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The Isle of Icari was home to the mighty Carthi Empire before the dark times. Their origin was lost to the mists of time, but for thousands of years they were a bastion of strength and stability in the world. They wrought great works of might and magic, raising cities above the clouds and exploring the deepest fathoms of the sea in great glass domes. No longer did the civilized races of the world have to toil the fields unless they wished to, as their needs were provided by magic. Emerald servitors performed the day to day work of the empire, building and toiling for their mortal masters. Their armies wielded magic unheard of, pushing the bounds of their empire to the ends of the world...until the day of their collapse. 500 years ago to the day, the magic of the world fled. The flying cities fell from the sky, their connection to the greater magics failing, the great street lights faded, and the world was plunged into darkness. The food generators stopped functioning, the servitors froze where they stood, and the world quickly fell into chaos. The shocklances of the soldiers sent to keep order overseas were no longer functional, and they were quickly bludgeoned to death by rioters with stones. The comfortable world promised by the Carthi empire collapsed into barbarism and was swiftly splintered into a thousand petty kingdoms. The island home of the empire was shrouded in an impenetrable mist, and vessels sent to ascertain what was going on were never heard from again.
In the five hundred years since the fall of the Empire, civilization has slowly reasserted itself, if in different forms than it once was. The ten thousand Kingdoms have coalesced into about twenty, the great wars of the old empire dying have finally reached their end, and the world population is a third of what it once was. Magic still exists but it is a pale shadow of what it once was, allowing a new renaissance of science and technology to flourish. Curious scholars periodically charter vessels to investigate the isle, trying to determine the reason for the fall, and just recently one of these expeditions found that the mist which once shrouded the isle has burned off, revealing the island continent once more. A brief expedition ashore found the island deserted of higher life, and was swiftly repulsed by a group of humanoids covered in coarse brown fur.
Now, rulers of the five greatest Kingdoms have begun to send out expeditions seeking to explore and colonize the new island. Small enclaves have emerged on the Eastern edge of the island, and parties of explorers trudge deeper into the untamed wilderness, seeking out the mystery of the mists, and perhaps trying to reclaim the magic that was their birthright.
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High above the hall of the Governor, castrati sing like choirs of angelic beings in the old language of the Carthi Empire, "He comes, He comes. The anointed one, the ever powerful! He comes, He comes! Stand aside for the high mage, the defender of the honor of Carthi! He comes, He comes! The Governor of Valirend!"
The court has come out in its finest tonight, with countless nobles pressing close to either side of the thick purple carpet that cuts through the middle of the throne room. The air is thick with incense and musk, which only partially covers the scent of too many bodies pressed into too small of a space. Their finery is greatly varied, from priceless antique metallic foil suits that predate the fall, to thick robes that have come into fashion recently, but the one thing that all of them share is a thin sheen of sweat on their faces and exposed sections of their bodies. This place is sacred, but like most buildings built before the fall, there are far too few windows to keep the area adequately cooled. For some ceremonies, though, only the most ancient and holy of structures will do. Quiet murmurs of disagreement spring up over precedence, and the court is a constantly shifting mass as men try to elbow forward closer to the purple carpet and the man who will be walking down it.
A deathly silence falls through the halls as the steam is first vented with a sharp squeal. Though the magical guts of the servitors has been replaced with steam pistons and their shocklances are just wooden props heavily embossed with silver and gold, those who are not so jaded from the court all gasp as the emerald shells of the servitors snap to attention beside the glass double doors, a reminder of the pre-fall time. The swords and crossbows of the guards standing beside the holy relics do a far more effective job of enforcing the peace, though. Above the double doors, a lantern is thrust through a hidden niche, appearing as a ghostly light behind the sign that scholars of the ancient language say bears the cryptic message, "Fire Exit," in glowing red letters, though none know the reason why those words are written there. As the Govenor approaches the glass doors, he waves his right hand toward them as if willing them open with magic, and a couple of burly serfs pull back the doors to allow him passage.
Once seated upon the iron chair at the iron throne at the head of the purple carpet, the high mage gestures for the rest to settle. His eyes flick toward the door as he speaks, "Let those who have been selected to journey to Icari step forth!"
Welcome to my campaign sign up thread. For those of you who were in the interest check thread, welcome back! For those who were not, let me go over a bit of the background of this campaign to get everyone up to speed.
My name is Michael, and this is my first time running a PBP game in many years. I've been running a home game for years, but two of my players decided they'd hook up and are inviting their first child in a few weeks, while another one is moving for work in just a few months. Taken together, we decided to wrap up the campaign and hang up in person games for the moment. This leaves me with a bit of time on my hands and nowhere to scratch the itch.
I am looking for players for my game. But, there's a catch with my games. You see, my players don't just consume the world, they help write it also. The world of the Carthi Empire and the Island of Icari is nebulous at this point, and I would like to see it expanded and deepened through lore that you, the players, help me write. Want to play a drow slayer? That's great! All you need to do is tell me a bit about where the drow fit into the world, and an order that trained your character. If it fits in the world, it's canon! My plan is to build this world together, and over the weekend I will be establishing a wiki that will collect all of the lore written and provide prompts for things that have not yet been discussed. Completing the writing prompts gains you some power over the game, allowing re-rolls, positive modifiers to your rolls that you can apply at your discretion, or even a 'Come Back from the Dead' token that can be cashed in when your character would otherwise die, allowing them to miraculously survive, among other rewards.
The one Kingdom that I have established in the old world is the Kingdom of Valirend mentioned above. They are a predominantly human nation that descends from the provisional governor set up shortly after the fall, modeled after the vision of the Byzantine Empire shown in the Raj Whitehall Series by David Drake and S. M. Stirling. They are a coastal nation that flourishes on trade, and have a kind of odd cargo-cult reverence for the relics of the old world, even if they are kept working largely though slight of hand and parlor tricks rather than the standing flows of magic that once powered them. They are one of the main benefactors of exploration of the isle of Icari, their reverence of the old world making them almost fanatical in their desire to see and understand the wonders that have been hidden under the mist. Their governor, Barholm, is a devout follower of the Magic Cult, and wishes nothing more than to get his hands on one of the great generators of magic that are spoken about in the old tales. There are four other great Kingdoms and as many lesser Kingdoms as we need to make the old world feel lived in.
Most of the action takes place on the titular Isle of Icari, which is largely unexplored. There are several small settlements across the Eastern edge of the island, closest to the mainland, but the largest of them is the Free Port of Xalia, where a temporary truce has been signed between the great powers, allowing all of their agents a safe home port where the powers that be have declared that no violence will take place between the agents of the rival nations (openly).
For your character, please use the following guidelines for creation:
- *20 point buy
- *Start at level 2, with 1000 GP. No more than 250 GP may be spent on any one item.
- *Any 1st party class, with the exception of chained summoners. BUT: If you take a class outside of the core book, you must write at least 400 words talking about an order or organization that trains members of that class and how they fit into the ruins of the Empire on the mainland.
- *Any 1st party race, up to 20 RP. BUT: If you pick any other than human, you must write at least 400 words talking about the race and their place on the mainland.
- *Characters built using Spheres of Power/Might by Drop Dead Studios and Psionics from Dreamscarred press are allowed. No other 3rd party classes and abilities are allowed. Characters built using third party material are treated like classes outside of the core classes, for the purpose of write ups.
- *A player may take two traits, and may take a drawback to take a third trait.
- *Please have a photo of your character.
- *Your character will need a backstory. You can have them from Valirend, or from one of the other great Kingdoms, or any of the lesser Kingdoms. If you choose not to have them from Valirend, please provide a short write up about the Kingdom they come from, some information about the nature of the Kingdom, what their primary trade good is, what their relationship is with Valirend and any other described Kingdoms, and what they want on the isle of Icari. If you choose to go this route, you will be able to bank one Re-roll to use during play, or take an extra trait at character creation.
- *We will be playing a hexcrawl game with limited resources and carrying capacity, so I would recommend at least one character be able to scrounge for food and deal with dangers in the wilderness.
We are playing with E6 rules in this campaign. For those of you who haven't heard of it, E6 is a system where the characters stop gaining levels when they reach level 6. Due to the low-magic nature of the world, the characters just aren't able to harness magics much more powerful than that. When a character reaches 6th level, they will periodically be given a CB (Character Building) point, which can be traded in to get extra feats, ability score boosts, abilities from prestige classes, or even steal abilities from other main classes. Always wanted to play a Slayer that had a better sneak attack? Steal the rogue's sneak attack and increase yours! What about a Kineticist who is also a kick butt martial artist? You can do that!
The main advantage of this system is that it keeps martials and casters relatively balanced, combat relatively quick, and means that an enemy that was dangerous at first level never really goes away, especially in large numbers. The characters are always at risk, and the isle is always threatening. Encounters are based on where the characters are, not the average party level, so there is a good chance when you first start exploring that you might find encounters beyond your level. Know when to fight, and when to hide.
I will continue running this game until there is a lack of interest in the game. I'm hoping that we can create a world together that engages everyone, but if you join and later lose interest please let us know and we will write your character out of the campaign. I'm hoping for at least one post every other day per player, and unless there is some grand emergency I plan to be on the boards at least once a day. I am open to playing on the Paizo forums or on discord, and we can discuss what platform we are using once we figure out who our core crew is going to be. Currently, I'm comfortable running for 4-6 dedicated players.
I look forward to seeing your submissions. I am also available on discord here.
The Worldsmith (Michael)
I have a hankerin' to play an Unchained Summoner for this game. Is that ok?
That's fine, so long as it's unchained. The only restriction is on chained summoners.
Dotting - like I said on the interest check, I love E6 and wish we had more of those on the forums! Working on a concept as we speak. The extra " words" you mention when you talk about races and classes beyond core refers to a larger background, or an "extra session" just about it beyond the background? Both work (I like writing long backgrounds!), just double checking. Cheers!
Also, may I suggest considering automatic bonus progression? There's even an alternate of it to remove magical treasure. This would probably be great on this low-magic environment.
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Pacing on a raised platform, was an elderly man dressed in whites and browns, adorned with golden trinkets and baubles, arms and face covered in scars. His voice was commanding, yet almost inaudible over the noise coming from above. They deep rhythm of drums and stomping reverberated through the walls as waves of gasps or cheers roared through the dust filled air. Below him, dressed in simple clothes were his subjects. Those who were orphaned with a spark of magical ability and who failed to get into the schools of magics with their connection to magics because their connection to the source of magic lacked.
These were called “The Games,” and they were bloody. The “Contestants” were sent or brought as a last-ditch effort to unleash their dormant blood, with hopes that a sponsor would take notice to support. Most though, do not make it through the initial process of selection, as it was a brutal fight to the death. It was thought that the survivor’s abilities would awaken, and even if not, was a proven ground for finding talents of a rougher nature. Even then, those who lived were not guaranteed an easy life.
The false sages by some, or kineticists by most, were both revered and shunned when they awaken during “The Games”. Their talents, coming forth from extreme duress, excited sponsors to the point that bidding battles started once an amount of aptitude with the talent could be seen. Kineticists were rare, and considered a prize for any private guard or militia, as the majority were already sturdy stock to choose from, cheaper to train, and with some exception, could fit in with most guard groups.
Studies from various sponsors have been compiled concerning their observations towards the abilities of the kineticists, and stored in the libraries of the world. It had been noted that the talents of magics came from their will to survive and their ability to exert their stamina to it’s limits. For the majority of their known existence, the kineticists were kept under a watchful eye, as living studies or untrustworthy beings of magics, and were executed if found unruly or not in control of their innate magics. Those who were not executed, were sent to live on the streets, or sent to Icari to live their lives on the mostly lawless island.
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a dot from me as well. I have a lot of campaigns I'm in at the moment but I've always loved E6 and I don't think it's ever gotten as much attention as it deserves.
Could I ask for a bit more detail about how you envision magic operating? I notice that you don't have anything mentioned about deities and/or divine magic. Is it at all distinct from arcane magic in your world?
Hi, I'm interested! I plan on submitting a Nagaji character, and I've got a good idea of the lore I want to submit for this race.
Is there any progress on the wiki you mentioned? I'd like to see what's already available and get a feel for how far the world of the Carthi Empire strays from a "standard" fantasy world. The main reason for this is that I'm waffling back and forth quite a bit regarding what class my Nagaji would be, and I'm hoping something might inspire some lore that would dictate the class I choose.
Good Morning Everyone!
My apologies for the haitus over the weekend, had a society game and then had to deal with my little sister getting in a minor accident. She's fine, but it took some time out of my Sunday dealing with that.
Let me start by saying that I'm really excited in reading the lore already submitted. I think we've got a good group of people applying and there shouldn't be any issue fitting those who have applied so far into the world.
Let me start going post by post.
Mightypion: I like the idea of a kingdom of demonspawn. I am going to tweak things just a little bit, though, specifically in regards to the rumors regarding the loss of magic. I am deliberately keeping that vague. I'm fine leaving it in that it is a rumor, but I have my own plans as to why the magic ended and they may or may not be revealed, depending on how far we get in the campaign. As far as your bloodrager post later...just excellent. I look forward to seeing your character.
Lapyd: I had considered that and was planning on checking to see if there was any opposition to that. I think I want to include some magic items in the world, but only flavorful ones, not crunchy (think: Decanter of Endless Water, not Belt of Giant Strength +2).
CucumberTree: I was hoping there would be at least one anti-magic character in the group. Logically, that is a position that at least some would take after watching their world ended by magic. I'm super excited to see what kind of character you create with this one.
Michael_Hopkins: This gives me a real "We who are about to die, salute you!" kind of feel and it is marvelous. Have you decided which element you're thinking of for the Kineticist?
