DM Alexander Kilcoynes Serpents Skull PbP- Chapter 1, Souls for the Smugglers Shiv (Inactive)

Game Master Alexander Kilcoyne

Zenj Mwangi Human Ranger(using Shapeshifter, Beastmaster, and maybe even Skirmisher archetypes. Looked at all three and there does not appear to be any conflicts in replacement abilities) - Hey you said you wanted to see the archetypes in action. ;)

Tun'ada came aboard ship at the port in the Mwangi Expanse after being hired as a guide and translator for a small expedition. (The group that hired him may or may not have gotten cold feet and left, I leave that up to the DM or possibly working into the rest of the group.)

-Boarded in Mwangi Expanse Campaign Trait.

Tun'ada has been around the various parts of Garund before. He was a slave to a Chelish trader (and member of the Aspis Consortium), who's home port was Bloodcove. His master tried to swindle one too many of the Zenj tribes of their wares, and found himself in a bit of trouble (ok, by trouble I mean maimed or dead - your choice). Tun'ada was fairly young when taken into slavery, old enough to know the customs of his people, but not old enough to have passed the rite of manhood in his village. Someday Tun'ada plans to return to his village, but not until he has proven himself beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Tun'ada is not very trusting of people of Avistanian stock (Taldane, Ulfen, Cheliaxians) due to his time as a slave and will certainly keep a close eye on anyone of Kelish stock, given the culture's reliance on slavery. His trust can be won though, as it was with an Andoran Eagle Knight named Garrett, who helped patch him back together and get back on his feet after gaining his freedom.

Physical Description: Tun'ada is a lean sinewy muscled man of slightly more than average height, who's movements seem almost cat-like. He dresses as lightly as he can, but understands the need for armor at times. He carries weaponry that would be typical of a Mwangi tribesman (terbutje, spear, javalins, and knives)

Posting Times: easily can handle posting daily

Time Zone: GMT -5 (US Central time zone)

Mjobo fought like the jungle cats, tooth and nail, feet kicking and fingers gouging, yet the Bekyar slavers that the Chelaxians were using were too strong for the young man. He was clapped in irons and thrown into the belly of the great vessel along with many others of his people.

He eventually found himself in the cold lands of the far north, in Cheliax itself where he was forced to labor in a stone quarry, cutting great slabs of sndtone and hauling them for the rich folk to build their palaces. The greed of the foreman had him load more and more slaves into the work area, with less and less guards and even Mjobo could see what was to occur. The uprising was quick and bloody, and the young Mwangi had killed the foreman himself, hefting a great piece of sandstone at the man and cracking his skull. He didn't remember much of the event, as the red wave of anger had burst over him and taken control of his actions. The slaves had fled, scattering across the land to wherever dreams of freedom led them.

For Mjobo, that was ever south, to the lands where the sun warmed the flesh and the jungle smell filled the nostrils. He would return to his people. After eight years of hard travel he now finds himself boarding the Jenivere in the Shackles. The pirate town was a place where his great strength could keep him alive and very few questioned his background. The Jenivere was his salvation. He was returning home, fleeing a past filled with pain and blood and hoping to make a name for himself amongst his own people again.

Appearence:Mjobo is average height but very strongly built. His face and upper body are covered in scarified tattoos of both his tribe and more recent ones from his time amongst the pirates of the Shackles. A great rearing jungle cat covers his right arm, the head formed strangely as it was used to cover the slave tattoo of his old masters.

He dresses as he remembers his people dressed from the village. Bright and billowing pantaloons, an open vest of deep crimson edged with yellow thread, and a broad straw hat upon his head. Mostly he is seen working the rigging of ships or loading cargo, but he has weapons and simple armour and he can use them. He relies more on brute strength and the vicousness of the caged animal to fight rather than any form of training, but it has carried him through eight long years of fleeing the slave takers.

Personality: Mjobo is proud and strong. He has vowed to maintain his freedom and return to his lands and has fought to get there. Despite the hardships of his past, he is a happy man now that his journey drws closer to a finish. He is quick with a grin, shining brightly through the dark bushiness of his curled beard and dusky skin. However, there are times when great melancholies take him also and he turns to the cheap rum that sailors drink to drown the memories of blood and terror from his past. These are the times when the rage takes him and he finds he has done things he regrets later.

He is a survivor, and wil help others to do the same as long as they don't try to shackle him. He realises that he will hae to leave his past behind him if he wishes to build a future, but for the moment it is adaemon he is struggling to control.

What drives Douena is the hope of finding something new and intriguing around the corner; even seemingly negative circumstances are thrilling to her if she hasn't experienced them before. Needless to say, she is impulsive and can be easily distracted when things start to bore her. She is a wild schemer, always keeping multiple back-up plans available for any contingency. Douena is a devotee of Desna, whose fortune she credits with getting her out of several near-scrapes in life, and always tries to intepret her dreams to discern what the goddess is trying to tell her. Her backpack always contains a strange collection of items which she picked up just because they caught her fancy. At preesnt, its contents include a shiny beetle carapace, a smooth pebble, and root shaped vaguely like a duck.

