The Way of the Wicked-Evil Ascends! (Inactive)

Game Master Yuugasa

Physical Description

A man in his fifties with graying black hair and a full beard. His face is pockmarked with age and a hard life. Years of painting are reflected in his posture, which has no slouch, and his nimble fingers. His black eyes are constantly judging, considering everything he sees. He is not physically imposing but instead recalls both the affability of old men and their stern authority.

Personality

Johann is a charming talker that tries to shock conventional notions of truth with his brilliant mind. His pursuit of power and subsequent realisation of the vanity of things has led to a hedonistic motivation of having as many experiences as possible. This makes him easily bored with things he has already encountered, such as conventional beauty, and instead seeks the unusual and different.

Backstory

There was a son. His name was Johann Gray and he was born to minor nobility. His teachers praised his keen mind and noted his particular excellence in philosophy and rhetoric. He could have been a lawyer, a doctor, something respectable. Instead, to his parents' disappointment, he said he wished to be a painter.

There was a painter. His name was Johann Gray and he enjoyed moderate success. He made portraits and depictions of lush landscapes or religious scenes because they were what sold. They were called beautiful, but Johann did wonder that it was easy to find beauty in beautiful things and that often they only were meant to be beautiful. So for himself, he cultivated paintings which meant more than simple beauty. He painted rotting corpses, wilting flowers, and the death of innocents. He painted beggars poisoned in the streets, the suffering of the mad and the crippled, and sex in its vulgar state. He was content with his art and pondered these questions with fellow artists when a rival called the attention of the Church upon him. He was charged with heresy and his paintings presented as evidence of the corruption of his soul. He was not executed, for his family and fellow artists pleaded his case, but he was imprisoned. He was disgraced and his paintings would never sell again. Despair, he felt, watching his paintings burn in a heap as he was taken away.

There was a man. His name was Johann Gray and he thought of revenge. But he had just been released from prison and he could do little to pursue his goal; he did not have physical strength nor political influence and what money he inherited from his now-dead parents was too meager to have any real sway. So for the next decade, he directed his mind into the arcane studies and made himself the heretic he was branded as. His body felt the slow decay of age even as he researched and he sought quicker ways to power before finally deciding the contracts of Hell were worth their price. He was ready.

There was a man. His name is unimportant but it was he that sent Johann Gray to suffer in prison. It had been two decades since he saw Johann last so he did not recognise the man standing next to his bed with a devil until Johann told him. For the past few years, this man had been stricken with a disease and had laid in bed slowly dying. Johann looked at him, expression inscrutable in the darkness, and then left. He was already suffering. What was the point? So this man watched Johann leave and in the morning said to his servant to call the Church.

There is a prisoner. His name is Johann Gray and he is sentenced to Branderscar. The thought that the man who sent him here would soon die anyway is no consolation. He had forgotten the search for beauty in his search for revenge when he could have combined the two. He would not forget again. He saw with new eyes even as he knew he was to die. He thinks of the sins he did not have the courage to commit, the murder he hesitated on. Ah, if he only had the opportunity again.

Zoé is a moderately tall young woman, possessing long raven black hair, pale alabaster skin and dark blue eyes. Though not physically strong, she is nevertheless well conditioned and athletically able.

Without question, Zoé is woman of unquestionable allure, though it is a sullen, dark and mysterious beauty she possesses. Her expression is generally demure and rueful, but such coyness is merely an affectation that hides an extremely confident, brilliant and strong personality.

In better times, Zoé preferred flowing and luxurious robes of red velvet. The color suited her well, and was also a common color of choice among those of her religious affiliation. She typically adorned herself with tasteful silver jewelry, and only a minimal amount of makeup that compliments her beauty.

Physical Attribute
Height: 5'9
Weight: 118 lbs
Hair: Raven
Eyes: Dark Blue

More likely though, people would simply agree that Zoé is a woman possessing an exceptional mind. Ever since a young age, Zoé showed signs of brilliance, mastering numerous languages and showing an affinity for her studies. Eventually she turned her attention towards the law, a field of study which suits her logical and legalistic mind well.

Being born to the wealthy elite in Glastenhall, Zoé and her older brother Damian were raised with luxury and privilege. As such, Zoé was given many opportunities that many could only dream of, and due to her keen intellect and an affinity for her scholastic studies, she excelled at all of her pursuits. While her brother picked up the sword and trained in the art of war, Zoé went to college and trained as a barrister and a diplomat, using language and the law as her weapon of choice. Eventually she joined the bar and accompanied her father to the court of Markadian V. It was at this time she learned of the dark past of her family, her father revealing the true nature of the Harman allegiance to Asmodeus. Never a fan of the Markadians, both Zoé and Damian took to secretly worshiping the Dark Prince as their forebears had, and joined their father in covertly working against the rule of Markadian V.

