Strange Aeons, with GM Pendrak

Game Master karlprosek

-Post once per day, or give instructions for botting your character if you require an extended absence.

-Bold your speech.

-Don't be a jerk.

-Select your ability scores using a 20 point buy, with maximum hit points at first level.

-Choose your race from among the following: aasamir, changeling, dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, half-orc, human, suli, or tiefling.

-Choose your class, equipment, feats, skills, any archetypes, etc. from any Paizo source, using the optional Background Skills system (for 2 extra select skill ranks per level), and with maximum gold for your class to start.

-Choose 1 campaign trait and 2 other traits (following the standard rule of no more than 1 from a single category). You have the option of taking 1 additional trait if you choose a drawback, but the traits and drawbacks should all be closely tied in to your character's backstory. The campaign traits are particularly important in this campaign.

-Provide a written backstory (it can be as short or as long as you find necessary, but this will be the primary standard by which each potential player is judged) and a character sheet that is readily available online.

I will primarily be providing maps and pictures using links to Google Drive when appropriate.

I will try to post multiple times a day, and to run this campaign until I die or it dies.

I try to stay as close to the rules as possible, please correct me if I am ever wrong.

I would like to briefly provide a little bit of information about what I roll and what you roll. Keep in mind that these rules aren't hard and fast, and I try to give players the benefit of the doubt in all cases.

I typically will roll what might be called "passive" perception checks for all characters upon entering a room or scene, and for what in some previous editions would be called Spot or Listen checks. When you walk into a cave, everyone automatically gets a Perception check to be attentive to what might be in the room (to notice a goblin hiding behind a rock whose foot is sticking out, or to hear the sounds of wailing from deeper in the caves).

What I usually do not roll for is what would have been called in previous editions a Search check. You walk into a room, and with the "passive" Perception I tell you the detailed description of the room, including the fact that you find a chest. It is up to you now to say that you carefully examine the chest for traps.

Another thing I almost always will roll for would be things like Knowledge checks, Heal checks, Craft checks, and so forth, specifically when they are used to know things. You find a corpse; I'm not going to ask you to make a Heal check to determine cause of death, I'm just going to roll it for you. These sort of things seem to speed up the rate of play. I don't want to take away the thrill of rolling from players, but there is still plenty of opportunity for that.

Initiative is the other big one. I see no reason to wait around for six people to get around to rolling for it, when I can just get it done all at once.

* John grew up in the city of Caliphas, apprenticed to his uncle Hank as a rat-catcher. He learned about tracking, trapping, and removing all sorts of urban vermin (rats, lizards, centipedes, etc.). His uncle sponsored him into the Rat-Catcher's guild in Caliphas. He parents were small-time alchemists, running their own factory-shop. Neither of them were impressed with John's career choice, but he never showed the aptitude to follow them into their profession. In fact, not long after his tenth birthday, John was banned from their workshops after he caused a small explosion tinkering with their components.

* John was a talented apprentice. He was good at climbing, jumping, tracking and stalking underground in the dim light. From some of the less savory guild members, John learned about safely dealing with traps and opening locked doors. After his apprenticship he began to work full-time alongside his uncle.

* John isn't especially noteworthy in appearance. He has dark hair and green eyes. He is average height and weight for a human man. He is strong and agile, he was a talented athlete in his youth. He wears a patched cloak of animal hides, most of which he trapped himself.

* John and Hank were clearing out a nest of centipedes from a sewer in Caliphas when his uncle disappeared around a corner. John hunted for his uncle for several minutes, finding no trace of him. He turned about to look in a different direction when he saw what looked like dozens of green eyes staring at him out of the darkness. John panicked and ran from the abomination in the sewer before he became its' victim too.

* John hasn't forgiven himself for his uncle's disappearance and neither has his family or the Rat-Catcher's Guild. Noone believes the story he has told about many eyed monsters in the sewer. To escape his guilt he has left Caliphas and traveled, ending up near Thrushmore. He has found it necessary to take up odd jobs to support himself because smaller cities don't have the same sort of vermin reduction needs that a large city has.

* John didn't just leave because of the pressure from the guild and his family. He found himself imagining the many-eyed monsters peering at him out of the dark wherever he went in Caliphas. He's not proud of being scared by the creatures, but he knows they're real and they are after him and he feels that staying on the move is the smartest way to avoid them.

Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.

* John wants to learn what the many eyed monster's are and how to defeat them.

* I want to see John turn into a monster hunter that can face the aberrations on their own ground and defeat them.

