Recruiting: high scale Pathfinder, Taldor, aka Byzantium focused

Started by Kolbrandr, June 02, 2013, 03:46:12 AM

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Shaitan

The 127th Cavalry's page has been updated a fair bit, I'm slowly adding things to it as I think of them. If I have missed anything or gotten something screwed up please give me a heads up.

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


Phaia, I vote number 4, but thats just me.

Ironwolf85

Quote from: Kolbrandr on June 19, 2013, 08:38:05 PM
More just not all that popular, relatively speaking. So he can certainly worship Iomedae if he likes, it's just going to be a climb in game to try and popularize her faith if he wants to.
Damn this is moving fast.
But still I relish an uphill battle all the more.
Also thinking of the character having him born in Andoran, as they are progressive enough not to throw him in a bag and drop his mutant ass in a river. Maybe have some of the pissed off fey curse one of andoran's many paladins.
Prudence, justice, temperance, courage, faith, hope, love...
debate any other aspect of my faith these are the heavenly virtues. this flawed mortal is going to try to adhere to them.

Culture: the ability to carve an intricate and beautiful bowl from the skull of a fallen enemy.
Civilization: the ability to put that psycho in prision for killing people.

Meliai

I like 3 personally. 4 is cute but doesn't strike me as a martial type, though that probably has a lot to do with her being in lingerie :P

Number 1's making duckface O 3O
    {{A/As updated 5/8}}           

EroticFantasyAuthor

#578
Iron, I wouldn't worry about the uphill battle. I think we have a bit of time to square everything away.

I myself still can't help but feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start with everything.

Edit: Animal Companions are unchanged, feats as normal, correct?

Ebb

Quote from: EroticFantasyAuthor on June 20, 2013, 09:24:45 PM
Iron, I wouldn't worry about the uphill battle. I think we have a bit of time to square everything away.

I myself still can't help but feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start with everything.

I sympathize with the feeling of being overwhelmed. I've been having fun with the world-building side of things, but there's a lot there.

For anyone else who's in the same boat, here's my (totally un-official) advice: Even with all of the work that's been going on, we don't have a lot of actual character writeups. So for my part, before I do anything else like writing up a list of building materials employed in the construction of the Taldan aquaduct system, I'm going to go actually make my character and his cohort.

The idea is to find any bits out of all of the other stuff that's posted that might be fun tie-ins as you write your character history. (Including, especially, other people's backgrounds.) So if the GM's note about there being elephant breeders sounds neat, maybe make your guy's dad a champion elephant breeder, and say your guy liked hanging around and watching the elephants when he was a kid. Or if the writeup of House Eiredor sounds cool (these are the classic knights in shining armor), then maybe say your guy tried to join them as a squire but got rejected, and now he carries a grudge against them. If you think the power struggle between the Noble Houses and the Senate is an interesting area, then give your guy a strong opinion on that.

I view all this stuff that's going up on the wiki like a sourcebook. You don't have to read it all, just flip around and see if anything neat grabs you, then use it as a building block in your character. Ultimately when we start playing that's where the focus will be. If nobody's characters give a fig about the Elephant Breeders, then they'll probably just happily vanish into the background.

My two coppers.

RubySlippers

Quote from: kckolbe on June 20, 2013, 06:59:43 PM
I think there would still be a lot of guilds, much in the way we have unions, the Better Business Bureau, and other influence-based organizations.  Granted, I agree they would have less power, but I do think they would exist.  Some less legal or clean professions may have more powerful guilds.  I think there might be rival guilds in the case of some industries, especially thief guilds.

Put it this way Guilds manage their professions with help of the city managers and pay for the honor, a guild could bring in ample coins even if a minor one. And your not a member practicing a profession its a crime where you can hit with BIG fines. Does the city and Senate like money?

Kolbrandr

Quote from: Ebb on June 20, 2013, 09:36:32 PM
I sympathize with the feeling of being overwhelmed. I've been having fun with the world-building side of things, but there's a lot there.

For anyone else who's in the same boat, here's my (totally un-official) advice: Even with all of the work that's been going on, we don't have a lot of actual character writeups. So for my part, before I do anything else like writing up a list of building materials employed in the construction of the Taldan aquaduct system, I'm going to go actually make my character and his cohort.

The idea is to find any bits out of all of the other stuff that's posted that might be fun tie-ins as you write your character history. (Including, especially, other people's backgrounds.) So if the GM's note about there being elephant breeders sounds neat, maybe make your guy's dad a champion elephant breeder, and say your guy liked hanging around and watching the elephants when he was a kid. Or if the writeup of House Eiredor sounds cool (these are the classic knights in shining armor), then maybe say your guy tried to join them as a squire but got rejected, and now he carries a grudge against them. If you think the power struggle between the Noble Houses and the Senate is an interesting area, then give your guy a strong opinion on that.

