All of Rob's reign of winter guys should start a guild or the equivalent when it comes out. Then we can build a town and take over the world. Mwahahahahahahahaha!
Not just the Reign of Winter guys, but also the Quest for Arcadia ones. I'd be down for that!
Okay, lets just say all the good writers/RPers from the boards. I think it'd be really fun to do a semi-RP guild since we're all good writers. Like have a channel for OOC and a then an RP chat channel to stay in character. I still get sad that I didn't get into Quest for Arcadia. But ya can't win them all. I think my character was just too ridiculous and also too similar to Dwunderbran. Honestly Dwundie pulled it off better than Isoldda anyway.
Heh and my psychopathic murderous doctor isn't a little bit ridiculous in his own twisted and demented way? :P
I liked your character, though I guess Rob wanted to limit the number of dwarves that were rocking the extremely low charisma levels in both statistics and characteristics. Ironbloom's alcohol was certainly missed, at least.
And you never know, you might still get in - if Rob has proven anything, its his uh.. willingness to put us into dangerous scenarios. XD
But what better way to die than to go out in a blaze of glory? If it wasn't for Dwunderbran, I might just have died without killing that Kraken..
I haven't been following the thread. It would be too melancholy for me. It's no big secret that I have a total gamer crush on Rob's stuff. Same thing when I couldn't play in his Ascension roll20 because of real life timing issues. I don't read it cause I'll just be sad I'm not taking part.
I wish I would have submitted some version of my psychopathic cannibalistic sin eating dwarf inquistor of Zon Kuthon. Him interacting with Logem would have been priceless. He's extremely proper and polite on the surface, but he would have been plotting ways to eat Logem the whole time. :P
All while Dr. Logem would want to vivisect him. Hahaha that would be an interesting combination indeed.
Well he only eats evil people, because good or neutral people don't taste very good. So Logem would have been the only one at the party he'd be interested in.
But they're good, you'd think they'd taste good! Hehehe
Well, perhaps if one of the 8 players dies, you can bring 'em in. >:)
Perhaps.
It's been pretty crazy Jelani. I also have an evil NPC I introduced and was on the expedition, assuming they survived the Kraken.
Yeah, you're Quint right? I didn't realize he was evil.
Yeah Quint. He's not evil, but one of the NPCs from his backstory is.
Conquering the world is obviously in line with Torag's teachings. Just ask Dolgrin.
Although it is still a work in progress, Rob got the wiki up and running! Not much on there now, but expect more to come soon. Probably. I'm not working on the wiki myself so I don't know. Still, its looking awesome so far in my opinion.
That looks great.
Still no info on Tar Kuata though. :P
Ah sorry, totally forgot about that!
Looking it up, I don't think anything would have happened to it, to be honest. I'll double check with Rob, but its fairly out of the way of any disasters..
Though, in his Reign of Winter timeline, he did mention there being a portal to Irrisen somewhere in that area, so in all likelyhood, THAT would have affected it. But this campaign will be set before that portal opens - I've specifically asked him about when that portal opens.
Crusty, do you expect Ydersius and/or the ophidians to have a significant role in this campaign?
No, not at all. And by Ophidians, you mean Serpentfolk, aye?
But no, the Serpentfolk will have no influence in Osirion or elsewhere in this campaign.
And by Ophidians, you mean Serpentfolk, aye?
Yeah, I use the terms interchangeably.
That helps though, thanks. I'm quite pleased with the character and backstory I'm crafting. I'm sure it'll change once we have a player's guide/more detailed creation guidelines, but my head's been too full of ideas to wait. I suspect I'll have something shareable soon...
EDIT, followup:
I know that since the Age of Darkness the deserts of N. Garund have been one of the main holdouts for the cult of Nurgal. Would it work in this alternate history to say that Nurgal's cult has recently started expanding violently into the Mwangi Expanse?
Introducing Unafe Two-Hearted, Saurian Shaman of the Goapeke tribe
That said, the tribe has still faced some challenges through the years. One of the biggest threats in the Goapeke’s entire tribal memory was in the early years of the Age of Darkness: The forces of Nurgal were in tumult after the Starfall destroyed Azlant and obscured the sun. Seeking new strongholds, they dug deeper into the Mwangi expanse. They were attracted to the power of the great saurians, and sought to harness that power toward their own thirst for bloody war and destruction. Namane the Wise, founder of the Goapeke -- who was nearly 240 years old at this point -- rallied the Goapeke and the saurians they lived side-by-side with, and pushed the Nurgal cultists back to the North.
Since that time they have lived with relative stability for many thousands of years -- their remoteness, and their saurian neighbors, keeping others from interfering with the tribe. Now though, the forces of Nurgal are once again emboldened to the North, and the Goapeke fear their inevitable approach.
