Recruiting: high scale Pathfinder, Taldor, aka Byzantium focused

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

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Kolbrandr

Quote from: kckolbe on June 12, 2013, 11:22:37 AM
Kolbrandr, will we be GMing mini adventures for each other?

It's not a bad idea. I'm willing to give it a try, buuut, I would want them outlined for me first (via pm or something), and I'd reserve the right to note some alterations or if it turns out as some epic horrifying disasterpiece, to null what went down.

RubySlippers

I'm just going to do a basic character no leadership or anything at least for now, its just to much crap for me to worry about at this point.

Kolbrandr

Quote from: Shaitan on June 12, 2013, 05:33:48 AM
All of which I'll get updated on the wiki tonight, if this all fits well that is, lol. I appreciate all the info.

Basically the way to look at Taldan racism vis a vis nonhumans (in my own view anyway as far as reconciling various details that float around about the place in various books) is this. You, theoretical demihuman, especially if you managed to be lucky enough to actually be born in the greatest nation on Golarion so that you can kinda sorta be considered a native, can join the military and rise to high rank, even an outright knighthood, spurs and all, as a leader of thousands, can run a temple of a major faith over large congregations, can be a popular and acclaimed performer or courtesan or the like, a prosperous merchant, a much called on expert in whatever field. You can even find yourself invited by name to all the right clubs and parties and welcomed just pleasantly. Certainly you're not going to be some kind of lower class of slaves just for being who you are. But try to actually get a place of permanence in the senatorial or royal families? That is when the needle goes screeeech on the record and the music stops. Go fuck yourself, theoretical demihuman. It's not demihumans that are the inheritors of Azlant, thank you very much. You can't have non humans in the shining beacon leadership of humanity, now can you.

Now within that obviously there are many Taldans more racist than that, and many Taldans less racist than that (or even not racist at all), but that's probably the overall sweep. Also, as the aasimar apparently find, there's a lot of mileage in being pretty regardless. And you know, you'll probably get an earful regardless of how Taldor am bestest.

Oh, on Cavaliers, the beast rider archetype can ride whatever the hell thing as their special mount (within reason, and nothing that can fly besides). It's why a huge chunk of the Branas have that archetype in their listings for instance. That said, nothing fiendish to the point of being a half fiend would likely be acceptable even amongst misfits, dogs or not. Anything too close to coming off like Cheliax likely gets a deep angry freak out response in Taldor.

If you're hellbent on sticking with them as cavalry, a 2000-2500 strong company of all misfits is a bit much. So, the shtick of Taldor's army is still potent, but underfunded. My benchmark then is that their army is probably smaller than Qadira's standing army but close enough to be discouraging, which is supposed to be at 100,000+, and able to be much further swelled by slaves and conscripts. So Taldor's standing army probably totals around 80,000, and to increase that number they'd have to do something like call on the personal forces of the royal families to close the gap if a fully tricked out Qadiran army ever invaded en masse (and part of where royal influence comes from thereby). And since most of the Taldan army is supposed to be the phalanxes, that's probably a 60,000/20,000 split. Biting out the elephant forces (which is both the elephants and support forces for them) further out of that 20k of cavalrymen, that's probably 15k for the non elephant Taldan Horse. 

2000-2500k of misfit cavalry within that is probably more than a bit huge.

The other thing comes to this. So the thing about Hogan's Heroes, the A-team, the groups of maverick lone wolves and such, is part of their implicit understanding is that everyone not them is less worthy at what they do/they're surrounded by idiots, or they wouldn't need to be renegade mavericks. And that's fine of course and completely needed for the thematics of their story, but in a game like this that can only work so well. Taldor's military is a significant contribution to the reason there's still a Taldor, and while groupings headquartered closer to  the pacified heartlands are probably low grade, and the army is less funded than it really needs to be, and less used than how it should be as far as internal issues like banditry and the like, on the whole, they're decent at what they do, they're still an impressive force relative to the world. 2500 some odd guys being really the only ones getting things done effectively in the Taldan Horse means there are 12500 guys who are not.

