Hey guys!
As I’ve mentioned to a few of you, I am planning on eventually running a sequel campaign to two games we have established to be in the same continuity:
Thron’s Rise of the Runelords
Jelani’s Absalom Abberations
I am going to keep this invitation limited in scope, as I’m not wanting to overload us on players in our playground. For anyone coming into this thread later than others, please do not be offended. I’ve been slowly testing waters of interest at first, and am also interested to add new blood to our little game world. So anyone who is here that was not part of either of those games, take it as a serious nod of respect of your role playing ability that we have invited you to join us, as these two games have seen this group together for several years running now. We don’t just let anyone in.
I will be adding more to come, but in truth, I plan on this being a more open dialogue between us rather than a typical “I’m going to be running Game A, and my criteria are X, Y, and Z.”
That being said, here is the game I plan to run, along with X, Y, and Z. LOL!
- The game will take place a yet to be determined number of years after the end of the campaign events for those two games. The current PC’s for those games will be NPC’s now. Namely, the new group’s parents. Their involvement will be purely for roleplay presentation only. They will be busy with their own lives to endeavor in this campaign’s affairs. You, their kids, are adults now and are responsible for your own lives.
- The game will have a mix of role play and combat. No one thing will predominate. Think along the lines of a more involved version of downtime in the Absalom game.
- Leveling will be slow. We will likely start at a mid-low level and stay at each level a while.
- Legacy quirks. Depending on your lineage, you may have some nifty hand me downs. From Absalom, maybe the serum passed on to you and you have access the Eidolon Evolution pool. Or, from either game, maybe your parent(s) handed down a magic item. Yes, this may make you more powerful than WBL. Who cares! I’ll be figuring the balancing out.
- Make characters that fit your level of involvement. If you know you will be a bit busy and post sporadically, make someone who doesn’t rely on the limelight. If you have faith in your ability to post frequently and delve deep into character interactions, make someone who would shine in that regard. I don’t want anyone feeling pressured into posting, or feeling bad if they can’t keep up, and would prefer post a single descriptive post of their activities during a downtime scene.
There will definitely be more to discuss and plan out in the weeks/months leading up to those two campaigns ending and this game starting. But, this gives us all plenty of time to plan out what the NPC’s do in their campaign’s epilogues, as well as consider the new characters and their relationships. Also, newcomers to this version of Golarion can get questions answered. But, as a start, take a look at the games linked above. There is a lot of material, I know, but I promise they should be good reads.
As to anything else, drop a line here, dot the campaign thread, and let’s see what develops!
As to what NPC’s are valid sources of inspiration...I’m open to suggestions, but think the following list is a good start:
Absalom: Argor, Cladissa, Thrassk, Gianluca, Grommesson, Nyugelle, Preston, Auronee
RotR: Zoli, Eugeni, Ryli, Jeevika, Lorthan, Elthariel, Shalelu
This is not an all inclusive list by any means. If anyone thinks someone else deserves being fleshed out for consideration as NPC, just say so.
I'm definitely planning on joining in on this.
I would warn strongly against giving some players access to serum powers, and others not. That seems like a recipe for disaster down the road to me. Either we should all have it, or no one should have it.
As for my character, I'm thinking an Inquisitor (Monster Tactician) of Desna X/Unchained Rogue (Knife Master) 3. He'd be a halfling child raised (mostly) by Zoli, with Eugeni as a step poppa when he's not out planeshopping. Or I guess he could be some weird hybrid race that is their biological child, if Gyrfalcon thinks that could feasibly happen between Eugeni and Zoli post RoTRL. Either way, a small starknife wielding Desnan who is focused on summoning and teamwork feats.
He's a Desnan after growing up hearing stories of his grandfather Tanitus and his parents' former adventuring companion Setsuna.
That's all I've got for now. Everything other than the build is flexible, but the character build is one I've been wanting to try out.
Regarding the serum: if that’s what everyone thinks, I’m fine with not including it beyond referencing it back to the previous characters. I personally think the role play link is enough there, but I do intend everyone starting with some sort of legacy item on top of starting funds. Reward for continuing the saga.
Yeah, that's a cool idea. I just know that the serum is far more powerful than any one magic item.
I'm excited about this too, and happy that Jelani will be playing one of Zoli's kids.
No thoughts on the character I'd play yet, but wanted to share my thoughts now as to what Zoli's life looks like, after we (hopefully?) defeat Karzoug. Obviously, all of this could change. Especially if Zoli dies and gets reincarnated as a Dire Crocodile. (I hear it happens waaaaaay more often than most druids admit!)
Zoli's future
- More adventures! But eventually retires to Sandpoint
- Starts the Chaldira Zuzaristan School of Swashbucklery.
