Quercus Thousandborn's page

Quercus opts for a large Elk.
Once properly seated, he addresses Ethana.
"So, I am going to join as a traveler.
Which path will you take?"

Quercus is clearly not yet used to the telepathic link and speak out loud.
Beside the occasional word-swap happing in between thought and mouth, it is all but identical, thus true.
"Humm-baaah.
There are not many of my kind left.
And none of us are known to take regularily take on simple guard duties.
Thus, I shall attempt to join the caravan as a traveler."

Wow. Impressive.
This looks pretty cool.
I'll press some thumbs for you, that everything goes well and it is received well!

I am currently struggling with some virus keeping me down.
Hope to get better soonish...

::"Humm, is that so.
An enemy dangerous enough to unite angels, mortals and pit-hounds.
If that is indeed the root of things...
I.
Agree.
To.
Be.
An.
Agent."::

Quercus tries to 'send' the thought: I am a squirril but instead the following thought is forming in everyones mind - including his own.
::"I am a Ghoran."::
soon to be followed by: ::"Interesting. Now then, Milady: Who has created this agency and who is in charge of it right now? What are its goals and what the means to achieve them?"::

After a loooong, more and more uncomfortable silence, Quercus nods.
"Hummm, I shall hear you out, because I came to trust you over more than one life, Lady Zal.
But know this, should you or your fellow agents attempts any mind trickery beyond what you initially told us about, I will have to reconsider that trust."

Got myself two days off work to chill through my release date anniversary.
Will likely be busy gaming with my wife and eating pizza ;-)
My pbp time will likely be limited until next week.

Uhhh, neat hook-twist!
I think you just hooked up a cat :-)

Quercus is visibly poundering over this information.
"Humm-baahummm, you say this agency is using powerful mind wards to prevent its agents to speak about it to outsiders?
How can we know it is good work this organization is doing-humbarumm?
I am not convinced yet, that joining this agency could make for a more powerful reason to defend this country from evil than I already have-hummhumm."

Not a 'ain't gonna happen' but I am going to play Quercus careful and not a little bit suspiscious against 'new' things, so there has to be a bit more RP before he will join in on something like that.

The lady of the house has barely finished her invitation to take a seat, as the reborn Ghoran enters the skillfully decorated room.
Compared to the last time you saw him, he has changed quite a bit, now positively oozing vitality and life force from the bright-green leafs making up his face.
He smiles at every one in turn, before bowing slowly before Lady Zal like a young tree would bow in a storm.
"Milady, I am grateful that you have choosen to follow this issue to the pit that gave birth to such evil and chaos."

He politely decline the offered food but instead take up a position at the table where the sun shines through a window. He does not sit down but instead takes a seemingly comfortable stand at the table.

Quercus has politely declined to ride in the carriage sent to his estate, opting to just walking behind the carriage to the destination.
Many Ghorans and Quercus for sure are not to keen about sitting, preferring to standing in most cases.
He instead opted to just walk behind the carriage on its way back to Lady Zals residence.
During the walk, he pulls out the letter he received earlier, inviting him over...
(otherwise, see above)

Health comes first, don't overreach lest it won't be getting better.
But if you're recovered well enough, I'm glad to join in again :-)

Oh boy....
I hope you get well soon.
Don't worry and thanks for letting us know!
Wish you well.

With the first light of the next day, consciousness comes and takes root in the newly grown body.
Young-yet-century-old eyes open and Quercus Thousandborn takes the first breath of his newest incarnation.
I am in the garden of Kelksiomedes.
I can feel our tree breathing nearby.
I should thank him for the honor to regrow in his temple-garden.
Flexing his arms and legs for the very first time, Quercus steps out of the nutritious ground.
Looking around, he notices the many different tracks criss-crossing the garden surrounding him.
Some deep, some shallow. Some from booted feet, some from bare-footed priests.
Recollection dawns in his mind.
A deja-vu from the very last moments of his previous life.
There is Lady Zal talking with the hero-god himself and some advisors.
Then the Lady again, talking with Miss Minara and ... a large feline person that is new to him.
Talk about a new task in the never-ending journey to protect Iblydos from the darkness that tries to swallow everything.
An intense feeling of relief and dept washes up in him towards the Lady, the Spear-Fightress and even the unknown feline.
While memory of what exactly transpired is cloaked in shadows, Quercus is sure that these three did him a great favor during his last cycle.
Whatever the cause may be, Quercus would not be found wanting.
But first things first. Time to thank the hero-god and visit the golden tree and refresh my oath.
***
Cold rage.
Clenched fist made of ironwood.
Leaf-color a flashing red.
Oh in the name of Kelksiomedes:
What happened to my garden?
And where are you my beloved Leshys?