It's the other part of why I was suggesting the equivalent of an infantry cohort in a legion run by a bastard of a strategos who finds himself forced to keep them in his forces for them being the most effective part of an otherwise run down legion, and that at least he can take credit for their accomplishments when it suits him. 500 guys who get the job done out of 3000 guys who otherwise don't is a much better ratio.

Shaitan

Ah I see, ok. I was thinking of Taldor as fielding a bit larger of a force, so yeah gotta cut the ranks down quite a bit, easily done. say down to maybe 2-300 total, slap them under the command as you said of the overall larger group, that'll be a bit more of an extensive rewrite, but it can work. I'll probably have it up this weekend as the more extensive version. Name will be the same, but need to add in a few things and change a few others.

Kolbrandr

Quote from: Shaitan on June 12, 2013, 08:17:05 PM
Ah I see, ok. I was thinking of Taldor as fielding a bit larger of a force, so yeah gotta cut the ranks down quite a bit, easily done. say down to maybe 2-300 total, slap them under the command as you said of the overall larger group, that'll be a bit more of an extensive rewrite, but it can work. I'll probably have it up this weekend as the more extensive version. Name will be the same, but need to add in a few things and change a few others.

My image of Taldor's army is proportional to Qadira's basically, aka, less, but enough to keep the war between the two nations cold (outside of relatively low level skirmishes and raids) for now. So if Qadira has 100,000+ guys as their base+ being able to bolster from around the country, Taldor probably has something like 80-90k+being able to bolster from around the country, with most of that being the spearmen/archers of the phalanx legions, 15k or so for the horse, and 5k for the elephant legions. It's part of why houses like the Branas and the Eiredor have their significance. In a crisis, Taldor is going to draw on their personal forces greatly.

It makes for "increase the numbers and strength of the Taldan military" as an in game thing for people to pursue at that.

Beyond that, I would suggest giving the Branas and Eiredor write-ups an eyeball as they do contain several npcs pretty heavily tied into the armed forces in various ways. The main relevant one to the Taldan Horse being Triamond Eiredor, its commander (Andronicus Branas is probably Taldor's other major cavalry commander, but he leads his own forces in his own blood feud with Qadira, he's outside of the Taldan military)

EroticFantasyAuthor

#355
How exactly are followers being handled in-character/fluff-wise?

I'm assuming our character's followers are just those individuals who are fiercely loyal to them, correct? And that the other members of the character's faction/house/company/etc are just regular members.

For some reason I had gotten it into my head/assumed that our character's followers would be making up the sole membership of each of our created factions.

RubySlippers

Okay new character is a Gestalt Fighter-Rogue 5th Level/Justiciar 3rd Level in House Varian and who worships logically Abadar and is LN. She is an agent of the city appointed by the Senate and is judge, jury and executioner if needed. I figure she stays in the family estate and can be found all over the city from the courts if asked to fill a spot there will be doing this duty when an offender is presented.

I assume IF I take leadership its city assigned people to assist her not a faction in the city.

There is no black and white though if you broke the law you will get punished as the law demands but the Senate, Bearded and Military likely tend their own law that is not her issue.

Well that is how its going.

Kolbrandr

Quote from: EroticFantasyAuthor on June 13, 2013, 12:37:19 AM
How exactly are followers being handled in-character/fluff-wise?

I'm assuming our character's followers are just those individuals who are fiercely loyal to them, correct? And that the other members of the character's faction/house/company/etc are just regular members.

For some reason I had gotten it into my head/assumed that our character's followers would be making up the sole membership of each of our created factions.

If you want your followers to be the sole membership of your created factions, they can be, but that need not be so. If you go with "but that need not be so", then your followers are indeed just those individuals fiercely loyal unto you.

EroticFantasyAuthor

Alrighty, just checking, first time really working with followers/cohorts, so working out logistics.

Kolbrandr

Some quick blurbs of upcoming stuff as people work on concepts;

Royal houses

House Sclerina: A house of slave traders and hedonists who more than anyone exemplify the worst of Taldor's fallen state (Meliai is being kind enough to work on this one for me actually, yay her)

House Durahan (canonical!): An entire family of monster hunters and adventurers.

House Germande (canonical!): Where the Eiredor are the best of Taldan chivalry, the Germande are the worst, a preening house of puffed up arrogant knights of vastly more ego than any skill at all. Yet every so often the house manages to somehow produce a prodigious enough talent that almost completely justifies such mass delusions of grandeur.

