I've decided I would like to try my hand at GMing a Pbp. I intend for this to be a full length campaign in my own home-brewed setting using the Pathfinder rules system. I'm mainly throwing this out there to gauge people's interest. If four or so seem interested, then I will give it a go. I'm only going to allow a maximum of six, just to keep things from getting out of hand.
Btw, while I have GM'd quite a few Pathfinder games, I have never ran a Pbp before, so bear with me, it will be a learning experience for all of us :)
Here's a couple of notes about how this will run:
- Accepted source material will be Pathfinder Core, APG, and pretty much any Paizo published Pathfinder specific splat book. If you want to use a certain rule/feat or whatever, and aren't sure if it's allowed, just tell me a) what it is, b) what it does, and c) where you found it.
- Character creation will be standard 20 point buy, max hp at 1st lvl, 3/4 hp (rounded down) plus CON for every lvl after first. No evil alignments, no lone wolfs, and no divas/show-stealers. As for races/classes, try to stick with the sourcebooks mentioned above. If your concept simply demands that you use some oddball race/class, then ask me about it. I'm pretty lenient, and I might be willing to fudge a bit if your concept is interesting enough. No tarrasque PCs, please ;)
- Campaign will be sort of sandboxy with some juicy dangling plot books thrown in for good measure. Also, this campaign will have a pretty healthy focus on nature, the elements, and aspects of the natural world like terrain, weather, and climate. This means that spells such as endure elements and water breathing will probably be of more useful than in your typical campaign.
- As far as deities and pantheons go, just stick with Pathfinder core for decisions like domain, favored weapon, etc. While your specific deity will most likely not exist in my campaign world, their ideals, ethics, and general flavor can be shoehorned in to something appropriate for my setting. More on that later.
- If your interested in obtaining a spot in this campaign, please post your character concept here along with a short introductory sample post of your character in action. Essentially this serves as kind of a litmus test so I can see what sort of writer you are, as well as what I can expect from you in the future.
- I intend for this to be a fairly active pbp campaign, so you should be able to post at least once a day, and no one-liners, please, unless it's appropriate for your character at the time. I will attempt to post at least once a day, probably more.
And finally, here's a few little blurbs about my campaign world.
One more thing...
I'm looking mainly for concepts here, not mechanics or crunch. Things like background history, personal motivations, and unique flavor mean much more to me than "pole arm fighter who trips a lot"
Your imagination is one of your greatest assets... Use it! :)
[quote=Game Masquerade}
"pole arm fighter who trips a lot"
... aaaaarrrghh, you stole my line.. 'cry and run away'
Joking aside ahah, I really like this idea and concept so far. I am willing to try and send application for POLEARM FIGHTER.... 'take a peek behind corner´. This has actually been my idea some time but never really anything for them until APG came out so atlast got something for this concept.
Just need to see what kind of backstory I can weave together although I got an idea of being citizen of Earth.
Sidenote: Possible to ask some general question and if yes, then:
1)Is there any benefit of being a citizen from one of the Nations? +x to some of the checks, abilities etc?
2)Since sandbox kind of thing, as a GM, what kind of story and background you like to keep up or what kind of setting you prefer? Going for something like Kingmaker or just as you said, we are quite free to explore and decide things
Name: Avion Mesoota
Class: Fighter [Polearm Master]
Race: Human
Place: Verdan, Nation of Earth
16, 14, 14, 8, 12, 14
(+3), (+2), (+2), (-1), (+1), (+2)
Always running up and down on the dynes of sand, sliding and rolling over, Avion was young boy of small ‘desert farmer’ family. He grew up scythe in his hands although he has never shown so much interest at it. Rather than helping his family, he has mostly been running around desert, desire to become scout / dyne-wanderer but neglecting most his studies, which are required in order to achieve something like this… after all, he like to learn his experience through hard way than being told someone else, although it will cost him greatly.
One day, he was again outside of home, running away from his mother. He wandered in to nearby dynes next to town and was climbing, when he suddenly started to slide. It was impossible for him to prevent falling and he fell under the sun. Being suffocated and crushed by sheer weight, he started to lose consciousness, when he dropped suddenly. Total darkness and dump air, Avion desperately breathed air, grateful to be not death but another fear now coming forth… alone and in darkness. Air was musty and darkness overwhelming. Hours passed and he felt the coldness in the air.
