The Savage Isle - Pathfinder (aka D&D 3.75)

[Brandon]

Centuries ago when the nation of Cheliax began expanding across the globe it established a colony on the other side of the inner sea called Sargava. Before the demigod Andoran's death both nations were places of purity and peace but with the fall of the greatest of gods so to did the world and its nations begin their slow descent into madness and evil. Cheliax itself soon allied with the Devil's aristocracy of hell but as the neverending storm called the eye of Abendango separated the kingdoms by sea ensuring Sargava's slow downfall, the fate of many colonies yet ironically the eye also saved them from the devil cults that would infest their home nation.

Since then Sargava has not prospered but it has survived. The most recent lord, Baron Utilinus has been looked for ways to deal with the mass of problems in Sargava. Dwindling crops, rioting barbarians, and the constant threat of naval assault from the many pirate fleets had worried him for years and there seemed to be little Sargava can do but endure. That is till a few months ago.

A half year past an old fishing vessel was blown off course by a freak storm when coming back from their long voyage. Instead of returning to Sargava the fishermen were blown east beyond the rim of where monsters were said to lay and into the unexplored waters of Golarian. The trip was periless but the first mate, Conrad Meluse, an ex-naval officer managed to pull the crew together and survive. When the crew found land they stepped upon a massive island that the Conrad would later call the savage isle. The crew spent roughly three weeks upon the island, that time was spent fixing their boat and exploring. In their findings they discovered untouched gem and gold mines near a native race of humans that called themselves the Ollar, a group of humans with strong psychic powers and stronger reverence of their ancestors as well as an instinctive lust for life and sex. When the crew met the Ollar they were also fated to meet the Stormtail tribe, a group of powerful lizardfolk with more primal instincts yet influenced by hidden gods and taught to revere nature and the cause of good above all else. Then at the pass the entered the home of the island there was a massive gate built by the Lizardfolk's ancestors, closed for eon's but with stone ladders to the top that gave humanoids the capability to let small groups of people pass into the jungles beyond.

With many weeks left Conrad and his group of warriors went further into the savage isle and found a primal world that rivaled the most savage and ancient of Golarian's history, written or otherwise. Conrad and his men pushed further south to the tip of the island past the previously thought extinct predators and enduring the diseases and poisons of the island. What they found then was a place he would dub Krakens cove, a place where the Crimson nights pirate fleet had setup an outpost to  conduct their raids of explorers and naval patrols.

With this information Conrad returned to his boat, fixed it, and returned home to Sargava. By the time he arrived one of the many diseases that had effected his body had put him on deaths door but in his last moments of life he gave the journal to the Baron and passed away, knowing that he may have secured Sargava's future.

The Baron saw this opportunity and immediately set about organizing a colony of his own. He knew he needed competent warriors and people driven by more then greed so he made an offer. Any group who journeyed to the savage isle and brought down the Crimson nights leader would have the right to claim Barony over this new land. Thus the boats have filled with warriors, magicians, priests, and others who seek to make their mark in the world and possibly earn the right to rule over this new kingdom. You are one such person. How will you fit into the grande scheme of the savage isle? Will you create a utopia that rivals any of the past or future? Will you be a mage of unparalleled power that uses their magic to destroy or create armies? Are you the sea fairing captain who will sail the seas around the savage isle and keep them safe or will you rob everyone in sight? All of these roles and more are available. How will you shape the story of the savage isle and the future of the world? Come join us and find out...

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This is a Pathfinder game. Run by me. It is a player driven game where the players make the choices and I give the consequences to their actions. First lets discuss what newbies may think coming in here

What is Pathfinder?: Pathfinder is a pen and paper roleplaying game developed by Paizo publishing. In it the players take on the role of fantasy heros of various classes and races from the quirky gnome sorcerer to the stalwart Dwarven fighter. If you would like to know more, contact me (I try to be very newbie friendly), post here, and/or review d20srd.com for the rules of said game. The game is easy to learn, easy to get into, and an absolute joy to play

For those more familiar with the game you may wish to know more about character creation and how to submit a character. Keep reading

Level: 1
Attributes: 20 point buy
Money: Max for your class
Alignment: Any as long as you can work together
Open material: The pathfinder core book, the advanced players guide, and the Expanded psionics handbook only. If it is not found in these sources of www.d20pfsrd.com you can not use it

To join the game, I must know a bit about you and your playstyle. I want players to come into this with a character they are just desperate to play. If you're thinking "Ill just play a dwarf wizard" then you're going about this wrong. Its the character that is important, not the mechanics, not the class and race, not the spells. The character.

That out of the way, if you're still interested please fill this out so I can get a good look into your head and how to run the game to make it fun for you and the other players

What kind of settings and themes do you enjoy playing in?
Why do you play the game?
What do you expect from the game, me (the GM), and your fellow players?

