I think I will make a chosen one Paladin
Let's see what kind of stats I would have to work with.
Thinking alchemist. Secretly studying the effects of 'The art' to try and find a way to turn the governments weapons against them.
Will work on crunch and fluff and come back when I have more.
Hope everyone had a great holiday yesterday. On a quick break for lunch and wanted to check in. Lots of great questions, will try to respond to them all.
Traits Looks like my update to the campaign page got eaten, will repost the traits this evening.
Religion vs The Way I have received multiple PMs regarding the details of the Gods and their gift vs the Way, so I will add all that to the campaign notes as well.
Deadline I am setting a deadline of June 8th for all applications. This will allow me to announce all accepted players by the morning of the 10th and do any housekeeping before starting gameplay on the 13th. That said, if I have a glut of solid applicants earlier, I do reserve the right to end recruitment earlier.
Gameplay Format I will wait to decide on gameplay mechanics (theatre of the mind vs mapping, group rolls on initiative, etc) until the group has been selected and I have had the chance to discuss it with them.
Froki I am totally up for fluff over mechanics, so you could definitely take Eldritch Heritage to gain a familiar. Have you considered the shaman class at all? It is the hybrid witch/Oracle and I think might fit your concept well.
Ellison the region around Whispering Falls is an extensive forested region, with the town itself at the meeting point of a river and a lake. It is a temperate climate. There are hills not too far away, the nearest mountains are around 100 miles off. Prior to the coming of the Kesadrian empire, the independent city-states saw some trade/commerce on a limited scale. The economic growth since the Empire took control is probably the biggest gain for Neralus, but given that Kesadrian control all commerce, the Neralans see little gain from it.
Miteke their are gladiatorial arenas in the cities, these are used as a method of public execution for the amusement of the Kesadrians and the reinforcement of domination over the Neralans. There are not "professional gladiators" per say, nor would a 1st level character have already seen enough success to have retired from such a career.
Mishima I am a little confused by your concept, so let me clarify. Bit. Prior to the arrival of the Kesadrian Empire, there was no arcane magic in Neralus, and the Empire used said magic to conquer Neralus. As such, they guarded their knowledge of the arcane fiercely, so it would be nearly impossible for a Neralan to not only learn arcane knowledge but to gain enough power with it to found a school and begin teaching others.
Froki I am totally up for fluff over mechanics, so you could definitely take Eldritch Heritage to gain a familiar. Have you considered the shaman class at all? It is the hybrid witch/Oracle and I think might fit your concept well.
Cool - I'll definitely go with Skill Focus then.
I am familiar with it, but I like Oracle. For one thing I really favor spontaneous casters over prepared (I always seem to prepare at least 1-2 spells that were a waste), but for another it's charisma based, which lets me give him low wisdom and be reckless and kind of headstrong.
Plus, with bonded mount and eventually the familiar from EH, he's going to have two nature buddies, which is pretty cool. (The follow-up feats to EH for Arcane work very nicely with an Oracle as well, as they're advantageous for spontaneous casters.) The unique thing about bonded mount and familiars is both will be significantly more intelligent than your average animal, starting at 6 INT instead of 1 or 2. This means these animals are clearly sent for him, and not your normal kinds. The only other class that gives an animal companion that starts with 6 intelligence is Paladin, which is completely not right for the concept.
And finally - making a character on these boards, even with templates, takes a really long time. Don't want to do a whole rebuild. I'd have to revamp everything completely from the beginning and this guy's sheet is basically done except the campaign trait and gear.
Which reminds me: ...hm...110, 5gp more than average, not bad.
GM - The character concept I have is a Neralian freedom fighter. Young political radical dedicated to the fall of the empire and a return to (what she believes) was a utopian past. The character would be pragmatic and can work with and for Kesadrians in service of her larger goal, but very obsessed with that goal. Does that work with the campaign?
Dotting for interest.
Rolling as well.
So maybe something interesting happened such as:
- A lawful Outsider took pity on the Neralans and chose to teach arcane magic to the founder.
- A Kesadrian fell in love with the founder (a Neralan) and taught them protective magic (abjuration) to increase her chances of not getting killed.
- A cleric used mind control spells on a Kesadrian and ordered him to reveal arcane secrets for strategical purposes to the founder.
