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In the kingdom of Talingarde, many crimes may send you to Branderscar Prison, but the sentence has but one meaning. You are wicked and irredeemable. Each of you received the same greeting when you arrived. You were held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with a runic F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’ and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the great and eternal love of Mitra and his chosen mortal vassals.
Condemned, you face at best a life of shackles and servitude in the nearby salt mines. Others might await the “gentle” ministrations of the inquisitors so that co-conspirators may be revealed and confessions extracted. Perhaps, some of you will be spared this ordeal. Perhaps instead you have come to Branderscar to face the final judgment. In three days, the executioner arrives and the axe falls or the pyre will be lit. Through fire or steel, your crimes will be answered.
You have all been chained together in the same communal cell dressed in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. Manhandled and mistreated, any finery you once possessed is either ruined or long lost. No special treatment has been given any prisoner – male or female, commoner or noble – all of the forsaken are bound and imprisoned together. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain. Your arms are secured to the wall above by manacles. A guard is posted right outside the cell day and night. Little thought is given to long term accommodations. At Branderscar, justice comes swift and sure.
Escape seems hopeless. You have all been well searched and every attempt to conceal anything on your person has failed. And if you could somehow slip your bonds and fly out of this prison, where would you go? Who from your former life would want anything to do with the forsaken? Despised, alone and shackled – all that you can do now is await your doom.
For each of you, your old life is over. For each of you, hope is a fading memory. For each of you, justice will be fairly meted. And who can blame fair Talingarde after what each of you has done?
Welcome friends to Way of the Wicked: A Knot of Thorns. This is an AP designed by Fire Mountain Games. In this adventure, you take on the rolls of condemned criminals who, in three days’ time, will be sentenced to your final fate. Your goal? Escape, and revenge upon Talingarde.
Before we get into the details of the campaign, I would like to lay out my expectations. In Way of the Wicked you have the chance to play an unusual sort of character. You will play a burgeoning dark lord -- someone who will rise from imprisonment and destitution to become one of the greatest villains of this age. At first, you will be a minion in service to a sinister plot. But eventually, you will be a minion no longer. You, if you can survive, will become the master.
Here is what I envision from my players: I am looking for a lawful neutral, lawful evil, neutral or neutral evil group of characters with an appreciation for order: This is not the campaign for chaotic evil players looking to betray the other players, loners or freespirited vagabonds. Those campaigns exist in abundance and if they are what you are looking for, perhaps you are in the wrong place. This is a campaign about joining an evil organization with a wicked agenda. Think of the Darth Vaders, Bobba Fetts and Magneto’s. This is what I expect. That said, while you are evil, what I am not looking for is a bunch of rape-and-murder types looking to indulge dark fantasies. I am looking for characters with interesting backstories, who would mesh well together. Characters should be three-dimensional with personality, desires, and flaws. Disagreement between characters should be a natural occurrence based on strongly-held beliefs, although they shouldn't derail the game. Knowledge of the Golarion setting is assumed and should be worked into the character.
Mechanically, this will be point-buy with 25 points. I strongly disfavor stat dumps, especially Charisma, without appropriate story justification. I also disfavor gimmicky characters. Two traits are allowed, and one is required to be from the selection posted below. Considerably more effort should be on the personality, and a character sheet is merely encouraged. Anything legal in Pathfinder Society is allowed. All races are allowed, but I have a bit of a bias towards humans and will likely pick only a few non-humans. I will also post an example of ”The Ten Minute Background”. You are not required to use it during submission, but I have found it is exceptionally useful in creating a character with depth and flavor and I would highly recommend it.
What the players can expect from me: This is my first time as a DM in a pbp, however I have played D&D/Pathfinder for fourteen years. I am active on the boards and I expect my players to be as well. I would like each player to post once a day. I favor longer posts with detail and emphasis on the growth of the characters. (Example 1)(Example 2) I do not use map tools unless absolutely required. I am also travel occasionally, but this has never affected my posting. I will be taking applications until Friday, 2/15/13. I haven't decided how many people I will take. It will be between 4 and 7, depending on the exact needs of the party. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. If you don't have a posting history, I'm still happy to consider you but may ask for a writing sample.
Each character chooses one heinous crime that has earned them a place in Branderscar Prison. Each crime grants a different benefit, similar to a trait. You may have committed many crimes during your lifetime, but this is the crime that finally got you branded and condemned.
This list of twenty crimes is not intended to be comprehensive. Besides simply choosing a crime, you should also consider how the crime was done. Was this a well planned criminal enterprise or a crime of passion? Did you do it alone or did you have accomplices? Was this the first time you did this crime or are you a repeat offender? Answering these questions will help flesh out your character’s background. This has been said before, but it bears repeating. Your character actually perpetrated this crime. You may have done it for what seemed like noble reasons. You may have gotten entangled in this criminal enterprise unwillingly. But there is no doubt that you are guilty. You have not been sentenced to the worse prison in Talingarde unjustly.
Arson: You have willfully started a fire that destroyed property. To be sent to Branderscar, you didn’t start just a minor little trash fire. Your act of arson threatened a major town, city, church or castle and likely cost someone their life. You’ll be punished for your crime by facing the fire yourself.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a fire attack, you receive a +2 fire damage bonus to your damage roll. This bonus is a trait bonus.
Attempted Murder: You tried to kill someone and botched the job. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, you did not try to kill just anyone. You likely assaulted someone of great importance and prominence.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Blasphemy: Either you have defamed the great god Mitra or you have been found guilty of worshipping one of the forbidden deities (who preeminent among them is Asmodeus).
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: +2 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you.
Consorting with the Dark Powers (Witchcraft): You have been found guilty of summoning an evil outsider. Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was, “May Mitra have mercy upon your wretched, damned soul.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (planes) and Knowledge (arcana) checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Desecration: You have violated one of the churchs, cathedrals or holy shrines of the great god Mitra. To be sent to Branderscar this was no minor act of vandalism. Instead you have done something flagrant and spectacular to dishonor the Shining Lord.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against divine spells.
Desertion: You have deserted from the Talirean military and been recaptured. To get sent to Branderscar this was not some minor or routine dereliction of duty. Instead, you abandoned your post during a time of crisis -- perhaps battle or while defending the Watch Wall. Regardless of the exact circumstances, your laziness and cowardness must have caused loss of life.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level that must be spent on the Profession (Soldier) skill. Profession (Soldier) is always a class skill for you.
Dueling unto Death: You have engaged in a duel to the death and mortally wounded an opponent. The opponent was honorable enough to say nothing before he expired. Alas that his family or companions was nowhere near so honorable. Dueling was once common in Talingarde before the House of Darius came to power. The House of Barca all but encouraged duels of honor. Now, dueling of any sort is punished severely. Dueling to the death is a sure way to be sent to Branderscar Prison.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves
Extortion: You have defrauded money from someone by holding information of their wrongdoing over their heads. To end up in Branderscar, this was no minor act of merely threatening to expose someone. Instead you ave attempted extortion against someone of great prominence and for exorbitant stakes.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Forgery: You have forged documents issued either by the crown or by the Church of Mitra. Alas, that your forgery while competent was not entirely undetectable. To be sent to Branderscar, this was no minor finagling of paperwork. This forged document could have cost lives, undermined the reputation of the Church or endangered the security of the realm.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You gain a +3 trait bonus to Linguistics skill checks to commit forgery and Linguistics is always a class skill for you.
Fraud: You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up in Brandescar Prison, this was no petty con job or penny ante racket. Instead, you brazenly tried to defraud someone important of a huge sum of money. And it almost worked too!
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Bluff checks and Bluff is always a class kill for you.
Grave Robbery: It is forbidden by sacred law to dishonor a corpse after it is been sealed in its tomb by a clergy of the Mitran faith. Some may not honor this ban: necromancers, golem crafters, self-styled scientists, and alchemists delving into the forbidden secrets of life and death. These ghouls can expect no mercy from the Talirean Magistrates. And by sending you to Branderscar Prison, you have received none.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to confirm critical hits
Heresy: You have denied the supremacy of Mitra and been condemned for it. For this to be a crime, you were not content to keep your heresy to yourself. You tried to sway others. Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was: “Mitra may forgive you yet for your lies. Talingarde will not.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning.
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against divine spells.
High Theft: You had a foolproof plan to steal some great treasure. Alas, the scheme had a fatal flaw and went horribly awry. To be sent to Branderscar prison, this was no ordinary robbery attempt. You tried to steal something of great value or religious significance.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saves.
High Treason: You have willfully worked to bring down the current Monarch of Talingarde -- the beloved King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. To be successfully tried for High Treason you have done more than merely dislike the king, you did something tangible to undermine his rule. Alas, that you failed at your plot and are now headed to Branderscar Prison. Treason is the only crime that is still punished by the gruesome ritual of being drawn and quartered. Your stay at Branderscar will be brief.
Punishment: Death by drawing and quartering
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Will saves.
Kidnapping: You have abducted someone perhaps to ransom them or do unspeakable things to them. Unfortunately, you were caught and your victim was rescued (if they weren’t rescued -- you would be guilty of murder instead). To be sent to Branderscar Prison, you must have abducted someone of great importance or in a particularly gruesome manner.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm and Grapple attempts.
Murder: You have killed without just cause and been condemned for it. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, this was no typical killing but a particularly savage and unforgiveable act. You may also have killed someone with powerful friends.
Note: You are not allowed to have killed someone in the royal family of Talingarde. You may have tried (his would instead be High Treason -- see above) but ultimately they are too well protected.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You deal 1 additional point of damage when flanking a foe. This additional damage is a trait bonus.
Piracy: You have been caught in the act of piracy on the high seas. This is a rare crime these days since Markadian I called the Victorious burned the last major pirate fleet to threaten these isles. Still the crime is punished harshly. Likely you are the sole survivor of your ship.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You may select either Bluff or Intimidate. The selected skill receives a +2 trait bonus and is always a class skill for you.
Sedition: You have attempted to covertly stir up rebellion against your rightful sovereign. This differs from high treason in that you attempted to convince others to make war against Talingarde instead of taking direct action yourself. A subtle difference to be sure. But it is the difference between receiving the swift justice of the axe instead of the slow suffering upon the rack.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Bluff checks and Bluff is always a class skill for you. Further if you ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +1 trait bonus to your Leadership score.
Slave-Taking: Slavery is illegal in Talingarde and a very rare crime. Still, once in a great while, slavers from the mainland will foolishly make an incursion into Talirean protected territories. When they are captured alive they are always made an example of.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm and Grapple attempts.
Slave Trading: Slavery is legal in other parts of the world and it can be tempting to the most decadent of Talingarde’s nobility to acquire a “souvenir” when traveling abroad or to purchase the object of their desire from a less reputable merchant. However you ended up trading slaves in Talingarde, you were caught red handed and now you will lose more than simply your freedom.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level that must be spent on the Appraise skill. The Appraise skill is always a class skill for you.
This is an example of a past submission I did for a skull and shackles campaign and I think it's an excellent example of a "Ten Minute Background". While it’s not required to be as long, I appreciate a lot of plot hooks and room for growth as a character. Just because you’re evil doesn’t mean your one dimensional.
Five background and concept elements important to John Rawkins.
