GM Fraust's Age of Worms (Inactive)

Game Master Fraust

Is it alright for him to TRULY have split personalities? (This means being two different alignments..and maybe even losing Red Mantis abilities when he turns good)

Also,since I am playing a Red Mantis Assassin,who get spells,can I play a ninja refluffed as the Red Mantis Assassin? (They both get spell-like abilities)

Naturally, Lilith does not recall if she was born in Isarn, only that the Galtian capital is the only city she has ever known. Blind, and many whispered behind their hands, cursed as well, Lilith has always walked on the fringes of society. In Isarn, those fringes scarcely left the blood spattered streets. At any moment, a successful revolution could find the supporters in positions of power, for a day, or a week, perhaps even months. They would meet Madame Margery in the end, if they were lucky. Else, they might be placed in some dank corner of the Monolith, driven to madness, and compelled to served their peers to the new government.

The political and social climate of Isarn was perhaps the single greatest influence on Lilith's progress. In a chaotic environment, with the influence of merchants and the market itself rising and falling with various advisers and the very value of the coin, Lilith assumed the only trade with guaranteed stability to feed herself, prostitution. The currency Lilith was paid in, however, was secrets. A radiant beauty with clouded eyes, many assumed that she could see nothing, and as such was quite safe to indulge with, and so long as Lilith maintained a general air of complacency she was accounted simple as well.

What minor intrigues Lilith sold, at first, were of relatively minor consequence as she intelligently and methodically tested the market for such information. Lilith recognized that more often than not, a particular customer would purchase these amusing facts, and never once did Lilith hear what words passed from her lips into his ear on the streets. Her advances towards this man were spurned quite efficiently, quickening her desire to learn more about him. After a shoddily arranged rendezvous, Lilith blushes to recall her lunacy now, she followed her contact back to his den and discovered his true nature. The stary cloak she summoned to aide her ability to meld with the shadows was as child's play, unable to fool the sharp eyes of his subordinates, who trained their crossbows upon her from a distance she could not see.

Lilith's patron, a priest she would later learn, informed her of each of her mistakes, the very first and gravest of overestimating her abilities. Her faith in Calistria he judged was her greatest failing, as the Mistress of Whores was hardly suited for inspiring progression from what he described was a pitiful state. He described how he had recognized early on that she withheld more than she spoke, and had liberally weaved his magics upon her to determine the content of her thoughts when they spoke on several occasions. Lilith's will was weak, but she was not without talent, he mused, and smiled as he brushed a stray tendril of hair back from her clouded eyes.

"Your talents are wasted in this city, my pet," he hummed, and at that moment Lilith understood that he was not her contact at all, but simply masquerading as the young man. "You will never achieve anything scratching upon the surface of this rotting corpse. Join me, align yourself with my brothers and sisters, and you can become great!"

Hmm, now that I think on it, I may consider making Lilith a pure cleric of Norberger, with the Trickery and Knowledge domains. It would eliminate the curse, of course, but she would be infinitely more powerful and better at her function. Of course, then she would also radiate evil until level 3... but, essentially, the only part of the fluff that will change is the blindness part. I'd have to write that out, but she would still be from Galt originally, and she'd still be a bit older (as clerics are harder to train in general). Let me know what you think of "Lilith" thus far.

Also, yeah, I know, kinda selfish and/or convenient to be "in the know" about the priest in this way. If it makes you uncomfy I could change that as well, and just have her be part of a group of whores that were recruited by the lesser contact to be part of the greater group that was sent down there.

But after a brush with a particularly obtuse noble, who somehow over-identified with a jape, and had half the troupe killed, Rick found himself on the road at the age of 15, using his skills to con people at card games, as well as pickpocketing. He tends to try to not prostitute his musical skills for money, as he desires to keep at least his art pure in a sense. Having little to no respect for his "betters" he fleeced mark after mark, building up a small fortune, which he used to equip himself for when he had to stand up for himself, not wanting to ever be caught off guard like his mentors.