<<< Three days thereafter >>>
The tall frame of the Thousandborn comes early to the estate of Lady Zal-Azra Qlin-Zra.
He does not wear any armor (or any clothing in the traditional sense for that matter) and no visibly weaponry, unless you would count the ironwood walking cane as one.
To the discerning eye, several (most likely magical) trinkets can be seen on his body.
They do not look as if worn but rather as if a tree has grown around said artifacts, incorporating them into the plants body.
The ghoran will make for the main entrance and knock if he is not already awaited by servants (which I kinda assume giving her status).

Shooping: Metamagic rod of extend, belt of strength +2, pearl of power (2nd)

In the process of looking-over Quercus, and I'd really like to double-down on the tree-of-life theme.
So I am looking to incorporate Life Oracle's life link to him, which would essentially give every one* of you fast heal 5 - with me taking the damage for you. Considering I can heal myself pretty well with lay on hands and some other heal spells, this should increase the party's durability by quite a bit.
Now, how to get life link - as I am already having an oracle dip to get CHA to AC.
Some digging later you find this.
Which, after a lot more digging, the general consensus (including a statement from J.J.) seems to be that you can use UMD if-and-only-if you are an oracle to activate it even across mystery boundaries.
***
Is everyone comfortable with this?

* provided I 'dump' enough levels into oracle, thus sacrificing paladin progression, since I can have one link per level

The amount of pain the group can dish out is ... interesting.
Good thing Quercus can fill the role of tank-grappler and buff-machine, rather than pure-DPS or I would start to worry :-)

Quercus follows the explanations of Lady Zal with sleepy eyes.
"Humm-Yah. I heard that legends many times.
It was one of my kin who first told it.
Old-Pine Darkwood was it.
He was seeing many things and always wanted to know why something came into being...
If there was a pattern, you ask, friend Gosor...
Hummm-naa, not that I noticed.
Two were killed in a dark forest, not far to the north-west, trying to drive off the dark creatures breeding there.
All we found, were traces of their fight and their empty trunks, their seeds ... missing."
At this point, the old Ghoran is growling deeply and anger seem to swell in him, but it does not find a hold in his weakened body and he simply continues in a rather monotonous voice.
"Wild and feral things hunt us since the moment of our first growth.
Our seeds are ... HummmBarrr ... a delicacy to them.
...
Another one went missing without a trace whatsoever as he travelled to the city of Hoimpeira.
And the last, Lady Cherrytree ... ahh, how lovely her branches smelled as the first light of the day touched them ...
She fall to an illness of mind, no mortal could cure ... and before Kelksiomedes could help her, she jumped off a cliff and into the roaring sea in the darkest hour of night.
A young cleric of the temple saw her but could not reach her in time..."

"HummHumm, I don't know who has the knowledge or skill to do this.
As for a reason, if evil needs a reason at all, my remaining kin and I have always been protectors of Kelksiomedes and he is not without foes in this world as well as from beyond.
Many seeds have been lost in the long lifetimes since the golden tree blossomed and bore the fruit of our god.
Four were lost during this life alone.
Maybe ... Hummm ... Maybe they try to weaken him by taking us out one by one?"

Interesting question Astrapios...
Is a sprouting seedling a plant already?
I guess yes, so let's go with the assumption that it is a living being... unless plants are handled differently in pathfinder?

But ... But ... That's Grootnapping!

... couldn't resist ;-)

The last color vanishes from Quercus face at this summary.
One of his many-fingered root-hands touch his chest unvolunteeringly.
"Help me, friends.
I fear ... Oh-Hummbraah.
Help me to the pavilion.
I have to see it ...
Although I am certain that you are right."
His voice, only a weak, coarse whisper.

While reading the Ghorans expression is never an easy task, this time it is painfully obvious that the news are shocking him - he actually looses a few leaves.