In the future, Douena will multiclass to cleric of Desna, using the Luck domain and Exploration subdomain. She will take the Boarded in Varisia campaign trait and the Collector trait from Gnomes of Golarion. She will also take the Academician racial trait in place of Obsessive.

You know my posting habits from the RHoD game (I work from home so am available off & on all day), and I'm in the US Central time zone (GMT -6).

EDIT: CG alignment

Backstory
Gregor Seawind has always been drawn to the sea. As a child he always spent his spare time near the shore's edge watching the pounding surf and watching the fishing boats set about their daily tasks. As soon as he was old enough he began fishing with his father and brothers, soaking up skills like a sponge. One day as they were fishing further out, their vessel was set upon by a ship of pirates on a blackened ship with no name. It's only identifying mark was black flag with a crimson spider emblazoned at its centre. Gregor was knocked off the ship during the struggle while his father was put to the sword when he resisted. His two younger brothers were hauled away before the ship sailed off in search of its next victims. Alone in the sea, Gregor feared he would drown but instead he found that whenever he was about to sink he was pushed up by a pair of dolphins. These dolphins kept him alive at sea for 3 days before another fishing vessel rescued him. Returning to his village, Gregor found he could no longer content himself with the simple life of fishing. He felt he had to find this pirate ship that had destroyed his family. Feeling his connection to the sea he began to worship the god/goddess Gozreh. He vowed he would make this mysterious pirate pay for what he had done to his family but to also honour the teachings of Gozreh as he began is quest. Following a story he had overheard in a bar he boarded a ship in Magnimar hoping to pick up the trail of this ship far to the south...

Traits
Boarded in Magnimar
Ease of Faith

Personality
Gregor is a friendly but driven individual. He is always willing to pitch in to help those in need especially younger children. He is loyal to his friends and though he will try to work through situations peacefully if possible he will fight to defend himself and others should it become necessary.

Aspirations
Gregor is determined to find those that killed his father and took his brothers and hopes to one day find them. He is always listening for any tidbit of information about the ship with the Crimson Spider. It is one such story that has led him to sail so far south.

Thanks for starting up the game and considering my submission.

Ambrozius Zimblethorp Boddynock ('Ambroze' to his Big Folk friends) hails from the idyllic gnome community of Sipplerose in the Sanos Forest in southern Varisia. Ambroze spent his formative years learning the bardic arts, although he tended to prefer more academic pursuits to the drama (and sometimes melodrama) of his artistic brethren. His goal was to one day travel far from the Sanos Forest like his uncle, Dimbleshanks Boddynock, a member of the famous (or infamous) Pathfinder Society. It was Uncle Dimble who gave him his most treasured possessions – copies of several volumes of the Pathfinder Chronicles. These in turn led to Ambroze’s desire to become an explorer and seek far off lands. Through his repeated readings of the Chronicles, he developed a strong desire to explore and study the ancient ruins and varied cultures of the Mwangi Expanse.

Upon reaching adulthood, Ambroze left Sipplerose and headed to Magnimar to study at the Founder’s Archive and Museum of Ages. Ambroze quickly became one of a small handful of genuine experts on the Mwangi Expanse. However, the excitement of reading all he could about the mysterious land soon paled in comparison to the thought of actually traveling there and seeing the ancient ruins for himself. When he learned that the merchant ship Jenivere was scheduled to depart Magnimar for Eleder, he happily booked passage.

During the journey south, Ambroze has made an attempt to get to know some of his fellow passengers. He particularly enjoys talking to Gelik Aberwhinge - something about the sharply dressed gnome’s long-winded stories about past journeys reminds Ambroze of his Uncle Dimble. Ambroze has also tried to talk to the Varisian scholar, Ieana, although the bookish woman tends to keep to herself.

For all of his knowledge, Ambroze is rather naïve. Apart from his journey from Sipplerose to Magnimar, this voyage is the first opportunity he has had to see the world. What little he knows of the world’s dangers is derived from his voracious reading habit, and not from any real experience. He is quick to trust and make friends.

Ambroze is a gnome bard with the Archivist archetype. His campaign trait is Mwangi Scholar. I would like to replace his Obsessive racial trait with Academician (+2 bonus to any one Knowledge skill) and his Defensive Training and Hatred racial traits with Gift of Tongues (+1 to Bluff and Diplomacy checks, learn one additional language every time he puts a rank in the Linguistics skill).

As you know from the other PbPs that we’re in, I can usually post multiple times a day, particularly in the evenings (US Eastern time zone; GMT -4).