I view all this stuff that's going up on the wiki like a sourcebook. You don't have to read it all, just flip around and see if anything neat grabs you, then use it as a building block in your character. Ultimately when we start playing that's where the focus will be. If nobody's characters give a fig about the Elephant Breeders, then they'll probably just happily vanish into the background.

My two coppers.

The other thing to note, you don't have to have some huge organizational thing around you, you can instead be of yourself and yourself alone, or affix yourself to one of the groups that have been detailed.

Kolbrandr

Quote from: RubySlippers on June 20, 2013, 09:50:16 PM
Put it this way Guilds manage their professions with help of the city managers and pay for the honor, a guild could bring in ample coins even if a minor one. And your not a member practicing a profession its a crime where you can hit with BIG fines. Does the city and Senate like money?

The Senate has money, what they like is control. They already have to share it with the royal nobility. The guilds as a third force splintering that further is one force too many, and dilutes the bearded/unbearded contrast besides. I'm cool with "guild" as a sort of name picked up by a particular group within a field as what they call themselves for what they do, and even be quite wealthy and established at it, relatively, but I'm thinking Taldor is going to lack for huge, Greyhawk style, traditional fantasy guilds. Having to navigate through the vast, overly complex, corrupt bureaucracy and its ministries should be a thing.

This is not to say people can't try to build traditional style guilds as a means of challenging the power of the senate in game, mind you.

EroticFantasyAuthor


GingerOne

Quote from: Phaia on June 20, 2013, 02:39:33 PM
I guess my write up was not clear on something

The Royal order of Companions is a NON-Human order. Every lady is non human the majority are Half elfs, several tieflings, a few elves, a couple of halflings and gnomes and even a dwarf.

I had considred at first a house of courtesans but it was made clear that there are no non human noble or royal houses within taldor society and so far all I have seen is House Barnas and House Durahan that even allow a non human to marry into the house and even they would not allow a non human to hold a title.
I will make sure to change the final description of the house to show that in the house scructure and apologize for any problems or misconceptions


Phaia

My courtesan is a half-elf, and I'm still deciding on her class.  Getting help from someone, I'll let you know what she is when we finish.  *smiles*
Sweet as can be, but I bite.
Getting the hang of things again for now. No promises.

Come join our Speakeasy!
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=300370.0

My Ons/ Offs
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=166545.0

Kolbrandr

Quote from: Shaitan on June 20, 2013, 08:11:55 PM
The 127th Cavalry's page has been updated a fair bit, I'm slowly adding things to it as I think of them. If I have missed anything or gotten something screwed up please give me a heads up.

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


Phaia, I vote number 4, but thats just me.

Okay, some notes. First up, as a minor thing from what we talked about, squadrons are lead by knight commanders, the Germande would be a knight commander, the Master of Horse is the title for the leader of the entire Taldan cavalry. We had knight captains over 200 guys.


I'd really like the strengths and weaknesses to be marked out in the way both myself and others have been doing in separate entries, they otherwise can flow into each other and be murky as to where one begins and the other ends.

Also, again, non hereditary knighthoods are a thing amongst humans as well, and in our own world. They're certainly a way for Taldor to knight a dude and not imperil the whole touchy aristocracy thing, but they do still come with being a knight.

And again, as far as the military certainly, Taldor is not that racist. People aren't going to hate on you for being demihumans as far as the army generally. That apparently every commander in the Taldan military hates you guys and is hated right back makes it a bit dubious that your unit still exists at all. There's a point where that kind of thing becomes counter productive to the operating of the entire army.

I had thought the idea was that your immediate squadron loathes you guys, for themselves being the actual worst of the worst of the Taldan Horse armies, compared to them saying you guys are.

Speaking of the operating of the entire army, we again seem to be in the place where your group are of superior quality to the entire Taldan military. The Master of Horse is a paladin (this guy, to remind: https://elliquiy.com/wiki/House_Eiredor#Lord_Commander_Triamond_Eiredor.2C_Master_of_the_Taldan_Horse_.28Cavalier_13.2FPaladin_13.29 ), I assure you, when he leads his command unit out at undead, they don't flinch.

Which.. okay, it seems like you didn't really run with a lot of the stuff I had suggested. Being in that terrible squadron with the terrible commander and having to carry them is there, but the implication that the rest of the army sucks too remains. The whole thing about about having the Master of Horse as a patron who will intervene on your unit’s behalf when it gets really bad, who used guile and the 127th's acceptance of incredibly difficult situations to put them in that squadron to keep it from collapsing and remaining effective. What with basically having taken all the terrible political appointments, family favour enlisting and brainless glory hounding egomaniacs and quarantined them to a single squadron.

Again, being the 200 effective guys having to carry a thousand strong force of knights otherwise is fine. Being better than the entire Taldan military because they just don’t comparatively know what they’re doing is not so good. Even in the Branas writeup, who are put up there as the military paragon npc royal house, there is still the note “the Eiredor have similar quality troops, and the Durahan are just as personally skilled”. And they have a bunch of weaknesses that are legitimate flaws from their own nature that fuck with them and make their lives harder. There are military forces in Taldor who are in their own way as good as these guys at what they do, be they the Branas dire lion riders, or Triamond Eiredor’s personal commandery.