As the prosperous settlements became more and more aware of his efforts, Rick decided to flee Galt entirely, and lay low for a while, while figuring out what to do next. That landed him in a crummy nowhere called Falcon's Hollow, where his criminal record seemed almost paltry compared to what was going on. Having lived there for almost three months, he found a strange kinship with the broken and destitute, using his music to raise spirits at the local watering holes, keeping his thieving and conman games to a minimum, playing fair games, unless he found a mark that provided him with incentive and deserved to have their purse lightened.

He is optimistic almost to a fault, even being orphaned at a young age, and having lost friends, he understands that "sh*t happens" and sees no point in stewing over things that are long past. Learn from your mistakes and make the best of it, what you lose today, you can win tomorrow. (I also loathe the notion of having amazing Charisma and be a brooding and tormented douche. Brooding IMO = crap charisma, because you are broken inside, and consumed by a weakness)

That does not mean he is not passionate about changing what CAN be changed. He will defend the weak, stand to his last if a true friend is on the line, and can't stand to see callous injustice performed in front of his eyes.

In Falcon's Hollow, he is likely already somewhat known for his musical talent, which he insists on NOT receiving any monetary pay for. If someone wants to buy him a drink however, he is rarely one to turn one down. He is nothing if not adaptable, and provides the "good folk" with the manner of tunes and stories they enjoy, be it a heroic prose set to a sombre note at the wake of a Iomedaean, to the raunchiest tales of zoophilia at the dankest of pleasure pits where loggers are getting laid for a fistful of coppers.

When engaging his marks, he usually relies on Spellsong to combine Perform (Oratory) to conceal a charm person spell, to make the mark susceptible to his wiles. Then proceed to fleece the sap, and part as friends, at least until the charm spell wears off. He does not know much about stealth, and when he is caught, he mostly enjoys the chase, favoring rooftops and other inaccessible places, where his athletic skills give him an advantage. Or, if he is unable to flee in such a manner, duck into an alley, and create an illusion of a dead end.

These flight tactics are not because he cannot fight. In fact, he is rather competent when it comes down to it. But for the most part, he chooses to not fight, as such things usually leads to bloodshed, and while fleecing someone for his gold is a crime, it is not as big a deal as leaving a corpse in an alley. When he HAS to fight, Rick favors his whip if he is able to keep his distance, supporting allies with a few inspiring words before engaging enemies himself.

As he gains levels, he will focus on growing increasingly better at combat, while maintaining social skills, as the campaign calls for a lot of fighting.

Norgorber is bad news. No two ways about it. An evil god is a manifest source of human suffering, thriving and given might by the darkest parts of our souls, seeking to further the basest, cruelest and most disgusting sides of their followers, to spread their influence.

And since he is the stand-in for Vecna, and the campaign features him, the likelyhood for conflict is... immense.

Paying him homage out of fear is one thing, as even good characters pay homage to the god that holds power over their course of action. Like in Forgotten Realms, sailors give homage to the Chaotic Evil goddess of the sea, so she won't take their ship. One that deals in secrets, lies and thievery will give lip service to Norgorber, as he is the one that governs such things. But a cleric is his will manifest. His dark, twisted malice given flesh. And even if you are neutral, you are still spreading the influence of purest evil.

My understanding of Norgorber is that he almost has three seperate personalities, with each having some influence on the others, but they would still be distinct. In Skinsaw Murders for example, the Seven worshiped him as the Skinsaw man and focused on the murder/death aspect, with little regard for poison, and only as much regard for secrets/trickery as was needed to continue with the murders without getting caught. The aspect that I'm using to represent Vecna is the Reaper of Reputations, so Secrets and the economics of information will be the focal point, with murder only being necessary when the use of knowledge (blackmail) provide unaffective or the risk is too great (does one really believe blackmail will work on a paladin, for example). I think a cleric of the Reaper would not feel compelled to cause problems through murder, though the distance and betrayal may very well cause just as many problems.