- A daring raid by a group of druids on a Kesadrian encampment netted a single spellbook with "detect magic" and "read magic". Using their own form of those spells, a Rosetta stone was constructed which slowly built up a functional lexicon of arcane knowledge.
Maybe "school" is a bad word choice, it would be something like a resistance movement. One of the first things Japan did after WW2 was master nuclear technology.
Question: the summoner has the be unchained? I was thinking about playing a arch class summoner called Synthesist. would you allow it unchain or not?
Rolls
x10
Using average of 105 gc it is then...
*10=40
That's over average for monk. Sounds good to me.
Avarage then
Here's Froki's animal companion - character sheet complete on his details page.
I thought I had edited with a GM question, but I guess it did not take...
GM - What do you think of traits that increase starting gold? The only one I see that isn't related to a specific campaign is Rich Parents which bumps start gold to 900.
I really like Legacy of Fire's Duskwalker Agent trait more, but it would have to be reskinned to work in your campaign setting.
I ask because I could see Alchemist being an expensive class in the liquid funds area. Obviously if I were to take any trait like Rich Parents I would work it into the character's background...it is not about Min-Maxing, just having earlier and more consistent access to alchemical items.
Fine either way, just thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.
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@Ancient Chronicler ,
I have the first cut of my character, Varak Ragnarsson.
I have not chosen a campaign trait yet. Keeper of the Way looks interesting.(even without a description)
Please select one of your nature deities for Varak's Birthmark trait. I will adjust/add to the background. :)
Let me know if you need more information. (still writing)
Favored Class Bonus you may select any favored class bonus assigned to any Core race, not just your own race.
Huh. That has me interested :) I havent seen that before but I like it.
I am unsure where you intend for this game to go. The way I see it, we could go in any of a number of directions at the start of the game. We might be the start of a resistance against the Kesadrian Empire and lead the people against them, we could become the vassals of the Kesadrians and strike out against the wildlands and dwarfs. We could be aiming to integrate ourselves in the Kesadrian Empire and work our way up to the top, either politically, economically, or in the military.
What aim should I have for my soon-to-be character?
a pb 36. not too bad :)
I do have an idea to use an old character for here.
Hes a halfling stable boy, young, unschooled, a bit hyperactive, and his boar has a bit of a temper!
Edit: Actually, this might be a good time to create a superstitious barbarian :)
Backstory, description and outlook have to be transcripted from paper to alias as soon as I finish cooking.
Ohhh! What are you cooking? Can I haz some?
Okay, here's an early draft of Ashe.
Also, crunch question. Swashbucklers get Weapon Finesse at level 1, which all characters get for free in this game. Is there a second feat she should take in place?
Anyways - character idea:
Character concept is a young political radical, obsessed and wholly devoted to her cause. She believes she comes from Neralian nobility or equivalent, and is dedicated to fall of the Kesadrians and restoration of the Neralus of old. Her ideas about Neralus are utopian and are likely based on a world that never really existed.
CN alignment is about how her morality is compromised by her beliefs. She is completely selfless when it comes to her own cause, has contempt for those who want to stay out of it, and would be happy if every Kesadrian who wanted to oppress Neralians was dead.
Character-wise, I like the idea of taking someone who has strong, uncompromising beliefs and putting her in situations where she has to compromise to succeed. She sees the world entirely in black and white, and if she learns the right things, will either harden or soften in those views.
Crunch-wise she's a fairly cookie-cutter swashbuckler, with skills and traits focused on her being a charismatic radical.
Ok, here's an initial pass at a concept:
Zillombrel, gnomish umbral sorcerer
It would be neat to have an entirely stealthy party.
The money roll
x10=190
I had some questions which you seem to have missed.
How do you feel about the Snoop archetype for Rogue, also from Ultimate Intrigue? (here for ease of access)
I'd be looking at either a Sharper or a Snoop Unchained Rogue.
The other question was how you feel about Ratfolk? The idea is that they used to be one, if not the only, peaceful connection between the monstrous peoples and the humans of the land, trading with both.
The Kesadrians considered them vermin and wiped out all but a handful of clans who still hide away.
Hi, this is Andostre, and here's my submission for this campaign.
