Recruiting: high scale Pathfinder, Taldor, aka Byzantium focused

[Kolbrandr]

More seriously, given that with the intent of the game, some of it is as much people playing off each other as anything, and that some people will be off in their own stuff, or even in smaller groups at particular stuff at various points, it's the sort of game that using a forum for makes possible and should even encourage.

[Ebb]

I'm no more chock full of hubris than a guy trying to put together and maintain a wiki for said game ;p Also, thank you for putting together and maintaining a wiki for said game.

And, eh. I played in a 7 year spanning 4th and 5th gen elder vampire campaign that had something like 8 players in it. This sort of thing can be done.

You're quite welcome.

Also, a work in progress (and for GM review):

The Planudes Academy for the Enlightened Arts and Sciences
https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Taldor--Academy

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

I'll try to get crackin' ASAP.

Given that my original idea was to have them just be a stand-alone duo with a good reputation(I do like the idea of a mercenary battalion, just have alot to square away I think), the forming of the battalion might be one of those things just that happened. "Yeah, I really can't remember how this all started exactly. Before we knew it, we had a good sized group" sort of thing.

They've probably been in the city at least a good 5 years, and probably would've gone about setting up their reputation as quickly as possible.

[kckolbe]

More seriously, given that with the intent of the game, some of it is as much people playing off each other as anything, and that some people will be off in their own stuff, or even in smaller groups at particular stuff at various points, it's the sort of game that using a forum for makes possible and should even encourage.

I was actually thinking we could all put together modules (of sorts) to be used against us.  For example, once the layout for Larsen's temple is finished, it wouldn't be too hard for a PC (or two) to go in and rob it, knowing the layout and NPCs to deal with.  I think that if all of us post one way to get one over on us, it would be a lot of fun.  The best part is that you needn't worry of balance.  If someone tries to rob the temple and fails, I might get some of his gear in the process.

The wiki pages look great, Ebb.  Larsen has two sub organizations, and they are both listed and linked at the bottom of his wiki page.  I'm new to wikis, so I just enter all the text and let Ebb format them.

Xerial, looking forward to your char as well.

EFA, that makes sense.

[Xerial]

Ok, I am knuckling down now... wish I could find my bloody laptop cord, but alas, it is hiding from me, so I am at my PC. That said, I have in my brain:

- personal background for Hadufuns Blūdstone;
- writeup for House Blūdstone;
- family writeup for Hadufuns;
- background for Hadufuns' unit;
- an organization/building wishlist for said unit;
- cohort backgrounds...

...and some more.

Questions (as my brain is too heavy into pre-writing I might have forgotten some of this thread);

- How much is the Ultimate Campagin book going to be/allowed to be used?
- What limits are there on sources for background traits?
- Am I cracked in that there was mention of an extra feat a level? (least important thing, as stats are my last step)
- Why is the sky grey?

[Kolbrandr]

I'm mostly going to use the fame/honour stuff from ult campaign, and probably mass combat if it ever becomes relevant, as those seem the easiest to teach and pick up without bogging people down.

All PF sources for traits are fine.

You are not cracked, you get a feat per level instead of a feat every other level.

Because you make the sky sad.

[Xerial]

If I run an organization/building from UCamp by you, and pay out of starting cash, is that cool? I seriously dig the rules, and see them being quite handy to represent the people Hadufuns would have at his immediate disposal.

[Kolbrandr]

If I run an organization/building from UCamp by you, and pay out of starting cash, is that cool? I seriously dig the rules, and see them being quite handy to represent the people Hadufuns would have at his immediate disposal.

I'm going to for now stick to handling that kind of thing in abstract per concept, but if you want to use them as a guideline to propose something to me from it, feel free.

[Muse]

I may not get back here 'til tomorrow night. 

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

How rushed are we?  :-\

[Kolbrandr]

Not rushed at all. There are several people still working on concepts.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

Alrighty heh, trying not to feel too overwhelmed.

[Xerial]

There is a certain part of my brain that has run ahead of the rest of my brain, and is giggling at a certain possibility...

