Oh, and do you mind telling me what elements besides character class and deity I've unwittingly aped? For purposes of rewriting, I mean?
@Gryffin; Link to Taisper Stozs
@Gryffin; Link to Taisper Stozs
Thanks!
@Wynifred I don't have a problem if you know the general outline. I'm going to make reasonably liberal changes, especially to meet the different goal and tenor of the campaign.
Cool, thanks. I kind of figured there'd be changes, but it's good to know.
Answering your questions below the spoiler.
What country is she originally from?
Wynifrid was born "on the road," likely in Varisia, through which her family frequently traveled. Her grandfather Joric was an Ulfen from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, and as a trader he traveled to Varisia to sell furs and such, and met her grandmother Tela in Magnimar. She herself was part of a merchant band. Joric, unlike most of his people, decided he secretly liked warmer climates--or perhaps he just liked Tela, who was not inclined to travel to his harshly cold homeland, and if he was forced to choose between her and home, he chose her! They had a home in Varisia but traveled frequently. As her parents came of age and took over the trade, they broadened their travels extensively (although Absalom was as far south as they had gotten), as much to see the world as find interesting and exotic items to trade (or what might be cheap and commonplace in one nation, but exotic and profitable in another). But she was likely born in her grandparents' home near Magnimar.
Because she's lived most of her early life traveling, she doesn't feel a strong national identity/loyalty -- save perhaps to Absalom, where she's now lived for 4 or 5 years.
How did the death of her family affect her personality?
She grieved for them greatly when they were killed, but they were a stubborn lot, and she knew she would shame them if she sat moping doing nothing. If anything, it made her more determined to get on with her life and survive. She has had difficulty finding direction without them, however, hence why she's ended up working at the inn for several years rather than seeking out perhaps braver employment.
Also, while she forms friendships fairly easily, she finds it hard to let herself get too close to people, lest she lose them like she lost her family. She knows too well the world can be a harsh place and you can lose people very easily and very quickly. The closest person she was to in her current life was Gerta the Innkeep, whom she will now be separated from. I'm honestly not sure how she feels about that yet, but I'd be interested in playing it out. :) Finding a balance between protecting her heart and forging strong relationships with her party member and other allies will be a key challenge for her.
Does she have a last name, either real or chosen?
She no longer goes by her family name; she decided to let it die with her caravan. Some of the regulars of the Muddled Fish call her "The Peacekeeper" for her constantly breaking up fights in the inn.
Since I think it's not much of a plot secret that you'll be an unwilling captive of pirates at some point, how would she react?
Wyn sees pirates as much like the highwaymen who killed her family (they just use a different "highway" to prey upon): gutless cowards who prey upon tradeways to make a quick coin at anyone's expense. She would, to say the least, be very angry and feel little but hate toward her captors. She would know, however, that overreacting or acting out at the wrong time could endanger her or her fellow captives, so her anger would simmer into she saw the opportunity to try and fight back.
I'll also note that given the opportunity to become a privateer--generally a hunter of pirates amongst other things--she'd gladly take it to take fewer criminals such as these out of the world, and she'd hope her family would be proud of her for doing so.
Does she tolerate lechery or despise it?
Depends on what you mean by "lechery" and to what degree. Working where she did, Wyn has a strong tolerance for coarse speech and humor (and can return in kind), but guards her physical personal space zealously. She had to--in a docks tavern, if she gave an inch, she knew some sailors would try to take a mile and then some, and some might not even try to give her a choice about it.
So: someone making a dirty comment about her looks? She'd shrug.
Someone trying to grab her ass? Drink in the face first, and then failing that, finger in the eye and, if necessary, knee in the crotch. For pirates, she'd probably go straight to the last or something as painful.
Does she have a protective streak towards those who cannot defend themselves, or does she have an attitude that everyone has to be able to fend for themselves?
Given how fervently she tried to just get back a man's stolen coin, she definitely has a streak toward fighting for justice, and helping those who cannot help themselves.
But she would also feel that part of helping someone is teaching them TO fend for themselves. She knows all too well from personal experience that one can easily end up alone without anyone to help you. In her mind, the two attitudes come together, not separately.
So if she saw a youngster being kicked down into the mud, she'd punch the guy who kicked the youngster, pick up the kid and clean him off, and then give him some tips about how to catch that kind of bully off guard next time so he wouldn't end up in the mud again.
And if someone repeatedly got themselves in trouble and solely relied on others to protect them, she would quickly lose patience with them. She'll always assume it's best to help someone first, but if someone is constantly, repeatedly leaving themselves open, then they're enabling their victimization. She'd point that out to them, but feel less inclined to protect them again (although she wouldn't leave someone to die just because she thought they did something foolish).
Apologies if this is a bit rambling and disjointed, long day.
Kerith Windblown is a blunt woman, she never had the flair or leadership to make a good Captain. She was fiercely loyal to Catelyn having started out with her, on the Flying Fox when Catelyn lead a mutiny against the smuggler Captain Danavoc - a pervert who had filled his crew with beautiful woman and tried to get more for the generous wages he was paying than their contracts specified. Kerith was in awe of Catelyn, and saw her as a living embodiment of Besmara. So when Catelyn fled the seas and vanished Kerith felt lost and betrayed, taking over as Captain things went wrong swiftly and she ended up selling the Flying Fox to pay off a debt to the Shackles Captains incurred for repairs after a failed raid that killed a quarter of her crew and turned the rest against her.
She eventually found Catelyn by chance and the two resumed their friendship, though it was strained by their mutual disappointments. Catelyn shared almost everything with Kerith, her one confidant, and told her all about Tharash's attempted possession of Beshra in their drinking sessions. Kerith was well aware that Catelyn would not have wanted Beshra anywhere near piracy, but sees the girl as a second chance at the perfect image of Besmara's will, she's also still a little angry at Catelyn for letting her down. Kerith believes Beshra can become a living embodiment of Besmara and sees her more as a tool than a person. Beshra senses this, and has indeed read Kerith's thoughts several times to confirm it, and thus feels uncomfortable around the woman. She had initially hoped Kerith might be someone she could depend on, but now she wants to distance herself from the woman.
Kerith tends to think of the Iomedae worship as a scam, the most expeditious way to save Beshra, by adopting the most presentable deity available. Catelyn was at heart a chaotic soul, but she did truly love her daughter and did strive to be good, which was enough to thwart Tharash's rebirth apparently.
Beshra admires Iomedae, but sees nothing of herself in the goddess, Iomedae is perfect, Beshra is just getting by the best she can. She enjoys making fun of other people, pilfering from those who do not deserve there wealth, and finds lovey dovey behavior sickly. Of course Beshra is a much better person than she likes to think, she will go out of her way to help people in need, and would dearly love to make friends she can trust. She's the kind of person who would buy hungry children bread to "stop them whining," or defend someone because his mugger's face is annoying her. At heart, and she would be loathe to admit it, Beshra is a romantic, she has a secret penchant for love stories, but has already been hurt a number of times and would take a long time to trust someone.
I would be interested in developing a romance with a PC or NPC if it feels appropriate, mainly because I think stories with such elements are more interesting as its an important part of life. I'm a man, but I'd dearly love to become an author in the future, and I'm trying to learn how to write female characters.
Beshra has attempted to have her wounds healed, but no magic seemed able to restore them beyond a certain point, she has only been able to afford the most basic of curative spells. Her skin remains papery thin and painful and she is deeply embarrassed by it, never taking her gloves off if she can help it.
