My wife bakes, me I can barely manage eggs. She has the same problem you do Mort, hard to count calories when you can whip up a pie without even thinking.
On another note, GREAT job on backstories everyone!
Finally there's someone who I can relate to on the level of being barely capable of managing eggs! Yes!
Question: What should my alignment be at the start of this game?
I wondered the same thing about alignment.
On another note, GREAT job on backstories everyone!
Thanks kindly for taking the time to read Laelia’s. :)
*salutes Ariarh*
That was a heroic effort! I've not seen that long a backstory for a long long time.
I wasn't sure ow much depth/detail you needed for story flavour, so it ended up a tad long. I generally write longer backstories anyway. Cheers. ;)
I will suppose that the arcane caster shielded you from your mother's dream invasion - if that's the case, then as part of the bargain, you would be called to his side in Iris Hill, in Thrushmoor in return for protection.
A question about the caster. Would he have mysteriously appeared, standing in a grove in the field witnessing Laelia's torment and then acting on it? Then interacting with Laelia afterward before disappearing again? Or would he have been someone travelling with the gypsy caravan and after the bargain was struck, he simply disappeared and she's left with the only recourse she has - to meet him in Iris Hill?
Alignment at start of prequel - up to you so long as it isn't evil aligned.
Alignment at start of Strange Aeons - up to you(you can switch to a good alignment to reflect what you'd have normally done without your memories, Treasurefox), as long as it isn't evil aligned.
I'm beginning to wonder if a full memory wipe, rather then what is stated in the AP for a short period is better. As in you know all your abilities and stuff, but you have no clue how you got them, or how you are where you are for that matter.
I think I'll have him travel with the gypsy caravan. Then he'll disappear after.
Okay I think stats are ready for review. John's former town guard fighter, someday becoming a spiritualist.
Can I flavor that the trapfinder trait came from Ann? You know, she's probably good at that kind of thing...thanks to her checkered past...
Before the final battle Kilarra will see Agent W in her dreams showing her how the battle will play out. She'll be the only one standing, with the Legion of her dead friends coming after her. She'll be also granted a flashback to let her see what was happening in the commander's tent. And the Agent will leave a calling card labeled "W" at her bunk in the barracks.
The next morning she'll be told to make the attack, then in an attempt to change things she can swear the unspeakable vow.
So does that mean that all her shield buddies are alive?
Not necessarily, depending on how much Kilarra decided to believe the creature. Even if people are going to show you what's happening, that doesnt mean you have to believe them. Especially so as a paladin. She could have put it as a particularly vivid nightmare due to pre-combat jitters. And denied W in her nightmare as trying to sow discord.
Or maybe only after it has occurred does W decide to reveal to her what really happened.
Maybe calling cards are a bit too real, better not leave one.
Still trying to work out details here. Or how would Kilarra want to know about her commander's plan to sacrifice everyone in her platoon?
Ah okay I understand now.
I like the idea of the nightmare/vision to occur beforehand, and just have her ignore it. She can definitely call it pre-combat jitters.
A vivid nightmare works great. Later after all is done, she might even consider W as someone who was trying to help her. I could see a case for genuine loyalty, at least until she's forced to commit even more egregious horrors, but by that time she's got nothing left to fall back on.
Considering the destruction she causes, I think it might be perfectly reasonable for W to waltz into the bloody encampment/tent and escort her personally. Otherwise just give her a new location to travel to in order to meet with him.
There is blood in the snow. He steps carefully around it and at first it is easy, drops in a spattered line tha zig-zags through the trees. But as he gets closer the spatters turn into swathes until finally blood turns the snow red and pink in a wide circle around the body.
He holds his breath as he creeps forward, afraid despite the fact whatever fight happened here, it was over. He distinctly remembers the crispness of the cold air in his lungs, the cold burning his he ng cheeks, even the colourful knitted scarf - the best present from his last birthday - is not enough to stave it off.
Suddenly the deer moans and he hears a little scream that scares him even more, until he realises it came from his own throat. It is a magnificent animal, lean and strong but the glossiness of it’s coat and the majesty of it’s great antlers seems in direct opposition to the huge and ragged wound in it’s belly through which partially eaten guts spill out onto the frozen ground.
He’s never seen anything dead before, let alone anything in the process of dying.
And he finds it intriguing.
He looks around and finds a long, slender branch. With all consuming curiosity, he begins to poke around in the deer’s entrails to see what jewels of understanding he might unearth.
……….
It is one of his earliest memories. That and the myriad others of his father shouting at him, or remaining distant - which was somehow worse - and ignoring him altogether.