Character name: What is the name of your character?
Character Age: How old is the character?
Character Race: What race does he belong to?
Character Alignment: Tell us your characters alignment
Character class: Tell us what class your character took up
Character Role: Tell us what role your character fills for the group

Character description: Tell us what your character looks like and if you can give us a picture of them too

Character Personality: Tell us how your character thinks, what their demeanor is, and what they value

Character Background: Tell us how your character became who they are

Character goals: List out some things that you want this character to accomplish

[Ixy]

Character name: Sian Relyav

Character Age: 23
Character Race: Human
with its ills and honors, its cruelty and charity, its dual-nature the only unifying factor.
Character Alignment: Lawful Neutral
She's seen horrors, and made them, during her short time on earth.  She does not believe in true goodness or evil except that which one makes for one's self.  Good and evil gods are not really either; they are simply extremists of power enforced by litigation in the form of 'morals' and violence in the form of 'salvation'.
Character class: Fighter.  She's violent inside.  She likes hurting, and to some degree she likes being hurt.  She's incredibly insecure and needs to feel powerful, even if that sensation bears a cost.
Character Role: Hard-liner, profiteer, who forms close attachments slowly and reluctantly and tries to deny anything more than her wants and needs and will try to drag the others along for profitable schemes.

Character description: Sian is tall, with ropes of fine, lean muscle under sun-tanned fair skin.  Her dirty-blonde hair is braided for convenience, as it is contrary to custom for women to cut their hair.  Her features are delicate, her eyes sharp and condemning and dark, her brows arched and thin.  Her mouth is quite feminine, with one side bearing a thin pale line that matches other scars she's retained over the years.  She was lucky-- and good-- enough to avoid grievous injury in the military, but her long, hard body bears many x-shaped arrow marks and slim, long lines to remind her of her mortality.  Her unit's customary markings are on her hands, her upper arms, her ankles, and the base of her neck-- paled blue tattoos in the shape of circles and a rune meaning steadfastness and loyalty-- having been tattooed with something like a sharp iron stamp, these rough marks are a warning to the bearer and her allies, and could be 'reclaimed' if the soldier betrayed the legion.  Her young features are still quiet lovely, but she seems to never be aware that she's looked upon and does nothing to 'use' her body's charms for flirtation or manipulation.

Character Personality:
She's one of the many; one of this race of innovators and conquerors whose moral and personal identity cannot be identified as one: humanity.
Far from the leader, she's more the 'drunk uncle' of the group; when things are going well, she's everyone's friend, but when they're bad she's a nightmare.  She's an opportunity-seeker, ironically 'macho' in many ways because she covets lover, fortunes, and power... Fame is not preferable, as glory makes only new responsibility and scrutiny.  She loves celebrating victories, but she's quick to lay blame and very defensive against criticism-- real or perceived.  She tends to objectify feminine women, dressing in androgynous or men's clothing.  She abstains from most revelry, pushing away the potential for relationships or a settled home in favor of short-term rentals, trysts with no names shared, and short-term jobs with high risk of violence.  She carouses, fights, smokes, and curses.