"My ... My garden you say?
But ... Hummmm ... Hortulanos was watching over it for me.
An attack-Burarummm?!"

He walks towards you, his wooden body creaking and groaning with every step.

There is no other entrance to the room.

"Buurarummm-What in the name of Kelksiomedes!
Gosor?! Astrapios?!
Hummm-Haaah, what is this?"

I think it would totally fit your concept, but I'd rather plan to use that at a later point in time, after our characters got to know each other well enough.
Otherwise some elements of the group (does not look at Lady Zal) might decide that you are to dangerous to stop you without killing you *haha*

Well, I GM the first adventure, so I am ALL of them *struggle-with-uprising-feelings-of-schizophrenia*
;-)

That certainly helps.
I can see them as personal quest providers, which may very well interfere with the current party goal - which is always an interesting option.
But how do you imagine them influencing your basic behaviour? So like talking, accepting other quests, etc?

I would handle it as follows:
- If I think one (or more) of the spirits have spotted or want something important, they will rise up (GM-initiative)
--> expect some mini-quest (did you play the newer versions of sims? sometimes they have ... whatisitcalled? ... impulses that are like mini-quests that you can let them fulfill - or not, sometimes with consequences)
- Everything else I would leave in your hands, as I feel that it will be a major part of your roleplay
--> maybe I would throw in some rp-hooks if I feel like one of them isn't satisfied (or VERY satisfied) with one of your actions

uhhh, I cannot edit my campaign at the moment *another-site-bug*.
I had it added to the campaign info tab .... and copy it here as well.
here you go

So using the influence system, you would have to come up with special penalties per spirit if you reach the 3+ influence threshold.
They are usually given with the spirits, but I think you created your own?

Balancing out the bargains can be challenging ... but also rewarding I guess.
A generic bargain-break penalty would be to add a penalty on exactly that which the spirit helped you with in the first place, depicting the spirit being mad at you which leads to the fact that you now suck at the spirits-sphere of influence.
So if you break a bargain with the Sphinx, you would incur a hefty penalty on skill checks, or breaking with the Chimera will reduce damage/attack.
Something like that? (in addition to the usual influence increase)

@Kitnos: Mhhh, I think it would be helpful to provide us more examples of how those beings are and how they react, speak and influence you.
Maybe give two or three example situations and the list how each of them behaves in that situation?
For downtime, you could just roll, which of the four has the uphand for the week/month/day and play it out accordingly?
During adventures, when you feel it would be a good time for another twist, you could go ahead and list the behaviour of two of them and the GM can then steamroll the others?

I have my short adventure worked out beside of crunch and a bit more fluff towards the start of it, so I am positive that I could start things some time towards the mid/end of next week.

@RP-wise: As this is completely (GM-)player-driven, I think heavy RP would be cool, as the adventures themselves are likely to be rather crunchy, since the whole monster-of-the-week trope.
But, I am usually a fan of heavy-RP because PbP is just THE medium to do heavy RP in my mind and it will give everyone something to do in-between adventures.

@all: If you didn't noticed, I set up gameplay&discussion threads for you to dot in - IC if you like to.

Quercus who is called 'The Thousandborn' by the inhabitants of Aelyosos due to the fact that he inhabits the town since the oldest times, resides in a small, century-old estate build high up at the north-eastern slopes overseeing Aelyosos.
The estate consist of one central Manson build from white stone, surrounded by a hip-high wall of carefully layered stones and old but well-grown trees planted in a regular distance.

A sprawling garden covers half a square kilometer of the slope behind the main house. White pillars, waterplays, pavilions and small groups of wildly different kind of trees and plants are playfully scattered around the area with walkways made of stone, flanked by overgrown pillars connecting them.
A lot of wildlife can be seen if one has the patience to settle down at one of the pavilions or the terrace on the rear of the house: birds, mice and other small wildlife make up the biggest part, but if one is lucky and particulary patient, once might also see a small herd of deer lead by a majestic white stag.
The patient and keen eye might note that several of the plants in the garden seem to be rather awake and sometimes even walk around to settle down in another spot.
He who dabbles in knowledge might recognize these plants to be of various kind of Leshys - intelligent plants once grown as servants for powerful fey but now a wildly disparate species on their own right.
Here, Quercus resides, caring for his kindred and the garden.