[Meliai]

Aaaaah, thank you so much Ebb! I've been reading up on the wiki tutorials, so hopefully I'll be able to help you out with that stuff soon :-)

There is a certain part of my brain that has run ahead of the rest of my brain, and is giggling at a certain possibility...

Oh come on, you can't say something like that and not elaborate!

[Xerial]

Cohorts with cohorts, with cohorts....  ;)

[Meliai]

Like those little nesting dolls! :P

[Kolbrandr]

The rest of the Eiredor stuff. Coming up next, asshole mages! No, no, they're more just mildly dickish.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Notable Current Eiredor

Bayard V, Lord Marshall in Winter (Cavalier 13/Bard 13)

In Bayard’s youth, he was held to be one of the finest jousters in the Inner Sea region, a tournament champion so many times over as to make contemporaries groan for even seeing his name amidst a list of entrants. He was besides so ardent a follower of the arts of courtly love as to have queens and courtesans dreaming of his attentions. Those days are well behind him now, though he has managed to age gracefully, features distinguished in age framed by a mane of silver hair. He can still play a beautiful tune on any stringed instrument, though his fingers may ache and swell afterwards, and can still sing in rich timbre and artistry aching enough to make the hard hearted weep, though he may be hoarse for hours from the strain to focus for it. Though no Halcyon Branas, he can besides take hold of a blade long enough to challenge and strike down all sorts of deadly foes, though afterwards his hands may shake for some time.

Yet to Bayard, that is all as it should be. He has lived a long, good life and done well by his name, and his family. Spending its twilight in oversight of them is his due and theirs, and a pleasant capstone to all things. But it is contentment that is Bayard’s biggest problem. His family flourish, they are able to make their generous gestures, win their tournaments, be the wonder of those they behold. How much more than they do, then, do they need to do? In Fallen Taldor, some would argue that it should be a family like the Eiredor on the forefront of efforts towards reform, towards restoration. Yet it is the Eiredor who can, rightfully enough one must grant to an extent, point out the peace of the interior in which lives are lived, that monsters and their ilk are issues of borders where they can be held, that the people of Taldor live their lives nowhere in the miseries known in the likes of Cheliax or Galt, and that Taldor’s borders have held their current shape against all foes for centuries. Tut, there are unpleasant things to be sure, but no society is perfect, and in the progress of time they will no doubt be dealt with of course.

It is worth noting that this perspective is not uniform across the entire house (just most of it), making it something of a curiosity why some reform minded firebrand has not already put the challenge of the lists to the old man. But the idea has its answer within it. The man is old, and respected, even loved by all his family. There are none that can bring themselves to subject him to the humiliation, after so much accomplishment, of spending his last years in defeat, in one embarrassing last run in the lists. So they wait, and feel the guilt and anguish of hoping that Bayard’s time of gentle dominion will end soon.


Lady Acrasia Eiredor, the hand on the reins (Bard 12 (court bard)/Alchemist 12)

Acrasia was born with the curse and gift of a towering intellect, in a house that would not offer her very many channels for it. Oh she certainly devoured and mastered schooling in politics, in the managing of an estate, she even, for lack of ways to otherwise distract the racing fire of her mind, took to the practice and polish of courtly ways down to the finest detail. All her frustrations chained below the surface, she seemed on the face of things an ideal Eiredor bride and was married off to a worthy royal in short enough order.

Worthy of marriage in this case reflected that royal’s martial dedication, which had the unforeseen grace of leaving Acrasia largely to her own devices for vast stretches of time, her husband off seeking conflict. It gave her the freedom to indulge a previously stifled mind, using the slightest portions of profits her careful management brought in to obtain libraries worth of books, laboratory equipment, and bridging from explorations of natural philosophy into the blissfully rewarding pursuit of alchemy. Were she not keeping her explorations of medicine, chemistry and mathematics largely to herself, she might otherwise be renowned as some sort of staggering polymath, the kind that revolutionizes fields just for studying them.