Character Background:
The borders made Sian grow up hard; her family was strong, but not personal.  Her mother died young, and her formerly incarcerated father drank heavily-- their failure to succeed in the civilized world had led them to the farthest fringes of civilization, distant even from the fortress town where she now resides.  There, survival was second only to independence, and Sian's family stayed far from the reach of the law.
Their home was a clay-walled, thatched-roofed, former mission building, its ancient sanctuary replaced by a distillery and workspace.  It was prone to dangerous wildlife, including the occasional monster, and was surrounded by fields of sugar cane, rice paddies, a smokehouse, and a small pen for livestock.  The nearest outpost village was a fort twelve miles away.
While the rum they made supplemented their income, their profits were devoured by repairs, bail, bribes, and protection money for years.  Although they remained independent, their distance from society made it easier for society's rules to erode away.  Poverty, crime, and violence added up, and during her childhood, Sian was abused physically and sexually by members of her family and associates from local organized crime and corrupt officials.
During these years, she tended to form fixations on objects of desire-- a pretty glass-jeweled comb, a well-crafted arrow-sling, a puppy-- and those things she couldn't acquire she would try to destroy, creating the impression of her as a spiteful brat to her older siblings and cousins.   With her younger cousins, however, she showed a capability for 'tough love'-- she defended them against abuse sometimes, and taught them how to wrestle and fight.  If someone came looking for one of them, she often caught a whipping, a stray punch, or a harsh abusing on their behalf.  They adored her, and for the only time in her life she felt truly important and loved.
She worked the cane fields for years, plotting to run away, but deterred by obligation to the children, and never left the land unaccompanied until a wyvern nest sprung up near their land,  Sian and her older brother were dispatched the fort to seek help, under the assumption that Sian could be offered in permanent exchange for the temporary service of a platoon if the thirty gold they possessed were insufficient.  Sensing an opportunity for freedom, Sian's brother took the gold and abandoned her... she could have followed suit, but could not leave the children to their fate.
The corrupt officials refused her aid initially, but she managed to convince a particularly lecherous lieutenant by submitting to a vast array of desires-- and promising to do so indefinitely, should he lend aid-- not for the sake of those who'd raised her, but for the young she felt she had raised.   By the time she returned two days later, seated on the officer's own saddle, they found devastation; the wyverns had found the mission house, and-- rightly perceiving the humans as a threat-- the nestlings had eradicated and devoured everyone they found, slaughtering and devouring.  The only survivors were-- to her great relief-- Sian's three younger cousins, whose small size let them hide in a cache in the mill while the house burned-- in the end, the rum had proved a powerful accelerant when the battle got ugly.
Her love for the children led her to greater desperation to provide them care, for there were no orphanages in the outback and the Lieutenant had no investment in their care.  She managed to secure them each homes, though they were divided-- one cousin apprenticed to a smithy, another cleaning for a trader, the third to the military stable-- in the idle hours she found.  When the lieutenant was dispatched back to civilization, she was dismissed without even a letter of reference or a set of spare clothes-- evidently, the officer had a wife at home, and securing her happiness (and tidy inheritance) was worth more than the services of a skinny country girl.
Sian turned sixteen while hitching a ride on a city-bound caravan.  She found a recruiting station for the Overland Legion-- a military branch that provides a 'second chance' for many on the fringe of society because of debts, criminal history, or poverty.  She found their acceptance to be liberating, and through their social conditioning, discipline, and physical and mental training, she came into her own-- she learned to read, she earned a little coin, she held a real sword and wore real armor.
Her wiry frame bloomed to be womanly with proper nourishment, but she remained in men's clothes and learned to ignore most of the harassment she received as a female-- until, one day, she snapped and ruined a petty sergeant's face.  The legion disciplined her harshly, but she was allowed to remain-- she still bears the lash scars with a twinge of sneaky pride, and her unit embraced her as one of their own: a fierce, resilient fuck-up who needed a new identity.  The harassment stopped out of respect and, in many cases, a little fear.
Through the service, she saw villages, temples, statues and finery, and she wanted them to be hers.  True friendships formed, even brief, heated passions.  For years among these men and women, she learned to kill, to maintain her weapons and armor, to identify structures and improvise plans, and though her beloved Legion would never make her truly happy, it did make her one hell of a fighter.

Settings and Themes I prefer clear settings with an element of mystery-- I don't want everyone in town to know how to find every magic spell ever conceived at the local shop, I prefer there to be conflict among the people as well as the party, and I prefer well-defined settings that skirt away from the traditional 'backwater woods village' setting.  For themes, I like situations that directly involve the characters' internal conflicts as well as external-- I don't want the hardest decision they have to make to be whether to upgrade to heavy armor.  I love it when characters grow and change because they're challenged personally.  I love mystery, but not 'whodunnits' for DnD because, unfortunately, those tend to turn into a whole party treading water until the DM finally just spells it all out.  I also like personable villains... villains who aren't evil for evil's sake, who I can actually identify with.  I love horror as well.
Why do you play the game?  So I can imagine things I could never experience, and so I can hopefully spin a character, scene, or story that people like to read.  It's selfish, but I want to feel sexy or tough in a way I never feel in real life.  Also, I like to explore moral ambiguity in a safe fashion.
What do you expect from the game, me (the GM), and your fellow players?  Description:  I hate having to make up every detail in my head, but I don't expect them to have to go into every painstaking aspect of appearance, etc.  I just like some sensory description to lead me in the right direction mentally.  I also expect people to post and be honest if they're not comfortable with something my character's said or done, because I will try to do the same.  We're all friends, even if our characters aren't.  We're all human, even if our characters aren't.

[DeviantMunster]

Name: Tamarie Blackwood
Age: 18
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Witch
Role: Support, Balance. However dark, however grim a path they may walk, she's there to comfort and soothe
those that she calls allies, and not only with healing spells.

Description:
Tamarie's a tall, slender woman, standing at a good 5 feet and 7 inches. Long, nigh-ankle length blonde hair falls in soothing waves from her scalp, framing delicate features, from two large, sapphire gems to a soft, cupid-bow mouth. Her shape is distinctly feming, bearing two large, perky mounds, a slim waist, and wide hips. To complete the picture, a pair of long, lightly toned legs lead down from the swell of those hips. She possesses a very fair complexion, her skin smooth and soft to the touch, as if kept constantly moist through various herbal treatments. Even her hair is silken, as if she'd been crafted more than born into this world. Her body remains unblemished, even her fingertips showing no wear than one would expect from a farmer's daughter.

Tamarie's not a shy girl and it definitely shows in the clothing she chooses to wear. She almost always ops to wear something moderately revealing that shows off a generous amount of cleavage and leg, though she can be most often seen wearing a slim white blouse coupled with a skirt divided at the front. She tends to carry a small bag with her that has various scrolls, potions, and misc. gear she believes she'll need on a journey, and always a small, pointed had adorns her head, something she claims all proper witches must wear.