1) John Rawkins is a sailor who was recently discharged from the Andoran Navy due to a terrible injury. Six months ago his ship the Righteous Eagle was led into a trap by the notorious Shackles vessel Carrion's Maw. During the ensuring battle, Petty Officer Rawkins was part of a boarding party, that along with First Lieutenant Steele was lured aboard the Carrion's Maw. Once on board, the trap was revealed and the boarders were surrounded by a full company of mercenaries. Outmatched and cut off from the Righteous Eagle Petty Officer Rawkins was left behind while the Righteous Eagle was forced to retreat, or risk being sunk. During the battle, John took a spear to the side, falling overboard. As he floated in the water, his blood slowly seeped out into the sea, and he was viciously attacked by a jigsaw shark. By the time he was recovered and his mates got him onto the surgeon’s table, there was nothing that could be done. In a haze of ether John felt the dull pain of the surgeon’s saw and the heat of the soldering iron. When he awoke two days later, his left leg was gone from just below the knee, and in its place was a crudely fitted cap. In remembrance of his lost friend's and ruined leg, John wears a Jigsaw Shark's tooth on a throng around his neck. It is the very same tooth that that the surgeon dug out of his leg following the battle.
2) John was outgoing and friendly, but since losing his leg and being discharged he has turned to heavy drinking. He rarely shaves and his once short hair has begun to grow out into a tangled mess. He is a man that is teetering on the edge of self-ruin.
3) Prior discharged, John had acquitted himself in several boarding and begun to earn a reputation is a solid and reliable leader.
4) Although he would never admit it, ever since the shark attack John is secretly afraid of the ocean. He’s a fine swimmer, but there’s something about not being able to see what is under the water that scares him.
5) Like most Andoran’s John hates slavery. He remembers how, as a private he took part in the boarding action of the Katapesh Slave Galley Taskmasters Pride. He will never forget seeing the whipped and chained slaves, emaciated and lashed to the oars and it sickened him beyond words. If given the opportunity to hurt a slaver he would likely do so.
Two goals that are important to John.
1) I would like to see John build upon his Andoran leanings. The navy may have forsaken John but he hasn’t forsaken the ideals they represented. I think that it would be cool to see John eventually become a "Steel Falcon" PrC. Long term I think it would be great to develop this “Arc” as John earns the attention of the Eagle Knight’s and then somehow is given a secret commission to continue to do the work of Andoran within the Shackles.
2) ”I’ll find the shark that took my leg!.
Two secrets about John, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) John is married and has a three year old daughter. In the weeks following the release of the slaves aboard Taskmasters Pride John fell in love with one of the released concubines. Though it is extremely frowned upon within Andoran for a liberator to become romantically involved with the liberated slave, he couldn’t help but love her. It was for this reason that he is currently traveling to Eledar. Though he hates Cheliax and their puppet states for their continuing support of slavery, he was recently offered a job to help build ships for the Sargava navy.It kills him inside to work against the ideals that he believes in, but he sees few options and he has a family to provide for.
2) Prior to his discharge John had done more than just earn a reputation is a solid and reliable leader. In fact his Captain was a member of the Eagle Knights and had taken notice of him for a possible candidacy into the order. However with the loss of his leg and subsequent drinking and discharge Captain Havershaw rescinded his decision. Yet despite his better judgment Lord Havershaw still keeps track of John from time to time.
Four people that are tied to John, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1) Alima Rawkins: Former pleasure slave aboard the Taskmasters Pride and wife of John Rawkins. Alima is Osirion in descent with dusky skin and black hair. She currently lives in the Andoran fishing village of Souston where she raises her and John’s daughter, Farah.
2) Lord Cornelius Havershaw: Ageing captain of the Righteous Eagle. Cornelius is also an Eagle Knight from the order of the Steel Falcon and has taken note of John. Cornelius is quickly approaching retirement and knows that the Claw will be his last command. He is fond of playing the violin and drinking good brandy. It was under his tutelage that Petty Officer Rawkins first learned the principles of leadership.
3) First Lieutenant Iakob Steele: Boarding Officer for the Righteous Eagle. Iakob grew up in the same town as John, Souston, and joined the Andoran Navy several years ahead of him. John later met, and came to work for First Lieutenant Steele upon his assignment to the Righteous Eagle, it was during that time that a friendship came to develop between the two. First Lieutenant Steele was presumably lost at sea following the ruinous battle between the Righteous Eagle and Carron's Maw.
4) Captain Typhus Scalp-Taker: Captain of the Carron's Maw, slaver, pirate and reputed member of the Pirate Council. It was Scalp-Taker who was responsible John going overboard during the battle with the Righteous Eagle. During the battle the pirate lord hurled the spear that drove John over a gunwale and into the sea, but not before John was able to land a lucky strike that sliced off the pirates left ear. Since that day Typhus has never forgotten the slight done to him by the Andorian sailor and would be quick to meet vengeance upon him should their paths meet again.
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks John possess.
1)John keeps a moleskin journal within his Sea bag. During free time he writes letters home to his wife and daughter. He misses them terribly and will never forget the day that he set sail to Eledar, and the last kiss he gave Alima. He uses a lock of her hair as a bookmark for his journal.
2) As a remnant of his service in the Andoran Navy, John managed to keep his duty issue cutlass and he carries the cutlass with him at all times. When distracted he tends to keep one hand on the pommel of the blade and will mindlessly run his thumb over the end cap in a clockwise motion.
3) John has a hard time sleeping on land. From his years at sea, the sailor has grown more accustomed to the cradle of the sea, then the stone of the shore. Even on land John prefers to sleep in a hammock, much to the displeasure of Alima.
Way of the Wicked is a campaign that is set on the island nation of Talingard. I plan to set this AP in Golarion, in what is the current location of Hermea. Golarion lore and setting specific events will play minor roles and players should feel free to include references to Golarion in your character. The god Mitra will be considered a minor god, much like Milani.
Ability Scores: Ability Scores will be a 25 point buy.
Races: All races are allowed, but I have a bit of a bias towards humans and will likely pick only a few non-humans.
Classes: All classes from the PHB, APG, UC and UM are allowed, as well as all Archetypes. However if you plan to play something extremely unusual such as a Ninja or Samurai, an amazing backstory should be presented.
All classes are permitted except the Paladin. Paladins do not walk the Way of the Wicked. A few classes require some special consideration below.
• The Anti-paladin from the Advanced Player’s Guide is well suited themetically for this campaign. Alas, the class requires a chaotic evil alignment which is not permitted. Thus “The anti-paladin may be of any evil alignment”. Further, the anti-paladin may have cohorts, followers and henchmen who are of any evil alignment instead of the usual “chaotic evil” requirement. Also, a lawful evil anti-paladin may not use their fiendish boon to add the ‘anarchic’ property to a weapon. Instead, they may add the ‘axiomatic’ property.
• Assassins are a great choice for this campaign. Subtle killing can potentially be useful again and again. Yes, this is a prestige class not a core class. But it’s a great prestige class to be working towards at level one.
• Barbarians can be a good choice, but since chaotic alignments are not allowed (see below), neutral evil or neutral are the only two possible alignment choices. Barbarians have the challenge of coming up with a good reason why a class as chaotic and rebellious as this one would cooperate with a group of lawful evil followers of Asmodeus. Perhaps a cleric of Asmodeus (another PC?) saved your life and now you owe that priest your service.
• Cavaliers are a fine choice for a PC but must be careful about their Order selection. Orders that defend the common folk (The Order of the Shield) or pledge allegiance to the king of Talingarde (The Order of the Lion) are probably not appropriate. Self-serving orders (for example the Order of the Cockatrice) are very appropriate
indeed.
• Clerics and inquisitors are allowed but must worship a god who approves of the villainous path ahead of you. Worshipping the lawful evil god Asmodeus is strongly encouraged but not required.
• Druids are permitted though neutral good druids are not. Evil druids are a perfectly valid choice but you must decide why such a character would ever join an organization that honors a lawful evil god.
• Gunslingers are permitted but this adventure path assumes by default that firearms are emerging. If you want to play a gunslinger, be prepared for a rough path ahead of you.
• Monks may not be lawful good and are recommended to be lawful evil. A lawful neutral monk is technically allowed but would be a difficult choice. Why would such a law abiding character seek to destroy Talingarde?
• Ninja and Samurai are permitted but you must explain how your villainous ninja or samurai ended up in the western nation of Talingarde.
• Rangers will find that Humanoid (Human) and Outsider (Good) are solid choices for their favored enemy.
• Sorcerers of any bloodline are permitted. Infernal blooded sorcerers are a particularly good choice.
Skills: Each character will receive two additional Skill Points at each level. Villains should more competent than the average man.
Feats: No change.
Equipment: The characters begin with nothing. They have no money, no weapons or armor, no gear, no animal companions of any sort and no material possessions besides tattered, dirty prison clothes. Equipment will be acquired in game.
• Alchemists begin without their formulae book, extracts, bombs or mutagens. They must have access to an alchemical lab or chemicals to have any of these abilities restored.
• Bards begin without their instruments.
• Cavaliers have lost their mount. Presumably their mount was slain or given to another during their capture. It can be presumed that their week of mourning is already in the past.
• Clerics begin having chosen all their spells for the day. They do not have their holy symbol or any material components however.
• Druids also begin having chosen all their spells for the day. They do not, however, have their animal companion with them. Presumably such a companion was slain during their capture or escaped and awaits them outside. Regardless, such beasts would never be allowed inside the prison. Only if they escape from Branderscar prison will they have a chance to reunite with their companion or conduct the ceremony to acquire another.
• Inquisitors and Oracles lack their holy symbol if they need one.
• Summoners begin the game with their Eidolon unsummoned. They begin the game shackled so they are unable to perform the necessary ritual until they are free.
• Witches, Wizards and Magi do not have their spell books, material components, familiars or bonded objects. They do however begin with a full selection of memorized spells from before their incarceration.
HP: Max to start. At each level you roll for hit points, however see Villain Points
Villain Points: All PCs start with 1 Villain point and gain 1 Villain Point each time they level up. The maximum number of Villain Points a PC can have at a time is 3. Hero Point feats and spells are allowed.
You can use 1 Villain Point to do any of the following actions. You can only use 1 Villain Point per turn for these actions.
1. Gain an extra standard action during your turn.
2. Gain a +8 bonus to a d20 roll if spent before or a +4 bonus if spent after. This can also be used to effectively increase the DC of a spell by lowering a single target's saving throw in the same manner.
3. Ready an action at any time. (Must be done before a post is made; no retcons.)
4. Regain a spell or use of a limited special ability.
5. Reroll a d20.
6. Reroll for HP at a new level.
You can use 2 Villain Points to do the following, regardless of if you have used a Villain Point this turn.
7. Survive a fatal attack at -10, unconscious, and stable.(2 points)
Finishing Details: As normal except that good and chaotic alignments are not allowed. Every character must be lawful neutral, lawful evil, neutral or neutral evil. Of those four alignments, lawful evil is definitely the preferred choice.
Further, every character must choose a crime that landed in them in Branderscar. They were not wrongly imprisoned -- they are guilty of their charge.
There is a further requirement and it is something of an intangible quality. At some point in this adventure path every character is going to have the chance to join an evil organization and swear allegiance to the master of that organization and its patron – the lawful evil god Asmodeus. The adventure path assumes you say yes to this chance. Therefore, you should make a character who can say yes.