* I'd also like to find out what happened to John's Uncle.

Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet.

* John told his family and the guild that the monster killed his uncle, but he never saw what happened to him and he fled before learning what happened.

* He also hasn't told anyone about the many-eyed monsters he has seen following him since the incident. He doesn't want people to think he is crazy.

* What John doesn't know is that his uncle really didn't die in that sewer.

Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile.

* Uncle Hank taught John everything he knows about hunting and fighting. John is devastated that he abandoned his uncle in the sewer and then lied about it.

* Amelia is John's sweetheart back in Caliphas. She is an apprentice seamstress whose family owns a thriving clothing company. Amelia's family didn't think much of John's career as an exterminator before the incident. After the incident, when John was tossed from his guild, her family forbade her from seeing him anymore.

* John met a traveling priest of Cayden Cailean named Bennett a couple months back. The worked as guards together on a caravan for several slow walking weeks. Looking for answers for his life, John converted and took up praying to the Drunken God regularly. John last saw Bennett in an Inn near Thrushmore.

* Gregor Blackbeard is the head of the Rat-Catcher's guild in Caliphas. He doesn't believe any of John's stories about monster's in the sewers and he was the primary force in getting John voted out of the Guild.

Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

* John wakes up from nightmares where he sees dozens of green eyes staring at him from the dark. Sometimes he thinks he sees them staring out of the dark when he is awake.

* He has been in a depressed funk since leaving Caliphas and traveling around Lake Encarthan. He really needs to find a purpose or he will end drifting off and wasting his life.

* He has taken to praying to Cayden Cailean often, partially as an excuse to take a drink, his hip flask always seems to be running dry.

Classes/Levels: Fighter (Mutation Warrior) 1

Gender : M

Size : M

Age : 18

Special Abilities :

Alignment: NG

Deity : Gorum

Location : In Trouble

Languages :Common,Orc

Occupation : Foot Soldier,lab rat

Strength 16 (+3)
Dexterity 14 (+2)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 14 (+2)
Charisma 10
Height:6'4" Weight: Hair: Black Eyes: Black
Favored Class: Fighter (HP)
EXP: 0
Hit Points: 13
Spd: 30
Init: +6
AC: 17 (+5armor shield +2 Dex)/Touch 12/FF 15)
BAB: +1
CMB: +4
CMD: 16
Saves: Fort +4 (+6 vs. poison) Ref +2 Will +2

Weapons:
Earthbreaker +5 2d6+4 x3
Dagger +4 1d4+3 19-20/x2

Skills: 2/level
Perception (1+2) 3
Climb (1+3+3) 5

Background skills 2/level
Handle Animal (1) 1
Appraise (1) 1

Equipment
Earthbreaker (40)
Dagger (2)
Scale Mail (50) +5 AC +3 Dex -4 ACP
Fighter's Kit (9)
backpack
bedroll
belt pouch
flint and steel
iron pot
mess kit
rope
soap
torches (10)
trail rations (5 days)
waterskin.

Feats:Improved Initiative(+4 Init),Weapon Focus-Earthbreaker,
Traits:,Hard to Kill (hen you are attempting a Constitution check to stabilize when dying, the penalty on the check is only half your negative hit point total instead of your full negative hit point total.)
Pugnacious: +1 to attack when threatened by two or more enemies, 1/day increase weapon reach or increase size category for 1 round
Lasting Ferociousness :Increase the number of rounds you can act as disabled from your orc ferocity racial trait to 2 rounds.

Special Abilities: +2 Intimidate,Orc Ferocity Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.Weapon Familiarity Half-orcs are proficient with greataxes and falchions and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon Darkvision Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Description: Trevor is a very large half-orc that seems somewhat twisted and has a chemical smell to him. His lank hair is tied in a rough braid and his greyish skin is stretched over his muscles
that seem to bulge in odd places. Perhaps his features don't seem to line up right or his hands are too large and legs to knobby at the knees but he certainly doesn't look appealing.

Background: Trevor was an unwanted orphan that was left at an orphanage after his hazily remembered mother abandoned him, no doubt out of shame of his half-breed nature. Never getting adopted, Trevor was tossed
out after he was old enough and having no other prospects, joined the army since at least he would be getting a bed and a meal. Life there was just as bad at the orphanage but at least he had some vague purpose in life. When the offer to sign up for some weird army experiment was given, Trevor joined since he wanted any chance to get ahead.
Trevor had yet to learn that one should never volunteer.
A low ranking soldier like Trevor had no rights and he was subjected to countless drugs and draughts for some sick army plan that might have made stronger soldiers. Trevor never really found out
if it would have worked since his comatose body was hauled out and dumped in a mass grave. Trevor would have died but he was too stubbern and tough to die and managed to drag himself out and staggered off into the dark.