I've been looking to join a good homebrew campaign for a while, so I'm excited about this PC! I have lots of PbP experience (both on this board and others), and I should have no problem keeping pace with the daily posts and engaging/encouraging action and roleplay in others.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Miteke There are gladiatorial arenas in the cities, these are used as a method of public execution for the amusement of the Kesadrians and the reinforcement of domination over the Neralans. There are not "professional gladiators" per say, nor would a 1st...
So am I hearing that if I want a gladiator style character I should be looking at a newbie to the arena, or are you saying go another route entirely? Since I rolled ridiculously well I was going to put a 17 in the otherwise dump stat of charisma. But it does not sound like a gladiator has any longevity and that charisma would not matter to a Kasadrian gladiator, or have I got that wrong?
Miteke There are gladiatorial arenas in the cities, these are used as a method of public execution for the amusement of the Kesadrians and the reinforcement of domination over the Neralans. There are not "professional gladiators" per say, nor would a 1st...So am I hearing that if I want a gladiator style character I should be looking at a newbie to the arena, or are you saying go another route entirely? Since I rolled ridiculously well I was going to put a 17 in the otherwise dump stat of charisma. But it does not sound like a gladiator has any longevity and that charisma would not matter to a Kasadrian gladiator, or have I got that wrong?
It sounds like the gladiators are like death row inmates sentenced to death in a way that is entertaining for the populace, kind of like the movie Death Race.
So if you were a gladiator it would most likely mean you were a prisoner in the pits and unable to actually travel with the party :pAt least thats my understanding.
So here is Cams character, or at least the old version. I will be upgrading him over the next little while but you can get an idea of his flavour. He is a Halfling Hunter with a boar animal companion named Stumper :)
As for his one feat, I have to decide between Undersized Mount so that I can actually ride the thing, and Spirits Gift which is what I would really like, except i just realized that they nerfed the thing into the ground :( It used to be an all day ability that you could change once in the morning...
Any chance I could use the old rules for spirits gift?
Edit: 0
It sounds like the gladiators are like death row inmates sentenced to death in a way that is entertaining for the populace, kind of like the movie Death Race.
So if you were a gladiator it would most likely mean you were a prisoner in the pits and unable to actually travel with the party :p
At least thats my understanding.
That's what it sounded like to me to. It's just that I have no idea how the PCs meet up. It could work to have him in a pen, it could not. Part of the bio was to have him be bought by a noblewoman which would explain how he got out at 1st level. But they may have rules against that! If a gladiator is not possible I will adjust his history and stats to make him a simple conscript. I know that will work because its a campaign trait!
Have a good portion of the character's crunch stated out. Need to pick a feat and do some more documentation. But before I go to much farther crunch wise or on writing the fluff I need to know about the answer to this question on traits that increase starting wealth.
I have penciled in the Duskwalker Agent trait since that is the one I really would like to have...but obviously it is tentative.
I thought I had edited with a GM question, but I guess it did not take...
GM - What do you think of traits that increase starting gold? The only one I see that isn't related to a specific campaign is Rich Parents which bumps start gold to 900.
I really like Legacy of Fire's Duskwalker Agent trait more, but it would have to be reskinned to work in your campaign setting.
I ask because I could see Alchemist being an expensive class in the liquid funds area. Obviously if I were to take any trait like Rich Parents I would work it into the character's background...it is not about Min-Maxing, just having earlier and more consistent access to alchemical items.
Fine either way, just thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Hey gang. Thanks for the continued interest, sorry I did not get to touch base last night - the wife enlisted me to assist a friend with hauling furniture after work. Anywho, onto responses.
First, my apologies to Sam C and Cuan, your responses got cut off my last post.
Sam C: You likely missed it, but bards are tagged in with wielders of The Way in the recruitment overview post. That said, I could also see skalds falling under The Gift (divine) if serving the right dieties...
Cuan: I am okay with both architects for rogue (snoop is really just an investigator with sneak attack instead of alchemy, and sharper trades trap skills to be a scam artist). As for ratfolk, I am not a big fan of anthropomorphic races tossed in "as normal", but if you can write a strong character proposal, then I would consider it.
Okay, onto the rest of the questions:
GM Spiderbeard – Good point on the weapon finesse feat. Weapon Finesse is replaced with the Rogue's Finesse Training ability that adds dex to damage for 1 weapon, at the same levels as the Rogue (including the houserule update for this game).
