Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
Talia takes her time to think up her approach, before visting Jaxira on her island. "Greetings against Jaxira, do you remember me?" she asks carefully, aware of their previous conversation.
Before Talia heads off to visit Jaxira, Talivar suggests to Kilarra and Uruelleth, "Let's discreetly keep an eye on bloodwatch patrols? Maybe we can spot an opportunity to take some of them out..."
Assuming nobody disagrees rather nonchalantly Talivar goes shopping buying some small things, all the while he's really watching the patrols seeing if they have any patterns or weaknesses.
Bluff: I'm not watching you honestly!:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36 Perception:1d20 + 21 ⇒ (7) + 21 = 28
Jaxira looks up from planting a sapling. She seems to be doing the same thing she was when you last saw her. Redfeathers looms above as before, but he doesn’t look quite as menacing this time.
The druid nods at Talia’s question. “Yes, I remember you. Back with more questions about the island’s wildlife?”
-----
Talivar does a good job of appearing to be shopping. He spots a couple different patrols during his time observing. They patrol in pairs and seem to move like clockwork. Both members of each patrol always appear alert, looking from side to side as they make their route. However, Talivar does note that their patrol path occasionally leads past an empty alley or a quiet intersection. In such places, no one is near the two members of the patrol, but they don’t linger there for long.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
"Actually, I had something I wanted to speak to you about, but firstly, I wanted to try and figure out what type of person you are. There has been something nagging at me that I couldn't quite answer, so I was hoping you could"
Talia pauses for a moment before asking Jaxira directly "You mentioned arriving here involuntarily. I know that there's only a few ways that happens. You mentioned wanting to make this a place full of beauty, vibrance and elegance and I get that. What I don't get, is how you make a city with an active slave trade, supported by the pirates and Red Mantis, beautiful and elegant. The slave trade is like a weed, smothering the beauty. Why do you stay?"
After getting tired of making small talk to the various street hawkers and merchants of Ilizmagorti while watching the bloodwatch, Talivar spoke to the others in hushed tones, "It might be easier to ambush them when off duty. You know trawl the bars and brothels looking for ones we recognize and either follow them or entice them somewhere. Thing is I feel that lacks a certain impact, might as well be a random mugging. Maybe we should set our sights higher and take out one of these pairs? If so how? I don't want two to snowball into twenty."
Jaxira stands up from her work, giving Talia her full attention. She touches her wrists as Talia mentions the slave trade. She seems to do so almost unconsciously.
Once Talia finishes, she replies, “I didn’t have a choice, at first. I knew no one who could help me and I was too afraid to ask anyone anyway. I hid here in the Preserve. It wasn’t as tamed as it is now, but there was still life and things to eat. In time, I realized I could make a difference here, however small.
“If I could clap my hands and be rid of Ilizmagorti’s slave trade, I would do it in a heartbeat, but that is beyond my abilities. What’s the best way to deal with a weed that you can’t uproot? You plant around it. Cover it with things of beauty. That’s what I’ve tried to do since coming here.
“Not all the pirates are bad, strictly speaking, and even the Mantis have a code and rules that they govern by. While their ultimate goals are of course evil, their day-to-day governance of the city is normally just. When faced with situations and circumstances that I cannot control, I try to make the most of them. Shelyn would not have me give in to despair.”
Jaxira considers Talia's question, studying the shaman as she does so. Then she says, "Perhaps weed was the wrong description. It's a parasite. One that's encompassed almost all of the city. To remove it would risk killing the city itself."
Jaxira pauses to look up at Redfeathers who shuffles its talons on the branch it's resting on. The bird stares at Jaxira and an understanding seems to pass between the two.
Continuing, the druid says, "But weed or parasite, if it could truly be destroyed, purified, cleansed... yes, in a heartbeat."
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
Talia nods happily "Good. In that case, I'll keep in touch. There is no point rushing something like this for the reasons you just outlined. I canlet you know if I think of something."
Talivar nodded with grim intensity, "Got anywhere in mind? We'll have to be quick and brutal and then melt away. I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve they've not seen before, ones I think might help."
Kilarra knows of a couple alleys in Redshore that could be suitable, particularly late at night. They're maybe not the most reliable, but they could probably work if the attack is executed quick enough.
Not sure we need a map for this, but I can work one up if needed. Mostly I just need to know where you're standing in relation to the intersection as well as any buffs or other precautions you're taking. The main road will run north to south and there will be smaller side streets off of it at the intersection going east and west. Both side streets are pretty shady, particularly at night, though there are lamps lining the main street.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
I have no buffs active on either myself or the rest of the party, as I would have used them when we entered the city. So no Resist Energy, Communal Resist Energy, Barkskin, Magic Circle against Evil, Freedom of Movement, Spell Immunity, or Stoneskin
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
We should stay at ground level under cover. Remember there is a big wall around the city - flying around is going to be noticeable and cover from the street / alley doesn't always translate to cover from the circular wall. Also Evil Eye > Misfortune since its guaranteed to debuff regardless of a saving throw.
I wouldn't be flying around like a bird -just enough to get on the roof. Anyway that could be a legit issue, depends on where exactly the ambush site is and how high the walls are. GM how high are the walls anyway? And how far away are they from the place Kilarra knows about? (or thinks she knows about)
I'd have to think a bit about the exact height, but they're at least 20 ft up, and higher than most of the buildings in the city, including the ones where your ambush would take place. However, there would be a couple buildings with chimneys that could conceal you, so as long as you remained completely behind them, those below or on the wall wouldn't be able to see you.
The walls themselves are probably about 500 ft or so away from the ambush site.
Female Human Slayer 10 | HP: 44/74 | AC 30* (T 16, FF 25*) (+2 vs. traps) | CMB: +13 CMD: 27 | F:+11* R:+14* W:+8* (+2 vs. divine, +2 vs. traps, +5 vs. continuing FX) | Init +4 | Perc +15*, SM +12, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +1, Intimidate +5 | Speed 30 ft. | Active Conditions: Barkskin, Shield, Resist Fire
"Yeah, I know a place," Kilarra remarks. "This way."
Kilarra accepts Talivar's fly spell, knowing it will be helpful to hop down off the roof. She hides, then drinks a pair of potions before right the fight, turning invisible. She intends to swoop down and sneak attack the mantis with her sabres.
Stealth:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36<= If they can see invisible things this is her result. If she's allowed to fly down behind the mantis before the attack starts, she gets a +20 on that roll from moving while invisible (making a 56 Stealth check). If she's supposed to start atop the roof she instead has a +40 on that roll for being stationary while invisible, which makes her final stealth check a 76.
You all take your places, waiting till night to strike. Several patrols pass in the meantime, but none seem particularly concerned about you, or even notice you, for those seeking to conceal your presence.
Once night has fallen and stars fill the sky, only the light of the street lamps illuminate the streets below. In the distance, you hear the sound of boots crunching into the ground. It seems the patrol you had in mind is soon to arrive.
Just a last chance to declare anything before you all get a surprise round. They'll be here within a few seconds, but that's enough time to cast a couple extra spells (beyond the ones you've already mentioned).
The sound of crunching boots soon materializes into a pair of Blood Watch guards walking down the street. The pair seem unaware of your presence as they approach, though they do occasionally look from side-to-side, apparently alert for any sign of danger.
As they reach the intersection you've chosen for your ambush, the time comes to strike.
Waiting was always the worst bit before the battle. Once it started Talivar knew there wouldn't be time for introspection, there wouldn't be time to imagine the hornets nest they where about to knock over. There wouldn't be time to ponder the torments The Mantis might have in store for them, and for his little girl... Thinking of her and his wife always made him angry, so much so that he found his hands balled into fists and covered in an inch of frost. The ice cracked when he released his fingers and he eased beck into the shadow of the chimney stack behind him. Soon. The patrol would be here soon...
Earlier. As the distant boots approached Talivar cast a spell to confuse his enemies. Mirror Image:1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
And there they where here. He glanced around and a feral grin stole across his features, payback time! He waited until they where almost below before casting his spell, suddenly a huge jolt of energy caused his heart to lurch and he bean moving with incredible speed!
24/24 rounds | HP 128/128 | AC 25 T13 FF22 | CMD 29 | F+13 R+7 W+7* | Init +3 | Perc +15
Uruelleth waited like an ambush predator, calm but alert. Soon Gorum would bring his enemy close enough for him to strike. All he had to do was be ready. In preparation, he cast shield, to better ensure his enemy bled and not him.
When the time came, he burst into action.
Free (trait): draw weapon during a surprise round. Also free: bloodrage.
Kilarra moves forward while the group has the element of surprise.
