I guess it wasn't to be :( Some interesting characters though!
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Everett was surprised when Cassynder handed him the whistle and he said, "My isn't that exquisite work! This should really be on display somewhere, perhaps in a gallery..." When Cassynder spoke about the ghost, Everett mused, "I wonder..." as he considered if and how he could help.
When Whisper mentioned eyes watching he nodded before murmuring, "Maybe you're right, I'll come back to this later."
They still had to explore further but it seemed there was time before anything important happened and Everett couldn't let the desecration stand. So he did what he could to remedy the situation. He started off by wiping the altars down, carefully chipping away the filth and damage where necessary with a small knife. Once the damaged surface had been removed, he set about building up layers of paint trying to recreate how each altar would have looked before the damage. This was a painstaking process, one with no short cuts. A process than Everett hoped the The Eternal Rose would appreciate, even if he knew he was far from the best of artists.
Everett was more than a little put out by the disrespect show to the altars and he murmured, "That's not right."
Noting Cassynder following Whisper, Everett tags along. He mused, "This shadow westcrown is most strange. I think perhaps it'll inspire a painting when all is said and done." He kept his eyes open along the way in case they came across anything out of the ordinary, as much as anything in this extraordinary place might stand out.
Yeah that works.
Looks like we'd need to sign up, I'll do that tomorrow.
Everett wasn't at all wasn't sure what to make of the gargoyles, this wasn't a wasn't an aspect of Shelyn he was used to seeing
When Quirri suggested exploring Elliot readily agreed, "Yes lets. Maybe that will answer my question that Janiven wouldn't: Is there another way out of here?"
Everett's lips formed a thin line as he considered whisper's words, "I guess it's somewhat reassuring that all this wasn't directed at us, but what of this Arael? What sort of man is he?"
Hey Dragoncat if you're around would you mind marking this game as inactive? Thanks!
Everett was far from happy, clearly he'd blundered into a trap. He gave a few sidelong glances at his fellows as he wondered can I trust these people? He trudged through Shadow westcrown, wrestling with this question while simultaneously feeling adrift in this most peculiar environment, he'd never had so much as an inkling that such a thing was possible! When it became clear they were stuck here for four days he realised he had no choice but to trust them - at least for now. Another question occurred to him, one that was likely to be very important if and when they got out. So he asked Janiven a pointed question, "It seems to me the Armigers knew about your plans, perhaps they know the details of this 'trick' as you put it too... Is there another way out?" He had another question too, "Suppose one way or another we do get out of here, then what? I mean somebody must have tipped them off. It's difficult to see how we can help the townsfolk while on the run."
Oops I missed this. Re Everett's lead, I was basing this off the trait, I think Dragon Cat was just playing along and no specific NPC I'm aware off tipped him off. I'm going into this AP more or less blind but I'm assuming the thieves guild pulled a Keyser Soze which influences Everett's thinking :) Conspiracy Hunter: You’ve long heard rumors of dark deeds afoot in Westcrown. Shipments of valuable cargo that go missing with nary a trace or question asked. People who disappear as though they never existed. Lords of business and nobles who speak in veiled references and accidental slips of masters even they must obey. What lords rule the Westcrown underworld? Do the tales of far-reaching criminal organizations hold a hint of truth? Could the fabled Council of Thieves, said to have been purged from the city ages ago, have somehow survived or reformed? And what hold do they hold over the city today? You don’t know, but you’re determined to find out! Choose one of the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Perception, Sense Motive, or Stealth. You gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill and it is always considered a class skill for you.
Have to admit I don't really know anything about this AP beyond what is in the player's guide so I'm mostly going in blind. I like Everett have no idea about shadow westcrown, but that does sound cool!
Everett: My interpretation of Lawful Good of Shelyn.
