A young refugee girl, blessed by the gods with foresight, is accompanied by six warriors to one of the most dangerous places in the world, where a great hero will die.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Seeing Justahl about his task, Jorzan points to the secret door, saying "There's a passage ther, Justahl, but I haven't yet found the opening mechanism."
Ignoring for the moment the voice in his head, Jorzan turns back the the guards and growls "We heard the wizard speaking to you about this... Metal creature here. He said it was a weapon, that it would be your 'ultimate contingency'. So, unless you wish die a horrible death, tell everything you know about it, this dead wizard here, and this entire complex. Also, is there a woman, or female of import here? That way?" as he points to the north.
"Thanks! On it!" Justahl nods at Jorzan, grateful that he didn't have to look foolish tapping away at a blank wall.
Moving to the indicated spot, he runs his hands over the facing, looking for edges, hinges, a knob or catch to open it.
Intelligence:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
One of the guards calls over to Justahl; "There's no lever or anything like that, it's a code word. Some magic term or other that Gennraus would say. He wouldn't tell it to us." A second guard, nodding towards the Metallum, follows up by saying "That thing makes a powder when it dies. It crumbles to a dust that The 'Smith can use. There's lots of it all over the place, up here, and down south, but this one is new, and living, and Gennraus was gonna keep it secret and make a stash. He thinks The Boss won't find out, but we think he's wrong. Well, now he's dead, So, there's that..." He makes a face.
The last guard gives Jorzan a flinty look. "'She'? Friend. If you're looking for a 'She' around here, you should stop that quest right now and make a run for it. The Boss is not alive, but not dead. She's made of ice, they say, and can't be killed. She eats hearts and souls, and lives by the Eye in the Ice north of Inta. She walks in blood to the blind formless chaos."
DC20 K(Religion):
The last thing the last guard says is spoken rapidly and automatically, like an "amen" or other religious benediction. He may not even be aware he said it.
Knowledge:Religion:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Justahl glances at the guard sharply.
"That is an interesting turn of phrase. Almost like a religious invocation. Have you met her before?"
Justahl turns back to the problem of the secret door.
"Alright, without having any way of discovering the code phrase, I intend to use breaking force."
He shifts his hammer around to the pointed face and rests it on his shoulder, ready to swing.
"Unless someone steps forward who has a way with traps and mechanisms."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Kelne agreed, studying the bullette and working out the quickest, surest way to kill it now that it was incapacitated. In the end, he decided on a brute-force approach, using his warhammer to cave in the creature's skull.
With the danger eliminated, he turned his attention to the victim in all of this. "I suppose we'd better wake him up," he remarked, leaning over to give the vanaran a gentle shake. This was a going to be a decidedly good-news bad-news scenario for the poor sod.
Since coup de grace gives an auto-crit, that hammer becomes decidedly nasty, what with the x3 multiplier. 42 + 4d8 damage finishes the bullette off with ease.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
DRA, though Jorzan likely knows, I don't. Is it possible to roll a disable device or something similar to try and open a magic-code-word secret door? If so, 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (20) + 20 = 40
Jorzan nods slowly, taking everything in "So, this 'Boss' you talk about, this is this 'She' you refer to? And this Gennraus, the wizard, surely he had a private room or chambers around here. Where is it? And tell us what you know of it."
Then, reaching into his haversack, he pulls out the box with the strange gray powder "The powder you speak of that the creature makes when it dies, is it the same as this?"
Oh, and Hurin, so if the Doughty Dwarf gonna go get Nasmara, and check on the other two card-playing guards? Just to make sure they didn't sound the alarm and we have a whole fort coming down on our heads? ; )
You would let Justahl start hammering; a magic code-locked door can't be opened with a DD check because there is no device to disable. There's no mechanism or anything. The door is just a slab that is moved by magic when the appropriate condition (i.e., the the magic word) is met. These are all things Jorzan would know in-character, BTW. Maybe he had a past encounter with one...
The injured guard nods to Jorzan. "Yes. 'The Boss' is a She; she is the Ice Lich. We never know when she's here and when she isn't." A look of dawning realization comes over his face. "W-waitaminnit, are you...are you saying you know She's here, somehow? Or are you just guessing? If you know She's here, then we're all gonna die. We're gonna DIE!" The man starts to panic, and the other two guards freeze. When Jorzan holds up the box of powder you took from the erstwhile caravan earlier, they just nod dumbly in response to his inquiry about whether or not the powder they've seen was the same material.
When he opens the box, there is a sudden cry of anguish inside your minds, and the Mothermind stretches all its tentacles toward the chest in Jorzan's hands. :: no no no no NO NO no no NO NOOOOO! ::
@Kelne and @Nasmarra: Kelne shakes the Vanaran, who is slowly rousing himself thanks to Nasmarra's healing magic. He looks blearily around. "Uuuuuugh. I'm...I...ouch. Hurts so much. Is...I got...ohhh, my legs are so itchy." he murmurs.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
"Go ahead Justahl, without that codeword..." pausing to scowl at Hurin once again "There's no way other way to open that door. So if you want it open right now, hammer away. Just keep in mind, you'll also be letting everyone, and everything in here know that we're here. So perhaps it might be best to wait for the others first, yes?"
DRA:
Thanks! And ha! Maybe he did ;)
Any word yet back from Zan as to what's beyond that door/wall? Or is Jorzan getting any impressions from him at all?
EDIT: Ok, the above happens before Jorzan shows the box to the guards and the Mothermind freaks out, yes?
Quickly yanking the chest back and stuffing it in his haversack once again, Jorzan yells out "Hurin! Will you please ^%^@$%ing go get Nasmarra! We need to figure out what this thing is and what to do about it and she's our best chance to do that!"
Tension and adrenaline maxed, senses on high alert, Jorzan calls Zan back to him, and, not waiting for the stubborn dwarf to do as asked, he mentally commands the Shadow to go find, and summon, Nasmarra and Kelne.
Crouching, weapons at the ready the Shadowdancer nods in the direction of the guards and speaks quietly "Justahl, seems like we may have more company on our hands soon. Be ready. Cassandra, keep that ring on honey. Do you sense 'Her', is she closer?"
Perception (to hear or sense anything unusual): 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (10) + 20 = 30
Cassandra's eyes roll back in her head, and she begins to mutter a low cadence; "we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos we walk in blood to the blind formless chaos..."
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
"Oh S#!t! Scratch that Hurin, stay here! I think we have company!"
as he glances with deep concern at his adopted little sister.
Heal check (is she ok??):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Assuming Zan is around...?:
The shadow beelines through the walls into the room Kelne and Nasmarra entered. Seeing them, it makes urgent motions to follow and then heads back to it's master, this time going through the doors so the others can see where it goes.
DRA, are there any rolls we can make to see what we may know about the 'Ice Lich'?
I went backhand retread the last two pages, I missed the original request from you Jorzan. You had forgotten to bold it, the dangers of reading this on a 4s iPhone. So Hurin wasn't just ignoring you on purpose, but it will play out ok. Sorry about that.
"Thank you for saying please. I'll go get em. You did check this door for traps right?"
Hurin begins to walk out. Then hears Jorzan's warning.
"Aye, that's what Justahl and I were talking about before we came in here. Justahl already gave her a burst of vitality, but the thing keeps attacking her mind."
