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PF-based fantasy: Thundering Shores

Started by Ixy, October 15, 2013, 11:28:27 PM

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Ixy

I'm still considering, but not 100% committed to, the idea of running a PF-based, small-group game.
The premise teaser is this:




Explorers first noted the island of Kraken seventy years ago, two months from an island where provisions could be had, and four from the mainland of Argyris.  The first ships to traverse these waters reported that the seas nearby were a hell-spawned combination of torrential wind and lightning.  Observers and scholars speculated that Kraken's mountainous terrain and apparent volcanic activity were the cause, though some of the landforms that could be identified-- through dangerous, and distant, study-- were reminiscent of a nation told of in the most ancient texts-- a land called Varvare, that in holy texts was the cradle of all civilization, a nation whose armies reached the world's shores and brought light to barbarians as surely as it enslaved or destroyed their peoples.  The myth describes it as crushed by the twin gods for its arrogance and corruption, and for the blasphemies of its people.  The only common references that remains in modern lingo is as a slur-- prostitutes, high-fee money lenders, and murderers are sometimes called Varvares.

Fifteen years ago, however, scholars who managed to fund an expedition observed that the ash in the water had lessened, and the strong winds were, in fact, navigable.  The captains dared edging their vessels closer in the hopes of taking home some grand knowledge until one of the vessels ran aground two miles from the smoldering shores of the island-- through its ripped hull, as the sailors were evacuating their crucial supplies, a young deck-hand reported that he had clear view of the stones that split his ship's shell, and that, in the light of a sinking lantern, the peak of a great, sunken tower could be seen in the depths, stretching into the darkness below until the lantern's light was swallowed by the deep.




Players interested would be portraying characters joining a small colony that, for the past five years, has managed to assert its foothold on the shores of this strange island.  Your character is called to this place by some passion that overwhelms their regard for personal safety... it may have been five years since the storms dissipated, but the island is a dangerous frontier.  Ideally, we need at least a couple of specific roles filled for the story, but I am willing to be flexible on specifics.  In fact, I ask that players suggest their own mythos, adding to the vague story as it grows by building history (not metagaming). 



Some quirks of this game, varying greatly from Pathfinder rules:

There is no good and evil.  Detect Evil, Law, etc. works to sense a person's motives at a given moment, and to give an insight into their being.  Every being has both in their hearts, but some give way to one over the other-- especially given circumstances.  Thus, casting such a spell gives a general feeling of a person, but there is no classification so distinct to say that Evil must be destroyed.  Protection from evil aids against muggers and liars, but will not faze a criminal from lashing out in self-defense.

Magic items are exceedingly rare, and monsters that cannot be hurt except by magic items have never been proven to exist.  The only source for such items is through legendary rites that were rumored to have killed the caster, or priest, whose soul was destroyed to create them... there is one rumored survivor of these rites in the known world, this generation's "Hollow One" who 'lives' in the holy city of Argyris in the imperial mainland.  He is cared for by the Argyrian monks and his family is treated as high royalty.

The deities of this world are few.  There are three revered: the Dead Maker, a progenitor god believed to have expired in his act of creation, the Right Hand, who puts things in order, and the Left Hand, who breaks things apart.  What clerics and common-folk serve and worship are called Aspects of these two living figures-- the Red-Armored Dead, agent of Destruction... revered by warriors everywhere, whether out of a need to cull the corrupt or the desire to seize lands and power.  The Green Man, agent of the wild order and growth, who tears down cities with plague or protects baby deer from overfed and lazy lions.  The Veiled Flesh, the golden temptress who inspires poetry and fertility as easily as jealousy and violent lusts.  ... you get the idea... the left hand and the right hand are all of these things, sometimes both at once, all in a plan set in motion by the stilled head of a dead god.

Combat will be handled in 'bursts'... as players, you would post your character's intended course of action and multiple rolls toward that outcome... for instance, a fighter might send three attack rolls consecutively, and I might determine how they fall into play.  Opposing actions with other players will be adjudicated by me, etc.  Once each 'burst' of combat resolves, I'll advise players of the general outcome and we can collaboratively describe the results in the frame of story.  This way, I hope, combat scenes will not last more than 2 or 3 posts from each player, but we're not overlooking the balance of system-play.

