodge

Submitted for your approval: Calon, Elven Wizard (Transmuter).

Background is on character page.


For your consideration I present Alexander Callow, two-bit alchemist fresh off the boat from Cheliax.

Backstory:
Our first evening at sea, the captain asked me - in that voice of his that sounded like the grinding of two briny planks - why I'd want to visit a "festering dungpit of a port" like Riddleport.

To answer, I leaned in closer, placing my elbows delicately on the side of the table - one never knows the sturdiness of tables - and clasped my hands together. What came out next was much less intriguing and more confessional than I'd planned. "I'm a bad alchemist," I said.

He laughed in response, and asked if I'd accidentally poisoned someone.

I smiled over the top of my hands and replied: "No, not in the slighest. I'd be horrified if I poisioned someone by accident. I'm a perfectly capable alchemist, just a bad one."

I could see the thought boring into his mind slowly, like a termite gnawing at ironwood. He sat up suddenly, like he'd grasped it, but then the light in his eyes faded and he just said "what?" across at me.

"You see," I explained, forcing myself to speak slowly so that the words would trickle in. "I am a bad alchemist. Morally corrupt. Reprehensible, even. I'm taking a 'vacation' of sorts away from Cheliax not because I poisoned someone on accident, but on purpose."

At this point I reached across the table to wave a hand in front of his face. He didn't register it. A moment later his head bounced off the table - which held, disappointingly - with a meaty thud.

"That's good," I said to myself. I don't like people remembering my speeches in the morning. I stood there for a time, considering whether or not to imbibe a little something and break his table, just to teach him a lesson. After all, he had called Riddleport a "festering dungpit," and I didn't agree with that statement in the slighest. To me Riddleport didn't sound like that. To me, it sounded like delightful - perhaps even splendid - freedom.

Description:
Alexander is tall and thin. One might even call him spindly, if they were so inclined. However, an upbringing of alchemical experimentation and poor nourishment has left him in a state that he himself would describe as "scrawny but strong." His usual possessions include: sharp Chelish facial features, a high forehead crowned by a fuzz of brown hair, clothes that were once fine but have been worn a week too long, a distinct body odour of sweat and sulfur, and untrimmed fingernails. His smile is as liable to be white as it is any other colour of the spectrum, stained by some herb or extract or other item. Whatever the colour, no-one would describe his grin as friendly. In point of fact, the few times his name has become news-worthy, his smile was often described as "unpleasant" by all involved. Although outwardly cold, Alexander's upbringing has left him in a state his acquaintances would classify as "clingy," and he is quick to try to convince others of his usefulness as a friend or companion.


@Joana: I want to try and play a helpful snob. A balancing act to be sure, but I think that there are some opportunities to exploit, without being disruptive to the group as a whole.

In any regard, I want to align Tendal with Vankaskerkin to make the backstory work. Should Tendal lose money gambling to him? Or perhaps Tendal is cut off in Riddleport and needs the money to supplement his lifestyle?


Logen Baccus wrote:
Joana wrote:
Oh, hey, here's another thing. Paizo and their trait system sometimes seem to disagree with me, but in my games, a 1st-level character has 0 XPs. That means you are just starting out on your adventuring career and don't have a terribly heroic backstory. Served in the village militia and took part in chasing away a small group of invading goblins, yes; single-handedly held off a savage horde of orcs, no....
Aye aye captain. i'll just have it so right after i took over my ship i didn't get long before i started getting sick and seeing hallucinations

Just a note: I hadn't looked at any backstories when I posted that, so it wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I just know it's a point of difference in gaming philosophies and wanted to make my take on it clear from the get-go. I actually still haven't looked at any submissions with any amount of attention. Today has been particularly busy for me; I'll start to look at what's been submitted tonight and get back with you if I have any questions or feedback.

I plan to hold recruitment open at least through the weekend to let everyone have time to think it over and settle on a concept. Please remember you don't have to have a build complete; I'm far more interested in your character's personality and background and ambitions than I am his stats at this point.

Grand Lodge

Joana, I have been looking for a game like this lately as circumstances have conspired to keep me away from a live group. Will submit a character shortly, just wanted to air my interest. Will probably want to explore one of the core archetypes . :-)


I will be working on a rogue.