Talingarde is the most virtuous, peaceful, noble nation in the Golarion today. This land is ruled by King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. He has only one heir – the beautiful princess Bellinda. This benevolent monarchy is heavily intertwined with the Church of Mitra, the Shining Lord. You are from Talingarde. This is your home. You have lived here your entire life. And if they gave you half a chance, you would have your revenge on all of them.
Mitra, the so-called Shining Lord, is the god of the sun, bravery, honor, justice, charity and other such pusillanimous rubbish. The Church of Mitra is the preeminent religion of Talingarde these days. The Knights of the Alerion, the elite warriors of Talingarde, are a Mitran order. The monks of St. Macarius, who travel the land healing the sick and the helping the needy, are also a Mitran order. The House of Darius, the royal family of Talingarde, are devout followers of Mitra.
It wasn’t always this way. Before the Darians took over, Talingarde worshiped an entire pantheon of deities and held strong ties to the nation of Cheliax. Preeminent among those deities was Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, Lord of Ambition and Order. Now it is forbidden to worship Asmodeus. To do so is to be condemned. The Mitrans destroyed all the Asmodean temples and burned his books and priests. There are no followers of Asmodeus anymore in Talingarde – at least none you know of. Devout Mitrans will not say the name Asmodeus. He is simply “The Fallen” or “The Enemy”.
You know I am in! I play Welby and Rorgrim in two games with you and I love the way you RP!!! I will work on a character in the next day or so! Cheers!
Sounds interesting. I'll whip something up in the next few days; probably magus, inquisitor, druid, or witch, as those are the classes I haven't played at all or in a while that interest me, but not absolutely certain.
Agreed with Jman72. I love reading Nadja's posts as DM.
Excellent set up. I'll see if I can draft a character for later. I'm thinking a lawful evil monk.
Hey Celeador. In spite of him being a non-human and dumping Charisma, I hope you'll like Steinki and I think you'll find both make sense considering his background. He did manage to get his shackles off once before, but didn't make it far enough for any major spoilers (which I would keep from him anyway).
Going out on a limb here-
I'd like to play an Imp summoned by Cardinal Thorn to act as a sort of guide to the party. When they get the handkerchief, in addition to the other items that are on it, there's also an tiny embroidered devil. When they pick the embroidery free, I pop out of stasis and start giving them a hard time.
Imps are CR 2 creatures, which might give the group an unfair advantage at the start. If you'd like I could apply the Young template to reduce myself to their level, "gaining strength" when they level up.
Another option would be to play him as a non-combatant. He's a devil under contract, so he follows his orders to the letter, helping them out of Branderscar, but not ever sticking his neck out to help them other than to act as a scout and a guide, at least at first.
Another idea would be for him to form a partnership with Grumblejack, directing the ogre around and generally acting like an evil version of This cartoon.
Future plans for the character could be to allow him to start taking class levels when the party reaches 3rd level, or to have him "evolve" into higher CR demons.
What do you think?
I'm going to have to give you a no-go on that one. I like the creativity, but I would feel very uncomfortable brining in a monster as a PC, but feel free to apply using the guidelines I laid out in my intro thread.
Have the basic idea down for an neutral evil half elf inquisitor. Will get backstory and other relevant info up in the morning when I have to type it up while awake.
May I ask what the twenty crimes are? The list seems to be missing.
I am really looking forward to this one - I have played an evil character only once, and I must say it has been a memorable experience, and one of the characters my group still talks about :D
I will try to have a submission up during the day today.
Here's my background will adjust stats etc soon
Background
The son of a famously popular prostitute, when Slevin was born with eyes as black as the deepest midnight with irises of an almost luminescent purple, it was simply assumed that the client that had gotten his mother pregnant had had some fiendish heritage, a reasonable explanation for why the potion the girls all took to avoid that had failed.
The fact that Slevin grew up in a brothel was not particularly unpleasant for him, in fact he was well cared for, his mother being the extremely talented top earner, he was liked by everyone, a thoughtful, deep boy whose rare smiles added light to any room.
That all ended the night an over aggressive noble's son with a penchant for sadism came to the brothel while Slevin was running errands for the madam. The crowd of the girls sobbing outside told him something was wrong, the sight of his mother's body on the floor of the room was his first true lesson in loss, one that left him with a cold dark pit in his heart. The emptiness he felt was a cold darkness that threatened to swallow the boy. overwhelming his every emotion.
When word came a week later that the killer had been caught, the boy found his way into the crowd that had assembled to witness the noble, given up by his disgusted parents, taken to stand trial for his crimes.
The monster growing inside young Slevin spoke then, a whisper, yet one that could not be ignored. In a burst of speed, the boy dashed forward, drawing a knife from the belt of a shocked constable and lunging forward to sink the blade hilt deep in the murderer's heart with an accuracy that seemed to have an almost divine guidance. In that moment, looking into the eyes of his mother's killer as the light left them, Sleven experienced a distortion of time and space.
He stood in the infinite blackness of night, the twinkling of an infinitessimal number of stars creating a perpetual twilight in which he found himself lost and alone, the vast emptiness threatening to swallow him like the emptiness in his heart. And then she was there, darkly beautiful yet horrible, cold and terrifying yet comforting, she stood before him draped in silence and shadow the perfect meld of beautiful woman and terrifying monster, body ripe with pregnancy and the promise of impending destruction. She approached him, silent and powerful, locking eyes with him and in that moment he saw that she would be there, always in the darkness, a cold embrace rather than a warm one.
Then he was being pulled away by a guard, the body of his mother's killer at his feet. None who had seen the brutality of his mother's death could hold him responsible, and the constable was spared the difficulty of deciding the boy's fate when a priest of Mitra offered to take the boy on in order to guide him along the right path.
The priest in fact only paid lipservice to Mitra, being a member of a secretive cell of the followers of Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters. He had seen the boy's eyes and was determined to lead the boy on the path to Shar's true purpose.
Over the years Slevin developed into an exceptional assassin, his every kill a dedication to Lamashtu in which he gained an opportunity to spend a moment with his surrogate mother, he became her favored monster who waled as a man. Gifted with incredible ability by his goddess, his kills were all but untraceable, until the day his mark, an elderly powerful merchant, targeted for his strangle hold on numerous royal contracts, turned out to be the father of a noted Paladin warrior. With the aid of the church, the grieving son was able to track Slevin down through the use of high power scrying spells, taking him into custody, while losing a dozen men in the process, determined that he would stand trial for his crimes.
Sticking a post here so I can easily find it again later. Very interested, but lack a character concept and so will do some brainstorming and then get back.
I'm seeing some good stuff here already. I'll be doing a set of follow up questions and initial notes tomorrow afternoon. What I want to stress is that character depth, backstory and plot-hooks are going to be the deciding factor for me. As I stated before:
"I am looking for characters with interesting backstories, who would mesh well together. Characters should be three-dimensional with personality, desires, and flaws."
That said, have a couple of links that have some good idea's concerning what makes a "villain" "Favorite Type of Villain" and "The Anti-Villain"
On the topic of tropes, I will be looking for is someone to be the strong personality who can step up to be the "leader" of this enterprise. It would have to be a strong writer with no problem taking charge. Also, when your writing your character, tell me a little bit about the "role" you envision for your villain. Are you the spy or infiltrator, worming your way past the defenses? Or are you the false face? Quick with a smile and quicker with a dagger? Perhaps you are the inheritor of the dark power of Asmodeus? A twisted anti-paladin of the Lord of the Fallen, armored in plate of the darkest night, ruthless and unforgiving? Or a Witch who has promised up her soul for powers from beyond the mortal realm.
What I am saying guys is have fun and take the chance to showcase your character. I look forward to reading all of your submissions.
I was thinking of a human bladebound kensai magus. He would start out Neutral, but probably move closer and closer to Evil through a combination of his own ambition and his black blade's whispers urging him to gain more and more power.
As far as his crime is concerned, something that could be tied to his acquisition of the katana that would eventually become his black blade, the sword's emerging influence already at play, even if it would only be on a more subconscious level at this point.
I like the direction your going, and think that an evil Black Blade is a very iconic idea. The crimes are mentioned in my "Crimes of the Forsaken" of the forsaken tab, you get two traits. One background and one crime trait. I also like that you have a plan for how you want your character to develop. Keep at it.
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Hello, I'ed like to be a part of this game. I have created a Sylph Sky Druid named Inam Darkskye. She's basically one of the Anti-Civilization style druids much like the Shadow Druids of Faerun. She despises the actions of Talingarde to destroy the natural order of things through their civilization.
History: Inam's birth 80 years prior is one of strange circumstance. Near the village of Morgan, a local wizard began tapping into the power of the elemental planes. Unfortunately, due to a magical mishap the wards were breached allowing some elemental creatures to run wild throughout the village. While the rift was eventually sealed one of the Air Spirits mated with a local woman during the chaos. The child would be named Auria by her mother.
It soon became apparent that Auria was no normal child. She aged more slowly than her peers and had an odd skin tone, hair color and eye color. Indeed the child was an ill omen and the village treated her poorly, despite the love her mother gave her. She was still a young girl by the time she outlived her mother. Auria now an orphan received even worse treatment from the village. Eventually Auria bitter of her treatment, left to make a way of life in the wilds.
In the wilds she abandoned her old name, taking the Aurian name of Inam Darkskye instead. She soon found she had an innate bond with the wilderness and drew upon the power of the sky and the land, becoming a protector. She would be happier in the wilderness than among the village where she left but still bore a deep seeded hatred for those who treated her so poorly in her youth. She also shunned the Talingarde nation for its crimes against nature, but was content to do her duty as a druid and pay vigil over her chosen region of influence, violently if the need called for it. This would not last however.
As decades passed, the village expanded its size and influence and with a larger population there was a demand for more resources. Eventually the logging and mining reached the lands Inam claimed as her charge. She recognized the people as decedents of those who cast her out and was furious at their audacity to encroach on her lands. And her wrath was fierce as she unleashed lighting and nature on the laborers, killing many. The authorities reacted quickly to this act and were able to capture Inam alive. She was put on trial and was convicted of mass murder for Talingarde claimed the lands as part of its kingdom. Thus Inam was condemned to the block and sent to Branderscar to await her final judgement. As for her lands, the logging and mining operations would continue, leaving Inam seething with rage.
Here is my sheet link:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=515213
Dotting for leader. I will give it some thought.
Here are the beginnings of my submission - a (slightly) mad oracle of the Dark Tapestry.
I've all but finished the crunch, and will do my best to flesh out the background and plot hooks shortly.
Here is Aaron Broodmark, half-elf inquisitor with a major chip on his shoulder. Hope you enjoy the back story; it was fun to create.
Male Half-Elf (Human-Raised) Inquisitor 1
NE Medium Humanoid (elf, human)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3
Aaron and his twin brother, Bannard, were orphaned at a young age when their human mother, who had been raising them died. They were sent to an orphanage run by some clergy of Mitra, where they had a hard life; being half-elf, the other children tended to give them a hard time. The two twins each responded in a different manner, though it would take many, many years for these differences to become apparent. Bannard believed the path to acceptance was the easiest and earnestly started studying the ways of Mitra; Aaron, on the other hand, rejected that solution out of hand, and though he appeared to accept his fate on the surface, his disillusionment and hatred of Mitra grew from an early age. This was strengthened when they reached young adulthood, and Bannard started suffering from some unknown disease that would slowly sap his strength away for half a decade before finally finishing him off. Bannard used it as a reason to become even more devout, but Aaron became more and more hateful of the church he increasingly saw as useless, manipulative and hypocritical. His response was to become as two faced as he saw the church of Mitra, learning how to bluff his way through life so that no one, save perhaps his brother, knew how he actually felt.
