Founded by Devan Steed two and a half years ago in Korvosa after the death of his family, Steed’s Samaritans is an adventuring group that focuses on helping those plagued by monsters or supernatural threats. They will accept any work that falls into those fields in exchange for food and lodging (though if the person is in genuine dire need, Steed has often been known to pressure them to work completely for free). They are willing to do other work, but charge a retainer for these more mundane services (guard work, escorting merchants, etc). The group is a democracy, with each member having an equal say in which jobs are accepted or passed over. Accepting a job requires a majority vote. Entry of new members or removal of existing ones requires a unanimous vote. Otherwise membership is for life. All wealth acquired by the Samaritans is split as equally as possible between them. Most of them were driven into the life by some kind of personal tragedy in their pasts. There are two requirements for membership. The first is that they must be unattached (no marriages outside the Samaritans and no kids). The second is that they must be willing to help even a perfect stranger if their need is genuine (in spite of any risks they might face).
Thondrir was Devan's first partner and team member. They met in Korvosa and together took down the ghast murderer of Devan's family, and the Neh-Thalggu which was responsible for the deaths of Thondrir's Pathfinder chapter. Their final battle with the beast was a public affair that drew them some notice within the city. Carter H. Crosby hunted them down and insisted on an interview shortly thereafter. He explained he was a Pathfinder looking to ditch his desk job and get some glory. Steed's Samaritan's would be the perfect subjects for his stories, and he could help fight and stuff too! They couldn't deny the services of an arcane spellcaster, so they accepted Carter into the group. The three of them worked in Korvosa for a while, exterminating several monstrous pests that no one else could be bothered to take care of. After a while work started to dry up, but their name was out there.
A young hunter named Esaul sought them out. He was new to the city and straight out of the wilderness, with a large wolf as a companion. Despite his savage appearance, the young man appeared to have a good heart, questioning Devan's motives from the get go. That and the wolf were enough for Devan to suggest allowing him to prospect. Thondrir and Carter had no objections. With their savage new companions in tow, they decided to leave the city, and slowly wander towards Janderhoff looking for work. Over the next six months they ended up facing off against orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears and even a couple of ogres. It seemed like every hamlet in Varisia was under threat from savages, wargs or some other vile thing. In between the towns they worked as guards on a lot of caravans, keeping food in their mouths and sharp edges on their gear. They made it to Janderhoff and started back towards Korvosa.
About a year after the group's initial formation Steed's Samaritans had made a decent name for themselves. People knew they could be trusted to help when no one else would. Though they didn't ask for payment, they were often rewarded for their good deeds, and they were prosperous. It was then that Kel Ursanel, a burly former knight of Taldor sought them out. He had left his homeland, disgusted with their lack of regard for honor, and doing the right thing. He offered his services to the group. By this time Esaul had been voted in as a full member, and the four of them decided that the knight's conviction (and his muscle) wouldn't be a bad thing. They were pleased with their decision after seeing the way Kel brutally beat the monsters they encountered into submission. He earned himself the nickname Elbows because of it.
The Samaritans returned to Korvosa just in time to help out with an otyugh problem in the sewers. It was on killing their third one, that they came across a young woman amongst the garbage in its lair. The Samaritans healed her and helped her out of the sewers, giving her back her gear. A couple of days later, she requested to join them. She proved to be skilled, so everyone agreed to let her prospect. Tris wanted to get some distance from the city after the otyugh incident, so the Samaritans headed west following the Jeggare River. It lead them eventually up into the Mindspin Mountains and the remote hamlets there.
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It's springtime and the Samaritans are near the fabled Bloodsworn Vale. They entered into the mountains to investigate some minor earthquake rumblings. There have been two in the past several weeks. They are the first crew across this particular high mountain pass after snow melt.
It’s early, too early. You turn over in your bedroll drawing its warmth closer around you and try desperately to fall back into the slumber that had stolen you away. But the smell of broken earth hangs heavily in the air around you. The recent earthquake has stirred more than just the earth, and you feel a growing sense of unease crawl up from somewhere in your mind. You look to your companion who notices you are awake and exchange a nod.
The morning sky is still painting with starlight and staring into the trees reveals only a deep and unbroken darkness. You rise from your bed on the soft broken dirt and climb to the top of the earthen barrier where you made your camp. The mountain looms above the treeline, its highest peaks only barely betraying the ashen purple of the coming day.
Something is moving. The light of the moon catches on armor and spear where hundreds of soldiers move like a black wave across the mountain’s cliffs. An army is moving north toward Fairhaven.
CHARACTER CREATION:
Starting Level: PCs will start at 3rd level.
Alignment: Must be either a Good or Lawful Neutral alignment.
Ability Scores: 20 point buy.
Races: Any race from the Core Rulebook. Players wishing to use additional Paizo-created races must request approval.
Classes: All classes from Paizo products. Players wishing to play-test a Paizo Advanced Class must request approval.
Hit Points: Max HP at 1st level. Players can either take (half Hit Die +1) or roll for HP from level 2 onward.
Traits: 2 traits; can take a drawback and a 3rd trait
Starting Wealth: 3,000 gp
When you create a submission, please create a character alias and include your character information in the form of a bestiary stat block like Karrick's profile. Also, include the following information in your profile:
1) Appearance
2) Personality
3) Background to the start of 1st level. We will write a collective background where the group met and what you have been doing since.
Additional specifications
Scribe scroll and brew potion are allowed. While your characters may meet requirements for other Item Creation feats, they would not have time to use them.
Emerging Guns
You're starting on a mountain side, so any large animal companion that can't fly or climb will not be able to move. Therefore, they either must be carried or left behind. Medium size and smaller animal companions will be as challenged as the player characters in their movements.
Altitude game mechanics:
Altitude Zones In general, mountains present three possible altitude bands: low pass, low peak/high pass, and high peak.
Low Pass (lower than 5,000 feet): Most travel in low mountains takes place in low passes, a zone consisting largely of alpine meadows and forests. Travelers might find the going difficult (which is reflected in the movement modifiers for traveling through mountains), but the altitude itself has no game effect.
Low Peak or High Pass (5,000 to 15,000 feet): Ascending to the highest slopes of low mountains, or most normal travel through high mountains, falls into this category. All non-acclimated creatures labor to breathe in the thin air at this altitude. Characters must succeed on a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or be fatigued. The fatigue ends when the character descends to an altitude with more air. Acclimated characters do not have to attempt the Fortitude save.