Working within the royal court by day, Zoé and her her brother joined secretly plotted with fellow Asmodeans and those simply fed up with the Markadian to bring back the Barca. Their seditious operations grew in scale and ambition, starting out with simple raids on tax collectors but growing eventually to outright attacks on government institutions and the Markadian family itself. It was during a particularly ambitious plan to do away with the entire royal court with an explosion that Zoé and her fellow conspirators were finally discovered. The trial lasted less than a day; Zoé was deemed a traitor and heretic, and was sentenced to die alongside her brother as well as numerous other conspirators. In order to save the family fortune, her parents disowned them in public, and re-affirmed their allegiance to Markadian while claiming no knowledge of their children’s treachery. While upset, Zoé understood why her parents did what they had to, though her brother was less forgiving. Both siblings were sent to different prisons before their sentence would be carried out; presently Zoé is wasting away in Brandescar awaiting her fate.

Divine
Cole LE Human Male Warpriest of Asmodeus
Valignatir LE Gnome Male Cleric of Asmodeus (Theologian)
Zoé Harman LE Human Female Cleric of Asmodeus (Unholy Barrister)

Arcane
Caprin Seylin NE Human Male Sorcerer (Arcane Sage)
Annabelle Emberspark NE Gnome Female Summoner/Sorcerer
Tsadok the Cursed LE Half-Orc Male Fighter (Unbreakable) 1 / Magus (Hexcrafter) 2
Imogene Bainesworth LE Changeling Female Witch
Johann Gray NE Human Male Wizard (Infernal Binder)

Skill
Doctor Yanev LE Human Male Alchemist (Vivisectionist)
Yuki Tsune NE Kitsune Female Rogue (Kitsune Trickster)
Theodric Redner LE Human Male Inquisitor (Infiltrator) of Asmodeus
Victor White Lilly NE Human Male Ninja

Miscellaneous of Unknown
David Trufant III ?? Human? Male ??
Unknown Name ?E Elven Male Ranger

As she grew into her teen years her feelings turned increasingly poisonous, to a slow hatred of the Church and King both – they had taken from her any semblance of a normal life, robbed her of her childhood, and now seemingly demanded that she devote her life to their ideals. She resolved that her fate would be her own, and though she followed in her mother’s footsteps studying arcane magic, did so as a means of unchaining herself from the Church rather than aiding it. Eager to provide for her, the blessed child of martyrs, few questions were asked so long as she maintained a facade of piety and goodliness.

It was during her studies that she met Father Victor Morgan, a priest of the Prince of Darkness hiding among the Mitrian clergy, and there her path changed. Rather than allow Sibylla to slide away from the light and into gray area between, Morgan pulled the teen headlong into the heart of darkness. Befriending her and learning of her disenfranchisement, Morgan saw an opportunity to secure a coup for his lord, to plant a dark seed in poisoned fields. Slowly, very slowly, he introduced her to Hellish theology. She proved a receptive student, half eager to rebel against the Church of Mitra and half eager for the discipline Morgan increasingly provided to his dark disciple.

By the time she left her studies and journeyed to make her way in the world Sibylla was not simply a wizard, but also an ordained priestess of the Lord of Hell. Sibylla spent almost two years perfecting her craft before everything came crashing down. Morgan’s allegiances were discovered, and under the question he gave up not only Sibylla, but many others. Apprehended by Sir Balin Sibylla now awaits her death in Branderscar – a heretics death. Sibylla however has no intention of facing that end quietly…

Personality
Sibylla has, since her childhood, worn two faces. In public she has played the part of the innocent student, a reserved and fulfilled woman with few desires and an easy demeanor. Even after her indoctrination into the faith she continued to play her role, deflecting all suspicion. This public face is quiet, shy even, and very cautious. Though talented, she downplays any achievements. She is seemingly without pride or sin.

In private, she is quite different. In truth Sibylla is a tremendously ambitious young woman with a taste for all things forbidden. She seeks power, power enough that she can write her own destiny. In the pursuit of that power she is rigidly organized and calculating, preferring to plan far in advance rather than react to events. Her delight in forbidden acts, powers, and ideas manifests itself in an adventurous streak with cuisine and… other matters.

She secretly takes delight in masquerading as a paragon of virtue, and takes even more delight in reveling in the horror when others learn her true nature. When apprehended by Sir Balin rumor tells that she roared with laughter while she was led away before disbelieving eyes. In that way she delights in embracing the trickster aspect of her god – and make no mistake Sibylla holds Asmodeus as her one true god.

The Father Below exemplifies those ideas she has grown to embrace. Discipline, firmness, and self-interest are ideas she has built her life around. She does not offer forgiveness, only penance. She does not believe in altruism, only investment. She views, in many ways, the ideology of the Prince of Darkness as having liberated her and opened her eyes to the truth of the world.

Life as the snatcher’s dog was hard and awarded little comfort. Varmint was kept in a cage and ruthlessly tortured at the whim of the gang to galvanize him and fuel his rage. This negative reinforcement worked wonders, and within a few short years these thieves had a beast on their hands whom would kill anything within his grasp. They started bringing him on missions, leashing him and sicking him on anyone whom stood in their way. His victims were brutally savaged, and he seldom left a recognizable corpse.

