GMT's War For The Crown

Game Master GM Tallgrass

0. Download and read the Player's Guide. :
done
1. Develop a character concept using the criteria/questions below. You don’t need to totally complete the crunch (unless you want to) - that’s just there for your information and to let you know what you’re signing up for (though it’s all fairly standard).
Done
2. Share how often you can post/contribute to the game. I don't want to put unrealistic expectations on the group, but I'd like to shoot for one post per day on weekdays. If we go faster, I'm down with that.
I’m on the boards several times a day. I try and post at a rate similar to the other players. I’ve played in games where we post four or five times a day. I’ve played in games that go days without anyone posting.
3. Share how many other PBPs you're currently playing.
Fifteen presently

1. Pick a Class. All Paizo-created classes are acceptable.:
Ranger, dandy archetype
2. How long has your character lived or been in Oppara? If they’re not from Oppara, where in Taldor do they live?
His whole life, he is twenty one.
3. How does your character make a living?
He is a dancer, and a dancing instructor.
4. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?
In combat he is a melee swordsman. Out of combat his is a skilled communicator and entertainer.
5. Mechanically where do you foresee your character going in the future? If you don't have a plan, that's ok, too!
This ones harder, I’ve never played a ‘dandy’ before. I don’t know if he will go two weapon or not.
6. (Optional) What is your character's backstory?

Sir Ashoka Varima the third born son, of a lesser nobleman earned his knighthood as a mounted knight-captain of a Taldan Phalanx. it was shortly after that time that his father arranged a marriage to Lady Trina, a young woman from a minor noble family. She was intelligent, strong willed and a beautiful dancer. They lived happily in the ‘Worldbreaker Hill district in Oppara. Soon, they were blessed with two children, first their daughter, Padmavati and a couple of years later, their son Kunala.

When Lord Varima wasn’t with his unit handling military responsibilities, he was home doting on his wife and children. He loved spending time with them playing board games and going to different restaurants in Oppara; introducing the children to different cuisine. He would spendtime with Kunala playing strategy games, taking him hunting with the dogs and teaching him how to use a falcata, the weapon of the Rondelero. Occasionally, Lord Varima would throw parties, inviting other military officers and their wives, just so he could show off what a good dancer his wife, and later his children, were.

Lady Trina would spend her time taking care of the household responsibilities, supervising the staff and teaching the children proper behavior for Taldorian nobles. She especially enjoyed teaching them to dance, and they were introduced to her instructor and coach Archirel Destrie at an early age. Archirel kept a dancing school in the Senate's Hill District where Lady Trina and the children would walk to every day.

When Kunala and Padmavati first started lessons with Archirel, Kunala didn’t think he would get the hang of it. He had mastered courtly dancing; his small wiry frame fit the spins and turns well. But Master Destrie expected him to perform lifts and throws. These seemed difficult, his partner being two years older and Kunala was slight; to the point that other children would chase him and Padmavati had to come to his rescue. Eventually, with much practice and strength training, Kunala was able to do the lifts, and perform with his sister. Master Destrie, their mother and father were all very proud of them.

That same year their lives were devastated. One summer evening, while Lord Varima was with his unit patrolling beyond the bridge, there was a fire in the villa. They believe it started in the kennels, but no one is sure. They just know that Lady Trina had woken the children and sent them out, but she went back in to salvage something and got caught in the fire, dying of smoke inhalation. The neighbors and their servants scurried to stop the fire from spreading but the damage was done. Their lives were in ruin, their home gone, their beautiful mother dead.

Their lives went on, but Ashoka was not the same. He moved the family into a small rented house, barely enough space for a junior officer. Padmavati and Kunala continued their dancing lessons, it was the one thing of their mother that Lord Varima was able to hang on to. But he would spend most of his time with his unit, sinking himself into his career. Padmavati took over the responsibilities for the small home and Kunala would help where he could. It was rarer and rarer for father to spend time with them. Gone were the days of play board games or hunting, but Ashoka, when home, would instruct Kunala with the falcata. Saying ‘a man of Taldor must be able to defend himself.’ Fortunately, Master Destrie felt sorry for the children and he would spend time with them in the evenings when their father was away, teaching them things that they would need to know living in Oppara.

Father continued becoming more and more distant, the only time the children would see him smile was when he would watch them dance. That was also the only time they would see him cry. Padmavati and Kunala grew even closer and relied on their mentor Master Destrie. Soon he was using them to train younger students and as partners for private dancing instructors with richer and more famous senators and nobles children.

Five years after their mother died, calamity struck again. Padmavati and Kunala learned that their father had died in a skirmish fighting bandits a few miles outside of town, on the other side of the Grand Bridge of the Empire. To make matters worse, they learned the news four days after the event, from the land lord of the property they were living in. The owner had little pity or patience and less time. They were forced to gather the belongings they could carry and were put out on the street. They both quickly grabbed their few belongings, Kunala added his fathers dueling gear to his pack, while Padmavati found their fathers cloak pin, that had the family crest on it, that he wore for special occasions. The landlord told them the other items would be sold to cover the cost of their father’s debt to him.

Their father had been considered a black sheep of his family, they had only met a few relatives when their mother was alive, and none since; so, the children were literally out on the street. Not knowing where to go, they went to the only adult they knew they could trust, dancing Master Archirel Destrie. Archirel let them move into the attic of his studio. He increased the amount of time they helped instruct, and he found times and places they could perform. They were making ends meet and were developing a name for themselves in circles where dancing was popular. This popularity unfortunately got the attention of a not so distant relative.