At some point, he felt that something was moving there… he could not see, or smell, he felt cold but he did not imagine this… he froze and imagination started to make out of different things… Suddenly, roof above his head burst open and light shined down. For a moment, everything stopped and then Avion moved. He run and along that he saw a rope being dropped down, changed his course and grappled on the rope and in second was being pulled back up… however, something was coming and jump after him. He heard scream from above and fear was there again, when suddenly something big fall past him and he heard a sharp slash, like something huge was slashed down extremely fast and hitting something. He turned his head to see behind him and saw his father! He had his scythe with him and in the other side was something else… but he could see it was hurt badly due to all blood which was in floor but more importantly, also his father was hurt from the fall… his leg was in horrific position but he was still standing. More rope was being thrown down and two other men, who were friend of his father were sliding down now as also one other person, he had never seen, stand next to edge and was waving his hands. This was his first time seeing a wizard in person. Wizard jumped down but was being slowly falling down like a feather. One of the men cursed and yelled to watch out to his father. More strange creatures had come from darkness and now they all attacked. His was overwhelmed by them and fall to floor, only gripping his scythe. A sudden lighting arc flew through the air to creatures, grilling all of them and flashing the surrounding darkness, revealing a small amount of others creatures.
Avion was screaming for his father, from above came screaming of woman and other people, when one of the men stopped sliding and begun climbing back up, but one of them kept sliding, run to the corpse and picked up the scythe before returning to rope and started his climbing back up. The creatures were stunned and eyes burned from sudden flash, but some of them recovered quickly and started to chase the man, but suddenly stopped… like something was stopping them. Soon Avion felt how air… was moving down there in horrific speed and lifting everything up. Air started to crackle next to wizard, who had stopped falling and his whole body started to sparkle… white & blue, the intensive feeling of electronic currents passing faster and faster, when huge chain lighting spread everywhere, jumping from creature to creature, leaving just ashes behind.
When everyone was back up, the wizard slowly raised back up and begun waving his hand. Air all around them begun to move faster, dynes started to change their shape and ground begun to move, filling the hole, until nothing was left. Sun was almost settling down in the horizon, when the man, who got the scythe slowly approached Avion and his mother, who was standing with her son, tears flowing. He just gave the scythe and left in silence with others, leaving the woman, child and wizard.
“We only found you because of your father… he was a great man, but none will live forever it seem… I have returned my favour to him, but I still feel like owing something... so boy, listen carefully. I will make sure that you will live up to your father legacy, since after one of the greatest heroes and a man has died, just to protect his son. You are missing education, you are missing your studies so only way I see is to train you to follow your father footsteps.”
Scythe in his hand, Avion listen the wizard tale of meeting with his father, how they used to adventure together and story of his strength & bravery. “One time he saved me… from far greater than I horror than I had imagined and for that I owe him… what I see now, is that I will make sure that you will survive in this world and thus my debt will be paid”
Looking at him, Avion tells: “This… I want to use this… the last thing my father had… I want to be like him with the weapon he used… I don’t know him as a warrior, but I know him as a farmer, who used scythe much better way than any other people I know”.
“So be it” Wizard said and looked at boy “I will provide everything you need in order to reach your goal” and thus disappeared. Avion and his mother stand there silently… and begun walking home. Not a single thing, only his scythe, was last memento of his mother… and his body buried under the sand, not at the grave… Someday he would set his foot back to that grave and retake the remains of his father… until then, he would prepare
Avion has been since his youth quite harsh and demanding towards himself due to his past. Scars, constant affect of being under the sun during practise sessions. Deep brown skin, white hair, well built body, he is trying to be truly intimidating as possible, to achieve the ultimate form of fighter, he keep swinging that scythe in order to fully master it. Feeling of loosing his father has not left him alone and he keep blaming himself for this, making him somewhat awkward person, who isn’t really sociable character but appreciates more than anything else people, who are doing their best and those, who try to be his friends and tries to responds in same way
Somewhat lost in his training, he had forgone studying and learning and feels little bit dump around people, which also explains his unsociable characteristic. He is otherwise quite adventurous person and likes to wander and move around, feeling confident even in most hampered grounds, since with such a easiness, he seems to move there. The training in his youth in the dynes, where the sand is unpredictable, has improved his sense of balance and under the constant watch of sun, has made him feel more home in hot regions.
He is having bad experience with darkness and this is somehow reflecting him little bit during night-time but soon he shakes it off and beat himself to senses of being sissy. He also has caring attitude towards his mother, whom he feel to be one suffering the most. Death of his husband, growing and self-blaming son, missing of the loved one… is little bit pressing each day against her, some time less and more and he feels urge to help him but how… and the Barin, wizard who was friend of his father, used to help him and his mother alot.
