RavenCrown (Carrion Crown + Ravenloft)

Game Master Gonturan

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DEFENSE
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AC 14 Touch 12 Flat-Footed 12
HP 9
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4 (additional +2 vs. emotion spells or effects)
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OFFENSE
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Speed: 30 ft.
Melee
-Sword Cane +0 1d6 (x2/Slashing)
-Dagger +0 1d4 (19-20/x2/Piercing or Slashing)
Ranged
-Dagger +2 1d4 (19-20/x2/Piercing)
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STATISTICS
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Str 10 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 15 Wis 13 Cha 12
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Extra Inspiration, Unforgotten (Story; reduces non-lethal damage taken by 1, +1 will save)
Traits Teacher's Pet (+2 on Knowledge Local), Grief-Filled (+2 on saves vs emotion spells & effects)
Skills (6 +2 int +1 human +1 favored class)

Bluff +5 (1 rank +1 cha +3 trained)
Craft (Alchemy) +6 (1 rank +2 int +3 trained) (additional +1 when crafting alchemical item)
Disable Device +7 (1 rank +2 dex +1 Trapfinding +3 trained)
Escape Artist +6 (1 rank +2 dex +3 trained)
Knowledge (History) +6 (1 rank +2 int +3 trained)
Knowledge (Local) +8 (1 rank +2 int +2 trait +3 trained)
Linguistics +6 (1 rank +2 int +3 trained)
Perception +5 (1 rank +1 wis +3 trained) (additional +1 when searching for traps)
Sense Motive +5 (1 rank +1 wis +3 trained)
Stealth +6 (1 rank +2 dex +3 trained)

Languages Common, Undercommon, Varisian, Dwarven
Equipment Leather Armor, Sword Cane, Dagger
Gear Traveler's Outfit, Backpack, Thieves' Tools, Waterskin, Flint & Steel, Scroll Case, 2 Days Rations, 11gp
Carrying Capacity Light - 33, Med - 66, Heavy - 100, Lift Over Head - 100, Lift Off Ground - 200, Push/Drag - 500 Current Load: 29.5 lbs
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Alchemy When using Craft (Alchemy) to craft an alchemic item, gain a competence bones = to class level. Can use Craft (Alchemy) to identify potions as detect magic by holding the potion for 1 round.
Inspiration Pool: 6 - Free action to expend 1 use from pool to add 1d6 to any skill check or ability check. Can inspire a Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft check without expending a use as long the skill is trained. Can also be used as an immediate action on attack rolls or saving throws, but doing so expends 2 points from the pool.
Trapfinding Add 1/2 level to Perception checks to locate traps and to Disable Device checks. Can disarm magical traps with Disable Device.

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EXTRACTS
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1st - 2/day (4 known) - Disguise Self, Cure Light Wounds, Shield, Heightened Awareness

Resource Tracking

Starting Equipment: 105 gp
-Traveler's Outfit 1g
-Leather Armor 10g
-Dagger 2g
-Sword Cane 45g
-Backpack 2g
-Thieves' Tools 30g
-Waterskin 1g
-Flint & Steel 1g
-Scroll Case 1g
-2 Rations 1g

REMAINING 11gp

The “tiny town in southwest Ustalav” should actually be Caliphas, the capital city. That’s generally considered the best place to “disappear” or blend in. That locale will also make it easier to form connections with other characters.

It’s your choice about gunslinger or slayer at 1st level. I don’t mind starting him out as a gunslinger who discovers he has a natural affinity for the weapon. I have some ideas on how to explain that, but I’ll keep mulling it over in case something else occurs to me.

I also don’t really understand how Seljak “turns into a zombie when mad.” Inheriting an undead bloodline is a good place to start, but what does “zombie” mean in this case? Does he literally become undead? Does he somehow resemble a zombie when he’s mad? It’s an intriguing spin on the traditional “curse” story, but you might need to think it through a bit more.

Finally, dig into Seljak’s backstory to see if there is anything you can develop as a goal that’s more complex than “stuff” or “friendship.” In a traditional RPG, those are perfectly useful goals. In Gothic horror, they may not be enough; when the terrors of Ustalav rear their heads, no sane adventurer is going to stick around for love or money – they need something truly profound to drive them forward against such daunting threats.

I hope that helps. I look forward to seeing where you are able to take him!

Those legendary heroes must have felt awfully dumb after being defeated by three zombies! I might make some suggestions on how to tweak that particular aspect of Ivan’s history, but it will take some careful thought.

I might move you from Lepidstadt to Caliphas, depending on how the other character biographies shape up.

I also don’t think it would be fair to start with a character already connected with a group as powerful as the Prince’s Wolves. It might not become an issue until higher levels, but it implies a high level of understanding about the supernatural in Ustalav, and that’s not conducive to Gothic horror, which involves gradual, soul-curdling revelations.

Having said all that, there may yet be ways to build a character that fits. Think about developing a backstory wrapped in mystery and secrets, as well as creating a goal and some quirks & flaws, as I’ve mentioned. Here’s the link to the Lycanthropy corruption, if you’re interested:

A tradesman by birth, his father taught him how to get by through the fur-trade, trapping various weasels, hares, and even sometimes larger quarry. He didn't care for the messiness or the grueling routine of the work, but he was overjoyed whenever he could go to larger cities. When he had the time to, he would go to libraries and temples and spend hours just reading. When nobody was looking, Wictor would lift several tomes from their homes and stow them in the back of his cart, and journey back to the woodlands, whistling and smoking all the way. He would buy proper volumes, out of respect for their content and make, but a surplus in the fur market was more than uncommon- the market was so aggressive, especially in the urban areas.