He learned that a life of crime was the one and only true way of life. The “lawful good” society of Talingarde was made of cheaters who found some way to beat the system. If you wanted something, you had to be strong enough to take it. All around him he saw weak and petty humans who deserved the punishment The Snatchers unleashed upon them. He even began to respect his captors, for having the strength necessary to keep him in chains. Though he grew bitter and resentful he lacked the strength to take back his freedom and his life. He found his only joy in the kill, in the rare moments he was unleashed long enough to draw blood.

One night is all it takes to change one’s world. One moment even. A new cage awaited Varmint the faithful night a high profile bounty went terribly awry. The Snatchers made a fatal flaw and accepted a bounty far beyond their expertise. The target was a Duchess from the countryside and her collection of rare magical-tools she acquired from her late uncle, a high ranking Cleric of Mitra. A day and two nights of scouting in combination with their combined intel revealed this to be a simple, basic, snatch and grab job.
What they didn’t know was that the Duchess was to receive a rare visit from The Princess Belinda, and that security protocols on her manor grounds had been tripled over night. The Snatchers were caught moments after their infiltration and were mostly slaughtered by the Royal Guard. Varmint lost total control, and flew into a wild rage. Things went from bad to worse when the Princess herself was nearly caught in his crossfire. A few lucky ones escaped. Varmint survived. He alone was made to answer for the crime of High Treason against the crown for the attempted murder of the princess. Now he sits alone in his cell, awaiting his beheading, seething in rage. Thirstier than ever, for blood.

7 Acrobatics: 3(Ranks)+3(Class)+1(DEX)
10 Climb: 2(Ranks)+3(Class)+5(STR)
7 Intimidate: 3 (Ranks)+3(Class)-1(CHA)+2(Racial)
7 Perception: 3(Ranks)+3(Class)+1(WIS)
4 Stealth 3(Rank)+1(DEX)
7 Survival 3(Rank)+3(Class)+1(WIS)
10 Swim: 2(Ranks)+3(Class)+5(STR)

Languages:
Common, Orc.

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Special
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Orc Ferocity
Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit point, he can fight on for one 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.

Fast Movement
+10 Speed in no armor to medium armor and without heavy load.

Rage (11 Rounds/ Day)
LVL 1 4+3 = 7
Lvl 2 = 1
Lvl 3 = 1
+2 FCB (Half-Orc Favored Class Option)

Favored Enemy (Humanoid: Humans)
+2 Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, Survival
+2 Weapon Attack & Damage Rolls
May make Knowledge Checks Untrained.

Uncanny Dodge
Cannot be caught flat-footed, does not loose DEX bonus to AC vs. Invisibility.

Trap Sense +1
+1 Reflex Saves VS Traps, +1 Dodge Bonus to AC vs. Traps.

Proficiency:
All simple and martial weapons. Light armor, medium armor and shields.
Great Axes, Falchions. Orc weapons count as martial weapons.
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Feats
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Lvl 1: Power Attack
Lvl 3: Improved Initiative
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Crime
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Attempted Murder
You have willfully worked to bring down the current Monarch of Talingarde -- the beloved King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. To be successfully tried for High Treason you have done more than merely dislike the king, you did something tangible to undermine his rule. Alas, that you failed at your plot and are now head- ed to Branderscar Prison. Treason is the only crime that is still punished by the gruesome ritual of being drawn and quartered. Your stay at Branderscar will be brief.

Punishment
Death by beheading.

Benefit
You receive a +1 trait bonus to Will saves.

Martial
Grip Riddleshot NE Goblin Male Ranger (Urban Ranger)
Eisela LE Female Tiefling Monk (Hamatulatsu Master)
Angelic Isley NE Dhampir Female Anti-Paladin (Lord of Darkness)
Varmint NE Half-Orc Male Barbarian (Hateful Rager)

Divine
Cole LE Human Male Warpriest of Asmodeus
Valignatir LE Gnome Male Cleric of Asmodeus (Theologian)
Zoé Harman LE Human Female Cleric of Asmodeus (Unholy Barrister)
Dagmaer NE Human Male Druid (Bear Shaman)

Arcane
Caprin Seylin NE Human Male Sorcerer (Arcane Sage)
Annabelle Emberspark NE Gnome Female Summoner/Sorcerer
Tsadok the Cursed LE Half-Orc Male Fighter (Unbreakable) 1 / Magus (Hexcrafter) 2
Imogene Bainesworth LE Changeling Female Witch
Johann Gray NE Human Male Wizard (Infernal Binder)
Azin Orlind LE Elf Male Magus (Bladebound/Hexcrafter)
Sibylla Noriha LE Aasimar Female Conjurer 2/Cleric 1

Skill
Doctor Yanev LE Human Male Alchemist (Vivisectionist)
Yuki Tsune NE Kitsune Female Rogue (Kitsune Trickster)
Theodric Redner LE Human Male Inquisitor (Infiltrator) of Asmodeus
Victor White Lilly NE Human Male Ninja
Yzera Hykeph NE Human Female Slayer

Miscellaneous of Unknown
David Trufant III ?? Human? Male ??
Unknown Name ?E Elven Male Ranger