Alexander Kilcoyne's page

Hi all,

First of new update cycle will begin on Monday the 18th of March :)

General Recap-

Trials of Grallus:

In the year 4711AR, having been drafted into a group of highly talented individuals, the majority of the party presently delving a recently discovered, mysterious ziggurat participated in the highly publicised Trials of Grallus. The trials were devised and named by Sargava's ruler, Grand Custodian Utilinus, and named after his predecessor, the famous Baron Grallus who in 4643AR prevented invasion by Cheliax through a deal with the Shackles Pirates, a tributary deal that has persisted to this day.

This rather gaudy event pitted the party, the eventual victors, against a diverse mix of other teams in a variety of events, many of which were rather more dangerous and vicious than was perhaps expected; a result of the rather loose and lax rules in place for the competitions themselves. The tests included talent, athletic, martial and teamwork trials, and the party won the majority of them, netting the highest points total for the Trials and not losing any members of the team.

Many of the trials were themed around patriotism for Sargava and casting Cheliax as the grand enemy, for example the Trial of Endurance featured summoned Gaavs (devils) to chase down the stragglers while the trial of brawn featured model boats that were accurate to the original fleet that had sailed from Cheliax to subjugate the colony. In general, there was a feeling that the Trials were as much a public spectacle and fundraiser as it was a selection process; and there was a certain feeling of blood sports to the whole affair.

The final trial was a rather strange one though, which was disrupted by none other than a Shackles Pirate vessel, working in cahoots with one of the teams in the trial. It quickly became apparent that this galley was not a scheduled part of the trials when it destroyed one of the other team's small vessels with a catapult, attacking the rest and capturing several members of the other teams! The political ramifications of this were quite troubling and it was clear the Shackles pirates were sending a message for some reason; although as far as public knowledge goes, the tribute to them remains in place. It is noteworthy that the Grand Custodian insisted, during his public oratory, that the vessel was a rogue captain and had no such affiliation to the Shackles Pirates. The group has no knowledge of what happened to the ship's captain, crew or the ship itself...

In addition, during and just before the public event at the city's palace the group were introduced to General Morvius; a no-nonsense career soldier who was quite a renowned figure in Sargava (particularly as a Mwangi man), as well as the Grand Custodian Utilinus himself. Clearly a cunning man with more plans and schemes than he would carelessly divulge, he proved to be more than a match for Ansha's charms and political savvy. He also proved to be a charismatic speaker and shrewd talker, winning over the crowd effortlessly. At the event toasts were made and the winners of the Trials were lauded for their successes and merits.

The evening of celebration was briefly interrupted when Jakob returned, sailing the pirate vessel into port with a J emblazoned upon its new flag..... Against all odds the man of obscure talents had managed to single-handedly infiltrate the Shackles vessel, take the captain hostage, rally the prisoners taken and sail the captured vessel back into the harbour, the ships original crew his prisoners, and the vessel sporting a Sargavan flag! The Grand Custodian was quick to seize upon this odd turn of events as a triumph and awarded Jakob the country's highest honour - the Badge of Esteemed Distinction. In addition, the man was awarded the title of Lord; and a small estate.

Immediate business post-Trials of Grallus:

The evening included much merrymaking, mingling and dancing of various sorts, but the next morning was all business. However, Jakob's rather foolhardy heroics and co-operative attitude to the other teams had put an early wedge into the group, angering the Bas'o warrior Qhude in particular. Tensions ran high.

General Morvius gave a small briefing that morning, informing the group they were to enter the Laughing Jungle, armed with new equipment financed by the government.

After some persuasive arguments, Morvius did expand on the briefing further than he had originally intended to at this stage.

As well as their new source of funding, the group underwent two weeks of intense training, practice, sparring and studying to ready themselves for the challenges ahead.

The Caravan Journey to Freehold:

Rested, equipped and trained the group set out in a convoy of five wagons, accompanied by six elite soldiers (Albert (Officer), Mengak, and Stephanie (all colonials) and Nolwazi, Thenjiwee and Unwe) and various hands, retainers and aides. The intended destination of the strange structure was due directly south of the ranch town known as Freehold and the intention was to rest and resupply there before heading south.

A few days into the journey, a raid attacked the convoy on a stormy night, but proved no match for the convoy's might, with Qhude grappling the leader and terrifying him into a panicked attempt to escape the warrior's iron grip, to no avail as the Bas'o snapped his neck. Other noteworthy moments in the battle included animal faeces, urine and other foul elements being poured all over Ansha, the infamous Kaava musk used to attract the attention of the young lions the attackers had brought with them! Managing to slay the attackers, who fought to the last, it turned out they bore the symbology of the Freeman Brotherhood; ex-slaves and freedom fighters who aim to abolish slavery. Of late, with the Grand Custodian's lenient rulership and tendency to discourage slavery their actions have been more reminiscent of terrorists.

A few days after entering the infamous Bandu territory, the group ere forced to stop by a roadblock, complete with hundreds of caltrops. The ambush being sprung upon Qhude and Jakob. The bandu assaulted the caravan with slings and much of the group were drawn forward to meet them; only for a secondary attack to take advantage of the move to assault the heart of the formation, using smokesticks to sow confusion and disrupt vision for their raid. Although many were wounded and the officer Albert brought within an inch of death, the day was won with Qhude adding another brutal kill to his list. However, the Bandu escaped with their sole prize, a woman named Bethany.

Deciding to give chase, the party split while a war-painted Qhude, accompanied by the archer N'Bellocq boldly approached the camp, challenging them. The old shaman who led the tribe was loathe to lose more warriors and offered the pair a duel; which they won in short order, securing Bethany's release while at the same time allowing the shaman to save face, their opponents being upstarts who were giving him some trouble. Qhude and N'Bellocq were declared "Champions of Anghazhan", a troubling title...

Meanwhile, Ansha led the others to flank them but alas, the flanking group fell into an Ankheg sinkhole. Said Ankheg was swiftly dispatched by a powerful braced longspear and Kieran's swordplay and while the group extricated themselves from the sinkhole, Jakob slew another with a single mighty lunge.

The Town of Freehold:

Reaching Freehold in a matter of days, the group were afforded another two weeks of downtime while the caravan master traded and the wagons were resupplied. Much had been promised of the town, which had grown around the ranch that was the centre of it. Mwangi had been living with equal rights here for far longer than the idea had been popular in Eleder and Sargava as a whole, drawing the same wages as the Chelish settlers who founded it.

However, although the group did make some new friends including the Gnome craftsman Cruthoniax who subsequently joined the caravan and Ntisi the Erastil shamaness. The group also met various council members and majority shareholders of the ranch itself at a hosted banquet, including Mindra and Salgarth Macini (descendants of the ranch's original founders), the innkeeper Bellis Mara, the Mauxi warrior Mitabu, the head rancher Zenj Tabansi and the reclusive Elven Wizard Zesaste Telath. After some light conversation, it transpired that some kind of large animal had been attacking the ranch's oxen and the council sought to hire the adventurers to dispose of it. Tabansi swore that it seemed like the animal had been targeting him personally. Bizarrely, it seemed the man had a point; Ansha detected magic upon him but kept this information to herself, at least initially. With the help of the Elven Wizard Zesaste, it was deduced that Tabansi was suffering from a transmutation spell called Nature's Exile - which made him a target for all kinds of flora and fauna.

The beast turned out to be a 4,000lb Anklyosaurus, not yet fully grown. Although its fierce rage took down Qhude and Kieran, it eventually fell to the combined assault. However, the curse on Tabansi was not nearly such a simple affair, especially when the man was accused of stealing from the Church of Erastil; Kieran being duped into planting the evidence himself! After some investigation and speaking to various people in Freehold, the group uncovered a plot involving many of the council members to dramatically change the shareholdings via Tabansi's murder; and for Salgarth Macini to turn the ranch into an exploitative, low-wage area with the ideals of equality and fairness abandoned.

While the plot was uncovered, Tabansi's death prevented and the miscreants apprehended, the smaller portion of the group sent to apprehend the wizard Zesaste Talathel failed; the Elf having kenned what was happening and prepared himself with various spells of transmutation. Knocking out Kieran with one deft maneuver with the hilt of his enchanted blade, the Wizard traded the rake's lie for his escape.

With the main plotters stopped, the group had clearly done Freehold a great service; but the whole affair left a bitter taste in their mouths, somewhat tainting the so-called idyllic place they had been promised so much about. Ultimately, much of what Freehold offered was found wanting, with far more going on than initially met the eye in the treacherous place.

Arrival at the Base Camp:

On the 22nd of Erastus, the caravan finally reached its destination around a month since setting out from Eleder.

The group were re-united with General Morvius and introduced to Arturus, a scholar in the employ of the Sargavan government. The Sargavans had fortified the camp hastily and had a sizable garrison, which was apparently already being tested with attacks from local Mwangi. After some initial investigation and tentative use of rope and goat, the Umkhaya entered the pyramid at its highest level.

