
MothDad |

"Hmm... You make a good point Zaria, although I do have my own concerns about splitting the group up. My faith and code demand I place myself between my allies and any dangers. I'm no tactician though, so I'll leave that decision to the smarter among us. I know we are all capable in our own right, but just know that if we split I'd like to go with the group needing the most protection."

Curaigh |

Phasetwo nods approvingly at Seoli.* "Before you can hammer the steel, you have to stoke the forge," Phasetwo says. "I used to hate that saying, but I have heard it often enough. My grandparents had a point: the routine work eases the mind into the correct frame for artistic energies to flow." Phasetwo pauses for second fiddling with his bauble. "Where was I going with this? We are not following the bugs, we chose left randomly earlier, we should stick with that. Work the routine.
"My cousin's are more adventurous and look at places like this all the time. I am sure they would say this door. However Kirill* is correct: we are looking for people and not exploring for lost riches. Lets go through this one."**
Zaria*, I am not expecting any trouble, but can you continue to keep an eye on the other door and follow after us? Anri* if your code is to protect others, perhaps you should go in first. I will open the door and shine the light in. He fiddles with the bangle again. "Oh, [android cleric of Brigh]* please mark this door as well?
Ack! PbP's greatest enemy: The Door! :)
*I have lost track of names apologies if I got them mixed up. Also doors. If left door is NOT also bug-scrawlings/key door I might have said that wrong. :)
**As a level 0 non-rogue Phasetwo does not know enough about the traditional exploring methods (check for traps), but as a local he is concerned for the missing folks.

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[android cleric of brigh] observes the group as the debate over which door to choose stretches on. Their mechanical eyes flick between the two options, registering the growing tension among their companions. After a moment of silence, they speaks, their voice calm and steady, but with a hint of impatience.
“We could deliberate further, analyzing the risks and outcomes of both paths, but standing still will not produce answers.” They glance at each door briefly before continuing. “The left or the right, it does not matter. If we encounter danger, we will address it accordingly. I propose we proceed.”
A slight pause, and then, with a faint shift in their tone, before adding:
“If it eases the group’s mind, we can switch directions if the choice proves unfavorable. But inaction, I believe, will yield nothing.”
Their words are a practical nudge, not a push, but the message is clear—they’re ready to move, and hesitation will only delay the inevitable.

MothDad |

Anri nods his head in concession to his companion's wisdom. "You are both right. The longer we stay here deliberating over which door is correct the more likely it is the missing people suffer something horrible. This plan works for me, we've wasted enough time as it is, and the horrible weather on the way here only further delayed us."
Anri takes a deep breath and readies his sword. Of course, his companions are right and they need to move. He may not be a life-long soldier, but his time spent as both a slave and then training among the Iomedaen Knights taught him that inaction and hesitation is the greatest gift one can give their enemies. "PhaseTwo, when you are ready open the door. I'll be ready in the event something tries to come through." Nodding to his companions, the Champion of Iomedae enters a defensive stance, shield raised, by the left door, his feet positioned and tense just right to spring into action should it be needed.
I think you got all the names right Curaigh. I've had to go back and double- and triple-check a few times :)

Twilight Hunter |

Karina lets the mask slip a little, and lets Luther her lute slip her grasp a little, floating in the air before she grabs it by the neck.
At this point, she's hyperventilating a little, holding the lute by its neck, and ready to let her lute do most of the talking. She decided to speak up, her singsong voice absent as she mentally prepares herself for what's beyond the left door as she takes up the back of the party.
"Left door it is. I'm... admittedly," she says, "A bit too frail to be near the front-line. All of you... all of you are right about needing to mark the door, and take the front of formation. We're only going to waste time and breath if we stand here deliberating. Let's get it over with. "

DM DoctorEvil |

Just to restate, the left door has the rune called Birth and a bunch of scrawled and drawn bugs on it. The door on the right has the Key rune scrawled in blood. You chose left from the text it seems, but which is which may have become confused. No matter, since what happens next is all made up anyway...
PhaseTwo pulls on the iron ring, and left hand door swings soundlessly open. Anri is ready to leap into the fray, but no enemy is apparent. Instead, there is a descending stair case of hewn stone -- as opposed to the rest of the cave which has been natural so far. Illuminating the steps with the light from PhaseTwo, the group carefully works their way down the steps. About half way down, a low deep thrumming sound is audible and the vibrations can be felt in the stone walls and even in your chests. The humming gets louder the deeper you go.
Eventually, the stairs end in a hemispheric shaped chamber. No other doors are visible in the room. A long counter made of some strange metal sits in front of a long glass window on the concave side of the partial circle. In the metal table there is round indention, about 1" deep and roughly the size of a baseball. There are two buttons near the indention, one red and one black.
The glass window looks out into about 20' below. The chamber below is lit by several fiery braziers which give an eerie red glow to everything below. Scrawled on the floor below is a large figure of a beetle, perhaps 30-40 long. AT each segment of the insectile body (head, thorax, abdomen) and each of the 6 legs, stands a missing villager. Each villager is motionless, their heads dropping onto their chests, seemingly unaware of your presence in the observation area above. All nine are accounted for here.

