For Aaron and classes, one advantage of being half elf is the two favored classes, and I found several rogue archetypes that could easily work with the concept, so I'd probably start him out as a rogue, and he would have the option of adding either inquisitor or bard as character development and party need suggested.
And here's Ariana's background stuff, now that I'm home from school.
1) Ariana's intense study of magic was intense and consumed much of her life thus far. Lessons to properly use her claws and natural charisma properly followed, but most of it was spent practising spells or reading. Because much of it was in practice, she sometimes has difficulty on the execution of things. This came to pass in its worst form when her attempt to summon an evil outsider was so brazen that it alerted several witch hunters to her location. Things she hasn't previously tried before, she sometimes goes into too eagerly or clumsily to execute them perfectly.
2) Because of her desire to grow stronger, she spent many long hours training when she didn't have to, even on days off or when nobody was around to teach her. In her eagerness to improve, she became able to cast spells as though she were a stronger mage.
3) Her cold, sarcastic exterior isn't a defence mechanism so much as a natural reaction, but once she warms up to a person and takes a liking to them, especially if she finds them worthy of her time or discussion, she tends to shed it except in moments of frustration.
4) She keeps her wits about her at all times, and despite her affinity for magic of the damaging variety, is eager to prove herself clever by using her spells in a myriad of ways. In her younger years, she would enjoy the uses of Prestidigitation as means for pranks on those who irritated her. If she can see a way to use her spells that aren't traditional, she will jump at them to show off.
5) When left to her own devices and deprived of books, she often daydreams. Of power, of success, of sacrificing on an altar for Asmodeus those who irritated or wronged her in her earlier years. In her chase for power, such images are satisfying goals she eagerly works toward. The previously exciting fantasies take on a melancholy tone in the bleakness of her seemingly hopeless imprisonment.
Two goals that are important to Ariana:
1) She wishes very much to have magical freedom. While she believes in the law, she doesn't believe in the often hypocritically practiced morality of the current rulers, believing many aspects and tenets fall in direct conflict with her wishes to experiment. In the interest of research, she would gladly take prisoners and expose them to various magical stimuli to see what the result is, but they claim to value human life, even that of prisoners. But then they sentence someone to death simply for seeking power. They couldn't even come out and admit that fact.
2) Ariana and her father were the only sorcerors they know of in Talingarde knew to have draconic blood. Seeing it as the superior lineage, the ultimate concentration of arcane power, she seeks to find others who share her tradition, to learn from them and teach them, so that their supremacy may begin. If the mighty rule, then the caste of true heirs to magic should be the ones to reign over the arcane.
Two secrets about Ariana; one she knows, and one she isn't yet aware of:
1) Since her capture, she has gone by the surname Ddraig. It was a choice she made in faith, of loyalty both to her parents and to Asmodeus. She could not stand to see what may be the only mages of draconic lineage killed by worshippers of Mitra, but for Asmodeus to lose more devoted followers. Her family was not of any note, and so she feels they will be safe from even the slightest of investigations if she simply pretends to be somebody else.
2) Since her powers have barely begun to manifest and her father never explored his bloodline abilities too deeply, she does not yet know that her dragon type is, in fact, gold. She does know, though, that metallic dragons were mostly good-aligned, and sees golds, the poster boys so to speak, as being traitors and fools.
Four people that are tied to Ariana, three are friends and one is an enemy:
1) Angroth Khail: Ariana's father. Carrying draconic blood much like his daughter, he instead shied away from it, fearing what effects it would have on his body and mind. He never truly developped his power, though it was potent, and sought work instead as a hedge mage. Uncertain and seemingly bumbling, but rather competent underneath it all.
2) Lorna Khail: Ariana's mother. Of arcane lineage alone, Lorna did not hide or fear her powers, developping them to the fullest extent, and was Ariana's primary teacher. She wasn't one to stray though, and honed her skills as a crafter of magical items. Motherly, stern.
3) Barst Seran: The owner of a library very near Ariana's house. Since she was reluctant to spend much time with children, she instead lost herself in the books there and grew to be friends with the owner. He's not magical at all and she doesn't know where his allegiances lie, but he was the one who opened her up to books and all the knowledge in the world, so she has a soft spot for him nonetheless. Soft, welcoming, intellectual.
4) Naeri Corin: A half-elf caster who lived a few houses away from Ariana. They were the same age, but Naeri was a fervent supporter or Mitra and claimed to be the far better a mage. Their rivalry never came to blows because Ariana simply began avoiding the insufferable twit, but whenever she dreams of sticking a dagger into the heart of a sacrifice, it's usually Naeri.
Three memories, mannerisms, or quirks Ariana possess:
1) When becoming frustrated, she begins to make lots of heavy breathing sounds through her nose, like a dragon. It was a habit she developped as a small child, before she knew what lay latent within her.
2) While not perfectly eidetic, Ariana does have a remarkable memory for retaining information, and can recall what she read and the information within rather swiftly.
3) She often carries around several books with her, either familiar ones, new ones, or even empty ones. When she gets in a bad mood, she can often calm herself simply by running her hands across paper.
Heya! I've played mostly 3.5, but not in awhile, so I may need help with things here and there. Would that be acceptable?
On to my idea (it rough right now, but here you go):
My character concept is, essentially, already a minion of Asmodeus - although he does not necessarily worship him directly. He is a Human cleric known only as "Kalmah," blessed by the unholy might of Mahathallah, the Whore Queen.
Mahathallah is the singular focus of Kalmah's worship and desire, to the exclusion of the other Whore Queens (and even Asmodeus himself). The dour and fanatical clergyman is a divine necromancer, thanks to Mahathallah's power over death and the undead. Grim but zealous, Kalmah's only real passions reflect a pursuit of personal power that he hopes will put him in the good graces of his patron deity.
An outcast most his life, Kalmah claims to have started down the path of necromancy after meeting Mahathallah in a vision during one of his many cemetery walks (the only place Kalmah felt he could be surrounded by other people without fear). Inspired by whatever revelation transpired that night, Kalmah pledged his life to the service of Mahathallah (and with any luck, his unlife as well). Madly in love with the being that "Whispers the Way," Kalmah is a eunuch, having castrated himself so that he may never be led to betray his devotion.
That's it for now - a work in progress of course!! Let me know what you think!
Made some initial changes, and fixed some thigns that got left out.
Round two of notes!
Looking forward to seeing what you put together Draconas. I was a big fan of your Astrumal back in 2010, and again with the Hell-shod Boots in '13
Myra, it looks like your new to pbp's on the paizo boards. As I said in my intro I'm ok with new players, but do you have any writing samples I can take a look at? My expectation is that each of the players provide detailed and well written posts. Looking at your background Myra has previously escaped from captivity, and then at some point returned to the island nation of Talingarde and was caught desecrating an alter? How many alters did she desecrate? Your background seems to indicate that she and Fizz robbed and desecrated multiple temples? Did Myra have a deeper goal then "Destroy the alters"?
Esme, it's good to see you apply. I was disappointed when our Expedition to Castle Ravenloft fell through. The Knightly Orders of Talingarde titles are primarily a throwback to an earlier time before the reverence of the goddesses Iomedae and Mitra came to the forefront. Both men and women fill the ranks of knighthood and clergy. For your second spoiler, I would have to say that the character your describing would be Chaotic Evil. There's nothing wrong with playing a selfish or demanding character that is out for themselves. It's a question of how they go about taking that power that defines them (in my opinion). I have a character from another campaign who is a LE witch Nadja Cazynsik. I think she is a good example of how a selfish Lawful Evil player might act. She is able to work with a group, as she believes that it justifys her end goal: more power. I'll post my though process for how a Lawful Evil character usually (though not always acts).
This is based on the old rifts guide-lines and I think they give some good material for inspiration.
(Lawful Evil) This character believes in using society and its laws to benefit themselves. Structure and organization elevate those who deserve to rule as well as provide a clearly defined hierarchy between masters and servants. To this end, the character support laws and society in order to protect her own concerns. If someone is hurt or suffers because of a law that benefits the player, they would simply shrug and continue on their way. The cliché that there is "No honor among thieves" is false when dealing with a LE player. This person will always keep her word of honor and uphold any bargains she makes, though you have to be sure you know what you have agreed on. Lawful Evil personality's has a clearly defined code that they live by. They expects loyalty from those she works with and would punish disloyalty and treachery with a swift, merciful death.
1. Always keep their word of honor.
2. Has no qualms about lying and cheating those not worthy of their
respect.
3. Depending on the situation, they may or may not kill an unarmed or helpless foe.
4. Will never kill (may harm, kidnap) an innocent, particularly a child.
5. Will never kill for pleasure.
6. Will not resort to inhumane treatment of prisoners, but torture, although distasteful, is a necessary means of extracting information.
7. Will never torture for pleasure.
8. May or may not help someone in need.
9. Will work with others to attain their goals.
10. Respects honor and self-discipline in others.
11. Will never betray a friend.
A very interesting concept! First, lets talk about the blindness. This is a pretty staggering hurdle to overcome. I like the idea that following your bout, Jaden's wife threw acid in Kusuma's face. I like that you tied that into a realistic and believable fear. If you were starting as an oracle and you tied this into the Clouded Vision curse I would have found that very fitting. What if you were horribly scarred across your face instead? Onto the other questions. What brought a Tian-Sing man all the way to the island nation of Talingarde? How long has he been on Talingarde? What other countries has he visited? How did Kusuma first meet Lydia and what role did she play in Kusuma's life? Where is she from? How did they first meet? What about Kusuma's early life? I know he was trained by Master Budi but does Kusuma have any siblings? When fighting, what does Kusuma consider honorable? What about dishonorable? Is there anything he woulden't be willing to do if it prevented him from taking revenge on Whitney?
DM Barcas, this is just the sort of attention to detail that I was looking for. The background is excellent and you gave me a heap of plot hooks. I'm not a huge fan of non-humans but this is great. Couple of quick questions. Do you envision that Markadian the V is aware of a potential claimant to his throne? Did Mikhail possess any evidence as to his bloodline? How do you see the relationship between Mikhail and Tommas developing now that his father has been captured and is about to be executed? Finally is Valerio Madouci's father still alive? If given the chance how would Mikhail react to his presence?
Afternoon Castor, I see that you were previously selected for DM Barcas's Kingmaker of Korvosa. As a heads up I'm hoping we can replicate the style of that campaign for Hearts of Darkness:Ways of the Wicked. Lets get to your character. As I said before, corrupted by the evil artifact is a trope, but its a classic one. When you first introduced your character I was scratching my head why you picked a katana, as it's an eastern weapon in a western campaign, so nice job of filling in that hole. Onto the questions! Ethaniel was orphaned. Who were his parents, and why did they abandon him? Does he have any desire to find out who they were? Does he even care, or is he just bitter? Ethaniel's mentor was of Chelaxian and Tien descent. What gods did he worship, and how did Marvius feel when twenty eight years ago Mitra became the the state religion of Talingarde? Did whisper have any impact on Marvius? What does Ethaniel suspect happened to Marvius? Who would want him dead, and why? How does Ethaniel feel about Mitra? Is there anyone in Ethaniel's life that he cares about? Anyone he hates? Aside from the sword is there anything he desires above all else?