Either way, I'm more interested in seeing how an oracle plays out, and it sounds like you (Hu5tru) are more interested in playing an oracle. I think the class fits better for what you're describing too.

When he awoke, amazingly it was to a new life. The smith hadn't held it against Vergian for taking the food, only admonished him that if he'd asked the smith would have given him that and more. Feeling guilty, Vergian asked to stay to help the man out with chores for a few days. In the end, Vergian stayed for years. Over the time, he learned about smithing and metals as well as how to construct the guns that made Alkenstar a place for business. However, not only did the smith teach him to make the weapons, she taught him to use them. The entire relationship made Vergian feel like he actually did have a mother, and the feeling of mother to son also was the feeling of the smith to Vergian.

The family feeling ended as abruptly as it began however when the smith left to meet an associate in the city of Olfden. The smith was to meet several associates to investigate a series of attacks on caravans nearby. As the woman had been doing the same previously, Vergian didn't think much of it. When he was awoken by the feeling of tragedy his mind changed. Unsure of what he was feeling, he spent days in a bit of a mood. When a package was delivered to him from the smith, he knew what put him in a mood. The package contained a letter and a journal partially covered in blood. The last entry in the journal was talking about an ambush on the smith's arrival in Falcon's Hollow. The entry was ended in the hand of someone else, with notations of the inn where the event occurred at and the name of the bartender who apparently retrieved the journal after the smith met her demise in the ambush.

Leaving the business in the hands of others, Vergian began his journey to Olfden. There, he spoke with several people who remembered his 'mother' and also the strange individuals asking after her once she left for Falcon's Hollow. Something though told him that it wasn't going to be a simple journey...

Originally from Galt, but home is definitely the road…came to the Hollows not quite three months ago right? What are some goals that you have for this character(doesn’t have to be something he is planning on accomplishing right now, or even anything he knows about now. Just want an idea of what you want him to accomplish during the campaign beyond kill monsters/take stuff/advance published plot)? What does he think of Falcon’s Hollow, and how badly does he want to get out/fix it/whatever?

I imagine 3 months, give or take. Enough for him to learn the lay of the land, but too short to give just cause for knowing the deeper and darker secrets.

I don't have a "plan" as it stands, which is half the point of him, as he is the "think of his feet" kind of person, who is kinda root-less. So I guess I would like to see him challenged on various levels, and throughout it find something to attach himself to. Very classic 2e bard in many ways, full of wonder, quick of wit.

His view of Falcon's Hollow is pretty much the same one would have of an abused dog. It is violent, it growls at you, and will probably bite you if you are not careful. But somewhere deep inside, there is likely something, manifest by the people's innate ability to look after each other in their strange way, that might redeem it. There are times he recognize this as naivety, but he cannot shake this optimism.

Ah yeah, for now Lilith is a place holder name. It's far too biblical for my tastes, even if it is something that a Jezebel might be called.

Lilith, due to her blindness and CHA 18 would likely be working at the Emporium. She does not have male relations to extort, and even if she were to pose as a part of a family, that's just someone who can expose her as a fraud later on unless they're kept happy.

Lilith has likely been in Falcon's Hollow for about 3-6 months, long enough to be "comfortable" in her new environment, but not fully knowledgeable, despite her skills. Slowly working her way into the establishment, so to speak.

A long game goal would likely to be in a place of power in the town, to drive the greed and benefit from it herself. She has no real desire to leave Falcon's Hallow. Sure, places like Absalom, Oppara or Katapesh would likely pay more, but they wouldn't be nearly as exciting, and their politics is much more likely to cause her bodily harm. All the chaos om Falcon's Hallow is good cover for her to work. And she can take things being rough. With the gambling and the money to be made, at least people ain't killin' each other over something as intangible as a correct ideology or political party.

This character is very well put together, and I like the open endedness of his background. If you have something in mind for what happened to his “mother” I’ll happily incorporate it in the adventures, but if you’re good with handing the pen over to me, I have plenty of ideas on where to go with it from here.
Originally from Alkenstar, did you say how long he has been in the Hollows? Knowing what you know of the setting and your character, what is one or two goals your character has/will have(there is the obvious “what happened to his mother”, which would lead to others, but is there anything else not so obvious?)?