But all good things come to an end, and in her case that came in the form of her husband’s death in a Qadiran border skirmish. His commander, one Andronicus Branas, personally returned her slain lord’s body to her (along with, some say, the heads of those who slew him). There are some who like to say that her heart was captured by the gallantry of the act and comfort the Branas lord offered, that over time a quiet romance maintained over distance has blossomed between them. But then again, for some baffling reason, Andronicus Branas is the source of much romanticized and fanciful fiction, and this is likely one more.

Acrasia in the interim was taken back by her family, into Bayard V’s personal household at that, where she soon made herself indispensable as an advisor to the old lord, his ladywife having passed some years ago. This would normally be the cue to note something sinister about Acrasia ruling the family through him, on some dark design she has, on foul experiments. Certainly she does at least rule the family through him in various ways, at least as far as management of land and directing investments. And certainly she has managed to have moved her library and laboratory to her new home, though she keeps them fairly out of sight to avoid scandalizing the family. But it would seem as if the largest crime that might be put on her was continuing to siphon surplus into maintaining alchemical studies that at this point go deeper than most others in Taldor might otherwise be managing. Her personal enhancements have even aided her in keeping a prominent place in Taldor’s sometimes ruthlessly biting courts. She seems kind in all the ways most of her family are, making donations of wealth particularly to efforts in education.

Yet she has not even tried to shift her house’s attitude towards women, nor attempt any other change that might be expected of her by those that have some knowing of her. Perhaps, able to chase her own pursuits and having had the time to make herself capable of pursuing them in the first place, that is her way of expressing Eiredor complacency. Or perhaps if she is up to something sinister, she is simply that good at concealing it.


Lady Florimell Eiredor, matron and minder (Aristocrat 12)


Women who marry into the Eiredor are usually the height of genteel grace, and have to be, to have succeeded in earning the notice of the house, but nothing about that means they are on par with an Eiredor raised daughter herself. Yet letting such a state of affairs continue would bring a measure of shame to the house reputation. Fortunately every Eiredor generation has a lady to see to any such problem. To the at least mild terror of a new bride, this generation’s lady (and really, also that of the last one) is Florimell.

It would not be polite to call the dowager lady abusive to her charges. On the other hand, it would be accurate. In Florimel’s mind, these walking bits of costume jewelry thinking they can be placed over her family’s golden radiance is a notion both monstrous and in need of sharp disabusing. What are on the face of it pleasant meetings for tea or trips to the countryside are instead venues for torrents of cruel verbal abuse, harsh lessons in posture and refinement and all of it as a sort of crash course to compensate for clearly lacking an upbringing in proper courtliness. The Eiredor matron is also personally frightening enough in the fury of her smallest glance to easily convince these ladies to keep all such things to themselves, her family only see the marvelous results she gets. In another life, she would have been a spectacular drill sergeant.

Being fair, Florimell is only one woman, taking the attitude of the women of the house of being the quiet force maintaining it to extremes, and there are only so many women marrying into the house she has time to foist her attentions on. Being less fair, as a widower in her late middle age, Florimell has a great deal of that time all the same.

It is perhaps the deaths of her family in a storm at sea that has left her to see them as an impossible ideal all others can only fail to live up to. Or perhaps that trauma resulted instead in viewing the entire house at large as a family she must do her utmost to maintain the state and station thereof.


Lord Commander Triamond Eiredor, Master of the Taldan Horse (Cavalier 13/Paladin 13)


It is far from uncommon for an Eiredor to find themselves as commander of the Taldan Horse, working under the High Strategos himself. For that Master of Horse to be a cavalier of distinction and sacred devotee of the Empyreals, again, far from infrequent. What marks out Triamond Eiredor then is a self awareness beyond that of most of his family, or even a great many Taldans. A devotee of the Empyreal Olheon, Triamond’s faith has never been an easy thing for him, despite heritage and holy ability alike. Yet the feeling even from youth of having been given a soul that can never seem to rest easy from gnawing introspection and self doubt, even a childhood awkwardness he has had to work to overcome, has become his truest strength. Nobility, deservedness, are notions he has viewed as a constant struggle, for all that he views them as worthy. In knowing the struggles in his heart and trying to face them, he comes to know himself. In struggling, he looks beyond himself for succor, to higher powers and examples in the world alike (one of his most treasured possessions is a mystically preserved early printing of Bayard I’s collection of journals). In looking to the world with that need, he looks to understand it, to find what it in it he can better himself by. And in looking for understanding, he comes to awareness.

