Hello all! It seems I finally tricked myself into running a pbp game. This will be the first pbp game I've ever run, and the 3rd game I've run over all. I'm looking for players who can post at least once a day during the weekdays. I'll be a bit more lenient on the weekends because of my own busy schedule on those days.
Please apply with a full concept. I want to see race, class, alignment, history, personality, and motivations. I'm not looking for an essay, but I do appreciate a well thought out character. Please also put your application under a spoiler. I do -not- want to see your builds yet, just concepts. An example of your writing is also appreciated, but not required. A link to previous games you've been in is fine for that.
I'll be picking four to six applicants. Characters will be 20 point buy and will be allowed two traits, one of which has to be a campaign trait from the players guide. All base classes save for Ninja and Samurai are allowed, as well as all released archetypes. Tieflings are also allowed, but I'll likely only be allowing one into the party. I will consider all alignments save chaotic evil, but more work should be put into 'selling' me on an evil character (an extra section on what I can expect from them, and why I should let you play an evil character would be wonderful). Please read over the players guide and make sure that your character can work in a group within Council of Thieves. I will expect paladins and clerics to have at least a basic knowledge of their chosen deity. Access to Faiths of Purity, Faiths of Balance, or the AP article of your deity is a plus, but not required.
My roleplay style will be a mix of heavy RP and combat. I prefer players who can type at least a paragraph or two per post. I'm not yet sure when I'll close applications, but I assure you this will not be first come, first served. Take your time with your application.
I'll be choosing characters based on diversity, how much they interest me, and what they will contribute to the group. Diversity is good, as is possible conflict (though not to the point that it splits the party). I probably won't chose characters that are too similar to one another, so keep that in mind. If I want to know more about your character, I'll probably ask some questions to give your character a better chance of getting in.
Apologies if that made no sense, as this is my first time doing this. Please ask if you have any questions!
Awesome, I'll get the character up tomorrow
Is there a reason why you don't want to allow the ninja or samurai? (if it's because you don't have the book, they'll probably be on the pfsrd in about 2 weeks time)
To be honest, it's because I find it hard to rationalize in my head how a ninja or samurai would end up in Westcrown. After rereading the classes though, I've decided to allow them as long as there's a good explanation for them to have the training they do/be where they are. I probably should have added that I also would like an explanation of how a gunslinger would have gotten a hold of his/her gun, seeing as they aren't freely available yet, at least not in the version of Golarion I'm running.
Also, the entire adventure path takes place in the city of Westcrown, so I'd appreciate if you all plan your characters accordingly. Please don't make a character who's dream is to run off to Varisia.
Ah yes, that makes sense. I'm interested in playing a ninja, and will try to come up with a good reason as to why and how she ended up there.
If it will sound to far fetched, I might instead go with another concept. Expect some more during the day.
Infernal Sorcerer coming up!
Arcane duelist bard or paladin of sheyliss can have one up tomorrow
DM Acid, rather than come up with an entirely new house I thought that I might use an existing house in Westcrown. Are there any you want me to stay away from?
Ah sweet, what would suck is if I didn't get in, when I was the one who made the post asking about it! XD
I did my build last night, but as you don't want to see that just yet, I'll have to type up a back story for my character, but I'm heavily considering her to be an Urban Barbarian.
I'll put her Back story into her Alias section (that I made last night), unless you'd prefer me to do it in here?
I'm going to be getting a few details for Ultimate Combat from a friend tonight, just so I can have a look at Urban Barbarian and incorporate it into the story better.
Basic idea is, Adina has travelled to Cheliax (where the Council of Thieves is set) after living in Taldor for roughly 15 years. She got bored of seeing the same fashion every single day and wanted to be unique, to stand out amongst the crowd.
As such, she wanted to travel to Cheliax to find a way of mixing Chelaxian fashion with her own Taldorian attire. On top of this, she didn't have many friends back in Taldor, so came to to the City of Devils to see what it had to offer (relationships and adventure included).
The concept I originally had for her (which I intend to stick with); "Standing tall, this dark haired and gorgeous woman is happy, positive and confident. She moves with grace but always carries her Great Sword over her shoulder wherever she goes. She may be thin, pretty and innocent looking, but she's barbaric at heart and as strong as an oxe!"
I need to have a look at what two traits I can choose for her, and then give you a proper story, making sure I build it better around those two traits, but above is the rough concept.
She lived in a pretty small Barbaric settlement as a child, but it all got burnt down by overpowering bandits, looking to loot the place for what little it had, and well....they just felt like killing people.
Adina managed to sneak out into the woods, avoiding the dangers that ended her families lives, but when she returned, there was little more than ashes standing where her home used to be.
This happened to her at around the age of 7 and she was forced to embrace her instincts and look after herself for two years, without any parents to guide her. Naturally, she became pretty wild and slightly anti-social, but a Knight from Taldor found her and asked what she was doing out here alone (even with her feral nature, she still knew how to talk, and being only 9 at the time, she managed to explain what happened). She told him her story where the Knight took pity on her, promising to take her in.
He did just that and showed her how to live a happy life, teaching her how to read properly, how to write, how to dance, how to dress, how to act and even how to fight. She loved him for this, but when she got older, she just felt that it was time once again to explore the world and promised one day to return to Taldor (if she survives to the end of the campaign - Doubtful, knowing how hard campaigns are).
This is why she acts the way she does.
I'll give you the rest later (regarding the traits). ;)
Note: If I'm picked, I can either make it so she has just moved into a house, somewhere in the middle classed district of Cheliax, or you can conveniently have her looking around the shops when something happens, giving her the opportunity to get involved with the other PC's.
She's Chaotic Good but primarily does the right thing. She can just get a little carried away sometimes (flying kicks anyone?). :p
Race: Human
Class: Barbarian (most likely Urban from Ultimate Combat)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
History, personality and motivations: See above. :)
The concept above is in rough, so expect the full concept to be in order of her origins to present.
I write for a computer gaming news site and have been supporting the official Capcom forums for 7 years, running and setting up my own events with the Senior Online Community and Marketing Manager, so I think it's safe to say my English skills are fine. I'm an English 24 year old and hate it when people don't spell things correctly, but nobody is perfect, so I won't be complaining. :p
However, I'll leave it up to you to decide on whether or not you want me to play.
Please consider me for application:
Irina Kayzled
Chaotic Good
Human (Chelaxian)
Ranger 1 (Skirmisher)
Armor Expert
Westcrown Firebrand
[Personality/Motivations]
Outspoken and often impulsive Irina is the hunter but sometimes without the patience. This tension stems from her desire to see Westcrown and Cheliax at large become something *more* than what it is. She is passionate to help those who need aid but doesn't trust the "system" to do the job. She is eager to apply her abilities and is looking for a cause to make her mark on both to soothe her sense of helplessness but more broadly to serve as an example. She is a child of the nation however and revels in life to the best of her ability. Only when you can muster joy is life worth fighting for.
Irina is compulsive, righteous and eager
[History]
Irina was born to a soldier (her mother) and an herbalist/alchemist (her father) who have informed her upbringing greatly. She experienced no broken home and generally little hardship. What she did see was injustice and what she heard from her family was that Cheliax was a place of laws but just as often evil.
For a time Irina hoped to follow in her mothers footsteps and became a squire to a local guard group to learn weapons, armor and, hopefully, how to aid the downtrodden and despaired. She learned some of the former and little of the latter. Chaffing at the regulations and bureaucracy of the life Irina sought other options.
After her failed attempt at soldiering Irina worked with her father; navigating the abandoned and overgrown sections of Westcrown or braving the wilds. From her father she learned to appreciate the lessons of nature but again grew frustrated at the lack of *action* against the ills she perceived.
Now almost 21 Irina has taken to working as a guard and guide, eager to learn more about the city and its people while always trying to find an opportunity to lend a hand. She has cobbled together enough skills to cause trouble but seeks the opportunity to find a way to shift the balance of power to better serve the everyday people over the institutions of power.
[Character Intentions]
Irina will most likely follow the path of two weapon fighting though as she hits mid level I will look to expand her options as a reaction to the campaign (I like organic progression). My other current character is a sort of lighter hearted elf cleric in a open setting so playing a more passionate and focused human fighter type in a more enclosed setting would be a nice counter balance. I also want to explore the Skirmisher archetype and the use of Ranger abilities in a city setting so I think that all could be fun.