- Buys the Sandpoint theatre, and renames it the Tanitus Theater at Sandpoint, in honor of his father.
- She pens a theatrical epic about the Varisian Rangers, which debuts there before touring to Oparra and around Avistan.
- She gets married...but to who?
. . - Eugeni seems like the most likely candidate. Jelani, do you have any thoughts / preferences?
. . - if not, could be an actor/director that she attracts to the Theater, or someone Turrey Butterhill introduces her to in Magnimar
If married to Eugeni, kids could be halfling or….? Can aberrations mix with Halflings? If a man polymorphs into a halfling, does that give him halfling sperm?
_____________
I'm less sure about my Absolom characters' future history, but I'll say I imagine:
- Gianluca becomes the chief temple prostitute at Absolom’s Arshean Temple, and helps to create an upswell of worship of Arshea in the City at the Center of the World. (That of course means he could have kids of literally any race, since Aasimar can breed with anyone)
- Nyugelle may well have a child (or more?) wth Gianluca. I imagine that at some point (maybe for a few years, maybe for many) she travels to live in Garund, now that she's been reincarnated as a Garundi human...so a child of hers might grow up in Absolom, somewhere in Garund, or split between the two.
_____________
Also fun to think about what all the race options are
Eugeni - aberration (same build as he has, or some other custom race?)
Zoli - halfling
Lorthan - Half-dragon (or maybe even full wyrmling dragon?)
Ryli - Centaur child of Ryli? (including current foal)
Jeevika, Elthariel, Shalelu - elf or half-elf
Argor, Cladissa, Nyugelle, Preston, Auronee - human
Thrassk - nagaji
Gianluca - aasimar...or just about anything, as per above
Grommesson - half-orc or human or orc
...and of course anyone could theoretically have a planetouched child, either because they have a kid with someone with a planar heritage...or because of latent planetouched heritage that someone already had.
Am I missing anything? That's quite a list of potential races...and some unusually powerful ones (dragon, half-dragon template, centaur). Dunno if any of those make sense to ban, or if the more powerful races just even out with the boons that Thron's talking about.
BTW, (since I'm a big fan of gnomes) I'd be remiss to say that the one option I see here for a gnome PC would be a child of Gianluca's. :-)
______________
I'm curious to hear yalls thoughts, both about your characters' future history, and about what you might want to play.
Cheers,
Just saw the conversation about Serum or no.
I'd say either don't have it, or have a very toned down 2nd generation of it (e.g. perhaps maybe it only gives 1 or 2 evolution points).
And (at least for most, if not all) yeah, it makes a bunch of story sense for them to be waaay richer than the average young PC. I mean, the Sandpoint gang in particular are going to be epically wealthy, unless they donate everything to charity...and of course Argor will own most of Absolom before he's through! ;-)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Definitely interested.
Regarding the serum vs magic item, it'd have to be some sort of Legacy item; either an artifact that gives a lot of power early but still useful as the game advances, or maybe something that also grows in power.
=================
FYI, I've alluded to this to Thron, but I'll be putting this out now as well -- I've got Cladissa's final fate decided. It's... a little extreme and will have far-reaching effects on our version of Golarion. If Thron/Jelani are not in favor of it, we could chalk it up to an alternate future or something. I'm hopeful that you'll all love it, even though her final fate is fairly brutal. Although honestly, that shouldn't come as a surprise to those who've been following her story.
I don't want to spoil it though, until Jelani's main game is finally complete. It's therefore ever-evolving, since I can't account for the crap that happens to her when the dice are rolling.
Mainly, I want to caution anyone who's thinking of playing someone like Cladissa's child, since I'm not anticipating her having any offspring. Though, there may be a way to have a character with a link to her in another fashion. But I can't reveal too much since I want her final fate to be a surprise.
A brutal, heart-wrenching surprise.
;-)
Lol wouldn’t expect anything less.
Hehehehehehehe. Indeed.
Currently, barring any curveballs from the Absalom game, here is how I’m guesstimating Argor’s ascension to NPC-hood develops:
-Remember waaaaaaaay back when when Argor made this small little post of foreshadowing? Yeah, Celeena is still doing her work at repaying her debt to Argor and earning the pay he gives her. Post-campaign, her labor and his investment pays off, and she begrudgingly (because she fears Argor, and doesn’t trust the Geas took or has endured even if she had heard of it) hands it over to him, granting him a legitimate seat on the High Council. He promptly hides it away so no one can revoke his seat on the High Council.