Over time, Wictor's father died, and he married the lass which he found most suitable to his manic preferences. He carried on the fur work, but focused on his life's unspoken dream: To open for almost solely his own glory a library inside his little town. He was now freed from the burden of his father's expectations. So, he pursued to open his library. A place in which he'd be able to tell his vibrant epics, and cause all eyes present to twinkle with that inviolable child's wonder. The task of funding was quite a span, but the resources and labor needed came after a long enough time. Wictor had his day, and opened the library for all. He was finally able to leave his traps in the shed to rust.

Several months after the establishment was founded however, there came to its' founder a disturbance: Miscreants. Vagabonds. Thieves. Some unforgivable sod began stealing books from Wictor's wings! He mentioned it not publicly, but over time began to ponder and obsess over his regular and moreso even his nominal patrons- in his heart he meant to destroy them, whoever they were.

His obsession grew and grew with each passing day. At one such point he even cracked open his forgotten shed- the mouths he abhorred before were now to him his last bastion of defense. At dusk, Wictor would lock up the library and unlock his secret chest. Meticuluously he would place each set of metal teeth aside every window, every door: wherever a moonbeam would crack through the boards.

At twilight each night, he would rise from his bed, silent as sin, candlestick in hand, and check each trap in his library. Every morn when he'd open up shop, he'd stow away all the traps in his chest, and open up the doors to his most welcomed criminals. He'd devised shrewd tests- sleights, if you're of the wary kind- to see if a certain guest was his thief. He had done so with all precision and stealth, looking only for his weighty rectangles. It was all he ever wanted. It was during these days that his lovely blonde wife noticed the first of his balding.

ON THE FATEFUL EVE, Wictor arose to make his nightly rounds. He expected nothing different from the many rounds prior, even in a doubtful fear that he may never find his thief. He unlocked the door to find a scrawny child, bleeding and yelping, foot caught in a bear trap.

"HERE YOU ARE! HERE YOU ARE! I'VE FOUND YOU, MY SON!!"

There was no mercy in Wictors' faux greeting, or in his acts proceeding.
He didn't see a child laying before him, all he saw was the one who so wronged him.
In a flurry, the trapper was on the floor, choking the poor child in vengeant silence, drowning him in his grasp by flickering candle light.
In the dance proceeding, fury once bottled so tightly was exacted, with such vigor that the nearest bookcase was knocked down, volumes fluttering to the floor, some tripping traps, some bending valuable spines, some thudding flat as they should.

The candle was also strewn on the floor. It rolled amidst the scuff towards the mortal duo, and its' licking tongue caught on one precious page, setting the rest to flame, and the rest was naught but history and squalor.

The library burned to the posts. All the books were lost. One survivor limped from the scene, the charred Wictor victorious, bear trap clamped tightly on his left knee. In the morning, the village ran to see what happened. There was no body to be found, only burnt floorboards strewn with gleaming furtraps.

To explain the occurence, and cover his sin, Lugaulle did what he did best; spun a blubbering tale. The brokenness of his mourning was so authoritative that the villa noticed not the absence of one of their youths until a day or so later.

Even after these eighteen years, not one of the townsfolk ever put it all together. They all just moved on, including Wictor. With his library burned his dreams, and he consigned himself to the drudgery of his fathers' ways. He loved his wife, sired two daughters and a son, and told them the best of bedtime stories a child within all the lands could have ever heard. Every night he kissed them on their foreheads, and told them that whatever they do, to never become thieves. He worked hard to make a life for them, his new precious ones.

The years had not left him unscathed either. Where he once was dashing now he was grizzled and balding. Where once his wit was pointed and pernicious, now lay mellowed and patient. He had two chins, a beer belly, and didn't have the luxury of the colognes of the cities of his youth. He loved his family, but he was truly dead alive- a dull and dusty tome he himself had now become. His gimp leg didn't help his trade work any, so he had to work his son harder than he wanted to- at times, even harder than his father had worked him. He had come to a point of understanding of necessity and cycles that doom had lingered in his heart in a more present presence. He had begun to give himself harder drinks, and more often. He had seen himself become just like every other man in his town. Nothing like the idolized heroes of his youth. Nothing even resembling the cunning rogue his youth once was.

One rounds he saw something he thought might be magical- a golden hare with a giant black spot on its' leg was caught in the last trap of his lines. Deep in the woods, he was bewildered by this beast. It revived in his mind countless tales of his old life- he was sure he had read of a rabbit of this design somewhere. The impression was strong enough that the resigned man let the whelp free, fancying to himself that some mythological deity of old might give him boon or aid for his act of mercy upon their golden servant.

Recently, one renowned teacher Wictor had traded tales with had passed on. He was bewildered to find that he recieved a letter at all for the funeral. Lorrimor was one of the keenest-edged pens Wictor knew. He laughed when he got the letter. Wictor remembered the only time he ever got caught stealing a book- by the late professor, in his study. Lorrimor gave him the book, after a stern talking to of virtues and ideals.

Wictor didn't for one second juxtapose that memory with the one that left his left ear marred and his knee obselete.

He hadn't been to a city so big in years; travel wasn't as easy for him as it once was. Nonetheless, Wictor showed the letter to his kind wife and left almost immediately.

He didn't think he'd be gone for more than a fortnight.

If you’re still mulling over goals, quirks, etc., I’d think seriously about making “redemption” a cornerstone of Wictor’s journey. If he has no desire (or hope) to atone for what he’s done, then he is a bitter grotesque, and his only hope for change is to become more embittered. That might make for an entertaining Gothic story, but it certainly won’t endear you to any of the other characters, and it might even get on players’ nerves after awhile.

So think about ways that you can insert a glimmer of hope, or humour, or just humanity into this damaged soul. I’m not suggesting you play him for laughs, but give him some sympathetic trait so that we all have a reason to root for the guy. That way, if his story ends tragically, it will feel like a genuine loss, not just poetic justice.