Personality:
If there was one word that described her, it would be "spirited." Tamarie's a stubborn, eccentric, and lively girl that's a mixture of both naivety and surprising cunning. She the problem child in a group, someone that dislikes taking orders and dislikes the professional attitudes people try and maintain among eachother. She's very much a social creature and no matter how dark, depressing, and solitary a person is, she's more than happy to hop into that personal space bubble. Most of the time she greets the world with a child-like curiosity, keen to show people affection, yet easily upset when rejected causing her to be prone to sulking. However, she can also be incited to anger, and can react with a great passion towards things she doesn't like. If she feels someone's wronging her or a person she knows, however briefly, she can easily be inspired to put her nose it and tell them how very wrong they are.

Background:
Tamarie's life was hard, yet it was the typical life of one born to a family of farmers. Brought in among 4 brothers of different ages, it was a surprise that she'd garnered so much attention. Her parents were a kind couple, old enough to have garnered the experience to run an efficient and productive household, yet young enough to have love and hope to spare for their children. Wakin up early to milk a cow, collect the eggs, and take care of the various chores their land required was difficult, yet it was a good life.

Toiling in the fields day in and day out left her with a more homely appearance, yet Tamarie, once Ashley, was still a pretty girl. As she became 14 and began to blossom her father made arrangements with another farmer, a friend of his to wed his daughter to their son. The idea infuriated Ashley, yet she eventually let it be after several days of argument, resolving that she'd simply refuse him anyway despite her father's wishes; the fact that she'd been given a kitten having absolutely nothing to do with her decision.

She was a very wild child even back then, usually hanging out with the boys, getting herself into trouble and stealing just for the fun of it. She caused no end of troubles for her family, yet they were always small, simple annoyances that her mother and father decided to put up with. In her youth, one thing always intrigued and interested her, the stories of those women that would run around with complete freedom, dancing under the moonlight while using the fabled powers of magic to get whatever they wanted. She'd even pretend she was a witch some nights, riding around on a broom while talking to her "familiar."

However much she decided to not abide by her father's wishes, it seemed more and more likely that she'd be forced to marry the boy she'd been betrothed to. Soon the day she was destined to wed came around, yet she'd already placed her plan into motion; she didn't show up. Stubbornly not showing up to her own wedding, she hid herself deep into the nearby woods, losing herself in her own dreamland as she dreamt of freedom, of far off lands and princes. It wasn't long until she actually did get lost, yet her increasing panic dissipated when she came across the small, stone pedestal that was nestled in the middle of a clearing. With a determined set of her jaw, Tamarie had spent the entire day there, simply praying to the gods, and then to the very forest, wanting to truly be free, to be someone special; a witch.

Nightfall eventually came and despite knowing she was in deep trouble she slowly headed back, managing to find her path. When her eyes fell upon the farm she'd grown up in, they were met by nothing but utter horror; flames everywhere, burning and destroying everything in their path. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, hurrying towards her home, bursting in through the front door... yet she'd been too late, the still bodies of her murdered family burned forever into her mind. Even her would be lover was killed, mutilated on top of a table. Yet, as she turned to run, tears streaming down her cheeks, she was greeted by a sudden, sharp pain in her gut before a wet, moist feeling spread along her body. She didn't even realize that she'd been stabbed, that she'd been killed, only her wide eyes staring up in confusion at the cruel visage of the pirate before her.

Most of the time a story ends there, death being the final point and experience anyone meets. Yet sometimes death isn't the end of a story, but only the beginning as it was with Tamarie. Born into a new body, given powers she'd never dreamt of, and possessing her kitten companion that now was truly a familiar.. she could only wonder why and who did this to her. Yet as the years passed she learned to forget about whether or not she'd been the cause of her family's demise and who had done this to her, merely focusing on the prospect of revenge against the pirates that had killed her old life while reveling
in her new one.

Setting and Themes: I like settings that move towards the unusual. Too many stories take place in the wilderness, away from human habitat. While that's perfectly fine, I do prefer being placed in situations with other people, be it a city, a village, or an army. That said, I love changing scenes, struggling through a wilderness one moment before the party finds themselves climbing hazardous, snow covered trails up the side of a mountain. Staying in one area for the majority of a game can get dull!

As for themes, I generally enjoy grim dark, a sense of powerlessness versus a foe (be it a big, bad evil guy or a general situation) seemingly too powerful to overcome. Yet I do prefer it not to be hopeless, that even if our characters have to struggle for every victory, those victories do come. I also tend to love when each character is involved in the story. It might be corny to think, or want a character to be special, yet it seems to just add to the story. Having events happen that revolve around the party, having them shape and change the characters within is always fun. Even adding a "personal quest" can be enjoyable, helping develop individuals so things can progress rather than remaining stale.

Playing the Game: There's no particular reason why I play Pathfinder in specific. At the moment it's because it's simpler than DnD and people on E seem to play it often. As to why I play these "sorts" of games in general... it's because I've always enjoyed rules. Specifically, I enjoy character creation, making a story and adding to a character in a regulated and ordered fashion. Tabletop games also help provide a story and setting I otherwise couldn't think up by myself (without a lot of time and effort!). It's also fun to roleplay and act out different characters and their different personalities that otherwise wouldn't exist in the real world.