Dark Archive

Just dropping in to wish you good luck Joana! :)


Thanks, oKOyA! *waves*

Have just started to look over the thread. Will get some feedback out tomorrow; I should have quite a bit more time to devote to it then than I had today.


Submission

Alright then, I've got two potential concepts. Both are former php PCs that I didn't get to play much. You'll recognize Sarien of course, and Murro was an especially short-lived PC from a module pbp. I'll be rebuilding the character mechanically from the ground up if one gets chosen.

Sarien the Rogue:

1. Sarien Ruseff, a human rogue from Magnimar who has been forced to leave after getting in trouble with the Sczarni gang in Rag's End. He hops aboard a ship for Riddleport just ahead of retribution. He's not entirely sure what he'll find in Riddleport but based on its reputation he's hopeful that he'll fit in well enough and perhaps find a future there.

His personality will be much the same as the Sarien you knew before, even if his background is modified to better fit this campaign. Sardonic and sly, he considers himself to be a pragmatic opportunist though he's a lot more sympathetic to the plights of victims than he likes to let on. He doesn't think that the wealthy should have so much when the poor have so little and should he rise high enough to have his own gang, he'd try to redistribute the wealth to those in need.

Murro the Sorcerer:

2. Murro Garrickson, a fey-blooded sorcerer from Cheliax. He's the youngest son of an Egorian noble who had been enrolled in the University. His fey-blood was awakened while he was there and once he realized what was happening he didn't hesitate to take advantage of his new found abilities. Bored with his mundane life at the university, Murro decided to leave for Riddleport and the mystery of the Cypergate.

Charming and charismatic, Murro is heavily influenced by his fey blood; he often acts on impulse and has no compunctions whatsoever about lying or manipulating others to get what he wants. Despite his eagerness to leave the ordered routine of the university, he was fascinated by his studies of history and the arcane. He hungers for the lost powers of the great civilizations of old and Riddleport and its mysteries strike him as a good place to begin his search.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like more information about these characters.


I submit for your approval one Isaac Palos:

He had to leave Korvosa in a hurry. It was only a matter of time before the King of Spiders realized he was not a "she" and certainly not his favorite girl's hairdresser. Anyways Korvosa was becoming such a bore anyways, everywhere he went people were up in arms about something. "Hey Isaac, ain't seen you around for awhile, is that cause you haven't paid your tab!", "Hey Isaac, you knew she was my girl didn't you, you slimy..." , "Hey Isaac, you said I was your's and that you couldn't stand to be apart from me...", "You poked me in the eye, you, you bastard!" Well it was official Korvosa just wasn't fun anymore. Now Riddleport, that's a city a with style, and a certain odor, but supposedly you get used to it. At least in a city like Riddleport you could get yourself into all kinds of fun trouble.

In his own words, "I suppose I'm what some folk would call a "cad", a lousy card player and a womanizer (though an excellent one), but that really doesn't say it all. That doesn't catch the little boy wonder, the effortless charm, and the sound understanding of arts of a martial variety. Swords, axes, bows, spears... you name it, Isaac is your man. I'm the every-man, but every man can't be me." Wink.

The numbers:
:ISAAC PALOS CR 1/2
Male Human (Varisian) Fighter (Cad) 1
CN Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +0
--------------------
DEFENSE
--------------------
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +1 shield, +2 Dex)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0
--------------------
OFFENSE
--------------------
Spd 30 ft.
Melee Longsword +5 (1d8+4/19-20/x2) and
Unarmed Strike +5 (1d3+4/20/x2)
--------------------
STATISTICS
--------------------
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +5 (+7 Tricking); CMD 17 (19 vs. Dirty Trick)
Feats Combat Expertise +/-1, Improved Dirty Trick, Toughness +3
Traits Armor Expert, World Traveler: Diplomacy
Skills Acrobatics +4, Bluff +5, Climb +2, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +0, Fly +0, Ride +0, Sleight of
Hand +4, Stealth +4, Swim +2
Languages Common, Shoanti, Varisian
Combat Gear Buckler, Chain Shirt, Longsword;
--------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES
--------------------
Armor Expert -1 Armor check penalty.
Combat Expertise +/-1 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Improved Dirty Trick Dirty Trick at +2, without an attack of opportunity.


For anyone interested in tracking the types of submissions - I will be putting forward a Halfling Inquisitor of Calistria, with the Sin Inquisition and the Heretic archetype.