When Unafe was seven, Old Aye saw in his dreams that Unafe was not just Two Hearted; he saw that her Ancestor Heart was none other than the reincarnation of Namane the Wise, the legendary first Saurian Shaman who had founded their tribe and had driven back Nurgal’s horde at the dawn of the Age of Darkness. It was wonderful news for the Goapeke tribe, who knew that Nurgal’s forces in the North were growing bolder again after many thousand years, and feared a new confrontation. Old Aye assured his people that Unafe was Namane reincarnated, and that she would protect them from the coming danger.
As a young child she played with the other children of the village, but by the time Aye shared his prophetic dream, most families kept a respectful distance from her. When she wasn’t studying with Aye, she spent more and more of her time alone in the jungle or running with the great saurians that were never far from the Goapeke. Old Aye taught her that when she reached womanhood she would regain all the memories and powers of Namane The Wise, and would use her might to set things right again for her people. In the mean time, he taught her to channel the power of her ancestors, of Gorzeh, and of the spirit of the great saurians.
When Unafe’s woman’s-blood first came in her 12th year, she, Old Aye, and the whole village waited breathlessly. Within a moon she should regain the memory and might of Namane The Founder, and soon thereafter step into her mantle as their protector. That month past, as did another and another, growing into more than a year. She continued to study under Aye and to grow in skill, but no memories returned from her Ancestor Heart. Old Aye couldn’t explain it, but he continued to train her, and told her to have patience; The Wise Founder’s might and memories would come.
The next four years were increasingly difficult. Everyone could see that she had the gifts of the Two-Hearted, that the saurians listened to her, and that she had a shaman's power to heal and to shape magic. Yet everyone also knew that the Two-Hearted received their ancestor’s full blessing when they reached womanhood or manhood. She had become a woman in her 12th year, but at 16 still had yet to regain the memories or power of her Ancestor Heart. Meanwhile, Nurgal’s cultists to the North were indeed on the move. They were getting bolder by the month. Old Aye was resolute: Unafe’s Ancestor Heart would reawaken, it would be Namane, and it would happen in time.
As Unafe approached her 17th name day, scouts from Nurgal’s forces started to appear in their valley. The Goapeke fought bravely against them, but with only Old Aye to call on the aid of the great saurians. While Aye and the tribespeople managed to slay a few scouts, within weeks Aye’s Pteranodon companion warned that the cultist were barely two days march away in full force. They came with demonic servants and scathing fires, laying waste to all in their path. Old Aye and Unafe retreated into prayer, calling to Namane, and all the ancestors, and to Gorzeh, and to the spirits of the saurians to bring Unafe her full power and deliver the Goapeke once again from the forces of Nurgal.
After an hour, Unafe’s prayers were met with silence. She felt completely unmoored and ashamed. Was there some weakness or unworthiness in her, that kept Namane from returning? Was Old Aye’s Great Dream wrong, all those years ago? Certainly she felt less like a wise hero now than ever in her life.
Fourty minutes later, with manic eyes, Aye awoke from his own trance and commanded her to flee. He still knew with zealous faith that Unafe’s Ancestor Heart was none other than Namane The Wise...but it was also clear that no great awakening of power was coming that day. He declared that he’d received a new prophecy: that the Goapeke must scatter and abandon their ancestral home or die, and that Unafe alone must flee her tribe, and the Mwangi Expanse, and travel to Osirion in the East. There she would meet her destiny, and awaken the memories of her Ancestor Heart...and in the end return to defeat Nurgal’s cultists and to renew the Goapeke people.
Unafe cried bitterly, resisted loudly, and then finally accepted reluctantly. She has no idea if she’ll ever unlock her Ancestor Heart, or if she is in fact a reincarnation of Namane The Wise. What she did know was since before she could remember she’d always followed Aye’s instructions. Her doubt of his first prophecy gnawed at her confidence in this new one too...but if Old Aye says her future is away from her tribe, it is bitter medicine that she must nonetheless swallow, though it terrifies her to leave.
It has been 7 months since Unafe fled (together with Mkai, her spinosaurus companion) and she’s slowly made her way to Osirion. All along the journey she's seen signs of the building chaos and destruction. She knows that her people are likely dead or worse -- and her faith in Aye’s prophecies balances precariously on a cliff -- but in the end following them is all she knows and so she’s come to Osirion, rudderless, ready to grasp onto whatever she can.
Appearance:
Unafe is a tall, skinny seventeen year old with closely shorn black hair and radiant, muscular black skin. Her face is full of emotion and uncertainty: passion, wonder, rage, joy, and sorrow. She wears a breastplate of cured ankylosaurus hide[1] that was made for her by her uncle. Over that she wears a colorful orange robe, with saurian teeth stitched into the seams. She is accompanied by a young spinosaurus of medium size who she has named Mkali, meaning “certainty” in her local tongue, after the certainty she longs for.