Though awareness does not mean peace. It means instead an understanding of Taldor, her strengths and flaws alike. Of the tactics and strategy needed when bringing to bear the might of an underfunded force. Of the limits of his men, and how far past them they can be pushed. Of the glory that once was, and could again be. The world after Aroden’s death is deeply wounded, yet the world on the edge of peril was once saved by his people. If he could but save Taldor, or at least keep her whole until another might, perhaps it is Taldor that could save the world again.

It is not an easy task, even for a man with a highly mobile force. He moves his men with the uncanny precision of a watchmaker, picking the right moments for riding them out to pacify disputes between nobles before they can grow aggravated, and cost blood. Keeping bandits held within the territories they have seized. Holding monsters at bay long enough for a Durahan or some other hero to be found and settle the matter. Riders bring him reports, and he has cultivated what ties he can with groups like the Lion Blades and his own network of contacts besides, constantly reviewing information to decide where and how he can best apply limited resources, accepting the pain in his heart that comes in knowing that facing one problem allows another to fester. Nor is the Master of Horse some backroom master planner, for Triamond knows that he himself is sometimes the most valuable resource to his agenda, riding out at the head of a column of his own men time and again, doing his part to slow Taldor’s long fall, that it could someday rise.

The coup caught him by surprise all the same, bothering him as much for that he missed it as for the loss of Maxentian, for knowing that the Branas kept dutifully bleeding on the borders allowed him a measure of leeway in his work. Aurelian is an unknown quantity by contrast.

None of this strain shows on the surface of course, and it almost never has. The Master of Horse well understands the disaster it could be for a man in his position to blink in even a single moment’s weakness. On the face of things Triamond looks to be the gallant Eiredor knight typical of his line, dashing and erudite, winning distinction in the lists and maintaining the honour of the Taldan Horse as a military force. The private wars of Triamond Eiredor, for his own soul, and for that of his nation, may never be known.


Strengths of House Eiredor

Knights. Knights! KNIGHTS! The Eiredor, both in vassals and family members, have the largest concentration of knights to their name in Taldor. The distinction of their name has made them avidly sought as patrons by knights seeking that shared glory. It has also made for the Eiredor shock charge feared for power and devastation throughout much of Taldan history. Though their emphasis on knighthood and cavalry make their forces more than a touch overly specialized, it is a specialization they have applied with an undeniable skill. Tournament champions of staggering frequency either belong to the house directly or owe it fealty, increasing wealth and prestige for it in such accomplishment.

Actually beloved in Taldor: A house like the Branas are respected. A house like the Varian are hated. And many other families royal and senatorial alike fall somewhere in the middle of that, with some share of either. It is only the Eiredor who are so enthusiastically embraced by the common man and aristocrat alike. Those who fiercely seek places as Eiredor retainers and squires know that a life with their knight in the lists and the courts of love is one they can return home from, enriched and alive, instead of a Branas battlefield death, or rent in snapping monster fangs alongside a Durahan adventurer. The family embodies Taldan generosity besides, building hospitals, having bread distributed on holidays, even having a yearly practice of taking up a handful of orphans to become squires, ladies in waiting and valets. The other nobles may roll their eyes at such things, but the people can seem to sense the sincerity of the Eiredor, and love them for it. Those same sneering nobles often besides in another breath glowingly praise the Eiredor for a presence that adds to a court’s resplendent beauty. Eiredor on parade are at that a sight of sheer enthralling pageantry, without somehow coming off as excessive or opulent.

Breeders of Horses: At first simply to more directly maintain a personal supply, the Eiredor are one of the most prominent horse breeders in all of Taldor, maintaining wealth and influence both through those always  seeking quality horseflesh

Chivalry: The Eiredor really do believe in their ideals, and there is a strength of spirit that comes with that, that is hard to shake or suborn, and infectious to those who serve them.