-There are quite a few openings in the Decemvirate, and given their far-reaching Influence, he will finally relent and accept a position amongst the Societies leadership. Haha
-Marriage: despite his insanely logical mind and a drive for power, Argor is also deep down a romantic. His fling with Cladissa showed him a life with Imrizade was impossible. But since the two Pathfinders have agreed to not seek romantic relations, he is now again open to fielding offers from the Absalom Elite Houses. Who it ends up being remains to be seen.
-Argor noticeably stops aging roughly two years after the events of the campaign.
-He continues to expand his skill at enchantment of items, focusing on golems. He expands the Sanctum to include a golemworks, and his creations become an important part of his economic enterprise in both private orders as well as for the city.
-Children: Argor has at least three kids, of which are open for folks to play or incorporate if they desire. If anyone is interested, I can provide basic personalities and builds.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hey guys! Just dotting in before I start the deep dark archive dive :-)
I had planned for Eugeni to kind of go hermit after RotRL by becoming a planes-hopper, but that was before I'd really considered this game.
He's going to form his own demi-plane at the very least. He's just too different and weird from normal people to integrate into society at this point. That being said, his demi-plane could be linked to Zoli's house in Sandpoint. He did express interest in pursuing romance with her after their adventure is over. I could see them getting married, but with the understanding that Eugeni will be a weirdo who may or may not be present much of the time as he continues his work to understand the multiverse.
As for the race of their child...who knows what kind of punch Eugeni's sperm is packing at this point. He was an aasimar, then a half-orc, then touched by a Great Old One, then empowered by Desna. I'm thinking that the planar DNA trumps all the mortal stuff and that their child would probably be a halfling aasimar of some kind. Or we could come up with the Great Old Ones equivalent of an aasimar/tiefling, that seems fun. As long as the race has a dex bonus and is small I don't really care.
After playing around with some stuff just now and thinking it over more, I think I'm going to be a Pharasmin instead of a Desnan.
Maybe my guy was inspired to become an adventurer/undead hunter after hearing about all the terrible haunts and abominations the Rangers faced during their adventures, and reading the adventures of the Freaks in Pathfinder Chronicles. It seemed to him growing up that undead must be lurking behind every shadow in Golarion, not to mention the nascent threat represented by Gallowspire to the East. While he is waiting for adventure to strike he could work as a lay member of the Pharasmin church, doing undertaking and midwifing (I don't know what level we're starting at, but he won't actually have inquisitor class levels until level 5+).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Cwethan, I've enjoyed RP with you in Masks, glad you're joining over here (whenever this kicks off). I hope the archives are fun for you. I certainly have parts I love to go backx and re-read. They said, I have no idea if I could actually read them all the way through. If you need a Reader's Digest at some point, or want an explanation about who someone was, just ask here.
____________
Jelani, If he's raised by Zoli, I'm sure he's hearing stories of their adventures nonstop as a kid. Maybe he wants to follow in their footsteps...Or get our of their shadow?
Yeah, something along those lines. I'll leave the race question up to Thron I guess.
I’m sure someone has a halfling variant of aasimar or tiefling somewhere we could utilize.
Also, a fun idea to consider would be inter-group relations. Any love found between the two parties? How often do they cross paths? Etc.
Some more on Argor:
- Some of his post-campaign adventures include dealing with the mountain of undead he encountered a couple of times. After several much better planned forays, he eventually manages to eradicate them all. Any of you are welcome to join him in his personal quest against them.
- Curious about the Varisian adventurers who dropped so much coin in his shop, he eventually teleports to Sandpoint to check it out. He sees the business potential provided by the Glassworks and purchases the building, turning it into an enclave and school for wizards. His names William Lightstaff the Headmaster of the Enclave, and takes on a series of new apprentices over the years. He visits it from time to time, and respite his harsh treatment of William early on in their relationship, the two become close friends and business partners.
- Argor might join Eugeni in some plane hopping adventures. Argor will also be creating a personal demiplane, one that is timeless. He can step into it, spend five years inside there, and step back into Golarion where only one second has passed. He keeps the entrance hidden away, and no one likely even knows it exists though the more educated in Arcane matters may have suspicions.
Argor might join Eugeni in some plane hopping adventures. Argor will also be creating a personal demiplane, one that is timeless. He can step into it, spend five years inside there, and step back into Golarion where only one second has passed. He keeps the entrance hidden away, and no one likely even knows it exists though the more educated in Arcane matters may have suspicions.
That's cool. Eugeni would welcome the company of another intelligent arcanist. I haven't even thought about the specifics of Eugeni's demiplane yet, other than the fact that it will exist.