Johnathan Bleak still sails, but presently his whereabouts are unknown as he seeks out power in distant seas. He wishes to supplant the Hurricane King, nominal ruler of the Shackles Kerdak Bonefist, and bring a terrible age of blood to the seas of Golarion. Bleak sees the other Captain's love of wealth as a weakness, and is renowned for paying huge amounts for powerful items and beasts, to him coin is only useful as a means to purchase power. He has a number of lesser Captains who owe him allegiance, and secures their loyalty by the most ruthless of means, whether it is by having their children aboard the Guillotine as cabin boys, coin, or simply having broken them.
"Well, since you bought dinner, and this great ale, I suppose I can tell you how I came to be a druid, protector of nature, and a Wright, someone who cuts up nature for the furthering of civilization. I know, it is crazy. It is like fire mixing with water, or earth and sky! Actually, that is precisely why I exist. Because unless they mix, how could there be life? What is between the earth and sky? Why life of course! So that is why I am a protector of nature, as well as an architect of civilization. Keep minimize the destruction of nature, while providing the needs of civilization.
That, and I got caught while in my first year of apprenticeship, chopping on the wrong tree, to fix a mistake. My punishment was a second apprenticeship! But to a water druid! Better than death, which is what would have been prescribed if I was any older. Ended up the tree was sacred, but I had only scarred it, not slain it, and so my master Vinsilik, a half elf water Druid, offered to train me, as my punishment for nicking the tree. My shipwright master, Corbin, he didn't like the idea of losing an apprentice, said it would only be punishment if I had to do both apprenticings, and so the Tribunal decided that I must finish both apprenticeships, or forfeit my life.
Well, now I am a journeyman shipwright, and an aquatic Druid! Hm, seems my mug is empty."
Hello! I'd like to be considered for this campaign. I don't have a character sheet yet, but the concept hopefully speaks for itself. I'm trying a kind of experiment with this character, so I'd appreciate any feedback that comes to mind. If anything in the background seems unclear, I'll happily address that. I'm not 100% familiar with Golarion, so I'm learning as I go - apologies for any errors!
I'll put together a character sheet tomorrow evening.
"No, sorry. I can't speak Elven. I can speak Gnome, which very useful when your suppliers of lumber are all Gnomes, like ours in Cassomir. Of course, learning is easier when you are friends with a few. I was the anchor in the group. I would say their parents didn't approve of me, but they were all apprentices to the lumber yard master, and Gnomes are never bigoted, or so I understand.
But I haven't seen them in a while, and shan't for at least a year more. As a journeyman, I have to get some experience under my belt, and I want to learn about the other ship classes, not simply Taldan Galleons. That is why I am in Absalom, looking at the ships tomorrow, and see if I can get my name on the roster of one of the western voyaging ships, as a carpenter, and I have some surgical skills to. I can repair the ship and the crew!"
Oh, by the way, if picked, I will probably be moving one of Eridan's skill ranks around, from Sense Motive to Knowledge (History), to reflect his family's background. I am probably not going to invest more than a total of one or two ranks to it though, seeing as it is more of a passing interest rather than a serious one as far as he is concerned. So, after the 1st level, it will be Diplomacy and Sense Motive that will be sharing that one skill rank.
In fact, what with the name change and all, I hope you do not mind if I simply repost the corrected stat sheet. I will leave the appearance, personality and background information in the previous post.
Male Human (Azlanti) Monk (Martial Artist) 1
NG Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +5; Senses Perception +6
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DEFENSE
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AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12. . (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 Wis)
hp 12 (1d8+1+3)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +4
Defensive Abilities AC Bonus +2
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee Flurry of blows +2/+2 (1d6+1/20/x2) or
. . Unarmed strike +3 (1d6+1/20/x2) or
. . Dagger +3 (1d4+1/19-20/x2)
Ranged Flurry of blows +2/+2 (1d2+1/20/x2/10 ft.) or
. . Shuriken +3 (1d2+1/20/x2/10 ft.) or
. . Dagger +3 (1d4+1/19-20/x2/10 ft.)
Special Attacks Flurry of Blows -1/-1, Stunning Fist (1/day, DC 13, stunned), Unarmed Strike 1d6
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STATISTICS
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Str 13, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 17
Feats Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Traits Reactionary, World Traveler
Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +5, Diplomacy +1, Escape Artist +7, Knowledge (History) +5, Perception +6, Sense Motive +2, Stealth +7, Swim +5
Languages Azlanti, Common, Kelish
SQ Skilled
Combat Gear Dagger, shuriken (10); Other Gear Backpack (20.5 lbs: bedroll, flint and steel, shaving kit, silk rope (50 ft.), torch (2), trail rations (4 days), waterskin), belt pouch (2 lbs: caltrops), belt pouch (empty)
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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AC Bonus (Ex) Add WIS modifier to AC and CMD
Flurry of Blows (Ex) Make flurry of blows with unarmed strike or monk weapons as a full action with a base attack bonus equal to monk level, as if using Two-Weapon Fighting
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and can deal lethal damage
Reactionary +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks
Skilled +1 skill rank/level
Stunning Fist (Ex) Cause an opponent to become stunned with an unarmed attack
Unarmed Strike Deal more damage with unarmed strikes, treat unarmed strike as both a manufactured and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that improve such weapons
World Traveler +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is always a class skill
Also, on another note, since I generally tend to think a bit ahead where my characters are concerned, Eridan will most probably be investing in the Crane Style feats from Ultimate Combat (though preferably without the silly one-legged stance fluff-wise), which is why I tried to set the groundwork for that by talking about his master's more agile and defensive style of fighting, as well as Eridan putting his own twists on the moves and forms taught to him.
@Sherridan Morz I've read your vignettes. I take it that he is a deserter from a Taldan mercenary company? Is he a falcata fighter? What else does he stand for?
CURRENT APPLICANTS
I. MARTIAL CHARACTERS
1. Eridan Valkeri, NG Human Male Monk (F. Castor)
2. Iokab Steele, CG Human Male Gunslinger (Sigz)
3. Jericho Fiendaxe, CN Human Male Fighter (Mihajlo Velickovic)
4. John Rawkins, NG Human Male Ranger (Celeador)
5. Luther Lightblade, Aasimar Male Cavalier (Chainmail)
6. Sherridan Morz, CG Human Male Fighter (MaybeNever)
7. Strom Burlog, N Human Male Barbarian (Mug)
8. Wynifred (LNU), CG Human Female Fighter (DeathQuaker)
II. SKILL CHARACTERS
1. Amaka Gry, N Human Female Bard (therealthom)
2. Gryffin Helwyr, LN Human Male Inquisitor (Christopher Rowe)
3. Quara Shar, CG Tiefling Female Bard (Aebliss)
4. Trissana Moonshadow, UU Elf Female Rogue (TheGato)
III. FULL ARCANE CHARACTERS
1. Ollivor Myles, CG Human Male Sorcerer (Ridge)
2. Skaldi (LNU), UU UU Male Summoner (twilsemail)
IV. FULL DIVINE CHARACTERS
1. Beshra Bleak, NG Tiefling Female Oracle (Byden)
2. Diana Seamyst, NG Human Female Oracle (Skorn)
3. Lilly (LNU), NG Half-orc Female Druid (scranford)
4. Randol Perry, CG Human Male Cleric (TrueRepentance)
5. Thoubert Wright, UU Human Male Druid (Adeptus Technicanus)
Iakob, not Iokab if you please ;) Working on him now, got most of the background down, working on the last paragraph(s?).