He had never had friends. He was not a confident young man, nor personable. And he was able to detach himself from social situations easily enough to know that he was what other people would consider ‘weird.’ The thought of talking to strangers terrified him. That they would judge him as intensely as his father always had and like him, find him desperately wanting.
In Rayland’s teenage years, he attended the Univeristy of Lepistadt.
The university is everything he hoped for and more. The wide, cobbled walkways with their exquisitely manicured hedgerows, leading to tall attractive red brick buildings spread across the campus.
Before long he is navigating the halls like an old hand and delighting in the detail of the lectures. He majors in history and anthropology but soaks up every piece of information like a sponge.
Within the first term he has filled three thick journals with notes, crammed together in neat, officious writing.
He reads voraciously, on a wide range of topics even outside his area of study. All the while his notes continue to grow - the notes that Rayland hopes will become his greatest ever work - his legacy. This is what he has worked so hard for. This was finally how he would make his father, one of the greatest scholars in Molthune, proud. The Encyclopaedia Horrifica. It would be beautiful.
That was by day.
By night Rayland crept around the darker alleyways of the city. He was well aware of the reputation that Ustalav had - where things quite literally go bump in the night. It was the main reason he had travelled so far to attend university in this grim and superstitious land. Even in the cities, undead made their foul nests in less travelled streets, in sewers and in abandoned basements.
These were among the best opportunities he had to directly observe the monsters up close. On more than one occasion he had summoned what little courage he had to engage a streetwalker. But rather than lead her to some cheap inn bedroom, he would lead her to one of these nests.
And then watch. And take notes. Before fleeing for his life, his heart beating wildly in his chest and a manic laugh of exhilaration dancing on his lips.
In his final year he met a girl so perfect it makes him physically sick. At first he wondered if the sight of her pale skin and long, blonde hair intrigued him in the way that it did for seemingly every other male in Lepistadt Univeristy - even some of the lecturers.
When he weighed it up, it made perfect sense. She was aloof and care-free and she actually talked to him. To him. She was beautiful beyond compare - why wouldn’t he be in love with her? For at least half a semester he accepted this in a mildly academic way and decided it would be best to pine after her, as is natural, writing love poetry for her in a half dozen different languages but then eventually find that he would think about her less and less until the feeling passes altogether.
But as time wore on, he found himself thinking about her more. Every waking second of every day is spent fixated on her and slowly but surely he begins to realise that it isn’t love that he feels as she flicks her hair and laughs at the joke of the latest in the never-ending line of suitors, it is hate. Utter, abject hate. He further realises that the reason isn’t resentment that he could never have her, it is that while he spends every night craned over a textbook by candlelight she is out to dinner with charming young man after charming young man. Everything, everything, comes easier to her. And he wouldn’t even begrudge her that except for the fact that she beats Rayland in every mid-term test, every impromptu quiz. Every. Single. One.
Madelaine Potrescu. The woman who would take every opportunity that was rightfully his, every extra credit, every letter of recommendation, every internship and would no doubt plague Rayland’s entire career until the end of his days. He could see the future all laid out before him like a tablecloth and every stitch and every seam there was her face, having done that little bit better than he had.
It wouldn’t do. He couldn’t allow her to jeopardise his legacy. She had to be removed.
……………..
It crosses his mind that he may well have a heart attack any second. Rayland wonders who might find him. One of the cleaners perhaps? A guard doing his rounds? Or would he lie there all night, slowly stiffening and turning blue until the first class of the day arrives for a macabre discovery.
He had come too far to turn back now though and with trembling hands he reaches for the lock on the filing cabinet. The door lock to Professor Cross’ office had not proven too difficult and nor did this thankfully. Even so, Rayland jumps at every tiny sound and his heart beats thunderously.
Finally it clicks open and he allow himself to breathe but with barely a pause he dives into the files within and searches until he finds what he is looking for. A paper with a name written at the top - Madelaine Potrescu. That breath he took sticks in his throat but not for the first time he tells himself he has come too far to stop now. Taking out the paper and laying it on Professor Cross’ desk, Rayland whips out a rolled up scroll hidden in his sleeve. It is a scroll of Erase.
In a moment a huge chunk of text in the middle of the essay is deleted as though it were never there and, by the light of a tiny candle, Rayland rewrites the missing section - this time almost word for word from a text book memorised for days prior to this. It is plagiarism, without a doubt, and they will discover it in no time at all.
As he put everything back in place he allows yourself a small smile as he revels in the thought of her being singled out, shamed, expelled.
…………….
But it was not enough.
