Taliesin's Way of the Wicked

Game Master Merddyn

Craft Skill: Alchemy
Lore Skill: Poisonous Plants
Profession: Apothecary

Ability Scores
Strength:12
Dexterity:12
Constitution:15
Intelligence:20
Wisdom:17
Charisma:8

Born to a relatively well-off elven family, Yahlara's life was once a pleasant one- taught her mother's skills as an Apothecary and raised to be an upstanding citizen of Talingarde, Yahlara embodied her parent's hope for a peaceful and prosperous future. Yet, in flickers of the night lanterns, Yahlara saw a great darkness- one that was no simple absence of light, but seemed to swallow it, leaving her cold and uneasy. For many years, she feared this, confiding in her parents a deep superstition and paranoia. It was their response that enraged her- a dismissal of her fears which left her feeling infantalized and resentful. It was in these darker emotions she came to realize that the darkness was not some beast hunting her, but one following her, and in time and study she came to understand it, and with further time, gain power from it. The shadows carried with them knowledge, knowledge of a god of great Power, the First, and in her darkening mind Yahlara came to desire this power. However, her increasing attention to the shadows and angry glances and glares directed at her family made her activities all but obvious to her parents, and, when their reason failed, they turned her in to the guard. Now, be it her parents will or not, Yahlara has been convicted of Heresy, refusing to renounce the shadows that taught her so much and the Prince who promises power.

Feats: Extra Hex
Alertness (from Familiar)

Yahlara's familiar is a greensting Scorpion she calls Ket

Her traits are the Heresy Campaign trait and Bruising Intellect, which lets her use her intelligence modifier instead of charisma for intimidate checks.

Physically, Yahlara is pale, black haired, but her noticeable feature is her piercing amber eyes. She used to be much more composed and less intimidating, but has become increasingly hostile-looking over the years.

Hit Points: 9
Armor Class: 11
Touch: 11
Flat-footed: 10

Saving Throws
Fortitude: +2
Reflex: +1
Will: +5

CMD: 12
CMB: +1

Initiative: +5

Speed: 30ft

Traits - Fraud, Augmented Disguise
Str: 8 (6)
Dex: 20 (18)
Con: 14
Int: 14
Wis: 9
Cha: 17 (15)

Skills 9
Acrobatics 9
Bluff 9 (+1 to be in character, +2 w/ concealment or cover, t10 to convince innocence)
Diplomacy 7
Disable Device 9
Disguise 8 (+2 posing as human child, no penalties)
Linguistics 6
Local 6
Sleight of Hand 9 (+2 w/ concealment or cover)
Stealth 13

Feats
1 Childlike
3 Pass for Human
5 Innocent Facade
7 Bookish Rogue
9 Weapon Focus (Dagger)
11 Extra Rogue Talent (Glib Facade)

Rogue Talents
2 Quick Disguise
4 One of Those Faces
6 Minor Magic
8 Major Magic
10 Master of Disguise

Now, a halfling in her early twenties running with a small group of tightknit scoundrels, Charmaine was no stranger to crime or the law. Members have come and gone, some more peacefully than others, but the con was always the same: Charmaine, using her uncanny resemblance to a human child, would harp on the sympathies of the fools of Talingarde. Once they had decided she was a whelp worthy of their misguided Mitran charity, she would beg for increasingly expensive things in store windows and from stall vendors, a tidy sum to be gained from their resale with plenty of opportunities for a peak at their coinpurse. With the fool firmly wrapped around her finger, and with a tail of thugs following them, she would abruptly run down an alley calling after a puppy, balloon, or any other object of childish wonder. Like clockwork, the fools always followed her, at least for a couple strides, which was more than enough for the thugs to rough them up and take anything of value. Simple enough, clean, effective.

During one such con, Charmaine found the best victim of her life: her former master. Knowing all of his tells, weaknesses, and preferences after years of servitude, she put her best face forward. Everything had gone to plan and was going well, but it was too late when she finally realized things were going too well. As they approached the alley, it wasn't until he took her hand, instead of Charmaine taking his finger, that it hit her. A life time in the salt mines is all that's left for you, Charmaine. He whispered venomously into her ear, as the unmistakable sounds of fighting erupted behind them. Charmaine screamed.