However, one day he heard about these miracles, rare ability, ones which are unattainable by normal humans, granted only by gods to their rarest and most passionate servants... and his imagination started to spin... his mother was already old but if this story is true... there was a way, so there will be a path he would have to take. He never was selfish and his mother was dearest him... he would find someone, who could cast this... miracle, he would find even god himself and beg for the resurrection of his father... and to give youth back to his mother...
Feat:
Nimble Movement
Dazzling Display
Weapon Focus: Scythe
Trait:
Desert Child: +4 saving throw vs hot conditions & +1 bonus vs fire effects
Spirits in the Stone: +2 initiative when in ruins & +1 saving throws vs traps & natural hazards
Skill Points: 2 per / level -1 Int* (Favored Class: +1 skill points)
+6 Intimidate (+1, +3 cs, +2 cha)
+5 Survival (+1, +3 cs, +1 wis)
I would like to play a gnome wizard (air school) from Skygaarde.
Young, blond and boisterous he is not your traditional wizard!
He is the oldest son of a merchant family who has no interest in the family trade and would rather find adventure and excitement out in the greater world.
Extract:
"All problems have solutions, it can be solved," Qarxan smiled widely, hiding his genuine frustration and forcing his eyes not to roll. Like a proper gnome should."Then find it," grumbled the armor-clad half-orc. He fidgetted with his weaponry. Fidgetted! Are all warriors just big children with sharp toys!?
"I will endeavour to do so my friend, maybe if you check back along the hallway as I work, watch for ambushes, find something to break and son on."
The half-orc peered at him, eyes squinted to discern any hint of mockery, Qarxan only smiled up at him with his most winning smile.
The warrior snorted then turned to keep watch as he walked to the edge of Qarxan's magically summoned pool of light.
"Now!" Qarxan said quietly once he was alone, rubbing his hands together. "What the hell language is this?"
Aventi - LOL I didn't mean to steal your idea for my example. However, you did an exemplary job of running with the idea. Your scythe wielding fighter sounds interesting.
VP - I suppose the gnomes in my setting tend to lean toward Krynn-styled. They are upbeat, quirky, and usually tend to try something first and then consider the consequences later.
One more thing about traits:
Your character is allowed two traits, one from the sources I already mentioned, and one custom regional trait that will tie into the nation you call home. This trait will grant you certain bonuses, and these bonuses will improve and change as your character gains in level, depending on your character's actions. I will try to post the four 1st level traits sometime later today. Then, whenever the party gains a level, I will inform each PC of how their trait has changed/improved.
I'll try to post a more detailed write up of each nation later tonight, as well as some of the major events that take place on Aeon, but for right now I've got to go to work.
EDIT:
VP - I forgot to mention that while most of my gnomes have a certain flavor, your particular PC doesn't have to adhere to those characteristics. He can be as unique as you want him to be.
Also, in this campaign, the PCs write the story, I just interpret. I will do my best to make sure I do not railroad you down one particular storyline. The PCs are free to explore at their leisure, getting into all sorts of trouble along the way. Please note, however, that there are certain natural phenomena on Aeon that may prevent travel to other nations, based on the season and the weather.
And before I forget, all PCs will start this campaign in Oceania, in the pirate port of Gold-Bottom Bay. If your character is not originally from Oceania, you will need a reason to for being in the water nation for at least the past 6 months.
I'd like to toss in my Rogue for this. Needed to play around with the crunch since this will be my 1st pathfinder rogue. As for where he's from, I'd say either Oceana or Ember. I can see him "at work" in Gold Bottom Bay or piloting a sandship out of mirage (if it requires ride check to pilot a sandship i will put ranks in ride, if its profession then i will put ranks in that as well. What i've got so far though:
Halfling rogue, sometimes theif, scout, treasure hunter, and guide.
Quick and friendly, Talic has a knack for making himself useful. few ever see his his serious side, and few ever suspect him of any mischief, at least until he's long gone. Though not a strong swordsman, his speed serves him well in making quick precise strikes with his rapier. Even when he appears unarmed, the halfling always has atleats one dagger on hand.