Yes she was gone and Rayland had reached the top of his class, but what use was it to gather the commendations of his peers and lecturers when all he knew was the ecology of ghouls and chokers, the most common undead and aberrations? How could he ever write the comprehensive work on monster-kind without real world experience and the ability to observe the most hideous examples of these creatures? It is worse to have a dream and see it die through inaction or inability than ever to have dreamt of greatness at all.
And then one day, his prayers were answered by an individual who wielded more power than Rayland could ever have imagined possible. Through them Rayland could learn more than he ever could have alone. And he would not be judged for it. Or ridiculed. Rather he would get the approval he so desired and deserved and his legacy would be secured.
If only he were willing to make certain sacrifices and certain pacts and only if his mind were strong enough to withstand being exposed to the darkest of secrets.
1. Obsessed with anatomy from a young age. Took to poking around in the guts of dead animals to learn more.
2. Very distant and difficult relationship with his father from whom he is desperate for approval.
3. Attends university in Lepistadt purposefully because he can learn more about monsters in Ustalav both practically and in theory for his book he hopes to write on the subject of monsters.
4. Impossible to create and maintain social relationships. One girl he thought he had a friendship and possibly love but he grew to resent how intelligent and charming she was and he set her up to be expelled through the use of magic.
5. Studies monsters by night, occasionally luring prostitutes to their deaths in order to observe the kill.
6. Finds he cannot learn enough through this method alone and seeks out the powerful spellcaster to benefit from his/her knowledge and opportunities (and seek their approval as a kind of surrogate parent) in exchange for making some dark pacts and commitments
I amended the last part of Laelia's backstory to incorporate what we talked about. I'm only including that part in the spoiler below.
It was just before her seventeenth birthday that Laelia ran out in the middle of a field they were spending the night in and screamed unto the night sky, begging for recourse. The girl had tried everything to waylay the call from the woman in her dreams; Laelia had pleaded and bargained with Desna, yet the goddess had not answered her prayers. Was she being punished for the evil taint in her bloodline from a Mother she had never known? As Laelia railed against the night, an eclipse took place, obscuring half the moon. It was then she saw him, a man they had recently picked up along the road. She never heard him mention his name, yet he was standing by one of the caravans and staring intently at her. She felt an ancient breath, cold flowing around her head, first like a whisper and then an echo. //Accept me and this shall pass. Open yourself to me and this shall pass. This is our pact.// At wit’s end to find solace in the night once more, Laelia’s harrowed mind accepted the offered boon. She stood absolutely still in the field, unable to move, gazing at the open heavens above her and the darkening starlight. The man’s eyes bored into her, even though she was not looking at him, she felt his presence. Then Laelia sensed a cold wind in her mind steadily washing the terrible visions and voice. The burgeoning silence soothed her once invaded mind. She stayed in the field for almost an hour, watching as the moon returned to its normal visage, then Laelia turned to look at the man by the last caravan, but he was not there. She returned to her caravan – the one she shared with two of the gypsy children - and immediately fell into a deep and undisturbed sleep. It had been four years since she felt such peace. Perhaps The Great Dreamer, Desna, had finally sent the man to heed her plea (or so she had convinced herself). In the morning, she found a scribbled parchment by her pillow. It read, A debt must be repaid. When you reach Ustalav, meet me in Iris Hill. She folded the note and hid it in her pack.
The gypsies were astonished upon hearing the news of Laelia’s first restful night with them. Some were sceptical and drew strange runes in the air before Laelia. She sought out the man who had watched her last night, yet he could not be found; having disappeared without a word to the gypsies. Laelia continued travelling with the caravan for the months that followed, writing and mailing letters to Alinza whenever it was practical to do so – and Laelia practiced her spells and healed any who sought help along the road. She was not plagued again by any vivid dreams or nightmares involving the strange woman and she was grateful. Yet, the man’s note and his words could not be forgotten. The gypsy caravan continued making its way across the lands to Ustalav.
Studied your back story. Luring prostitutes to their deaths would be an evil act. Getting people expelled, I couldn't care less about. So I think we need to make some changes in your case for starting alignment for prequel, to be true to the character. After you lose your memories, I don't want you starting Strange Aeons on evil alignment, since I know only too well what kind of atrocities can be perpetuated by an evil party. I know Strange Aeons can be played by an evil party, but I don't wish to go that route since to put it bluntly, your GM gets uncomfortable.
From Rayland's back story, he is granted dispensation to start the prequel on an evil alignment. But only the prequel.
I'm thinking the whole dream sequence plays out like this:
Scene of the barracks, heavy fighting with the necromancers and her platoon getting slaughtered.
Voice in her mind by agent W, conversationally: You may call me W. This is what's going to happen when you march off tomorrow.