Thanks for your consideration!

Urza was raised by his mother. She educated him and told him stories of her time as an adventurer. Even though she loved him very much, she could not help but to look upon Urza with some sorrow. He could no longer take her looks of pity and sorrow, so at the age of 13 he left her to find his way in the world.
At first he tried to join a band of orcs, but quickly realized that that wasn’t for him. From there, he joined with a group of bandits, but, again, it wasn't for him. Unfortunately this realization came as he was on the run from the law.
To escape them, he signed on with a ship's crew. At first he thought it was the biggest mistake he had made yet, but eventually, Urza was able to learn the ropes and is now a skilled hand. He thoroughly enjoys the life of a sailor.
This is Urza's first voyage as a crewman on the Jenivere and he couldn't be more excited. He sees adventure on all headings.

Traine is an open care free human man. He has always loved the outdoors and did not have the stomach nor knowledge for the minor court intrigues that occurred with his family, thus when he left it was as if a large weight was lifted from his shoulders. He is a young man out to see the world, with wide eyes and a trusting soul. He does however, have problems with minor lordlings that think they are better than everyone else, but *usually* he is wise enough to not say anything.

Traine is a young human male, he is very muscular, and at 6 feet tall stands over most of the folks he meets. He is wearing a chain shirt, barely visible under his explorer's outfit and has a falchion on his hip, and a longbow strung over his shoulder. That along with is pack and pouch, makes him look like a man who is ready for anything. However, his open friendly smile belays the somberness of his clothing.

Here is a web link to his character sheet. I have not purchased equipment yet, but with max gold there is plenty to purchase everything in the description.

Neutral-Good Human Fighter
Boarded in Ilizmagorti Campaign Trait

Lorenz is a typical human warrior with a thirst for adventure, fame and fortune. The only problem is, he has had an awful run of very bad luck for pretty much the last...well, forever.

It all began when he was fourteen and accidentally set the family homestead on fire. For the third time. It wasn't really his fault; he was trying to craft his very own sword, one he could shape and sharpen and take with him on his adventures when he was finally old enough to be on his own. It's just that he hadn't expected the sparks to fly in that particular direction and land in that particular pile of hay. It could have happened to anybody.

Fed up with his enthusiastic inclinations toward utter disaster, Lorenz's father threw him out.

That worked out okay though, because he managed to get some work not long after, guarding a caravan. Though he was young, he was big for his age and he did have a pretty decent talent with a blade - his father had been an adventurer himself, long ago, and had taught Lorenz almost everything he knew.

It was an exciting time, getting out on the world on his own, even if absolutely nothing happened and he lost all his wages in a bad luck toss of dice. Then of course, the merchant got robbed on the very last day of the trip while Lorenz was trying to figure out where exactly he'd left his sword. So he got fired and was suddenly broke in a strange town.

Such was life for the next three years; he'd find a little work, enough to get him from one place to another and then get fired for some perfectly understandable mistake that could have happened to anyone, really, and find himself looking for employ again. That was how he ended up in Ilizmagorti.

That too was an unfortunate story. He'd been desperate for work and he'd gotten a little too well known for his little mishaps. It was only by a stroke of great luck that he'd managed to sign on guarding cargo on a voyage to Mediogalti Island. It was his first time on a ship so naturally he had no way of knowing that he got so sea sick. He spent pretty much the entire voyage hanging off the bow discovering just how empty a stomach could get. And of course, the cargo had gotten broken into and damaged so that once he was unemployed in Ilizmagorti there was simply no way to leave again.

Nor was there much work for a green mercenary with bad luck like him. Things were bad enough without the gambling problem he developed and his tendency to pretty much never win. One thing lead to another and when he managed to jump aboard the Jenevire -- at literally the last minute -- it was a great relief to finally be away from all the cold-blooded murderers he owed money to. He just barely managed to scrounge up enough money to keep from getting thrown promptly overboard so once again it all worked out. He was finally away from Mediogalti and on his way to new adventures and fortunes to be found.

After all; his little string of bad luck was bound to end sometime, right?

The mist was thick, you could taste the salt water in the night air. It was a night for killing, a night for mutiny Baggs thought. “What say ye lads, ye ready to get even with the skipper for what e dun to us?” Captain Velos was a cruel taskmaster. We had been raiding the coast for months with little luck and the boys were done with him. His bad luck had cost us several of the mates, including me good friend, Gibly when we attached a schooner that was particularly well defended and they fought us off.

After Baggs got agreement from the lads they went up to Velos’ cabin and barged in. Velos stood there half naked about to enjoy his slave girl. He turned to us looking uncertain, “What you boys about? Get back to your stations before I have Hemar give you some lashes.” Hemar lay in his bunk with his throat slashed, I had already taken care of him. Hemar enjoyed his first mates position and particularly the whip a little too much. “I’m afraid Capin that Hemar won’t be handing out any more lashes or any more of ye orders. Your time is up, get im boys.”

