Interest check, Pathfinder campaign spanning three AP's (and three generations)

Started by Tamhansen, September 24, 2018, 02:47:29 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Roleplay Frog

Quote from: Zaer Darkwail on September 30, 2018, 12:03:01 PM
Yeah, it was PvP heavy game where levels came from number of matches overall than official XP system :P.

I ran more games than that, but, you know, that still counts too.

QuoteIs this going to be another game where everyone furiously posts their lavish ideas for a week, has insular side conversations in public to drive off outside interest, then suddenly everyone stops posting because they're "busy irl" (translation: after their zany character loses its sparkle)?

I don't want to waste the time and energy if it's just going to be zaer posting by day twelve.  I may not be accepted anyway.

Well, somebody is a grump.. Also, unless I'm alienated I feel I've proven reliable hang-aroundy too *chuckles*


Chulanowa

Quote from: Ixy on September 30, 2018, 12:22:03 PM
Is this going to be another game where everyone furiously posts their lavish ideas for a week, has insular side conversations in public to drive off outside interest, then suddenly everyone stops posting because they're "busy irl" (translation: after their zany character loses its sparkle)?

I don't want to waste the time and energy if it's just going to be zaer posting by day twelve.  I may not be accepted anyway.

I dunno about anyone else, but I'm just waiting for GM update  ;D And my character is only zany in that she can use her forehead to open a beer can.

lillisa

Tam sends his apologies. He should be back tomorrow. Small family emergency.

Ixy

I'm sorry that last post was so gripey.  I hope to have a couple bags ideas in simpler presentation form, but without setting they'll be a little vague.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Chulanowa

Well, assuming we're doing them in order...

the opening setting for Rise of the Runelords is Sandpoint, a coastal village in the frontier region of Varisia. As the adventure opens, the town is celebrating the swallowtail Festival to honor its primary gods (Abadar, Desna, Erastil Gozreh, Sarenrae and Shelyn) and consecrate a new church to them. It's a mostly human town though full of enough travelers and eccentric weirdos that you reach a kind of "whatever goes" situation. It's very much your "Level 1 starting area" kind of setting, and the characters are expected to be either locals, or hailing from nearby and coming to visit for the festival.

Varisia itself is aside from a few coastal towns, largely a wilderness, with dramatic land features that run the gamut from a large Suckmarsh in the south to Mountains Full of Giants in the northwest, and of course your plains full of resentful barbarian tribes somewhere in the middle. There's even an Elfwood in there somewhere. The whole place is full of lost ruins and dungeons from an ancient empire that ruled it thousands and thousands of years ago.

Shattered Star takes place in Magnimar, the largest and primary city in Varisia. If you're familiar with Forgotten Realms, it's basically just Waterdeep, but with some angel-worshipping cults scattered around. Characters in this one are expected to be members of the Pathfinder Society, a multi-regional professional adventuring society.

And I have no idea what the setting and presumptions of hte third adventure path are, so, well... i did the best I could!

Ixy

Thank you Chulanowa... I really don't know if this write-up will work for the setting, then, but it can be adapted as needed.

 
Background
Clay was born to a rural, farming family that was wiped out by plague when she was only twelve.  Having survived her own affliction only by chance, she was left to scavenge among the remnants of her village until supplies ran out, then fell in with a pilgrimage of death-cult wanderers who were winding their way through the plague-ravaged lands.  Though their treatment of her was not necessarily malicious, they were a strange and vaguely evil group, and she was subjected to a weird variety of teachings and experiences that still haunt her dreams.

The cult was deemed heretical upon its arrival at a powerful local city-state, and inquisitors eradicated them-- Clay and a small handful of other children found among the group were spared, as they were considered to be victims of the cult's teachings and possible to save.  As such, she was turned over to the temple to raise, where she learned much of relations with the gods despite an uneasy relationship-- fear and anger equally mixed-- toward the good-natured divines.

Nearing legal adulthood, she fled the church's grip and took to the streets of the city, changing her name and appearance somewhat as she fell in with thieves and thugs.  Though she lacked the streetwise to be of much use as a thief, her knowledge of the church and its burial practices was valuable, and she found herself aiding a crew of grave-robbers.  She lacked any inhibitions when it came to dealing with the dead-- no fear of vengeful spirits, nor infection from festering bones.  She began to show an affinity for them, even speaking to the remains as she worked.