Early one morning while they were training the very youngest class, Master Destrie, came in the classroom and dismissing the children telling Padmavati and Kunala that they had a visitor waiting to speak to them in his office. The irregularity of this was not lost on them as they went to the office to find a very well dressed middle aged woman waiting on them. She introduced herself as Countess Varima. Her husband, the Count, had heard about these wonderfully talented ‘Varima’ children and wanted to learn more.

The Countess explained that they had investigated the children’s history and had learned their sad story. That their father, was the Counts nephew, and that their grandfather, the Counts brother, was dead. This making the Count their guardian. She also explained that their father had left a great debt which would need to be paid. She smiled and explained that the simplest way for that to happen would be to marry Padmavati off to a wealth husband. Padmavati handled the news maturely, she was almost at her majority and understood this was a noble woman’s responsibility to her family. Kunala was not as mature and said some things to the Countess that Padmavati said he should regret, though he never did.

The next time they saw the countess, she had information about three possible suitors for Padmavati to meet. A very old senator who had outlived his third wife and was looking for a fourth. A fat middle aged Marquess whose fort was near the border on the Whistling Plains, who happened to be in the city to find a wife. The third was the oldest son of the Viscount of Golsifar a small port city. Their family had been raised to nobility four generations before, and they wanted to marry into one of the larger Noble families for prestige.

After meeting the three men, Padmavati agreed to marry the young Golsifar. The wedding had been five years ago. Padmavati’s husband, Lord Jalrune, had replaced his sick father as the Viscount of Golsifar. The couple had three beautiful daughters and the young Viscount, in his desire to please his wife and demonstrate the family’s cultural growth, had become Kunala’s Patron.

Kunala, now twenty-one, because of his outburst at the countess, is not in the family’s good graces. Refusing to move from Oppara, he decided to continue living in the attic at the dance studio. He still works with dancing Master Archirel Destrie; teaching all the large classes and doing a lot of the private tutoring. Without a fulltime partner, he no longer competes in dancing contests, but he had taken up dueling to deal with any perceived slights. He has also become involved with the liberal political movement that desires to change the laws concerning women and their rights, he feels he owes it to his sister for what she has done for him and because the laws are unjust. He may not be able to change Padmavati’s options, but he might be able to change Taldor for his nieces.

Whatever Kunala is wearing, his six-foot athletic frame makes it look good. His bronze skin is highlighted by his long wavy black hair, a gift from the Varima side, immigrants from Vudra. His hazel eyes emphasized by long lashes. The makeup and cologne he wears, subtle; while his thin mustache and goatee, proving him noble-born, are considered avant-garde in their sparseness.

He is generally seen in his Courtier’s outfit. The red velvet cloak pinned to the kidskin, double-breasted, jacket with his father’s family crested broach. His matching kidskin boots worn folded, so his calf muscles are highlighted by the checkered tights. His cod piece the same velvet as the cloak. His Falcata strapped to one hip, his buckler to the other, it isn’t obvious that he wears a chain shirt under the jacket.

Kunala is a study in contrasts; focused and flighty, stubborn while desultory, flippant but deadly serious at times. There are a lot of things that don’t matter to him. But the things that do, matter a lot. Concerning things that matter, publicly he thrives on people’s approval; the applause for a good performance, the smile or nod when he’s dressed well, the chuckle after a well-spoken inuendo. Privately His country matters, he is Taldan through and through, so he is very concerned about the direction the throne is going. His family matters, specifically his sister and her daughters, he hopes the daughters will have options their mother did not.

On the Myers Briggs scale Kunala is an Entertainer

Amandine is gifted with an especially acute intelligence that she uses quickly and flexibly. She may not always be the most beautiful woman in the room, but her personality more than compensates. She is keenly witty, and able to draw on her considerable knowledge of many subjects to build rapport with anyone. Amandine is aware that her half-elven heritage is often viewed as somewhat transgressive in Taldan high society. She is also aware of how alluring a hint of transgression can be.

Primary Skills: Amandine is particularly adept at listening, observing, and asking innocent but revealing questions. Her talent for assembling snippets of information into insightful reports and profiles is unmatched.

Supporting Skills: Purloining documents and other items. Confidence Games. Blackmail, Information Brokering, Seduction, and Influence.
One will find Amandine highly suitable for almost any situation that requires tact, insight, and a light touch.

Sir Stig Bastardis, first of his name, is the most minuscule of minor nobles. Either that or the greatest success story of all mercenaries, depending on what step of the social ladder one happens to be viewing him from. Stig comes from lowly origins indeed - it's one thing to be a whoreson, but as he'll be the first to tell you, the true shame lies in knowing that your mother wasn't even particularly good at her vocation; only an incompetent prostitute would have gotten pregnant in the first place.
This is not to say that Stig feels any ill will towards his mother, nor that he thinks particularly highly of himself. No, the man is very much a realist and a cynic. His childhood fear of a world that seemed to view him with nothing but contempt gave way to adolescent anger at that self-same world, but it wasn't long before the young man started viewing everything, himself included, with a detached cynicism. Taldor was and still is a broken nation, all cracked gears chewing up and grinding everyone in it. Everywhere he looked he saw the destitute stealing to survive just another day, the working class keeping their heads down for fear of their masters, merchants hoarding and scheming to line their coffers, and the nobility at the top, pompous gits alternately squabbling or congratulating each other. And no one, not one among them, looked upon Stig the destitute street urchin with anything other than scorn.