Ancient Pyramid, Level 1 (Entrance Chamber)

This seemed to have been an entrance chamber of some kind; one that had slain all of Morvius' men who had entered it. Having determined the room was utterly teeming with magical auras of various sorts, the group survived an assault by a pair of durable wax golems, strong and durable, shaped as young Azlant warriors. Powerful adversaries, the two nevertheless fell after inflicting some wounds. Some kind of images flashed upon the walls, telling a story as the fight ensued; however much of it was missed due to the melee.

The room boasted a sinister looking candle, dripping wax and radiating necromantic magic. It was speculated later that this candle allowed the Azlant-looking wax golems to repair their wounds and create new golems to replenish their numbers.

The room also featured five carefully carved statues; a large figure in the centre which turned out to be depicting an Azlant leader named Arioch, two armoured and helmed warriors flanking him with two Mwangi archers on the edges of the arranged formation. Qhude felt a strange urge to drink from the water at the base of the largest statue; finding himself refreshed upon doing so and bizarrely, suddenly able to fluently read and speak in Azlant.

Deducing that the webbing blocking the stairs was likely part of a trap, the group remotely burnt the webbing away. Their prudence was rewarded; as they descended a hidden trigger detonated a magical spark within the air- though with no webbing to light, this trap was rendered impotent. The spiders conjured though, were very real. Between alchemists fire and Shimye-Magalla's gust of wind, the swarm was splattered and burnt to insignificant numbers. They pressed on down to the second level of the pyramid.

Ancient Pyramid, Level 2 (Defence Gauntlet/Tests)

This level of the pyramid had a familiar feature throughout; thin veins of magic in red lines running along the walls, almost as if they were pulsating like veins, pumped by some ghastly heart. These faint lines moved to what looked like a heartbeat, changing from a dull rouge to a glowing, sickening blood red. It was unsettling.

Much of this floor, especially the main corridor that let one progress deeper into the pyramid, appeared to be some kind of defence gauntlet, including a bound Daemon (who Qhude released by repeating the Azlant he had read in the room above), a corridor chokepoint, manned by galleries of motionless, animated archers. Having managed to dismiss the Daemon without fighting it, it seemed likely the group did not trigger the level's timeless defences.

A strange test involving gemstones enchanted like Ioun stones and trials of Fire, Acid and Lightning was passed; with Qhude standing in the centre of an elemental maelstrom. The correct gemstones were selected and he survived an onslaught that would surely have destroyed any unprotected candidate. This intricate process revealed first a section of mud in the cracked stone beneath his feet and then, animated a small beetle statue to the size of a cat; the creature promptly digging up a cog for the group in the revealed earth. This revealed another room, where strange metallic orbs (later deduced to be of the Inevitable type, specifically Arbiters). The orbs insisted on an "inspection" to check if the group were "Anghazhanites", which apparently they passed.

Proceeding to the other side of the chamber, they found four bodies held in Temporal Statis; a Lizardfolk, a White Ape, a Winged Ape and a Great Ape. They seemed to be held much like a zoo, each with a placard as well as a booming voice declaring that these were among the greatest enemies of the order.

Solving another puzzle involving Azlant letters to spell out Vigilance, they activated another highly complex door; using hundreds of animated ropes to intricately tie together a mechanism. Pulling the rope, three orrery's flew towards them. Angelic beings of the lowest order, they spoke to the very souls of the group in order to communicate.

Progressing on, they battled a diabolical trio of a Cherub-like Demon, Winged Demon and horned Demon. Their prize was to advance; through the magically bound soors into a large stone door that seemed stuck or jammed. Qhude's might managing to open it a little, it was clear that the boulders and debris blocking the stairway was intentional, rather than any kind of cave-in. For now, the Umkhaya had advanced as far as they could.

Returning unimpeded to the surface, there was a debrief which some very frank admissions from General Morvius.

With some time on their hands, the group assisted where they could. The camp became a bustling hive of activity.

The wonders already discovered within the pyramid and the trials faced seemed to sharpen minds and hone bodies. The weeks rolled steadily by as the camp became larger in more ways than one; in the amount of tents pitched, the manpower available there and in the slowly-growing sense of permanency as the base camp was expanded. A couple of weeks rolled by as an excavation team cleared the debris.

In a weekly meeting after various activities were completed, the group each made a report on their progress; Ansha causing something of a stir with her new wax golem attending the meeting nude. Kieran having created a means to re-trigger the programmed images in the entrance chamber, the scholar Arturus and his team presented their interpretations of them also-

A day or so from re-delving, Qhude witnessed a strange sight; an gorilla emerging from the kitchen tents. Stalking it with intention to strike, the ape noticed him too and met him in battle, Qhude charging it and alerting the camp as four more apes emerged from the tents! A full on battle ensued as it quickly transpired that the apes emerging were summoned and a distraction from the Mwangi assault upon the complex. The two pronged attack wounded many and was very close to being a success. Individual feats of heroism, magic and might turned the tide, including Morvius himself joining the fight in his smallclothes, Ansha's golem buying time with its destruction, Jakob charming an ape to turn on its allies, one brave soldier holding a ramp against an entire squad of Mwangi attackers. The bulk of Morvius' forces eventually had the time to form a firing line and devastate the blowdart and javelin reliant Mwangi in ranged combat.

However, unlike many of the encounters on the road, in the Trials and in Freehold men did lose their lives to the cruel attackers, who took the time to slay those they downed rather than focus on the living. Three survivors were taken and seemed to be members of an "Order", reporting to a man called "Chausiku"; apparently hidden amongst the camp and wearing "different skin" to hide himself. Ansha in particular was very suspicious of the oddly charming, self-assured cook Kamishah that N'Bellocq had met outside Freehold. But the man assured the camp of his innocence, allowing his possessions to be searched and making several logical arguments.

Despite numerous tensions in the group that had, at times, almost led to blows, Qhude helped to bond the team together by virtue of a totem, interlocking several items close to the Umkhaya's hearts and minds.

Ancient Pyramid, Level 3 (Mosaic-floored, stylish decor, mixed purpose):

Entering the finely decorated third floor, the group immediately discovered four rooms filled with strange apparatus; and doors that apparently could only be opened from the outside.

Apparently, the devices had begun to fail over the centuries. One skeleton was found propped up against the steel reinforced doors, another rose up as an angry spirit after taking his own life. In one of the chambers, the group were surprised to see that the odd table apparatus bore a living Mwangi atop it! Ansha awoke him by flipping a switch, helpfully labelled in Azlant "Awaken". This awoke the confused Akirra, who had limited memories of the time before he awoke.

Apparently the exit to this level was self-sealing; with some kind of wall of force preventing any passage back up. Exploring further, the group found a botanical paradise of sorts. They saw what had clearly once been a well maintained, if extremely exotic, garden. Crushed fences and restraints had been thoroughly broken over time by vines, roots and vegetation. The internal walls of the large room were near-covered in different varieties of moss, vine and fungus. The floor was coated in rich, thick soil that served as a home for hundreds of different kinds of plants and trees, of various sizes. It was not immediately obvious how these plants were provided water, or how the soil was kept full of nutrients.

It was clear that this room was once well segregated, with space used efficiently to keep the various plants contained and separated from one another. However, it seemed that it had now been shaped to the designs of something else; a pair of Plantoids; extra-planar creatures not native to the material plane. Hostile, the group were forced to destroy the strange creatures. The room was teeming with magical auras and incredibly, Jakob seemed to be able to will plant life into growth with nothing but concentration in this strange place.

They also found a "Relaxation Chamber", which consisted of nice wooden decking and a swimming pool; essentially a bathhouse of a kind. Just to the north of it, a barracks which boasted freshly washed towels. It also, unfortunately, boasted a tripwire trap and summoned constrictor snakes. Moving swiftly, the creatures near-overwhelmed the group, although Akirra acquitted himself well by slaying two of them. Investigation indicated that an unseen force had triggered the trap via a wall panel; likely the same unseen force that maintained the bedchambers- some kind of Unseen Servant spell perhaps.

A short while later, they stumbled across a traditional classroom. The bookshelves were bare, but desks remained. Everything was neat, orderly and clean; the unseen servants apparently also dusted this room and cleaned it.

Another strange room awaited the explorers on the other side.

It seemed to be an advanced map room of sorts, with Qhude recognising some of the mountains and hills shown on the terrain to be in Sargava. Akirra experimented with levers for a time, forcing the watery images to show another land entirely, but ascertaining little else.

A much larger, grander chamber seemed to be a hall of honours, with just over a dozen statues in all, crafted in exquisite detail. The names and deeds meant little to anyone other than Akirra; who recognised his own father depicted among the honoured dead.

Having had no luck finding the Third Treatise of Arioch, the group tackled the final room barring passage down with more mundane means, triggering a deadly blade trap that they subsequently used to turn two more ambushing wax golems into blended wax. Surviving both the golems and the construct spheres that assaulted them with fire and magical rays from the other side of the room. Kieran in particular helped to foil the ambush, darting nimbly between the spinning blades and swiftly destroying the construct spheres.

