The Scarlet Moon: A gothic horror Pathfinder adventure

[Autocad]

The Scarlet Moon
A gothic horror Pathfinder adventure

The city of Urgasburg lies nestled high in the eastern mountains, keeping to itself and wary of outsiders. Originally founded by a cult of Urgathoa seeking a hidden home where they could worship their Pallid Princess without fear of being exposed and hunted down, the settlement soon attracted necromancers and sentient undead who yearned for civilization without persecution or prejudice and found acceptance in the embrace of the goddess, giving Urgasburg the unofficial moniker of The Undead Sanctuary. Joined by a population of exiles and asylum-seekers, some vagrant and some permanent, the living and the undead co-existed. What began as a humble hamlet grew into a small city cramped into the limited space afforded by the mountains, new floors haphazardly built on top of former roofs, buildings clawing for space above while shadowing the narrow alleys below.

The Silver Truce

The Silver Truce of Urgasburg, dating back to the founding of the city and rumored to have been originally decreed by Urgathoa herself, is the foundation upon which living-undead coexistence is built. During the day, or more precisely from moonset to moonrise, a truce is in effect and the undead shall not harm the living, and vice versa. But from moonrise to moonset, all on the streets are fair prey, whether flesh and blood to sate undead appetites or trophies-to-be for hunters of the undead. In those dark hours sanctuary can be found in the safety of one's home; in a perversion of the customs of hospitality, it is forbidden to enter an abode without an invitation from its owner, nor is it allowed to harm or charm such an owner from the outside.

Within the boundaries of the city the negative energies cause mindless undead to comply with the Silver Truce, while sentient undead, like the living, retain what free will they already possess. Those who violate the Silver Truce soon find themselves on the receiving end of Urgathoa's wrath, as delivered by her loyal enforcers at the cutting edge of a silver scythe. The Silver Truce dictates the rhythms of daily life / unlife in Urgasburg; the majority of residents make sure to return home and lock their doors before the moonrise. They refuse to let anyone in until moonset, not even friends or family trapped outside in the streets; those too weak-hearted to resist have long been consumed by one shapeshifting predator or another. As a result, the residents of Urgasburg are a distrustful lot, wary of their neighbours and even more unaccepting of strangers from outside the city.

The Scarlet Moon

Eternal night has fallen upon Urgasburg. The blood moon hangs low, unmoving. No one, not even the Clocktower, knows why, save perhaps Urgathoa herself, but she has been silent ever since it began even to the highest ranks of her worshippers.

The first few weeks were chaotic, but a semblance of order has returned with the Clocktower bells ringing out the moonrise and moonset hours of the Silver Truce as they are supposed to occur. For the most part the clergy of Urgathoa has managed to enforce the Silver Truce by the bell tolls allowing citizens to carry on with their daily lives while a solution to the scarlet moon was being sought. But traditionalist dissidents, who recognized only the not-yet-set moon and therefore viewed the streets as their rightful hunting grounds unlawfully denied them, are increasingly challenging the majority view and attacking citizens on the streets even during the supposed truce times. They point to Urgathoa's silence as evidence of her disapproval of the way the Silver Truce is being carried on in direct violation of the unsetting moon.

It is at this time that a ragtag band of individuals rise to prominence and make their mark on Urgasburg...



Notable Factions and Places of Urgasburg

The Three Houses of Urgathoa

Urgathoa is the goddess of excess, disease and undead; the three Houses are conclaves dedicated to their particular aspect of the goddesss, as well as actual buildings housing each House.

House of Feasting: Some of the people most hospitable and most accepting of outsiders, the House of Feasting also provides rooms at a reasonable charge for visitors to the city without their own abode. They worship Urgathoa by eating, drinking and fucking to excess, sometimes all at the same time, and freely invite others to join them in their decadent rituals. The magnificence, opulence, and perversity of their feasts-turned-orgies rival what an emperor and his harem can host.

House of Healing: The doctors and natural philosophers who venerate Urgathoa as the mistress of disease seek to reproduce her mastery over sickness. In doing so they have learned both how to cause and how to treat almost every known illness, and then some as yet unknown. Sometimes a desperate soul arrives at the House of Healing in the hopes of finding a cure. Sometimes they even do.

House of Living: There are those who see undeath as another form of life. The most secretive House, what happens behind their doors is a mystery to the uninitiated, and the initiated are few, far between, and carefully vetted.