Talivar glanced around and a feral grin stole across his features, payback time! He waited until they were almost below before casting his spell, suddenly a huge jolt of energy caused his heart to lurch and he began moving with incredible speed!
Talia swiftly uses her Evil Eye hex on one Blood Watch. He succumbs to her hex. I’m assuming you're targeting saves? Or something else?
Uruelleth waited like an ambush predator, calm but alert. Soon Gorum would bring his enemy close enough for him to strike. All he had to do was be ready. In preparation, he cast shield, to better ensure his enemy bled and not him.
When the time came, he burst into action. His blade slices into the unprepared guard, cutting deeply, but not fatally. In an instant, the guard also seems disoriented and unsure of his surroundings.
I only realized this evening that Talivar didn’t declare a round 1 action, so everyone can go ahead and act for round 1 now (except Uruelleth still). So Kilarra has another chance to act, and Talia, you can adjust your round 1 action if you want to.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
GM I think the strategy is as follows
Guard #1 gets hit with Evil Eye during the surprise round, targeting saving throws. This is Talivar's target for a R1 Icy Prison (according to his last post mentioning tactics).
Guard #2 is the Guard that Uruelleth attacks. Talia tries to take out this guard with a Slumber Hex, since Talivar mentioned being able to handle the other one with Icy Prison. If that's not the case our tactics are going to have to change once again. Ideally, Talia tries to Slumber the Guard before / after Uruelleth's action, so that if the hex is successful, Uruelleth or Kilarra can coup de grace him. If Icy Prison goes off on the other guard, then I *think* he can also be coup de graced as well since he is then "helpless". This way we take down two of them quickly and soundlessly. Uruelleth and Kilarra will need to focus fire Guard #2 if he saves against Slumber though.
Female Human Slayer 10 | HP: 44/74 | AC 30* (T 16, FF 25*) (+2 vs. traps) | CMB: +13 CMD: 27 | F:+11* R:+14* W:+8* (+2 vs. divine, +2 vs. traps, +5 vs. continuing FX) | Init +4 | Perc +15*, SM +12, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +1, Intimidate +5 | Speed 30 ft. | Active Conditions: Barkskin, Shield, Resist Fire
Kilarra attacks the wounded mantis with her sabres, switching to the other mantis if the most wounded falls. (Swift to make them both her studied target)
Alright, to keep us moving, I’m going to assume Talivar cast Icy Prison.
Kilarra attacks the wounded mantis with her sabres, switching to the other mantis if the most wounded falls. Her first attack proves ineffective, but her second lands, finishing what Ruel started. Moving on to the second mantis, Kilarra misses once again before following with a solid, but not spectacular blow.
Talivar casts Icy Prison on the remaining living guard. The guard becomes completely encased in ice in an instant.
Guard 1 Will Save:1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 9 - 4 = 14
Talia(Not sure if you want try the Slumber hex still?)
Guard 1 tries desperately to free himself, but fails miserably.
Strength Check:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
We can stop combat here if you’re just going to kill him. We probably need to continue if you want to try capturing him instead.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
I think we kill him. Not like we have any reason to keep him prisoner, and most Mantis are resistant to giving up information. Its not like we could realistically let him go either - not with us attacking the Temple tomorrow night.
I think next step is kill him, cut off the heads (might as well do both) and visit Betty so she can put us in touch with the Cult.
Sorry I meant to post but kept on getting distracted. Yes Talivar was planning to cast Icy Prison.
Talivar glided down to see the results of his handiwork and was grimly satisfied to see the helpless bloodwatch encased in thick ice. Glancing at Kilarra and Uruelleth he nodded. Hopefully they'd put the bugs down cleanly and without too much noise.
Once it was all over he quietly said, "Time to see Betty again..."
So killing the remaining assassin then taking the heads straight to Betty? Are you just leaving the rest of their bodies in the street? If so, go ahead and post what you say to her when you arrive.
Female Human Slayer 10 | HP: 44/74 | AC 30* (T 16, FF 25*) (+2 vs. traps) | CMB: +13 CMD: 27 | F:+11* R:+14* W:+8* (+2 vs. divine, +2 vs. traps, +5 vs. continuing FX) | Init +4 | Perc +15*, SM +12, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +1, Intimidate +5 | Speed 30 ft. | Active Conditions: Barkskin, Shield, Resist Fire
Yeah, I'm fine leaving the corpses in the road.
Knowledge Local (Shadow Stalkers):1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 9 + 2 = 29 Do the Shadow Stalkers have a sigil or gang logo or catchphrase? If she recalls one, Kilarra takes a moment to grab a scrap of the dead Mantis' clothes, dip it in their blood, and draw the Shadow Stalkers sigil or catchphrase on the alley wall.
Talivar wasn't the strongest man but he figured he should help, so he took hold of the feet while Uruelleth dealt with the rest. Once the bodies where arranged to their satisfaction he whispered, "I'm tempted to leave their stuff alone, this is supposed to be the handiwork of the shadow stalkers, not a random mugging."
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
"I'd prefer to avoid framing the shadow stalkers unless we can help it. I know its great cover but I don't think antagonizing them is a good idea, unless we know for certain that they would be happy taking the credit. I'd rather we loot them and leave the bodies in the street, and the Cult or the Shadow Stalkers can still claim ownership of the kills if they choose to. If they don't, then it leaves the Mantis uncertain as to which faction killed the guards."
Be sure to decide if you're going to try framing the Shadow Stalkers and/or loot the bodies. Kilarra knows enough about them that you could easily do so if you wanted to.
Also, assuming you're going straight to Betty's afterwards, you can go ahead and post what you say to her.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
Hmm, just to get that out of the way then
Talia heads into Betty's shack with the others.
"We haven't forgotten about your earlier request but we have since satisfied the second requirement. Now, as per our agreement, will you tell us where we can meet the Cult?"
Also I don't think we ever rolled knowledge on the Cult so heres my knowledge roll just in case.
Talia wracks her brain to think of anything and everything she knows about a cult in Ilizmagorti, as well as the church of Norgorber. She comes up completely blank when it comes to the cult. In fact, she’s starting to wonder if there’s a cult of Norgorber in the city at all. There have been rumors of such things, but no one’s ever turned up anything substantive. Whispers in the night speak of something sinister about - besides the Mantis - but no one seems to know quite what it is.
No one, that is, except Betty.
As Talia presents the pair of heads to the older woman, Betty cracks a smile.
“You didn’t take your time, did you? Phidris and Liol aren’t exactly the easiest prey you could have chosen, either.
“In any case, I suppose I should go ahead and tell you that there is no cult of Norgorber on the island. There was once, but the Mantis obliterated the entire cult and anyone who had so much as talked to one of its members. That of course means that the persistent rumors of the cult’s existence have infuriated the Mantis. They know they eradicated the cult, but can’t stand the thought of citizens thinking they were anything less than completely thorough.”
Betty takes the two heads from Talia, placing them in a basket and putting it to one side before continuing.
“Those rumors have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is what is truly behind the cult. It’s not a cult of Norgorber at all. It’s a Nocticulan Slayer’s Guild. They’ve been operating in the city for a few years now. It’s only a matter of time before the Mantis discover their true identity, but they’ve managed to maintain their anonymity for a remarkable amount of time. Except from me, of course.
“I can still put you in touch with them, as they might prove useful to you in some way. I’ll understand if you’d rather not, though.”
Betty looks over at the heads in the basket before concluding, “I’ll take these two to the back and give you a few minutes to talk it over. If you have questions, I’ll answer them when I return.”
With that, Betty picks up the basket of heads and retreats to the back half of the hut.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
Talia listens to Betty, calculations flowing through her mind. While she knew some of the Mantis were obsessed with stamping out the cult of Norgorber, the High Killer hardly seemed to be worried about them. Still, that paranoia could possibly be exploited in future, depending how things turned out.
Talia files the information away in her mind for further scheming and nods at Betty's offer "I would like to met such a Guild. Could you put us in touch?"
24/24 rounds | HP 128/128 | AC 25 T13 FF22 | CMD 29 | F+13 R+7 W+7* | Init +3 | Perc +15
Uruelleth folds his arms and rolls his shoulders. "Eh, they're smarter than us, staying secret all this time. We meet with them, what's to stop them from blaming us rather than the Norgorbers?" He doesn't sound like that's a bad thing from the tone of his question.
Talivar scratched his ear as he pointed out, "Cant say I'm an expert on obscure cults, but by reputation they're not the nicest lot are they... I'm not sure we could trust them for well anything really."
Glancing at Betty, he added quickly, "Maybe this is a conversation for a different time."