Nasmarra sees the shadowy double of Jorzan come through the wall, beckoning towards her and Kelne. "Take the vanaran. He will be unable to walk on his own. I have done all I can for him at this juncture." She walks out, barely giving a backwards glance to them both.
Nasmarra glides into the second room, strangely calm amid the chaos of Cassandra's muttering. "Tell me what is going on." The others comply quickly, giving Nasmarra a quick rundown of the Ice Lich and the Eye in the Ice.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Though still cool and aloof, having made no attempt whatsoever to warm herself, or her companions, to her addition to the group, Jorzan is still grateful for the presence and experience in the current situation of the strange mind-mage "Something seems to be attacking her mind, this Ice Lich, most likely. Can you do anything to stop it??"
" Also, this, thing, here" as he points to the creature in the cage " has been telepathically communicating with us." And Jorzan quickly fills her in on all he knows of the 'Mothermind', including it's connection with the strange, yet seemingly valuable and powerful gray powder. "Is there anything else you can tell us about it? Or what we should do about it?"
"Yes, well, I'm afraid there's bad news on the legs," Kelne told the vanaran, not really seeing any way to broach the topic delicately, "Unfortunately, you've lost them. On the plus side, you are still alive, and we should be able to get you out of here as soon as our business here is done."
He gave the vanaran a few moments to take this information in. The large, dead bullette next to them ought to provide some context.
Alarmed at Cassandra's turn for the worst, Justahl pauses before trying to batter the secret door down.
Quickly calling upon the powers granted by Iomedae, he recites the Inheritors Prayer as he casts Protection from Evil on Cassandra. He waits with baited breath to see if he had cut the mental influence on Cassandra.
Hurin points at the subdued guards, "Who do the guards in the other room work for? And what's going on with the horse down the hall?"
The guards look at each other, as if trying to decide which one will answer. After a couple seconds, one of the uninjured men addresses Hurin's query. "We all work for the same person; Axegrinder. He runs all this. He says he runs all of Allemagh now that Tsika's gone, she was the leader of all the various barbarian tribes, but has been missing for weeks. He's not the Boss, I guess. The Boss is the boss. But he runs everything, signs the checks, gives the orders, all that. The Boss is the one who, well, does what needs doing, if you catch my drift. She's the one with the plan, whatever the hell the plan is."
The other uninjured guard then pipes up; "Horse? Which one?"
As Nasmarra glides in, Justahl's spell takes effect on Cassandra and she ceases her insane mutterings. She does still look feverish, though.
You pool your knowledge and are able to ascertain that the Ice Lich is most likely the unseen intellect that has long been rumored as the directing force behind the ever-increasing number of wendigo attacks, and suspiciously well-organized raids by giants around the cities of Pechora and Inta. In particular, a great deal of Thriae merope has gone missing, and it is thought the giants are to blame.
A disreputable rogue scholar from Stormfare named Dr. Leonarus Schrebel -- a self-proclaimed Teratologist (one who studies monsters) -- has been self-publishing papers for some time on the subject of Megafauna. Megafauna certainly exist, and many are well-known, but he insists on writing about cryptoteratological creatures like Fire Demons, Walking Mountains, Megapleurodons, and others whose existence is not supported by any evidence of any sort, not even so much as a footnote in a dusty bestiary. The so-called Eye in the Ice is sort of an ultimate trophy for him; he believes that in the wastes of the White Dragonhold there is a creature of unimaginable size buried in the ice, in stasis, waiting only for a sufficient surge of arcane power, wild magic energy, to awaken it. This creature's eye, itself a hundred feet in diamter or more, is supposedly visible under a quarter-mile of clear ice, if one but knows where to look. Dr. Schrebel insists that the Great Confluence is not only real, but will awaken whatever this thing is, and it will arise to save, rule, or destroy the world, depending on what kind of mood he's in when he writes about it.
While most other scholars scoff at his claims, a small but vocal minority is quick to point out that at least there is evidence the Eye in the Ice actually exists, even though that evidence is limited only to brief mentions in two separate adventurer's logs kept by two long-dead explorers; a woman named Jusina Berol, and a man named Tanner Stormblade.
@Kelne: The vanaran looks shell-shocked. "Oh." he says mildly, in what is surely a candidate for understatement of the year. "I...I don't know what to do about that...?" he says, as much to himself as anything.
DC13 Perception, Kelne only:
You hear a soft crinkling sound off to your left, and when you look you see that the wall is slowly growing a coat of ice. If you watch for a few seconds, you can actually see it getting thicker. This most definitely was not there when you came in.
DC20 Perception, Kelne only, separate roll:
You see the vanaran is wearing a curious ring that looks like it's made out of ice. You almost didn't see it because it's half-buried in his thick fur. The ring has some arcane symbols carved in it.
Then Justahl gives Cassandra a Lay On Hands for 5d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 5, 6, 4) = 19 points of healing and removing any (Diseased), (Poisoned), or (Shaken) conditions.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
As Justahl's divine magics seem to protect the little Seer's mind from whatever was attacking it, Jorzan breathes a small sigh of relief and turns a grateful gaze upon the Paladin.
After pooling their knowledge, Jorzan says grimly "It seems this Ice B!tc# is coming here, soon. I'd rather not deal with her on her home turf, but if we go back the way we came, we also have that pair of guardians to deal with."
Not sure himself of the best way to proceed, he turns to Cassandra, asking "Are you well, little one? And do you know where you wish us to go now?"
Looking much better after Justahl's healing energy, but still a bit on the pale side, Cassandra holds a shaky hand up at the door Justahl is about to smash to pieces with his hammer. "In there. The man with the mouth-face is in there. He frightens me, but he needs me. He needs us, and Shining Man's horse is in there."
One of the guards shakes his head at Jorzan. "No, if she were coming, the walls would be icing up. We're safe at the moment, unless this kid is like an early-warning system or something."
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Glancing sharply at the guard, and then at all the ice-free walls, Jorzan nods and seems to relax his guard, slightly. Turning then to Justahl "You heard her big guy, that's the way we go. Time to use your key on that door. Cassandra, cover your face and ears honey, this might get loud."
Stepping back to a corner of the room where he can keep an eye on everything and everyone, Jorzan says "Nasmarra, while we're waiting for Justahl to get through that door, what do you make of this 'Mothermind'? Can your skills or knowledge tell us any more about it? Or what to do with it?"
Not waiting for an answer, with hardly a thought Jorzan calls the shadows around himself as passes from the seen, to the unseen.
Stealth: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (14) + 24 = 38
"Well, that looks ominous," Kelne said, half to himself, perusing the far wall, "Can't very well leave you here if that ice is going to spread. I don't suppose that ring you're wearing affords you any protection from the cold?" As he spoke, he picked up the vanaran, walking through to join the others and plan out their next move. They were going to have to get somebody to watch over the poor soul, since he didn't seem entirely alert or capable of fending for himself just yet. Even discounting the missing legs.
"Prisoners, I see," he observed on entering, "That's one possible solution to a problem, I suppose." Whether he was entirely prepared to trust the vanaran's care to people who had, after all, left him to be eaten by a bullette wasn't exactly a given, but if they could be convinced it was in their best interests to cooperate, it might be a viable plan.
Camris is away for the weekend, so I'll be DMPCing Justahl best I can in the meantime.