Clocktower

The Clocktower is an offshoot of the House of Healing that turned to topics other than disease and thus began to dabble in secular research. It attracted brilliant yet disturbed minds who delved into questionable topics that they couldn't elsewhere without risk of ending up on the wrong end of a peasant mob or burnt at the stake. The members of the Clocktower, many of whom were practitioners of the arcane arts, raised up the eponymous Clocktower that gave them their name. It became one of Urgasburg's landmarks and could be seen from almost anywhere in the city, but was protected by enchantments that prevented its entrance from being found by nonmembers.

Order of the Silver Dawn

A sect, some would say a heretical sect, of Sarenrae devoted to protecting the living from the undead from moonrise to moonset, the hunting hours under the Silver Truce. Like mainstream worshippers of the Dawnflower they revere the dawn, but the dawn of the moon instead of the sun. They run a shelter in the middle of living-populated Urgasburg which is essentially a fortified courtyard with defenses overlooking both inside and outside. Perhaps the only place in the city that would accept people in at night, it is a refuge for those unfortunates who find themselves locked out in the streets after moonrise and still wish to make it to the morning alive.

Lakeside Mansion

Urgasburg was founded close to a mountain lake as a source of fresh water. At the other end of the lake is a mansion almost as old as the city itself. Its most recent owner was an eccentric aristocrat who had passed away a few months ago. Rumor has it an heir will show up to take possession of the estate any day now...

Character ideas

A local investigating the scarlet moon
A cleric of Urgathoa trying to end the goddess's silence
A member of the Order of the Silver Dawn trying to end the eternal night
An outsider investigating rumors of eternal night in some hick town called Urgasburg
A patient seeking the cure for an illness
A natural philosopher going to the Clocktower for research
An inquisitor of Sarenrae dispatched to inquisite the Order of the Silver Dawn for heresy
An adventurer hired by some rich bloke to clear the mansion he just inherited of monsters
+Whatever you can come up with

[Autocad]

Misc Information:

• This will go under NC: Exotic-System Small Groups.
• The ideal pace will be to have 1-2 complete rounds of posting from all participants per week.
• Sexual content: mostly driven by plot. Urgathoa is a deity of among other things physical excess, including carnal excess, and certain types of undead are quite sexualized. But the rapey monsters will be toned down, after all this is...
• Horror elements: fair warning: there will be flesh and blood and the unsexy kind of undead and monsters.

Character creation

• Sources: Paizo only
• Starting level: 8
• 25 point buy
• Max HP at first level. Average dice rolls (i.e. hit dice size / 2 + 0.5) after.
• Starting wealth: 33,000 gp
• Traits: Choose 1 trait from Paizo. Create a second trait that is based on your character background and I will work it out with you. No drawbacks.
• Being able to handle undead enemies is recommended.
• Early firearms are treated as martial weapons. Advanced firearms are not available.

[Autocad]

Second post has been updated with character creation information.

In short, starting level 8, and Paizo sources are allowed.

[Blinkin]

A couple of questions...

1. Will Background Skills be used, or can be used?
2. Not sure that I understand the HP thing. is it 1/2 of the die? 4 for a d8, for example, or would it be 9 for every 2 levels (4+4+.5 per level?
3. Would you authorize Recharge Innate Magic for a non-gnome character? While the spell is specifically for gnomes, it states that a GM may open it up to non-gnomes. One of the alternate racial features that I'm looking at grants spell like abilities, so it might be useful.

The character is a work in progress and may see some minor changes in the next few days and depending on the answers to the questions.

Lydia Lovelady

Name: Lydia Lovelady   Player: Blinkin
Race: Half-Elf            Sex: Female
Class: Swashbuckler-Inspired blade
Favored Class: Swashbuckler
Level: 8            EXP: 51,000
Alignment: LN         Next Level: 75,000

Age: 26            height: 5’8
Measurements: 34C-27-35            Weight: 135 lbs

Ability Scores:
STR:   13 (+1) Carry: L: 50, M: 100, H: 150
DEX:20    (+5)
CON:12    (+1)
INT:   14 (+2)
WIS:   10 +0)
CHA:16    (+3)

Saving Throws:         Combat:
Fort:   +4      HP: 58/58
Reflex:   +13   Init: +9
Will:   +6      Speed: 30’

