Tales of the Drow – GM Guided Sandbox, Freeform (Interest Check)

[VonDoom]

Pretty sure we are!  :-)

[Kythia]

Pretty sure we are!  :-)

Drowriffic.

I've got a vague idea for a senior priestess who, secretly, heads an underground cult to Kiaransalee (I fucking love Kiaransalee).  Would that fit in?

[Barbarian]

Would fit wonderful.

Postponing the start to next week then. By that time, we'll hit the button no matter how many people we have!

[SpiralSpider]

Just wanted to remind everyone that I'm gone for the weekend. I'll see you in a few days.

[Kythia]

SpiralSpider - Could you take a glance at this as well as Barbarian as my background intersects with yours.  Let me know if you don't want and I can change

]

Name: Kesmyr Baenrae

Race: Drow

Position: Priestess of Lolth (openly) Leader of Kiaransalee cult (secretly)

Appearance: Per picture.  Unusually amongst the Drow, Kesmyr ties her hair back with a small silver ring.  Wearing Kiaransalee's holy symbol  - silver rings on each finger of her hand - would be too dangerous and that's the closest she dares. She's generally armoured though the armour is more ornate than functional - it might turn a blade at a push, but its not really suitable for battle.  Ditto for the sword - one or two good strikes and it would warp or snap.  If she dropped the sulky frown - Kesmyr has the most serious case of resting bitch face known to Faerun- she could be quite attractive, but noone's ever seen it happen.

History:   The thing that explains Kesmyr's history is that, well, people tend not to like her.  Part of it is the perpetual scowl.  Part of it is the fact that she makes no attempt to hide how much smarter she is than everybody else.  Part of it is the fact she rarely if ever bothers to learn people's names.  Part of it is that she's just plain unlikeable.  Drow, members of the most arrogant race in the world, find her arrogant.  She has no noticeable leadership skills and little interest in developing any - people should do what she says because she is right, Lolthdamnit, not because she's somehow persuaded them.  She got in to the Clergy through an impeccably high birth and progressed through the same, but it came as no surprise to anyone except her when Xulena became High Priestess over her.

And she was indeed surprised.  She retreated to her house and her undead servants - she found it hard to keep even slaves let alone drow servants - and brooded for ages.  Plotting a revenge so spectacular that house Baenrae would discuss it for centuries.  But she couldn't do it alone and noone was willing to support her.

Driven by revenge, surrounded by undead, it was realistically only a matter of time before she found Kiaransalee.  She was familiar with her, of course, but her conversion was still a slow affair.  By the time she emerged though, her spells were being granted by Kiaransalee not Lolth.  The Spider Queen must know, of course, but to date she hasn't made that fact aware to her clerics in Baenrae.  Maybe she enjoys watching the plotting, maybe she (correctly) judges that Kesmyr doesn't stand a chance at converting the house, maybe she just doesn't give a fuck.  Outwardly, Kesmyr maintains her standing within Lolth's church, behind closed doors she leads an incredibly small cult of Kiaransalee in dreams of vengeance against Xulena.  Small because of her, though she'll never realise it.  Kiaransalee is a goddess of revenge and there are many abused males, and even slaves, who could be seduced to her worship but Kesmyr is certainly not the woman to do it.  The cult will go nowhere, but she'll never see that.  After all, she's in charge of the cult, and she's by far the smartest person she knows.

Ons: Kesmyr is an incredibly selfish lover, even by female drow standards.  Though it rarely comes up of course, she's unpleasant enough to cancel out her attractiveness.  The old half-blind orcish slave who attends to her every need knows that his tongue is needed a couple of times a day, but other than him its been a while.  She has essentially no interest in sex qua sex, or indeed anything sexual that isn't her being brought to orgasm as quickly as possible then the encounter finishing.  Part of this is actually inexperience, though she doesn't realise it; she's never been with anyone but a slave and she's certainly not about to enter a ender bout of lovemaking with them.  Whether she'd enjoy t if she tried it is rather academic - noone particularly wants to.

Offs: As above, really.

Frequency: Once a week, certainly.  Maybe a litte more, occasionally a little less.

[SpiralSpider]

Keep in mind, I'm not the person behind the starting of this game so I will, of course, defer to Barbarian's decision.

I like Kesmyr as a character and I enjoy the flaws that round her out. But I worry about a priestess of Lloth being secretly a priestess of Kiransalee. That is blatant disrespect and extremely dangerous in any situation, but for a daughter of the 1st house of Menzoberranzan it seems... almost impossible, to be honest.

