Sorry about not having posted for a bit, folks! I'll try to get one up this evening.
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Kalindrah:
Amaya listens intently as you expound on the attributes of vellum and how it relates to potential illumination price. "I... I see." She swallows, nodding once.
"As to my budget, I--" Before the young woman can finish her sentence, the shadows in the room seem to deepen, and a chill passes through the air. Amaya's face pales and she glances about, her hands beginning to wring together. Faithe:
The interior of the Pharasmin shrine is perhaps as spartan and somber as one would expect--the priestess' quarters are decorated with plain grey furnishings and little in the way of luxuries. The young tiefling's breathing has calmed greatly.
"...thank you." He sighs, sitting down at the small end table in the corner. "I... um, I'm Mercutio." Raffia:
”Actually, I am more concerned that something may have happened to him.” Selene folds her hands in her lap. ”Mayor Arvanxi is… not known for taking criticism well. Especially not criticism of how well he governs Westcrown, no matter how polite or well-meaning.”
”And since Arael is not known for being polite with his critiques, well…” She sighs. ”I will be blunt—I think Arael is in danger. I need you to find him before disaster strikes him." Acesy: "The office is on Ingot Street, in the Rego Scripa--look for the red brick building that has the ivy growing along its side. You can't miss it." Aelia briefly grips your hand in hers before letting go.
"What do you say we meet up at Vizio's when you're done there? It's a little place nearby--a lot quieter than this place."
Raffia: Selene smirks. ”You’re well-informed.”
Her expression shifts to a more business-like frown. ”Yes, Arael is something of a troublemaker—at first, his sermons were good for rallying the smallfolk against the cursed darkness plaguing Westcrown.” ”Then, his diatribes began criticizing how Mayor Arvanxi is handling—or, rather, not handling—Westcrown’s sorry state. The shadow curse was a bad enough problem by itself, but lately there’s been an increase in violent crime throughout the city—and neither the Mayor nor the Dottari or even Citadel Rivad are doing anything about it.”
Kalindrah:
Amaya smiles, her expression turning relieved. "That's wonderful to hear. I want to make sure the letter is as well-handled as possible--Messere Umberto is very particular about his luxuries." She briefly rolls her eyes.
"Would there be much of a difference in pricing between vellum and parchment?" Raffia:
You remember hearing something from a few sources within the religious circles of Westcrown.
Arael the Swordbearer is a half-elven man, a newly-minted priest of Iomedae. He's developed a reputation of being something of a firebrand within the church of The Inheritor, being outspoken about the lamentable state of Westcrown--especially about how no one seems to be doing anything to change things for the better. Faithe: "I..."
The young man nervously swallows and steps forward, into the shadow of Pharasma's statue. "...I don't know--I'm trying to... I'm trying to stay hidden." "I don't want to be a burglar anymore--I'm trying to go into an honest trade now." He shakes his head. "My uncle Jacovo has offered to take me in, but... I'm afraid that if I take him up on it, Palaveen will hear--" He starts to hyperventilate.
Kalindrah:
Amaya clears her throat. "Er, yes, in fact."
She fumbles in her pockets before producing what looks like a rolled up piece of parchment. "I, um, I have a letter here that needs to be sent off to the Umberto estate--and, the thing is, they're the sort of 'new money' family that insists on everything they have being, well..." She shrugs. "...ostentatious." "I have to ask--do you charge a specific rate for such commissions? Or is there a price to be negotiated?" Faithe:
The tiefling makes a nervous smile and glances back towards the entrance to the graveyard. "I... um..."
He looks back to you. "...does... does this place offer sanctuary?" He asks, his voice beginning to tremble. Raffia:
Selene strides over to the nearby chair and takes a seat with a liquid grace. "There is someone, yes."
"Are you familiar with the name Arael the Swordbearer, perchance?" Acesy: Aelia snorts. "Good luck with that." She starts before raising her mug to her lips again--and stopping.
