GM Rednal's Rise of the Runelords: AE (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Foxglove Manor (Attic)
Foxglove Manor (Upper Floor)
Foxglove Manor (Ground Floor)
Foxglove Manor (Basement)
Foxglove Manor (Caverns)


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How many people are exactly applying to this, geez! I'd love to get in, but I do fear I picked up something of a late start. I do plan on making a character after work tonight, though!


Late starts won't count against you - I judge solely by the quality of the applications after all of them have been received. ^^


I appreciate that. Right now, I'm thinking of a brawler/swashbuckler from the Mwangi Expanse, if that's okay.


It would have to be a truly unusual location for me to deny it, and since those are Paizo classes, you're good. ^^


I would love to play this, but I only just saw the recruitment thread. I'm currently thinking of a hunter/warpriest (or hunter/cleric) of either Erastil or Desna - I'm leaning toward Erastil. I'm really hoping I can have something finished in time, as I've never played gestalt!


Full Disclosure - I am going to be traveling on vacation starting Tuesday of next week. I will try to post but may not be able to do so consistently. So, if you'd rather not start a new game with a possibly slow-posting player... feel free to factor that into your deliberations.


Something that I realized probably needs mentioning: if accepted, this would be my first game set in Golarion. Not my first Pathfinder game, just first in this setting.


Okay, so I ended up kind of stumbling into a second concept as i was (digitally) thumbing through the AP player’s guide. It’s definitely a concept I can sink my teeth into. (snickers)

____
Deshell “Desh” Dunland
Wolf’s Ear trader, Sandpoint semi-native.

Desh is practically a Sandpoint local. A quiet, reserved, slightly-backwoods but likable human in his mid-thirties who spends about one week of every month in town. Sandpoint being a small town, the trader is somewhat well-known and generally well-liked. He’s regarded as being open, fair, and honest, both in his personal and business relationships. He’s also tough, always seems up for some local gossip, and seems to know his way around the trails between Sandpoint and Wolf’s Ear … which makes sense as those are the trails on which he makes his living as a trader between the two frontier towns.

To no one’s surprise, he arrived a few days before the Swallowtail Festival, small cart laden with goods. Some as a gift from the Wolf’s Ear population to give away at the festival itself, and some simply to take advantage of the hopefully-swollen population the town will enjoy during the time of the celebrations. A good trader is always on the lookout for new contacts, ya know.

Appearance and Personality:

Desh is a tallish human nearing his middle years from the sticks … Wolf’s Ear to be exact. Like many in the Lost Coast, he looks to have a bit of a mixed heritage, his pale coloring and height say “Chelaxian” while something in his eyes and features respond “Varisian”. Life on the trade roads and game trails of the rugged Lost Coast countryside has kept him in shape as he ages, and he moves with an endurance and quickness that belies an aging athleticism. Like most folks from the rural inland villages, he dresses and speaks plainly and practically. And despite a totally unremarkable appearance and a natural introversion, he has a quiet, considered charm that makes most people comfortable as well as a weighty intensity to his brown gaze that people find enthralling. He cultivates friends easily, and generally makes an effort not to make any enemies. Something in his demeanor also speaks to an unusual level of focus and perseverance, which most folks contribute to the difficulties of back-woods survival.

Desh is what most folks would call a ‘good enough guy’. A good friend and neighbor, though one with a hidden and inborn capacity for brutal violence to protect those most dear to him. He believes in the tenets of community. And while that originally only extended to those of the Pack and Wolf’s Ear, his decades forming relationships in Sandpoint has subconsciously extended these community sensibilities to the frontier town’s inhabitants. Whether intentional or not, Santpoint has become a ‘part of his range’.

Desh and many of his Pack are—despite the myths and urban legends—nice enough people. While there are certainly those among were-wolfkind that hunt and kill other humanoids for food and sport, Desh’s pack reserve that behavior for enemies. Otherwise, they cultivate the discipline of targeting more common game to their local hunting range, and they protect that range jealously from lycanthropes who could stumble in and create problems. This also means that—while he craves meat—he’s intentional about incorporating greens and grains into his diet in public. It certainly helps that one of the goods he’s known for bringing down from Wolf’s Ear is their uniquely-spiced venison, being seen eating a lot of that particular meat certainly isn’t all that rare. (This isn’t anything twisted or underhanded. The meat is actually venison. I just figure there’s one in the Wolf’s Ear community who’s really good at making it delicious, and this is a nice staple for him to get to regularly trade in Sandpoint.)

This surprisingly-decent outlook and disposition of the Pack doesn’t really extend to the Church of Erastil or the people of Magnimar. Both are viewed with constant suspicion that falls somewhere just short of outward prejudice.

