For starters, I need each player to post a final version of their character, including all relevant information from the last thread. The recruitment thread will be deleted eventually, so I want a more permanent place to find your sheets. Also, choose a text color for IC speech.
Cerulean - Renowned elven artiste.
Sir Leo Munroe - Captain of the HRMS Lithos.
Magnus Irondale - Bronish ambassador to Far'Aday.
Nikola Dartmuth - Scion of the Bron Dartmuths and owner of the HRMS Lithos.
Seamus O'Hara - Head of the Arcanametric Society of Bron.
Thogrinna Rockeim - Loud and proud noblewoman.
The Ticket Agent - Obsequious low-level staff member. Name currently unknown.
Guilds:
The Order of the Black Dragon:
Spoiler
The Order of the Black Dragon is a predominantly militant organization dedicated to guiding and promoting the trade between nation states. With deep coffers, and an almost invisible agenda, it has found a welcome in most major trade cities. Therein, by small steps or great leaps, it has grown. Once a provincial organization, it is now an enormous knightly order so steeped in tradition that its roots in the machinations of an ancient black dragon are almost forgotten. Recently, it has branched out into other regions in Hallow, and the simple device of a black scale-shaped shield has become iconic, an emblem of safety for lost travelers or frightened merchants.
The Order has a strong presence on Gabriel and its neighbors, acting as a private police force and bodyguard company, among other roles, throughout the constellations. In Bron, they can be found keeping the peace in especially unpleasant areas, protecting the more successful shops in the Sceaduwe Agora, and acting as a mercenary guardian force for many of the airships traveling to and from the city, including, for the first time today, the HRMS Lithos. While the organization is at the center of its fair share of conspiratorial rumors, it appears, in Bron at least, to be a lawful organization, and it enjoys a position of good standing with the local authorities.
Mechanics:
The Order is represented by five different possible tracks. These are the Elementalist (Acid), Assassin, Battle's Tempering, Mechanist Savant, and Dragon tracks. Buy-in for the Order may involve higher-than-normal social commitments. As a result, the Order offers the additional benefit of access to caravans at the first circle, and then limited access to inter-constellation travel at the fourth circle. They are also an excellent source of quests with monetary rewards, but these quests are often terribly difficult, particularly as one progresses deeper into the mysteries behind the Order.
The Nine Asunder:
Spoiler
The Nine Asunder is a mystical dogma rarely associated with an actual organization for very long. A nightmarish blend of swordplay and hellfire hidden in rambling texts copied and recopied, it is practiced by individuals of various alignments and walks of life. Almost anyone who can pass the various tests of the thoroughly insane dojo masters or even just stumble across the cryptic fragments of a text can gain access to the brutal strength of The Nine Asunder, but the cost and pain involved escalates steadily. On the other hand, so does the raw power involved in the practice of this most deadly art.
Mechanics:
The Nine Asunder is represented by three possible tracks. These are the Elementalist (Fire), Demon, and Discipline of the Crane tracks. Unlike other listed organizations, The Nine Asunder represents an esoteric martial discipline. Worse, it represents one with a very strong social stigma. As a result, it offers none of the usual small social benefits of a Guild, and can land a character in trouble with the law just for practicing visibly.
In exchange, members enjoy a unique mechanical benefit. A member who has used Guild Initiation or Full Buy-in to obtain access to an associated track may exchange that track's 4th circle ability for a 4th circle ability from another Nine Asunder track. This is a one-time trade, and is permanent.
(Doc Roc was rather clear that this is the only intended circle swap in the game. I'd be reluctant to accept other such proposals)
The House Dartmuth:
Spoiler
The family Dartmuth controls the more land than any other private organization in Hallow. They are old money, and exactly how old is difficult to say, but the name “Dartmuth” appears in some of the oldest known records. Their goals are simple and two-fold: to expand their influence and to maintain control of their assets. To fulfill these goals, the House usually seems content to follow local laws and regulations, but it always places its own interests first. Unless challenged, the House Dartmuth is the authority within House holdings and regarding House assets, deploying its own agents to “fix” any problems or unrest that may arise.
In general, people with the name "Dartmuth" are not that hard to find. In areas where their money is more than welcome, they don't really hide their identity. At the same time, the greater "family" of relatives and associates that makes up the "House Dartmuth" can be difficult to pin down. They are spread out in small cells across the world, some directly related to the family, others just part of the business. Some members of the literal family are not connected to the great "family," either because they married in or chose to get out. These, of course, are notable exceptions.
Most people aren’t concerned with the House, as much as they just don’t want to talk about it. Part of the reason for this, and one of the greatest things held against the House, is its embrace of the art of Necromancy. Informed outsiders sometime accuse them of having no respect for the dead. Members of the House, however, believe they have a great respect for the dead, considering some of their most important members are not exactly alive. There are both liches and vampires known to be members of the House, and late elders rest peacefully in their graves unless called upon for important family business. The House does not, however, take a liking to mindless or enslaved undead, considering them to be lowly and undignified.
The family's motivations and dark past are only really understood by the elder heads of the family, matriarchs and patriarchs to whom the various cells are subservient. To most family members though, it is just all about the rewards that come from taking care of the family's interests. If this is beginning to sound like a mob family, in many ways it should, but they aren't (all) criminals, they are just remarkably powerful and shadowy.
Gabriel is one of the oldest cradles of known civilization, and some say the very first. Its plates have been inhabited continuously for many thousands of years, and it contains some of the most advanced civilizations in Hallow. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, the Dartmuth family has had extensive holdings in this area for several millenia, controlling hundreds of companies and universities and countless thousands of square miles of land across the dozen or so constellations that make up the Gabriel cluster.
The branch in Bron is relatively hands-off, administering their considerable assets in the city quietly and privately. Nevertheless, they wield considerable social and political influence, and nobody wise is not aware of their presence. They are loathe to get involved with anything unusual or dangerous, but sometimes they need to take action to protect their reputation or assets. In general, their agents are trusted and competent, and tend to know how to keep a low profile. But in other cases, especially if they can keep their involvement secret, they will spring for a more... spectacular intervention.
As for relevance to this game in particular, the House Dartmuth owns the HRMS Lithos.
Mechanics:
Tracks: I am Ten Ninjas, Necromancer, Undead (Lich, Vampire, sometimes Ghoul)
Anyone who is just an associate (I.E. “goon”) of the House is inducted on a Social Buy-in alone. To be a member in full, you must have a latent ancestry in the Dartmuth bloodline.