You can see other character write ups of mine here:
http://paizo.com/people/ZaladrelOrain
http://paizo.com/people/IonacuVashaal
Zaladrel is currently active in a Jade Regent PbP, Ionacu was for a previous Jade Regent application but both should give some insight to my writing and play style.
Let me know if there is any other info I can provide, thanks for the consideration.
I would love to put myself down for this campaign. I would play an Elven Bard, who focuses in building his knowledge and performing to buff up his allies. He will be a rapier wielding, Bard who will be looking at going into a Duelist.
I have alot of experience playing with CaptainCortez, so we are able to roleplay brilliantly together and make things more ... interesting. I would love to play Council of Thieves and I think my Bard will be a perfect chance for me to join in. He will fight a little, but mainly try to hit more than deal any amount of damage. All of his spells will be buffing spells, like : Cats Grace, Fox's Cunning and even the odd healing spell. If possible he will try to avoid combat by talking his way out of it, as he can be quite diplomatic when the needs arise.
He will be a Chaotic Good Bard, who tends to have no money as he usually gives half of his earnings to the poor (who he would call the "unfortunate souls"). He would care about his appearance quite a bit, as it helps in his performances. He will not be from Westcrown, but from a local Elven community; in the Barrowood, which is just north of Westcrown.
If you have any questions, just ask and I will give you all the answers you require. I am currently playing another PbP, with DMMathpro (Quest for the Everflame):
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/playByPost/dMMathpros CryptOfTheEverflame&page=3#130
Alright, here's the current list of applicants:
CaptainCortez - Possible Barbarian
Fnord72 - Human Wizard, NG
Irina Kayzeld - Human Ranger, CG
Faelar Braegen - Elven Bard, CG
Don't worry if I haven't yet asked you any questions, I'm still reading through everything. I just wanted to get a list down.
He ventured into Westcrown because he had heard rumours that they had devil-like beings living there with no problems, even half-devil beings (Teiflings). He has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and wants to find out as much as possible and this new and exotic land holds a vast amount that he could absorb. Although that is a main reason, the real (main) reason he journeyed there was to see one of these Half-Devil beings.
In his village he had never owned any money, as it wasn't money that was important. It was talent and families that governed your importance, a talent that he worked very hard towards, so that he could gain the respect of his family and that the other families would think higher of his family (mainly for his parents and little sisters sake). He often got picked on, for not being able to play an instrument, but he managed to talk his way out of all the conflicts without any violence. He knew he couldn't play any instruments, so he learnt to dance, sing and act instead.
So when he stumbled across the poor people he couldn't understand why people were suffering for no reason, other than having no money. So he decided to try and lift their spirits by performing for them, which worked and a huge crowd appeared. He slept and lived like everyone around him, vowing that he would make things change, make it so these people wouldn't suffer for no reason. That they would have a chance of a happy life, even if it cost him the rest of his life. It is for this reason that Faelar is unhappy with the current government, as he doesn't believe things should be this way for anybody.
The campaign trait chosen was: Westcrown Firebrand.
I hope that answers all of your questions, if not just ask again :)
Why is she so concerned about her looks? Where did her love of fashion come from? How has her time in the wild affected her personality? How was she able to survive for that length of time?
The way the AP goes, it would probably be best if your character has lived in Westcrown for at least a month, though if you're absolutely against this, I can probably think of another way for your character to get involved.
Irina is in a state of hopeful agnostic doubt. The diablosim's rampant nature seems in many ways the dominant force and by extension the evil that can be done as an extension of such dealings seems to overrule any other force. (Tales of ritual sacrifice and the high toll of diabolic power seems pretty horrible to her) Add to that the abuse that other clerics seem to experience and it is hard for her to find hope in the supposed agency of faith other clergies tout but she has heard stories of righteous and powerful clergy members who spread good deeds and righteous justice so she remain hopeful; she just hasn't really seen them in action.
Irina is in many ways frustrated with her parents in that they seem to, in most cases, support the pre-dominant thinking that order, even at such a high price, is better than "chaos" with greater good. Though they often might complain of inequity or the mysterious disappearance of a neighbor or friend at the hands of the Hellknights, Irina parents are beholden to a form of observational malaise. They believe that is the way it works and they believe when they are told that it is probably for the best. This is not satisfying to Irina and she sees too many who seem hard on their luck and has seen too much crime and horror at the hands of the corrupted political process to have any faith that "how it is" is any "good". Add the mysterious creatures that plague Westcrown at night and Irina is hard pressed not to think that things should change.
All this said Irina is, in a strange way, a patriot. Since she has no specific injustice to point at just a series of *things* that don't seem right Irina is willing to -hope- that Cheliax and Westcrown can be better for everyday people. She knows the naivety of it on some level but she is in some ways still young and idealistic enough to think that a sharp blow at the right time might shift the whole system onto a better axis.
I am enjoying this exercise, maybe you will have more questions for me :-)
I may join. I'm thinking either a Halfling rogue(Knife Master Archetype), A Human Fighter,(Either Shield Master or Armor Master Archetype), or either an Elven, Dwarven, or Teifling Inquisitor. DM, any thought on which of these classes and races sound fun for this particular Campaign?
Dotting for interest -- since Westcrown is a place where half-orcs are actually welcome (more or less), I'm looking at a half-orc Cleric or Inquisitor of Shelyn with the Child of Infamy trait.
If this sounds like a useful addition, let me know and I'll flesh it out.
I had a LG human fighter pledged to Abadar (devoutly) who planned on jumping to Vindicator (with 1 level of cleric, sort of a semi-paladin) who I'd originally crafted for a Chelish campaign (though I reskinned him for Carrion Crown) that I would really love to play - but I notice that there's a good number of fighter-types already.
The characters I've been using the most have been in Patcher's PbP -- I'd recommend looking at Gathien Toran (longest game so far), but also Parsifal and Vyshael. I'm also one who prefers good language -- too much grading poorly written papers, I suspect, in my TA days. ;)
Character: Jynerva Heesel
Race: Elf
Class: Witch - Enchantment Patron
Alignment: True Neutral, tending towards Neutral Evil, see end of post.
History: See below
Personality: Secretive, Seductive. Will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, and will sleep peacefully afterwards. Will act in the best interests of herself first, her god second, her companions third, and anything else later.
Motivations: A devout follower of Calistria, she is motivated by pursuits of pleasure and vengeance. The crimes perpetuated on her and her family have twisted her goals in life to include vengeance upon those who are responsible. She will do whatever it takes to discover those responsible and end them. Perhaps then, she will be able to live in peace.
History...
"You ask me of my history? Few have heard the whole story, and I doubt I will give it to you. But if you wish, I will tell you some of my story. It is a tragic tale, and it may disturb you. However, if you are to know me at all, you should here it."
"In my early youth, my father was killed in an unknown battle to reclaim an unknown city from an unknown enemy. That, at least, was how my mother described it. She was a devout follower of Desna and was consumed with a wanderlust that she attributed to the goddess. After the death of my father she took me out of Kyonin and we started to travel the world."
"For fifty years we traveled far and wide. I could not tell you all of the places we visited. We met many different peoples and saw many wondrous things. When I can stomach looking back on those times I remember being happy. However, I do not remember what it feels like to be that kind of happy any more."
"Eventually we ended up in Westcrown. I could not tell you why my mother wanted to come here, but we did. It is possible we were only passing through. I have heard from other elves that pass through this city that there are settlements not very far. I have never felt like finding them. We had only been in the city a short while when life changed dramatically for me."
"I'm not sure if my mother was incompetent, or merely foolish. We had never required much protection in our travels. Perhaps it had been divine providence or simply luck or perhaps divine luck, but we had not had to deal with more than a few dangerous situations over our long period of travel. That changed on one night roughly ten years ago. They came upon the two of us at night when we were out for some needless reason. I believe there were seven of them, but my memory is not clear. We did not present much of a challenge, but apparently we had become a target of someone. By morning my mother was dead, beaten into submission and then discarded with a slit throat to finish the night. I believe I only survived because they thought I was already dead. I was close to it. It took me months to recover. Months in which my mind was forced to relive the pain and humiliation over and over again."
"I was not unaware of Calistria throughout my life. She is, after all, a popular goddess among my people. I had never given her much thought, though, as my mother was so devoted to Desna. Now my thoughts were almost always filled with ideas for vengeance. I devoted myself to the Lady in the Room with a fervor that surprised even me. I began, before I could even walk correctly again, to search out those who had destroyed my life. I would not be denied my vengeance."
"I decided that I would remain in Westcrown until I had seen them die by my own hands. I needed a means to survive, so I turned once again to my goddess. I became a prostitute so that I could survive. I had no particular skills, but I was an elf and in this profession that was a rarity in Westcrown, so I was able to make a decent living."
"Aha, I see in your eyes that you do not believe such a living to be... decent. I assure you, my faith has allowed me to find pleasure where others scoff at the idea. It has provided me with a position where I can gather a great deal of information and I have started to peace together a picture I did not even realize was there. I do not now believe it was an accident that my mother was killed and that I was left for dead. I do not yet know the reasons behind the attack, but I know there was someone that put a price on our heads. I have been able to act in secret so far as I believe they think I am dead. They will perhaps be shocked when my knife slides across their throat. Yes, they may be surprised, but they will deserve it!"
"So, did you enjoy the story? I admit it is a bit depressing, but it is only the beginning of my story. I will be happy to tell you the rest when it is done. I'm sure there will be more pain in it in the future, but then again, there will be pleasure too..."
The character is True Neutral to start. She cares nothing about the results of her actions. She cares little for good or evil, and nothing for law or chaos. She is not evil in her intentions, but the longer her obsession goes the more willing she will be to kill to see it done. The only reason she would go into an actual evil alignment is to meet the requirements for a level in Assassin. Her devotion to Calistria will lead her more towards Chaotic Neutral than towards Neutral Evil in the end. I would envision that during her quest for vengeance or perhaps after it is complete, she will be able to resolve her internal struggle and come back from evil. In the long term, she would probably end up chaotic neutral, in full alignment with her deity.
I don't believe that this would cause any problems with the group, as she will endeavor to hide any evil actions (and she should be good at it), and will generally work towards the goals of the group as long as she sees value in it for her own goals. I don't believe she will ever fit the full Pathfinder definition of evil, as she will not kill for pleasure. She does believe killing those responsible for her mother's death will give her pleasure, but I expect in reality it will not.
I hope that's not TMI. If this character is too dark or you don't think it will work with the group or AP, I have a few others that are ready... A dwarf barbarian, a Martial Artist Monk, and a Halfling ranged Paladin to name a few...
Current list of applicants:
CaptainCortez - Human Urban Barbarian, CG
Fnord72 - Human Wizard, NG
Irina Kayzeld - Human Ranger, CG
Faelar Braegen - Elf Bard, CG
halplm - Elf Witch, N
Interest Shown
Tilnar
Shanosuke
Paizo Fan
Allia Thren
Mark Thomas 66
Either of those characters would be welcome. If you want, you can flesh out the half-orc and unskin the fighter, and I'll consider them both (though only one would ever be picked). I went ahead and found your fighter with my creepy powers, and I'm pretty interested to see how he would fare in Westcrown. That, and I'm a sucker for religious characters that aren't necessarily clerics.
I have a rule that if anyone in the group makes it known that a roleplay situation is making them feel uncomfortable, then I don't allow the situation to continue (say, if a character was trying to seduce another, and it was making the player uncomfortable with how graphic it was). I don't really think this needs to be said given the rules of the message boards, but I figure it's better to be safe then sorry.
I'll try to come up with some more questions later. I'd really like to see the characters go through development as the game goes on, so I fully support the dip into evil. However, if you're just planning on doing it because of the requirements for assassin, then you might want to think about whether or not it would make sense for her. Like I said, I -might- change the requirements for assassin to help with this, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I made a Teifling Inquisitor for another campaign. Didnt get in but the DM liked the idea. I will look into a story for him/her
I'm not totally set on assassin. I think the character will definitely want to dip into some other classes, maybe rogue, maybe assasin, maybe even shadowdancer. The backstory lends itself to a cleric even, though not a healer :).
The only requirements for assassin that are a problem are the evil alignment and the kill for assassination's sake. I think we could work the second into the game without much trouble. She could find out one of the guys that killed her mother has a price on his head for instance and track him down... Personally, I think you can be an assassin without being evil, particularly as its defined in Pathfinder. But, this character is close enough to evil I think it can work.
I don't intend to be graphic at all or seduce any PCs :D. It's an aspect of the character. The idea was more for infiltration and interaction with NPCs, particularly targets. I'm not sure if this works in this campaign or not, but I thought it sounded like it might.
I'll try to come up with some more questions later. I'd really like to see the characters go through development as the game goes on, so I fully support the dip into evil. However, if you're just planning on doing it because of the requirements for assassin, then you might want to think about whether or not it would make sense for her. Like I said, I -might- change the requirements for assassin to help with this, but I wouldn't bet on it.
The dip into evil is not just for assassin. I see her as hovering at the corner between Neutral, chaotic neutral, neutral evil, and even a little chaotic evil if she's driven there through frustration.
I'm definitely very interested in the mental transformations of this character, and look forward to seeing where she ends up :).
I agree with you as far as assassins go, but I'm still a bit torn on whether or not I should adhere to the RAW.
In any case, you've sold me on considering an evil character.
How did Jynerva become a witch? What kind of a patron does she have, or would you prefer that be up to me? What about her familiar?
Applications are still open. As it stands, there seems to be a distinct lack of healer applications. I haven't run all the way through this AP before, so I'm not sure how a group without a healer would do.
I realized as I was finishing up the backstory that why she was a witch was missing, so I will work on incorporating that before we start, if you pick her for the campaign :).
The short version is that she was injured badly, and felt she needed to hide the scars and sometimes the fact she's an elf. She also felt that magic might help her ensnare customers. The scars have mostly faded, and she's grown talented enough the magic is unnecessary, but she has grown to relish the power her witchcraft provides.
I know I want the Enchantment theme Patron. I think Jynerva believes her patron to be Calistria herself. I think the Enchantment theme is similar to the Charm domain, which is kind of how I worked everything together. If you wanted to work with the patron behind the scenes as someone different, potentially with its own agenda, I think that would be really cool.
Jynerva's familiar was going to be a scorpion, but the more I've worked with her and the witch class, the more I want to pick things that are very old school witch things, like poison apples and cooking people, which has made me reconsider the familiar and I might go with a cat... probably not black, though :).
You avatar looks like a bird on acid......anyways, I have a question concerning what you mentioned before about Teifling heritage. How will that work. Is there a list of abilities I can choose from or do we randomize it? Also, does my demonic appearance mean anything for me?
Haha, thanks on the compliment! :p
Living in Westcrown for a month is fine by me. I've been looking through the Cheliax: Empire of Devil's book and it looks as though the most suitable place for Adina to be renting in would be:
Rego Laina: “Blade Sector,” is named for the many nobles, smithies, and armories here.
This is due to the fact she grew up under the care of Sir Ulrich Von Ousten (the Knight who took her in) and wanting her to stay safe, living in a middle to upper class area on her travels, he generously gave her enough money to last for a maximum of two months in living costs.
She frequently leaves her district to scout out and buy the latest clothes in fashion, as she likes to see what kind of clothes mix with her own Taldorian attire.
Would you agree that this is probably the best place to find all of the latest fashion? It seems that way from how the Cheliax book describes it:
Rego Pena: “Coin Sector” holds the more lucrative trades and many houses of dubious political or monetary standing.
Her people would take care of the children up until they reached the age of 14 (for boys) and 16 (for girls), where they were considered to be old enough to begin taking care of themselves.
Unfortunately, Adina had to grow up fast as she was only 7 years old when she lost her home and people.
After two days of crying, hunger struck. Adina knew she had to learn the skills she always saw her people using, as this was the key to survive.
In the burnt remains of her small settlement, she found a small rusted greatsword (most likely used by one of the younger boys who perished in the attack) and attempted to pick it up. It proved too heavy for her weak and frail arms, but it didn't stop her from dragging it into the woods with her.
To begin with, she stuck to eating berries and fruit as she knew it'd be a safe bet and sure enough aside from a few upset tummy's, she was good to go. However, it was water she lacked, but having heard of her people mentioning the Sellen River all of her life, she knew where to go for her daily supply. The only problem was, she only knew the direction it was located and not the exact location of where the river was, or what dangers lay ahead of her.