Backstory:

When Magnimar and the Church of Erastil sent soldiers to purge Wolf’s Ear of it’s infestation, everything changed … for the town and every one of its inhabitants. Especially those in the community carrying the Blood. It meant an end to the rare, open society of acceptance for Desh’s kind. It meant a return to a life of suspicion, paranoia, and surviving in the shadows. And it meant the beginning of a new way of living as a society. A way of life that required service to the Pack. A way of life that required self-sacrifice for the good of family and friends. A way of life that required eternal watchfulness, both for threats internal and external. The great beast that is the fear-mongering of normal society was always one slip-up away, and every member of the Pack had a role to play to safeguard their existence in the new Wolf’s Ear.

Desh—a quiet, capable young man with an easygoing manner—was trained to be a set of eyes to detect threats to their range, a silver tongue to divert rumors before they could grow, a threatening growl when those rumors persisted, and the tooth on the throat of those who would see the whispered, rumored threats brought into the open. This role required him to become tough and train to fight … using simple hunting weapons when possible and teeth when necessary. It required him to pick up the skills to root out rumors, silence threats, and bypass the defenses and locks those rumors might hide behind. It also required him to take on a facade the world would accept, embrace, and appreciate … that of Wolf’s Ear’s trader and ambassador to the important frontier town of Sandpoint. He’s done well in all. His life as a trader has allowed him to foster relationships with the people of Sandpoint, the traveling Varisians, and the upland Shoanti tribes. He uses all of these connections to constantly stay aware of news and rumors from all parts of the Lost Coast, but especially coming from out of Magnimar.

Like many societies who aren’t trusted by larger governments and armies, the Pack has adopted weapons and fighting styles that also a play a more mundane role. In Desh’s case, this exhibits itself in his preference for the simplicity of a few hunting weapons … shortspears, longspears, slings, and the occasional bow.

With the Swallowtail Festivities about to kick off, Desh came rolling into town with his cart full of trade goods and supplies. He’s genuinely excited about the festivities, but also wants to use this opportunity to try to catch scent of any new rumors or potential problems coming out of Magnimar.

Crunch:

Desh, Wolf's Ear trader
Male human natural werewolf (chelaxian) inquisitor of The Pack 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 38; Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 198)
LN Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +7
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 dexterity)
hp 12 (1d8+4)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee cold iron morningstar +3 (1d8+3) or
. . dagger +3 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . longspear +3 (1d8+4/×3) or
. . shortspear +3 (1d6+3) or
. . silver dagger +3 (1d4+2/19-20)
Ranged sling +3 (1d4+3)
Special Attacks curse of lycanthropy, judgment 1/day
Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st (2/day)—bless, shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, detect poison, read magic, stabilize
. . Domain Conversion inquisition
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Statistics
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Str 17, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Racial Heritage[APG], Toughness
Traits criminal, family ties
Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +7 (+11 to change attitude vs. animals related to lycanthropic form), Disable Device +7, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +7, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +6, Survival +7
Languages Common, Shoanti, Varisian
SQ change forms, lycanthropic empathy, monster lore +3, stern gaze +1
Other Gear studded leather, cold iron morningstar, dagger, longspear, shortspear (3), silver dagger, sling, sling bullets (10), backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, wooden holy symbol (wolf's tooth), pot, hemp rope (50 ft.), sack (4), sack, saddlebags (4), thieves' tools, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, mule, mess kit, 12 gp, 4 sp
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Special Abilities
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Change Forms (Su) Change into Hybrid or Animal forms. (DR 1/silver when in
Curse of Lycanthropy (DC 15) (Su) Bitten humanoid enemy within 1 size category contractd lycanthropy (Fort neg).
Inquisitor Domain (Conversion Inquisition) Deities: Any deity.

Granted Powers: You are a powerful persuader. A honeyed tongue empowered by divine argumentation sways the indifferent and adversarial to your side.
Judgment (1/day) (Su) Variable bonuses increase as the combat continues.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Lycanthropic Empathy +4 (Ex) Improve the attitude of your type of animal, as if using Diplomacy.
Monster Lore +3 (Ex) +3 to Knowledge checks when identifying the weaknessess of creatures.
Racial Heritage (Halfling) You count as another race for the purpose of prerequisites.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.

Roles, unique notes on the build, and the template:

Roles: Desh excels at scouting, trap breaking, and—thanks to his lycanthropic heritage—melee and ranged combat as well. His Conversion Inquisition makes him a surprisingly good face (or face support, depending on the makeup of the group chosen). His skills will also make him an excellent woodsman as well as Local knowledge guy. His spells will augment his own capabilities (both in and out of combat), but will also allow him to offer some party buffing and healing.