Reviewing my options as we have it, I've made a decision on a few of the spots. I will continue filling out the crew as this continues, with the remaining selections named over the next three days. I'm going to make an OOC thread where the forming crew can meet up.
Iakob Steele is the Malcolm Reynolds of this little group, and John Rawkins will be his Zoe. The similarities of the two, and the ability to somewhat merge their backstories, is too tempting a possibility to pass up. The two will form the heirarchical backbone of the ship's crew, as well as the driving force behind being privateers and smugglers. Beshra Bleak is the third crew member selected. I like her backstory, her potential hooks, and the possibility of her going completely nuts and killing the rest of the crew should the rakshasa take control of her again.
Everyone else is still in the running! I haven't disqualified anyone, and I'm pleased with how fleshed-out some of the characters are becoming.
Conceptual design has moved further on, and I've settled on Raveneau's mechanical portion - just need to find sufficient time to draw up a suitably detailed description/personality/backstory.
Thus I present Raveneau Delahaye, a CG Elven Bard with the Buccaneer archetype...
Str: 14, Dex: 14, Con: 10, Int: 14, Wis: 12, Cha: 15
Alternate Racial Trait: Spirit of the Waters
Traits: Hurricane Savvy (from Pirates of the Inner Sea), 1 x TBC
Feat: Persuasive
Skills (includes Favored Class bonus): Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Perception, Perform (Sing), Profession (Sailor), Sleight of Hand, Swim
Deities: Gozreh and Valani
- Father 'heard the call' and came to Kepre Dua. Met and married one of the Calistrian priestesses.
- Born and raised on the island. Childhood was split between time on the fishing vessels in the bay and tutelage in the church of Calistria.
- His parents relationship was strained, as his father retained some of his off-island ways, venerating the sea and holding to a trust in shipmates that transcended Calistrian selfishness.
- Happiest childhood memories are being caught at sea in storms with his father, Raveneau suspected his father sailed into the storms intentionally to live through them.
- Just before he came of age, his parents split and father left Kepre Dua.
- After father left, his mother became stricter in her religious teachings - which only fuelled Raveneau's leanings towards his father's teachings.
- Last straw was when he witnessed 'Calistria's Whisper'... the screams of the tormented half-elf still fill his nightmares.
- Decided to steal away aboard a ship that had just left, stealing away at night and swimming to the vessel.
- From Kepre Dua, to Port Peril to a vessel bound for Eleder.
Weekends are my worst time for access, but I'll polish up the submission over the next day or two and post the full backstory, etc.
Questions are always welcome :)
@Raveneau Where is his father now? Does his father worship Besmara, or are these teachings more of a lifestyle? Does he appreciate any aspect of Calistria, or is the whole thing bad to him? What does he want in Eledar? What does he really want in life?
What does Lilly want out of life"
At this point she only wants to get to the point that she is responsible for her own life. She went straight from being a child to being a slave, and has never had responsibility for her own life. She feels that if she can become powerful enough to have her own ship, then she can look for her parents. As a slave she really hasn't thought beyond that. She naively believes that she can make things like they used to be.
Life on a pirate ship
Lilly at first hated being on the ship. She missed her family, and if not for the attention of Eyeball might have thrown herself overboard. She was very lonely, as nobody else on board spoke her language...but as the young will do she began to adapt. As her communication skills increased she went from the most menial and dirty of tasks to a functioning member of the crew. She wasn't given an official title, but was relied upon for her unerring sense of direction, and her way with nature. Soon she accepted the Pirates as her surrogate family...if a dysfunctional one.
Lilly spent her entire pirating career with a dastardly buccaneer by the name of Cassandra Nutt...better known as "Scarlet Nutt" for her alchemical bombs she lobbed in combat, died a Scarlet red, and causing much damage, aboard "The Bloody Pearl". She seldom took part in the boarding parties, but sometimes helped defend the ship from the same. Her job was caring for the wounded, and helping the ship survive attacks from natural creatures and events. She was probably destined for a position aboard the ship when her pirating career came to an end.
How old is Lilly?
Lilly is now just past 20-years old...she thinks. She was kidnapped at 13, and has been on the sea ever since.
Psychological implications
Since Lilly was so young when she was kidnapped she adapted rather easily to the pirating life, especially since she wasn't really required to be a raider. She still suffers from occasional nightmares, and can't help but cringe at the sounds of battle, but for the most part she has accepted if not embraced what life has dealt her.
Lilly is at first dis-trustful, and tends to joke and keep strangers, and new acquaintances at a distance with this boisterous attitude. Once she had decided that someone is worth her trust...which can take some time, then she trusts them completely...sometimes to her detriment. She often relies on how Eyeball reacts to strangers to influence her initial opinion of them.
While Lilly knows the sea, and is no stranger to violence, she knows almost nothing of how to survive, and relate in a more normal environment. She is so uncomfortable with shore leave, and the things she experienced there, that she tended to stay on board ship even in port. Since leaving the ship she feels a "fish out of water", and in some ways wishes she was back to her "normal" life. She is very naive about what life has to offer away from Piracy.
Slavery?
Lilly is still on the fence about Slavery. While she has a desire for freedom, some seem to adapt to the life well...and she really wasn't unhappy as a slave. This is all she has known, so it is impossible for her to have different opinions. It is a part of life as she knows it. She did tend to stay away from recently captured slaves however as it made her "Uncomfortable". She was fortunate enough to have a master that saw here as an asset rather than disposable fodder. She has partaken in the taking of slaves, but more as a support character than a front liner. She sees them as a part of life.
Lilly really doesn't have an opinion on Cheliax or Andoran. She had never been to either, and though she has met people from both, some of them were good and some of them were bad. She doesn't form opinions based upon here-say. She is really not a Judgmental individual, and is just now at the point of her life where she can discover who she is, and how she feels about everything in life.
DM Barcas:
Where is his father now? On the wave and the wind... I would imagine that he likely went North and away from the Shackles area initially, probably serving aboard ships running trade from Absalom and the like.
Does his father worship Besmara, or are these teachings more of a lifestyle? Not Besmara, but more a pantheistic approach - recognizing the twin aspects of Gozreh (Skylord and Woman of the Water) and also the Empyreal Lord Valani. I kind of imagine it as Valani is aboard a boat that he cannot truly control, as the water woman's currents and skylord's wind blows the ship out of Valani's control... but this is known and cherished. The journey we cannot always control, but we can always control both how we perceive it, as well as our own actions.
Does he appreciate any aspect of Calistria, or is the whole thing bad to him? The only church of Calistria he knows is that of Kepre Dua - so his view is wholly skewed at this point in time. Initially he will be wary on any devotees of the Wasp... but that may mellow over time if he has more positive experiences with her faithful.
What does he want in Eledar? Nothing in particular. His flight from Kepre Dua was in haste, and with concern that he might be chased. The first vessel took him as far as Port Peril, where the first ship to leave was sailing for Eleder. Priority one was getting away, he is yet to form a real plan of his future.
What does he really want in life? To use a proverb to help explain - 'Enjoy the present day, trusting little to what tomorrow may bring.' Raveneau has been trapped in Kepre Dua for many years, yearning to live as his father's stories tell - day by day, with adventure and excitement at every turn. To live like that is his short term goal.
However longer term it will adjust somewhat. Part of his father's tales were to hear of those that walked beside him, to feel their pain, joy and anguish as seperate threads in the tapestry of his father's life - and also him in theirs. He has not had any true friends yet, as he has grown up in a village where minor slights are met with vengeance and his kinsmen look always to himself before others. He yearns to be part of something more than just himself... a Brotherhood of the Sea, or even just a cog in the machine that would be a good ship's crew.