Basically we’re crashing into the limits of your thematics and the campaign’s thematics again. It feels basically like the 127th is Wolverine, and the idea that Wolverine might sometimes need the help of a patron or ally lessens Wolverine. But while Wolverine may like to say he’s the best there is at what he does, the guy needs the help of the rest of the X-men. The problem of having an entire unit of peerless maverick renegades is that well, everyone else around them does have to be incompetent, or their peerless maverick renegadery is rendered pointless, and instead becomes douchebaggery. I’m trying to find ways to help you still have the unit be those guys and be true to that spirit, without rendering every other military force in Taldor less competent assholes who just don’t get it at best.

Meliai

Okay, been chipping away at this slooooowly thanks to this stupid stupid writers block, but the PC & Cohorts are the only thing left to do, aside from some minor proofreading. Speaking of PCs, Esta's background is more or less set but I'm still hammering out the details of the cohorts' so if anyone wants a tie to one of them this would be a good place to get in. I'll tack on a slightly more detailed description for each of them after this giant wall of text!

The Order of the Unblinking Eye

Overall Alignment: Historically Neutral, now Chaotic Good

Common Classes:  Wizard (Diviner), Cleric (of deities associated with dreams, prophecy, fate, etc), Adept, Expert

Rarer, but not unheard of: Witch (Ancestors or Portents patron), Oracle (Dark Tapestry, Heavens, or Lore mysteries), Sorcerer, Bard

Never: Any class without access to divination spells

Favoured Deity: The Eye has no common culture beyond their shared profession, but said profession naturally leads those inclined towards religion to gods associated with dreams, prophecy, and knowledge.

Sigil: Members mark their shops and wear pins in the shape of a single stylized eye, though the exact stylization varies from person to person.

In times of trouble their sigil can be used to covertly pass messages by mundane means; an open eye gazing straight ahead is the standard position of the sigil, variations can subtly convey a few specific messages.
A sigil gazing to the right means trouble is afoot, no aid yet needed, but other Eyes should be wary
A sigil gazing left means the one who bares it is in immediate danger and in need of help
A sigil depicted with no pupil means the bearer believes they are being watched, by either magical or mundane means.
An eye sigil depicted as closed means the seer who bears it believes they are beyond help and will be killed or captured soon, other members should keep their distance

Overview: The Age of Lost Omens is an inauspicious one for many on Golarion, Seers and their ilk in particular. The Unblinking Eye was once a major political force in Taldor, but time and tribulations lead to the order publicly disbanding and going underground. Little more than an obscure bit of history, for the past few hundred years the Eye’s power and stability has waned greatly, nearly at the brink of collapse until a recent surge in activity bolstered their ranks and kicked them back into an active mode.

Formally disbanded generations ago, those who still remember the name of The Unblinking Eye most likely know them as a guild of traitors who tried to circumvent the Great Purge and and were disbanded in disgrace, while a scant few may know of their more illustrious beginnings in the service of the crown. Their current existence is unknown to any outside their own ranks, and their continued survival depends on maintaining this anonymity.

One of the first things an initiate of the Eye is taught is that while the truth is at the center of all that they do, it is rarely useful in its raw form. Most people only hear what they want; warning a noble that their ‘innocent little’ affair will cause an irreparable rift between two houses that will persist for centuries, or telling a craftsman that letting his safety procedures go lax will lead to a fire that will destroy two whole city blocks will go unheeded until it’s too late. Couching your warning in vague portents and ominous prophecies, letting the subject of such visions think they’ve figured it all out on their own is far more effective. Often the ‘readings’ a fortune teller of the Unblinking Eye gives bear no resemblance whatsoever to the actual future they’ve seen in the cards, instead crafted from whole cloth to suit the one hearing it.

When divination is not enough, the Order of the Unblinking Eye also employs more mundane methods of information gathering. A fortune teller can glean even more than they give from those who come from readings, observing reactions and reading between the lines of the questions their petitioners want answered. Still others take a more direct approach to information gathering, employing stealth and legerdemain to simply break into the estates of those they need to investigate. The order does not sell or exploit this information, normally, but uses it better understand how to manipulate those that need to be manipulated. Things can get particularly tricky when an important person needs

They now pull the strings from the shadows, trying to subtly influence those in power or positions to make change to prevent Taldor’s further decay and right whatever injustices they can.


Notable Historical Members of The Unblinking Eye

Grand Prince Leontius Sapphiano, The Veiled Queen (Bard?/Alchemist?)
Leonitus Sapphiano was a lazy, drunken lout whose rule would have been disastrous had he not been shipped off to distant lands by his twin sister Leona, who proceeded to disguise herself as him and take his place as Grand “Prince” upon their father’s death. Her true story exists only among the personal records of one of the first Eyes, in an otherwise dull and dry journal collecting dust on the shelves of whatever library or university her collection of tomes was willed to upon her death. It’s probably for the best; most Taldans wouldn’t believe that one of their storied monarchs - an undeniably effective one at that - had secretly been a woman. Given the length of Taldor’s existence it is unlikely that Leona was the only Grand Prince with a false beard, but that has little bearing on her personal story.