"...actually, that might not be a bad idea." She sets her mug down and smooths out a wrinkle in her violet, star-embroidered blouse. "Heaven knows I've made enough of an ass of myself about this; you might just look like some other guy with no Pathfinder connections."
Sure, I'll allow them.
Raffia: Just from a cursory examination, you can determine that this woman does not appear to have any concealed weaponry on her person.
She smiles as the door opens. "Greetings. My name is Selene--I've been told you're someone who handles missing persons cases?" She extends her hand for a handshake.
Kalindrah:
Approaching the front of your workplace, you find a young woman dressed in simple, well-tailored and kept clothing with golden flowers embroidered on the sleeves. Her almond-shaped eyes and dark black hair mark her as being of Tian descent. She gives a start as you emerge from the back.
”Oh! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t, um, I—“ She stammers. ”I was told that this is an… illumination shop?” Faithe:
The young man visibly stiffens in surprise as you make your presence known. As he turns to you, you notice that his eyes are strange—deep blue irises, teal pupils and black sclerae.
”AH! Er, hello!” He forces a smile onto his face as his eyes struggle to stay on yours. ”Are you the priestess on duty here?” He stumbles through his words. Raffia:
The person you spy through the peephole is a dark olive-skinned woman of mixed elven descent, with sharp violet eyes and sharper cheekbones. She is dressed in a small red vest and low-riding breeches, and her long black hair is tied up in a high ponytail.
She seems to be waiting for the door to open. Acesy: Aelia lets out an exhausted groan. ”Old Delvehaven used to be our old Pathfinder Lodge. Then some weird shit happened regarding some kind of curse a few decades ago, and Westcrown’s bureaucracy refuses to let me even look at the building.”
She chugs a draft of her drink.
Intro post has been made!
Westcrown has always had its dark corners. Even in its glorious days of centuries past, the quiet alleyways of the former City of Nine Stars had shadows that light never touched. These shadows were a haven for many—the downtrodden, the furtive, the criminal and dangerous. They offered shelter from the sun in the hateful summer months; shelter from the biting winter cold; shelter from those who hunted the desperate and defiant. But even when the shadows grew long, there was a semblance of dignity and pride in those they cloaked—an understanding that even the greatest achievements can happen in the darkest places. In the modern day, the City of Twilight—especially in the wake of the ascension of the devilbound House of Thrune—is little more than a backwater. Monuments to the endless potential of humanity lie strewn about Westcrown, marred by the passage of time and the apathy of its populace. The once proud architecture of centuries past, renowned for its beauty and longevity, now crumbles from neglect and abuse—only to be replaced with styles more appropriate to the devilish tastes of Cheliax’s new noble families. A scant forty years ago, the shadows of Westcrown ceased to be hospitable. Beasts of wisp and shade stalk Westcrown’s alleys after the sunset, and the harm caused by them has chased the smallfolk of the City of Twilight indoors. Rumours abound of what could be responsible for them… some claim that they’re here at the behest of the House of Thrune, imposing their will in their absence. Others claim that Nidalese insurgents are responsible for their presence, sent to sow discord in preparation for an invasion. Others still claim that they’re agents of a supposedly-long defunct organization of criminals, and their purpose is to clear the board and settle old scores to that they may claim Westcrown for themselves. Whatever the reason, the House of Thrune has abandoned Westcrown—and especially its people—to their fate. If anything is to change for the people, then it will have to come from within…
Today is a humid and muggy day--but, fortunately, there's a strong breeze coming in off of the Bay of Westcrown. The sun is shining through a smattering of grey clouds. Kalindrah:
Your day begins rather uneventfully—after breakfast, there’s the matter of working on your most recent commission for a client. Given how hot and sticky it feels outside, it’s a good thing that your profession is an indoor one.