Jessa fought bravely, but was simply out matched by a full orc raiding party. Lorn was simply no match for the hulking brutes fury, he barely managed to wound an orc before being knocked from his horse and then into unconscious ness as he struggled to rise.

Given over to the orc shaman Lorn was bound and helpless as he watched the creature torture and sully his sister before him. All his dreams of bright valour were relentlessly crushed, as he was beaten and humiliated again and again. Eventually he managed to free himself of his bindings, and drag himself over to Jessa, who could only plead with him with her eyes such a ruin had been made of her, as they heard the orcs returning. Lorn covered her mouth and nose with his hands and by the time he was torn away by the orcs she had passed.

Two days later the Knights came, Lorn had been captive for three weeks, and was a physical and emotional wreck. After months of treatment, and healing he was unable to see in himself the proud young Knight he took his arms and left trying to find some form of redemption, or forgetfulness. Every night he dreamed of Jessa convulsing under his grip, dreamed of her eyes, going from grateful to panicked, he relived her death and the tortures inflicted upon him.

As a wandering warrior he had some small success, saving a village from ghouls in company with the militia, and saving a woman from thugs. But he was ever haunted by his past. Eventually he approached Thrushmore...

Lorn was raised to be devoted to Iomedae, his mother is a Priestess, his sister a Paladin, and his father a devoted Knight. It was never something he questioned until the ordeal with the orcs. Now he is wracked with doubt, is Iomedae worth following, is he worthy of following her?

The Shaman enjoyed testing his magic and alchemy upon his victims and Lorn's torso bears all manner of gruesome burns and marks from such tortures. His face remains completely unmarred, the shaman deliberately leaving it undamaged for some perverse reason.

Lorn's former fiance Kerriyan Maybliss, a few years younger than him, and essentially an arranged Marriage between noble families tied with the Knights of Ozem was deeply in love with him. They had only been courting for a few months before his capture and Kerriyan was heart broken, first when he was taken, and then when after returning he told he he felt he had to go and that she should forget about him. Kerriyan hopes to become a Knight now, though she had been training as a Priestess. Lorn had loved her to, but after his rescue he did not feel worthy of her.

The orcs of the small Screaming Nail Tribe who captured Lorn have been wiped out. Lorn has a burning desire for vengeance, but nowhere to direct it. Truth be told the ease with which the orcs took him down still terrifies him.

Early in his life it became clear to him that he would have to be exceptional to gain respect. A small child, born to poor farmers, and obviously not completely human, other children bullied him mercilessly. But he began to notice that they also underestimated him. He was far smarter than they were, possibly smarter than many of the village adults. Yet they didn't have the wit to notice. And though he couldn't win a confrontation through violence, he was talented at manipulation.

In a world of bullies and victims, Xander became a toady. Perhaps not an illustrious position, but it kept him from being a victim. By becoming a trusted lieutenant of someone stronger, he had his own position of power. All it took was the right words whispered in the right ears, and he could have a decent life. When he was old enough, he left his village behind and traveled to Lepidstadt, sure that he could manage something on a much grander scale.

After only a few days in town, he secured a position as a servant in the University of Lepidstadt. Keeping his head down, playing the fool when needed, he found he had quite a bit of free time to read, to study, even to observe some of the classes. He might not have gained the credentials of the Lepidstadt graduates, but he managed a comparable education, apart from some of their alchemical discoveries (alas, that would have been hard to hide).

So few ever even notice those dressed as servants. His position at the University allowed him access to world-class knowledge, and not just the library. It turns out, the rumor-mill at the University is powerful, too. He began to catalog the secrets of those in high positions, at the University, in the city, and in Ustalav. Although he hasn't had a chance to use this information yet, he plans to use it one day to secure himself quite the pleasant lifestyle, indeed.

That was until he found the shrine.

It was a shrine to Neshen, the Empyreal Lord of penitence, repentance and suffering, and it spoke to Benreggun that day. On that day, he remembered his name. On that day, he had an epiphany, about his birth, and his crimes. He was the spawn of a Qlippoth, a dark and terrible being. This was the reason for the abuse he had suffered, and this was the reason for his strength and survival.