And in his introspective cynicism, Stig couldn't really see any fault in this. He was a measly delinquent, he could acknowledge that, and everyone else was simply looking out for themselves. And then, just as now, Stig couldn't blame anyone for obeying their instinctual self-preservation. If anything he respected it. Of course people looked out for themselves. This was natural. You might as well chide cats for eating rodents, and in Stig's mind humanity is not all that far removed from animals. It was an ugly world out there and Taldor was just one great big pile of manure among many. But at least it seemed a lot more comfortable near the top.
So, in the interest of looking out for himself, Stig set out to climb the sh*t tower that was Taldor's hierarchy. He knew he didn’t have much to offer; nature hadn’t seen fit to bless him with talent or brains, but he was young, healthy and strong so the young man quickly found himself a mercenary. Stig spent well over a decade serving Lords and Ladies of the nation, starting with dirty work the official military either couldn’t be bothered with or considered beneath them, but eventually being entrusted with sensitive operations – activities of dubious legal merit that the aristocracy couldn’t hand off to the military. Aiding what was supposedly society’s finest with everything low and corrupt only reinforced Stig’s bleak view of the world, and in time he managed to curry enough favour to reach his goal: a title. He was ennobled Sir Stig Bastardis, a knight of the realm. Granted, it was the bottom rung of the noble hierarchy, and a title won through bribes and coercion at that, but he didn’t care. Stig never had grand ambitions. All he wanted was comfort and financial security, two things hard to come by in Taldor without blue blood in the veins. With the title came a small plot of land, an estate, and an arranged marriage to some poor aristocratic bint probably too ugly or old for her father to find her any other suitor. It was everything Stig had ever wanted. Now he could sit back, grow old, tax his farmers, sit on his ever expanding arse, make a few kids, and hopefully die in a warm bed with the most expensive prostitute he could find. It was perfect.

Except things didn’t go as planned. Several things went awry, actually. The first snag in Stig’s plan was the arranged marriage. The ex-court lady handed off to him was old for a maiden, as expected. But then so was he. They were in fact the same age. And no, she wasn’t winning any beauty pageant either, and, also as expected, they had near-nothing in common. She read books, talked to people, and smiled a lot. Furthermore, she was a really decent person. Annoyingly so. Stig had of course come across people like her before, idiot idealists who hadn’t seen enough of the world to be as cynical as himself. But in their talks it became clear she was neither idiot nor naïve, and living with one so honest and honourable proved surprisingly frustrating. He couldn’t help comparing himself to her and coming up infuriatingly short. He was the one who had won everything he ever wanted through blood, sweat and grime, while she was married off to a thug like a commodity. This was his victory. Yet despite this she was more content in life than Stig, and this without sacrificing her morals. It was maddening. So much so that he initially avoided her for anything other than their marital duties.
Said marital duties soon resulted in children, although after three daughters in a row Stig decided to stop bothering. He had hoped for a son, but clearly either his swimmers or the wife’s unmentionables couldn’t manage anything other than girl-children. This didn’t disturb his sleep overly much. True to his bleak outlook, Stig had never really wanted offspring and bedded his wife primarily for an heir; Taldor’s strict law of succession demanded a son. But this presented snag two and three to Stig’s scheme – because while he expected nothing but headaches from three daughters, what he got was far more disconcerting: he grew fond of them.
From the moment his oldest was able to walk he began to see qualities in them he couldn’t help but admire. All three were clever, an attribute he had no doubt came from their mother, but they were also headstrong, obstinate even. Living with three bull-headed girls could prove challenging, but their mother insisted that they got their drive from their father. And Stig realized she was right. He saw himself in that pig-headedness. It was that drive which had taken him from the slums to his current station. As they grew older their resourcefulness, their cunning and their composure in adversity all became evident, features their mother again smilingly assured Stig were positive traits of his own. The apples hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
Except they were good. Whether through nature or nurture the girls had inherited their mother’s moral compass, and for the first time in his life Stig began to see his own amoral ways as a curse rather than a blessing. He imagined his girls growing up to be like him, misanthropic and world-weary, and was despondent at the thought. He didn’t know what sort of parent he could be, amoral ex-sellsword that he was, but he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to ensure his children grew up better people than their father.

Years passed and Stig took to being a family man rather well. He loved his girls and they loved him. There was even a growing fondness towards his wife, and unless he was very much mistaken she felt similarly towards him. Every time the two saw qualities in their children they knew came from their partner their affection for the other grew. In this way the daughters brought them together. Perhaps it wasn’t true romance, whatever that was, but Stig knew it was more than he deserved. It was all more than he deserved. Which brings us neatly to the man’s current predicament: what the girls deserve. Over the years Stig has gotten increasingly annoyed at the thought of his childrens’ future. Taldor’s primogeniture prevents his daughters from inheriting his lands, and the thought of some ancient law forbidding him from bequeathing what is rightfully his, what he bled for, to the children he loves infuriates him. The distinct possibility that his land could instead be divided to some pompous noble born brats the girls might feel forced to marry as part of Taldor’s political machinations frankly brings his piss to a boil.
And this is why we find Sir Stig Bastardis in Oppara today. Having heard of Princess Eutropia’s plan to eradicate primogeniture in the nation, the old sellsword is in the capital to see what, if anything, he can do to help her, whether through his meagre title or crooked skillset. Lady Lotheed is simply a means to an end, namely reaching Taldor’s court. Stig is out of his element among the nobility and doesn’t know the first thing about government or campaigning, but there are two things he does know: he’s willing to do just about anything for his girls, and politics is dirty business. And dirty business is what he does best.