When his brother finally died, he was sent to a smaller orphanage where his elders hoped the change of scenery would help him recover faster, and while it did change his life, it was not in the way that his elders intended, for it turned out the priest who ran that particular orphanage was a secret worshipper of Asmodeus, and this priest, one of the few capable of seeing Aaron's dark heart, set about converting the raw anger and disillussionment into something more concrete. What he might have accomplished is hard to say because the church discovered this man's dark ways and made a public example of him before Aaron could learn much from him, which only embittered Aaron that much more. Still, he hid his dark heart well, and he was spared in the incident, indeed the evil inside of his heart was never even suspected. He went on to become a private teacher for noblemen as his heart grew ever darker, and Asmodeus found other quiet ways to infiltrate his heart; eventually Aaron converted directly to the dark lord, and worse, started teaching the noble children in his charge the ways of the dark lord. When the parents discovered this, he was quickly brought to trial and sent to the worst of the worst prisons to await his sentence. It is here that he has decided to finally take the step that Asmodeus had planted in his heart so long ago and become the battlle arm of the dark lord, seeking revenge on the hated church of Mitra for both perceived personal slights and slights done to his new master.
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Goals:
Recover both his brother's body and the remains of the priest who first introduced him to Asmodeus and give them a "proper" sendoff to the afterlife.
Bring down the church of Mitra in the most humilating way possible.
Humiliate the nobles whose actions were responsible for sending him to this prison
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Role: Battle arm of Asmodeus. Think Francis Drake's personal war with King Philip of Spain
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AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1); judgement of profane healing 1
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +5; +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities copy cat (su) (6/day), judgement of profane protection +1; DR judgement of profane resiliency 1: magic; Immune magic sleep; Resist elven immunities, judgement of profane purity +1, judgement of profane resistance 2 (fire)
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Special Attacks judgement of profane destruction +1, judgement of profane justice +1, judgement of profane piercing +1, judgement of
profane smiting (magic)
Spell-Like Abilities
Copy Cat (Su) (6/day)
Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 1):
1 (2/day) Ear-Piercing Scream, TBD (DC 14)
0 (at will) Guidance, Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Brand (DC 13)
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 13
Feats Warrior Priest
Traits Focused Mind, Blasphemy/Heresy (could really be either since they give the same benefit)
Skills Bluff +11, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +7, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (planes) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +8, Survival +3 (+4 to track)
Languages Celestial, Common, Elven, Infernal
SQ domains (trickery), elf blood, hide tracks, judgement (1/day), judgement of profane escape
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Special Abilities
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Copy Cat (Su) (6/day) (Sp) Create a single mirror image duplicate
Elf Blood You are counted as both elven and human for any effect relating to race.
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Focused Mind +2 to Concentration checks
Hide Tracks (Ex) Creatures attempting to track you take a -5 penalty.
Inquisitor Domain (Trickery) Granted Powers: You are a master of illusions and deceptions. Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth are class skills.
Judgement (1/day) (Su) Variable bonuses increase as the combat continues.
Judgement of Profane Destruction +1 (Su) Weapon Damage bonus.
Judgement of Profane Escape (Su) When hit foe with melee/ranged attack, can create diversion to hide.
Judgement of Profane Healing 1 (Su) Fast Healing
Judgement of Profane Justice +1 (Su) Attack bonus
Judgement of Profane Piercing +1 (Su) Concentration and vs. SR bonus
Judgement of Profane Protection +1 (Su) AC bonus
Judgement of Profane Purity +1 (Su) Save bonus
Judgement of Profane Resiliency 1: Magic (Su) DR/magic
Judgement of Profane Resistance 2 (Fire) (Su) Energy Resistances
Judgement of Profane Smiting (Magic) (Su) DR bypass
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Warrior Priest +2 on concentration checks when casting defensively or grappling.
Excellent! I'm so keen to play this AP! (As I'm sure everyone is.)
I'll have something to submit in the next 48 hours. At the moment I'm thinking an infernal sorcerer with bard-like tendencies - well, he'll have Perform (something), anyway.
Hmmm, love your style DM.
A Question :your sample character background included a number of references to traits. I may be blind but didn't see you indicate if we should use any.
Thanks
@ Spazmodeus - pulled this quote from above "Two traits are allowed, and one is required to be from the selection posted below." Im guessing that one trait should be from the crimes list.
Im having a hard time resisting the invitation to make an Anti-paladin...so Im going to go on and make one. Count me interested. Starting on background now.
I'm so down for this. Before I get down to brass tacks, something to note, since you mentioned it specifically. My knowledge of Golarion's details is only passing - I can usually figure out what we're talking about, and I'm quick at spot research, but I don't always know the specifics of the various cultures. That being said, I'm a thoroughly experienced gamer, with an awful lot of writing experience, and I think I'm up for the challenge.
Sometime today or tonight, I should be able to flesh out a concept a little further, but for the moment, here's my first thought. This here's a variation on a heroic type I once played, using his talents for an easier road.
Sholano Gale, Silver-Tongued Storyteller
Sholano is a simple sort of fellow. Ask anyone. A lover of stories and songs, he can be found spending most nights at the nearest tavern, enjoying the atmosphere, making friends, and wooing the prettiest lasses. Interesting, though, how most of those friends can't seem to recall when exactly they met him, or how long he's been in town, or even what he does for a living. Now you ask, actually, they don't seem to know a lot about him at all. Great guy, though. Why, just last week they heard someone talking about how he hurt his leg rescuing the McDunn girl from a couple of rowdy bandits. Which McDunn was that? Why...no one can seem to recall, but they do remember buying him a round for it.
Or at least, that's what they'd have told you last week. This week, though, the entire neighborhood has heard - that nice Gale boy is under arrest, for fraud of all things! That's the story going around, anyway; apparently, the lad was trying to get Treblefast to fund an expedition to northern Varisia, to hunt after a treasure map - but it turns out the map was a fake, and when Treblefast found out, young Gale tried to make a run for it, and was snatched up. Or at least, that's what the guards are saying. Hard to believe, though.
That's the nutshell; trickster, con man, and all-around identity shapeshifter. No one knows whose side he's on, really, but almost everyone is pretty sure it's theirs. You might not trust him, but damn if you don't want to keep listening. I figure he's spent quite a while drifting from place to place, moving on whenever he made a big score and before the residents could figure out exactly what happened. This isn't the first time he's gotten caught, but it's the first time he couldn't avoid getting locked away.
The way I see it, he'd grow as the opportunities did. He hasn't seen much reason to do anything with his talents beyond live the high life so far, but if he saw the chance to grab ahold of real power (maybe from behind the scenes, if possible), he'd jump on it.
As for his role in the party - he's a face man. If you need to be talking with someone, for pretty much any reason, he'd be ready, willing, and probably already doing it. He loves to ingratiate himself with basically everyone, regardless of whether he intends to murder them later or not. Infiltration mastah. Despite the tendency to be chatty, though, I don't think he's much in the way of leader material. He's savvy and cautious enough to want to hang back a bit and let someone else take the fall if things go wrong.
Mechanics wise, probably go with Rogue (Charlatan archetype) and maybe throw in some Bard or something along the way.
@ Spazmodeus - pulled this quote from above "Two traits are allowed, and one is required to be from the selection posted below." Im guessing that one trait should be from the crimes list.
Im having a hard time resisting the invitation to make an Anti-paladin...so Im going to go on and make one. Count me interested. Starting on background now.
Yup....blind :)
Thanks
Two traits, one of your choice from anything legal in pathfinder society, the other from the list of crimes.
How much time has passed since the Church of Asmodeus was thrown down? I am assuming it has been a few generations - around the middle of the Cheliax civil war (which lasted from 4606 to 4640 AR, compared to the current 4713 AR) - so tell me if any of this (including the variant racial choice) needs changing. My character idea is beginning to coalesce. I am thinking of a LE dhampir (Moroi-born) antipaladin with designs on the crown. I will whip together an alias soon.
I am interested, will try to get a monk or fighter put up this evening.
dot
Here is my Alais for Myra, a human sorcerer. Still need to detail about her crime (desecration) but the rest should be pretty solid. Let me know if i missed anything or if soemthign is unclear or doesn't make sense.
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As for Inam's goals in Way of The Wicked, they are as follows:
1. Get vengance on Talingarde for stealing her lands and defiling nature though their "Civilization".
2. Cull the herd of the civilized races. She is more tolerant of the elves, fey and other nature races, but the the teething mass of humanity has grown far to large and need to be thinned. This would be a good reason for her to work with the Asmodeans, as the war would certainly go far to achieve this goal.
3. Rebuild the wilds and create a druidic nation where the order of nature can be maintained.
Inam will generally not like Celestials or Fiends as they come from realms beyond the natural world. But she's smart enough to know they're powerful creatures though and should not be opposed unless there is ample means to defeat them. She'll begrunginly work with the demon side to achieve her goals but will try and get out of any deals once her goals are achieved. She wants a Druidic afterlife, not an afterlife of burning in the fires of hell for eternity.
I have been interested in this AP for quite some time. I have two questions for a character concept I am working on.
Is that acceptable or is that how you see Chaotic Evil?
Thank you in advance.
Here is "The Blind Tian." I will hero lab his stat block tonight, this is his background information.
1) Kusuma (Human, LE Monk) was a prize fighter from Tian-Sing. His ability wielding the temple sword is unmatched. He has traveled across the land fighting in duels or tournaments, and is completely comfortable fighting to death, despite the criminal nature of that activity. Kusuma believes that the only true way to achieve order is through mortal combat and the 'laws of man' are secondary. His latest bout was quick and deadly, despite the local renown of his opponent, a Talingarde man by the name of Jaden. Kusuma humored his opponent, parrying blows, feinting an attack, and pretending to be challenged. He quickly grew bored and a few quick moves later, Jaden stood grasping his throat as his crimson life force spilled out between his fingers. While collecting his prize for the fight, and laughing about the trivial challenge of the fight, Jaden's wife surprised Kusuma and threw acid in his face. In an ironic parody of his defeated foe, Kusuma stood, grasping at his eyes, as the world grew forever dark around him. His face disfigured, his vision lost, Kusuma was quickly arrested for dueling to death, and taken away to Brandescar to await death by beheading, earning the "Dueling to death" crime/trait. Awaiting his fate, Kusuma keeps a crimson cloth tied around his eyes.
2) Due to frequent traveling, and the criminal nature of his duels, few people know his actual name. Now, sightless, he is simply referred to as "The Blind Tian." His hair is dark and shoulder length, and Kusuma has no problem with it in his face to hide his scars. He is generally quiet, living by the old axiom "it is better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." He does not have a vow of silence, he is just reserved.
3) After losing his sight, his other senses have sharpened, notably his sense of smell, he has managed to defend himself in prison by hearing and smelling threats to his well being. It is rumored that his sense of hearing is now so acute that he can catch an arrow in flight.
