GM Digger's Shackled City Campaign (Pathfinder) (Inactive)

Game Master Digger

Shortly after the discovery of the diamond mines, along with other merchants, miners and adventurers the first Tengu were seen around the region. Like other adventurous races they sailed from their homes in Tian Xia landing in Sasserine and entering the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse looking for wealth or adventure. However these early adventurers were few and far between due to the fact that Tengu are a very social race and prefer the comforts of an urban lifestyle.

It wasn’t until several years after Surabar Spellmason founded the city of Cauldron that a few of the Tengu diamond merchants and a handful of ‘retiring’ Tengu sailors and their families settled in the area starting a small Tengu community which for several generations only numbered around a score. They shared a single-storied burned-out warehouse built from volcanic rock, purchased by a Diamond merchant, a certain bird named Ting-Ting-Ting. Replacing the scorched wood, it became a conglomeration of apartments, workshops and storefronts. It is located just a couple of streets south east of “Sure Foot’s Livery” towards the Cathedral of Pharasma.

The location is perfect for the social birds; close to the temple for those Tengu’s who worshiped Pharasma, or Wee Jas, as she was called in the tengu language, meaning “Soul Mother.” While also close enough for those birds that make their living fishing for eels in the pungent lake. They remain far enough away from the majority of the humans who don’t do business with the raucous birds, that the upper crust of society and politicians usually turn a blind eye to their shenanigans. Letting them live comfortably in there self-styled slum.

About two hundred years ago the Tengu slum saw a change. There was an influx of birds from Kwanlai, led by a certain religious fanatic and professing prophetess, known as Ruka Nvae of the Blackfeather clan. She was a high-priestess of Hei Feng, the Tengu god of storms. She had a dream that the unrest in Kwanlai would bring destruction to her clan. After the dream she decided the clan was to leave their home in Tian Xia and go to wonderful place they had heard about called the Shackle’s a port city on the western side of the continent of Garund. Paradoxically it was a storm that broke the junk they were sailing on and they limped into the port of Sasserine, where hearing about the tengu slums in Cauldron sold the remains of their junk and some thirty souls journeyed to the city to live there. Among these Tengu there was a swordmaster named Tchoyoitu of the Blackfeather clan, who was the guardian of the high-priestess.

The Tengu slums of today are still set in the old volcanic rock warehouse, though it is no longer one story. The volcanic block walls of the first floor are filled with: store fronts, restaurants, workshops, warehouses and a shrine to Hei Feng; a veritable tengu metropolis. But the roof enclosing it has become a collection of wooden structures; shanties, lean-tos’, cabins, cottages; small structures and large, some one story some two or three, wooden slums built on wooden slums made so chaotically that some hang out over the street. The entire slum houses around some fifty birds.

With the exception of some diamond merchants, a few mine workers and rickshaw runners most of the Tengu stay in the slum, and off the streets, at least during the day time. If someone watches carefully those who ply their trade at night can be seen exiting the old warehouse, from several different access points. The professional gamblers, conmen, pickpockets and entertainers, alone or in small groups, can be seen leaving from multiple exits, a couple hours before sundown, heading to the streets and dens where they ply their trades. At dusk the eel fishermen drag their traditional mui ne fishing boats out of the large northeastern doors to head to the lake. Then, soon after the sun goes down and the night is dark, if one looks carefully, there can be seen shadows lowering themselves down from the rooftop or moving carefully to adjoining rooftops disappearing into the night. It was into this community that Taicho was hatched.

Taicho wanted to be like his father, he would ask to go along and learn. Sometimes Maous would be able to take him and train him, sometimes Maous would tell him it was too dangerous. When Taicho wasn’t training with his father his mother would make him help around the shop, which he abhorred. If he could get out of working he would go exploring: sometimes up by the lake, sometimes into the sewers, often in the temple exploring the catacombs, a couple times even daring to go to the lava tubes.

He was always careful to avoid the human children, they were mean and cruel, calling names and throwing rocks. He knew that fighting the human children would just cause trouble so he would run. One fateful day he was caught by a group of young thugs and was beaten badly, fortunately the city guard found him unconscious and brought him back to the slum. After that things changed.

Some very important things changed for Taicho. His father Maous spent more time training Taicho in the ways of combat that he had learned from his father. Maous also spent less time collecting bounties on vermin and pests and started to collect more bounties on Humans; hoping to bring the young men who beat his son to justice. Soon, after a growth spurt, with his new size and strength along with the intense training from his father, Taicho was able to start working for himself, hunting vermin and other pests that frequented the streets, sewers and caves of Caldron.