The old man walk the length of the sanddock, inspecting the various crafts and pilots, occasionally stopping to inquire about the cost. When he got to the end of the row, he found one sandship unattended. As he turned around, headng back towards the pilot with the cheapest price, and young bow came running around the corner. Seeing the unattended sandship and recognizing the old man as a potential customer, Talic approached him. "If it's transport you be needing, I've got the fastest ship here. Been piloting for over 5 years, never an accident" he lied, pushing his hair back behind his small pointy ears. The old man was about to tell the child to be gone when he noticed the ears, realizing that this was no child, but a halfling. "How much you charge to get to Mirage?" asked the old man. "tell you what" said talic, "Todays your lucky day, for i've got business in Mirage, I'll charge you half of what that gentleman quoted you and I'll guarantee we make it there before noon" The old gladly paid talic the coin, and was quickly hurried aboard. With a quick slice form his dagger, the sandship was cut free and they were off. As they flew out across the desert, they heard some yelling behind them. Looking back they could see a group of guards calling for them to return and wavin gtheir weapons. Hidding a smile, Talic turned to the old man "Not sure what trouble your into, but the price just doubled. I'd hate to think they recognized my ship and will arrest me when I return" The old man's face quickly changed to one of shock. He had no idea what he had done wrong, but he certainly didn't want to go bck and find out. He quickly handed over some more coins. Smiling Talic said "Your lucky I came along when I did"
edit: Having been implicated in some "slightly" unlawful act, Talic will make his way to oceana, obviously drawn by the opportunities of a palce called Gold-bottom Bay
Here's the four regional traits:
Child of Water ~ Oceania Regional Trait ~
As a citizen of Oceania, you are as adaptive and flexible as water. You are a quick thinker, and excel at improvisation. You are also a competent swimmer, just as comfortable in the water as you are on land.
+2 to Bluff and Swim, and they are always considered class skills to you. In addition, you may treat five feet of water as if it were normal terrain.
Child of Earth ~ Verdan Regional Trait ~
As a citizen of Verdan, you know first hand the power of the untamed natural world. You are cautious, stoic, and full of resolve, and you have only survived this long by keeping a keen eye out for danger.
+2 to Sense Motive and Climb, and they are always considered class skills to you. In addition, you may treat five feet of dense undergrowth as if it were normal terrain.
Child of Air ~ Skygaarde Regional Trait ~
As a citizen of Skygaarde, you are as carefree and energetic as the wind. You have a taste for adventure, and your mind is just as nimble as your feet.
+2 to Perception and Acrobatics, and they are always considered class skills to you. In addition, you gain feather fall 5 ft.
Child of Fire ~ Ember Regional Trait ~
As a citizen of Ember, you know all too well the brutal hardships of life in the desert. You are fierce, passionate, and determination burns like a fire within you.
+2 to Intimidate and Survival, and they are always considered class skills to you. In addition, you may treat five feet of quicksand as if it were normal terrain.
Good concepts so far, keep em coming :)
Please note that this is not necessarily first come, first served, so feel free to take your time imagining your character. Sometime later next week, I will pick the five or so who I feel have the most interesting characters. I will also try to assemble a diverse group, so that all abilities/niches are covered.
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Three years ago, Deston Praevelle was pulled from the burnt wreckage of his home in Oceania. While the skills of a local healer were enough to save his life, they were not sufficient to save his face. His parents and sister perished in the flames that so horribly scarred Deston. Since then he has hunted for the group of men that killed his family. Clues have been few and far between, but he hunted with a ruthless fanaticism. However, after three years he has had little success and the burning rage has coalesced into a cold resentful anger. Friendless and without direction, he now realizes that he needs to find a way to acquire the resources needed to eventually fulfill his revenge.
Mhm, so far everything looks good and got concept up. Though it seems like that Scythe was Blade, heavy... which means need to change weapon or go with different type but concept will be staying same :)
Either way changing to glaive-guisarme weapon or going with Weapon Master archetype.
Have a profile started , should be finalized soon
Profile started-> Made some minor exchanges to stats etc but concept will still stay the same. Going for Weapon Master archetype instead. If you want me to make some changes to concept to make it feel much better, go ahead and I will try to come up with something good :)
I whipped up a very basic world map of Aeon which you should be able to see here.
If, during the course of your adventures, one of the PCs acquires something such as a map, I'll try to link to a visual aid. You might have to be patient and bear with me a bit, as I'm doing most of these by hand :)
Feel free to ask any questions here, and I will answer them to the best of my ability. And as far as google wave goes, yes, it does look pretty cool, but unfortunately, I do about 90% of my posts from my iPad, and it doesn't seem to get along with google very well. So for the foreseeable future, the campaign will take place within paizo's pbp message board.
That's a neat map!
Why thank you! Flattery will definitely get you somewhere :)
I drew the map on my iPad using sketchbook pro. It's a pretty nifty app.
given you did that on an ipad, veyr impressed. Hmm seems talic would have headed south from ember to get to oceana. I believe i've finalized his profile, any oddities or questions just ask. Hes excellent at getting into trouble, very adventurous, and easy to entice with somehting new.