4) His acute sense of hearing, in combination with his frequent traveling pre-injury has made Kusuma quite talented at sensing the motive of people with whom he communicates. Trait: World Traveler (Sense Motive)
5) Due to chemical nature of his injury, Kusuma is now very suspicious of anything alchemical. He will not willingly consume potions, and would be hesitant working with someone with a knack for alchemy.
Two goals that are important to Kusuma
1) Kusuma views the attack from Jaden's wife to be dishonorable and cowardly. Were he to escape his fatal faith, Kusuma has vowed to himself to "kill that b*!&*..."
2) Kusuma will not let his disability rob his martial prowess, he will develop his sense of smell, and his ability to fight blindly, he will attempt to be even more perceptive than those who rely on their vision.
Two secrets about Kusuma, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) (Known) Choosing to frequently remain silent conceals a vow of truth that Kusuma has taken since his aspiring monk training. He holds this vow close to his heart and assigns it an utmost priority.
2) (Unknown) The red cloth around his eyes is actually the scarf that was worn by Jaden's wife, and was used to conceal the vial of acid that robbed him of his sight and made him vulnerable to apprehension. After the attack, the scarf was dropped and trampled on near the fighting ring, it was only out of pity from one of the arresting guards that it came to Kusuma's possession at the time of his arrest. He can smell blood, mud, sweat, and booze on the scarf, and sometimes, very faintly, he can smell the sweet scent of lavender, but Kusuma assumes this to be a trick of an unrefined sense.
Four people that are tied to Kusuma, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1) Whitney Whitford: (enemy) Jaden's wife, Kusuma does not know her name, or her whereabouts, though he assumes she is a resident of Talingarde.
2) Master Budi: Budi is responsible for Kusuma's martial training, he is the only other living person who is aware of Kusuma's vow of truth. Budi doesn't approve of Kusuma's chosen career and frequent prize fighting, viewing it as a comodification of his art. However, he respects Kusuma, and hopes that some day he will 'turn the other cheek' and return to the temple to train aspiring temple sword wielding monks.
3) "Lydia": Her real name is in question, Lydia is a sex care provider and the only woman with whom Kusuma has let get close to him. Though he disapproves of her career Kusuma will defend her adamantly. Anyone who refers to her as a 'slut,' or a 'whore,' will die a swift and often painful death. Kusuma loves this woman, and her face is the image he is most scared of 'forgetting.' He hates that he will never 'see' her again. Whether she reciprocates Kusuma's feelings are unknown, she is the one person that he will blindly trust (no pun intended.)
4) Lucas: Lucas is Kusuma's cellmate. He is a frail man, and has little martial ability. He is in prison for kidnapping and arson, his modus operandi to abduct a child, ask for ransom, and then burn the victim's house down. He has taken to helping Kusuma develop his senses in return for protection while in prison. It isn't so much that these two people 'like' each other, but their arrangement is both vital and convenient for the two men.
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks Kusuma possess.
1) When given time outside of his cell, Kusuma will turn his face to the sky, he hopes to attune his sense of touch and be able to discern the direction of the sun, and thus determine his directional heading. Unfortunately this habit has become an obsessive compulsion, and he does it all the time, night or day.
2) Kusuma chooses to not eat meat whenever given a choice. He feels that wholeness of body is tainted upon the consumption of 'lesser beasts.'
3) Kusuma is constantly training. When able he will repeat martial skills and strive to attain perfection. Recently he is forced to train his other senses, and even when those around him don't know it, he is honing his senses or meditating. If he is awake, he is training. Always.
Here is Mikhail Halancoun, Dhampir Antipaladin. You know my (DM Barcas) work and writing style. I think he would be a good choice for the leader of the party.
=======HISTORY=======
Mikhail Halancoun is the assumed name of the first-born son of Baron and Baroness Darius and Marthanya Charthagnion and his wife, rulers of the Chelaxian colony of Talingarde and the ancestors of the current Markadian V. Born in 4592 AR, sharp fangs betrayed the truth of his heritage: his mother was seduced (unknowingly, she claimed, and by trickery) by a vampire. The royal family announced a stillbirth and hid Mikhail away in the palace out of shame. Two years later, they announced a son, Markadian. They grew up together, but there was no love between the brothers as Mikhail felt trapped by circumstance and denied of his birthright. Despite this, Mikhail’s personal, almost inhuman magnetism drew many friends and followers to him in the palace, though no one knew his true identity.
When Markadian took the throne in 4612 AR, the civil war in Cheliax following Aroden’s death offered him an opportunity. He declared Talingarde independent of Cheliax and named himself Markadian I of House Darius. Fearful of Mikhail's innate magnetism and possible superior claim to the throne - but afraid to kill him outright – Markadian threw Mikhail out entirely. Markadian rejected Asmodeus and used fear of diabolists to cement his rule, declaring Mitra the sole divine benefactor of Talingarde.
While most of the people rejoiced at the nation's independence and their just patron god, zealous hunters inspired by the King's “piety” sought to kill Mikhail as an abomination. For many years, he was harried and hunted throughout Talingarde - but never caught – by a brotherhood of hunters who knew his identity. He lived on his natural charm and good looks, seducing daughters of the nobility and passing in and out of the noble society. These hunters, called the Brotherhood of Alerion, hunted him and any other threat to the rule of House Darius and Mitra. They successfully purged the island nation of these threats, including purging every trace of the worship of Asmodeus. The Brotherhood was so successful that they were able to officially disband by 4686 AR and congratulate themselves on their success.
After almost a century of running, Mikhail’s machinations had earned him wealth and a place in the upper class. He passed himself off as the heir to House Halancoun, a long-dead family whose property was seized in the revolution. Mikhail sees the current line of nobility as usurpers of his throne, built on lies and false piety. With his wealth and power, Mikhail began to seek like-minded allies with ambitious plans to take the throne. He did not expect that one of his conspirators was the last remaining scion of the Brotherhood of Alerion. Valerio Medouci’s father suspected that Mikhail Charthagnion still lived and passed along the tenets of the Brotherhood to his son.
Valerio Medouci betrayed Mikhail to the Knights of Alerion and had him arrested for treason, whispering to him that he knew Mikhail’s secret as the knights dragged him off. With Valerio unable to prove a conspiracy beyond Mikhail’s plotting and unwilling to give any credence to Mikhail’s bloodline in open court by revealing it, Mikhail’s true history remained a secret as he was tried for treason against the throne and sentenced to death. Mikhail now awaits his sentence at the Branderscar Prison. He has escaped worse binds in his life, however, and believes that he can charm his way out of this as well. He knows that he has supporters outside the walls of the prison, and still plots to restore his rightful place on the throne.
=======APPEARANCE=======
Mikhail is a handsome, magnetic man with pale skin and dark eyes. His features exude a haughty nobility. While he is well over a century old, he seems a man in the prime of his youth. He prefers to wear burgundy and crimson clothing of fine quality. His long brown hair sits straight and is well cared for, fashionably cut to shoulder length. (Little does anyone recall that he, in another assumed name, set the fashion many decades prior.) Years of practice have helped him hide the fangs that betray his heritage. He looks athletic and fit, but has the strength of a far stronger man.
=======PERSONALITY=======
Mikhail possesses tremendous self-regard and relies on his charisma to pursue his goals. He believes himself capable of seducing any woman of any social strata; only his blood relation to the Princess has kept him from setting his eye on her. While his vampiric heritage grants him great strength, he prefers to have others fight for him instead of getting his own hands dirty - though he will if required.
=======GOALS=======
Mikhail seeks to sit on the throne of Talingarde, which he views as unjustly taken from him by his parents and brother. They may be long-dead, but their legacy is not. He seeks to throw down the worship of Mistra, the worship of whom he views as a hypocritical and unnatural farce by a cynical king. He also seeks to expand on his vampiric heritage and seeks the opportunity to become a full vampire, though he wishes to do so in a way that does not leave him beholden to any master.
Some thinking, and I came up with a human Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer named Ariana Ddraig (nee Khail). I'll probably whip up a Ten Minute Background for her later, but this is the main concept of her as I see it.
Above all else, she was curious and eager to experiment. Her initial magic lessons were too formula for her, and the depth and potential of magic, its malleability, appealed to her. She started to lose herself into books, learning as much as she could. At the top of her priorities were becoming more potent a caster, and pushing the boundaries of what her power could do. In particular, she sought to embrace her draconic legacy, tap into its power where her father chose not to. To her, it held the key to embracing her full potential. One thing stopping her was the farce Talingare had become, revering that fool Mitra. So long as their misguided sense of morality guided them, she could not push magic as she wished to, could not do a great many things she wished to. Asmodeus was a god of magic, and the only one she would be willing to swear her life to.
In her recklessness, she decided to leave her family and their attempt at quietly revering Asmodeus behind closed doors. Eager to grow stronger, she sought out dark forces overtly, willing to trade a great many things if necessary to attain her desired power. With it, she could return home, fully taken by the latent draconic powers within her, and hopefully rally the mages--and she was certain there were more than she knew--who still worshipped Asmodeus. Rebellion, so that they could study their magic freely and please the Prince of Darkness. To that aim, she prepared the ritual to summon an evil outsider.
Her preparations for the ritual were sloppy and far too obvious. Her inexperienced shone through in how she went about setting it up, attracting a great amount of attention exacerbated by her eagerness in what was to come. By the time she had begun, there were already witch hunters after her.
Shortly after completing the ritual she was seized by Sir Balin of Karfeld. There hadn't been a chance to truly gain anything from her journey before she'd been arrested for witchcraft and put on trial, sentenced to Branderscar Prison. She never gave up her parents, and to protect them took the assumed surname Ddraig when they questioned her. A failure, she would live out the rest of her days chained to a wall with her failures hanging on her shoulders and the patronizing, heretical words of that hunter echoing in her head.
Her curiosity often leads her to pouring through various musty tomes and books on the subject of magic. Arcane magic is her primary concern, but divine also holds some interest for her, provided it is of sufficient might and not merely the works of run-of-the-mill clerics. Dragons and genealogy also intrigue her, as both are tied up in her use of magic. Metallic dragons in particular. It can also be a downfall though, as her lust for knowledge is high among her priorities and the things she is willing to sacrifice for it are numerous.
Partly due to her pride, she carries herself tall and with a sharp tongue. She has minimal patience for the ignorant or foolish, and rarely makes an effort to contain herself or her barbed comments unless a situation expressly calls for it. Part of it is her life of study, locked up with books or practising magic, unwilling to go and interact with the children who so blindly sang the praises of Mitra, while it is partly due to her feelings of superiority. Though sarcastic and impatient, she keeps herself calm as much as possible, keeping a cold veneer that lies in stark contrast to her fiery lineage.
As she comes into her powers, her personality may be at odds with her draconic urges. Though dragons are often patient creatures, the alien feelings conflict with her calm demeanour. As her body grows more and more draconic to reflect her budding powers, she may become more unpredictable and prone to mild mood swings.
Despite her haughtiness and snarkiness, she knows how to compose herself properly and can act as a negotiator, so long as her gradually more dragon-like appearance does not negatively affect her interactions with others.
Until then, though, she sees herself as a very willing and competent aid in the cause. Her magic and her smarts are both assets, allowing her to talk her way out of many situations, and blast her way out of ones she can't.