The Great Chorus:
Spoiler
Members of the Great Chorus not only believe that you can actually know on the sky and hear the sound, they also claim that all of the world is part of a grand song in which each plays their part. They believe that everything is connected, and the more in tune you are with the Song of Everything, the more connected you are to everything else. This organization is made of champions that call upon each other's strength and work to defend those in need. They strive for a great good and work to cast evil out of the Song of Everything.
The Great Chorus has a rather loose structure, founded more on community and mutual aid than any specific goal. Members are spread over a huge distance with no centralized leadership. Instead, a group of trusted volunteers known as "conductors" keep track of all members in an area, sharing information about missions and events of interest, and arranging aid for members who find themselves in trouble.
The more devoted and powerful members of the group often find themselves forming a unique, supernatural bond wit one another. The Chorus members see this as proof of their beliefs, but others see it as "merely" a result of their sheer fellowship interacting with natural magic. These gifted few are generally seen as the champions of the organization, and many take up leadership roles as conductors or preachers.
The Great Chorus has relatively few followers in Bron and Gabriel in general, but the members that do exist tend to be a tight-knit group. Public perception of the group is rather unusual - most people consider them kooks for their beliefs, but nobody seems to complain when they find themselves at the receiving end of the Chorus's generosity and protection.
Mechanics:
Tracks: Heroica, Runesong Scholar, Force Of Will, Mechanist Savant
At 10th level, members who have been initiated to or have fully bought into The Great Chorus are affected by the Worldmind spell at all times, but receive a -2 penalty to will saves.
The Halcyon:
Spoiler
"The Halcyon" is used in Hallow the way denizens of other worlds might use terms like "Illuminati." If you listen to the right people, they'll tell you that the organization has had its tentacles in every war, every revolution, every cataclysm that anyone has ever profited from. That a "Guild Halcyon" existed over ten thousand years ago, and the organization that persists today is almost as old as Dartmuth. If you ask these people for evidence, though, they might want to change the subject. Or they might tell you that it was lost, taken by silent men in dark clothes.
What The Halcyon definitely, publicly is, is a fraternity of the rich and powerful. Membership is by invitation only, and members are sworn to secrecy on all matters of the guild. Few indeed know where and when they meet, if they ever do at all, and what their inscrutable goals might be. It is not clear people would know much about them at all, if it were not for an occasional reminder on their part. Inventions, wings of universities, and even towering buildings in major cities often bear the name Halcyon, a fact that has fueled no small number of conspiracy theories about the webs they must be weaving.
Some even say that there are guilds that exist solely to serve the purposes of The Halcyon. Common choices are the Order of the Black Dragon, which rarely seems to serve a losing side, and the Arcanametric Society, which has grown in power and prestige so quickly that some find it positively suspicious. But you can find someone making such a charge against virtually every guild - how many could really serve such a small group of masters?
Mechanics:
If you are actually a part of The Halcyon, then you are incredibly rich or incredibly useful for some reason or another. You have a duty to work for their interests at all times, whatever they may be. In exchange, the guild will get you what you want. Guild Initiates and Buy-ins may take any non-restricted track.
The Vanquisher Tribe
Spoiler
There exists an elite group of defenders against the darkness called the “Vanquishers.” Their order is extremely old and focused around the combined use of arcane arts, martial arts, and magical artifacts to purge evil, especially undead. Promising candidates are approached by current practitioners and trained in secrecy. Even if they are dispersed widely, they view each other as members of a family. Many have heard tales of the “Vanquisher Tribe,” but they are rarely seen when they are not specifically needed. There have been a number of impostors, but they pale in comparison to the real thing.
Vanquishers, unless they are trying to be subtle, are easily identifiable by three physical characteristics: First, they each wear a gargoyle mask, with a gruesome visage. Second, they wear bronze-colored light armor, often under a large, dark hooded cloak to conceal their appearance until they strike. Third, and most importantly, they each weld a weapon, usually a sword, that when unsheathed, radiates a blinding light. The power of the light is influenced by the presence of undead and the power weapon has accumulated from slaying undead. By their own training and willpower, the Vanquishers can control this power to cut or blast away undead, expending energy but replenishing it for each undead creature they vanquish.
Their power is astounding, and they understand the evil that lurks in the shadows because they draw from similar powers. They wield not only the power of light in their crusade against undead hoards, but also dark arts, maintaining their purity of intention through determination when they fail to maintain purity of action and affiliation. They often use their false “dark aura” to infiltrate evil organizations and bring them down from within.
Originally, a Vanquisher's armor, mask and weapon were crafted specifically for them alone, each a unique set. However, there are few Vanquishers left now, and many of the newest recruits actually use recovered artifacts, assembling their own armor and weapons from fallen or retired predecessors. There are actual very few original “Vanquisher Weapons” left; those seen today are often composed of parts of different Vanquishers' arms, reforged by the few who have found records of the lost art.
The reasons for this decline of the Vanquisher Tribe are currently unknown. It is often theorized that they simply tend to die fighting unimaginable horrors faster than they can recruit new members. Others say that they have been hunted down by the House Dartmuth. A heavy accusation, that, but the two organizations were known to have clashed in years gone by. Many doubt their existence at all, considering these masked crusaders mere legends.
The reality is that they do exist, rare though they are. There are very few Vanquishers in Gabriel, and fewer still in Bron. Their support network has all but crumbled, and they are desperately seeking to revive their past glory, for there are whispers of dark times to come.
The Vanquisher Tribe's Credo: “What do you do when all the power of Light is used up? We turn to our Darkness and pray we do right by action, if not by Blood."
Mechanics:
Associated Tracks: Smiting, Necromancer, Vigilante, and Sage's Wrath (both options). Vanquishers with the Just Blade track invariably have a material aspect to their weapons, whether it be a small hilt or handle, or a whole weapon (the result of the Something of a Traditionalist [Iconic] feat).
All members of the Vanquisher Tribe wield special Vanquisher Weapons. In game terms, this is an extra bonus on one weapon you own, in addition to its normal powers. The weapon gains a charge upon dealing the death-blow to an undead creature, to a maximum equal to half your level (minimum 1). A charge can be spent as a standard action to deal equal to 1d8/level+KOM, with a will save (DC 10+1/2 Level+KOM) for half damage. This is a [Positive] effect, but can not heal. This counts as a spell-like ability.
The Arcanametric Society:
Spoiler
Founded only a few hundred years ago, the Arcanametric Society has already become one of Hallow's most productive and successful scientific organizations, combining the study of magic and technology in a fashion rarely seen before. Founded in Tu'Ring as the result of a partnership between several major universities and research teams from the greater Gabriel area, the Arcanometric Society has since expanded its operations to several hundred constellations. Its members are spread over a staggering distance, as researchers are deployed to distant locations to observe and record various unique phenomena. Its main headquarters, however, remain in Tu'Ring, where a massive collection of Hallow's most advanced scientific tools allow for unparalleled research opportunities, and in Her Lady's Secrets, where a vast team of archivists manages a great library of anthropological and literary data.
