Okay, there seems to be a clear majority in favor of the bermuda triangle camp, lets go ahead an close that one out.
You'll be arriving in your new home by ship. There have always been unpredictable huge banks of fog in a little traveled part of the Obari ocean. Countless ships have been devoured by those mists over the years, never to be seen again. Recently one of your benefactor's galleons was passing the edge of the Hungry Mists, on the day of a new moon. Suddenly part of the fog cleared away to make a tunnel. The lookout was able to spot a reef-surrounded shore in the distance. The captain took the ship as close in as he dared through the huge tunnel in the mists. The reef was littered with the jutting, broken corpses of ships in all shapes and sizes. The shoreline appeared to be some sort of tropical salt marsh. The captain sent one of his ship's boats and five of his crew ashore to reconnoiter the area. They rowed to the shore, through the ship graveyard, and up one of the waterways that emptied into the sea. The landing party were gone for hours. Finally, just as the captain was preparing to declare them lost, the lookout spotted the boat drifting back down the waterway. There was but a single man inside, and he was making no attempt to row. The captain sent another boat to retrieve him, but the man had gone mad. He gibbered nonsense littered with demons in the marsh. He was clutching a small idol of a some shapeless, tentacled god, made of solid gold.
When their ship moved away, the mists returned, hiding the island once again. The captain reported his findings back to your benefactor. The effect has since been replicated by a different ship, but only in that very specific spot and only on the new moon. The galleon had stumbled onto a sort of gateway through the mists. All magical attempts to determine if the island is actually on Golarion have failed. In fact all divinations relating to the island have had no success. Attempts to teleport there have also met with failure. Your benefactor has decided that it's worth the risk to send a small ship of professionals to investigate and exploit the situation however possible, with the goal of claiming the land for themselves.
Sounds good to me.
I like it! Scavenging wrecked ships for supplies, the horrors of the creeping mist..
Hopefully we won't run into any mechanical-sounding smoke monsters with a penchant for attacking trees. (I kid, I kid!)
Looks interesting. I like the notion of watching for New Moons with nervous eyes, in case other countries catch wind of this and decide to start fielding competition on the mysterious continent.
Or, oh crap, we ate all the food and no new food can come in for 12 more days....
So, whose maxing out Survival all of a sudden? I know I am!
24 Wisdom, go!
I always put at least one point in it. :3
Just noticed a typo up above. The line about the crazy guy should read, "He gibbered nonsense littered with disjointed tales of demons in the marsh."
Also, in case it's not clear, I'm still looking for votes on who should be the benefactor. Probably tomorrow I'll do another tally, and then present some more detailed final options for one last round of voting.
Benefactor
Option 7 - Holomog. I think it fits well with the setting that was voted in. An organization of seafaring folk looking to expand their grip and prepare for war seems like they'd be happy to colonize a new-found chunk of unclaimed land.
Benefactor - I like the Padishah Empire. My second choice would be Alkenstar.
I have no idea what the heck Holomog is. I cannot currently use the link that it directs to. Could anyone explain this group to me. I will probably still favor the Padishah empire as my first choice.
Benefactor - I like the Padishah Empire. My second choice would be Alkenstar.
I have no idea what the heck Holomog is. I cannot currently use the link that it directs to. Could anyone explain this group to me. I will probably still favor the Padishah empire as my first choice.
The matriarchy of Holomog is one of the coastal nations of Southern Garund, beyond the Inner Sea region. It is generally considered to be one of the region’s two most powerful nations (the other is Droon). Holomog is a nation of warriors and artisans with traditions going back to the time of Ancient Azlant, and covers much of Garund's south-eastern coast.[1]
History
Volume 4 of the Pathfinder Chronicles describes the visit of legendary Pathfinder Durvin Gest and the pirate queen Mastrien Slash to Holomog. Gest abandoned Slash at the southern cliffs, but she was eventually able to install herself as Holomog’s ruler. Under her leadership, Holomog underwent a period of dramatic military expansion, eventually reaching as far as the land of Geb.[2] This military expansion came to an end in 4329 AR when the mighty archmage Geb turned most of the Holomog army to stone, creating the Field of Maidens.[3]
Holomog Today
Recently, rumors have begun to spread, that Holomog may once more be preparing for war.[1]
Honestly I really like Holomog. Alkenstar is a second choice.
You had me at "a small idol of a some shapeless, tentacled god, made of solid gold"...