Her unnerving practices drove her to operate more and more independently as she sought practicioners of dark arts and students of death.  Ironically, this landed her among those who understood her, and after she was caught living after-hours in the local medical school, she was arrested and sentenced to live in Ravenhurst Sanitarium for the Insane.  Refusing to turn to evil-- for she was not cruel, simply curious-- she finally found her niche among the staff there, who served Nemyth Vaar. 

They quickly recognized that she was not insane, but gifted with a connection to the divinity of death.  She was an outcast, abandoned by the other gods and, though raised in a temple, she would never wear divine grace.  With little guidance from them, she stayed there among the insane for less than a year, and she heard it-- the whisper of truth among the mad.  She knew of hmi, and there was only one thing they could do... help her to spread his word.

She appeases the vengeful god by levying the dead  themselves toward greater purpose, by speaking the secrets that the living should not know, and by channeling chaos against the self-righteous orders that seek to control this world.


Appearance
Clay is petite and frail-looking and willowy at a distance, like some underfed waif.  But a closer look reveals her slender form to be lean-muscled and tough, her eyes challenging and dark, her dark hair shining with short curls like polished ebony against her alabaster-powder skin.  Her skin is so fair that the hint of her blue veins show at the corners of her forehead, at her wrists, and toward the swell of her breasts-- which, though not oversized and though she does not dress provocatively, tend to expose cleavage in most garments she wears.  Her dark-gray eyes and arching black brows often twitch curiously as she searches over  those she meets... either she's constantly paranoid of others' intentions, or she's genuinely curious about the dimensions of their bone structure.

Sexuality
Despite her morbid propensities, she's surprisingly lively when it comes to physical pleasures.  Though luxurious living and food do not fascinate her, she's always been curious about la petite mort.  She doesn't enjoy random sexual encounters, flirting, or courtly romance; however, when she forms an emotional connection or develops a strong curiosity of someone-- man, woman, or otherwise-- that often includes sexual desire.  This may be a strange experience for her partner, who may mistake her appreciation or respect for love or lust.  This may also be strange because... well... she possesses some necrophiliac tendenceies.  She likes copulating in tombs, on graves or in freshly-dug ones, in empty sepulchres, amid the presence of watching ghosts or spectres, etc.  She hasn't had many lovers, but a couple of brief encounters and a scant few powerful experiences with mentors at the asylum-- others have been decidedly scared away by her unusual predelictions.  As a result, her experiences are generally introverted, solitary ones.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

ChaoticSky

Quote from: Ixy on October 02, 2018, 11:50:57 AM
Thank you Chulanowa... I really don't know if this write-up will work for the setting, then, but it can be adapted as needed.

 
Background
Clay was born to a rural, farming family that was wiped out by plague when she was only twelve.  Having survived her own affliction only by chance, she was left to scavenge among the remnants of her village until supplies ran out, then fell in with a pilgrimage of death-cult wanderers who were winding their way through the plague-ravaged lands.  Though their treatment of her was not necessarily malicious, they were a strange and vaguely evil group, and she was subjected to a weird variety of teachings and experiences that still haunt her dreams.

The cult was deemed heretical upon its arrival at a powerful local city-state, and inquisitors eradicated them-- Clay and a small handful of other children found among the group were spared, as they were considered to be victims of the cult's teachings and possible to save.  As such, she was turned over to the temple to raise, where she learned much of relations with the gods despite an uneasy relationship-- fear and anger equally mixed-- toward the good-natured divines.

Nearing legal adulthood, she fled the church's grip and took to the streets of the city, changing her name and appearance somewhat as she fell in with thieves and thugs.  Though she lacked the streetwise to be of much use as a thief, her knowledge of the church and its burial practices was valuable, and she found herself aiding a crew of grave-robbers.  She lacked any inhibitions when it came to dealing with the dead-- no fear of vengeful spirits, nor infection from festering bones.  She began to show an affinity for them, even speaking to the remains as she worked.

Her unnerving practices drove her to operate more and more independently as she sought practicioners of dark arts and students of death.  Ironically, this landed her among those who understood her, and after she was caught living after-hours in the local medical school, she was arrested and sentenced to live in Ravenhurst Sanitarium for the Insane.  Refusing to turn to evil-- for she was not cruel, simply curious-- she finally found her niche among the staff there, who served Nemyth Vaar. 