I am fine with you taking the pen and running with Vergian's story. :)

I see him as having been in the Hollows for a couple of weeks at least. He's gotten familiar with the area and people, but that's about it. One of the things his mother taught him is that beyond all else, knowledge is power. He spends slot of his time in the tavern and among the worker, understanding how things are seen from the average person perspective.

When he has an opportunity, he will hire out his Engineering knowledge to help however he can.

I see his funds running low, so he's definitely on the lookout for sources of income. :)

Personally: my driving goal in life up until a month ago was simply to prove to everyone else that I was nobodies whipping boy. That I was the one in control of my own life. That I had the right to say no.

While I've been around town my entire life, I've always been spat upon and bullied. As a bastard half-blood, as the orphaned son of a whore, and as an overly pretty boy living in a whorehouse. Outside a few of the older whores, I've never known anything but contempt, hatred, and lust. Those few beacons of sympathy, if not actualy compassion, are what kept me centered.

With the advent of the Church of Milani, things have only gotten worse. The sect has hit the whorehouses and I've already lost some of the few I would call friend to its spreading cancer. It was in desperation sparked by the cult of Milani reaching out to me that I sought escapte via the wolf spirit bound in the graveyard. A spirit I've been aware of since childhood but always avoided.

With my merging, my outlook has somewhat altered. I now have the strength I sought, but have not yet chosen to reveal it. Secrets are powerful things and I choose to guard mine for now.

I am a wolf hiding in a mans clothes. I watch. I wait. The dying will start soon. Perhaps I will help, perhaps I will try to prevent it. Perhaps I will simply watch from the shadows as events unfold, a silent witness.

The world beyond the town and the graveyard is a mystery to me. I've never before considered it as within my grasp. I always assumed I would simply die the dame death all my kind do.

I know now that death is not my fate, at least not soon. I will travel beyond the limits of this town. It is only a matter of when.

Those withing the Midnight Salute have already begun to notice a change in me, confidence where before I had none. A sureness about my actions that I lacked before. Nobody suspects the reason, that I am not as I once was, but it is only a matter of time. For now, I continue working in the Midnight Salute. Waiting and watching for something I know is coming.

A good non-Darkmoon forest would be Arthel (sp?), just to the south. Darkmoon wood was once part of Arthel, but rampant logging split the two many years ago.

So Rolus has been in the area as a whole for a while, with the bandits (which operate near Falcon’s Hollow?) for a year or two, correct? The capture of his fellow bandits would have been just a few days ago then? K…what is Rolus general opinion of Falcon’s Hollow, as in would this be a place he would want to stay at (becoming part of the general corruption crime and misery, or would he want to put some effort to making it a better place and bring down some of the powers that be?), or would it be a place he wants to steer clear of? Being someone who lives in the area but not exactly in town, consider having something of a relationship with the Bronzewood Lodge (either positive or negative is fine, it’s just likely you’ve come across members previously, if you have any questions about them feel free to ask).
The three section staff is something I’ve gone back and forth on a bit. Ultimately I decided I’ll allow it as an exotic weapon, but not martial. I really like your explanation of why he has it, but looking at it from a purely mechanical view, I don’t think it’s equal to a martial weapon. I’m curious though, on how you were proficient with it even as a martial weapon? Or were you not?

Beyond gaining revenge, are there any other goals you have for Kaz to work toward as the campaign progresses? Also, what does he think of Falcon’s Hollow? Does the corruption and exploitation (of people as well as the environment) bother him? Do you think he would have any connection with any of the groups you know about so far(either currently, or in the future)?

His views are the same as his gang's when it comes to the Hollow, a lot of money being made there and they are all wondering how they could get a cut. They've stayed away from being a group inside the city in fear of the Lumber Consortium guards remembering there faces, but if they had a in to the city like there new leader becoming a hero of the town. The group would move in and try to become a type of crime syndicate that tries to help the workers over the fat cat's running the show.