Nearing the end of Taicho’s training Maous contracted with the church of Pharasma to clear out the catacombs of any vermin. Taking Taicho with him he would use the opportunity to familiarize the young Tengu with the catacombs and explain how to deal with any potential undead. Unbeknownst to either of the birds there had been several skeletons animated in the catacomb. When they returned to the surface Taicho had saved his father’s life by finishing the last of the skeletons with his cudgel and then carrying his unconscious father out of the catacombs and into the temple where the clerics were able to help him.

Soon after the father and son returned home they had a traditional Tengu coming of age ceremony with the entire community in attendance. The ancient tradition is where the son or daughter is symbolically “pushed out of the nest” of their family to “survive” on their own in the broader community with only the items they carry on their back. It is after this celebration that the individual becomes an adult in the community. The morning before the “pushing out” ceremony Maous presented his son with his most prized possession, the sword of their forefather, Tchoyoitu Blackfeather.

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Defense
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AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 14 (1d8 + 3 feat + 1 fcb + 2 con)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4

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Offense
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Speed 30’ base / 20’ in armor
Ranged Shortbow +2 (1d6+0/x3)
Melee Greatsword +4 (1d10+4/19x2)
Melee Cold Iron Morningstar +4 (1d8+4/x2)
Melee Longspear +4 (1d8+4/x3)
Melee Dagger +4 (1d4+4/19x2)

Inquisitor Spells:(DC 13 + lvl) ~/2/0/0/0/0/0
Level 0: Detect Magic, Guidance, Daze, Read Magic
Level 1: Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor

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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 15
Base Atk +0; CMB +4; CMD 16
Feats Toughness, Power Attack
Traits Scarred Soul, Town Guard, Fate’s Favored
Skills Skill Profession (soldier) +7, Heal +7, Intimidate +6, Sense Motive +7, Perception +7, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Knowledge (local) +3, Spellcraft +6, Diplomacy +2 (+7 for guards)
Languages Language Common, Dwarven, Giant

Other Gear Inquisitors kit (a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, candles (10), a cheap holy text, a flint and steel, an iron pot, manacles, a mess kit, rope, soap, a spell component pouch, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), a waterskin, and a wooden holy symbol), chaulk, charcoal, string, crowbar, hammer, 4 iron spikes, 1 alchemist’s fire, 1 flask of holy water

7 GP, 1 SP, 8 CP

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Special Abilities
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Inquisitor’s Direction (Su): (6/6) Forgo all actions to grant haste to 1 ally within 30’ for 1 round.

Judgement: (1/1): (swift action) Lasts until end of combat.

Monster Lore (Ex): Add Wisdom modifier (+3) to Knowledge checks to identify abilities and weaknesses of creatures.

Stern Gaze (Ex): Morale bonus of ½ level (+1) to Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.

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Background
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Dayax was born and raised in Cauldron. His father was part of the city guard while his mother was a waitress at the Tipped Tankard Tavern where they met. Given their professions and lack of income, they struggled financially but provided him a loving home. His childhood was fairly typical and uneventful and like most boys he wanted to grow up to be like his father.

When he reached adolescence, he was able to start training with his father during his time off, sparring with him in order to learn how to attack and defend himself. He was particularly excited when he got to go with his father on patrol for his birthday. Unfortunately, that day 9 years ago, forever changed him as it was during dinner that Triel betrayed his fellow guards, poisoning their drinks. Due to his age, Dayax was not drinking and so was not poisoned, but was frantically trying to escape before Triel could kill him. Using the other men as shields, he moved towards the door but tripped as he neared it. Sure that he was done for, he rolled over to see Triel readying to slash him with his sword. Just as the sword started to fall, the door burst open. The light from the setting sun blinded them both, causing the sword to hit the chair beside him. Glancing up to see who was coming to his rescue, he could only see the silhouette of a hulking man in armor before blacking out. To this day, he swears that Kord himself came to save him.

The tragedy made him very jumpy and he is not likely to trust others, especially someone he has just met. The ordeal also served as a calling and he dedicated his life to Kord, continuing his weapons training as well as learning to read others. He vowed to never let himself or someone he cared for be betrayed as his father had. He carries his father’s greatsword in his honor. During his training to become an inquisitor, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the town guard. He felt like it was his personal mission to make sure everyone in the force was loyal to the town and each other. As was customary, he saved up his meager earning to buy the best armor he could to protect himself.