During her search for a solid supply of water, she had to drink from giant leaves and fairly clean areas (such as puddles that were formed in rocks and water from small streams). Aside from the lack of decent food and water, many dangers were present in the Verduran Forest. These were in the form of Snakes, Ettercaps, bands of obnoxious fey, river pirates, bandits, and even dragons, although her most common enemies were the forest’s more obvious dangers such as wild boar, bears, flesheating plants and massive colonies of giant vermin.
As each day passed, she grew more and more independent. After much determination she learned how to wield the greatsword, her arms adapting to the weight and feel of the blade. In order to survive against the living threats, she had to remain quiet while stalking prey and know when to hide. She eventually found Sellen River and scouted the area for a safe place to sleep/stay.
The next morning she found a small wild boar drinking water from the river. She didn't know this yet, but it'd be her first proper meal.
Located next to the river was a small bushell of berries that the wild boar seemed to like.
The boar was eating berries a mere 40 feet from where Adina was hiding. This was an opportunity for the poor starving girl. Adina decided to go in for the kill, swinging her greatsword up onto her shoulder and carefully approached a rocky area in fear of making a noise.
This rocky area was about 5 feet in height and directly behind the creature, at which point she decided to climb up the small rockface to get above the boar for an advantage.
The boar didn't notice her, and without making too much of a sound, she jumped down 5 feet onto the poor creatures back and dug her blade into its spine. Sadly this just angered the beast and made it squeel out loud. The beast ran up river with Adina still attached to its back and in a panic, she grabbed hold of whatever fur she could get a grip of, and repeatedly stabbed the beast in the neck.
After several minutes of running around, the beast ran towards the water where it came to a sudden stop, throwing Adina overhead into the river. Adina, still hanging on tight to the Boar while flying face first towards the water, pulled the beast in with her, where they both started to float rapidly downriver. Eventually, she found something to grab hold of, and pulled both herself and the dead boar to safety.
They arrived close to the Ruins of Nazilli.
The boar still had her sword wedged into its neck where she spent the next 10 minutes trying to dislodge it (it was rusty and stiff). Thankfully the water helped by washing the boars scent off, preventing other animals from tracking it whilst Adina looked for a cave to live in. This would be where she made her first fire.
As the months passed, she adjusted to this living style, learning of the surroundings and when the best times were to go hunting, occasionally having to move home from one cave to the next when things got too dangerous.
By the time a year passed, she became a stealthy and capable hunter, able to escape some of the most dangerous situations. This made her become feral, wild and incredibly alert to everything going on around her.
Shortly after turning 9, she had to change location once more where she found a pretty big unoccupied cave. It ran pretty deep and so instincts told her to be careful upon entering. She went in and everything was fine. However, she was woken up early one morning to the sound of a deep and loud "roarrrrrr". When she woke she found a bear steadily approaching her. The bear was too big for her to handle, and so all she could do was find a way past it to escape the cave. She managed this, but the bear chased her down south out of the forest completely.
Adina found herself closer to Cassomir than the Ruins of Nazilli, and this is where the Knight (Sir Ulrich Van Ousten) found her.
Upon taking the girl in, he was all too happy to share his knowledge of Oppara.
He taught Adina to read and write, showed her table manners, taught her how to talk to people politely, how to act like a lady and all about the Taldorian fashion.
Now, fashion was new to Adina. Having lived in such harsh conditions previously, she didn't have the the time to worry about her looks, and seeing such vibrant colours from the Taldorian fashion seemed very strange to her. Her people were used to wearing rags and fur clothing made from the animals they had killed. This was a sign of strength among her people, but she looked up to the good Knight and embraced the fashion he had presented to her.
Every day she went outside, she saw more and more beautiful women and decided that she too wanted to be considered beautiful. She hated living out in the wild alone. It scared her and traumatised her. She was only young and had to go through all kinds of dangers every day of her life, never knowing if she'd survive long enough to see the next day.
Now she was free from this life and loving what this new world had to offer her. Years passed and she grew more and more beautiful as time went on, surpassing those in looks who she looked up to, creating her own pretty but unique dress sense, mixing items of clothing other people wouldn't even dream of mixing.
This was her new love, but aside from trying out and buying new clothes, she had little to look forward to, which is why she wanted to travel to Westcrown.
She heard of their fashion and saw a few Chelaxian traders, but wanted to see their fashion sense for herself, first hand. This gave her the incentive to leave, but before she went Sir Ulrich Van Ousten gave her enough money to support her living costs for two months, and being a Knight himself, he was pretty friendly with his blacksmith.
The night before Adina left, he took her small sword and carried it around to his friend (Barrata) the blacksmith, where he asked him to de-rust it, melt it down and fuse the metal with his standard supply for a brand new greatsword, sized appropriately for the now 23 year old woman. When it was finished, Sir Ulrich got his girlfriend to sew together some gold, black and white Taldorian cloth where it was then attached to the handle.
Stitched into the cloth were the words (with love, Ulrich). The gold stitching on the black cloth stood out like a sore thumb, reminding Adina of her new found heritage and showing her that people still care.
She cried with happiness, hugged Ulrich and kissed him on the cheek before waving goodbye to him and his girlfriend, vowing to return one day. She saw Ulrich as a father figure and loved him with all of her heart. He was very protective of her and always served her best interest.
Nightmares: She quite often has nightmares that are a mixture of memories from her time out living in the wild, fused with her overactive imagination and past hauntings of the death of her real parents.
Sleeping: Even though she is now in a much safer environment, she always sleeps with her sword by her side, always managing to somehow keep her hand on it.
Sword: Dragging her sword across the ground at such a young age became a bit of a trademark for her, as did carrying it over her shoulder at all times. However, now she's older and capable of wielding such a weapon just fine, she only drags her sword along the ground whilst walking towards enemies she wants to intimidate. Normally she just carried her sword over her right shoulder with one hand, as it's just easier for her to swiftly put both hands onto the weapon and swing it straight into action. She doesn't like how much effort it takes to sheathe and unsheathe weapons and doing things her way saved her in the forest too many times to count. She relies on this method.
Equipment: Due to her keen liking for fashion, she likes to wear necklaces, rings and tiara's in order to look "proper". She also thinks wearing armour is a good idea due to growing up with a Knight. His ways became her own. So she should start out with a chain shirt that will have Taldorian patterns and materials embroidered into it (same colours as her sword handle/hilt).
The Urban Barbarian replaces the Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int) and Survival (Wis) class skills with Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Linguistics (Int) and Profession (Wis) as class skills.
Would it be possible to swap out Linguistics, Knowledge (local) and Profession for Survival, climb and Knowledge of Nature due to her backstory at all please?
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An urban barbarian is not proficient with medium armor.
Skills: An urban barbarian does not gain Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), or Survival (Wis) as class skills; instead, she gains Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Linguistics (Int), and Profession (Wis) as class skills.
Crowd Control (Ex): At 1st level, an urban barbarian gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC when adjacent to two or more enemies. In addition, her movement is not impeded by crowds, and she gains a bonus equal to 1/2 her barbarian level on Intimidate checks to inf luence crowds (Core Rulebook 436). This ability replaces fast movement.
Controlled Rage (Ex): When an urban barbarian rages, instead of making a normal rage she may apply a +4 morale bonus to her Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. This bonus increases to +6 when she gains greater rage and +8 when she gains mighty rage. She may apply the full bonus to one ability score or may split the bonus between several scores in increments of +2. When using a controlled rage, an urban barbarian gains no bonus on Will saves, takes no penalties to AC, and can still use Intelligence-, Dexterity-, and Charisma-based skills. This ability otherwise follows the normal rules for rage.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the urban barbarian archetype: boasting taunt**, clear mind, deadly accuracy*, guarded stance, intimidating glare, lethal accuracy*, no escape, quick ref lexes, perfect accuracy*, sharpened accuracy*, surprise accuracy, and unexpected strike.
Note: I'm thinking of making her good at both dealing damage with weapons and becoming an intimidating, Combat Manoeuver beast.
Also, due to her back story of finding a Greatsword, having it modded and given to her as a present, would it be unfair to not deduct that away from my starting money?
Shadow Child - You’ve acclimated yourself to the dark, and thus act with greater precision in the shadow than most. When attacking targets in areas of dim light, you do not suffer the standard 20% miss chance on attack rolls for being in the poorly lit area.