I took the Martial weapon proficiency feat to be able to wield the 3-section-staff.

I don't know much about the Bronzewood Lodge could you explain them or tell me where to find out about them, then I can answer that question hehe. I hope this answers your questions, and let me know if you have anymore of them.

Valius sits wet and cold just inside the entrance and huddles with his arms wrapped around him to keep warm. The storm was quick and caught him unawares as he hunted in the hills west of Falcon's Hollow. And now he was cold and hungry his sling lay at his feet where he threw it down in disgust.

The "cave" was really some sort of mine or cairn that was never truly finished. The entrance was an odd square shaped opening with swirling patterns cut into the stone. Those patterns continued on the smooth walls just inside but the cave only went about ten feet deep before it stopped in a rough wall. Apparently unfinished by whoever set out to carve it.

And there was nothing inside to eat or burn to try and get warm, so Valius sat in misery thinking how did his life come to this...

...he came back from the River Foam to find his mother crying, and soon he was crying with her. His father was found dead behind Venelle's shop in Falcon's Hollow. Two days later Valius woke to find his mother gone and from then his life would never be the same.

Valius remembers very little of the months after that day, they were so chaotic and he only remembers crying every night before falling asleep hungry, and hiding in the forest and hills from Pharasmaian nuns and searching lumberjacks during the day.

Finally both nun and lumberjack gave up the searching and Valius was allowed to live in the forest in peace. When he felt lonely or hunting was particular poor he would find a lumberjack camp to spend a few days at running chores for a meal or a copper. He was nicked named "Twig" for his long thin limbs and thin bony frame.

Always wanting to fend for himself Valius would go hunting along the hills and the edges of Darkmoon Wood. He became adapt at stalking and developed a natural agility through practice with his sling. But today there was little food to be found and the rain coming in didn't help.

*sniff* *sniff*

Valius snuffled as his nose started to run and caught the whiff of something pugnant. He looked around and saw only flat walls and small stones on the floor... wait. Moving towards the wall he noticed a dark coloration on the floor. As he approached the smell grew worse and could only be a dead carcass, but all that he saw was the spot on the floor near the wall, that might be dried blood, but where was the body?

Valius looked around and noticed a small hole about waist high. He plucked a finger at the hole and found it to be some sort of switch, and suddenly the wall in front of him shot up into the ceiling.

Jumping back in fright Valius watched as the body of a man, dead probably a week, fell at his feet. Ready to run out into the storm Valius stopped short when the crossbow on the man's back caught his eye.

Two days later...

Valius stood behind Venelle's shop all of the dead man's gear in a sack at his feet and the handsomely crafted darkwood crossbow in his hands. He looked down at the spot where the body of his father was found, tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm getting away from here. Once I sell all this I'm taking the money and heading to Ptolus and a better..." he started to say a little choked up.

"And then what? Go from being an urchin here for being one there?" a female voice said from behind him.

Valius turned to see the half-elf Venelle standing watching him, her arms crossed before her. "There's some old odd saying about. Having a copper today only feeds you today. But learn to feed yourself and never need a copper again."

She eyes the weapon in Valius's hands approvingly. "I can teach you to use that and you would never need worry about going hungry again."

Valius wiped at his eyes. "I would like that." And for the next five years Valius never went hungry again. But Falcon's Hollow was always a sore spot with the young man. The painful memories of losing his parents and the years after spent alone made him wish to leave everyday. He never had enough money to buy a horse or book passage and then one day he had an idea...

... If another cairn in the hills held spoils like the one he discovered when he was younger maybe he could find a treasure big enough to pay for his leaving Falcon's Hollow behind.

For the past six months Valius has been wandering the hills east of the town searching empty cairn sites and abandoned mine buildings. He is even thinking of heading to Droskar's Crucible if he doesn't find what he's looking for soon.