Racial Heritage (Halfling) & Advancement: As he levels, Desh will be taking levels of Underfoot Monk and Lore Warden Fighter. There is nothing in his concept or story that actually refers to Halfling, but I’m refluffing the Racial Heritage and the Underfoot Monk components to reinforce the Wolf angle. I’ve always wanted to use a were-wolf character who specializes in the iconic wolf fighting style … bites and trips. The Underfoot archetype will ensure that this angle is doable from level 2 (Improved Trip as a bonus feat) and will stay useful into higher levels (the ability to basically ignore the size restrictions of Trip mechanics). This, coupled with Lore Warden, will allow me to bring a (hopefully) powerful level of martial battlefield control to the group via reach (longspear), combat reflexes, and an array of Trip feats (Imroved, Greater, and Vicious Stomp).

Lycanthropic Template: The template shouldn’t prove overpowered at all, especially once we address the DR issue. I’d suggest one of two solutions. A) Reduce the DR/silver to be equal to 1/2 of his hit dice (minimum 1). B) remove it altogether. Obviously I’d prefer to keep A, but if you still think it’s OP, I can be fine with B.

My goal is to (especially in the early stages of the game) have him continue to hide his lycanthropic heritage. Conceptually it should be obvious why, but I also want to play into the struggle of how and when that should come to be public knowledge, and how he has to deal with it. Its going to be a bit tricky because Im relying on his lycanthropic bonuses to boost his combat prowess. It should be a fun juggling act. :)


I'd remove the DR altogether. ^^ It's just not something players are normally expected to have - especially at higher numbers - until fairly late in the game.


That'd be fine with me.


Hmm. GM, would you allow the spell-less ranger alternate class from Kobold Press?


Yes, I will allow that. ^^


El Ronza wrote:
Hmm. GM, would you allow the spell-less ranger alternate class from Kobold Press?

Funnily enough, I was going to esk exactly this! I really wanted a zen archer monk/ranger and started building the backstory for it (yes, my second character idea would be completely nonmagical as well ^_^)


Further question... if I were to switch my concept and go ranger/druid, at 4th level, my character would gain the hunter's bond class feature. Would a second animal companion be allowed? I know that's making a lot of assumptions (that I'll get in being the main one), but hey, positive thinking.


Gestalt Rules wrote:
Class features that two classes share accrue at the rate of the faster class.

You would only have one animal companion.


Hey Rednal let me know what you think.

Einar's First Steps. Told by Tyr Olafson:

“Come, sit, and listen. You, old man, be quiet. I will tell you of the humble beginnings of the great Einar Gunnarson. Now you all know of Einar and that he has been prophesized to unite the land. You may also have heard of his noble friend and ally, Tyr Olafson. Well, that’s me.” He smiles. “Let me tell you of Einar’s past. To know Einar, you have to understand and know his family. His line has had great warriors, shaman, and healers over the years. You see, Einar is truly blessed by the gods. Not only does he have celestial blood in his veins, he is bound to a celestial spirit that protects and strengthens him. This is his family’s secret magic and the source of his power.”

“The binding ritual is done within the first few years of life. Sometimes it takes; sometimes it does not. It was Gunnar that decided that the ritual be done on Einar on the day of his birth. This had not been done before, but Gunnar had a powerful vision from his dreams: his son would become a Linorm King and unite the lands. Gunnar knew their family magic would be needed for Einar to fulfill the legacy foretold in the vision. This would also protect Einar from any who would seek to harm the boy, should his destiny be discovered. The ritual took, as Gunnar knew it would. Gunnarthen presented Einar to Sveinn Blood Eagle. Sveinn saw the boy and listened to Gunnar talk of his vision. Sveinn believed there would be one to rise and unite the lands one day. Many came before him with this claim, but all had failed. But something happened when the great king looked into the baby’s eyes. He saw hope in Einar. Sveinn gave his blessing this day and looked forward to the days ahead, and what would become of Einar."

"Even as a boy Einar possessed great power. I became friends with him then, and have been by his side for all his trials and tribulations since. Now his first was not unlike what many of you may go through in a few years. Einar proved to be of warrior spirit and as is tradition with our tribe, he was sent on a hunt. Many beasts dwell in the Stormspear Mountains, so young warriors were not sent deeper than the foothills on their first hunt. But Einar was special and was tasked with a special hunt. The Stormspear Mountains are known to be home to the much feared Yeti. Some call them Abominable Snowmen, because they prey on those that explore the highest mountains. Einar’s first hunt was for yeti. He accepted his task and journeyed into the mountain pass."