Charlton Lawrence Mathewson Chase, the bard.

Background:
Charlton Lawrence Mathewson Chase, named after a very famous Varisian actor, was born in Olfden, Andoran on Desnus 28, 4683 to the Mwangi-descended middle-class family of wrestling-instructor Randal Chase and Taldan language teacher Monette Chase. The family soon moved to Ridonport, Taldor, where he lived together with his older brother, Albert, and his younger brother, Jared. Born into a conservative home, he was raised as a worshipper of Iomedae as was traditional for his family, although he describes himself as indecisive between atheism and agnosticism.

Randall and Monette, as much as they loved their sons, could not reserve time in their schedules to take care of their children. Pay was low and cost of living was high, so overtime was needed and normal. As a result, Albert was given a lot of responsibility at a young age, and at times had to act as a parental figure to his brothers, who were not really much younger than him. Even though the boys had their urges to fool around, their upbringing forced them to learn responsibility faster than most of their friends. They would do their schoolwork and play games like normal kids, but they would also need to take out trash and do laundry even during their younger years. This also led them to be distant and rebellious towards their parents, however, they understood why their parents were never around, especially Charlton, who from a young age, could easily sympathize with people no matter how much of strangers they were.

As a third result of this hectic upbringing, time-management was forced upon the children. At times, Charlton needed to skip tutoring to take care of Jared or any important responsibilities that had been left. However, as time flew, the boys were able to keep a tight schedule with minimal trouble – but as all tight schedules, something had to go. For Albert and Jared, it was sleep. Charlton, however, gave up his social life – a decision that would lead to bullying up to secondary school, which was mostly for answers in math and Taldan tests, the former of which, he was good at, and the latter due to his mom's occupation

When Charlton entered Ridonport High, his family decided that enough was enough. In order to reduce the bullying, Albert took on a part-time job at a local tavern to help his parents with the finances, while they help with the responsibilities of the house. This would free enough time for Charlton to improve his social life and for Jared to get more sleep. As a natural social butterfly, Charlton exceeded expectations. He joined the chess and basketball teams, participated in debates, and even joined a minstrel group called Kings of Ridonport as a lutist. Following his graduation, he enrolled in Rhapsodic College through scholarship in 2001, where he decided to further his social skills. He majored in psychology with a focus on subconscious diplomacy, while taking various workshops on finance and management. He graduated with the Batch of 4700 with honors.

Despite his prestigious graduation, Charlton was in desperate need for money. Jobs that had openings considered him overqualified, and he had to support his parents as well – something all three brothers had to do until their father cashed-in stock investments in the Lion Blades a few years after. Charlton took many odd jobs, such as Junior Analyst in a relatively new and eccentric asylum, a trial in competitive Marbles, to the role of a tengu mascot for birthday parties. In 2006, Charlton's life changed for the better as he moved to Oppara to work for White Hall as an junior accounts manager by referral of a college friend. He takes care of accounts worth less than ten thousand gold receives a more than decent salary.

With his new income, Charlton moved to a townhouse unit in Aroden's View, where he met his neighbor, Rosaline Smith, and her friend, Elysia Rockford – daughter to a major Lion Blade investor –, both of which are college students who decided to take traditional schooling for the social aspect of it. Although this union would have probably gone for the worst, the responsible and paternal Charlton, the frequently impulsive Rosaline, and the neighborhood cosplayer Elysia became great friends. Charlton's close relationship with two girls much younger than him has been reason of confusion to his family, which shall only worsen if ever they realize that their relationship is more familial then friendly. As the years passed, the three have changed each other, balancing one's negative traits by slowly empathizing into another's positive traits.

He is currently at Riddleport on business.


Personality:
Charlton is a high-spirited and optimistic character, much to the levels of a heart-felt romantic. This does not mean, however, that he is blind to the world's problems. It's just more productive to be happy and hopeful. He has the willpower of a turtle and understands that this hope can become contagious if done right, and encourages others to push forward and run the race, no matter how low the situation may seem. He believes not only in himself, but the abilities of others as long as a hint of drive is there. When he realizes this promise, he is quick to picking up this person and pushing him or her to their greatest limits. Because of this, Charlton works better with others. He will run neither behind or in front of you, but beside you where he is needed the most.