Content warning: I'm comfortable working with any players' desires and limits when it comes to sex and violence.  However, you must tell me what those are, in some fashion, or I will just make assumptions and you will probably be grossed out or bored to tears.  I will place this in NC tentatively, unless we have to go farther, but I expect there to be descriptions of an explicit nature in the main threads of the game.



For those interested, after this rant, please feel free to express your interest.  I will accept no more than 4 ... I will settle for 3 happily.  Core material and Paizo supplements are generally ok.  Characters are level 3, 36 point buy, with no magic equipment and 1500 gp worth of goods.  Charisma is not appearance... appearance is not a stat. 

This is NOT first-come, first-served... Feel free to ask questions here, but after I've answered in the main message, I may ask you to delete posts to keep the scrolling down.  You're welcome to propose a concept only or a fully-made sheet, but understand that I'm looking for believably heroic characters-- more than mere mortals, yes, but characters who have personalities, quirks, fears, motives.  Stand out in some way, please.  Just because someone else proposes a character of a certain type doesn't mean you can't do the same, and multiple submissions are welcome.  Keep it reasonable, though.  Anime avatars are not really appreciated, but appearance helps.  You may be asked more questions during the application stage, but please don't be angry if I tell you a concept won't work.  It's almost guaranteed that I won't like many GOOD characters just because I see the game going a general direction that the PC, or a writer's style, would not fit.

Ideally, I'd like at least 1 Cleric, integral to some key plot points.  A paladin also makes perfect sense, and we can have both.  The holy orders of Argyris are definitely set on reaching this place. 
... that's it for now.  I really hope that I've sparked an interest in some of you, and please let me know if you have specific questions or ideas. 

I plan to take a couple days off this weekend, but will try to respond to questions regularly and hope to start the game in about 1 week.

Thanks for reading!
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

arkhos

VERY nice detail and well-thought out, Ixy!

I would very much like to participate in such a tale.

Definite interest from this player! I will also PM you a couple questions.

-ark
Wheels within wheels in a spiral array, a pattern so grand and complex; Time after time we lose sight of the way, our causes can't see their effects.

Ixy

Some positions to consider:

Arcanist: Could be a wild sorcerer, or a trained tower-mage, but your pc will be best able to understand the wild magics that linger in this abandoned land.  Those mosaic markings are beautiful to some, but to you, they are rich with meaning... they are calling to the magic in your soul.  Only you can truly understand what lives here, or perhaps even control it?

Church agent: The first order of business for this colony was to ensure they don't leave the Light.  We're not expecting to find anyone to convert-- er, SAVE, over there, but we don't want these locals forgetting their duty to the temple.  The second business?  come closer... there's something sensitive you need to know...

Combat specialist: Spears and bows... bless their souls, these louts can even use them as competently as a trained monkey.  We need someone who won't wither under fire, and who can make up for our inability to send a properly armed platoon into that mess.  You are the platoon... they are not allowed to die.

Survivalist/Task-master: The jungle is naturally evolved to kill everything that doesn't belong in it.  And with the stories of ruins being found, it's safe to say that someone used to live among that jungle, and left behind things that could keep that jungle out.  We can't trust this mission to numbers.  We can only trust quality on this one... we need someone for whom the unfamiliar is never 'unknown'.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Toggle

Wow, this looks amazingly fun and intriguing.

I'd like to toss my hat in the ring here for some potential play.  What site would you prefer us to host sheets on for you?

Ixy

Good question-- myth-weavers is good for me, if no one objects.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Toggle

Myth Weavers works for me!  I'll see what sort of concept I can pull together and send your way!

Toggle

Pathfinder Rangers are awesome, also how did you want us to do HP if at all Ixy?

Tydorei

I'm interested in Church Agent role. Inquisitor is my favorite class.

Toggle

I should note I'm interested in the Arcanist Role, and hope that my approach will be accepted.

Ixy

Thanks all for the expressions of interest-- I look forward to seeing character concepts as soon as eveyone has time to review.  Again, I may be unresponsive for a couple days here, but I hope to be rolling forward next week.