Note Talivar isn't saying don't get the information, rather he reckons they're likely a bunch of vipers until proven otherwise. Incidentally the write-up of Nocticula is interesting especially the aspiration for godhood / godkilling. Talivar knows nothing about that ofc, but given the campaign themes that could be significant.
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
Talia shrugs "Would I trust them? Definitely not. I still imagine that they could be potential allies though. Eventually, the Mantis will discover their identity and in all probability get wiped out afterwards. I'm sure they would appreciate the Red Mantis being taken off the board for security sake. Heck, they probably see an opportunity to 'fill the void' and take over that area of expertise if the Red Mantis suffer a downfall."
We should probably not continue this conversation in front of Betty tbh. Excellent point though Talivar, that Nocticula could be one of the foremost authorities on actually killing a deity since she killed demon lords all the time.
I’m assuming your conversation took place before Betty came back, except for Talia’s question to her.
Betty returns from the back room and nods at Talia’s question. “Of course. When dealing with a guild of assassins, there’s usually a good way and a bad way to get in touch with them. I can give you a location where you might find them. Or, I can inform one of my clients who is a member of the guild that you are interested in them. They might just seek you out themselves if they’re interested in you. It makes no difference to me what you prefer, but I would note that your lives will likely be in significantly less danger if you choose the latter option. Let me know what you prefer.”
Female Aasimar Shaman 10 | HP 80/80| AC15 T11 FF14 | CMD 16 | F+7 R+6 W+14 | Init +5 | Perc +22 | Sense Motive +27
Talia ponders for a brief moment "Can you inform your client that I'm interested in them, but also give me a name or location that they might frequent, to be used at a later date if they be tardy or overly cautious and not making contact at all?"
Betty nods and says, "Sure. But she usually only comes by about once a week and she stopped by yesterday, so you'll want to be a bit patient. If you decide you're getting antsy, you might check out the Twisted Anchor. It's a tavern in the Medina. Never been myself, so can't say more than that."
Can mortals kill a god? A few have been chosen to find out.
The Mantis God has plagued Golarion for millennia. While we each have our own reasons for agreeing to the Mantisbane Pact, we are united in our goal. His evil must be ended. Achaekek must be slain.
We have called for a few, brave souls to help fulfill our pact. We intend to send them in search of Mediogalti Island where the defector claims that the fabled Crimson Citadel, the heart of the Red Mantis, may be found. Our hope is that those we select will find the Citadel and along with it some means to slay He Who Walks In Blood.
When gods fail to act, mortals must do so. And so we have.
From the journal of Queen Telandia Edasseril of Kyonin
Dated the 8th of Rova, 4717 AR
Mantisbane Pact:
On this Oathday, the 12th of Abadius, 4717 AR, we, the rightful kings and queens of our respective dominions, make a pact regarding the one known as Achaekek, the Mantis God, and He Who Walks In Blood.
He has murdered our people.
He has corrupted innocents from all walks of life.
He has put fears and doubts into our hearts about our families and friends.
He has infiltrated our societies and governments.
He has shown himself time and again to be no friend of just and civil societies.
He has proven himself to be evil, through and through.
Because of these things, we resolve that the Mantis God and his followers must be stopped. The five of us, each a legitimate king or queen of a nation or city of Golarion, pledge to bring about the Mantis God’s death by whatever means necessary.
Signed by the rightful monarchs of Highhelm, Kyonin, Mendev, Osirion, and Taldor
High King Borogrim the Hale of Highhelm
Queen Telandia Edasseril of Kyonin
Queen Galfrey of Mendev
Ruby Prince Khemet III of Osirion
Grand Prince Stavian III of Taldor
The Story So Far:
Among the many things the elves of Kyonin found amiss after returning to Golarion through the Sovyrian Stone Gate were the Red Mantis assassins. The Red Mantis murdered as a form of worship. The very idea of such a thing plagued the noble-minded elves.
For many years, the elves took no actions against the assassins, using the excuse that they were still relearning to live on Golarion after their long absence. Finally, a year ago, Queen Telandia Edasseril, current bearer of the Viridian Crown, resolved to put an end to the Red Mantis. Having learned that the assassins refused all contracts on rightful monarchs, the queen was emboldened to take action. Yet she knew so little about the Red Mantis, their motives, and their leadership that her willingness to take action meant little.
Despite her lack of information, Queen Edasseril was undeterred. Using the magical network of aiudara or elf gates, she sent messengers who gave invitations for a meeting to the other monarchs who currently ruled on Golarion. In the invitation, she proposed that the monarchs end the Red Mantis and their god and that only those who wanted to see the Mantis God’s end should accept her invitation. Only four monarchs accepted. Travelling through elf gates located near each ruler’s nation or city, the four monarchs met in secret with Queen Edasseril in Kyonin’s capital, Iadara.
After weeks of debate and a considerable number of revisions, the five rulers finished crafting the Mantisbane Pact. The Pact made, the monarchs immediately began searching for information on the Red Mantis and where the assassins based their operations. Scrying and other methods of divination failed to turn up solid information, so the monarchs were at a loss as to how to proceed. For a time, their secret meetings ceased and it seemed as though the Pact might die a quiet death.
A catalyst finally arrived six months ago when something unimaginable happened. One of the Vernai, a member of the Red Mantis’s ruling council, defected. Word quickly spread of the defection. Queen Edasseril and the head of the Red Mantis both learned of it.
Dispatching dozens of their assassins, the Red Mantis intended to slay Vernai Lain, the one who defected, before he could divulge the location of their headquarters or any other sensitive information about their organization. Through back-channels and trusted advisors, the five monarchs of the Pact also took action. Thanks to Queen Edasseril’s arcane prowess and the divine capabilities of Ruby Prince Khemet III, the monarchs were able to track down Lain before the Red Mantis. The man did not go with the rulers willingly, so they had to take him by force.
Returning to Iadara with Lain, the monarchs worked for weeks to convince him to speak of the Red Mantis and to tell them where the assassins might be found. Though Lain didn’t say much, he did make two crucial claims. He said the home of the Red Mantis, the Crimson Citadel, could be found on Mediogalti Island. More importantly, Lain said that the Mantis God wasn’t a true god.
Though Lain provided no evidence to support his second claim, even the possibility that Achaekek wasn’t fully divine strengthened the rulers’ conviction that their Pact could be fulfilled. Since the Red Mantis were still searching for Lain with dozens of assassins, the monarchs decided to take advantage of Mediogalti Island’s weakened defenses. About a month ago, the rulers called for a few, brave adventurers to travel to the island in secret, find the Red Mantis’s headquarters, and ascertain a way to put an end to them and their god.
The story begins with adventurers arriving in Iadara via various means to seek an audience with the council of monarchs. The rulers plan to select a few adventurers who will pledge to fulfill the Mantisbane Pact and begin the long, dangerous process of the Mantis God’s unmaking.
I hesitated on including the outline below, but I decided I want people to know that I have a clear direction in mind for this adventure. There will be sandbox elements here and there, but the campaign isn’t aimless by any stretch of the word. The following (spoilered) outline gives a vague idea of the game’s trajectory. Those who are familiar with Mediogalti Island may glean a bit more information from the outline. Don’t read it if you would prefer to be completely spoiler-free. Otherwise, all you’ll see are the titles of each part of the campaign. I’ve divided the campaign into six parts in homage to Paizo’s Adventure Path format.
Campaign Outline (Spoiler Alert):
Part One - On Crimson Shores
Part Two - City of the Mantis
Part Three - War for the Jungle
Part Four - Assault on Mosquito Island
Part Five - The Cyclopes’ Secret
Part Six - Bastion of Blood
What Kind Of Campaign Is This?:
This campaign will feature jungle exploration, city adventure, dungeon delving, and political intrigue, though not necessarily in equal portion.
A significant percentage of the campaign will take place in and around the city of Ilizmagorti on Mediogalti Island. Most of the remaining portions of the campaign will take place elsewhere on Mediogalti Island and on a few nearby islands.
Players shouldn’t expect to exclusively fight the Red Mantis during this campaign. Variety is a good thing, after all. Mediogalti Island contains a multitude of flora and fauna that the party will have to face at various points in the campaign. Other than the Red Mantis, some enemies (or potential allies) that the party will face include (but are not limited to) carnivorous plants, cyclopes, dinosaurs, goblins, kobolds, lizardfolk, pirates, sharks, and undead.
There will be sections of the campaign where the current objective doesn’t involve fighting or otherwise directly dealing with the Red Mantis. That said, side-quests will relate back to the main story. Just don’t expect to always be fighting Red Mantis assassins.
