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Game Master Fyren

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Map of the Kingdom of Talingarde

Campaign Intro:
The Kingdom of Talingarde – one of most noble, virtuous and peaceful nation in the known world. The royalty of this dominion has rescued a dispirited people from the brink of despair and darkness. They dealt with their enemies honorably and their allies faithfully. Talingarde is a paragon of the age, a bright shining city upon a hill. Yet the nation faces now its greatest test – YOU!

They condemned you for your wicked deeds. They branded you. They shipped you to the worst prison in the kingdom. The expect you to die in Branderscar. The do-gooders pray they’ll be rid of you.

The fools.
You have your wits, and a burning passion for revenge upon those who wronged you.
But no one has ever escaped from Branderscar prison.
This is where your story ends… or does it?

Welcome to “Way of the Wicked” – a campaign where the world needs saving from you.

You’ve saved the world plenty.
It’s time you walked the Way of the Wicked.

Talingarde Stats:
Talingarde
A Shining Paragon of Virtue and Law
Alignment: LG
Capital: Matharyn (105,000)
Notable Settlements: Ghastenhall (82,000), Daveryn (59,000), Havelyn
(21,000), Farholde (9,500), Aldencross (1,800), Varyston (1,200)
Ruler: King Markadian V called the Brave, Protector of the Righteous
Government: Religious Monarchy
Languages: Common, Dwarven
Religion: Mitra, the Shining Lord

An Excerpt from Talingarde's History:
Talingarde is a peaceful and prosperous kingdom at the start of the campaign with a troubled past. Only eighty years ago, the kingdom weathered a bitter war of succession fought between the largely half-elven nobility of House Barca and the human dynasty of House Darius. Both had claim to the throne and their supporters amongst the fractured nobility of the isle.

On the Plains of Tamberlyn just north of the capital city, two great armies met and decided the future of this dominion. One army was commanded by King Jaraad of House Barca, a great half-elven hero mounted on a griffon, the symbol of his house. The other was led by Markadian of House Darius, a young upstart paladin who would not bow before all the gods of the Talirean pantheon (in particular Asmodeus).

The Battle of Tamberlyn remains the most famous conflict in all of Talingarde’s history. House Darius was gravely outnumbered but far more fiercely committed to their holy cause. Much of House Barca’s army was paid mercenaries fighting for nothing more than gold.

At the end of the day, the battle had proved to be a slaughter. The military might of House Barca was broken and House Darius came to power. It would have been easy then for House Darius to seek revenge against their former enemies but instead King Markadian I called the Victorious showed mercy.

He allowed the nobles of House Barca to keep their lands if they would only swear loyalty to the new king and bow before the great god Mitra. The offer was accepted and peace once more came to Talingarde. The crisis of succession was over and the religion of the isle was decided. Mitra the Shining Lord became head of the Talirean pantheon.

To summarize, once the people of Talingarde worshipped a great pantheon of deities deemed worthy of respect. That pantheon included Asmodeus, the Lord of Nessus, the devil god and master of hell. Asmodeus was not necessarily loved, but he was rightly feared and respected. The new royalty, the House of Darius, are devout worshippers of the sun god Mitra, arch-enemy of Asmodeus. They have elevated the Shining Lord to the head of the pantheon. Further, their regime has outlawed the worship of Asmodeus and purged the cults of the Prince of Devils from their island. No doubt this has made Talingarde a better place... or has it?

A Primer on the Church of Mitra:
If there is any organization that may rival the royal house in power in Talingarde today, it is the Church of Mitra. There is no community of any size that does not have at least a church house and a single priest of this religion. There are involved in the daily lives of the peasants like no other group. Every birth, every death, every marriage, and every festival is presided over by a priest of Mitra.

Overwhelming, the Church is a force for benevolence throughout the kingdom. Has there ever in history been an organization with such power and influence and yet so untroubled by corruption? This is not to say the Church has not had its scandals. Priests who indulge their vices; bishops who misappropriate funds for personal gain; cardinals who use their office for power instead of holy work -- these happen. But what makes the Church of Mitra so remarkable is how rarely they happen. The servants of the Shining Lord are trusted by the people of Talingarde and for good reason.