Kilarra: *turns around to see a strange alien humanoid in yellow tattered leather robes*
Kilarra: No you're just a figment of my imagination, you abdomination, now get out of my head!
Agent W:*Mocking laugh* Don't you even want to know who's behind all this?
Kilarra: No I'm not talking to strange voices in my head. Get lost!
Agent W: As you wish. I'll be there tomorrow, just call.
Kilarra wakes up in the barracks, covered with cold sweat and goes to pour herself a cup of water. After the drink, she decided the entire episode is too absurd to tell anyone.
The next day:
Too many necromancers and their undead in the barracks. Kilarra's platoon is getting killed off methodically, then raised where they stand to bolster the ranks of undead. She calls W, who transforms her, then watches her rampage through the whole mess from invisibility. Then after Kilarra's done, W states her commander was responsible for all this, dropping a map with his handwriting on it showing troop disposition in the barracks. (Previously she was shown the location as a small outpost).
Kilarra marches back to the camp and does nasty, nasty things to her commander, falls as a result, then that's when W appears out of invisibility, saying to reclaim the favor.
Ok we all good there.
John G - I don't see anything wrong with Piotr's character sheet. You're good to go.
** spoiler omitted **
From Rayland's back story, he is granted dispensation to start the prequel on an evil alignment. But only the prequel.
However, I wanted to show that from a very young age Rayland was that creepy kid, that weird boy the other kids didn't play with. It's largely to do with the fact that his only human contact was with a distant and abusive father from whom he craved attention and love.
Expelling Madeleine was really there to show that nothing stands between him and his ambition, not even a decent and kind relationship. Bug he isn't brave enough to confront directly. He is snide and underhand.
And yes, finally he begins luring women to their deaths. It's an escalation that continues to the point that he makes dark pacts with the arcane caster and who knows what other agencies.
However, I really do see the loss of memory and fugue state as much more than amnesia for Rayland. It's a factory reset. It's a chance for him to be who he could always have been if he was surrounded by good, caring people instead of a monster- that he tried to impress with knowledge of monsters.
At first he is going to be an anxious wreck, nervous, suspicious, desperate to please but without confidence. But he has a genius level intellect and a lot of room to grow as a character as he gains power and confronts the evils he has perpetuated.
Petty academic disputes aren’t something I’m concerned with. At most you get is slander/defamation. Sending sentient beings to their deaths(hey, I don’t think you told them the truth about those undeads they were servicing, right?) for science would fall under evil since you’re aiding and abetting murder. I don’t feel you can maintain a neutral alignment for that.
Yes, your GM studied law.
I think we're discussing the same point here :D
Evil prior to the mind wipe, good after
That's fine by me.
Oh btw I’ll be away from 15-16 November for my company retreat. Expect no posts on both days as I run around having fun. Probably on the 15th night I’ll have drunk too much to post(it takes me about 4h to sober up), and I have a yoga session at 5.30 am to 6.15 am in the morning on the 16th morning…followed by a nature walk at 9 am in the morning.
I was considering joining the jogging on the beach from 7.00 am to 8.30 am, but again it’s on the beach (more tiring) and I sure as heck can’t jog for 1h 30 min straight.30 min might still be doable, but 1h 30…eh sorry nope I’m not that good. Not to mention, when am I going to be able to eat breakfast?!
Eating too much before a jog is just a recipe for stitches.
Thanks for the heads up Mort - seem like a busy couple of days.
Eeeeeesh! Yoga at 5.30am?! :D
From my end, still working on my character (I am the last one as usual) - trying to get the best from both worlds (also as usual), and now pondering an Alchemist (bombs for range, then a big sword for getting up close and personal).
Kind of a Switch hitter ;)
Now Singapore and Indonesia have a 1h timezone difference, Indonesia is 1h later, so it'll be 6.30 am SG time. Again I wake up every Tuesday at 5.30 am to catch the body combat class near my workplace so...yeah I'm sort of crazy.
When we were in states, my family and I would wake up at 5.30 am in the morning. And that's our vacation for you.
Well, we get up pretty early in the morning here on my end too - between 5.30 and 6.30. Only on working days though ;)
But has been years since I got up to run or cycle even remotely close to that time.
Working days I get up at 6.30, except for Tuesday where I wake up at 5.30 am. 5.30 am is Not a good time to run or cycle. Sun hasn't come up yet, so you can't see where you're going, nor can people see you(can get nasty here - since Singapore is a crowded city and there are lorries delivering stuff early morning). Try getting out of the house at 7 am, so there's some light to see by and it isn't too hot.