If you don’t have a Campaign Trait in mind, I’d suggest “Making Good on Promises.” You can ramp up your encounter with Prof. Lorrimor by placing Wictor in trouble with the law – arrested for stealing books from a University, perhaps – and having Lorrimor save him unexpectedly (“Oh no, officers, this lad was merely borrowing the books on my behalf”). Accordingly, Wictor might picture Lorrimor as one of the few men capable of understanding him – not only his pathological need to read, but also his deep-seeded need for atonement.

I’m going to suggest Wictor’s “villa” was Feldgrau, a tiny hamlet in Ardeal, in Eastern Ustalav. If you read anything about Feldgrau, you’ll get a very different impression of it – I’ll be modifying its history and function for my campaign – so I’d steer clear of research, and for now, just picture it the way you’ve described it.

Feel free to send me Goals, Quirks, a Flaw, and/or character stats whenever you have the chance. Cheers!

There are a couple of things about Seljak I’m not sure I understand. His half-orc nature is central to his identity and backstory, but where did his orcish blood come from? Neither the “high-end call girl” nor the orc-hating sorcerer seem to have the necessary DNA to make Seljak who he is.

Sorry I didn’t spell this out better in the first paragraph. Under “Important People” I described His Mother: Goruza Drolja a high end call girl from Caliphas Widow's Boudoir. He remembers her face, her singing to him orc lullabies and her soft silky cloths and black leather cloths, all of them showing her beautiful orcish skin. She is a half orc. His father outwardly hates half-orcs but secretly lusts after them. If her “Orc Blood” isn’t strong enough as a half orc to have a genetic throwback then I could list her as an orc.

Also, bestial does a couple of things for him. If he is really ugly it would explain why he is more hated than other half orcs and it could be the cause of his lisp. Second it replaces “Orc Ferocity”, and he is not ferocious, he is very meek, unless he is raging.

I also don’t really understand how Seljak “turns into a zombie when mad.” Inheriting an undead bloodline is a good place to start, but what does “zombie” mean in this case? Does he literally become undead? Does he somehow resemble a zombie when he’s mad? It’s an intriguing spin on the traditional “curse” story, but you might need to think it through a bit more.

I was trying to project Seljak childlike intelligence. He just calls it “Being a Zombie” that’s what the children in the attic called him when he raged the first time and got thrown out of the brothel. So that’s what he believes it is, not having an understanding of the Bloodline. He just knows that when he gets mad he changes into something different. The Bloodline Powers: Says: ”When you enter a bloodrage, the powers of undeath manifest, empowering your attacks with fear and your body with foul resistances.” I picture in my mind him taking on an appearance of pale clammy skin, his motions becoming jerky and more moaning, what he and children would call a “Zombie.”

Finally, dig into Seljak’s backstory to see if there is anything you can develop as a goal that’s more complex than “stuff” or “friendship.” In a traditional RPG, those are perfectly useful goals. In Gothic horror, they may not be enough; when the terrors of Ustalav rear their heads, no sane adventurer is going to stick around for love or money – they need something truly profound to drive them forward against such daunting threats.

“…In a traditional RPG, those are perfectly useful goals…” That’s interesting, in a normal game if someone listed those as a players goals I would go “Murder-Hobo” and ignorer their application.

The second goal “Long term friendship” is due to the loss of love from when he left his mother and the constant rejection by others. Even his “Mentor” Morgrym Domar, the head Janitor, abused him and Seljak was loyal to him. But he was willing to leave and go someplace strange and scary just someplace else in the country to do the will of his friend professor Lorrimor. I wanted his loyalty to be almost dog-like. Part of this is because “Igor” seemed to be willing to do horrendous things in the name of his master. Because of his sophistication level I think things like “Respect of others,” “Titles and Lands” or even “Revenge” would be have to be so simple or so unrealistic that it would be less interesting.

I would be interested in seeing what “Horrors” he would be able to endure for his friends/team mates. He has already crossed bridges over water to go to the funeral… Seriously I am still pondering other goals. There are two that would relate to both money and relationships. To have a place or home of his own, not knowing how much this would cost, he would want to earn a lot. Then he would to find his mother and bring her there. If you have any recommendations I would love to discuss them with you.

I hope that helps. I look forward to seeing where you are able to take him!

In role-playing games I like to start characters out young and see where the adventure takes them and what they become. It’s a bit of an organic process for me I try and develop the character story and I start with very few preconceived ideas, just general outlines as to where he is going. I have started characters at higher levels and created a deeper story and I find I like that process less. I prefer to grow with the characters both mechanically and story-wise. So to ultimately see where I take him we will need to play him together ;) unapologetic plug ;)

Having read my responses it sound like I am justifying my selections; instead of responding to your critique.

If it will help making his mother full blood orc I will, is the selection of Bestial instead of Orc Ferocity OK?

Seljak thinks he becomes a zombie, it’s just the bloodline.

If we develop his story through the game I could see other goals. For instance when he learns who his father is he may want revenge. If it would help I could write that in before he leaves, but it may be better he find out after he leaves because if that was the motivating drive of his life would he have left? He could become helplessly infatuated with the professors daughter when he saw her, but then would he leave there on the adventure without her.

Let me say I appreciate the critique. I developed him several months ago and haven’t been forced to rethink him, so it is taking time. I would love to hear any ideas. Thank you RH

If he were ever granted a wish by whatever gods that may or may not be, he would ask for immortal health and youth.

He would desire these things so that he could pursue knowledge and secrets forever, because these things make him feel like he has something to bewilder and entertain with, so he may be seen as a clever and dashing gentleman. He seeks to be percieved as such with the whole of his dormant being.