"Einar spent days camping, hunting and living off the land in solitude. The mountains themselves, though full of terrifying creatures, were not abundant of food. Because of this Einar would have to venture back down to the hills to hunt day to day. On the fourth day, Einar killed a young boar, which would provide enough food for the next few days if he still had not succeeded in his ultimate task. As he hiked back up the mountain with his kill, he noticed he was being stalked. He kept an eye out but carried on with the cleaning and preparation of his meal as normal. As the smell of charred meat perfumed the mountainside, his stalker attacked. Einar was prepared. He stood and drew his father’s sword. He had trained and now would be the test not only for him, but also for the spirit empowered him. The great white beast charged in, swinging wildly over Einar’s head. Einar took advantage and cut a deep gash into the muscular chest of the yeti. The beast roared out in pain as it clawed furiously toward our hero. One of its claws struck true and ripped the flesh off Einar from chest to belly. Coldness seeped in from the blow, but Einar proved to be resilient to its effects. He repositioned and struck the beast again. This time he cleaved into the shoulder, nearly severing the arm. The beast howled in pain again, reeling and falling to the ground. It started to speak and beg. Now I know what you’re asking yourselves. Can yetis talk? Well it would seem so, and somehow, Einar understood it and spoke back in its language."

"You see, the yeti was only attacking for food. Einar understood this. He treated the wounds of the beast and asked it to join him in his meal. Einar was curious about this beast. The two rested and feasted together, learning of one another. Einar, always looking to the future, asked the beast to take him to meet its tribe. After resting a day, the two unlikely companions set out to venture deeper into the mountains. A few hours later, they arrived at a cave. The yeti bid Einar wait outside as he went in to gather his tribe. All together their tribe numbered ten. There were only two other males; the rest were females and young. It seemed the males did the hunting. The yeti introduced Einar around and told his people of the mercy and hospitality he was given. The tribe, though joyed to have one of their hunters return, were worried of their home now being known to man. Einar, thinking as a leader at even such a young age, seized the situation and forged an alliance with the yeti."

"Many days had passed now, and Gunnar started to fear the worst for his son. The morning of the sixth day had come. Gunnar determined to set out and find his son, dead or alive. Just as he was packing, he heard a commotion from outside. It started with screams. Gunnar took up his arms and ran out to see the cause of all this. He came upon Einar, standing with the still wounded yeti, in the middle of the village. Einar embraced his father and told him to lower his sword. He went on to explain that not only did he best the beast in battle but he also forged a relationship between their tribes. The yeti would act as watchers of the mountains and pass and provide protection to the north. They could also be called on for aid if needed. In return, the village needed only to safeguard the location of the cave and provide the yeti protection form would-be hunters if needed. Gunnar could not believe this, but he respected his son’s compact with the abominable snowmen. It was this day that Einar’s legend began."

"That is all for tonight. Drink and be merry my friends. tomorrow I will tell you of the sorrow of Einar. Most know his tribe and familly were killed, but I was there. Now who is buying my ale?"

I thought it would be cool to tell his story from the prospective of his friend and from the future when he has become the Linnorm King, slayer of Fafnheir. This also gives you and end game storry arc :) Working on crunch, but wanted you to see if this interested you.


An interesting perspective on things. ^^ Though, I do plan to keep things fairly close to the text of the adventure, so I'm not sure if I'll be working in any extra campaign arcs. XD Play by Post games are slow enough as it is - my main goal is to get everyone through the story and see where things go from there.


GM Rednal wrote:
Gestalt Rules wrote:
Class features that two classes share accrue at the rate of the faster class.
You would only have one animal companion.

Well, technically, the druid's class feature is Nature's Bond, while the Ranger's class feature is Hunter's Bond... okay, I'm being cheeky. I'll stop.

So I'm guessing you wouldn't allow the "additional animal companion" spell-less ranger talent? :P (Okay, I lied before. Now I'll stop being cheeky. Semi-serious question, though.)

I've decided on druid/ranger. I'll get cracking in the morning (currently 1:36 am where I live). Hopefully I can have her done in time! Big question is whether I want to have the animal companion at 1st level, and be stuck choosing the really crappy alternate hunter's bond at 4th; or have a domain at 1st level, and not get the pet until 4th level...

Tough call. I'll sleep on it.


If there's a talent/ability/power/whatever that specifically does grant a second companion... then it's much more workable, yes. ^^


@Ashe: Fancy meeting you here! I Tyr is destined to make a really cool friend...I could work that into Hero of Wispil I think...we'd just have to head north next...haha

This is The Little King/Game Master by the way


Here is Baldur the nomad, and here is his ten-minute background.

Ten Minute Background:

Step 1: Concepts.

1. Baldur was born and raised with a small clan of nomad, and has lived on the move for most of his life. His friends were always members of his family, normally cousins, or something similar, it was difficult to keep track of all the relations.