Charlton is easily excitable and tends to be dramatic towards his actions. He'll retaliate at you when you've done something horribly stupid, shout and curse when shocked, tell you if he's scared and ask if you are too, ask you to join him to a burger run if he's hungry, and boast loudly if his pride calls for it. However, there are times that he zones off of this personality – similar to a "work safe" switch. When in this mode, he is still gestural, but more concealed and attains a more classical definition of the word "charming."

Anyone that knows Charlton knows that he is a geek. As you enter his home, you will be greeted by numerous paraphernalia of old stage plays, all beautifully displayed: from replicas of Alkenstar-theater props, to an exact copy of Thesing Umbero Ulvano's outfit from The Six Trials of Lazarod. Many of his heroes come from old plays of the mystery, horror, or action genre, and he often puts himself in the mindset of these characters to prep himself for upcoming troubles and would even make references of them from time to time. His geekery does not keep solitaire to movies though, as Charlton is also a game enthusiast. One will easily catch him playing anything from something as tactical as checkers or chess to something as dextrous as fencing or even kickball. He is also into literary games like crossword and riddles, which he got into recently, due to Elysia. Other forms of Charlton's enthusiasm include Mwangi percussions, Taldan strings, and inexpressibly, sandwiches. Known to everyone, Charlton holds a detailed list of Taldor's top sandwich joints, their best selling products, and a map that shows how to pass by each and everyone of these restaurants while spending the least amount of travel possible.

Even though Charlton tries to like everything for the sake of diplomatics, there are certain things that can get on his nerves. One of which are Chelish plays made specifically to disturb and disgust the viewer, especially those that include real death and rape. Charlton gets nauseous quite easily and detests these stronger than the usual person. He also dislikes certain exotic delicacies, such as deer penis, grub worms, and duck fetus, as well as public kissing, creepy crawlies, and female-oriented plays. The last of which is not because he has a male mind-set, but because most of them are horribly written.


Appearance:
Charlton is an Mwangi-Andoran male, standing at 6'0". He has a lean build due to leisurely kickball practice, fencing, and an addiction to competitively playing the lute with his friends. His eyes are dark brown and his hair is black, however he is shaved bald, including his facial hair. His cheekbones are not so deep, his nose is thin but bulbs at the end, his eyebrows are deep-set, his lips are mildly thick, and his chin ends in a soft cleft. He is usually seen in courier's attire unless the event is spectacularly casual, or he is out for a morning jog. He is seen in different-colored clothing, however they are all of solid color.

Charlton retains the Mwangi accent of his father, as do his brothers. Charlton rarely modulates this unless he is speaking a different language or imitating someone else as part of a joke.

Sorry if there's a mistype. I converted this from an RP character that used real-world places, dates, and activities.


Logen Baccus:
Where in Golarion is he from? Near a river, but not near the coast? What made him decide to go to sea? What was his father's profession? Do you have an ailment in mind to explain his recent illness?

Josh Shrader, Air Elemental school is approved.

Deter Leoni, Detective archetype is approved. Also, I sent you a PM with a few questions about your backstory.


I find the presentation of your campaign very interesting.

So I submit Aban's story to your perusal. I must confess that English is not my first language though.

Here it goes:

Aban's story:
Aban and Adileh were born twins in the slums of Manaket, in Rahadoum, from a prostitute who didn't survive her labour.

The twins - Aban the boy and Adileh the girl - survived, counting primarily on each other, providence and the rare kindness of men and women. Their brotherly love was strong, and it kept them going through the numerous hazards and hardships of Manaket's torrid streets.

That, and one other thing that Aban did not share with his sister.

He had met this old man, Jarir ibn Imad, an amiable but stern shopkeeper, who talked to him, cautiously at first and then with much quiet passion, about the Hidden Presence which manifests itself as a consoling thought and whisper at night, as an idea for retribution against one's enemies, as an opportunity to steal a fat purse so as to have enough to purchase food the rest of the month : the veiled presence of the Father of Masks, of Norgorber.

So Aban became a devotee of the Gray Father, and his god (he believes) led his path so that it crossed with the Algerul Hakim's path.

The Algerul Hakim, or "Discreet Men", were the most successful smugglers of Manaket, and Aban enjoyed working with them. And it paid good money, so it seemed that, after Aban's admission in the ranks of the organization, he and his sister were safe from poverty and its vices, at long last.