Not all aasimar are descended from humans. Aasimars can be born of any intelligent race, though human aasimars are the most common. Aasimars of other races usually exemplify the ideals of beauty and skill as seen by their base race. For example, halfling aasimars are small, beautifully proportioned, and display exceptional grace. Half-orc aasimars are slightly larger and stronger than ordinary orcs, with tough skin and metallic claws and tusks—they are likely to be neutral rather than evil, but still display aggression and incredible combat prowess. Less common humanoids, such as lizardfolk, catfolk, tengus, and others, can also produce aasimars, though given these races’ exotic appearance, members of the more common races may have trouble telling such aasimars apart from their kin.
It should be noted that while any creature that breeds with a celestial may give birth to half-celestial offspring, only humanoids can give birth to aasimars. Thus, while it’s possible to encounter a half-celestial dragon, unicorn, or griffon, any children of such creatures would be either half-celestials or normal members of their race. (And just as often, these less conventional half-celestials are sterile.) When discussing half-celestials and aasimars, it’s important to distinguish them from both true celestials (angels, azatas, agathions, etc.) and simple celestial creatures (creatures with the celestial template, which are themselves denizens of the good-aligned Outer Planes but similar in many ways to their Material Plane counterparts). Most aasimars also have a difficult time getting people to grasp distinctions between celestial types, with common folk erroneously grouping all such beings together as “angels.”
Non-human aasimars have the same statistics as human aasimars with the exception of size. Thus a halfling aasimar is Small but otherwise possesses the same statistics and abilities as a human aasimar—the difference is purely cosmetic. Non-human aasimars do not possess any of the racial abilities of their base race. However, they are usually raised in the same cultural context as other members of their base race, and thus generally adopt the same fighting style as their peers, use the same types of weapons and armor, and study the same skills.
I'll probably be a halfling plumekith.
Since I basically know what character I'll be going with, I wouldn't mind getting started on the actual stats.
Any specifics on ability scores, starting level, etc?
See. Told ya ;-P
Had a big, more eloquent write up answer to your question done, then Paizo ate it, so here is the Spaceballs Short-Short-Version:
- Level 5 or 6, unless using a template or monstrous race.
- 25 point buy
- Make a well-rounded “person” not a “murder hobo.”
- Game is about the story as much as the fighting. Keep that in mind.
- a full-body reference image included.
I’ll come back and add the less-rushed, more well-worded version of the above later when I have more time.
Halfling- and Gnome- Aasimar and Tieflings are the greatest! All that plane-touched goodness packed into a fun-sized package!!
Jelani, if you want to go with Plumekith, we can just assume that either Z or the Papa (maybe Eugeni? maybe someone else?) was planetouched. Heck, we could even have her marrying (or having a romance with) a Garuda herself. She'll certainly be someone of significant stature (and Charisma) to reasonably attract the attention of a powerful Outsider.
I'm happy to have others co-write some of Zoli's, Gianluca's, and/or Nyugelle's future history, to make it work with their concepts (as long as it's filling in the empty spaces and not changing the big picture).
________
EDIT: I Know that Eugeni's first body was aasimar...but it was Archon-blooded, I believe, which doesn't work for your idea.
Since I'm fairly familiar with Rise of the Runelords I may take a bulletpoints version of that - We'll see how the dive feels :-)
Is playing as an apprentice or follower of one of the past characters kosher? Or should I stick with someone's actual child?
I’m fine with non-biological connections. But it needs to be a close kinship. Like, maybe see someone as a mother/father figure or along those lines. The key is an emotional connection heavy on well earned trust.
Cool cool - nothing set yet, just wanted to see what all could be available.
At least a few of the PCs might have adopted as well, especially if there's a story connection. If that helps.
I currently have no idea about what character I will make at this point. I'll need to let my mind wander around this shared universe we've built, to see where I most want to explore.
Regarding Riley/Rilee/Ryli, the reincarnated druid who joined the Varisian Rangers towards the end of Book 2:
Assuming she is still a centaur by the end of the AP, she'll be returning to the Thunderhooves tribe and assuming her role as Earthmother and enjoying her life of relative peace and quiet with her reunited lost love. She plans on being very fertile, and should have several foals over the course of her life with Brognar. She'll probably release Olympus once he gets too big, allowing him to reach his full potential as a gargantuan-sized roc.
Because of the relatively short lifespan of centaurs, it's entirely possible, depending on the time jump, that she and her beloved will have new lives and will be young again -- possibly in incompatible forms, though their ability to alter self at will means they'll probably become elves and retire to Kyonin for as close to eternity as their immortality will allow.
Ryli will still have her leadership feat, plus a cohort. The network of druid/ranger/hunter followers that she's built up to keep tabs on the natural world in and around Varisia could be a source of new characters, especially for anyone interested in a wilderness theme.
She'll otherwise be firmly retired, though she'll probably respond if a grave enough threat rises that endangers the Wheel or the natural world.