Back to the Present-
Progressing further down the stairs, the group found themselves in the level below, apparently penned into a small room with four solid, stone walls on all sides. They were currently debating if they had missed something, or if perhaps the missing "Third Treatise of Arioch" unlocked a further exit. Ansha was unsure if she was dealing with illusionary magic and was inspecting the walls more closely.

Rules on drag are a little murky. I'm inclined to go with this but I do note that to perform this from the proposed square Jakob is (albeit briefly) thrusting his spear into the mechanical version of a blade barrier spell. Thus I am going to rule Jakob is performing this from -C,55.

Hooking one of the Golems with his spear, Jakob heaved with all of his might and sent the wax Azlant into the dense thicket of whirling blades. The effect was utterly devastating; the density of the blades was such that the Golem, for all of its arcane-bolstered endurance, was torn to shreds in a mere instant; sending globs of wax all over the room and plastering the walls, as well as the room's combatants. The other wax golem frowned in worry at his comrade's fate, apparently possessing emotions or some semblance of them.

Akirra felt a sense of satisfaction as his second arrow struck true despite the cover of the blades, the force of the impact shedding a layer of the sphere's armour and staggering it for a moment.

Ansha's ray unfortunately veered wide, the difficulty of aiming the glob of acid through a wall of blades apparent to her.

Automated Defence

Round 2-

Ordered Initiative-

Kieran- 24
Qhude- 22
Wax Golem- 15
Tebati- 11
Spheres- 9
Jakob- 8
Akirra- 5
Ansha- 2

Active Effects-

Map-

Map (Init 22)

Notes-

The path I mention in narrative is marked out in yellow. It would require a successful acrobatics check to pass through unharmed, failure would invoke a reflex save for half damage (Evasion applies).

The red squares are the denser areas where the blades are too dense to even hope to pass through (and will clearly deal high damage). These areas are dense enough to provide cover though.

Narrative-

Despite his injuries; or perhaps because of them; Kieran's swordsmanship had never felt more on the mark than it had been in this encounter, a wall of blades perilously close and three unfeeling objects seeking his death. Continuously weaving and dodging to avoid deadly rays, Kieran combined the evasive maneuver of a backwards somersault with a deadly outstretched sword; making contact in exactly the spot he had already sabotaged on the construct. Slicing through the bulk of the construct in a clean blow with his upward momentum behind it, by the time Kieran landed neatly the two halves of the marble device had already crashed to the ground, hissing softly as whatever energies powered the contraption failed.

CR4 enemy right there with 43 starting HP. Nice work :).

Qhude is up!

The spheres seemed capable of swift movement, moving from their pedestals but not shifting their positions much. Two small flaps opened on each of the constructs, revealing glows underneath that seemed to be their source of vision. Lacking the tactics to avoid the melee combatant or, perhaps, unwilling to give up their position to the swordsman; the three spheres each faced Kieran.

The two bronze spheres briefly lit up with an orange glow before releasing gouts of flame at the Half-Elf, while the marble construct pulsated an dark green before firing a third ray that matched the colour. Deciding to capitalise on the blow already struck and focus on the more unique construct, Kieran swayed in swift motions as he did his best to evade the bolts and strike; twisting with fine agility as his blade lashed out to strike the already exposed internal workings, cogs and rune-etched machinery. His blade ripped through the other end of the sphere with a hissing sound left in its wake, but it survived the sword blow nevertheless. While the simultaneously fired green bolt struck Kieran square in the chest, it seemed to have no effect upon the man; other than to briefly distract him long enough for the two gouts of flame to be directed at the nimble warrior, who was sorely burnt by both rays striking and melting through his clothing and flesh.

Kieran AOO (Base, Critical Threat): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Kieran AOO (Luck Re-Roll, Ignored): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Kieran Critical Confirm (Base, Confirmed): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Kieran Critical Confirm (Luck Re-Roll, Ignored): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Damage: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (7, 7) + 6 = 20

Kieran is cutting through AC20 like a hot knife through butter.

Marble Sphere Ranged Touch Attack (Hit): 1d20 + 10 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 10 - 4 = 24
Kieran Fortitude Save (Base): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Kieran Fortitude Save (Luck Re-Roll): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Bronze Sphere Ranged Touch Attack (Hit): 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 8 - 4 = 16
Damage (Fire): 1d6 ⇒ 5

Bronze Sphere Ranged Touch Attack (Hit): 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 8 - 4 = 15
Damage (Fire): 1d6 ⇒ 4

Kieran takes 9 points of fire damage.

No change in positions from the last map. Jakob, Akirra and Ansha are up.

Stupid computer. Second time writing this post. Here goes nothing. :P

Paizo Forums Insurance Policy

No, seriously. Get it. Never lose a post again.

Okay, but it'll be terrible, and I'm blaming you! :D

EDIT: There. It's done. You monster.

"The darkest of hearts love nothing more than to corrupt the greatest of good people."

Bwahahahaha......

Just post in the IC man :).

You'll need to dot the IC to get it on your campaigns list.

Qhude and Jakob both recognized that the dense garden contained vegetation sufficient to stock a town market; or feed a small army. The variety of plants that grew here seemed to utterly defy the soil that served as the base of the room. Many of them, quite simply, were utterly in the wrong climate to grow, especially without sunlight or water. Swamp and wetland plants flourished alongside vegetables that grew in warm, open fields. The garden was obviously magical and clearly was designed to make the structure quite self-sufficient if needed. This notion was only reinforced further by the pair both noting that plants cut and trampled during the skirmish were already rapidly healing, growing new leaves and vines to replace those cut away. Cutting away some berries from an inexplicable hedge row growing straight out of the north wall, Qhude could see more beginning to form to replace that which he took almost immediately.

Jakob's understanding of this place bordered on the miraculous, however. He saw beyond the basic miracle of what appeared to be a renewable source of food that might yet feed hundreds. He noted not only the dozens of exceedingly rare plants, many of which he had only heard whispers of or seen mentioned in ancient lore, but also understood that rare reagents grew here that made it a herbalist's paradise. A skilled potion brewer could likely make a small fortune here, the gathering of exquisitely rare herbs such as Mandrake and Ravenseern made simple by having them all in a single place.

Some instinct deep within him compelled him that this room held yet one more secret from him though. With no learned knowledge or Lore guiding him at this point, Jakob leant down and simply thought of the plant he had in mind; willing it to grow in the soil he ran his fingers through on some strange, intuitive hunch. He gasped out loud as he felt some strange force pass through him and immediately felt short of breath, as though he had just sprinted half a mile. Staggering back upon the soil, fatigued somehow, he saw that where his hands had been in the soil, a Wolfsbane sprig had already begun to rise up from the soil, willed to grow from the soil by his own thoughts.

That encounter has nothing to do with KM and everything to do with your GM.

Hi all. Started the update routine on Friday but then spent the weekend getting my gf back here with me. Should be posting tomorrow, if work isn't too brutal. Sorry for the delay.

Ahem... sorry its taking so long. Getting Maptools sorted on new laptop taking far longer than anticipated! I've finally got it sorted... on it now.

Posting from phone so forgive the double post. It's not just been a matter of laptop problems. There's been a lot of personal stuff going on as well as a very, very intense period at work. I should have checked in more, definitely. I would actually have already updated this weekend, were it not for a pre-booked weekend trip. New laptop is up and running with files on it: just need to get the maptools working.

It's been difficult to find the mental energy to start updating again, partly because I have so many games on I need to be sure I can maintain pace with all of them.

I'll be updating within 48 hours and should be moving to regularity again. That enough to keep you here Tel?

Have every intention of picking this up again this week but if you've lost faith at this point I understand.

Ansha's stirring had very little effect on the water. It acted just as water should, with the water splashing and rippling, but the image portrayed upon on it always swiftly reforming itself upon the surface.

Even Qhude struggled to identify the locations of the three points of light within Sargava. One was somewhere near what was now the west coast and another somewhere in the mountains in north-east Sargava. The third lay somewhere to the east, possibly beyond the borders of modern day Sargava. It was difficult to tell as the landscape and geography had obviously changed drastically since then.

The Guardians continued to discuss and plan their next move.

Just getting my daily update in.

We all saw the ruckus raised by Dervish Dance because of its focus on a specific weapon (scimitar) and they plan to do it again with the rapier ?

Just make a single feat that covers all light weapons (with appropriate prerequisites and restrictions - i.e., no natural weapons -) and get done with this forever.

This. Seriously, this. I loathe the scimitar and its dominance for finesse combatants.

I can't help but imagine a group of some worn-out, rather elderly adventurers, addicted to the effects of the Haste spell after years of over-use and performing tasks for payment in scrolls of Haste.

Graduating today. Posting will be sparse if not non-existent until Saturday.

Looking sleek and sexy, Aeternus.

Suppose getting 3 spam private messages was always going to happen with my amount of aliases.

Is there not a way to disallow, or at least to limit the frequency of new threads being created by new accounts? These bots would be much less disruptive to the boards if they could only create a new thread every six hours or something.

Having read through this whole topic, this seems to be the most sensible suggestion.