Not hearing any objections, and indeed getting a nod from Jorzan, Sir Justahl unloads on the wall with his magicked warhammer, the head crashing through the stone with blow after blow. The three prisoners protect their ears and eyes as best they can while the racket commences.
@Kelne As you step out of the 'Bulette Room' carrying the Vanaran, you are surprised to see two people -- a man and a woman, both half-elves -- dressed as guards. They match the description of the two card-playing guards that you got from Jorzan and Zan earlier. Both of them are clearly caught by surprise by your appearance, and neither one has a weapon at the ready. One is slowly approaching the door where your companions are, and the other was on his way to the room you are now just leaving.
"Uh...halt right there?" the male says querulously.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 20 = 27Dang it!
DRA, Regarding the map, I believe Nasmarra is in the room with us now, yes? As she has already conversed with us. Jorzan would now be hidden in a corner (Stealth 38), looking at that map I'd say the top left one, so A1. And I believe since he was speaking with the guards, Hurin, would be near them. Unless he's still near the door after almost leaving before Jorzan stopped him. That's my take anyway. Up to you Boss!
DRA:
Just wondering if you missed my sending Zan to scount beyond the secret door earlier? Or if it's just a DM Fiat "You can't know that stuff yet or it might ruin what's coming" kinda thing? ; )
Kelne let out a long-suffering sigh at the interruption, "I'll tell you what," he said, carefully setting the vanaran down, "You have a look through that door," he nodded towards the far door, "And then you can decide whether you want to surrender."
Hurin opens the door and looks out and sees Kelne and the two half elves. "Ah, there ye are. There was a wee bit o'miscommunication where it comes to the spell slinger I hate to say, but ah. Say, have these two decided if they want to live yet? Or do you need a hand out here with em? The Shadow Dancer says the Ice Witch will be here soon. Watch out for ice build up, it means she's near. The girl is still havin it something awful, but Justahl put holy hands on her or somethin so she is good for now."
Hurin then gestures at the pair of half elves. "Don't be grabbing for anything if you want to keep those dandelion pickers on yer wrists and get in here."
The hapless guards look from Kelne to Hurin and then to each other. They shrug and one of them says. "Uh, I don't see anything here. I guess we'll just keep playing cards! No disturbances out here..." He offers a hopeful grin. Both put down their spears.
Justahl finishes smashing through the secret door, and peers inside. "It's just like the shadow told us; a long corridor. We should be safe for a while, looks like it goes back quite a ways." Sure enough, per Zan's report, there is a very long, dimly lit corridor that slopes away at a gentle decline. One of your prisoners speaks up; "That's going to take you down into the mine proper. You...um...you might want to reconsider going down there. We're just entry guards -- here to discourage casual or accidental entry by strangers. But in the mine...well, in the mine there's much more dangerous creatures. A huge fire giant mans the forge, mean duergar mercenaries watch the entrances and exits, and a half-demon thing oversees it all. They have some kind of hideous critter down there with a mouth for a face that's a...a prisoner of some sort. I guess it was evil and betrayed the Horsemen or something, and is here for punishment."
The injured guard nods in agreement. "Weird stuff. We're just punters, but down there are some heavy-duty meanies. If you go now, we'll say we never saw you. Promise."
Cassandra, still a bit pale riding in her sling on Justahl's back, shakes her head. "Shining Man's horsie is there. And the Red Queen, and her army, and the mouth-face man, and this is where we find a shortcut. It keeps us warm. We have to go."
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
" 'Horsemen'? What Horsemen are you referring to, that this 'mouth-face man' may have betrayed?" a voice from the shadows asks the guard, as Jorzan, with no threat seemingly imminent, steps out.
To his companions he states "Before we head down there, there's something I want to check out. We need to know more of what is going on here." Then once more to the guards "What's in that room filled with ice?" as he makes his way towards the door that Nasmarra, and then Hurin, had most recently used.
"Wise decision," Kelne said, "I don't suppose one of you would care to explain why I found this poor soul getting his legs gnawed off in that room?"
"We are getting a bit of ice build-up in that room, incidentally," he informed Hurin, picking up the vanaran once more, "So I'm sure we'll be meeting her soon enough."
In the 'mothermind' room: The guards look around in confusion at Jorzan's query. "Who the heck said that?" asks one of them. "What horsemen do you think we mean?" asks another. "THE Horsemen, that's who."
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Standing by the door, the now visible Jorzan turns back to look at the guards and growls "Pretend like we have no idea what you're talking about, and that your lives depend on answering clearly."
His sensitive ears catching Kelne's warning, Jorzan grabs one of the newly surrendered guards coming into the room and demands "What's in that room made of ice?? What's it used for? Tell me! Quickly!"
Jorzan grabs one of the newly surrendered guards coming into the room and demands "What's in that room made of ice?? What's it used for? Tell me! Quickly!"
The guard's eyes get big. "AHHHHHHHH! ICE?! I DUNNO! THERE'S NO DOORS! WE AREN'T ALLOWED IN THERE!"
Okay all, OOC is started. Again, so far this group should consist of:
khaladon / Jorzan - CN human shadow dancer
vagrant poet / tanel - N human oracle
von doom - Agon - LG human zen archer monk
ad astra games - Karthan - CG(ish) half-orc draconic bloodline sorcerer
Couple more to come. I will be posting more info about Stormfare today, as well as the current known state of the world, and what your characters would know about the war and various cities and regions. Just the general stuff. Once this is up, feel free to pick a place where you're from, and then you can have full knowledge of that area, in the form of a +6 to Knowledge(Local) checks about your home turf.
By the way, once we start the IC threads, I believe an opening post containing links to all the character's profiles might be helpful. I don't think you'll still be able to edit this one.
Mine is, too. The only thing that's missing in my profile is the remaining gold, that's not included automatically from what I can see at a quick glance -- I can post that later, don't have access to Hero Lab right now.
By the way, once we start the IC threads, I believe an opening post containing links to all the character's profiles might be helpful. I don't think you'll still be able to edit this one.
Whoa. The capital 'MY' was an accident. It really looks like I was being a snooty a&$&!**! Just thought I'd clear that up, this is the internet and its easy to come across wrong.
After that bad start however! Hopefully we can all have fun together! :p
Whoa. The capital 'MY' was an accident. It really looks like I was being a snooty a!%~@&%! Just thought I'd clear that up, this is the internet and its easy to come across wrong.
After that bad start however! Hopefully we can all have fun together! :p
Ahahahaa, no worries, sir; the ol' sticky shift key is one of my greatest foes as well, I figured that's all it was. Had I nickel for every time I started a sentence with two capital letters...
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
haha! A Challenge! This is getting to be fun already. ; )
Making his way about the city, naturally skulking in the shadows as was his wont, Jorzan notices the crowd parting to allow a larger than average sized figure through. Pausing curiously to watch, the young Shadowdancer is amused and not a little surprised, to see a big half-orc, looking nothing so much like a circus tent, go barging through the crowd. With his gaze fixed on the distance before him and with the supreme arrogance he displays with every step, it was clear the big humanoid had little care for those he made his bullish way through. 'Truly amazing' thought Jorzan 'First that one as unfortunate looking as that would bring even more attention to himself by dressing so, and second his overconfidence in himself. Why, he seems so unaware of his surroundings that I am sure I could steal that silly vest right off of him without his even noticing'
Having no interest whatsoever in any article of clothing worn by the half-orc, Jorzan nevertheless decides to test his skills, as he often does, and begins to stealthily follow the tall, bald pated, circus performer. As usual, he gives little to no thought whatsoever as to the possible consequences of his actions... Stealth:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
One of my IRL PCs wrote this up for you guys based on her experience as a polymath Sorc/Druid/Ranger (currently lvl 10) Elf in The Explored Land, and as such it's a terrific guide to the state of elvendom. She's been playing for over a year now and has helped a lot with world building.