At the start of her reign she was young and impulsive, realizing not long after she covertly seized the crown that her position was precarious at best. Though quite gifted in the realms of mundane disguises, all it would take was one little slip-up for the wrath of both the royal and senatorial houses to fall upon Leona’s young head. Unable to rely too closely on the famed Lion Blades for fear one of the perceptive agents would unearth her ruse, she called upon three of her associates, close friends from her days spent in at the Arcanamirium in Absalom. While Leona’s studies has been focused on potions, poultices and strange elixirs, her comrades had concerned themselves with more traditional forms of the arcane arts. The three of them, two diviners and an enchanter, were appointed as advisers to the prince and acted as intermediaries between Leona and many of the political functionaries she otherwise would have had to personally deal with on a daily basis.

Calling themselves the Unblinking Eye, the wizards safeguarded Leona’s secret for decades, allowing for an unusually progressive and prosperous reign. Though the fact that she never married nor “fathered” an heir raised some eyebrows, Leona adopted a brilliant young man from a minor royal family and named him as her heir, and when she finally left the mortal world the Eye’s services passed on to him.

Nailah Farid, Herald of the Rising Sun (Cleric of Sarenrae/Sorceress)
For many generations the Unblinking Eye served as the Grand Princes’ eldritch seers and advisors. Though they lacked the Lion Blades’ martial prowess and stealth, with a few exceptions, their members wielded far more powerful magics and their skill sets were more focused, at the expense of versatility. Over the generations, however, the primarily female order lost favor with the crown. Men who resented seeing women in such positions of power chipped away at the order’s status until the group’s royal associations were forgotten entirely. By Nailah Farid’s time the Unblinking Eye was an independent organization of Diviners, still holding together (though just barely) despite the blow Aroden’s death and the onset of the Age of Lost Omens had dealt to Seers of all stripes.

Though a devout follower of Sarenrae and an ethnic Keleshite, Nailah was nonetheless fiercely loyal to Taldor and its people, so when her visions and those of her follows began to fill with horrible omens of death and destruction, to took her perhaps longer than it should have to identify the oncoming tragedy. There was no time for diplomacy or bargaining; Nailah and other members of the order began spiriting Sarenrae’s faithful out of Taldor, quickly and quietly saving all they could. When swords were finally drawn and temples began being put to the torch the order dropped all pretense of subtlety, using magic, stealth, and guile to evacuate any and all they could. Defiant to the end, Nailah was one of the last people put to the sword. She was slain by Grand Prince Stavian I himself, chained and on her knees before the steps of the palace, her final words claiming that his line would end in disaster and ruin, and that history would remember him as a monster. Nailah’s name and almost all mentions of the order were stricken from the history books, now forgotten by all but a handful of scholars.

Maibe Farid, Herald of the Setting Sun (Oracle/Rogue)
With Nailah dead and no small amount of suspicion falling on the Unblinking Eye in general, leadership fell to the dead cleric’s young daughter, Maibe. While not a devotee herself, it nonetheless pained her to publicly and vocally denounce her mother’s actions and faith. She officially disbanded the order, stripping their banners from the guildhouse with one hand, while leading the Eye underground with the other. She lived out the rest of her public life as a quiet scholar, careful to toe the party line as the eye of the royal court was constantly on her, watching for any sign that she might follow in her mother’s footsteps. Beyond their gaze though she desperately struggled to keep the order together, leading and protecting the greatly diminished order of Seers behind a curtain of subterfuge.

Forced to work in secret, under Maibe’s leadership the Unblinking Eye evolved from advisors to puppet masters, operating under the guise of fortune tellers, prophets, mystics and the like. Rather than present their knowledge directly, the underground Eyes were forced to find other ways to prevent the disasters they foresaw.


Notable Members of The Unblinking Eye

Esta Avarae, (Cleric of Desna / Bard )
As far as most can tell, Esta has done little in the two years or so she’s spent in Oppara, aparently content to enjoy her new rank and privilage. She reads Harrow cards for the wealthy and influential, who find her charming and exotic but frankly a bit of a fool

Kale Elissos, Spy in the House of the spymaster (Lore Oracle/Rogue (Carnivalist))
Native of Oppara, former peasant, left to find her fortune and returned when she heard Esta, who she’d gone on a few adventures with, was there. Spying on Ebb’s guy/teaching at his school under Verina’s identity

Verina Merosette, The Cloistered Scholar (Expert/Aristocrat) - NPC - ((Note: Verina is specifically tied to Kale and has no further affiliation with or knowledge of the Eye and its dealings))
Nervous little shut in academic, lets Kale use her name and face in exchange for favors.

