A Rivalry in Diobel

Game Master caster4life

"“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement."

Such were the words that Cassia lived by. She was both an Aasimar and a Paladin of Iomodae. From birth she knew what her place in the world was, for it was to spread light to the darkest corners and to bring hope where there was none. It was for this reason that she joined the Crusade against the World Wound, certain in the righteousness of her cause.

And this was fortunate for Cassius. Unlike the aforementioned righteous paladin, he was a tiefling. From birth he knew what his role was: it was to survive. A native of Kenabres, he was but one of many tieflings who eked out a living on the streets. He had been a thief, for there were no honest jobs available to him, and it was better than starving. And then he was a cultist, not because he *believed* in the demons, but because the cultist who recruited him was one of the first people who actually treated him like he was human.

When Cassia's order raided the lair of the cult, most were put to the sword. Cassius, though, survived. Having received no training whatsoever in how to fight, he immediately threw his sword down and surrendered when the paladins came in. And even then he almost died, with Cassia insisting that he be taken prisoner, for she saw no evil in him.

Their tale, as interesting as it may be, could be easily summarized. At first, Cassia saw in the tiefling a chance to save a soul, and as such she began to visit him in the prison. Their conversations eventually shifted from that of religion and salvation, and by the time he earned his release a romantic interest had developed. The outcome of that, was a son, Gaelden.

The union of an aasimar and a tiefling is a rare occurrence, and as such neither knew what to expect from their child. It was with horror and sadness that they found that their son took much, physically, from his father. He had the smallest of horns upon his brow, and that was the least of his worries. His teeth were sharp, like that of a predator. And his fingers...they were normal at first. But they could extend, so that they would end in claws, which were sharp enough to scratch metal. As a child this extension was not always voluntary, which led to much fear and shame on his part. It seemed clear that the blood of the abyss was dominant within him.

Raised in Kenabres, it was expected that when he came of age he would become a crusader like his mother. That ended when the city fell. As the wardstones failed and the forces of the abyss tore the city in twain, his future took a dramatic change. Cassia fell in the defense of the city, with Cassius fleeing with their young child in his arms. He fled from the city, and from his past, going as far as he could. All the way to Diobel. It was there that he had most of his memories, being but the son of a tiefling refugee. His father did his best to raise a child alone, but by the then he was a broken man. When Demon Fever spread through the town, Cassius was one of those afflicted. Gaelden did what he could to care for his father, for no healer was willing to treat an afflicted tiefling who couldn't afford a cure. Given that both Cassius and Gaelden worked as hired labor for the Kortos Consortium, even with all of their coin pooled together they could not afford any real treatment. With his heart having been long since broken, Cassius passed away. As for Gaelden? From then he was alone, and had but himself to look after.

It was after this, that the first sparks of his mother's blood became apparent. He found himself, as he came of age, being able to perform minor acts of magic as if by instinct. And it was not the sort that one would expect from the abyss. It was different, in that it was warm, and full of hope. Enough, that when he reached adulthood, he was determined to use this gift to make something out of himself. Something more than being mere labor for a consortium that cared nothing for him. All he needed was the opportunity.

1. How did your character acquire their skills and values?
* Shifter Skills: Maw and Claw Tiefling. There is nothing really trained about it. He is naturally strong (Str18) and has Wis to AC. But he never learned how to use any weapons (no proficiency) nor armor of any sort. Likewise, as a sorcerer, his arcane abilities are purely inherited.
* As for values, he grew up living a hard life, while being persecuted. However, he also had stories of his heroic mother, whom he never knew. So while his first value is to survive, there is an underlying desire to live up to his mother's name.

2. What does your character think is important in life?
* Respect. It is what he desires more than all else. He wants to be seen as a hero, as someone that others would look up to.

3. What does your character look like?
* From a distance, he would look like a normal man. Up close, one would notice the small horns, and when he talks the sharp teeth would be apparent. As for his hands, his gloves more-or-less hide the claws, but should any look at them carefully they would readily notice them.