How dare you imply that murder hobos can't be well rounded individuals!?
Jokes aside, I will be heavily invested in skill point rich classes, and will make my guy a full character to the best of my ability.
Maybe Zoli and Eugeni get married, but then discover that his biology won't allow them to have children together. So after some years, they agree to an open relationship, since Zoli wants to have a kid. She takes a plumekith lover who she sees while Eugeni is away on his planar travels, and he's cool with it. Whatchu think?
I'll go ahead an work up a level 6 version of my guy, with standard WBL. That way the others will have something to consider when they get around to deciding what they want to play. I think we should try for an at least somewhat balanced party...
Oh - while I'm reading and musing - any guidelines or banned/permission-only options I should keep in mind for character creation?
It looks like traits are in (possibly with a bonus campaign trait? and drawbacks too), clearly non-standard races are at least possible, path of war seems to be in...
I allowed Path of War in Absalom for Gianluca, but that's up to Thron if he wants to allow that here.
Here’s the thing:
I feel Pathfinder got to where 3rd edition went: too many options that don’t balance well. For example, and no offense Zoli, but I think swashbucklers are insanely overpowered, especially after having seen 2 in play.
There are variations of any class that can be that way, though. So I’m not gonna day a hard NO on anything just yet. But when the time for in depth crunch generation really closes in, I’ll want everyone to really detail the main schticks of their builds. But I personally feel most thematic things can be accomplished by simple descriptive reskinning. Like, and this is a basic example, redescribing Cleave away from one arcing attack into a series of strikes on neighboring foes. As long as you mechanically change nothing, I feel the descriptive text can be flexible.
And Ryli...I have some info for you regarding your long lost love...want it here or let it develop in game?
Oooh, tempting. I should probably develop in-game, though.
I tend to feel the Path of War classes (at least Warlord) are OP from the GM's side of the table. It's hard to say if that's because of the evolutions in Absalom or what though. All I know is Gianluca has a high AC, hits like a truck, self heals and has various buffs/debuffs as well. Though the other PCs are also very strong. Thus my warning about the serum, it's hard to balance around.
My guy's main schtick is going to be melee flanking basically. He uses a dagger to get sneak attacks in, so ideally he'd be doing something like 1d3++2d8 (knife master sneaks) a swing when flanking. He's going to be a monster summoner as well, but since he's not starting Inquisitor levels until level 5, I'm not sure how well that's going to work out for him. With his summon monster II vs whatever we end up fighting at level 6 probably not so well. If we make it to really high levels he might get some more shenanigans with his summons getting teamwork feats, but nothing really OP. I'm debating not even taking summoning feats, and just focusing on melee stuff instead.
So he'll be a skill monkey, melee flanker, very defensive. He'll have a high AC and saves, evasion, but not a game breaking amount of damage or anything like that. He'll also have some inquisitor spells, but those will mostly be used to buff himself and heal the group.
Here is a link to a fifth level version of my guy. It should give you guys a good idea of what I plan to bring to the table.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I feel Pathfinder got to where 3rd edition went: too many options that don’t balance well. For example, and no offense Zoli, but I think swashbucklers are insanely overpowered, especially after having seen 2 in play.
Hehehehehe. No offense taken. I'll admit, over time Zoli has gotten to the point where she can reliably do a lot of damage, and is pretty hard to hit herself.
That said, Thron, I suspect that you're noticing my tendency to optimize (especially with martial characters), more than something about the Swashbucklers. (I tend to create characters I think will be interesting to RP and interesting mechanically...but once I have I often find myself coming up with little ways to make them more reliable and/or flexible.)
If you read the class comparisons on the web (where Tier 1 is the best, and Tier 6 is the worst, in terms of raw power and versatility) you'll often find most people put it around tier 5 (example 1, example 2).
I *will* say that Zoli's DPR is very nice, and that over time she's gotten pretty good defenses. I'll also say that I suspect if you had me build and play a Paladin or a Barbarian at this level you'd find it to be even more effective in combat.
I tend to feel the Path of War classes (at least Warlord) are OP from the GM's side of the table. It's hard to say if that's because of the evolutions in Absalom or what though. All I know is Gianluca has a high AC, hits like a truck, self heals and has various buffs/debuffs as well. Though the other PCs are also very strong. Thus my warning about the serum, it's hard to balance around.
Path of War is a bit different. The design goal was explicitly to create non-casters who perform at Tier 3 (so, significantly below full casters, but much more versatile than Paizo's first party martials). In particular, the design *isn't* meant to increase DPR over Paladins and Barbarians...but they're meant to have more options / versatility.