Mishima – At the end of the day, if I have reservations on concept, the best way to challenge them is with a great proposal, so I encourage you to flesh one out.
Orth Maul – Yes, I am restricting it to unchained summoners. Additionally, the rebalancing of the class intentionally removed compatibility with several archetypes, including synthesist, so I will not be permitting it.
BC4Realz – given the "occupied" status of Neralus, the only option to a "wealthy" beginning would be as a Kesadrian citizen, which would require you to be human. I definitely hear your concern about the ongoing costs of an alchemist, and will work with you should it present as an issue.
Cam James – “recruitment thread title” + “campaign title” = rebellion! To your feats, I feel like Undersized Mount is a waste as the creature hits medium at 4th level. As for Spirit's Gift, the Spirit Animal class ability is designed for familiars, which have relatively little combat impact. Animal Companions on the other hand can be vicious tools of death, so being able to give them some sweet boons (like permanent DR 5) with a 1st level feat seems a little unbalanced. As such, I will stick with the updated version.
Miteke – Cam pretty much hit it on the head, gladiators are essentially death row inmates going to their execution as opposed to owned slave performers; I would embrace your idea for a subtle rebuild.
I want to encourage everyone to make sure they have a reason to be in Whispering Falls... most likely, you were born and raised there. Whispering Falls is not exactly a "high traffic" area, a fishing and logging settlement a day and a half travel from the nearest city.
Okay, here is a compilation of applications so far:
Martial
Reg Tyrsman – Varak Ragnarsson, Half-Elf Ranger
Miteke – Blooded Rose, Human Brawler
GM Spiderbeard – Ashe Stormwarden, Human Swashbuckler
Skilled
EmissaryOfTheNorth – Daarius Renaez, Human Rogue (knifefighter)
Andostre – Morsun Morsun, Dwarf Rogue
BC4Realz – Bicar Anbesi, Elf Alchemist
Arcane
Tangaroa – Zillombrel, Gnome Umbral Sorcerer
Divine
Nature
thegreenteagamer – Froki Moreland, Halfling Oracle of Nature
Cam James – Joseph the Shepherd, Halfling Hunter
DarthRancor – Claire Gladoak, Human Druid
SyrioForel – Abimbola, Human Shaman (waves)
Expressed Interest & Base Concept
YokaiBoy – Chosen One Paladin
Oyzar – Monk
YanJieming – Monk
Mishima – Arcane Caster
Ellion Hesoni – Alchemist/Investigator
Dragoncat – Sorcerer
Sam C – Bard/Skald
Cuan – Ratfolk? Rogue (snoop, sharper)
Orth Maul – Summoner
Huh. I had a gut reaction that there were a lot more arcane casters vying for a spot than are in that list. I actually switched my submission from an arcanist to a rogue because of that gut feel. Shows how good my instincts are, I guess.
Andostre There are 3 more in the 'Interest' category, and some of them have posted multiple times, but no actual character sheet yet.
I will point out that there are no divine characters, and I am guessing that is the lack of posted deities. Fear not, tonight, your wish is fulfilled.
Andostre There are 3 more in the 'Interest' category, and some of them have posted multiple times, but no actual character sheet yet.
I will point out that there are no divine characters, and I am guessing that is the lack of posted deities. Fear not, tonight, your wish is fulfilled.
Looking forward to that information. Knowing the intersection of magic and religion in a fantasy world is important, especially when considering characters of that in-between region as I am.
...
BC4Realz – given the "occupied" status of Neralus, the only option to a "wealthy" beginning would be as a Kesadrian citizen, which would require you to be human. I definitely hear your concern about the ongoing costs of an alchemist, and will work with you should it present as an issue...
I understand...That does make sense in game wise...and I don't want to be a filthy Kesadrian. :D
One last question, and then I will get out of your hair. How do you feel about pre-game crafting? Planning on buying some alchemical items since they work well with the archetype...Could save a little on gold if I made those instead of buying them.
I get brew potion at lv 1, but I am not wanting to pre-craft any magical items...just alchemical ones.
Thank you for your patience in answering these. ;)
Let's see what the dice give me.
Eh, not much to work with there, honestly. Useless friggen dice...