Offense:            Defense:
BAB:   +8/+3         AC:      24
TAB:   +16/+11      AC (Touch):    18
Range:   +13/+8         AC (Flatfoot):   16
CMB:+9         CMD: +27

Class Skills: (6 per level)
Total   Skill (CS+Ability+Modif.+SR)

20   Acrobatics (DEX (3+5+5+7)
10      Bluff (CHR) (3+3+0+4)
9   Climb (STR) (3+1+0+5)
10   Diplomacy(CHA) (3+3+0+4)
7   Knowledge; History (INT) (0+2+0+5)
8   Knowledge; Nobility (INT) (3+2+0+3)
5   Linguistics (INT) (0+2+0+3)
7   Lore; Undead (INT) (+0+2+0+4
14      Perception(WIS) (3+0+3+8)
4   Profession; Sailor (WIS) (3+0+0+1)
10   Sense Motive (CHA) (3+3+0+4)
16   Stealth (DEX) (3+5+0+8)
12   Use Magical Device (CHA) (3+3+0+6)

Languages: Common, Elven, Goblin, Undercommon and Giant

Feats:
(RF=Racial Feature, CF=Class Feature)

   1st Level
RF -   Adaptible; Perception: +3 to Perception skill
Fencer’s Grace: Add  Dex mod to damage instead of STR, +2 to CMD vs disarm
CF -   Deeds: Daring Do, Dodging Panache, Opportune parry & repost
CF -   Inspired Finesse: Weapon Finesse & Weapon focus; Rapiers bonus Feat
CF -   Weapon Focus; Rapier: +1 to Attacks with rapier. (From Inspired Finesse)
CF -   Inspired Panache (7): Points to perform deeds equal to CHA+INT mods
   Level 2:
CF -   Charmed Life 3xday: Add Charisma Mod to Saving Throws.
   Level 3:
Combat Reflexes: 4 additional AOO’s per round
CF -   Deeds: Kip-Up, Menacing Swordplay, Precise Strike, Swashbucklers Init
CF -   Nimble +1: +1 Dodge Bonus
   Level 4:
CF -   Weapon Versitility: As swift action, can change damage type of weapon.
Level 5:
   Steadfast Personality: Use Charisma mod for Will saves.
CF -   Rapier Weapon Training +1: +1 Attack & +2Damage+ Improved Crit w/ rapier
Level 6:
CF - Charmed Life 4/day: Same as above.
Level 7
   Power Attack: -3 to att for +6 to dam.
CF -   Deeds:
CF -   Nimble +2
Level 8
CF -   Dodge: +1 to AC dodge bonus



Traits/racial traits:
Ability Racial Modification: +2 to any one ability score.
Adaptible: Gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat.
Elf Blood: Counts as both elves and humans for racial effects.
Elven Immunities: Immune to sleep, +2 vs enchantments.
Fey Magic: Gain 3 0th and 1 1st level spell as spell like abilities in Urban terrain. Replaces Keen Senses.
Fey Thoughts: Gain Stealth and Use Magic Device as class skills. Replaces Multi-talented.
Racial Senses; Low-light vision: Sees twice as far as humans in dim light.
   Favored Class: ¼ Panache point per level. (2)
Traits:
   Elven Reflexes: +2 Initiative.

Spell Like Abilities (Urban environment) 1xday
0-Level:
Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink
1st-Level:
Recharge Innate Magic

Coin:         wt:
   PP:   4.0.2
GP:   13   0.65
SP:    8   0.4
CP:    0   0
Total GP:53.8      0.85 lbs
Other Valuables:

Equipment:
+1 Rapier of Answering: 8,320 GP (+4 for Parry and Riposte attacks and damage)
Dam: 1D6+16   Crit: 15-20 X2   Wt: 2
Dagger: 2 gp
Dam:1d4+10   Crit: 19-20(x2)   Wt: 1   rng: 10’
Darkwood Buckler: 205 GP
AC: +1   DEX --:   Skill: -0   Spell: 5%   wt: 2.5
+1 Mitheral Chain Shirt: 2,100 gp
AC: +5   DEX +6:   Skill: -0   Spell: 10%   wt: 10
Weapon/Armor Weight: 15.5

Item            Cost   Weight   Notes:
Belt of Incredible Dexterity:   4,000   1 (+2 to dexterity)
Boots of Speed:      12,000   1 (10 rds/day +1 dodge, TAB, att. & Ref. +30’)
Cloak of Resistance +1:   1,000   1 (+1 to saves)
Handy Haversack:      2,000   5
Ring of Tumbling:      2,500   neg (+5 to tumbling)
Bedroll:         .2   5
Canteen:         2   1
Clothing, Travelers outfit:   0   1
Gloves, sharkskin:      6   1 (+2 Acrobatics/climb, -2 CMD vs disarm)
Pouch, belt:         1   .5
Rations (x8):         4   4
Wrist Sheath (Spring):      5   1 (dagger)
   Total Weight: 27.85 lbs (Light)

I'm thinking about a trait similar to Charm; focusing on social interactions or flirting, but not sure exactly how it would work.