Paladins of Shelyn are not exactly common, fortunately there is a published code which is helpful. When push comes to shove he'd emphasise good over law, but he's more likely to try and work within the system than bypass it. He may not like people he views as evil, but the law is the law and you can't go around killing people just because you don't like them. This doesn't mean he won't intervene, far from it. If innocents are threatened he'll try to defuse the situation. Combat is never Everett's first choice, but sometimes (especially in a AP) it is inevitable. Fencing itself is an art form so naturally it's one of the (many) things Everett feels obliged to perfected. I wanted Everett to be a dancer, and to approach combat like a dance but skill points are at a premium on a Paladin. A visual reference would be Basil Rathbone, Errol Flynn or perhaps River Tam. Killing itself is ugly and to be avoided if possible, and usually he'd accept a foe's surrender unless they're insincere. One of the problems of pathfinder paladins is mechanically they suck at sense motive checks, which surely contributes to the lawful stupid meme. What it means to be a Paladin of Shelyn? Everett is a romantic and he sees and does everything through the lens of art. Take his relationship with Westcrown, I don't know if you've ever visited any old european cities like Venice, they have a certain faded grandeur to them. In my mind beneath all the grime Westcrown is like that. As a Paladin of Shelyn, Everett would see this and have fallen in love with the place. He's keen to restore faded civic glory, meaning the buildings AND the people / institutions. In his mind a harmonious city is a beautiful city, and Westcorwn's downtrodden residents sure could do with a little social justice. Followers of Shelyn are allowed openly practice in Cheliax which has allowed Everett to put down roots in Westcrown. Like his parents he aspires to a patron of the arts as well as a artist. Also, is there a specific NPC that sent you to the art shop of Jacopo di Carni that I ought to make sure reappears in the campaign? Dragoncat didn't set any specific NPC, although it would be easy to retcon one. Everett's initial motivation is from his backstory where a big art heist bankrupted his parents. Clutching at straws and because he's a romantic he's convinced this theft (like many others) was ordered by the fabled Council of Thieves. There isn't a single shred of evidence to back this up, but he'll go to hell and back to prove it.
Running a game does take quite a bit of time so I'd obviously appreciate it! I run a couple of games here so I have a fair idea for what you'd be talking on.
That's a shame but I understand, real life commitments come first. Re finding a new GM, I wouldn't say no, but I suspect it's unlikely we'd find somebody. Interest in PbP at least on these forums has tailed off over the past few years.
Everett felt well and truly out of his depth. He didn't understand how there could be a shadow westcrown, but he knew deep down in an instinctual way that this was a dangerous place. He loosened his rapier in its scabbard and tried to keep a diligent watch.
Everett found the dark passageway deeply unsettling, he wasn't at all sure where they were going! When the whispering one offered a tail he replied "Er... Okay, thanks." He would have preferred a hand but a tail would do. He tried to walk forward confidentiality hoping the ground was smooth.
"Indeed." replied Everett equally deadpan. There didn't seem any other choice but to go through the passage and step into the darkness.
"Name's Everett, strangely enough I wasn't planning on getting shot today either..."
Everett loosened his sword in its scabbard and took position by the door. With raised eyebrows he asked their hosts, "Unexpected visitors?"
Acknowledging the point, Eliott replied "You're probably right they don't want to solve such things, but none the less I suspect House Thrune has far less say about what goes on in Westcrown than they let on." He sipped more of his drink before adding, "Anyway I'd be curious to hear our host proposes should be done."
"How else to take Westcrown?" "I'm not sure if that's the right question." replied Everett hoping to change the subject slightly, "Take it from whom exactly? I'm sure you mean the Hellknights and all the devil worshipers. Certainly Thrune's lot seem to run the place, but do they really?" Everett sighed, "I've lived here for years now and as I'm sure most of you have noticed, there's something off about Westcrown, it's not like other parts of Cheliax. I'm no fan of House Thrune but they are somewhat effective if brutal at dealing with crime. Yet crimes happen here every day that would be shocking elsewhere in the country." He takes a sip of his drink before saying, "A while back I heard a wild theory, which went like this: Many years ago the fabled Council of Thieves ruled Westcrown, only to be purged. But went the theory, this was merely a ruse. They saw the way things where going and it suited them to fade into the shadows and rule in secret. Of course there was no proof, but to me it would explain an awful lot if it was true. The struggle to take back Westcrown would play out in the shadows, rather than some Galtian nightmare..."
Everett listened to Janiven's words and he felt sudden excitement. She was describing a noble cause, this wasn't at all what he'd set out to find but deep down her words resonated. "We kill the corrupt. All. Houses. Hellknights. Then what? Who fills the power gap?" "Woah there!" cried Everett, with a lopsided grin he replied, "That sounds like a Milani worshiper's fever dream! I think our host is looking for people to clean up the streets, not start a civil war." "But I know you will plan to be rid of me." This level of paranoia took Everett aback, he didn't know what to say.
"The hellknights are hunting 'malcontents'..." Everett sighed inwardly and under his breath he whispered, "Must be Toilday..."