They quickly recognized that she was not insane, but gifted with a connection to the divinity of death.  She was an outcast, abandoned by the other gods and, though raised in a temple, she would never wear divine grace.  With little guidance from them, she stayed there among the insane for less than a year, and she heard it-- the whisper of truth among the mad.  She knew of hmi, and there was only one thing they could do... help her to spread his word.

She appeases the vengeful god by levying the dead  themselves toward greater purpose, by speaking the secrets that the living should not know, and by channeling chaos against the self-righteous orders that seek to control this world.


Appearance
Clay is petite and frail-looking and willowy at a distance, like some underfed waif.  But a closer look reveals her slender form to be lean-muscled and tough, her eyes challenging and dark, her dark hair shining with short curls like polished ebony against her alabaster-powder skin.  Her skin is so fair that the hint of her blue veins show at the corners of her forehead, at her wrists, and toward the swell of her breasts-- which, though not oversized and though she does not dress provocatively, tend to expose cleavage in most garments she wears.  Her dark-gray eyes and arching black brows often twitch curiously as she searches over  those she meets... either she's constantly paranoid of others' intentions, or she's genuinely curious about the dimensions of their bone structure.

Sexuality
Despite her morbid propensities, she's surprisingly lively when it comes to physical pleasures.  Though luxurious living and food do not fascinate her, she's always been curious about la petite mort.  She doesn't enjoy random sexual encounters, flirting, or courtly romance; however, when she forms an emotional connection or develops a strong curiosity of someone-- man, woman, or otherwise-- that often includes sexual desire.  This may be a strange experience for her partner, who may mistake her appreciation or respect for love or lust.  This may also be strange because... well... she possesses some necrophiliac tendenceies.  She likes copulating in tombs, on graves or in freshly-dug ones, in empty sepulchres, amid the presence of watching ghosts or spectres, etc.  She hasn't had many lovers, but a couple of brief encounters and a scant few powerful experiences with mentors at the asylum-- others have been decidedly scared away by her unusual predelictions.  As a result, her experiences are generally introverted, solitary ones.

Its actually nod bad. Its clearly not written for Pathfinder's Golarion setting, but a few tweaks can fix it. For your god theres a few options, since we dont have a Death God of the sort your describing, the primary Goddess of Death is Parasma, who is a impartial arbiter/judgey type.

For one, Zon-Kuthon... hes basically Pinhead from Hellraiser as a god. He used to be... different, the son of a powerful god of nature and brother to Shelyn (then goddess of beauty), but his wander lust took him beyond Golarion, into the Dark Tapestry that stretches between the stars(Lovecraft land) and came back twisted into a creature of sadism and agony, wielding a glaive, the Whisperer of Souls basically made of pure evilness that its self was a nascent god waiting to be born. He chained his father and twisted him into his Herald though agony and torment, but Shelyn (who became the goddess of love and beauty) fought him off and stole away his Glaive.

To this day Shelyn works to unmake the Whisperer, and relations between the siblings are... complicated. Due to her nature, shes incapable of not loving him, despite everything, and Zon Kuthon shows her (and her alone) a twisted sort of favour.. to the point he will absolutely destroy any of his clergy who harm her's. Its more than a little sarcastic though... Kutonites often give glaives to Shelynites, crafted to be items of great beauty so they cant throw them away or destroy them(shelyn proscribes the destruction of art, regardless of its nature. So even though her followers are usually pacifists, they cant throw the weapons away), partially as a nod to the fact that their goddess stole the Whisperer and partly to actually help keep them safe.

Zon Kuthon lives on the Shadow Plane, is Lawful Evil and has the Darkness, Death Destruction, Evil and Law domains, along with the Catastrophe, Devil, Loss, Murder, Night and Undead subdomains. The nation of Nidal (south of Varisia where the game is happening) is dedicated to him.

Art!

(and since i was planning to play a followe of Shelyn, that might make for a neat connection?)

Next up is Urgothoa, the goddess of carnal excess, disease and undeath, she was the original undead and retains alot of power in that area, but she also represents the hungers of the undead for things the living have, so shes big on gluttony and the like. Shes kinda Frenemies with Calistria (the elven goddess of lust, thieves and assassins) as they compete for worshippers. Shes mostly looked at like a evil deity (and she is NE), but in some places her worship has a strong underground following and is quasi-acceptable as long as you keep it to yourself. The nation of Geb (being a land of undead) is the center of her worship.