Ellinniel Vanos, (Elven Wizard (Diviner)/Alchemist)
CN Weirdo, doesn’t really give a damn about Taldor, just likes watching society change

Aelia, The Eyes of the Streets (Changling Druid (pack lord)/Witch (Dreamweaver))
Angry teenage street rat taken in by a now-deceased member of the Eye


Strengths of The Unblinking Eye

Prescience - It’s hard to sneak up on those who always see you coming

Fierce loyalty - While not technically banned, if the order’s continued existence ever comes to light its members will likely not fair well, especially when their societal manipulation is discovered. This leads to an impressive degree of loyalty from all its members, above and beyond their devotion to the order’s cause in general.


Weaknesses of The Unblinking Eye

Squishy little mages - though many members have a bit of skill with blade or bow, their mystical leanings afford little time for true martial training

Gypsies, Tramps, and Theives - the vast majority of the members of The Unblinking Eye come from the lower castes of society, and those of more privileged ranks can do little to directly aid them without giving away their common ties.


Foreign Relations Worth Noting

Members of the Eye occasionally have visions of people and places outside of Taldor and attempt to get word to them, but don’t have the resources to spread their influence beyond Taldor’s borders.



~ PC & Cohort information for possible character tie stuff ~

Esta - PC
Esta is a 22-year-old Cleric/Bard at the start of the game, and she's been in Oppara for roughly two years. The gist of her early life & the circumstances of her aquisition of a noble title are detailed in the write-up for House Avarae. She was your average wandering hobo adventurer from age 14-20, so it's possible she might know another nomadic hero type from that part of her life. For the past two years she's lived in Oppara, tending to her new House and working as a fortune teller. She's also been subtly trying to reform Taldor and it's terrible terrible society, but has been having significantly less luck with that than she did bashing monsters and rescuing damsels and whatever the male equivalent of a damsel is in distress. Her usually sunny disposition has been significantly dimmed as of late, due to powerful (if mostly foundationless) feelings of guilt over the death of the Princess (she liked her much more than the Grand Prince, who she DID manage to save, bleh)
She is obnoxiously charismatic and charming, but the fact that she makes no secret of the fact that she abhors slave owners and doesn't consider a noble title or expensive clothes to make one any better than your average unbearded has significantly limited her social standing. She likes drinking, dancing and conversing with interesting people, and has been known to give impromptu performances at whatever tavern she's found herself in if cajoled enough, with skills that can put even graduates of the Rhapsodic College to shame. She's unofficially declared herself the universal drinking buddy of any member of House Durahan who happens to be in town.

Kale - Cohort, spy
Kale was born in Oppara, in the Grandbridge Vagabond Camp, but didn't stay long. At a very young age she disguised herself as a cabin boy and enlisted on a ship headed for anywhere but Taldor. She spent several years on the ship, endearing herself to to the crew with an innate knack for storytelling. Eventually she had to slip away when it began to prove difficult to maintain her boyish facade, and after a few years jumping between taverns, making a bit of coin as a story teller, her Oracle abilities began to manifest and she was swept up on a series of adventures, not unlike the ones she'd been making coin retelling. One of the people she traveled with for a time was Esta, and though they parted eventually the priestess left a strong impression on the younger girl. A few months before the start of the game word reached Kale that Esta was in Oppara, and she returned to her birthplace for the first time in years, and eagerly joined the Eye after learning of Esta's plans for the order.
With a bit of magic she was able to locate Verina (see below) and strike a deal, posing as the young noblewoman in order to attend the Planudes Academy for the Enlightened Arts and Sciences. After a brief stint as a student she was hired as a faculty member (History teacher? Not sure about this yet) and is currently undercover and investigating the Shadow School.

Verina- NPC
A daughter of House Merosette, Verina has for many years been considered a disgrace by most of her kin. Though a brillliant scholar she suffers from anxiety problems and a bit of agoraphobia. She's more or less a shut in, and after a very awkward conversation agreed to let Kale use her identity to get into Planudes (though as far as Verina knows, Kale is just a peasant girl who wants an education but couldn't get a scholarship. She's very bright though, and probably realizes this story is unlikely, given how intelligent Kale is.) if she would run the occasional errand for her and attend parties and other social gatherings to appease her mother, who has been trying for years to cajole Verina into at least marrying someone suitable to do her duty to the family.
Though Kale lives in the rather impressive faculty dorms she makes regular trips into town to check on(/take care of) Verina and make sure she hasn't gotten herself trapped under a collapsed pile of dusty old tomes. Again.
Their relationship started out completely professional, but they've began to develope a sort of prickly fondness for one another over the past couple months.