Presenting Vrunyar, dwarven alchemist. I'll work on the appearance and further develop the personality soon.
”Hey, dwarf. Hey...Vrunyar, right?”
His hands holding the empty dinner plate, Vrunyar turned to the sea-hand who had spoken to him. ”Yes?”
”Couldn’t help but notice, you’ve not taken your ration of rum since you boarded. It’d be a kindness if you could share it with me.”
Vrunyar looked at the seasoned man and sighed, unsure how to explain, the contents of his trunk flooding his mind. ”I-I- He blinked twice attempting to clear the sudden tears threatening to flow. He cleared his throat and turned away as if looking at the starboard wake. ”I will...consider it,” he added in a voice wrestling to keep the emotion back. Nodding towards the mess, he squeezed past the man.
After finishing school, he left to do some independent study in Absalom. Settling into the Wise Quarter, he soon made a variety of friends at the Arcanamirium. His best friend was Yennard, a Sargavan from Eleder, in his last year of study. They shared quarters with an elven philosophy student.
When Yennard graduated their circle of friends threw him a large party. There was so much drinking Vrunyar had trouble finding his bed. He was woken by shouting from Yennard’s room. Late morning light blinded him from the window. Staggering into the door frame, he saw his friend’s pale corpse on the bed. Apparently Yennard had died during the night, choking on vomit. Vrunyar howled and hugged his friend tight wishing that this was some horrible nightmare. Vrunyar didn’t believe it. They had had epic nights of drinking before. How could Yennard have passed so tragically. He was going to be a great wizard. They were going to adventure until old age made them retire. Now, instead new plans were to be made.
Vrunyar cleaned him and had him magically preserved. Over the next few days he sold nearly all his possessions to finance a trip to Sargava to return Vrunyar to his family. Yennard’s teacher donated a bag of holding to help transport the casket. Not really caring about his comfort, Vrunyar took the first ship he could find.
He never thought he could find so much pleasure in the company of a human. Indeed Yennard was a better friend than any dwarf Vrunyar knew.
Perhaps the death of Vrunyar's friend could be a bit more malicious and less accidentally tragic? Perhaps Vrunyar's medical knowledge could show that Yennard was actually poisoned, and his investigation showed that Yennard was the son of a pirate lord from the Shackles who was killed by a rival. Just an idea to spice things up.
Also, a bag of holding costs way more than starting wealth allows.
Cold hard facts
Human Aquatic Druid of the green aa
NG
Flotsam subdomain of the water domain.
(Goblins of Golarion Players companion)
STR 12
DEX 13
CON 13
INT 14
WIS 16
CHA 12
Traits
Ship's Surgeon (S&S players guide)
Skills
Climb, heal, knowledge geography, knowledge nature, profession sailor, profession shipwright, swim
Feats
Skill focus profession shipwright
Alertness
*Green Faith
Yes, I am the dreaded Druid of the Green aaaaaaaahhhhh. Fear Me!
Apologies about the dispersity of my posts, I am still on my phone. Wanted to get my application in and I still only have access to my phone. But the Wife is getting ready to depart for some errands, so I will be able boot up ye ol computer and really lay some words down.
Oh, excellent, I've got a week off starting tomorrow so I should be extra posty for a while. Good luck all, and I look forward to playing with Iakob Steele and John Rawkins!
"Ehem. Arrg, ahoy ship mates!" I've got it out of my system now, promise ;)
Here's Doran, an old salt of a halfling rogue, who draws on the idea that halflings quite often work as sailors, particularly in ships of Cheliax. His Firefly role would likely be closest to Kaylee, as he's very skilled, fairly nice, and optimistic in spite of all he's seen. I play a variation of him in a land-based campaign, and I'd love to play him on the bounding main.
You've made a great choice in selecting Beshra - I'm in another PbP with the same player, and he's very fun and creative (@Beshra - hello from Ajkanir!). The other two also look very good, and I'd love to join them.
Doran's info is in this alias, and his backstory is below for ease of reference.
Doran Tidelock looks every inch a sailor, albeit a very small one, as he is a halfling. He has roughly-cut, brown hair lightened by salt and sun, and pale green eyes in a sun-darkened face. Doran is quite young, but his wind-burned, tan skin, and a dark blue tattoo of three waves on the right side of his neck, suggest many leagues of travel lie behind him. Two small shortswords are crossed on his back, their faded leather handles just visible over his shoulders, and a horn bow protrudes over his right shoulder. He wears worn and salt-streaked leathers of an indeterminate black-brown, his bare feet nearly as dark and hardened by the elements. He stands only as tall as a human child of 5 sailing seasons, but moves with the sure grace of someone born to the rigging of a storm-tossed ship.
The Tidelock family of Westpool has served as mates and lesser officers on Chelish trading ships for generations, and Doran expected to follow in the family tradition, first serving as a ship’s boy at the age of ten. His career as a sailor began hopefully enough, and he loved the sea and the experiences and freedom it offered. Fate began to frown on him just after his 16th birthday, when the Black Wind, the ship on which his eldest brother served as first mate, went down on the homeward leg of a voyage of many months. The ship ran over an uncharted reef in the night, and all hands perished save Doran, who managed to struggle to shore and make his way overland to home, to tell his parents of their loss.
Doran returned to the sea soon after, and all went well enough until his 20th year, when his ship was set upon by Andoran privateers and sunk after inadvertently being set ablaze. Again, he was the only survivor, managing to stay afloat for most of a day before finding a piece of floating wreckage and clinging to it until a fishing boat picked him up. Upon returning home this time, his father cast him out and named him cursed, ensuring that he would not be welcome in the crew of any Westpool ship worthy of the name. Desperate to return to the life he loved at sea, and unable to find a place on a decent ship, Doran turned to piracy, joining a ragged band with a derelict ship that harassed the coasts near his home. Doran learned a great deal about survival and treachery during his time with this crew, but eventually could not tolerate the needless cruelty and murder of the pirate’s life. He fled the ship in Absalom, and took to surviving on the streets there, using the skills picked up from his pirate crew-mates to protect himself and eke out a living.
After several months in Absalom, struggling to make ends meet with his skills ill-suited for a life on land, Doran decided to risk all and take to the sea again. He fears he is truly a “Jonah” cursed by a cruel sea-god, as his family and friends have said. At the same time, he knows himself to be an exceptionally skilled sailor, by dint of birth and years at sea, and knows he will not be happy on land. In either case, his innate halfling good spirits keep him hopeful enough. He has signed onto a ship sailing to distant Sargava, in the hopes that the sea-god’s eye will not follow him there, and that he may make a new life on a new sea.
"My folks? Well, didn't really know my mother, a pretty Kelish woman, according my dad, who couldn't hold a job down after Scarlett took mom. He handed me over for apprenticing, and would stop by every once in a while at first, but by the time I was eleven, he stopped showing up. Don't know where he is, or even if he is still alive. Master Corbin said he signed on with a crew for a trade galleon, but he might have been trying to make me feel better. Granddad is still around though, he still works in the yards, and tough enough to survive until I make it home, eventually."
Aieeee, hey Ajkanir! Lol, yes Beshra's going to be very different from Razan, best of luck getting in! Sent you a PM btw.
She has a fondness for hoop earrings, and tends to wear dark soft clothing, favoring purples and blacks. She almost always wears a pair of elbow length purple leather gloves - taking them off only when alone unless she has no option - that hide her burned hands and forearms.
Reviewing my options as we have it, I've made a decision on a few of the spots. I will continue filling out the crew as this continues, with the remaining selections named over the next three days. I'm going to make an OOC thread where the forming crew can meet up.