[Argent Adonis]

Keep coming back to look this over, so I suppose I have a tentative interest!

I'd certainly like to take a bite as an Inquisitor for the church of Sarenrae.  Not sure of the race just yet.

[Rhynarion]

Should we avoid this game if we are interested in the plot, but not sexiness - particularly not the N/C or rape kind? I don't mind it going on around me, but I am not fine with it happening to my PC - it is on my offs for a reason.

Gothic Horror is so rarely done right, and this looks fascinating.

I am going to toss in this character concept, with a proper sheet soon - pending my questions.

A former Mortician who delved into the Occult after a plague took his small town under; he buried the dead and left to travel the world with his 'lucky coin' and his wedding ring. Strong obsession/taboo with placing coins under the tongue or eyes of the deceased, whether friend or foe in life; says it is to 'pay the ferryman's toll'. Most people think he is a little eccentric, maybe a lot crazy. Misses his dead wife terribly.

Edit: I am going to second the use of Background Skills - they add a lot of flavor, but no real 'power'.

For example, Proffesion (Mortician) suits my character, but without background skills I would never actually rank it - it is a waste of skill ranks that could be put toward skills that keep me alive to continue adventuring; background skills allows me to put ranks in it to represent my background and interests without penalizing my ability to adventure.

[Argent Adonis]

And here's my contribution (might be tweaked a little, but I think it's more or less done):

JAEL ANSEL (mythweaver sheet)

Description:
Jael possessed lustrous hair the colour of burnished bronze, which almost hints of the sunny climes he comes from, whilst the blue of his eyes are dark enough that they almost seem black in the absence of light.  Tall and hard-bodied, with gentle aquiline features, his slightly tapered ears hint at mixed ancestry, though Jael seems to lean more on the elven side of his heritage than human.

With his longstanding service as an inquisitor to the church of Sarenrae, Jael projects an aura of meditative certitude at almost all moments (Wis 20), and whilst his face is generally placed it almost seems at odds with the scrutinising intensity of his gaze (Perception +18, Sense Motive +20).  His motions are deft and cautious as a hunting cat (Dex 22; Stealth +15, Survival +16), and whilst his words have the studied temper of a diplomat's flair (Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16), his piercing gaze hints at a darker persona lurking just beneath ready to boil forth at a moment's notice (Intimidate +20).

Bio:
Jael was brought to a temple of Sarenrae as an abandoned orphan by local priestess – in reality the mother, but felt unable to raise the child alone after her partner died.  His childhood was fairly unremarkable other than an inability to relate to most of his peers, though he compensated by devotion to study and a certain competence in the more martial principles of the faith.  Entering the shaky years of his teens, he finally started to make friends, many of whom came from nearby villages and had been sent to the church as a potential priests.

Many seemed set to join the clergy when an influx of foreign religions entered the region.  Tolerance was advised, but as a result, many of these potentials found new callings and left the church.  Worse, many changes were made that left the church Jael had grown up virtually unrecognisable as they pursued new (and often unorthodox) principles.  Jael was one of the few who stood firm within the core principles on which the faith of Sarenrae was built on.  Whilst he believed in the teachings of his church, he came to understand that a church was only as good as the people who spread the faith.

When the main temple of Sarenrae began to elevate new members for upstanding service, Jael's adherence to original tenets of the faith, even in the face opposition from those around him, was noted.  With his warriors skills and fierce determination, Jael found a path other than that of a common priest.