Since the houses are always striving to tip the balance of the scale to keep Lloth's favor (and thus their ranking within the city) Kesmyr as a Baenrae, with that giant spotlight shining down on them... it just seems unthinkable from my point of view. She's bound to be killed - and quickly - once our Matron is aware, and I don't think it would take her long to find that one of her own daughters was actively working against her. It's a really tenuous tightrope to walk for even the most wily an determined, and made that much more difficult by her arrogance and lack of drive.

Certainly, one Goddess or the other could have a hand in her current success. And it could lead to all kinds of delightful confrontation and interaction with the other characters so in terms of conflict and drama, we'd have it for sure.

[Kythia]

Oh, sure.  I know its a dangerous position and I'm fine with playing that through to the logical conclusion.  Being out in the lounge is likely aiding her (though she of course believes its her own superlative leadership).  I'm fine with that.  If/when she is executed I'll roll up a new character (assuming barbarian will still have me).  My goal here is to have fun and 1) I kinda like creating characters and 2) a potential death isn't gonna ruin that for me.  And hopefully the potentially inevitable unmasking will be fun for everyone else as well.

[SpiralSpider]

That's good to know. ^.^'

I don't like killing other people's characters... it's why I make a reaaaally sucky Dungeon Master.

Who knows, though? Maybe she'll get away to the surface or something?

[Kythia]

That's good to know. ^.^'

I don't like killing other people's characters... it's why I make a reaaaally sucky Dungeon Master.

Who knows, though? Maybe she'll get away to the surface or something?

Or maybe she's precisely as smart as she thinks she is and you end up fleeing to the surface  ;D

That's totes my goal now.  Nothing personal.

[SpiralSpider]

Heh. That's great. Even if you got rid of my reluctant priestess, though...  Kesmyr won't survive long down there.

It's sad, though, thinking that the underdark is really where we need her Goddess's influence.

[Kythia]

Heh. That's great. Even if you got rid of my reluctant priestess, though...  Kesmyr won't survive long down there.

It's sad, though, thinking that the underdark is really where we need her Goddess's influence.

Kiaransalee's?

[SpiralSpider]

Yes.

I think most Drow go along with Lloth because it's all they know.

[Kythia]

The rest of the pantheon, bar Elistraee (sp?  TOo lazy to check) isn't much better though.  And Ghaunadar (sp?  ditto) is arguably worse.

[SpiralSpider]

Agreed.

[Barbarian]

Kesmyr is ok for me. Secret worship is ok until it's... secret. Till the right time comes. And as Kythia noted, maybe Lloth has other plans for this schemer :)

Now what we really need is another slave I guess. So I'll be making a slave char today. He'll be a human scout for drow characters to use as henchmen, warrior, sex slave or in any mission, anyway.

By the way, I had edited some guilds and factions at the Quest Log. Link to it and OOC can be found at the top of the first post of this thread. I'll add Kythia's char and mine to Quest Log and then, make up an IC thread in a few days.

For now, the main quest for the drow lounge would be to set up a deal with that surface fur trader, but that's going to be a longish plot, with you contributing mostly and deciding the outcomes. Once and if you do it, Duergar will not be happy and things will follow.

But other than that, please, just please do not hesitate to make up your own quests, like maybe Kesmyr plotting behind Xulena and trying to gain allies etc.. That applies for anyone.

As I said, tomorrow or the day after, the IC will be ready.

Thank you everyone for the patient wait :)

[towerhouse]

Do you still need another sneaky slave?  I was thinking a changeling rogue.

Name: Jarlo
Race: Changeling
Position: Recent Slave
Appereance: He appears normally as a male Drow, but changes shapes to different races and sexes often, for no other reason than to entertain those around him.
History: Jarlo was a traveling minstrel.  He grew up traveling with his family who entertain both on the surface world and the underdark.  They trained him in performing, as well as some skills in stealth, which came useful at times.  He left his family to start an act of his own, seeing the world, living day to day.  It was a good life, and his act usually includes changing shapes as part of his storyline.  Unfortunately, he developed quite a nasty gambling habit.  He eventually accumulated a huge gambling debt, that put him into slavery.  He's hoping for the best and tries to use his charms to try to eventually get out of slavery somehow.

Ons: Games of chance, beautiful women, role-playing
Offs: Pain, Anal
Foreseen Frequency: How long should we wait for a post from you? Twice a week
Skills:  Move Silently, Hide in Shadow, Perform, Listen, Spot, Diplomacy, Disguise, Bluff
Spells:  Cantrips, Silent Image, Cure Light Wounds
Bard Songs:  Fascinate, Inspire Courage, Suggestion
Image or Images:

[VonDoom]

Pretty sure we're still open.  :-)

[Barbarian]

The IC is open :)

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=226630.msg11122828#msg11122828

And Quest Log is updated with characters of Kythia and towerhouse. And also my slave, Carrun the Bat.