House Merosett (canonical!): A house that takes Taldor's fascination with the occult all the way to tangible and fearful skill with it. Particularly unfortunate, because House Merosett are rather odious influence mongers in all levels of Taldan society that their greedy, grasping hands can reach, the entire family unpleasant and off putting.

House Zonaras: A traditionalist family that, in wielding such arcane might as to put the Merosett to shame, might have been a check on them. Sadly the family is self focused on its studies to the point of obsession, having a disconcerting element of being a personality cult to a long dead archwizard Grand Prince besides.

House Pulcher: A small commoner family recently raised up to the royalty by the Grand Prince on not quite a whim, they are completely in over their heads, flailing to hold together and not fall completely into debt and obligation as they try desperately to assert themselves.

House Vlastos: A once proud and storied lineage that has dwindled through tragedy and degeneration to but three remaining daughters, holding on in the face of absorption and annihilation of their name through ruthless scheming and manipulation and a still potent resource base. With all of the house's wealth between them, the Vlastos daughters seem bound and determined to restore the glory and prominence of their line on the backs of whoever they can suborn.


Senatorial families

The family Licinianus: A senatorial family so ancient as to be able to trace themselves to the founding of the senate itself. Traditionalist, incorruptible, and stalwart, they are also unfortunately shrill, elitist, classist, strident and pig headedly stubborn, the current family patriarch exemplifying all of these traits. Favouring an invasion of Qadira as far as the great debates, the house's innumerable grudges against the royal families could prevent such a thing from being remotely successful.

House Laeca: The main remaining virtue of the Laeca is that when you bribe them, they stay bribed. This would almost stand them head and shoulders above some of the other corrupt senatorial families, were it not for that they were spectacularly mercenary about finding opportunities to take in those bribes in the first place, for any little thing they can, from political positions, to securing jobs in the bureaucracy, to using their ancient name to promote the businesses of a trading coster. The Whores of the Senate (as they are called) are cheerfully shameless in the extreme, yet wealthy on the scale of a royal family because of it, and vastly influential as a result. They are also somehow the face of the pro Galt invasion party in the Senate, a group of expatriate Galtan nobles having between them coughed up the demanded for bribe to get them to take that stance.

House Armatus: A relatively younger family, originally raised up from a clan of shipwrights who managed a successful innovation on Taldan hull design a few centuries back, the Armatus lost their way in the opulence that many uplifted persons and families do. Yet the most recent generations of the family seem to have reclaimed their spirit of innovation and hard work, becoming something of a voice for bureaucratic reform and social justice in the senate. This is also perhaps why they have been subjected to some ten separate assassination attempts of the leading family members.

House Tjorgrim: A family originating from an Ulfen Guardsman managing to claim the hand of a senator's daughter as his prize on retiring, and founding a family from there. A rare martial family amidst the bureaucratic senate, the Tjorgrim like to see themselves as the Senate's champions and guardians. Standing in the way of that is half the senate viewing them as upjumped half barbarian boors.

Societies of some Sort

The Royal Taldan Opera Society: You know what Oppara has? One of the finest Uh, I clearly mean finest Opera House in the Inner Sea region. Yet somehow the forefront of operatic culture is the clearly uninspired drek coming out of Cheliax, or even nightmarish Ustalav. Taldan opera is not getting the recognition it is due, and this clearly needs to change. The society does everything from trying to find new prodigies to put to work in the field, to sabotaging performances, to lobbying Taldor's great bardic colleges to have a more opera focused curriculum (the colleges have responded with very elegant and poetic variations on "Fuck you"). On the one hand, the society is perhaps mildly ridiculous. On the other hand, they have money to burn, noble members and patronage, and an insecure vindictive streak a mile wide.