Elves in The Explored Land, for All Players:
There are four main elven civilizations in the Known World – the Lumerili, Faradwenni, Tuathan, and Enhathladi.
General information:
Form: Humanoid
Lifespan: Eternal
Appearance: Elves have a grace and appearance of beauty that is as real as legends claim. They are taller than mortals, sleeker of limb and fair of skin, often with finely chiseled features. All have long pointed ears and similarities across gender.
Culture: Varies by civilization. The core description of the race from the PHB is the same for all unless indicated by GM. In addition, certain descriptions from the Elves of Golarion fit the elves of this known world, including the approach to other races due to their long-lives.
Religion: Elves recognize the gods in general, paying homage to them in their differing capacities, with a few being more popularly taken as patron gods than others (Desna, Calistria, Nethys, Shaelyn, Findeladlara, Ketephys, Yuelral) with occasional forays into elementally-based gods such as Gozreh and Erastil.
Special: All elves are touched by nature and magic, whether arcane or divine/natural. This does not necessarily give them specific extra powers, but the bloodlines of elves have retained a connection to these innate forces of power, and elves feel comfortable around these powers. Necromancy is generally deemed unacceptable and evil, an abomination against nature.
Rumors of the Elven Cultures
General:
Enhathlad – An Eastern culture of Elves that focused on the physical in a civilized and war-like fashion, focusing talents on weaponry, battle, leadership, and employing such magics to aid them in these goals. The honing of nature to its finest form. Enhathladi are very quiet, withdrawn types that are socially-impaired and display disquieting behaviors that border on eternal melancholy. Their lands are in the great trackless woods, and are rarely found unless they wish to be.
GM NOTE:It is commonly known amongst adventurers that Enhathladi weapons are great and cunning masterworks of the weapons-makers art. Their arrows (explosive, smoke-expending, backbarb, armor-piercing, etc.) are particularly valued and particularly expensive as are Assasin Life-Blades.
Relatedly, the Enhathladi have a dubious reputation as arms dealers more than willing to sell weapons to whomever is paying, since they live forever and tend to see little difference, philosophically, between one group of murderous mortals and another.
Faradwen – A culture of elves that retains a strong connection with the Land, such that their civilization can sometimes appear primitive or even feral. Very focused on the elements and nature, the Faradwen are said to embrace all types of natural environment easily, their skin darker and their ways very adaptable to any climate. The two known largest “cities” of Faradwen are on an island in the south and somewhere in the western northland forest, but it is said that they are everywhere. It’s rumored that sea-elves are really just Faradweni elves blessed by their patron elemental. The Faradweni have an intricate druidic-clerical ruling system. Stories have been told of ancient Faradweni with patron spirits that rival gods. With regard to arcane magics, the focus is elemental in nature, and sorcery is preferred to wizardry, but as long as the focus is elemental, there is no hindrance from a path. The Faradweni are also very physically strong, moreso than Lumeril or Tuatha, making great rangers, barbarians, warriors, and archers. It is said that all Faradweni are connected through the natural world, no matter where they may travel.
Lumeril – A very open culture of elves that have embraced the ways of mortal cultures, while also focusing on arcane pursuits. Building great shining cities made of stone towers, their culture is dedicated to arcane magic, with great colleges, wizards of great renown, a flourishing trade, and an acceptance of half elves unlike their Tuathan brethren. Stories of Lumeril reaching magical heights have long been told, and it is even rumored that magic binds their culture together in some mysterious way. Their cities are great centers of knowledge and while ruled by elves, welcome the inclusion of other races and other cultures. The Lumeril place few restrictions on profession/class, although many have rudimentary training in arcane lore regardless of their ultimate focus.
Tuatha - A very closed culture of elves in the western lands, south of Goreme. Tuathan elves embrace a variety of ways and represent a very balanced approach to magic and nature. Their forests are said to be of primeval beauty, preserved and shaped through magic throughout the millenia. It is rumored that the Tuatha have protected these lands since the beginning of time and are actually mysteriously bound to them. Some never leave the forests, except through an ancient rite of seeking their destiny called The Coming of Age - when the youth leave the forest to learn of the outer world. They maintain a strong culture of tradition and art that is highly prized, with a monarchy bloodline and a council of elders. Their lands are protected with a powerful mixture of arcane and divine power that prevent any who attempt to enter without escort or permission from finding their way through (those who have tried find their path always leading back to where they entered, as if the woods themselves twisted the paths.) Tuathans maintain contact with other cultures and races for trade and political reasons, usually meeting in the grand city of Haelith outside the protections of the forests. Haelith is populated mainly by humans, elves, and half-elves of Tuathan descent. Half-elves of Tuathan descent are rumored to be treated like diseased folk, with pity and some aversion, and are not welcomed to reside within the Tuathan forests. Tuathan elves tend to be an interesting balance between seeking of individual calling and tied to traditional ways, and those one may meet outside of the Tuathan forests can be of any profession or class, although it is said that they do not train thieves, barbarians or sorcerers. Tuathans seem to be inordinately drawn to their homelands, and their poetry often holds a poignant sense of longing.
M Brownin (Half Pale Skin/Half Dark Skin) Healer 8/Merchant 3
Welcome All! And thanks! Very excited about this game with our high posting, well writen, highly detailed DM, and the obviously great (from the entertaining builds and backgrounds) group of players. Very happy to be a part of it.
Great background on the elves, too! Thanks.
Some info and questions on Jorzan:
-He's CG now, not CN. Changed, along with his background, to fit more into the idea of a Hero
-How do you feel about the use of Poison in your campaign DM? And if it's permitted, what's available?
-At the same time though, if we end up having no ranger in the party, I'm happy to let Jorzan fill that role and will drop the Poisoner in favor of Rogue Talents that allow him to Track and such.
-Would like your apprasial and approval on a couple of Jorzan's items DM, namely:
Belt of Endure Elements 1000(1stlvlx 1castlvl/.5 because 24hrs duration)
AND
Vest of Shield 4000 (as 1st level spell, continuous use. With DM's Approval?) 2lb
If they don't work or are off or need to be changed in any way, no problem, just let me know and I'll get to fixing them. Gracias.
Welcome All! And thanks! Very excited about this game with our high posting, well writen, highly detailed DM, and the obviously great (from the entertaining builds and backgrounds) group of players. Very happy to be a part of it.
Great background on the elves, too! Thanks.
Some info and questions on Jorzan:
-He's CG now, not CN. Changed, along with his background, to fit more into the idea of a Hero
-How do you feel about the use of Poison in your campaign DM? And if it's permitted, what's available?
-At the same time though, if we end up having no ranger in the party, I'm happy to let Jorzan fill that role and will drop the Poisoner in favor of Rogue Talents that allow him to Track and such.