She has the Death, Evil, Magic, Strength and War domains, and Blood, Daemon, Divine, Ferocity, Murder, Plague and Undead subdomains.

Then, theres Achaekek, the Mantis God, is a divine praying mantis, and god of divine punishment. He hunts down people who are trying to become gods themselves and offs them before they can do it, while his followers are mostly a group of high end assassins who emulate their god by never killing rightful rulers, only everyone else :P They founded the city of Ilizmagorti in his honour. Hes LE, and has Death, Evil, Law, Trickery and War, with Blood, Deception, Devil, Murder, Tactics and Thievery. 

And lastly we have Norgorber, big mystery guy, big on secrets, backstabbing and murder... especially the murder. Achieved godhood through the Starstone. Pretty much everything about him is unknown or a secret, he is neutral to almost everyone, but trusted by no one because of his deceptive ways. His cult is forbidden basically everywhere and there are no nations or cities dedicated to him (the torture fanatics get less flack publicly than his do), they operate in cells, dedicated to one of for aspects of Norgorber, and function more like a assassin guild than a church.

Ixy

Quote from: ChaoticSky on October 02, 2018, 05:03:50 PM
Its actually nod bad. Its clearly not written for Pathfinder's Golarion setting, but a few tweaks can fix it. For your god theres a few options, since we dont have a Death God of the sort your describing, the primary Goddess of Death is Parasma, who is a impartial arbiter/judgey type.

For one, Zon-Kuthon... hes basically Pinhead from Hellraiser as a god. He used to be... different, the son of a powerful god of nature and brother to Shelyn (then goddess of beauty), but his wander lust took him beyond Golarion, into the Dark Tapestry that stretches between the stars(Lovecraft land) and came back twisted into a creature of sadism and agony, wielding a glaive, the Whisperer of Souls basically made of pure evilness that its self was a nascent god waiting to be born. He chained his father and twisted him into his Herald though agony and torment, but Shelyn (who became the goddess of love and beauty) fought him off and stole away his Glaive.

To this day Shelyn works to unmake the Whisperer, and relations between the siblings are... complicated. Due to her nature, shes incapable of not loving him, despite everything, and Zon Kuthon shows her (and her alone) a twisted sort of favour.. to the point he will absolutely destroy any of his clergy who harm her's. Its more than a little sarcastic though... Kutonites often give glaives to Shelynites, crafted to be items of great beauty so they cant throw them away or destroy them(shelyn proscribes the destruction of art, regardless of its nature. So even though her followers are usually pacifists, they cant throw the weapons away), partially as a nod to the fact that their goddess stole the Whisperer and partly to actually help keep them safe.

Zon Kuthon lives on the Shadow Plane, is Lawful Evil and has the Darkness, Death Destruction, Evil and Law domains, along with the Catastrophe, Devil, Loss, Murder, Night and Undead subdomains. The nation of Nidal (south of Varisia where the game is happening) is dedicated to him.

Art!

(and since i was planning to play a followe of Shelyn, that might make for a neat connection?)

Next up is Urgothoa, the goddess of carnal excess, disease and undeath, she was the original undead and retains alot of power in that area, but she also represents the hungers of the undead for things the living have, so shes big on gluttony and the like. Shes kinda Frenemies with Calistria (the elven goddess of lust, thieves and assassins) as they compete for worshippers. Shes mostly looked at like a evil deity (and she is NE), but in some places her worship has a strong underground following and is quasi-acceptable as long as you keep it to yourself. The nation of Geb (being a land of undead) is the center of her worship.

She has the Death, Evil, Magic, Strength and War domains, and Blood, Daemon, Divine, Ferocity, Murder, Plague and Undead subdomains.

Then, theres Achaekek, the Mantis God, is a divine praying mantis, and god of divine punishment. He hunts down people who are trying to become gods themselves and offs them before they can do it, while his followers are mostly a group of high end assassins who emulate their god by never killing rightful rulers, only everyone else :P They founded the city of Ilizmagorti in his honour. Hes LE, and has Death, Evil, Law, Trickery and War, with Blood, Deception, Devil, Murder, Tactics and Thievery. 