Supreveio |

Seoli grit her teeth as the party began descending the spiral stairs. Her fear and anxiety was certainly not helped by the intense drone in her ears and the vibrations in her chest. As the cacophony grew louder, she began rubbing her temples in an attempt to alleviate the headache it was giving her. She was, however, pleasantly surprised by the lack of bugs, spiders, or any other creepy-crawlies she believed would be behind the door.
Seoli gasped as the missing villagers came into view of the large window of the party's sudden vantage point, "What's goin' on here? What is this?!" She quickly covered her mouth, hoping her utterance of shock would be obscured by the overbearing noise permeating the area.
Provided there's no reaction from outside forces, Seoli will walk up to the pane of glass and look down at the captive villagers, "We need to get down there, quick. But, the only door here's the one we came in, so unless we wanna break through the glass..."
She ponders over the situation for a moment before slapping her forehead, "Damn it. The door we didn't take is the door that leads there, isn't it."

Twilight Hunter |

Karina, once again, silently strums Luther her lute as she tries to detect any magic in the air for a clue as to what's going on. Her singsong voice is gone, and she's sweating bullets at this point. She goes over to the townsperson that she knows, and looks them over for any clue as to what happened.
"Are... are they trying to," she gulps as she tries to regain her composure, but it's nigh-impossible to do so at this point, "Are they trying to birth their 'King' with... with the townsfolk? Any of you even hearing me?!"
Once Seoli said mentions the door, Karina looks ready to bolt to the other door to find out what's in that door, to see if the Kitsune woman was correct.

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[Android Cleric of Brigh] steps cautiously into the room, their eyes scanning the strange setup. The low thrumming vibrates through their frame, and they take a moment to observe the metallic counter, the odd buttons, and the unsettling sight of the villagers below.
Their gaze lingers on the large insectile figure scrawled on the floor, the eerie stillness of the villagers unsettling even for someone who processes emotion differently.
“This is not an accident. Everything here—” they motion to the indented counter and then to the glass, “—is deliberate. A ritual, or a mechanism... perhaps both.”
They step closer to the counter, glancing at the others for a moment before looking down at the indention and the buttons. Their fingers hover just above the surface, careful not to touch anything yet.
“The pattern below suggests control or activation. If we engage this mechanism, it may trigger something.” Their eyes shift toward the villagers, a flicker of concern in their gaze. “We must tread carefully. These buttons—red and black—likely hold the answer, but which...?”
[Android Cleric of Brigh] steps back from the counter and folds their arms across their chest.
“I believe our next course of action should involve understanding this device. Unless someone here recognizes this symbology, we are operating in the unknown.” They glance again toward the villagers below. “They may be bound to whatever function this serves. Are we prepared to risk activating it?”
Their voice is steady, but it’s clear they are weighing the risks. This situation feels like a dangerous puzzle, and they don’t want to move without understanding the consequences.

MothDad |

The thrumming as the party descends reminds Anri of the anxiety he'd once felt hearing the footsteps of his former master approaching. For a moment he thought his heart might burst, and the ringing in his ears grew cacophonous. Upon entering this stranger observation room, all that was forgotten. "Hold on, we'll get you out of there soon."
Anri looks at [Android Cleric of Brigh] and nearly yells as he says "Prepared to risk activating it? Are you mad! We cannot risk the lives of the very people we are here to save. If anyone has any technical knowledge, by all means try and figure out what this does but for the love of all that is just do not activate it without being one-hundred percent sure of what it will do."
Looking down on the missing people, Anri is convinced they are not here of their own free will. He recognizes a few of the townsfolk and cannot help but think of the inevitable conversation with their families should they fail to save them. "I think Seoli is right. We must get down there now, and Zaria's plan is a good one. Why dont we just break the glass now and tie some ropes up here so we can descend safely rather than risk going through the other door and ending up somewhere unknown?