We grabbed Velos, took him to the deck and threw him into the water. “To the sharks with ye Capin! Well boys, things are about to look up me thinks.” After a quick vote, I was named Captain of the Shrew, the 3rd since I had boarded her those 6 years ago. My first order solidified my position, “The Capin’s girl is to be shared among the crew tonight boys!” I was young, probably too young to be Captain but there was no one else who was as popular to oppose me, especially after that order. “Now none of ye be breakin the girl or else I’ll ave your guts, ye hears me?” We would need to head to port to get more men, the crew was light. We changed course that night for port in the Shackles. Our luck in fact did not look up though, in fact it was about to go very bad. I would be the Captain with the shortest length of service ever for the Shrew.

That morning we were ourselves attacked by a pirate frigate. As the ship was boarded I knew we were finished. The Silver Sword was a known pirate ship with a experienced and larger crew and made short work of most of the boys. Smart enough to know we were do for I dived overboard with a barrel and swam away as me mates were brought to their end. It was shear luck that a vessel, the Jenivere, would run across me in the water almost a week later. Barely alive, but mostly intact I began my journey with that ship going were it would take me.

Personality – Baggs is a sociable sort that uses people to get what he wants. He is not above doing anything needed to get it done. He is loyal to those who becomes his friends, but he is not foolish enough to throw his life away on a hopeless cause though. He is also very opportunistic.

Class – Rogue

Traits - Boarded in the Shackles: Your last home was in the Shackles, a dangerous land of pirates and treachery, but also of fantastic opportunity. A life of weal and woe on the sea and amid the pirate controlled lands has toughened you to a variety of hardships. Pick one of the three categories of saving throws—you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws of that type. +1 Trait bonus to Willpower saves.

Fast Talker - +1 Trait bonus to Bluff.

The trouble began with his sixtieth birthday. Typicaly seen as the transition into adulthood among the long-lived dwarves, a loud and prolonged argument ensued concerning Savarend's future in the family business. It ended with Savarend storming out of his clan house, craving space and isolation from the pressures of home. He began with enlisting with the first mercenary company he came across. In his haste, he signed for a tour of duty with a marines company based out of Magnimar that protected merchant shipping on the long route to Korvosa and beyond. Despite a rough start, and the inevitable jokes concerning a dwarf on a boat, he quickly adapted to life on the seas. His acrobatics, sharp senses, and skill in close-quarters combat made him a fine shipboard combatant. After several successful tours of duty, he was promoted to sergeant and given command of his own platoon of marines. His latest assignment is aboard the Jenivere, bound for distant Eleder.

Normally a friendly but disciplined man, most note him for his firm fairness in directing his men and lack of guile in his dealings. He finds great satisfaction in maintaining security on-board and secretly looks forward to taking the fight to pirates, though he would never admit that to others.

It fits how I see Mjobo after his time in captivity and the treatment he recieved in the quarry. He is tough and indomitable, but not so skilled in combat as to avoid blows and flanking attacks. It's raw power that gets him through.

The other option that would work nicely is Savage Barbarian, for obvious reasons. However, I feel it is slightly less balanced for game play. To give up armour completely (except shield) for very little in the way of armour compensation through class features is a tough ask. Additionally it relies on certain magic items to keep you viable in combat. Those same items are high on the list of monk and other unarmoured players for usefulness and would set up some possible tensions in groups when they became available.

I would willingly play either, but wanted to point out some potential issues you may come across with the second option before I went that way. All of which is assuming I get selected of course.

Cheers

She, and the child she named Arja were almost-exiled to the capital, and treated as an embarrassing secret. At first her mother tried to grow into the role with youthful defiance, but over the years away from friends and comfort, she grew to resent Arja for “ruining her life.” Things got more complicated by leagues when the young half-elf began asking about why she was different from all the other children, and who her father was. Arja never received the full story, but pieced together things well enough on her own.

Her father, though, never left her thoughts entirely. She wanted to know more about her ancestry, and imagined any number of “noble savage” stories for herself, what she might have been hadn’t her mother been “wrong” and chosen to live with the elves, as they undoubtedly must have offered her. Sometimes she would go naked through tropical storms and imagine this a time of celebration for her “real people”, sometimes she’d try to run away into the surrounding jungle and return days later, feverish and starving. Her adolescent fantasies were fueled even more when one day, a stern-faced elf entered their small city apartment, escorted by half a dozen armed tribesmen. They demanded her mother turn her over to their care, and claimed her descent from their shaman predisposed her to be a “witch-woman”. Her mother knew better than to accept their claim at face value, and sent the delegation away.