Clearly, the hidden villain of the camp is I, Grand Custodian Utilinus. My nefariousness knows no bounds, the intricacies of my scheming are seamlessly subtle. My crippling weakness for explanatory monologues is the only way you will ever learn the truth!

I do this kind of thing quite a lot in a Kingmaker Play-By-Post. I tend to just use the mass combat system while simultaneously providing an especially deadly group of foes for the PC's to home in on. The last time this happened their army of 50 Hellknights held a bridge against an Undead horde while they flew overhead to engage the undead cyclops' at the centre of the formation. Naturally, the PC's who landed were also subject to many attack rolls and got to slay dozens of foe's with iterative attacks, AOO's and spells if they wished; but the focus was on removing the "elites" that could potentially decimate the regular army in conjunction with a large force.

From west to east.

Four of the Mwangi squad upon the west wall fired darts from their blowguns at the two soldiers, seeking to soften them up and perhaps inflict unconsciousness via their poison if the heavily armoured soldiers were difficult to overcome in melee. Two of the darts were excellent shots and managed to strike exposed flesh on both of the men despite the shield wall. The wounds inflicted were minor but did leave both men bleeding. The other two Mwangi yelled out a warcry and ran at the men recklessly with their syringe spears. Their zeal was not matched by their prowess though, and both attackers met with no success against the heavily armoured soldiers.

Blow Gun VS AC20: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Blow Gun VS AC20 (Hit): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Damage: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Fortitude (Fail): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Blow Gun VS AC20: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Blow Gun VS AC20: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Fortitude (Success): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Charge Spear: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7
Charge Spear: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 2 = 12

Severely outranged by the soldier's longbows, the two squads of tribal Mwangi attackers were forced to begin descending from the wall, hurling javelins into the throng of soldiers as they came on. The western squad wounded two soldiers with impressively long throws, whilst the eastern squad was closer to the soldiers and their volley was far more deadly by comparison- almost all of their javelins finding their mark and causing damage to the Sargavan ranks. The Sargavan soldiers were generally a tough lot, but several of their number now bore wounds.

Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 - 4 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Volley: 1d20 + 4 - 6 ⇒ (14) + 4 - 6 = 12
Volley: 1d20 + 4 - 6 ⇒ (11) + 4 - 6 = 9
Volley: 1d20 + 4 - 6 ⇒ (2) + 4 - 6 = 0
Volley (Hit, Crit Threat): 1d20 + 4 - 6 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 6 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Volley (Crit Unconfirmed): 1d20 + 4 - 6 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 6 = 1
Volley: 1d20 + 4 - 6 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 6 = 4

Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 4 - 2 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 4 - 2 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 4 - 2 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Volley: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 2 = 5
Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 - 4 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The stalwart soldier's desperate defence of the other ramp seemed doomed to fail. Parrying one spear and swaying aside from another, a third spear was aggressively jabbed into the man's armpit, darting inside the scale mail and drawing blood- while injecting toxin via the syringe. The man staggered back, but continued to hold his ground, bleeding profusely.

Attack VS AC20: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Attack VS AC20: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Attack VS AC20 (Hit): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Fortitude (Fail): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

One of the attackers pursued the soldier at the south-east watch tower- but the soldier there was more than prepared to defend his high ground. He hacked at the attacker as he reached the top rungs of the ladder, stabbing him once and slashing him across the chest. The Mwangi fell back from the ladder in a bloody heap.

Readied Action Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 1 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 1 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Mirroring the tactics of their comrades on the western wall, two of the Mwangi squad upon the east wall fired darts from their blowguns at the two soldiers, seeking to soften them up and perhaps inflict unconsciousness via their poison if the heavily armoured soldiers proved difficult to overcome in melee. One of the darts struck a soldier in the neck while the other hit the very edge of his comrade's scale mail, mere millimetres from the skin of his hand.

The tactic proved more successful on this side of the wall; with one of the spear-armed warriors managing to get his longer weapon past the soldier's sword and shield, stabbing him in the thigh.

Blow Gun VS AC20 (Hit): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1
Fortitude (Fail): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Blow Gun VS AC20: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Charge Spear (Hit): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Fortitude: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Charge Spear (Miss): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7

Tebati and others are up.

Seeing Jakob holding his spear out to ward himself against the ape Qhude was fighting, his own friendly Gorilla struck the ape Qhude fought in the back of the skull with another nasty blow from behind. Another ape fell to the onslaught of Jakob's over-protective monkey.

Jakob Gorilla Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 5 + 2 = 25
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Tebati's own foe was just as brutal. Her trident batted aside by the badly wounded gorilla, the irrepressible Shamaness had at least one of her ribs cracked by a nasty punch and her face bloodied by another that followed it up.

Attack #1 on Tebati: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Attack #2 on Tebati: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

From the other side of the tent, the horse's panicked whinnies continued to ring out as two more were left in a bloody heap by the incredibly strong apes attacks.

Narrating the actions of the soldiers NOT on the wall first. Then west to east.

The barracks tent flap suddenly burst open as another dozen soldiers, clad in hastily donned chain shirts and clutching their bows, moved into position on the line formation. The volley that came from the massed soldiers was less impressive, as almost all of the men were maneuvering, but their next volley of twenty four arrows would surely take its toll. The six soldiers who did take shots took orders from their officer and focused their fire on the squad at the walls centre, who were exposed after finishing off the soldier defending that entry point. The small volley claimed the life of one of the attackers- the same man that had struck down the Sargavan soldier. The men in the camp seemed keen to avenge their own.

Volley: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Volley: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Volley: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Volley (Hit): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Volley: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

The two soldiers on the west wall blocked the ramp leading down to the camp, having donned their longswords and shields instead of their bows. They formed a two man shield wall, clearly intending to fight back to back if they had to.

The beleaguered soldier took heart from N'bellocq's supporting volley; and also realised that to disengage from melee would likely expose him to missile fire he could not afford to weather. The man continued to fight defensively in his bottleneck, but he could do little more than keep himself from harm as he fought desperately against multiple opponents.

Attack (Defensive Fighting): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 - 4 = 4

I swear this particular soldier is a metaphor for Sargava.

The soldier in the south-east watchtower simply took cover, crouching low and ready to stab any attacker brave enough to climb the ladder to reach him. His two allies below formed another shield brotherhood.

The two soldiers running from the north-east and north-west watchtowers respectively continued to maintain their running pace. Far more heavily armoured than the fresh reinforcements in hastily donned chain shirts, the two men realised that their presence could help to turn the tide; even if that very same heavy armour was slowing their running speed significantly.

Conflict in the Camp

Round 7-

Ordered Initiative-

Jakob- 23
Qhude- 22
Attackers- 21
Tebati- 15
N'bellocq- 8
Morvius- 6
Kieran- 5a
Ansha- 5b
Gorillas & Mwangi in Kitchen Tent- 4
Soldiers & Albert's Squad- 4

Active Effects-

Shield of Faith on Kieran
Charm Animal on Jakob's Ape
Longstrider on Tebati
Barkskin on Jakob
N'bellocq 2 perfect strikes used.
Bless on party

Maps-

Link (Camp Overview)

Link (PC Focus)

Link (PC Focus with Token Names (Messy))

Notes-

Its fairly apparent to everyone at this point that the apes have been summoned.

Action-

With two downed soldiers and three downed attackers, along with the reinforcements that had just poured out of the barracks, the early stages of the fight seemed to swing in favor of the camp. However, tt seemed likely that the two isolated shield walls and the lone soldier on the ramp would fall soon though, as well as the man trapped in the watchtower. But on the other hand, Albert's hardened squad had yet to emerge from the barracks as well.

Professor Ahkenaten Unsu Aristedes was a middle-aged, respected professor at the Kitharodian Academy in Oppara; he taught young students about the history of the lower inner sea region; the continent known as Garund. His particular focus was on Osirion and he spoke the language; both modern and ancient. He was also known to be quite a dilettante enchanter; he only had a few spells mastered but there were few among his students who could resist the darkly charismatic professor's tricks. Well liked and making a tidy income in the capital, the Professor sported a proud beard and was known to be a member of a proud and old family; the Aristedes. The fact that the Aristedes had once, long ago, made their fortune in expeditions to Osirion plundering tombs was well concealed and known only to the family and those who pried hard enough into the family's background- usually quietly paid off by Ahkenaten's family.

What was not known, even to those who questioned the family's sudden source of wealth those hundreds of years ago and their rapid acceptance into nobility, was that the whole family still suffered from a mummy's curse; a powerful one that had endured through the centuries, albeit weakening just a little in power every few generations. Always, it was the males of the family that were affected. It was the family's dark secret, and the reason that past middle age, the men of the family were usually seldom seen in public; if at all. They became akin to Spymaster's; acting only through agents or remotely, if not quietly phased out of the family's activities.

The nature of the curse was quite debilitating- and once a male of the family had succumbed to it, it would resurge rapidly, even if magic was used to remove it. It usually started in the late twenties- tiny patches of flesh would necrotize, while not killing the sufferer it would be visually displeasing as it spread. Symptoms varied; as did the speed of the curse's spread. Ahkenaten's great grandfather was said to have lived for over thirty years with the curse; although he had also squandered much of the family's riches on desperate attempts to cure it through magical means. Nothing worked for long. It seemed the bloodline was tainted. The end result was always the same; a full transformation into a foul Ghoul upon a painful death.