Iakob Steele is the Malcolm Reynolds of this little group, and John Rawkins will be his Zoe. The similarities of the two, and the ability to somewhat merge their backstories, is too tempting a possibility to pass up. The two will form the heirarchical backbone of the ship's crew, as well as the driving force behind being privateers and smugglers. Beshra Bleak is the third crew member selected. I like her backstory, her potential hooks, and the possibility of her going completely nuts and killing the rest of the crew should the rakshasa take control of her again.
Everyone else is still in the running! I haven't disqualified anyone, and I'm pleased with how fleshed-out some of the characters are becoming.
Congrats to those who made the first picks.
I wonder if Ollivor's chances would be improved if I have him claiming slavers would go to the SPECIAL Hell :)
@Sherridan Morz I've read your vignettes. I take it that he is a deserter from a Taldan mercenary company? Is he a falcata fighter? What else does he stand for?
I've added a couple more memories to the profile page. I'm not sure how productive they are; that's a large part of the experiment, so perhaps I'm better off being more direct!
Sherridan spent his youth working with soldiers, mercenaries, and city guards. As he grew up, particularly as he started to shake off some of the more small-minded of the Taldan views, he found that it was far more about bureaucracy and corruption than actually protecting or helping people. This is especially exacerbated by Taldor's dodgy, corrupt government. After a number of years of this, he simply grew to find it intolerable.
He's taken away from his experiences the perception that people are best served by being well away from lots of laws, and will do his best to help facilitate the fact. He's a natural smuggler, an anti-slaver, and a free spirit.
In particular, he feels extremely guilty thanks to his part in the various abuses that went on as a soldier, and hopes to expunge that by helping people from the other side. Balancing the scales, as it were.
His time in an untenable situation has made him somewhat distrustful, and he suffers from a peculiar mix of cynicism and idealism about the world. His sense that people are basically decent is very strong, but he has already seen some of the worst traits humans have to offer. This can make him somewhat bipolar and rash in his decision-making.
Starting at level 1 I couldn't justify having him advance much in the ranks, so he spent most of his time as a corporal. This gives him a little experience with command, making him a decent candidate to lead a boarding party or assist in the defense of the ship.
I was originally thinking about making him a Buckler Duelist since that's specifically built around Taldan techniques, but instead I think the Corsair archetype would be better. I've included a few references to help justify that - mostly work protecting merchant ships. He's trained in the falcata, and if it's okay with you I plan to take the Taldorian Duelist feat (p. 137 of the campaign setting).
One other thing I was contemplating was the Buccaneer's Blood trait, perhaps in connection with Captain Agniz. Sherridan wouldn't know of his ancestor necessarily, but Agniz might. It might be why he took an interest in Sherridan, and helps explain his comfort being at sea despite being raised far inland.
I'm comfortable making changes if you feel they need to be made.
Realizing some parts are being taken, I have made a bid for the Han Solo, Jayne type that appears to be out for himself.
He has had a rough life, and we do not know how good he can be until he is given a chance. Until then, he is good at what he does. Being the hammer.
Pyromaniac gnome sorcerer. Small and weak, but not to be underestimated.
Well, now that I've read the Skull & Shackles player's guide, I'm submitting Doran again with a revised story, so the piracy part of the adventure path fits better. Revised backstory is here:
Doran Tidelock looks every inch a sailor, albeit a very small one, as he is a halfling. He has roughly-cut, brown hair lightened by salt and sun, and pale green eyes in a sun-darkened face. Doran is quite young, but his wind-burned, tan skin, and a dark blue tattoo of three waves on the right side of his neck, suggest many leagues of travel lie behind him. Two small shortswords are crossed on his back, their faded leather handles just visible over his shoulders, and a horn bow protrudes over his right shoulder. He wears worn and salt-streaked leathers of an indeterminate black-brown, his bare feet nearly as dark and hardened by the elements. He stands only as tall as a human child of 5 sailing seasons, but moves with the sure grace of someone born to the rigging of a storm-tossed ship.
The Tidelock family of Westpool has served as mates and lesser officers on Chelish trading ships for generations, and Doran expected to follow in the family tradition, first serving as a ship’s boy at the age of ten. His career as a sailor began hopefully enough, and he loved the sea and the experiences and freedom it offered. Fate began to frown on him just after his 16th birthday, when the Black Wind, the ship on which his eldest brother served as first mate, went down on the homeward leg of a voyage of many months. The ship ran over an uncharted reef in the night, and all hands perished save Doran, who managed to struggle to shore and make his way overland to home, to tell his parents of their loss.
Doran returned to the sea soon after, and all went well enough until his 20th year, when his ship was set upon by Andoran privateers and sunk after inadvertently being set ablaze. Again, he was the only survivor, managing to stay afloat for most of a day before finding a piece of floating wreckage and clinging to it until a fishing boat picked him up. Upon returning home this time, his father cast him out and named him cursed, ensuring that he would not be welcome in the crew of any Westpool ship worthy of the name. Desperate to return to the life he loved at sea, and unable to find a place on a decent ship, Doran turned to piracy, joining a ragged band with a derelict ship that harassed the coasts near his home. He took to the life well enough, enjoying the greater freedom than he had found on merchant ships, and wondered if he would end his days a pirate, a strange fate for a Tidelock of Westpool.
Sadly, the Fortune’s Bride, the floating wreck that the pirates used to ply their trade, also sank, in the waters off the Isle of Kortos. The Bride was doomed to sink soon enough, old and battered as it was. But Doran’s crewmates, or at least those who survived and made it to Kortos, blamed him for its loss, having heard a bit of his tale from Doran, and more of it from idle ships’ hands gossiping about the cursed halfling sailor. Doran managed to evade the vengeful crew long enough to make his way to Absalom. Even so, aware that his former mates would find him soon enough, Doran knew he had to risk all and take to the sea again.
He fears he is truly a “Jonah” cursed by a cruel sea-god, as his family and friends have said. At the same time, he knows himself to be an exceptionally skilled sailor, by dint of birth and years at sea, and he knows no other trade. In either case, his innate halfling good spirits keep him hopeful enough. He has signed onto a ship sailing to distant Sargava, in the hopes that the sea-god’s eye will not follow him there, and that he may make a new life on a new sea, whether as an honest merchantman or a bloodthirsty pirate, he cannot say.
DM Barcas -- I'll rework the background with your comments as inspiration. As far as the bag of holding (and the corpse within), I never expected my character to have it once the game started. It was going to be lost at sea...or maybe stolen by pirates ;).
"Who do I worship? Well, That is a simple question with a complex answer. My order is officially part of the Green Faith. You've never heard of the Green Faith? Well, they believe in primordial nature, and worship it. It has been around since the Elves were young in this world. The family has an image of Gozreh next to Torag, and smaller icons of Erastil, Sarenrae, and Desna, but Grandpa sticks to Torag and Gozreh for his tithes. I do give offerings-who doesn't?-to those and Cayden Cailean and Pharasma, for protection since I travel now, but honestly, I honor the souls of whatever ship I guest.
Of course ships have souls, all true sailors know this, and I honor their primordial... How do they have souls? Simple. They are built with work and sweat and blood put into them from men, or elves, or whomever, and that mixes with the spiritual essences of the trees that were felled to make the lumber for their keels, planks, rails, yards, and masts. And when a ship is completed, and given a figure head, and placed into the water, well, that is her birth, and the commisioning ceremony is her anointing, and she lives! As I understand it, some weapons have spiritual essences too, yes? That's what makes ancestral weapons more powerful, right?