Expectations: I'm honestly not sure of what to expect at this moment. Fun, friendly individuals OOCly that hope to create an immersive and interesting game for everyone, I suppose. I hope there'll be a lot of opportunities to develop our characters and interesting quests and plots that'll be fun and exciting to follow.

[Tydorei]

Character name: Rafaela Aldo
Character Age: 22
Character Race: Half-Elf
Character Alignment: Neutral evil
Character class: Sorceress
Character Role:

Character Personality:
Rafaela is a rather charming yet haughty individual. She takes great pride in her appearance and would like to keep it up at all possible times, yet doesn't bat an eyelash when travel doesn't permit such accommodations for she knows that she always looks good. Rafaela is cunning, manipulative and always makes sure she has the upper hand. Though she denies it, it's clear she does act on pure impulse from time to time. She scoffs at people that make excuses constantly for the problems that they have or for what they lack. She is a firm believer that anyone can always achieve more than what they had and fix their own problems... if they have the will... and anyone with a will is out for themselves. Since she believes that she is wary on accepting outside help when offered, always trying to see what do they gain from helping her. Rafaela holds no qualms with using people herself either... be it to get ahead or just her own amusement it seems in her very nature to do things at the expense of others. It's only Rafaela's sense strange sense of dignity that keeps her in check.

Character Background:
If one were knowledgeable about trade throughout Sargava, they would unquestionably heard of the Aldo family. This is something Rafaela takes pride in; not because of the wealth or because some people recognize the name, it is the story behind it. You see, the Aldo family hasn't been a merchant power for long, let alone a merchant family. Her grandfather, Merrick, told her, in great detail, how he built this family from nothing. How he went from a mere brigand without real house or job, to a rich merchant with holdings throughout Sargava in his lifetime. How he did both good and bad things, how he had to be wise and steadfast, yet crafty and a risk-taker to move ahead in life... the latter something that undoubtedly he believes his son lacks, a drive for more. When Merrick let his son, Gerald, manage his holdings all Gerald did was maintain them... not expand.

"You see Ela, many people would look at your father and say he was a successful man or well to do. I look at him and see a common man lucky enough to be born into wealth, cause all he can do is maintain. If he was instead the son of a farmer-hand, he would of grew up with a goal to be a farm-hand. I measure success by what one gains in life and failure by what one losses."

Rafaela spent lots of time with her grandfather, who immediately favored her over his other grandchildren. She always was feisty, yet cunning, as a child and proved to much for the nanny's and at times even her parents to deal with or wish to handle. Merrick however viewed Rafaela's lack of restraint and lying nature as something good. It was someone who wanted to do more than they were allowed and wanted more than what they have been given, willing lie, manipulate and fight for more. He took her under his wing, able to handle her feisty nature by focusing it on a challenge rather than trying to limit her behavior like her parents. It was under her grandfathers roof that she received her proper education and here that she became more subtle in nature. One particular day she remembers well is when Merrick had an uninvited guest, who looked a merchant as well... if not less successful, who accused him of dishonoring some agreement that they apparently had. Merrick would hear none of it however and had the man thrown out. Afterward he looked to Rafaela,

"Every person is responsible for their own fates. Some may start off better than others, but in the end... they can only blame themselves for what they lack. Look at me, I started off with less than what that man did... less than most people actually. Yet I was driven for more and got it. And you, born in a position most only dream of, yet you want more... don't you Ela?"

Not to long ago Merrick has passed away, leaving his five grandchildren each a pretty penny. After hearing about the Barony for the Savage Isle Rafaela saw this as an opportunity to gain something of her own and do her grandfathers memory proud. She left for the isle lands with disappointed from her parents and elder brother and anxious yet good wishes from her younger sister.

[Ixy]

Wow... that's a couple of great concepts-- this is exciting :)

[Chloe Milev]

What kind of settings and themes do you enjoy playing in?  I've been looking for a different twist on medieval fantasy, in a more coastal setting, like Greek mythology.  I've recently gotten interested in the Eberron Xen'drik setting, a giant island continent with ancient giant ruins, overgrown with jungle, dangerous animals, and squatting natives.

Why do you play the game?  I love D&D for the medieval fantasy, the excitement of combat or running around dangerous areas, and magical/exotic locales to explore.  I like it here on Elliquiy to add fun smut.

What do you expect from the game, me (the GM), and your fellow players?  I would like a setting to explore while the DM and players figure out why we're there.

Character name: Soraya Dareh

Character Age: 23
Character Race: Xeph, a fast, agile race from a permanently darkened valley, only lit by the trees.
Character Alignment: Chaotic Good.  The Xeph worship Fharlanghn through their natural artistic bent and desire to travel for trade.  Soraya shares this wanderlust, looking to travel far for wealth and adventure.
Character class: Psychic warrior.  Xeph are naturally psionic, but Soraya only discovered her powers after coming to the psionically charged Savage Isle, where she discovered she could push her natural agility to extraordinary levels.  [Hope to eventually become an Elocator and Mindspy.]
Character Role: Melee skirmisher, scout.