Weaknesses of House Eiredor

Complacency: The Eiredor hold land in Taldor’s generally peaceful heartlands. Championed by noble knights and backed by savvy (and sometimes ruthless) ladies, they have no real rivals or opposition. They are able to grace the people with their good deeds. Their own house structure of challenge and regular presence in the lists keep them fit and skilled. Their thorough in house education produces figures of quality and admiration time and again. Who could ask for anything more? So, they don’t ask for anything at all. Taldor is what it is, and the Eiredor do not much of anything about it in any sweeping sense. On the other hand, it could be argued that all those that tolerate so sterling a family in so tarnished a society would lose that tolerance right quick if the Eiredor ever decided to try and flex their influence. The house might not survive such a backlash.

Chauvinism: The argument some make about the Eiredor being truly ruled by its ladies is an amusing and lively one in private circles. But it does not change the very narrow opportunities the women of their house have as far as careers and interests, and in several cases has lead to squandered opportunity and wasted potential. An attitude the house sometimes carries with it into the wider world at that, affecting policies they back, and allegiances they make. Making it curious as to if the Eiredor women truly wield such power, why do they allow this state of affairs to continue? But there are many potential answers there, including that in a more diverse house, without the specialized hold they have, they would not have the power they have. Making the system one in their best interests to perpetuate. More distressing might be that they have simply and completely internalized these attitudes into themselves as the proper order of things.

Chivalry: You can ask Maxentian Branas how much having a code of honour can have the potential to get you into a lot of trouble in Taldor, no matter how long it has seemed until then that you can pull it off. Oh, no wait, you can’t ask him a damn thing. He’s exiled.

Foreign Relations of Note

None really. This is not to say that any country that holds tournaments of knightly skill don’t know from the Eiredor, and have seen them at triumph, but with that as their main interest in anything abroad, they don’t really develop much else.

[kckolbe]

Xerial, I was wondering if that was possible (cohorts taking leadership).  Your char has some interesting RP potential, and was going to see if we could work a trade of sorts between cohorts.

[Muse]

House Vaughn

Overall House Alignment:  Lawful Neutral with Lawful Good Leanings

Common Classes: Aristocrat, Expert, Fighter, Wizard

Rarer, but not unheard of:  Cleric, Sorcerer

Rare: Paladin

Extremely Uncommon: All Others

Favored Deity: Adabar, Nethys

House Blazon:  On a blue field, a white owl clutching a golden wand. 

House Moto:  Wisdom is where you look for it. 

Overview: 

Notable Historical Vaughn: 
Vaughn
Grand Prince Voris IV of Taldane was advised by a wise, powerful and trusted wizard, Vaugh.  He elevated the man to the senatorial class, and had a prosperous and beneficent reighn under Vaughns advise. 

   Grand Prince Voris V was not so fond of his father's advisor.  Though it was explicitly in Voris's will that Vaughn be ennobled with the title Magistros Vaughn, his son gave the wizard a land grant in the foothills of the very dangerous Fog Peaks.  With the aid of some earth elementals, clever spells, and a lot of luck, Vaughn not only secured his valley for farmland, but found mines for guano, iron, and gems.  Three years later, wealthier and stronger than ever, Vaughn returned to the capitol with a wife and son, riding in an animate carriage, and proceeded to harass the Grand Prince towards a wiser rule to the end of his days. 



Notable Members of House Vaughn: 

Strengths of House Vaughn: 

Weaknesses of House Vaughn:

Foreign Relations Worth Noting: 

[Shaitan]

127th Cavalry, Royal Taldan Army

Nicknames: Unbearded Legion (expendable), Knights Improper
Army Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Unit Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Classes Ranger, Fighter, Barbarian, Cavalier
Rare Classes Cavalier, NPC classes
Nigh Unheard of Classes Virtually everything else, including paladins (such are viewed as too useful to attribute to such a band of misfits

Purpose: The 127th Cavalry was formed during the great expansion of Taldor to provide a singular home to what are effectively the most well known misfits of the Taldan Cavalry. Virtually all of the members of the 127th Cavalry brought their own mounts, and almost none of them were horses, and many of the riders are not completely human if even human at all.