This “cruelty” soured the last remaining bits of mutual goodwill and respect between Arja and her mother. The next three years were a constant battle of petty and not-so-petty cruelties and revenges, with her mother growing as much more callous as Arja was growing uncontrollable. No amount of pleading and talking was able to even nearly resolve their differences and Virdelia’s sisters, now heading the family holdings, saw a chance to clear their names. They offered Virdelia a deal: Get rid of the adolescent half-elf, quickly and quietly, and be accepted back into the family.

Virdelia took the deal, much to her later regret. She arranged for a group of slavers to grab Arja, and ship her off to distant Katapesh, far off enough to never see her again. She even reasoned that this might be in her best interest - though she never really lived it down. Arja, on the other hand, proved extremely lucky. The captain who purchased her was a Taldan named Arodal Gent, who held strong Andoran sympathies. He had made it a custom to buy one or two slaves after each successful voyage, and offer them their freedom in the next port his trading caravel (the Manticore) arrived on.

She joined the crew of the Manticore and journeyed with the ship for the better part of three years. She learned her antics, love of storms and the rain were sacred to Gozreh, and soon became an assistant to the ship surgeon and cleric. When captain Gent retired after a near brush with death on the Eye, she hired on the Stormchaser, and later on the Jenivere.

In time, her eagerness to find her “roots” has become somewhat of a soft spot to her. She has seen enough foreign, insular cultures to know that she wouldn’t be welcome. She knowns on a purely intellectual level that going with the elves wouldn’t have made her happy - but keeps on repeating this belief to not admit her mother, for all her failings, was right about a few things.

During his childhood, his father instilled in him a quiet reverance for the land which they tilled and as the years wore on, it seemed to be the land that called to him, rather than the vocation of farming.

As he came into his adult years, Gothrek decided to leave his family and enter into Paladinhood in Erastil's service. The Church was happy to have such a strong, wise young Half-Orc take up the mantle of Paladin and it wasn't long before Gothrek was patrolling the lands, protecting the common folk.

It was this work that brought him onto the Jenivere, under disguise. Gothrek was trailing a cattle rustler who had stolen a significant amount of cattle from one farmer, and sold them to another, making off with their ill-gotten gains. It took Gothrek a few months to track him down but eventually, he narrowed it down to the Mwangi Expanse. While he could simply storm off and try to arrest the man, Gothrek knew that there was dangers in doing so and he enlisted with the Jenivere in order to learn what he could of the man before making his move.

At the age of 16 Asasha was sold, but with the help of her friend and trainer managed to escape during the journey to her new owner. For five moths she managed to survive on the streets of Pezzack, using her acrobatic skills to sneak into houses to steal food and clothing. All this time Asasha kept watch at the docks for an opportunity to stow away on a ship leaving Cheliax. That opportunity came when the Jenivere came into port.

Asasha remains hidden aboard the Jenivere, hoping to jump ship when it returns to Magnimar

Asasha: CG Human Rogue (Acrobat).

Traits: Stowaway and Fast Talker

Feats: Dodge and Agile Manouvers

Equipment: Not very much other than daggers (8), leather armour, clothing and thieves tools (due to background won't have much cash and won't spend most of the starting gold.)

Appearance: Asasha is short (5'1") and slim, but toned due to her years training as an acrobat in Cheliax. Her red hair is roughly cut and short. Sashandra currently wears loose-fitting, typical street clothes of Pezzack (including a cloak, leather britches and a cotton tunic), below these she wears leather armour perloined during her escape. These clothes, combined with her small hips and breasts and her short hair, makes it easy to mistake Asasha for a boy (she does however carry with her the more feminine colourful blue performer's outfit that she performed in as a slave). Secreted within her clothes she carries eight daggers.

(If slave tatoos or brands are normal for slaves from Cheliax let me know and i'll incorporate these into Asasha's appearance)

Personality: Asasha is slow to trust, but a true and good friend once she gets to know people. She has very little respect for laws, seeing these simply as mechanisms for keeping the rich in power. Despite her upbringing Asasha is good natured and quick to smile. She does, however harbour a deep hatred of slavery and slavers (although she's quite capable of hiding this and biding her time before acting). Asasha has no grand plans beyond escaping her life as a slave – although she was planning to travel to Varisia, anywhere away from Cheliax will do.

*please choose me:- You know you want to!

Dr. Abramova joined the crew of the Jenivere because during her research, she learned that a certain plant or fungus or mold in the region likely has properties that have a palliative effect of daily aches and pains. Since she has graduated from the college, she has worked as the ships physician and naturalist. She has taken a liking to the ship, its crew, and life at sea and abroad.

Appearance: Laleh is a blond haired, blue eyed rarity among her family of dark skinned, brown eyed, and black haired kin. She inherited the dark skin of her mother, though unless she spends a lot of time in the sun, it doesn't show. She stands around 5'8" and weighs about 130 lbs. She has an athletic build developed during her time as an athlete, and maintained as a crewmember of the Jenivere.