1. Pick a Class. All Paizo-created classes are acceptable.
Kevan of Fairview Heights, Halfling Swashbuckler
2. How long has your character lived or been in Oppara? If they’re not from Oppara, where in Taldor do they live? Kevan comes from a small halfling farm village outside of Oparra, he has grown up traveling to the city to sell produce and is moderately familiar with the market area
3. How does your character make a living?
Kevan hated farming and the way his parents were treated. While he has a good heart, his desire for adventure has caused him to fall in with some unsavory types. He makes money where he can. Gambling, fencing, a little pick pocketing. Then he spends it all on food for local vagrant children.
4. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle? 

He has quick reflexes and quick wits. Kevan will parry and slash his way through enemies on the battlefield and then bluff and dazzle his opponents at the negotiating table.
5. Mechanically where do you foresee your character going in the future? If you don't have a plan, that's ok, too! 

Fencing grace > Critical Focus > Bleeding Critical > Staggering Critical
possibly dirty tricks or tripping
6. (Optional) What is your character's backstory?
touched on part of it above, Kevan is driven by a desire for fortune and glory. At the same time he is a nice guy. He hates seeing people destitute or being picked on. He has a romantic view of what Taldor could be. He is a believer that if the government functions properly then a rising tide would raise all ships. He has joined with some reformers and works to influence change where he can.
How many pbp games are you in?
currently none, auditioned for one
How often can you post?
I should be able to post once a day at least.

Finneas (Finn) has always lived in Taldor, mostly in the town of Wispil. Wispil is a lovely little town of gnomes, mostly known for its logging. Hell, without Wispil, the Taldoran navy would be in trouble, and they know it. Because of that, the town has a kind of autonomy not known throughout Taldor.

Finneas' family has been in the logging business for generations. His father, Galliadus Erstwhile Entwhistle, owns one of the mills that runs along the Sellen River. Seeing as it's a family of gnomes, it is not uncommon for many of the inhabitants to travel, particularly the young gnomes. New adventures are just part of the gnome lifestyle, for most anyway. Some, like Finneas's father, are more obsessed over making sure every little detail is right. He has spent decades obsessing over every bit of the mill, making sure it's not only efficient, but aesthetically pleasing as well.

When Finn was young, he actually learned quite a good deal about woodworking, and helped his father "decorate" the place, if you will. But that really wasn't his calling. In fact, Finn continuously got in trouble with the town, especially the elders. See, Finn's a prankster. Most gnomes are, and many laughed at, and even encouraged his pranks. But there comes a point when people, even gnomes, get tired of it.

Several of the city council got together and asked Galliadus if perhaps Finn should get some travelling under his belt, go out a see the world, and give the town a break. His father got the message, and decided, perhaps his son should go to Oppara, visit the big city, maybe even go to school. So with some spending money and a note of promise, Finn was sent off to the Rhapsodic College.

Finn thrived at school. He was already an accomplished singer, a natural in fact. The college helped to shape that into a truly spectacular talent. Finn also learned how to really use his magical abilities. And, of course, he liked to use it for pranks, first and foremost.

More importantly, Oppara (and growing up a bit) began to shape him politically as well. Most of the folks of Wispil are pretty happy, living a fairly equitable life style. Sure, there are richer and poorer, but there's a sense of community. The rich have a responsibility: they depend on the labor of those less well off, and the truly poor are cared for. Not so among the humans. The wealthy, particularly those with titles, are isolated from the poor and see themselves as distinct from, and better than, the poor. And THAT, is not something that Finn takes lightly.

And that's where his pranks and physical comedy have come to help him. He's decided to use his skills for a purpose: to show up the muckety-mucks. To demonstrate that they are just as 'human' as the next guy, even if the next guy isn't really human. A young upcoming noble
Lady Lotheed took notice of his brand of humor and decided to favor him.

Because of her particular attitude against the norms of nobility, Eutropia has easily gained Finn's support for Queen. Here is someone, finally, who recognizes that everyone shares a stake in a just government. She may not be able to fix everything that's gone wrong, but she's a damn sight better than many who have come before.

In the interest of using a format I've been using recently, here's the 10-minute background.