Two years later, he and two others returned to his hometown.  Those who once mocked him for not following the status quo, were now forced to tread carefully the newly empowered inquisitor who had more authority than they.  Digging through the tangle of corruption ruffled many feathers, not only amongst those who had grown wealthy from graft but also amongst darker elements that had chosen to infiltrate the local priesthood.  By the time he and his cohorts were done, those who were guilty stood trial, those elements aligned with the cult of Norgorber dead, but the influence of the church of Sarenrae was little more than a shadow of what it once was.  Although his efforts were recognised as having culled a greater evil from the ranks of the church, Jael realised that his need for redress had made him overlook one of the key aspects of Sarenrae's church – redemption.

Whilst his comrades went on to become fairly ruthless enforcers, Jael took a sojourn to remain in his town to help rebuild the church he had destroyed, becoming more a contemplative than holy scourge.  After nearly a year, Jael was called upon to investigate the Order of the Silver Dawn.

[Vonandi]

Interested depending on how busy it gets, seeing It might be a few days before I can get myself situated and make a proper character sheet.

[Autocad]

I saw a lot of people clamoring for Pathfinder RPs on the other request board, so I don't know why they've all disappeared once an actual game comes up... maybe they're too afraid they have to "git gud"?

Anyways, to start answering some questions:

1. Will Background Skills be used, or can be used?
By popular demand, background skills are allowed.

2. Not sure that I understand the HP thing. is it 1/2 of the die? 4 for a d8, for example, or would it be 9 for every 2 levels (4+4+.5 per level?
Starting from level 2, half of the die on even levels and half of the die plus one on odd levels. For d8 for example, level 1 would be 8, level 2 would be 4, level 3 would be 5, level 4 would be 4, level 5 would be 5, and so on.

3. Would you authorize Recharge Innate Magic for a non-gnome character? While the spell is specifically for gnomes, it states that a GM may open it up to non-gnomes. One of the alternate racial features that I'm looking at grants spell like abilities, so it might be useful.
Just for you Blinkin, yes.

4. Should we avoid this game if we are interested in the plot, but not sexiness - particularly not the N/C or rape kind? I don't mind it going on around me, but I am not fine with it happening to my PC - it is on my offs for a reason.
I plan for this game to be plot heavy and porn optional, so come on in.

[EndofDivine]

Oh man. How did I miss this? There's so many deliciously dark things I could do with something like this. And level 8! Really appreciate the extra wiggle room to create something a little more unique and flavorful. No young novices and fledgling warriors! :P

I'll have a nice little brainstorm and get back to you. Dhampir is probably a thing that's going to happen though. Just checking...but we're meant to be the good guys, right? No evil necromancers, vampires, or that sort of thing?

[Blinkin]

Ok, thanks for the answers, and it does seem odd that with so many people calling out for Pathfinder, and the usual interest in raveloft like settings, I was expecting to see more interest myself.

I'll have to make a few adjustments to the sheet, add in some more points for background skills and so on, but overall, Lydia is done.

I intentionally made her a bit upbeat just for the option of character growth in a darker setting.

[EndofDivine]

So here's what I have so far. I'll get the sheet worked up later today. Planning on going Investigator with the idea of having her mutagen exaggerate her vampiric features. Might touch up the background a bit here and there throughout the day too. Had to rush to get it done before heading out to work. Hoping someone on the lawful evil side but with the same goals is still ok.

Zora's character sheet

Background: Zora, like many inhabitants of Urgasburg, isn't quite what she appears to be. The result of a union between her human mother and a vampire father, Zora actually enjoyed a relatively normal upbringing, all things considered. Her father, while certainly possessing a manipulative and charming streak his kind are known for, truly loved Zora's mother and took great pride in raising his offspring. With the protection of a coven of vampires to protect them from outsiders and their father to ward off threats from his own kin, the two ladies found themselves well taken care of.

When Zora came of age, she willingly entangled herself in the world of her father. Being creatures of irresistible impulse and craving, her father's colleagues were less than altruistic about the whole affair. Still, Zora soldiered on, rebuffing their attempts at seduction and always turning down the invitations back to their estates. Eventually, Zora managed to earn their respect and work her way up the vampire's hierarchy from a simple daylight errand girl to something much darker. The weaknesses of the vampires and their limitations were no secret and their enemies happily plotted against them safe in the knowledge that they were untouchable as long as they stayed indoors during the one time the vampires could retaliate. Zora, however, was a loyal servant and did not suffer those same restrictions. Over the course of months, they molded the young girl into a powerful tool meant only to carry out their nefarious schemes without endangering themselves. During this time she wore many masks: spy, blackmailer, and even assassin. It worked too. Zora delivered them the head of a particularly fervent vampire hunter that she had killed during the one time he thought himself safe, and when the enforcers of the Silver Truce went hunting, it was Zora they went after, not them.