History: As a cavalry unit, the 127th should have been retired many times. The unit has been wiped out to the last man several times in its long and very bloody history. The unit has proven immense bravery throughout every battle that it has participated in, though the Taldan commanders typically prefer the 127th for virtual suicide missions or missions where glory is unlikely to be gained but requires both speed and stealth. It is also notable that the Unbearded legion has also never been successfully recruited to full strength, though in times of conflict the recruitment rate exceeds many other units, they also have the highest fatality rate of any unit current or past. Financially the unit is one of the poorest available, in many cases the Knights Improper provide all of their own weapons and armor from raw materials, and with the lack of spellcasters available to the unit, very few items of any power are available.

Unlike virtually all other units, the Knights Improper have never been led, nor included a single noble above a non-hereditary Knight. Nor has anyone that has been a member of the 127th been promoted to anything higher than a non-hereditary Knight. The knights themselves hold this fact in rebellious pride that every one of theirs has earned their rank in blood and battle.

From the moment of it's inception as a cavalry unit, it's service has been exemplary and tragic. For a unit with a history stretching back nearly 3000 years, it has suffered complete devastation many times, both in the rout at the Battle of Nagisa, and at least six recorded instances that resulted in the near total annihilation of the unit during the Grand Campaign. These are but few of the tragedies that stain it's dark red banner, backed by the rising sun glaring down on a single survivor walking towards it leaving behind two mounds marked with epithets of sword and horseman's spear.

Individual squads have been known to survive years behind enemy lines, in a few cases even get drafted into an enemy force, betraying them at crucial moments. From the most recent war with Qadira, a squad on a scouting mission past the front lines had become mistaken for a mercenary band, and was hired on. The squad leader quickly capitalized on the misunderstanding and began to provide flawed key information that at first appears to swing several battles in their favor only to result in a sudden rout in a much larger battle weeks later, as one of the squad kept a hawk as a companion to communicate quietly over long distances. During a key moment of the battle, they turned and assaulted a key unit of battlemages crying out for the traitors deaths, that though it resulted in all of their deaths, it also threw more than enough chaos in the Qadiran ranks to force a retreat.

Ranks: from the top down
The Knight-Commander, the leader of the 127th Cavalry
Staff-Commander, the close and trusted advisors to the Knight-Commander
Captain, leaders of the five battalions
Commander, leaders of the companies
Lieutenant, platoon leaders
Squad-Leader, leaders of the individual battle squads
Cavalryman, aka Grunt Jockey, specific to the Knights Improper
Spearman, Cavalryman who has lost his mount and has not retrained his own mount.

Traditionally any member that manages to be awarded the rank of non-hereditary Knigthood adds knight to their rank, Knight-leader, Knight-Captain, Knight or Knight Grunt.

Slang:
Sleeping with one's Sword. died honorably in battle
Sleeping with one's Spear, the soldier's mount died even as the rider lived,
Sheathing a Dagger, taking care of a coward, generally with a dagger becoming sheathed in their cooling flesh.
Tilting Kettles, Traditional Taldan Knights resplendent in their shining full plate, and horrid in their self importance
Fast Food, scavenging the dead enemy mounts that are edible on the battlefield
Warm Stones, the poorly equipped peasant militias
Granted Riverside Quarters, rapists amongst the 127th often listed as quartering themselves in rivers, many suspect that these deaths are not self inflicted as reported, none question the report.
Gilded Cod, Hereditary Noble, though the more useless the noble is, the more useless the fish type named, squads from different regions tend to adapt this to the fauna local to their region.


Structure: The 127th Cavalry is organizes into five battalions of up to six hundred, though averages approximately four hundred each. Each battalion includes four companies, each company includes three to four platoons of forty, each platoon includes three to five squads of ten to twenty. Equipment is handled at the platoon level where there is at least one armorer and one weaponsmith allocated to share the work as quartermasters. Food is handled at the individual squad level, each squad is expected to maintain their own food supplies as well as their own arrow stores. This is to reinforce the unity and self reliance of every individual and squad.