Ahkenaten was the first of the bloodline in which the curse had manifested itself in a different way entirely. While his flesh had been left unmarked, the curse seemed to act as some kind of crude defence against magic; any magic at all, in fact. His own body had fought off the undead transformation; but still the curse lingered in the very blood flowing through his veins. It would resist curative magic in the same manner as it would try to resist evocation, transmutation; essentially any school of magic at all.

Ahkenaten's relief as he progressed into his thirties was palpable- the curse showed no signs of ever emerging in him and he sought himself some independence from his overbearing, controlling family. What he earnt as a Professor paled to his brothers and cousins going into the family business (imports and exports of rare antiquities) but he was content and satisfied with the way his life was going as he neared 40.

Like with so many adventurer's, fate suddenly dealt him a cruel hand.

A servant of the family witnessed a foul transformation after Ahkenaten's uncle fell down the stairs in the family home; his demise was sudden compared to the usual process and the family had no time to cover up what the servant saw; a scion of the house of Aristedes transforming into an undead before his very eyes. The servant fled- was followed into a crowded street; and was devoured in plain sight of hundreds of witnesses.

Somewhat detached from his family, Ahkenaten had enough warning upon hearing of the incident to swiftly flee the city; but he did not leave before a messenger from his father found him. This messenger first informed Ahkenaten of what had become of the rest of his family.

The Grand Prince Stavian the 3rd had declared the entire Aristedes family accursed and they were quarantined inside their grand mansion. The family had once been popular and were favored by many before the shocking incident- so the Grand Prince was quietly persuaded to be merciful. Servants were assigned to quietly provide small comforts to the family inside the sealed mansion that was once their favored family home. They had food and drink brought to them through a small delivery hole, as well as newspapers and other small items; but this comfort was clearly meant to simply let them eventually wallow in quarantine until all within had succumbed to the curse; or been slain by one of the family who had. Once they had lived out their natural lifespan, the sealed house would be purged of the Undead and then be reassigned to the state.

The messenger relayed his father's wishes- and warned that more would follow; whether by magical sending or by more mundane means. The Aristedes had no intention of dying quietly in their grand home- and Ahkenaten was obligated, as their only family member not in custody, to attempt to break the ancient curse. His father was convinced the origins of the curse; and thus the key to truly breaking it forever- had its roots in Ancient Osirion. The half-dead city of Wati was the first place that held any promise for tomb exploration and Ahkenaten's notes on his family's past led him to believe that clues might lie there, if not the cure itself.

Ahkenaten has no access to his family's resources, but his family will no doubt continue to make requests of him. He sold his possessions swiftly and garbed himself as an adventurer; armour, shield, a crossbow. Never an especially strong individual, Ahkenaten struggled with the physical weight of his possessions but persevered. His motivation to break the curse stems from his sense of family ties, obligation, guilt that he is the only one to not be sentenced to a horrific death; as well as a latent, grim fascination with the workings of an undead mind that he has only just begun to develop. Very incapable physically, the astute Professor soon realised he would need others to accompany him in these tomb raids; their skills to complement his own. His grasp of enchantment was extremely circumstantial, until he could find a way to apply his magic to the undead somehow. He knew the affinity of his curse had allowed others of his bloodline to do so, decades ago. His father always said that he reminded him of his own grandfather, a powerful enchanter.

I am quite happy for the Professor's keenness to delve one of the tomb's be a "hook" for other party members. He would have been quite charming and flattering to individuals he had approached and very keen to co-operate for mutual gain. He would definitely be one of the founders of a tomb raiding company. Unless people object his invitation to become one of his party could be a default hook.

Greg Vaughn pays me one dollar for every PC I kill. Its my cut of his share- he gets 5 dollars for every PC slain in this saga of his.

Hes not paid per page or for word count, or even sales.

Wouldn't hurt if Telurion had forayed with at least Arachiel before, if not the others too. We've kind of assumed the group are quite well established and have various members drifting in and out of their troupe. Makes it easier to have replacements when I kill characters (Not an if. This campaign is pretty brutal especially down the line).

Alexander Kilcoyne's Oread Monk submission. Got inspired by the Stolen Fury campaign trait, which is a very large part of this character's history and motivations.

Andanan Sumna-

Background Story/Appearance-

Bala Sumna was a devout, happy Vudran. A strong, tall young man with ebony black hair, and an especially extravagant beard. Bala took a great deal of pride in his hair; which only made the complete loss of it more painful.

Born into the middle of society, Bala had just exited his teenage years. A little slower than average in his studies, Bala was more devout than scholarly. His relatively simple mind took great pleasure in learning the mantra's of the many hundreds of Vudrani deities, and his family was pleased to see that he would likely be born into a higher caste in his next rebirth. He had, of course, heard of the Inner Sea Region, but he never expected to visit it. He was more than content to live out his life in one of the smaller Impossible Kingdoms- he used his prodigious strength to work as a labourer and split his time between that job and serving in the temple. While he dabbled in martial arts as many Vudran did, he never truly committed to it despite a certain aptitude. At the age of nineteen, Bala could truly say what many in the chaotic continents of Avistan and Garund could not; he was genuinely content with his lot.

Enter Stolen Fury, Andanan's campaign trait.

Alas, it was not to be. His strength and general heartiness of body, combined with a low caste and a simple mind, made him a near-perfect candidate for the demonic-worshipping cultists, whose influence had spread as far as the Impossible Kingdoms. Deceived and kidnapped, Bala had been chosen for a nefarious ritual.

Bala did not truly understand what happened that day in the ritual chamber. His memories of it are somewhat foggy, but he distinctly recalls being tortured with acid upon a stone table. He remembers the howls of frustration, near-drowned out by his own screams of pain- as something clearly went awry. Somehow, the acid and the magic Bala was subjected to did not have the desired effect. Whatever the cultists were hoping for did not come to pass. Bala's swarthy Vudrani skin hardened as his frame grew, enhancing his already potent muscles. His soft, almost curved features gained a hard, chiselled edge to them. Bala literally crystallised, granite rocks spontaneously forming upon his twisted body. His eyes became glazed over with a thin layer of gemstone and he lost his hair in the transformation; his new "skin" now an earthy-grey colour.

His new form at least gave him the strength to break his bonds, and Bala escaped, his rock-like fists shattering many bones in the panicked fight that followed. His hands and forearms left small shards of rock and crystal lodged in his foes bodies, causing tearing and bleeding beyond the mere bludgeoning of his fists.

Re-fluffing Belier's Bite feat essentially, so that Andanan's own rocky texture is what causes the bleed damage.

Although Bala escaped, he was barely able to come to terms with his new form, one he considered, quite frankly, hideous. He instinctively knew he would have no place in the caste-dominated Vudrani society which he was so fond of; he would be treated like a beggar by his own family, cursed or worse. His travels began the very same day he escaped the ritual.

A few years have passed since that day. Bala, now styling himself with an Oread name, Andanan (given to him at a remote monastery in Jalmeray by a reclusive order of those rare earth-touched people); passed the gruelling physical and mental trials they set before him before training him. He has embraced his new life with a calmer, more enlightened outlook, although he kept his last name as an honorific to his Vudrani people. Deeply connected to the natural world, Andanan has become very intuitive and has learnt to channel the elements into his fists; although it takes great concentration on his part. He finds that he has a particular affinity with acid; something common to the Oread's; the human off-shoot race he now seems to have unwillingly joined.

Andanan has taken vows of Truth, Cleanliness, Fasting and Celibacy in order to live a pure life and be rewarded in his next. He is driven and serious in his intent; which has now become clear in his travels. He is not sure what the cultists tried to do to him, but he knows first-hand the evil demon's and their ilk can inflict on unwilling victims. Thus, Andanan has travelled to Mendev; seeking to join the Crusades and serve as best he is able. He gladly pledges himself to a life of service and justice, fighting demons and the chaos they leave behind them in their wake at every opportunity.

Andanan prefers to fight with what Fate gave him; two hardened, stony fists; but he often uses his new-found Oread heritage to enchant pebbles he keeps in a pouch on his person, to be used either with his trusty sling or simply hurled at foes. He carries two Kama upon his belt as well, used more often for helping with harvest's when volunteering as a farm hand to work his way to Mendev than on living foes. He also favours a quarterstaff, having grown accustomed to the traveller's favoured tool during his long journey. A firm believer in being ready for whatever life might throw at him, Andanan carries a surprisingly large array of tools and mundane items in his hefty backpack.

While people do not generally discriminate against Andanan based on his form (as frankly, it is not nearly as unseemly as say a Tiefling's), he nevertheless is still very much uncomfortable in his own skin and a little ashamed.

Refluffing-

As mentioned, both his trait choice (Stolen Fury) and feat choice (Belier's Bite) have been re-fluffed somewhat, but mechanically are untouched. I've tried to leave Stolen Fury reasonably vague in case it has repercussions later in the game.