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Joachim Azreth
Human
Arcane Duelist
Skygaarde, Nation of Air
Str. 16 (+3)
Dex. 14 (+2)
Con. 13 (+1)
Int. 12 (+1)
Wis. 10 (+0)
Cha. 14 (+2)
Feats:
Arcane Strike (Free)
Weapon Focus: Longsword
Toughness
Skills:
Acrobatics +5 (1 rank, -2 armor)
Diplomacy +6 (1 rank)
Intimidate +6 (1 rank)
Knowledge, Arcana +5 (1 rank)
Perception +6 (1 rank)
Perform, Oratory +6 (1 rank)
Spellcraft +5 (1 rank)
Use Magic Device +6 (1 rank)
Traits:
Child of Air
Courageous
Background/Personality details forthcoming...
love all these homebrews on here
Galahad - I'll announce the final party members sometime next Wednesday (Sept 1st). Also, try to stick with Pathfinder specific source books as much as possible, though if you have something you wanna pull from an old 3.5 splat book, run it by me first.
Normanak - Elven cavalier sounds awesome, and would fit very nicely within the setting. Verdan is by far the most geologically diverse nation, ranging from humid jungles, to tall deciduous forests, to rolling plains and everything in between. Your mount can be equally diverse. To give you an idea, Verdan is home to a sect of highly skilled fey rangers who ride giant chameleons! If you have an idea, post it. I'll rein you in if it looks too crazy :)
Tome of Secrets is a PFRPG book sold by Paizo, but designed by Adamant Entertainment, was interested in the Swashbuckler class. If thats ok I'll send that if not, I can try to use fighter and work from there.
did you see the rogue swashbukler archetype?
Here's a little rundown on the four patron deities of Aeon. Keep in mind that there are many other minor deities besides these, these four just represent the main pantheon. These aren't true goddesses (no true gods or goddesses exist in Aeon), rather they are powerful Wilds called Elderwilds. While a Wild can represent any number of things in the natural world, such as the Wild of morning dew, or the Wild of mud, the Elderwilds are the spirits of the pure elements: earth, water, air, and fire. They are the strongest of their kind, and they are worshipped for their tendency to grant favors and booms to those who revere their natural world.
Patron deity of Verdan
Alignment: LG
Domains: Animal, Earth, Good, Plant, Protection
The oldest and strongest of the Elderwilds, Gaia was given the task of reclaiming the world back from the hands of men from Aeon herself. As the most benevolent of all the Wilds, it pained Gaia to destroy the lives of so many sentient beings, though she knew it was necessary. Gaia was forever changed from that day forward, and became a shadow of her former self. She remains an aloof deity, and those that seek her must do so in quiet places, among old wood and deep earth.
Gaia
Patron deity of Ember
Alignment: CN
Domains: Artifice, Chaos, Destruction, Fire, Strength
Though not intrinsically evil, Pompeii remains the most feared and mistrusted Elderwild on Aeon. Those that choose to serve her, however, quickly find that while she is a harsh mistress, she is far less fickle than her sisters. She rewards the strong, and punishes the weak, and favors those who seek to test their mettle with sacrifice, be it sweat, tears, or blood.
Pompeii
Patron deity of Skygaarde
Alignment: CG
Domains: Air, Liberation, Sun, Trickery, Weather
Avah is the youngest and most whimsical of the Elderwilds, still not quite accustomed to the powers she wields or the responsibilities of being a patron deity. Though she is benevolent and good, she is prone to bouts of insatiable childlike curiosity and often uses her worshippers as a means of amusement. While she might very well grant a man with enough faith the ability to fly should he throw himself from a cliff, she is just as likely to let him fall, just to see what happens.
Avah
Patron deity of Oceania
Alignment: CG
Domains: Charm, Community, Luck, Travel, Water
Calypso, sometimes referred to as "Lady Luck" or "Pirate Mother", is a benevolent, if mischievous Elderwild. She, more than any other deity, delights in involving herself in the day to day life of her subjects. She has a fondness for treasure, and many a devoted follower has found himself rich by listening to her guidance. She disdains the overly greedy, however, and has been known to capsize a vessel too bloated with treasure for its own good.
Calypso
Oh, and tome of secrets is fine :)
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Normanak - Elven cavalier sounds awesome, and would fit very nicely within the setting. Verdan is by far the most geologically diverse nation, ranging from humid jungles, to tall deciduous forests, to rolling plains and everything in between. Your mount can be equally diverse. To give you an idea, Verdan is home to a sect of highly skilled fey rangers who ride giant chameleons! If you have an idea, post it. I'll rein you in if it looks too crazy :)
Actually, I was thinking riding lizard of some type, it seemed a good fit for forested terrain.