That fateful meeting on the darkened streets of Urgasburg should have been where Zora Orvo died. In fact, as far as the clergy and her family were concerned, she did. The masked enforcer dragged the body of a young woman fitting Zora's description into the church that night and left with her payment. It was simple, as it always was. It was only days later that the priests learned they had been deceived - Zora still lived and their enforcer was dead. Rather than admit weakness, the clergy tracked down Zora a second time, the woman now stalking the streets in the stolen garb of one of the Silver Truce's enforcers. They made her a deal she couldn't refuse: let Zora stay dead and become something far greater.

Now, Zora serves Urgathoa and the city of Urgasburg as an enforcer of the Silver Truce, hunting down the dead and living alike in protection of Urgasburg's oldest tradition. She's earned quite the reputation over the years, though none know her name. She is just a figure spoken of in whispers, a faceless hunter that stops at nothing to see order maintained by reminding everyone what punishment awaits those that disobey. And with the chaos of the Scarlet Moon looming over Urgasburg, Zora's never been busier.

Dressed as a Silver Truce enforcer

Without the mask

[Rhynarion]

Autocad: Are you allowing Inquisitors to worship an ideal instead of a god, as per the CRB? The only gods who offer the domain I am pondering are unpalpatable CE Trope Evil and I'd prefer to be Lawful (Neutral)... So I was hopong for permission to do an Ideal instead.

[National Acrobat]

I would be interested.

My initial thought is a Ranger/Cleric of Pharasma, who has heard what is going on, and at the insistence of the Lady's Faith, has been charged with seeing exactly what is going on and providing aid against the undead if needed.

If that sounds like it might work I can work on a sheet. Not sure what a custom trait would entail, but I imagine it would have something to do with combating the undead, or resisting certain effects of theirs.

[MisoThe Mouse]

Interested. I have limited experience though, and will probably be needing help with the character sheet.

I was thinking a Dread Gnome Bloodrager, shadow bloodline. A Urgathoa cleric with his own agenda...

[EndofDivine]

Added in my character sheet. Not quite done, still need to buy a few things and I might rearrange a few things, but you get the idea.

[Rhynarion]

Is a half-vampire a paizo playable race? I'm just curious as I haven't ever seen a half-vampire... half-giant, half-elf, half-orc, half-dragon for that matter, although I'm not sure that's actually a player race... lol

It is! It called a Dhampir.

[Chulanowa]

I'm interested; that house-cleaning adventurer hook seems amusing

[TheHangedOne]

I'm interested in this. Kind of gives me a Bloodborne vibe, which is a good thing. I was thinking of doing either a Brawler or Slayer, and playing them up as a local who has always viewed the night time as a "fun" challenge; they live for the hunt, and while most certainly alive, are most likely some kind of 'monster' themselves (not a literal monster race, mind you, but more along the moral lines; most likely Lawful Neutral as that is my preferred alignment, but leaning towards Evil).

Would this concept and character fit? For race, I'm thinking Tiefling; "outcasts and asylum-seekers" came to Urgasborg, and Tiefling's are one of the 'bastard' races who tend to get an undeserved amount of prejudice.

[shereena12345]

I am interested, as I love undead/heroine pairings :P

However, I am unfamiliar with the Pathfinder RPG, and find freeform much more to my liking for erotic RP's.  Any kind of compromise we could come to?

I am not interested in a combat oriented character anyways, so that should help.  I was thinking along the lines of a noble woman who comes here on her travels, unaware of the dangers of this place.  Swept up in it, she finds herself being entertained in various ways within the city :P  FYI - I am not interested in gore or violence however.

[Cessali]

I've been circling this thread for several days now, and I've finally come up with something that might fit.  Full sheet will come later; for now, the character sketch.

Akma, Dominus of the Jasper Spire - Wizard, N, Conjurer

image

two paragraphs of background

The pursuit of magic, in whatever form that pursuit takes, requires utter dedication and fool-hardy stubbornness the likes of which daunts lesser hearts and minds.  Akma thinks somewhat highly of himself (if measuredly so) because he has chosen -- and is successfully pursuing -- the path that allows him to wield the power of the gods without any of that troublesome submission to divinity.  He's not a cruel or callous man, but wizardry is a practice of the elite, and the elite, the powerful, may take what is reasonably due them.  It was to this end that he left his family to study the Arts, succeed in the Arts, and establish himself as arcanist-dominus of the Jasper Spire.