Crunch/Mechanics-

Andanan's statblock is listed in the following spoiler, as well as fully visible on this profile. Average gold was taken.

Player Details-

I've been active on Paizo forums for about 4/5 years now, running three of my own games. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon :). Timezone is GMT+0 but I keep strange hours so that is not much of a guide.

Mythic Path-

Andanan will go down the Champion mythic path.

"An old story from my days in Aroden."

Aha, caught your slip of the tongue! So Aroden had himself reincarnated as a Sargavan... didn't see that coming.

The half-elf then proceeds to describe the images on the walls as best he can, although he prefers to let the old scholar do most of the talking, seeing as how such things are a little more his area of expertise.

Happy to be in his area of expertise and leaving General Morvius to settle the remaining issues surrounding the golem, Arturus explained how he and his scholars had segmented the swirling images into ten separate "acts" and went on to describe them in great detail, adding his team's comments and speculation as he lectured-

The programmed images showed the following acts sequentially, with images swirling and flashing to portray different scenes-

What we appeared to have triggered was a classic Journey story. The scene is set, the protagonist embarks and faces a great deal of danger; returning triumphant. Acts 6 and 7 convinced us we were actually seeing a loose life story of this protagonist- almost certainly the Azlant depicted on the largest statue, in a place of honor in the entrance chamber.

Act 1: The first scene shifted several times to show seven separate battles. Hundreds of Azlant soldiers faced off against hordes of apes and ape-like demons. One particularly large and majestic looking-ape was always present, often in the thick of the fighting. His martial prowess was clearly respected and/or feared by the image's creator. Thousands of smaller monkeys and even some demons were also present in the enemy ranks. In each battle, it seemed the Azlant were able to hold the enemy at bay; but never truly routed them. Interestingly, Arturus managed to spot and identify the Bandu Hills in the background of one of the battles, suggesting Sargava was once under Azlant control. In addition, a few of the battle scenes showed Mwangi warriors being used to support the fighting where it was less thick. The impression given was certainly that the Azlant were defending territory.

From what we've gathered, it seems the Azlant had themselves a sizeable colony in Sargava, at the very least the eastern edge of it. Quite unexpected- there has been, to date, no other archaeological dig site to support this find... The large ape must, of course, be the Gorilla King of that time. He is significantly larger than reports of other Gorilla Kings; likely the illustrator exaggerated his stature.

Act 2: A figure that closely resembled the central statue in the room, perhaps known as Arioch, led a well-armed and diverse group of Azlant's past mighty walls and defensive formations, moving stealthily towards the distant and ancient jungles of the Mwangi Expanse. The group bore a distinct resemblance to a band of adventurers and included a muscular, heavily armoured Mwangi warrior who seemed to be the leader's bodyguard.

Act 3: The small band were engaged in many fierce battles and skirmishes with Ape's and Charau-Ka; often vastly outnumbered, as they seemed to go deeper and deeper into the jungle. The leader seemed to be a powerful magic-user and was often depicted slaying multiple foes. Nevertheless, their numbers dwindled as the members of the company were slain or left surrounded, buying time for the unknown mission. Eventually, only the leader and Mwangi bodyguard were left, as they gazed from hiding upon a monolithic city infested by Gorilla's.

This city is almost certainly the ancient Usaro; domain of the Gorilla King. Records date Usaro as having been founded sometime around six or seven hundred years ago- a gross inaccuracy, according to this story. It must have pre-dated Earthfall... Perhaps protected by powerful magic, as this structure must have been.

Act 4: Apparently having entered the city, this scene depicts the leader, apparently having just placed an object from some kind of pedestal into his (clearly magical) bag in some kind of treasure vault. Surrounded by wealth, coins and jewels to make even a dragon jealous, the leader teleported away with tears in his eyes as his Mwangi bodyguard was slain, utterly surrounded by four-armed, white apes. Dozens of dead ape-like humanoids surrounded the brave warrior.

The treasure vaults of Usaro are legendary even today.

Act 5: The lone survivor of the mission, the leader, was seen holding his magical bag aloft in triumph to much older-looking Azlant; stood in a semi-circle around him like some kind of council. Although the image did not produce sound, the wizard seemed to talk the council around after furious debate.

The protagonist explains his actions to the elder council of his people. A common theme. It seems as though they heard him out and acted upon his words, but thats just our guess. The images are very carefully created so that the contents of this bag are never seen.

Act 6: These scenes portrayed dozens of Azlant's marching into a newly built structure, clearly this very one, accompanied by hundreds of Mwangi servants. The wizard was with them, at the very front; but he seemed at least a few years older. Once inside, the wizard seemed to be testing the Azlant's skills and abilities, teaching them and training them.

We've not been able to establish much about the structure's layout from these scenes unfortunately. They flash through at an extreme speed.

Act 7: A far, far older man, the wizard was seen here speaking with five lieutenants, two of which seemed to be Mwangi rather than Azlant. They seemed to be imploring him not to leave, but his face and gestures were grave. Garbed for adventuring once more, he teleported away. Appearing just outside of the monolithic city once more, he was seen entering it as the scene faded to blackness.

We have come to the conclusion that the Mwangi who lived inside this structure were eventually fully integrated into whatever it was they were doing here. Equality arisen from decades of close proximity, I am sure.

Act 8: This scene seemed to only be present to show the vast passing of time. Hundreds of years flashed by in mere moments, with great battles and Azlant accomplishments visible for the briefest of moments. A new scene seemed to zoom inside the structure once more; and showed a magical gateway of some kind being created and completed. Men, supplies, weapons and animals were continually escorted through the portal. As time passed, the volume of people passing through diminished to a halt.

We... were baffled as to both the inclusion of this scene and of the portal's presence. Perhaps it was a mechanism to another bolt-hole, should this one fall?

Act 9: This act depicted a scene of bloody battle inside corridors and grand, ornate rooms; Azlant and Mwangi fighting side by side against other Azlant and Mwangi; some kind of civil war, judging from the similar appearance of both of the sides. The scene came to a halt as the demon-summoning Azlant leader of one side was finally slain.

As Tebati mentioned- civil war of some kind. It seems these Angazhanites rose up.

Act 10: In the aftermath of the battle, those living inside the ancient structure seemed demoralised and near-broken; leaving in some kind of organised exodus. Mages could be seen placing powerful spells upon the structure and surrounding it, while in stark contrast to the exodus from the pyramid, a single Azlant man was displayed being put into what could only be described as some kind of petrification effect, inside one of the rooms of the structure. Frozen like a statue for unknown reasons while his fellows left the structure, his was the last image to be displayed before the walls; and the room's persistent humming- fell silent.

This... Arturus said, his excitement completely apparent. This may be the power that the Grand Custodian spoke of! Perhaps this Azlant still resides in this very room, with much of the knowledge of the First Humans!

After Kieran speaks:
"So that is what you were doing.. It fits with what I was able to patch together. I found some old stories from an eastern Zenj tribe that spoke of "Ariochites" as a tribe opposing the demon lord. The tales say that Arioch, the great hero of the tribe, slipped into '...the heart of their power' and stole Angazan's greatest treasure.
The tales are none too clear about what this treasure was but they say that while the Gorilla kings were able to replace it the copies could not hold a candle to the original."

Indeed, the story told upon the walls of this place seem to match these stories exactly... Perhaps a powerful beast of some kind, maybe even the original ancestor of the High Girallon? It would fit the Ravener King to have an answer to Rovagug's spawn... the scholar speculated.

"More importantly I kept finding references to Mwangi leaving their tribes to join the 'Order of Arioch'. I cannot be sure if these folks are joining an actual functioning order or if 'joining the order' has become a kind of slang for walking into the bush when life at home gets difficult."

Jakob clears his throat self-consciously.

"Nothing is clear but the written references alone span over two hundred years so something is keeping the phrase alive."

"If the order is still functional then I would expect a visit before too long."

Arturus thought for a moment and then proposed-

Is it at all possible this hostile force of Mwangi who have attacked our camp are the last vestiges of this Order?

Definitely Mirror Image. Without any feat investment at all, you can have a defence far more potent than Crane Wing.

So, after Jason Buhlmans comment i changed my mind.

The feat is perfectly fine after the errata.

Sorry I haven't found this. Link please?

Favourite Your Vote-

3. Change was needed, it's now balanced and acceptable.

Favourite Your Vote-

2. Change was needed, but the feat is now too weak and needs revision.

Favourite Your Vote-

1. Change wasn't needed, it was balanced and acceptable.

No. Trait bonuses don't stack. The latter simply overlaps the former. This character is good at combat maneuvers and particularly good at trip.

Albert looked on in awe at the trophy Qhude had claimed from the ancient structure; and he was not the only one. Soldiers whistled and gossiped in awe at the clearly incredibly valuable treasure haul. What was going through your minds seemed rather obvious- perhaps there was more inside, missed by the initial explorers...