However, the tallies and all ends which follow them have indeed n'ere crossed the forefront of his mind, because the laughter of his children, the hearth of his home, the breast of his wife, and the burn of his whiskey have kept him busy and complacent.

I would also like to clearly denote some of his redeeming traits that while may not have been explicitly expressed during his initial backstory will certainly be at the forefront of his characterizations.

1: He bears a wizened, patient, and jovial demeanor. He is used to being inconvenienced by both his disability and his responsibilities, and takes what fate deals him in kind.
2: He bears a fun wit, which he oft employs to bring joy to those around him, especially children that remind him of his own children. Socially he prides himself as being all things to all men, being able to discuss and banter about any topic, meeting all manner of type in the middle of the road and knowledgeably connecting with them.
3: Charity is his default setting. He always finds himself helping neighbors with tasks his leg allows him to, and often buys the first or last round. He makes his wife bake an extra loaf every day he goes to town just in case someone is found in want.

Seljak is a half-beast AND he’s the son of a rich sorcerer AND he becomes bestial when angry AND he really likes his coat and sword AND he’s lonely. It feels like each of those traits is independent of the others, except for a few tenuous, mechanical connections (like the sorcerer/bloodrager connection). It’s asking a lot at this point, but I’d suggest you step back from the character as you’ve conceived him, choose the one or two elements that intrigue you the most, and then build him up more solidly around them.

For example, if you’ve always wanted to play the “outcast” or “man-beast” trope, then keep Seljak as a half-orc but concentrate solidly on making that his shame, his curse. Craft a goal in which he actively seeks for ways to change himself – not just dressing fancy, although that could be a start, but dreaming/reading/seeking out dubious and risky ways to rid himself of his visible heritage. Choose traits that reflect that – how do people behave in real life when they are ashamed of their appearance? You may even discover that you don’t want to play him as a bloodrager, since that puts him front and centre, where everyone can see how hideous he is. Or, if you really want to stick with that class, consider a bloodline that reflects his psychological landscape – examples might include Shadow (“Don’t look at me, I’m hideous!”) or Aberrant (“I want to be normal, but I keep getting weirder!”).

Alternatively, maybe bloodrager/Undead is what really intrigues you about this guy. In that case, his half-orc ancestry becomes a sort of distraction. You could play him as a normal, even attractive, person who inwardly fights to keep the necrotic influence at bay. Instead of ignoring the fact that he sometimes becomes “a zombie,” this Seljak probably obsesses about it. He would never explain to his friends why he hangs around graveyards or seeks the counsel of people like Professor Lorrimor. Heck, he may not even want friends, since he’s liable to turn on them in an instant. His goal, again, would be to rid himself of a curse, but in this case it’s a different curse.

I don’t know if these are clear, and they’re not meant to be prescriptive. They’re just examples of ways you can construct goals, secrets, flaws and quirks around a central characteristic. There is still always room to make your character three-dimensional – I wouldn’t want it any other way – but this approach will give you a much better handle on where he’s starting from. The other dimensions, as you suggest, will come as you move forward with the story.

Finally, let me say that your acceptance into the campaign is by no means dependent on making these revisions. I’m just trying to help you while I can, before the details of the campaign overtake my life. :)

Do the story and the resulting character add up?

Does the goal you’ve described make sense, in the context of what Wictor has experienced, and how it may have changed him?

Do you see any traits that may result in inconsistent role-play?

Do your plans for the character's immediate future (ie. tempted into darkness by a spectral rabbit) resonate with the elements you've seeded in his past?

And, above all, do you feel like this will be a fun character to play? If we’re lucky enough to find our groove and the campaign gets off the ground, you’ll be with him for a long time. I want you to make sure that he’s got the ingredients you need for a good time.

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DEFENSE
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AC 14 Touch 12 Flat-Footed 12
HP 9
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4 (additional +2 vs. emotion spells or effects)
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OFFENSE
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Speed: 30 ft.
Melee
-Sword Cane +0 1d6 (x2/Slashing)
-Dagger +0 1d4 (19-20/x2/Piercing or Slashing)
Ranged
-Dagger +2 1d4 (19-20/x2/Piercing)
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STATISTICS
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Str 10 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 15 Wis 13 Cha 12
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Extra Inspiration, Unforgotten (Story; reduces non-lethal damage taken by 1, +1 will save)
Traits Teacher's Pet (+2 on Knowledge Local), Grief-Filled (+2 on saves vs emotion spells & effects)
Skills (6 +2 int +1 human +1 favored class)

Bluff +5 (1 rank +1 cha +3 trained)
Craft (Alchemy) +6 (1 rank +2 int +3 trained) (additional +1 when crafting alchemical item)
Disable Device +7 (1 rank +2 dex +1 Trapfinding +3 trained)
Escape Artist +6 (1 rank +2 dex +3 trained)
Knowledge (History) +6 (1 rank +2 int +3 trained)
Knowledge (Local) +8 (1 rank +2 int +2 trait +3 trained)
Linguistics +6 (1 rank +2 int +3 trained)
Perception +5 (1 rank +1 wis +3 trained) (additional +1 when searching for traps)
Sense Motive +5 (1 rank +1 wis +3 trained)
Stealth +6 (1 rank +2 dex +3 trained)

Languages Common, Undercommon, Varisian, Dwarven
Equipment Leather Armor, Sword Cane, Dagger
Gear Traveler's Outfit, Backpack, Thieves' Tools, Waterskin, Flint & Steel, Scroll Case, 2 Days Rations, 11gp
Carrying Capacity Light - 33, Med - 66, Heavy - 100, Lift Over Head - 100, Lift Off Ground - 200, Push/Drag - 500 Current Load: 29.5 lbs
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Alchemy When using Craft (Alchemy) to craft an alchemic item, gain a competence bones = to class level. Can use Craft (Alchemy) to identify potions as detect magic by holding the potion for 1 round.
Inspiration Pool: 6 - Free action to expend 1 use from pool to add 1d6 to any skill check or ability check. Can inspire a Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft check without expending a use as long the skill is trained. Can also be used as an immediate action on attack rolls or saving throws, but doing so expends 2 points from the pool.
Trapfinding Add 1/2 level to Perception checks to locate traps and to Disable Device checks. Can disarm magical traps with Disable Device.