Ultimately, though, the goal of the campaign – as its name implies – is to kill the Mantis God.
Expectations:
GM Expectations: I expect myself to be attentive to players’ needs and to make changes when necessary. I don’t claim to be perfect. I’m far from it. That said, I always want to improve and will at least partially rely on feedback to do so. My goal is to provide an enjoyable experience for everyone involved and to facilitate a story that everyone will remember fondly for years to come.
Speaking of years, I fully expect this campaign to take several years to complete. I’m in this for the long haul, so if I can do anything to make the experience more enjoyable, please let me know.
Player Expectations: I expect players to be able to post at least once a day during the week (Mon-Fri) and at least once on the weekend (Sat-Sun). I understand real life can get in the way sometimes and is definitely first priority, but if you don’t think you can consistently post once a day during the week and once on the weekend, then please do not apply. Play-by-posts are marathons, not sprints, so it’s important to stay consistent.
I also want players to actively engage in the story. I, as the GM, should not be the only one pushing the story along. There will, of course, be times when I push the story forward, but I would much prefer for players to take the initiative in progressing the story.
Maps, Loot, & Consistency:
Maps: We’ll be using Google Slides. One thing I do want to note for this is that players shouldn’t expect amazingly detailed maps. Since this is a homebrew campaign, I’ll be using some custom-made maps via MapTool and some generic maps. That being the case, some will be very basic. Imagination is important for most aspects of PbPs. In this case, the importance of imagination also applies to maps.
Loot: We’ll be using Google Sheets. When gold is assigned it will be done so equally. Each player who wants an item and can especially benefit from it (e.g. a sorcerer wanting an item that boosts charisma) will roll to determine who receives it unless everyone in the group agrees who should receive the item. Of course, if no one wants an item, it can just be sold for gold. Potions, scrolls, etc. will be distributed after player discussion in the discussion thread. Once players are selected, they should decide amongst themselves who will be in charge of keeping track of loot. I’ll have plenty of things to track as GM, so having someone else manage loot will help me maintain my sanity. Thank you in advance to the person who takes on this duty!
Consistency: I mentioned this above, but it needs to be repeated. If we want to finish this campaign, and do so in a reasonable amount of time (3-5 years), consistency will be our best ally. If you’re unable to post for more than 24 hours, drop a line in the discussion thread so we know to move forward with the story in the meantime. Please note that I reserve the right to bot you if you haven’t posted for more than 24 hours (48 hours on weekends).
Real life is first priority, but your fellow players and GM would greatly appreciate the courtesy of being notified if you’ll be absent for an extended period of time. I plan to be available as much as possible, but I’m sure the occasion will arise when I’m forced to be away for a bit. Communication is key regardless of whether it’s myself or someone else who must be away.
Combat:
Combat should be among the funnest parts of any Pathfinder game. I hope the guidelines below will help streamline the process.
1. Marching order should be established beforehand (preferably in the discussion thread) so that the GM can correctly place your character tokens on the map at the start of combat.
2. Initiative and Perception rolls as needed
3. Surprise round, if necessary. Each player in the surprise round who goes before the enemies will act. Player actions will then be resolved. Enemy actions will then take place and be resolved. Players acting after the enemies will act then their actions will be resolved. All actions will be resolved in initiative order.
4. Actions should be posted in everyone's "block" as detailed in step 3. This means that in-character dialogue and actions should, at least to some degree, factor in initiative order. The GM will sort NPCs into groups to better streamline the initiative order (normally just one group). The GM will post DCs for knowledge-based checks or other skill checks as needed at the beginning of combat. Players that wish to roll on such a check should do so at the start of their combat posts. If a spellcraft check comes up during combat, the GM will post the information on the spell in a spoiler with the appropriate DC. The same would apply for knowledge checks if new creatures enter the fight after the start of combat. Please only roll one knowledge check. If you’re not sure which knowledge to roll for, just roll a d20 and I’ll apply the appropriate modifiers.
5. Actions should specify standard action, move action, swift action, etc. If an action requires an opponent to make a saving throw or another kind of check, please list the DC in your post. Also, please specify what modifiers are in play when making an attack action, skill check, saving throw, etc.
6. Actions will be adjusted as needed based on actions that took place earlier in the round. As much as possible, rolls that have already been made will still be used, even if a character has to move to a slightly different location to attack or cast a spell.
7. Saving throws will be rolled by the character who needs to save. Should you need to roll a saving throw, I'll post a spoiler with the effect (should you fail the save) in the post that mentions you need to roll. Subsequent rolls to save for the same spell or effect will also be rolled by the affected player(s). Any saving throw that needs to be rolled should be rolled at the start of a player’s combat post. In the event a player needs to roll a saving throw, knowledge check, and/or spellcraft check in the same post, the saving throw should be rolled first, then the knowledge check, then the spellcraft check – all at the start of the post.
8. Keep in mind that ranged attack factors like shooting into melee and cover will be applied as normal.
9. Also keep in mind pathing when assigning move actions to your character as attacks of opportunity will happen if not purposefully avoided. Be sure to include acrobatics roll(s) if your pathing requires moving through a square that will provoke an attack of opportunity.
10. Once everyone has acted for each "block", the GM will post a summary of the players’ actions and their effects along with the action(s) of hostile and/or neutral NPCs. If a PC or NPC provokes an attack of opportunity, the GM will roll for NPCs and offer PCs the chance to make the attack of opportunity at the beginning of their next turn. Should an attack of opportunity prevent a subsequent action of a PC or NPC, that action will no longer be considered to have taken place.
11. If a character needs to select a different set of actions due to the results of an action or actions earlier in the round, the GM will change who the character is attacking or targeting, if appropriate. If not, the GM will ask that character’s player to post an alternate set of actions.
12. Simple clarifications or corrections like, “That enemy rolled a 15, but my AC is 16. Wouldn’t the attack have missed?” are fine in the gameplay thread. Please mention it if a modifier was missed or you were given an incorrect bonus on a roll. I’m perfectly fine with retroactively changing the roll, when necessary. Questions about combat mechanics or how a specific spell or effect works should be asked in the discussion thread.
13. Repeat steps 4-12 till combat is over.
And yes, I was talking about myself in the third person. See why I need someone to track loot to maintain a shred of sanity? : )
tl;dr - We’ll be using the “block” combat system, more or less.
Character Creation:
Starting Level: 4 (Note that the campaign will take characters to level 20.)
Starting Wealth: 6,000 gp. No single item should be worth more than 3,000 gp. All items should be from official Pathfinder resources. Links are appreciated for particularly obscure items.
Alignment: Any non-evil. That said, good-aligned characters will have an easier time explaining why they would want to kill the Mantis God, a LE entity. Characters with neutral alignments are fine, but will need compelling backstories to explain their motivation(s).
Races: Humans, elves, half-elves, and dwarves make the most sense given the monarchs involved in the Pact, but I’m willing to consider other races, especially other core races. As a race other than those four, you’ll need to incorporate an explanation into your backstory as to why you would have pledged yourself to a pact made between five monarchs of races other than your own. If you decide to apply with an Aasimar or a Tiefling, you may select a variant heritage without the feat. No rolling on the d100 charts, though.
Classes: Anything Paizo. Summoners must be unchained, but you may use the evolution points progression for eidolons from the base summoner. No templates, no VMC, no Gestalt, no leadership feat.
Archetypes: I won’t be banning any specific archetypes as I think bans are often arbitrary and unwarranted. Use your best judgment and don’t try to submit things that are commonly considered overpowered (e.g. Synthesist Summoner) as that will significantly reduce your chance of being selected.
Ability Scores: 20 point buy. No individual score should be lower than 7 or higher than 18 after all modifiers have been applied. Note, however, that your level 4 ability score increase is allowed to push a score to 19. No adjustments due to age.
Hit Points: Max for first level, half+1 for subsequent levels.
Traits: Two, one of which must be a campaign trait. See below for a list of the available campaign traits. You may take a third trait if you also take a drawback. Be sure to incorporate your traits and drawback (if applicable) into your character’s backstory.
Background Skills: 2 per level.
Rules (RAW/RAI): I tend to think the spirit of the law matters more than the letter of the law, but reserve the right to adjudicate disputes on a case-by-case basis.
Experience: We won’t be using the standard Pathfinder experience system. Instead, I’ll be leveling everyone when it seems most appropriate.
House Rules: No player-versus-player combat will be allowed at all. Arguments and disagreements will of course occur, but they should be resolved with words not swords. The players are on the same side.