Sadly, there comes a time in every wizard's life when they overstep their boundaries within whatever academy or tutelage they've accepted.  Akma was in the process of preparing for examinations in his masters of the Arts when he had a very... vigorous disagreement with the Provost of the Spire on a matter of the Provost's favorite pet metaphysical theorems involving conjunctions of the Astral, Prime Material, and Aetherial planes (it's all very complex, don't bother yourself to worry about them).  He has since accepted the Spire's offer of an indefinite academic furlough (the alternative was permanent expulsion and blacklisting), and has been searching for a new place to call home.  The Clockwork Tower's unusual situation and disposition has made them an attractive opportunity; thus, he has picked up his stock and is intent upon resuming his lessons.  Dark goddesses, blood moons, shambling hordes of the undead, he's capable of restraint and knows some magic to deal with them.  Besides, if it turns out he can be the missing piece that means the city's survival, won't that mean they'll be obliged to be grateful to him?

Myth-Weavers Sheet

[TheHangedOne]

Grosvenor "The Dragon"

Sheet (I hope I have that set correctly).

Grosvenor is a Tiefling who came to the city when he was still a child, along with his parents; his mother, a Tiefling, and his father, a human. The Infernal blood won out, of course, and he was born with a cruel set of horns, much like his mother, and red skin to match hers. The couple had come to the city, for their love was frowned upon in most societies; but they found solace and acceptance among the other outcasts.

In a town full of dangers, Grosvenor's youth was full of peril and adventure, but he took to it readily. His own father, who was a monk, took to teaching his son some degree of martial arts; but unlike his father, the youth did not quite have the knack for the discipline and chi manipulation. Where his father was elegant and graceful, Grosvenor was cunning and brutal, and eventually worked on a style of martial arts that differed profoundly from his father's own.

His father never quite liked how the undead were allowed to hunt at night, and so, for as long as he could, he would depart into the nights to stalk the mindless undead and destroy them, for as long as the Silver Truce and his own aging body would allow. When he became too old to continue the fight, the mantle was passed onto his son. Grosvenor took to the hunt with an almost glee that might unsettle some, and was a constant worry for his parents; but time after time, he managed to make it home, still alive (if not always well); consequently, a catch phrase of his has become "I'm not dead yet!", often accompanied with laughter.

His moniker of "The Dragon" comes from his boastful posturing and the manner in which he attempts to intimidate sentient undead into either fighting him (when they seem to be pursuing someone else), as well as from his style of fighting.

In his years of taking to the streets at night, he has developed a reputation among both the living and the dead; while he doesn't always seek to be a hero (as he is not motivated by Good), there is a handful of living every year who benefit from his hunts; people he has saved from being killed by the dead who walk. Such people have received escorts to the Silver Dawn, where they could shelter for the night; and, often enough, "pep talks" about how they need to learn to defend themselves, because relying on someone else to save them is just asking for trouble.

As a relatively accomplished hunter who is not known to give quarter, he is also known among the sentient undead of the city as a person of interest; whether they see him as a threat to be killed, a challenge to be savored, or a dangerous psychopath to avoid is up to the individual, but needless to say, he does not have a good rapport with them.

In regards to the Silver Truce, Grosvenor respects and abides by it, and will always cooperate with its Enforcers; he may not follow all the laws of the city to the letter of the word, but the Silver Truce is something he holds in the highest regards. That being said, during the initial chaotic period of the eternal moon, he was going full tilt, as some individuals were; but once the Clocktower established some semblance of order, he resumed to abiding by the moonrise/moonset laws...

With one exception. While yes, he tries to abide by the Silver Truce as dictated by the ringing of the bells, if he sees an Undead "acting out" during the otherwise peaceful "day", he will assess the situation; either there will be Silver Truce Enforcers to deal with it; or, if not, he will deal with the problematic undead himself. He sees this as not a violation of the Truce, since firstly, the whole situation is very chaotic, and secondly, the Undead in question made the first aggressive action and therefore broke the law; on his part, he is simply punishing a law-breaker when there is no respectable member of authority to do so (hence why he looks to see if there are Enforcers before acting; if there are, he will instead allow them to handle the situation).
------------
EndOfDivine: I feel like there is room for our character's to be familiar with each other; either before or after her "death"/rebirth. If I get approved, would you like to plot such details?