Partway through your workday, the sound of your door opening cuts through the listless air. Faithe:
Pharasma has never been prominent in Cheliax—the faiths of Abadar, Iomedae and especially Asmodeus are the dominant faiths of the land. Still, the Pharasmin shrine you tend to sees its share of visitors and offerings—mainly from those whose loved ones have either passed away or are preparing to make that final voyage.
Today, you have a visitor to the shrine: a young man with pale skin, red hair and a pair of nubby horns is standing at the foot of the shrine’s statue of Pharasma. Raffia:
You are in between cases today: that’s perhaps for the best. It’s at times like these that you can make progress on putting the puzzle pieces together.
There’s been reports of pickpockets being arrested and interrogated, only to find their masters long gone. Couple that with the current problem of shadow monsters after dark, and there’s too many coincidences. There’s something bigger behind them. There’s a knock at the door of your office. Acesy: Today is shaping up to be a dreary, humid day. It’s already soured the atmosphere of the inn you’ve been staying at—the Silver Snake’s taproom is filled with labourers bracing themselves for a long, sweaty day of toil.
Sitting at the bar next to you is a recent acquaintance: a Pathfinder by the name of Aelia Ghontasavos. Her dark shoulder-length hair is matted from the humidity in the air. She’s been trying to make progress on reopening the old Pathfinder Lodge of Delvehaven, with no luck.
Alrighty, currently putting together the intro post for the gameplay thread! I’ll try to have it up sometime around lunch.
Before I write up the opening post, where in Westcrown do your characters live and what do they do for a living?
Alrighty then! I'll see about putting together the opening post sometime this evening.
Current Roster: Jesse Heinig: Kalindrah Keyes: Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Grey Paladin of Ragathiel (Westcrown Firebrand)
There are campaign traits in the CoT player's guide--they start on Page 8.
Here's the gray paladin. Might get a piece of custom art if the game goes for a while. Her stats look good--only thing really missing is an appropriate Campaign trait.
As interesting as that concept is, I'm afraid I don't think I'm ready to do tech stuff for Council of Thieves--it doesn't really fit with the AP.
Are you guys telling me you want a homebrew game in Numeria? ...or something else along those lines? ;) Because I do have something else percolating in my notes...
Are you asking me for input on which idea you should go with?
Choice paralysis is a real thing.
Yeah, the impression I got from the Vigilante class was that they work at their best when everyone else is also playing one.
Well, there’s always the Vigilante class, or any of the class archetypes introduced in Ultimate Intrigue. Also I am allowing Variant Heritages for Planetouched.
Just also wanted to point out that Council of Thieves is an AP that’s a bit more social-focused than Paizo’s usual offerings. So every PC having a social skill or two would never go amiss.
Thoughts on a lizardfolk PC? It’ll definitely be a strange thing, but I have no objections.
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's final characters. :)
So I'm discovering that Investigator has more moving parts than any other class in Pathfinder but it's kind of fascinating. Yep. I remember playing an Investigator for the Reign of Winter Adventure Path once--great for skills, but it took a bit for combat to be smooth.
So, for current character ideas: Jesse Heinig: Not sure yet
Eh, sure. I'll allow it. Lemme read through the lamplighter to make sure it doesn't actually give up trapfinding... Actually, the Lamplighter archetype doesn't give up Trapfinding--it only gives up Trap Sense. You won't need to take that trait after all.
I think I'll also allow you to use Background Skills for CharGen.
Now that everyone is all here, I wanted to ask something. Regarding the rating of content here, what are everyone's boundaries when it comes to that sort of thing? I suppose what I'm asking is if intimate scenes--if they should come up--should be kept to Private Messaging or if they can be hidden behind spoilers in-thread.
We're still figuring that out. Anyways, I'm happy to see you all again!
I was hoping to have everyone here before we decided on characters. Would it be at all possible for someone to discreetly inform TheNine of their pending invitation?
Oh my. That's awful...