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 200 lb.
Hair: Brown, collar length
Eyes: Green
Description: Thoubert is a tall man, usually happy, yet knows when to be serious. He is fond of his wide-brimmed hat, with it bright Gnomish flair of a feather, for it was a parting gift from his Gnome friends. He carries with him a small trunk, in which is all his worldly possessions: a set of carpentry tools, a hammer, a change of travellers clothing, a change of artisan's clothing, and a healers kit.
He wears leather armor, under his cloak, and a scimitar is strapped to his side, along with a dagger, and a sling, with a pouch for a few bullets.
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Hey Dorian, I read your background. I'm not sure if you knew this but Halflings are typically slaves in Cheliax. They are generally considered less than people. Gnomes in Cheliax however are a different story. The gnomes of Brastlewark would have experience on the sea's. If Dorian was a Halfling sailor in Cheliax, he would likely have been been so against his will.
Also, if I may, Sherridan seems to have only used a 17-point-buy, if one assumes he has used the +2 human bonus on Strength.
The crew has spoken about the next member we are taking on: Ollivor Myles! His draconic heritage and somewhat mercurial nature will be a strong addition. The arcane skills shall be handy, too. Ollivor, please join the crew in the OOC thread.
Stay tuned! There are still another 1-3 spots available.
After due consideration, I'm going to withdraw myself from consideration.
The more I think on Raveneau's backstory, the more one-dimensional it seems to become. I think part of the problem is that his previous incarnation played up the Calistrian vengeance side a lot more, giving him more of a brutal and vicious streak.
I wish you all well in the voyage, and hope that the good ship has fair seas and following winds.
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Offering for consideration, perhaps found in the crow's nest with a tin of hard tack and a waterskin, for the position of crazy-might-flip-out 'little sister', a feral halfling escaped slave and gladiator, with sporadic genius moments modelled via halfling 'helpful' trait.
PFS toon under the link, I would rebuild the stats a bit to suit, but the character has been the same for 15 real years or so.
If Sharan does not suit, I'd offer an as-yet unbuilt, and non-magical if I can make such, bard, named Willin Street, for the niche of 'One day, you'll have to explain how a bard knows so much about piracy'.
(This thread has been playing hide-and-seek with me. Anyone else?)
edit: occurred to me I said little about Willin. He's another established (in my head) character, he once wrote (in a Dr. Who sim):
The White Wizard's home
Is a garderobe size
Full a castle within
From without, so it ain't
Thus is our wizard proved
Truly clever and wise
With no bailey to mow
And great saving on paint
...which I hope says something about Will. Your Will would antedate that one, of course.
I'm throwing in Dragomyr Drorshull, a Dwarven shipwright (a wizard (transmuter), whom I hope to multiclass with a few levels of fighter and/or rogue)
I'm Belgian, 31 years old. I've been gamemastering D&D 3.5 for a more or less stable group of five to seven players since 2003. Last year I've ran Rise of the Runelords, and this year my group is into the second book of Kingmaker.
As a GM, I've also run a brief D20 modern campaign and two rather awesome home-brewn Star Wars campaigns. I've been a player in two Call of Cthulhu campaigns.
My experience with pbp games has been limited to two years of free-form Star Wars RP, but I'm anxious to engage in a more organized and structured roleplay environment. A long time lurker here at the forums, I'm finally beginning to participate in the community.
The young Dragomyr Drorshull has black hair and gray-blue eyes. He is dressed in a spartan, almost military outfit, consisting of a naval blue shirt, pants, and a heavy dark-brown leather belt. Dragomyr's hair is held together in a short ponytail and he cultivates a short, carefuly trimmed beard. Although the intelligent young dwarf has a sympathetic demeanor and seems to easily befriend strangers, his naivety and timidness often prevent him from speaking his mind, let alone exert leadership over others.
Highly Esteemed Father,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. Please refer my best wishes to Mother and my sisters Aknetha and Sulveig. From my window at the tavern - please reassure Mother that it is a clean and well-kept place - I can spot the ship that will bring me to far-away Sargava. As a Drorshull I cannot be but critical of her current state - the rudder is slightly cracked, the bowsprit is bent upwards, ... - but, despite her lack of maintenance and care, she seem ready and able to carry us over the seas!
Since I received the acceptance letter from the Master Shipwright at Eleder, I've been longing for this moment to leave for Eleder, but now, I must confess that I'm beginning to feel more than a little nervous as well. Although our family has a history of being accomplished shipwrights and naval engineers, none of us has been too keen on actually sailing on the seas! I guess even our naval traditions at the Isle of Erran haven't completely hammered out our desire for a stable, rocky ground beneath our feet. Still, without blowing my own trumpet, I daresay that I have always been a better swimmer than Aknetha, and a better sailor than Sulveig.
Of course, apart from the great adventure lying before me, I admit that I'm also anxious to keep our family name in high honor. I know it is Your wish that I follow in Your footsteps and lead the Drorshull business after You've found Your place among our Ancestors. I also accept that You've been quite critical, suspicious even, of the arcane path I've taken. But I hope that I will be able to prove in Eleder, that my magic is an asset, rather than an obstacle for the shipbuilding business. Anyway, I respect Your stance on my decision, and I hope that, in time, You will come to respect mine.
Yours sincerely,
Dragomir
Dragomyr Drorshull will be a Chaotic Good Transmuter with some levels of fighter/rogue thrown in. As a multiclass character he won't be the most optimized caster, but he'll rather function as both a melee and arcane support PC. I'll post some detailed stats later today.
I got some useful feedback on Doran's history - in this thread (thank you, Captain Rawkins) and elsewhere. I have revised it to make him an escaped slave from Cheliax, apparently cursed by the sea-gods - and have changed his last name to fit his tendency to wash ashore...
He's eager to step into the skill monkey role, and keep the ship running even when the captain won't pay for the parts he needs...
New background is here:
Doran looks every inch a sailor, albeit a very small one, as he is a halfling. He has roughly-cut, brown hair lightened by salt and sun, and pale green eyes in a sun-darkened face. Doran is quite young, but his wind-burned, tan skin, and a dark blue tattoo of three waves on the right side of his neck, suggest many leagues of travel lie behind him. Two small shortswords are crossed on his back, their faded leather handles just visible over his shoulders, and a horn bow protrudes over his right shoulder. He wears worn and salt-streaked leathers of an indeterminate black-brown, his bare feet nearly as dark and hardened by the elements. He stands only as tall as a human child of 5 sailing seasons, but moves with the sure grace of someone born to the rigging of a storm-tossed ship.
Doran was born a slave in Cheliax, property of House Jenidar, a prosperous Westpool trading family who owned a fleet of ships that sailed the Inner Sea and beyond. His owners set him to work as a ship’s boy by the age of eight and, though many halflings in Cheliax suffer miserably, Doran loved the life at sea. His work was hard, no doubt of that, and the sight of free folk in the many ports he visited caused him pain, but he loved seeing new places, people and wonders of the world, as only a sailor could.
His career as a sailor began hopefully enough, as he showed himself to be a natural sailor and a hard worker, but fate began to frown on him just after his 16th birthday. The Black Wind, the ship on which the eldest Jenidar son served as captain, went down as it neared home after a voyage of many months. The ship ran over an uncharted reef, off the western coast of Cheliax, and all hands perished save Doran. He managed to struggle to shore, and was picked up by local guardsmen who had seen the wreck from the coast. They ascertained the name and owner of the ship, and returned Doran to House Jenidar under escort. As the messenger bearing the news to Lord Jenidar of the loss of his son and heir, Doran was fortunate to escape with his life. He was beaten and questioned repeatedly, but in the end it was decided that he was too valuable as a skilled sea-slave to kill him for merely surviving the shipwreck.