Ellinniel - Cohort (maybe?), wildcard
Elli, as she likes to call herself, is rather unlike most forlorn elves. Rather than the dour, melancholy figure most forlorn elves strike, Elli is almost...chipper. Frighteningly intelligent, she finds humans and similarly short-lived races facinating, considering most of her elven kin comparatively dull. Though she has no particular care for Taldor's fate (to be frank, there seems to be nothing she takes all that seriously...) she joined the Eye a few decades ago to indulge in her odd voyeristic tendencies, and when Esta came along and proposed her plans for grand sweeping social changes she found the girl's wide-eyed optimism amusing. Though still quite young for an elf, just over one hundred years old, she's already seen a few generations of Opparans born, raised, and passed on, and finds the possibility of throwing their society into veritable chaos quite interesting and agreed to help.
Ellinniel is meant to have a bit of a mad scientist vibe. Mad Anthropologist, maybe. Shut up, that could be a thing. I'm not quite sure if I'm going to take her as a cohort, or leave her as an NPC.

Aelia - Cohort
Her clothes aren't nearly that nice, but it's the best I could do. Probalby doesn't show that much cleavage most of the time either :P
Aelia is a changeling, though she may or may not actually be aware of this. Her mis-matched eyes (one brown, one violet) are the only aspect of her appearance that would place her as anything other than human, though she's rather petite, even for a girl in her late teens.
Aelia was born of a green hag and an unknown Royal, summarily turned out when she showed up on the family's doorstep to save the family a bit of embarrassment. They didn't know of her inhuman heritage though; if they had, she probably would have been quietly killed and disposed of. She survived on the streets for a few years, cared for by a series of similarly homeless peasants. Eventually she was adopted by a former member of the Eye after the woman saw a vision of one of the young girl's possible futures and was too horrified to risk letting it come true. Her life was comfortable for a few years, and she was inducted into the order when she began to exhibit magical gifts. Eventually her adopted mother passed on, killed by a nobleman for some dark secret she'd inadvertently uncovered during a Harrow reading. Aelia returned to the streets, claiming an abandoned building in Crownsgate as her home. She's run with the Underbarons for several years now, though she's nearing the end of her time with them. She cares for a startlingly large number of street animals, everything from stray dogs, semi-feral cats, all sorts of birds and even rats on occasion. Though generally good natured she holds grudges and has a short temper, and will beat you senseless if she catches you being cruel to an animal of any kind.
Given the chance (she doesn't currently know his identity) she will evicerate the nobleman who had her mother killed and whoever did the deed and spread whatever secret he tried to bury to every corner of Avistan and beyond..

    {{A/As updated 5/8}}           

Kolbrandr

I actually think that we're going to only have the one Pope Joan, but I still like basically having a Taldan version of the legend. Also, cool stuff.

Meliai

Nah, I think ALL the Grand Princes are secretly ladies.



Come on, tell me there's not a beautiful lady lurking under that greasy troll mask!

*scurries off to find her copy of Monstrous Regiment*
    {{A/As updated 5/8}}           

Phaia

Royal Order of the Setting Sun- Notable past Members

Notable Historical Members of the Order:

The Thirteen:
  Though not technically members of the Order, their actions and deaths formed the order. The Ladies of The House of the Setting Sun had grown in influence and position over the years but still retained more of a courtesan skill set. When Qadira attacked the Empire and pushed to assault the city nearly the entire Order was at a Royal function, the birthday of a young princess of the crown, when Qadira forces exploded into the palace. The enemy numbered over a hundred and quickly overpowered the normal palace guards but were slowed by the Ulfen Guards around the Grand Prince. As other Ulfen Guards spirited the Prince away a group fought a vicious and deadly rear action. While the attack was mostly focused on the Grand Prince a number of the enemy went for the Royal Family. Palace guards and nobles of several houses fought them as the ladies of the House guided the Grand Princess and her two children to a corner of the palace. A force a dozen strong broke free and chased the group down, thinking it would be so easy to destroy the Royal Line.

  A quick look between the Ladies and 13 pulled away, pulling out daggers and picking up what weapons they could find and charged the Qadira forces. Surprise gave them the chance to close as The royal family was pushed through windows and out of the palace by the rest of the House. The family was lead through back streets and ally ways loosing any pursuit till they arrived at the House of the Setting Sun. There they found comfort and calm as the Ladies of the house sent out runners and paid for forces to defend the house without letting any know who was there.

  Late the next morning after the palace had been made safe the Royal Family returned. After a heart felt reunion with the Grand Prince they lead him to the area of the palace and there found the bodies of all Thirteen of the 'whores' as well as 10 bodies of Qadira soldiers. The Grand Prince formed the Order a few months later in honor of the sacrifice made. Officially creating the Royal Order of Companions.

  In The garden of the House stands an eight foot tall white marble Obelisk engraved with the gold inlaid names of the 49 'Ladies' that has died in defense of the Royal Family the last six having been added very recently. The Thirteen Hold the highest placement on the Obelisk and every year on the date of their deaths the Ladies hold a private party of remembrance to which the Grand Prince and the Royal Family have a standing invitation.