Jelani, I think in your game, you're seeing mostly the Serum (especially Large + huge STR and Natural Armor bonuses) plus my tendency to optimize. His full attack damage is the same as (or maybe a bit below) that of a Fighter with the same size, with a large +3 greatsword. The big differences the Warlord brings in are (1) that he can do a lot more on a Standard (if he needs to move) than anyone without pounce could, and (2) (in my build) significant Swift action healing. He also has a bigger swiss army knife than most martials, providing a variety of buffs to the team and ways to solve problems (e.g. ghost touch, combat maneuvers) that often vex other martials, though not as many options as, say, a Bard.
The PoW martials all benefit significantly from one mental stat, and so seem to scale particularly well with high stat campaigns...and evolutions + money have helped Gianluca get a very high CHA.
I'll also say that PoW gives so many options that hyper-optimizing is likely more possible there than with most martial classes (though they still won't have the versatility of a full caster, or even many 2/3 casters)
BTW, I think Path of War's a fun system...but I've recently learned Spheres of Might system for building martial characters (and also the Spheres of Power magic system for building casters)...and I think I might like it even better.
...And all that said, Thron (as you know) I'm a HUUUGE fan of doing things that the DM likes and is comfortable with. If you allow some of Path of War and/or Spheres of Might, I might use'm...but I can easily pick Paizo only options. Heck, maybe I'll actually play a caster this time around. I'm still playing with ideas!
Here is a link to a fifth level version of my guy. It should give you guys a good idea of what I plan to bring to the table.
Looks fun! I'm starting to get my juices flowing.
As to what NPC’s are valid sources of inspiration...I’m open to suggestions, but think the following list is a good start:
Absalom: Argor, Cladissa, Thrassk, Gianluca, Grommesson, Nyugelle, Preston, Auronee
RotR: Zoli, Eugeni, Ryli, Jeevika, Lorthan, Elthariel, Shalelu
This is not an all inclusive list by any means. If anyone thinks someone else deserves being fleshed out for consideration as NPC, just say so.
There's a few others out there that can serve as inspiration.
Absalom: Hrimnagel, Jannicke, Mettera.
RotR: Morythine (currently a bird, but who knows?)
RotR: Morythine (currently a bird, but who knows?)
Perfect, I'm working up my awakened dhamphir-seagull now!
You know how it is when you've got an idea, and it's a secret because you're not quite ready to share it because it's got to have maximum impact, but then you're worried that you'll never actually get to share it at all, so you go ahead and release it?
Just me?
Well, I've gone ahead and started the story of Cladissa's final days, since I'd like to get some feedback. Also, I'd like to see if Jelani and/or Thron would be okay with how it turns out, since there's the potential for long-ranged repercussions in any sort of Legacy game. But it's tough, since the Absalom game isn't over yet, though it's definitely in the home stretch.
Anyway, I'm spoilering it so no one has to be subjected to it unless they really want to see.
Cladissa appears with a shimmer and a muffled rush of displaced air in the quiet courtyard at the house on Jabberwocky Street in Absalom, a black cat coiled around her feet. She looks around at the changed surroundings, noting the new growth of the garden but the familiar stone statuary. Recognizing that the manor house is occupied, she slips out into the main street before she is observed. She turns back around to look at her old residence, the pangs of memory and nostalgia hitting her hard. Cole, her familiar, mews softly at her feet.
With a wistful sigh, she turns away from the old estate, and begins moving through the various boroughs and districts of Absalom. Her path is meandering, without direction or purpose, though everywhere she goes seems to spark some sort of memory. The Grand Lodge of the Pathfinders, where she had stayed during her time as an initiate, where she took the mysterious serum that is still coursing through her body, and where she visited frequently as a true Pathfinder agent. After saving the Society from the attempted coup by the rogue Venture Captain Adril Hestram, she could have become a Venture Captain herself, perhaps even working her way up to become one of the ruling Decemvirate. Yet she had resigned from the Pathfinders almost immediately after, choosing to leave Absalom and head to Galt.
Her wanderings take her past the Blakros Museum, the squat building the site of so many of her missions as a Pathfinder. Other sites, too, she wanders past – the Galtan restaurant where she ate with her mother, Catfolk Alley where she had first caught the eye of Roald, the Puddles where she helped stopped a ghostly invasion, the sunken remains of a school where she helped save a single child, the docks where she ended up getting arrested.
She wonders if the city still remembers her. She had amassed quite a bit of celebrity during her adventures here, though she had largely remained oblivious to it. She had left rather quickly and without fanfare when she returned to her childhood home of Galt.
Her priorities had shifted. She had learned just before her departure from the Pathfinder Society that her father had actually been Cassaild d’Lavigne, the heir to the throne of her home country. He’d died, and her mother had gone into hiding while the Red Revolution ravaged the country in its bloodthirsty purge of all things noble.