Led by the High Cardinal Vitalian of Estyllis, the Church is experiencing a zenith of influence and culture. In Matharyn, the kingdom’s capital, the great Cathedral of the Sanctum Solaris has just been completed. Its soaring frescoes and magnificent statuary are without equal on the isle.

Selected Info from Player's Guide:

What is Talingarde?
Talingarde is the most virtuous, peaceful, noble nation in the world today. This land is ruled by King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. He has only one heir – the beautiful princess Bellinda. This benevolent monarchy is heavily intertwined with the Church of Mitra, the Shining Lord.

You are from Talingarde. This is your home. You have lived here your entire life. And if they gave you half a chance, you would have your revenge on all of them.

Who is Mitra?
Mitra, the so-called Shining Lord, is the god of the sun, bravery, honor, justice, charity and other such pusillanimous rubbish. The Church of Mitra is the preeminent religion of Talingarde these days. The Knights of the Alerion, the elite warriors of Talingarde, are a Mitran order. The monks of St. Macarius, who travel the land healing the sick and the helping the needy, are also a Mitran order. The House of Darius, the royal family of Talingarde, are devout followers of Mitra.
It wasn’t always this way. Before the Darians took over, Talingarde worshipped an entire pantheon of deities. Preeminent among those deities was Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, Lord of Ambition and Order. Now it is forbidden to worship Asmodeus. To do so is to be condemned. The Mitrans destroyed all the Asmodean temples and burned his books and priests. There are no followers of Asmodeus anymore in Talingarde – at least none you know of. Devout Mitrans will not say the name Asmodeus. He is simply “The Fallen” or “The Enemy”.

How did they catch me?
You tell me. You must pick a crime that you were condemned for. There are only two requirements – you got caught and you really did it. It’s not surprising that the Talireans (thepeople of Talingarde) caught you, though. Talingarde is a fiercely lawful and good society. Crime (especially heinous crime like yours) is not tolerated.

Guilty! You are a lawbreaker – the worst of the worst. Too dangerous to live amongst the good people of Talingarde, they dragged you in chains before a magistrate and condemned you. They sent you to the worst prison in the land and there they forever marked you. You are forsaken.
You won’t be at Branderscar Prison for long. Branderscar is only a holding pen. Soon... Justice comes. Soon – everything ends.
What a pity. If only there was a way out of this stinking rat-hole.
If only there was a way to escape. If only…
No. No one has ever escaped from Branderscar Prison. This is where your story ends.

Crimes of the Forsaken:
One of your character traits will need to come from this list. You may have committed many crimes during your lifetime, but this is the crime that finally got you branded and condemned. Should you feel the need to invent your own crime, punishment and benefit, talk to me and we can tweak it together.

Feel free to incorporate this as part of your back-story. You may wish to consider how the crime was done. Was this a wellplanned criminal enterprise or a crime of passion? Did you do it alone or did you have accomplices? Was this the first time you did this crime or are you a repeat offender?

This has been said before, but it bears repeating. Your character actually perpetrated this crime. You may have done it for what seemed like noble reasons. You may have gotten entangled in this criminal enterprise unwillingly. But there is no doubt that you are
guilty. You have not been sentenced to the worse prison in Talingarde unjustly. You are here because you deserve to be.

Arson
You have willfully started a fire that destroyed property.
To be sent to Branderscar, you didn’t start just a minor
little trash fire. Your act of arson threatened a major
town, city, church or castle and likely cost someone their
life. You’ll be punished for your crime by facing the fire
yourself.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a fire
attack, you receive a +2 fire damage bonus to your
damage roll. This bonus is a trait bonus.

Attempted Murder
You tried to kill someone and botched the job. To be
sent to Branderscar Prison, you did not try to kill just
anyone. You likely assaulted someone of great
importance and prominence.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate
checks, and Intimidate is always a class
skill for you.

Blasphemy
Either you have defamed the great god Mitra or you have
been found guilty of worshipping one of the forbidden
deities (who preeminent among them is Asmodeus).
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: +2 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and
Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you.