2. The nomad were a mixed group of humans and elves, each of them lending their different strengths to the group. The elves had magical abilities, and were more in touched with nature, whilst humans were more flexible and learned much more quickly.

3. Baldur was taught how to ride and how to fight at a young age. He believes that half of his childhood was spent on the back of a horse, and the other half of it was spent fighting, either his teachers to learn, or his friends for fun.

4. Baldur’s mother was one of the strongest arcane casters in the group, and taught Baldur how to use his arcane powers, using his cunning mind to warp the power of magic surrounding him, and to tap into his own innate magical abilities.

5. Baldur spent some years of his adulthood with his clan, however, whilst being with the clan satisfied his wanderlust, Baldur did not just want to be another faceless man on this earth. He wanted to be a hero, just like those in the many stories of the clan.

6. When Baldur was young, the clan had travelled past Sandpoint, and his uncle had helped Daviren Hosk eliminate a group of goblins nearby. The uncle didn’t claim his reward, but was happy to have Baldur take it as he set-out to make his own story in the world.

7. Baldur’s prefered weapon is the Wakizashi, a weapon from the east. It is said that the clan was created from exiles of a far eastern kingdom, and that their knowledge of the weaponry and fighting techniques have been kept in the clan ever since.

8. Armour weighs down and tiers a horse quickly, so the nomad clan disregards it, prefer to use their agility and wits to defend themselves and keep blows away while lashing out with their own quick deadly strikes.

Spoiler:
Step 2: Goals.

1. Baldur greatly desires to make a name for himself, to become a hero told for years to come in the songs of the bards.

2. Baldur loves to hear stories and tales, and whilst he travels, would likely pick up a desire to record them so they are not forgotten. He is no bard, but perhaps he might help create a song someday, and not just be the one sung about.

Spoiler:
Step 3: Secrets.

1. Whilst Baldur has been taught how to fight with speed and agility, he wishes he was stronger and tougher, as he fears that in full-on combat, his speed will not be enough.

2. Baldur’s magical ability doesn’t just come from his mother, but from his dad he has dragon-blood running through his veins.

Spoiler:
Step 4: Significant People

1. Asura, Baldur’s mother and teacher. A fierce woman that can be very harsh if you cross her, Asura nonetheless was a loving, if strict mother, and helped Baldur grow as a fighter and a spellcaster, though she wasn’t the best at making him likeable.

2. Arcantos, Baldur’s cousin, and a fierce rival. Arcantos doesn’t have Baldur’s magical ability, but is a talented fighter and dual-wields. They often fought against one another, and sought to become the best fighters in the clan. When Baldur announced he was going to leave the clan to make his own story, Arcantos was quick to follow.

3. Burriach. Baldur's father. Whilst Asura was fierce, Burriach was calm. Whilst Asura taught Baldur how to fight, Burriach taught Baldur how to ride and care for animals. Burriach was stern and stubborn. Not one to bend to others will, and installed these qualities onto his son.

Spoiler:
Step 5: Misc

1. Whilst thinking deeply, Baldur tends to chew the air, like a horse.

2. One of Baldur’s brightest memories, was the day he was allowed to ride by himself. The feel of the horse beneath his legs, feeling it move to his commands... an amazing feeling that he still carries today.

3. Because constant motion throws up a lot of dirt, Baldur doesn’t tend to wash much. Only his hands to eat with, and his blade when he’s used it. He doesn’t see a point in washing otherwise.



Concept:

Gunslinger||Spellslinger wizard/arcanist - An upgraded version of the spellslinger archetype for wizards.

Name Kisaiya Gabor

Background
Kisaiya grew up around exotic goods, trade and travel. Her parents ran a caravan focused along the Kaspakari route between Magnimar and Galduria. This lifestyle inspired a wanderlust in Kisaiya that her mother insisted came from her grandmother who had, as the story was told, sailed as far as Nex. A excitement for life, and profit, was instilled in her as a child.

Occasionally, the family would escort travelers for caravans are usually safer than traveling alone. When Kisaiya was young, the family escorted a Twilight Academy wizard from Galduria through Sandpoint and into Magnimar. Bandits attacked the caravan and the elderly man frightened them off with a few flashy spells. Kisaiya became engrossed by the ability and, after finding she had talent for it, he offered to become her sponsor at the school. She eagerly took the academy, focusing on evocation, necromancy and conjuration magics. Known as an academy of experimentation and unconventional practices, it was a returning professor who introduced Kisaiya to gunpowder--through an accidental combustion during transit. She became his apprentice after the incident and split her attentions between playing with the exotic materials and her magic lessons.