Members of the Arcanametric society are almost universally scholars of some repute, whether they be mages, doctors, engineers, or academics. Membership is granted through a labyrinthine application system, though many of Hallow's great universities fast-track membership for their graduates. Non-academic business is usually outsourced to other organizations, though they employ a few special agents of their own for particularly sensitive matters.
Most members of the Society are involved in research, but a smaller group, typically composed of the more personally powerful members, is tasked with seeking out events and objects "of interest" to the Society. These usually involve magical catastrophes and unspeakable artifacts, and these "Seekers" are rumored to live notoriously hectic lives of adventure and danger.
Those are, however, just rumors, since the Society is highly secretive about their missions, identities, and especially the objects they seek, lest other organizations "retrieve" them first. This secrecy is often the subject of no small number of conspiracy theories - what cataclysmic secrets might the Arcanametric Society have in its hidden vaults and records? To what mysterious end might they stockpile these things? Regardless, to most people the Arcanametric Society enjoys a good reputation, not the least because it has been behind many inventions and breakthroughs in its relatively short history, including revolutionary advances in steam engines, a class of self-charging magical "light bulbs," the discovery of ether waves, and the fastest known means of nonmagical communication in Hallow.
Special: To be initiated or to buy into the Arcanametric Society, you must have at least one knowledge skill trained. Members who are not scholars are exceptionally rare, and these are all cases of Social buy-in.
Initiated or bought-in members of the Arcanametric Society have access to much of the guild's vast network of information. They can contact a friendly associate from the guild to aid in research once per [Quest]. This translates to a single knowledge roll with a bonus equal to 10 + the level of the requesting member. In situations where contact is not possible, such as being stranded on a rogue airship or something unreasonable like that, the member may instead consult an eclectic collection of journals and scholarly works, which they are assumed to own, for an identical effect.
The Consortium (Player Submission by Lagren):
Spoiler
The Consortium is young as guilds go, only having been established since the city of Bron grew up around the great forge of Thanaak. But in those scant five centuries - one generation of dwarven time - the guild that started as a loose collective of dwarven and human merchants has grown massively, incorporating beings of every race and creed all across Gabriel, in addition to footholds on other constellations.
Now, the Consortium is a massive trading bloc spanning a few thousand plates, with their control approaching a near-monopoly on a some exotic substances. If it's rare, the Consortium can provide it. In some places, only the Consortium. But since their service is so good, why would you ever want to buy from anyone else?
And if you know the Consortium really, really well, then you can even buy things from them that belong to other people.
As a member of the Consortium, you can expect to work for a decent decade as an appraiser, clerk, or in some other lucrative position before becoming aware that some of the items that passed through your hands during those years were somewhat questionably acquired. The Consortium is very good at acquiring ancient relics and collector's items; it's just that they're sometimes the relics from the local king's tomb, or items that vanished from a private collection hundreds of plates away. As a result, they sometimes run into the wrong side of the law in those areas where they don't already have an understanding with it.
As for other understandings, the Consortium has an unsteady truce with House Dartmuth; though the larger organization could probably crush the Consortium if it wished to, it would also likely create too much attention for the House. As such, they tolerate each other while still trying to outcompete one another.
The Consortium has a good working relationship with the Black Dragons despite its shadier side, due to the fact that even if the goods might be questionable, they still need protection - and the Consortium can afford to pay a good bonus on top of the Dragon's usual rates. While the two guilds operate in fundamentally different ways, there's generally at least respect between them, if not quite friendship.
Mechanics:
The Consortium offers the following tracks to late-buy in or full-buy in members: Runesong Scholar, Mechanist Savant, and Tactical Insight
The Consortium offers the following additional tracks only to full buy-in members, representing that the member has gained the trust of the Consortium: I Am Ten Ninjas, Acrobatic Adept, and Bag of Tricks.
An initiated or bought-in member of the Consortium always starts each [Quest] with one additional consumable of one rank lower than the maximum available to them. (This grants no benefit if that member's highest level consumable is of Lesser rank.)
The Order of the Just (Player Submission by arskyer):
Spoiler
Founding
Spoiler
The Order of the Just was founded by a cadre of paladins based in Far Aday, concerned by what they saw as a lack of cooperation between nations when it came to criminal prosecution. So, they sought to create an organization that could move within nations but remain uncontrolled by them, in order to bring to justice those who would escape it.
History
Spoiler
When it was founded, some few centuries back, the Order was a largely provincial organization - it had neither the means nor the manpower to effectively police more than their immediate surrounds. While the high standards required to become a full member kept the Order individually strong, it also caused the Order to grow only incrementally. Funding was, and remains, scarce, as the Order refuses to accept funding from outside the Order. However members have grown accustomed to this, and have made it a point of pride that they complete missions with little more than their own abilities.
While the Order has managed to become officially accepted or tolerated by a good many nations, mostly as a result of several high-profile criminals being apprehended by the Order, it’s still faces opposition from some local authorities who resent the open intrusion of the Order into “their law.” This lead to the creation of a covert branch, tasked with missions not officially sanctioned or aided by any nation, whose existence is an open secret. The simple fact that the Order only makes use of this branch in extreme situations, where deniability is often agreeable to involved nations, has kept them from open censure.
Leadership
Spoiler
The Order espouses the beliefs of the cadre of paladins who founded it. Indeed, the upper echelons of the organization are primarily filled with the strict ideological descendants of that original group. However, some younger members, spurred by the successes of the covert branch, have begun to routinely utilize similar methods; this has lead to a division of sorts within the Order, as those supporting the unorthodox methods tout their effectiveness, while the old guard warn against the ease with which such methods could lead to the corruption of the Order’s ideals.
Recent events have caused the Order’s current leaders to rethink their zealous approach. Though they were always on guard against manipulation from national influences, several times, just after the Order completed a mission based on outside information, one guild was able to gain an advantage over another. Investigation into the events showed that the Order was being used to do someone’s dirty work, a manipulation the Order’s leaders did not appreciate in the slightest. Thus, they issued a recall of members involved in similar situations, and began to reevaluate their information-gathering techniques, attempting to prevent it from happening again.
Guild Relationships
Spoiler
The Order has a contentious, if nonbelligerent, relationship with the Order of the Black Dragon - while nobody is exactly sure why, most point to an occasion near the organization’s founding when the fledgling Order was “dissuaded” from apprehending a leading member of the Consortium by a bodyguard of Black Dragons.