Miscellaneous: Item creation feats may be selected and will likely be particularly useful for this campaign as some items will be very difficult or costly to obtain on Mediogalti Island. In the interest of having an equal playing field, please do not use item creation feats to reduce the cost of your starting items.
Campaign Traits:
Avenger: A close family member or friend was assassinated by the Red Mantis. You have taken it upon yourself to avenge their death by slaying the Mantis God. As such, you have done what you can to study the Red Mantis and learn how to counter their tactics. You receive a +1 trait bonus to damage rolls and rolls to confirm critical hits against Red Mantis members. Additionally, when you are flanked by a member of the Red Mantis, the bonus to their attack rolls is only +1.
Driven: Someone you love was targeted by the Red Mantis. So far, you’ve managed to keep them safe with your keen senses, but it may only be a matter of time before the assassins find their mark. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks and one of them is a class skill for you. This bonus increases to +3 when searching for uniformed Red Mantis members or when sensing the motives of uniformed Red Mantis members.
Duty-bound: Because of your loyalty to your nation or city, you feel it is your duty to help bring about the Mantis God’s demise. You have either interacted at length with the nobility or government of your nation or city or count yourself as one of them. Consequently, you are well-versed in how to deal with situations in a non-violent manner. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks and one of them is a class skill for you. This bonus increases to +3 when interacting with members of races represented by the Mantisbane Pact’s monarchs (humans, elves, and dwarves).
Ex-Recruit: You were recruited by the Red Mantis and were an initiate for a short time. You learned some of the ways of the Red Mantis, but never visited Mediogalti Island. Perhaps you became disillusioned with the Mantis God and realized the Red Mantis’s goals were antithetical to your way of life or perhaps someone showed you the error of your ways. Whatever the case, you abandoned the Red Mantis to forge your own path. However, your time with the Red Mantis did impart you with some specialized skills. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device, Escape Artist, and Stealth checks and one of them is a class skill for you. When you take 20 on Disable Device and Escape Artist checks, you may do so in half the time normally needed.
Experienced Healer: You have personally treated someone wounded by Red Mantis assassins. Though you may or may not have been successful in keeping that person alive, you learned valuable information about how to treat wounds inflicted by the Red Mantis. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Heal checks and Heal is a class skill for you. This bonus increases to +3 when making Heal checks to provide first aid or to treat poison. Additionally, if you are able to detect poison, you add a +3 trait bonus to Wisdom and Craft (alchemy) checks made to identify poisons used by the Red Mantis.
Lost Family/Friend: You have a family member or friend who was recruited into the Red Mantis. They may have been forced to join or joined willingly, but they are now training to be an assassin on Mediogalti Island. You are determined to find your family member or friend and have done what you can to study the geography of the island and to learn more about the Red Mantis. You receive a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (geography) checks and it is a class skill for you. Additionally, you receive a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information. What's more, in order to learn about the Red Mantis, you have taught yourself how to speak their preferred language and so receive Infernal as a bonus language.
Marked: You were marked for assassination by the Red Mantis. In order to survive, you became an expert at blending in and convincing others you were someone that you weren’t. You receive a +2 trait bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks and one of them is a class skill for you. In addition, once per week, you may roll twice for a Bluff or Disguise check and take the better result. The extra roll must be made before the result(s) of the check are declared.
Naturalist: You have lived in the wild for a significant portion of your life and only recently learned of the Red Mantis. You find them an affront to the natural order of things and feel they and their god must be stopped. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks and may attempt Knowledge (nature) checks untrained. Additionally, you are skilled at surviving in the wild and have a natural connection to the animals of the wild, so you receive a +1 trait bonus on Survival and Handle Animal checks and one of them is a class skill for you.
Red Mantis Historian: You have done all you can to learn about the history of the Red Mantis. There is frustratingly little to uncover. You feel you’ll need to travel to Mediogalti Island both to unravel the mysteries of the Red Mantis and to see that they, their beliefs, and their god are relegated to history books. You receive a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) checks and it is a class skill for you. Additionally, your specialized knowledge of the Red Mantis gives you a +1 trait bonus on all will saves made against attacks, spells, and spell-like abilities used by members of the Red Mantis.
Religious Conviction: Your religious beliefs obligate you to slay the Mantis God. Though your god and the rest of the pantheon have refused to act against Achaekek, you feel convicted to act on your god’s behalf. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks and Knowledge (religion) is a class skill for you. You have particularly applied yourself to studying your religion and the religion of the Red Mantis, so the trait bonus increases to +3 when the check relates to your religion or to the religion of the Red Mantis.
Backstory:
I’m not a fan of lists. I want an actual story. Tell me about an episode from your character’s past – in story form. Give me a sample of what your character sounds like when interacting with others – in narrative as well as in dialogue. Please err on the side of creativity rather than legalistically following a formula.
Besides what was just mentioned, I want to offer some guidelines to aid in crafting your character’s backstory.
Your character’s backstory should include how they came to be level 4. In other words, your character may be very young or very old, but they’ve had some combat experience (or lots of experience dealing diplomatically with otherwise hostile beings), so explain how that came about. Tell me how your character came to the place they are in life and why they would be willing to risk life and limb to take down the Red Mantis and their god. The campaign trait you select should provide a good starting point for this.
Your character’s backstory should also include some explanation as to how you arrived in Iadara, whether by chance or by invitation from one of the rulers. Or perhaps your character snuck into the city just to get a chance to fight the Red Mantis. There are a variety of ways your character could have ended up in the city, so tell me how in your character’s backstory.
Your character should be willing to work with legitimate government authorities (the five rulers of the Pact, in this case). While you’re certainly free to give your character a non-lawful alignment and for them to have qualms about following the law, they should be willing to work with the rulers of the Pact when push comes to shove.
Your character shouldn’t be from Mediogalti Island, so Lore skills and other skills related to Mediogalti Island should not be selected. Knowledge (local) will work normally, but given the remoteness of Mediogalti Island and the mystique surrounding it, DCs will likely be higher than usual.
Grammar matters. While everyone will inevitably make the occasional mistake, players and myself alike should actively strive to write in good English. Just previewing your post before officially posting it can make a world of difference. Grammar won’t be my main factor in character selection, but if you misspell multiple words in a sentence, write in sentence fragments and run-on sentences constantly, or exhibit similar grammatical faux pas, I’ll be forced to think you didn’t care much when you were putting together your character.
Speaking of character, I value your character’s story, personality, and uniqueness more than their stat block. Play-by-posts succeed when they have good stories. Write a character that you’ll care about and that will care about bringing down the Mantis God and his followers. I plan to incorporate the selected characters’ backstories into the story of the campaign, so crafting a unique character will enhance the experience of the adventure for everyone.
That said, party composition will be at least a small factor in my decision. I’m open to the possibility of having multiples of one class, but I won’t be selecting four fighters just because they have the best backstories of all the submissions. Having a unique character, class, and role will increase your chance of being selected.
About Me:
I have a fair bit of experience with Pathfinder in face-to-face settings through Pathfinder Society, an ongoing Adventure Path, and a few different homebrew games. I’m also playing in a few different play-by-post games and am currently GM’ing an Adventure Path. As I’m sure many of you will be doing already, please feel free to look over my aliases to see my track record.
It’s important to note that while this is a homebrew game, it’s still a Pathfinder game, through and through. The campaign is set in the Inner Sea Region of Golarion and I will be using over a dozen different Paizo resources to help craft it. Those materials include (but are not limited to) The Inner Sea World Guide, Pathfinder Chronicles: Cities of Golarion (for Ilizmagorti), Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide, Inner Sea Faiths, and the Adventurer’s Guide. Note that this campaign takes place in a Golarion where the Second Darkness and Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Paths have already taken place and where the player characters in both adventures succeeded.
I plan to select at least one player who is new (or at least newer) to the play-by-post genre, so if you’re new to play-by-post games, please don’t let that keep you from submitting a character for consideration.
Thank you to everyone who read everything up to this point! I look forward to seeing everyone’s submissions. I plan to take 4-6 players for this adventure. Recruitment will be open until October 9th at 1 pm eastern. Once recruitment closes, I’ll message the accepted applicants and verify their acceptance before posting a formal list in this thread. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
This adventure seems really interesting! However are you sure about the non-evil alignment? I have an idea for a Cleric of Norgober who considers The Red Mantis an heresy, for secrecy and murder belong to the Reaper of Reputation, not to a giant red insect. I can imagine him being tied to Taldor's nobility. And of course he will be a teamplayer, loyal to the group and the mission. Maybe neutral.
If you dislike this concept I will submit something else.
Interesting. I'll have to think about a character that would fit the campaign. It would need to be someone very driven, facing a society of assassins to end a god isn't your standard adventurers goal.