In terms of gameplay, Ariana is geared toward a mix of spellcasting, largely blasting and support, and using the abilities of her bloodline in melee combat. Outside of combat, she uses her high charisma for social-based skills, which may include Disguise as she gets further on and she becomes more and more dragon-like.
How do the black dwarves relate to Duegar? Does Steinki know or suspect who was responsible for his groups betrayal? Why specifically was Steinki and his group heading to the Cathedral of the Sun? How does Steinki feel about other, Mitra aligned dwarfs? Does he have a code of conduct, or is he willing to do anything to get the job done? I like what you're going with, and I'm not usually a fan of non humans, however the xenophobic fanaticism lends itself well to a low charisma. I particularly liked your line "Whispers of plots to harvest mithril and tame evil dragons fanned flames against a race already feared on the surface." Keep it up. What I feel needs to be improved on right now, is more character depth.
First off, I see good bones to your character, but some changes would need to be made. For this purposes of this game Hermea does not exist, its location has been replaced by the island nation of Talingarde. You also mentioned that Grachius went against the express wishes of his instructor Alexite Von Krupt when Grachius decided to return to Talingarde, what repercussions if any would Von Krupt take? You mentioned your crime was sedition, and he infiltrated the followers of Mitra, how did he do this and what were his goals? How does Grachius feel about the priestess Aliandara? You also stated that his happiest memory was the day he was accepted as an acolyte of Asmodeus, and that his father was present during the ceremony, however you also stated that his father was killed during the initial Asmodean purges, so you have some holes in your story that will need to be changed. (Perhaps change the age?)
Solid backstory Mark, and I love how you incorporated your birthmark. Onto the questions. How does Slevin feel about nobles considering the fate of his mother? What was her name? Does he know who his father is or is he even concerned about his potential infernal herritage? Outside of having been trained to kill from the shadows, what is it that motivates Slevin? How does he feel about prostitutes considering his mothers trade? Does Slevin have secret that you would like to see develop?
Consistent and believable. Your backstory makes a lot of sense, indeed the outcast swearing vengeance is quite iconic. The nation of Talingarde is heavily forested with strong winters, brought on by the northern sea that surrounds it. Does Inam have any direct descendents of her family? Does she worship a god, or a particular element over others? What is her personality like? I see a good structure, but I'm not sure who Inam is aside from someone who hates the people who cast her out as a child. Does she have an animal companion, or developed any sort of friendships, or is she fiercely territorial like a wolverine?
A low wisdom makes perfect sense in your situation. One cannot gaze into the darkness without the darkness gazing back into them. Keep working on the background and let me know when you're done. Also, are you planning to be a oracle of a particular being of the Dark Tapestry? I'm getting some Chulthu overtones and I'm intrigued.
Inquisitor's are popular right now, by my count we have four so far. That said I know you’re a solid writer VoW, but that’s a lot of competition. I like the family ties. I like the slowly expanding gulf between Aaron and his brother Bannard. One of my concerns is Bannards wasting disease. In Talingarde the faithful of Mitra are rewarded for their devotions. Someone as idealistic as your brother is described as would likely have been healed. Indeed, within the nation of Talingarde there is a place known as the Vale of Valtaerna where pilgrims journey to for healing and spiritual meditation, so you would want to rethink that angle. What happened to the other orphans within Aaron's second orphanage? Was Aaron the only disciple of the priest or where there others? Did any survive? Does Aaron love anyone? Is there anything that he would refrain from doing?
Great premise and I think you hit the nail on the head with selecting fraud as your crime. I also like that your striding towards more of a benign evil. Yours is the selfish evil, and I think that’s not something to be overlooked as an option. What I want now is more details. Does he have a family? What about a personal code? How often does he keep up his personalitys, and does he ever have a hard time keeping them in track. Going along your core idea of playing a "con-man" what is Sholando's take on violence? I am seeing him more as a "smart-evil" he uses the resources he has at hand thinking with his brain rather then his blade. Keep it up and expand on your character.
I have updated the campaign information tab with a map of Talingarde and a timeline up to the present day. Approximately 28 years have passed since the Asmodean purges began. However as early as 4632 AR the eventual slide towards the Mitran faith was gaining power, following the destruction of the Order of the Brand by King Markadian I.
Guys, Mikhail is excellent example of what I am looking for in a player concept. There is a solid depth, backstory and plenty of character hooks. Furthermore, I appreciate that the character is not evil for the sake of evil. This is a character who had his birthright stolen from him. He has believes, a code of conduct and level of believability I am looking for in each of the applications.
Wonders if it is good, or bad that the GM didn't ask questions of character concept...
A bit more about Mikhail. I left out the first part, the background concepts and elements, because the history section covers it well.
Two goals that are important to the character.
1) Mikhail seeks to sit on the throne, partially as revenge against the legacy of his half-brother. For almost a century, he has plotted and schemed to rise up through the ranks of Talingarde’s aristocracy until he can plot a coup against the unsuspecting descendants of Markadian I. He has used his charm and talents to rise in station, only to find his ambitions cut down by betrayal. He seeks to throw down the worship of Mistra, the worship of whom he views as a hypocritical and unnatural farce by a cynical king.
2) Mikhail wants to become a full vampire, which he views as an equal part of his heritage as his royal roots. As Darius Charthagnion married Marthanya Alerion, the only daughter and sole heir of the previous baron, Mikhail believes that the royal bloodline runs through his mother instead of her husband. He feels that he can only truly achieve his heritage when he sits on the throne as a full vampire as an eternal king. He does not want to be beholden to a master, however, which has stymied this plan.
Two secrets about the character, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) Mikhail is a dhampir, the child of the unholy union of a human and a vampire, and a member of the royal family. His brother rebelled from Cheliax and cast him out, forcing him to evade hunters for a century. His current identity is Mikhail Halancoun, returned heir to a long-destroyed house. When he was arrested for treason, many members of the aristocracy believed that it was to eliminate a fast-rising rival. Almost no one, save Valerio Madouci, knows his true identity or his vampiric roots.
2) Mikhail’s true father, the moroi vampire Count Nichlaus von Ballecov, has kept an eye on his progeny throughout the years. Approximately eight-hundred years old, Nichlaus has plots throughout Avistan that he has spent lifetimes waiting to mature. The vampire’s cunning and calculating plots have prevented him from being discovered as a vampire in his estate in Ustalav.
Five people that are tied to Mikhail, four that are friends and one who is an enemy.
1) Selanna Talasyan, Elf Female (188): The only woman who Mikhail has ever loved, Selanna is one of the few people who knows his secret. Selanna is a spy for Cheliax who keeps an eye on their interests in their former colonial holding. Their dance of seduction has lasted generations as they pursue their separate agendas, but always seem to find each other every few years. They first met when they ended up separately seducing a particularly foolish pair of noble siblings in 4640 AR and both attempted to outmaneuver and eliminate the other. She helped him escape the Brotherhood several times over the years, risking blowing her own cover as minor nobility from the Mierani Forest. She left some three years ago for another mission, but history has Mikhail expecting her back in Talingarde soon.
2) Tommas Halancoun, Human Male (58): Mikhail has one child. Like all the offspring of dhampir, the child was born human with no sign of the parent’s vampiric heritage. Mikhail sees this as a disappointment, though he still loves and treasures Tommas. Tommas was raised alone by his late mother, a simple but beautiful girl from a fishing village, and never knew his father. Tommas inherited much of his father’s charm and quick wit. When Mikhail, who kept an eye on him, approached him as a mysterious stranger with a plan for wealth and station five years ago, Tommas accepted the role of Mikhail’s father and learned the trappings of nobility quickly. Mikhail has considered telling Tommas the truth, but doesn’t think that he can accept it. He wishes to give Tommas, and Tommas’s natural-born daughter Eleana, the fruits of their heritage. Mikhail denied that they had any involvement in his plot, sparing them his fate and preventing his holdings from being stripped from Tommas.
3) Eleana Halancoun, Human Female (25): Nominally Mikhail’s sister, she is in truth his granddaughter. Fiercely independent, she chafes at the deception but goes along with it for her father’s sake. She fell in love with Valerio Madouci and introduced him to Mikhail. She is now torn between loyalty to Mikhail, who she has in fact grown to see as a brother, and her love for Valerio. She has no particular fondness for the royal house, which she sees as a decadent waste, but had no part in Mikhail’s plotting.
4) Jaina Banchilia, Human Female (20): Mikhail’s most recent conquest, Jaina is a daughter of a lesser noble family. Stunningly attractive but vulnerable to his charms, she did not believe the charges of treason against Mikhail and visited him as often as she could in the jail during the trial. She does not know that Mikhail seduced her for access to her family’s levies (and her beauty, which he is far from immune to).
5) Valerio Madouci, Human Male (24): The last heir to the Brotherhood of Alerion, Valerio is a talented swordsman and a skilled spy. He discovered Mikhail’s identity and assisted his conspiracy, only to betray him to the crown. Mikhail did not suspect Valerio’s treachery, and only put the pieces together of his family history after the betrayal.
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks the character possess.
1) Mikhail has a penchant for dramatic entrances and tends to wear a heavy cape that swirls around him. This extends to rather dramatic pronouncements and a desire to verbally spar with his enemies.
2) While Mikhail has drunk blood in the past, he does not do so on a regular basis. His sharp fangs make such a thing simple, but he tends to limit it to an almost ceremonial and reverent act of great dramatic importance. He looks forward to drinking the blood of the usurper king upon his ascension.
3) He considers one of his greatest successes to be when he attended the ceremony officially dissolving the Brotherhood of Alurion in 4686. During the ceremony, he offered a speech in his guise as a visiting Andoran dignitary that praised their dedication and their complete and total victory over the forces of evil that once held such sway over the island. Little did Mikhail know that one of the Brotherhood’s number, the father of Valerio Madouci, attended the ceremony solely in the audience rather than as a member. He had long suspected Mikhail’s alter ego of being Mikhail Charthanion, and later taught his son to hunt.
I do need to shift the dates around, however, to better fit the established timeline.
EDIT: Timeline is fixed in Mikhail's profile.
EDIT II: Changed the name of the Brotherhood of Alurion to the Brotherhood of Marthanya. I picture that it was named by Markadian I after his and Mikhail's mother partially as an extra dig at Mikhail.
For those who I diden't get feedback, don't worry. I just haven't gotten that far down the list yet and I promise I'll get to you. I'm taking my time and making sure I read each character submission and jot a few notes down.
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Hello Avatar. Thank you for your excellent assessment and questions concerning her background. I'll break down some of the questions you've asked of me.
As for direct decendents, there are none. Her mother was young and a virgin when she got assalted by the Air Spirit. Inam's birth was not a pleasent one and left her mother barren and unable to have any other children. As for the "Father", who knows, her father was an elemental being of some kind who got driven back into the Elemental Plane of Air and was never seen again. Her mother did have brothers and sisters however and she is family related to them but as a child of ill omen, she was an outcast to her relatives and was treated as a bastard throughout her LONG childhood. As Sylph age like 1/4 th the rate of a human (A 60 year old Sylph is equivalent to a 16 year old human), there is generations of people in the village that she could claim as a relative. Some of the people she killed may well have been her relatives although either way she did not care if they were related to her or not.