Thanks for the deity update, Avah seems liek an excellent choice for a halfling who delights sandships and the relief that a breeze can bring on a hot day.
Talic, you brought up a good point:
Your character is free to worship whomever they choose. That includes minor Wilds. Don't feel that just because your PC is from a certain nation, they have to pay homage to their nation's patron deity. They can even choose to be an atheist and not worship anything if they want to.
Just make sure that your PC has a good reason to choose whomever it is that you choose. Bob the farmer, who chooses to worship the Wild of animal dung sounds pretty silly, until you realize that Bob's use of animal fertilizer in his fields every year has yielded a bumper crop season after season and has turned him into a wealthy man.
Well, I am nearly finished with everything and thinking now for some addiotional information. Got any plans how we start off or meet? I can start to make something like that. Of course I will also have chance to be NOT selected but lets say I am bored, got nothing better to do... (work is piling up to desk lol) and quite interested to think a story behind it and prepare in advance
Ooooh... I got so interesting idea but well, need to ask couple question about this.
Do you have something like God of death? How is death worshipped in Aeon? Is there image of him/her: kinda like Death? or Pharasma? What about afterlife?
Since I have been thinking of concept so and so on... I will be writing something and would like to get your opinion about it. Will finish soon with it
Several years later…
And he froze again… the fear was dominating him! His mind was blank and he just wanted to everything stop. “Shh.. shh… everything is alright Avion… it was just an illusion” Wizard calmed the young man but was thinking for himself -“This is weird… my powers are already too far away from normal comprehension, so its hard to control them… just able to prevent really killing him with fear… reminding me of that really annoying undead lich, who used that… what-was-that-word-command now, ah, yes, blasp- something”- while he comforted buy. Scythe was lying on the ground far away being thrown out again.
Again it was evening and Avion was sitting again on top of dyne, watching how the quicksand faraway was sucking once again one of those stupid desert animals. He had turned his head to take a look on his left side, blinks eyes and pop! Wizard was sitting just next to him.
“It’s a beautiful sunset. The horizon is mixed with colours of red and orange... Colourful nature of desert… and its beauty along the deadliness… A rare amount of people are able to live here but you, your mother had been living here their whole live”. “Your father also “Wizard turns his head towards him “He was telling stories of this place to me. The warmth during daytime, the deadly animals or different poisons, sandstorms, quicksand, loosing your mind in heat, almost no natural water reserves, but still this place is full of live. People are happy here and they enjoy life in its simple form. Here you survive if you keep your head cool “Wizard burst laugh for his own pun “yes… a lot of suicidal people seem to be coming from here” as he speaks, grin appears to face as meant for his self. “Your father was not any different from those others. Running in front of others, talking big, being big, but always he had that something else which no one else had… to make it through actually everything. Death was part of our life… and it still is since if you are not fighting for it, you are growing older and reaching it slowly and this we need to accept. Your father was still something else since he enjoyed the moment. He had is own faults but he was someone who was front of you, taking that hit and I could trust him from bottom of my heart, to keep those people away from me”.
Both sat now in silence and look how sun will finally disappear, taking the last shrouds of light and nights finally fall down. As Wizard raise, he take a glance to boy “You have nothing to fear… so far. Now we are just controlling it and making you used to it. Control of fear is most important in battlefield and you will need it since it will be you who is going toe-to-toe with your enemy…first one and its your duty to protect others behind you…” Wizard looks to horizon where the sun had settled and before leaving give one statement more for Avion “I have heard… stories of someone or something but not from this world I would say. This… being carries a scythe and where ever it goes… fear is there. It is not that they fear it just because of fear… but it is the Fear itself. Small animals from ants to greater beings like angels and demons, some say that even gods… fear this being, since where is fear… death walk along”. “You freeze, you die… remember this boy”. And thus disappears as he had appeared.
Avion look at spot where wizard had stood and thinks for himself as night slowly passes, scythe next to him.
Air crackled while lighting pierced through space to spot, where Avion had just moment ago stood. He rolled just in time next to another tile and run towards wizard, raising his scythe to unleash devastating attack, forgetting more combat-focus style. Wizard had prepared for this and closer Avion got, more he started to blur and his image disappearing in air.
Mist begun spreading around the space and Avion strong hit clashed against empty air, giving freezing feeling to wizard “if that were to hit… I would not really like to think where other part of my body would be….” Wizard used the mist for his advantage and retreated out of mist and begun to prepare his little bit stronger spell… “Better to end it here… he has advanced a lot but still some mistakes… He still needs more proper training” Air begun to whirl around him in humming voice until it was like hurricane was begun to form around him. White lighting lines appeared and zap all around from the sheer power of magic, which was circling around wizard.