-Would like your apprasial and approval on a couple of Jorzan's items DM, namely:
Belt of Endure Elements 1000(1stlvlx 1castlvl/.5 because 24hrs duration)
AND
Vest of Shield 4000 (as 1st level spell, continuous use. With DM's Approval?) 2lb
If they don't work or are off or need to be changed in any way, no problem, just let me know and I'll get to fixing them. Gracias.
Thanks for the change to CG, that's very rad. We'll see what happens re: a ranger. I'm torn between three builds for the last couple slots here.
As for poison, any and all are available, standard rules for not accidentally poisoning yourself, etc. You'll find there are Enhathladi poisons available here and there in addition to the usual fare. Aside from that, I just use RAW for poison use.
No problem on the Belt and Shield, both are fine. Can you give me HP/Hardness (if any) on each?
Male Half-Orc Sorcerer, 8th, Brass Draconic Bloodine
Tis a pity you rolled so well on the Stealth - we're normally evenly matched on Perception (+11 and +9) and Stealth (+13 and +13).
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 Perception
Karthan walks through the crowd at his normal pace, relaxed, and generally feeling benevolent towards the world. Even his preternaturally sharp senses are somewhat lulled by the thronging crowds.
If you're going to be stealthy and keep up with Karthan, you're going to be doing it while moving at a brisk pace (-10 to the die roll).
He's making his way to the caravanserai, chatting with a few merchants here and there. Based on the convivial nature of the conversations, they know him, and he knows them, and they seem largely to get along.
There are other people who are giving him the wide berth that any 6'4", 280 lb Half-Orc gets, even if NOT visibly armed.
He does check on the horses, and then, after a brief discussion with someone whose name you hear as Jollo. He turns around, and carefully looks at all the entrances and shaded spots near the open square serving as a caravanserai. A routine surveil of the surroundings; it's the sort of behavior you'd expect of someone who isn't fat, dumb and happy.
Perhaps he's not quite as dumb as he looks.
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30 Second Perception to watch the entrances, including the way he came.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
DM Downrightamazed wrote:
Er. Did I miss a meeting? PvP already?
lol, don't think so! ;) I just responded out of fun, but if this gets in the way of your planned adventure DM, please just give the word and we'll stop. Until then though... ;)
Stealth:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31Fully agree with you on the -10 for moving, however as Karthan was staionary when he last looked around, I'm assuming Stealth mod is as normal for Jorzan.
Following the circus performer began to slightly bore the young Shadowdancer. He still wasn't sure what the half-orc did but, based on the reactions of those he spoke to and who appeared to know him, it seemed that perhaps he wasn't as miserable a sort as Jorzan had at first assumed. After some time the Half-Orc, whose name he now knew to be Karthan, leads Jorzan to the busy caravanserai. After speaking to someone named Jollo, Karthan suddenly turns about him, gazing carefully into all the shadows and hidden areas. Not ready to reveal himself yet or be caught at his silly game, Jorzan holds his breath and remains as still as he can. It seems to work as, after further scrutiny, Krathan moves his gaze onward. However the young Shadowdancer may not have remained hidden from all eyes in the caravanserai that day.
Forget how it works with a tie...
DM
Spoiler:
AdAstraGames made a good point about the Vest of Shield vs the much higher priced and only hald as effective Ring of Force Shield. Don't want to cause any waves so I'm fine to get rid of the vest if you rule that way instead
Male Half-Orc Sorcerer, 8th, Brass Draconic Bloodine
Damn your luck. :) I'll note that it is daylight and there are a LOT of people around; feel free to insert situational mods as you see fit for story. If you'll let me, I have something cute if I beat your Stealth roll, that won't be directly humiliating or embarassing. As it is, Stealth Wins Ties.
Karthan does a look around, and manages to look almost EXACTLY at Jorzan, before his eyes slide off to a man even taller and more broad shouldered than he, dressed in green and brown.
Karthan is roughly the size of an NFL Defensive End. Agon is the size of an NFL Left Tackle. Agon is taller, and more broadly shouldered than Karthan, and while Karthan is obviously *strong*, Agon has a lower body fat percentage.
I shan't presume whether you're walking around obviously armed, Agon. Karthan is NOT.
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Hmm, well, while I don't think being it daylight would be a problem, as in a caravanserai that would provide lots of shadows, at the same time I have no problem giving you whatever situational mods you like to beat his Stealth. It was only by one after all. You could just go with something along the lines of Karthan just pretending he didn't see Jorzan at first. Of course that's just a suggestion. Curious to see what you have in mind ;)
And yup Argon, seems like we got a pretty 'on it' group of PCs lined up! Should be great fun. XD
Last two slots have been filled, guys:
Chris Banks - Kelne - CG Human Fighter
Camris - Sir Justal - LG Aasimar Paladin
Waiting to make sure everyone has posted. Once everyone has, I'll get links to everyone's profiles in the first post to the IC thread.
Jorzan:
Yeah, I'm down with what Ad Astra pointed out w/r/t the vest, it seems on point. Thanks for being on the up-and-up.
We'll take a day or two here to complete builds, and for me to get necessary background info up. IC thread will be up by tomorrow night, link will be posted here.
M Brownin (Half Pale Skin/Half Dark Skin) Healer 8/Merchant 3
Welcome on board Chris & Camris!
Also just wanted to be honest and point out, since the theft of my blackberry, until I manage to replace it, I won't be able to be constantly online as I used to be. I'm living on the beach,in Tulum, Mexico at the moment, and so I now have to come into town to get net access. I WILL still do so every day though, so daily posts is a guarentee (exepect for unexpected emergencies or what have you). It's just the multiple-per-day posting that will be off-line for a while. Hope that's still cool.
Male Half-Orc Sorcerer, 8th, Brass Draconic Bloodine
Karthan shifts his attention back from the tall man, and surveils for Jollo. He doesn't appear to have noticed anyone in shadows. He turns to Jollo for a moment, then goes back to watching the entrances.
1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25 Bluff to conceal activating the Ventriloquism amulet while talking to Jollo. Opposed by Sense Motive, Bluff wins the tie.
He continues looking around, fidgeting with his hands [Spellcraft roll to identify the spell, if anyone's interested]. The verbal component of the spell is being heard about 30' away from Karthan, behind a rather *loud* haggling session going on a row over. Unless you had ANY reason to expect it (the merchants didn't), it's probably hard to notice.
Jorzan, you hear, right in your ear, a very deep voice say "Very nice form. I'm looking for work as a scout; rather than us diluting the offers, I think we might be able to find work together. Sound interesting?"
(The spell he casts is the cantrip "message", also known as "magical, hard to detect walky-talky.")
Male Human Rogue(Poisoner) 5/ Shadowdancer 6| AC23 T17 F18; HP 88/88, CMD 22, F/R/W 6/14/7, Percep +20 Drkvsn 60', Init +6
Sense motive:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Confidant his skills had kept him hidden, Jorzan begins to look elseware for his next entertainment. Out of nowhere though a voice suddenly speaks right by his ear, causing the young man to jump slightly, much to his chagrin. His hand flies automatically to his rapier but then he hears the actual words of the message. Looking about him he sees the target of his former pursuit staring directly at him. Staring back for a long moment, Jorzan finally smiles slightly with the corner of his mouth and gives a single nod to his new...ally?