Personality: She displays the poise and properness of an upper class member of Qadiran society, but since she is the youngest of her family, her lessons in poise have often been lackadaisical. She tries to maintain that poise, but gets visibly excited when she is about to discover something, or triumph in some contest. Her posture is always very erect and her accent is of one classically schooled.

Galrian received order from a more higher-rank member of his church to go to Sargava. There has been recently appeared signs
of Zon-Kuthon cult or remains of it. The connection to this old and lost religion of brotherhood is wanted to be repaired, find
out what has happened in the recent 1000 years there as also to "regain" any possible artifacts, which were "lost".

Galrian accepted the task, in order to gain experience, more power to get higher in the rank of his church as well to bring
law & religion of Zon-Kuthon back (maybe as a new arch-bishop of Sargava). More to clerichood and servant toward his god than
selfish and gaining wealth / driving his own purpose forward, this odd priest of evil is like a shadow, who cherish his
belief to his god... and belief to let whole world feel the pain.

Galrian is normal size, 5 ft. 2 in. tall and covered in normal clothing of cleric expect in colors of dark night and silver in the edges.
He appears to be normal and face sophisticated but under his cleric clothing is scarred chest with scars and piercings. Coming from
Cheliax, this young adult beliefs to order and pain to achieve what he needs and to further achieve his god needs and spreading of his religion.

Traits:
Boarded in Cheliax
Sacred Conduit [url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/faith-traits/sacred-conduit[/url]
or Desperate Focus : +2 bonus to concentration check (source: Pathfinder Companion: Cheliax, Empire of Devils)

However, there were the parts he didn't talk to anyone about. There were the dreams. There were the moments where he'd be listing to some otherwise inoffensive piece of chamber music, when the beat would take over. There was the secret sketchbook, filled with pictures of strange ruined cities. There was the snippets of voices, chanting in an unknown language, just beyond hearing. Ix took it as a matter of faith that he had something just a little wrong with him in the head, but it just didn't seem to interfere in his living life.

No one expected anything of Ix, and he lived up to expectations. Eventually though, even his family grew tired of him loafing around. (There may have also been an incident related to a drunken toast at the wedding of a minor noble [where it's not like he didn't say anything that everyone already knew] where it was politely suggested that he get sent as far out of town as possible in order to prevent anyone from feeling compelled to do something violent.) He was sent off to apprentice with a cousin of his, whom he called "Uncle Harold," working as a florist in a distant city. And, while not a calling, Ix did well at his appointed task, and liked it.

The strange dreams did not abate, and began to creep into his waking hours as visions and hallucinations. Still, he put them off. His secret journals became more voluminous, which in turn lead to a much more comprehensive view of this mysterious world.

The turning point was when a florist in another city died. He had no apprentice and his family was uninterested in continuing the business. Harold picked up the business for a song and intended to gift it to Ix. Ix, who did not know this, went there to take an inventory, whereupon he discovered the journal.

The journal was of an adventure into the Mwangi Expanse, the original copy of a man who sought rare and valuable orchids and other plants in the depths of the jungle. Upon seeing the journal, Ix knew. He knew that this was the place of his visions. This was the land that had haunted him from birth.

Very swiftly, the trajectory of Ix's life changed. Like a man possessed he summoned whatever family financial backing, called in favors, and otherwise charmed, compelled, and persuaded his way into an expedition, or possibly co-opted one that was more of theoretical venture and refashioned it to his own purposes. In the process, Ix "traded one set of nightmares for another." Doing so and following his dreams led to burning (or at least singeing) a lot of bridges.

Five weeks in, the expedition found it hopelessly lost; things got worse from there. Nothing mystical or unusual did them in (well, there was that dinosaur). Instead, it was the simple things, like disease, dissent, and hunger that lead the expedition into failure. Ix isn't even entirely positive everyone died, but he does know that everyone who stayed with his group did.

Ix doesn't remember. Starting from waking up one morning to find the only other member in the camp dead from the same sickness Ix himself had, he shouldered a bag and started walking. What happens then is fairly less than clear to Ix, except that at some point (he thinks about two weeks later) he collapses just outside of Bloodcove, four fifth's dead and awakened to his bloodline.

A kindly innkeeper helps him out, or at least gives him a roof over his head and makes sure that the person who's taking his money is providing something in return. Ix's recovery from whatever vile disease he caught is tenuous, but he does survive. He's quite readily thrust into another sort of peril, namely how he's to now live, much less get back home. In his weakened condition, Ix has little else to try to earn cash other than gambling, and on his proverbial last copper he gets incredibly lucky.

The downside of getting really, really lucky is that it doesn't earn you much in the way of friends. While not outright stated, it was damn clear that Ix should get out of town as soon as possible. Luckily, he'd earned enough to do so. The Jenivere was the ship soonest out.