Wizard had raised his arm, hand squeezed in fist and ready to finish push the boy to unconsciousness but… nothing happened. Magic just disappeared all around him. He didn’t understand what was going on, but he was frozen… until he realised he was actually frozen and cold sweat was flowing on his back. The boy had come out of mist but… Scythe was moving in the air in odd bizarre movements but it felt like instead of one, there was vibrating blades everywhere striking at him, bleeding him. His mind started to slowly fade but wizard watched and smile appeared to his face… a part of his brain was thinking “Interesting… pure force of will with displaying of weapon mastery… instead of one, enemy will see multiple of weapons hitting all directions along murderous intent… he truly has invented something truly fearful..” The rage, murderous intent and intimidating look had frozen him for a couple of second but when Avion had been able to reach just enough to hit him, wizard calmly smiled to him – “Congratulations Avion… you had finally advanced the last line” and released his fist. Wind blew him out, along the mist shattering it all the way to another side of room. Unconscious, wizard slowly walked towards Avion and look at him “more and more truly resembling your father… Indeed you are to be feared. You are getting closer to him. … and so my debt has been paid” Sending Avion back to his home with simple move of his hand, wizard took a long last look around the room. “This place is far too old… and full of memories” before his image was slowly disappearing out of sight…
LazarX - Lynnara sounds awesome, and is a very cool concept for this campaign.
Avion - I'm trying to finish a write-up of sort of the major events that have taken place on Aeon and have shaped the face of the world as the PCs would know it. That should answer some of your questions about death and the afterlife.
Orannis & Normanak - still very interested to see fleshed out concepts from the both of you.
At this rate, since I like a lot of what I'm seeing, I will probably close recruitment and make my final decision on Sunday (August 29). And to those that have already posted: if you have a second (or even third) concept kicking around in your head that you wouldn't mind playing, feel free to post it. This will help me a lot in terms of flexibility when it comes to assembling the party to make sure that all the bases are covered, i.e. Melée, ranged, arcane, divine, etc.
And once again thank you all for your interest and participation! I'm confident that no matter who I choose, this campaign will be a blast to run! Some of your concepts are so intriguing that I have been modifying some of my plot lines to try and incorporate them :)
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Oh, and tome of secrets is fine :)
Awesome, so I will stick with the Swashbuckler who is burnt out from seeking revenge.
Because of Deston's scars, he usually wears some sort of face covering. He is altogether too blunt. He is intensly loyal to those that treat him well, but gives short shrift to those who he perceives as betraying him. What he lacks in social skills he more than makes up for in skill with the blade. He carries his father's sword, an elegant weapon that still bears the marks from the fire that destroyed his life. The bouts of rage and depression have started to subside and the all consuming drive for revenge has abated, but Deston wonders in his bleaker moments if he has gone too far to ever be able to find a sembelance of normal life again.
Looking forward to the decision!
Here's a short primer on the Reclamation and its consequences.
Several hundred years ago, the face of Aeon was vastly different than it appears today. The land masses were joined together in one single, massive continent. Sprawling metropolises and massive empires dominated this continent. The sentient races were the masters of their realm, dominating the beasts of the earth and utilizing them as food or labor. They plumbed Aeon of her secrets, dug deep to withdraw natural resources from beneath the surface, and always sought to expand their cities and empires. The world of man was on the brink of a technological age that would make them as powerful as gods.
And Aeon, though proud of her creation, wept at what she knew must be done. The world of man had to end, while there still was a world left to save.
As the divine creator, Aeon herself could not strike down that which she formed with her own hand. Instead, she awakened the Wilds from their sleep, and placed them in the care of Gaia, her greatest child. She commissioned Gaia to reclaim the world, to destroy the empires of man and forever separate them from one another.
And so the Wilds rose up in rebellion, and waged a bloody war on the world of man that raged for ten years. Beast, bird, plant, and storm all lashed out in violence, ravaging the cities and bringing man's technological progress to naught. At first man resisted, defiant even in the face of the Wilds themselves, but soon so many were destroyed that the tiny remaining populations cried out in surrender and cowered in the face of utter annihilation.
The war was over, but the cost was great. Aeon had suffered grievous wounds, and knew she would not last long. To preserve the balance, Aeon divided the world up among her daughters: Gaia, Pompeii, Avah, and Calypso, and bid them to rule each corner of the world as they saw fit.
Aeon then retreated from the world, to mourn, and to heal, vowing to one day return and usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity.
Gaia, heartbroken at the destruction she had wrought, retreated into the earth and drew the woods around her, forever hiding her once proud and beautiful face.