Rangers: Outstanding help in this chronicle.  I'm open to some of the standard variants as well... I much prefer the 'favored terrain' option to 'favored enemy', but some of the variants I've seen on d20pfsrd.com are suitable for this story.

Toggle's question:

Hit points: thanks for the question, I forgot.  Maximum first level, half for all others, please.  Thanks!

Ershin's questions:
1) Kids are a sensitive subject for me personally, and with the site, but I can see them contributing to the realism of the story if they appear properly and there's NO blurred lines.  As this is a very harsh outpost, there will be blood...  I squick at violence towards little kids.  Can you share with me how they'd add to your character's concept, motives and the like?  And what you're imagining the family to be like?  I am not disallowing it outright, but would like to know more.

2) Races- I had a PM question along similiar lines-- the Empire has reached out into every corner of the known world, encountering races with their own cultures and territories in various climates, isolated by geographic features and their own technological limitations.  The Empire unified them... more or less.   There are certain to be pockets of nationalistic/cultural resistance, war, collaboration, and there are certainly cases of intermarriage.  You are asked to determine your people's history, background, etc. as it contributes to your PC's personality.  You don't have to have elaborate history, just a general idea that you can explain/improvise if need be.

Additional notes:
Roles: Please bear in mind that none of the roles below are specific to one class-- your warrior-type could be fighter, barbarian, paladin, monk, etc.  Your taskmaster could be a ranger, a rogue, or a bard, etc.  I was glad to see Inquisitor mentioned, as I am definitely not opposed to that, although I frequently forget that class exists.

I'm very enthusiastic about the replies so far.  We're going to get some great characters from you all.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Inash

Rough Concept:  Half-elf who doesn't really like civilization much, but can handle being in/around a small outpost, even if in a leadership role.  How hard can it be to explain that what they need to do to keep the wild out? (silly ranger)  He is working partially under the assumption that part of his role is to provide fresh meat and hides for the colony.

Ranger Archetypes:  Wild Shadow & Trapper

Florence

Hmm... I could get in on this, if there's still time to submit a character.

Would a druid fit into this campaign? I've had an urge to play one lately...
O/O: I was going to make a barebones F-list as a rough summary, but then it logged me out and I lost my progress, so I made a VERY barebones F-list instead: Here.

godfang

i was just about to submit a druid, instead i'll submit a mysterious storyteller (bard) known simply as 'Wanderer'. Charsheet incoming within the hour


godfang

#13

There is a tale of a man, passed throughout history. In some tales, he is a heroic warrior whose blade took the lives of a hundred foes in one battle. In another tale, he is a powerful magus who brough fiery ruins to a city of thieves. In some he is a virtuous chaste hero who resisted the charms of the whore assasins of the eastern deserts yet in other tales he is renowned for fucking three different queens in one night while their husbands were out in the battlefield.

The man ,known only as Wanderer, is easily identified by his black sword and stories of the golden haired wanderer has been told for well over a hundred years. There are many theories as to how this man is so long lived. Some say he is an immortal, cursed to wander for eternity. Others say that he has elven blood and is merely aging slower. A wise scholar theorized that the wanderer is not one man at all, and is instead a series of different people claiming the name. This is, in fact, the truth. 

The newest man to don the title of Wanderer is, as was all those who came before him, the son of the previous wanderer.  His travel now takes him to new lands, a land where he will ensure that the legend of the Wanderer will continue and he would do anything to obtain this, for that has been the ways of his line, forever forging wondrous tales and fantastical legends.

The current wanderer looks more the part of a warrior than a scholar, a tall broad shouldered man whose sword arm is as big as his ambitions. He has learned all the knowledge, all the skills of his father and is adept at weaving tales and exageration. Unlike his forefathers however, this wanderer desires to be the last one. He wants the legend of the wanderer to end with him and by achieving that, he wants to be the one true Wanderer, the one remembered by historians.