The Discreet Men ran a smuggling ring which traded with numerous nations on the continent of Avistan: Cheliax, Andoran, Taldor. Aban learned many things on these foreign lands, by talking with sailors and foreigners in the smuggling business, and even by reading books on these countries.

But Aban was inspired by a God, and he wanted to bring His wisdom and graces to his new brothers. He tried to be subtle, he tried to be inconspicuous, but to no avail: the Pure Legion, Rahadoum's implacable hunters of the gods' faithfuls, still found him.

The soldiers of the Pure Legion would have had locked him in their godless dungeon, and his sister would have been left alone for the rest of his life… if Aban hadn't cut a deal with them.

Aban agonized over it, but he couldn't find another way to save himself and his beloved Adileh.
So he gave Jarir ibn Imad's name to the Pure Legion. He gave to the godless the man who had taught him about his god, and who had begun to show him the eldritch might of theurgy.

The Pure Legion's officials were delighted. They had never even suspected that a master of the cult of Norgorber operated in Manaket. They kept their word : they apprehended Jarir ibn Imad, and then told Aban that he was free to go wherever he wanted - as long as he didn't stay in the enlightened realm of Rahadoum.

So Aban and Adileh embarked on the first ship out of Manaket. They travelled across the world to escape Jarir's curse and the murderous grasp of his allies.

They arrived at Korvosa. Adileh would stay safely there, Aban decided.

He would go to Riddleport to try to make a living, so as to provide for Adileh, and more, because he believed this ill-famed city could present him numerous opportunities to enrich himself.

And perhaps to proselytize in the name of Norgorber, so that every deserving and willing thief and scoundrel in this evil city could rejoice in the cool embrace of his loving god.

Some considerations:

I intend for Aban to be a true neutral character, in case you were worried about his morality :-).

As I see it, Aban is defined primarily by two things: his relative isolation from the rest of society (the lasting consequence of growing up a poor orphan) leading to a certain callous and manipulative streak, AND his love - for his sister and for his god. These two traits sure make for a strange mix.

Anyway, I wanted to reassure you: although he's a devotee of Norgorber, Aban's concerned with the thieving aspect of his divine patron (the Gray Father), and not his murderous aspect (Skinsaw Father). Aban could kill to protect those he loves, but he's not bloodthirsty.
If he befriended someone, he would strive to be loyal to them - in part perhaps to redeem himself of his treason vis-a-vis his past mentor, Jarir.

Mechanically speaking, I envision Aban as a learned multiclassed cleric/thief keen on disguises.

Thanks for having taken the time to read me, and have a nice day !


Given that I'm seeing Joana provide some feedback for character write-ups at this point, I think I need to quote my earlier post again.

hustonj wrote:
I will try not to look at either too deeply without an indication from Joana that I should.

Yes, I am waiting direction from Joana before putting more time into either character. Please, express a preference for one of them, tell me to do both of them or watch me do neither.


Presenting Ebe, halfling sailor. Ebenadar is a tan, spry looking halfling with sunbleached shoulder-length unkempt, wavy hair and eyes as blue as the sea. His wears a worn but comfortable looking blouse belted over loose britches. The top of the blouse is unlaced and exposes much of his muscular chest.

background:

I been a sailor my whole life. I was born in Korvosa, and as my folks weren't too well off, so they sent me as a wee boy to sail on the House Leroung merchant ships and learn my trade. Growing up on the sea made me tough and quick, and I learned to find my place in the ship. It was soon clear that when ya spend months all with a whole buncha halflings in tight quarters you gotta have some code to live by or none of us'd live long. None of us talked about rules, 'neither what we could 'r couldn't do, it was just somethin' we all knew. And there's consequences if'n you go and break that bond. I 'member first time we caught a boy pluckin' apples from a barrel in the hold - 'e got off next port and never saw him again - his ride there was none too pleasant, too!