Lady Thedora ndu'Aran (Half-Elf) and Lady Sophia ndu'Aran (Tiefling):
  It was 257 years ago that a heir to the Primogen Crown decided to go adventuring and slipped off with members of House Durahan. The court had grown boring and tales of monsters and adventure had filled the Young Scion's mind and heart. No one is exactly sure how they did it but two ladies, favorites of the Crown Prince, managed to insert themselves within the Heir's group. Their bardic abilities aided the young Prince many times as well as others in his party. It was a deep winter night when agents of Qadira struck at the Prince's Lodging. The fight was hard and nearly cost the scion his life, yet it was the sacrifice of the ladies that saved him. Both died with swords in the their hands and the Crown Prince's kiss on their lips and a shaken Prince returned home to heal and recover. When he became the next Grand Prince, he expanded the Order's Holdings and increased the stipend it received and made it a Royal Command that room would be made at Oppara's Bardic schools should any of the Order desired to train or even retire there.


Lady Willamina 'the Singer' ndu'Aran (Halfling):
  There are living Elves that still speak in awe of the ability of Willamina ndu'Aran. It has been said her voice and skill could sing the angels out of the sky. An unassuming but pretty halfling, Willamina rose through the order quickly with her voice and skill at song. She performed for four different Grand Prince's as well as many nobles and senators and appeared many times at public functions. A graduate of the Kitharodian Academy, she so impressed her instructors that she was offered a place among them but refused and instead came back many times to sing on stage. Though seldom required as an intimate partner she was invited to many many parties and galas. Three different Grand Prince's, refused her resignation [one of the few times that has happened] and she died peaceably in her bed, at the age of 139, a week after performing for the newest Grand Prince in what some said was her grandest and most heartfelt performance.


Lady Xara ndu'Aran (Half-Elf)
  Even a order such as the Royal Companions have had a few 'black sheep' the last being Lady Xara ndu'Aran. She was a lovely sensual half-elf with a gift for diplomacy and perception. Somehow though she slipped past the screening of the senior members, perhaps it was some sort of magic or maybe very important patrons but she was able in a few years to climb high among the Order even being considered as a possible candidate for High Domina. What none realized is how many secrets she uncovered within and without the Order. The Order had kept many things quiet over the long years and as Lady Xena gained greater access to the inner layers of the Order she was able to gain access to this hidden knowledge. That was only part of the problem, she also was able to ferret out current secrets and hidden agendas and with the knowledge had begun to use it to further her place within and without of the Order. It took the curiosity of 3 new ladies and a retired one to expose Lady Xara.

  Lady Xara fled the city and the Empire, settling in Cheliax. There she began appearing in court and many functions and the efforts of several families were compromised. Barely 18 months after she fled she was found dead with her left hand missing. Each Courtesan of the Order had at the time a tattoo placed on the top of their left hand. The rumour had it that the Order hired Assassins to clean up their mess but in fact they did so themselves, quietly working their way into Cheliax and then killing the betrayer.

Lady Faerlena ndu'Aran [formly High Domina] [11th level Half-elf Bard//Rogue (Knife master archetype) gestalt]:
  Perhaps in the coming years the life and death of Lady Faerlena, a lovely and gifted red headed Half-Elf, will be written as some tragic play. The Former Domina had developed many contacts and guided the Order during troubling times. She was also a very close intimate friend of Maxentian Branas. Maxentian's dear wife had died young and he used his close ties to the head of the Companions to keep any women from trying to gain access to try and marry him and over the years was rumored to have developed deep feelings for Lady Faerlena. Often they would be seen out in the city or at various Branas' estates just walking and talking with her arm in his. Lady Faerlena had a very astute mind and was a gifted bard and a well trained Knife fighter, so it should not be a surprise that she uncovered 'the Durant's' plot to stop the Princess Eutropia from forcibly trying to take over the throne.

  Managing the Princess' personal security as she did, the Domina kept mindful both of plots against her, and plots she herself initiated. Still, given the spread of events, the degree to which she was involved with Eutropia's coup is difficult to discern. All that is known is that on the day of Maxentian and the Princess' battle, the order found six letters, the resignations of Lady Faerlina and several of her subordinates. And that amongst the dead of the Princess' supporters, there was the Domina, and five members of the order. Given the relationship between the two, it is somewhat popular to speculate on some kind of especially tragic encounter between the Grand Duke and the Domina (though not too loudly, as the Grand Prince is deeply displeased by discussion of the coup).

  Lady Faerlena and the others with her have been added to the Obelisk even though they failed for the first time in over 300 years to protect a member of the Royal Family. Their sacrifice and skill at combat sent ripples through not only the senate but many of the houses. Many have had to rethink their position concerning the Ladies of the Order and what they might truly be capable of.



comments? suggestions? ideas? links?
let me know

phaia

Phaia

Quote from: Meliai on June 21, 2013, 09:22:34 AM
Nah, I think ALL the Grand Princes are secretly ladies.



Come on, tell me there's not a beautiful lady lurking under that greasy troll mask!