Step 1: Background Elements

1) Sigur Folstad was born in Oppara, the only child of Halldor, a wealthy retired Ulfen Guard, who served Stavian III, and Tora, a musician of some renown. The Folstad family is not nobility, but is comfortable within the city.
2) Sigur is a handsome, physically imposing but somewhat bookish young man who dresses in a mix of Ulfen and Taldor styles. He wears his blond hair in traditional Ulfen braids, and he has pale skin, and blue eyes. He carries scrolls and books that he believes to be useful with him, along with his beautiful Taldan violin.
3) Sigur's father largely disapproves of Sigur's more academic and bookish ways and had hoped Sigur would join the Ulfen guard as a proud fighter. While Halldor appreciates the value of the Skald in the Ulfen society, he always hoped his children would follow in his path as a fighter. He does not approve of Sigur learning to play the violin, as he believes it to be a "feminine" instrument. Tora tried to encourage Sigur to be creative and not to focus entirely on, his fighting, and Sigur took more after her than Halldor.
4) Sigur would still like to become a Huscarl and prove to his father that there's more than one way to serve the crown. He also believes that the traditions of Taldor (primogeniture specifically) are outdated, and that the monarchy should be shaken up significantly. He is proud of his father, but doesn't believe that all problems have to be solved at the end of a sword. He admires Princess Eutropia a great deal for her strong beliefs and her reputation for fighting AND diplomacy, and has a boyish crush on her.
5) Sigur is a Shelynite, believing in the value of art, performance, and beauty as salves for a brutal and uncaring world. He also knows that these things are not enough to save Taldor, and that reveling in excess of consumption of art or the finer things has contributed to Taldor's downfall.

Step 2: Goals
1) Sigur would like to become an official Huscarl in the service of Eutropia. He would like to earn his father's respect, even if it is grudging.
2) I would like Sigur to progress as a badass skald!

Step 3: Secrets
1) Sigur is not openly a Shelynite, as he does not want his compatriots in the Ulfen Guard to be aware of his devotion to art instead of battle.
2) Sigur secretly plays in various performance houses in his off-time from the guard, using his oath of anonymity. He's known as "the Masked Fiddler" as he never reveals his face when performing.

Step 4: Relationships
1) Sigur has a noble patron in the form of a minor noble of the Kastner family, Tessa. Tessa organizes his performances and helps him navigate the world of high society, while attempting to keep Sigur's identity secret, understanding his duty to the crown.
2) Sigur is close with his mother, but is striving to gain his father's acceptance while also staying true to his own voice.
3) Sigur has a rival performer, Kastor, who wants to uncover his identity and find out Sigur's secret to discredit him.

Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1) Sigur uses somewhat florid language with idiomatic references to tales and history used to illustrate points.
2) Sigur has a strong sense of rhythm and the cadence of language, and is able to leverage this in personal interactions to gain an edge over people if necessary.

1. Develop a character concept using the criteria/questions below.
Lei-Lan Minh is Tian Cleric living in Oppara as a healer, herbalist, surgeon, and doctor.

2. Share how often you can post/contribute to the game. I don't want to put unrealistic expectations on the group, but I'd like to shoot for one post per day on weekdays. If we go faster, I'm down with that.
I should be able to post at least once daily, or more for short posts, like back-and-forth conversations.

3. Share how many other PBPs you're currently playing.
Playing in three games at the moment and not running any. I applied to another in addition to this one, but even if I do get accepted into both it won’t be any problem.

1. Pick a Class. All Paizo-created classes are acceptable.
Cleric with the Blossoming Light archetype.

2. How long has your character lived or been in Oppara? If they’re not from Oppara, where in Taldor do they live?
Lei-Lan has lived in Oppara for a little over ten years. She grew up in New Oppara and became very fascinated with Taldan culture, romanticising their stories and lifestyles. She got her chance to move to Oppara, invited by the Kastner family due to her talents with both divine and non-magical healing techniques.

3. How does your character make a living?
She is supported by the Kastner family (taking the Rising Star campaign trait, and the Family Ties drawback, meant to apply to the Kastners rather than her actual family). While they’re mostly interested in learning healing techniques from her, she does get to treat patients once in a while. When her presence isn’t needed she likes to volunteer in the poor areas of the city, or with fellow worshipers of Sarenrae.

4. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?
She isn’t very adept at combat, but she can serve as a primary healer both during and after a battle. She’ll probably end up with a decent Diplomacy, and a good Sense Motive for social encounters. She’s also bringing a pretty high Survival skill to the table. Plus she’ll have her cleric spells; and enough healing options that she should be able to used her slots for something other than cures.

5. Mechanically where do you foresee your character going in the future? If you don't have a plan, that's ok, too!
I plan to take advantage of the psychic skill unlocks and the signature skill unlocks for Heal. She’s going to be a pretty weak character, but I really want to avoid boring, typical feats and pick up some of the weird ones. I’m kind of min-maxing the heal skill, and I think I’m going somewhere fun and unconventional with it. I’m still working on the crunch, but I’ll try to get a draft up soon.

6. (Optional) What is your character's backstory?
I’m going to be working on her crunch, and writing up a real backstory for her, but this is the gist of what I’m going for. Lei-Lan is a healer from Tian Xia brought to Oppara to share her foreign techniques with the Kastner family, which should fit well with the blurb about the family from the player’s guide. Growing up in New Oppara she was always interested in Taldan culture and stories, and came to Oppara with eagerness and wide-eyed excitement. The actual state of things didn’t exactly meet her expectations. She feels a lot of empathy for the less fortunate, and sincerely believes Taldan can become a much better place than it is.

My concept is laid out in the profile. Evangelist cleric of Shelyn from a minor noble household, torn between church and family. She was born in Oppara and has never left. She lives with her parents and draws a small allowance, for the time being, if selected, it would be to say she was cut off due to her family supporting one of the other candidates for the crown.