Alright guys, keep up the good work. I like what I am seeing. I'll get the next back of notes out in a few hours.
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.
I will admit I hadn't given it a lot of thought. However, after reading up on them all, I am thinking more along the lines of Xhamen-Dor, with some Cthuluhu-ian aspects. Specifically, Xhamen-Dor deals with necromancy (I was eyeing several spells along those lines) and disease (which would fit better if I went with the wasting curse - oddly enough, it was a toss-up between that and haunted), while Cthulhu would have been his herald, coming to Bahram in his dreams and causing his insanity.
Thanks for the question - it really helped firm up some details I wasn't sure of. Feel free to ask more :-).
EDIT - Okay, taking opinions on keeping haunted and taking the dual-cursed archetype, with wasting as the static curse. I like the idea, from an RP standpoint, of the wasting curse not improving, but now I'm not sure if haunted really fits...
Mikhail believes that his existance was kept as secret as possible by his half-brother and only entrusted to members of the Brotherhood, though he misled them on the exact details. Seeing as he wasn't sent into exile until 40 years old, I imagine that he has some proof of his claim to the throne that Tommas has been unknowingly entrusted with. I'll have to give it some thought to figure exactly what the item is. Thus, Mikhail firmly believes that his secret truly died with Markadian I (except possibly in some contemporaneous records) and that Markadvian V will not see him coming. (If this is true or not, it is what Mikhail believes.)
While Mikhail loves his son, he cannot be open and honest about it. As far as Tommas and Eleana know, Mikhail is a mysterious young man who approached Tommas with an opportunity to gain money and power. (Tommas also respects that Mikhail treats Eleana so well without ever trying to use his charms on her, though he doesn't know the true reason why.) While Tommas and Eleana are not greedy or ambitious individuals (and are, in fact, both NG), Mikhail has done an excellent job of gaining their trust. I will reveal in a flashback the exact details, but Mikhail set up a situation in which Tommas saved his life. He used the opportunity to explain his (fictional) situation as the last heir to House Halancoun and convinced them that he needed Tommas to better establish himself as credible and reclaim his house fortune. (Mikhail has no qualms manipulating his own son for this, though he sees his actions in the best possible light and believes that it is for Tommas and Eleana's own good.) Tommas now has full control of the finances of the house and loyally feels that he owes Mikhail a great debt. If approached by Mikhail, Tommas would offer as much aid as he could without getting caught. Tommas suspects that the charges are true, but he still maintains loyalty to his fake son and friend.
I hadn't decided if the elder Madouci still lives. In his history, I picture him as a deep cover sort of guy - kind of like Zorro. Hence why Mikhail was blindsided by the connection. For all his talents, Mikhail has a bit of a blind spot at times thanks to the assumption that he outlived every member of the Brotherhood. Mikhail has put it together now and figured out that Madouci Senior, who he rubbed shoulders with in some of his guises, was a member of the Brotherhood and must have taught his son. He would probably underestimate him again because of the man's age if he still lives, giving more weight to the immediate threat of the son, by not considering that Madouci the Elder is or was equally talented at the lies and deceptions, and that he was the only one to deduce his true parentage.
The Blind Tian has all relevant information on his profile now.
Ya, blindness will be tough, and I should explain that the only access I am aware of to the 'scent' ability is through the heritage feat of having half orc blood in him. There is no half orc blood, the feat is a pure tax to get access to scent. His face is also scarred and disfigured, but the true damage was to his eyes. Beyond that, alertness, and the blind fighting feat chain, and I think he'll be workable. I mean, it never stopped Daredevil :)
That said, if you don't want to deal with the blindness, I will redo parts of him to include only the scarring. But to me, the blindness kind of defines him.
He came to Talingarde simply because that's where the wind blew him. He views everything that happens as destiny in his attempt to prove his martial prowess, being that duels to the death are illegal in most places, he can't stay in one place very long, and hence, ended up here. I doubt he was in town long, once word would get out, and the 'heat' would get turned on he would go somewhere else. So, as cliche as it sounds, he has been all over the world, never staying in one place for very long.
Lydia is really a hook all for you. Does she really love him back, or is she just 'doing her job?' Is she near, far? Whatever works for the story you want to tell. I view her has an object of Lust, Lusuma believes he is in 'love' with her, but we've all known that guy before... She is the only woman he has ever been close to, and he has some attachment that would likely keep it that way, short of a blatant betrayal on her behalf.
As far as his early life, he has no siblings and is not close to his parents. He entered training at a very young age, and this gave him a distorted view of the world, to him, combat became the test of right or wrong, black or white. He is bound by his honor to be truthful in combat, as well as everything else, but he respects that this is not synonymous with all fighting styles. As you and I are aware of, and respectful of, other religions, he sees different combat styles and ways of fighting.
The only thing that would keep from killing Whitney would be his vow to truth. Beyond that, he views her as a combatant that must be bested. He harbors a deep hatred for her, not so much because she was sneaky, but he blames his entire disability on her, and rightfully so.
Time for round three.
Good questions Stratos, and I like that your really taking into consideration different facets of Talingarde "purity". In regards to heredity within a monarchy I posted a spoiler in the Campaign Info tab, it deals with the rise of House Darius and should help you out. Regardless if someone has a strong character concept, the campaign can be adjusted to fit them. This is a group effort and I want the players and myself to build off each other. Necromancy in Talingarde is outlawed and anyone practicing the darker arts is likely to be burned at the stake for witchcraft. The undead are an abomination and a stain upon the earth. Those would would cast spells as Infernal Healing are feared and abhorred. On your second question, the answer is no. Humans can be the worse monsters of all, but I don't want to introduce any additional races outside of what is listed inside of the Advance Race Guide. On the topic of boundary's within Way of the Wicked, I want to be clear that I'm trying to keep this to a PG-13 evil. Now, that's not to say that your character can't and won't do terrible things. But to take an example from Star Wars:
The black clad villain about to interrogate the princess strides into her cell. “And now, your highness,” he announces, “we will discuss the location of your hidden rebel base…” The movie
then cuts away with a close up of a fearsome floating torture implement sporting a cruel hypodermic needle.
The cut is the important lesson. Who knows what the villain did to the princess? Was she threatened, beaten, drugged or worse? Doubtless. But the movie doesn’t dwell on the specifics and neither will the campaign.
Instead, roll an intimidation skill check and perhaps a will save. Then cut back to the villain emerging from the cell. “Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable,” our villain was forced to admit. Failure.
Aaron, I am not suggesting you not play an inquisitor. Its your application, and I want you to make a character that you want to play. I'm just warning you that I am unlikely to take more then one of a particular class. I see where your going with when you relate him as a Francis Drake, and I can appreciate a pragmatic evil. One who won't shirk from doing what he needs to do, but who wouldn't recklessly throw away someone who is potentially useful. As far as class skills go, keep in mind each player gains two additional skills per level. As a group, I intended for you to mostly cut off from outside support and only able to rely on each other. Keep in mind a Witch with an intelligence of 20 is going to potentially have 11 skill points per level, with creative use of talents, your character can be very flexible. One question as well. As a Half-Elf your character would have been alive prior to the Asmodean purge 28 years ago. What thoughts does Aaron have on the subject?
Good Evening Fanguar! I'm glad to see you apply. I think that the Rogue(charlatan) archetype is very fitting for this campaign and I like the way you tied it into your character. Before we get to characters, I wanted to ask you about play style. I know from your campaigns you prefer short, twitter like posts with no inner monologue or flashbacks. God knows I can appreciate the style, and it keeps the game progressing at a fast pace, however with this campaign I want to focus on character development, and storylines. Will you be ok with longer, more in depth posts? On the topic of your character, lets get to the questions: Is Barnabas's mother still alive? Did she know how her husband maintained the family businesses? How close was he to his sister? What is her name? Who does Barnabas suspect was behind his brothers manipulation? Slaving is a vile and terrible crime, how did Barnabas cope with learning how his father supported his family? What are Barnabas's religious views? He seems almost scrooge-like, selfish, careful and meticulous. Is that what you were going for?
Well, I'm off to cook dinner. Hopefully I'll have the last batch done before I go to sleep tonight.
Doomed Hero here-
Finally came up with a concept I like. All details are included in the Alias. Please let me know what you think and if any changes need to be made.
Updating Character now.
DM Carpe/Beshra/Pavro here, submitting Darsis Valdane. A serial killer who follows a code and hates the Church of Mitra. He is a two handed fighter with favored enemy human and is taking the urban ranger archetype.
He's not the leader type, but he would make a great henchman as long as you did not loose his respect... See background for why that might not be a great idea ;)
At age six Darsis Valdane was rescued from a maddened cult of Zon-Kuthon followers after being forced to torture and slay his two older brothers, his sister, and his mother. His father, Baldan Valdane, an Inquisitor of Mitra who had foiled the cult's schemes previously, tried to beat the darkness from his son, but only managed to impose a code of sorts.
Baldan Valdane was an arrogant man, who believed there were animals and there were people, and being born a thinking creature was not sufficient to warrant personhood. A person Baldan believed shaped the world, while an animal reacted to the world. An animal caught in a bear trap would gnaw off its own foot, or surrender, a person caught in a bear trap would endure the pain, and feign unconsciousness, waiting for the trapper to come and then taking its chance to slay them once it was freed. This he told Darsis again and again, hammering the lessons home with his belt.
Darsis grew loathing his father, and harboring dark thoughts, and found that killing relaxed him, and made him feel something other than numbness. Eventually his father discovered his collection of animal tongues under the floorboards and beat him viciously, making him spend virtually all of his time at the local Church praying for Mitra's guidance and absolution.
Then his father began to drink, perhaps sickened by his only remaining child's depravity. And as Darsis watched him descend into addiction his respect for the man withered and died, as did Baldan's right to be treated as anything but an animal, an animal who had hurt him...
So Darsis set a bear trap inside the privy. And when the old man was caught he doused the privy in oil and burned him alive inside it. A person would have found a way out of the situation, but the animal that was his father did not. Killing animals is not murder it is slaughter, and a persons right.
Darsis sold their home, took ship, and enrolled at Blackblade's fighter training school in Absalom. His money ran out more swiftly than he could have imagined, but he found work at an abattoir, learning to kill and cut meat which he found soothing - and informative. He proved an adept warrior and swiftly mastered a signature style of fighting that involved careful use of blade and scabbard in conjunction. In his two years at the school he dispatched a dozen human animals, refining his techniques there to, and taking to soaking a piece of red silk in each victims blood and stitching it into the lining of his fathers cloak. He was forced to flee Absalom after he saw the Watch breaking down the door to his rooms, and took the first ship he could afford - back to Talingarde.