Character description: 5'3”, 130 lbs, brown skin, and typical long topknot.  Lithe and wiry, graceful like a dancer.  Casual wear is breeches and a vest, with an apron that an innkeeper, smith, or other craftsman might wear, only much more decorative than practical, with soft silk and embroidery, like ceremonial armor.  In battle, she wears heavier scale armor, which only slows her a little as she darts in and out.

Character Personality: Soraya first of all is curious and full of wonder at each new marvel the world can show.  Following closely behind is how she can turn a profit on what she's discovered.  These can make her quick to act and perhaps not completely think through her decisions.

Character Background: Soraya is a wanderer, explorer, and aspiring entrepreneur.  Many members of her family work as merchants or as some part of a business, her grandfather even owning a caravan trade.  She mostly wants to meet new people and find places of wonder, but knows a business plan can make that dream easier to achieve, and make a profit on the way, especially if there are natives to trade with.  She's had to start on the bottom as a guard and scout, but aspires to be a greater merchant-queen than any of her family.

Character goals:  Soraya joined the trip to the Savage Isle as the greatest adventure of her time, to come to a wholly new place, full of exotic creatures, plants, and new markets.  This is her chance to rise from the bottom of the food chain to establish her own place in the world as a businesswoman.

[Laughing Hyena]

Character Sheet: http://plothook.net/RPG/profiler/view.php?id=7624 (Heres the sheet)
Point Spread: http://invisiblecastle.com/stats/view/24947/

What kind of settings and themes do you enjoy playing in? I prefer heroic fantasy over realistic fantasy
Why do you play the game? I play the game to relieve stress and also to enjoy a break from reality. But also to improve upon acting and writing skills.
What do you expect from the game, me (the GM), and your fellow players? Use of the characters backgrounds to make the stories more personal for the characters and give a deeper sense of immersion. I expect decent story. Also I prefer to describe my own kills against monsters and enemies. It allows me to be creative in that fashion gory as it sounds. As for what I expect from the players is good teamwork but also RP interactions. Nobody ever gets along all the time and I imagine they will argue ICly but behind it all they are a team. Though Ausk would prefer to think of them as fantasy.

Character name: Ausk Ner'zull, one of the many bastard children of the warlords conquests.
Character Age: He is Twenty Three Winters into his existence
Character Race: Half Orc
Character Alignment: Neutral Good
Character class: Cleric.
Character Role: His role within the party is to keep everyone alive however he can, he prefers careful use of enhancing magic over excessive healing. Should one of the member of the front line find themselves in danger Ausk will take the front instead to help them. He only ever stays in the back so that he can open up with a heavy attack of some sort.

Character description: The half orc is on par with a humans height though his features are quite frightening for those that see him due to his orc lineage. His jawline is pronounced though his sharp teeth usually take the fore front as they show a large number of immaculately white, meat tearing teeth. Ergo he rarely smiles as it tends to put people off. The faint spell of mint often accompanies him for he practices good hygiene. His skin is a muddy brown and his nose is slanted down lie a humans. In private or within the sanctum of Sarenrae, he will wear the cloths of his goddess proudly and without fear. often decoring himself in brilliant red and golds with white trim. Outside however he is rarely seen without his full garb of armor and helmet. Not because he has fear of his origins for he had accepted it long ago and strives to overcome it, but rather the known fears the populace have for his kind. He would rather avoid such unfortunate incidents especially for the other members of his party.

http://drakonis.org/d/content/01_+%20Human%20and%20Elves/03_Paladin%20and%20Cleric/00_Male/paladin%20m-111.jpg

Character Personality: Ausk is a strong believer of the fact the the strong survive, but also that the weak can become strong as well. Just as a baby is helpless can they turn into champions of kingdoms and gods. A brief scripture of the tomes of Sarenrae but one that has shaped his mind. This does not just apply to physical might in his mind but also spiritual character. He believes that evil deeds brings a weak spirit that the forces of darkness feed upon like a parasite. And that good deeds bring a bout a strong spirit that can banish such evil from them even after death itself claims you.

His compassion and patience for those who are ignorant to these truths is vast, capable of forgiving many acts of evil. For example he does not believe that stealing fruit for the sake of feeding a belly is not evil but is merely survival. But on the same token he believes that those who knowingly overprice such needs and cause poverty and disease and desperation to fester is evil and needs to be removed, either by words or the sword. Many would claim him to be weak for such mercy and tolerance but they only see the strength of the flesh as valid.