The Imperial Elephant Breeders: Taldor's sizeable elephant legions are dreaded by its enemies, whether from facing them in battle, or for their being used as a supply chain that has a certain elephant shaped resilience to being disrupted. Those elephants have to come from somewhere, and leaving the task of breeding them to some senatorial or royal family, or even some guild would be putting far too much power and influence into those hands. So the Grand Princes created an organization to function and focus on the sole purpose of maintaining and breeding Taldor's elephants. In answering directly to the Grand Prince alone, the Elephant Breeders have come into a not small degree of power and influence. On the other hand, they're elephant breeders, they don't exactly get a great many opportunities for leveraging it. Still, as an almost world and society apart, and class of bearded unto themselves, the Elephant Breeders of Taldor are a voice impossible to ignore, like the trumpeting cries of the beasts they breed.

The Verduran Druids, aka the Wildwood Lodge (canonical!): The semi autonomous rulers of the Verduran forest and the millennia ancient pact they maintain with Taldor to this day are one of the nation's few actually living positive legacies. They should really get at least a little bit of some fleshing out.

edit: to note, expect some of these to be big ol piles of npc classes.

Ebb

Quote from: RubySlippers on June 13, 2013, 01:11:52 AM
Okay new character is a Gestalt Fighter-Rogue 5th Level/Justiciar 3rd Level in House Varian and who worships logically Abadar and is LN. She is an agent of the city appointed by the Senate and is judge, jury and executioner if needed. I figure she stays in the family estate and can be found all over the city from the courts if asked to fill a spot there will be doing this duty when an offender is presented.

I assume IF I take leadership its city assigned people to assist her not a faction in the city.

There is no black and white though if you broke the law you will get punished as the law demands but the Senate, Bearded and Military likely tend their own law that is not her issue.

Well that is how its going.

That sounds neat, Ruby. Like a Taldan Judge Dredd.

I think you should ride an elephant instead of a motorcycle, though.

RubySlippers

I might go black and red as official colors for a Justiciar.

kckolbe

Some of her followers could be members of her own House. 
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Kolbrandr

Quote from: RubySlippers on June 13, 2013, 01:11:52 AM
Okay new character is a Gestalt Fighter-Rogue 5th Level/Justiciar 3rd Level in House Varian and who worships logically Abadar and is LN. She is an agent of the city appointed by the Senate and is judge, jury and executioner if needed. I figure she stays in the family estate and can be found all over the city from the courts if asked to fill a spot there will be doing this duty when an offender is presented.

I assume IF I take leadership its city assigned people to assist her not a faction in the city.

There is no black and white though if you broke the law you will get punished as the law demands but the Senate, Bearded and Military likely tend their own law that is not her issue.

Well that is how its going.


The core idea is fine, but some notes: So Taldor, given the society it's based on, probably does have a court system (not trial by jury or anything, but certainly courts where trials happen under a judge), and the cities do have noted and developed constabulary/cops, complete with sub stations (well, not in the Narrows, where the constables do not go unless in full force). Judge Dredd is probably not walking the streets pronouncing sentence and capping motherfuckers.

/That said/, the core idea really is fine. What I would suggest would be something like, say, an Imperial Assessor, appointed within the Senate's vast bureaucracy to independently investigate and evaluate its workings for crime/corruption and empowered to act on it where found all across Taldor. And considering the bureaucracy runs the country, that basically is a carte blanche to go wherever the Senate is doing something and if needs be start smashing faces. That in this day and age, most such people are corrupt as hell, but your character is one of the few that is not.

Alternatively, you could be one of the constables of the White Hall, one of the senior figures within such with a particularly proactive approach to investigation and the like as far as crime in the city

Also, I just put up some senatorial families, if you do want to be some kind of officer of the senate, you might want to be from one of those instead.

With all of that said though, the judges would be appointed by the Senate, and to take a roundabout path to this, you might simply be an appointed judge who is using their authority in a fairly peculiar way, having tired of waiting for criminals to be brought to you by a system that isn't working to your satisfaction. You'd be a figure of not small controversy for that mind you, though fortunately the Senate is a convoluted mess enough that by the time they get around to debating whether or not to revoke your judgeship, it is 5 years from now.

edit: Basically, Taldor has general cops, if you're some kind of special investigator/enforcement officer, it would then be for some kind of special field, like Senatorial corruption and crime, or evil magic/cults or something. Alternatively, you're indeed a judge taking their general mandate over crime and being funky with it in a way that is technically not illegal, but somewhat debated.