It is here where he invites anyone who asks for his talents, either as a Guardian or as a Diplomat to smooth over conflicts, knowing well that the calmness of his garden is the best place to talk calm and reasonable.

I've got a solid idea for a first adventure, maybe even with the possibility for further follow-ups within.
Curious of the actual power level of the party-to-come.
Gestalt is usually cl+3.
With the additional feats and high stat buy, I guess cl12+ is an initial estimate, to be corrected (likely upwards...)

***

Another thing to discuss: how do we intend to handle xp?
I am usually in the camp of GM-decides on lvl up without real tracking of course numbers.
Maybe we could derive a rule-of-thimb, like one level up after three adventures or something?
That's my penny at that topic but I could be convinced otherwise.

I was a bit troubled by the fact that the possible take-over-GM has several other recruitment threats running in parallel, plus the fact that there are a lot of people in the recruitment, so I figured I wanted to set this up regardless.

So I went ahead and created a shared one-note to store and share stuff.
Following the link, you should have edit rights, so feel free to add and edit stuff in there.

Topics I think we should discuss before starting:
- Overall shape of the campaign
- Organisation (some kind of GM-schedule) and tools (where to put maps, shared notes, ...?)
- Base setting and key NPCs (regent(s), high-priest(s), important factions/organizations, ...)
- GM-Players only or including some Players-only?
- ...?

For those still interested in a rotating GM game, would you consider checking in over here please?

Yeah, this game has produced so much interest, one could see many routes (games) ahead.
The player-only faction is big enough for a full party, let alone those who were interested in a shared-GM-experiment, or the option for BoG to return and he and Sebec split the player-base into their two games-to-come.
We'll see, but I am in a good hope, that we will see at least one greek-mythic game on this bord soon :-)

@Daedalus: Certainly. GM returning is by far the preferable option. Just figured that a backup plan would keep players interested and 'around'.

"Humm-Hummm-Buhrarummm!
Who would have thought that the idea of an old tree would be welcomed like that by the hasty folk!
Hummm-That is Good-Hummm-Hummm!"
***
Let me collect the voices:
Possible Part-Time GMs:
1) Positives:
- GM-Panic
- Menophite
- Gosor
- Ktinos
- Myself

2) Likely / Maybe?
- Daedalus
- Elloti
- Monkeygod

3) Player-only / Possible-GM-to-be?
- Ouachitonian
- KPatrol
- River of Sticks

@Monkeygod/All: Depending on the amount of interest, we may be able to do a two-tables-one-world thing, because honestly, more than 4-6 Gestalt/Mythic PCs in one group sounds like a real headache to master/control.
I'd imagine going with one shared 'downtime' thread (one world) and two encounter threads.
Characters can freely switch between encounter tables depending on current makeup, player-count, GM, ...
Should we loose interest, we can shrink back down to one encounter thread and expand again if we get more players.

Ah, of course.
I thought it might be some scenario or something PFS.
Non native speaker, so tropes and sayings are often lost on me :-)
***
Yup exactly like that.
If someone is especially motivated he can come up with a reoccurring villain every time it's his turn or some deeper plot he develops during 'his' sessions.
That's a common thing in 'those' series as well afaik.
***
I will set up something hing like that if we don't hear from our GM for some more days (next week sounds fair?)

Never heard of monster-of-the-week, but I'd guess so.
Crazy thought I had ... everyone could create some kind of monster during downtime and store it *somewhere* (in a g-drive or something).
Then during the next monster-phase the acting-GM can just pull out one/two/all of those monsters (in addition to any of his own ideas) and throw them against us.
Could make for some engaging and *what-the-heck-were-you-thinking* or *who-the-hell-did-make-this-one* moments.

I never gmed Pathfinder PbP before (but have a 1-1/2y warhammer40k game here on the boards) and do GM F2F Pathfinder time-to-time, so I guess I could handle a part-time job - although I am more than eager to play Quercus of course (plus don't have the time to do another full-time GM).