Note: Still needs to pick traits, spells and miscellaneous equipments
Note 2: The role fitting for him (being an archeologist and all) would be the Arcanist. He has ranks in Linguists, the comprehend language spell, as well as the bardic knowledge alongside a rank in every knowledge available to help him.


arkhos

#14
Brogan is a half-orc hailing from the Orcish territory of Ugal'khan, which was one of the first orc territories not only to stop fighting the Imperium - but to join them whole-heartedly. Other orc nations resent them for their quick capitulation and summary annexation into the Imperium with such little resistance, going so far as to call them cowards. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Brogans father was human, and his mother an orc. The two met in the capitol of Ugal'khan, his father the captain of the guard for a human diplomat stationed in the capitol, and his mother a mere orcish servant. Some would say the human took advantage of the orc woman's station to have his way with her, but any who might have witnessed their first mating would be hard-pressed to believe that she was in -any- way the recipient of foul-play.

Love blossomed between them, and when it came time about a year later for his father to return to the Imperium, he took his lover with him. Soon after returning she informed him of her pregnancy, and shortly after, they were wed.

Life growing up in the Imperium as a half-breed was a mixed-bag of tolerance and outright hatred. Brogan learned to deal with it over time, thanks to his father's greatest gift to him: the ability to calm the orc savagery within him and remain patient. 'Patience is a weapon no enemy can counter,' his father told him, and it was something that Brogan would long remember and take to heart.

When Brogan was approximately seven years old, his father was called away once again as a captain for a diplomatic mission to a far away land across the sea. The ship did not have room for families, so Brogan and his mother were not permitted to go. The trip, his father told him, would only take six months total, and he promised to be home by Brogan's eighth birthday.

Fifteen years later, Brogan still waited for his father to return. Word from the authorities within the Imperium was that ship had been lost with all hands, grief was heavy in the heart of Brogn and his mother.

Following in his father's footsteps, honoring his father in the best way he knew how, Brogan took up the sword and shield and bow, and became not only proficient with them over time, but skilled.

When the opportunity presented itself for Brogan to journey to the distant island that his father was last seen, he jumped at the chance. Nothing would stop him from finding out the fate of his father.


Notes: Need to finish Equipment, calc left-over coin
Notes: Need to consider more background detail
Notes: Role for him would be Combat Specialist, one of many I would assume.
Wheels within wheels in a spiral array, a pattern so grand and complex; Time after time we lose sight of the way, our causes can't see their effects.

Ghostwheel

#15
Character name: Jin

Have a couple of concepts--let me know which one strikes your fancy, and I'll elaborate on that one's background.

Oracle:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Position: Church agent

Wind. Fire. Water. All of these are present in the storm, the proof of nature's awesome power. From a young age, Jin was fascinated by the power of the storm. Its ability to bring life to an arid land. The magnificent power of lightning striking the earth. The wind that could drive any foe or structure. All of these together embodied for him the right-hand and the left-hand path. There was a unity there that resonated with him on the deepest level, and there were many a night when he went alone, skyclad into the meadow near his home to brave the storm despite his parents' misgivings. It was only during these times that he truly felt alive, when wind and rain lashed his naked body, when lightning ripped through the skies towards the wet earth and rent it asunder, the stars twinkling bright amongst rainclouds.

His greatest wish was to see where storms took him, what was behind the next horizon, and where he would venture next. One day a messenger from the City came, and told his family of the plan to venture forth into a mysterious land. Feeling that this was his chance for freedom, he bid his parents goodbye and left them for the City, ready to become part of the expedition and forge into untouched lands, his boundless wanderlust ready to see what would come and who he would meet upon the greatest adventure of his life, and to help shelter others who might be affected by the metaphysical storms that affect their life as one of the most holy Order of the Storm.

Sorcerer:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Position: Arcanist

From a young age Jin knew he was special. There was something about him unlike most other people, the ability to feel the magic that suffused the world that the Dead Progenitor had left behind and bend it to his will, shape it into a force that could protect or destroy at his whim. This power brought with it arrogance, and the small village he lived in marveled at his abilities. Yet he was humbled one day when a band of adventurers came to the small village. Amongst them was a wizardress of great power, and he felt dwarfed, his paltry spells put to shame by her arcane prowess.