"Curiosity." "Likewise" murmured Everett, after all he'd come here seeking information about Palaveen. "We're no friends of Palaveen." Everett nodded, "I may have upset Palaveen, or at least his gang. A pair of them tried to shake down an art shop, I wasn't going to stand for that, I pursauded them to move along. A temporary victory though, they'll be back."
Everett allows Whisper to pour him a drink, he takes a sip saying, "To your good health!" before sitting down. He looks around the table at all the faces and he said with a grin, "Can't say I've ever seen a less likely group! Yet I wonder if we have something in common... Out of curiosity how did you all come to be here tonight?"
"I'm sure they do coffee." suggested Everett, "Although I wouldn't say no to a drink myself." Once they where in the private room Everett glanced around and remarked with a grin, "My aren't we a motley crew! I wonder if it's chance or design that brings us together?"
Everett scratched his head, he wasn't really sure what to make of the paranoid whispering one or the tall woman dressed in black midriff-baring leathers although the conversation did sound interesting. "After the stunt you pulled this morning? Saving Marosino from a bunch of armigers?" Everett was surprised, "Really? The armigers can be an unholy terror." To the whispering one he said, "Seems you have hidden depths, I've a feeling there's a tale to be told here."
Everett flinched when one of the most devilish looking Tifelings he'd ever seen addressed him. His hand was on the hilt of his sword as he gave the man a piercing look which gave way to a surprised blink.
"What is your concern with Palaveen?" Cautiously Everett replied, "If you know Palaveen, you can probably guess the kind of life he's been leading..."
"Waldorph" "Does Waldorph like being petted then?" asked Everett. "You are an artist, are you not?" Everett nodded, "Shelyn willing I aspire to become one. Even in a city such as this there is beauty and inspiration for the arts, if you look for it." "High stakes?" He knew she was drawing him out, but he decided to answer anyway. Softly he replied, "As well as beauty there is also much ugliness in this town, growing like a canker. If it was cut out, I imagine all sorts of interesting things would come crawling out of the woodwork. Like I said, high stakes stuff."
"The Dottori's idling is ingrained in them as part of their training, unless it is a complain about animal defecation, which was always in the process of being cleaned despite their invention of codes and edicts." Everett snorted in response, "It does seem that way... Oh my that's a cute dog, what's it's name?" "The question you should be asking is who do the Dottori fear that the Bastards are working for?" Everett nodded, "Well now that is the question, what is out there lurking in the shadows that has the Dottori scared? I can think of one, high stakes, way of finding out..."
Everett was preoccupied when he entered Vizio's Tavern, he didn't really notice the rather superior decor, instead he was fixated on learning more about this Palaveen. Asking around about leader of the Bastards of Erebus was both necessary and dangerous, after all it could easily attract entirely the wrong sort of attention. So with an ale in hand he set to mingle, as before he's start with some small talk before moving onto the subject of the Bastards of Erebus, saying "Have you heard about this Palaveen, the tiefling said to lead Bastards of Erebus? Their exploits are growing bolder by the day, I wonder why the Dottori sit idly by..."
'So,' thought Everett, 'Its time to hit the taverns and ask around. Surely somebody will know something about the The Bastards, just got to find them and get them to talk...' He had to start somewhere, so he decided to try his luck at Vizio's Tavern which he'd been meaning to check out since it opened. Approaching some likely looking patrons he approached with a smile and several drinks. He started with some small talk before broaching the subject of The Bastards, "I was doing a little shopping in the Rego Scripa today and there was this group of Tieflings shaking down the merchants on Artist's Row. The Dottari don't seem to care, I wonder why..."
"Why else would the dottari not lift a finger to stop them?!" Eliott nodded, "Someone's on the take or is protecting them, will be interesting to find out who..." "...now... now I owe you a drink or two, I think." Eliott smiled, "I may have to take you up on that!"
When the door shut behind the pair of thugs, Everett let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding and he whispered, "Shelyn be praised I thought that was about to get ugly." Turning to Jacopo, Everett says, "Unfortunately Mr Di Carni, I believe them. They're going to have to come back with more, or they'll be a laughing stock and nobody will pay up. I'll do what I can to help, but I may not be enough depending on how many of them there are. Do you know much about them? Forewarned is forearmed and all that..."
Everett raised his eyebrows, "A quarter! Nice racket you've got there, shame if something happened to it... Why don't you boys run along now, you're not welcome here." To underscore this he lightly held the pommel of his sword.
"...there's just been a matter of debts owed and to be repaid, that kind of thing. Nothing a civvie like you needs to get stuck in." Everett's eyes narrowed as he asked with a dangerous calm, "How much do you think he owes you and for what exactly? Protection?" Noticing the man's hand tightening on the club he half growls, "Unless you intend to find out how that stick of yours fares against steel I suggest you keep your hands where I can see them."
"Sorry, were we interrupting something?" Everett didn't like bullies so in the blink of an eye his demeanour changed. His friendly smile was replaced by a glassy stare as he stepped in front of Jacopo to shield him bodily if needed. Casually he moved his cloak to give him free access to his rapier if needed and to make it abundantly clear he was armed as he replied rather coldly, "As it happens, yes you are interrupting. We were talking about, well, almost certainly about you... Now that you've rudely interrupted, what do you want?"
"You have come to buy, yes? Yes?" Everett smiled as he replied, "Indeed good sir I might, Shelyn willing there is something that catches my fancy! I'm also something of an amateur painter myself, I'm sure I don't hold a candle to the greats but I've had several people complement a water color of the harbour I painted last summer and they suggested I get it valued..."
Everett engaged Jacopo with small talk, completing the various art works on display and showing his water color if Jacopo seemed interested. He then tried to steer the conversation towards his goal, saying "A lovely shop sir, it's unfortunate that Westcrown itself is letting you down. My own family have had problems with protection rackets and I've heard a gang is now making demands of you. As one devoted to The Eternal Rose I find this outrageous and I feel it's my duty to do something about it. Please Mr di Carni, could you tell me about this gang and Shelyn willing, perhaps I can help clean up this ugly business..."
Everett thanked the boy and gave him a couple of coppers saying, "Here go get yourself a treat from that pastry shop down the road." He had a good feeling about this lead as he followed the boy's directions. Sure enough he spotted a shop with a golden sign emblazoned with a stylised sun. Surely this must be Jacopo di Carni's shop, but what was that the boy said about big blokes with Vosges? Well there was one way to find out, he tried the door and called out, "Hello?"
A visit to the Rego Scripa: Everett set out early hoping to avoid the worst of the heat, even so going outside felt like walking into a oven and he was sweating before he'd gone more than a few streets. But Everett didn't mind, he was excited, all those hours spent chasing after rumours had finally paid off! On the grape vine he'd heard about a new art dealer in town, Jacopo di Carni's who was having trouble with a protection racket. Everett was sure there was more to this than met the eye, but the first step was to offer his services to deal with the gang as a champion of the arts. So he set off to the Rego Scripa, on Artist's Row. Once he was close he asked around to see if anyone could help him, find Jacopo di Carni. With a cheery smile he asked several people "Hello! I'm looking for an art dealer called, Jacopo di Carni. Do you know where I could find him?"
Nita is not young, but has a shop that sells drawing supplies so might have tempted our painters. Perhaps Everett's probably been a loyal customer for some time. While not (yet) friends, he'd likely say hello if he saw Nita in the street. Re Sanchia, it sounds like the Corvus family are somewhat wealthy so perhaps Everett's father sold Uncle Quintus and Aunt Petronia some paintings? I can well imagine Everett's father might have employed Whisper in the course of business. Everett himself is tantalised by the possibility the council of thieves are still there in the shadows, so he maybe asked Whisper some odd questions in the past. I reckon Everett doesn't know Cassynder at the beginning of the campaign.
I'm not sure how this AP starts, I've resisted the temptation to look so I'm going to fall back to something stereotypical as a suggestion: Most of our characters are young and grew up in West Crown so maybe we know each other, at least in passing. Perhaps we've frequented the same Inn, or coffee house or something like that.
If things get NSFW then I'd recommend putting it in spoilers and or fading to black. Sometimes hinting that something awful happened is more powerful than actually showing it.
Everett, GM might say differently, but I would say that easel and paints could be considered as part of the generic 5 gp "artisan tools" for Craft (Painting) (or the relevant background skill). It would probably also include brushes, canvas frames, turpentine, etc. Awesome, thanks!
Thanks for the selection GM, and hi everyone! I've mostly got Everett's profile sorted, got a few gold to spend. One thing I'm trying to find out is how much an easel and paints cost. That's decidedly not combat equipment, I guess Everett has luggage. |