[1] Mechanically/costwise, dragonhide breastplate
Personality:
Since childhood Unafe has been told that she was the chosen one, the return of Namane the Founder, who would protect her people in the coming storm.
Since puberty she’s known that Something Was Wrong, that the prophecy hadn’t yet gone as planned.
As of the last seven months, she knows she’s failed, her Ancestor Heart never materialized, and her people are scattered or worse because of it. Now she’s amongst unfamiliar people, trying to make sense of her life and find her path.
Currently she’s a conflicting tumult of emotion and perspectives. At her best moments she still feels her connection to the natural world, her love of its beauty, and her knowledge that she has something to contribute to it. At her worst she’s cracking under the stress of knowing that her Ancestor Heart never came, that she failed to save her tribe, and that the future that was prophesied for her has been derailed. Through those cracks -- for the first time since her early childhood -- a bit of the regular seventeen year old girl in her is showing through as well.
Unafe Totem Transformation Reference image
Spinosaurus Companion (Mkali) reference image
Female Human (Mwangi) Druid (Saurian Shaman) 2
N Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +9
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 21 (2d8+5)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +5; +2 vs Fear and Death Effects
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Quarterstaff +5 (1d6+6/x2) and
. . Scimitar +5 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
Ranged Sling +3 (1d4+4/x2)
Druid (Saurian Shaman) Spells Prepared (CL 2):
1 (3/day) Shillelagh (DC 13), Entangle (DC 13), Faerie Fire
0 (at will) Light, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Create Water
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Forgotten Past, Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Traits Dangerously Curious, Reincarnated
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 jump), Climb +5, Escape Artist -1, Fly -1, Handle Animal +5, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +9, Ride +3, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +4, Stealth -1, Survival +8, Swim +5, Use Magic Device +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Sense Motive
Languages Common, Druidic, Polyglot
SQ animal companion link, doubt, nature bond abilities (mkali, the spinosaurus, spinosaurus), saurian wild shape (1/day), saurian's totem transformation (standard action) (, share spells with companion, spontaneous casting, wild empathy, woodland stride
Other Gear Dragonhide Breastplate, Lamellar (horn) armor, Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Sling, Sling bullets (30), 184 GP, 7 SP
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Special Abilities
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Animal Companion Link (Ex) You have a link with your Animal Companion.
Doubt -4 for an hour on any skill or ability check after you fail that type of check
Forgotten Past Half duration of mind-affecting effects on you (min. 1 rd).
Saurian Wild Shape (1/day) (Su) Shapeshift into a dinosaur or reptile one or more times per day.
Saurian's Totem Transformation (Standard Action) (2 minutes/day) (Su) Adopt aspect of the saurian while in normal form.
Share Spells with Companion (Ex) Can cast spells with a target of "you" on animal companion, as touch spells.
Spell Focus (Conjuration) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Spontaneous Casting The Druid can convert stored spells into Summon Nature's Ally spells.
Wild Empathy +2 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.
Woodland Stride (Ex) Move through undergrowth at normal speed.
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Mkali, the Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus
N Medium Animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 24 (+6)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft., swimming (20 feet)
Melee Bite (Spinosaurus) +7 (1d6+5/x2) and
. . Claw x2 (Spinosaurus) +7 x2 (1d4+5/x2)
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 3
Base Atk +2; CMB +7; CMD 19 (23 vs. Trip)
Feats Armor Proficiency (Light), Power Attack -1/+2
Tricks Attack [Trick], Attack [Trick], Attack Any Target [Trick], Come [Trick], Defend [Trick], Down [Trick], Fighting [Trick], Guard [Trick], Stay [Trick]
Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +5, Stealth +6, Swim +13
Languages
SQ attack any target [trick], come [trick], defend [trick], fighting [trick], guard [trick]
Other Gear You have no money!
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Special Abilities
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Attack Any Target [Trick] The animal will attack any creature on command.
Come [Trick] The animal will come to you on command.
Defend [Trick] The animal will defend you.
Fighting [Trick] The animal has been trained to fight.
Guard [Trick] The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Swimming (20 feet) You have a Swim speed.
Alright, here's Mr. World Serpent himself. Rehashed from a Dungeon World game that fell apart pretty quickly; Rasso might recognize it.