Unfortunately, despite the exciting experiments and rare magic, the Twilight Academy wasn't located in the most thrilling of places. Galduria was a small town and lacked the wide variety of faces found in Magnimar. The next time her parents traveled from Galduria, she joined them--intent on heading to Magnimar and taking a ship...somewhere.


Tanwen Anwyl is now complete, and I doubt I will have time for my second submission.

Tanwen has met several of Sandpoint's residents in her background, and they show up in her background. She originally had Profession (Farmer) as her bonus skill however I switched that to Profession (Harlot).


Mod the breath weapon to 3/day, with a 1d4 round recharge between uses. ^^


Okay, final submission!

The Past Five Years::
Five years. Five years, and she still saw his face whenever she closed her eyes. Five years, and the people of Sandpoint still blamed her for not catching him sooner. Five years since that bastard killed dozens of innocent people. Five years since she last held her husband or her son in her arms. Five years and all the drink in the world could not make her repress the memories of the mass murderer Jervis Stoot, otherwise known as The Chopper.

Zova Lex was still a rookie back then; just a wide eyed kid who had been taken under Sheriff Hemlock’s wing as a new guard and investigator. She was happily married with a local store owner who thankfully was able to stay at home with their two year old son, Andrei. Those were happy times. The reality of the world had not yet sunk in for Zova, nor most of Sandpoint for that matter. It was a safe little place, free of care, where the people could live out their lives in relative peace.

That all changed with the Chopper’s first victim. Sandpoint was relatively devoid of violent crime so it came as a surprise to everyone, especially the City Watch. Trusting in the skills of his favored rookie, Sheriff Hemlock sent Zova to investigate, supervising her in every step of the process. At some point, she interviewed an artisan named Jervis Stoot about what he saw... and to this day the fact that she let the killer lie to her face still haunts her. She found that he was a bit eccentric... but she could never have guessed that he was the killer.

There was not enough evidence to go on, and not even the local inquisitors had a lead. Then the next body appeared. And another. And another. Fear ruled the streets of Sandpoint, for a carnage of this scale had never even been imagined. One night, an entire family had been murdered, and the streets literally ran red with blood.

And that was the night she could have stopped him. The sick bastard had been hiding, watching as the people screamed and panicked at the sight of the bodies on the street. Zova had only just seen him out of the corner of her eye. Alerting Hemlock to the masked man’s presence, the two tried to quietly subdue him. At that moment, The Chopper decided to run. Hemlock and Zova chased the scoundrel across the city streets, running their damndest in an attempt to catch him. In a burst of desperate speed, Zova reached out and attempted a grab at his cloak... only to miss, stumbling, and tripping Hemlock in the process.

The Sheriff always said that he never held any hard feelings against her for letting the killer go free. She had been the one to spot him in the first place, and that was enough to earn his respect. The people of Sandpoint didn’t see it that way. In the weeks that followed, as the body count rose, Zova found herself on the receiving end of tossed rocks, vicious verbal lashings and even death threats.

But nothing could be so bad as to what happened next. Walking home one night, she noticed that her door was opened. When she walked inside, everything that she held dear in life was lying on the floor, lifeless. Her family was one of the last victims of The Chopper.

She was there when Hemlock put the pieces together. She was there when his corpse was found in that basement, with the foul and bloody shrine, self mutilated before his his death, just like all his victims. Indeed, she was even there when they decided to torch the body and the house.

Five years since that day and now there are rumors of The Chopper’s ghost wandering Sandpoint. Still a city guard, remarried and with a nearing two years old, Zova asked for some personal time off to investigate this claim. If there was anyone who most deserved to stay within the grave, it was that killer. There was no way she would allow the circumstances to be any different. There was no way he would leave her with nothing again.

Early life in Sandpoint::

And though the last five years of her life had been prominant, it is imprtant to remember one's roots. Zova had been born of a Shoanti mother and a Varisian father. Though her father grew up most of his life and Sandpoint, her mother had come from the 'barbaric' tribe of Lyrune-Quah (Moon-Clan). A skilled huntress, Zova's mother taught her the use of a bow from an early age, finding that practical skills were much more important for a growing child than books. From her father, a merchant, she learned the ways of the silver tongue and guile.

As she grew up, Zova always found she had a sense of justice, wanting the law to rule out over all. Sick of being vooped up in her father's shop all day, she quickly joined the city guard the minute she became of age (this is, of course, before her time as an investigator with Sheriff Hemlock) and began training with the sword as well. she found the rapier to be her natural calling.

These years were the easy one's in Zova's life. Her father retired comfortably and now lives with her mother peacefully and quietly on the other side of town, old aged. but happy people. Even to this day, they are there, and Zova sometimes goes there on holidays to get her mind off work...

Today::

Nowadays, Zova rarely finds time for her parents. Mainly, her life had been 'Wake up in the morning, go to work, come home.' She truly loved her husband and child, but there were days... days she saw her dead loved ones in their eyes. Those days were the worst, and in those pained moments, her husband often found her drinking away the pain. He always knew that he would never replace the original love of her life, but loved her enough to never mention the past, instead, focusing on the present. Her daughter, a small, pluckish thing, never really noticed her mother's bouts of sadness. She was so happy and innocent... and no matter Zova's mood, always brought a smile to her face. This was her family, and they were worth everything to her. Zova decided not to tell her new family why she was taking off from work, prefering for them not to know of the whispers of The Chopper's ghost... best not to frighten them.

That Night...:
Zova bared her teeth together in a silent rage, whilst looking upon Stoot’s Rock. Tonight was the night she would finally get her revenge. Either the town guard would catch him and execute him, or she would do it herself. No matter, what the outcome, there was no way that Jervis Stoot would escape this time.

Belor Hemlock, the newly appointed Sheriff in Sandpoint placed a hand on her shoulder. “Easy now. We don’t want to spook him. Right now, we have the element of surprise.” His calm tone was infuriating! How could he be so stoic at a time like this? After all those people butchered? After Sheriff Avertin had been found not ten minutes ago? After her... after her family? Hemlock shook his head. “Don’t worry Zova, he will be caught. I promise you that much.”

She breathed in and out, futilely trying to calm herself. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Stoot’s entire house was surrounded by guards; there was no way off the island, hereby named Chopper’s Isle. If she were to lose control of her emotions at this point in time... no, she wouldn’t think of that. Nothing would go wrong. Nothing COULD go wrong.

Hemlock conjured a grappling hook from his bag and pointed at a specific window. “There,” he whispered, “Is Stoot’s private chambers. we’re going to climb up there and confront him. If he runs, the patrol at the front door will take him in.” He looks warily at the rapier by Zova’s side. “I would prefer if we took him alive... but understand if that’s not possible. The main point of this is to make sure he doesn’t get back on the streets.” With that, he tossed the grappling hook up to the roof and pulled the rope taught to check if it was secure.

“Don’t worry Hemlock,” Zova said, starting the ascent to the window. “I want the law to win, not my own feelings on the matter.” She said it with such certainty that she almost believed herself. Her mother, a former Shoanti warrior, would have seen quite clearly through the deception. Perhaps Hemlock did as well. Perhaps he simply didn’t care if she was lying. All of Sandpoint wanted The Chopper dead, so did it matter exactly how the deed was done?

Hemlock only grunted and followed her up the rope. When Zova reached the window, she picked up the glass cutter from her tool belt and cut out a large piece of it, silently pulling it out and handing it to Hemlock who brought it back down to the ground before climbing back up the rope. By that time, Zova was already in the room with her rapier out, looking to the bed.

But Jervis wasn’t there. The bed was neatly made and it looked like no one had stepped in this room for quite some time. She swore under her breath and waited for Hemlock to make his way in the room. “What do we do now?”

“Search the house of course.”

And so the two searched the upper floors of the home, stealthily making their way from room to room, not fearing what might be around the corner. They were trained guards and investigators, they had no reason to think that the former artisan could catch them whilst they were on their guard. He had killed twenty five innocent people, all of them had been caught unawares. They were professionals.

Zova shook the thoughts from her head. She didn’t need that distracting her now. She could mourn properly once all was said and done

And yet once the check of the upper floor was done, there was still no sign of The Chopper. “Where the hell is Stoot?” Zova muttered. Could he have already left? No, the blood outside was still fresh. The guards waiting outside doubtless thought that Stoot was innocent, that he was to be the twenty sixth victim of the Chopper. But she knew better. The blood trail that led up to the front door was as good as proof as any that Stoot was the killer. Those fools outside were just in denial. Or was she just so blinded by her fury to get her man?

Hemlock made his way down the stairwell and opened the front door to be met with the nervous gazes of three other guards, all with spears pointed directly at the now open doorway. In his fright, one of them flinched forward and almost gutted the Sheriff, only to be met with an angry gaze by his superior. He silently motioned for those three to check around the ground floor and then motioned to Zova to follow him down the stairwell into the basement. When he got to the bottom, he stopped and noticeably shuddered. “Abadar give me strength.” Zova looked past him to see what he saw.

And immediately wished that she hadn’t.