Character Background: The warlord Ner'Zull is a constant plague upon the known worlds, his orc horde ravaging and raping and pillaging all who were unfortunate enough to be caught within his violent tempest. One of those unfortunate victims was a priestess of Sarenrae, who whilst spared from the annals of death, became one of the personal concubines of Ner'Zull and felt his wrath and his unwanted lusts many a night. One of the many crusades against this threat came to eradicate the warlord who fled with his armies for greener pastures leaving his victims to whatever cruel fates existed. The priestess had been left behind her own constant reminder of the horrors she suffered as she was well with child past the point where she could undo the birth. She was carried back to a nearby temple of Sarenrae to give birth to the abomination, the bastard child of a warlord. On a dark night where the stars were not within sight did the boy be born nameless as the sun began to break the horrible night sky. As the contemplated on these omens, his mother knew she could not care for him directly for she saw her tormentor in him every time. The clergy however adopted the child into their ranks for the child was innocent even with the cruel acts wrought by his father.

The nameless child grew up in the temple learning the scriptures of Sarenrae, absorbing the ideals associated with the clergy. Mercy, patience, redemption, these ideals would shape the boys mind turning his natural tendencies of his orcish lineage into something more human. He especially enjoyed the story of the puny babe who grew into a champion of Sarenrae sung by the heavens itself for his deeds and ideals. He embraced that story and let it be the driving force that came within his life. It helped him in that lonely temple. During his youth he always wanted to see the outside world and one day he snuck outside to see it for himself. He didn't quite understand the looks of anger towards him or the fear that worked its way into children. He tried exploring but eventually he became hounded by the watch under suspicious activity. It was only through the intervention of his foster father a priest named Darius Kellington also a member of the church that rescued him from the cell in which he landed himself into.

Scolded for leaving but not for the arrest his father had no choice but to tell him why the sheltered half orc was so feared. The realization that he had such a history hit the boy greatly and prayed silently for answers to it, neither sleeping or eating. Upon the fifth day came enlightenment that perhaps he was born for a reason and came unto the protection of the church for spreading this message. Devoting himself greatly to the ways of his church with a self punishing enthusiasm he enrolled himself to learning the arts of battle and the ways of his faith merging them together. Upon his coming of age he informed his clergy that he was to set off and see the world in a pilgrimage in a ceremony of redemption. He felt responsible for his fathers cruel acts and took it upon himself to see it righted. It was how he managed to board a ship destined for the Savage Isle, he saw it as a new frontier that would assuredly need enlightenment to keep them from straying into temptation.

Character goals: His ultimate goals would be to eliminate his father, the orc warlord who birthed him and to forever taint Ner'Zull's lineage with Ausk's purity, washing him away from the annals of history. His immediate one would probably be to earn his mothers forgiveness for his fathers memory. His other accomplishments would be to be able to remove his helmet without fear coming from all angles. Whilst he does not carry his fathers name he still feels responsible for the evils he wrought and should he come across his victims he would do what he could to amend it, though hopefully without his revelations. Finally he wishes to convey his message that spiritual strength is just as important as physical strength.

[DeviantMunster]

Glad to see a sudden spike in interest! And a lot of new, fascinating characters.

[JadeCore]

Hm... I could be tempted.

[grovercjuk]

Character name: Orion
Character age: 20
Character race: Human.
Character alignment: Neutral
Character Class: Wizard

Character Description.

      Standing around 6 feet with red hair and greenish eyes Orion should really stand out, but oddly enough he does not seem too. Which is probably down to his choice of drab coloured clerk like clothing combined with his polite quiet manner. Most people just look at him and think clerk, shop assistant and their eyes pass him by. Which of course suits him just fine.

Character Personality.

      Orion likes to blend into the background as he works on the principle that those that stand out tend to get the arrows and spells chucked at them. So he adopts a meek, polite persona to the outside world to mask his determination to achieve his ends.
      
      And what are his ends? That is simple, magic in all its forms fascinates him totally. He is driven to understand just how it works be it spell, artefact, scroll whatever. So he is endlessly seeking the new, working when he has too just so he can finance a trip into a ruin, a forest, where ever the rumour has it magic is to be found.

Character background.

      A sickly child he was apprenticed to the Order of the Silver Rose a group of mages fighters etc that did good works and fought evil. He was a apt pupil, studying well and progressing in his magical studies. His family where proud of him as where his teachers and most of all his mentor the Wizard Joanne Argon.

      He can still remember the last time he spoke to her, in her book lined study with the fire by which they had spent so many hours together studying magic. But now there was no cosy atmosphere, no instead there was a distinct chill in the air.

      The source of this anger was sitting on her desk and Orion groaned he had hidden it so well. It did not look much, a simple dagger with a serpent coiling around the hilt. “Why did you not hand this in as soon as you found it on the dig?”

      Orion sighed, “Because you would have destroyed it.” Joanne snapped, “Of course we would have destroyed it, it is a thing of evil.” Orion felt his temper rise, “It is used for evil, yes in that it is a soul eating sacrificial dagger that is true. But just to destroy it is wrong, it should be examined and understood.”

      “Orion, evil must be destroyed where ever it is found, surely after all this time here you understand this.” Joanne snapped at him and then in a musing tone. “Although Professor Uran has commented that you think good and evil are relative concepts.”