4. What are some of your characters quirks?
* Whenever possible he wears his gloves (stolen from the Kortos Consortium. When they refused to give an advance on payment to buy his father the medicine he needed, Gaelden stole the expensive gloves to 'get back' at them). He also will always wear a hood, should it be possible, to hide his horns. Finally, when talking he does all that he can to avoid showing his teeth, giving him a slow and deliberate speech. All of this is to hide his abyssal heritage when in public.
* This is belied by his style of fighting, for should he be forced into it, there is a rage inside of him. With maw and claw he is willing to tear into another.

5. Who does your character care about the most? (Hint: “no one” is usually a bad, Edgelordy answer to this question).
* Iomodaeans, especially their priesthood. As this was the faith of his mother, he shares it as well. He has a soft spot for them, and for the faithful. In this, father Makkas (feel free to change name), a local priest of the goddess, means much to him. The man had always treated Gaelden well, and has taught him much about the faith.

6. What is your character’s biggest flaw? What about their biggest strength of character?
* Biggest Flaws: Anger and insecurity.
* Biggest Strength: Physical strength. That and a desire to live up to ideals that he cannot reach.

7. What is your character’s history with the Kortos Consortium? Why are they loyal to the consortium and exactly how deep does that loyalty run?
* He has spent most of his life working for them, acting as physical labor to load and unload goods, as well as to stock them in their warehouses. He has no real loyalty to them, for he is still upset that they cared nothing for his father's illness.

8. What is your character’s history in Diobel? Why are they loyal to Diobel and exactly how deep does that loyalty run?
* All of his memories are from Diobel. The city is his home. He has good memories and bad memories, with people who have treated him well and others who have treated him horribly. If the city was in danger, he would want to defend it.

9. What are some ways you see your character developing as they try to help Diobel and the Kortos Consortium while dealing with all sorts of threats related to the rivalry with the Golden Cartel?
* He starts being naive and inexperienced. While I don't know how he would develop, I do know that he would grow up by experiencing the dangers of adventuring.

Link

Liquid Glass
Source Merchant's Manifest pg. 17

This heatstone-derived glass is warm to the touch and slightly malleable, as if it were still liquid. A pliable nature allows this otherwise razor-sharp crystal to repair itself when it takes damage. An item made from liquid glass repairs damage to itself at a rate of 2 hit points per day, even if the weapon is broken or destroyed (but not if the weapon is destroyed in a way that the pieces cannot be retrieved, such as via disintegrate). If a weapon made from liquid glass has full hit points, it grants a +1 bonus on damage rolls. Items made from liquid glass have 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.
Type of Liquid Glass Item Item Price Modifier
Weapon +800 GP
Other Items +250 GP/lb.

Well then. I haven't GM'd in so, so long. Back in the day I, and a friend of mine, ran a PbP website for warhammer fantasy RP. My rule of thumb was to keep a good pace, and to not worry all too much about things that would drag a campaign down or turn it into a chore. That, and players should have agency, so that it isn't a railroad where one person tells a story and everyone else rolls dice. Sadly, I don't have any examples, as it has been far too many years. But when it is my turn I'd be happy to brush the dust off.

A priestess of Shelyn is missing. What is strange is not that she is missing, but that both the Kortos Consortium and the Golden Cartel are looking for her. A fair amount of gold is being offered for her location, and even more for her, and nobody is saying why. The last that anyone heard of her was that she was acting as a midwife for a number of villages out in the wilderness....

Social Identity
* Ghorza Thurisdottir
* Lawful Neutral Smith

Being so close to Abasalon, it is to no surprise that Diobel has a fair share of craftsman. Ghorza is but one of these. An armorsmith by trade, her work carries a fair price. In this, she has a reputation for being well-worth the price, for what she makes would inevitably be called 'master-work.' +13 Craft. And when business is slow on orders, she is not above dabbling in the buying and selling of similar goods. She will happily buy and sell from both the Kortos Consortium and the Golden Cartel, being sure to not get too involved in their squabbles. For it is all just business. She is just one amongst many. A simple craftswoman, leading a simple life.

Vigilante Identity
* Stonesoul
* Lawful Good Adventurer

At least, that is what it appears on the surface. If there is one thing that she cannot stand, it is when common people are hurt by those in power. All through her life she has seen it. The wealthy, and the influential, and those with magical power at their disposal or great physical strength. They walk all over the common person. Might makes right, or so they say. Either through the outlaw outright preying on others, or the well connected corrupting the law. It is then that she is willing to get involved. In this, she has a secret that none but her closest family know. She is soul-bound to the stone. It is a blessing, or an affliction, that appears to infect dwarves more than others. In this, the stone listens to her, allowing her to make it a part of her and to shape it as she wills. This ability has grown as she has aged, and it has become stronger the more she uses it in life or death situations.