As for God worship, she pays homage to a number of Nature Deities. Of the gods Gozreh, God/Goddess of Nature has her greatest respect. She also has some respect for Shelyn, although more the beauty and bird aspects of her manifestations. But most of all she reveres nature itself, the duality of its calm and wrathful aspects. Of the elements the skies concern her the most. She has a love of the creatures of the sky and looks out for them, making sure their habitats are protected in her domain. Of course she shows respect for the land as well as druids need to revere all aspects of nature.
She has a Domain as a Nature's bond, in her case the Air. She has a racial trait that allows her to speak to creatures of the sky so speaks to the birds often. She cannot favor one bird over another so has not taken an animal companion (Also a class restriction as I cannot take both a Domain and an Animal Companion). Still of all the creatures of the world, birds are what she respects the most. Having the blood of the Air within her veins, she cannot help to love the open sky and the flowing wind.
As for friendships, she has had contact with the Elves and the fey in the past and has good respect for them for they live in harmony with nature and do not take more than they need from the land. She has also met other druids and took part in many gatherings but fell more in with the radicals among the druids, the ones who wanted prevent Talingarde from asserting control over the untouched wilderness. This did make her very territorial and unwilling to allow any Co-Existance with the nearby human populations. She wished protect her land from the emproachment of Civilization. Instead the decendents of the village that hated her (And still remember her as the "Storm Child") emproached on her land, cutting down the trees, tearing up the land and for insult to injure, hunting the birds. While she was content to leave them alone before, their actions drove her into a rage. And this would cost the lives of many villagers and her being condemed to die at the hands of Talingarde.
Hopefully that gives a better idea of my character. She is not a straight forward villain as one might expect, she just holds her own ideals beyond those of society (Which would be considered "Evil" by civalized society)
Male Human (Azlanti) Magus (Bladebound, Kensai) 1
N Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +2
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DEFENSE
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AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10. . (+2 Dex, +1 Int, +1 dodge)
hp 12 (1d8+1+3)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
Defensive Abilities Canny Defense +1
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee Katana +4 (1d8+3/18-20/x2) or
. . Dagger +3 (1d4+3/19-20/x2) or
. . Unarmed strike +3 (1d3+3/20/x2)
Ranged Dagger +2 (1d4+3/19-20/x2/10 ft.)
Special Attacks Spell Combat
Magus Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +6)
1st - color spray (DC 14)
0 (at will) - acid splash, detect magic
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STATISTICS
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Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 17
Feats Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Katana), Toughness, Weapon Focus (Katana)
Traits Focused Mind
Crime of the Forsaken Grave Robbery
Skills Acrobatics +3, Climb +7, Diplomacy +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Knowledge (Planes) +7, Perception +2, Sense Motive +2, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +3
Languages Azlanti, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven
SQ Arcane Pool (4 points, +1), Chosen Weapon (Katana), Diminished Spellcasting, Skilled, Weapon Focus
Combat Gear Katana, dagger, spell component pouch; Other Gear Backpack (24.5 lbs: bedroll, flint and steel, ink (1 oz. vial, black), inkpen, shaving kit, silk rope (50 ft.), torch (2), trail rations (4 days), waterskin, whetstone, wizard's spellbook), belt pouch (2 lbs: caltrops), belt pouch (empty), map or scroll case (0 lbs: sheet of parchment (5))
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Arcane Pool (Su) Gain arcane pool with points equal to 1/3 magus level (minimum 1) + INT modifier, expend 1 point to grant any held weapon a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute
Canny Defense (Ex) Add INT modifier to AC (max Kensai level)
Chosen Weapon Kensai abilities only function when wielding a weapon of this type
Diminished Spellcasting Cast one fewer spell of each level than normal
Focused Mind +2 trait bonus on concentration checks
Grave Robbery +1 trait bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls
Skilled +1 skill rank/level
Spell Combat (Ex) Use a weapon with one hand at -2 and cast a spell with the other
Weapon Focus (Ex) Gain Weapon Focus with chosen weapon
His time at the orphanage was not a particularly pleasant one. It was far from the worst place he could have found himself in given the circumstances, but as is expected from a place with children of various different ages and dispositions, there was the almost obligatory bullying. And Ethaniel found himself the victim of that quite often, at least until he learnt to avoid such situations or new "victims" arrived at the orphanage. Other than that, time passed uneventfully enough until the day came that Ethaniel found himself adopted by a member of the Talirean military, a man of Chelaxian and Tien descent by the name of Marvius Tessarin. When asked years later what had moved him to do so, he would seem uncertain as to what his answer should be, saying simply that he had felt that he should do it after having seen the boy in passing a few days before the adoption.
Marvius was a fair, if somewhat strict, guardian for young Ethaniel and two years after adopting him he also became a fair, if somewhat strict, trainer and teacher. The man, who seemed to hold a high enough rank in the military, was capable of blending swordplay with magic, wielding spell as easily as the slender curved sword he seemed to prefer using. And as Ethaniel took to his "father"'s training eagerly, he became captivated by the elegant blade, which seemed to retain its edge and beauty during the almost twelve years the Azlanti lived and trained with Marvius, remaining as untarnished as the first time he had laid eyes on the weapon. Indeed, Ethaniel had come to believe that when his training would be complete, then that sword would become his, passed down from master to student. But alas, it was not to be so.
A little more than two months ago, Marvius died. It happened suddenly and although the prevalent cause of death was natural causes for he was not a young man but rather more than a little past his prime, thoughts of foul play hung in the air. Still, whatever investigation was to be made, Ethaniel, grieving and angry, was not privy to. Marvius was given a military funeral and the sword Ethaniel had become almost obsessed with was entombed with him. The young man tried to get on with his life and, at least on the surface, he seemed to succeed in doing just that. Still, he would find himself visiting the graveyard now and then, thoughts of vengeance on those responsible for his mentor's death intermingled with images of himself wielding blade and spell being responsible of delivering such aforementioned revenge.
And it was during such a visit that the whispers started. At first he ignored them, but he found himself going back to the graveyard and Marvius' tomb and each time there was a soft voice speaking to him, beckoning him. 'Wield me,' it spoke in his mind, 'use me.' And there came a point when he could ignore it no longer. One night he returned to the tomb, this time managing to open it and claim his master's curved sword. Only it seemed so plain now, just a sword, albeit of an exotic deisgn. Still, the voice in his mind spoke again before becoming silent, 'Yes.'
Ethaniel felt himself smiling a thin little smile. And it was with that smile on his face and that plain, if exotic, sword in his hand that he was arrested as soon as he left the now open tomb.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a fire attack, you receive a +2 fire damage bonus to your damage roll. This bonus is a trait bonus.
Attempted Murder: You tried to kill someone and botched the job. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, you did not try to kill just anyone. You likely assaulted someone of great importance and prominence.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Blasphemy: Either you have defamed the great god Mitra or you have been found guilty of worshipping one of the forbidden deities (who preeminent among them is Asmodeus).
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: +2 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you.
Consorting with the Dark Powers (Witchcraft): You have been found guilty of summoning an evil outsider. Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was, “May Mitra have mercy upon your wretched, damned soul.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (planes) and Knowledge (arcana) checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Desecration: You have violated one of the churchs, cathedrals or holy shrines of the great god Mitra. To be sent to Branderscar this was no minor act of vandalism. Instead you have done something flagrant and spectacular to dishonor the Shining Lord.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against divine spells.
Desertion: You have deserted from the Talirean military and been recaptured. To get sent to Branderscar this was not some minor or routine dereliction of duty. Instead, you abandoned your post during a time of crisis -- perhaps battle or while defending the Watch Wall. Regardless of the exact circumstances, your laziness and cowardness must have caused loss of life.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level that must be spent on the Profession (Soldier) skill. Profession (Soldier) is always a class skill for you.
Dueling unto Death: You have engaged in a duel to the death and mortally wounded an opponent. The opponent was honorable enough to say nothing before he expired. Alas that his family or companions was nowhere near so honorable. Dueling was once common in Talingarde before the House of Darius came to power. The House of Barca all but encouraged duels of honor. Now, dueling of any sort is punished severely. Dueling to the death is a sure way to be sent to Branderscar Prison.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves
Extortion: You have defrauded money from someone by holding information of their wrongdoing over their heads. To end up in Branderscar, this was no minor act of merely threatening to expose someone. Instead you ave attempted extortion against someone of great prominence and for exorbitant stakes.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Forgery: You have forged documents issued either by the crown or by the Church of Mitra. Alas, that your forgery while competent was not entirely undetectable. To be sent to Branderscar, this was no minor finagling of paperwork. This forged document could have cost lives, undermined the reputation of the Church or endangered the security of the realm.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You gain a +3 trait bonus to Linguistics skill checks to commit forgery and Linguistics is always a class skill for you.
Fraud: You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up in Brandescar Prison, this was no petty con job or penny ante racket. Instead, you brazenly tried to defraud someone important of a huge sum of money. And it almost worked too!
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Bluff checks and Bluff is always a class kill for you.
Grave Robbery: It is forbidden by sacred law to dishonor a corpse after it is been sealed in its tomb by a clergy of the Mitran faith. Some may not honor this ban: necromancers, golem crafters, self-styled scientists, and alchemists delving into the forbidden secrets of life and death. These ghouls can expect no mercy from the Talirean Magistrates. And by sending you to Branderscar Prison, you have received none.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to confirm critical hits
Heresy: You have denied the supremacy of Mitra and been condemned for it. For this to be a crime, you were not content to keep your heresy to yourself. You tried to sway others. Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was: “Mitra may forgive you yet for your lies. Talingarde will not.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning.
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against divine spells.
High Theft: You had a foolproof plan to steal some great treasure. Alas, the scheme had a fatal flaw and went horribly awry. To be sent to Branderscar prison, this was no ordinary robbery attempt. You tried to steal something of great value or religious significance.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saves.
High Treason: You have willfully worked to bring down the current Monarch of Talingarde -- the beloved King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. To be successfully tried for High Treason you have done more than merely dislike the king, you did something tangible to undermine his rule. Alas, that you failed at your plot and are now headed to Branderscar Prison. Treason is the only crime that is still punished by the gruesome ritual of being drawn and quartered. Your stay at Branderscar will be brief.
Punishment: Death by drawing and quartering
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Will saves.
Kidnapping: You have abducted someone perhaps to ransom them or do unspeakable things to them. Unfortunately, you were caught and your victim was rescued (if they weren’t rescued -- you would be guilty of murder instead). To be sent to Branderscar Prison, you must have abducted someone of great importance or in a particularly gruesome manner.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm and Grapple attempts.
Murder: You have killed without just cause and been condemned for it. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, this was no typical killing but a particularly savage and unforgiveable act. You may also have killed someone with powerful friends.
Note: You are not allowed to have killed someone in the royal family of Talingarde. You may have tried (his would instead be High Treason -- see above) but ultimately they are too well protected.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You deal 1 additional point of damage when flanking a foe. This additional damage is a trait bonus.
Piracy: You have been caught in the act of piracy on the high seas. This is a rare crime these days since Markadian I called the Victorious burned the last major pirate fleet to threaten these isles. Still the crime is punished harshly. Likely you are the sole survivor of your ship.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You may select either Bluff or Intimidate. The selected skill receives a +2 trait bonus and is always a class skill for you.