The Order’s relationship with the Consortium is closer to open conflict, at least with regards to those members involved with the thievery and trade of exotic goods. Both organizations were founded about the same time, but the Consortium has by far grown faster than the Order. Thus the Order steps carefully around them, biding it’s time until it gathers sufficient force to confront the Consortium’s criminal members.
To some guilds, like the Vanquisher Tribe or the Great Chorus, the Order is seen as a stalwart ally and a force for good, willing to work with others towards goals not directly related to their own. With the understanding that the favor will be repaid in time, of course.
Among more manipulative guilds, the Order is generally viewed as a pretentious but useful “ally” of convenience. Just give them the right information and they’ll make a mess for you, and take the blame for it.
Mechanics
The Order offers several different options to guild initiates: the Force of Will, Fortune’s Friend, and Professional Soldier tracks.
Uniquely, the Judgement track is also available to members of the Order, despite that track not usually being available outside of the Paladin class.
__________________
Multas Gratias to Kopaka for the great avatar.
Editor and playtester for Legend. Check it out, or drop in on the Legend Chat to have all your questions answered.
Last edited by Claudius Maximus : 01-29-2012 at 04:51 PM.
Samael's pale skin is almost completely covered with black lines which form intricate patterns. His short-cropped hair is creamy white, the same colour as the feathers on his wide wings. His eyes are black orbs, with no iris or pupils, his long fingers end in pearl-coloured claws, and a pair of slightly curving horns grow from his head.
Standing just under six feet tall, he is lean and wiry, but looks tough as nails. He's wearing a black coat encrusted in blue runes over a dark blue tunic, loose grey breeches and dark blue kidskin boots. On his wide black belt, a large-caliber, long-breeched revolver with a worn bone or horn handle hangs in it's holster.
Despite this disturbing countenance, he appears to regard everything with tolerant amusement, and there is no judgement in his peculiar eyes.
Backstory:
Spoiler
For the last hundred of years or so, Samael had had a rather successful career as an enforcer, fence, persuader and finally made man in one of the criminal families who made up the underworld of Bron. Discreet and loyal, the Family had high hopes for him. Then [redacted] happened.
Now he's no longer part of the Family.
Crunch:
Spoiler
level 10 demon paladin
Judgement/Serpent/Demon
+2 Init, 15 ft reach, 30 ft speed, 60 ft fly, medium size
187 hp, 30 AC, Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +18, Awareness 27, Immunity to Fear
2nd Circle: Mercy
1/Encounter, prevent 30 damage as an immediate action.
3rd Circle: Grace
+3 all saves, +2 hp/lvl, immunity to fear.
4th Circle: Requital
Enemies starting their turn in Knowing slowed 20'.
Discipline of the Serpent
Spoiler
1st Circle: Unarmed Strike
Unarmed Strike deals 1d8+1d8/circle, no penalty from flurry.
2nd Circle: Weapon Master
Apply unarmed strike damage to revolvers.
3rd Circle: Mirror Image
Create Mirror Images after hitting an opponent.
Demon
Spoiler
1st Circle: Demonic Traits
Claws, +3 Intimidate.
2nd Circle: Demon Magic
See Invisibility 1/Encounter.
3rd Circle: Fell Flight
Fly speed twice land speed.
4th Circle: Sudden Surge
Swift action, add Cha mod to all d20 rolls for round 1/encounter.
Items,
Lesser: Grim Fragment, Black Ankh, Knuckleduster
Greater: Ironmountain Plate, Bridget (revolver Vera)
Relic: True Symbol
Consumables: Healing Potion x2, Tiny Model
I'm thinking navy blue will do for his speech.
__________________
Quotes:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus
Also fixed the money issue by sacrificing a goat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by subject42
This board needs a "you're technically right but I still want to crawl into the fetal position and cry" emoticon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yukitsu
I define [optimization] as "the process by which one attains a build meeting all mechanical and characterization goals set out by the creator prior to its creation."
Eleazar will probably be just a little abrasive when he talks, get it?
Description
Spoiler
Eleazar is tall, hard-faced and grumpy. With dark hair and a smooth tan, he might be handsome if not for his perpetual squinting and an abundance of the ugly, discolored kind of scars all over his body. His clothing is heavy and enfolding regardless of his environment — heavy boots, a long coat and pants with more pockets than even he has a use for — and seems intended to immediately dissuade people from approaching Eleazar as much as for practicality.
While not an especially gifted speaker, Eleazar sometimes finds it difficult to shut up unless he's around someone louder and more talkative. He tends to be abrasive, sarcastic and morose in equal proportion, and his tone of voice is chiefly measured by his level of aggravation. Still, Eleazar takes his work and his survival seriously, and is more than willing to buckle down and cooperate when the situation calls for it.
Perceptive eyes will notice that Eleazar looks over his shoulder constantly, and seems very uncomfortable in open spaces and near crowds. Slightly more perceptive eyes will notice that he does not always quite touch the ground, and that at times when he reaches for an object the object also seems to reach for him.
Eleazar generally carries a small badge denoting his membership in the Order of the Black Dragon, stowing it in his pocket until it becomes useful.
Paladins and Judgment
Spoiler
Eleazar operates under the false belief that he is a generally okay sort of person. While not particularly evil by most standards, paladins observing him with Knowing will notice two things: guilt and selfishness. Eleazar is committed to his own survival above all else, but a vein of regret runs through him for the damage he has caused in the process of surviving. He does his best to ignore this regret, channeling it into general bitterness. The pervasive fear and desire to survive have made him a far more cruel and untrustworthy man than he himself realizes.
Energy Weapon: The Edge of Thought
Spoiler
A translucent sword of pure telekinetic force, the Edge of Thought can be vaguely unnerving to look at. It has no real color or visible shape, but light bends vaguely while passing around and through it, ensuring the Edge is clearly present when called upon. Sharper than a well cared-for razor, cuts made by the telekinetic weapon are unusually painful once the adrenaline of a fight wears off.
Background
Spoiler
Once upon a time, Eleazar was a fresh-faced boy with a knack for telekinesis and a taste for adventure. At the beginning, before he wore any other hats, he wore a soldier's helmet, and he served as a guard during an excavation of Her Lady's Secrets. Of nearly three dozen soldiers and scientists who delved into the constellation, Eleazar was the only one to come out, and he never talks about it. He has been running ever since.
Eleazar has been more things than he cares to count or remember: mercenary, detective, mobster, marshal, terrorist, researcher, excavator — but one thing is constant. Before leaving behind each he lost everything, more than everything, and yet he came out alive. He knows it will happen every time, expects it will happen every time, because he knows that what he's running from will never give up and that it will never catch him, that he'll be dancing with it until the end of time. He's escaped it so many times he can feel it coming, after all, and the price of survival is never too high.