"Humm-Hummmm, of course, you are right young-leaf."
***
***
A thought that crossed my mind ...
If it comes to it and the GM had encountered serious issues indeed, how about we try out some kind of cooperative GMing.
We take turns crafting & running short intro-danger-encounter-resolution-epilogue for the table.
Background activities could be handled freestyle without an actual GM (so everyone just adds his/her actions and anyone else can come up with results/complications/interactions/whatever) and encounters are GMed in turn such that everyone can enjoy playing his/her legend most of the time...
I'd image a gameplay style similar to the hercules feats, so some kind of monster attack that has to be solved by the heroes without a major plot.
The setting is the plot - in a sense.
Might work. Or not. I don't know.
But it may work and I'd be willing to give it a shot.
#StillHopingToHearFromTheGM
#GM:NoInsultIntended

Ahhh, you Once-Born are so hasty-Buhrarum!
***
Still hoping that murmphys law hit our GM with the usual RL-Baton hard in the **** and the he will soon show up.

Actually ...
Consider that you are a living, thinking plant ...
... and you have lived a LONG live with lots of battles and war in them.
What would you probably develop over time...?
Wouldn't it be fire IMMUNITY?
Because every jack-ass thinking himself clever will throw fire at you, because *tree*.
***
I like that thought.
Probably settle on it for now and see what kind of enemies we encounter.
I can still change it during next level up after all ;-)

@Campin: the fluff point is (once again) a good one. Although I can actually see Quercus being quite fierce about order (there is the real chance to get eaten otherwise for Ghorans after all) but even stronger opposed to evil-doers.

@Daedalus: I don't think that this is entirely correct (the end-effect is, but not the way it works).
They can bypass it because they have the appropriate sub-type (good/evil/chaos/order) which lets them bypass the DR.
Having alignment DR does NOT let one auto-bypass (at least I would need a quote that it does - which would make me happy and I'd pick DR/evil any day if it allows me to bypass DR/good).
The end-effect always baffled me too, because the ONE time, they probably REALLY need their DR, it doesn't work. *lol* #youhadonejob

Quercus Thousandborn wrote:

So less groot, but more something like this but with roughly humanoid torso and head.
Thoughts?

I. AM. GROOT!

Hahaha, looking at your post history, do you have a crawler searching the forums for matching mentions only to post a Groot one-liner at the appropriate places? ;-)

Yeah me too.
It is just .... frustrating that it lacks any of the sweet evolutions the snake/quad can take.
I mean come on, why can't a biped with too many claws Rend something he has locked in a grapple like a quad can?
It is not like the biped would get any cool toys that would make it broken compared to the other two if allowed to take rake...

@all: I am struggling whether to swap to quadrupped base form for the eidolon or to keep biped.
Quad has access to stronger evolutions but starts with 2 strength less (but gets more dex). Especially rake is very strong due to its nice synergy with grapple specialisation I am going for. That one alone basically tripples my grapple damage compared to as-is.
Fluff-wise I am trying to get a picture of how he would appear.
I though something like still-biped-but-legs-split-up-into-two-legs-each.
So less groot, but more something like this but with roughly humanoid torso and head.
Thoughts?

Mhhh, since the GM is away and the deadline closes and my alternative build (as tree of life) depends on some GM fiat ...
I guess I'll leave Quercus as-is (finishing him up as I type) and leave the option open.
GM may decide to throw me a bone a go down that route if I get selected and I can rebuild before starting the game.
Otherwise I'm still happy with Quercus as mentor-type (spreading teamwork feats in an aura and offering group-wide smite for a few rounds a day sounds like a mentor-type, yes?)

Of course...
But I like the tree of life thing more than a murder-tree-of-doom - I don't think that we will lack in damage but I can easily see some of us going down to a concentrated attack in a round or two.
Plus the fun thing about life link is the fact that it does not take any action to maintain, so I can still murder stuff while sharing my life with anyone needing it more.
It's like a fast healing 5 aura (allies only) using my hp to power it.

Ohhh, that inquisitor might actually work if the 3PP feat isn't ok-ed.
I really like the Tree-of-Life image, keeping everyone alive with his own life source - really sounds like something from legends, eh?
Fun thing?
I could plant a backup self before going into dungeon (removing the negative level with a restoration spell for full-going) and actually die for you ... only to bloom back into life 2d5 days later.

@GM: I can totally see if that would cross the line, but from fluff and utility alone, I really like that concept.