*scurries off to find her copy of Monstrous Regiment*

just out of curiuosity how old is Grand Prince Stavian III anyway. If her had adult daughter I would guess in his late 40s at least? and how long has he been grand prince?
from what it written on him he is a leach and i am sure often has a lady by his side since he does not have to pay them anything  :P :P

Phaia

Kolbrandr

QuoteLady Faerlena ndu'Aran [formly High Domina] [11th level Half-elf Bard//Rogue (Knife master archetype) gestalt]:

Okay, some notes..

I really don't want the actual concrete details of the coup pinned down beyond what I've said on it. It's a game thing that basically it seems like only two people at this point know the specific events of it at this point, and one isn't talking about it, and the other one has vanished off the face of the earth into exile. I'm keeping them in a "as determined by me for people to try and find out about if they want to" sort of place as far as specific details.

Everything past the first paragraph needs heavy modifying/removal.

So, something instead like..

"Managing the Princess' personal security as she did, the Domina kept mindful both of plots against her, and plots she herself initiated. Still, given the spread of events, the degree to which she was involved with Eutropia's coup is difficult to discern. All that is known is that on the day of Maxentian and the Princess' battle, the order found six letters, the resignations of Lady Faerlina and several of her subordinates. And that amongst the dead of the Princess' supporters, there was the Domina, and five members of the order. Given the relationship between the two, it is somewhat popular to speculate on some kind of especially tragic encounter between the Grand Duke and the Domina (though not too loudly, as the Grand Prince is deeply displeased by discussion of the coup)."


Kolbrandr

Oh, and the bit on Assassin's Guild in Xara's entry should just say assassins.

Otherwise all looks fine.

kckolbe

Somewhat odd question, but about how many gestalts would ya say exist in Oppara?  I was thinking less than 1,000 people, with about half of them having one or more NPC classes.  Am I way off here?
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

Kolbrandr

I don't really want to pin it down beyond a vague "enough to keep things challenging, not enough that every single fucking person is a gestalt".

The organizational write-ups that have them, have them for in the main being, well, really important organizations of worthies (though even there, where it doesn't make any sense to be otherwise, there's a couple of single class npc class figures, and you can expect more of those in some of these other writeups). Your average soldier or the like is no such animal. Someone of some heft? Decent odds.

Phaia

Quote from: Kolbrandr on June 21, 2013, 02:28:36 PM
Okay, some notes..

I really don't want the actual concrete details of the coup pinned down beyond what I've said on it. It's a game thing that basically it seems like only two people at this point know the specific events of it at this point, and one isn't talking about it, and the other one has vanished off the face of the earth into exile. I'm keeping them in a "as determined by me for people to try and find out about if they want to" sort of place as far as specific details.

Everything past the first paragraph needs heavy modifying/removal.

So, something instead like..

"Managing the Princess' personal security as she did, the Domina kept mindful both of plots against her, and plots she herself initiated. Still, given the spread of events, the degree to which she was involved with Eutropia's coup is difficult to discern. All that is known is that on the day of Maxentian and the Princess' battle, the order found six letters, the resignations of Lady Faerlina and several of her subordinates. And that amongst the dead of the Princess' supporters, there was the Domina, and five members of the order. Given the relationship between the two, it is somewhat popular to speculate on some kind of especially tragic encounter between the Grand Duke and the Domina (though not too loudly, as the Grand Prince is deeply displeased by discussion of the coup)."

I like it...wasnt sure how much you wanted so i went creative  :P I can alter the history no problem...it is drafts after all and will gladly change the idea with Xara

is this part okay

QuoteLady Faerlena and the others with her have been added to the Obelisk even though they failed for the first time in over 300 years to protect a member of the Royal Family. Their sacrifice and skill at combat sent ripples through not only the senate but many of the houses. Many have had to rethink their position concerning the Ladies of the Order and what they might truly be capable of.

It would seem that finding 6 of the order in armor and with dead around them would cuase some to rethink their perceptions or should I just drop that and let it play out

Phaia

Kolbrandr

Quote from: Phaia on June 21, 2013, 12:46:25 PM
just out of curiuosity how old is Grand Prince Stavian III anyway. If her had adult daughter I would guess in his late 40s at least? and how long has he been grand prince?
from what it written on him he is a leach and i am sure often has a lady by his side since he does not have to pay them anything  :P :P

Phaia

He's in his late 40s and has probably been Grand Prince for some 20 odd years.

Alliance


Kolbrandr


Alliance

This is a Sociopolitical RP, correct.

Then I wanted to bring in character named Duke Arwell, well more specifically his son.

They always have been a family who has tried to use the political times to bed with the nobles. All except for their son, who wants to use the political stepping stone to change views in the world. While the Arwell themselves only care about themselves and their current status, the son himself has always tried a different approach. Which makes him at odds with his family at times.

He's written several or so books about government, and has written several political books as well. All which the Arwell want to deny that it existed and was written by their son.