And lastly we have Norgorber, big mystery guy, big on secrets, backstabbing and murder... especially the murder. Achieved godhood through the Starstone. Pretty much everything about him is unknown or a secret, he is neutral to almost everyone, but trusted by no one because of his deceptive ways. His cult is forbidden basically everywhere and there are no nations or cities dedicated to him (the torture fanatics get less flack publicly than his do), they operate in cells, dedicated to one of for aspects of Norgorber, and function more like a assassin guild than a church.

Thank you for the feedback, ChaoticSky.  I really appreciate the insights, and potential connections.  I had made the mistake of working off a 3rd party publisher's pantheon, which... well... yeah, my bad.

The possibility of a Kuthite Cleric (Death Lord) would be incredibly fun, but she would definitely have to lean more toward the neutral end of the scale rather than the purely evil.  Sure, it's nice to have a pure villain working for your party sometimes, but I don't expect anyone would be okay with having a sadistic torture-machine in the party.  However, her story would support a slow migration toward his philosophies, and if the DM is willing, then we could entertain her as a chosen Cleric of death with slow leanings toward the darker aspects of the 'faith' that come very gradually to the forefront.

Supporting this, additional details could be added to build her hatred of a more "respectable" religion from abuse in the temple at an early age when it was clear that she was "different", and that she reacted to discipline-- especially corporal punishment-- in a way that was altogether unexpected, making her feared, even loathed as a child.  Especially with the lack of organization among many of Zon-Kuthon's worshipers, she may not know that the pull she feels to serve his will is even a divine calling.  Maybe she sees her god in visions and hallucinations during the most extreme of circumstances, and she keeps whatever name she calls him a deep, dark secret.  This way, even if the party is essentially "good", she could perhaps serve as an ally-- just... you know... one with extreme fetishes that she doesn't fully understand yet.

If the character background works that way for the group and the DM, I'd like to give this a chance.  Black sheep... baaaa.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Tamhansen

Thank you all for your patience ind interest. I had a small issue to deal with, that sadly cost most of my time this past week. I will go over everyone's characters and react asap.
ons and offs

They left their home of summer ease
Beneath the lowland's sheltering trees,
To seek, by ways unknown to all,
The promise of the waterfall.

Grizzly

Hope that I'm not too late.

 
Name: Noirin
Race: Human
Class: Brawler (Shield Champion)
Background:   
Noirin's mother was a fighter who originally hailed from Sandpoint.  After fighting her way through several wars, the last thing that she wanted for her daughter was to have her follow in her footsteps.  Taking what treasure that she had accumulated over the years, she opened up a tavern, with Noirin working as a server.  As Noirin grew into adulthood, she found herself on the receiving end of unwanted attention, so her mother taught her a few little tricks to protect herself.

One night, a group of older adventurers arrived.  They claimed to be old friends of her mother, there to recruit her for one last foray.  Reluctantly, Noirins mother accepted the offer and entrusted the tavern to her daughter.  The quest went badly and one of the surviving members of the expedition returned to give Noirin the bad news, along with her mothers shield. 

One night, a particularly belligerent patron tried to force himself upon Noirin.  She defended herself but not before injuring and humiliating the patron, who turned out to be a powerful nobles son.  Rather than risk retribution, Noirin left the tavern.  She remembered her mother telling her of family that they had in a small town called Sandpoint, and Noirin, her mothers shield upon her back, decided to start anew in the town.

Notes:
Noirin is a generally cheerful sort, for no one wants to buy food and drink from gloomy tavern keeper, but she does have a bit of a temper when it comes to shenanigans.  She has no issues with openly flirting with either gender, and has had some brief affairs with both men and women, but none have lasted long. 

We few, we happy few, we band of writers;
For they this day that share words with me
Shall be my fellow; be they ne'er so vile,

Tamhansen

ons and offs

They left their home of summer ease
Beneath the lowland's sheltering trees,
To seek, by ways unknown to all,
The promise of the waterfall.

PixelatedPixie

Is there still time to toss in a concept?  I had been holding off to wait for the formal thread. 

Roleplay Frog

Same. I was lead to believe there was going to be a seperate thread.

That said, also rather disappointed I've never even gotten a response to my pm, I don't think that bodes well, so onto the next rp it is.