When travelling through the Holds of Belkzen, a band of adventurers may suffer many a mishap. Any band with more injuries than they can treat at the moment may find itself approached by a raven. The bird stays out of bowshot, but shouts from that distance, telling the 'unfortunate travellers' that "the Doctor" would be happy to treat them for a reasonable fee. If the adventurers agree, the raven leaves, and the group is soon approached by an old, bent-backed Orc with a big grin, riding a mammoth. This is Doctor Strangemeat, and the mad old Orc appears to be on the level: he treats any injuries, is happy to sell -- or give, if intimidated -- the adventurers healing wands he has created, and provides a wealth of information on the Holds of Belkzen. If adventurers claim not to have money, they have a 50% chance that the mad old hermit provides any healing they need completely free of charge!
The downside is that when adventurers follow Doctor Strangemeat's directions to wherever they're going, they always run up against Orcs sooner or later. Doctor Strangemeat is serious about keeping adventurers in fighting shape -- so they'll make for a worthy challenge for the next Orcs they come across. After all, his true passion is the improvement of the Orcish race...
Warning: This particular hook is for mature audiences only. While travelling through the Varisian hinterlands, the adventurers may come upon an ideal camping site in the forest. They might get the feeling that someone or something is stalking them. Some soon find themselves under attack by summoned creatures, which try to pilfer some magical treasure the adventurers possess. Others, who try to discover who or what is watching them from the shadows, soon find themselves in a torrential rainstorm or a snowstorm, depending on the season. Fortunately, there is a small farming community nearby, and it does not take long to reach shelter for summoned creatures or the merciless elements at the nearest house.
Anyone who stays at Dogwood Farm may find that Shelka is even more welcoming than she seems at first - aggressively so. Opportunities for embarrassment are amply available, especially if Mannius discovers "that his guests have abused his hospitality". While he is actually well-aware of the likely turn of events, Mannius may try to sue or violently drive off any cuckolds, rather than lose face. If the adventurers try to investigate the forest, they may well find out that Shelka has other sins on her name besides her 'indiscretions' with guests who catch her eye...
Gwyan the Aasimar is that dreaded creature; a magical mentor. Adventurers can encounter him in the wilderness, in a town or in a city. He is not shy about giving advice and quite charming, but utterly intolerant of injustice and evil. He is fortunately not the kind to force himself into a group, but he can make himself available if the need is great.
From time to time, I enjoy crafting the odd NPC. I thought I'd share some of them with you all; you might be able to use them in a running campaign. Should you decide to use them, I ask one thing: let me know how they worked out. And if anyone is planning to use them for anything official, I ask something else: let me know about it and we can talk.
From time to time, I enjoy crafting the odd NPC. I thought I'd share some of them with you all; you might be able to use them in a running campaign. Should you decide to use them, I ask one thing: let me know how they worked out. And if anyone is planning to use them for anything official, I ask something else: let me know about it and we can talk.
Joyous news! ^^ On reviewing my copy of the Dragon Empires Gazetteer, I found the Moon Subdomain. I am also adding a bit of chatter as to Mirarae's relationship with Tsukiyo, the Moon-god of Tien Xia. Mirarae
CN/LN/N goddess The changeable Mirarae is a goddess whose worship is in serious decline. In the days of Ancient Osirion, she was hailed as the sister of Sarenrae, the queen of the night sky. She was a patron of sailors due to the moon's influence on the tide; she was beloved of Witches, who so often held their coven meetings at night and bathed in her magical light; but she was also a strong champion of balance, which often took the form of redress and retribution. Any creatures that dwelled mostly in the hours of the night, be they good or evil, were favoured by her, like the Dusk Elf tribes. The increasing popularity of Calistria and her philosophy of vengeance gradually eclipsed Mirarae. With the fall of Ancient Osirion most of her ancient rites and legends are forgotten. Those who worship the divine in the changeing faces of the moon often do not even know that it has a name, or what her ancient rites are. What few myths still circulate describe the Ancient Osiriani moon goddess as a demonic patron of were-beasts and things that stalk in the darkness when the moon is hidden from sight. A few scholars know more of the truth, but even they fear Mirarae for her ability to change. Some Dusk Elf tribes remain loyal to the goddess who favoured them in the days gone by. It is believed by some that Calistria condoned the slaughter of so many Dusk Elves by their Light Elf cousins because they betrayed her for Mirarae. Witches also continue to favour her, with many seeing her as the Moon Patron they draw on, but their faith in the goddess damns her in the eyes of those who see all Witches as creatures of evil. Doctrine:
Phases
When the moon is half full, Mirarae is fully Neutral. She grants equal opportunity to light and dark, good and evil, chaos and law, and favours none. She advises mortals to adjust imbalances in their lives with detachment and control, and recommends magic as the ideal tool. Magic itself is balanced, arcane to divine, and balances mundane life by its very nature. When not dealing with imbalance, the goddess recommends caution and wisdom. Let the light expose danger, let darkness hide you from it.