The Red Revolution had become a brutal, unending cycle of rebellion, Cladissa had learned. Armed with the knowledge that she was the sole heir to the rightful rulership of the kingdom, she returned in secret to begin a counter-revolution that sought peace and reconciliation. It had consumed her for the past decade and beyond.
Her wanderings through Absalom weren’t entirely random, however. She deliberately avoids the Ivy District so she would not risk passing by Verde Heights, even though she was no longer sure that Argor Constantine was even living there. She hadn’t spoken with him for a long time. She had turned down his romantic attentions, choosing to remain allies in those final days as a Pathfinder. Then she returned to Galt, and while she accepted his assistance for a while, as the campaign to restore order to Galt became protracted and far more political than military, she sent him home to Absalom. Argor’s upbringing in Cheliax had become a liability, and she was forced to distance herself from him for purely political reasons.
The memory of that last conversation with Argor still ached, even though years had passed since. And in the end, it hadn’t mattered. She wasn’t queen. She wasn’t the ruler of Galt. Ultimately, in order to preserve the peace, she had abdicated her right to rule. She renounced her claim to Galtan royalty, agreed to exile from the country, and bade all those who had flocked to her banner to agree to the treaty. She had spent five years amassing strength and followers before she declared herself as the rightful heir, then several more bloody years in conflict as the country had erupted into outright civil war – something she had desperately desired to avoid. And ultimately, she had managed to broker a tenuous peace at the cost of her ability to return to her childhood home. It was bitter, but she willingly swallowed it to stop the bloodshed. The hope of a whole and peaceful Galt was no longer hers to influence.
She veers away from a road that would take her past the Golden Raven, though it was not necessarily likely that Argor still owned the fine dining establishment. He had at one point harbored romantic feelings for her, and Cladissa could have easily allowed herself to reciprocate, despite a rocky and tumultuous history between them. She wonders if he would want to rekindle a romance again, now that she no longer was wedded to her mission in Galt. She also wonders if he’d moved on, and had found love with someone else. She wonders which of the two possibilities frightened her more.
Her thoughts are so preoccupied with Argor, she doesn’t realize that her turn away from his property took her directly into view of the Minkaian Gardens. She blinks away more nostalgic tears that threaten to form as she recalls wandering through the immaculately maintained gardens with Sir Preston Riverwyne, her one-time suitor. Sighing, she decides to keep moving, letting her memories wash over her as she wanders the footpaths. Sir Preston, who had come to love her sight unseen after discovering it was her team’s efforts that had garnered additional support for the Mendevian Crusade that resulted in his life being saved, had come to Absalom with the intention of undergoing the rite of courtship with her. She had agreed.
Tears well in Cladissa’s eyes as the memories of their romance rush back. He was a paladin, a champion of the crusades fighting against the demonic incursion called the Worldwound. He was brave, noble and chivalrous, quickly winning her heart despite her doubts and loving her even though the serum had warped her body to make her appear to be a succubus. They had forged a love regardless of that, and he had led her to the worship of the goddess Iomedae. Yet, as fortune would have it, their duties pulled them apart. Cladissa stayed in Absalom to deal with the machinations of Hestram, while Preston was called back to lead the crusades against the demons.
Though their paths crossed again and again, they were not reunited for any length of time. The rise of the Fifth Crusade called Preston to redouble his efforts against the demons, while Cladissa returned to her home in Galt to pursue her own goals of unifying the country and creating a lasting peace there.
Sir Preston was dead. Slain during a major offensive against the powerful balor called the Storm King, Cladissa received the news during the bloodiest period of her own efforts within Galt. She hadn’t had time to mourn properly, though she managed to find a few private moments to grieve.
Exiting the Gardens while wiping tears from her cheeks, Cladissa for a moment wonders why she’d returned to Absalom. The answer came easy, though. She simply had no place else to go. Galt would no longer ever be her home. She couldn’t bring herself to go to Mendev, and she hadn’t lived in any other place except for a time in Taldor, which held nothing but unpleasant memories. She had been hailed as a hero in Absalom, and though she never truly felt that she deserved the accolades, it was still an honor that she respected. With the few treasures she hadn’t sold to fund her crusade or given up as part of her abdication of her birthright, she still had wealth enough to retire in relative comfort.
Is that it? Is that why I’m here? she thinks to herself. Am I just looking for a place to spend the rest of my years, thinking about the glory days or riding my dwindling fame? Sighing at her thoughts, she continues her walking tour of Absalom.