Reactionary - You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Sorry for the huge post. I just want to give you good reasons for everything. It's 5am here and I'm pretty much done. I'll work out my feats either tomorrow or when/if you ask me to. :)
Aw bummer, I was set on Asura spawn, oh well. Daemon spawn is the only one of the bunch that really works. As for the D100s here goes!
There you have your results. I am going to try the infiltrator archetype for him and he will be good at disguises. I'm thinknig Lawful evil for him and it is going to be a dude. On top of that, he is going to be a rather lecherous fellow who serves Belial. He loves to corrupt young priestesses of the more holy divisions of religion. Or is that a bit too much. I have only ever made one evil character and I really like how he is turning out. This one will be a different kind of evil. The seed of corruption through desire.
I would be okay with you taking a trait slot to give you the sword as a masterwork weapon for free. Otherwise, you would have to pay for it from your starting gold.
As far as the skills go, I'm okay with you switching them, sure.
The only real issue I see at this point is that she seems to lack motivation to move forward in the AP. What is her opinion of Westcrown's current state? What are her thoughts on the rampant diabolism? Is she religious at all? How does she plan to support herself once the gold runs out?
Thank you for taking the time to type all that out for me, btw. That would have taken me forever.
You rolled
+1 nat armor
DR 2/Piercing (Going to say no to that, sorry)
The spell animate dead can return you to life as per the spell
raise dead 1d4 times.
Seeing as you wouldn't really have any way to know that animate dead would bring you back to life...I think +1 nat armor is the best choice.
To be honest, that kind of evil doesn't really seem like it would work in this adventure path. How would he work in a group? What does he have against the current government of Westcrown? What would keep the other PCs and allied NPCs from finding out about his 'habits' and kicking him out?
Yeah I figured that he wouldn't work well with that set up, I was looking through different deities and that just seemed to be the best of the Lawful Evils to work with. I am going to continue to shift through for more possibilities. There are other possibilities. Mephistopheles, the deity of secrets and contracts. This character could be a hunter of contract breakers seeking to bring swift Justice to them. There is also Abadar. He serves Abadar as a agent to bring about destitution to his enemies. I need to get the players guide at some point today and read through it. Do I necessarily have to be evil? I don't do evil quite as well as neutral.
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** spoiler omitted **
Applications are still open. As it stands, there seems to be a distinct lack of healer applications. I haven't run all the way through this AP before, so I'm not sure how a group without a healer would do.
I just can't quite bring myself to apply with a cleric since I am playing one already. I love them but I am not sure I love them that much...I might look at other options though but for now I guess I will roll the proverbial dice with Irina.
The only thing I was asking really was if I could not spend the money for the sword as Sir Ulrich paid for it with his own money and aside from it looking fancy, it's just the same as a 50gp standard Greatsword. It performs exactly the same. :)
If I have to pay for it, it's no biggie though. I could always say 50gp went on food for my rental place instead. I dunno, I'm easy with whatever tbh. I just really want to play this. :D
Thanks for letting me swap out those skills btw. I really won't have an optimised character. Armoured Hulk was the best archetype I should have gone with to stand the best chance of surviving, but I'm staying true to her back story, which a lot of people don't seem to like doing. I might be able to get her AC up to around 37 or 40 by end game, but not much higher. I'll be sticking with Chain shirt all the way through the game.
As for her views on Westcrown. Having such a loving and happy personality (unusual for a Barbarian), she loves to meet new people but due to the Bandits killing her family, she hates anyone with evil motives and if given a reason is likely to turn around and try to kill them, but she wouldn't do it in cold blood. They have to do something first.
Having lived in Westcrown for a month, she's curious as to how people can live under such a Devilish reign without so much as a blink and wants to find out if it's due to fear or some other darker holding that runs deeper than just having Asmodeus as the prominent God.
She isn't religious but she is kind hearted and won't stand for the harming of innocent, good willed people.
If an evil character is in the party, chances are she'll ignore him/her altogether unless he/she makes remarks about her or tries to do something she strongly disagrees with. If that happens, she will attack with full force, but generally she likes to get on with everyone. She won't try to turn people from bad to good. She'll hope that they'll have the willpower to put themselves on the right path. Although, she's fully aware that in a City filled with Devilish and evil beings, this may not be a viable option.
In regards to how she'll support herself, she plans on getting a job at a high end clothing store (I don't know of any myself as I haven't seen shop names or anything like that in the players handguide, but maybe you have some suggestions and could say what shops get the most income?) and also doubling up as a security guard (when the situation calls for it).
She's very very effeminate but knows she can handle herself in a fight and is fully capable of both selling items of clothing and protecting the shop from any troublemakers.
P.s. It took me forever as well, but when I think about a story, I get really into it, so just have to keep going and going....like a duracell bunny. :p
You don't have to be evil to be a tiefling. In fact, that's why I suggested an inquisitor of Iomedae, who's LG. Because of discrimination it's unlikely that he'd be accepted at a temple, which gives him a good reason to be an inquisitor instead of a cleric.
I'd read through the players guide before going any further, as it gives so much helpful information.
I understand not wanting to play yet -another- cleric. Cleric is my favorite class, and even I get sick of playing them sometimes.
I don't think your character will have a problem as far as optimization goes. The APs are written for 4 characters made on 15 point buy. You guys are going to be made with 20 point buy. As long as you don't horribly handicap yourself, you should be fine. :)
We could say the 50g went to food and such. I just don't want to be unfair to the other players.
I really hope I'll be alright, but 34-40 AC is still pretty poor. I'll have 14 AC at level 1 and have to rely on finding/buying two +5 rings and a +5 amulet to boost that up to 29....and then turn my armour into +5. Plus, a belt of Physical Might for Str and Dex. Lots of money. :p
I've got a few ideas for feats. Even though I could spend my feats on better things, I'll go with Alertness and Power Attack at level 1. Alertness due to my back story and power attack for a boost to damage, giving me about 20 max damage at level 1 (23 in Rage). Still, I'll only have an AC of 14 and HP at 14.
Dotting for interest. May do a healer.
I won't actually be using Rage a huge amount. Instead, I'll use it as a plot device.
For example, I'll only switch her rage on when she's intimidated a huge amount, afraid, angry or damaged enough, as it'll allow her feral origins to shine through over her lady like innocence during this state. People might be shocked or they might gain more respect for her, but the idea is she's very level headed, pretty, thin (but strong - so toned, but not a body builder or anything. Think of your typical beach/party babe as far as her body is concerned - averagely nice figure) and elegant but certain things can bring her original nature back to the surface temporarily.
This shows that her true roots never died. She just embraced them and merged them into her new life, in her own way.
As to the broader issue of contacts it really is partially a function of how much story you would want a character who is level 1 to have. In some ways my background as currently imagined hand waves basically "for hire" work as an explanation as to how she honed the skills her mother and father taught her to reach that initial level. In that case how many contacts would a young unexperienced adventurer have? Is it too far fetched to believe that she knows men and women who, in their own weird way are like "rebels" in the cliche sense and would work with her were she to get into trouble? I think to get a sense of that I would need to know how much you think is too much.
My personal inclination is maybe one or two strong connections; maybe an uncle or old family friend who surreptitiously says "yeah I feel the same way" and thus fans the flames of Irina's youthful pursuit to something more and maybe a long forgotten childhood friend who comes back and says "I know you hate how things are, I was missing because I was learning how to do something about it..." and provides an ideological ally. On the other side of things I don't want to burden here with so many contacts that her interactions in the city feel laden with tons of history it would feel (to me) inorganic and forced.
Okay, I have for the most part skimmed and an idea emerged. He was born into a noble family desperate to produce an heir and in their desperation they made a deal with a devil and Issac was born. For years his identity was masked as he was raised to be the heir to the family. His family cared for him as the However, all that changes when his family bares a new heir. Suddenly he is no longer needed but his family is bound by their agreement. Strangely, rather than feel a sense of entitlement, he felt a greater need to help his family retain their honor. As such He stepped down from his claim to the family fortune and took up training in the local chapel of Iomedae. Because of his heritage, he is shunned. The head priest of the temple saw that Issac's intent was pure and his aim was true. Therefore he saw fit to have the boy trained as an inquisitor of Iomedae. Rooting out the evils that dwelt in the darkness of the city. Issac took the duty seriously and hunted evil wherever he could find it. He was so good at his work that he caught the attention of his "father". The Daemon responsible for his birth was furious at his offspring's path and giving up what should have been his. In anger, he went after Issac's family to ensure the inheritances would be his. Much to the monster dismay, this act only fueled Issac's passion to hunt such monsters. At learning of his families death at the hands of his "Father", Issac calmly swore vengeance for the crime. As a slap in the face of his "father" Issac handed over most of the family fortune to the temple and used the rest to buy his gear. He knew he would be no match for his father but he did see an opportunity to grow stronger and do some good for the people of this land. He took the job without hesitation.
Well that's the start of it, what do you think?
Character: Rikkan
Race: Teifling
Class: Cleric of Shelyn
Alignment: Chaotic good
History:
“Don’t Move!”
The young boy stopped stiff. He thought he was very careful to not be seen. Did someone think that he stole the food he had? It was thrown on the ground, and rotten. No. Nobody cared if he did anything wrong, surely they would beat him down for just being him. Damn it. He still hurt from the beating he got the other day. He was lucky to be alive. Would he survive this time?
The young boy dropped to the floor, curling up into the fetal position, one arm covering his face, the other desperately protecting the rotten fish he had found. He rarely got to eat meat. He had to protect it. He hardened himself for the beating.
“What is wrong with you boy?” the voice said as the sound of soft leather shoes got closer to him. At least it wasn’t boots. Before he knew it, he was lifted up to his feet. The man holding him by the shoulder was by far the weirdest man he had even seen. He had puffy, curly brown hair, a equaly curly mustache, and had a strange assortment of clothing that literally looked like an unicorn vomited rainbows all over the man.
“Stand right there. Just like you were a minute ago! No, not like that like this. Now Stay Put!” and the man ran back over to the other side of the dock. This was new. Normally men told him to leave, never to stay. Maybe the man meant to rush him and knock him into the water? But the man instead picked up a piece of parchment and a ridiculous quill pen and started writing.
When the man finished, the boy could barely hold the stance. “Come over here and take a look at this!” The boy was not sure why the man wanted him to see his writing, he couldn’t read. When he looked at the parchment, there want’t any writing at all, it was an ink drawing. In the drawing was the river, glowing by the moon, and the silhouette of a skinny young demon with over sized horns and a wicked tail, clutching something to his chest. The boy couldn’t get over how evil he looked in the picture. He always looked evil. Every time he say his reflection in the water he gasped. How could he look so evil and bad when he did not feel like that. It always seemed like he was looking at someone else’s reflection. Sometimes he couldn’t blame people for treating him the way he was treated. He would surely do the same to such an evil looking boy.
“Beautiful, Isn’t? “
The boy blinked. “Y-you mean river?” the little boy asked.
“Oh, yes, the river is beautiful, but it really brings out the beauty of you in the picture.
And it dawned on him, this man was crazy. “B-but I not beautiful…”
“Of course you are child! Everyone has beauty deep inside themselves. Sometimes it is hard to find in others, but it is there, as bright as day, for those who know how to look.”
“How do you look?” the little boy asked. If there was beauty inside of him, he desperately wanted to find it.
“Why Shelyn teaches us such ways,”
The little boy blinked.”What’s a Shelyn?”
The man looked horrified. “My poor deprived boy, you don’t know of Shelyn? Then I shal take you to her house, and show you beauty that you have never before witnessed in your entire life. What is your name?“
The boy looked down to the ground. “I don’t have a name. Some call me demon-“
“No no no, no no, no! That will not do. Hmm. Well were at the Rikkan docks here in east Rikkan, how about Rikkan for a name? “
Rikkan did not have any works for such wonderful concept as a name.
“Come Rikkan, I can feel that you are in desperate need of Shelyn’s love.”
Rikkan grew up in westcrown with the support of the clerics of Shelyn. Although life was still hard for a teifling in westcrown, granting shelyn access to his heart gave Rikkan purpose and self confidence he never knew he could have. Instead of hiding his heritage he embraced it and it’s stark contrast of whom he really was. He took to the teachings of Shelyn, finding love for painting and music. Everything was a canvas to Rikkan. From city walls to the ground, he even would paint himself! Eventually, Rikkan had found a bit of fame. Some aristocrats loved the idea of art made by an eccentric teifling. It was rare and wild. However, that fame also brought just as much hate. Rikkan often found himself in danger due to his expression, but there was a distinct beauty in such hate too. Hate was passionate. Surviving such encounters only fueled his art even more.
Personality: Rikkan is a bit eccentric; he goes with the flow of where the wind takes him. He refuses to let others constrict his creativity and often finds beauty in the most rarest of places. He places friendship in high regard. Even amongst his fellow clerics he has few friends. Seeing beauty in someone does not mean they are your friends. He does his best to do good, and has a soft spot for orphans. He never judges a book by its cover.
Motivations: Rikkan is motivated by marking his place in the world, and preading his personal beauty and finding the beauty of others. He believes there is a great beauty in westcrown and all of Chelaix, but it just needs to be brought out! Lately his art has been more activist in nature, trying to spur people into acts of goodness by showing the absurdity of evil.
Writing Example:
Lavender Leaf
Considering how many you've got I thin I'll pull myself from consideration.
Str: 10
Dex: 10
Con: 14
Int: 14
Wis: 10
Cha: 18
Campaign Trait: Diabolist Raised (+1 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive)
Regular Trait: Rich Parents (raises starting gold to 900gp)
Class: Sorcerer (Infernal Bloodline)
Archetype: None
Description: Tito is a well-groomed Human of Chelaxian descent, born to House Grulios albeit to a relatively minor third cousin and his common wife. He sports jet black hair that falls to his cheeks when loose but is usually tied up into a pony tail using a blood red leather thong. As with most Chelaxians, his skin is pale although Tito’s is lightly tanned from frequent excursions out of the city to get away from the oppressive guardianship exhibited by both the dottari and Hellknights.
Physically, Tito is average. He exhibits no particular strength or agility, preferring instead to survive on wit and intelligence alone. Nevertheless, he takes great pains to ensure that he eats properly and doesn’t drink too much wine, keeping himself trim for those times he indulges in the ‘Great Pursuit’, as he terms the act of seducing any young Wiscrani woman who catches his eye.
Tito, as a young noble and rising scion of Westcrown, ensures that he keeps up with current fashions even if they do originate in Egorian. This season, he has purchased a double-breasted coat that drops to his knees and is coloured in the richest red that he has ever seen, which he pairs with jet black trousers and supple leather riding boots. Now and then, he is seen carrying a stylish cane which few are aware contains a blade within.
Personality: Like many Wiscrani nobles, Tito is a social climber. Despite being a member of one of the more prominent noble houses in Westcrown, Tito is never lax in chasing new opportunities to improve his lot in life, especially if it allows him some form of one-upmanship over the other houses, or even his own cousins.
Tito has a bawdy sense of humour, and finds great mirth in tavern humour and yet he is just as at home while sitting in the theatre or opera house, enjoying the latest piece to come from the great writers of his time. One dream that he holds is to visit Ustalav in order to visit some of the great opera houses there.
As a member of the highly visible noble houses, Tito pays lip service to Asmodeus but has not yet fully embraced the faith. Indeed, he pays little heed to any of the gods, with the possible exception of Nethys. As a sorcerer, Tito is painfully aware that his magical gifts are not as disciplined as those of the scions of great houses accepted into the premier magical institutions around Golarion. Due to this, he is not above seeking aid from the God of Magic before performing any powerful incantations.
Background: Tito’s life began in a small townhouse in Rego Laino, born to Jairo Grulios and his common wife, Maria. Jairo was considered something of a black sheep in the family, shirking familial duties and ultimately marrying a commoner who had caught his eye. Regardless of this, Tito’s early life was full of love and laughter. As Tito grew closer to his teenage years, however, he became painfully aware of the disdain his cousins had for him, purely down to the fact that his mother had not been born a noble. It was because of this disdain that Tito began to apply himself to his studies, determined to prove himself the better of his cousins and aid his father in regaining his lost honour.