Ebb

Quote from: Kolbrandr on June 13, 2013, 10:20:09 AM
Also, I just put up some senatorial families, if you do want to be some kind of officer of the senate, you might want to be from one of those instead.

https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Taldor#Sentatorial_Families

RubySlippers

Investigation is not her strong point or mine, I figure most of the time the constables bring the perps to her and she judges. She could execute but it would be less likely if someone is a murderer that is best done in public anyway the whole trial and execution. But if some dummy dares attack her bets are off. lol

Ebb

I might have missed something obvious, Kolbrandr, but which House is the current Grand Prince Stavian III part of? Generally speaking the emperors are also heads of Noble Houses, right?

RubySlippers

Well she would have the authority until its removed to be judge, jury and if needed executioner and is LN as long as the law doesn't tie her hands she could try something new.  ;D

I will call it being a Judge-at-Large. Constables can bring the perps to her wherever she is and can judge them easily enough.

Kolbrandr

Quote from: Ebb on June 13, 2013, 10:53:16 AM
I might have missed something obvious, Kolbrandr, but which House is the current Grand Prince Stavian III part of? Generally speaking the emperors are also heads of Noble Houses, right?

Having dug through books, his house seems to be Finara, as far as the dude's last name. The Grand Prince comes from the Royal Houses, yeah.

EroticFantasyAuthor

#369
Group opinion, would we rather keep some stuff about our characters to ourselves at our own option, or simply share everything openly?

World Fluff-wise, most of the population is made up of NPCs classes with rare "special" people having PC classes, correct? How rare are PC classes?

For example: How common are fighters within the Taldor military?

Kolbrandr

Quote from: EroticFantasyAuthor on June 14, 2013, 05:19:18 AM
Group opinion, would we rather keep some stuff about our characters to ourselves at our own option, or simply share everything openly?

World Fluff-wise, most of the population is made up of NPCs classes with rare "special" people having PC classes, correct? How rare are PC classes?

For example: How common are fighters within the Taldor military?

Okay, as I noted to you, if you want to keep some things about your character secret, that's fine. If you want to note them openly, that's also fine. I'd prefer there not be some appeal to group pressure to enforce one way or another.

Anyway, world-fluff wise, Golarion is somewhat uneven that way. So for example the typical Ulfen raider is actually a level 1 barbarian, yet for instance various city guardsmen are warriors. The Ulfen Guard, the Grand Prince's personal guardsmen and enforcers, are quite probably uniformly pc classes. I wouldn't call PC classes vanishingly rare per se, they probably exist in a healthy proportion, and to be honest with you, I really don't feel like itemizing some pc class/npc class ratio. If I was going to spitball, the Taldan Phalanx legions probably have well more warriors than fighters, and the Taldan Horse probably have /well/ more fighters and cavaliers than warrior, being the elite. NPC classes are certainly more common overall, pc classes existing are not some unique miracle.


Muse

House Vaughn

Overall House Alignment:  Lawful Neutral with Lawful Good Leanings

Common Classes: Aristocrat, Expert, Fighter, Wizard

Rarer, but not unheard of:  Cleric, Sorcerer

Rare: Paladin

Extremely Uncommon: All Others

Favored Deity: Adabar, Nethys

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

House Moto:  Wisdom is where you look for it. 

Overview: 
   House Vaughn hold a seat on the senate and profitable—albiet dangerous—lands in the Fog Peaks.  What was originally a small land grant with a few mines has expanded over the centuries into mining writ’s for most of the Fog Peaks—in so much as the Vaughn dare mine them. 
   Vaughn’s are well known for producing and employing powerful wizards.  Constructs aid in the defense of their valley home.   They also ply this mix of wealth and power into political sway through the giving if gifts.  Many a young royal warrior received their first enchanted blade from the Vaughns.  Magical curiosities such as flying carpets and attentive tea-tables have also been widely dispersed.  In this fashion, a sense of indebtedness is fostered in some, of jealous one-upmanship in others. 
   Vaughns are known for educated wisdom, cautious conservativism, and calculated concern for the common folk. 
   Magistros Origen Vaughn has recently abdicated in favor of his second son, Narcius, and disappeared to parts unkown to continue his studies. 