MordredofFairy: I am going to close recruitment today in the next post for those who have not already indicated interest, so you got in under the bar! My plan is to give everyone a week to make their character.
CrusaderWolf: About the E6 ruleset, I agree. I'm modifying the normal E6 a bit in allowing more than just feats to be bought with the extra points, but I think it's a great system. As far as magic, I'm not changing anything from the core book except putting a cap on the maximum power of magic as imposed in E6. Divine and Arcane magic still exist and are distinct. The gods haven't been written about yet because they haven't come up, but they are there and played an important part in pre-fall life. You'll notice that one thing mentioned in the original post was food creating machines. That would require the spell Create Food and Water, which is a divine spell.
Andostre: I haven't made any progress on the wiki with everything going on over the weekend. Between helping my little sister deal with insurance and car buying, it's been a bit of a weekend! The Wiki is supposed to be just a collection of what's been decided so far though, so everything should be found in this thread that has been decided so far. I'm imagining the world of the Carthi Empire (note to self: Need to come up with a name for the planet), is basically bog standard fantasy now, save for the ruins of a more magical time and the way people react to the old high fantasy.
So, I am closing recruitment for new players here. If you've made a post before this one, congrats, you're in! If we don't have a viable pool of players after everyone makes characters, we'll re-open this for new submissions.
Players: I'm going to give everyone one week to get your characters and lore together. I'm fine taking character sheets however you find the most convenient, including writing it out and scanning a copy to me, google docs, mythweavers, Paizo forums, etc. If you have any questions during character creation feel free to post them here or shoot me a direct message.
I’ll have the character ready in the next few days - I’m going over the lore/background/etc., but I usually don’t take long to create sheet/mechanics after that. Thanks for the opportunity!
Made it in just under the wire! Thanks, Michael. I'm glad your sister is okay; no worries about the wiki, obviously. But thanks for that clarification.
To the other players: is anyone planning on making survival/tracking/woodlore type of character? If not, I'll make my Nagaji a slayer with that theme. If that is already covered, I may make my guy a cavalier. Or a bloodrager.
Mightypion tentative submission here.
Currently Rageshaper(Bloodrager)1/Fractured mind 1
Switched him to fanglord from ragebred, 3 natural attacks are a lot less insane then 5.
Adran is an ok face (all face skills as class skills, skill focus diplomacy and sense motive while phantom is inside) and can contribute to most other situations.
Need to write up Fractured minds, his people make use of those quite a lot, as the half Lilitu is relatively solid at creating them.
It is a well known thing that well, the midnight lions in particular were uhhhm, famously non discriminatory in terms of "mating".
Skinwalkers in the green heart are frequent, as the Thiefling Skinwalkers, or Skinwalkers with Abyssal Bloodrages.
Their inherent capability for carnage often terrifies the Caerni, but it is also seen as useful. Several large cities have Skinwalker guards units, who walk around in the partially beastmorphed shape. Keeping the peace by their obviously threatening nature.
Some Caerni bars have a law stating that "Skinwalker can come in, but must shapechange", so as to prevent the local youth from picking a fight with one.
While some skinwalkers are quite happy with caerni company, provided they are on top, others dwell deep within the green heart, hoping to commune with nature and restore the rifts. Hushed voices speak of a
rumored tribes of were-spiders, lead by shockingly beautifull females, inhabiting an area called the "woven leaves" deep inside the green heart, where even the Midnight lions or steel wolves fear to thread without invitation.
Skinwalkers can pass for humans to a far greater degree then thieflings, but exposed skinwalkers are seen with similar levels of fright and suspicion.
Openly walking as a Skinwalker, especially when having a visible mercenery badge, does not typically get you attacked in former caerni lands though, such a skinwalker would be seen as a transient on some errand, and simply waiting until he passess is a clearly superior strategy then picking a fight with a mutant freak of unknown powers.
The followers of the lady in shadow are known to be capable of calling upon shadowy allies, capture, at considerable cost, and subsequent interrogation revealed that these are not actually directly shadows, but aspects of their personality given form, form of the negative energy plane to be precise. Unsurprisingly, the inquisition was quite perturbed by this.
In their lore, a fallen warrior may rise, and fight alongside his friends as a shadow, or a loved one may rise as one to offer support in a time of great need, enjoying a second stay on the material plane before moving to the "place of longing" as the Abyssal city of Alyushinyrra is known in the Lions myths.
Such Fractured minds typically have a degree of telekinetic or telepahtic abilities, and are viewed with a fair degree of concern and befuddlement by those who witness these abilities.
The inquisition assumes that a darker play is behind these. By making such creatures a common sight, the forces of midnight eternal may wish to weaken inquisitorial oversight, for a possible mass utilization of vile "indivaak" shadow-demons, of whose machination the sacred books speak.
is there a map Of this land?