Realizing that the world was far larger than he had imagined, Jin searched for an opportunity to leave the village and make something of himself, find some cause to believe in. When the call came to settle a new-found land, Jin jumped at the chance. Finally, he could use his power to help build the land rather than only for his own gain, perhaps to find those who could be important to him, to do something right by people for once. He set off at once, leaving the small village and venturing forth into the great unknown.

Monk, going to multiclass into Paladin or Inquisitor after next level:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Position: Church agent or Combat specialist or Survivalist

Image

Growing in the Monastery of Lightning as a foundling, Jin never knew his real parents, or his heritage for that matter. Sure, there was some human in him, but in there was also some elf, and maybe dwarf--though you might be looking a little hard at that point. Regardless of his heritage, Jin was doted on as a child by the older monks, and learned the iconic fighting style of the monastery--not that of the sword or fist, but that of the bow. Despite his time in the monastery, and the happiness that accompanied it, as time went on he chafed beneath limitations of the monastery, and wondered what was outside its folds.

When the call came to explore a new land, Jin was one of the first volunteers. He was determined to make the elders of the Monastery proud and further its goals of bringing order to a new land as part of the Right Hand. It was a sad parting, but the monks saw that he was resolved to go and see the wider world, and after much discussion allowed him his leave to go see the world.

Inash

Alrighty, here is the crunch: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=683029

I'll add the backstory, personality and appearance hopefully later tonight.

Ixy

Thanks, all, for your patience-- I'm exhausted, but very happy to see the concepts pitched so far.

A few clarifications and answers to prior questions:

1) Deadline: That's an excellent question; I will accept applications with character concepts/backgrounds, even those without stats, up until Tuesday, 10/22.  I'll invite the selected players by PM by Wednesday, and we can start on Friday or Saturday.  This will give those invited to join the game an opportunity to finalize all sheets and plan out time to post.

2) Sexual mage: I'm 99% sure I would not accept that concept, though a mage who happens to enjoy sex, or even one who is addicted to it in a way beyond what's entirely healthy-- that might work.

3) Druids: We're still accepting concepts, so I'm ok with that at this point. 



I have a request for those following this thread:

if you have asked a question, or added a comment that is NOT the text of/link to a character submission, please go ahead and remove that post.  This is just a 'housekeeping' request, as it'll help me keep a grip on things.  If you have PMd me an application, that is fine-- you do not need to send it a second time, and some of you may not want to post links to your sheet, etc. 

Once again, I'm expecting to limit to a party of 4 PCs.  Thanks for everyone's patience
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

EndofDivine

#18
Here's the sorcerer I came up with. Mostly focused on enchantments and I'll pick up some fire-based spells later as she starts reverting back to her true nature. Tried to give her background a lot of mystery and I also tried giving her a lot of really strong personal reasons to go venturing out into the ruins. I left all the hooks ambiguous so you could have my character's background and story go whichever way you'd prefer or whichever way happens to fit the story the best...who her mother actually was, who the visitors are, their motivations, what she was brought here to see, and so on. I'll post the actual character sheet before too long...definitely before tuesday though.


The Lanshanakir family is a mildly influential family with ties to the church in Argyris. Her father, Albric, was a lecherous man in his youth and while that had gotten him in trouble before, it was never anything his wealth and power couldn’t get him out of. At least that was the case until 22 years ago when an elven woman brought him their half-elven child. Months later, the child's mother was gone, vanishing without a trace; the only proof of her existence being the child she left behind.

Galacia spent her childhood hidden away from the world. She was a well-kept family secret that could bring shame on the house if word of her heritage ever got out. Her father would pass her off as a serving girl or the playmate of one of his human offspring to anyone noticing the half-elf girl that was always present in his home; whatever it took to keep his name out of the gossip and in the good graces of the church.

The abilities she possessed manifested at a young age, often violently so. Albric assumed it to be a side effect of her elven blood and sent for a tutor to get the girl under control. While the fiery outbursts were unsettling and dangerous, Albric thought little of what it meant for his daughter. It was just another thing to be swept under the rug and hidden.