      Orion stepped forward, “Then let me conclude my investigation of the dagger.” Joanne sent him a glare that had all the warmth of a glacier. “it will be destroyed and it grieves me that I must say this Orion but you have to leave the order. We cannot accept a member that does not truly understand good and evil.”

      So he had left and started his wanderings.

Settings and themes.

      I like a good plot and setting where everything is believable even though of course it is a fantasy setting. Monsters, people are there for a logical reason and people just like in life have their open agendas.

Why do I play the game.

      Because I like to imagine different worlds, to rescue the damsel, to win the glittering prize, to go toe to toe with the fire-breathing dragon. In short to let my mind wander into realms that never existed and yet a part of me wishes did.

What do you expect from the game, me (the GM), and your fellow players?
I expect them to create characters, not a walking collection of statistics honed to an inch of their life to maximise the rules.
Give me a dwarf that is wise cracking, suggestive to female characters rather than a surly tank that trundles along looking for the next fight.
I hope to write entertaining posts and hope that my fellow players do the same and that we are mature enough to separate our characters from us.

[Brandon]

Alright well if you have not expressed interest either in the thread or by PM to me you are to late.

I have to say Im very pleased to see such a slew of interesting characters, aftera  week of the ad sitting there with no interested people I was sure this was going to fail.

[Laughing Hyena]

Good thing I did show interest.  So happy days are here again

[DeviantMunster]

Lots of arcane spell flingers!

[Laughing Hyena]

I made a priest to help balance all these spell casters out. Hopefully you all shall like him. Im finishing the sheet itself but I have his backstory and other requirements up

[grovercjuk]

True but an unbalanced party can be fun. 

[DeviantMunster]

Possibly, though I may re-work my character. With a Wizard and Sorceror, there's not much point to having a weaker Witch class.

[JadeCore]

Lots of arcane spell flingers!

Yeah, I totally read that as arcane spell fingers at first.

[Brandon]

Well so far the only person with a garanteed spot in the game is Ixy with her fighter. If she later decides to join us Rubyslippers has a garanteed spot as well. They are garanteed spots because of their participation in the thread that lead to this game

Beyond that we have
1 witch
1 sorceress
1 wizard
1 possible cleric of Pharasma (someone who Ive been talking to via PMs)
1 philosopher Priest?
1 psychic warrior

[DeviantMunster]

Well that's a mild let down! Are we competing for spots or something?

[Brandon]

I usually run groups of 4-5 people together. Its a common thing to get a lot of interest at once and then get bogged down with waiting for people but as this is a sandbox game I see an alternative to competing. That being rival groups of pathfinders, each group having 4 people.

I would like to hear input from the players on that idea before I commit to it though

[JadeCore]

I usually run groups of 4-5 people together. Its a common thing to get a lot of interest at once and then get bogged down with waiting for people but as this is a sandbox game I see an alternative to competing. That being rival groups of pathfinders, each group having 4 people.

I would like to hear input from the players on that idea before I commit to it though

In my experience, it usually goes like this:

Yay! Game! - Many people join, show interest, make characters.
Yay! Characters! When do we start? - A handful of people drop out in the week or so of prep.
Hm... stuff came up, sorry! - A few more people drop out within a handful of posts.
Meh, not feeling it - A few more people drop out a month or so later as interest wanes/they expected more nookie
It's so empty... - The few stalwart posters  try to either salvage what's left or wander off a couple of months in

If you have enough energy and people to survive to the salvaging part, the game will probably last a decent amount of time as that core group of people join together into a clique. They know each other, know the others can commit the time and energy beyond the whim, and know that the game has some life behind the "Cool idea" whim of the GM.

So in the long run, more people are helpful to maintain that critical mass, however it's divided.

[Laughing Hyena]

Update. Sheet is finished and the character now awaits approval or rejection. *Crosses Fingers*

By the way I forgot to mention this will be the first time I ever played a half orc ever. Kind of interesting new ground I'm treading at the moment.

[Brandon]

I agree, thats usually how things go. Its also why I make the joining process a lot more stringent then most system based games. It weeds out those that arent really commited to creating a great game. I can deal with most personalities but its the ones that dont try that truly irritate me.

So the beginning adventure as I planned for it was to have the groups meet up at the docks in Sargava's port city (I forget the name off the top of my head). Then its a 3 week trip of intrigue and exploration partly to flesh out characters, partly to get some experience under the characters belts, and partly because it just sounds fun to me

By the time the boats reach the savage isle, I kind of expect some people to drop out and thus allow me to put the players who really wanted to be here together. Thats the plan anyway

[DeviantMunster]

Sounds good to me. Though I fear I'll be sticking with my Witch. No matter how hard I think, I just can't seem to bring forth any creative juices for another character, no matter how interesting some of the classes appear to be.

[JadeCore]

Sounds good to me. Though I fear I'll be sticking with my Witch. No matter how hard I think, I just can't seem to bring forth any creative juices for another character, no matter how interesting some of the classes appear to be.

If you want, we could make our characters together. Might spur some creative juices even if they're not connected in any way.