Consorting with the Dark Powers (Witchcraft)
You have been found guilty of summoning an evil outsider.
Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter
Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was,
“May Mitra have mercy upon your wretched, damned
soul.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge
(planes) and Knowledge (arcana) checks, and one of
these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.

Desecration
You have violated one of the churchs, cathedrals or holy
shrines of the great god Mitra. To be sent to Branderscar
this was no minor act of vandalism. Instead you have
done something flagrant and spectacular to dishonor the
Shining Lord.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive +1 trait bonus on all saving
throws against divine spells.

Desertion
You have deserted from the Talirean military and been
recaptured. To get sent to Branderscar this was not some
minor or routine dereliction of duty. Instead, you abandoned
your post during a time of crisis -- perhaps battle
or while defending the Watch Wall. Regardless of the
exact circumstances, your laziness and cowardness must
have caused loss of life.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level
that must be spent on the Profession (Soldier) skill.
Profession (Soldier) is always a class skill for you.

Dueling unto Death
You have engaged in a duel to the death and mortally
wounded an opponent. The opponent was honorable
enough to say nothing before he expired. Alas that his
family or companions was nowhere near so honorable.
Dueling was once common in Talingarde before the
House of Darius came to power. The House of Barca all
but encouraged duels of honor. Now, dueling of any sort
is punished severely. Dueling to the death is a sure way
to be sent to Branderscar Prison.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves

Extortion
You have defrauded money from someone by holding
information of their wrongdoing over their heads. To
end up in Branderscar, this was no minor act of merely
threatening to expose someone. Instead you ave attempted
extortion against someone of great prominence
and for exorbitant stakes.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate
checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.

Forgery
You have forged documents issued either by the crown
or by the Church of Mitra. Alas, that your forgery while
competent was not entirely undetectable. To be sent to
Branderscar, this was no minor finagling of paperwork.
This forged document could have cost lives, undermined
the reputation of the Church or endangered the security
of the realm.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You gain a +3 trait bonus to Linguistics skill
checks to commit forgery and Linguistics is always a
class skill for you.

Fraud
You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up
in Brandescar Prison, this was no petty con job or penny
ante racket. Instead, you brazenly tried to defraud someone
important of a huge sum of money. And it almost
worked too!
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Bluff checks
and Bluff is always a class kill for you.

Grave Robbery
It is forbidden by sacred law to dishonor a corpse after it
is been sealed in its tomb by a clergy of the Mitran faith.
Some may not honor this ban: necromancers, golem
crafters, self-styled scientists, and alchemists delving into
the forbidden secrets of life and death. These ghouls can
expect no mercy from the Talirean Magistrates. And by
sending you to Branderscar Prison, you have received
none.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to confirm critical
hits

Heresy
You have denied the supremacy of Mitra and been condemned
for it. For this to be a crime, you were not content
to keep your heresy to yourself. You tried to sway
others. Likely you were captured by the famed witch
hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you
was: “Mitra may forgive you yet for your lies. Talingarde
will not.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning.
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus on all saving
throws against divine spells.

High Theft
You had a foolproof plan to steal some great treasure.
Alas, the scheme had a fatal flaw and went horribly awry.
To be sent to Branderscar prison, this was no ordinary
robbery attempt. You tried to steal something of great
value or religious significance.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saves.

High Treason
You have willfully worked to bring down the current
Monarch of Talingarde -- the beloved King Markadian V
called the Brave of House Darius. To be successfully tried
for High Treason you have done more than merely dislike
the king, you did something tangible to undermine his
rule. Alas, that you failed at your plot and are now headed
to Branderscar Prison. Treason is the only crime that
is still punished by the gruesome ritual of being drawn
and quartered. Your stay at Branderscar will be brief.
Punishment: Death by drawing and quartering
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Will saves.

Kidnapping
You have abducted someone perhaps to ransom them
or do unspeakable things to them. Unfortunately, you
were caught and your victim was rescued (if they weren’t
rescued -- you would be guilty of murder instead). To
be sent to Branderscar Prison, you must have abducted
someone of great importance or in a particularly gruesome
manner.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm
and Grapple attempts.