Reporting back to General Morvius and Arturus, you detail your exploits. Both the General and the sage Arturus in a private debriefing, in the largest of tents. Having seen Qhude drag the magnificent scepter back into camp, Arkus the quartermaster asked politely for permission to inspect and appraise it and did so in the background of the briefing. Cruthoniax was also clearly very interested but was not permitted to enter the debrief.

The pair listened intently to the recounting of the delve, but this did not stop them from interjecting at various points- Arturus was keen to learn as much as he could about the strange veins of magic flowing through the structure and the strange thrumming sound that could be heard inside it. Morvius wanted to know if the candle apparatus had the potential to be weaponized. Both were suitably intrigued by the strange objects and Outsiders the group had encountered and they were both disappointed to find that progress had been blocked. Morvius summed up his thoughts at the end of the briefing.

You have exceeded my expectations- even to enter and return is more than my trained soldiers were able to do. I am sorry to hear of their fate. It does seem strange that they did not strike down even one of these wax men you mention; and strange that they are fashioned as Azlant, judging from your description. Much about this place is strange, but it is clear that we are likely to find greater wonders and power inside; power that Sargava direly needs. I feel you have deserved some frankness from myself and the Grand Custodian...

Arkus stopped his appraisal to scowl at Morvius. The scowl was noted but ignored. Passion entered Morvius' voice as he continued, near imploring in his tone.

And this frankness is thus; Sargava's very existence may hinge on whatever we are able to find and utilise within this place. Despite the lower tribute the Custodian was able to negotiate with the Hurricane King, Sargava's financial ruin is upon us. We can take no more credit, The coffers are near-empty. Do not mistake this for a simple economic disaster however... he grimly warned, raising a hand as he paced back and forth in the tent, as though giving a lecture.

We are barely holding Kalabuto in the east against the Mzali; and pirates are flocking to our coasts to raid; sponsored by the Hurricane King because we are behind on our payments. The Bandu are becoming even more of a menace. Perhaps even worse; we've recently began to receive reports of a force of the Gorilla King's forces pushing west towards us. Without more wealth to maintain and expand our forces; or enough power as a substitute for it- Sargava will soon collapse in on itself. Colonial or tribesman, it won't matter once the vultures descend... Sargava will be picked clean and neither the cities nor the tribes have the unity or power necessary to thrive. A time of great strife will encompass this land. Utilinis would like to avoid this; as would I. We would make Sargava strong again; worthy of the independence our ancestors, both Mwangi and Chelish, worked so hard for.

The passion left Morvius' voice as he assumed the role of taskmaster again, hands clasped behind his straight-arched back as he addressed the group after a brief and quiet conversation with his quartermaster. During the conversation, the group were invited to sit, eat and drink while camp followers brought sundry in for them.

Arkus has appraised the scepter. He will be travelling to Eleder to make contact with some intermediaries, who as I understand it will travel to Absalom and sell it there; under his supervision. He will be able to acquire near-anything you desire within your price limit. We are, quite naturally, re-investing much of the profit on this item back into equipment for you, while some shall be used for critical replenishment of Sargava's coffers. Your share each comes to nine thousand and five hundred gold pieces or equivalent, so I have been told. Arkus will provide coinage if you do not spend all of your share. I hope that this scepter is a mere bauble compared to what you will find deeper; a collector's item though it surely is.

Now, to matters at hand. Obviously your delve must continue at its earliest opportunity. We'll be moving some of our operation into the upper level of the structure and we shall send work crews down from there. I have sent for a master architect to ensure that the process of removing the debris you have mentioned is as safe and efficient as possible; and perhaps the man will have other insights as to the structure and its purpose. Nevertheless, the process could take weeks... We'll soon discuss what you could do to keep yourselves busy here; theres plenty of work to be done. I'd certainly be keen to see if you could discover the source of these native attacks that have been harassing us- but I digress. My first question for you is thus-

Do you have any recommendations or inclinations as to what to do with these skeletons you mentioned? I am likely to destroy them or seal them in... they will make the workers uneasy. And who knows what might set them off, or how powerful they might be, if they are animated! I would pose the same question as to the frozen apes you mentioned...

My personal house rule is to give them a better trade-off for Deadly Aim. -1/+3 rather than -1/+2 as per other ranged weapons.

Lol... This damn frog again! Would you believe it, this bloody animal put down my rogue as well (also left Branderscar with no hp damage, the frog critted him into heavy negatives in surprise round). Looks like this time I get to be swallowed...

AK's Oread Monk submission. Got inspired by the Stolen Fury campaign trait, which is a very large part of this character's history and motivations.

Andanan Sumna-

Background Story/Appearance-

Bala Sumna was a devout, happy Vudran. A strong, tall young man with ebony black hair, and an especially extravagant beard. Bala took a great deal of pride in his hair; which only made the complete loss of it more painful.

Born into the middle of society, Bala had just exited his teenage years. A little slower than average in his studies, Bala was more devout than scholarly. His relatively simple mind took great pleasure in learning the mantra's of the many hundreds of Vudrani deities, and his family was pleased to see that he would likely be born into a higher caste in his next rebirth. He had, of course, heard of the Inner Sea Region, but he never expected to visit it. He was more than content to live out his life in one of the smaller Impossible Kingdoms- he used his prodigious strength to work as a labourer and split his time between that job and serving in the temple. While he dabbled in martial arts as many Vudran did, he never truly committed to it despite a certain aptitude. At the age of nineteen, Bala could truly say what many in the chaotic continents of Avistan and Garund could not; he was genuinely content with his lot.

Enter Stolen Fury, Andanan's campaign trait.

Alas, it was not to be. His strength and general heartiness of body, combined with a low caste and a simple mind, made him a near-perfect candidate for the demonic-worshipping cultists, whose influence had spread as far as the Impossible Kingdoms. Deceived and kidnapped, Bala had been chosen for a nefarious ritual.

Bala did not truly understand what happened that day in the ritual chamber. His memories of it are somewhat foggy, but he distinctly recalls being tortured with acid upon a stone table. He remembers the howls of frustration, near-drowned out by his own screams of pain- as something clearly went awry. Somehow, the acid and the magic Bala was subjected to did not have the desired effect. Whatever the cultists were hoping for did not come to pass. Bala's swarthy Vudrani skin hardened as his frame grew, enhancing his already potent muscles. His soft, almost curved features gained a hard, chiselled edge to them. Bala literally crystallised, granite rocks spontaneously forming upon his twisted body. His eyes became glazed over with a thin layer of gemstone and he lost his hair in the transformation; his new "skin" now an earthy-grey colour.

His new form at least gave him the strength to break his bonds, and Bala escaped, his rock-like fists shattering many bones in the panicked fight that followed. His hands and forearms left small shards of rock and crystal lodged in his foes bodies, causing tearing and bleeding beyond the mere bludgeoning of his fists.

Re-fluffing Belier's Bite essentially, so that Andanan's own rocky texture is what causes the bleed damage.

Although Bala escaped, he was barely able to come to terms with his new form, one he considered, quite frankly, hideous. He instinctively knew he would have no place in the caste-dominated Vudrani society which he was so fond of; he would be treated like a beggar by his own family, cursed or worse. His travels began the very same day he escaped the ritual.

A few years have passed since that day. Bala, now styling himself with an Oread name, Andanan (given to him at a remote monastery in Jalmeray by a reclusive order of those rare earth-touched people); passed the gruelling physical and mental trials they set before him before training him. He has embraced his new life with a calmer, more enlightened outlook, although he kept his last name as an honorific to his Vudrani people. Deeply connected to the natural world, Andanan has become very intuitive and has learnt to channel the elements into his fists; although it takes great concentration on his part. He finds that he has a particular affinity with acid; something common to the Oread's; the human off-shoot race he now seems to have unwillingly joined.

Andanan has taken vows of Truth, Cleanliness, Fasting and Celibacy in order to live a pure life and be rewarded in his next. He is driven and serious in his intent; which has now become clear in his travels. He is not sure what the cultists tried to do to him, but he knows first-hand the evil demon's and their ilk can inflict on unwilling victims. Thus, Andanan has travelled to Mendev; seeking to join the Crusades and serve as best he is able. He gladly pledges himself to a life of service and justice, fighting demons and the chaos they leave behind them in their wake at every opportunity.

Andanan prefers to fight with what Fate gave him; two hardened, stony fists; but he often uses his new-found Oread heritage to enchant pebbles he keeps in a pouch on his person, to be used either with his trusty sling or simply hurled at foes. He carries two Kama upon his belt as well, used more often for helping with harvest's when volunteering as a farm hand to work his way to Mendev than on living foes. He also favours a quarterstaff, having grown accustomed to the traveller's favoured tool during his long journey. A firm believer in being ready for whatever life might throw at him, Andanan carries a surprisingly large array of tools and mundane items in his hefty backpack.

While people do not generally discriminate against Andanan based on his form (as frankly, it is not nearly as unseemly as say a Tiefling's), he nevertheless is still very much uncomfortable in his own skin and a little ashamed.

Refluffing-

As mentioned, both his trait choice (Stolen Fury) and feat choice (Belier's Bite) have been re-fluffed somewhat, but mechanically are untouched. I've tried to leave Stolen Fury reasonably vague in case it has repercussions later in the game.