DM DoctorEvil |

End of Phase 3
Sorry to leave you all with a cliffhanger from the writing sample, but I trust everything works out in the end. I suppose if you really want to know how things play out, you can look for me to recruit for a homebrew game sometime in the distant future....
That said, we should know enough about each others history, character concepts, and writing & characterization style to make good judgements about other players, and/or PCs. This will lead to Phase 4 of selections.
Some changes in concept or clarifications of existing concepts are expected in the final group selected, so don't worry too much about players who don't have clear concepts or who still have options open. There will be time for final answers and adjudications.

DM DoctorEvil |
4 people marked this as a favorite. |

Phase 4 - Voting
After all the other phases, the final phase is selecting those party members you'd most want to join the game with. Remember we are telling this story together, so you should have some say in the other partners.
To complete this Phase, please send me the 3 players you would most want to be in a long term game with. Recall that I am keen on selecting players, not characters, so please don't base your judgement solely on how the party might work together or other mechanical thoughts. The idea here is synchronicity and long term compatibility as we embark on a journey together. Please don't vote for yourself -- your interest is implied at this point.
Your 3 votes should be in preference order, and give some reason as to why you selected them over others. It can be hard to be selective, so you may send to me via spoiler or even PM if it makes you more comfortable.
I have my own thoughts, but will allow my votes to carry the same weight as each finalist. The players with the most weighted votes will be selected. I will break ties.
I have re-listed the current finalists below so you can more easily identify them. I would like to have all of the voting done by Wed PM, and will give one 24 hr notice to players that have not submitted a ballot.
LMK if questions/concerns

DM DoctorEvil |

Here are the remaining players in no particular order. Please consider the player more than the character, especially since some are not fully fleshed out yet.
Seth86- white-skinned orc druid, drawn to something in the ground around Torch
Lia Wynn - precision ranger from Torch; maybe a firearm, maybe a catfolk; perhaps a little western flavor
Supreveio - Tian Xia monk runaway
Twilight Hunter - bard, no a witch. Exile on the run
Moth Dad - liberation champion of Iomedae; slave freer
Codanous- android cleric of Brigh; curious about synthetic spirituality
Ollie Twist 1) android wizard pilfering spell knowledge or 2) smith from Torch who is metal kineticist
Curaigh - PhaseTwo maybe Starmetal Smith; maybe Archeologist. no class selected so far, but has something burning a hole in their pocket

DM DoctorEvil |

I have 7 of 8 votes in. will give till tomorrow evening for the last of the players votes to come. Then I will vote, break ties, and announce the players.
The AP calls for 4 players, but I plan to take 5 to account for eventually PBP attrition of the main group. If we have to re-recruit, or someone declines the seat, I will roll back via PM to his group to see if they are interested in picking it up.
More to come soon.

Curaigh's Recruitment Avatar |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Hi all, My vote is now in. :)
I will say that on a scale of 1-10 I had only 9s & 10s for you all (even for Sir Long Ears* who left earlier. I really enjoyed the mini game without the pressure of finding a voice, choosing a class, building a character, creating a new profile, and building the anticipation. I built this recruitment avatar to skip much of that. :)
I had fun even if the pick does not go my way. :) I think this will be a good campaign judging by the recruitment process. Kudos to DM Doctor Evil and good luck to everyone! :)

DM DoctorEvil |

Yes, all the votes are in (including mine) and before I am off to bed, I will give the final results. I ask that each selected player formally accept, or decline, and until we end up with 5 acceptances.
If you are accepted, congratulations! It's been a more difficult recruitment than usual, but you persevered. Please start to work building an alias, fleshing out the mechanical details and stat bloc, and refining the backstory, hooks, and motivations of your PC. The Discussion thread should be unlocked soon to let you sign in.
If you were not selected - thanks for your patience in the attempt to build a great story. I will be in touch if we need to re-recruit, so keep your eyes open. Wish I could take 8 PCs, but as you know, that would just bog down the story and the action. Best of luck in your search for a game.
Here are the 5 top vote getters, in no particular order:
Cadanous
MothDad
Lia Wynn
Twilight Hunter
Seth86
Thanks to all for an entertaining process!