Current Knight-Commander:
Laresae Kelsonelvi'alsarun, Outcast Elf Cavalier, the Knight-Commander of the 127th Cavalry.

The current commander of the Knights Improper, she is a fiery haired elf woman, rumored to have naught but gristle for where her heart should be and blood that runs colder than ice. She has led the Knights Improper for the last two hundred years, and has witnessed more conflicts than virtually all human commanders still alive. The few that have gotten to know her beneath the icy exterior have come to know the biting wit and the contempt that she holds for the other Taldan military leaders, many of whom believe themselves superior to her in every way, for now she merely bides her time until the next conflict to remind them of their proper place. Secretly, Knight-Commander Laresae is a supporter of Princess Eutropa's plan to change Taldor and place a woman on the throne. Though not present at the ambush that has been publicly acknowledged as the death of the princess, she suspects something more has happened. To this day she keeps a sharp ear to the pulse of rumor, listening for something that might provide a hint as to what truly happened during the attempted coup.



I will try to add more later, but this is what I have so far for the 127th Cavalry, the Knights Improper. If anything seems out of whack give me a heads up about where I went wrong. I know the history needs a better write up, Taldor is a very old nation.

[Ebb]

127th Cavalry, Royal Taldan Army

Nicknames: Unbearded Legion (expendable), Knights Improper
Army Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Unit Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Classes Ranger, Fighter, Barbarian, Cavalier
Rare Classes Cavalier, NPC classes
Nigh Unheard of Classes Virtually everything else, including paladins (such are viewed as too useful to attribute to such a band of misfits

Great write-up, Shaitan. I've taken the usual liberty of putting your organization up on the Wiki. If you'd care to edit it further, you can find the page here:

https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Taldor--127thCavalry

It has also been linked to the main Taldor page. (Which is of course here: https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Taldor )


I really like the slang, especially.

On typical classes, would the 127th include Rogues? It seems like the scavenging and scouting aspects could make use of those talents.

[Meliai]

Oh, looks like you've got Cavaliers listed twice there as well.

[Kolbrandr]

I will try to add more later, but this is what I have so far for the 127th Cavalry, the Knights Improper. If anything seems out of whack give me a heads up about where I went wrong. I know the history needs a better write up, Taldor is a very old nation.

Alright, some notes.

Taldor, I mean, again, they're not /that/ racist, relatively speaking to Golarion. The head of the Imperial Naval Shipyards is a Gnome. Maheto's full of dwarves treated no differently than anyone else. The Archbishop of Aroden is a figure of some lingering influence, and is a half elf who was archbishop back when that would have meant something (he's quite old). You more go to Cheliax if you want actual systematic across the board top to bottom racism, where halflings are more or less an actual slave race for instance and good effing luck being a tiefling and the like.

This is not to say Taldor isn't racist, but again, it's a sort of peculiar racism that orients itself around issues of intact lineage as much as anything, or cultural/national superiority. So for instance while the commander of the 127th probably gets a fair chunk of blowback from a variety of commanders (douchebaggery runs fairly common amongst Taldans anyway), I wouldn't call it across the board within something like the army. Similarly, it's really not that uncommon to knighthood that it's not something someone inherits.

Beyond that, having read to it, the Taldan Horse are basically uniformly knights, lead by knight captains, which is something I'd rather stick to.

As far as history goes, it would probably be more likely that once upon a time, around things like the Armies of Exploration, and the Shining Crusade, they were a unit not particularly viewed as expendables or the like (the Taldan army didn't quite need to do that shit in its glory days), but all the same one known for its propensity for self sacrifice and quality, and rebuilt each time not for expediency's sake, but to honour it. But as Taldor decayed and fell, the virtue and legend behind it twisted, and it turned into what it is now (strategoi starting to go "oh, well, the 127th all die anyway, I might as well fill it with scum and use them like fodder" being a later decision entirely likely to start happening).