When the moon is full, Mirarae is Lawful Neutral. She advocates the redress of imbalance in greater openness. When one creature leaps out from the shadows to face another in the full light, Mirarae applauds. When blades clash, her light shines upon the steel. When fists find flesh and bone, it sparkles in the flying blood. It equally illuminates the fur of hunting werebeasts and charging champions. If there is no wrong to redress, she encourages her followers to enjoy the light in which she bathes them by dance and song, combined with strong drink and rich food.
Regardless of her phase, Mirarae's favoured weapon is the Khopesh. Those who worship her and draw spells from her must choose one of her Phases with which they are compatible to focus on; the Phase chosen determines the Domains which a Cleric can access, and its philosophy should influence her worshipper's actions, if only a little. Regardless the phase a Cleric focuses on, Mirarae honours their prayers no matter what phase she is currently in. Relations:
Mirarae and Pharasma are on good terms with one another, though they rarely have time to socialize. Cynics may claim that Mirarae is preparing for her inevitable death and hopes to achieve a peaceful afterlife by getting in good with Pharasma, but her clergy claims that she respects the goddess of death because death is the balance to life. Mirarae's relationship with Groetius, however, is chilly and distant. The two are not openly hostile to one another, but Mirarae resents Groetius' lunar form. Also, the prophecy of her death states that the liberation of Groetius to end Golarion will be the sign that signals her own execution at the hands of Sarenrae. While Mirarae accepts her fate, she is not eager for it to come to pass, and so she prefers for Groetius to stay where he is. As a patron of Witches and magic in general in her True Neutral phase, Mirarae has a good rapport with Nethys, and there are rumours that the two have been lovers in the past. Any connection they might have is lost the instant Mirarae changes phase, however, which is probably for the best; in his madness, Nethys might ruin what they share if they stayed together for too long. There is an understanding between Mirarae and Tsukiyo, the god of the moon, jade and spirits of Tien Xia. Mirarae has never felt the least hostility to her fellow lunar deity; she sees him as part of the balance governing the divinity of the moon. Male to her female, constant to her fluid character, she respects Tsukiyo as part of the dance of balance; power over the moon shifts and flows between them in a grand rhythm. For his part, Tsukiyo would never consider challenging Mirarae because she shows him politeness and respect whenever they deal with one another. In ancient days, the two deities agreed that Tsukiyo would be the supreme deity of the moon in Tien Xia, whereas Mirarae would minister to Avistan. With the decline of Mirarae's worship, however, some Tien immigrants have been introducing the worship of Tsukiyo in Avistan. This is a cause of frustration to Tsukiyo, who sees this violation of the treaty as a stain on his honour. He is even more frustrated by the fact that some of Mirarae's remaining loyalists have been creeping into Tien Xia and spreading the word of their mistress in retaliation. While Mirarae has not ordered this -- she is also true to the compact -- she has made no effort to stop her worshippers. In her mind, so long as her and Tsukiyo's territory remains roughly equal, the compact is honoured in spirit, if not in letter. There is a terrible hatred between Mirarae and Calistria. The Duskflower carries a grudge over the slaying of her Dusk Elf followers, and Calistria is still bitter over the fact that any Elves were lured away from her by the inconstant moon at all. Neither goddess has launched an open attack yet, but each spins plots of revenge in the shadows, and the clergy of either goddess is rarely safe when that of the other is nearby. Mirarae despises Zon-Kuthon, who unbalances the darkness completely, and is generally friendly to anyone who wishes to upset his plans. Like all the other gods of Golarion, she is a staunch enemy of Rovagug, the Rough Beast. She likewise despises fiends of all kinds.