That doesn't mean Eleazar can afford to get too comfortable, even if things have been going awfully well for him as a courier lately. That tingle on the back of his neck is starting to act up again ...
Guild: The Order of the Black Dragon
Spoiler
Eleazar is a member of the Order of the Black Dragon in relatively good standing, which has historically been the source for most of his work. While not deeply involved with the Guild on a day-to-day basis, he has failed to betray them so far almost as a matter of sheer coincidence, and is called on chiefly to perform unscrupulous work. He vaguely suspects that the Order assigns him to operations which are doomed to fail, often catastrophically, simply because they know he will survive and report back.
Secrets
Spoiler
Eleazer is running from death, in an abstract sense. The reason that he survived in Her Lady's Secrets is quite simple: Eleazar ran. And he keeps running, because what he wants to do is survive. In many ways, he sees death as equal parts pursuer and traveling companion, an old friend of sorts. He's not directly tied in with the events taking place on the Lithos, but he's likely to treat them as if he is, because from his selfish perspective, this is just death catching up with him. Nor will he take great pains to explain this to anyone, leading to possible confusion.
Stats
Spoiler
Eleazer Human Tactician, Level 10 Human: +2 Intelligence, +1 Armor Class, +1(+1/8 levels) Larceny
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 20 (KDM), Int 24 (KOM), Wis 16, Cha 10
Fort: +10 / Ref: +14 / Will: +11 / Initiative: +7 / Fast Healing 5
Armor Class: 25 (28 w/Grim Heritor) / HP: 143 / Speed: 40 (Fly)
Melee Range 15 / Close Range 50 / Medium Range 200
Awareness: 23 / Bluff: 23 / Diplomacy: 29 / Intimidate: 22 / Perception: 20
Offense
Edge of Thought (standard): +17/+12 (1d6+18 + 7 [Cold]), [Melee], [Brutal] 3
Mental Thrust (move): Single target, Reflex DC 22, target is [Blown away] in chosen direction and provokes an AoO if it moves by, [Close]
Telekinetic Scion (standard): Single target, 4d4+7, Reflex DC 22 for half, [Medium]
Troubleshooter: Walk away from any social encounter without losing tokens, and gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate defenses.
Guild Initiate (Battle's Tempering)
By Will Sustained: Ignore the need for food, water and sleep.
Telekinetic Adept: As a swift action, move an object within [Medium] range (that weighs two pounds or less) 5 feet.
Telekinetic Scion: As a standard action, move up to 1,000 pounds of material within [Medium] range 30 feet. If dropped on or slammed into a creature, it deals 4d4+7 damage, with a DC 22 reflex save for half damage.
Telekinetic Strength: As a standard action SLA usable once every two rounds, deal 35 damage to a single opponent in [Close] range. Effortlessly bend and reshape most non-magical objects in [Medium] range.
Tactical Insight (gained at levels 1, 4, 7, etc.) All these abilities are accessed via a successful Knowledge check (a move action) to determine information about creatures of a given type for the [Encounter]. Only one check may be made per creature type, and the bonuses gained only apply to that creature type. The bonuses gained apply to the entire party.
Combative Precognition: Gain either +3 to attack or a +3 deflection bonus to AC.
Psychological Warfare: Gain +2 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Perception checks, even those made outside of combat.
Precognitive Resistance: Gain +2 to saving throws against abilities used by relevant creatures.
Extra Insight: Apply two Tactical Insight abilities (of your choice) for a successful Knowledge check.
Just Blade (gained at levels 1, 3, 6, etc.)
Grim Heritor: As a swift action or part of another swift action, manifest the Edge of Thought, a [Melee], [Brutal] 3 weapon.
Mental Thrust: As a move action, choose a single target in [Close] range: they make a Reflex save against DC 22 (10+1/2 level+KOM) or be [Blown away] in a direction of your choice — if they move past you, in the process, you can make an attack of opportunity.
Mystic Focus: As a swift action, imbue the Edge of Thought with a spell-like ability, which can then be added to a successful attack in the future. While holding a spell-like ability, the Edge of Thought is considered charged, and you gain a 20% miss chance. The Edge of Thought may only hold one charge at a time.
Vectored Thrust: Gain a fly speed equal to land speed.
Battle's Tempering (gained at levels 2, 5, 8, etc.)
Rather Quick than Dead: Gain +5 (Level/2) to initiative checks.
Dive for Cover: Ignore the reduced effect of an ability from a successful Reflex save 1/[Encounter].
For Ire: Gain Fast Healing 5 (KDM).
Equipment
Plated Jacket (Mundane): Heavy Armor, +2 AC, -1 Reflex
Black Ankh (Lesser): +2 Constitution
Obsidian Ring (Lesser): +2 Intelligence
Rime Wand (Lesser): Replace any non-flurry attack with a KOM-damage SLA.
Coldfire Ingot (Greater): 2 + Constitution modifier [Cold] damage to all attacks
Worry Beads (Greater): Gain 1 skill trained (Larceny)
True Symbol (Relic): Take 1 additional swift action each round
Consumables
What Someone Else Knew: Acquire training in one skill for the [Scene].
Intricate Headgear: Gain 30 foot Tremorsense for the [Encounter].
Illusionary Terrain: For the next two rounds, attacks against allies with 15 feet suffer a 50% miss chance.
Tactics
Eleazer goes into every fight with the Edge of Thought charged by Telekinetic Strength, and opens with Tactical Insight (usually to boost his attack bonus).
Using his two swift actions he can use Mystic Focus often enough to keep the Edge of Thought charged almost all of the time — which is a priority, since he tries to maintain his 20% miss chance. While he can't use Telekinetic Strength all the time for this purpose, Eleazer makes use of his Rime Wand — which, as a spell-like ability, he can charge Mystic Focus with.
While Eleazer generally prefers to mix it up in a close fight, hitting hard with the Edge of Thought, when he is outclassed he makes good use of flight, blasting enemies with his Telekinetic Strength and hitting them with object via Telekinetic Scion. On the other hand, when an enemy tries to escape (and often when they don't) he'll use Mental Thrust to toss them around for an AoO.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by KKL
D&D is its own momentum and does its own fantasy. It emulates itself in an incestuous mess.