Notable Historical Vaughn: 
Vaughn
   Grand Prince Voris IV of Taldane was advised by a wise, powerful and trusted wizard, Vaugh.  He elevated the man to the senatorial class, and had a prosperous and beneficent reign under Vaughn’s advise. 
   Grand Prince Voris V was not so fond of his father's advisor.  It was explicit in Voris IV's will that Vaughn be given a land grant and the title Magistros Vaughn.  Voris V honored that will, but the land he granted was in the foothills of the very dangerous Fog Peaks.  With the aid of some earth elementals, clever spells, and a lot of luck, Vaughn not only secured his valley for farmland, but found mines for guano, iron, and gems.  Three years later, wealthier and stronger than ever, Vaughn returned to the capitol with a wife and son, riding in an animate carriage, and proceeded to harass the Grand Prince towards a wiser rule to the end of his days. 

Notable Members of House Vaughn: 
   Magistros Origen Vaughn (55 year old L? Human Male Fighter 1, Wizard 6, Eldritch Knight 10?)  For almost three decades Origen was a conservative voice of reason on the senate.  He was also a powerful battle mage and arcane crafter, with passing skill at Rondolero.  For more about his polotics, see Foreign Relations Worth Noting. 
   Up until seventeen years ago, Origen was a healthy man, able to balance the callings of politician, family man, and wizard.  However when his wife—Anastasia—died birthing Zo—their fifth child and second daughter—Origen slowly and steadily withdrew further and further into his studies. 
   For the last three years, he has been liquidating large quantities of house assets and building himself a private retreat in parts unknown to continue his studies in peace.  He commanded his second son, Narcius, to acquire for him a vial of Sun Orchid Elixir.  Upon receiving it, he signed papers of abdication in Narcius’s name.  Within the week he disappeared to his new holding and had not been seen since. 

   Zacharias Vaughn:  (51 year LE human male Fighter/Mage ?)  Origen’s younger brother, Zacharias has increasingly divorced himself from family affairs in the last nine years.  In truth, he’s watched his brother’s fall from grace with a great deal of interest.  Narcius desires that he return to the house as his adviser, but a gnawing fear is growing in his gut that Zacharias could have had something to do with his brother’s death—or at least means to take advantage of it? 

   Basil Vaughn (LG 30 year old human male Fighter 1, Wizard 6, Eldritch Knight 4):  The fist son of Magistros Origen Vaughn and a powerful eldritch knight.  The most idealistic of the brothers, but also a savvy politician heavily groomed by Origen.  This winter, Basil suffered an ambush by frost giants while patrolling the Fog Peaks.  He was slain and did not answer the call of resurrection. 

   Aelia Armatus (LNG 27 year old human female Wizard 9):  First daughter of Origen Vaughn, Aelia was one of her father’s favorite students for many years, and her marriage was delayed to the ripe old age of 21.  At this point, she married a son of house Armatus, and has kept that house favorably disposed towards the Vaughn ever since. 

   Narcius Vaughn (LNG 24 year old Fighter/Noble Scion gestalt with Wizard):  Perhaps his father’s most gifted protégé, Narcius managed to fully master both Rondelero Dueling and magic.  A second son, he has spent the last 6 years sewing his wild oats, exploring the world, growing in power, and occasionally acting as a house agent in foreign lands.  He is primarily accompanied by his manservant Royce, a skilled duelist with the rapier blade.
   In his 20th year, Narcius encountered a Dawflower Dervish—Amika—in a fencing salon in Andoran.   After they fought each other to a standstill, he wooed her to surrender, and she converted him to her goddess. 
   Last year, Narcius succeeded in acquiring for his father a sun orchid elixir, and for himself a powerful concubine. 
   For the last three months, he’s rushed to adapt to his knew roll as head of the house.  It’s a long road, and he still has far to go. 

   Adrian Vaughn (LN 21 year old human male Cleric of Adbar [getalt with crossbow sniper?]):  The third son of Origen Vaughn—knowing that he had little inheritance coming his way and would only receive house support so long as he was useful to them, has pursued a career as a priest of Adbar.  He has not inconsiderable power and is a mean shot with a crossbow. 