Background
Ah, late for editing so have to post again-> use same details etc but shaping the background little bit for the cleric

If you are not allowing or having an evil cleric in party, I can change him to neutral good, as a follower of Shelyn. Hopefully he is likeable :)

PS: forgot the time. GTM +2 :)

Cleric, (Goddess: Shelyn)
Domain: Air/Protection

As a priest of small village, Galrian has always felt strong attachement towards his villagers. During his youth, he used to chase women around the village and enjoy the day, when he felt the calling of Shelyn. Instead of now chasing, he help others to chase their loved ones or fix the problems between them.

Now a middle-age man, this cleric of Shelyn was again during one of the days troubled by young people. Calmly listening and answering to their so troubled question "how to prevent parents finding out, how should I show my interest to this girl/boy" and when he had a moment of freedom, he fall asleep. A young beautiful woman or a girl appeared infront of him in a field of flowers. With flashes, an image of jungle appeared, an image of ruins, an image of huge tornado washing in the sea, image of companions alongside him but blurry to not recognise anything... and slowly everything was fading away but before he heard the whisper of lovely touch to his cheek and small whisper: Follow my vision, dear Galrian. I need you there and for I promise, I will be next to you in your journey, closer than ever before and in the end of this, I shall give you your rest. Make haste to Sargava and there you will find something... being of interest to me and you have to find out what it is

Suddenly waking up, a beautiful aroma of roses around in the air and a young girl in front of him, a little scared look in her face. Ah, don´t fear, Asia, I just fall asleep and saw something nice smiling to her and conformting. Rest of the evening he was walking around town and seeing the lively village and to feel the air around. This would be his last day here until he would start his journey... His Goddess was waiting for him somewhere there.

Appearance
5 ft. tall human cleric, in his middle-age, Galrian is well-liked by all villagers. Follower of Shelyn, this man has a white hair, blue yes, golden skin from countless hours of spending outside. You can see that in his younger days, he used to be really handsome and aging has affected like a wine to him: just getting better. That what he has now lost in strenght and flexibility, he replace by intelligence, wisdom and outlook. Fast from his mouth and faster with his mind, this man solves problems with his mind rather than using his muscles. Although look is that normal of man, days spent outside and working has still achieved for him nice built body. However the younger people know, especially the girls of the village, that slap from the air might not be a from that boy next to you, but rather from that old perverted cleric from other side of street.

Motive
Galrian is enjoying his life and especially as a cleric of Shelyn. He is able to share his wisdom to young boys and tell them how to treat girls, solve problems with young couples and work as a medium between quarrels. Ultimately, he is still trying to achieve attention of her goddess, since during one time (and the biggest reason), he fell in love with her. Although not able to share her attention, at least he can devote himself to her. Now that her goddess has called him, he will answer to it. Also he is intrested to this new place, since he used to be quite wandered during his younger days. Nevertheless, thing which attracted his attention, was the promise of reward from her goddess and the image of her first time appearing to him and asking his help. More than ever, he is feeling stronger belief and love toward his goddess

Traits:
Boarded in Cheliax
Fast Talker

The morning comes slowly, the rays of the rising sun having to force their way past clouds of smoke, just as the weary mother struggles out of her tent. All around her lay the dead, many she she knew, others so mangled she would never know who they were. She spent the next few days wandering, trying in vain to find anyone who could take care of her child. She wailed in despair when she reached a hill top and could she nothing but sparse forest ahead of her, no sign of people at all. Withing the next hour, she'd both regret and love the wail...

She was running now, trying desperately to escape the wolf pack that had already bitten and torn her flesh. She finally found a small opening under a large tree, it's roots making a cage she could barely squeeze into. She wasn't going to live to see another day, but she had one trick that might let her child live. She said a small prayer and growled at the wolves menacing her from beyond the roots...

Years past as hunters and merchants traveling through the lands report attacks by wolves and a single child, down on all fours and biting just like the wolves he ran with. And elven guide sets out to see if the stories are true. It takes a week, but finally she is able to find the pack, lethargic from a successful hunt. The child slept not far from the carcasses of the downed deer, sleeping soundly as he digested a few pounds of raw flesh. So soundly in fact that, like his pack mates, he didn't notice when the elven lady crept over to him and picked him up, carrying him far away from camp before he even started to leave his dreams of smoke and burnt.. something behind to join the wakeful.

At first, it was very fortunate she was quick and armored more than his usual prey, because he bit and clawed at her for hours-so ferociously that he actually got sick at one point in fact-trying desperately to get free of the strange cave she had put him in. Days he raged, fighting as his instincts told him he should, before hunger and exhaustion drove him to growling weakly at her when she walked into the room. Things went much more smoothly after she got him to eat something...