Pompeii saw the opportunity for a new beginning, and forged for herself a powerful nation through the fires of trial and tribulation.
Avah, the child, did not quite grasp the severity of the situation and contented herself by playing with her subjects, spurring on their creative desires to her own amusement.
Calypso took pity on the world of man, and sought to create a paradise for her charges, wrapping them in the warm embrace of the ocean.
And thus it has been for nearly five hundred years. But the balance is failing, the fragile alliance between man and nature is crumbling and still Aeon has not returned. The four Elderwilds try to maintain the delicate peace, but the younger Wilds are reckless, forgetting their place as man's subordinate, and man himself has forgotten his promise to the natural world, as empires once again rise up, ravaging their land in pursuit of wealth and war.
Something must be done, and soon, else the entire world threatens to tumble into an age of oblivion that neither man nor god will survive.
A result of the cataclysmic Reclamation, the Barriers are the natural obstacles that separate each nation from one another. The largest of these is Reclamation Wall, a massive range of mountains and volcanoes that splits the land mass down the center, separating Verdan, Skygaarde, and Ember from one another, and making land travel between nations nearly impossible at any time other than the Crossing. To the southeast, a violent belt of stormy seas known as the Maelstrom makes boat travel between Ember and Oceania extremely hazardous, and few captains find it worth the risk to make such a voyage.
Circumventing the Maelstrom, however, carries its own consequences, as the overly long voyages at sea rarely make this a cost effective decision, not to mention the fact that sea monsters and aquatic Wilds in the deeper oceans are almost always hostile to passers-by.
Twice a year, starting on the day of the equinox, and lasting for a period of approximately 30 days, a natural phenomenon occurs across the entire world. The skies clear, the seas quiet, and the volcanoes go dormant. It is during this time that armies march, ships set sail, and massive caravans get underway in an effort to trade in neighboring countries.
This time period is so paramount to the economic stability of certain regions, that they have huge festivals celebrating the arrival of the Crossing. Some communities prepare all year for this one month, in an effort to bring in as much money as possible.
This pivotal time period has also been the cause of several wars, as certain organizations seek to get rich by levying taxes and tariffs in order to transport goods between nations. Most of these, however, are short lived, because once the Barriers become active again, few wish to stick around and see the consequences.
Also, Megan: your concept sounds really intriguing. I would like to see a more fleshed out background and character motivations if you can whip something up :)
Hahaha, a monk with a soft spot for food, I love it :)
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Samisel elven cavalier
Samisel spent as much time in the ship’s hold as he could. Not only did his presence calm Ornerokh, his riding chameleon, but he’d found that too much time in the sun and the wind made him uneasy as well. Samisel missed the trees of his homeland, missed the green, dappled light, the sound of hidden life happening all around and missed the cool shade and the strong support of the massive oak he called home. He knew the order needed someone in Oceania to protect their interests and that the Crossing was the only time it was possible to travel from one country to the other. That knowledge didn’t help with the queasiness of his stomach or the way his eyes ached from all the bright sunlight. Knowing that it would be at least another six months before he could even think about returning home didn’t help his mood, either. After feeding Ornerokh one last handful of witchity grubs, Samisel weighed the sack in his hands. “There’s enough to last another week, maybe a little more, brother. I hope this trip doesn’t last too much longer.” Samisel scratched his faithful steed between its earholes and swatted away his snout when Ornerokh tried for one more snack. “You’ve had enough for today, you pig. I’m going on deck, try not to break anything.”
Samisel stepped out on deck and squinted against the glare. Sailors with bare feet ran past on their endless tasks, some springing into the rigging, others scrubbing, tying things down, untying things and generally engaged in what was to Samisen’s eyes, complete chaos. “They must know what they’re doing,” he muttered, “We haven’t sunk yet.”
A sudden scream from the back end of the boat, the aft one of the sailors had told him it was called, brought him suddenly around. There, about ten feet above the deck, one of the sailors writhed in the grip of a huge tentacle. Samisel immediately drew his blade, vaulted up the ladder and aimed a chopping swing at the tentacle. His sword sunk in causing the flesh of the tentacle to ripple but with no other effect he could see. He drew back his sword for another blow when he felt another tentacle wrap around his own leg. Before the slimy thing tightened, he slashed downward and sheared through the narrow end of the tentacle.
He looked around and saw that the first tentacle had slipped beneath the waves with its prize. But more came writhing over the sides of the ship. Samisel sighed and headed for the nearest. “Not again,” he thought.
Samisel, you should get a prize for successfully using the word "witchity". :)
Yes, that is correct, all PCs will begin this campaign at first level.