In Talingarde he quickly found work as a bodyguard and enforcer, for a local money lender named Gerrius Dreel. Dreel had him do some terrible things to debtors, animals who could not meet their obligations, but the man was an odious glutton whose stench offended Darsis. Then one day Dreel lost a huge sum in a card game, and did not pay Darsis on time, he could have paid after making a few collections of course. But fair is fair, a loan shark should know the consequences of not paying when owed. Darsis slew Dreel's other two bodyguards before they had a chance to react, tied the glutton to a stake and slow roasted him over his own fire place - with an apple in his mouth. Honing his blades to razor sharpness in rhythm with the pig's squeals.
Three days later he was arrested in his rooms. He is not sure how he was caught, he butchered the meat making it virtually unrecognizable and sold it to a sausage maker. Nobody saw his deeds that he is aware of and he was not known to have any enemity towards Dreel. But a person adapts and Darsis Valdane is no animal, he is a person, he is a butcher.
1. Darsis has a code, he despises those who let life dictate to them, and especially those who fall prey to addictions and cannot control themselves.
2. His father was an Inquisitor of Mitra and taught him that she is a weak goddess whose laxitude and sympathetic ways lead to people becoming spineless animals.
3. He literally regards his prey as animals to be slaughtered at his whim, and has trained himself to properly butcher these human animals.
4. He does not think like other men, he is distant and predatory, and tends to play out how he might kill a man in his mind even as he talks to them. People can tell he is a off, and when the powerfully built creepy fellow keeps staring at your jugular with blank emotionless eyes its hard not to get creeped out. Plus he thinks most people are animals, below him with no rights or worth and this tends to come across in small ways. Hence charisma 7, though he is not unattractive.
5. He has never come into contact with the Church of Asmodeus, but its likely he would approve of a great deal of its doctrine and he might become a worshiper in game.
6. Darsis likes to think he has his emotions sealed firmly away because they are of little use. But really he is just so badly damaged that he is forced to suppress them lest they drive him mad.
1. Retrieve his cloak. It reminds him of his deeds, each blood stained strip in the lining telling a tale.
2. Punish those who have stripped him of his freedom and temporarily taken his decisions out of his own hands.
3. Find out how he was caught.
4. Destroy the Church of Mitra which is helping cause people to atrophy into animals.
1. Darsis's sister and mother were still alive when the Inquisitors of Mitra stormed their hidden temple. Bound an gagged their eyes accusing eyes cut at him, he could not stand those eyes so sobbing he cut their throats, while telling them he loved them.
2. The man who reported Darsis's murders to the Talingarde authorities was the sausage maker Hollard Wence. Wence is an escaped Chelish galley slave who was aboard the Thruneclaw when it was caught in a storm and left without sails and oars adrift for two months. He and five other men survived the crew of two hundred, all knowing the taste of long pork. With that it was easy to put together the rumors of Dreel's disappearance and his body guards sudden sale of three hundred pounds of unspecified meat.
1. Benkhal Blackblade. The man who taught Darsis the blade has earned his most profound respect. Darsis wondered what path he would have taken had this man been his father, and almost overcame his dark urges for a while during his training. But for all his promise Darsis was just another student to Benkhal who although a good man cared more for martial skill than friendships.
2. Eleen Treel. A troubled young thief and whore who witnessed Darsis butcher two men who had been about to rape her, because they owed Dreel money. Despite Darsis's assurances that saving her had nothing to do with his killings Eleen became fascinated with him and often followed him around.
3. Captain Rodal Farris, the officer who arrested Darsis and gloated long and loud about how Mitra's justice comes to all. Darsis has plans for him.
1. Looking at peoples throats instead of their eyes.
2. Pausing for a long moment before responding in conversation.
I submit Vexis. Updated and humbly ready for review.
Round four.
First though was "Why would a man, be granted the blessings of the Whore Queens" Then I saw Kalmah castrated himself.. wow.. That's seriously messed up. A+ for creepiness. I like the divine necromancer route. I feel your character needs to add depth and layers, but I am seeing a creepy and evil structure. Keep going.
An oracle of The Inmost Blot is something I have never seen before. That alone makes me raise an eyebrow. I think that the wasting disease curse is thematically appropriate. Note to self. Never. Ever. Google "Severe Fungal Infection" ever again. Personally, I don't think that haunted would be appropriate based on your background. That said, it's something easy enough to incorporate if you wanted to go dual cursed oracle. I think the mad oracle trope can work, but I would like to see some more hooks and development, right now your background section is pretty sparse.
Understood, and the best of luck to you.
Ok, I just wanted to give you fair warning that I won't pull punches. This is a very challenging AP, even with Villain Points, extra skills and a 25 point buy, it's going to be hard. If you were selected I might give you a free feat to help offset some of the hardship from a permanent blindness, but I'll have to see how things play out.
Mortimer! Good to see you apply. I loved your background for DMJ's Carrion Crown, and I think that you have the writing chops for a campaign like this. I look forward to seeing what you put together. I like the dichotomy of a brutal looking, yet highly intelligent villain.
I'm not a huge fan of non-humans, and I expect that I will only pick one or two of them. That said, Fiendish vessel is a fantastic archetype and very fitting for a campaign such as this. A devil spawn is fitting as well, so I would be interested to see how you want to build your character. That said, I like the idea of the archetype enough that if you wanted to make one as a human who literally sold his soul for power then I would be ok with ignoring the racial requirement for the archetype.
I haven't had time to give your character a full review, but the concept is very solid. I'll give you a full set of notes and questions tomorrow.
As with Lady Rose I'll need some time for a full review.
Good night all, I look forward to hearing back from you tomorrow.
Aaron, I am not suggesting you not play an inquisitor. Its your application, and I want you to make a character that you want to play. I'm just warning you that I am unlikely to take more then one of a particular class. I see where your going with when you relate him as a Francis Drake, and I can appreciate a pragmatic evil. One who won't shirk from doing what he needs to do, but who wouldn't recklessly throw away someone who is potentially useful. As far as class skills go, keep in mind each player gains two additional skills per level. As a group, I intended for you to mostly cut off from outside support and only able to rely on each other. Keep in mind a Witch with an intelligence of 20 is going to potentially have 11 skill points per level, with creative use of talents, your character can be very flexible. One question as well. As a Half-Elf your character would have been alive prior to the Asmodean purge 28 years ago. What thoughts does Aaron have on the subject?
I actually like him better as a rogue with the option of becoming an inquisitor or a bard as it feels appropriate down the line; normally, I don't even look at the rogue class, but there were a couple of archetypes that really help pull off the feel I'm looking for, so in this case, it's actually a good fit.
As for the purge, he probably thought little enough about it at the time, but as come to view it as an example of the hypocrisy of the church of Mitra, and thus, a major reason for his turning to Asmodeus as a more appropriate patron; after all, while Asmodeus can be dark and cruel, he at least is open about it.
CURRENT APPLICANTS
I. MARTIAL CHARACTERS
1. Kusuma, LE Human Male Monk (Ayrphish)
2. Mikhail Halancoun, LE Dhampir Male Antipaladin (DM Barcas)
3. Rosemary Lillith Thorn, Aasamar Female Antipaladin (Doomed Hero)
4. Darsis Valdane, Human Male Ranger (Byden)
II. SKILL CHARACTERS
1. Steinki Uðr, LE Dwarf Male Inquisitor (Michaelane)
2. Aaron Broodmark, LE Half-Elf Male Inquisitor (sunshadow21)
3. Sholano Gale, LE Human Male Rogue (Viscount K)
4. Ethaniel Tessarin, N Human Male Magus (F. Castor)
5. Barnabas Wright, LE Human Male Rogue (Fanguar)
6. Vexis LaVayn, LE Human Female Rogue (vonklinen)
III. FULL ARCANE CHARACTERS
1. Myra the Darksting, NE Human Female Sorcerer (Kor BloodRage)
2. Ariana Ddraig, LE Human Female Sorcerer (Nidoran Duran)
IV. FULL DIVINE CHARACTERS
1. Inam Darkskye, NE Sylph Female Druid (Darkfire142)
2. Bahram Akhavan, LE Human Male Oracle (Pedwiddle)
3. Kalmah, LE Human Male Cleric (LichdomCome)
Guys, if I missed anyone or anyone's questions please speak up. G'night
i have yet to apply and will bow out due to all the well submitted concepts. enjoy all
@Barnabas Wright: Good Evening Fanguar! I'm glad to see you apply. I think that the Rogue(charlatan) archetype is very fitting for this campaign and I like the way you tied it into your character. Before we get to characters, I wanted to ask you about play style. I know from your campaigns you prefer short, twitter like posts with no inner monologue or flashbacks. God knows I can appreciate the style, and it keeps the game progressing at a fast pace, however with this campaign I want to focus on character development, and storylines. Will you be ok with longer, more in depth posts? On the topic of your character, lets get to the questions: Is Barnabas's mother still alive? Did she know how her husband maintained the family businesses? How close was he to his sister? What is her name? Who does Barnabas suspect was behind his brothers manipulation? Slaving is a vile and terrible crime, how did Barnabas cope with learning how his father supported his family? What are Barnabas's religious views? He seems almost scrooge-like, selfish, careful and meticulous. Is that what you were going for?
And a good evening to you as well. Saw your stipulations on posting and I am 100% behind your format. The posting constraints for my games arose mostly as a desire to get the game moving quickly so as to not get bogged down and fizzle out early. It seemed to work and no one has complained, so I've seen no reason to loosen the rules. Anywho, I haven't gotten to flex the old RP skills lately and wouldn't mind the opportunity to take them for a spin.
Is Barnabas's mother still alive and did she know how her husband maintained the family businesses?
Yes she's alive, (let's call her Bernadita). As for did she know where the money, I would say no, but she had to know that her husband's lands were not rich enough to support the lifestyle they were living. So a don't ask, don't tell kind of situation. As long as she had the money she needed, it didn't really matter where it was coming from.
How close was he to his sister? What is her name?
Here name is Coraline and she is the baby of the family. He was fairly close to her, to his whole family in fact. That was one of the reason's he kept his father's schemes running, to help keep the family in a style they were accustomed to. Though the expenses associated with her coming out at court put a strain on their relationship. She definitely had no clue as to where the money was coming from.
Who does Barnabas suspect was behind his brothers manipulation?
That's a tough one. I envision Barnabas' role in the operation a a middle man between the buyers and sellers and providing a front to transport the human cargo There are a number of individuals that could benefit from muscling him out as the middle man. Assuming that it was someone already involved in the operation and not a 3rd party trying to muscle in, the most likely suspects would be Mitchum Sodder, by all outwardly appearance a wealthy spice merchant, but in fact a supplier of slaves to foreign spice plantations. He's believed that Barnabas has been gauging him for years and might have been willing to muscle him out to get a better deal.
On the other side of the business is the Glowergold consortium, a shipping cabal that traffics in anything and everything money will buy. They have been doing business with the Family for decades and serve as their supplier for all their illicit goods, slaves, exotic pets, poisons etc. While the cabal as a whole has nothing to gain from Barnabas' downfall, he might just be a pawn in the politicking and power struggles between factions within the cabal itself. He has been approached before with offers to buy his contacts, so it's not out of the question
Slaving is a vile and terrible crime, how did Barnabas cope with learning how his father supported his family?