And with that I've got to call it a day folks. Kills me, KILLS ME, not to be able to check on this thread every 10 min, but, maybe it's good for me? Anyway, unless I manage to get online somewhere tonight, will see you all manana (tomorrow). Hasta Luego!
Just FYI, guys, you'll all be in separate sections of the city to begin. That being said, I like the idea of Jorzan and Karthan having encountered each other before. :-D
Sneaky people who can communicate with each other are much more effective than solo sneaky people, or sneaky people trying to coordinate with each other.
Jorzan, it would be neat if you could add a description and personality section to your profile when you get access again. :)
DM: I HIGHLY recommend these rules mods for Stealth. They will require a nudge on Jorzan's character if they're adopted, because they rewrite HiPS. They also help make Stealth/Invisibility/Perception/Bluff pass the "common sense" test. They do make Darkvision a bit more useful.
Stealth requires something that gives Concealment or Cover to be used.
Invisibility requires that someone not be perceptable by vision. This does make Darkvision more valuable. Someone hiding behind a door is effectively "Mundanely invisible", which solves a whole lot of problems.
Stealth with a distraction is worth more than Stealth without a distraction.
For Jorzan, HiPS is replaced with Hide in Shadows, which is somewhat better balanced.
For Karthan, using a Darkness wand charge on himself in anything other than broad daylight is broadly as effective as invisibility, since he can see through it and most other creatures cannot. Darkvision makes it harder to qualify for a position where you can use stealth.
I do not know how much languages are going to matter for this setting...but I'd like to do something interesting with Karthan's last language 'slot'.
Karthan's last language spot would let him, with a few minutes of exposure, be able to pick up enough of the basics to be able to ask "Where is piss room?" and "Is there good place to eat?" in any place he goes.
A week of exposure gives him the ability to hold very simple conversations - I'm limited to typing words of one syllable, and can't use compound sentences.
A month of exposure lets him speak with a horrible accept, but be otherwise understandable. He never gets any better without putting an actual skill rank in Linguistics.
None of these allow him to read any of these languages. He's just traveled/worked with enough to have a knack for knowing how to order a beer just about anywhere.
Hello, everybody. Good to be aboard. Looks like a pretty good group of players, and some distinctly sneaky characters.
Sheet's pretty much done, just perhaps some minor tweaking of mundane gear. But that's what last minute pre-quest shopping is for. I do have one item above the 5,000 gp cap, specifically the +1 shadow breastplate at 5,100 gp. I think it's close enough, but will change it if need be.
Kelne: Something you might want to pick up is a cracked Pearly White Spindle Ioun Stone. It's not really useful in combat, but it would allow you to heal (slowly) out of combat at 1 HP per hour - in a bit under 3 days of hiding out, it would let you recover full hit points. (It's something I'm seriously tempted to swap something out to get, though I'm not sure what.)
I do not know how much languages are going to matter for this setting...but I'd like to do something interesting with Karthan's last language 'slot'.
Karthan's last language spot would let him, with a few minutes of exposure, be able to pick up enough of the basics to be able to ask "Where is piss room?" and "Is there good place to eat?" in any place he goes.
A week of exposure gives him the ability to hold very simple conversations - I'm limited to typing words of one syllable, and can't use compound sentences.
A month of exposure lets him speak with a horrible accept, but be otherwise understandable. He never gets any better without putting an actual skill rank in Linguistics.
None of these allow him to read any of these languages. He's just traveled/worked with enough to have a knack for knowing how to order a beer just about anywhere.
Well, I just use Linguistics checks for things like that, so you can go ahead and put a language in that last slot, and for things like "where's the whizzery?" and "It comes in pints?" and other reasonable things like slow, rudimentary reading and comprehension I'll have you do varying-DC Linguistics skill checks.
Language skills are pretty important in this world. So are ranks in all the various types of capital-K Knowledge. And various Professions. And Perception. And Stealth. And Heal. You get the idea.
Okay, looks like everybody's checked in. IC thread will be up by tomorrow night. Other world info will continue to be posted here tomorrow as folks finish any last character/build business, if any.
Well, I just use Linguistics checks for things like that, so you can go ahead and put a language in that last slot, and for things like "where's the whizzery?" and "It comes in pints?" and other reasonable things like slow, rudimentary reading and comprehension I'll have you do varying-DC Linguistics skill checks.
Language skills are pretty important in this world. So are ranks in all the various types of capital-K Knowledge. And various Professions. And Perception. And Stealth. And Heal. You get the idea.
This is good to know, as Linguistics cannot be used untrained. I adjusted my ranks and put a rank in Linguistics (at 1st level, even). I figure it was mother trying to beat some sort of an education into his head. :)
Linguistics is not a class skill for Sorcerers, so his bonus is +3. This is probably appropriate. On the flip side, he now has: Common, Orc, Draconic and two other languages. Based on what I've written so far, any recommendations on those two languages?
I made the +1 Heavy Crossbow a Use Activated Gravity Bow item, and matched it with a quiver that casts mending, only usable on arrows, bolts, javelins and spears that are put in it. It can't repair magical ammunition, or restore alchemical uses on used ammunition.
Amun-Thul was a low STR ranger who took the Rapid Reload and Crossbow Mastery feats, and made these himself with Craft Arms and Armor. He predated on trade routes.
Disregard the combo crossbow. I realized I calc'd it wrong. Check the character's profile instead. However, the bracelet, crossbow and quiver all come from the adventure with Amun-Thul.
I also have one free slot. I was going to see if there are any native languages in either of the Van- regions, or a nearby people that would interact with the locals.
Kelne: Something you might want to pick up is a cracked Pearly White Spindle Ioun Stone. It's not really useful in combat, but it would allow you to heal (slowly) out of combat at 1 HP per hour - in a bit under 3 days of hiding out, it would let you recover full hit points. (It's something I'm seriously tempted to swap something out to get, though I'm not sure what.)
It has a list price of 3,400 GP.
Potentially useful as a last resort, but I think the wand of cure light wounds has it beat hands down in terms of speed. No doubt there's a ioun stone in there somewhere that would tempt me.
I also have one free slot. I was going to see if there are any native languages in either of the Van- regions, or a nearby people that would interact with the locals.
The lingua franca of The Forgelands (collective name for Van-Monnen and Van-Duriss) is Dwarvish.
@Ad Astra: How much of a scholar is Karthan? Is he big into intellectual pursuits? Done any time at university? How curious is he about ancient civilizations and history? This'll help with the language selection...
VERY IMPORTANT POST: Save this one, print it, whatever. I'll upload it as a .txt file tonight to a folder on one of my servers, but you still may want to have your own reference. What follows is all the stuff an adventurer like yourself would just know about The Explored Land. Feel free to ask other OOC questions but please don't use as meta info. Once you've looked this over, if you haven't chosen where you're from yet, feel free to do so and I'll grant a permanent +6 to knowledge checks about that one specific area.
Note that the way weather/geographic areas work in The Explored Land makes no sense at all, so don't try to parse it out using actual meteorology or earth science. :-)
The Explored Land is so ravaged by ley lines and wild magic that its weather and currents and geological phenomena are hopelessly twisted and deformed, perhaps never to recover. This is one of the reasons there are things like Ruinstorms, which are seemingly malevolent (some say intelligent) storms capable of producing flesh-removing precipitation so damaging and powerful it can pierce plate armor.