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. As Makoa(Keiyanna, the elven guide gave him this name) grew, so to, did his skills in the forest. He learned how to hunt with the weapons around the cabin, and though he always preferred hunting with his teeth, he appreciated the use throwing weapons had for weakening larger prey. The axes and javelins in particular felt right in his hand, as the shield Keiyanna made for him did in his other.

When he reached adulthood, he prepared to leave the cabin with little more than some spare weapons, a small supply of items to help him along outside the forest, and the shield his 'mother' had made him. There was one last game of Hunter & Prey, a and short goodbye, before he left for Sargava to become the great hunter Keiyanna thought he could be.

It took him awhile, but he managed to find a ship to work on, the Jenivere, that could take him to Sargava. He didn't have the gold needed to cover his trip though, and so worked on the ship for the next few years, until he finally had the money needed to cover his passage. It was good timing too, since there seems to be quite a few more people wanting to go into Sargava...

Background is in the alias rather than here.

Her background is a witch, but as yet my supplier hasn't got the APG to me yet, I only have the final playtest. If this is a problem the background can easily incorporate changing class to one of druid, cleric, ranger or barbarian, (though I probably don't see her as a barbarian.) I think the story and motivations are more what you want now.

If you want to change the artefact to something in keeping with what you want, but still keep the basic concept of Chi's story, I'm happy with that too.

Still got to give a name to the actual tribe she is a member of.

(expect an order of the stick-like picture of Flute later tonight)

He always seemed to be day-dreaming and was never the best with a pick-axe, but despite his aloof nature, he always had a good eye for gems, ore and the like. His perception was highly valued among his co-workers.

One day while working in the mines of Janderhoff, deep below the surface, something happened to the dwarf. To this day, he knows not what compelled him, but he was overcome with a desire to craft.

He knew not what he was making, but knew he needed to assemble strange ingredients. No longer sleeping, working or, scariest of all, drinking ale, Flute scoured the city for his needed materials:

• bones... yes he needed bones.. a large rat bone...
  
• cloth.. yes cloth... silk cloth....made from the arachnids spun silk..yes this will do..
  
• gold.. yes.. this amount will do...
  

All the dwarves of Janderhoff know about the legends of the strange denziens of the darklands and darker fey creatures who take delight in dominating dwarves for fun and pleasure. They knew when dwarves become possessed like this, they become unpredictable. Possessions of this nature are mystical events which can lead to great works of craftdwarfship, religious spirituality, but a failed attempt can cause insanity to the possessed dwarf and woe to his/her clansmen. It is a very ominous sign if one cannot complete his craft.

For the saftey of the burrow, Flute was locked in the workshop he took over. Here he sat and slaved over his invention until it was finally done.

He crafted an incredible flute made of bone, adorned with gem, feathers and leather... as well as a silk carrying pouch.

A few days later, Flute woke up. His entire clan was proud of him. His burrow proudly displays his flute in the mayors office. (Engraved on the flute were pictures of gems, the mayor himself and a strange serpent). His original name was Rurik, but he adopted his nickname as his main name after his possession.

He went back to work, but remained even more aloof than prior to his possession.

He knew he wasn't meant to stay here. He had to go. He lied to his clanmembers saying he was going off in search of the prosperous Bandu Hills to seek a fortune.

Sometime during his possession, he felt a strange divinely inspired pull. He had visions of serpents, dark skies, jungles and heard the name "sssssssssssargava" hissed. He took this to be a sign and the next day he bid farewell to his clansmen (who were quite sad to see him go).

In reality, something within him was calling him to come to the jungles of the Sargava. He knew he must travel to Magnimar and take the next boat out to this place. While traveling, he found his reputation has begun to spread among the nearby Shoanti. Here he was tought some of the arts of a druid, a fellow traveler to Magnimar. His mentor foresaw Flute's travel and knew he had little time. Flute promised to write him letters of his travels.

His clan, to his knowledge, is still residing behind Janderhoff's iron curtain doing what they do best: mining.

Flute wants what is best and makes the most sense. He would always rather do a "good" act than a bad one. He follows laws and traditions but also knows there are circumstances where the ends are more important than the means. Although he isn't selfish, promises of riches and treasure certainly can motivate Flute.

He is very easy-going but also harbors a deep, serious side to him.

Although some would label Flute distant or aloof, he is actually just shy and contemplative. Those who know him well know he is as rowdy as any other dwarf.

Flute admires loyalty above almost any other trait. He will go the extra-mile for his friends.

• Destiny- Flute feels called to Sargava for some reason. Something, he feels, is altering nature itself and he feels he must investigate.
  
• Wanderlust- Flute wants to see the world. His daydreams were always about new experiences and adventure in the world above, away from the lightless depths of the Darklands.
  
• Heritage- Flute, although his modesty won't allow him to openly admit it, would love to discover riches, drink ale, and become a hero like the ones he heard about in legends.