Years I spent wit none but the sun and sea fer parents, ah, but I did love that sea! She be trecherous and quick to punish, but there ain't no beauty in any land so fair as that great blue lady. Many a dawn an' dusk from the nest I saw...there just ain't no words that can tell what I saw. Then one stop in port cap'n takes on a human. Don't know what made 'em do it, but glad I was he did. I ne'er seen any of the big folk take so kindly to us as 'e did. Strange fellow, 'e was. Never once told us a name to call 'em by. Since only few humans ever came on board, we called 'em giant. Giant was every bit as quick 'n nimble as us wee folk. Once I fell from the rigging - and this feller raced clear from aft ta fore an' caught me! After that 'e took me under his wing - guess giant didn't wanna catch me all the time, so 'e taught me all mannera teachin's. Told me ta balance tha mind ta balance tha body, an' how ta focus yer spirit. Aye, 'e was a good feller. Ha, never did fall again after that. Few years later we took to port an' Giant vanished without'a word. No idea where 'e might be now.

Wit' Giant gone, I was lonely now I had just tha sun an' stars ta talk to, but a sailor lass caught my eye once after I swiched crew. A beauty she was this Bellis, an' strong as any man on board. I set about ta court 'er, an' earned 'er love 'fore we set in fer tha next port. Then nigh a fortnight ago cook says food's gone missin'. Cap'n set extra watches ta catch tha thief, an' late that night when my turn came up, I saw Bellis sneaking into the hold! Ah, but it broke my heart! Next mornin' I marched right ta th' Cap'n ta tell 'im I knew who was takin' the food. I said I jus' coulnd't stand the guilt no more and that I'd been doin' it. They tossed me in tha brig an' let me off at tha next stop. Said Bellis cried a day an' a night outta shame for me.

So 'ere I am in Riddleport, can't work a boat no more. Gotta find work somehow, though.

Sorry about the dialect. I wrote this a long time ago for a Second Darkness game that fizzled after the first encounter. I'll tone it down in gameplay - I was an English major too.

Also, With Beatrix's death in our WotW game I might just drop out of it (I'm not sure I have another evil character concept to replace her) which would free me up a bit for this game.


Dorian is a an Oracle of Dark Tapestry with the wasting curse. I will update the profile with stats tonight.

Appearance:
Dorian is a man of average height and weight with black hair and dark brown eyes. He walks around with the hood from his cloak pulled over his head. A close look shows a sickly appearance to his skin which is flaking and peeling away. The affliction is most noticeable on his hands, but the rest of his body is kept covered. He tends to look towards the ground, and rarely meets anyone’s eyes, though he is well spoken and likeable.

Background:
Dorian is from the strange city of Kaer Maga. His father was an illusionist and his mother was a priestess of Sivahna, so he grew up being completely indoctrinated into the faith. At the age of 12, he began to have strange visions in mirrors and on pools of water, showing that he had great favor with his goddess, but then the rotting came. It started on his back, his skin started to flake and yellow, with the occasional blister marking its passing. It spread to his chest, legs and arms, and finally began to show on his face. At first he thought he had done something to displease his patron, but then the abilities began to manifest. He was able to wrap himself in darkness, cause confusion, and force a chill into those that opposed him. Recently, while preparing a bath with aloe and other skin soothers, he saw a vision on the water. It was a city on the sea with a great arch covered in runes. Riddleport. The next day, he gathered his belongings and found a caravan heading to the city. His goddess wanted him there, so there he must go.


Hello, I am new to pbp gaming, but recently started reading Navior's Jade Regent game. Liked Corrina and the rest of the cast of characters.

I will submit a halfling monk from Sandpoint trained by Sabyl Sorn of the House of Blue Stone.

His Story so Far:

Wexton Proudpaw is a Halfling. His life started out normal enough living with his parents on their small sheep farm amongst the other farms and steading in the hinterlands outside of Sandpoint.
Wexly as he was called by his mother and father grew up tending to his chores and hearing stories of Halfling heroes’ in their days of travel and excitement. (Little did he know that some of the stories where about his parents lives. They changed enough details to conceal the truth.)

The stories his parents told were wonderful to listen to. They often worked in lessons that Wexly could apply to his own life. His life was mostly normal and boring when compared to these stories or the news that came from Sandpoint. There seemed to be all manner of heroics and danger around the nearest town.