This adventure seems really interesting! However are you sure about the non-evil alignment? I have an idea for a Cleric of Norgober who considers The Red Mantis an heresy, for secrecy and murder belong to the Reaper of Reputation, not to a giant red insect. I can imagine him being tied to Taldor's nobility. And of course he will be a teamplayer, loyal to the group and the mission. Maybe neutral.
If you dislike this concept I will submit something else.
While I do like the concept, and it’s certainly unique, I will have to say no. There will be other evil creatures that you face over the course of the campaign, so an evil character will be too disruptive. Not to mention that one of the rulers the party will be working with is a paladin.
Radavel wrote:
GM, since the mission is to kill/destroy a god, this is a mythic campaign, right?
Spoilering my reply for the sake of those who hate spoilers of any kind.
Spoiler:
We won’t be using the Paizo mythic rules. That said, there will be opportunities for significant power increases in the latter half of the campaign. There may also be other ways for the party to make taking down the Mantis God possible.
So i have an idea for a Dhampir but not really, the idea is basically is that she's artificial created life using amalgamations of various bloods. Vampire being the most dominant, though elf, dragon, really anything could be involved.
Her ''father'' sought to create life, suceed but Illya ran away taking her younger sister with her. dad being more concerned with getting little sister back, being a more successful experiment.
so for the trait i'd use driven to work with this, using the idea that dad hired the red mantis.
my general build idea is she's a walking apocalypse of destruction. Some type of bloodrager sorcerer type thing.
A Taldorian knight-errant (Samurai class) popped up into my head right away, but since there's still plenty of time, I'll stew on it for now. I'm pretty much playing martial-esque characters in the three campaigns I'm enrolled in now so a pure caster might be more fun, to balance things out a little.
ps - I had to study regicide in early modern history and still own a book on the matter so the whole idea of kings rebelling against the righteous divine is .. peculiar :D
Uh, nice interesting one. Sadly, I'm waiting for acceptance in a pair of other games. Since their deadline happens about the end of the month (and yours the 9th), if I don't get to play them I'll submit something here. I hope that doesn't sound as making you play second fiddle, it's just only that I have to stop somewhere if I want to give certain quality to the characters.
So i have an idea for a Dhampir but not really, the idea is basically is that she's artificial created life using amalgamations of various bloods. Vampire being the most dominant, though elf, dragon, really anything could be involved.
Her ''father'' sought to create life, suceed but Illya ran away taking her younger sister with her. dad being more concerned with getting little sister back, being a more successful experiment.
so for the trait i'd use driven to work with this, using the idea that dad hired the red mantis.
my general build idea is she's a walking apocalypse of destruction. Some type of bloodrager sorcerer type thing.
I'm intrigued. So, mechanically, your character would be a Dhampir, but you would be closer to Frankenstein's monster in terms of story? So Ilya, the older sister, would be your character? Also, Dhampir tend toward an evil alignment, so what's pulling her in the other direction?
Solicitor wrote:
Dotting.
A Taldorian knight-errant (Samurai class) popped up into my head right away, but since there's still plenty of time, I'll stew on it for now. I'm pretty much playing martial-esque characters in the three campaigns I'm enrolled in now so a pure caster might be more fun, to balance things out a little.
ps - I had to study regicide in early modern history and still own a book on the matter so the whole idea of kings rebelling against the righteous divine is .. peculiar :D
A Samurai sounds neat. But, like you said, you have plenty of time to think about it.
As for your own studies, it should give you a unique perspective on the matter. I'm not sure I would apply the term 'righteous' to Achaekek, though. ; )
Sa'Kage wrote:
Kill Achaekek? Blasphemy! (Dot)
Some would consider it so, yes. Hopefully not your character, though. : )
Jereru wrote:
Uh, nice interesting one. Sadly, I'm waiting for acceptance in a pair of other games. Since their deadline happens about the end of the month (and yours the 9th), if I don't get to play them I'll submit something here. I hope that doesn't sound as making you play second fiddle, it's just only that I have to stop somewhere if I want to give certain quality to the characters.
Certainly understandable. I completely agree that quality is more important than quantity. Your quandary is also one of the many reason I'm leaving recruitment open for two weeks. I want to give everyone a chance to submit that wants to.
Basically yeah Dhampir mechanically but more a frankestein's monster situation, your one of the first gm's to get that.
Illya is the elder sister and the character, oddly enough what keeps her away from evil is spite and hatred of her father, a sense of honor and loyalty, and her love for her younger sister and comrades. She protects and cares for her own.
Alignment terms she's true neutral- She's a greater good type person, willing to kill or torture if it means saving people. She's loyal to those who are friends, but could care less about others.
I LOVE everything you have here, so I am super excited.
I have a rather crazy character idea for this campaign. The question I need answered is: Would the Red Mantis accept an assassination upon a Prince or Princess who is not yet a monarch? If not, what if they also weren't the heir or were even a bastard so they could never rule?
Technically Stavian III only has one child so that rules him out as the parent of my character, but Khemet or Galfrey could be possible, though I don't believe either of them have children in canon. Would you prefer one over the others?
Some would consider it so, yes. Hopefully not your character, though. : )
Sa'Kage most definitely would ;) If you've got time it might be worth skimming the game thread Sa'Kage plays in...
It would be interesting to play the other side of the field, I think I have a strong concept - just need to find some free time to write it up.
I actually stumbled upon that campaign while doing research for mine. I believe that's the only currently active campaign that focuses on the Red Mantis. It's quite fascinating to see things from the other side.
Ammon Knight of Ragathiel wrote:
Basically yeah Dhampir mechanically but more a frankestein's monster situation, your one of the first gm's to get that.
Illya is the elder sister and the character, oddly enough what keeps her away from evil is spite and hatred of her father, a sense of honor and loyalty, and her love for her younger sister and comrades. She protects and cares for her own.
Alignment terms she's true neutral- She's a greater good type person, willing to kill or torture if it means saving people. She's loyal to those who are friends, but could care less about others.
I'm open to the possibility. I think I would want to see a bit more detail before weighing in definitively, though.
Arryn Dawood wrote:
Putting in Arryn for consideration. I'll keep tweaking him and his backstory a bit longer, but here are the basics.
Arryn looks good overall, though feel free to continue making revisions. One thing I was wondering about was the drawback you took - Pride. Based on Arryn's current backstory, he doesn't actually seem that sure of himself. Was there something in particular that he's prideful about? I also like the dialogue/narrative sample you've got, though I suspect you intend to expand on it.
The Pale King wrote:
I LOVE everything you have here, so I am super excited.
I have a rather crazy character idea for this campaign. The question I need answered is: Would the Red Mantis accept an assassination upon a Prince or Princess who is not yet a monarch? If not, what if they also weren't the heir or were even a bastard so they could never rule?
Technically Stavian III only has one child so that rules him out as the parent of my character, but Khemet or Galfrey could be possible, though I don't believe either of them have children in canon. Would you prefer one over the others?
Thank you for the kind words. Khemet or Galfrey could theoretically work. Neither have lovers or spouses in the lore as far as I know. With the Wrath of the Righteous AP having already taken place, both would make sense story-wise. It probably depends more on what kind of character you're going for in terms of which to pick. You would basically be inventing a parent along with your character.
This is a pretty interesting idea. I'm curious though, as a player who likes a little inter-party conflict where appropriate, would you allow non-lethal combat in especially escalated situations?
For instance, I once grappled a party member to prevent her from being suicidal-good (my character was neutral). I also once had a brawler that started a bar fight just for fun, and we all took some non-lethal damage. I had a 1v1 with a stubborn, provincial barbarian to earn his respect (IC of course).
Also, I noticed you don't have a very extensive posting history. How might a concerned player be reassured you're in it for the long haul?
Preliminary concept: A Varisian monk/cleric of Erastil, deadly hunter, walker of the wilds, defender of nature and natural life.
i'll have something more complete in a day or so, i have more. i just don't usually post it all at once, it tend to scare some gm's. That and i like to make small adjustments from game to game with my characters to fit the adventure better.
This is a pretty interesting idea. I'm curious though, as a player who likes a little inter-party conflict where appropriate, would you allow non-lethal combat in especially escalated situations?
For instance, I once grappled a party member to prevent her from being suicidal-good (my character was neutral). I also once had a brawler that started a bar fight just for fun, and we all took some non-lethal damage. I had a 1v1 with a stubborn, provincial barbarian to earn his respect (IC of course).
Also, I noticed you don't have a very extensive posting history. How might a concerned player be reassured you're in it for the long haul?