That being said, here are things your character would know about The Explored Land. Note I am not saying everything your character knows is true, just that they know it.
About The Explored Land:
The Ocean and the Northwestern Shores - Though the dwarves of Van-Monnen lay claim to this area that butts up against the White Dragonhold, in truth it is mostly a wasteland of arctic tundra, broken up in the south by only the hardiest of conifers and grasses. Moss clings to the occasional outcropping of bare rock. This is a most inhospitable land, filled with dangers, lacking in resources, and largely unexplored.
The White Dragonhold - just as its name would imply, this area of The Land is inhabited, patrolled, and governed -- such as it is -- by white dragons. Also largely unexplored. Stretches all the way across the top of the world.
Van-Monnen and Van-Duriss (aka The Forgelands) - Home to the greatest kingdom of dwarves in the Explored Land, the Forgelands have the twin distinctions of being simultaneously one of its most resource-rich regions, and one of its most dangerous regions. Dragons from the white dragonhold regularly make incursions south for fresh meat and treasure, raiding merchant caravans, and the White Cliffs that line the shore are said to hold unspeakable secrets.
[Unclaimed Lands] - In the space between, surrounded by The Forgelands on the west, Iridian to the south, the Frost Kingdom to the east and the White Dragonhold to the north, are many old structures from civilizations past; giant walls, crumbled castles, ruined roads, shrines to gods long forgotten and some to gods still worshipped today. This area has insufficient resources for anyone to attempt to claim it and keep it, and is mentioned in conujunction with enough rumours of undead and fey monsters to keep most of the curious away.
Allemagh - A matriarchal barbarian kingdom composed of smaller fiefdoms, said by dwarves to contain tremendous pockets of unmined natural resources, left untouched due to the sheer inhospitableness of both the land and its people.
Warbane - (Protected by Van-Seletharius, Great Wyrm Silver Dragon) - The city of Warbane is home to the greatest fighters known anywhere. Living, as they do, in range of the dangerous Forgelands and the perilous White Cliffs therein, the Warbanians have developed an economy that relies heavily on mercenary trade, in that soldiers from Warbane, in the employ of various kings, cities, merchants, etc. will regularly send money back to their homeland to assist in its upkeep and the training of children in the ways of war. Most warbanians are very large and muscular; near the maximum size for a human, often towering over half-orcs.
Stormfare - (Protected by Van-Galazzan, Great Wyrm Brass Dragon) - As mighty as Warbane is, so Stormfare is intellectual. Built on steep hills and constantly under rain or threat of rain, the denizens of Stormfare are used to being indoors a great deal, and developed the greatest University in The Land essentially just to have something to do. Generally a cozy, avuncular, and pleasant place to be. Not surprisingly, the baristas of Stormfare are said to brew the best Coffee and Klah anywhere in the land, a fact the halflings of H'arun, in the Desert of Lop, dispute.
The Frost Kingdom - Another of the less pleasant places in The Land, this area is peopled by Giants, Golems, and dire beasts of all sorts. Interestingly, certain of the tribes of giants and ogres greatly value textiles and gems from the south, giving those merchants brave enough, or rich enough to hire powerful guards able to make mountains of money by trading silk and southern gems for rare and exotic jewels and furs from the north.
The Great Trackless Woods - Very little is known of this giant, ancient forest. There are a few rugged outposts of miners and frontiersmen scattered here and there, mostly in the south, but the primeval forces that are the true denizens of the woods keep any real civilization at bay.
The Western Coast - Generally a sunny, arid, peaceful place, the coastline is home to excellent farm country, great healing magic, and many quiet towns.
Iridian - A cursed land, often referred to as a "cancer" or "blight" on The Land. The last king of Iridian went insane and was killed in an uprising by his own army. Since then, Iridian has remained leaderless and empty. Iridian began its life as "Shelyn's Jewel," according to some sagas and histories, but little remains in the way of actual, physical evidence to lend any credence to this tale.
Plains of Bennalad - The greatest farmland in The Land, its breadbasket. Peopled entirely by farmers or similar, and protected mostly by monks.
Protectorate of The Lake - Home to Izmir, the city of light and knowledge, beloved of and consecrated to The Inheritor, Iomedae, and home to a mighty force of her Paladins. Izmir has a great library and university, centers of medicine, and is an orderly, clean, lawful place. Just less than a day's journey north is Varna, which is as debauched and rowdy as Izmir is calm and orderly. Varna is home to many people, mostly halflings and dwarves, and is the last known residence of the great brewmaster Erasj (pronounced like "mirage" without the "m"), who is half-mad, but is the last man alive who knows the secrets of brewing Ki Ale, which enhances the powers of monks and other Ki-using physical prodigies.
The Despair of Vestrille - Swampy land north of Rass-La, said to be on top of a great nexus of ley lines, which would certainly explain the immense power radiating from the swamps and trees and the very earth itself. Home to all sorts of undead. It is said just walking in the swamps of the Despair will cause one to enter a terrible melancholy, with some adventurers supposedly becoming so depressed they simply walk into the marshes and vanish.
The Old Woods of Grozcne - Said by some to be an outcropping of the Great Trackless Woods, but by others to be the last of the original forests of the world, and actually older than the Great Trackless Woods, the Old Woods are filled with wild fey, strangely animated plants, and many powerful woodland creatures.
Hallas - A lush and green woodland/farmland. Little industry or trade, mostly subsistence farmers. Generally peopled by gruff, hardy folk. Not heavily populated.
Rass-La - Once the southern half of a grand woodlands kingdom, the desert of Rass-La is now a sun-baked wasteland. It was created some 2,500 years ago in what has come to be called The Sundering; when the goddess Sarenrae, at the behest of an Enhathladi battle-queen named Luaera, took her flaming scimitar and carved a scar into the world for reasons no one knows.
Enhathlad - Enhathlad is a wind-blasted prairie/steppes region, sparsely populated by taciturn, nomadic, and curiously nonmagical elves. These elves are both revered and reviled for making the most brutally effective weapons in The Land, including things like armor-piercing and explosive arrows, and blades of black steel that are bound to a swordmaster's life force and lend the weapon strange powers.
Goreme - Home to farmers and monks, and an area in which some of the finest horses and other domesticated animals are bred.
Desert of Lop - A dangerous and large desert whose name in the local tongue means "You go in, but you do not come out again." The city of H'arun is the pride of Lop, a waystation for merchants taking the trade route from Katapesh north to the Frost Kingdom, or returning from same.
Tuatha - Lush and glorious woodlands, peopled by strongly magical elves, an ancient and proud kingdom.
Katapesh - This area is comprised of desert and jungle, and is home to a healthy trade center; the capital city that shares its name. Everything from legitimate goods to slaves to illicit substances pass through the ports and trade routes of this land.
The Old Land - Filled with strange plants and creatures from out of time and dotted with ruins of ancient cultures long-dead, The Old Land is a constant destination for adventurers and explorers. Its most curious feature, from which it takes its nickname, is the large quantity of criss-crossing roads, all in terrible disrepair and most ending abruptly, for no apparent reason, in the middle of a field, or at a lake, or a mountain.
The Empire of Mists - Despite a healthy and active trade relationship with the rest of The Land, little is known about the Empire of Mists.