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EXTRACTS
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1st - 2/day (4 known) - Disguise Self, Cure Light Wounds, Shield, Heightened Awareness

Starting Equipment: 105 gp
-Traveler's Outfit 1g
-Leather Armor 10g
-Dagger 2g
-Sword Cane 45g
-Backpack 2g
-Thieves' Tools 30g
-Waterskin 1g
-Flint & Steel 1g
-Scroll Case 1g
-2 Rations 1g

REMAINING 11gp

Things changed shortly thereafter when both of Dmitry's parents fell to a bout of plague in the winter of his eighth year. He had no interest in joining the ranks of any of the other surrounding farms, and with no family known to him (other than a uncle his father would sometimes speak of), he left the farm and went to Anactoria. While there, he approached the merchants and travelers and other folk he had been fascinated with in his outings to the village before, looking for work and a new life. None of those to whom he spoke had any interest in taking him on; a poor farmer's boy with dirty clothes and the inability to read or write wasn't worth the investment in time or gold to teach. After milling about Anactoria for near a month, Dmitry finally did find someone who offered him a job, but it was not the type he was hoping for.

Viktor Ivanov was a man who knew books and made his money managing money. A lender, broker, banker, and currency changer, he split time between Anactoria, Caliphas, and a few other settlements in the county. He worked for a nobleman and was in charge of the man's investments; in truth it was the nobleman's gold that Viktor banked and brokered, but Viktor was the day-to-day face of these operations. He took Dmitry on, being in need of a young courier to carry statements, books, and the like between his offices. Dmitry was not very interested in being a runner, but Viktor agreed to teach him to read, which was a payment for the boy more valuable than gold.

Dmitry stayed in Viktor's home in Anactoria for the next few months, and learned more about his duties as a courier while simultaneously being taught to read and write by another of Mr. Ivanov's employees. Surprisingly, the farm boy took the written word quickly and seemed to have a natural talent for it. He read bits of pieces of many books, but his favorite was one written by a man named Petros Lorrimor. Dmitry read this book over and over, and it truly was the one tome that taught him to read, and to love the written word. Within a year he was reading and writing on par with many of the local rural adults. Beyond literacy, Dmitry was taught the importance of his position and what he would be transporting. He would not initially be carrying crucial ledgers, books, and reports, as they were entrusted to experienced couriers - Dmitry would instead start off by carrying notices and messages between Ivanov's offices and between those offices and clients. His job started locally, carrying sealed letters and scrolls from one building to another within Anactoria. He proved to be a good employee, earning adulations from Viktor, and for the next few years he continued to run letters in the man's service.

Viktor himself traveled a good deal, so Dmitry was often left in the charge of other employees whose positions were more stationary. In Viktor's absences, Dmitry would often sneak around the offices to look upon any books or ledgers he could get his hands on. He began to teach himself numbers by reading the books and notes regarding facts and figures, though truly he wasn't supposed to be looking into such things. Regardless, bookkeeping fascinated him, and he continued his self-tutelage whenever he could.

When he was fourteen, Dmitry was given a slightly higher position and began to carry more important correspondence. Further, his routes sometimes took him out of Anactoria to some of the surrounding communities who dealt with Viktor's businesses. One such route took him south to a small vineyard owned by the Naumov family. It was here that Dmitry first laid eyes on the lovely Katya Naumov, a dark-haired beauty who instantly enamored the young Dmitry. Fortunately, deliveries and pickups to and from the Naumov Vineyard were frequent, and the next few years saw the building of a relationship between Dmitry and Katya. Truly, the young woman was above his own station, but her father was a kind man who often offered Dmitry bread and beverage while the courier waited for him to sign papers. It was during these rests that he was able to talk to Katya, and as time passed it seemed as though she too fancied him.

More time passed, and eventually Dmitry's routes even had him going to Caliphas, where by this time Viktor was spending most of his days. His years of secret study paid off for him during one such visit to the soul of Ustalav, when Viktor's office was having a problem with a ledger. Dmitry proposed a suggestion that seemed to fix the error, and Viktor was impressed, completely unaware that the courier had any head for numbers. Viktor offered him a bookkeeping position, and Dmitry finally was able to work with numbers and books every day, which was a grand gift after several years of running letters. More importantly, it made him a better match for Katya, and a few short years later the two were married.

Dmitry and Katya carved a decent little life for themselves, relocating permanently to Anactoria. Dmitry worked in one of the local offices, and Viktor trusted him enough there that he came to the village less and less. Four years of happiness ended when Dmitry was twenty-two, for Katya died giving birth to their daughter Venja. But then, a new era of happiness dawned, for though Dmitry mourned deeply the loss of his wife, the hole in his heart was filled by his beloved daughter.

Alas, such happiness was not to last, for the fates had drawn a grim hand for Dmitry.