   Zo Vaugn (LG 17 year old Human Female Alchemist 3):  Zo could always tell that her father blamed her for their mother’s death.  She alternately hates him for it and years for his acceptance.  As his arate was all Origen really hoped to share with her, she had an aversion to excelling at it.  Her mind was, however, too keen to truly neglect, so she spent some time studying under a gnome in their employ and quickly became their families first transcendental alchemist. 
   Zo loves her brothers and sister very much, and is a kindly soul at heart.  She also has an unsavory habit of making things explode when she feels neglected.  She is starting to grow out of this habit, which is fortunate for Narcius, to whom it now falls to arrange for her a suitable and politically savvy marriage. 

Strengths of House Vaughn: 
   Magical Resources:  Over the centuries the Vaughn have accumulated large quantities of magical knowledge.  The east tower of Castle Vaughn is a very large library protected by wards against the weathers of time.  The scions of the house tend to be intelligent enough to manage the rolls of wizard, priest, or even eldritch knight. 

Weaknesses of House Vaughn:
   Nature Abhors a Vacuum:  Origen’s relatively sudden abdication has left any number of rumors flying.  The most unnerving of these is that his father is quietly watching over his heir through scrying and preparing to return and put the upstart in his place.  Worse—and word of this has to get out sooner or later—Origen drained the houses resources badly to arrange his new life, and has spirited away a good many priceless tomes and household relics. 

Foreign Relations Worth Noting: 
   Magistros Origen Vaughn was well known for his stance that Taldor’s primary concern should be an increase of security and prosperity within it’s own borders.  Well aware of threats both foreign and domestic, Origen argued for a stronger military—not too large—but well equipped, better trained, and well paid.  He pushed for programs to restore the fading glories of Taldane, though he was known for emphasizing roads and fortresses, he did not neglect shrines, monuments, public buildings, aqueducts and sewers.   
   Basil was believed to be slightly more idealistic chip off of his father’s block.  However with Basil’s death and Origen’s retirement to parts unknown, Narcius has shown his more ambitious side to the senate.  He has already been seen to support the invasion of Galt through procedural votes and small speeches.  He is preparing a strategy to present to the senate for how Galt can be not only conquered, but pacified and brought back into the imperial fold in a way that enriches all and ends Galt’s decades of bloody revolts. 
   Other than this, he seems not so different from his father and brother. 
A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

EroticFantasyAuthor

#372
Quote from: Kolbrandr on June 14, 2013, 06:11:47 AM
Okay, as I noted to you, if you want to keep some things about your character secret, that's fine. If you want to note them openly, that's also fine. I'd prefer there not be some appeal to group pressure to enforce one way or another.

Anyway, world-fluff wise, Golarion is somewhat uneven that way. So for example the typical Ulfen raider is actually a level 1 barbarian, yet for instance various city guardsmen are warriors. The Ulfen Guard, the Grand Prince's personal guardsmen and enforcers, are quite probably uniformly pc classes. I wouldn't call PC classes vanishingly rare per se, they probably exist in a healthy proportion, and to be honest with you, I really don't feel like itemizing some pc class/npc class ratio. If I was going to spitball, the Taldan Phalanx legions probably have well more warriors than fighters, and the Taldan Horse probably have /well/ more fighters and cavaliers than warrior, being the elite. NPC classes are certainly more common overall, pc classes existing are not some unique miracle.

I was just wondering what the group's thoughts were to help me decide on things, at this point it might be easier to just go ahead with full disclosure, but at the same time keeping some things for a surprise might be fun. Wasn't asking for a concrete decision or a "okay we all do this" type of thing. Just opinions from fellow players to help with my decision of how to proceed.

As for fluff wise, thank you for the explanation, was hoping it was something along those lines, as that is the type of world I'm most used to.

kckolbe

I think I am somewhere in the middle, disclosure-wise.  On one hand, I posted my organizations and NPCs early, letting you guys see what I was about and potential strengths/weaknesses, but I have some plots kept to myself.  I do think that any current NPC-related ties/plots should be disclosed unless involving only your own followers/cohorts.
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Well of course the DM would be informed of everything, I'm mostly just wondering how you all are planning to handle your's. Thank you.  :-)

It would be a motivational plot type secret for me, also with "loose" connections to NPCs not in Taldor.