Her tutor was a halfling man named Lyle Fairhill. Lyle quickly proved to be adept at his assigned task and became one of Galacia's only true friends. With Lyle's help, she learned to blend into a crowd much like her often overlooked halfling teacher and how to channel the fiery magic she displayed in her youth into something more subtle; skills her father was more than happy to see the girl learn.

But then, on her 20th birthday, the visitors started coming to her as she slept. Horrifying beasts that called out to her in an alien tongue...one she somehow found herself understanding all too well. Their honeyed words offered guidance...answers...a home...a family. All she had to do was listen and do as they asked. How could she not?

The visitors' intentions were clear. They wanted her here. There were things she needed to see, secrets about herself to unravel. She needed to be here. And as she stepped off the boat and set foot onto the shores of the island for the first time...she knew, more certainly than she had ever known something in her life, that she belonged here. She was home.

godfang

i don't think we should have two archeologist bards in one party though

Inash

#20
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=683029

Name: Calathes Bramble

Role: Survivalist/taskmaster

Class:  Ranger (Wild Shadow, Trapper) / Rogue (Sniper, Scout)

Description:  a slim weather worn half-elf.  Dishwater blonde, slightly sun leached hair, green eyes.  No significant scars, no tattoos.  His clothing is a drab mix of greens and browns designed to blend into the foliage.  A dagger, on the right, and shortsword, on the left, are strapped tightly against either leg, so that they don't rattle around or catch on a branch.  He carries a high quality composite longbow at the ready, and has a quiver with an assortment of arrows on his back.

Background:  The child of a bar maid and a passing adventurer.  Calathes never knew his elven father.  He spent his early years at his grandparents tavern in a jungle region on the border of the empire.  When he was five the village was raided by lizard folk.  Calathes and family managed to hide in a hidden cellar, but Calathes was one of those children who is always making noise, and has a hard time using a quiet voice.  Thanks to this, they were discovered.  His mother and grandparents were killed, but the imperial army arrived and drove the attackers off before he was as well. 

It was two years before he spoke again, which suited the orphanage just fine.  To this day he barely talks, and when he does it is rarely above a whisper.  As soon as he was (or at least looked) old enough, he ran away and joined the army, becoming a scout and sharpshooter in the same jungle he was raised in.  When his enlistment was over, he stayed in the area, hunting lizardfolk.  Eventually the empire succeeded in conquering the lizardfolk tribes in the area, and he wasn't allowed to hunt his 'fellow citizens', so he moved on.  A remote, jungle island... sounds perfect.

Personality:  Extremely quiet and reserved.  It has been years (17 actually) since he has allowed himself to get close to anyone.  Currently he harbors a murderous rage toward any lizardfolk, though he does manage to supress it when necessary.  Beyond that, not much is yet known.  It will be interesting to see what he is like under the reserve.

Ixy

Here are the character ideas that I see so far... I know EFA is working on one too, and we're ahead of deadline.  I just want to give everyone a chance to correct, add to, etc. 

Please remember that, though I would love to roleplay more and with all these characters in some fashion or another, I am not going above 4 PCs in this game.  Already, this is not a happy thing!  I really like these characters and would very much like to see them all in this game, but I don't think I could handle that many and keep the story intelligible.




PC: Player: Class
Galacia Lanshanakir     EndofDivine     Sorceress   
Tari GravanteBlinkinSwashbuckler
Calathes BrambleInashTaskmaster
JinGhostwheelOracle, sorcerer, or Monk
Brogan Ha'farArkhosWarrior
WandererGodfangBard/scholar

If you have any concerns about content, specific desires/wants/offs/etc, or questions so far, please feel free to PM me.  Please don't forget about the game starting, I hope, by Friday, 10/25.  I will still review character ideas up until Tuesday night, 10/22, and will PM invitations to the player until I get 4 'accepts'. This is based on your posting style/frequency, character background and role in the party, and on a weird idea of how I hope the story will go.  Again, thanks all for your interest!
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

EroticFantasyAuthor

My character will most likely be an elven enchantress.

godfang

Spells, traits and items picked!

i'm fine with sexual contents, i expect it to be present in fact!

Ixy

If it really helps your character, pick one.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.