Four years after the birth of his daughter, Dmitry began being approached by different members of Sczarni families. Dmitry was roughly familiar with him, for their names would crop up from time to time in his ledgers, as the criminal families were known to have their hands in many pockets and affairs. So far, however, he had been able to avoid dealing with them directly. The Sczarni sought to utilize him, having tried to find a crack in Viktor's operations for years. They had noticed that Dmitry had a respectable amount of independence within the business, along with access to many records there in Anactoria. All that they asked of him was to give up a bit of innocent information, to "misplace" a specific ledger, and to give them a time and place of a certain transaction between a courier and associate in Caliphas. Three simple requests, and he would be a rich man, able to abandon his job and go anywhere with his daughter.

At first, Dmitry scoffed at their offer, but the more he thought on it, the more he wondered if it was worth it. Anactoria had been a good home to him, but he was always haunted by the death of his wife, still heard her screams in his dreams, still saw phantom blood on the sheets of his bed. Further, his daughter Venja was often sick during the winter, not quite hale enough to fully withstand the cold months of Ustalav. He remembered all too well the winter he lost both of his parents to sickness, and the thought of losing his daughter, his last remaining love and purpose for living, began to eat away at him. Every time she would cough, he swallowed a stone. Every time she sneezes, he saw the last gasps of his parents. Every time she cried, he saw Katya. He could not let any sort of ill fate befall his beautiful daughter, nor could he again suffer such a loss.

He agreed to the Sczarni, after months of their insistence and his own dark thoughts. He gave them their information, and procured a ledger, and all that was left for him to do was find out where and when a particular courier would be meeting a particular man. He found out, and told the Sczarni to meet him for the final exchange of information. In the last moments before going to meet them, however, he centered his moral compass. Despite his fears, doubts, and inner demons, he could not betray Viktor, the man who had given him a life. He did not meet with the Sczarni, he withheld giving them the ledger. They were not pleased. They promised him that he would rue the day that he betrayed them.

Two weeks later, Venja was gone.

She vanished in the middle of the night, with no signs of her disappearance save for a strange silvery thread on her floor. Dmitry was inconsolable, his studious demeanor replaced by wrenching pain and seething hatred. He rampaged through his own abode, tearing the place apart. He saw faces on everything - his mother, his father, Katya, and now Venja. He knew it was the Sczarni making good on their threats, and he knew what he had to do. He vowed then, cloaked in the darkness of night, amidst the broken accoutrements of his home that so perfectly symbolized the end of one life and the beginning of a next, vowed that he would find her. He would find Venja; upturn every stone in Ustalav, break down every door, pry the secrets out of every Sczarni. Without Venja, Dmitry was no longer himself, and his life meant nothing.

He left that night, left his home, left his job. He said nothing again to any of his colleagues, did not even speak to Viktor, for he could not face the man, could not admit to him what he almost did. Dmitry did, though, travel to Caliphas, for he knew that it would be the best place to begin his search, and to acquire the skills that he would need to find his daughter. And, in Caliphas, he could disappear.

In Caliphas, he hid himself away in the academies of learning, becoming a student there, for he knew that the Sczarni would likely never find him there. By day, he studied alchemy and poisons, learning these new skills while reinforcing his own and evolving them. How similar forgery was to bookkeeping. By night, he hunted the fog-gripped streets of Caliphas, but his prey was information. He watched, he studied, he tracked the paths of Sczarni through and around the city. He marked who their associated were, who their informants were, where they congregated, which taphouses they frequented, learned everything he could about them. The more he learned about them, the more he learned to be like them. He found that lies came as easily to him as numbers. Sometimes he pretended to be one of them and spoke to people he knew worked for them, or at least were their informants.

Once he was satisfied with his manipulations, he decided he needed to test out his other new skills. A darkness had invaded Dmitry then, the spirit of someone foul and despicable. The good man, the gentle bookkeeper he had once been was a ghost, and his desire, his drive to find his daughter filled him with black rage. He kidnapped informants, mostly street rats and other knaves, and he interrogated them. He tortured them. Nothing would stop his search, especially not the flesh of those were associated with the Sczarni.

During his time in Caliphas and his tutelage at the academies, Dmitry often made it a point to isolate himself from everyone else. He did not associate with anyone for the most part, and played the role of a studious bookworm, which was easy to play as it was so close to the truth. He did hear, however, of a certain Professor who was to make an appearance at the academy. Professor Petros Lorrimor was a name that caught Dmitry's attention, for it was the very same man who wrote the book that Dmitry used to learn to read. He had read Lorrimor's book countless times as a boy, and always credited that one piece of literature as the catalyst for all of his abilities. He couldn't believe that Professor Lorrimor would be there, and made sure to attend each and every one of his lectures.

During the scholar's stay at the academy, Dmitry was fortune enough to catch him alone one evening. He approached the Professor and immediately recanted his boyhood yearning for knowledge and how Lorrimor's book paved the way for his life. For a brief moment, Dmitry had forgotten his pain. He felt a certain kinship with Petros, a connection with him via that book from his childhood. Dmitry and Lorrimor spoke at length that evening, and for many other evenings during the man's stay. They exchanged stories and theories, and Dmitry even entertained the Professor's more outlandish and bizarre ideas dealing with magic and strange, supernatural creatures. Dmitry was glad that he got to meet the man, and on Lorrimor's final day, before he left, he bid his goodbyes to his conversation partner. HIs final words to Dmitry were "It brings me happiness to know that my book set you on a course for your life, Dmitry. I am honored that my work made you into a good man."

Professor Lorrimor's words were both a digging knife and cleansing fire for Dmitry. Just a few nights before, he had cut a bound man with a poisoned blade and screamed at him, demanding to know where his daughter was. Lorrimor had shattered him, and he felt so much guilt, so much shame. He realized that he had been a good man once, but darkness had overcome him and made him dark and evil. But that black cloud had lifted at those words, and he suddenly felt the pain of everything he had done fall upon him as a stone.