On the smite thing, do you think making it require a move action to target anyone would balance it, or weaken it?
Also, I didn't realise the first rolling option meant 4d6, drop nothing,,, I'm definitely doing that! So long as I don't get a 7 in Con, I'll be happy.
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Oh oh! let me put my interest on this one as well, it sounds like it could be a lot of fun, I missed out on most of the voting though!
I kind of like working for an Alkenstar charter company, especially for the sake of the guns everywhere technology level.
Otherwise really looking foreward to this, my mind is swimming with character ideas for the conquest of Polynesia (I've been reading a few stories set there recently.
You had me at "a small idol of a some shapeless, tentacled god, made of solid gold"...
indeed
On the smite thing, do you think making it require a move action to target anyone would balance it, or weaken it?
could be interesting.
Jelani, What is the guns level for this campaign or does it depend on whether Alkenstar is selected as our benefactor?
Thank you for the update about the Holomog. They sound interesting, but I am going to stick with my choices. The Great Padishah Empire of Kelesh seems like a very interesting choice. First, we know from Canon that they dominate the Super Continent of Casmaron. Second, they have so many Satrapy's not detailed it allows Jelani free reign. Plus very little about the geography to the East or South of Casmaron is detailed at all.
Lastly, maybe I just like the idea of potentially founding a new Satrapy to the Great Padishah Emperor, whose unbroken line has continued for thousands of years.
Benefactor
Option 8- I would have to vote for The Padishah Empire of Kelesh. I find them more to my liking as well as a lot of character ideas to spring from.
Hey, sorry I'm a little late to the party. Luckily it seems the voting has thus far gone favorably to my preferences. This campaign sounds amazing!
Benefactor
My first choice would be the Aspis Consortium as I love me some moral grey area. Plus it's multicultural nature lends itself to the widest array of character concepts.
As secondary choices I would also be happy with the Padishah Empire of Kelesh or Holomog.
My vote is for the Aspis Consortium. I love the sound of this campaign and the realistic take on characters and motivation.
When you start recruiting, are you requiring a certain level of PbP experience? I have plenty of years of RP under my belt, but this would potentially be my first online.
TLO3, obviously I am not the GM, but PBP isn't too hard at all to jump into, long as you know the system. :3
i vote Aspis or Holo
My vote is for the Aspis Consortium. I love the sound of this campaign and the realistic take on characters and motivation.
When you start recruiting, are you requiring a certain level of PbP experience? I have plenty of years of RP under my belt, but this would potentially be my first online.
Experience is irrelevant as long as you know the Pathfinder rules and can post regularly. You'll need to follow instructions and figured out how to make an alias etc, but that shouldn't be too hard. We all did it at some point :)
I'm going to work for a few hours, when I get back later I'll do a final tally for this stage of voting and then provide three more detailed options for a final choice.
Sounds good.
Benefactor
Aspis Consortium - 7
Church of Razmir - 0
A Hellknight Order (please specify which one) - 0
Prophets of Kalistrade - 0
Hermean sepratists - 0
A chartered company from Alkenstar - 4
Holomog - 6
A satrap of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh - 7
----------------------
Okay, that's that. I'll be back in a while with the final voting options.
This looks like an amazing campaign.
While I was catching up on all the posts, I missed my last chance to vote. But I'm intrigued...
Here are the final options for the groups' benefactor. Please state your preference.
1) Qadiran Satrap Xerbystes II
Though the richest ruler in the Inner Sea region, Xerbystes II is far from satisfied with his lot in life. As a vassal of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh, he is restrained from going to war to expand his holdings. He longs to be a true king, free of the meddling of imperial rule. When one of his galleons discovered the new land hidden in the Hungry Mists, he saw it as the perfect opportunity. Qadira is reliant on food and lumber from the interior provinces of Kelesh to maintain their large cities and armies. If Xerbystes can secretly conquer a new land, he might be able to break his reliance on the empire, and declare independence. He has secretly assembled a team of experienced adventurers with appropriate professional skills to journey to the island and claim it for Qadira. The team was offered the incitement of lordships and holdings should they succeed in conquering the new land.
2) The Aspis Consortium Gold Agent, Marilinda Dubrechev
Marilinda Dubrachev works out of Katapesh. When one of her galleons returned with a report of the island she immediately sent word to Cheliax. She's received full approval from the Patrons for a potentially permanent exploratory mission. Marilinda gathered and equipped a ship full of loyal mercenaries, and a team of her most promising Bronze Agents to lead them. The team is to survey the new land, and take control of any natural resources they might find there. The goal as always is profit above all else. All of the agents have been promised riches beyond their wildest imaginations should they succeed in taking the land for Aspis.
3) Penthesilea, Queen Matriarch of Holomog
The Oiorpata (warrior women of Holomog) have been seething in impotent rage for nearly a hundred years, ever since the archwizard Geb turned their mighty host into stone at the Field of Maidens. But they have not sat idly during those long decades. Their defeat at the hands of a mere man humbled their pride. It taught them that men were good for more than throwing off cliffs at birth and working as bed slaves. Holomog's Mothers have been riding their breeding studs hard. They have raised a massive army of male slave-soldiers, led by elite units of Oiorpata. Just their host was nearing battle readiness, Penthesilea's warships captured a smuggler. The smuggler told the Queen Martriarch he could sell her the location of a brand new land he had just discovered. After the man told her of the island, she had him and his crew killed and took her money back. She has since confirmed the information with one of her own ships. Penthesilea sees the new land as the perfect testing ground for the new mixed-sex Holomogi forces, and has assembled an expedition to go and conquer it.
In order of preference from me:
1- Aspis
2- Qadiran satrap
3- Holomog as a distant third. The matriarchy/male-slavery thing would require substantial revisions to my character's backstory, which I can certainly do if other players want the Holomog option, but it's not my preferred.
Still jockeying for 3.
Late in the voting game my preferences are
1- Holomog
2- Qadira
3- Aspis
Qadira
Aspis
Holomag
Those would be my order preference.
I've been counting people who say "this or this" as a vote for each, but only up to two things per person, so I'll continue to do that. I'll leave the voting open until there are about twenty total votes. If two of the options are tied, or very close I might call for a tie-breaker where everyone can only vote for one option.
Qadira - 2
Aspis - 1
Holomog - 2
Qadira
Aspis
HolomagThose would be my order preference.
What he said. :)
Qadira - 4
Aspis - 3
Holomog - 3
Edit:Edited to include Drayen
Man I really needed to pay more attention to this it's gone fast. I'm definitely interested and glad to see that the Aspis Consortium have made it to the final round. I'd never heard of Holom before however (though I had the field of maidens, that's a cool detail), so that's got me pretty interested too. My vote is for Aspis though.
As to what I might want to play, either a Ranger or a Druid. I seem to have cursed luck when I try to play a druid however, the campaign either fizzles out before it gets anywhere, or the character dies :p
If we go with the Holomog game however I might have to go a Barbarian, I'm a sucker for Barbarians.
Holomog threw me off at first but the more I think about it, the more I'm actually intrigued by the prospect.
I'm throwing in votes for both Aspis and Holomog.
Qadira - 4
Aspis - 5
Holomog - 4
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It's a close race so far. If one candidate doesn't pull ahead I'll probably go back and re-tally, counting only people's first choice. That way we hopefully won't need to do a tie breaker.
Jelani, gotta say, I really like seeing how you're finding a way to create a truly fresh campaign within Golarion. Add in the Cthulhuan gibbering survivor and you're sorely tempting me to apply, despite being rather full up...
By the way, I'd say if things are really close, just pick whichever you think will be cooler to create (even if it's a bit behind #1). For myself, no votes now. I can see being happy with any of the three, in the event that I jump in.
I think I shall go;
1) Qadria
2) Holomog
3) Aspis
You know I'm a sucker for your games, Jelani!
1. Aspis
2. Holomog
2. Qadria
For me
1) Qadria
2) Aspis
3) Holomog
Qadira - 6
Aspis - 8
Holomog - 7
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Counting only first preferences....
Qadira - 4
Aspis - 4
Holomog - 4
Well, that's not making it any easier to choose. I feel like Qadira has been done before. It's also the least appealing for me personally to write, so...
Lets do a tiebreaker vote between Aspis and Holomog. Please vote one last time, only choose one.
I'll call it when we get up to 15 votes, or one of the two choices gets 9 or more votes (whichever comes first).
Well, all of those options are pretty well-written. I'm going to choose Qadira, purely because it inspired the most visuals in my head while I read it. Great selection though. Took me an hour of thinking to pick one.
I'll go with Holomog for the Tie breaker.