Sure word would come that goblin tribes were about causing trouble and packs of wolves and other predators in area often threatened the flocks, but this was all normal for living in the frontier of Varisia. His parents would lend their skills and courage to the other farmers and settlers of the hinterlands when these occurrences happen.
His mother (Dustina (Dusty) was a fine archer and his father (Mavid (Mav for short) was able to call upon Mad-hal his faithful spirit hound. To protect the flock and/or the other small tower the settlers would fall back to if the raids were serious enough in size or duration.

Wexly played often with the large hound (Maddie). Maddie often protected the young lad and helped him in his chores in training the Proudpaw’s herding dogs. In fact the Proudpaw’s became as well known for the kennels of dogs the raised, bred and trained as they did for their flocks of sheep and herds of goats.

In Wexly 10th year this life was taken from him. Ogres and giants came down into the hinterlands and ravaged many farms, settlements in the area. The Proudpaw farm along with Wexly’s parents fell to the raiding behemoths.

In the end Wexly end up at Turdork Academy and orphanage in Sandpoint, having no other family to take him in. Wexly spent four years at the Academy continuing the education his parents had started. The first year or two was a struggle for young Wexly overwhelmed with grief but in time he started to attend classes and make a new life for himself within the confines of Sandpoint.

This life was just as boring and normal as the life on the farm until that terrible day, but Wexly’s spirit was not satisfied during this time. He felt that he had no control or direction of his own he was just as helpless now as he was on the day his parents fought and died defending him and their neighbors. He was searching for some calling or purpose even though he didn’t really know it at the time.

It was on his 14th birthday that he heard a call. Sure he had seen Sabyl Sorn many times on the street and at the Academy as she often held lectures on history to all the children. He had even been to the House of Blue Stone exclusive library as Sabyl guest for winning an essay contest.

On this day (his day) he happened on Sabyl Sorn early in the morning along the beach practicing her forms as she called them. It was a warm day shortly after dawn Sabyl looked to have been swimming before. Her body was tone and fit from the years of study under father. She moved with nimble grace one second then changes her movement to ones with power enough to drop even on of the largest men in Sandpoint.

Wexly watched her that morning until she finished, clothed herself in her blue robes to start the walk back to Sandpoint.

As he watched her that day he had become curious if he could learn those forms as well and develop both the strength of body and of mind the Sabyl had. Everyone at the Academy said he was bright with a quick mind. He had won the essay competition.

He was not fat as some Halfling tend to be as often as they ate. He was small, but Sabyl was not a large woman and he had heard stories of how she stood against goblin raiders in the town some years back, and there was another woman (Mellon he thought) among the mercenaries Sheriff Hemlock had commissioned to investigate goblins stealing a bunch of local dogs. She and others drove the Licktoads from the Brinestump for said killings and even fought other creatures if the Stories from the Rusty Dragon can be believed.

Wexly approached and questioned Sabyl that day to see if she would take him on as her apprentice. Sabyl was surprised at this request. She took time consider young Wexly’s request and to assess his purpose and commitment to learning.

His answer was not a thoughtful as it could have been, but it was honest he wanted to become stronger in body and in mind in order to make his own way in the world to not be as helpless as he was today. He added at the end he wanted to be able to help those around him like his parents tried to do years ago.

Sabyl took the young man on as her pupil and she would teach him the forms and teach him of Irori. At first Wexly was an able student taking to the physical training with great passion. He even applied himself to the books and scrolls Sabyl would have him read as her father had her read. Overtime Wexly was much more dedicated to the physical training than the mental drills.

On his 18th birthday Sabyl told Wexly he had spent enough time with her and he must journey beyond Sandpoint to continue his own journey. He must experience life as part of his search for purpose and to acquire greater skill and knowledge. Sabyl left the choice where he would go, but she told he must leave upon the full moon.

Wexly was surprised at Sabyl’s pronouncement, he was uncertain about leaving and excited about the prospect of a trip all at once, but where to go Maginmar, Korvosa, Kaer Maega or Riddleport. Wexly went walking that evening through Sandpoint to consider his options and faith or luck or something stepped in. He was amongst the docks and a ship from Riddleport had recently docked. Not pirates mind you, but certainly a rough and rowdy crew, but they had obeyed the Sheriff and his deputies.

Plus they had cargo that was welcome in Sandpoint and bought cargo and supplies from the town’s merchants.

He was standing looking at their ship brow ornament was a likeness of a snarling hound that strongly resembled Maddie from his youth.