Not the mainland. There is a hex map of the isle of Icari but it will be revealed bit by bit as it is explored.
And here is Ardrans phantom, question, she will have an effective level of 5 (Adran will take the phantom ally feat at level 3) , do phantoms/eidolons/animal companions also get feats as they increase past "level 6"?
I could probably switch from a desired end level state of Bloodrager5/Spiritualist 1 to Bloodrager 4/Spiritualist 2.
Also, are we using any feat tax rules? Background skills?
And here is Ardrans phantom, question, she will have an effective level of 5 (Adran will take the phantom ally feat at level 3) , do phantoms/eidolons/animal companions also get feats as they increase past "level 6"?
I could probably switch from a desired end level state of Bloodrager5/Spiritualist 1 to Bloodrager 4/Spiritualist 2.
Also, are we using any feat tax rules? Background skills?
Hey There.
So, this is a weakness of the P6 rules as written, in my opinion, as they don't account for any of these kind of interactions. I'll allow you to pay 1 CB from your main character to increase the phantom's effective level to 6, but no higher than that. After word, your CB points may be spent to improve either your main character or your phantom, but the phantom does not gain CB points on their own.
No feat tax rules or background skills in this instance. You can trade in CBs for feats if you have any you were unable to get, and I'm going to allow you to trade them in for skill points as well.
Ardran and his phantom are now good dancers.
In an unusual development, the once ferocious Midnight Lions have "mellowed".
Before the fall, they were reknowned and feared for fighting harsh, with no regard for honor, in brutal guerilla and ambush campaigns against the often superior Caerni warmachine, the Lions fighting tactics included biological warfare against Caerni crops, mass sacrifices of prisoners to the Abyss and other extremely vile deeds.
It is unclear who first warcrimed whom, but fighting was absolutely vicious with no quarter granted or given.
After the fall, they were no longer threatened with extinction, and in some ways adopted a milder and more relaxed take on her.
Throughout relatively peaceful centuries, they have expanded, multiplied and build the strength, with a yet unheard of focus on artifice and travel, also becoming highly acceptant of Caerni exiles driven from their own lands, as long as these exiles brought skills or abilities that were in demand. Each and every adult Midnight Lion is supposed to credibly master one artistic skill, this frequently being dance, or singing, or string instrutments (the latter being the most common instrument, in part because the strings of the Lyres favored by the Midnight Lions can be used in assassiantions or abductions), with crafting being looked upon quite favorably as well.
There exists a curious balance, as the tribe knows that its fierce reputation as demonlord worshippers and brutally skilled assassins is in part what enables the focus on artistic expression of their less military inclined clan members.
On other planes, the Lady in Shadows and the Redeemer queen are seen as 2 distinct entities, for the Lions, it is a single deity with 2 aspects.
The extent to which this is due to the great difficulty of summoning Abyssal entities post fall is open to debate.
TLDR: Nocticula in process of redemption, her worshippers think she is Schrödringers Demon Lord and CE and CN at the same time.
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Ok, so using the 20 points race creation, I have re-created the centaur race, which I was giving the name Kinnaras.
My character can be seen (still somewhat in the creation state) here:
Unnamed Hero
Male kinnaras fighter (dragoon) 2 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 46)
CG Large monstrous humanoid
Init 4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +1
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 shield, -1 size)
hp 24 (2d10+8)
Fort 6, Ref 2, Will 1 (+1 vs. fear)
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.; jumper
Melee lance +6 (1d8+6 P/×3) or
. . hooves +1 (1d6+2 B)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB 7; CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Feats Mounted Combat, Run, Skill Focus (Ride), Weapon Focus (hooves), Weapon Focus (lance)
Traits armor expert, mercenary
Skills Acrobatics -1 (+3 to jump with a running start, +3 to jump), Diplomacy +0 (+2 when negotiating payment for a quest or a service that you provide), Intimidate +0 (+2 when negotiating payment for a quest or a service that you provide), Ride +6, Sense Motive +1 (+3 when negotiating payment for a quest or a service that you provide), Survival +5
Languages Common
Other Gear lamellar (leather) armor[UC], heavy steel shield, lance, 830 gp
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Jumper (Ex) You always are considered to have a running start when jumping.
Mounted Combat (1/round) Once per round you can attempt to negate a hit to your mount in combat.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
I plan on documenting the race and their lands if they are acceptable for the game :-)
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I think I'm going to write up something for a dwarven Spellbreaker/Sanctified Slayer who wields a musket-axe, a member of the House of Chains. These are an order of mage-hunters and artifact hunters who seek to destroy, or at least lock away, magical relics and outsiders. Their headquarters at the Vault of Chains is inside a mountain with the city-state of Stélreyksbyr. Devices or creatures which can't be destroyed are imprisoned inside the Vault.