His plans were ditched into disarray when his latent magical powers manifested themselves as he moved into his teenage years. At first fearful of these powers, he slowly came to realise that due to his family’s deals with devils in the past, he suffered from an infernal touch to his own bloodline. The first time that he cast a spell in front of his mother, she shrieked as his eyes turned a touch of red and she fled the room. His father looked at him with a grim countenance, but said nothing.
Upset that his newfound powers had such a profound effect on his parents, Tito soon found he was falling in with a bad lot. As he grew older, he spent more time carousing and frittering away his gifts rather than applying himself to his work and studies. Hours of study were replaced with hours of drinking and pleasures of the flesh and slowly but surely he drifted away from his parents.
All of this came to a head when, as part of a ridiculous prank, one of his circle of friends murdered a prostitute in a fit of drunken violence. Using what favours he had, Jairo pulled his son free of any implications but the damage was done, his friends scattered to the four winds. The perpetrator was hung for murder and Tito was left with few prospects and so he left Westcrown to travel and find himself.
A year later almost to the day, Tito returned to Westcrown to heartache. Whilst he had been abroad, his father had accidentally moved in the way of a Drovenge business proposal. Although he had tried to defuse the situation, two months after that fateful incident, three men broke into their house and murdered his mother, and broke Jairo’s legs. The dottari, being in the back pocket of the Drovenge, bungled the investigation and then arrested Jairo for smuggling contraband items after the discovery of shiver, planted in one of Jairo’s warehouses.
Broken hearted and destitute, Jairo had descended into madness and fired the few staff who were left. Tito returned to this horror and spent weeks trying to find out who the three men were that had killed his mother and assaulted his father, but the trail was months old and he couldn’t find any clues. Now, Tito is trying to rebuild his father’s empire but also rails against the current ruling houses and their paid-for lackies. Even the Hellknights have drawn his ire for failing to discover the identity of his mother’s killer.
He was recently approached by a new band of rebels in Westcrown as a potential benefactor. However, following the death of his mother and mutilation of his father, Tito has far more direct action in mind.
I've updated Arigoder, as per your request, and am fleshing out the cleric of Shelyn -- should have that up tomorrow at the latest.
Well, I have never played in a PBP game, but I've wanted for some time. Hope I get a chance. This is the story of Anders Besper, or as he'd be called Anders Rottensoul.
He's a Chaotic Neutral Oracle of Life, with very low self-esteem, and a wish to fall vengeance upon the corrupt aristocrats of Cheliax.
English is not my first language but I think I speak it quite fluently.
I was born to a famous and talented couple of thespians, under the pseudonym Lord & Lady Besper they visited the most prestigious theaters of Cheliax. Since the day of my birth I was taught to act, and I was really good at it, the talent I had inherited from my parents was obvious and my own wit made me a very valued actor on my own. The world was at my feet and then...
Then the big break came, my parents were offered a job in a private play for some of the most opulent and decadent nobles in Westcrown. Little did they know it was one of the so-called Theaters of the Real They used their contacts among the theaters in the city to get me a chance to act alongside them, for they expected to retire with the money they had been offered, and wished to act in the same stage as their son in that day.
The day of the performance I was called apart by one of our employers who said he wanted me to make some lesser changer to my role in the play, I went with him and... and I don't know what kind of evil sorcery fell upone me for the next thing I remember is my hand, my hand covered with the blood of my mother, her eyes devoid of life, the corpse of my father, beheaded a few feet away, and my own skin gray and rotten. The crowd cheering, applauding the loathsome show. I ran, I ran, and I Only stopped running when the tears threatened to drown me.
So I became what I am today a hideous monster where once there was a handsome young man, a vessel of life who's taken the lifes of his loved ones. There are those who would call me an oracle, I prefer to acknowkledge the truth and call me a cursed waste.
Do you have any more questions or queries about Faelar? He has been fully updated into an Alias if there is anything else you want to know about him.
Puckml the Gnome Summoner (Master Summoner), NG
History:
Puckml was born to a family of summoners, deeply entrenched into the service of a powerful aristocrat in Westcrown. This particular aristocrat was a full-blown worshiper of Asmodeus, and as part of their occupation, Puckml's family delved deep into the art of summoning to extract the most powerful and sinister forces of evil, to bring them into the material plane to serve. As one of the more powerful magical families, their social status was second only to even greater aristocrats and they enjoyed comparatively remarkable freedoms for people that weren't part of the ruling class.
Puckml was groomed to continue the family tradition, a new gnome for every human that took up the aristocratic mantle. She was certainly talented, managing to summon a low level imp within the first year of her apprenticeship, but doubt crept into her mind. The demons were sometimes used to torture or punish captives. Summoners were required to remain in viewing distance, to make sure their demons were under control, but the first time that Puckml tried to watch her first torture session, she had to run out of the room and another summoner had to take her place. It was clear to her that she could not follow in the footsteps of her parents.
It was during this time that she was assigned an Eidolon, a creature of immense power from another plane that was to act as her guard and guide, but since it looked so similar to the creature that were torturing people to their death, she believed that her family was intrinsically evil and were trying to push her in that direction, she actively restricted its power. It was because of this restriction that it was unable to protect her when thugs paid by other competing aristocrats kidnapped her and her family. Along with rebels opposed to the Westcrown government, she was tortured by the demons that she used to control, even though she was only a child.
She was rescued along with the other prisoners by rebel forces, but her family was already dead, having been tortured extra for information relating to demon summoning (which they refused to share). As a "demon summoner" working for the government, the rebels took interest and demanded ransom for her to be released. When it became clear to the resistance that she was not in cahoots with the demons and that the government was not going to pay the ransom, they offered her a chance to use her magical talents for good and it was here that she learned to summon other creatures that could help her combat the evil, corrupting force of the demons. (Leaving it at a loose end here so that it can be easily tied in with other backstories later)
Personality:
Puckml is rather secretive about her past and tends to focus on the future. She has a strong sense of empathy and refuses to torture for information. While she is fiercely combative against the forces of evil, she also believes in the power of redemption, as she was also redeemed. While she has maturity beyond her age, Puckml is still a child, so sometimes she chatters incessantly and is easily frightened.
Motivations:
After having her family killed and herself tortured in the name of aristocratic squabbling as well as the deaths of countless others, she believes that it is the deep involvement of the government with Asmodeus which is causing the issues. While she was not particularly close to her family, her strong sense of empathy for others (perhaps it's not actually empathy, if you literally know what it is like to be tortured) compels her to stop others from suffering what she herself had to endure.
(Also, I see some potential for some roleplaying with her Eidolon, since she is intensely distrustful of it, but it has her best interests at heart)
Reference for writing: Reference Link
Comments?
Here's the background for the Half-Orc Cleric of Shelyn. (Though it would also work well for an Inquisitor, I must admit I'm still torn...)
Basic Concept: NG Half-Orc Cleric of Shelyn (Love and Defense Subdomains) - or - NG Half-Orc Inquisitor of Shelyn (Defense Subdomain)
Racial Traits: Sacred Tattoo (replaces Ferocity); Scavenger (Replaces Intimidating); Chain Fighter (replaces Weapon Familiarity)
Traits: Child of Infamy (Campaign Trait); Focused Mind
Description:
Dressed in finery, Dracius stands a broad-shouldered 6'5", with wavy black hair spilling over his shoulders and framing his face. He has the same nose and cheekbones common amongst the Chelish, but with a much stronger jaw and prominent browline. Beneath that, his eyes are an intense brown, almost so dark as to appear black. Like most of the Chelish, Dracius is pale of skin, making the darkness of his hair and eyes stand out that much more. At a casual glance Dracius appears to be human despite his powerful build, with his infamous mother's delicate features mapped onto on his strong, masculine face. However, his Orcish heritage is clear when he speaks or smiles, revealing the small tusks that are a gift from his father. The backs of his hands are brightly tattooed.
History
Though he did not know it for many years, Dracius is the son of the actress Atia Ludio. Atia was a bit of a wild child, and shamed her conservative family with her antics, including taking up with a half-orc lover, who had been working as a stablehand for her family. When Atia became pregnant her parents fired Vrak and cast her out of the house, although this only added additional fuel to the fire of the gossips, who already loved to talk about Atia. Rather than retreat in shame, they flaunted their relationship, going so far as to inviting the whole town to their marriage ceremony at the Westcrown theatre. They were married by one of Atia's fellow actresses and best friends, Ithona, a Priestess of Shelyn.