HP: 132 AC: 25 (10, +4 Dex, +7 BAB, +1 Human, +2 Armor, +1 Shield) Speed: 30 ft. Awareness: 20 Fort Save Bonus: +8 (Poor) Ref Save Bonus: +11 (Good) (8 base, +4 Dex, -1 Armor) Will Save Bonus: +15 (Good) Social Bluff Defence: 20 Social Diplomacy Defence: 23 Social Intimidate Defence: 27 Social Perception Defence: 27
KOM: Charisma (24, +7) KDM: Dexterity (18, +4)
Ability Scores:
Str 10
Dex 18 (Ability 2) (PDM)
Con 16 (Ability 3)
Int 14 (Ability 4)
Wis 10
Cha 24 (Ability 1) (POM, Naming Modifier) (Human Bonus) (Grim Fragment)
Equipment:
Heavy Armor
Longsword
Shield
Grim Fragment (+2 Cha)
Consumables:
2 Curious Monocles (+4 awareness for a Scene) (Requires Perception)
Gloss Armor (DR 8 for 1 [Encounter])
Illusionary Terrain (Anyone attacking an ally within 15 ft. of me has a 50% miss chance for the next two rounds) (Requires Arcana)
Abilities:
Spoiler
Black Tidings, With A Word (Teleport 15ft) , Grey Hymn (Ally within 100ft moves 5ft), Verso (One enemy who failed is Battered)
Standard: Hammerfall - 10 ft cube, Range 250 ft, 10d6+7, DC 22 ref for half.
Standard: Dread Wave - 30 ft by 30 ft cone, 10d4+7, DC 22 will or Shaken.
Charm
Standard: Will save, DC 22, or the target must stop attacking Evangeline and her allies unless threatened. 1/Encounter.
On A Pale Horse
Whenever Evangeline drops an enemy, every enemy within 30 ft of it must make a DC 22 Will save or be forced to [Cower] for 1 round. Free, 3/Encounter.
Know Truename
Swift: Learn the truename of an enemy within [Close] if it fails a DC 22 Will save.
Evangeline can remember 10 Truenames without writing any down. It takes 1 minute to read a written Truename.
Heed My Words
Swift: Speak a truename; target creature hears your next sentence; if within [Extreme], can be [Shaken] for 1 round.
Affirmation of Existence
Swift: Learn of the cardinal direction to target creature if within [Extreme]; learn exact location within [Medium] (Negates miss chance for 1 round.)
Denial of Existence
Swift: Target within [Medium] takes 14 damage.
Will of the Elements
Each round, gain Resistance 10 against the next energy (fire, acid, cold, electricity) attack you encounter; stacks if you take no such damage but each attack only uses one charge.
Moniker
Swift: Give a Moniker to up to 10 creatures of the same kind within [Close]. or a 20 ft. cube of material within [Close]. Acts as a known Truename for them.
The Earth Calls
Swift: Deal 10 damage to target creature, and if it fails a DC 22 Ref save, [Slow] for two rounds. Requires Truename of the local earth spirit, or a Moniker for the area underneath the target.
The Wind Obeys
Swift: Target truenamed creature within [Medium] gains [Flying] until the end of the encounter. This can only be used once a round. Its flight speed is based on size; medium and large creatures fly at 30 ft/round; anything smaller flies at 40, anything larger flies at 20.
Healing Burst
Move: 15ft burst, All allies regain 10 hp.
A Stitch In Time
Standard: Every ally within 15 ft gets a immediate ranged/melee attack.
Stem the Tide
Immediate: Bestow rune on ally within 45 ft, halves damage from next attack.
Only 2 runes at once, start with 1 placed.
Hungry Shadows
Standard: 15 ft radius within [Medium] inflicts -1 to Attack Rolls, Fort/Ref saves, halves all movement, two round duration. Affects enemies.
Stutter Step
Standard: 30 ft radius within [Close] inflicts Slowed for 2 rounds; DC 22 Will save for no effect.
Spellbreaker: Dispel 1 magical effect of 3rd circle or lower. Reweave: Restore a magical effect dispelled within the last 2 rounds.
Revelation:
Standard: 15ft. Emanation within [Close]; reveals [Invisible], [Ethereal], and [Incorporeal].
Wall of Thorns
Standard or 1 Minute: Duration [Encounter] or [Scene]; 10ft high, 100 ft wide wall of thorns; 30 damage/round in the thorns; half move speed in the wall. Takes 50 minutes to breach 1 square of wall with weapons; 10 minutes to burn it down with MAGICAL fire; nonmagical fire has no effect.
Skills:
Spoiler
Larceny 16 (+2 from Human)
Bluff 17
Diplomacy 17
Intimidate 17
Know: Arcana 12
Perception 12 (+2 from Danger Sense)
Feats:
Spoiler
True Names
Danger Sense (Human Feat) (Free perception check whenever it's needed to save Evangeline from imminent danger.)
Charm
Master of Swordplay (To Pierce the Heavens)
On A Pale Horse
Description:
Spoiler
Evangeline Wakeshima is very difficult to not notice. Wearing dark, flowing dresses embroidered in silver, there's something about her that immediately draws your eye. Perhaps it's the way she moves so gracefully; perhaps it's the sly smile that flickers across her lips when she notices you noticing her; or perhaps it's something entirely more arcane than that. It's hard to tell with Evangeline. Who else do you know who carries a personal diary with them everywhere and makes an entry every hour? Who else do you know who wears a drab steel pendant among elegant silver jewellery?
It's all part of her carefully crafted mystery. And she's taking no steps to clear it up! Words and presence are her sword and shield, and she would like it very much if you would just stop prying. Though she'd never phrase it that impolitely, of course. Now, this has been a most interesting conversation, but she has a journal entry to write...
And you'd let her go, because for just a moment her jewellery winked at you, and you knew insisting was a bad idea.
Backstory:
Spoiler
If you knew much about Bron, you might have heard of Evangeline before this cruise; after all, she was a merchant of some repute in the Agora, organizing a good number of stalls in the Agora selling rare to find items.
If you knew the seal, you could see she wears the Consortium ring as if it were a wedding band.
If you knew the market, you might know that she traded in the most exotic items availiable.
If you knew her guild, you might know that she was one of the most trusted people in the Consortium.
And if you happened to hear her politely asking the captain to speed up the ship, perhaps with a few added gold coins, then maybe you'd put together all those pieces and come to the conclusion that she had some urgent business in Far'Aday.
But then again, maybe not.
Picture:
Spoiler
Evangeline always seems to pause a moment before she speaks, to get the phrasing just right.
Karsus is muscular, keen-eyed, and fey. He is of average height and stocky build, with heavy calluses and many scars earned though combat. His eyes give a sense of mercurial solidity, never seeming to look at the same place twice but resting with a heavy weight when they do. Born with a quick temper, his mood can change as quickly as light banishes a shadow. But he remembers favors longer than faults.