Think I'll go with the 20-point buy instead. At least that'll let me get some numbers I can actually make use of.
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Daarius backstory and fluff coming through!
I may have gone a bit overboard in length, but what can I say? I felt inspired.
The Kesandrian occupation brought a myriad changes to Neralus. It brought technology, bureaucracy, knowledge but also veiled tyranny, slavery and the abandon of old ways.
It brought modern civilization, and what is modern civilization without its own dark subworld? It was there, in the slums, where Daarius grew.
He was just two years old when the Kesandrian invaded. The war rob him of his father, Darlo, whom Daarius knew only in the stories told by his mother when the sun was down and the starts shone.
Her mother, Marena, was beautiful yet had an aura of royalty and deathly defiance. She never spoke with Daarius of what she or his father did before the Kesandrian came... but he was inquisitive, an intelligent brat who explored every inch of world he walked. He found the jewels hidden in the floor of their home, he knew of the rune-carved blade that she kept under her bed.
But he knew to remain silent, as remembering past-times prompt in her a sadness he couldn't even comprehend.
She was a good person and a kind woman who made sure Daarius knew better. She taught him to read and even to play her old lute.
Now that we know the place, and we know the people we should ask... what could a poor boy, armed with deft fingers and quick wits in a slum?
Daarius ran with other boys. Orphans, hobos, thiefs. They were ragamuffins running through the streets, climbing to where they shouldn't, crawling under where they could.
And stealing. Not out of greed or necessity, but pure and simple entertainment.
They stole small trinckets, tin toys and colourful marbels. They pickpocketed passersby and grabbed food from the stands to share between them.
That's it, until they got caught. Not everyone of them, naturally, as those streets were theirs and knew how to disappear, but Daarius wasn't fast enough that day. Enraptured by a blue tome, a fantasy book about dragons and the fae, he didn't heard the alert call.
Caught red-handed he had to choose: his hand or conscription.
Thinking himself smarter than the guards he chose conscription, planning to evade them and return at the first chance he could.
To his surprise he got chained and delivered to the army, not even a letter notifying his mother.
We could get into plenty of details of his time inside the army, but what kind of story is one that doesn't leave a few questions open?
What we have to know is that Daarius' surprising defiant attitude and intelligence gathered him both friends and enemies. Luckily for him his Captain, a man everybody refered to as the Bull, was among his friends.
Seeing potential in the boy he took him under his wing, teaching him about tactics, protocol and leadership. Coupled with the drills, the marches and fighting trainings it's no surprise that Daarius grew from a thin boy with a piercing glare into a tanned fit young man with silver tongue and quick blades.
You may be wondering, how come Daarius didn't remain with the army? Well, let's just say that after a battle a few years ago an unrecognisable man wearing his uniform was found among the dead.
Having regained freedom Daarius returned to the slums, many years since he last walked its streets, and he witnessed that nothing have changed. Well, almost nothing. The crones explained that after his disappearance, Marena's sadness increased until she couldn't bear it anymore. She lost hope of Daarius returning and one day simply disappeared, their home empty.
Without a trail to find her mother Daarius put the skills he obtained during the years to work, doing mercenary work and odd jobs for the gangs.
He made friends then and there, and even made a bit of a name among the people of his trade.
But petty thievery and thuggery wasn't enough for him, and so he left his old home, decided to see the world and leave a mark on it.
Who could know his first stop would be the Whispering Falls...
Daarius isn't what most people would consider handsome, his appealing coming from his attitude and exotic appearance more than pure beauty.
He is a tall and fit man in his prime, his skin tanned by the years of working under the sun.
He keeps his beard trimmed and short.
His long dark hair remains mostly savagely free, with quite a few dreadlocks and braids running down his shoulders, riddled with trinkets and colourful wooden pieces.
Daarius prefers to wear modest but exotic clothes, favouring wide silken pants, almost always some kind of brown or dark gray, with white embroidened shirts. That's it, when he isn't wearing his trusty leather armor.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of him are his eyes, the colour of hazelnut, and his gaze... always inquisitive and lookikg for details.
Having grew among the poor and the misfits, Daarius values those who work hard and defend what is theirs. He admires those who break the law to feed their families, and has a soft spot for children. And he values loyalty among those he calls friends, as loyalty to his people is what he consuders their more powerful weapon against oppresion.