I think it was a bitter pill to swallow at first. As the eldest though, he would have been groomed most of his life for this reveal, so his father would have worked to have him see it in a more positive light. I think spinning it as a unpleasant duty for the good of the family would have been how it started. With perhaps an offer to stop, if Barnabas kind find another way to make up the difference. In the end, with enough repetition anything can become mundane. I think of it as being a mob family: You have this great family and then one day you find out how your father suports you. At first your shocked and maybe mad, but in the end you either accept it and do your part, or you forsake everything you've ever know. Barnabas stepped up.
What are Barnabas's religious views?
He doesn't have many. Having spent some of his youth studying with the priests of Mitra, he has a good understanding of Mitran tenants, but sees them as a fairytale ideal. Honor and justice and such drivel are fine for the wealthy and powerful to amuse themselves with, but in the real world, people have real problems and sometimes morals serve no purpose other than to trouble your sleep at night
That being said, he's seen the power of the clerics and understands the merits of the church. So he would definitely be willing to gravitate to a different clergy that better fit his view of the world. Though as most religions other that Mitra have been suppressed to some degree or another, he has had little opportunity to find a proper fit.
He seems almost scrooge-like, selfish, careful and meticulous. Is that what you were going for?
More or less. Not too scrooge-like. Scrooge sacrificed everything for money, but that left him alone and bitter. Barnabas sacrificed everything for the good of his family and they forsook him. He's earned the right to be selfish for a change. Definitely careful and meticulous. He's also a man free from any real responsibility for the first time in his life and while that's going to be liberating at first, he's the type of person that needs to be doing something and will be on the look out for a task suited to his particular set of abilities.
I'll have an infernal sorcerer up in the next 12 hours. I hope I haven't missed the boat! Profile will include at least the 10 minute background template.
An oracle of The Inmost Blot is something I have never seen before. That alone makes me raise an eyebrow.
In a "that's interesting, consider my interest piqued" kind of way, or in a "why in the world would you make that choice" sort of way? I'll admit, this is my first foray into the Cthulhu mythos, but I really want to do it well. :-P
I think that the wasting disease curse is thematically appropriate. Note to self. Never. Ever. Google "Severe Fungal Infection" ever again. Personally, I don't think that haunted would be appropriate based on your background. That said, it's something easy enough to incorporate if you wanted to go dual cursed oracle.
I agree that it doesn't really fit. The only reasons I'd go with haunted/dual-cursed are, I think, all the wrong ones.
I think the mad oracle trope can work, but I would like to see some more hooks and development, right now your background section is pretty sparse.
Working on it, albeit a bit more slowly than I would have liked. Thanks for your patience and continued input.
Mikhail would certainly frown upon sadism or cruelty for wickedness's sake, but I can see him being all right with someone who is draconian.
Round five.
Just a casual glance and I see that you have experience with Way of the Wicked. That's fine, and you have set up Rosemary with a lot of character hooks to NPC's already within the story. The character depth of Rose is really, really good and much like Mikhail you seem to have set yourself up as both a claimant to the throne of Talingarde and as a potential leader of a group of evil aligned villains. If selected would you be willing to consider keeping your personality the same but switching to a different class like an inquisitor, cleric or perhaps witch?
"Why murder someone, when others will do it for you?" Vexis, that was a great backstory. I have always felt that Poison is something insidious. As I referenced in Darsis's comments, I'm a big fan of Dexter. If you watched this last season, then you will know what I mean when I say "you can never trust a poisoner." Ok, onto the questions. When Vexis forged the documents, why did she implicate Ana? Algorn I could understand, but by your description Ana had done nothing to hurt or pose a risk to Vexis. How does Vexis feel about her mother after she remarried? Despite being evil would she try to help her mother? Tell me more about Rosha. Also what is Vexis's thoughts on Norgorber? It seems to me that his aspect as Blackfingers would appeal to her.
Byden, I'm in two campaigns with you, and each time you make a character it's very solid. Your backstory is indepth with excellent hooks and character detail. I'm getting a Dexter-vibe from Darsis, and it creeps me out (in a good way). I could see Darsis as the strong enforcer to someone he respects. A mailed fist if you will. I appreciate that he has some sort of "code" he may be a psychopath but his father taught him a set of rules, and that's important in a campaign like this. And I love that you dropped a rank in Profession: Butcher. This is a well thought out character.
Thanks for the quick follow up Fanguar. Glad that your ok with longer posts for that one.
I look forward to it.
My interest is piqued type of way.
Looks like you missed me
Good to see you again Jonas. I'm really sorry that campaign fell apart as well since I initially came to pbp to play Ravenloft.
My character is Athena Giovanni and she can be found here.
I wanted to get her in early rather than waiting until the last minute when she's complete like I usually do. I will flesh out her back story more if you are interested. If she doesn't work for you, I'll make another character.
Athena's crime is Consorting with Dark Powers although they also threw in Blasphemy and Heresy.
The signs of her mother's sin didn't show until Athena hit puberty, after which her mother's life came crashing down. Afraid to disappear from the public eye but terrified that someone might find out, she drove away the servants and locked her daughter in their quarters behind the manor.
Throngs of people lined the street before her manor when the news of her daughter's death became known. She went into mourning for a full six months before making a heroic recovery and returning to the stage. For two years she kept up the charade of normalcy while the fear, stress, loneliness and hatred of her daughter drove her first to drink and then to more exotic drugs.
Athena was fifteen when her mother collapsed on stage, her mental instability now plain for all to see. The opera house where she was performing made a great show of caring for the Diva of Tavingarde and sent a doctor to stay with her until she regained consciousness. It was not long after that her missing daughter was found.
Ariadne left Branderscar Prison and was burned at the stake yesterday. Athena's trial took somewhat longer.
While innocent of wrongdoing, the sin of her birth was clearly visible in her small fangs, horns and tail. Despite being as physically beautiful as her mother, her presence terrified and disrupted the court, throwing the entire secular judicial system into an uproar.
In the end, much to the relief of the King, the church stepped in. Unconcerned about the specifics of her crime, they decreed she was to face the same fate as her mother, burned just that morning. In mercy, she was given three days in Branderscar to prepare her soul.
10 minute background
1. She is a tiefling, the daughter of a famed diva and her infernal lover
2. She has been imprisoned for over two years by her mother who tried to hide her. She was freed from that imprisonment only to be dragged to court and sentenced to death
3. She is as beautiful as her mother, though her devilish features are extremely disconcerting
4. She was a brilliant student but two and a half years of captivity have made her fall behind children her age
5. Her captivity has made her physically weak as she is never allowed outside to exercise.
Two Goals for Athena
1. She hates the judge who tried her, the church who condemned her, the King who rules such an "evil" city and the god who inspires this mindless hatred.
2. While currently in despair, I plan to evolve her understanding of the town and the bigger picture until she eventually blames everyone in authority and determines to take over the town herself that Justice might be done.
Two Secrets
1. She knows that her father was a devil and that her mother was aware of this too. Her mother had tried to drive her away and had even once hired kidnappers but each time Athena mysteriously wound up back at home, playing as if nothing had been wrong.
2. The church of Asmodeus and the powers of Hell have plans for Athena and have been following her life until now. Ariadne's encounter with Dmitri was not a chance encounter.
Four People Tied to Athena
1. Her father - Dmitri was rewarded for his conquest, becoming a lesser noble in Hell's hierarchy. While no longer specifically involved in this particular plot, it was his first real mission and he would be very angry if someone screwed it up.
2. Her current "handler" - Verithrex is a moderately ranked devil and while this is not his first job on the mortal plane, it definitely is his biggest. He will make certain nothing too drastic happens to Athena, though he will avoid intervening personally if at all possible.
3. Her mortal contact - Sister Cassandra Ribisi was born on the same day as Athena, albeit to human parents. Her whole life has been spent in training for the day when she would make contact with Athena, guiding her to her destiny. The church of Asmodeus has put a lot of effort into raising Cassandra and she understands that she must become Athena's best friend, or die trying.
4. Her mother - Ariadne's spirit is not going to rest peacefully. Her ghost rose from the ashes, still warm from the flames that consumed her, on the very night of her death. Confined to the execution yard in front of the courthouse, she is exploring the limits of her haunting to see if she can get revenge on those that have wronged her. This includes the townsfolk, the court, the church and especially her daughter.
Three Memories, Mannerisms or Quirks
1. Athena remembers her youth and her mother as the toast of the town. She was eight when she was first allowed to attend a performance at the opera. Her mother performed the role of Marie Villanova, a varisian dancer and mystic. Marie and her lover Antoine each die at the hands of the others tribe during a blood feud. Athena has always wanted to be a gypsy and enjoys reading romance novels.
2. Athena's tail sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. She kept everything in her quarters beyond the reach of it's swinging but once out in public, she will forget about it, knocking over any loose, probably breakable, objects.
3. Athena has become claustrophobic from her confinement. The long, lonely days have also made her unaccustomed to keeping any kind of schedule. Time gets away from her unless she is specifically reminded that she has a deadline.
@GM removing the orc prereq for scent would be helpful, otherwise, I don't expect you to pull any punches.
Afternoon Castor, I see that you were previously selected for DM Barcas's Kingmaker of Korvosa. As a heads up I'm hoping we can replicate the style of that campaign for Hearts of Darkness:Ways of the Wicked. Lets get to your character. As I said before, corrupted by the evil artifact is a trope, but its a classic one. When you first introduced your character I was scratching my head why you picked a katana, as it's an eastern weapon in a western campaign, so nice job of filling in that hole. Onto the questions! Ethaniel was orphaned. Who were his parents, and why did they abandon him? Does he have any desire to find out who they were? Does he even care, or is he just bitter? Ethaniel's mentor was of Chelaxian and Tien descent. What gods did he worship, and how did Marvius feel when twenty eight years ago Mitra became the the state religion of Talingarde? Did whisper have any impact on Marvius? What does Ethaniel suspect happened to Marvius? Who would want him dead, and why? How does Ethaniel feel about Mitra? Is there anyone in Ethaniel's life that he cares about? Anyone he hates? Aside from the sword is there anything he desires above all else?
Good day, mate. To be fair, I was not so much selected as accepted as a replacement when a couple of the players had to bow out of the game after it had begun. On to the questions now! :-)
Ethaniel was orphaned. Who were his parents, and why did they abandon him? Does he have any desire to find out who they were? Does he even care, or is he just bitter?
There was more than a bit of luck involved in Ethaniel's birth, seeing as how both of his parents were modern descendants of the Azlanti. His mother was a citizen of Talingarde, while his father was a wanderer, who found himself staying in the same city as her for a time. Their affair lasted for close to a year, ending almost as abruptly as it began when the man took to traveling about again. What he did not know, however, was that his lover was with child, a fact that perhaps would have made him choose differently and stay with her. Regardless, the woman carried the child to term, but she did not survive the birth itself. With circumstances being what they were, a friend of the poor woman that helped deliver the boy took him and brought him to the temple's doorstep.