MothDad |

These words are accepted... it's me, I accept! Just want to say thanks to everyone who participated in the recruitment, I had a blast with you all and would be more than happy to play in games with all of you in the future regardless. Looking forward to this game!
I've got a busy day at work today so I will have to start working on this stuff tonight if I can.
Happy playing all :)

DM DoctorEvil |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

Attrition has happened to this group and there are only 3 players remaining. There is a ranger, a bard/witch, and an android cleric of Brigh. The game is good and the remaining players are active. We are looking for 2-3 more players to join the game.
As a reminder this is a PF2e version of a PF1 AP that is being converted as we go. There are heavy science fiction themes in this AP. The group has just turned level 2, so new PCs can enter at that experience level or less.
Ideally, this is about the ability to post consistently and stay in a game longer than a few weeks, so please, if you wish to apply, in addition to character concept, please discuss your time and tenure with PBP campaigns, and your realistic ability to post at least once daily for a long time to come.

DM DoctorEvil |

I’d love to throw my name in the hat. Let me review the character creation rules… waited for Strength of Thousands last time, but ready for more 2e. Free Archtype? Ancestral paragon? Exlempar allowed?
None of that. Basic build. Use Paize published resources only. No 3pp allowed please. No need to wow me with an exotic build...I prefer some version of tried and true. Mainly though I am looking for longevity, so tell me about that also.

scranford |

See my post in the original recruitment from Aug 27th. I’ve been in one game on these boards since 2011. :-).
Minotaur and Exemplar are both Paizo published options. If you meant “core only” I can throw together an Orc Monk. Wasn’t trying to min/max or impress… just like to try new things, and thought a big peace loving Minotaur pressed into heroism would be fun.

scranford |

I am fine with Exemplar. And begrudgingly Minotaur as well. Monstrous builds may lead to troubled interactions with locals who are unfamiliar with the less common ancestries...
Noted. I’m working out a probably human Exemplar. So many ideas… so few games / characters. Should get a profile up for review today.

OceanshieldwolPF 2.5 |

Doctor Evil - how far into the Campaign is the group? I have played the first Adventure to the end in PF1e - just trying to judge likely concepts etc…will new characters be found in situ or at an available break…? [EDIT - oh, I see your post to Scranford re: why are you in Torch…still wondering how far the party is…]
I tend toward being a solid player. I like a lot of roleplay, relish combat and try to be attentive to the plot. I prefer interesting characters, but simple builds (my Orc “melee witch” in Scranford’s PF2e game was an…outlier…) Mostly because I’m still trying to get experienced with PF2.

Zaria Thorne |

Doctor Evil - how far into the Campaign is the group? I have played the first Adventure to the end in PF1e - just trying to judge likely concepts etc…will new characters be found in situ or at an available break…? [EDIT - oh, I see your post to Scranford re: why are you in Torch…still wondering how far the party is…]
I tend toward being a solid player. I like a lot of roleplay, relish combat and try to be attentive to the plot. I prefer interesting characters, but simple builds (my Orc “melee witch” in Scranford’s PF2e game was an…outlier…) Mostly because I’m still trying to get experienced with PF2.
We're not that far in at all. We're level 2 and dropping back to Torch for rest, let the town council know what we have found, and potentially get new allies.

Bahir Steele |

So a series of events that led to Bahir's arrival in Torch.
1. Born in the city of Wati in Osirion, Bahir was part of a family that constantly searched the ruins and markets of the area for artifacts. As expected, the family had a high mortality rate, so tended towards lots of children. Though Bahir shared some of this "curiosity" he was really interested in the materials that composed what was found. When his uncle Kashish died Bahir found a spear head in his belongings made of some material, he was unfamiliar with so began his long relationship with metal.
2. Bahir was apprenticed to a blacksmith... or two or three in town during his formative years. He COULD do the work, but farming implements and nails were just too boring and his ended up either being barely functional, or ugly... he was all interested in what could be done to change the metal not the finished product... and he still couldn't figure out what material the spear head was composed of. He couldn't even get it to melt or break.
3. After being released by the fourth blacksmith in a row Bahir decided to take off on his own... see the world... and hopefully find new alloys, methods and what the spear head was formed of.
4. Abasalom it is! Surely someone in the greatest city in the world would know something about this spearhead. Looking back, he probably asked too many questions too freely. One night walking home reading a scroll on high-temperature bronze forging he was set upon by a group of bandits. He held his own for a moment due to his great strength and thought he'd found a path to freedom when from nowhere a long strip of material settled around his neck. As it tightened, he felt hidden blades rip into his strong neck and the others bore him to the ground. They took everything he owned except for his trusty spearhead. He awoke in great pain but alive. Somehow the deep wounds around his neck seemed to have been magically healed. He unwrapped the bladed scarf from around his neck and marveled at the healing. As he rolled over trying to get his bearings he found beneath his prone form a strange coin, made up of an equally strange metal. Numeria... where was that.
5.Thus began the long journey north seeking the source of the strange coin. A stop in Highhelm introduced him to new methods and allowed him to trade a few days of labor for a nice pair of Dwarven made gauntlets, but no answers about the strange metal. A brief and largely unfruitful journey to the borders of Kyonin left him with a not altogether pleasant social encounters with elves... with again no answers about the metal... though one elven woman came back to him after the largely unsuccessful encounter and gifted him an elven made and beautiful sash with some strange words. "May this gift grant you with shared success".
6. North through the River Kingdoms with countless adventures enough to fill a bards saga he began to feel that perhaps Numeria might offer him a path to mysteries unsolved... the origin of the coin? Entering the strange land he heard rumors of a strange flame emitting from the ground unlike any natural flame. Perhaps??? He was directed to seek the town of Torch. Perhaps someone there might have knowledge of what he desired... but once again luck intervened. The very night he arrived in town the flame went out. Nobody seemed concerned at first... until it didn't come back on. Oh well He could wait for a while anyway. What was the name of this tavern... The Copper coin... that sounded... affordable?