Tiria - By far the most successful, wealthy, and populated area of The Land, Tiria is home to the walled city of Lesotho, beloved of Abadar and home to his greatest Paladins, which is also a Draconic Protectorate looked over by the great and ancient silver dragon Na-Selene, famed for her tactical mind as well as her thirst for knowledge. Like Stormfare and Izmir, Lesotho also houses a great university.
Tiria is also home to the oldest, largest city and port in the land; Mamban. Divided into five distinct districts, or "delves," Mamban is the funnel through which most trade is poured, and home to countless mysteries and magics, not least of which are the Center City, the Shadowborn, the Lost Fountain, and Old Ness' Bar on the wharf.
Good stuff, helped me further layout Tanel's background.
Any particular customs or defining physical features common to human's from the Plains of Bennelad and its people (Benne? Benneladians? Benneladi?)
How far away for Stormfane would a village in its catchment area have to be to be susceptible to banditry?
"Catchment!" What a marvelous word. Had to look it up, thank you for that! I've learned my thing for the day :-)
Anyway, residents of the Plains, Hallas, and the Western Coast are a varied lot, comprised of retired adventurers, wandering half-breeds...all sorts. The main defining characteristics would be a phlegmatic low-country good cheer, stolidness, fiercely independent streak, and comfort amongst the salt of the earth. Physically, the residents would tend to be shorter and stoutly built. Strong.
The area of the Plains most in trouble from bandits and raiders these days is the southeast, where the plains give way to the foothills of the Mana Mountains, and eventually Hallas.
@Ad Astra: How much of a scholar is Karthan? Is he big into intellectual pursuits? Done any time at university? How curious is he about ancient civilizations and history? This'll help with the language selection...
He's not spent any time at the University as a student - there's always another caravan to escort and new places to see, new adventures to have.
He has been there, because mother was a brass dragon and insisted, but I figure that the lone rank in Linguistics (taken at level 1, even!) is a combination of mother trying to school him, and him eventually winning at being stubborn.
Draconic he learned from mother (My figuring that mother was a full blooded or half blooded brass dragon is based off of how ludicrously I rolled for Karthan's attributes.) Father taught him Orcish and Giantish. (Father was one of the rare exceptions to the rule: A Neutral Good full blooded Orc Ranger).
The last language is something his mother tried to get him to appreciate...and I want you to imagine the chaos that would result from a bored, mildly pyromanic, 14-year old, 6' tall, 230 lb teenager stuck in a dusty classroom.
I am figuring that his safe haven is Stormfare, and he's run with caravans from Katapesh to the Front Lands and back. He's mostly avoided the *open* war zones, because caravans are notorious about steering clear of that sort of thing.
ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT POST, this time about Stormfare, the city in which we shall be starting.
Rather more about Stormfare:
From the marshy roads leading to the main city gates in the northeast and southeast, to the wharf district down at the ocean's edge, Stormfare is wet. Moist, sloshy, damp, soggy. Wet. Due to its location on the southern half of a large atoll, the currents and clouds of the ocean tend to get sort of "stuck" over Stormfare, and, lacking any better enterprise with which to busy themselves while in this interminable holding position, they rain.
A typical day in Stormfare begins with a clear, bright sunrise. The extreme angles of light allow the first rays of morning to sneak under the cloud cover, baffling the city's residents with their blinding glow. The confusion doesn't last, however, as the sun soon climbs above the cloudline, leaving the city bathed in its usual wash of grey.
The clouds begin misting early on, and this fine mist gives way to actual rain around morning tea-time. Sometime after lunch a real downpour usually begins, settling quickly into a cold, drenching rain that goes until dinner time. There is sometimes a second brief appearance of the sun as it sets behind the hills in the east.
Because of the constant presence of precipitation, the entire city of Stormfare has been built up in such a way that it resembles a man in a coat and rain cloak, with his hood pulled up over his head and his shoulders hunched up against the spray of cold water issuing forth from the sky. Buildings are mostly stout and round, with good, thick roof tiles and generous gutters and downspouts leading to gutters on the ground that are so wide and well-fortified they may as well be called trenches. Most are made of high-qaulity dwarven stonework. Windows tend to be small and round and thick, and every building has a wide and warm mud room inside the front door with plenty of places to hang dripping coats.
The interiors of most buildings are painted subdued but cheery colors, and have many paintings, artifacts, books, boardgames and pets scattered about the place, anything to help keep people's minds focused, calm, and active.
The citizens of Stormfare are a varied lot; all races are welcome and present in remarkably equal amounts, with halflings having perhaps a slight edge in total numbers, but only a slight one. It is this excellent blending of all peoples' perspectives that many say has led to the extraordinary quality of life in Stormfare, especially in the face of such constantly gloomy weather.
The hot beverages of Stormfare deserve special and particular mention. Stews, soups, tea, coffee and klah are all made and brewed for maximum impact, and are delicious beyond compare; they warm the body and soul alike, and in the case of the caffeinated beverages are quite bracing, elevating and enervating the mind. Klah brewed in Stormfare has been known to have actual medicinal properties, it's so good.
Geographically, the city starts down by the oceanside at the wharf, through ramshackle and weatherbeaten warehouses and inns, itinerant taverns and docks, all seemingly carved from the same giant husk of greyish driftwood. The back alleys are dirt or cobbled, whatever is most convenient for those who use them most. The alleys expand into streets heading up University Hill to the North, leading to the massive and sprawling University of Stormfare itself, its buildings indistinguishable from the civilian structures around it, homes and bookstores and theatres and coffeeshops. SO MANY coffeeshops. Going from the wharf straight east leads one up Swallow Hill to the tree-lined streets of the more residential neighborhoods. South, Traitor's Hill leads to the market district, a riot of colliding shops and storefronts, each doing its gaudy best to get attention from the inevitably ducking and rushing passersby all eager to get in from the rain, or get on to where they're going.
@Ad Astra: How much of a scholar is Karthan? Is he big into intellectual pursuits? Done any time at university? How curious is he about ancient civilizations and history? This'll help with the language selection...
He's not spent any time at the University as a student - there's always another caravan to escort and new places to see, new adventures to have.
He has been there, because mother was a brass dragon and insisted, but I figure that the lone rank in Linguistics (taken at level 1, even!) is a combination of mother trying to school him, and him eventually winning at being stubborn.
Draconic he learned from mother (My figuring that mother was a full blooded or half blooded brass dragon is based off of how ludicrously I rolled for Karthan's attributes.) Father taught him Orcish and Giantish. (Father was one of the rare exceptions to the rule: A Neutral Good full blooded Orc Ranger).
The last language is something his mother tried to get him to appreciate
I am figuring that his safe haven is Stormfare, and he's run with caravans from Katapesh to the Front Lands and back. He's mostly avoided the *open* war zones, because caravans are notorious about steering clear of that sort of thing.
Ahahahahaa, yes I suppose a Brass Dragon would insist, wouldn't she? Hee hee.
Well, in that case, how about Ignan? Or perhaps something a little loftier, Celstial or Infernal -- things oft used in magical shenanigans. All make sense, and all will be useful in-game
Quote:
...and I want you to imagine the chaos that would result from a bored, mildly pyromanic, 14-year old, 6' tall, 230 lb teenager stuck in a dusty classroom.