Having never met his parents and without even knowing the circumstances of his birth and abandonment, for lack of a better term, Ethaniel does not really care one way or the other about them. That is not to say there was never any bitterness on his part; a child growing up alone in an orphanage is bound to feel at the very least some anger at the parents who had left him there. Still, without being able to put a face to them or having any memory of them, that anger and bitterness slowly but surely faded away, especially after his adoption. That is also why he does not put too much stock in his Azlanti heritage, ignoring it for the most part, even though he did learn the language associated with his people.
Ethaniel's mentor was of Chelaxian and Tien descent. What gods did he worship, and how did Marvius feel when twenty eight years ago Mitra became the the state religion of Talingarde? Did whisper have any impact on Marvius?
Marvius worshiped Shizuru, the Tian-Min goddess of honor and swordplay, and Nethys, the god of magic. Being a practical military man, however, he did not so much worship them as acknowledged them and their influence. Thus, when Mitra became the official religion of Talingarde, Marvius saw no problem with it. He acknowledged him and respected him and his followers and priests, but he was not what one might call an active worshiper.
As far as the sword is concerned, it is indeed alive and old, very old. It was passed down to Marvius by his father, a ronin dedicated to the way of the sword, who himself had come in possession of it after killing its previous owner in an honorable duel and claiming it for his own. And even that man was not the original wielder of the katana, the blade acting like a normal unremarkable sword in his hands. After being wielded by Marvius' father, who was a warrior focused on training and fighting with a sword, the weapon's long-slumbering consciousness stared stirring and it imbued its blade with renewed strength. Still, it was not only an instrument of war, but of magic as well, and it was only so much that it could itself benefit from being used by a strictly martial warrior. And then came Marvius, who mixed swordplay with spells, and the sword awakened even more, imbuing its edge with a little enchantment and even managing to gently influence its wielder's decisions ever so rarely. And one such decision that the sword influenced was Ethaniel's adoption. Marvius was already considering finding an heir of sorts, which is why he visited the orphanage, having no wife and children of his own. But it was the sword's gentle nudging that made him choose this particular boy.
What does Ethaniel suspect happened to Marvius? Who would want him dead, and why?
Ethaniel believes in foul play being involved, though the specifics elude him. Still, even though Marvius was indeed past his prime, he was far from a derelict old man waiting to be claimed by natural causes. And indeed there was nothing natural about his demise. And the reason for his death was the sword, as the strange weapon was coveted by a wizard who had managed to divine that it was far from a mere enchanted sword of exotic design, even if he had not yet been able to discover anything quite so specific as what it really was or where it had come from. The wizard's name is Xarus Kastarian and not only is he a mage, but also a member of a noble house, albeit a minor one. Being directly responsible for Marvius' death through a combination of magic and poison, as well as putting more than a little coin in the right hands to avoid having someone look too hard into what had killed the magus, he expected to come into possession of the sword easily enough once its owner was dead. However, the man's burial along with his prized weapon and Ethaniel's subsequent involvement in taking it from the tomb complicated his plans more than a little.
How does Ethaniel feel about Mitra?
Ethaniel, much like his "father", has a practical point of view where gods are concerned. Though he does acknowledge and pay lip service to Nethys, he is more or less indifferent about divine matters, Talingarde's acceptance of Mitra as the official religion included, at least as long as it does not affect him adversely or get in his way.
Is there anyone in Ethaniel's life that he cares about? Anyone he hates? Aside from the sword is there anything he desires above all else?
Ethaniel genuinely cared about Marvius, seeing as he was the first and only parent he ever knew and the one who taught him everything he knows. In fact, his desire for vengeance on whoever is responsible for his death stems almost entirely from those emotions.
Aside from his "father", there are two other people Ethaniel cares about, a pair of twins, a boy by the name of Kheris and a girl called Khiara, from his days at the orphanage. At about the same age as Ethaniel, they were his friends when they were all in the orphanage and they still consider each other as such, even if teir paths have diverged over the years. For while Ethaniel was adopted, the twins never were, instead leaving the orphanage on their own at the age of fourteen and striking out on their own as street performers, weaving song with sleight of hand and acrobatics.
As far as hate is concerned, he has no face to put to those he does hate, but the one behind Marvius' demise, as well as those responsible for his arrest and sentence -not to mention taking the sword away from him when he had it in his grasp finally- are worthy candidates.
For now, the sword itself, combined with improving his skills and gaining in power, are first and foremost in his mind, along with discovering what really happened to his guardian and doing something about it. As his power grows and the sword's influence manifests itself more fully, however, his ambition will grow. He has no aspirations to thrones and titles, but becoming a force to be reckoned with and avoiding having to be dependent or beholden to anyone unless it is as equals is the closest thing he has as a desire and goal, at least for the moment.
Sholano Gale, ready, willing, and able - so far as you all know, anyway. I think I answered all the questions you had before in the alias, although I do still have to do almost all of his crunch. A word of warning, I put up two versions of his background. The longer one has about a page more of fluff and is mostly for my benefit, to give me a better idea who I'm working with here.
I do have a couple of concerns about what I've done here. Let me know if you think they can stand the test.
First, and most importantly to the concept, I'm a Half-Elf, when I know you were mostly looking for humans. Originally, that was just a vague choice, but I wove it pretty solidly into the backstory, and would be a bit tricky (though far from impossible) to change. I'm willing to make it happen, if necessary, but I'd really rather not.
Second, the way I'm currently built, Sholano is going to be the next best thing to useless in a fight for a while. With a 14 Dex as his best physical stat, I worry that I'll be pulling everyone else down, at least at first before the sneak attack dice start adding up. If that's not a problem, great, but I think it's something to think about.
Third, presuming it's cool that I'm a Half-Elf, I went with the Wary alternate racial trait (+1 to Sense Motive and Bluff), replacing Keen Senses (+2 on Perception).
That oughta do it for my concerns. Any further questions or things you'd like expanded?
Since I didn't get any notes, should I assume there's nothing about my character I really need to tweak? Or am I just still in notes queue?
Also, I realize that the only PBP game I'm in is very low-prose, which sort of feeds into itself in terms of keeping my posts simple, so I'll write up a sample for you if you feel I need one.
Here is my infernal sorcerer, Erikan Staldidt, linked for your viewing pleasure :)
I've worked out everything, but I'm thinking about changing a few things, noticeably spells, and I'm keen to expand and define my history more over the next 24 hours.. Let me know what you think!
I really like the antipaladin and have some great ideas about how to build her as I advance. I also like the idea of tiny prom queen as the frontline fighter. I'd prefer not to change her class. Gravewalker Witch might work, but cleric and inquisitor just don't fit my image of her.
Round six!
Good morning all. First off, I have to tell you guys that I am staggered by the amount of quality applications I am seeing so far. Whenever I applied for campaigns on the boards, and the DM would say "There's so many good applications, I'll have a hard time picking." I thought it was a bit of tripe. Well, I'm wrong. The characters so far have been really fantastic. I enjoy reading all of them, and I appreciate the effort each of you has put into your characters so far.
After an initial review of the character submissions, I have made a decision on two of the spots. I will continue to review the characters as they become updated and I'll be naming the remaining selections over the next three and a half days.
The first member to be selected will be Mikhail Halancoun. I felt that I needed a very strong writer to keep the story going, as well as a character who while evil also had principles. I envision Mikhail to fill the role of group leader. The second character selected for the group is Ethaniel Tessarin. There were several reasons for the selection, but the most important was the long term hook Ethaniel gave me.. his slow descent into darkness at the hands of Whisper. I'm hopeful that between Mikhail and Ethaniel, we can set the right tone for this campaign.
If you weren't selected, please don't get discouraged. Everyone else is still in the running, and I am really happy with how each of the submissions are being fleshed out.
Sorry Mark, I'll add you to the next roster I post. One question: It looks like you reskinned Slevin from a worshiper of Shar to a worshiper of Lamashtu? Did you consider Norgorber? (I'm not asking you to change, I am just trying to understand the thought process behind Slevin)
Esme, I think you have a strong submission. I'm not a huge fan of non-humans (I feel they should be rare, however I also believe that when a tiefling or assimar is born, it should never be an accidental occurrence, it's something that happens by the will of the gods. So I like that you took that into consideration.) A few questions: How much of her heritage is Athena aware of? Does much does she know about Dmitri and Verithrex? I read that she knows he is a devil, but does she have any idea that her birth was intentional or that he still watches over her? How has she coped with being born a monster into a society that fears her? What role do you see Athena playing in a group? Would she be able to work with others?
Sounds good, and I look forward to seeing how you write it. I think that the Faust mythos can be powerful story if it is played correctly.
Considering a loss of sight, I could see that being an option. Kusuma, I won't lie. I think the application has some strong merits, but I'm a little concerned. Your goals are pretty simple. Short term they are good, i.e. take revenge upon Whitney, but I don't see any long term goals. What would Kusuma do once he has taken his revenge? What would keep him in Talingarde?
Thanks Sholando, I don't have any further questions at this time.
Nidoran, I think your character has heaps of potential. Talingarde is a nation that, perhaps rightfully fears anything that could be perceived as corrupt. My question is less about your character and more about you. Looking at your profile, it seems like this is one of your first characters on the paizo forums. What experience do you have in terms of pbp's?
Thanks for your application Erikan. I have looked over your Aliases and it seems like you favor short posts. Would you be alright with expanding your word counts per post, adding more details, inner monologues, thoughts, memories at the like? Reading Erikan's background I feel that you get the general mood of Talingarde. I also appreciate the little details like taking Perform (strings) as a nod to his background. Since Gerrick and Erikan have been arrested for fraud what has happened to Erikan's mother?
Fair enough.
Submitting 'Merciful' Arnaud Deschaux.
Five background and concept elements important to Arnaud
1) Arnaud is a former constable. While his methods were questionable, his results were good. While the healers in his precinct were certainly busy with broken arms, legs and fractured skulls; the citizens were safe, by and large. He believed in law and order and due process, but he had no regard or mercy for criminals when bringing them to heel.
2) Arnaud was accused of attempted murder, and sentenced as such because the man he attempted to murder was the favored son of a noble family. Arnaud spoke not a word in protest as sentence was passed, he did not flinch or scream when he was branded ‘FORSAKEN’. He knows he is guilty, but he knows that the man he was accused of trying to kill is guilty of much, much worse. The victims of this man, however, have been unwilling to come forward and accuse. The fact that the man walks free gnaws at Arnaud. While he is confined among the people he spent his life trying to imprison, their hatred toward him pales in comparison to that of the guards;
3) Arnaud is a very handsome and charming man, when he wants to be. He has a laid-back, easy-going demeanor at most times, he tends to give people an even-shake, and is patient with people. Constant denial and a refusal to cooperate were the attributes most likely to be beaten out of a person.
4) Arnaud is the son of a successful and well-known alchemist, at the forefront of the development of firearms in Talingarde. As such, Arnaud has a strong familiarity with the new weapons. However, he does not rely on them. He is perfectly happy applying fists or club when necessary.
5) Arnaud was not vengeful or wrathful before his imprisonment. He did not kill with pleasure, only out of self-defense. He does not regret the times he had to resort to violence, he held no illusiosn of who criminals are, and extended them no mercy when they did not cooperate. Now, deep into his life-long sentence, he has come to enjoy hurting people, though he still does not resort to unprovoked violence. He is slow with admitting this to himself.