Male Ulfen Human Invulnerable Rager Barbarian 2
CG Medium Humanoid (Human)
Favored Class Barbarian
Favored Class Bonus +2 Hitpoints, +2/3 Superstition Rage Power
Init +0 (+2 vs. Evil Outsiders); Senses Perception +5
Experience 2000
Hero Points -
____________________
______DEFENSE_______
AC 16/14; Touch 10/8; FF 16/14(+6 Armor)
hp 32/38 (2d12 + 6[Con] + 2[Favored Class])
Fort +6/+8, Ref +0, Will +1/+3;
DR: 1/-
____________________
______OFFENSE_______
Speed 40 ft. (30 ft. in armor)
Melee Dómrbrandr; mwk cold iron greatsword +7/+9 (2d6+6/+9; 19-20/x2)
Ranged +2
Special Attacks Rage (9 rounds/day), rage powers (World Serpent Totem)
______________________
______STATISTICS_______
Str 19/23, Dex 10, Con 16/22, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 8
BAB +2, CMB +6/+8, CMD 16/18
- Feats:
- Raging Vitality (1st)
- Nemesis (Human)
- Object of Legend (Story)
- Skills (10 - 8 [Ranks] + 2[Int])
- +5 Climb (1 [Ranks] + 4 [Str] + 3 [Class] - 3 [ACP])
- +6 Craft: Weapons (1 [Ranks] + 1 [Int] + 3 [Class] + 1 [Racial])
- +4 Intimidate (1 [Ranks] - 1 [Cha] + 3 [Class] + 1 [Totem Mask]) -5 to adjust attitudes
- +5 Knowledge: Nature (1 [Ranks] + 1 [Int] + 3 [Class])
- +8 Knowledge: Planes (2 [Ranks] + 1 [Int] + 3 [Class] + 2 [Trait])
- +2 Linguistics (1 [Ranks] + 1 [Int])
- +6 Perception (2 [Ranks] + 1 [Wis] + 3 [Class])
- +5 Survival (1 [Ranks] + 1 [Wis] + 3 [Class]) +2 vs. Evil Outsiders
Languages Common (Taldane), Infernal, Skald
SQ Traits (Hunter of Outsiders, Secret Knowledge), fast movement (+10 ft.)
Racial Abilities Bonus Feat, Heart of the Fields (+1/2 HD (1 currently) to Craft and Profession; may remove Fatigued condition 1/day)
______________________
______EQUIPMENT_______
Combat Gear: Dómrbrandr (masterwork cold iron greatsword; 8 lbs.), masterwork breastplate (30 lbs.);
Other Gear:
Ioun torch (75 gp)
Battle Mask (50 gp; 2 lbs.)
Hot-Weather Outfit (4 lbs.)
Hip Flask (1 gp; 0.5 lbs.)
- Backpack, Masterwork(+48 gp; 4 lbs.)
- Bladeguard (40 gp)
- Blacksmith's Tools, Masterwork (55 gp; 5 lbs.)
- Blanket (3 lbs.)
- Hemp Rope, 50 ft. (10 lbs.)
- Soap (0.5 lbs.)
- Survivor's Kit, Masterwork (50 gp; 5 lbs.) (A masterwork survival kit contains higher quality gear and a guide to identifying flora and fauna. It grants you a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to get along in the wild, deal with severe weather, keep from getting lost, avoid natural hazards such as quicksand, and predict the weather)
- 5 Trail Rations (5 lbs.)
- Waterskin (4 lbs.)
- Belt Pouch (0.5 lbs)
- 11gp 6sp 6cp (2.3 lbs.)
- flint and steel
"Grimmr" (Yak)
- Light Wagon (1000 lbs. limit)
- Iron Pot (4 lbs.)
- Huge Treasure Chest (37 gp; 250 lbs)
- Cold-Weather Outfit (8 gp; 7 lbs.)
- Furs (12 gp; 5 lbs.)
- Snow Shoes (5 gp; 4 lbs.)
- 10 Torches (10 lbs.)
- 50gp (5 lbs.)
Carrying Capacity:
Light (133 lbs. or less); Medium (134–266 lbs.); Heavy (267–400 lbs);
Current Load: 83.8 lbs
Though generally a helpful and heroic sort, Thorgrim has little patience for etiquette and frivolities. The task he has set himself to demands such focus and determination that he has unwittingly come to expect the same from those with whom he has dealings. He tends to view everything else as trivial by comparison, if not with open contempt.
Penalty: -5 Diplomacy and Intimidate to improve attitudes towards you.
- Hunter of Outsiders (Regional)
Chasing down clues of Dómrbrandr’s origins is a daunting task, and frequently pits Thorgrim against otherworldly foes. He has turned these eventualities into advantage, earning himself a distinction of ‘hunter’ as opposed to ‘hunted’. [Benefit: +2 Survival and +2 Initiative against evil outsiders]
_________________________
- Secret Knowledge (Religion)
Thorgim’s quest to reforge Dómrbrandr have brought him in contact with secrets and creatures of The Great Beyond few are privy to. As a result, he has a greater understanding of the outer planes than most, and a growing knack for figuring out how to best deal with such creatures. [Benefit: +2 Knowledge (Planes) and it is a Class Skill]
_________________________
- reserved (Mythic)
_________________________
- reserved (Campaign)
Ulfen Human/Half-Fiend Invulnerable Rager Barbarian CR??