His nights thereafter were haunted again, but not only this time by his loved ones. Now it was his victims that screamed in his nightmares, the wounds he gave them visible on his own flesh in a predawn gloom, twixt dream and consciousness. No longer, he vowed, no longer would he stoop to become such a thing. He would not give up his search for Venja, but neither would he again let darkness and hate consume him. He was a man of knowledge and insight, not a beast.

Dmitry's prey once more became information. He left Caliphas for some time, and on his travels he realized the Sczarni had not forgotten him. They did not openly act against him, but they lurked in the shadow of shadows behind him, watching his every step. He wondered why the Sczarni did not simply capture or kill him, and the fact that they merely watched was somehow worse.

Months passed, and in Dmitry's travels, he came across a small village where a young girl had disappeared. Obviously drawn to the situation, he investigated, speaking with the parents of the girl and the other villagers. The girl had vanished without a sound, without a trace in the dead of night. When Dmitry pressed, he asked if anything had been left behind, any clue at all. The family showed him a silver thread. It was identical to the one found on Venja's floor nearly a year previously, the very same thread he still had tied to his wrist.

The villagers whispered of something, some old ghost story. They told of a strange creature that spirited young children away, never to be seen again, and left a silver hair behind as payment. Dmitry refused to believe such nonsense at first, and scoffed at their superstition, but as days and nights wore on, their tale bored holes in him. How else could be explained the silver thread at both scenes? Why, after a year of investigating the Sczarni and their dealings, had he found nothing, no trace of his daughter in Caliphas or any surrounding areas. Why?

Doubts plagued him again, doubt that he had wasted his time, doubt that he would never find Venja. No one could help him now, and he was lost. But then he remembered, there was one person who could indeed help him.

He sought out the Professor, whose own strange stories of bizarre creatures were perhaps not so outlandish after all. He was able to track the scholar down, having heard where he had last passed through and then discovering his next stop.

Yet alas, how again fate deals a grim hand for Dmitry Pavlovich.

-Goal is to locate his missing daughter, Venja. At first he believed it to be the Sczarni, and but now is starting to think it could have been something supernatural.
-Dark Secret is that while rage and pain had blinded him, he interrogated and tortured known Sczarni associates and informants to get information. He looks upon these actions with shame now.
-QUIRK #1: My character always watches his back, mildly paranoid about but mostly just vigilant for Sczarni (or other toes he may have stepped on).
-QUIRK #2: My character rarely makes connections or lasting relationships beyond information contacts.
-FLAW: My character can quickly become selfish, distracted, and even reckless whenever something arises that he believes could lead him to information about his missing daughter.

-Past Connections:
--Sczarni crime family members count among his biggest rivals and enemies, especially those he directly crossed.
--Venja, his missing daughter and sole purpose in life.
--Viktor Ivanov, his former employer and somewhat of a surrogate father figure
--Unnamed uncle, who may or may not be alive. His father's brother whom he has never met.
--Alexei, Damir, Stavo, Radovan, former colleagues.
--Katya, his wife (deceased).
--Basko Naumov, his father-in-law (deceased)
--Pavlo, his father (deceased)
--Yelena, his mother (Deceased)
-- As for the other PCs, my character could have easily come across any of them in Ustalav during his investigations...I saw that some Occult classes are being posted, so perhaps at one point he even went to a psychic or medium for guidance.

Necromancer school- opposition schools abjuration evocation

spell list (6 known at first level)

Youthful Appearance
Polypurpose Panacea
Unseen Servant
Vanish
Ray of Sickening
Touch of Blindness

Traits
Teachers pet, survivor

Feats
Improved Channel, toughness/improved initiative

7 skill points. 2 base 3 int 1 human 1 fcb

Perception
Sense Motive
Profession
Survival
Know History
Diplomacy
Bluff

Familiar- Hare w/scholar archetype

In his clothing Alec has consciously striven to emulate Iram--he wears a shirt of fine chain-links under a long black leather coat, with a wide-brimmed hat completing the ensemble. If the weather permits he wears a plain grey wool scarf to conceal his scarred neck. After fleeing Vigil his first thought had been to abandon the outfit, but he couldn't bear to sever his last link to Iram, and so he spent many many hours in his room scrubbing out the blood stains.

CMB +2, CMD15

Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +0
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OFFENSE
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BAB +1

Daggers +4 melee/thrown (1d4+1)

Short sword +4 melee (1d6+1)

Crossbow +4 ranged (1d8)
--------------------
Str13 Dex16 Con10 Int10 Wis10 Cha14
--------------------
FEATS
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Weapon Finesse
Point Blank Shot

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ADVENTURING SKILLS (6/level)
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Acrobatics +5 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +3 Dex, -2ACP)

Diplomacy +7 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +2 Cha, +1 trait)

Perception +4 (1 rank, +3 bonus)

Climb +3 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +1 Str, -2 ACP)

Knowledge [Local] +4 (1 rank, +3 bonus)

Stealth +5 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +3 Dex, -2ACP)
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Background Skills (2/level)
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Craft (Alchemy) +1

Profession (Guard) +1
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TRAITS
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Subject of Study: +1 on damage rolls vs undead
Friend in Every Town: +1 on Diplomacy checks & now a class skill
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LANGAUGES
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Common (Taldane)
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ABILITIES
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Class Traits:
Studied Target: As a move action gain a +1 bonus to Attack, Damage; Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, & Survival

Lookout: Add +1/2 of vanguard level (minimum +1) to Initiative checks

spell list (6 known at first level)

Youthful Appearance
Polypurpose Panacea
Unseen Servant
Vanish
Ray of Sickening
Touch of Blindness

Traits
Teachers pet, survivor

Feats
Improved Channel, toughness/improved initiative

7 skill points. 2 base 3 int 1 human 1 fcb

Perception
Sense Motive
Profession
Survival
Know History
Diplomacy
Bluff

Familiar- Hare w/scholar archetype

Wictor is part skill monkey, part wizard, part fur trapper. I'm gonna pick up disable device on him soon because that makes a TON of sense. He is going to have a lot of skills. He's a necromancer trying to regain his dashing youth. He's partially a socialite as well. His familiar has access to all knowledge skills, so we can get info there, and the GM can dump exposition onto us with him too.