Two goals that are important to Arnaud
1) Arnaud wants to see the nobleman who imprisoned him suffer. No longer a believer in the system he worked, he dreams constantly of exacting a brutal and agonizing death upon the man.
2) Arnaud wishes to free his family of any blow-back from his crime. He worries that the man he attacked will inflict vengeance upon his brothers, his parents or his neices and nephews. He also worries on the shame they are burdened with in the wake of his imprisonment.
Two secrets about Arnaud, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) Arnaud did not count himself among the faithful of Mitra before his imprisonment. While he went along with the rite and ritual out of habit and a fear of persecution, he cares nothing for the god or his dogma.
2) The nobleman whom Arnaud attempted to kill is a diabolist, he was intent on sacrificing the child Arnaud caught him attempting to kidnap.
Four people that are tied to Arnaud:
1) Pellious - The noble son whom Arnaud caught attempting to kidnap a child. Second son of House __, and a follower of Asmodeus. Arnaud was found by another constable, beating the already comatose man with the butt of his pistol. Only the family’s wealth and influence among the church saved their son from death.
2) Phillipe Deschaux - a scientist, and Arnaud’s father. He was proud of his son when he went into law enforcement. He has refused to believe that Arnaud is the corrupt monster that the courts painted him to be.
3) Martin Renalt - Arnaud’s former direct superior. He went into law enforcement as a means to political gain and self-promotion. Arnaud knew he had no regard or drive for the job, and such they clashed frequently. The arrest and imprisonment of the ‘corrupt’ and ‘murderous’ Arnaud has propelled Renalt into a position of power among City advisors/councillors/freeholders
4) Miribelle Deschaux - Arnaud’s first and favorite neice. Daughter of his brother Phillipe Jr. He was protective of her over all the other neices and nephews, and worries after her while in Branderscar
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks Arnaud: possess
1) Arnaud likes to let people talk. he isn't quiet, or reserved, but he knows how to read someone, and the best way to get someone to slip up is to just let them talk.
2) The first time his father showed him a working gun. The noise and the fury were instantly burned into his memory. rather than terror, he only felt awe. And his father’s pride at his accomplishment “Without aid of God or Magic!” defined Arnaud’s belief in the potential of human ingenuity.
3) Arnaud enjoys women, but doesn't think highly of them. as a free man he had a tendency to get what he wanted from them and leave, or at least ignore them to the point where they would.
Crunch is in the profile. I'm not sold on gunslinger necessarily, but a fighter isn't skill-heavy enough for how I picture Arnaud. As a disgraced lawman I figure he would have a better grasp of things like Knowledge: Local, Sense Motive and Perception.
A tall, handsome man. He has dark brown eyes and dark hair, streaked with gray. An easy smile has faded into a fixed grimace after years of imprisonment
I will be updating my backstory to answer the questions you've asked. Also, Vexis prefers to use poisons that temporarily paralyze or cause sleep. Although if someone is a constant obstacle, more drastic measures can be applied.
Alrighty then, I think that'll more or less do it for Sholano, I think he's as fleshed out as he's gonna get for the moment.
A couple questions for you, then, if you don't mind: First, is Sholano the kind of guy that'll fit in 'round here? Not necessarily "will you pick him?", so much as "is he even a viable sort of character for this AP?". I'm fully aware that he's an odd duck (and not from Talingarde), and I have to wonder how much he can fit in.
Second, in a unorthodox move, what're the chances I could drop a second submission into the mix? There's another villain kicking around in my head, and I so rarely get the chance to let these guys out to play.
Fantastic. Mikhail has been a lot of fun to design and hopefully even more fun to play. He's almost a tragic figure. While he is evil in the sense that he doesn't mind using almost any means to achieve his goals, he is neither cruel nor uncaring. The things that he does love, though, are warped by his narcissism, and his arrogance is his biggest weakness. With the dhampir feat that allows him to take 20 on charisma skills (once achieving friendly), I picture as him as having an almost irresistible magnetism to him - though ultimately a lonely one, unable to make a true human connection.
@ GM
Kusuma's worldview is shaped by combat, if he were a part of an organization that allowed him to face new and challenging opponents, he would be content, hoping to master his martial training as well as his perceptive skills with the absence of sight. (Which would be his long term goal in its simplest form.)
He would certainly love to 'see' Lydia again, and deciding on how that plays out there is room for more development as well. Not to mention the fact that he really loves to travel, so if the campaign ever leaves Talingarde that would interest him as well.
Without trying to tell you what to do, some things that could interest or occupy or otherwise engage Kusuma long term could involve Jaden and his wife's other family members, Master Budi's desire for him to return to Tiang-Sing in order to train new swordsmen, leaving his 'dark' past for a brighter future sort of angle. Unless the world suddenly became a better place for him, that would likely conflict with his goals as well.
Anyway, those are some ideas off the top of my head, if you would like more just let me know, I am certain I can come up with more for The Blind Tian if you want to keep him around.
May I present Oswald Turrill, mad gravedigger and tragic family man. I've included a bad example of an elegy poem I made when I was thinking up the character, The Three Tragedies of Oswald Turrill.
Male Human Witch (gravewalker) 1
NE Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception -1
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DEFENSE
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AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex)
hp 9 (1d6+3)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1; +1 vs divine spells, +2 vs confusion/insanity/fear
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee
Ranged
Special Attacks hex (misfortune, DC 15)
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STATISTICS
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Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 10
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats Extra Hex (misfortune), Spell Focus (necromancy)
Traits Unhinged Mentality, Desecration
Skills Heal +3, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Profession (doctor) +3, Spellcraft +8
Languages Aklo, Common (Taldane), Elven, Infernal, Osiriani
Combat Gear
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Racial
+2 to Intelligence.
Bonus Feat Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Skilled Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Favored Class Witch (+1 hp)
Traits
Unhinged Mentality You have a madness gifted by dark beings of vast power. This madness gives you a +2 trait bonus on saves against confusion, insanity, and fear effects.
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.
Class
Weapon and Armor Proficiency Witches are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield.
Hex Witches learn a number of magic tricks, called hexes, that grant them powers or weaken foes. Unless otherwise noted, using a hex is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The save to resist a hex is equal to 10 + 1/2 the witch's level + the witch's Intelligence modifier.
Misfortune (Su) The witch can cause a creature within 30 feet to suffer grave misfortune for 1 round. Anytime the creature makes an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, it must roll twice and take the worse result. A Will save negates this hex. At 8th level and 16th level, the duration of this hex is extended by 1 round. This hex affects all rolls the target must make while it lasts. Whether or not the save is successful, a creature cannot be the target of this hex again for 1 day. Save DC 15.
Spell Poppet Each gravewalker carries around a gristly, inanimate poppet stitched from human skin and stuffed with shards of bone, fingernails, and grave dirt. A gravewalker's spells come from the will of evil spirits residing in the poppet, and its ability to hold spells functions in a manner identical to the way a witch's spells are granted by her familiar. The gravewalker must commune with her poppet each day to prepare her spells and cannot prepare spells that are not stored in the poppet. This ability replaces familiar.
Aura of Desecration (Su) At first level, a gravewalker can create a 20-foot-radius aura of evil power. This aura increases the DC of channeled negative energy by +1 and the turn resistance of undead by +1. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the radius of the aura increases by 5 feet, to a maximum of 70 feet at 20th level. This ability replaces the witch's 1st-level hex.
Bonethrall (Su) At first level, a gravewalker can take control of an undead creature within her aura of desecration by forcing her will upon it (Will negates, using her hex DC). If it fails the save, the creature falls under her control as if she had used command undead (once control is established, the undead remain controlled even if outside the witch's aura). Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist her command. The witch can control up to 1 HD of undead creatures per caster level. If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, the witch must make an opposed Charisma check whenever her orders conflict with that creature's. This replaces the witch's hex gained at 4th level.
Spells
Patron Death
Spells Per Day 3/2
Cantrips (DC 14)
arcane mark
bleed (DC 15)
dancing lights
daze - *
detect magic
detect poison
guidance
light
mending
message
putrefy food and drink
read magic
resistance
spark - *
stabilize
touch of fatigue (DC 15)
1st Level (DC 15)
cause fear (DC 16)
chill touch (DC 16) - *
cure light wounds
inflict light wounds (DC 16)
obscuring mist - *
ray of enfeeblement (DC 16)
restore corpse
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GEAR
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Weight Item
(-lb)
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--Description--
--Background--
On a moonless night,
Three hours till the morn,
Beneath a lantern’s pale light,
With a cry Oswald was born.
Spitting image of his father,
His mother whispered to the night,
An observation his sire gave little bother,
As from her eyes’ soon fled the world’s light.
The first tragedy of poor Oswald,
A day old at his mother’s wake,
To lose her to the netherworld,
Her soul the Lady of Graves’ to take.
Under his father’s heavy hand,
Little Oswald worked to be fed,
Tending stones growing from the land,
A home shared with the newly dead.
The years flowed by as up Oswald grew,
From tender of graves to learned physician,
The joys of a wife and children he soon knew,
A life built and set on a course for demolition.
The second tragedy of Oswald Turrill,
The fever that no priest of Mitra could cure,
Took his son soon after the daughter grew still,
His wife was last leaving him alone premature.
Beset by grief and righteous anger at the gods,
Oswald’s brain broke under the strain of it all,
His mindscape and reality became at odds,
Until his family could have never heard death’s call.
A tender of graves once more was his fate,
So Oswald could dig them up from the cold ground,
To dress them and tend them and line them up straight,
Cavorting with dark powers and his soul to them bound.
The third tragedy of Oswald Turrill was the worst still,
His madness made manifest in profaning of the shrines,
The Shining Lord’s host called for Oswald’s blood to spill,
His remaining days to be in Branderscar Prison’s confines.
1) Oswald Turrill was once a doctor before his world came crashing down. Born the only son of a mortician, Oswald’s mother died shortly after giving birth to him from complications during the labor. He was raised by his cold and distant father where he had to earn his meals by tending the grass and tombstones of the cemetery. A perfectionist, Oswald’s father pushed his son hard to succeed, going so far to direct him into medical school to continue the family profession in a way. A bright young man, Oswald excelled in learning the skills of a doctor and after a few years, he graduated with honors amongst his peers.
2) Oswald met his wife, Penelope, by introduction through his best friend, Nicholas. Though it began as an awkward courtship, Oswald soon won the admiration of his fair Penelope and within the year, they had wed. Their first child, a son they called Tomas, was born 13 months later. A daughter followed soon after, a raven haired beauty named Rosaline. His practice running strong and a family blossoming like a flower in the sun, Oswald was content with life.