Object of Legend: Dómrbrandr
A blade bearing a seemingly impossible blend of celestial mithral, infernal adamantine, and cold iron harvested from the plane of earth; an ebon hilt wrapped in the still-living fibers of a shoggoth; heated in the chaos-fires of the Maelstrom, pounded into form on the pristine summit of Mount Heaven, and quenched in the vile waters of the River Styx, the secret of Dómrbrandr’s construction was conceived as an equation directly from the Godmind of Axis. How the plans found their way into the hands of daemons remains a mystery. Called Justice of the Peace in its inception, the artifact managed to surface on Golarion shortly before the First Earthfall in what is now known as the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, likely where it earned its current name. More recently, after 10,000 years of absence, it resurfaced in the hands of a celebrated Ulfen named Sigurd Olafson.
Thorgrim's armor is a work of art; a metal mural of runic knots and sigils meant to bestow great luck and strength upon he who wears it. In battle, he wears an imposing mask styled after Jörmungandr--a dread serpent of Ulfen folklore thought to be so large as to encircle the world. His weapon, though a masterpiece in its own right, is but the faintest glimmer of its former self. The hilt of Dómrbrandr remains intact, however, an ebon tar-like grip that still quivers with life in its wielder's hand. When garbed in the trappings of his homeland, he is covered in a patchwork of furs and warm clothes, with matching fur boots and gloves. He wears the matching tusks of a slain ice troll about his neck; a trophy from his first true foe.
_________________________
Ht: 7'0"
Wt: 370 lbs
Age: 25
Hair: Flaxen
Eyes: Blue
Skin: Pale
Reserved: Seldom does he overindulge in drink, woman, or song, and his boasts are confined to truths. He takes no pleasure in the reaver lifestyle some of his kinsmen are known for, and refuses to go out of his way to find violence with those he has a quarrel with. His ire he saves for true threats, of which there are plenty without resorting to skirmishes with drunkards and fools.
Compassionate: To those whom he regards as less fortunate, Thorgrim is genuinely kind. Orphans, urchins, and beggars are likely to find favor with the sometimes-gentle giant.
Rigid: To those whom he regards as fools or jokers, Thorgrim has no patience. Too much lies at stake for the the people of Golarion to fritter away their time on idle thoughts and pleasantries. Now is the time for decisive action and heroics.
Altruistic: Thorgrim will not hesitate to protect those in need, or stick his neck out for those whom he regards as friends and allies. He tries to hold himself to a higher ideal, lest he succumb to the same fate as his father.
Driven: Mostly as it pertains to his own personal goals; Thorgrim, once committed to a task, will not easily be distracted, unless something far more pertinent comes along.
Uppity: The standard to which Thorgrim holds himself sometimes gets applied to others as well. He often chides people for what he considers laziness or moral shortcomings. For those who are not of a similar outlook, he is sometimes difficult to tolerate.
Sitting upon a cracked bench still stained thick with blood from a battle long since concluded, seemingly unphased by the frigid environment they found themselves in, was perched a young girl of regal bearing. Raven hair framed a frail, beautiful face with eyes as lustrous as blue diamonds. A gown of subdued, form-fitting greens climbed from her legs to neck, yielding to a ringed collar of black furs criss crossed with a tangle of silver threads. As her words issued forth like that of a child’s, the seasoned and ragged warriors cringed as if from the crack of a whip. “Kvöldið uppgjöf. Í dögun nálgast. Eldur flöktir þínum. Mikið eins og þolinmæði mína. Sýna staðsetningu á brot eða deyja eins og bleyður sem þú ert.” She spoke in their native Ulfen tongue with surprising clarity.
The warriors seemed content to continue contemplating the fire before them. It’s waning dance did little to soothe the ache of the cold. The eldest of the trio exhaled a tired sigh before rising to his feet on creaking knees. His weathered face remained defiant in spite of the strands of white that had begun creeping into his mane of hair. “Jadwiga barn, þitt verkefni er heimska. Eins og ég hef sagt þér, er það í Ullerskad ekki lengur. Það hvílir í höndum einn sem mun koma til lífsins örlög skrifað á hann: að Ulfen satt, Þorgrímur púkinn brotsjór. Meira en það, mun ég ekki segja. Þessi staður hefur orðið nóg svik án við þrjú steypu eigin nöfn okkar í helvíti.” He knew his words had cost them their lives. But his honor remained. His hope remained--borne far away on the shoulders of the one called Thorgrim, son of the Púkinn Bölvaðir...
R U I N S OF P A T H F I N D E R
THORGRIM the FIENDBREAKER
- << | >>
“Gaum nú orðum mínum, börn, og hlusta vel. Heyra hvað gerist þeir sem wield dýrð þeir ekki fengið.”
