Aveline: Steampunk Fantasy Pathfinder: Recruiting Closed

[eBadger]

The previous Interest Thread has shown promise and given some good feedback; so begins the Recruiting Thread!

Recruiting is Closed!

Aveline - Steampunk Fantasy Pathfinder

1. Please read the entire introduction before signing up.
2. This is NOT first come/first serve.  There is no claiming a spot, class, or concept.  Nor is there a point; I have no problem with a group that's 75% rogues or entirely half naked elven maidens with daddy issues or whatever else doubles up. 
3. Characters must be submitted by 10 pm PST Thursday, September 11th.  That gives a couple days for potential tweaking and confirmations before the planned start by September 14th. 
4. I expect at least two posts per week. 
5. Yes, of course I'm open to questions, comments and feedback!  Things are still in flux. 

History:  Long ago, the world was lush and rich and bounteous; the High Races flourished in vast cities and empires.  But in their hubris, they wanted more, always more: clockwork armies marched to expand the borders, but were inevitably left leaderless and mad; new weapons eradicated cities, but blackened and twisted what was left behind; great factories darkened the skies with ash until the sun was blotted out. A man known only as The Alchemist created the worst of the Weapons that ravaged the world, killing machines which used the souls of the slain to power themselves. Even as the empires crumbled, the Lords and Archmages fought over scraps like rabid dogs, until all was lost. 

The land was overrun with evil.  Dark races such as the drow – elves twisted by chemicals and magic – and worse things still not understood, things which move in the dark like death.   

As the ivory towers were brought low, those who survived the Wars found an unlikely savior: the Alchemist turned his necromantic machinations to the salvation of the High Races, designing massive engines to raise entire cities above the clouds of ash, chemicals and disease.  Floating cities such as Aveline have successfully preserved humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings for two centuries.  They served less well as redemption: once complete the people turned upon the Alchemist; he became the first soul of many to feed the new machines. 

The world: Aveline is a cramped, decaying Renaissance/industrial city floating above the world by necromantic power; below, an omnipresent layer of clouds has left the surface in perpetual dusk.  It is given over to mushroom forests, races twisted by magic and corruption and mad automatons bent on the slaughter of anything living.  The world has a strong steampunk fantasy element: it features clockworks creatures, airships, and the worst of mad science, but retains a basis in swords and sorcery.  Necromancy is also considered a necessary evil: the undead are less common than traffic in souls, which power nearly every form of machinery and many magical devices. 

The crew: The adventurers will form a mercenary crew escorting a band of miners and engineers to an automated shaft below the Ash.  The initial adventure will open during the brief journey to the work site and end with the return to Aveline.  There is definitely potential for a long term campaign as the crew continues to gather souls, explore ruins or any other purpose that brings coin and fame, but I’m planning on a couple very short and simple sessions to begin with. 

Smut-o-meter: the adventure will be in the Extreme forum, mostly to cover all possibilities.  I'm not planning to have this become an orgy interspersed with monster stabbings, but I expect some fun along the way.  I'm open to more feedback on this, though.  It is E, after all. 

Newbies:  I'm after good role players, not rules gurus; that said, I'm not going to coach anyone through a system, either.  Players should be familiar with the basics of Pathfinder or D&D 3.5, or willing to do a lot of their own reading (the stuff is happily all online and free). 

Rules:
We will be using the Pathfinder system.  The rules are online and free for use:  http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

Despite the flavor, I'm not currently planning any major rules modifications, although some things (like Knowledge: Engineering or Alchemy) may take on more uses based on the setting.  Most flavor-specific stuff will be based on existing frameworks to maintain balance (a combat automaton might use the stats for an Ogre, for instance, with a couple added perks or weaknesses). 

Early Firearms are Commonplace (and therefore are Martial weapons), but there are no Advanced Firearms. 

New Gear:
-Gas Mask (10g): Made of leather and brass, with a pair of round glass lenses, this non-magical item includes a charcoal filter that will reduce the threat of most airborne toxins.  (Damage Resistance 5 v. gas based attacks; -2 to attack rolls and most skill checks when worn)
-Alchemical Air (10g): This canister is designed to attach to most gas masks in place of a filter and includes two separated liquids; when combined, they release oxygen for about five minutes.  (Increases a gas mask's Resistance to Immunity when worn)
-Soul Battery (50g): The glowing green gas within this glass tube is able to contain energy gleaned from the souls of the dead to power various gear and equipment.  Size can vary dramatically for larger machinery, but most portable devices use batteries the size of a typical vial or test tube.  A full (single) charge typically costs around 100g. 
-Soul Catcher (300g): A silver rod inscribed with unpleasant runes and trailing wires, this acts as a magnet to rapidly draw in the energy of a death for collection in a Soul Battery; the soul itself is significantly weakened but not absorbed or destroyed. 

Making Characters:
1. Character Sheet
Beginning characters will be limited to Core races and Core and Base classes (although I may consider something else with a great concept that requires it).  Archetypes will be on a case by case basis.  No third party stuff, please. 

Characters are level 3; ability scores are point buy (20 points/High Fantasy); 2 traits; start at max hit points for all levels. 

Starting kit for characters includes a pack with spare adventuring clothes, toiletries, simple writing gear, two days of rations, bedroll, canteen, tinderbox and a gas mask (see Rules, above) as well as 3,000g for gear. 

2. Background and History
Why is your character here?  What is their normal occupation?  What limited experience do they have?

3. Personality
How do they interact with the world?  Keep in mind that the strong silent type is great for Bond flicks, but not so much for PBP's. 

4. Please include a short narrative (two or three paragraphs) of your character coming aboard the Melancholy Zephyr, a small airship carrying about a half dozen crew, a dozen engineers, and you mercenaries.  Include a brief physical description. 

5. A photo or image isn't strictly required, but is highly recommended. 

[eBadger]

The First Adventure: Hell's Ridge, Shaft 13:

Captain Marylebone has hired the crew as protection for a regular expedition to an automated mine several days journey from Aveline.  You'll protect the airship en route; secure the area and mine upon arrival; protect the expedition during a couple days of maintenance, repairs and loading of the ingots; then once again protect the ship during the return flight.  You are not necessarily hired together or from any organization, and may or may not know one another already. 

Character ideas: Making your character fit in: 

Any character could be along simply to earn some coin, either as regular work or just a unique opportunity or need.  It could be purely for a sense of adventure, or to be away from authorities on Aveline for a while.  Religious characters may be drawn by the hope to visit lost holy sites or recover forgotten relics; rangers and guides who frequently visit the surface to supply the floating city can become the center of penny dreadfuls or newspaper serials, earning fame and respect, while a good bard might see the opportunity for a romanticized adventure; magic users may need to collect the energy of souls to power their own magic devices or those of their mentors; a rogue's skills are both useful and legal on the surface. 

Submitted Characters: This is just a reference - no selections have been made!
TheGlyphstone, Nibbler Barbarian
Interdiction of Words, Aurifar (by PM) Sorcerer
KirbysFolly, Paige Allbright Bard
OyabunKyuubi, Rachel Roth Ranger
Chulanowa, Mharni Keddle Alchemist
Jaded, Savina Yvette Rogue

NPC's:

The crew of the Melancholy Zephyr consists of Captain Marylebone and five sailors, all permanently employed by the ship.  The engineers consist of Foreman Hargreave, Apprentice Branwaithe, and ten engineers from the Municipal Miner's and Metallurgists Union, based out of Aveline. 

Stella Marylebone, Captain of the Melancholy Zephyr

 

Captain Marylebone is lovely, polite, and as withdrawn as her ship's name might imply.  She took over command of the airship following her husband's death three years ago; she has been moderately successful since then and has a good reputation for a talent at the wheel, a knack for navigation, and a light hand with leadership.  She interviewed and hired each of you at good wages.  As seasoned veterans, she's made clear that she expects you to take the initiative for the expedition's protection rather than seeking her out for routine decisions. 

Victor Hargreave, Foreman of the Municipal Miner's and Metallurgist's Union

   

One of the many dwarves who dominate the MMMU, Victor seems brusque and short tempered, but also capable and experienced.  He has had little interaction so far with any of the new mercenaries and seems to prefer it that way. 

Everett Branwaithe, Apprentice Engineer

 

Unlike his foreman, there seems little capable of making the most junior engineer stay silent for any length of time.  He is outgoing, energetic and eager to help, although a certain cloud of mishaps seems to follow him.  This is his first expedition outside of Aveline.  His father is a foreman, his mother an alchemist, he has four brothers and two sisters and his favorite color is brown.  He likes your weapon, jacket, shoes, and hairstyle.  He can show you where to go, will help you carry anything, and he can fix that for you.  The other engineers have already warned you to never let him near the coffee. 

[Chulanowa]

Well, at first I was a little disappointed at the race / class limits; I've got a Kitsune / Sylph Investigator idea that would be yummy for this. but then I remembered i actually have a handful of other concepts I could use. So, there's that!

[TheGlyphstone]

As briefly mentioned in the interest thread, I'd like to play a Half-Orc Barbarian, but with the Urban Barbarian (city-oriented skills instead of nature-oriented skills, a weaker rage that isn't mindless), and Invulnerable Rager (more focused on soaking hits than dodging them, trades Uncanny Dodge for extra Damage Reduction). Both are on the PFSRD.

Can I get up/downs on these before progressing further in planning?



EDIT: And question. What is Resistance 5 to Gas? Gas is not an Elemental damage type...does that give a bonus on saves vs. gas-based spells/abilities?

[eBadger]

Damage Resistance 5 (ignore the first 5 points of damage per round) to gas based attacks, like having a mustard gas grenade thrown into the party or being exposed to polluted rain that turns to chlorine gas on impact.  The surface is a nasty place - Aveline didn't go airborne just because some clouds rolled in.  Also effects on stuff like stinking cloud, acid fog and the like that I'll deal with as/when they arise.  Basically, though, the point is that it helps but can be overwhelmed. 

Those archetypes look okay.

[OyabunKobold]

Will probably throw together a Ranger for this. Ill get a more In depth application in after I make the character sheet on myth weavers just woke up so I'm a bit sluggish.

A quick question though. For the 2 traits do we gain a 3rd if we take a flaw? Some gms rule that its just 2 traits but I thought Id be sure before I just assumed.

[Re Z L]

Putting together an Alchemist using the Grenadier archetype.  Here's what I've pieced together so far, obviously very rough around the edges for now:  http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=996643

[eBadger]

A quick question though. For the 2 traits do we gain a 3rd if we take a flaw?

Nope.  I wasn't aware there were flaws in pathfinder :P

Looks good so far, Re Z L!

[TheGlyphstone]

Is there a specific person 'in charge', or someone onboard identifiable as having hired us? My character-in-progress has a very dependent attitude towards authority figures, so writing up a narrative of arriving on the boat requires knowing who, if anyone, is 'in charge'.

[eBadger]

Yup, ships captain hired you.  I'll be working on npcs this weekend.

[TheGlyphstone]

My Intro Narrative will have to wait then. But here's everything else:

Sheet: http://plothook.net/RPG/profiler/view.php?id=13769

Background

Nibbler was, for all intents and purposes, raised on the streets. His parents were slum-dwellers, living in a filthy, overcrowded tenement downwind of a necroalchemy factory near the edge of the city. The toxic polluting fumes affected both his mother and the unborn child; he was born disfigured, and internal injuries from his overdeveloped tusks at birth caused his mother to bleed to death. Abandoned by his grieving father, another tenement family took him to nurse, but he was dumped to the streets as soon as he was weaned and walking.

There, he might have died - but instead found a strange affinity with the overbred rats that infested Aveline's allies and underbelly. Already half-feral, rats were first a food source, then companions. He learned to think like a rat; to fight like a rat. Before long, he was being recruited by Aveline's street gangs for his savage ferocity and bulk. Humanoids became his pack, instilling by gradual absorption the social skills and knowledge absent from his upbringing. But he never forgot the rats. He is muscle for hire, pure and simple - contacts and acquaintances abound through the warrens of Aveline's undercity, and many will recommend him as a capable, if unimaginative, enforcer.

Personality

Nibbler is, quite bluntly, a toady. Possessed of great strength and a distinct lack of self-esteem, he is uncomfortable acting for himself, and will by habit try to attach himself to the most dominant personality in a group. The Boss is King; he listens to the Boss, agrees with the Boss, and solves problems for the Boss. Groups in general are comforting; he's perfectly capable as a lone operator, but being around other people is soothing.

In combat, he fights with the controlled, savage cunning of his beast totem; less capable at absorbing punishment as a more primal warrior might be, but just as strong, and possessed of a narrow-minded deviousness.

Intro

Nibbler shuffled aboard the airship, looking around for the captain. She wasn't visible anywhere he could see, though - uncertain, he wandered off to stand in a place that looked out of the way from the various people loading supplies and equipment. Bored, he scratched at his massive protruding tusks with stubby fingernails and squirmed until his chain shirt stopped chafing against hard-to-reach places. It was new, as was the massive longbow on his back, and didn't sit quite right yet for all of its quality.

The lack of the Boss didn't worry him unduly, nor did the fact that she had supplanted Big Fingers O'Leary as 'The Boss' in his mind. O'Leary had plenty of other enforcers, and Nibbler wandering off to do some work on the side wasn't a concern as long as it wasn't in the employ of a rival crime lord. At least Nibbler had a set of clear directives, which was all he needed to do his job; protect the ship, protect the crew, kill anything that disagreed. His kind of work, and Rat chittered with glee in his heart at the scavenging potential he would find down there in the wastes.

[Florence]

hmmm... would a Martial Artist Archetype for a Monk be acceptable?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/martial-artist

[KirbysFolly]

Hmm. Too tired to throw together a complete character here, but I'm definitely interested. I'm not familiar with Pathfinder, but I did play D&D 3/3.5 for a few years, and I'm capable of reading.

I was thinking about an artist. Somebody who mainly focused on dreary, emotional scenes featuring the lower class. She feels she's done all she wants to on that theme, and decided that going to the surface, and capturing what she sees there, would be the best next step.

Class-wise, I was thinking bard, as it's more support-focused, but I'm not sure how I feel about the bardic performance ability. It's always felt pretty goofy to me, and I didn't really see her as a singer/dancer/musician.

How does the Archaeologist archetype look? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard/archetypes/paizo---bard-archetypes/archaeologist

On the downside, it does lose pretty much all the team support. Hmm. I just wish there was a less goofy bardic performance-type option.

I'll think on it some, but if anybody has any good ideas, totally feel free to drop them on me.

[eBadger]

My Intro Narrative will have to wait then.

I've posted a bit more detail on the next adventure and a couple key NPC's (see post #2).  Great looking character, btw. 

In response to a PM, I've also clarified firearms: as Commonplace, they are martial weapons, not exotic. 

Martial Artist and Archeologist both look fine. 

Class-wise, I was thinking bard, as it's more support-focused, but I'm not sure how I feel about the bardic performance ability. It's always felt pretty goofy to me, and I didn't really see her as a singer/dancer/musician.

I like to imagine this as a highlander piping his troops into battle with the hair raising screech of bagpipes, but it usually ends up looking more like breakdance fighting.  I'm fine interpreting it as a more inspirational/advisory sort of monologue, as long as you actually RP it a bit: "Watch your footing, Jake, there's loose tools!  Drow approaching on your right, Alice!  These automatons have weak joints, go for the legs!  Great move, keep pressing the attack, you can catch your breath later!"  - not necessarily leadership, but an application of charisma, knowledge, coordination and inspiration that explains the buff. 

[Kimmy]

Eee! This is a thing now! *noms on house rule cupcake quietly* If I eat the cupcake about the core races... Can I play a magicless pixie? Because I kinda already thought up this idea about a Treeant trapped in the forest when the world goes to hell - and having no way to escape, the treeant uses it magic to protect the last pixie of the forest, sealing her inside an amber cocoon. Only the forest never heals, so the pixie is trapped until some wizards start harvesting the petrified treeant's wood as a magical reagent. And thus, they unleash one poor pixie. Only her magic is so weak she can barely fly now... And has to turn to the power of steampunk to regain her former glory. And she might have a bone to pick with all the evil things that ruined the surface. Thus you get a alchemist or gunslinger Pixie engineer... And she might be plotting to build some sort of giant armor automaton (it would be giant from a pixie's perspective so medium or even large sized!) so that one day Pixie Power can be unleashed upon the world as a ... not all that giant PixieZilla monster...

I know... the answer is no... But I already thought it up and wanted to share what your missing out on! And also... My brains just scrambled for ideas for other characters at the moment... Life's kinda heavy & you have a timelimit & I don't know if I'll come up with anything before then... *pouts* If theres any roles you'd like to see filled - or maybe some ideas to inspire you have to share, I'd love to hear them... This next week is kinda heavy for me...

[Interdiction of words]

Sent you my character sheet, I hope you enjoy

[TheGlyphstone]

Class-wise, I was thinking bard, as it's more support-focused, but I'm not sure how I feel about the bardic performance ability. It's always felt pretty goofy to me, and I didn't really see her as a singer/dancer/musician.

When people express interest in Bards but don't want to be a goofy battlefield singer, my suggestion is always Dwarf. Strap a set of war drums around your waist, carry a pair of maces that can double as drumsticks, and march into battle beating a heavy-metal refrain off the skulls of your enemies.

[Re Z L]

Best Bards of all time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXVtWR_fZlI

[TheGlyphstone]

Best Bards of all time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXVtWR_fZlI

Unfortunately, there is no Perform (Galactic-Scale Transforming Mecha) skill.

[Interdiction of words]

Bards, an interesting subject but not the best caster. In the end it is all depended on what you like in a caster but it is all good for a controller

[eBadger]

Eee! This is a thing now! *noms on house rule cupcake quietly* If I eat the cupcake about the core races... Can I play a magicless pixie? Because I kinda already thought up this idea about a Treeant trapped in the forest when the world goes to hell - and having no way to escape, the treeant uses it magic to protect the last pixie of the forest, sealing her inside an amber cocoon. Only the forest never heals, so the pixie is trapped until some wizards start harvesting the petrified treeant's wood as a magical reagent. And thus, they unleash one poor pixie. Only her magic is so weak she can barely fly now... And has to turn to the power of steampunk to regain her former glory. And she might have a bone to pick with all the evil things that ruined the surface. Thus you get a alchemist or gunslinger Pixie engineer... And she might be plotting to build some sort of giant armor automaton (it would be giant from a pixie's perspective so medium or even large sized!) so that one day Pixie Power can be unleashed upon the world as a ... not all that giant PixieZilla monster...

I know... the answer is no... But I already thought it up and wanted to share what your missing out on! And also... My brains just scrambled for ideas for other characters at the moment... Life's kinda heavy & you have a timelimit & I don't know if I'll come up with anything before then... *pouts* If theres any roles you'd like to see filled - or maybe some ideas to inspire you have to share, I'd love to hear them... This next week is kinda heavy for me...

...you have intrigued me.  As I mentioned before,

"...with GM approval, and requiring a very good basis in your back story that makes it necessary"

Point me to what you want to use for a Pixie racial template. 

As for roles, you can peek at the 2nd post "Character Ideas" but with only two submissions so far things are very open. 

Bards, an interesting subject but not the best caster. In the end it is all depended on what you like in a caster but it is all good for a controller

Role playing is quirky; trying to be the Best usually ends up less fun for everyone.   

[KirbysFolly]

Well, I still need to add equipment, but this is what I've come up with so far. http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=27049

Man, it has been an age since I've done anything with a d20 system.

I'll probably finish the sheet and then actually type up the backstory tomorrow, since I've finally got a day off.

[Kimmy]

For pixies I don't have a direct template. But you can use the Strix and modify them to suit. Their a winged race so make a great starting point. Make them smaller, reduce their str and up their dex. Trade their racial abilities for pixie like ones - weapon finesse or improved initiative if you like the idea of fast quick witted pixies, trade any skill bonuses for natures ones, maybe give them a little Damage reduction and slow their land speed to 20' or less.
If you want something using the advanced race guide, I put two builds below.

Using race points to build a Pixie

Fey type, 2 rp, gain Low light vision
Tiny Size, 4rp, become Tiny (1ft to 2ft tall), -2 Str & +2 Dex. Gain +2 size bonus to AC and +2 to hit. +8 to stealth and -2 to combat manevours. You have 0 reach, so must move into an opponents square to attack them in melee combat, suffering an attack of opportunity.
Advanced Ability Scores, 4rp, -2 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Wis & +2 Cha.
Slow, -1rp, base land speed of 20'.
Flight, 8rp, 50' (good manevourability)
Damage Reduction, 3rp, 5/Cold Iron
Total cost: 20  Race points, which translates to 1 level adjustment.
Btw, You can add greater invisibility at will and a bonus feat or another spell like ability for another level/10rps. If you ever wanted to play a proper magical pixie.

Now for your campaign, you probably want a pixie that's about as powerful as a regular elf, so here's something even lighter:
Fey type, 2 rp, gain Low light vision
Tiny Size, 4rp, become Tiny (1ft to 2ft tall), -2 Str & +2 Dex. Gain +2 size bonus to AC and +2 to hit. +8 to stealth and -2 to combat manevours. You have 0 reach, so must move into an opponents square to attack them in melee combat, suffering an attack of opportunity.
Weakness Ability Score, -1 rp, -4 Str, +2 Dex & +2 Cha.
Slow, -1rp, base land speed of 20'.
Flight, 4rp, 30' (Clumsy manevourability)
Damage Reduction, 3rp, 5/Cold Iron or a bonus feat, 2rp, Weapon finesse or improved Initiative.
Total cost: 11 or 10 Race points, which translates to a core race level of power and no level adjustment.

On the numbers and things, I don't mind what they are, high or low. I just like the idea of a tiny/diminutive pixie with wings, a complete lack of melee combat ability but a dangerous love of guns. For feats and things ranged feats with improved initiative- because pixies should be fast to react. I'd pick a high Dex for shooting and high charisma so a can get away with things, low wisdom and strength. I would like a decent intelligence  too - so she can craft herself tools, guns or spotter things. If she has spare skills, perception, stealth and survival would seem appropriate. And maybe a knowledge skill learnt from the city. Or perhaps something more geared towards alchemy and throwing concoctions at bad folk.

Anyway, hopefully you find a way to have fun with my special unicorn request. If not... @sad pixie eyes@

[eBadger]

Sure, that seems workable; put together a character with the second (no level adjustment) version

[KirbysFolly]

Okay, here's the sheet. http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=27049

Background and History

Paige was born to a simple human engineer, who had a brief fling with an elven woman. After her birth, her mother disappeared, and she was left with her father. He married a baker's apprentice a couple of years later, but he and his wife have not had any other children. Paige's parents love her dearly, even if they don't always understand why she does what she does.

She always displayed an interest in art, but that was a pursuit saved for the rich. When she was old enough, she began working as a waitress at a local bar, The Two Steps. Her parents were concerned initially, but she seemed to do well enough. She did have to deal with the occasional groper and the like, but the bar patrons shared a deep sense of community, and protected their own. Anybody who tried to go to far was quickly shown the door, and their own teeth while they were at it.

She sometimes sang at the bar on her nights off, since it was good for a quick coin, and she was rather good at it, but just as often, she'd be caught  sitting at the table near the stairs, sketching on some paper she'd wasted her coin on. It was here that she met somebody who would change her course in life. While sketching the bar's reaction to a group of middle-classers slumming it, one of the men got up when he noticed her drawing. The other patrons grew increasingly on-edge as this man who didn't belong approached a young woman, but when he reached her he merely asked to see her picture.

He was quite impressed with it, and told her that he was a block carver, and would love to see her sketch turned into a woodcut. He promised to come back the next week to discuss it further, and then his group left, before any violence could break out. Sure enough, the man, Lucas Spree, came back. With his help, advice, and influence, her artistic skills grew, and she became more and more successful. That first sketch, Interlopers at the Two Steps, became a minor success.

Paige focused on scenes showing the lower class and their conditions. Her style, generally realistic, makes an exception in exaggerating to display emotion. Her art is usually dark and dreary, much like the lives of her subjects. She usually paints, but sometimes still makes more simplistic pieces for production. Two years ago, a piece of hers was on the front page of one of the major newspapers. Along with the newspaper piece, and the recent appearance of art imitating her style, she decided to move on to another subject. She wants to show the destruction of the surface, and wants to witness it first-hand, to give the best impression.

She has spent the last two years studying with a mercenary who has been to the surface many times. The grizzled old veteran may think her reasons are ridiculous, but the artist was a quick study, and she seems earnest enough.

Personality

Despite the grim subject matter of her art, Paige is a fairly cheerful person. She appreciates a good joke, and is seldom blue. She lacked any ambition when she was younger, but now she wants to show people things they otherwise never would see, whether it's the grinding poverty and despair, coupled with an intense sense of community, of the lower classes, or now, the ruins of the surface. She works hard and is patient, but doesn't often stop to examine other's motives, and sometimes sets down courses of action without fully thinking them through.

Boarding the Melancholy Zephyr

A rattling, clattering noise preceded the arrival of the half-elven woman carrying a loaded bag. Her wheat-colored hair hung in breads around her pretty face, and her lips were parted in a smile. Her pale blue eyes darted back and forth along the ramp. She wore nice, but sturdy, clothing, a dark brown top with a hood and small mantle, knee-length skirt in gray, and black leggings beneath that. Behind her, a young boy pushed a small wheelbarrow, loaded with some canvas and a collapsible easel. She preceded the boy over the loading ramp, checking the slope and bumps with her feet as she went. "Careful," she called back. "There's a drop here." Once the boy stopped, she unloaded the wheelbarrow and handed him a coin with a smile and her thanks.

Pushing her braids back behind her shoulder, she headed toward the captain with an excited smile on her face. When she reached her, she extended a charcoal-stained hand to shake. "Paige Allbright. I must say, I'm very excited to be aboard." Her accent would fit in great in just about any working-class area, despite her soft hands and nice gear. "I've been waiting for this for a very long time." She returned for her gear, and headed below-deck to stow it with at her bunk, nodding to the engineers, saying hello in Dwarven to one of them, and introducing herself to a grizzled orc who seemed to be another one of the mercenaries aboard.

After introducing herself, and stowing her gear, she seated herself near to where she'd boarded, a small book and a piece of wrapped charcoal in her hand, already sketching the view of the city from one of the airships that traveled to the surface. Even from here, still attached to the city, she could see all sorts of mistakes other artists had made. This journey was absolutely going to be worth it.

Picture