Sedition: You have attempted to covertly stir up rebellion against your rightful sovereign. This differs from high treason in that you attempted to convince others to make war against Talingarde instead of taking direct action yourself. A subtle difference to be sure. But it is the difference between receiving the swift justice of the axe instead of the slow suffering upon the rack.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Bluff checks and Bluff is always a class skill for you. Further if you ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +1 trait bonus to your Leadership score.
Slave-Taking: Slavery is illegal in Talingarde and a very rare crime. Still, once in a great while, slavers from the mainland will foolishly make an incursion into Talirean protected territories. When they are captured alive they are always made an example of.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm and Grapple attempts.
Slave Trading: Slavery is legal in other parts of the world and it can be tempting to the most decadent of Talingarde’s nobility to acquire a “souvenir” when traveling abroad or to purchase the object of their desire from a less reputable merchant. However you ended up trading slaves in Talingarde, you were caught red handed and now you will lose more than simply your freedom.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level that must be spent on the Appraise skill. The Appraise skill is always a class skill for you.
I was trying to find the list of crimes, which I remember seeing the first time I read the thread. For whatever reason, I couldn't find it on the desktop computer. I can only read it on my phone or tablet. In case any of you ate having the same problem...
Oddly enough, it appears when I click on that Compatibility View icon on my Internet Explorer. Otherwise, no dice. Weird.
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This is a refreshingly different story than the norm, and as it doesn't look like mad mayhem hack-and-slash, it's a bit alluring; I am more a fan of intrigue.
With Mikhail, that last bit is assured.
One question I have is this:
Forgive me if I missed it, but what is the starting level? I ask this not out of mechanical choices but instead for the story timeline; a first level character is presumed to be essentially a novice with some aspirations while a seventh level character has a history of ambitious adventure.
Avatar and Mikhail:
I was originally going to create a character shockingly similar to Mikhail's (aside from the sex) after reading this delicious scenario yesterday. As they say though, the early bird gets the worm! Instead, I am considering one of two ideas which leads me to ask the following questions:
With regards to what the kingdom would consider the dark arcana/blasphemy, how specific of a field/portion of the pantheon are we talking? Is necromancy considered hellish? Is exploiting lopsided contracts seen as Asmodean and forbidden - or, at the least, sharply scorned?
Would someone robbed of his/her "humanity" via having her/his soul imprisoned within a monstrous race (Such as Orc, Lizardfolk) be a possibility? I am not looking to slant the tables numerically (and the two mentioned I believe have a negative value anyway), but for the second concept, I would be using this curse of sorts as motive for the vile nature of the character.
More off the last line, I don't know if you would like to place a bound on the evil/cruelty in your campaign, Avatar. Is there? Further, Barcas (Mikhail) is an apt writer, and I wouldn't want to step on his toes with his already-made submission if he would be restrained by an overly draconian/wicked member of the party. Would there be, Barcas?
Irrespective of the outcome of my submission, I look forward to seeing this story develop.
@Aaron Broodmark: Inquisitor's are popular right now, by my count we have four so far. That said I know you’re a solid writer VoW, but that’s a lot of competition. I like the family ties. I like the slowly expanding gulf between Aaron and his brother Bannard. One of my concerns is Bannards wasting disease. In Talingarde the faithful of Mitra are rewarded for their devotions. Someone as idealistic as your brother is described as would likely have been healed. Indeed, within the nation of Talingarde there is a place known as the Vale of Valtaerna where pilgrims journey to for healing and spiritual meditation, so you would want to rethink that angle. What happened to the other orphans within Aaron's second orphanage? Was Aaron the only disciple of the priest or where there others? Did any survive? Does Aaron love anyone? Is there anything that he would refrain from doing?
I'm not quite sure what other class would work for this particular concept; the biggest hurdle is the class skills, as there aren't many classes that allow for the majority of charisma based skills as class skills; I'll look at the various rogue archetypes and see if I find an archetype there that catches my eye. The only other main option is bard, and I can't see that class fitting my image of the character.
For Bannard, instead of a wasting disease, it could be a jealous rival from a powerful noble family that eventually used his ties to get Bannard accused of some crime and killed after a long history of hidden abuses and tortures; the exact means don't really matter as long as it gives Aaron a good reason to really hate the church and it's officials for being lax and not doing enough to help his brother.
When Aaron's initial dark mentor was discovered, all of the orphans were examined closely, but most were found to be unaffected; the man didn't try to corrupt all of them, only the most promising; those that were found to be potentially corrupted were dealt with via the usual methods, though efforts were made to reconvert them before the more extreme methods were employed; whether any other disciples are still alive and kicking around with vengeance in their heart is something that Aaron doesn't really know.
For loving someone, aside from his now dead brother, one of the noble children he was trying to corrupt was a pretty young lady he was starting to have feelings for, which is what triggered the suspicions of her father, and ultimately caused him to get caught. He would certainly be looking to explore that avenue further, both as a way to satisfy his own personal feelings, both of potential love and vengeance against her father, and to secure more disciples for his new lord.
There's very little he would automatically refuse to do, but there is a plenty that he would require a very good reason to do. This is the biggest reason I can't quite make him lawful evil; the precise method ultimately doesn't matter to him as much as effectiveness does, so he is loathe to refuse a particular course of action simply because others find it uncomfortable. That being said, he does usually stick to what Asmodeus and his other worshippers would find acceptable unless he has a really good reason to do otherwise; just because he doesn't feel them to be iron clad rules, he very much respects the teachings of his dark lord as making a great deal of sense the majority of the time. The best example I can think of to explain is Francis Drake; the man was willing, for the most part, to work within the informal, and often even within the formal, bounds put upon him by Elizabeth and the government of England, but was not afraid to do what he needed to do if other opportunities came up. Aaron would be very similar, someone not necessarily officially sanctioned by the church of Asmodeus, but still recognized as being very useful if managed properly, and as time went on, could be molded into something that could be officially sanctioned.
Barnabas Wright at your service. Crunch in profile. Let me know if you have any questions
Rogue(charlatan) with the plan on going to Assassin at level 6. Mostly picked charlatan for getting Rumormonger (Ex): ( A rogue with this talent can attempt to spread a rumor though a small town or larger settlement by making a Bluff check. She can do so a number of times per week equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 0). The DC is based on the size of the settlement, and it takes a week for the rumor to propagate through the settlement. If the check succeeds, the rumor is practically accepted as fact within the community; succeeding by 5 or more over the DC decreases the time it takes the rumor to propagate by 1d4 days. A failed check means the rumor failed to gain traction, while failing by 5 or more causes the opposite of the rumor or some other competing theory involving the rumor's subject to take hold.) at level 3. Seemed like it might fit well with this campaign. If not, or if trapfinding is going to be super important, I'll just go pure rogue.
He's built as more of a skill monkey, sneak style rogue than for combat. He should be great for the first hit, assassination style combat, but he won't have tons of staying power.
Five background and concept elements important to Barnabus
1) Barnabus is the eldest son of a very old, very small, but reasonably prosperous noble family. As the eldest, he was groomed to take over the family accounts and estates. Part of that included a formal education administered by the church of Mitra. He has two younger brothers, the elder, Tobias, is a knight of the realm and the younger, Oberon, has joined the church of Mitra, as most third sons do. He also has a younger sister, who recently made her first appearance at court in search of suitors.
2) When he reached the age of majority, his father let him in on the secret of the family’s relative success; most of their revenue was generated through smuggling and the trafficking of slaves. Though initially appalled, he came to accept it, since, as he father was quick to point out, without the gold coming in from these illicit activities, the family would quickly become destitute. When his father passed from a sudden illness, he smoothly took over the family accounts.
3) While not frail, Barnabus has a smaller frame than his more physical brothers and his forced focus on becoming the manager of the family estates left little time for the studying the more martial arts. His constant dealings with the shadier elements of society has led him develop the skill sets necessary to navigate in those circles always taking care to keep is identity as a noble as hidden as possible. He likes to think that he is a smooth operator, but as grubby as he tries to come across, his refined upbringing often shows through.
4) Recently, Barnabus found himself confronted at court by Tobias and a score of other knights of the realm denouncing him as a slaver. They had the proof to back up the claim and Barnabus was quickly stripped of lands and titles, all of which were then awarded to Tobias.
5) The fact that he is being punished for a situation that was not of his choosing and that was thrust upon him, has left Barnabus understandably bitter. Though as the date of his execution approaches, he can’t help but feel a like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. Juggling the lies, cooking the books and the constant hidden dealing were taking their toll on him and he hasn’t felt this relaxed in years, too bad it’ll all be over soon.
Goals:
PC goals
Short term: Get his hands of some of the coin he has stashed away in various hidden businesses and other accounts.
Long term: Find out who is behind his downfall. He (rightly) believes that Tobias is entirely too dim witted to have unraveled the whole operation and that there must have been someone in the know pulling the strings from the shadows.
Player goals
I would like to see Barnabus work his revenge from the shadows, perhaps under a false identity, sort of a Count of Monte Cristo type thing. Perhaps Barnabus isn’t even his real name. While revenge is his major motivator, I don’t see him actually wanting to reclaim his title and lands. They are poor and impoverished and not really something worth fighting for, he can do better. So while he might not be initially motivated to overthrow the Monarchy, the opportunity for wealth and power that would come along with getting in on the ground floor would definitely appeal to him.
Secrets, shhhhhh
Known: More paranoid than his father, to keep the source of the income secret, Barnabus falsified the account books to make it seem that the tax income coming in is higher than it actually is. He did this while keeping most of the money that had been coming through the illicit activities hidden in various caches on the estate ground and in accounts in several front businesses. Without access to those funds and the income from the smuggling and slaving, the family will quickly go bankrupt.
Unknown: Tobias is hugely in debt to some of the shady characters involved in the family's illicit dealings. They are the real architects behind Barnabus’ downfall. They hope that with their hold on Tobias and the removal of Barnabus from the equation, they will be able to take over the operation completely, all the while maintaining the perfect patsy in case anyone legitimately discovers their activities.
Contacts:
1) Tobias: Younger brother of Barnabus. Neutral to Favorable towards Barnabus. He feels guilty about selling out his brother, since he had suspected the family’s shady dealing since before their father died. Might seek aid in getting out from his debt or help with the finances.
2) Madam Armitage: Favorable towards Barnabus. She is face of all the front businesses that Barnabus set up to hide and launder the money, mostly brothels tanneries and the like. All the sort of businesses that exist at the fringe of respectable society. He’s made her a wealthy woman and she considers him a friend.
3) Oberon: Youngest brother of Barnabus. Hostile to Barnabus. Naïve and sheltered, he had no idea that his family’s dealings were anything less than exemplary in the eyes of the crown and under the light of Mitra. As such, he sees Barnabus as a blight on the kingdom and a dishonor to his name. When he finds out that Barnabus has escaped, he will marshal any resources he can to aid in his re-capture and just execution.
Memories, mannerisms, or quirks:
1) He fondly remembers the few times that his father had taken him and his brothers out riding or falconing.
2) He absent-mindedly hums tavern songs when he is concentrating.
3) He has a twitch above his right eye that presents itself when he is trying to remain calm or trying to be patient with someone who is being obtuse.
4) He know the value to money and as such, is very cheap.