Hours pass. Cladissa manages to stay anonymous as she moves through the crowds of Absalom that have apparently forgotten her. Though, she was no longer a young woman. More lines show on her face, creases around her eyes, and a few gray hairs -- the results of intense stress and emotional pain that the serum could not stave off. The alien substance that she’d agreed to inject into her body as the final Pathfinder trial had mutated her body in numerous ways, though in the past few years it had changed her in fewer and fewer ways. When she initially injected the serum into her, it had slowly mutated her into a feline hybrid, which she had resisted at first. After she had developed a measure of acceptance with that form, she had been kidnapped and experimented on by demons. The serum had been leached out of her, altered, then re-injected into her by the Pathfinders’ demonic enemies. The result was that Cladissa had mutated into a close approximation of a succubus, much to her horror. That was eventually undone by a later mutation that gave her arachnoid features, including extra spiderlike legs and the ability to spin webs.
Those last mutations have stayed with her for the past decade. She usually keeps her eight long, graceful spider legs folded up underneath her clothes and only deploying them when she needs to use them for a quick burst of speed or to climb one of her intricate spider webs that she spins in the places where she takes residence. The demonic influence has still left her with the ability to communicate telepathically, and one of her original mutations – that of an augmented intelligence – also remains.
The serum had changed her in other ways as well, she had to admit. She had been a mousy, timid wallflower before the injection. Subjected to a merciless bullying campaign by her stepsister, Auronee Farwynd, her confidence and self-worth had been stripped from her and eroded down to almost nothing. She had failed her Pathfinder confirmation, and seemed doomed to a mundane life as the wife of someone her mother arranged for her. However, she became a Pathfinder by allowing to be a test subject for the mysterious Numerian substance. After that, despite the sometimes terrifying alterations to her body, she’d enjoyed some real successes for the first time in her life as she teamed up with the other Pathfinders who’d also taken the serum.
She’d saved the city, saved people, stopped slavers and reunited family members. She’d won the esteem of nobles and lords. She even tried to effect real change by reforming how slavery worked in the city, giving the indentured people more rights and the ability to work toward freedom. She had staked all her influence, fame and reputation on it, and lost.
She had the chance to be a queen, to unite the people of Galt together in peace and lead through the wisdom she’d gained over the course of her trials in Absalom. She failed in that, instead renewing the bloody conflict by her efforts and now she faces life as an exile from her home.
She had observed the rite of courtship, won the heart of a fine and noble paladin, and turned her life to the goddess Iomedae. Yet she had lost him, as well.
I don't really want to know until Absalom finishes. Maybe that's selfish of me, but I'd rather not see spoilers. Maybe Thron and you can work out whatever by PM until then, and I'll address anything as needed once Absalom finishes up.
I understand. I won't post any more until it's time.
I don’t think I have much input to offer for the RotR post-campaign stuff, but if anyone wants to collaborate in regards to Absalom post-game stuff, feel free to let me know. Just because I’ve posted a general outline of things for Argor doesn’t mean that’s all he is doing.
He would totally be down to help Cladissa in her stuff, pull strings to get Thrassk/Gianluca some political appointments, go planeswalking with Eugeni on important tasks, or anything else in Sandpoint with that crew once he sets his side-venture up there.
How many years from now will this start? The answer makes a difference due to varying aging rates. E.g. Ryli's centaur foal will die of old age at 60, vs an elven child who won't reach adulthood for 110 years.
It would be roughly 20-25 years into the future. So any long loved races would need to be like apprentices, adopted children, etc.
Okay, so I've been mainly reading for character interactions (and to get a sense of everyone's playstyle) - but for my edification: What would you guys say are the biggest changes you'll have made to the face of Golarion?
If things play out as is:
Absalom Campaign: Saved the city from various attacks and threats, altered the political landscape. Core of the Pathfinder Society has also been altered significantly.
RotR: Prevented the return of one Runelord while accidentally releasing another.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
RotR: Prevented the return of one Runelord while accidentally releasing another.
An extreme irony if you've looked at the latest AP (Return of the Runelords) and its Big Bad.
Hehehe
::Almost asks a spoilerific question about Book 6, remembers that y'all aren't actually done with it::
Okay, but no one personally dethroned any monarchs, collapsed a nation, ascended to godhood, or anything like that?
Also spoilers if necessary, but is the freed Runelord going to be openly out and about in the intervening time?
I'm not 100% committed, but right now I'm thinking of a child of Argor, who uses magical resonances within relics (Blakros relics, and perhaps otherwise) to cast spells. (Likely, a child who is excited about their COOL NEW WAY to cast spells, not like their dad's old-fashioned way!) ;0)
Mechanically, would be an Occultist. Might go either gish (maybe panoply savant) or pure caster (maybe silksworn).