Karsus is something of a outlier among his Order. Rather than bear the heavy armor and large weapons favored by most, he travels garbed in simple if rugged clothing, and uses his own body as a weapon. As well, he bends light and shadow to his will, using them to strike at his enemies in ways most never see coming - or never see again.
When given the chance, though, he prefers to use diplomatic means to end a conflict. He will first attempt to mediate a compromise, but if it becomes apparent that won't work he sometimes turns to more coercive measures, if the situation calls for it. He is loathe to force a person into something against their will, but will do so given adequate cause.
In less serious circumstances, he is quick to answer questions about himself, and genuinely interested in hearing the tales of other people. When asked about the Order, he is similarly open unless the subject turns to his current mission, where he glosses over the details of the assignment.
Karsus bears the badge of his order, the balanced white scales over black circle, on a pin he wears over his left chest. Beyond this mark, there is little to identify him as a member of the Order of the Just.
Backstory
Spoiler
Among his Order, Karsus is known as the Bright, for his ability to produce and control light. He is accompanied at all times by a minute spirit, called Phaestus, which serves him as a loyal companion despite it's often malevolent tendencies. Indeed, the spirit's constant, albeit accurate, criticism of some of the excessively strict senior paladins is part of the reason why Karsus is often sent on long missions away from the Order - anything for some peace and quiet.
Recently, however, a message reached him with directions to return immediately to the Order's stronghold in Far Aday, regardless of the unfinished business at hand. Wondering at the urgency of the order, he nevertheless followed instructions, curious at what it was that would cause the Order to recall him.
Feats
- The Sun Grows Dim: You gain the ability to craft small mundane objects out of shadow, though each object takes a swift action to draw together. They fade to dust within twenty minutes. At 5th level, you may create little servitors using this ability. These are tiny harmless shadows that move on their own, even passing through well-lit areas, up to ten miles away. These creatures are unable to affect the world around them and have only very limited vision (15 foot darkvision, allowing them to avoid running into obstacles), but you can use them as proxies and interlocutors for social skills. At 10th level, you gain a +3 bonus for social skills used this way.
- A Light Against Shadow: Illuminate 50 ft, activated/deactivated with a free action. 3 times per [Encounter], may use standard action to reduce the maximum HP of all enemies illuminated by 20. They must also make a DC 17 Fort save or be [Blind] for one [Round].
- Summon Mote: You are followed at all times by a tiny, cheerful, malevolent spirit of your own devising. Treat it as a [Tiny] [Flying] creature with 30 HP, one spoken language, and no offensive capabilities. It has an intelligence of 14, and no other relevant stats. It can carry a small object of less than 5 pounds but cannot use any object as a weapon, and any object it drops floats to the ground at a moderate pace. It flies at a speed of 40 ft, but can travel no more than 80 ft from you. The Mote uses your perception skill, and has darkvision out to 30’ and blindsight out to 10’, but has no other skills. If your Mote is destroyed, it reforms at the end of the [Encounter] or in ten [Rounds], whichever is shorter. You may siphon its HP to heal yourself as an immediate action, and may have it take your place for the purposes of a targeted spell once per [Encounter], taking the damage itself. You may use this ability after you know if the attack hits.
- Lightbender Adept: You can replay up to the last hour’s worth of shadows to move through an area the size of [Close] range. This recap can be at any speed. Once per [Scene],you can alter this recap to include any shadows that would have been cast by invisible creatures or objects.
- Lightbender Magus: One per [Round] as a free action, you can manipulate the play of light or shadow to strike a foe within [Medium] range. This opponent is [Dazzled] and takes damage equal to your KOM. More significantly, you have the ability to attack with bolts of directed light. This takes the form of the searing light spell usable twice per [Encounter] as a spell like ability.
Tracks:
Knowing:
1st Circle – Knowing -SU: You are aware, in the general sense, of the moral and ideological predilections of any sentient creature within a radius of 35 ft. This effect is an emanation, is not a divination effect, and is always on. It does not automatically penetrate invisibility, concealment,or stealth, but if you can otherwise circumvent these effects, Knowing will function unimpeded. Likewise, you become aware in a limited sense of likely major moral consequences of your actions. This takes the form of prescient flashes of meaningless images, and while reliable, it is not deterministic. In cases where the creed’s meaning is unclear, you may get no forewarning. This grants a +4 bonus to Awareness and to active Perception checks.
2nd Circle – Mercy -SU: Once per [Encounter], as an immediate action or part of another immediate action, you may prevent up to 30 points in damage that would be dealt to any ally within your Knowing. This can only be done as the damage is being dealt, but may be activated after you know exactly how much damage a given effect will deal.
3rd Circle – Grace -SU: You gain a +3 bonus to all saves, 20 additional HP, and gain [Immunity] to all [Fear] effects.
4th Circle – Requital -SU: Opponents who begin a movement within the range of your Knowing have their effective move speed reduced by 20 ft, for the purposes of that movement. This does not affect 5 ft steps.
Fortune’s Friend
1st Circle – A Little to the Left: You seem to narrowly dodge what would otherwise be lethal blows. Once per [Encounter], if you would be reduced to negative hit points, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point and immediately gain a move action.
2nd Circle – Improvisation: As a swift action, you can gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks and skill checks until the beginning of your next turn. You can grant this bonus to an ally within [Close] range instead, if you wish.
3rd Circle – Gift of Gab: In any round in which you spend at least one free action speaking (be it a joke, an elaborate discourse, or simple nonsense, as long as full words are used), you gain a +3 deflection bonus to Armor Class and Reflex saving throws.
4th Circle – Better Lucky And Good: At any time once per round, you can remove any one of the following conditions from yourself: [Battered], [Bleeding], [Blinded], [Confused], [Cowering], [Dazed], [Dazzled], [Deafened], [Entangled], [Exhausted], [Fatigued], [Frightened], [Nauseated], [Panicked], [Paralyzed], [Petrified], [Shaken], [Sickened] or [Stunned]. You may not remove any conditions not listed here with this ability. Activating this ability does not require an action, and can be done even if a condition would normally prevent you from acting.
Virtue
1st Circle – Font -SU: Twice per [Encounter], you may draw up an immobile wellspring of vitality called a font, which manifests as a low steady hum and a single spark of light. You may, as a swift action, place one anywhere within 35 ft. Each round, at the start of your turn, an arc of positive energy strikes one ally of your choice who is within 45 ft of each Font, and heals them for 17 HP. Each Font expires after 10 [Rounds], does not occupy a square and cannot be attacked.
2nd Circle – Icon -EX: You may now place up to two fonts per [Encounter], using a separate swift action to place each.