Goth Guru wrote: The new moon aspect became associated with Drow. She tried to distance that aspect from herself, resulting in her eclipse aspect becoming a separate, demonic, dark elf diety. Her mother banished her to the underdark, because she was totally unbalanced. The power EbonDark gives to the drow works above ground only during an eclipse, Lunar or Solar. She herself can walk the surface only during these times. Her anger over her banisment is so great, she sides with the demons and plots against her mother. Her revenge is not justice, but a way of life. Creating an endless, black eclipse on the surface world isn't practical, but she wants it anyways. Heh, that could work. ^^ It may be worth noting that Mirarae would only object to the Drow worshipping demons. If any of them believed their attacks on the surface served to redress an ancient injustice, Mirarae would support them -- just as she would support anyone who fought the Drow because they felt the attack was injust. Set wrote:
Thank you for your kind words! I did consider the Chaos and Law Domains, but I decided to hold myself back from giving her too many Domains and Subdomains at the same time. When making your own deities, it's very easy to give them too much... If anyone else wants to add the Chaos and Law Domains in their games, though, more power to them! Please let me know how it works out. ^^ LazarX wrote: It's a good example of how to customise Golarion for home use. Thank you. Velcro Zipper wrote: Golarion does have a moon deity by the name of Tsukiyo, but he's from far off Tian Xia so I don't see why there couldn't be another one in Avistan. Perhaps your Mirarae and Tsukiyo have an understanding where overlap is concerned, maybe a dark side/light side of the moon sort of relationship? Maybe they just ignore each other? Oh, dear. I completely forgot about him! ^^; Hmm, let's see. I think Mirarae would accept Tsukiyo as part of the balance. Where she is fluid, he is constant. Where she is female, he is male. Power over the moon could shift between them in a steady rhythm, the same dance of balance that she herself embraces. The two of them could have agreed in days gone by that Tsukiyo is dominant over Tien Xia while Mirarae ministers mainly to Avistan. With Mirarae's worship dwindling, Tien-style moon worship might be making some inroads into Avistan. This would frustrate Tsukiyo because he is true to his word. What would frustrate him even more is the fact that some of Mirarae's remaining loyalists are creeping into Tien Xia to spread her credo in retribution. Mirarae has not ordered them to, her loyal followers are doing it of their own accord because they believe it is Tsukiyo who has broken the ancient agreement. Mirarae has not really tried to stop them; in her eyes, as long as each deity's territorial influence remains roughly equal, the balance and the compact are preserved. AdAstraGames wrote: I like this. Well done. Thank you for the compliment. ^^ Soluzar wrote: The only issue I see is the additional overhead of having to keep track of lunar phases. Otherwise, this is exceptional. Well done. Well, the overhead shouldn't be too bad. Clerics and others who draw power from the deities continue to draw on whichever phase they originally focused on, regardless the current phase of the moon. Thank you for the compliment. ^^ Mikaze wrote:
I'm very glad Mirarae is going over so well with everyone! ^^ If anyone decides to use my creation for their campaign, please let me know how it works out? I'm really curious. ^^
@ Arcanemuses:
@ Thornborn:
After someone in our Carrion Crown game made a joke about a 'Triple Goddess of Moon and Vengeance', I felt inspired. I did a bit of looking, and I don't think Golarion has its own moon deity, unless you count Groetius. So, presenting for your review: Mirarae
CN/LN/N goddess The changeable Mirarae is a goddess whose worship is in serious decline. In the days of Ancient Osirion, she was hailed as the sister of Sarenrae, the queen of the night sky. She was a patron of sailors due to the moon's influence on the tide; she was beloved of Witches, who so often held their coven meetings at night and bathed in her magical light; but she was also a strong champion of balance, which often took the form of redress and retribution. Any creatures that dwelled mostly in the hours of the night, be they good or evil, were favoured by her. The increasing popularity of Calistria and her philosophy of vengeance gradually eclipsed Mirarae. With the fall of Ancient Osirion most of her ancient rites and legends are forgotten. Those who worship the divine in the changeing faces of the moon often do not even know that it has a name, or what her ancient rites are. What few myths still circulate describe the Ancient Osiriani moon goddess as a demonic patron of were-beasts and things that stalk in the darkness when the moon is hidden from sight. A few scholars know more of the truth, but even they fear Mirarae for her ability to change. Some Dusk Elf tribes remain loyal to the goddess who favoured them in the days gone by. It is believed that Calistria condoned the slaughter of so many Dusk Elves by their Light Elf cousins. Witches also continue to favour her, with many seeing her as the Moon Patron they draw on, but their faith in the goddess damns her in the eyes of those who see all Witches as creatures of evil. Doctrine:
Phases
When the moon is half full, Mirarae is fully Neutral. She grants equal opportunity to light and dark, good and evil, chaos and law, and favours none. She advises mortals to adjust imbalances in their lives with detachment and control, and recommends magic as the ideal tool. Magic itself is balanced, arcane to divine, and balances mundane life by its very nature. When not dealing with imbalance, the goddess recommends caution and wisdom. Let the light expose danger, let darkness hide you from it.
When the moon is full, Mirarae is Lawful Neutral. She advocates the redress of imbalance in greater openness. When one creature leaps out from the shadows to face another in the full light, Mirarae applauds. When blades clash, her light shines upon the steel. When fists find flesh and bone, it sparkles in the flying blood. It equally illuminates the fur of hunting werebeasts and charging champions. If there is no wrong to redress, she encourages her followers to enjoy the light in which she bathes them by dance and song, combined with strong drink and rich food.
Regardless of her phase, Mirarae's favoured weapon is the Khopesh. Those who worship her and draw spells from her must choose one of her Phases with which they are compatible to focus on; the Phase chosen determines the Domains which a Cleric can access, and its philosophy should influence her worshipper's actions, if only a little. Relations:
Mirarae and Pharasma are on good terms with one another, though they rarely have time to socialize. Cynics may claim that Mirarae is preparing for her inevitable death and hopes to achieve a peaceful afterlife by getting in good with Pharasma, but her clergy claims that she respects the goddess of death because death is the balance to life. Mirarae's relationship with Groetius, however, is chilly and distant. The two are not openly hostile to one another, but Mirarae resents Groetius' lunar form. Also, the prophecy of her death states that the liberation of Groetius to end Golarion will be the sign that signals her own execution at the hands of Sarenrae. While Mirarae accepts her fate, she is not eager for it to come to pass, and so she prefers for Groetius to stay where he is. As a patron of Witches and magic in general in her True Neutral phase, Mirarae has a good rapport with Nethys, and there are rumours that the two have been lovers in the past. Any connection they might have is lost the instant Mirarae changes phase, however, which is probably for the best; in his madness, Nethys might ruin what they share if they stayed together for too long. There is a terrible hatred between Mirarae and Calistria. The Duskflower carries a grudge over the slaying of her Dusk Elf followers, and Calistria is still bitter over the fact that any Elves were lured away from her at all. Neither goddess has launched an open attack yet, but each spins plots of revenge in the shadows, and the clergy of either goddess is rarely safe when that of the other is nearby. Mirarae despises Zon-Kuthon, who unbalances the darkness completely, and is generally friendly to anyone who wishes to upset his plans. Like all the other gods of Golarion, she is a staunch enemy of Rovagug, the Rough Beast. She likewise despises fiends of all kinds.
Male Human Expert 5 / Wizard 3
Mirarae
CN/LN/N goddess The changeable Mirarae is a goddess whose worship is in serious decline. In the days of Ancient Osirion, she was hailed as the sister of Sarenrae, the queen of the night sky. She was a patron of sailors due to the moon's influence on the tide; she was beloved of Witches, who so often held their coven meetings at night and bathed in her magical light; but she was also a strong champion of balance, which often took the form of redress and retribution. Any creatures that lived mostly in the night, be they good or evil, were favoured by her. The increasing popularity of Calistria and her philosophy of vengeance gradually eclipsed Mirarae, and with the fall of Ancient Osirion most of her ancient rites and legends are forgotten. Those who worship the divine in the changeing faces of the moon do not know that it has a name, or what her ancient rites are. What few myths still circulate describe the Ancient Osiriani moon goddess as a demonic patron of were-beasts and things that stalk in the darkness when the moon is hidden from sight. A few scholars know more of the truth, but even they fear Mirarae for her ability to change. Some Dusk Elf tribes remain loyal to the goddess who favoured them in the days gone by. It is believed that Calistria condoned the slaughter of so many Dusk Elves by their Light Elf cousins. Witches also continue to favour her, with many seeing her as the Moon Patron they draw on, but their faith in the goddess damns her in the eyes of those who see all Witches as creatures of evil. Doctrine:
Phases
When the moon is half full, Mirarae is fully Neutral. She grants equal opportunity to light and dark, good and evil, chaos and law, and favours none. She advises mortals to adjust imbalances in their lives with detachment and control, and recommends magic as the ideal tool. Magic itself is balanced, arcane to divine, and balances mundane life by its very nature. When not dealing with imbalance, the goddess recommends caution and wisdom. Let the light expose danger, let darkness hide you from it.
When the moon is full, Mirarae is Lawful Neutral. She advocates the redress of imbalance in greater openness. When one creature leaps out from the shadows to face another in the full light, Mirarae applauds. When blades clash, her light shines upon the steel. When fists find flesh and bone, it sparkles in the flying blood. It equally illuminates the fur of hunting werebeasts and charging champions.
Regardless of her phase, Mirarae's favoured weapon is the Khopesh. Those who worship her and draw spells from her must choose on her Phases with which they are compatible to focus on; the Phase chosen determines the Domains which a Cleric can access, and its philosophy should influence her worshipper's actions, if only a little. Relations:
Mirarae and Pharasma are on good terms with one another, though they rarely have time to socialize. Cynics may claim that Mirarae is preparing for her inevitable death and hopes to achieve a peaceful afterlife by getting in good with Pharasma, but her clergy claims that she respects the goddess of death because death is the balance to life. Mirarae's relationship with Groetius, however, is chilly and distant. The two are not openly hostile to one another, but Mirarae resents Groetius' lunar form. Also, the prophecy of her death states that the liberation of Groetius to end Golarion will be the sign that signals her own execution at the hands of Sarenrae. While Mirarae accepts her fate, she is not eager for it to come to pass, and so she prefers for Groetius to stay where he is. As a patron of Witches and magic in general in her True Neutral phase, Mirarae has a good rapport with Nethys, and there are rumours that the two have been lovers in the past. Any connection they might have is lost the instant Mirarae changes phase, however, which is probably for the best; in his madness, Nethys might ruin what they share if they stayed together for too long. There is a terrible hatred between Mirarae and Calistria. The Duskflower carries a grudge over the slaying of her Dusk Elf followers, and Calistria is still bitter over the fact that any Elves were lured away from her at all. Neither goddess has launched an open attack yet, but each spins plots of revenge in the shadows, and the clergy of either goddess is rarely safe when that of the other is nearby. Mirarae despises Zon-Kuthon, who unbalances the darkness completely, and is generally friendly to anyone who wishes to upset his plans. Like all the other gods of Golarion, she is a staunch enemy of Rovagug, the Rough Beast. She likewise despises fiends of all kinds.
Male Human Expert 5 / Wizard 3
"Do please excuse me," Simon says in Tian, addressing one of the servers, "but my stomach is not strong enough for such fare, wonderful as it smells, and I need to keep up what strength I have for the tournament. Might I bother you for some tea, toast, fish boiled in plain water and a small salad?" He smiles apologetically and contrives to give the impression of an old man, tired from travelling. Bluff to act more frail than Simon actually is: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26.