Violant |

I might see if I can come up with a character, depending on how full recruitment looks. Would a crossbow-slinger be acceptable? (Since 1e's Bolt Ace got rolled into the base class). If not, I'll probably draft someone to replace your Druid.
I will warn you, I was running this game at one point, and was in a later book as well, but I can separate game knowledge and character knowledge.

DM DoctorEvil |

Thanks for interest.
Violant - no worries about in game knowledge. I don't have issues with gunslinger per se though its not my favorite. Druid is also acceptable.
Oceanshieldwolf - feel free to apply if you like. This is PF2e game in case it wasn't clear.
Suprevio - will you link the prior app again here so I don't have to go looking for it?
Bahir (exemplar) and Efni (elf barbarian) are both completed applications.
I expect to make decisions on 2 (maybe 3) new PCs by the end of the week

Supreveio |

My concept is a young kitsune (or if that's not allowed, human) woman from Goka in the western reaches of Tian Xia who prefers to fight with martial arts.
The daughter of former adventurers who have opened an inn in the capitol after retiring from their journeying days. She was raised working in the inn and her monk-scholar mother tried training her in the art of fighting unarmed, but her lack of discipline prevented her learning everything she should have. Life in Tian Xia bored her.
Her parents would often regale her with stories about their adventuring exploits, learning of places far beyond Tian Xia. Of the eerie, death-filled lands within the Eye of Dread. Of the Shining Kingdoms just across the sea. But what stood out to her among the lands she heard about was that of the Broken Lands. In particular, Numeria, filled with strange, massive wonders wrought from unknown metals.
Inspired by their tales, she wished to set out for an adventure of her own. Though her mother warned her of the dangers of Numeria and the Broken Lands in general, this just further kindled her adventurous spirit. Thus, when she became of age, she ran away from home and purchased a ferry to Avistan with what little money she had in the hopes of finding excitement on a foreign continent.
She would take on small jobs here and there during her journey through the Shining Kingdoms to fund her for her true destination: Torch.
---
From a crunch perspective, I'd likely make her either a Monk or a Fighter with Martial Artist Dedication, with either the Barkeep or Servant backgrounds.
If this doesn't fit, I have another idea in mind that I can flesh out later on.

Efni Raan |

This is Ellioti's submission. Elven Barbarian with Gossip Background and Marshal dedication.
Backstory and Pathbuilder Link in the profile.I'm currently active in another game which started last August and I can usually post more than once per day, if the rest can keep up ;)
I'm not fully committed to Marshal. Also considering no archetype, Rogue or Dandy. But ist 5he end it is a charismatic Barbarian, crazy but nice.

Violant |

I'm probably in too many campaigns and applying for too many already, but if your recruitment needs more people I could draft up an elven Zohls follower. I'll probably give them the Witch Archetype, and eventual Cleric.
I based the concept of the character on three things:
1. Funny d12 effective reload 1 crossbow build once it's online.
2. A sidebar in I think it was book 4 about how the Technic League was founded. It'd be a character interested in how the Technic League started, and might hint at how "I don't remember it always being this way..." because, well. Elven lifespan go brrr.
3. Even if heavy Crossbow is their primary weapon, this is Iron Gods.