Her contributions in the group would be as support and a healer. Her bardic like abilities and her clerical healing make her a great fifth or sixth character to fill in roles not quite filled perfectly. Out of combat, she is cheerful, inquisitive, and generally fun to be around. She can get persnickety at times, when she takes a noble fit, so to speak. She will try to avoid that as much as possible. I’d suspect I keep her cleric the whole course of the game. I like my full casters to stay full unless something unexpected happens.

I am typically good to post at least once a day. I usually check for posts before work, then after work, I can respond multiple times a day if the action is going. I am currently in about 8 games. I am in three long running AP style games, and four or five Society games that are short term things. If you look at my posting history, I’ve been here a long time and I haven't dropped many games. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. Thank you for the consideration here. Good luck with the game whether I get picked or not!

Character stats in profile
1. Pick a Class. All Paizo-created classes are acceptable.
Kevan of Fairview Heights, Halfling Swashbuckler
2. How long has your character lived or been in Oppara? If they’re not from Oppara, where in Taldor do they live? Kevan comes from a small halfling farm village outside of Oparra, he has grown up traveling to the city to sell produce and is moderately familiar with the market area
3. How does your character make a living?
Kevan hated farming and the way his parents were treated. While he has a good heart, his desire for adventure has caused him to fall in with some unsavory types. He makes money where he can. Gambling, fencing, a little pick pocketing. Then he spends it all on food for local vagrant children.
4. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle? 

He has quick reflexes and quick wits. Kevan will parry and slash his way through enemies on the battlefield and then bluff and dazzle his opponents at the negotiating table.
5. Mechanically where do you foresee your character going in the future? If you don't have a plan, that's ok, too! 

Fencing grace > Critical Focus > Bleeding Critical > Staggering Critical
possibly dirty tricks or tripping
6. (Optional) What is your character's backstory?
touched on part of it above, Kevan is driven by a desire for fortune and glory. At the same time he is a nice guy. He hates seeing people destitute or being picked on. He has a romantic view of what Taldor could be. He is a believer that if the government functions properly then a rising tide would raise all ships. He has joined with some reformers and works to influence change where he can.
How many pbp games are you in?
currently none, auditioned for one
How often can you post?
I should be able to post once a day at least.

1. Pick a Class. All Paizo-created classes are acceptable.

Ulfen Oracle, Ancestor mystery. A warrior in exile, followed by a host of ancestral spirits only he (and other suitably attuned people) can see.

2. How long has your character lived or been in Oppara? If they’re not from Oppara, where in Taldor do they live?

Only recently arrived, thus living in some local tavern... a long way from home, but Oppara is a port city so a ship would have dropped him off there.

3. How does your character make a living?

Either by the strength of his sword-arm or employing his prophetic gifts in the form of Profession: Fortune-telling.

Also, it would seem the Emperor employs a group of Ulfen for his personal bodyguard, so having a tall, blonde savage in one's employ might be used as a social playing piece.

4. What will your character contribute to the party in and out of battle?

In combat, Thrym would be a kind of a divine gish - melee combatant with access to divine buffs and the mystery abilities.

Outside of combat, he'd have his divine spellcasting and access to all knowledge and some interpersonal skills to choose from. Being a shaman, a shoulderman trained, Thrym's magic would be on the rough end of the scale, themed around life and death, blood and fire, rituals and sacrifices... not that I expect that to have any sort of game impact, but makes for a fun RP tool for me.

5. Mechanically where do you foresee your character going in the future?If you don't have a plan, that's ok, too!

Oracle with a splash of Fighter, going for heavy armor and a big weapon, down the power attack tree most likely, with some passive buffs like Cornugon Smash thrown in (I just love giving small utility bonus to basic attacks).

6. (Optional) What is your character's backstory?

Thrym Thyrsson was born in the far north 23 years ago, to the proud people of Ulfen. Raiders and warriors by trade, the clan Froyr was well placed in the people's ever-shifting hierarchy, and Thrym himself was doubly blessed, as the clan's shouldermen discovered him as one beloved by the spirits at an early age. Thus, he was selected to join the ranks of the clan shamans as an oracle - a well-respected role, as while priests could be trained, an oracle could only be born into his power.

As an oracle and shoulderman, Thrym was to one day wield great power as an adviser to clan chieftains and elders, safe from clan feuds and wars as none wished to anger the ancestral spirits by slaying the interpreter of their will in the mortal realm. One day, ancestors willing, he would stand rival to the clan warlord in power, and perhaps even that didn't need to be the end to his ambition...

Still, his childhood was much like that of other children; he learned to bear arms and hunt, sailed on ships as deckhand, got into fights and up to no good, was punished, only to rise again, wiser from the beating. Then, at the age of 16 when his training as shoulderman almost complete, his father announced Thrym's impending marriage; using Thrym's future social station as a lure, his family had managed to arrange a very prospective marriage agreement with a higher-placed family's leader's only daughter, Valka.

Thrym was pleased with these news; he had grown to well understand the position of power he was being groomed into, and an arranged marriage to such an important family further increased his own prestige and that of his own family. Also, Valka was most fair a maiden, beautiful as well as well-mannered, and even though there was no love between them, there was the kind of respect and understanding that had a good chance of eventually blossoming into genuine feelings. And that was as well and in fact better than many arranged matches offered.

A week before the day of marriage, Thrym's dreams were shattered.

Thrym had caught another young woman's eye, and she was not one to lose without a fight, as she also understood the position of power Thrym would grow, and the power that position in turn offered to his wife. Opting for a direct assault, the young little vixen called Alfsigr stole into his bed one night.