The low level necromancy spells suck. I'm down to only keeping one actual first level spell in my repertoire until i have access to second level spells. If you have any ideas as to what 1st level spell I should replace them with, let me know. That being said, I don't think that Wictor will be providing all that much arcane utility outside of using command undead. That being said, he is a socialite skill monkey wannabe. Also Wictor has a gimp leg and walks with a cane, so unless he has obtained magic to truly regain youth he's gonna be walking at a speed of 20 ft/round. A hurdle he will hopefully overcome 'permanently' as the game progresses.

He'll be sporting a light crossbow for probably the entirety of the campaign.

Goal: Wants to become a professor in ancient artifacts.
Secret: She destroyed someone's life by accident during a long lasting heatwave and was shunned by many in the town. With a loyal friend in Kendra and her determination and considerable knowledgebase, she has learned to survive in an unkind world.
Quirk: Magdalen always tries to find the Why, How, and History of objects and, to a lesser extent, situations.
Quirk: Magdalen rarely makes new friends; she prefers her books and her artifacts.
Flaw: Magdalen panics whenever she is threatened; despite this, her goal of being a professor in artifacts means she is determined to go adventuring.

Made her way north to Ustalav as a teenager, drawn there by the research library. Was hired at 17 as a runner for the professors and researchers. Was fascinated by Kendra, the professor’s daughter, and became very close (wink wink). Managed to meet the professor and take a class with him at Kendra’s urging. He was never close to her, but Kendra had told him that Magdalen was a little starstruck; she went to family dinners a few times but never made as big an impression on her beloved professor as he did on her. However, due to his influence, she became a research assistant at the library and works there today. Was shocked at the professor’s passing.

She is an occultist who doesn't know she has this skill. Currently thinks she listens to her “gut” when reading psychic resonances in items - she thinks she’s making intuitive leaps based on research to divine psychic readings of books and artifacts, and her reputation as an excellent researcher and puzzle-solver is growing. Her hobby of sculpting as a child has turned into metal-casting, and she creates and uses her special talismans as a reminder system - she carves new ones to focus her memory as she studies, and these items unknowingly become imbued with extra power the more she uses them. Even her favourite resource book has become special, if only she knew it. (flavour to explain the Occultist Implement/Focus system)

When you get to know Magdalen, she is loyal and playful. She’s very observant, caring and disciplined. Her research and thirst for knowledge is what drives her. Empathetic and almost seems to read minds [of course, she actually does, but nobody believes in magic]; people often count on her perceptive nature when they're in need of support.

I put together a party sheet to help me visualize the whole thing and how the party might interact in combat/social situations, to help me create hooks and pushes as we go. Here’s my understanding of the situation; please correct me if I’m wrong:

Alec is a strong combat character with lots of acrobatics and stealth, plus some alchemy as a backup. Can help with diplomacy situations.
Dmitry has been a bodyguard but is also is heavy on skills and knowledge; much like Magdalen he has many languages and history at his disposal.
Esdraas is a straight-up fighter with a secret shapeshifting ability. [skills unknown].
Ivan is secretive and can bluff and disguise well. Has plenty of magical knowledge skills. Uses spells against the undead.
Wictor is a spellcaster with bluff, diplomacy, and survival, with a penchant for stealing.
Magdalen has languages, mundane knowledge skills including engineering and history, and uses buffs, spells, and divinations to analyze and react to situations.

Init: +2; Perception +6
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DEFENSE
-----------------
AC 14 Touch 12 Flat-Footed 12
HP 9
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4
-----------------
OFFENSE
-----------------
Speed: 30 ft.
Melee
-Warhammer (in story, a modified metal forge hammer); +1 atk 1d8 dmg (x3/B)
-Iron Brush (concealed); +1 atk 1d3 dmg (x2/P)
Ranged
-Shortbow +2 1d6 (x3/P)
-----------------
STATISTICS
-----------------
Str 13 Dex 15 Con 12 Int 19 Wis 15 Cha 14
Str +1 Dex +2 Con +1 Int +3 Wis +2 Cha +2
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13

Class Skills (4 + 3 int + 1 human +2 Background Skill ranks)
Appraise +7 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +3 Int)
Craft - Metal Casting +7 (1 Background Skill rank, +3 bonus, +3 Int, +1 Background Skill)
Diplomacy +2 (2 cha)
Disable Device +6 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +2 dex)
Disguise +2 (cha)
Fly +2 (dex)
Knowledge:
Arcana +3
Engineering +7 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +3 Int)
History +7 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +3 Int)
Planes +3 (int)
Religion +3 (int)
Linguistics +7 (1 Background Skill Rank +3 bonus, +3 Int, +1)
Common, Draconic, Undercommon, Necril, Dark Folk, Aklo
Perception +6 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +1 wis)
Profession (wis)
Sense Motive +6 (1 rank, +2 bonus, +1 wis)
Sleight of Hand +2 (dex)
Spellcraft +7 (1 rank, +3 bonus, +3 Int)
Use Magic Device +2 (cha)

Feats: Empath (Read emotions, check for Fear effects/their strength); Extra Mental Focus (+2 Mental Focus Points/day)
Traits: Inspired by Greatness (Psychic Reading at +1 caster level), Focused Mind (+2 on Concentration Checks)