Above all, though, he values freedom. Freedom to talk, to act and to possess. He sees great value on art for its inherent beauty and the legacy that the artist left with it.
Even though he is quick to bursts of laughter and demonstrations of affection, Daarius is the son of his mother and as such a man who believes that dignity and pride are to be defended with blade, blood and life if need be.
Only thing left to do is choosing my Human bonus feat!
Yanjieming here. Still got to write out my fluff, though I've kind of been waiting for the campaign traits to finish. At this point I'm getting ready to go camping for the weekend, so I'll finish it next week.
Dot,.... Let me have a think.
:)
GM, could you post the rest of the info you have for your Campaign Traits? The traits you have on the Campaign Info tab are incomplete.
I just saw that there are some updates to the campaign traits and I'm really interested in Keeper of the Ways, I think it would fit my concept nicely. Could I get a bit more info about Lokk when you have a chance?
Smuggler is the perfect campaign trait for the character I am building...was trying to find a similar trait on PFSRD just earlier this morning. :D
Will have fluff and crunch done by Saturday for review.
Liking the Arcane Scion trait so far. :)
The concept for my sorceress is that she's a bastard child of some Kesandrian noble and a Neralian commoner. However, the mechanical benefit of the Arcane Scion trait isn't listed. Could you tell me what it is, please?
Thank you. :)
Well I have gotten Joseph a lot more statted up!
Thanks for the reply on the feats, In the last campaign (an iron gods campaign) Stumper was designed/built to be a durable nuisance. He would charge in, provoking AoOs as he bull rushed people and generally ran around causing disruption.
And occasionally the pig flew ,')
So the DR was a much appreciated on him (and I was so looking forward to having a Cypork!), and the heavens gift was fun :)
Oh well, I can slowly give him some DR with my FCB
As for the Undersized mount feat, ya it would become redundant at level 4+, so, hows this?
Joseph would just ride around on Stumper (because he is lazy) as we travel around and what not, but as soon as we get in combat, Joseph will slide off and fight on foot.
Not yet sure what feat I would grab instead >_>
As for my fluff, Joseph is currently a young, happy-go-lucky, poor halfling with no real reason to join or start a rebellion (currently).
Do you have any ideas that I might be able to use that would give him a beef with the ruling elite?
I was thinking that maybe the Kesadrians did something to his parents.
Also, Joseph is supposed to be a young, inexperienced shepherd. But how young?
Whats the youngest you would allow? (and then I will be 1 year older then that)
Lastly, The Way. Could you please give me something about my connection with The Way? Just philosophies, I dont really want to tie his connection to a deity.
Thanks ^_^
Now to get Stumper updated.
Edit: Looks like I am trading the Vagabond Child trait for your Smuggler trait, which is very similar. I guess the family has a secret smuggling business under the tables!
But what should I be smuggling? He already has a pipe with tobacco, but I dont think thats illegal.
Dotting for interest.
I think i can do something with that....
Question though: What are elves like in your world (other than ageing more quickly) - I usually avoid them but, with sensible ages, I might be tempted. Are there desert elves/arctic etc? Anything we should know about their society / attitudes towards them?
I got into another game I was hoping for, which kinda fills my docket. While I find this setting very interesting, I will have to withdraw.
0_0 Well. F$*@.
7 points. 20 point buy it is. As much as I want to sneak in with a divine character, I 'd rather try a Cavalier. Farmer's daughter most days, vigilante knight others. Rides the family draft horse into battle disguised as a male knight to stop the oppression of the Arcanocrats.
I have begun to an info dump into the campaign notes that will continue through the weekend. Please feel free to continue to ask any questions and I will respond in turn.
There's no info under the Orphan of the War trait.
I'm probably going to go with the Keeper of the Ways trait for Froki.
I think I will be stepping in to the ring with a Kesadrian Magus, disillusioned with his Empires cruelty and willing to commit himself to opposing it, if he can just find an opportunity.
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I think I will be stepping in to the ring with a Kesadrian Magus, disillusioned with his Empires cruelty and willing to commit himself to opposing it, if he can just find an opportunity.
Daarius looks at Gavmania while extending his arms wide open "Oh, you think rebellion is your ally. But you merely adopted the rebellion; I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the freedom until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but LIES!"