Male Human Expert 5 / Wizard 3
Anklebiter looks Bruendor straight in the eye and speaks, in unaccented Common: "I did not botch this translation. Saul and his mystery backer used a cypher based on the Old Azlant tongue; I worked on it for days. You may not respect Goblins, Dwarf, and fair game to you. But in this matter, you will kindly respect my expertise. My craft."
DM Bigrin wrote: @Aebliss - It would be allowed, but you have to take into account overall intermixing in a mostly human society, even if one out on the back end of Varisia. Given Riddleport's nature, a goblin wouldn't likely get lynched on sight,but you never know... I like a challenge. ^^ I'll get to work on Anklebiter the Insane, Goblin Wizard. Be back in a few.
Male Human Expert 5 / Wizard 3
Smashing! I'll sit down with the old character sheet and see what I can do with her. ^^ I'm still running Lym the Evoker, but is there any character role that you have found to be in desperate need of filling? I could multiclass. I'm somewhat drawn to a Mystic Theurge.
Heh, this is your third campaign I am currently 'dotting for interest'. I'll work up an Elven wizard sometime later today, if you think you can use one? ^^ I'm thinking of a grumpy exile with a goat or pig familiar. Something unusual, anyway, in the familiar area. Possibly an Evocation or Illusion specialist. Jade Regent looks very interesting. I've tried to get my hands on the player's guide, but was experiencing some download troubles, so... Is there a trait list available?
Male Human Expert 5 / Wizard 3
Dax Thura wrote:
Sorry about that, but it took me a while before I found one I was happy with. ^^ Dax Thura wrote: 2. Where are you getting the words for your spells. For some reason, I feel like I should know those words. I'm using Latin and a little bit of Ancient Greek. I was involved in a lovely pbp campaign on a Ravenloft fan site, and those who played caster characters compiled a nice selection of spells to give the game some more realism. Sidenote: sorry for replying so late. I haven't been checking this thread for a while again.
Can I still throw in my bid for this party? My character concept: Harsk the Shorn, Male Dwarf Fighter. Harsk is a rarity, possibly even a freak among Dwarves, in that every morning (circumstances allowing, of course) he rigorously shaves off all of his facial hair. At an age when most Dwarves have a fine mustache and beard, Harsk is as smooth as the day he was born (apart from the little scars he's picked up with his 'unnatural habit'). While most Dwarves favour the comforts of home and clan, Harsk is a solitary wanderer who goes wherever chance takes him and pays no allegiance to any Dwarven nation. If he has a surviving clan, he has not mentioned their name in quite some time. He labels himself a sword for hire, although he has his own criteria for accepting a job, and he may be found willing to lend his blade to a cause that interests him for some reason. An agnostic in name, Harsk does not pay fealty to any of Golarion's religion as such, though he does have a most unDwarven interest in theoretic philosophies and respects others' decisions so long as these don't cause trouble and woe for others. Harsk is a fairly pleasant sort for a Dwarf, curious about things new and old, accepting of races not commonly appreciated by Dwarves. He does not have the famous Dwarven love for ale and pipe smoke, but he can be merry enough when there's a party. for DM's eyes: It is actually Harsk's capacity for liberal thinking that has made him what he is and makes him do what he does. Being a freethinker in a tradition-led society was not a good life, not for Harsk. While he can see the good in his people's society, he was always frustrated by their unwillingness to adapt more swiftly to a changing world, and by his own family's attempts to have him 'be a proper Dwarf'.
In the end, Harsk's frustrations overcame him and he exiled himself, symbolically cutting ties with his clan and homeland by his morning ritual with the razor every day again. There is no serious bad blood between Harsk and his people, but he is considered an aberration best left alone and kept away from impressionable youngsters.
Male Human Expert 5 / Wizard 3
I'm back after two days (busy, busy, busy) and I've finished Lym Blackhand. I've bent the rules a little, filling her bonus language slots with local languages instead of the traditional Half-Orc bonus languages, to reflect her background as a scholar. If that's a problem, I can change it and shift some other things around.
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