Theirs would be a society that puts its trust in technology, getting as steampunk & clockwork focused as you'll allow. However they're not opposed to ALL magic, just things they think are dangerous in "the wrong hands".
@GM being able to bolt RP on an existing race would considerably improve anyones capabilities. It can certainly serve to make our characters stronger, by quite a bit, at lower levels.
So, mechanical overview:
--Ardran starts with 3 natural attacks, has excellent night vision, his phantom can add 2 additional attacks on top of that.
--If his phantom is inside, Adran gets a pretty gud willsave
--He can cast shield twice per day, making him quite durable AC wise, if he opts to not rage
--He has burst of insight, which he can use as utility is social and lore situations to boost his int, wis or cha by +8, giving him an effective +4 skill bonus.
CHaracter overview Ardran:
--teamplayer but a paranoid one
--A professional in terms of planning, plotting, prefers to approach things intelligently
--pitch black sense of humor
--Has a soft spot for art, will strive to not destroy it, is a pretty good singer/dancer
Character overview veronica:
--Somewhat philosphically inclined
--also a decent singer/dancer
--Pragmatist
--Is surprisingly open, probably more open then Ardran himself, to learn about other cultures
--surprisingly wholesome sense of humor
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The Kinnaras are said to be a cursed race. Myths tells how the great Khan of the Grass Sea created a massive army of mounted warriors and attempted to attack the Carthi Empire. With their superior magical skill, the Khan’s army was transformed into the Kinnaras and bound to the Carthi Empire as a slave race. While many believe this story to be true, the Kinnaras are of much more recent creation.
As the magic of the world was withdrawn, all sorts of areas underwent changes. Some had sudden spikes of magic, while others became completely drained. The Plains of Goth had both things happen almost simultaneously. A massive burst of magic, followed by the complete drain of mana caused many strange aberrations to be created. Several of the local herder tribes in the area were transformed and merged with their mounts. Many died from this cojoining of species, but enough survived to create the race of Kinnaras.
The Kinnaras are half-human, half-horse creatures. They have the body of a horse and the torso, head, and arms of a humanoid. Their home range is the Plains of Goth, a magic-dead land of gently rolling hills and wide-open grasslands. The Kinnaras travel the lands in extended family groups or herds. Each herd has a matriarch who acts as the leader and speaker of the group. Most Kinnaras are non-violent and rather shy, but when threatened the herd will gather to defend their lands and people. Vegetarians, the Kinnaras plant huge gardens within their territories with plant species many outsiders have never seen before.
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So, unfortunately I would prefer to keep to the standard races for this one, up to 20 RP. I have found that the custom race creation rules are kind of like custom magic item creation rules. A wonderful guideline, but easily broken.
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Ah, ok...not a problem. I will refrain from creating a new race, but would an existing race that you have mentioned (such as the automata that you mentioned at the beginning story) be acceptable?
I was thinking of one of these <androids> having been brought back to service by a smith who expended the magic from a powerful relic to power the automaton. Its memory was blanked by the jolt of mystic power, so has been taught its current class by its 'maker'. Or something along those lines??
I'm building an Aegis organization (actually, more like a psionic one)! So the character will be an aegis :) Probably Human as it makes more sense in my mind, but I haven't done anything crunch-wise yet.
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The city-state of Stélreyksbyr, the City of Smoke and Steel, is counted by many as one of the Great Nations, though it only achieved that status in the last two centuries. In this age of diminished magic, the dwarves have turned to technology, augmenting their military forces with clockwork weapons and constructs. The city’s technomagical might is owed to a relic of the lost Carthi Empire: a magical factory-forge buried deep inside the mountain now called the Vault of Ashes. Though the magic that powered the factory long ago unraveled, the three exscinder archons bound here by the Carthi in antiquity still dwell within. Four centuries ago refugee dwarven clans settled here, drawn to the easily defended harbor and the mountains that abutted it. While carving new homes and mines into the rock, they breached the Carthi factory and encountered the archons. Though unable to free themselves, the trio of archons have been able to parlay their vast knowledge of metallurgy and magictech into a pact with the dwarves—they cannot leave the mountain, but still exercise power in the world through their servants, an order of magic-hunters known as the Cinder Pact.
Part priestly caste, part special forces, the inquisitors of the Cinder Pact are the eyes and ears of the exscinders in the world, running down rumors of dangerous relics or individuals identified by the archons’ spy networks. They are aided in this by the Stélreyksbyr navy, a fleet of ironclad warships that engage in aggressive gunboat diplomacy with the city’s neighbors, extracting favorable trading deals or even outright tribute from the dwarves’ less technologically capable neighbors. Stélreyksbyr’s government is a republic, with clans electing representatives to the ruling House of Rings.
Rynwaen Tarthkirk: LN fm dwarf Gunslinger1/Inquisitor1 (Musket-Master; Spellbreaker; Sancitified Slayer)
Str14 Dex14 Con15 Int12 Wis14 Cha8; BAB +1, CMB +3, CMD15; ACP -4; Spd20
AC19 (+2 Dex, +1 shield, +6 armor); Touch12, Flat-Footed17; 19hp, F +4, R +6, W +4, Ini +4
Attacks: +5 musket (1d8) -or- +5 axe (1d8+3) -or- +3 warhammer (1d8+2)
Feats: Gunsmith*, Rapid Reload*; WF [Musket-Axe],
Spells: */2/-/-/-/-/-; CL1, Concentration +3
[1]: Divine Favor +1, Shield of Faith +2
Skills: Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Knowledge [Religion, Arcana, Planes] +6, Intimidate +7, Diplomacy +7
Abilities: Studied Target +1; Strong-Willed; Stern Gaze +1; Conversion Inquisition;
Languages: Dwarven, Common, Celestial
Traits: Reactionary, _____
Equipment: Mswk musket-axe, warhammer, mswk breastplate armor, mswk backpack, buckler
** spoiler omitted **...
Very cool concept, Wolf!
So, the automata are all nonfunctional at this point, unfortunately.
500 years ago to the day, the magic of the world fled. The flying cities fell from the sky, their connection to the greater magics failing, the great street lights faded, and the world was plunged into darkness. The food generators stopped functioning, the servitors froze where they stood, and the world quickly fell into chaos. The shocklances of the soldiers sent to keep order overseas were no longer functional, and they were quickly bludgeoned to death by rioters with stones.
A deathly silence falls through the halls as the steam is first vented with a sharp squeal. Though the magical guts of the servitors has been replaced with steam pistons and their shocklances are just wooden props heavily embossed with silver and gold, those who are not so jaded from the court all gasp as the emerald shells of the servitors snap to attention beside the glass double doors, a reminder of the pre-fall time.
I am fine with androids from the core rules (more advanced servitors, perhaps, more alive than the old automata, and thus able to survive with less magic?). I would prefer no races created using the RP rules.
You can think of the automata being more like golems in the traditional pathfinder world, and are specifically based off of emerald automaton from the emerald spire super dungeon, though I'm not planning on having them green, necessarily. You can imagine the scene in the throne room a lot like the old Chuck-e-cheese show, where you have obviously fake mannequins controlled by clever puppeteers or simple devices to give them the appearance of life.
The history of their people that the Nagaji tell the world is that they are a race of people created by the monstrous Naga to be their servants, soldiers, and slaves. When the Carthi Empire was in its heyday, the human empire kept the Naga cornered in the far edges of the world. The Naga used dark magics granted to them by their god Todeosar to create and oppress their thralls, hoping to create an army to carve out their own territory. When magic fled the world, the Naga felt the loss every bit as much as the rest of the world, and the Nagaji took the opportunity to heroically rebel and earn their freedom.
Today, most Nagaji recount this history with pride. However, some recount this history with bitterness, lamenting how far the Naga could have taken the Nagaji if only they were still ruled by them.
The hidden history that not even most Nagaji know – and many of those that do will deny – is that that Todeosar, the God of Serpents, cursed an ancient nation of men for betraying a pact that they had made with the powerful Naga. This betrayal forced the Naga to the dark, deep fringes of the world. Todeosar’s curse turned the Naga’s betrayers into snakelike men who would be seen as monsters by the men of neighboring nations. The ancient Nagaji lamented their fate and turned to costly arcane rituals to suppress the curse and appear as other men. When magic fled the world, these rituals were broken, and Todeosar’s curse returned in full force.
Those few Nagaji that know of their secret, true history are divided. Some have embraced their serpentine legacy and have accepted who they are. Others lament their snakelike beings and long to have their humanity restored.
Today, the Nagaji have spread throughout the world. For some, this is a result of their ancestors ostensibly fleeing the chaos brought about by the Nagaji rebellion. Others search for ways to recapture (or to destroy) the remnants of ancient magic. There is talk, however, of a nation deep within the Ashde jungle that is populated by Nagaji and Naga alike.
@GM could you connect a gameplay thread for ease of dotting? Makes it much easier to see ongoings.
Hi GM! Here's the lore I wrote for the psionics. I'm now working on my character, which will be an aegis as I mentioned before. Please let me know if it is to your liking, or if you'd like me to change anything on the contents below.
The Story of the Chrysalis
A little after the time the Carthi Empire fell and magic shrank through the world, the first people started to manifest psionic powers. Such individuals yielded the power of the mind, but in a way that more resembled the instinctive sorcerers than the studious wizards; the psionic energy was brute, raw, and found to be present almost everywhere, but in an untapped state.
Maybe due to related reasons, the shriveling of the arcane powers and the rise of the psionic coalesced, and for brief years some hoped a new time of glory would flourish. The hopes were crushed; the first few psionic individuals revealed to be unstable, untrained, and their art caused more harm than good; a schism formed, and any individual found to be psionic ended up rounded and sent to a small colony (some would say prison…) on the outskirts of Valirend called “The Chrysalis”.
The Chrysalis was a rocky set of arid lands, poor to be farmed and hunted, limited on the west by the extinct volcanic chain known as “the Lava Scar”. There were fences on its border to limit the access back to Valirend, but such fences weren’t guarded or really hard to be climbed or cut down. They weren’t properly maintained, and despite the forced exile, the humans banned to the Chrysalis knew better that if they were found back on the largest cities they’d likely be purged. This didn’t prevent many of those people from fleeing to the smaller villages, but they knew the risk.
The ravaged lands of the Chrysalis forged a strong and humble people, in its absolute majority human. They didn’t thrive, but survived, and slowly learned to better deal with their psionic abilities. Next generations came, many of which incapable of manifesting psionic powers, and sent by their parents for a better life in the cities. Similarly, any newborns with such powers were sent to the Chrysalis. The volcanic formations also revealed rich of crystals that could hold and boost psionic powers, and the people of the Chrysalis became renowned as stonemasons, jewelers, and crystal carvers.
After a couple centuries, the rupture slowly started to vanish. Old prejudices were still there, including laws that would prevent anyone with psionic abilities from bearing weapons or serving in the military, but other than that the people of the Chrysalis started to be absorbed in the big cities for their skilled handwork. Nowadays, while such people are still treated as “sub-citizens”, they aren’t forced to live in the Chrysalis anymore, most just visiting such lands for religious purposes or to better train their psionic abilities or learn crystal carving.
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Population all psionic, almost entirely Human. They’re known as “People of the Chrysalis”, although some call them chrysalids for short (almost as a synonym for psionics, a term that is barely ever used). The streets also use the derogatory name of “insects” for them, but slowly the society seems to be turning away from the prejudice and the use of such words.
Organization the chrysalids learn the psionic arts and crystal carving from a very early age. The strongest individuals usually also become stonemasons, while the not-as-strong usually prefer the fine arts of jewelry. The “Guild of Masons” is a larger organization present in Valirend, usually employed by the larger groups to architect and construct the buildings of the big cities. Despite the name, the guild also employs chrysalid crystal carvers and jewelers. There’s also a secret outlaw society of chrysalids called “The Mantis”, formed by extremist individuals, usually involved in assassinations and political plots. Their members use masks and barely speak loudly when meeting each other, and adopt a series of signs and gestures to identify themselves in a crowd.
Language The people of the Chrysalis speak common and their own dialect, chrysalid, which combines words, gestures, and psionic abilities. An individual has to be maintaining psionic focus to be able to speak the language, otherwise he would sound foreigner, inapt, almost as if “baby speaking”.
Religion While many chrysalids follow the religions from Valirend, others follow a monastic legacy known as “The Crystal Path”. Followers of the crystal path are psionic individuals who practice peaceful rituals of thanking the spirits of the lands for anything provided for their survival, from the air to water and food. They believe they live surrounded by such “small ghosts” – the “shikigami”, and most learn an exclusive martial arts style inspired by such spirits that rejects the use of traditional weapons, preferring to rely in whatever object or tool is available to defend oneself.
Classes Most chrysalids are psions, psychic warriors, tacticians, vitalists, and wilders, especially the ones not living in the Chrysalis anymore. Marksmen, aegis, and soulknives are not so common outside of the Chrysalis, but they can still be found; most of the “Mantis”, for instance, are soulknives. Cryptics and dreads are extremely rare, almost unheard of. It’s said some of the eldest psionic individuals in the past were able to reach even higher status and prestige classes, but none is known nowadays.
I'd have to learn more about e6 rules before I get in. Im interested for now
Thought about maybe some sort of Clerical class, located in vassal state of one the four major kingdoms. Make em; elves or something.
I'd have to learn more about e6 rules before I get in. Im interested for now
Hey, I don't know if it's my place to say or not, but the GM closed this recruitment yesterday. I didn't want you to go to a lot of effort on this if it would turn out to be fruitless.