3) A few months after his son’s sixth birthday celebration, Rosaline came down with a fierce fever. It was like the very fires of Hell burned under her pale skin as her health rapidly deteriorated. Oswald tried every medicine and trick of his craft to cure little Rosa to no avail but when her condition worsened and the sickness spread to Tomas and Penelope in turn, Oswald turned to the Shining Lord to help his family. Never a deeply religious man, Oswald had rarely attended any ceremonies at Mitra’s holy temples, an absence that was not unnoticed by Mitra’s faithful. His plea for divine assistance to the priests of Mitra was slowly shifted up the ranks, almost torturously so, until it rested in the hands of Brother Adonius L’Trass. Unimpressed with the depths of Oswald’s piety, Adonius gave the sickness but the most cursory examinations and prayers to Mitra for an ounce of charity for those afflicted with such a ‘terrible’ ailment. When there was no change in the condition of Oswald’s wife and children, Adonius told him there was nothing more that could be done and it was in Mitra’s hands now. Three days later, Rosaline passed away in Oswald’s arms, her body racked by seizures at the end. That night, Tomas followed his sister into the afterlife. It was another two days before Penelope, her eyes glazed over and delirious with pain, finally took her last breath in this world. The three most precious things in his life now buried six feet beneath the cold ground was enough to break the last of poor Oswald’s mind. He descended into a deep madness.
4) Unable to continue in his practice as a doctor, Oswald reverted to something from his youth that his broken mind could comprehend, digging new graves and tending to the Talingarde cemetery once more. In his delusions, his family hadn’t truly died so when he dug up their bodies and secreted them back to a small house he now lived in, it wasn’t digging up the dead; Oswald was returning his family to their home from a long stay at a treatment facility to overcome their sickness. Oswald’s fractured mind dove deeper into his new reality, so far that his friends could not even pull him back to the real world. Soon he became known as the strange gravedigger whom talked to himself. Oswald began to go without bathing or trimming his hair to a point where the only people that dared approach him were those of an equally disreputable disposition. He made acquaintances with a few smugglers and petty thieves, who gave Oswald baubles and cheap, counterfeit jewelry for his wife and daughter in exchange for help storing or moving illegal objects through the cemetery. When a recent shipment of banned heretical books passed through his cemetery, three in particular drew Oswald’s attention. While his smuggler ‘friend’ was off securing a buyer for them, Oswald stole the three and took them back to his shack. As he read the strange words scribed in the books, they began to make more and more sense as he scanned their lines. They spoke of rituals were the spirits of those lost beyond the veil of death could be called back forth to once more walk the land of the living. Giddy with thoughts of giving more life to his oddly listless family, Oswald performed the dark rites from the books. The voices began to speak in his head, telling him of what must be done if he wished to have his wife, Penelope, his daughter, Rosaline, and his son, Tomas, once more walk beside him. The seductive promises they offered were more than what Oswald could stand.
5) Under the guidance of the dark voices in his head, Oswald gathered disgusting ingredients for another vile ritual. In the dead of night, during the Witching hour, Oswald stole into a shrine of Mitra and defiled the entirety of it. When the priests came to tend the shrine the next day, they found arcane runes defacing all symbols of Mitra, the floor awash in fresh offal and animal blood, and the Mitra’s golden statue beheaded, its wayward head set atop of mound of crudely removed dog hearts before the feet of the statue. When the authorities hunted down Oswald at the small two room shack he lived just off the cemetery grounds, they discovered the man carrying on around the dinner table with the patched together corpses of his dead wife and children. Obviously, a madman guilty of the crimes he stood accused; Oswald was quickly shackled and escorted off to Branderscar Prison.
Two goals important to Oswald Turrill:
1) Oswald wishes to see his wife and children returned to some sibilance of life, be it as intelligent undead or truly raised from the dead as living beings once more.
2) Oswald wishes to see the Church of Mitra dismantled and the faithful of the hypocritical god driven into the cold seas surrounding Talingarde.
Two secrets about Oswald, one that he knows, and one that he is not yet aware:
1) Oswald’s powers are a gift from a malevolent group of dark spirits that call themselves the ‘Exanimus’. He made contact with them through forbidden rituals in banned books buried in the Talingarde cemetery and bound his soul to them in a profane pact that required the desecration of holy shrines to Mitra.
2) In actuality, the Exanimus are the disembodied souls of a group of powerful aboleth spellcasters that dueled with Aroden, during his mortal days, for control of the Starstone. They were close to ascending into godhood as horrible deities of madness and corruption before finally being bested by the Last Azlanti. Their physical bodies destroyed, the souls of the Exanimus were exiled into the depths of the Dark Tapestry by Aroden as one of his first acts as a god. Since the death of the god of humanity, the wards banning the Exanimus have decayed, allowing the spirits to return to Golarion. They have begun plots to regain their physical forms and more with Oswald being just another piece in the game they play against the successors of Aroden.
Four people that are tied to Oswald, three are friends and one is an enemy:
1) Reginald Turrill (58) – Oswald’s father and a mortician for the Talingarde cemetery. He owns and operates the Shining Memorial funeral home whose primary clientele are the lower classes or those otherwise unable to afford a Mitra-sanctified crypt. Reginald has a strained relationship with his son that traces its roots back to the fact that Reginald lays blame for his wife’s death in childbirth on his son’s shoulders. They rarely speak or see one another beyond a shared dinner once a month. Reginald is currently unaware of his son’s recent incarceration under charges of desecration.
2) Nicholas Bennett (32) – A friend and colleague to Oswald from his days as a doctor. Nicholas is a skilled surgeon in the non-magical circles of professional medicine. He and Oswald attended school together and became fast friends from the very start. Nicholas was the one who first introduced Oswald to Penelope and stood as his best man during the wedding ceremony a year later. He was devastated for his friend when Penelope and their two little ones passed from the fever and since has attempted several times unsuccessfully to bring Oswald out of his delusional madness. He has heard of Oswald’s recent crimes and is as of yet unsure how to process the allegations against his old friend.
3) ‘Double Down’ Finn Ditcher (25) – A man of unscrupulous morals that is a member in good standing with the local thieves’ guild. A friend of Oswald when it is mutually beneficial, Finn makes use of several bolt holes and stashes around the cemetery that Oswald has shown him. In return, Finn supplies Oswald with various curios and information that the gravedigger might ask of him. Finn’s recent activity includes smuggling in a cache of banned books through an abandoned crypt, a few books of which have made their way into Oswald’s possession.
4) Brother Adonius L’Trass (48) – A senior priest of Mitra, arrogant and well connected, that was ‘unable’ to offer relief to the wife and children of Oswald Turrill when they were dying of a mysterious fever. Oswald blames Adonius personally for the death of his family and has been arrested several times for minor offenses against the priest such as flinging manure at his robes in the street, writing graphic slurs about Adonius on building walls, and other various misdemeanors. It was Adonius whom recognized Oswald’s handiwork in the desecration of Mitra’s shrines and called for his arrest.
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks Oswald possesses:
1) Oswald keeps a small doll that was once his daughter’s on his person. As the doll has fallen into disrepair, Oswald has started to replace the fabric of the doll with slices of his daughter’s desiccated flesh and re-thatched its scalp with strands of hair from his daughter, son, and wife. He talks to the doll constantly as if it were alive.
2) Other than being caught in the occasional torrential downpour, Oswald hasn’t made a habit of tending to his personal grooming for well over two years. His hair is long and unkempt, his beard become an unruly cascade of tangled fibers, and the smell that wafts off his dirt-smeared flesh enough to curl the paint off the sides of buildings.
3) While he is as mad as a cuckoo, Oswald retains his sharp wit and intellect from better by-gone days.
Too cool not to apply and I managed to come up with someone evil I would love to play. In fact I couldn't sleep last night until I had worked him into some sort of shape.
The background is now in the profile. Definitely needs tinkering with but I didn't want to leave this until Thursday and miss out on your input, Celeador (I'll take a look at crunch tomorrow).
So have at him!
Cheers
CURRENT APPLICANTS
I. MARTIAL CHARACTERS
1. Kusuma, LE Human Male Monk (Ayrphish)
2. Mikhail Halancoun, LE Dhampir Male Antipaladin (DM Barcas)*
3. Rosemary Lillith Thorn, Aasamar Female Antipaladin (Doomed Hero)
4. Darsis Valdane, Human Male Ranger (Byden)
5. Arnaud Deschaux, Human Male Gunslinger (CorvusRed)
II. SKILL CHARACTERS
1. Steinki Uðr, LE Dwarf Male Inquisitor (Michaelane)
2. Aaron Broodmark, LE Half-Elf Male Inquisitor (sunshadow21)
3. Sholano Gale, LE Human Male Rogue (Viscount K)
4. Ethaniel Tessarin, N Human Male Magus (F. Castor)*
5. Barnabas Wright, LE Human Male Rogue (Fanguar)
6. Vexis LaVayn, LE Human Female Rogue (vonklinen)
7. Slevin Wrath, NE Human Male Inquisitor (Mark Thomas 66)
III. FULL ARCANE CHARACTERS
1. Myra the Darksting, NE Human Female Sorcerer (Kor BloodRage)
2. Ariana Ddraig, LE Human Female Sorcerer (Nidoran Duran)
3. Athena Giovanni, LE Tiefling Female Sorcerer (MPCampbell)
4. Erikan Staldidt, LE Human Male Sorcerer (littlehewy)
5. Oswald Turrill, NE Human Male Witch (Draconas)
IV. FULL DIVINE CHARACTERS
1. Inam Darkskye, NE Sylph Female Druid (Darkfire142)
2. Bahram Akhavan, LE Human Male Oracle (Pedwiddle)
3. Kalmah, LE Human Male Cleric (LichdomCome)
4. Kurgh the Dwarf, LE Human Male Cleric (French Wolf)
*selected for campaign.
In terms of RPG-based PBP games, my only prior experience lies in the Ascencion - Merchant's Guild game. Unfortunately, it's not a game very heavy on the writing, so it's not a very good indicator of much. I have done PBPs elsewhere not based in game systems for about six years, as well as creative writing, and several years' experience in tabletop gaming. If you have concerns, I could whip up a writing sample for you, detailing my character committing the crime that got her placed in Branderscar.
Fantastic. Mikhail has been a lot of fun to design and hopefully even more fun to play. He's almost a tragic figure. While he is evil in the sense that he doesn't mind using almost any means to achieve his goals, he is neither cruel nor uncaring. The things that he does love, though, are warped by his narcissism, and his arrogance is his biggest weakness. With the dhampir feat that allows him to take 20 on charisma skills (once achieving friendly), I picture as him as having an almost irresistible magnetism to him - though ultimately a lonely one, unable to make a true human connection.
A tip of the hat to you sir.
Mikhail is very cool character. The legitimate claim to the Talingarde throne is a really nice touch and the whole prince in exile returning to reclaim his birthright thing makes for a pretty great framework to flesh out the campaign.
I should have been more clear which of my answers went with each question in the 10 minute background. I literally just did them in order.
Athena knows her father was a devil. She also knows that her mother knew this. She does not know that the forces of Hell have been looking out for her and does not know her father, Verithrex or Cassandra. She has no experience with the church of Asmodeus and her mother's only interaction was the one affair with Dmitri. Athena is a pawn in a game she is not aware is being played.