In a whirlwind of blood and steel, her little band of thieves was slain or violently subdued. Before Charmaine could do anything but watch and scream, everything turned black. When she awoke, she found herself alone in a dark cell with a shoddy Mitran bible and a missive.

Charmaine Trill,

Forever Honorably,
A devout servant of Mitra

Skills 9
Acrobatics 9
Bluff 9 (+1 to be in character, +2 w/ concealment or cover, t10 to convince innocence)
Diplomacy 7
Disable Device 9
Disguise 8 (+2 posing as human child and no penalties, +2 if using a prop)
Escape Artist 9
Intimidate 7 (no size penalties)
Local 6
Stealth 13

Background Skills
Sleight of Hand 9 (+2 w/ concealment or cover)
Linguistics 6

Feats
1 Childlike
3 Pass for Human
5 Innocent Facade
7 Bookish Rogue
9 Weapon Focus (Dagger)
11 Extra Rogue Talent (Glib Facade)

Rogue Talents
2 Quick Disguise
4 One of Those Faces
6 Minor Magic
8 Major Magic
10 Master of Disguise

While abroad, he spent some time in the nation of Cheliax, and became fascinated by their worship of Asmodeus. As a man who could appreciate control over others and twisting the law to his own ends, he quickly began to worship the Archfiend himself. After about a year learning from Chelaxian priests, he returned home with a copy of the Asmodean Disciplines and resumed his law career. With his new faith – and it can be assumed that he had a little help from the King of Hell himself – he quickly rose to the very top of his profession. If there was a loophole he would find it, and if there wasn’t he would simply talk judges and jurists into believing there was one.

Everything was going well when, as it does, everything fell apart. He was entertaining some of the powers-that-be in the Talingarde government, angling for a more lucrative and powerful position, when one of his guests went into a private room in his house and discovered a shrine to Asmodeus. His fall from grace was quick and quiet. To avoid the scandal that would arise with the most prominent legal professional in the very religious country being discovered as a heretic, he was whisked away to Branderscar Prison under another name while word was put out that he had drunkenly fallen down the stairs and broken his neck after the party. That’s where he finds himself now, chained to a wall under an assumed name and about to be executed for blasphemy.

1) Is really more of a request, could you please either put Kasit's background in his profile, or make a post with both his crunch and background in one so that I can reference both more easily?

2) I like that you put in there his hatred and desire for revenge, but with his people fled, what would keep him from returning to them once Kasit achieves "enough" revenge? Or if the teams motives turn to something other than just revenge, like for instance to take over the rule of Talingarde?

1) Is really more of a request, could you please either put Davril's background in his profile, or make a post with both his crunch and background in one so that I can reference both more easily?

2) I am a bit concerned about Davril's fervor for neutrality. For now the PC's will be sowing chaos, but eventually, because it is a Lawful Evil organization, they will want to supplant the chaos with their own order. How would Davril be able to work with that.

Sure!

2) I like that you put in there his hatred and desire for revenge, but with his people fled, what would keep him from returning to them once Kasit achieves "enough" revenge? Or if the teams motives turn to something other than just revenge, like for instance to take over the rule of Talingarde?

A good question. Kasit, as he is forming in my mind, is lawful evil with outsiders and lawful neutral with his own people. Revenge motivates him right now as he feels powerless. But he is wise enough to know that revenge leads to more revenge. Laying low the humans now means that they will retaliate when their strength comes back, as it surely will. His people are few and far between. They won’t survive any further encounters less they flee again. If he could take over Talingarde, he could find a more permanent solution. Especially as a destroyed Talingarde means that a different nation will move in, who will cause the same problems.

He sees humans the way they see hobgoblins. Very organized, violent and evil. Only humans are delusional and hypocritical. If he can control them, then he can protect his people from them.

Plus...he’ll have a Familiar sent to him byAsmodeus. I don’t know how that’ll play out, but I’m sure it will factor into his decision making process.

What does her elven heritage give her that a human upbringing would not? And now that Heverly has achieved her vengeance on those that burned her, what is driving her?

Mostly, her elven heritage gives Heverly a long-lived and patient quality that humans lack over all. While she is somewhat erratic and fickle, it is only in comparison to her elven people.