Murder
You have killed without just cause and been condemned
for it. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, this was no typical
killing but a particularly savage and unforgiveable act.
You may also have killed someone with powerful friends.
Note: You are not allowed to have killed someone in
the royal family of Talingarde. You may have tried (his
would instead be High Treason -- see above) but ultimately
they are too well protected.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You deal 1 additional point of damage when
flanking a foe. This additional damage is a trait bonus.

Piracy
You have been caught in the act of piracy on the high
seas. This is a rare crime these days since Markadian I
called the Victorious burned the last major pirate fleet to
threaten these isles. Still the crime is punished harshly.
Likely you are the sole survivor of your ship.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You may select either Bluff or Intimidate.
The selected skill receives a +2 trait bonus and is always
a class skill for you.

Sedition
You have attempted to covertly stir up rebellion against
your rightful sovereign. This differs from high treason
in that you attempted to convince others to make war
against Talingarde instead of taking direct action yourself.
A subtle difference to be sure. But it is the difference
between receiving the swift justice of the axe instead
of the slow suffering upon the rack.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Bluff checks
and Bluff is always a class skill for you. Further if you
ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +1 trait bonus
to your Leadership score.

Slave-Taking
Slavery is illegal in Talingarde and a very rare crime. Still,
once in a great while, slavers from the mainland will foolishly
make an incursion into Talirean protected territories.
When they are captured alive they are always made
an example of.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm
and Grapple attempts.

Slave Trading
Slavery is legal in other parts of the world and it can be
tempting to the most decadent of Talingarde’s nobility
to acquire a “souvenir” when traveling abroad or to
purchase the object of their desire from a less reputable
merchant. However you ended up trading slaves in Talingarde,
you were caught red handed and now you will
lose more than simply your freedom.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level
that must be spent on the Appraise skill. The Appraise
skill is always a class skill for you.

Combat in PbP:

One of the biggest slowdowns in PbP can be combat. So in an effort to expedite things, here's how we'll resolve combat. Ill be putting information that is normally GM-eyes only out in the open (opposition stats). In addition to that, you, the PCs will be rolling some of the dice typically rolled by the GM and I will be rolling some of your dice.

When combat is imminent, you will all roll your own initiative. I will roll once for each major bad guy on the enemies side and once for blocks of mooks that share common statistics.

Whichever SIDE has the highest initiative amongst all its members will go first.

With enemy stats posted, you will know what you need to roll to hit, make reflex saves for spells etc.

I will use combat maps to an extent but keep in mind that the grid is 10' rather than the normal 5' so adjust accordingly. For sake of ease when referring to combat maps, the 'top' of the map will always be considered due north (even though it may be east or south in orientation).

When players post their moves/action, I ask you do it like this -

Fluff post

In OOC describe your move and action - i.e. 5 foot step to the east or 20' move to the south on the other side of the cell door etc. Action - Cast spell Ray of enfeeblement on tubby guard to in the south-west corner.

Roll your attack and damage if applicable. (This is why you have opponent stats - so you can see if you succeeded)

If there is a save then roll the opponents save (This is why you have opponent stats - so you can see if you succeeded).

Roll any ability checks, CMD etc.

You may edit to place a fluff post after the crunch.

When it's my turn, I will do the same for the enemy and roll your saves if necessary.

Rounds will typically be 1 round per day. This will give me enough time to update the maps with new positions etc. and all players time to post their moves/actions.

Also, when posting - please be sure you read OTHER players actions who have already posted. Actions will be resolved in ORDER OF POSTING. So even if Joe may have rolled a higher initiative than Steve at the onset of combat, if Steve posts first in the round, his actions get resolved first. You can place ONE conditional action in your post (i.e. if joe does x later in the round, I will do y; otherwise I will do z). 6 seconds doesn't give you a lot of time to pick and choose your actions - if you end up beating a dead horse (i.e. a foe who's already down), so be it.

Should a player not post for 24 hours their move/action in combat, I will NPC the character to move it along the best way I see fit. Exception: If a player is going to be absent and tells me what they want to do, I will make sure I do that.

Should you have any questions or need clarifications, that's what the discussion thread is for. :)