The Fur Trader Quest is also given but it's not really a main plot. If you people want to pursue some other things or plot against each other, go ahead. I really leave those issues to you.

From now on, if she also accepts, SpiralSpider is a Co-GM. In case you can't reach me or anything, she has every right to guide this game in any way.

And this is it mostly.

Carrun is ready for anyone that needs his services btw :)

[towerhouse]

Perhaps we can start a slave pens thread?  If any of the priestess have services of some musical entertainment, Jarlo is available.   

[VonDoom]

So, wait, Jarlo is finished? The charsheet seems rather minimal.

[towerhouse]

I left out description because changelings can change shapes, so I wasn't sure what to put there.  Also, excuse my poor navigation skills, as I only started elliquiy this week. 

[Kythia]

The IC is open :)

I take it that means we're good to post?

[Barbarian]

I take it that means we're good to post?

Yup! Have fun!

As I stated in the first place, I do not wish to give direction to your actions or anything, as a GM, I'll just interfere when I'm really needed. Also, you are free to RP the NPCs as you like, create some "not-that-much-important" NPCs and stuff. About the ones in Fur Trader quest, just RP them as I described them.

If you have any questions, just hit me.

And we can start moving the OOC stuff, to the OOC thread :) This can stay as a recruit thread.

[Etherealgirl]

Sooooo, I love the Dark Elves, and love the Underdark setting...Can...and I hope so, Can I play an Illithid!? :D

[towerhouse]

So, wait, Jarlo is finished? The charsheet seems rather minimal.

So, I fleshed out Jarlo's bio a bit.  I realize it was rather skimmish, and I decided to give him a more permanent form...a female drow one. 

Name: Jarlo
Race: Changeling
Position: Recent Slave
Appearance: She appears normally as a beautiful female Drow with white hair and blue-ebony skin.   She wears markings (slave collar)  that bear her as a drow slave, which she cannot take off without the master's key.  Her clothings are usually that of the performer, a low cut black dress. 

History: Jarlo was a traveling minstrel.  He grew up traveling with his family of changelings who entertain both on the surface world and the underdark.  They trained him in performing, as well as some skills in stealth, which came useful at times.  He left his family to start an act of his own, seeing the world, living day to day.  It was a good life, and his act usually includes changing shapes as part of his storyline.  Unfortunately, he developed quite a nasty gambling habit.  He eventually accumulated a huge gambling debt, that put him into slavery. 

After he was sold to the drows, his new owners asked him to change to a permanent form of his choosing.  They were not afraid of him running away, as they had a way of tracking him through his phylactery, and he knew his punishment was instant death...or worse.  Since there were other drow slaves (typically captured in battle), he chose the form of a female drow, as the form commanded the most respect, even though she is still a slave.  She is also use to being taller, and the male form was typically too short.  Her masters found her powers of shapechanging useful for their intrigue, but she is prohibited from doing it unless directed by one of her masters.   

Ons: Jarlo turned into a female form out of practicality.  She is still unuse to the female form, as she did not stay in it for too long in the past.  She has never experienced sex as a female, and this is the farthest from her worries at the moment.  She will be reluctant to participate in sexual activity, as a female, at first but may just need a little "push" to discover the delight of the female form.  Changelings can enjoy sex as either sexes and can even get pregnant.   
Offs: Pretty open except male-male encounters.
Foreseen Frequency: How long should we wait for a post from you? Twice a week
Skills:  Move Silently, Hide in Shadow, Perform (sing, musical intruments, story-telling), Listen, Spot, Diplomacy, Disguise, Bluff, Slight-of-Hand. 

Level (His proficiency is that of a level 2 Bard, DND 3.5)
Spells:  Cantrips, Silent Image, Cure Light Wounds
Bard Songs:  Fascinate, Inspire Courage (+1), Countersong

Minor changeshape (Su): Changelings have the ability to alter their appearance as though using a disguise self spell, this does not affect their possessions. This is not an illusory effect but a minor physical alteration of features. The changeling can use this at will and lasts until they choose to change again or are killed in which case they revert to their natural form. A true seeing spell reveals their natural form. When in use this ability gives the changeling a +10 circumstance bonus to disguise checks. Using this ability is a full-round action.

Image or Images: