[Pathfinder] The Half-Dead City (Interest / Recruitment)

[Chulanowa]

Adventure background:
   Seven years ago, Pharaoh Khemet III, the Ruby Prince, formally opened Osirion’s ancient tombs and burial sites to foreign explorers. Khemet III understood that adventurers who’ve traveled great distances in search of treasure typically do not return from whence they came to sell their discoveries. Instead, they typically sell or trade what they do not keep as quickly as possible at the closest civilized community with an economy strong enough to absorb an influx of valuable antiquities. The Ruby Prince’s policy has attracted not only explorers to the desert nation of Osirion, but also countless scholars, private collectors, special interest groups such as the Pathfinder Society, and financial interests from all across the Inner Sea. A minor industry has sprung up just to support visiting explorers, and an even larger infrastructure has come into being to serve foreign investors and traders. Every opening of a major site has heralded an economic boom for the local area and for Osirion as a whole.
   Unlike many of Osirion's tombs and graveyards, however, the necropolis of Wati has remained largely untouched, in no small part because of local taboos and the protection of the Grand Mausoleum's priests. But Khemet III has now ordered the local authorities and church of Pharasma to open Wati's necropolis to exploration for the purpose of discovery, study, and economic stimulus.
   Now you join other bands of fortune-seekers, mystery-hunters, researchers, and preservationists, awaiting the Church of Pharasma's lottery to enter the Half-Dead City.

System: D20 (Pathfinder)
Available resources: Paizo-published sources only, except the Technology Guide. No 3PP stuff, sorry.
Setting: Golarion, specifically southern Osirion
Adventure Path: Mummy's Mask (Get the Player's Guide PDF here for free)
Genre: High Fantasy adventure, with Egyptian themes
Game Rating: I'm not planning to run this as a sexually-themed game. However I'm going to have it in the NC-Exotic group, to cover nonhuman things, combat violence, and, well, whatever players want to do with each other I suppose.
Number of Players: The AP is set up for four players. I may include a fifth character if I find myself being really indecisive.
Posting Rate: I would prefer at least one post every three or four days. I'll poke you after a week. Please try to have some meat on your post. Doesn't need to be novellas, but one-line wonders are worse.
Caveat: I've not DM'd Pathfinder before, but I am a seasoned GM for a few other games. I can't promise perfection, but failing all else, I'll strive to keep it entertaining.

Character creation

   Background: Your character can be from anywhere in Golarion, though the AP assumes they are from the Inner Sea region. If you can explain what your character is doing in a desert city in south Osirion, it'll be good enough for me. Further, it's assumed that the characters in the story are already "grouped up" and at least somewhat familiar with each other, so there will be some group background-building when this all kicks off.

   Personality: A character needs to be able to work as part of a group, and outgoing / initiative-taking enough that we can avoid spans of "dead air" in the game. beyond that, all I ask is to avoid "chaotic stupid" (or "lawful jackass" for that matter)

   Gender and Orientation: All varieties of orientations and genders are fine with me. I'm not worried about quotas in the group whatsoever.

   Appearances: Your character can be from anywhere in Golarion, and so can look like whatever you want them to. I would appreciate character images, but they are not mandatory. If you use a character image, please don't use anime / manga style artwork for the character.

   Composition: I'm not worried about getting a "balanced party." All I'm worried about is how interesting and well-done the character is.

   Starting level: This is an adventure path, so all characters start at level 1
   Abilities: 20-point buy
   Starting wealth: Average for your class.
   Hit Points: max at 1st level, average or rolled (your choice) each level after.
   Alignment: I prefer all characters to be Neutral or Good on the Good-Evil Scale. You're the heroes, after all!
   Races: The Core seven races, all Featured and Uncommon races from the ARG, as well as Gnolls, Lizardfolk, and skinwalkers.
   Classes: All Paizo-published classes except for Antipaladin are fair game.
   Archetypes: No synthesist summoners, Evil-required archetypes, or stuff from the Technology Guide please.
   Traits: Characters begin with two traits, plus one of the Mummy's Mask campaign traits. I'm not using Drawbacks or the additional Traits feat.
   Religion: I will allow neutral followers of evil gods. Unless you pick up the Devotee of the Old Gods campaign trait, Ancient Osirian deities are off-limits, however.

I'm happy to answer any questions regarding setting, themes, and any character advice people might need!

[Muse]

*poucne!* 

  May I play?  Please!?!

  I can offer whatever will fill party niche's best.  I like to think I do a good cleric, when not everyone really likes to p lay them. 

[Teo Torriatte]

I would love to play as well... I like to play sorceresses, but if there are a lot of people who want to vie for an arcane caster type, I could easily do something more martial such as a barbarian or ranger.

[Bibliophilia]

I'm doing an catfolk Agathion-blooded Aasimar cleric!

[Muse]

In that case how about I provide the muscle?  Maybe a swashbuckler? 

[eBadger]

Interested - some flavor of rogue, I think, eager to plunder riches (and maybe preserve them?)

[Chulanowa]

*poucne!* 

  May I play?  Please!?!

  I can offer whatever will fill party niche's best.  I like to think I do a good cleric, when not everyone really likes to p lay them. 

I would love to play as well... I like to play sorceresses, but if there are a lot of people who want to vie for an arcane caster type, I could easily do something more martial such as a barbarian or ranger.

In that case how about I provide the muscle?  Maybe a swashbuckler? 

As I said in the opener, if it's paizo-published (and not Antipaladin, Synthesist, or Tech guide), I'm good with it. I'm not worried about party balance. Most classes out there are flexible enough that even if we have five clerics, everyone can be doing their own thing (of course, i would have to swap out some undead for... anything else, 'cause five clerics a'channeling could really put the hurt on...  ;D )

I'm doing a catfolk cleric!

well, that was quick!

Interested - some flavor of rogue, I think, eager to plunder riches (and maybe preserve them?)

Go for it! Do note that one of the Campaign Traits gives you the rogue's Trapfinding feature, including the ability to disarm magical traps. so if that's what you're aiming for, anyone can do it.

[Re Z L]

Well I'm going to make an Alchemist!  ;D

[Mysterica]

I am quite interested as well either as a Sorceress or a Fighter.

[Chulanowa]

Well, looks like there's at least enough interest here to pull a party together. So I'm going to give it a week for anyone who wants to come up with a character and drop it on the thread. Next Sunday I'll go through and pluck out characters for the gme.

[ChaoticSky]

Also interested~!

[Thorne]

Could be entertaining. Mebbe this is where I go experimenting with fighter archetypes again. *grin*
(Fighters are fun. No. Seriously).

Gimme some time to dig through the bulging folder of personalities, see who pops up.

[Ebb]

This looks like an interesting setup. I'd like to offer up a character for consideration:


Tgamo Mubatsi, Human (Mwangi) Level 1 Barbarian

Appearance:
Tgamo is a short (5'3"), dark-skinned human whose wiry frame hides surprising strength. His hair is black, tightly curled and normally close-cropped, and he has no facial hair. Tgamo has a wide infectious smile and a deep contagious belly laugh. If given time to prepare for battle, Tgamo may wear the face and body paints of his people, giving him a skull-like visage. His neck is covered in scar tissue.

He wears armor crafted from the hide of a lion, sandals, and a brightly patterned cloth skirt.

Background:
Tgamo Mubatsi is the son of Nkaro Mubatsi, chieftan of the Mubatsi tribe. The Mubatsi are a small nomadic tribe of Mwangi whose lands lie within the savannas of the Mwangi Expanse, southeast of the Mwangi Jungle. From an early age Tgamo was trained to be a warrior, and to eventually lead his tribe. At the age of fourteen Tgamo went on his first solo lion hunt, a rite of passage for the transition to manhood. After three days of stalking his quarry he found an opportunity to ambush the beast, a young male lion.

The blow was well struck, and Tgamo made his kill. However the lion in its death throes ripped open Tgamo's throat, mortally wounding him. Tgamo managed to drag the beast's body back to his tribe's campsite before succumbing to the wound and dying.

None are entirely sure what force restored Tgamo to life that night. When the moon reached its peak overhead, his shrouded body coughed and awoke, to walk again. His tribe saw this as a sign of evil possession, and with great sadness his father Nkaro cast him out. Bearing the skin of the lion he slew over his shoulder, Tgamo departed.

During his time between worlds Tgamo received a vision of great stone temples, far larger than any structure he had ever seen. After years of wandering a passing merchant described to him the temples and tombs of Osirion. After another year of voyaging Tgamo finally arrived at the city of Wati to seek the answer to his death and resurrection.

Personality:
Despite his upbringing, Tgamo remains irrepressibly optimistic. He has an almost childlike belief that things will tend to work out for the best. And even if you die, that just means that your spirit can aid your descendants. He hopes one day to return to his tribe, either alive or as a spirit, and reconcile with his people. His savage background often causes Tgamo to misunderstand the details of polite civilized society, especially when it comes to wordplay or jokes. He has little desire for material wealth, to the point of carelessly discarding valuable coins or other objects if his companions don't stop him.

Secretly Tgamo believes that his death experience was a message from his ancestors that leadership of the tribe was not to be his destiny. His true destiny lies somewhere within the halls of stone he glimpsed, and he is excited to find out what it is.

Sexuality:
Tgamo is heterosexual, but inexperienced.

Character Sheet:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1118774

Role in Group:
Tgamo is a follower, not a leader, despite his position in the tribe of his birth. He is happy to have found a new, albeit smaller, tribe more familiar with the ways of this strange world he finds himself in.
In combat Tgamo hits things hard and makes them fall down. His rage is a quiet and scary thing to observe; he loses his trademark grin and remains almost unnaturally silent as he slays his enemies. During the following period of fatigue his normal cheerful self can be seen to slowly re-emerge. Tgamo typically fights with a shortspear in his right hand, which he can throw if necessary, and the traditional kukri of his people in his left.

[Re Z L]

Sheet's mostly done!

Just to give people an idea of what I'm working on  ;D

[kckolbe]

Just saw this today.  Definitely interested.

[Chulanowa]

Just saw this today.  Definitely interested.

[Bibliophilia]

Nesha
Aasimar (Agathion-Blooded), Level 1 Cleric

Appearance:

Nesha has often been mistaken for catfolk, though not by those who have actually seen a catfolk in person.  Her facial features are more humanoid than feline, though there is a distinctively bestial shape to her nose and mouth.  Her orange-yellow eyes have the elongated pupil of a cat, and reveal animal eye-shine at oblique angles.  Her dark skin is covered by a layer of soft, black fur everywhere other than the velvety pads of her palms, soles of her feet and other, unmentionable, regions.  A slinky black tail extends from the base of her spine and sways hypnotically with her movements, almost seeming to have a mind of its own.  Her ears sit atop her head and have the familiar rounded point of cat ears, twitching sometimes or even laying flat depending upon her reaction or mood.  Her thick, silky black hair falls down her sleek form to her waist, rarely bound in any manner, despite the heat of the unforgiving sun.  She speaks with the easy dialect of the region, clearly having been raised among the Osirions.

Background:

Nesha never knew her parents.  The priestesses and priests who raised her had patiently related the story of her birth many times over the years, each time the precocious child begged it of them, just once more.  Two days after her birth, a couple of clearly meager means had appeared at the doors to Sarenrae's temple with a bundle in their arms and fear in their eyes.  They revealed the unusual baby to the priest who was in attendance and begged him to tell them what sort of curse had befallen them to make their first child so...bestial.  Upon seeing the infant, the priest understood immediately that the child was a gift from the divine, and he told the couple that their child would do great things in this world.  They were not cursed, but, rather, blessed to have given life to a child such as this.  The couple were amazed at this news, and after some time spent thinking and conferring with the priest, they gave their baby over to him so that she might be raised by the priests and priestesses of Sarenrae.  They could ill-afford another mouth to feed, and worried that they were simply not prepared to raise a child sent by the gods.

Nesha never tired of hearing this story, and dreaming of the brave people who had given up their baby in order to ensure she fulfilled her destiny and had a good life.  Her dreams didn't spring from any sense of loneliness or a lack in her life, since she had plenty of friends in the temple and more family than one could hope for, but she did take comfort from the only true connection to those who had given her life.  For the most part, her days were filled with too many activities and adventures to allow her the chance to contemplate the way she'd come into the world.  There was studying to do, though the priests and priestesses sometimes lamented the child's restless nature, which made it difficult for her to focus on the holy texts they tried to teach her.  There were many, many places to explore and imaginary beings to converse with, or battle.  She spent countless hours roaming the ancient areas around the temple, and listening to the local stories about the ruins where she spent her time.  While she found her religious teachings valuable, and did try very hard to focus on them, her mind was too often on the more exciting lessons that the crumbling, shadowy place could teach her.

As she grew older, she became a priestess of Sarenrae, and began to learn the finer points of combating evil and healing the sick and wounded.  These lessons served her even better than her lessons in religion, and she could focus her attention upon learning to fight, and to offer succor to others, because she imagined herself living the games she'd played among the ruins.  Here was a way in which she could form a new sort of family, and battle those monsters she'd imagined lurking amid the toppled walls and dusty corners of the ancient buildings she explored.  A life outside of the temple walls, where danger dwelled and new, fantastic experiences awaited.  When she heard of the opening of Wati to adventurers and fortune hunters, she could not resist the call.  Taking the small amount of money she had saved over the years, she bought herself those things she felt she would need and traveled the short distance from the temple to the city.

Personality:  Nesha is a soft-spoken, somewhat shy girl, having spent much of her time in Sarenrae's temple and little time among those who were not priests and priestesses of her goddess.  She may be shy, but her curiosity often overcomes her tentativeness and she can become a veritable font of questions, eager to learn about others and hear stories of their lives.  Her life spent cloistered, to some degree, has left her, perhaps, too trusting and open with herself, lacking the cynicism and guarded nature of those half her age.  She has an abundant generosity of spirit, willing to endlessly give of herself to aid others, whether it be forfeiting her last gold piece to a beggar, sacrificing her own emotional well-being to comfort one in despair, or enduring pain to prevent another from suffering it.  Very rarely does she find herself in distress, her own nature leaning heavily toward joy and zest for life, which prevents her from suffering too often under the weight of hopelessness or sorrow. 

Sexuality:  Nesha is a virgin, having spent the majority of her life among the priests and priestesses of Sarenrae.  Still, she is likely to be omnisexual, concerned more with a person's spirit and nature, than the superficialities of physical gender or race.

[eBadger]

   

Soma Blacktorque, Last Errant of the Great Machine
Skald 1



Appearance:  Soma is young, but her serious and dour mien lends her gravitas.  Her eyes in particular are haunting, usually the black of charcoal but flaring into a brilliant fire orange when her passions are aroused; not an uncommon occurrence, for both rage and desolation are quick to surface.  A gnome, she is barely over 3' tall, thin and wiry but with strength and stamina that reveal her fey heritage. 

In normal dress, Soma tends toward the utilitarian - although she can rarely refuse the small touches of design and material that mark fine craftsmanship.  She denies vehemently, however, that such arise from any sense of vanity. 


Background:  Soma's great-great-grand dame, the matriarch of the clan Onilla Blacktorque was a master of the mechanical in a way perhaps unseen for a half millenium before or since.  Her works were not merely gears, but machines that spanned planes and functioned beyond understanding.  In the final months of her life, as her mind began to break apart from her knowledge, enhanced by injections of celestial elixir, she imagined a machine capable of creating the very stuff of divinity.  While she crumbled and broke, Onilla committed the Schematic of the Great Machine to print for her clan to build after her passing. 

The Blacktorque clan descended beneath the surface and began to build.  Each master, as they gained understanding of the Machine, felt their mind begin to fracture and eventually slipped into madness.  They could speak only of beauty, light, and the inevitable perfection of the Machine's function.  Under the guidance of the mad, the Blacktorque labored for five centuries, until at last the Machine was approaching completion. 

Soma spent her childhood at work, but upon reaching adulthood she joined the Errants; members who would travel abroad to locate parts, information, or specialists not available within the clan.  Soma was collecting materials when disaster struck.  Returning to the Machine, she found her clan slaughtered - not merely killed but torn asunder by some unnatural force.  No other errants returned.  At last, lacking any other hope of completing the Machine, Soma opened the Schematic and began to read.  The next component, she learned, was to be found among the desert ruins. 


Personality:  Under the blows of tragedy and slow work of the Schematic, Soma has already begun to feel her sanity thinning.  Her rage grows like a force of magic, erupting in the midst of combat as a soul piercing litany of celestial recounting her clan and the Schematic.  Soma realizes the change, as well as the inevitability of madness and destruction, but refuses to abandon her legacy.  Each night she reads another page of the Schematic. 

Those around her, unknowing of her troubles, find Soma melancholy or volatile; she is eloquent and driven but indecipherable.  When able to control her emotion, Soma is quiet, reserved, polite and formal.  For her part, Soma holds the lives of those who aid her above all else, save only the Machine itself.  They are, after all, her new clan and though they don't know it, they carry on the prophetic word of Onilla toward Divinity. 


Sexuality:  Unknown.  If asked, she notes the superiority of a finely crafted tool to meet one's own needs.  Probably a virgin, technically. 


Sheet:  Link

[Muse]

*Sweat drop* 

Chulanowa, how are you going to choose your players? 

[OyabunKobold]

Im interested just unsure of what I would add to the game :P

Maybe a Summoner or Figuring out something for a front line

[ChaoticSky]

Im going to be doing a Oracle or Shaman, depending on specifics and a query i sent to Chul.

[Thorne]

Hm. I haven't got a picture (yet) because for some odd reason, finding a tall, muscular woman with the right combination of physical traits is more difficult than I had thought (I'll get to that). ... working on a better one. ;p
However. I have a character, with the requisite number of Large, Rusty Plothooks.

Khyrat

Tiefling (Oni spawn) Fighter (tactician) 1

Female oni-spawn tiefling fighter (tactician) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide 168, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 47)
CN Medium outsider (native)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 shield)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee
bardiche +4 (1d10+4/19-20) or
longsword +4 (1d8+3/19-20)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +4 (+5 overrun); CMD 16 (17 vs. trip)
Feats Intimidating Prowess
Traits armor expert, big boned, foreign opportunist
Skills Acrobatics -2 (-6 to jump), Appraise +4, Craft (armor) +6, Disguise +1, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (history) +3, Linguistics +6, Perception +2, Survival +5
Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Halfling, Osiriani
Other Gear mwk scale mail, light wooden quickdraw shield, bardiche, longsword, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hip flask, mess kit, mirror, pot, silk rope (50 ft.), soap, string or twine, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, whetstone, 5 gp, 2 sp, 3 cp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Armor Expert -1 Armor check penalty.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Energy Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks.
--------------------

RP Traits:
Primary Motivator: Recognition
Emotional Disposition: Calm
Moodiness: Labile
---------------------
Core Traits:
Outlook: Pessimistic
Integrity: Unscrupulous
Impulsiveness: Controlled
Boldness: Intrepid
Flexibility: Stubborn
Affinity: Cold
Comportment: Agreeable
Interactivity: Reserved
Disclosure: Secretive
Conformity: Conventional
-----------------------------
Sense of Humour: Crude/Dry
-------------------------------
Sexuality:
Orientation: Hetero, bi-curious
Libido: Healthy
Expression: Flirtatious
Expressive Style: Crude
Openness: Adventurous
Promiscuousness: High
------------------------
Religion/Spirituality:
Adherance: Casual
Tolerance: Inclusive
Expression: Occasional
Conversion: Casual
Attitude: Fearful

Most people would not necessarily consider Khyrat attractive; unless 'woman that can fold you in half' counts, and she's run into one or two people who found her so. Tall, muscular, with a mane of thick, curly black hair and intelligent amber eyes, Khyrat's strong features are even, and her skin largely smooth - other than the places where scars lighten bronze skin to tan. As most tieflings do, she has horns jutting out of her hair, shining black and curved upwards. Some of her size and muscle may also be attributed to whatever dark heritage is hers, but, like many other things about herself, she has no idea what that might be; usually, she has no time to consider it.
As someone who takes her cue from the locals to survive the heat and dust, Khyrat wears loose, flowing robes in dark colours over her carefully crafted mail armor, although even a loose keffiyah doesn't do a damn thing to hide her horns - they just poke through the fabric, and at best provide a place to snag the veil that keeps her from breathing too much of the aforementioned dust. There is a sword tucked under her cloak, a shield flung across her back and she gives off an air of competence and control.

Khyrat didn't precisely take to wandering because she wanted to. She's been shunted about most of her life, and by now, she can't remember where, exactly she was born, or how, exactly, she ended up on the road in the first place. She's tired of wandering, tired of having things thrown at her and being told she should appreciate her lot.
She's not overly thrilled to be in Osirian, where it's too hot, too crowded and the people don't appreciate tieflings any better here than anywhere else. On the other hand... the timing is good, and the company not bad, and she is opportunist enough to take advantage of all of the above in the hopes of improving her lot in life.

BRB, looking for image. Maybe Royo can deliver... <.<

[Chulanowa]

*Sweat drop* 

Chulanowa, how are you going to choose your players?

Via arbitrary decision based on how interesting I think a character is, mostly. Also my opinion of how fun it would be to see their reaction when (redacted) in the (redacted) with all the (redacted) cats that (redacted).

Again guys, not too worried about party balance, optimization, or group roles. A five-man team of Halfling barbarians is just fine, if the characters are interesting  ;D

[Thorne]

As long as someone doesn't offer to serve her fresh dog ... actually, that might be the only way Khyrat likes dogs. ^^;
(I might have had a little too much fun playing with this thing: http://rpg.ashami.com/ - it's a personality generator that can be un-randomized, or randomized, as needed)

[Ebb]

Again guys, not too worried about party balance, optimization, or group roles. A five-man team of Halfling barbarians is just fine, if the characters are interesting  ;D

My other character concept happens to be a five-man team of Halfling barbarians in a giant trenchcoat. I'll go ahead and get that written up for you.