Sigurd Olafson is a celebrated hero, even among the likes of the vikingr laden city of Ullerskad. Like many, he had served his time among the Ulfen Guard of Grand Prince Stavian III. Unlike many, he would not rest content to retire on the considerable wealth that year long endeavor had earned him. Always seeking further conquest and fame, Sigurd’s exploits were known to mead halls the length of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Whether it be splintering entire tribes of trolls and giants alike, or visiting retribution upon the Winter Witches in Irrisen, his ever growing list of accomplishments inspired an excited murmur throughout Ulfen lands: whispers that perhaps a new Linnorm King would arise; whispers that in Sigurd, finally there existed a leader who would arise and overthrow the witches that had subjugated much of their ancestral land. A slayer of such renown surely needed a weapon to match the weight of his name.
The goði and gyðja of Ullerskad warned of folly and tragedy turned redemption should Sigurd seek entry into the demesne of The Deathless Jarl in Zar Kragnaral, insisting instead that his name bore the weight required to weather all coming storms. Heedless of the words of others, as ever, Sigurd made ready to slaughter his way through the giant tribes that made lair around Zar Kragnaral.
He returned bearing a blade all but lost to the roll of years. Known perhaps only to a handful of scholars in the entire world, Dómrbrandr had passed from knowledge in the centuries following the First Earthfall. A blade fit for king and conquerer, when asked how he had earned such a gift, Sigurd only replied that it had cost him “half his sight.” Not a particularly clever man, Sigurd spoke plainly. His left eye had died despite bearing no sign of injury; a colorless orb that afforded neither tear nor sight ever again.
- << | >>
“En sjá, jafnvel fræ bleyður getur ekki borið ávöxt passa fyrir borða.”
His warpath unabating, prowess unrivaled, and ambition indomitable, Sigurd seemed likely to make his bid for Ulfen royalty soon enough. It would seem, however, that there did exist one obstacle capable of stopping the brute’s rise to power: his son. Born to he and his wife, a young and beautiful vikingr shieldmaiden called Svala Bramsdottir, his son Thorgrim proved to be the only thing capable of exceeding his personal need for fame and glory. Rather than seeking out Fafhnheir to slay in single-combat, thus uniting the Linnorm Kingdoms under one banner, Sigurd resolved to spend his days raising his son to be the greatest vikingr the lands would ever know.
- << | >>
“Getur það ekki líka hægt að segja að fræ af föður gæti skilað tré jafnvel hærri en forveri hans?”
Towering tall and true, thick with muscles despite his youth, Thorgrim’s fifteenth nameday would serve also as the untested vikingr’s proving. A full decade and a half had passed since Sigurd last raided the frigid lands of Irrisen to the east. It was there he decided his son would earn his own legacy’s foothold.
Skrata, a small town playing host to one of Whitethrone’s important shipping lanes, lay just east of Irrisen’s western border along the Rimeflow River. It was Skrata where Thorgrim would first make himself known. The Ulfen invaders surged as one into the outlying houses and warehouses of the town, cutting down defender as if they were children. It would not be long until they earned themselves a proper fight, however, as Irrisen placed much value on the wellbeing of their shipping lanes.
Unknown to the Ulfen forces, Skrata played host to more than town guards and witch dolls. Led by a mountain of a frost giant, a pair of winter wolves and a small horde of ice trolls poured out of hidden redoubts to join battle with the vikingrs. During the thick of the fighting, Thorgrim found himself locked in fierce combat with an ice troll. Sigurd restrained several men who sought to aid Thorgrim in his fight, insisting that his son earn the kill alone. Surrendering to rage and raining an unrelenting hammer of blows against the beast, Sigurdson ultimately prevails against the beast. Though the cost is heavy, the Ulfens return rich from spoils in victory, and Thorgrim’s name is lauded in the songs and drinks that follow.
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“Þjóðsögur byggt á goðsögnum eru ekki þjóðsögur. Og falla svo sannarlega sem turn í umsátri.”
Karzoug’s reemergence spelled disaster for the Ulfen peoples. Sigurd was no exception. The resurgent Runelord’s forces warpath collided with the combined might of the Linnorm Kingdoms in the Southmoor Nolands, but even a people so hardy as the Ulfen struggle to rise to the occasion of a Runelord led army of mages, soldiers, rune giants and worse.
Despite his formidable prowess and possession of his legendary blade, Sigurd Olafson and his forces suffer one humiliating defeat after another at the hands of the Shalasti aggressors. The blow to his ego gives rise to worse ramifications than the loss of his kinsmen. His father stricken aghast by his own shortcomings on the war’s southern front, Thorgrim is forced to supplant his father’s leadership. Their fierce contingent begins fighting smarter and cautiously instead of resorting to the reckless abandon Sigurd was infamous for. Though they exact little toll on Karzoug’s forces, they manage to hold their ground with the combined weight of the Linnorm Kings around them. Sigurd retreats to Ullerskad, seemingly intent on drowning himself in mead.