I don’t know the exact contexts of the situations you mentioned, but I could see how in a situation where a character had been mind-controlled it might be necessary to deal non-lethal damage. From what I can tell, most of the other situations you mentioned wouldn’t necessitate pvp combat. So no, as a general rule, inter-party conflict should be resolved diplomatically. There will always be exceptions, of course, like the mind-control scenario, but those should indeed be exceptions.
As for assuring you I’m in it for the long-haul, I would simply point you to my posting history for the AP I’m GM’ing. I’ve consistently posted nearly everyday (with the exception of the occasional weekend day) since the campaign began.
Ammon Knight of Ragathiel wrote:
i'll have something more complete in a day or so, i have more. i just don't usually post it all at once, it tend to scare some gm's. That and i like to make small adjustments from game to game with my characters to fit the adventure better.
No worries. Take your time. And I prefer more details than less, so feel to add and adjust as you see fit.
I assure you, none of the scenarios I posted involved mind control. I have seen some really awful stuff happen from mind control. I just think that every great fellowship of adventurers story has some kind of inter-party friction, and restricting conflicts to words can be a little flat. But I understand the reason for the rule and I will defer to your preference of course.
The gist of my idea is my character would be the sickly son of Galfrey or Khemet (leaning towards Galfrey) and would have this crazy dream of being granted power by some powerful being (I was leaning towards one of the Eldest when writing the backstory, bceause I didn't want the being to be good aligned, but would leave it up to GM discretion) and would wake up to find himself under attack by a Red Mantis Assassin. Since he is known to be sickly the Assassin was not expecting a fight, but the dream my character had was not just a dream. He had become an Oracle (or possibly a Witch or similar class) and been granted power beyond his ken. He defeats the assassin with these new powers (a surprise to both of them). In the following days as he learns more about the Red Mantis (and is unbeknownst to him pushed in that direction by his new, unknown patron) he finds out about the Mantisbane Pact and after an argument with his father or mother decides to volunteer himself for the job.
So, TL;DR sickly Prince of one of the Kingdoms participating in the Mantisbane Pact granted powers he doesn't understand by a powerful being that seems to have a grudge against the Red Mantis or perhaps Achaekek.
I assure you, none of the scenarios I posted involved mind control. I have seen some really awful stuff happen from mind control. I just think that every great fellowship of adventurers story has some kind of inter-party friction, and restricting conflicts to words can be a little flat. But I understand the reason for the rule and I will defer to your preference of course.
I've been convinced to change my mind on things before and your case isn't without merit. And you're right, great fellowships do include conflict (the fellowship of the ring comes to mind). On the other hand, it's not a one-to-one equivalency as a lot of those stories were written by a single person who could control how they played out.
That said, it's something that could be readdressed once selections have been made depending on what the majority of those selected prefer. I just know I've never personally had a good experience with allowing pvp.
The Pale King wrote:
The gist of my idea is my character would be the sickly son of Galfrey or Khemet (leaning towards Galfrey) and would have this crazy dream of being granted power by some powerful being (I was leaning towards one of the Eldest when writing the backstory, bceause I didn't want the being to be good aligned, but would leave it up to GM discretion) and would wake up to find himself under attack by a Red Mantis Assassin. Since he is known to be sickly the Assassin was not expecting a fight, but the dream my character had was not just a dream. He had become an Oracle (or possibly a Witch or similar class) and been granted power beyond his ken. He defeats the assassin with these new powers (a surprise to both of them). In the following days as he learns more about the Red Mantis (and is unbeknownst to him pushed in that direction by his new, unknown patron) he finds out about the Mantisbane Pact and after an argument with his father or mother decides to volunteer himself for the job.
So, TL;DR sickly Prince of one of the Kingdoms participating in the Mantisbane Pact granted powers he doesn't understand by a powerful being that seems to have a grudge against the Red Mantis or perhaps Achaekek.
I like the concept and it does seem to work better with Queen Galfrey based on what you've stated. I will note that, should you be selected, we'll likely have to retcon some of Galfrey's backstory to include a husband. Otherwise, you would only be about 3 or 4 if the marriage took place after the events of Wrath of the Righteous.
And I don't think I specifically mentioned it before, but the Red Mantis have a very legalistic approach to not killing legitimate monarchs and it only extends to those who are actually in power. So yes, they would not be above making a contract to kill the son (or another relative) of a legitimate king or queen.
Putting in Arryn for consideration. I'll keep tweaking him and his backstory a bit longer, but here are the basics.
Arryn looks good overall, though feel free to continue making revisions. One thing I was wondering about was the drawback you took - Pride. Based on Arryn's current backstory, he doesn't actually seem that sure of himself. Was there something in particular that he's prideful about? I also like the dialogue/narrative sample you've got, though I suspect you intend to expand on it.
Consider it expanded upon. I don't know if that setup was anything like what you had in mind for this meeting, but it gives an example of how Arryn would crash the party.
I had selected Pride as his drawback when he was built for a Wrath of the Righteous game, to represent that he was still barely removed from the life of a wealthy entitled hothead. But at level 4 now, he has grown considerably. He has daddy issues and is always trying to measure up, but I really don't like the Family Ties drawback. I certainly could go with Doubt as a drawback if you like that better, or would you be open to a custom drawback? Perhaps...
Unrealistic Expectations: you are always trying to live up to someone else's ideal or standard of how you should live your life. Whenever you commit an act of which you believe that person would disapprove, you suffer a -1 penalty to skill and ability checks for one hour.
I have written my backstory up to the point where my character (who needs a name... Hmm) has to fight the assassin and realized I need to choose a class so he has the powers to face his enemy. Right now I have four possibilities 1. Caster Oracle, still sickly but it doesn't matter because divine power. 2. Battle Oracle, he is still sickly (represented by the lame curse and maybe a drawback, is there one for sickness?), but the newfound power coursing through his veins lets him fight with a blade for far longer and with far more power than he ever could before. 3. Witch, his new powers are more arcane and dangerous. He takes out the assassin by disabling them with a hex and knifing them in the heart. 4. A phantom blade spiritualist, the blade is both a manifestation of his patron's power and something of a guide and a spy on him.
I have an idea for a member of the Risen Guard, but that seems a little bit too much for only 4 levels.
What is the stance of Mendev about interrogations and inquisition? I think a Mesmerist or an Inquisitor who does the crusader's dirty work could work with your story.
A well-written homebrew recruitment sparks my interest! Let me know how this idea sounds:
In Kyonin, a weather-savvy druid put on the naturalist path by deferred dreams looks for another path through life. This expedition not only acts as an escape from grievances within his land, yet also functions as a venue for redemption. The assassins and mantis lord themselves are silhouettes of the character's own emotional turmoil, which - despite his fit and youthful exterior - have begun to wear on his true age, felt more acutely on the inside. Accomplishing their rejection will remedy much of the political barbed wire preventing his self-healing. It will also lead to dynamic development as he moves towards self-actualization.
This character would be selected by the queen (or more likely, one of her agents) due to his ability to navigate and mitigate hazards of weather and water, both important for any travel in the inner sea region. Mechanically, he would be a storm druid whose primary role is healing/debuffing. Socially, he'll play out the wisdom attribute well as his age is not that of a budding adventurer; specifically, as a half-elf, this gives him half a century of worldly experience.
At any rate, let me know what you think. Two questions I have:
1. Are you willing to develop organic NPC relationships with PCs?
Consider it expanded upon. I don't know if that setup was anything like what you had in mind for this meeting, but it gives an example of how Arryn would crash the party.
I had selected Pride as his drawback when he was built for a Wrath of the Righteous game, to represent that he was still barely removed from the life of a wealthy entitled hothead. But at level 4 now, he has grown considerably. He has daddy issues and is always trying to measure up, but I really don't like the Family Ties drawback. I certainly could go with Doubt as a drawback if you like that better, or would you be open to a custom drawback? Perhaps...
Unrealistic Expectations: you are always trying to live up to someone else's ideal or standard of how you should live your life. Whenever you commit an act of which you believe that person would disapprove, you suffer a -1 penalty to skill and ability checks for one hour.
I like the expansions. And I can't exactly complain about your introduction to the meeting since I mentioned sneaking in as one way to get into Iadara. If selected, I'll work your arrival into the story.
As for your drawback, I'm open to the custom one. If selected, we would need to work out the specifics of what 'an act of which you believe that person would disapprove' means.
The Pale King wrote:
I have written my backstory up to the point where my character (who needs a name... Hmm) has to fight the assassin and realized I need to choose a class so he has the powers to face his enemy. Right now I have four possibilities 1. Caster Oracle, still sickly but it doesn't matter because divine power. 2. Battle Oracle, he is still sickly (represented by the lame curse and maybe a drawback, is there one for sickness?), but the newfound power coursing through his veins lets him fight with a blade for far longer and with far more power than he ever could before. 3. Witch, his new powers are more arcane and dangerous. He takes out the assassin by disabling them with a hex and knifing them in the heart. 4. A phantom blade spiritualist, the blade is both a manifestation of his patron's power and something of a guide and a spy on him.
I like the overall backstory idea, but I would like to see how it looks in a bit longer form. As for your class, all of the options you mentioned would work. I would rather not persuade you one way or the other and just say 'pick the one you think works best with your backstory and that you'll have the most fun with.'
SteelGuts wrote:
I have an idea for a member of the Risen Guard, but that seems a little bit too much for only 4 levels.
What is the stance of Mendev about interrogations and inquisition? I think a Mesmerist or an Inquisitor who does the crusader's dirty work could work with your story.
For the record, I think the Risen Guard idea could work. You would just need to come up with a compelling reason why Khemet would have bothered to resurrect someone of such a relatively low level.
As for Mendev, I think it's safe to say the crusaders were willing to take a variety of folks as long as they were willing to fight against the demons of the Worldwound. A mesmerist or an inquisitor could work for what you've mentioned so far.
Galoria Ginodesa wrote:
A well-written homebrew recruitment sparks my interest! Let me know how this idea sounds:
In Kyonin, a weather-savvy druid put on the naturalist path by deferred dreams looks for another path through life. This expedition not only acts as an escape from grievances within his land, yet also functions as a venue for redemption. The assassins and mantis lord themselves are silhouettes of the character's own emotional turmoil, which - despite his fit and youthful exterior - have begun to wear on his true age, felt more acutely on the inside. Accomplishing their rejection will remedy much of the political barbed wire preventing his self-healing. It will also lead to dynamic development as he moves towards self-actualization.
This character would be selected by the queen (or more likely, one of her agents) due to his ability to navigate and mitigate hazards of weather and water, both important for any travel in the inner sea region. Mechanically, he would be a storm druid whose primary role is healing/debuffing. Socially, he'll play out the wisdom attribute well as his age is not that of a budding adventurer; specifically, as a half-elf, this gives him half a century of worldly experience.
At any rate, let me know what you think. Two questions I have:
1. Are you willing to develop organic NPC relationships with PCs?
2. How do you feel about platypi?
I like the concept. The idea is quite philosophical, so it would be good to see how the character's philosophy works out in day-to-day life.
I think the archetype would work just fine.
1. Absolutely. Besides the monarchs themselves, I already have several NPCs I plan to incorporate into the adventure. Depending on how the party takes to them, their role can be increased or decreased as needed.
2. How strange. I don't think I've ever been asked that before. They're quite unique and seem like nice enough fellows. The only think I'm curious about is how that will work with a storm druid since they don't get an animal companion and I'm not sure how you plan to get a familiar.
Thinking a Halfling Unchained Rogue, who once a recruit until she found the idea of killing instead of infiltration, and the occasional theft. She left the training and headed to the safety of the River kingdoms. Instead she was apprehended and thrown in a jail for theft. There is was discovered she had been a potential recruit for the Red Mantis The Kyonins and Dwarves brought her in and drilled her. After that she was offered freedom in exchange for helping them against the Red Matis Assassins.
I'll think of something and see if I can work on something good.
:)
The idea I'm toying with is this. My character was originally just an ordinary person with a fairly extraordinary wife. She was working against some particularly egregious injustice through peaceful means. This really ticked somebody off who hired the RMA. My character tried to stop them, but the RMA laughed at him and stole his daughter to become a plaything in the Sivlamlik (also part of the contract).
After the RMA left my character felt such utter rage well up that he unlocked latent powers. Probably some kind of blaster, maybe a sorcerer. Problem is there are so many bloodlines now and I can't decide what would be cooler, orcish rage, throwing elemental spells, or draconic themed elemental spells, or psychic spells. Thanks to bloodline mutations more than just the usual suspects work well for blasting too. Argh! Too much choice and that's without considering blood arcanists ;) I may actually have to roll a dice here.
I'll think of something and see if I can work on something good.
Looking forward to seeing what both of you submit!
Radavel wrote:
gonna submit a student of one of the Vudran Houses of Perfection.
i'm looking at a human scaled monk 1/ascetic oracle 3 (dual-cursed build) and see if it works. final stats may change though.
I like the concept. I would like to see a bit more of the backstory before providing more feedback.
I'm really liking the variety of characters everyone's coming up with. It makes sense given the near universal threat the Red Mantis pose to Golarion.
Critzible wrote:
Thinking a Halfling Unchained Rogue, who once a recruit until she found the idea of killing instead of infiltration, and the occasional theft. She left the training and headed to the safety of the River kingdoms. Instead she was apprehended and thrown in a jail for theft. There is was discovered she had been a potential recruit for the Red Mantis The Kyonins and Dwarves brought her in and drilled her. After that she was offered freedom in exchange for helping them against the Red Matis Assassins.
Was there something in particular that caused her to leave? I like the idea and would like to know more.
Your other ideas could also be good. Apply with what you prefer.
Sa'Kage wrote:
The idea I'm toying with is this. My character was originally just an ordinary person with a fairly extraordinary wife. She was working against some particularly egregious injustice through peaceful means. This really ticked somebody off who hired the RMA. My character tried to stop them, but the RMA laughed at him and stole his daughter to become a plaything in the Sivlamlik (also part of the contract).
After the RMA left my character felt such utter rage well up that he unlocked latent powers. Probably some kind of blaster, maybe a sorcerer. Problem is there are so many bloodlines now and I can't decide what would be cooler, orcish rage, throwing elemental spells, or draconic themed elemental spells, or psychic spells. Thanks to bloodline mutations more than just the usual suspects work well for blasting too. Argh! Too much choice and that's without considering blood arcanists ;) I may actually have to roll a dice here.
I like the backstory. So, to clarify, your wife is extraordinary and your daughter was captured. What's your wife's response to all this?
Yeah, it's both a blessing and a curse that there are so many options now. You've got time to think about it, though.
Deep down she thought that the assassins were more spys or scouts but as she began to learn more and more she found herself realizing that she was more doing this to prove to herself she was more than a weak halfling and found herself noting that she really wanted was to be successful and you know money. Cause she needs money to help her people.
Hmm, decisions, decisons. I'm currently trying to decide beetween a ninja/rouge or a Poison focused alchemist, with maybe a few levels in rouge. Can you say whether or not there will be a lot of poison immune enemies GM Zek?
I think I have everything nice and ready for inspection. I'll add a touch more or just clean up things as time goes on.
I like your backstory. So Akkuya never knew his biological parents? Did you have a name in mind for the elf he encountered? And thank you for the detailed item list.
Sa'Kage wrote:
The wife's response was something like, Aieeeeeerk, squelch. (They killed her)
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Well, then. Sorry for your loss. So you've got double the motivation to bring them down.
And I guess that's one way to decide on your damage type and bloodline. Haha. Are you mainly going to be focusing on damage?
Critzible wrote:
Deep down she thought that the assassins were more spys or scouts but as she began to learn more and more she found herself realizing that she was more doing this to prove to herself she was more than a weak halfling and found herself noting that she really wanted was to be successful and you know money. Cause she needs money to help her people.
Alright, then. I'm interested to see the build and the backstory in detail. Where is your character originally from?
BeastMasterFTW wrote:
Hmm, decisions, decisons. I'm currently trying to decide beetween a ninja/rouge or a Poison focused alchemist, with maybe a few levels in rouge. Can you say whether or not there will be a lot of poison immune enemies GM Zek?
Either could work, though I would note that one of the things the Red Mantis specialize in is poison. So while you won't likely encounter many enemies with poison immunity early on, all bets are off at higher level, so it would probably be good to have a bit of flexibility.
Nope, he was too young to remember them when he was taken in by the Steelhammers. We'll go with Lanliss Genthyra for the elf, though I don't particularly mind if it changes.
For the record: I am thinking of a Half-Elven Sacred Shield Paladin from Erages. Trained on the Blackash Training Grounds, he is duty-bound to protect members of the Academy, as well as any who are put under his care. In battle, he will steadfastly aid others and put himself in harm's way to ensure the survival of his allies. Disciplined and headstrong, he is a stoic and serious sort of person.
Not sure which of the Elven Gods would be most appropriate, if any... Are paladins all LG in your world, or do they follow the alignment of their chosen deity?