[EndofDivine]

EndOfDivine: I feel like there is room for our character's to be familiar with each other; either before or after her "death"/rebirth. If I get approved, would you like to plot such details?

Sure. Always open to connections. It'd probably have to be after she joined up with the church of Urgathoa though. If it's cool with Autocad, I was sort of hoping that those sent out to enforce the silver truce would effectively be cut off from the rest of the world. They wear masks so no one will recognize them, they're declared dead so no one looks for them, and they're kept separate from the populace so they don't take sides. Probably some degree of brainwashing involved. I will say that there's a pretty good chance that our two characters probably aren't friendly though, unless you had an idea for how they know each other outside of the whole silver truce thing. Even though she's supposed to be impartial, Zora was still raised by vampires, so she tends to favor the dead over the living.

[TheHangedOne]

Sure. Always open to connections. It'd probably have to be after she joined up with the church of Urgathoa though. If it's cool with Autocad, I was sort of hoping that those sent out to enforce the silver truce would effectively be cut off from the rest of the world. They wear masks so no one will recognize them, they're declared dead so no one looks for them, and they're kept separate from the populace so they don't take sides. Probably some degree of brainwashing involved. I will say that there's a pretty good chance that our two characters probably aren't friendly though, unless you had an idea for how they know each other outside of the whole silver truce thing. Even though she's supposed to be impartial, Zora was still raised by vampires, so she tends to favor the dead over the living.

That makes sense. Here are my two cents, feel free to do with them as you wish: On the one hand, he has that "kill or be killed" mentality with the dead, which would naturally affect her (she could very well fear for her family and friends, even though he's not strictly a vampire hunter). On the other hand, he is very strict and thorough in his abiding of the Truce (in keeping with his Lawful Neutral alignment), so on the professional level, there might be a little room for some amount of respect, even if it's grudging?

They might have been running into each other much more frequently; since the Scarlet Moon began. I'd imagine the chaos had all the Enforcers working 'double shifts' and generally a bit frazzled, and uncertain of what to do (like most of the population, I'd imagine), at least until some semblance of order was restored. Which makes me wonder: what's her take on the bells?

[Autocad]

I'll be picking players and getting started over the weekend, so now's the chance for last-minute character submissions.

And on to Q and A...

Just checking...but we're meant to be the good guys, right? No evil necromancers, vampires, or that sort of thing?

Actually, this is the chance to play that evil necromancer or vampire you've been wanting to all along, as long as you can exercise enough self-restraint to cooperate with the rest of the party and obey the Silver Truce.

Zora stuff -snip-

Love the concept :D

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

Autocad: Are you allowing Inquisitors to worship an ideal instead of a god, as per the CRB? The only gods who offer the domain I am pondering are unpalpatable CE Trope Evil and I'd prefer to be Lawful (Neutral)... So I was hopong for permission to do an Ideal instead.

I'd prefer you pick a god instead and add the domain as an exception, which domain are you referring to actually?

My initial thought is a Ranger/Cleric of Pharasma, who has heard what is going on, and at the insistence of the Lady's Faith, has been charged with seeing exactly what is going on and providing aid against the undead if needed.

As long as you can exercise enough self-restraint to cooperate with the rest of the party and obey the Silver Truce, sure.

Would this concept and character fit? For race, I'm thinking Tiefling; "outcasts and asylum-seekers" came to Urgasborg, and Tiefling's are one of the 'bastard' races who tend to get an undeserved amount of prejudice.

Yes, the setting allows you to be not-so-good guys without being ostracized by society.

However, I am unfamiliar with the Pathfinder RPG, and find freeform much more to my liking for erotic RP's.  Any kind of compromise we could come to?

I am not interested in a combat oriented character anyways, so that should help.  I was thinking along the lines of a noble woman who comes here on her travels, unaware of the dangers of this place.  Swept up in it, she finds herself being entertained in various ways within the city :P  FYI - I am not interested in gore or violence however.

Unfortunately, this particular game might not be exactly what you're looking for. Wish you luck...

If it's cool with Autocad, I was sort of hoping that those sent out to enforce the silver truce would effectively be cut off from the rest of the world. They wear masks so no one will recognize them, they're declared dead so no one looks for them, and they're kept separate from the populace so they don't take sides.

That is cool and I approve!