Thrym, drunk of lust didn't question his own good luck and proved a willing host to the late-night visitor.

The next morning, however, the two were caught, still in bed, by Valka's brother. Furious, the brother demanded blood to settle the score, and despite all duels had been forbidden by the elders decree during the harvest festivals, the two hot-headed youths along with witnesses from both families headed into the wilderness, to match blades beyond the elders' reach.

The duel, intended for first blood only, ended before it properly began. Thrym opted for a probing thrust while the angry brother decided on a feint. But his feet slipped on a loose stone, and he fell forward heavily into Thrym, burying Thrym's knife deep in his guts. Horrified, there was nothing the youngsters could do but watch one of them die a painful death, slow but not so slow that help from the village could have a chance to arrive in time.

Thrym knew then he was doomed.

The clan elders had no choice but to judge him harshly, no matter the loss of an once-in-a-generation Oracle to the clan. Death could have been called for, but the elders settled on the shorning of the name and imposing exile on Thrym. With nothing more than his weapons and armor, and the clothes on his back, he was banished from the clan, never to return, on pain of death. His dreams crushed, burdened by shame and loss, Thrym left the Ulfen lands, heading south, feeling like a dead man walking. A bright future turned to ashes, all because of the wily ways of women, the fickle fate and his own adolescent weakness of will.

Since then, he has made his home in the world, wandering as the fates took him, never settling for long in one place. Working as a guard-for-hire and a healer, as well as making the most of his prophetic gifts, Thrym made a good enough living, if he could find it in himself to appreciate life among the weak Southerners. A good judge of men, Thrym quickly learned to tell when someone sought him out for true visions of the future and when one merely
looked for a good show; ironically, it was often the latter sort who were more generous with their money, and even as it shamed him to accept gold for such a service, accept it he did.

The firstborn of Philippe and Marie Michèle of Galt, who bore thirteen daughters.

Lived as a ward of her cousin Araine Maret of Taldor and his wife Elise from the ages of thirteen to nineteen.

Married to Alram of the noble house Aurelius at nineteen years of age; Alram died two years later, shortly after the birth of his first and only male heir.

Bore one son, Michel Aurelius, at twenty and one years of age.

The oldest of thirteen girls, Photinè was born and raised by shopkeepers in Isarn. She began displaying a natural talent for magic at a young age, and at thirteen (long before the births of her youngest sisters), she was sent to live as a ward of her cousin and his wife in northern Taldor; they were not nobles, but Maret was a certainly wealthy up-and-coming wizard. They had no children of their own, and offered her a comfortable life, as well as instruction in both magic and the finer points of courtly behavior and etiquette.

She met her husband when she was eighteen; a soft-spoken nobleman of the house Aurelius who owned land in northeastern Taldor, on which crops grew with abundance; much of his fortune came from the sale of wine distilled from his grapes, as well as the trade of olives, figs, dates.

Alram Aurelius greatly admired the young woman. He was much older, and Photinè never loved him, but he was kind, intelligent, and offered her a prosperous position; she grew very fond of him over the next year, accepting his offer of marriage when she was nineteen. They were happy, for a time;

He died suddenly, shortly after the birth of their first and only child; a boy they called Michel, after his mother’s maiden name.

Although she could not take the title or legal authority, Photinè took on the management of her husband’s estates and affairs until the only Aurelius heir came of age; by that time, she was thirty-nine, and has filled the three years since with near constant travel and festivities. She stays most often in the Aurelius' summer house in Oppara, using it as both a private haven and a place to throw lavish parties.

The fire and blood of Galt, tempered with the cool grace of Taldor.

When she was young, Photinè was used to having everything provided for her: first by her parents, her relatives, and then by her husband; she developed quite a taste for the finer things in life, and could perhaps be described as ‘spoiled’, but she was also bright and beautiful, so came across as charming.

She was naturally skilled, both magically and socially, and glided through life with relative ease; studying when she felt like it, attending every party and celebration, flirting with whoever she wanted.

After her husband died, leaving her alone with an infant son and his estate, she was adrift for the first time in her life; but she was as stubborn and prideful as she was clever, and determined to keep his affairs in perfect order until such time that her son was of an age to take them over.

It was hard, uphill work, certainly, but in time, she found she was rather competent at it. It brought her fulfillment in a way that nothing else ever had:

Managing and providing for the house and the landworkers, keeping the books, representing the interests of the House Aurelius and the trade of their resources, practicing careful diplomacy at the meetings and parties where she used to simply drink herself into oblivion and wake up in someone else’s bed. (Now when she wakes up in someone else’s bed it’s a carefully calculated power move.)

At the same time, Photinè brought up her son, Michel. He was a good boy: quiet and sensitive like his father, quick and clever like his mother, and the two of them were very close. From the time he could speak in full sentences, she included him in as many of his House’s affairs as was appropriate, teaching him what he needed to know through immersion and experience. This was supplemented with tutoring in writing, reading, history, athletics, and etiquette.

This could not last forever, of course; when Michel reached his eighteenth year, he was more than ready to inherit his father’s estates. He took over the affairs with swiftness and ease, assuring his mother that she could rest easily now, for she would always be provided for; it was his turn to care for her.