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“Eitt sem berst eigin örlög hans er dæmt til að mistakast. A minnka oft veitt af Norn.”
At a loss as to how to right his legacy, Sigurd returns to Zar Kragnaral. He is feared slain by most when a week goes by and no sign is seen of the aged warrior, though he eventually emerges nearly a month later. Sigurd is a changed man.
Twisted and corrupted by vile pacts made under the auspices of even viler witnesses, his greatly withered and emaciated body harbors deceptive strength. He returns at the head of a host of Guardian Daemons, surging unabated beyond the Ulfen front lines to meet Karzoug’s forces head on. He suffers another crushing defeat at the Runelord’s hands, returning to Ullerskad once more in defeat with what remains of his daemonic horde. He lays siege to his own city, lasting nearly a full week before Thorgrim and his surviving men return to drive back the Abaddon spawned horrors. Forced into a confrontation with his own father, Thorgrim begs him to cease his maddened conquest. No longer recognising his son as such, Sigurd refuses, and drives forward to destroy his only offspring. Upon landing a blow against his son, the sword shatters and explodes into a fine mist of adamantine, mithral, and cosmic energies. Only the tar-like hilt remains, rolling out of Sigurd’s grasp to rest in the crimson stained snow surrounding he and Thorgrim. The resulting backlash nearly consumes Sigurd and Thorgrim both. Staggered and a hair from true death, Sigurd is forced to quit the field of battle or face annihilation at the hand of Ullerskad’s battered but unbroken forces. Thorgrim's unconscious form is dragged away to Irongold Bastion, Ullerskad's Gorumite temple.
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“Og enn... jafnvel mistök gæti þjónað sem grunnur til sanna goðsögn.”
Thorgrim spends much time recovering from the injuries sustained battling his father and his daemonic ilk. He seeks counsel with the local priests of Gorum and Erastil, where he begins the months-long process of reforging the now bladeless hilt of Dómrbrandr. He swears oaths to both Gorum and Erastil to fulfill the seemingly impossible task of restoring the blade to its former glory and visiting vengeance against his cowardly father for his weakness and subsequent betrayals. Reforging Dómrbrandr would be no simple feat, however. Thorgrim spends a full year under the tutelage of Torag’s clergymen in Highhelm, before seeking an audience with the Pathfinders Grand Lodge in Absalom about the origins of his father’s blade. Even in the face of calamity and cataclysm, Thorgrim remains undeterred in his quest. He would not fail as his father had.
4713 Current Date (?); more to come...
Nephew!
lol guys hold up on putting out too much info on the characters - I still haven't even finished the campaign traits yet, though I'm working on 'em.
The ideas look awesome, just don't get too set on anything yet!
Hehehehehe. Fair enough. I was at the in-laws so had some time to play...and part of why I posted it was so you'd get a chance to say "Oh, hey, that part really wouldn't work," so I could take things back to the drawing board. I enjoy collaborating with GMs on character creation.
Looking forward to when recruitment actually starts, relatively patiently. ;0)
Well, the traits I'm working on will assume that you somehow found your way to Osirion by the beginning of the campaign - the Mythic Traits will include some supernatural in them, but are a *Little* more railroady than a normal trait would be.
For example, one Mythic Trait, the Hierophant, expects that you were once in Rahadoum and were nearly executed for your beliefs (whatever they happen to be), but escaped with the help of some kind of otherwordly being, but without the being showing itself - Rahadoum has been a known 'neutral zone' for various aligned Outsiders acting in secret, so thats what I'm using for that particular trait.
The Guardian Trait is oriented around the player being a former Risen Guard, while the Champion Trait mentions Alkenstar and the Mana Wastes. The Marshal is a refugee from Katapesh, and.. I'm not sure yet on the Archmage or Trickster, but I'm aiming for something from Nex for the former and Thuvia for the latter.
Still a work in progress of course! The regular Campaign traits will not expect any kind of origin, and will instead focus around why you were picked by Dr. Pinkerton.
Just rough drafting at this point. Tried to leave enough of a buffer to fit in some "recent years" fill in the blanks. Also, I wrote in that I have a +8 vorpal bear rug; is that okay?
Nexian (Nexite?) archmage summoner with environmental suit eidolon go!
Jelani, glad to hear you're staying true to your Synthesist roots. ;-)
It'd be easy to work some time in Rahadoum into Unafe's backstory and Heirophant is her ideal mythic path...but I'll wait for the final everything before I start filling in blanks and making edits.