Wexly walked along the dock to the stern of the vessel and found its name was the Seawolf. He took this as a sign he should go to Riddleport to start his journey. He will seek to sign on with the crew of the Seawolf as it is said they will return to Riddleport once they depart Sandpoint.

Dark Archive

Lugo Torx is a bit strange for a wizard. He hates being all cramped up in a tower. He prefers to feel the open air in his lungs, and the spray of salt on his face. Lugo's Father was a "trader" operating out of Magnimar. He was a charming man, so charming in fact he claimed he once wooed a Nymph in a local tavern for a night, And that’s how he got his Son, Lugo. Now, those stories are hardly true, for Lugo is a Human child. While not quite as sturdy of frame, but he is defiantly quick of wit.

When Lugo came of age, his Father left him at the local Wizard school in Magnimar, with the Promise " I’ll be back in a year or two to get you, I've got a big job in Riddleport, will be my last one as a deckhand. After that, we'll own our own ship! And with your help, we'll run the waves till the end of our days...”

That was 2 years ago today, and Lugo has not heard from his Father at all. Now that he has graduated from an Apprentice to a full-fledged wizardling, he booked passage to Riddleport to search for his Father...


Below are Aban's statistics.

Aban's stats:

Aban, devotee of Norgorber
Human (Garundi) Cleric 1
NN Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +4
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 10 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +7
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee
Dagger +2 (1d4+1/19-20/x2)
Shortsword +2 (1d6+1/19-20/x2)
Spell-Like Abilities Lore Keeper (At will)
Cleric Spells Prepared
(CL 1, 1 melee touch, 2 ranged touch)
level 1: (2/day) Bless, Cure Light Wounds (DC 15), Disguise Self
level 0: (at will) Detect Poison, Light, Detect Magic
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Deceitful, Weapon Finesse
Traits Indomitable Faith, Practiced Deception
Skills Acrobatics +1, Bluff +1, Climb +0, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +1, Fly +1, Knowledge (religion) +4, Ride +1, Stealth +5, Swim +0
Languages Common, Osiriani
SQ Aura, Cleric Channel Negative Energy 1d6 (2/day) (DC 9), Cleric Domain: Deception, Cleric Domain: Knowledge, Spontaneous Casting, Sudden Shift (7/day)
Combat Gear Dagger, Shortsword, Studded Leather
Other Gear Backpack [(1 item @ 8 lbs), Disguise kit (10 uses)]; Holy symbol, silver (Norgorber); Holy symbol, wooden (Af'ke, the Healer of Sorrows); Pouch, belt [(1 item @ 1 lbs), Thieves' tools]
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Aura (Ex) The Cleric has an aura corresponding to his deity's alignment.
Cleric Channel Negative Energy 1d6 (2/day) (DC 9) (Su) A good cleric can channel positive energy to heal the living and injure the undead; an evil cleric can channel negative energy to injure the living and heal the undead.

Cleric Domain: Deception--> Associated Domain: Trickery
Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth are class skills.
Granted Powers: Sudden Shift (7/day) (Su) As an immediate action after being missed by a melee attack, teleport up to 10' away, within the reach of the attacker.
Cleric Domain: Knowledge
Granted Powers: You are a scholar and a sage of legends. In addition, you treat all Knowledge skills as class skills.
Lore Keeper (At will) (Sp) By touch, learn about a creature with a Knowledge check result of 20.

Practiced Deception +1 on Disguise checks; Disguises can be removed in half normal time.

Some remarks:

1) Practiced Corruption is from Faiths of Corruption.

2) I have a question: are magic items easy to acquire in your campaign ?

As a neutral cleric of an evil deity, Aban has no choice but to spontaneously cast Inflict (various) Wounds spells (and he Channels negatively, too).

If he's to (potentially) play an healing role in a party, he'll need access to a wand of Cure Light Wounds. Hence my question.

3) I made Adileh stay in Korvosa, because I thought that as my (potential ;-) GM, perhaps you would feel burdened by such an important (to my character) NPC, if she were to accompany Aban in Riddleport. Personnaly, though, it would interest me to play the interaction with Adileh, if she did in fact come with Aban to the Cyphergate's city.

4) I have a feeling the domain power Sudden Shift is a nasty (as in: nice to the player :-) addition to a Rogue sneak attack capability
; I never did test it in actual play though.

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