Suddenly, Photinè was a teenager again; everything she could want was provided for her; she had the freedom to travel whenever, wherever she wanted; she could flirt, drink, attend raucous festivities; she had time to study magic again. And she threw herself into all those things with vigor, hoping they would somehow offer the same sense of purpose she had grown accustomed to over the last eighteen years.

It is there that she is today, gliding through life like she did when she was young; but it feels different now. Her success in holding the House Aurelius together, perhaps even improving it’s name, seems to be forgotten now that a man stands at it’s head. Her son cares for her deeply, but now has the busy life of a young noble. She hides her feelings well, but she is lonely, and feels purposeless.

Her emotions run deep, but years of practiced diplomacy have taught her to never reveal them.

Photinè is decidedly against Taldor’s law of primogeniture; she managed her husband’s House for nearly two decades, with great success, but received none of the credit for it.

She is disillusioned by Taldor’s staunch refusal to move forward. She considers herself Taldan, having lived and worked here most of her life, but her Galtian roots shaped some of her views on society; she has a hard time understanding why people are so resistant to change, but feels powerless to do anything about it, and so often acts as if she doesn’t care.

Although she is naturally skilled in magic, it is only within the last several years that she has begun actively studying it. During her teen years, she felt she didn’t need to, relying instead on her raw talent; after that, she was simply too busy managing her husband’s House to have much time to devote to anything else. She began studying tarot and other occult magic mostly because they make fashionable and diverting displays at parties, but has since found she does have actual interest in them.

Female Human Arcanist (Tarot Student) 1

N Medium Humanoid

Speed: 30 ft.

Init: +5 Perc: +5

Defense ;

HP 6/6
AC 11
Fort: +0 Ref: +1 Will: +3

Offense ;

Spellcasting +4
Spring Blade 1d4

Statistics ;

Str 10 (+0) ; Dex 12 (+1) ; Con 11 (+0) ; Int 18 (+4) ; Wis 12 (+1) ; Cha 14 (+2)

Skills ;

Bluff (1) +7
Diplomacy (1) +10
Intimidate (1) +9
Kn. Arcana (1) +8
Kn. Local (1) +8
Perception (1) +5
Sense Motive (1) +5

Appraise (1) +9
Kn. Nobility (1) +9

Occult Skill unlocks ;

Hypnotism
Phrenology
Prognostication
Psychometry
Read Aura

Features ;

Arcane Reservoir (Su)
Arcanist Exploits
Psychic Reader (Ex)
Tarot Reservoir (Ex)
Divine the Mysteries (Ex) (5th Level)
Trump Card (Su) (9th Level)
Greater Exploits (11th Level)
Magical Supremacy (Su) (20th Level)

Feats ;

Psychic Sensitivity: You gain access to occult skill unlocks for any skills in which you have ranks. If you have no ranks in the appropriate skill, you can’t use the occult skill unlock, even if that skill can be used untrained.

Improved Initiative: Your quick reflexes allow you to react rapidly to danger. You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

Skill Focus (Diplomacy): You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.

Traits ;

Child of Oppara: Your family keeps a small manor in Aroden’s View or Senate’s Hill. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Knowledge (nobility) checks, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you. In addition, you start play with a noble’s outfit, a signet ring, and a single additional nonmagical item worth no more than 200 gp.

Extremely Fashionable (Bluff): Whenever you are wearing clothing and/or jewelry worth at least 150 gp (and not otherwise covered in gore, sewage, or other things that mar your overall look), you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks. One of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you.

Bruising Intellect: Intimidate is always a class skill for you, and you may use your Intelligence modifier when making Intimidate checks instead of your Charisma modifier.

Drawback: Hedonistic. You are a creature of pleasure and comfort. Whenever you spend a day without gaining reward or treasure (at least 10 or more gold pieces) or spending an hour on entertainment or pleasure, attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save at the end of that day. If you fail, you begin the next day fatigued. This fatigue lasts 4 hours, or until you receive a reward or sufficient entertainment or pleasure.

Spellcasting ;
Arcane Reservoir: 3/3

0 Level Spell slots: ∞
Prepared (4):

1 Level Spell slots: 3/3
Prepared (3):

Spellbook ;

0 Level Spells: All
1 Level Spells: 7
Charm Person
Magic Missile
Hypnotism
Aphasia
Negative Reaction
Sleep
Polypurpose Panacea

Languages ;

Common

Equipment ;

Noble’s Oufit
Signet Ring
Jewelry (100gp)
Spring Blade

As a student, Pendleton would have been content to go through life as a simple trade lawyer. He was personable enough to be able to negotiate agreements between two disagreeable parties, and though the minutia of his work would generally be considered uninteresting by most, he both enjoyed and excelled at it. However, fate, or someone else had him marked for more. One night, when he had been studying late into the night, he was roused from his writing by a sharp tapping at his window. Opening the shutters, he discovered a thrush, who fluttered in and took up position upon his desk. There was... communication of a sort. A small gift of power, and the knowledge that this gift could be nurtured and trained into something greater.
Intrigued, Pendleton accepted, and since that night the thrush (named Perkins) has been his companion. His surreptitious research into his new magical abilities soon identified them as witchcraft (rather than the wizardry or sorcery he suspected). Aware of the poor reputation witchcraft has in Taldor, he avoided any lengthy discussions about his powers, instead using them sparingly and passing them off as minor tricks. That's not to say he hasn't made good use of them - the occasional spot of luck at the correct time has meant his career thus far has been fairly successful.