This here...this be interesting. How did I not notice it previously? Anyway, like several before me, I'm gonna wait and see the actual recruitment thread before setting my brain to work on a character, but I'm fairly certain you may consider my hat thrown in.
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Well you guys'd be glad to know that I've been working my ass off on this campaign.. been coming up with some really great ideas, so I hope to start up the recruitment on-schedule early next month.
Highly unlikely I'll get it ready before then, however.. though I'm just as excited as everyone else to start it :D
I do have one question though Crusty, if we are starting at level 2, how are we gonna get to high enough level to really go planar hopping in any reasonable sort of timeframe? Are you planning on speeding up the EXP somehow? I give players 1000 XP/round of combat each in one of my PBP games (the one mentioned above), it's been going on for nearly a year now and they've only leveled 3 times. It's also almost 100% combat all the time.
Just something to think about. Unless the plan is that we'll be so badass from mythic...
Huh, how did I miss this.
Hmm that is a good point, though. But for one, Mythic means you guys can take on much harder fights - Sure the ECL for a Mythic Player is only slightly higher than a nonmythic, but in reality, you guys will tear through non-mythic fights once you are mythic, especially if they would normally be standard fights for characters of your level. Fights will likely be over much faster as Mythic Characters - especially considering, with Mythic Powers, you can have two actions per round depending on what you use. Many of the primary Mythic Powers give you an extra attack or spell cast as a swift action.
Imagine, say, Rasso using his full attack in a round, then using a swift action to grant him another attack at his full BAB with a Mythic bonus equal to his tier. Heck, depending on the ability, he might even be able to move his full movement speed and make a single attack during the move, all as a swift action. Yeah, fights will be quick and brutal when you guys are fighting non-mythic stuff.
As a result, you guys will be leveling faster than a normal group would - a good example would be in the Wrath of the Righteous, where they actually end up getting to level 20 (Woo!) by the end of the campaign.
Not to mention, I have every intention of using story awards where appropriate - every time you complete a Mythic Trail (not to mention when you Ascend), you'll gain an Exp Story Award. Though we'll be using the Medium Xp track, I do hope to make it feel more like the Fast Xp track.. similar to Wrath of the Righteous, where you guys will hit level 6 by the end of the first book.
Plus, who ever said you guys would be mid-level by the time you went to the Planes? You don't know when I'll be throwing your butts into the Outer Sphere. ;) It just means you might not have usual Plane Shift capabilites to go where you please at first.
But don't worry, I won't totally screw you guys. ;)
Ok, but if I wake up in Sigil with a new tattoo and a hangover.... I'm thanking you.
Ooh boy. This gonn' be cray-cray.
I'm just picturing what Thorgrim would do the first time my Eidolon surfaced...
End you.
Ok, but if I wake up in Sigil with a new tattoo and a hangover.... I'm thanking you.
One of my earlier ideas had involved a tattoo that each of the players had after Ascending, linking them to each other.. dropped it in the end though.
:P
The rules should appear sooner or later in d20pfsrd, so it should not be a problem. Besides, although I cannot say for sure, I think you should be able to make a character to apply with without them at the beginning, at least when the recruitment thread opens and character creation guidelines are made known.
Ooh boy. This gonn' be cray-cray.
I was gonna post something of my own, but this ^ seemed to pretty well cover the sentiment. You are building up a heck of an interesting thing that you're making us wait just to apply for, Crusty. You are one mean dude.
Ooh boy. This gonn' be cray-cray.I was gonna post something of my own, but this ^ seemed to pretty well cover the sentiment. You are building up a heck of an interesting thing that you're making us wait just to apply for, Crusty. You are one mean dude.
I'm sorrrryy, I did say "Early September" as a recruitment start date though, and its not here yet, so I haven't kept you waiting any longer than I meant to yet :P
Just a heads up guys, I might be starting recruitment sooner than anticipated. I figured if I give you guys a two-week recruitment process, that'll still give me enough time to hammer out the rest of the details I need.
So.. expect a recruitment post soon*. Just got a few minor things to finish up first. :D
Also, we will be doing a roleplaying event during the recruitment phase, similar to Rob's Quest for Arcadia campaign. Got an interesting idea for it!
*Soon being within a few days.
Ooh! Yay! I'm glad I didn't miss the cutoff!
Awesome! Just waiting to see the various campaign traits before I finish up the character. Had some crappy stuff come up that I've also been having to deal with that has slowed me up on it.
DM, I am curious about a couple things, but I'm going to PM them to you, just to keep the thread from getting bogged down with specific questions so early.
Sent you your answers, Shadow.
Hmm I have since come up with a bizarre/awesome idea. Will have to see how well it fits into your campaign traits and such :)
I definitely appreciate the response, and it definitely helps me focus my ideas. I like the evilness of your suggestion. ;) You seem like someone who wouldn't say no to the strangeness of alchemist abilities.