Doran returned to the sea soon after, and all went well enough until his 20th year, when his ship was set upon by Andoran privateers and sunk after inadvertently being set ablaze. Again, he was the only survivor, managing to stay afloat for most of a day before finding a piece of floating wreckage and clinging to it until a fishing boat picked him up. Doran knew that to return to Cheliax this time would mean his death for certain, and he asked the fishermen to take him with them to Andoran. They did so, but sailors are an intensely superstitious lot, and on bringing Doran to Augustana they spoke freely about how he had been rescued, and said he was surely cursed by Gozreh. As a result, no Andoran sailors would tolerate his presence on their ships, and he struggled to make ends meet, his skills ill-suited to a life on land.
Desperate to return to the life he loved at sea, and unable to find a place on a decent ship, Doran turned to piracy, joining a ragged band with a derelict ship that harassed the coasts near his home. He took to the life well enough, the occasional cruelty and treachery greatly offset by his freedom from slavery, and wondered if he would end his days a pirate.
Sadly, the Fortune’s Bride, the floating wreck that the pirates used to ply their trade, also sank, in the waters off the Isle of Kortos. The Bride was doomed to sink soon enough, old and battered as it was. But Doran’s crewmates, or at least those who survived and made it to Kortos, blamed him for its loss, having heard a bit of his tale from Doran, and more of it from idle ships’ hands gossiping about the cursed halfling sailor. Doran managed to evade the vengeful crew long enough to make his way to Absalom. Even so, aware that his former mates would find him soon enough, Doran knew he had to risk all and take to the sea again.
He fears he is truly a “Jonah” cursed by a cruel sea-god, as his family and friends have said. At the same time, he knows himself to be an exceptionally skilled sailor, by dint of birth and years at sea, and he knows no other trade. In either case, his innate halfling good spirits keep him hopeful enough. He has joined the first ship he could find, a trader sailing to distant Sargava, in the hopes that the sea-god’s eye will not follow him there, or that different gods hold sway, and that he may make a new life on a new sea, whether as an honest merchantman or a bloodthirsty pirate, he cannot say.
Not one, nor two, but three shipwrecks? I like that sort of moxie.
Not one, nor two, but three shipwrecks? I like that sort of moxie.
When the sea-god curse you, they don't mess around. But salt water runs in Doran's veins and he cannot imagine a life spent on land. He hopes to outrun the curse, or understand and undo it somehow. He has heard of Besmara from Sargavan sailors, and wonders if dedicating himself to her would protect him from the curse. Such a choice would mean committing to a life of piracy, but if the curse is real, it may be that fewer lives would be lost in the bargain.
Happy to answer any clarifying or amplifying questions you might have about him.
May I present Jrask Cross, consummate Sailor and Gunslinger.
-Race: Human (Chelish)
-Gender: Male
-Class: Gunslinger(Buccaneer)
-Deity none
-Combat Role: Melee/Ranged
-Social Role Leader/Muscle
-Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
-Personality: Bit of a Cad
At 32 years of age Jrask stands a lean and muscular 6'6". Head crowned with short curly blond locks. His face lightly tanned and weathered is covered in a scruffy 5 o'clock shadow, with a soul patch under full lips raised in a constant amused smirk. Deep blue eyes regard the world with a piercing Stare. A thin jagged scar descends from the right ear to dimpled chin.
Jrask’s Short term goals are relatively simple.
1st is to serve aboard or command a freebooter ship, preferably fast, and sleek.
2nd to set himself up in the Shackles, where he believes his enemies won’t be able to find him.
3rd is to develop his own Cannon’s for ship based Combat
Long term goals include:
1) Laying his mentor’s memories to rest by returning the mans guns to the Gunworks in Alkenstar.
2) lead an expedition to either Arcadia or Tian Xia
Any officer of the Andoran and Taldor Navy would consider Jrask Cross an Enemy combatant, should they learn of the Chelish naval tattoo on his left shoulder. This tattoo of an anchor over the Asmodian pentagram marks Jrask as a member of the Sea Devils Fleet. A notorious division of his country’s naval forces, known for brutal and barbaric actions against opposing nations ships and private vessels alike.
Although honorably discharged from service by the Chelish Navy. Jrask arranged for that discharge by blackmailing the captain of the last navy vessel that he served aboard. Specifically Cpt. Matthias Schwarz of the HIMS. Kyton Maiden, who will not soon forget or forgive Mr. Cross.
A successful life aboard ship afforded Jrask a very respectable sum of gold. So after extracting himself from the Chelish navy, he decided to try and settle down. He soon found himself engaged to Tanja Dietrich. A delightfully sweet and beautiful lass. The very image of a Chelish noblewoman, little black horns and pointed tail included. Two weeks before the wedding he absconds aboard a ship sailing to Korvosa, abandoning an unknowingly pregnant Tanja, who spent the next six years preparing to hunt down and punish the man who betrayed her and their son.
After leaving Westpool Jrask sailed aboard the “Sea Foam Breeze”, under the command of Captain Alister, a disgraced Gunmarshal from Alkenstar who mentored Jrask in the creation, repair and use of firearms. During those six years, Alisters was constantly hunted by Alkenstar agents, bent on silencing the man and his knowledge of gunsmithing. Those same agents now pursue Jrask as well.
Jrask served in the Chelish navy’s notorious Sea Devils Fleet, however his time was mostly spent crewing supply ships. He would still sail for his country if he had not witnessed atrocities during his time abroad the HIMS. Kyton Maiden. These atrocities provided the leverage he used to escape the Fleet. Should they ever be revealed in any form of court, they would certainly dame Cpt. Matthias Schwarz to hell, literaly.
Jrask believes that he was never good enough for Tanja and that by leaving, spared her from a life of sorrow and regrets. he knows nothing about his son.
Jrask is unaware that Captain Alister was poisoned by Alkenstar agents and that the same men are now after him.
"What's my real reason for leaving Taldor? Exploration and adventure not good enough? Well, you see, the Green Circle, they decided that they were still angry about the whole sacred tree defacing, from fourteen years ago, and the friendlier members decided that it would be best, if I were to be sent, to Sargava, to look into the missing druid that was sent there five years ago. And as long as I come back with an answer, it doesn't matter how long my travels take me."
Also, if I may, Sherridan seems to have only used a 17-point-buy, if one assumes he has used the +2 human bonus on Strength.
I appreciate the heads up on that! I decided to move the +2 from STR to CHA, but didn't recalculate the points to optimize them.
Like Raveneau, something I'm struggling with is the prospect of Sherridan being one-dimensional. It's been awhile since I built characters or did PbP of any sort, so I am rusty at best. Feedback on how to spice up Sherridan in particular or just characters in general would be appreciated.
I myself worry that I may not have enough plot hooks in Thouberts background. First time I have had to worry about that.
Improved background, appearance, and personality. Completed character sheet soon.
I myself worry that I may not have enough plot hooks in Thouberts background. First time I have had to worry about that.
I've actually quite liked Thoubert's posts. Occasional little grammar nits here and there, but I really love the idea of someone who is literally the ship's surgeon. Particularly with your character hailing from Cassomir, there's some chance of connecting Sherridan and Thoubert to one degree or another.