I was hoping to invite TheNine to join us as well, but I haven’t heard back from them yet. Does anyone know if they’re still on the boards here?
Sounds neat! Haven't heard back yet from my 4th invite.
I think I should have specified previously that I'm fine with any 1st-party classes. If you *really* want a 3rd-party class, please run it by me first.
Hey there! Just waiting on replies from the other two now...
I'm afraid I don't have that book, but if you want to build a character with that kind of flavor, I'll see what I can do to accommodate.
Let me post my CharGen rules for it! Method: 25-point buy
I was leaning towards creating a new party with the same players, ideally.
Discussion Thread open.
Unfortunately, I think that would be for the best. I'm really sorry I haven't posted at a good pace, and it doesn't look like I'll be able to do so for this game. I would recommend you ask for another GM. Thank you all for sticking around as long as you have.
Glad to hear it. I’ve been dealing with a case of something like burnout in between working shifts. Will try to post this evening.
Nita's Knowledge Roll:
If memory serves (and in your case, it very much does) there should be an old two-story home along the canal that the government was legally prevented from demolishing--something about it being a 'place of historical significance'. It's recognizeable by the Shelyn-esque stone angel heads decorating its eaves. Everett's Perception Roll: You hear the sound of several somethings skittering about in the darkness next to 'Vizio's Tavern'.
Nita's Knowledge Roll:
As you take in what you can make out of your surroundings, it looks like you're in a canal-side alleyway behind Vizio's Tavern...
...if Vizio's Tavern was built about eight centuries ago. Yet the streets feel strangely familiar, nonetheless. You may be able to get around this 'shadow Westcrown' if its street layout is anything like its sunlit counterpart. Whisper's Perception Roll: As you look around for a place to hide, you notice several especially shadowy corners that one may hide in.
Unfortunately, they all appear to have been claimed. You notice something briefly glinting in the shadows. Something like a pair of hollow eyes. It blinks.
Hey, at least it isn't a sewer level, right? ;)
Calseinica stumbles forward into the darkness along with the rest of the party. Janiven is the last to take the plunge--just as the thundering of metal-shod boots comes down the passageway.
A split second later, the party's feet find purchase on cold stone--and the tunnel opens up into... what looks like a city street ahead. The world that greets the emerging party stands in stark contrast to the noisy, colourful city of Westcrown they were in just mere moments ago. Shadow presses down all around, chased away only by pale white lights blazing upon lampposts. Overhead, the sky is a cloudy grey, deepening to the darkest black just beyond sight. The waters of a nearby canal are eerily calm, and inky black. The many colours the party bore moments before have faded--there is only grey, white and black. Nothing else. You've emerged into Westcrown... yet it's a Westcrown bled of all colour. Or life. DC 10 Knowledge (Planes):
You've heard its name in passing, but its relevance has only occurred to you now.
This is the Plane of Shadow. Calseinica whimpers in fear, clutching onto Sanchia. Quirri is looking all around her in wonder. Aidonis stares grimly ahead.
As the group starts to make their way down the secret passage, the sounds of heavy boots kicking at the VIP Lounge's door suddenly burst through the air--followed by the splintering of wood. "Dammit!" Janiven curses and runs ahead of the group. There's not a lot of time to really examine the passageway--it's mainly composed of stone that gradually descends into the darkness. The heat of the day yields to a deep chill--one not quite of the earth. Janiven barks out a strange word in an unfamiliar tongue. In response, a sudden rush of wind fills the corridor and a deep, inky and filmy blackness fills the rest of the way. DC 13 Knowledge (Planes):
It feels like Janiven just opened some sort of portal! "Come on--let's go!" Janiven starts ushering the others into the dark. Aidonis goes first--with some hesitation. Quirri swallows, looks at Cassynder and follows. Calseinica stops cold. "Wait a minute--what just happened?!"
Once again, sorry for backsliding. Will try to update tomorrow evening.
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