/With all that said/, the basic central idea here, of a collection of misfits used as an expendable force time and again with a history of tragedy and triumph, looked down upon by the army at large, lead by a commander who returns contempt for contempt, that's perfectly sound. We can totally work with that.

They'd be more likely though to be a company of the Taldan Phalanx/legion, who would have a few knight captains heading individual units within them, and probably it follows a knight commander would be the title given to someone who has charge of several units together (a legion is probably headed by a strategos, given that the overall commander of the Taldan military is called the High Strategos. General seems to be the title for the head of an army of Exploration. I pulled Master of Horse out of my ass for the commander of the Taldan Horse under said High Strategos as far as Triamond Eiredor the npc).

Given that the size of a Taldan legion is probably 3,000-5,000 soldiers, the theoretical knight commander probably has charge of some 500 odd men as a cohort, who would have a name/number/identity (I'm using Roman terms because, well, it's just easy to and more readily comprehensible and familiar to the audience. The Taldan army being some weird hybrid of heavy cavalry, elephants, and spearmen/archer combinations for their infantry, mapping it onto anything specific is a bit rough otherwise).

If that's all something you can work with, you'd want also to probably detail the overall legion a bit that they're a part of, and its strategos, who probably is something of a bastard, given their propensity to use a unit like the 127th in the way that they do.

If not, are you otherwise trying to design something ala the Red Piss Legion from Exalted?

edit: To be clear, I'm not saying you can't be affiliated with some large army sort of thing and cutting it down thereby for those reasons, I'm just saying, needs to fit context. There's a prospective player trying to go for strategos of a legion for one thing.

[Shaitan]

No problem Kolbrandr, I can edit it a bit. I think it still fits well with what you're saying, but as you noted the racist issue I pushed too hard on. The intent is still that group that is a poor fit for everyone else, horribly unconventional tactics, for example a bleached gnome trying to regain itself snags a flying mount and takes a crate of alchemist's fire and drops it on the enemy camp at night, and flies back under a hail of arrows, he's not getting bleached anymore, but his commander certainly isn't considering that conduct acceptable of one of his knights. It's the unit that will see gnomes riding half fiend dogs they found one day next to full blooded orcs riding giant geckos and wielding a halfling sling staff (hoopak) in the same squad. The Taldan horse being knights traditionally fits quite well with this unit in that they would technically be knights, just not considered to be in the same league by other Taldan Knights, even historically because as a unit they gained glory posthumously, and with the typical Taldan douchebaggery gaining glory by dying is better than running and dying, gaining it and living so that you can get the free food and the loose daughters of fellow nobles, that's much better. Also with a rather long history, it's bound to have had it's records lost, destroyed, modified by the angry clerk who's daughter got willingly bedded by one of their knights and got caught in bed with an orc. Strange things, but it's a steadily evolving concept.

Thanks Meliai, and Ebb, for the classes I'll adjust the common class cavalier to become rogue. The reason for the rarity of the cavalier class is that the majority of cavaliers stick with common mounts also fit well with established unit tactics, not so with a flying gecko or an ostrich, or other exotic mounts. This isn't to say that it's only non standard mounts, rejects from other cavalry units are sent there, both historically and modernly especially those with insubordination problems. The 127th has a history of making honest good but rough soldiers out of criminals or other units' rejects, they are great at repurposing people, or in some irreconcilable cases they also have a slightly higher than normal suicide rate. Think of it as the end result for those guys who can't get the clue after a week of midnight blanket parties.

I am also thinking about their court martial rates and the reasons for it, definitely thinking about having a higher than normal number insubordination complaints from interactions with outside units, but not many from within. Certainly a very high rate of conduct unbecoming of a Taldan Knight.

I admit I am kinda aiming for something like hogan's heroes and the a-team as mongolian mounted combat specialists. Also feel free to add slang to it, mostly looking for a dark humor to the slang

All of which I'll get updated on the wiki tonight, if this all fits well that is, lol. I appreciate all the info.

[kckolbe]

Kolbrandr, will we be GMing mini adventures for each other?