He vowed that day to return to the city above, and to repent for his very existence by destroying the monsters who plagued the people.

Neshen blessed him with a trove of coin, which he used to clean himself up and track down another follower of the illusive Neshen. This follower taught him the ways of the Inquisitor, complementing Benreggun's natural skills, before leaving, never to return.

And so Benreggun began his never-ending quest to rid the world of monsters, one foul being at a time.

It was during this quest that he ended up in the Asylum.

Benreggun, of course, remembers very little of this. Flashes of his abusive childhood, the darkness of the sewers, and the pure guiding purpose of his recent history are the three things he can remember, but what joins these things together he cannot say.

Renlo Tacksa, LN male Varisian aerokineticist 1, the son of a Caliphas bookkeeper, an adventurer, naturalist, and gardener.

Lorien Lightbringer, CG female aasimar cleric (herald caller) of Sarenrae 1, a child of a rich family who was a victim of kidnapping at a young age, an event which led her to the church.

Benreggun Valocet, LN male qlippoth-spawn tiefling inquisitor (sacred huntmaster) of Neshen 1, an abused child who was drawn to the worship of the Empyreal Lord of penitence, and now hunts monsters in the world.

Andrezzi Alazzario, LG male Varisian/Keleshite slayer 1, whose son's kidnapping led to the collapse of life as he knew it, leading him to the worship of Ragathiel and a quest for vengeance.

Mach Star, N male demon-spawn tiefling sorcerer 1, son of a noble family whose demonic blood barely manifests itself visually, though it does so in his aberrant bloodline.

Durril Dragiale, N male Varisian psychic (amnesiac) 1, who came from a poor rural family in Vieland but made his way at the University of Lepistadt.

Lorn Tilernos, LG Chelaxian paladin of Iomedae, the son of a noble family with a reputation in the Knights of Ozem, whose life was shattered when he and his sister were captured by orcs, they were tortured, and she subsequently died, after which he fell on dark days.

Xander Saren, N male half-orc investigator (questioner) 1, whose rise from obscurity in Canterwall to positions at Lepistadt as a servant have made him a keen purveyor of secrets.

Trevor Culexis, NG half-orc fighter (mutation warrior) 1, a Gorum worshipper who has been an orphan, a soldier, and the victim of experiments which have changed him, for better or worse.

Grimm John, NG male human ranger (urban ranger) 1, wrongfully disgraced former ratcatcher who seeks to redeem himself by hunting monsters.

My concept for him would be that his aberrant-blooded sorcerous abilities would only manifest at the start of the AP: he's never been able to use magic before.

Two Calistrian priests, a spy and a prostitute, Sharon and Kollina, had received a repeating vision that showed a Garuda in an immoral union with a human female and a strange golden mark on her arm that was identical to the mark on the child in front of their steps.

Irritaed but obliged to follow this mystical sign the two women cared for the child in an environment not typical for child. They named him Ramin and although the life of Sharon and Kollina was centered mainly on themselves and pleasure came before duty they raised him in the faith of Calistria.

Though Ramin was not the only child in the temple, his innocence and initial lack of social aptitude led to a harsh life in a house where seduction, vengeance and erratic behavior was the norm. Only with time did he stop to fight the church or the prayers to Calistria, The Unquenchable Fire. Although he also saw the good that could potentially result from the faith to the Calistria he also saw the evil that was committed in her name.

But a child his framed by the environment that he lives in and although never comfortable with the full aspect Calistria’s portfolio, it was clear after a while that due to his devotion to Calistria, Ramin was not willing to test the boundaries of the faith and accepted Calistria as his goddess.

It was this acceptance that resulted in the dreams that Sharon and Kollina had witnessed already almost two decades ago to return and visit Ramin ... a Garuda, a human woman, angels, devils, demons ... summoned from their plane of existence. It were these dreams and visions that manifested in summoning abilities that Ramin wielded and that differentiated him from his peers.

The rise of house Thrune and the attack on the Calistrian faith throughout Cheliax led to a disaster that Ramin could not have imagined. In a single night the majority of Calistrian clerics in Kintargo were either killed, imprisoned or pushed into hiding. Although Ramin was already an adolescent at that time it was nonetheless a shock for him when Sharon proclaimed him independent now and left him on his own to leave Cheliax.

Ramin’s survival was not a certainty but he was successful to follow his teachings of diplomacy and subtlety and make a path through Cheliax that led him to Varisia. When Ramin encountered a mysterious figure … oh … what was that again … and here his memories become blurry.