As for revenge, she still has high ambitions, which she mostly put on hold to achieve revenge. She'd still like some more revenge on Talingarde, particularly for those who are responsible for the change of rulership and Asmodeus' downfall. But in addition to that, Heverly seeks power and will do what she can to find it.

Her second raiding season, her father chose to change his usual routes. Thinking that; as the coasts of Talingarde had been so quiet recently, there might be some ripe targets for the picking. He was mostly right, as they raided a series of coastal villages, they gathered a significant haul of loot, and even struck upon a ship or two in open water. The rules were simple; those who fought were beaten in a show of might, and prowess and those too weak or cowardly would pay tribute to the feared Ulfen raiders or face the consequences.

After a fortnight of raids, the ship began its journey home, heavily laden with the price of weakness and captured trophies from those brave enough to fight. Unfortunately, a storm hit while on the open water, and after battering the ship all day long, there was some damage. Torv chose to seek shelter in a small cove along the coast, and the crew worked overnight, and all through the next day making repairs. Torv chose to spend one more night to allow the crew some rest before resuming the trip home. This decision allowed the Talingarde Naval forces who’d been chasing after Torv’s ship to catch up, and using magical scrying, pinpoint his ship’s location. Late that night, after the moon had set as the crew slept; the navy attacked. Concealed from view within a magical fog, even the watch didn’t see the attack until the first fireball blew apart the deck. Blown from the ship with the force of the blast, Silarsha struck her head on a piece of the rail and dazed, barely conscious as she clung to the floating bit of debris watched as her ship and crewmates were slaughtered with flame, and arrow. The last thing she saw before darkness took her was her father’s burned and lifeless corpse pinned to the remains of the mast by a ballista bolt.

When she surprisingly awoke, Silarsha found she was chained to a bunk onboard the Talingarde navy vessel. Her wounds were bandaged, and a medic with cold hands, and colder eyes was nearby to treat her injuries. Being “merciful people” the sailors had pulled her from the sea to allow her to face trial, and be executed as a pirate under the “justice” of Talingarde. Silarsha was outraged at the slaughter of her father and the crew. Facing an armed foe in combat to the death was an honorable end, but slaughtering sleeping foes with magic and tricks because you could not beat them in a face to face fight? The dishonor and insult the nation of Talingarde had put upon her father’s legacy would not stand. She vowed then and there to see the honor-less nation, and its rulers destroyed. They would suffer as she suffered.

Life was not easy for Nibs, it should be said; ratfolk are among the lowest of the lower classes in Matharyn, and perhaps he would have received mercy if he had been born a human or an elf or even a halfling. Instead, Nibs was cast out of his brood because he refused to serve the patriarch, a low-stakes crime boss called Feyling who required his extended family to steal for their living. Without his largess and exiled to the surface streets, Nibs had to beg and scrounge to survive, completely on his own in the world.

Always outside society looking in, Nibs grew obsessed with arcane magic and would often sit in the tunnels beneath the grand library listening to the wizards and sorcerers practicing their spells. Magic seemed to him the answer to all of his problems: he wouldn't have to work or serve, and he could punish those who had wronged him. He began sneaking into the library and stealing books, which he read voraciously. He learned about devils and other outsiders and how they can be bound by occult rituals, and he knew he had found his calling.

The Rat King lives inside all ratfolk, or so the legends told. Borrowing from dark rites invoking Asmodeus, Nibs plotted his ceremonial summoning very carefully to ensure that the spirit of the king of rats would be forced to serve him and not the other way around. And yes, the creature that emerged looked exactly like him in every detail, except for brief afterimages when it moved, almost as if many identical copies of itself were overlapping the same space.

If he were to somehow escape his imprisonment and execution, Nibs dreams of running his own underground empire. Perhaps summoning the spirit of the Rat King has inflamed these desires, but it gives him joy to picture driving Feyling and his henchmen from their burrows and alleys near the Matharyn docks, and setting up a gang of ratfolk loyal to him instead. Perhaps he is even thinking too small; he could imagine one day setting up and leading a criminal organization that spans all of Talingarde. With his dark servant's help, he might someday become the literal Rat King, and bring his subjects to the better life that they have been denied for too long.

Left to his own devices, Nibs is calculating and quiet. Around other creatures-- particularly those who are bigger and stronger than he is-- he is obsequious and servile, though he hates this instinct in himself. He loves magical things: scrolls, wands, wondrous trinkets of all sorts. He thinks of himself as a great and powerful wizard and enjoys things that encourage this charade. He also likes rats in general, and he devotes hours to caring for them and training them. He is afraid of cats and other creatures that typically prey on rodents, partly for himself and partly on behalf of his many pets.

Though he is not particularly pious or religious, he sometimes leaves offerings (coins, food, blood) to Asmodeus when he has the opportunity, believing that as a summoner of evil creatures it never hurts to have powerful friends on the other side. Many of the tomes he has read say that Asmodeus rewards those who worship and serve him, and he's already got one foot in that pit already, so he figures what the hell.

Abilities: Str 10-2 (-1), Dex 18+2 (+5), Con 14 (+2), Int 13+2 (+2), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 17 (+3)

Size: Small (+1 attack/AC, -1 CMB/CMD)

Level: 1

HP: 11/11 (1d8+3)

AC: 16 (+5 Dex, +1 size)

Initiative: +5 (+5 Dex)

Speed: 20' (slow speed, no armor)

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1

BAB: +0

Weapons: dagger +6 (1d3+0*, +1 vs flanked enemies, 19-20 x2)

Armor: none

Race traits: Darkvision (60'), Rodent Empathy (+4 Handle Animal vs rodents), Swarming (2 ratfolk may occupy same square, flank opponents they both attack), Tinkering (+2 Craft Alchemy/Perception/Use Magic Device)

Favored class bonus: Summoner, +1 hp

Traits: Cruelty (Drawback, -2 attack vs non-dying or non-helpless foes when dying or helpless foes are present), Murder (+1 damage when flanking), Vagabond Child (+1 Escape Artist, class skill), Wicked Leader (+1 Cha vs evil creatures, evil cohort may be one level higher)

Feats: Agile Maneuvers*, Combat Expertise*, Deadly Aim*, Power Attack*, Scurrying Swarmer (can share space with ally, treated as having Swarming and teamwork feats), Weapon Finesse*

Summoner abilities: spellcasting (CL 1), life link (can take lethal damage from eidolon), summon monster (summon monster i, 3+CHA/day, 6/6 remaining), twinned eidolon

Summoner spells:
0th (cantrips) acid splash, guidance, open/close, read magic
1st (1+1/day, 2/2 remaining) infernal healing, mage armor

Adventuring skills: Escape Artist 1+9, Knowledge (Arcana) 1+5, Perception 1+1, Stealth 0+9 (small size), Use Magic Device 1+8

Background skills: Craft (alchemy) 1+7, Handle Animal 1+6* (+4 vs rodents)

Languages: Common, Infernal, Undercommon

Equipment: none

Base Form: Biped

Subtype: Twinned

Size: Small (+1 attack/AC, -1 CMB/CMD)

Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 13 (+1), Int 7 (-2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 11 (+0)

HP: 14/14 (1d10+1, +3 Toughness)

AC: 15 (+2 Dex, +2 natural armor, +1 size)

Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)

Speed: 30' (no armor)

Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2

BAB: +1

Weapons: 2 claws +4 (1d3+1, x2); dagger +4 (1d3+1, 19-20 x2)

Armor: none

Feats: Agile Maneuvers*, Combat Expertise*, Deadly Aim*, Power Attack*, Toughness, Weapon Finesse*

Eidolon abilities: darkvision, link, share spells

Maximum natural attacks: 3

Evolutions: (evolution pool: 1) limbs (arms) 0; limbs (legs) 0; skilled (Disable Device) 1; skilled (Disguise) 0; weapon training 0

Adventuring skills: Acrobatics* 1+5, Bluff* 0+0, Climb* 1+4, Disguise 0+8, Disable Device* 1+13, Knowledge (Planes)* 0-2, Perception* 1+3, Sense Motive* 0+0, Stealth* 0+6, Use Magic Device* 0+0

Background skills: Craft (alchemy)* 1+1, Sleight of Hand 1+2

Languages: Common, Infernal, Undercommon

Equipment: none

I plan for Nibs to take Vile Leadership at level 7 and recruit an evil ratfolk rogue cohort that can also share his space thanks to Rat Stack and automatically flank thanks to Swarming. It's probably overkill, but then again the whole point is a whirling mass of attacks, so maybe there's no such thing. Plus, the cohort would bring more useful skills to the party.

Nibs is primarily a support caster, with things like barkskin, greater magic fang, haste, heroism, mage armor, resist energy, and shield, and later communal stoneskin, dimension door, greater heroism, mass bull's strength, protection from spells and greater teleport. He is not a bad melee fighter, and will be able to deal consistent damage to single targets once he gets an agile weapon, but it's through his eidolon that he will dish out the most pain.

Wocket Daergel was raised in an alchemist’s guild. At first she learned the story of her mother’s plight through the lens of her victims. It was only once she worked her way into apprenticeship that she was sought out by one of her mother’s followers, a tiefling fisherman named Akchar. It was in listening to Akchar’s stories of her mother’s war against Mitra that made Wocket decide to burn down the city by setting fire to her master’s alchemy lab. She was taken in shortly thereafter on charges of sedition. akchar will have to answer to his involvement, if wocket can do what her mother could not: escape Branderscar.

Now the frail, vindictive Wocket is back in Branderscar, only vaguely aware of her legacy, and totally unaware of her father’s contribution to her talents. For Qibys was a spellcaster through study and intellect with only minor dabbling with powerful outsiders, and Wocket is slowly discovering that she has talents of her own which suggest her father played more than an incidental role in her mother’s plans.

I don't think Yehlara is entirely certian on what she wants to do, but in more abstract terms, she wants to continue exploring the Shadows that seem to be the source of her power and to restore what she feels was the might Asmodeus brought to his followers; she would probably try and join any Asmodean organization and try and restore the old faith to Talingarde, by what means become availible. More concretely and immediately, she's likely to try and take some revenge on her parents for betraying her, though she has yet to decide what that really means.

In short, she wants to gain power, put what she thinks of as powerful back in charge, and be allowed to mind her own buisness and study instead of having to deal with these stupid good-doer restrictions that only hold her (and everyone else) back.

In a sense, Yehlara's main modivation is to fulfill the potential she feels she has, and eliminate those that get in the way, including her parents and the society that was created in her own lifetime. To her, its an obstacle to overcome- she has so much to do so she must get this out of the way or she will be wasted.

In season one he unleashes Darkness on the land. One of his demons is seen with a lifeless baby in it’s mouth. Not long before a mother was showing screaming when she saw a bloody crib. And yet by the end of season 2, I couldn’t help but still feel bad for him, even while acknowledging that he was a monster who deserved to die. Because his motivations were relatable and his emotions human.

For the same reasons I understood why his human generals were assisting him in trying to genocide humanity. Both did it for very differen reasons, but they had reasons.

These are good villains because of that. While the Viking vampire who was chaotic stupid? A good side character but not one which could ever be a villain.

Personally, one of my favorite villains, at least from popular media, is Solas from DAI and now DA4 because... he's not a bad guy even though he's the antagonist. He's by all accounts a hero who sees no option besides doing something monstrous to fix the awful world he was forced to create.

Which is weird because as much as I like anti-villains I have a strong disdain for the "they must die for the greater good" played strait like we see in say, the MCU version of Thanos, because usually they're just genocide monkeys trying to legitimize themselves. Hitler aint a compelling villain, people needa stop.

Though comics Thanos is boring AF too imho so eh.

The current patriarch of the Family is Arctaurus De'Foe. This of course does not sit well with his twin brother Gabriel De'Foe. Gabriel felt that the head of the house should have been passed to him. It was Gabriel that led the armies against the savages when that would attempt to rally and strike at the wall. It was Gabriel that selected and trained the soldiers of the army. It was Gabriel that led correspondence with House Darius. Arctaurus was nothing more than a figure-head, a charismatic leader with no practical experience. But Arctaurus was married, and she was with child to produce the next heir.

Arctaurus game Gabriel command of castle Tamms, the one fortress that extended furthest into the Savage lands, the vanguard of the Watch Wall. It would be this fortress that would bear the brunt of any major strike against the Wall. But also, the most isolated of all the castles along the wall.

Gabriel plotted to find a way to legally take hold of the family. He was not ready to commit murder, nor was that an option to him, At least at first. Gabriel met a woman by the name of Abigail Le Torneau. She was a thing of beauty. Perfect golden blonde hair, fair skin, and well educated. It was not long after Gabriel met her, she would be with child.

During a cold and rainy night, a monster was found roaming the halls of Castle Tamms. The alarm was raised and the creature (apparently pregnant) was driven from the castle. Gabriel found that his lovely Abigail was missing. He led a group of men to find her and slay the beast that took her.

The trail lead to a cold dank cave, where the creature had just given birth to a daughter. When Gabriel came upon the scene, the monster revealed herself to be his lovely Abigail, the child was his.

This news was not taken to well with Gabriel’s men, Abigail managed to convince Gabriel that his own men plotted against him. She tricked Gabriel to kill his own men, as they slept. He then returned to Castle Tamms with his daughter. When asked about the soldiers that went with him, he convinced the others that the monster had killed them all, and he managed to save the infant from the monster’s clutches.

The next day, Abigail returned to Castle Tamms and began to raise Morgianna. Gabriel grew darker and more secluded each day. The weight of what he did weighed heavily on him. Gabriel wanted to atone for his sin but did not know how.

As the years went on, Gabriel locked himself away in his chambers most nights, only Abigail would be allowed in. she would spend her nights by his side, filling his head with lies, destroying him weakening him. Biding her time till Morgianna was ready.

Eventually Morgianna was ready to be trained, and she was sent back to House De’Foe to be trained as a Paladin of Mitra. But Abigail’s influence had already corrupted her heart. Though she went through motions and learned all she could she would never accept Mitra.

With Morgianna away, Gabriel found the strength to find out what he needed to do. Late one night, Gabriel was able to slay Abigail, her true for of a Blood Hag was revealed. With renewed strength and his heart and soul forgiven. Gabriel worked to restore Castle Tamms back to what it should be.

When word of this reached Morgianna, she was devastated. She felt the need to avenge her mother, but to do that she would need an army. Morgianna remembered the rituals her mother had taught her, but she was unsure what would happen, or if they would even work. Late one night, Morgianna snuck out from her training and rode out into the Savage lands. Following a trail that seemed to just come natural to her, guided by the spirit of her mother.

She came upon a small deserted shrine to a forbidden god, guarded by two hags, Agatha and Amanda. They recognized the offspring of their sister Abigail and welcomed her into the shrine. There Morgianna learned the teachings of Asmodeus. But to seal her fate and become one of Asmodeus’ chosen, a blood sacrifice was needed, a pure sacrifice with a good heart.

Morgianna knew the perfect one. A young girl Harriet, daughter of Arctaurus’ sister Bella. The Lady Harriet was purest of pure, and a chosen disciple of Mitra. Over the next few weeks, Morgianna approached her, seduced her, and took Harriet as her lover. When the time was right, Morgianna was to sacrifice Harriet to seal her pact with Asmodeus. But the ritual was interrupted when Lady Sabrina and Lady Yaniel stumbled upon them.

Morgianna grabbed Harriet and fled the Castle heading back to the shrine to Asmodeus in the Savage lands, Sabrina and Yaniel gave chase. But Agatha, and Amanda managed to hold off the two Paladins just long enough for Morgianna to complete the ritual and sacrifice Harriet, But no time to escape.

Morgianna was taken and tried for murder, practicing dark arts, and Treason. In the end, Morgianna was convicted of High Treason as it was discovered that Morgianna had higher aspirations than just House De’Foe, she wanted the throne of Talingarde. Several documents were discovered showing her plans to take control of House De’Foe and use the house influence to gain access to the House Darius. She had plans to open the Watch Wall for the savages of the north to advance south into Talingarde. Morgianna was sentenced to Brandiscar prison. However, Asmodeus had much larger plans for Morgianna, Brandiscar was just a stop along the way to something much bigger.

Additional info:
1. I will be using the Iron Tyrant Archetype for “free” this will allow Morgianna to have two bonds, one with her weapon, and the second with her armor.

Morgianna family tree
House De’Foe

image of Morgianna

I thinking of going with the bounty hunter archetype (he wouldn't be a bounty hunter per se,qd it's just a chassis), would you allow me to use Slayer Talent to pick up Dirty Maneuvers and Deadly Surprise (using an advanced talent for Deadly Surprise) from the Cad Fighter archetype?