Under immense public pressure, Atia's parents took her back, providing an apartment for the newlyweds, and arranged for Vrak to work as a caravan guard. Other than his frequent absences, things seemed to be going well for the young couple.
Sadly, Atia went into early labour while her husband was away and died in childbirth, leaving Dracius with his grandmother, who sought to remove the family shame. She announced to the world that her daughter and grandchild both died in childbirth, and had the infant taken to Rego Cader, never to be seen again.
Dracius' earliest memories are of life in the Dusk Market, living amongst other orcs and half-orcs, having been taken in by a couple of escaped slaves. Life was harsh for Dracius, forcing him to scavenge from heaps of refuse to eat while he was young, and then begging as he grew older and the benefits of his human-like appearance became apparent. He was taught to hate slavers, to fight back, and to be wary of strangers who might try to take or use him. Yet, despite the harsh environment in which he was raised, the hunger and mistreatment, Dracius was generally a happy child, especially when he watch the street performers or sneak into musical performances. He would be so entranced by these performances, that his foster siblings thought he must be simple.
Dracius' life changed dramatically when he was 10 and he snuck into a liturgy of Shelyn, attracted by the sound of singing. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of warm welcome, as if he had come home, and completely lost track of time, mesmerized. When the ceremony ended, and he realized that he had nothing to bring home, he panicked and approached the Priestess, hoping to beg the beautiful woman for a coin and spare himself a whipping. When Ithona lay eyes on the boy, she saw his mother's face and knew him immediately. Dracius was unexpected for the hugging or the cry of "Atia!", though he now always remembers that first time he heard his mother's name.
The next few weeks were, literally, a poor orphan child's dream come true -- he learned of his history and heritage, he was lifted up out of poverty, and most importantly of all, he learned that he was not yet an orphan. Ithona began educating the boy, while waiting for Vrak to return to town with his caravan. Vrak was skeptical of the news when he arrived, but only until he lay eyes on the boy. The strength of his embrace was almost enough to crush the breath from the boy. Vrak told his son that the discovery of him was the greatest gift that he had ever been given. In addition to his education, Ithona and Vrak also spent hours telling him tales of his mother and her exploits.
Dracius credited Shelyn for all of the goodness and beauty and love that filled his new life. When he was 16, he decided to begin the rites and dedicate himself to the goddess who had blessed him so. Lacking any artistic ability of his own, he had his body decorated with symbols of Shelyn, placing her birds on each of his hands, their coloured tails snaking up his arms, and offering his back as a set of small canvases to the most gifted of artists. This contact with other artists and devotees of Shelyn led to the return of whispers about Atia and her son. His relatives tried to ignore the rumours, wondering how Atia could still be casting shame on their family so many years later. Dracius refused to be denied, however, and in an echo of his mother's act of defiance, invited the whole town to the theatre to see him take his final vows.
While fewer people attended, none in the city doubt his parentage, and he gained access to a small amount of money that his mother had hidden away, in case her parents disowned her again.
Personality
In many ways, Dracius considers himself to be one of the luckiest people alive -- having literally been raised up from a life of begging and scavenging on the streets and in the midden piles to one of relative wealth and comfort. He thanks Shelyn every day for that beauty, and also the chance encounter that changed his life (and, for that matter, for making his mother fall in love with his father, despite the scandal). He views his own story as a perfect example of a beautiful love story and drama, complete with a villain and the triumph of love, and so he is, himself, an idealistic romantic (as much as anyone can be in Cheliax). Because of the circumstances that led to the changes in his life, he looks upon even simple things that most take for granted with a sense of wonder, seeing the beauty in them as would a child.
However, he feels that his luck has created a debt -- one that he must pay back...
Motivation
Quite simply, Dracius is a true idealist romantic -- and while he understands that the world does not work in a way that favours such -- he believes that it should.
He understands that it was pure luck and Shelyn's grace that led him to his own happy ending (and saw more than his share of unhappy ones from his time in the Rego Cader), and so he feels that it is his responsibility to try to bring about as many more as he can.
In addition, as the harshness of his early life did not corrupt him or leave him bitter -- he thinks of himself as incorruptible, as is his goddess.
As with Arigoder -- I'm more than happy to take questions/comments.
I was tempted to try working up a cleric, but I had a Cheliaxian character idea sitting around that was too appropriate to pass up. So here's Kurgash Mallorion, CG half-orc barbarian.
Duvela Mallorion was born to the Mallorions of Westcrown, a noble family of privilege and comfort. Well, less of them than before they'd backed the wrong side of Thrune's ascension. But enough remained for them to cling to their station. Which meant that with the family's leaders were denounced before the courts as traitors and heretics the whole family was held to account. Their assets were seized, their name stricken from the books, and those who weren't executed were sold into slavery. Perhaps it was true, for the Mallorions held many grudges against the winning side. Perhaps it was a careful falsehood constructed by those who would profit from the fall of the Mallorions and pick over their corpse like vultures. Devela was too far outside the seats of power to know, but not so far as to escape. Stripped of everything she became a serving slave in the arenas of Egorian, tasked to cook and clean and given to the champion gladiators as a reward.
Thus was Kurgash Mallorion born in the slave pens to a foreign savage and a disgraced noble. When his father would bother to notice him, he would receive training in how to focus his green-blooded fury. Or sometimes simply beatings for being soft and weak. It was often hard to tell the difference. When his mother was free from her labors she would try and teach him what a proper scion of house Mallorion needed to know, and to instill in him the pride of a true Cheliaxian. Except for the times when she got hold of strong drink to dull the pain, and would rant at length about the injustices heaped upon her and how he was a sign of all her shame.
Two years ago Hazark died in the arena. The orc was older, and slower, and his reign as champion came to an end the only way it could be expected to. A year and a half ago Kurgash was put into the arena for the first time, forced to fight now that he was too old for kitchen tasks or other minor labor. Ten months ago Duvela Mallorion was killed. Kurgash didn't witness it, but the other slaves told him that she was drunk when she recognized one of the noble visitors to the arena. Reportedly she flew into a screaming rage and tried to attack him, only to be slain by his bodyguards. Nine months ago Kurgash resolved to escape.
His early attempts at cleverness were insufficiently clever, and resulted only in him being chained at night. Asking the other slaves drew only little sympathy for the mongrel half-orc, or suggestions that he practice in the arena and attempt to buy his freedom at some future point. So Kurgash turned to an avenue his mother had once recommended, that of prayer. Though he had little direct instruction there had been festivals at the arena where icons of the gods would be paraded around before all bowing to Asmodeus. From them he remembered one with broken manacles dangling from his wrists. Focused on that image he called on blessing of Cayden Cailean, he called on the strength of his father's fury, and with a stone he shattered his chains.
Today Kurgash is 17 years of age. His material possessions are what few weapons he escaped from the arena pits with, what little coin he's made doing minor jobs, and his mother's Mallorion signet ring. Far too small for his own hands, he wears it on a chain around his neck. With little idea what else to do he's made his way to Westcrown in the hope of reclaiming some of his family legacy.
Kurgash is still adjusting to a life of freedom in the outside world. His mother told him many stories about what Cheliax was supposed to be like, in between rants about what it had become. So far he's finding it more similar to the rants. Not everyone wears physical chains outside the slave pens, but the chains of fear and hate and greed seem to be on everyone's wrists. He doesn't think he likes that. People ought to be free to be happy. Someone needs to smash those chains just like he broke his own. And, well, he's pretty good at breaking things. He just doesn't have much idea where to start. So for now he's keeping his head down and his ears open, in between doing whatever work keeps him fed.
Current list of applicants:
CaptainCortez - Human Urban Barbarian, CG
Fnord72 - Human Wizard, NG
Irina Kayzeld - Human Ranger, CG
Faelar Braegen - Elf Bard, CG
halplm - Elf Witch, N
Tilnar - Human Fighter, LG / Half-Orc Cleric, NG
Shanosuke - Tiefling Inquisitor
jlord - Tiefling Cleric, CG
Retech - Gnome Summoner, NG
Keddah - Human Oracle, CN
Paizo Fan - Human Sorcerer
Interest Shown
Allia Thren
This is just a quick post to update the list. I'll be going over everyone's applications and posting questions in a bit.
Applications are still open, but will probably close within a few days, due to the amount of interest already shown.