In this, she goes by the name of Stonesoul, a name which her brother gave her when she had confided in him what she could do. When she calls upon it, her skin hardens like stone, giving her an appearance much like an oread. She does what she can to keep her civilian identity secret, as when she is in this guise she will work to do what she feels is right. And while that is all well and good, she would hate to bring trouble upon her family, or to lose the livelihood that she lives on.

1. How did your character acquire their skills and values?
* Raised to follow in the Clan's traditions of armor smithing (vigilante social identity)
* She has a connection to the earth, allowing her to intuitively both shape stone and to make it be a part of herself (kineticist)

2. What does your character think is important in life?
* Honor. Duty. Self Respect. She seeks to do what she thinks is right, and to balance the competing interests of her life.

3. What does your character look like?
* As a civilian, she looks like the profile picture.
* As a vigilante, her skin hardens like stone and her hair darkens as well. In this, she has the disguise skill to further darken her hair so that she appears different.

4. What are some of your characters quirks?
* When she is 'one with the stone', she attempts to speak with the accent of a dwarf from the Five Kings Mountains. Specifically, from Kraggodan. As the first of the Sky Citadels, she has romanticized it, and as a vigilante likes to pretend that she is in the same vein of the great heroes of old. In many ways, it is an idealized version of herself as well. She tends to stand up straighter, and to speak with more 'gravitas' when in this guise. She has almost convinced herself of its truth, given how into the story she is.

5. Who does your character care about the most? (Hint: “no one” is usually a bad, Edgelordy answer to this question).
* Her family. In this, her father, mother and brother, all of whom still live in Abasalon. The idea of any of them learning about her secret identity, or even worse, the backstory of being from Kraggodan that she has invented for 'Stonesoul', would probably make her die of shame.

6. What is your character’s biggest flaw? What about their biggest strength of character?
* Biggest flaw is her idealism. She tells herself that she adventures because of altruistic reasons of making the world a better place, but if she was honest with herself, it would really be as she wants to be better. More perfect. If she is disrespected, or feels as if though she has failed, then she tends to take it to heart far too much.
* Biggest strength is her determination. She will push herself further than she probably should, if she feels that it is for the right cause. This can take a strain on her body that is not exactly healthy, but she will still gladly take that upon herself.

7. What is your character’s history with the Kortos Consortium? Why are they loyal to the consortium and exactly how deep does that loyalty run?
* She has worked with them before. Both in crafting, and in the moving of goods. The relationship is purely business, and she holds no loyalty to them beyond whatever deal they make at the time.

8. What is your character’s history in Diobel? Why are they loyal to Diobel and exactly how deep does that loyalty run?
* She is from Abasalon, but moved to Diobel to have less competition for the quality of her work. Diobel is her home, and she would defend it as such.

9. What are some ways you see your character developing as they try to help Diobel and the Kortos Consortium while dealing with all sorts of threats related to the rivalry with the Golden Cartel?
* Honestly? I'm not sure. It will all depend on what she experiences. Perhaps she will grow to truly believe her backstory. Perhaps it will shake her idealism and make her 'grow up' and face reality. We'll see

Zaborjca's workload was getting out of hand.

Usually a lot of work was a good thing. Monster slaying for hire is kind of a feast or famine profession, after all, so steady work is a nice change of pace. And the Kortos Consortium was a pleasure to work with: prompt payment, professional mannerisms, and generally manageable contracts. Kobolds, goblins, and the like. But lately the contracts had involved more monstrous, aquatic foes, and well... Lea hated it when he came home wounded, and it worried little Elly so.

Many thought that he had married out of convenience, what, a professional monster killer married to a doctor and surgeon, and with their daughter quickly following in her footsteps, but nay. The two had truly married for love.

Zaborjca shakes his shaggy red hair and beard as he snaps back to the task at hand. A letter, from the Kortos Consortium. Zaborjca takes a deep breath. It's gonna be another long workday.