A hideous altar stood at the center of the room in unholy grandeur. As it’s centerpiece was a demonic birdlike statue adorned with... Irori help her... eyes. Eyes and tongues. So on that altar were the body parts of her... She tried to shift her gaze downward to break away from the horrific scene... only to find the broken body of Jervis Stoot crumpled on the floor. In his own bloody hands he held his own set of eyes and his own tongue, leaving three horrifying
holes in his head that seemed to be weeping thick crimson tears.

Zova turned to the side and vomited. Sheriff Hemlock valiantly held on for a few seconds before following suit.

After the two wiped their mouths, Hemlock shouted upstairs in a hoarse voice. “Get... get down here. We found him.”

But Zova had barely heard him. She already focused her attention on the corpse. The mocking, terrible corpse. The bastard couldn’t even give her the satisfaction of letting her have her revenge. He should have let her do it, damn it! The other guards made their way down the stairs and quickly disappeared when they saw the gruesome setting. They just couldn’t look upon the scene. Zova was amazed that she could.

“Go home.” Hemlock whispered to her, his breath still foul, as foul as her own. “You’re too invested in this. Damn it, I shouldn’t have had you be a part of this.”

Zova looked back solemnly. “What home? He took that from me... he took everything from me.”


I listed it as 3/day under her special abilities, but not in the description of it. It now says 3/day in both places.


I've finished the character sheet, updated the background and generally finished the character.


It took much more time than I first thought as I changed the character completely but here it is:Ujin Fireblade and just in the nick of time too.


Seems I've missed the deadline but it's just as well since I never really could manage the background part for either character concept that I had. Good luck to the applicants and have a great game :D


Submission!

Sperow is a whip wielding Swashbuckler/Bard (Arcane Duelist). He brings to the table a variety of social skills backed up by a good charisma. While he will be talented at melee combat, he is not specifically built for damage. He'll be very good at locking down areas of combat around him exploiting his whip's reach and interfering with enemy casters.

Speaking of casters, Sperow will also be providing decent buffing for the party, as is befitting of a bard. He'll also be a sound back-up healer but should not be relied upon fully for healing without massive access to wands and the like.

At his absolute end-game, I intend for him to be dual wielding whips against shaken and flat-footed foes and abusing some rather absurd buffs.


Nearly forgot...
I can usually post at least once a day, more if we are running a combat encounter and things move quickly enough.


Recruitment is now closed

The following characters have been selected and should report to the discussion thread:

Mira Stagsdottir

Shalluk

Tanwen Anwyl

That said, there were quite a few truly excellent submissions this time around, and it was actually quite difficult for me to decide between them. This is one of those times when my self-imposed table limit depresses me a bit, because I certainly wouldn't mind playing with more people. XD; Ah, well. Still, I do tend to open recruitment for games fairly regularly, and I encourage all of you to apply to those as well!


Well, you could run in in two threads, if you really wanted :P
Though that's apparently very difficult to manage, so yeah, makes me sad I didn't get in, but understandable (I was probably among the weakest characters)

Still, here's to the future of your game! If you need a replacement, I'm available.


Thanks for offering! These PBPs really do give people something to look forward for.

On the bright side, Zova was accepted to the Way of the Wicked game I was biting my nails about!

Shadow Lodge

Congratulations all,
If someone dies/drops out I'd love a PM , otherwise, have fun!


Good luck everyone, and congrats Zova! Happy gaming.


What Lord Foul said lol


Jiren Luckroad wrote:

@Buzzgob: Dying... from... so... many... references!

what references?

Ive read this post over and over about a dozen times :s
Still confused XD


Enjoy the game, guys!


@Buzzgob Yours :P Igneel, Smaug....


One of our players hasn't reported in yet - if they don't do so by the end of today, I'll probably ask for a replacement from the other applications.

Shadow Lodge

Did they report in?


I'm afraid I did, at the very last moment too. Sorry.

Shadow Lodge

No prob, have fun man :)


All right, it appears we need one more player for this game. Following these build rules, but starting at Level 4. The party just finished the first book, so you'll be joining the game at the start of the second.

Any takers?


Help us, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!

No, seriously, I've gone through about 4 other players in this campaign.


I'll jump in. This was a character for a Runelords game that never took off. I can level him back down to 4 and change from Warpriest to Fighter/Paladin.


I'll put something together, can we get a feel for the current party make-up and what roles need filling or redundancy?


Shalluk is a Bolt Ace Gunslinger/Oracle. He mostly provides ranged death with healing and some summoning.

Zelani is a Druid/Rogue, and provides flanking and various Spheres of Power based spellcasting.

Zaphkiel - I should warn you that characters who focus on doing one thing really, really well are likely to be rejected. Rednal much prefers balance between two roles. So I'd go with either Fighter or Paladin, and then choose another class that provides something different.


Dotting, Any input from the current players? What would they like to see?

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