Crunch/Mechanics-

Andanan's statblock is listed in the following spoiler, as well as fully visible on this profile.

Player Details-

I've been active on Paizo forums for about 3/4 years now, running three of my own games. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon :). Timezone is GMT+0 but I keep strange hours so that is not much of a guide.

AK's Oread Monk submission. Note I'd love to be able to give him the Sacred Mountain archetype in addition to Four Winds as it fits the character nicely. Got inspired by the Stolen Fury campaign trait, which is a very large part of this character's history and motivations.

Andanan Sumna-

Background Story/Appearance-

Bala Sumna was a devout, happy Vudran. A strong, tall young man with ebony black hair, and an especially extravagant beard. Bala took a great deal of pride in his hair; which only made the complete loss of it more painful.

Born into the middle of society, Bala had just exited his teenage years. A little slower than average in his studies, Bala was more devout than scholarly. His relatively simple mind took great pleasure in learning the mantra's of the many hundreds of Vudrani deities, and his family was pleased to see that he would likely be born into a higher caste in his next rebirth. He had, of course, heard of the Inner Sea Region, but he never expected to visit it. He was more than content to live out his life in one of the smaller Impossible Kingdoms- he used his prodigious strength to work as a labourer and split his time between that job and serving in the temple. While he dabbled in martial arts as many Vudran did, he never truly committed to it despite a certain aptitude. At the age of nineteen, Bala could truly say what many in the chaotic continents of Avistan and Garund could not; he was genuinely content with his lot.

Enter Stolen Fury, Andanan's campaign trait.

Alas, it was not to be. His strength and general heartiness of body, combined with a low caste and a simple mind, made him a near-perfect candidate for the demonic-worshipping cultists, whose influence had spread as far as the Impossible Kingdoms. Deceived and kidnapped, Bala had been chosen for a nefarious ritual.

Bala did not truly understand what happened that day in the ritual chamber. His memories of it are somewhat foggy, but he distinctly recalls being tortured with acid upon a stone table. He remembers the howls of frustration, near-drowned out by his own screams of pain- as something clearly went awry. Somehow, the acid and the magic Bala was subjected to did not have the desired effect. Whatever the cultists were hoping for did not come to pass. Bala's swarthy Vudrani skin hardened as his frame grew, enhancing his already potent muscles. His soft, almost curved features gained a hard, chiselled edge to them. Bala literally crystallised, granite rocks spontaneously forming upon his twisted body. His eyes became glazed over with a thin layer of gemstone and he lost his hair in the transformation; his new "skin" now an earthy-grey colour.

His new form at least gave him the strength to break his bonds, and Bala escaped, his rock-like fists shattering many bones in the panicked fight that followed. His hands and forearms left small shards of rock and crystal lodged in his foes bodies, causing tearing and bleeding beyond the mere bludgeoning of his fists.

Re-fluffing Belier's Bite essentially, so that Andanan's own rocky texture is what causes the bleed damage.

Although Bala escaped, he was barely able to come to terms with his new form, one he considered, quite frankly, hideous. He instinctively knew he would have no place in the caste-dominated Vudrani society which he was so fond of; he would be treated like a beggar by his own family, cursed or worse. His travels began the very same day he escaped the ritual.

A few years have passed since that day. Bala, now styling himself with an Oread name, Andaran (given to him at a remote monastery in Jalmeray by a reclusive order of those rare earth-touched people); passed the gruelling physical and mental trials they set before him before training him. He has embraced his new life with a calmer, more enlightened outlook, although he kept his last name as an honorific to his Vudrani people. Deeply connected to the natural world, Andaran has become very intuitive and has learnt to channel the elements into his fists; although it takes great concentration on his part. He finds that he has a particular affinity with acid; something common to the Oread's; the human off-shoot race he now seems to have unwillingly joined.

Andaran has taken vows of Truth, Cleanliness, Fasting and Celibacy in order to live a pure life and be rewarded in his next. He is driven and serious in his intent; which has now become clear in his travels. He is not sure what the cultists tried to do to him, but he knows first-hand the evil demon's and their ilk can inflict on unwilling victims. Thus, Andaran has travelled to Mendev; seeking to join the Crusades and serve as best he is able. He gladly pledges himself to a life of service and justice, fighting demons and the chaos they leave behind them in their wake at every opportunity.

Andaran prefers to fight with what Fate gave him; two hardened, stony fists; but he often uses his new-found Oread heritage to enchant pebbles he keeps in a pouch on his person, to be used either with his trusty sling or simply hurled at foes. He carries two Kama upon his belt as well, used more often for helping with harvest's when volunteering as a farm hand to work his way to Mendev than on living foes. He also favours a quarterstaff, having grown accustomed to the traveller's favoured tool during his long journey. A firm believer in being ready for whatever life might throw at him, Andaran carries a surprisingly large array of tools and mundane items in his hefty backpack.

Refluffing-

As mentioned, both his trait choice (Stolen Fury) and feat choice (Belier's Bite) have been re-fluffed somewhat, but mechanically are untouched. I've tried to leave Stolen Fury reasonably vague in case it has repercussions later in the game.

Second Archetype Request-

Its not a deal breaker for me by any means, but i'd love to be able to use the Monk of the Sacred Mountain archetype as well as Four Winds (they stack with no problems). It primarily replaces evasion with rather more stoic abilities such as Toughness feat, a natural armour bonus and DR. I think these abilities are far more fitting fluff-wise for a living hunk of rock than imagining him leaping away from fireballs. At level 1 there is absolutely no difference between the two archetypes anyway.

Crunch/Mechanics-

Andaran's statblock is listed in the following spoiler, as well as fully visible on this profile.

Player Details-

I've been active on Paizo forums for about 3/4 years now, running three of my own games. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon :). Timezone is GMT+0 but I keep strange hours so that is not much of a guide.

I am going to get much more aggressive with the botting of players soon. This round i've been a lot more lenient because my router broke and i'm waiting on it to be repaired. Managing to use my iPad as a wifi hotspot but thats only going to last until tomorrow.

I've said it before, i'm really sold on this campaign. If your not feeling it, I do completely understand (and will accept both critiscism and the fact that perhaps its not well suited to PbP format) but I am going to try to push on and keep momentum going. I recall the excitement I had playing Legacy of Fire under Dan E and I think a lot of it was to do with the continual momentum of the game.

Lack of momentum is a game killer, frankly. If we can't manage 1 post a day even for a combat round with 5 people waiting, we're doing this wrong. I (router problems notwithstanding) have the time to make frequent updates but I can't really do so when i'm waiting on players so often.

Of course, RL happens; and i'm especially sympathetic with illness, travel etc- but do try and let me know you'll need botting in this period.

I recently read Painlord's Building a Better Doomed Hero topic, which is a guide to PbP built off the truly excellent topic made by Doomed Hero (Link). His anecdote Always be Pushing strikes particularly true; its not purely down to the DM to be giving the game momentum. We're all in this together :).

Edit: Please forgive me if i'm being too pushy on this but after having to pretty much drag it kicking and screaming out of Aron (aka Overfiend/Lord Vincent) that he was not enjoying the game I feel the need to make things clear... If someone is not having fun they are under no obligation to keep playing- i'm having a great time DMing for everyone and i'd rather lose a player who is not enjoying themselves than make them feel obliged to continue to play. I feel PbP is the richest role-playing format there is and when it goes well it is incredibly rewarding.

Personally I just have my campaigns page bookmarked for convenience.

With expert marksmanship, N'bellocq's arrow cut the top of the candle off and it fell quietly to the floor, the flame sputtering out as it landed.

Meanwhile, Qhude heaved the extremely heavy, valuable scepter from the statue; near-staggering under its weight.

Presenting "Gruurk", the savage Half-Orc Barbarian from Belkzen.

Stat Rolls-

4d6 Stat Roll #1: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 4, 2) = 11= 9
4d6 Stat Roll #2: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 1, 2) = 9= 8
4d6 Stat Roll #3: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 2, 6) = 18= 16
4d6 Stat Roll #4: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 4, 5) = 14= 13
4d6 Stat Roll #5: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 6, 3) = 17= 14
4d6 Stat Roll #6: 4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 4, 4) = 19= 15

HP Rolls-

Level #2: 1d12 ⇒ 2
Level #3: 1d12 ⇒ 5
Level #4: 1d12 ⇒ 12
Level #5: 1d12 ⇒ 8
Level #6: 1d12 ⇒ 10
Level #7: 1d12 ⇒ 9

Comments and rationale to follow later once i've slept. Basic concept is continually topping up HP (8 points at a time) with temporary HP by dropping foes, while simultaneously soaking hits with decent DR and making use of Guarded Life to take advantage of DR6 for non-lethal damage. AC is a little low but mitigated by a very long duration Guarded Stance. Skill points used for tricky situations (Perception, Swim, Climb). Character is very tough, his huge HP pool combined with DR makes him very forgiving and hes fairly simple (only a couple of things to track).

Your in the wrong sub-forum.