Glad to hear it. Maybe you are the one buying the drinks? Most of the grammatical errors are due to my using a cell phone to type most of them up. Glad you enjoy the character concept. I'llbe doing an excerpt from the voyage to Absalom here in a few hours.
"Mr. Borton-" The sailor stops short, as the 1st Mate of the Wild Bloom put up his hand.
"Let the Druid be, Captain's orders. The Captain figures that since we have had good luck with the weather this entire trip, what ever the druid is doing must be working, and so we should let him be." He looks forward to the figurehead where Thoubert is "praying", though from what he's overheard of his "prayers", it seems as almost the druid was flirting with the figurehead. But weather has indeed been clear, with an excellent breeze, and so unless...
He stops at the sound of a man's singing, some sea shanty it seems, about a man who loved his ship so much, he wedded it. He almost shouted to hush, then realized it was the Druid! The Druid was now singing love songs to the ship! Now, the first mate has seen everything.
"As long as he doesn't start trying to bed the figurehead, leave him be." The Captain says, stepping up next to the First Mate.
"Aye, and if he does?" Mr. Borton wondered aloud.
Wait until he is done, and then send him to me. The Captain replies. I really hope he doesn't, I don't know if I'd ever live that one down. Please Mr. Wright, don't try to bed my ship. He sighs, and turning to head aft, he places a hand on Mr. Borton's shoulder, "I'll be on the aft balcony." And with that walks off the quarterdeck.
"At least he has a decent singing voice, not great, but not horrible either." The crew man says, not having moved since he first arrived to snitch on Thoubert.
"There is that, at least." The First Mate replies.
"Don't you have some work needing to be done?"
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Speaking of plot hooks, backgrounds and one-dimensional characters...
I don't know. I mean, don't we all start with a core concept of a character that speaks to us and then build on that? And then, after we have figured out the character's personality and history in however much detail, DM Barcas' pointers and follow-up questions certainly give us a bit more to think about and we go back to building some more of the guy or gal, clearing things up or modifying them on the way.
I have found I rather prefer playing somewhat relaxed characters, who are nice and perhaps even a little heroic, perhaps even a little witty and charming if it fits with the concept, which would probably account for the fact that most of my PbP PCs tend to have a bit or more of rogue thrown in for good measure. I have played the occasional serious or cynical or -as I used to say- not bad, but mildly unpleasant character (usually a wizard, probably thanks to Raistlin's influence), but that was in tabletop games. But nowadays? Mostly nice, though not necessarily simple. I do like a complicated dramatic twisty cinematic (running out of adjectives) game! After all, that is why I positively love DM AK's Sargavan Saga game! :-)
I think of Eridan as basically a good guy , friendly and calm, who finds himself thrown into a very unique -at least for him- situation all of a sudden, a situation not all that different from the stories of adventure and accomplishment his family's traveling about has filled his head with.
He has a bit of a scholarly side , but mostly a quite physical skill set . He is neither violent nor really agressive, but he does not shy away from a competition, a challenge or a fight, if it comes down to it, especially if it means defending himself or others, be they his friends or people who cannot defend themselves. Despite his generally straightforward personality and demeanor, he is not naive, having traveled extensively almost since birth to places with good, honest folk, but also to places with not quite so good, not quite so honest folk, making it necessary to learn not only to keep his eyes open and be able to size people up , but also how to make new acquaintances and friends and, on occasion, how to talk himself out of trouble .
As far as his background is concerned, it is more or less drama-free and pretty straightforward, which comes mostly from my own difficulty to reconcile his status as a 1st level character who could -so to speak- fall over if someone sneezes forcefully enough in his direction (just kidding... he has the hit points to withstand at least two such sneezes) with a past life marked with trials and tribulations he has not only survived but overcome as well. Which is why his abilities come from training in a controlled environment, such as his master's training grounds, and his first real challenge is the one he is traveling towards. But that is just me, of course.
And as for plot hooks, I suppose there are not exactly any in his personal history that are quite so juicy, but I am generally unsure about how far I should take such things. If I were to call some information in his background and subsequent answers to DM Barcas' questions plot hooks, I suppose they would be the following, somewhat vague though they may be:
- Eridan's family of researchers and scholars has traveled extensively in search of Azlanti artifacts and clues, which would mean that such an endeavor is bound to have brought them to cities both nice and not-so-nice and to have earned them both the esteem of like-minded individuals, but also the animosity of one or two colleagues that have not been quite so successful in the same field, perhaps a Taldan or a Chelaxian, though I think the latter would be more suited to unscrupulous behavior. And while an academic would of course be loathe to get his own hands dirty, I am fairly certain he would be far more inclined to have someone else get their hands dirty, or even positively filthy.
- Davran, Eridan's hand-to-hand combat trainer/teacher, has been left purposefully vague, as I think of him as pretty tight-lipped about his own history, even his age, talking to his students only about their training. What he was or did before coming to Absalom, what enemies he may or may not have made, what even led him to Absalom and from where, I have left open. Maybe he was a killer who found himself suddenly with a conscience, maybe he was a bounty hunter finally ready to retire, maybe he had sailed from one place to another more times that he could count and while being in the right or the wrong side of the law or even both depending on the occasion, maybe he was nothing more than a guy who was simply good at martial arts and just thought it would be a good idea to teach others, maybe he is pursued by others and has finally managed to elude them, maybe... maybe... Dealer's choice and all that.
- Seravius, the other student traveling with Eridan towards Sargava, is a more standard monk, or at least some archetype that can use ki mechanics-wise. Naturally, there is a bit of a rivalry between them, though Seravius puts much more stock to it than Eridan. Still, they are going to a competition where there can be one winner, not to mention Seravius' prideful nature and the fact that Eridan cannot use -or at the very least does not have the potential to use- ki, while his Taldan peer and rival can or will at some point, making even the calm Azlanti determined to prove, more to himself than anyone else, that he is good enough even without such a powerful tool. Depending on circumstances, I suppose their rivalry could go both ways, either leading to friendship and camaraderie (a bit doubtful) or they find themselves down the road in opposite sides of a fight that is much more serious and with higher stakes than a mere competition (much more likely).
And his role? I suppose a mobile striker and even grappler, depending on circumstances, with a dexterous and, at some point at least, more defensive build (thanks to the Crane Style line of feats which eventually makes fighting defensively a very nice option indeed). Also, outside of combat, he could probably make an able enough scout and getting-out-of-sticky-situations kind of guy between his Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Perception, Stealth and Swim skills and his enhanced speed. And his basically needing neither weapons nor armor to be effective makes him quite adaptable to the special circumstances of a life of adventure on a ship. Plus, I guess, barring a very sharp instrument, he is never unarmed... unless he is so literally.
And that, as they say, is that. :-)
Sherridan scowls as he waves for another drink for the man across the table. "Too much of that will rot your mind," he says. As a guard there was no drinking on duty, and a man off-duty who drank too much to stand properly was likely to find himself without any duties, or pants, when he sobered. It was a rule that made some sense, he had to admit. But only to himself.
This time, there's no heat to the words, only hypocrisy. He's had a couple himself, and everything feels pleasant and warm right now. The scowl softens to a thoughtful frown.
"Gods. Hm. Never had much use for a god. Oh, I've been to a few ceremonies of Sarenrae and that, but... I expect they mind their business and we mind ours, same as anything right."
He pauses to drink. Empty. A small hiccup escapes and he speaks to cover it. "I saw a god once. Though I suppose in the right place a man will see anything. Made it to Cassomir anyway."
The conversation progresses. Sobriety starts to make an appearance, but it quickly hides in another tankard. Freedom, he thinks.