Yeah I get where you're coming from. My day is 5.15 alarm and working till 4pm, gym on the way home 4 or 5 nights and then finally getting back home at about 6pm so the cycle can begin again.
Friday evenings all my friends want to go out to a bar or something but by then I just want to stay in and fall asleep on the sofa with my dog!
Oh my goodness all that sounds tiring! And the great big ball of flaming death in the sky hates me(red headed computer nerd is me). Our day starts early as well due to kids and school and lunches and I need a pencil and... we love them though.
Today though is a day off! Just not for me. Off to work, enjoy everyone!
I'm one of those people who can't get back to sleep once they wake up, so I'm almost always up between 5-7am, regardless of schedule. I've done some exercise a couple days a week, but I don't enjoy any of it. It's just torture.
Almost everything looks good, but I really really want Kilarra to snap after it is revealed that her commander sent them all to die, not before.
Do you have any recommendation as to where in Ustalav the battle with the necromancers would have taken place?
So what's our final party make up?
Human exploiter/pact wizard
Changeling cleric of groetus
Human fighter/spiritualist
Tiefling paladin
?? Alchemist
Does that sound right?
Think that's a pretty good balance :)
I'm still definitely not decided yet - kinda scrapped the Alchemist idea.
Back on the fence between an archer Warpriest 1 or 2/Inquisitor X or the original idea (Bloodrager/Investigator). Not crunching anything, just deciding what I feel like playing ;)
Oooo a cleric of Groetus. That'll be interesting ^^
So what's our final party make up?
Changeling cleric of groetus
Ah, alas poor Desna. I’ve never seen her compared to, or mistaken for, Groetus before. ;) lol
And, Edeldhur, both concepts sounds great and interesting. I’m certain you’ll figure out which appeals more to you. ;)
Oh jeez sorry I was talking to my friend earlier who was writing up a cleric of Groetus for a game and think it stuck in my mind. Weird how that happens!
I'm trying to lose weight. Who'd have thought trying to lose about 20 lbs would be that hard...
But kids off while you're at work! Eeepers! What mischief are they getting to at home? Are they busting your alcohol cabinet?
TreasureFox - probably a good idea to get some exercise on your schedule just for health purposes. Maybe a nice hike up some nature reserve?
Yeah pretty much certain we won't start this week since my company retreat is coming soon and I don't see the point of "breaking" the adventure up, so to speak.
Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Oh jeez sorry I was talking to my friend earlier who was writing up a cleric of Groetus for a game and think it stuck in my mind. Weird how that happens!
No worries. :) I thought you were pulling my leg as to what her deity might be after her mind wipe. Haha.
My lovely wife got the pleasure of staying home with the hooligans. Payback came late when my youngest had to go lego robotics this afternoon and it was me as the only coach to show up. Teaching programming to 8 kids who had to come in on their day off... I second Treasure's
Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Good luck on the 20 pounds Mort. I have no advice, just encouragement
Well Groteus and Desna both can grant chaos domain...
Lego robotics? Me know nothing about robotics.
Yeah I know, I need to eat less. Since there's only so many hours in the day to exercise.
Groteus is not my style nor Laelia's.
It's fun and the kids like it. Program a robot built with legos to accomplish missions and compete to see who does the most missions in a short amount of time. But I am not a teacher, so mind mush and a healthy respect for those who are. :)
The pathfinder computer game out right now has a cleric of Groteus as one of the party members.
Is that the Kingmaker one? Started playing it but then... Meh... Felt too limited to me :P
Dunno about the Pathfinder PC stuff but I heard pathfinder online wasn't too popular.
Besides I spend my time slaying the spire or playing hearthstone in my couch potato mode.
How do you want to know of your commanders lies? Would a map with his handwriting and the right figures suffice or how would you want to arrange it?
I'll likely be doing full amnesia route for strange aeons, so when you start it proper, you know your name, your funky abilities, but nothing else.
I think that will have to be shown in a vision. Because it's essentially a projection of the past.
Works for me, GM
It will never be pathfinder, but it isn't bad. Reminiscent of the older dungeons and dragons ones from the 90s... except if you've never played pathfinder you will suck. Picking feats, knowing what does what, and heck to highwater when you hit your first spider swarm and nothing will kill it!
I liked hearthstone, no idea what slaying the spire is though.
Babble over, Now on to the game. I assume Ann has total amnesia as well, otherwise it would defeat the purpose. A voice in your head that is sure it is real that can control your hand... :) that will be cool.
Yeah we'll put it that way, or maybe due to the hastiness of melding you two together not all the memories came through.
Oh watching nat Geo people, United Plates of America might not be the best idea while trying to lose weight. All that food!