Athena is not currently evil, she is angry and doesn't understand why this is being done to her. She will learn to hate the town and all it's institutions as the character develops, but doesn't want to simply kill everyone. She wants to take over the city, overthrow the church and institute what she considers Justice. I believe this would move her from neutral evil, which she is currently, to lawful evil as the story progresses.
I think she could work with others depending on what they were like. She would be fine with anyone who seems reasonably "normal" but would avoid your typical bloated half-demon mass murderer who eats babies in public. She will know that she needs allies to get her revenge.
Of the four NPCs tied to her, the ones in the church all support her though she does not know them. Her mother is an enemy though she does not realize that yet.
Athena could work as a human and simply be demon "tainted" with something minor such as the fangs. She could also be punished for her mother's indiscretions with the church of Asmodeus if you'd like me to go in that direction. She doesn't have to be a tiefling. Like all of my characters, she sort of spontaneously came into being as I was writing and I simply went with the flow.
I will look at other concepts as well this evening. I always have trouble writing first level characters. How do they have significant back stories yet are only first level. Athena solves this by being an innocent who is becoming evil very quickly.
I see Athena as a sort of "false-face". She is not accepted by the town of their own volition. Once she becomes a full blown enchanter however, they will have no choice but to accept her. She will specialize in enchantments and illusions and one of my inspirations was the Rakshasa and its behind-the-scenes desire for rulership. I see her as conniving and manipulative, trying to influence people to do what she wants rather than doing it herself.
Round seven
Arnaud, I see your character as a bit of a Vic Mackey from The Shield, in that you never minded getting your hands dirty and weren't above busting skulls to get what you needed, but you were trying to do the right thing. Is that a fair assessment? The other constables must have known what you were doing, how did they react? As a man who enforced the laws of Talingarde (albeit brutally) how can your character justify helping criminals escape from prison? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you need to go darker.
Thanks for the clarification Vexis.
Half-elf is fine, go ahead and keep it. I went back and re-read your longer backstory. There's a lot more flavor there, and just what I was asking for. It looks like you want to go Rogue / Bard later? Let me know. I'll have more notes about your back-story tonight, but it looks much improved from the first pass.
Thanks for the follow up details.
Draconas, that was an excellent submission! I think that Oswald is tragic. He had everything and then he lost it all. When he turned to the Mitran clergy they failed to do the right thing and it broke him inside. A wisdom of 8 is very fitting, as is the rank in healing. The back-story itself was very, very sad. I think this is a very strong submission. Oswald is evil, but in a way where he would do anything to have his family back.. that’s a powerful motivator. I also looked through your Ailas's and I saw you were also in one of DMJ's campaigns. Shame the way that it fell apart. Ok a few questions: Did Oswald ever consider the option of a raise dead spell rather then something so extreme? How would he react to the loss of his poppet? Outside of seeing the church of Mitra brought to its knees, and seeing his daughter returned to "life", is there anything else that is important to Oswald?
French Wolf! Good to see you again. Talingarde may be the most peaceful and virtuous nation in Golarion but no one is perfect. Much like Oswald, your story is tragic. The birth of a deformed child, his parents disgust. The painful and humiliating attempts to "cure" him. It's sad, but it's also believable. In a situation like that of course Kurgh would turn to the one woman who showed him love and compassion, while slowly growing hateful towards those who rejected him. I don't have any questions at this time. Great Job!
@Erikan Staldidt: Thanks for your application Erikan. I have looked over your Aliases and it seems like you favor short posts. Would you be alright with expanding your word counts per post, adding more details, inner monologues, thoughts, memories at the like? Reading Erikan's background I feel that you get the general mood of Talingarde. I also appreciate the little details like taking Perform (strings) as a nod to his background. Since Gerrick and Erikan have been arrested for fraud what has happened to Erikan's mother?
Good observation on the shortish posts, I hadn't really noticed.
I'd say that comes down to two factors: being something of a chameleon, and playing mostly in PbPs that use a fairly terse style of posts; and an overcompensation for my naturally expansive (waffling?) writing style, which came under years fire years ago, both while studying and in a professional setting.
I'd be more than happy to focus on a fuller style of posting :)
As for Erikan's mother, she is in a state of total defence from the law. Given her husband and son's serious crimes, she is under investigation, and is spending most of her time at the moment covering her tracks and attempting to stay untouchable. Depending on how inks go, she may return to her previous state of comfort, or she may need to flee the capital all together.
At this stage, Erikan doesn't know whether or not Gerrick has been arrested. He has suspicions that Gerrick remains free as a turncoat, but in case Gerrick had nothing to do with the bust he hasn't enquirer after him.
Like I said, I'll continue to expand my backstory tonight.
I love villains :)
Round six!
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Sorry Mark, I'll add you to the next roster I post. One question: It looks like you reskinned Slevin from a worshiper of Shar to a worshiper of Lamashtu? Did you consider Norgorber? (I'm not asking you to change, I am just trying to understand the thought process behind Slevin)
You're absolutely right about the reskin. Norgorber probably works better, I was more looking at the surrogate mother theme when I picked Lamashtu. I'll be fine tuning and making changes today so I may go with Norgorber. He's definitely closer to the original flavor I had with Shar.
Round seven
Arnaud, I see your character as a bit of a Vic Mackey from The Shield, in that you never minded getting your hands dirty and weren't above busting skulls to get what you needed, but you were trying to do the right thing. Is that a fair assessment? The other constables must have known what you were doing, how did they react? As a man who enforced the laws of Talingarde (albeit brutally) how can your character justify helping criminals escape from prison? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you need to go darker.
You're right. I've included a darker version of the background, elaborating more on his current mindset. Essentially, I see his imprisonment being the erosion of his lawful neutral alignment. With the chance to escape, I see him becoming a more Neutral Evil type, driven to get the revenge on this man, but mostly to survive by any means. However, an association with Asmodeus could prove ample reason for him to question even this, and draw him back to the law and order he previously supported... although perhaps a more infernal version.
And for the record, I saw him as a mix of Mackey and Raylan Givens from Justified, a prick, but a patient one. He never particularly liked hurting or killing, but he was more willing to do so. Perhaps now, in prison, he is more a Count of Monte Cristo type.
Also, i left the last name of the man who imprisoned him blank for your convenience. IF there is a family or character you think would fit, then I can easily use that.
Six background and concept elements important to Arnaud
1) Arnaud is a former constable. While his methods were questionable, his results were good. The healers in his precinct were certainly busy with broken arms, legs and fractured skulls; but the citizens were safe, by and large. He believed in law and order and due process, but he had no regard or mercy for criminals when bringing them to heel. He never viewed the law as a good thing, only a necessary one. He regarded most people, especially criminals, as animals.
2) Most of the other constables took some umbrage with how far Arnaud would go to do his job, but in general, he proved himself to be too useful too many times for dismissal or imprisonment. He did have prolonged conflict with one of his supervisors, as noted below.
3) Arnaud was a very handsome and charming man, when he wanted to be. He had a laid-back, easy-going demeanor before his imprisonment, he tended to give people an even-shake, and was patient in pursuit of justice. Constant denial and a refusal to cooperate were the attributes most likely to be beaten out of a suspect.
4) Arnaud is the son of a successful and well-known alchemist, at the forefront of the development of firearms in Talingarde. As such, Arnaud has a strong familiarity with the new weapons. However, he does not rely on them. He was perfectly happy applying fists or club when his job necessitated it
5) Arnaud was accused of attempted murder, and sentenced as such because the man he attempted to murder was the favored son of a noble family. He had long suspected the man in the disappearance of several children, but had no evidence. When he finally caught the man trying to take a young boy--well, Arnaud was pulled off the man's comatose body. The wooden stock his pistol had cracked from the force of repeated blows. No witnesses came forth on Arnaud's behalf. He did not speak during his trial, nor did he scream or weep when he was branded.
6) Arnaud was not vengeful before his imprisonment. He did not kill for pleasure, only out of self-defense. While the violence was often necessary, he never regretted it either. He was not the type to resort to violence to redress wrongs done to him. In prison, this changed. At first Arnaud saw himself as above the rabble he was locked up with. But the violence and hatred he met with, from the prisoners he helped put in Branderscar and, even worse, the guards who utterly loathed him for what he represented, drove Arnaud to repeated violence. Arnaud now knows that he is no better then the rest of the prisoners. He will do what he has to survive, without question. Law and justice no longer hold sway over his actions, only survival. He does not entertain realistic notions of revenge, for he does not expect to escape. The idea, however, keeps him warm, so to speak.
Two goals that are important to Arnaud
1) Arnaud wants to see the nobleman who imprisoned him suffer. At first, he had nightmares of finding the man attempting to take his favorite niece. Soon however, the dreams became fantasies of bloody vengeance; of him finding the man, saving his daughter, and then extracting payment for his stolen life. Now, they are just dreams of violence, revenge and justice have faded to a lust to inflict agony on the one he sees as most deserving.
2) Arnaud wished at first to free his family of any blow-back from his crime. He worried that the man he attacked would inflict vengeance upon his brothers, his parents or his neices and nephew. His family, however, is but a memory. He believes that they are all dead.
Two secrets about Arnaud, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) Arnaud did not count himself among the faithful of Mitra before his imprisonment. While he went along with the rite and ritual out of habit and a fear of persecution, he cared nothing for the god or his dogma. Now, he cares nothing for the gods.
2) The nobleman whom Arnaud attempted to kill is a diabolist, he was intent on sacrificing the child Arnaud caught him attempting to kidnap.
Four people that are tied to Arnaud:
1) Pellious - The noble son whom Arnaud caught attempting to kidnap a child. Second son of House __, and a follower of Asmodeus. Arnaud was found by another constable, beating the already comatose man with the butt of his pistol. Only the family’s wealth and influence among the church saved their son from death.
2) Phillipe Deschaux - a scientist, and Arnaud’s father. He was proud of his son when he went into law enforcement. He has refused to believe that Arnaud is the corrupt, violent monster that the courts painted him to be.
3) Martin Renalt - Arnaud’s former direct superior. He went into law enforcement as a means to political gain and self-promotion. Arnaud knew he had no regard or drive for the job, and such they clashed frequently. The arrest and imprisonment of the ‘corrupt’ and ‘murderous’ Arnaud has propelled Renalt into a position of power among City advisors/councillors/freeholders
4) Miribelle Deschaux - Arnaud’s first and favorite neice. Daughter of his brother Phillipe Jr. He was protective of her over all the other neices and nephews, and worried after her for his first few years in Branderscar. Now she seems a pleasant memory, and he can't even remember her face.
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks Arnaud: possess
1) Arnaud likes to let people talk. he isn't quiet, or reserved, but he knows how to read someone, and the best way to get someone to slip up is to just let them talk.
2) The first time his father showed him a working gun. The noise and the fury were instantly burned into his memory. rather than terror, he only felt awe. And his father’s pride at his accomplishment “Without aid of God or Magic!” defined Arnaud’s belief in the potential of human ingenuity.
3) Arnaud enjoys women, but doesn't think highly of them. as a free man he had a tendency to get what he wanted from them and leave, or at least ignore them to the point where they would.