3rd Circle – Dawnsign -EX: Fonts you place now persist for a number of turns equal to twice your Charisma modifier (shown above), and an additional font emanates from you passively, beginning on your first turn each [Encounter].
Discipline of the Serpent:
1st Circle – Unarmed Strike -EX: Monks learn to turn their bodies into lethal weapons, striking at vulnerable spots on their enemies’ bodies. When you attack with your unarmed strike, you can change its base damage from 1d4 + your Key Offensive Modifier to 1d8 + your Key Offensive Modifier. In addition, you can add 3d8 [Precision] damage to your unarmed strikes. You may only apply one source of [Precision] damage to any attack. Additionally, you can use the Flurry combat maneuver with no action cost and no attack penalty. A monk can flurry with both ranged and melee attacks.
2nd Circle – Stunning Fist -EX: Five times per [Encounter], you can force an opponent that you hit to immediately make a DC 17 Fortitude save or be [Stunned] for 1 round. You can only use this ability once per turn. You may use this ability after resolving attack and damage. This allows you to avoid stunning a target you have just slain.
3rd Circle – After-Image -SU: As a swift action, if you strike an enemy twice in the same round, you can generate a mirror image of yourself – an illusionary duplicate that shares your combat space. Enemies attacking you have a 50% chance of striking your duplicate (which destroys it) instead. You may only have one duplicate in effect at a time. This is an evoca- tion [Figment] effect.
4th Circle – Fists of Fury -EX: You may make a full attack at any time during your move, instead of only using it at the beginning or end of your movement for the round.
Equipment:
Rugged Garb: +1 AC
Badge of the Order (Grim Fragment): +2 Charisma
Shoulder Bag
-black tabard embroidered with white scale
Consumables
Healing Potion x1: Heals 50 HP.
Formal Favor x1: Gain a token to use in this social encounter.
Limited Diplomatic Immunity: Gain 2 tokens that can be used in any social encounter with the law or their allies.
@Arskyer:
I think it's likely that Karsus would have heard of Evangeline as a well-known member of the Constortium; she might have heard of him if he's ever personally been involved in making an arrest of a member of the Consortium. His habit of acting in ways the Order doesn't encourage might even have made him especially dangerous to the Consortium, given the Order's unsteady footing so far.
Well I got a pretty decent amount of this figured out yesterday, so I'm about ready to start. There may be an IC post up today.
On the other hand, I'll be at an academic conference form tomorrow until the 8th. It's kind of a big deal for me since they only let five undergraduates in, so I might be super busy. If there's internet at the hotel though, I'll try to keep posting from there.
__________________
Multas Gratias to Kopaka for the great avatar.
Editor and playtester for Legend. Check it out, or drop in on the Legend Chat to have all your questions answered.
Claudius: no problem if it goes slow for awhile, and congrats on being picked to attend.
Lagren: Karsus has been a linchpin of sorts in the Order's investigation of the Consortium. He lived in the Sceadwu Agora for a good time, working as a street performer, and he paid attention to what was happening around him. So far, the Order has only managed to arrest minor players, likely inconveniencing the Consortium more than harming it, but Karsus was the mind behind the arrests.
On a lighter note, I find it kinda hilarious that I'm playing a stand-up law enforcement type of guy, while the rest of the characters are, to a lesser or greater degree, walking the shady side of the street.
Yep, things are going to be very interesting aboard this vessel.
And given the information you've said, I can say that yeah, Evangeline would have heard of you. Particularly because of the proximity. She'd have been called upon to bail out some of the minor members of the Consortium once they got pinched. It's bad for buisiness to not protect your people.
It's kind of a big deal for me since they only let five undergraduates in, so I might be super busy.
Well, congratulations for getting in.
Just remember that the most important thing here isn't getting better in your line of work, or investing into your future, but letting a bunch of people you've never met go on pretending to be paladins and demons and all. :P
[Edit]: Yeah, if Karsus has been focusing on Bron underworld, he'd at least know about Samael.
__________________
Quotes:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus
Also fixed the money issue by sacrificing a goat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by subject42
This board needs a "you're technically right but I still want to crawl into the fetal position and cry" emoticon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yukitsu
I define [optimization] as "the process by which one attains a build meeting all mechanical and characterization goals set out by the creator prior to its creation."
I think it's up in the air whether Karsus will have heard of Eleazar or not. He's worked in easily two dozen reputable and disreputable fields, but he's not particularly famous outside of rumors in his own guild, and hasn't done all of his work in Bron (or even on Gabriel). I'd be fine leaving it up to you.
It's doubtful that Eleazar has heard of Karsus, though. That's not the sort of thing he keeps his ears open about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus
On the other hand, I'll be at an academic conference form tomorrow until the 8th. It's kind of a big deal for me since they only let five undergraduates in, so I might be super busy.
That's awesome, and any delays are entirely understandable. Mind if I ask what the conference is on?
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by KKL
D&D is its own momentum and does its own fantasy. It emulates itself in an incestuous mess.
I'm tending towards Karsus has no idea who Eleazar is, beyond his being another Black Dragon.
I was going to ask some questions about when in the voyage we're going to start, and how long the voyage is expected to last (given normal circumstances), but then I realized you'd probably answer them in the OP. So, you get to read this instead, because I'm typing rather stream of consciously right now and I figure this is a more entertaining way to ask those questions (that is, if they need to be addressed outside of the IC thread), albeit in a roundabout manner, than just asking outright. So sue me, I'm feeling whimsical today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus
I guess you should all know that I have a serious case of Wall of Text.
Oh dear. What's the DC on the save vs [Stun] going to be?
I'm tending towards Karsus has no idea who Eleazar is, beyond his being another Black Dragon.
I was going to ask some questions about when in the voyage we're going to start, and how long the voyage is expected to last (given normal circumstances)
The voyage should usually take about five days. Ships like this often have to take circuitous routes to avoid catchment fields, floating boulders, and even plate atmospheres (which can be rather uncomfortable to enter at the speeds the Lithos can achieve). Others, like the Lithos itself, just shoot out away from the constellation and travel in a big swinging arc, aided by gravity. There is also the matter of sheer distance, as Bron is at the very edge of the constellation, while Far'Aday is right in the middle.
As for the game's starting point, that's actually a big concern of mine and part of why I'm considering changing the OP a lot. I had it on the boarding stage, where a few NPCs could be introduced and a bit of IC chatter could develop. The problem here is that I didn't really have anything spectacular planned until at least a bit later on in the journey. I'll try to work on it.
__________________
Multas Gratias to Kopaka for the great avatar.
Editor and playtester for Legend. Check it out, or drop in on the Legend Chat to have all your questions answered.
I'm having trouble getting free time at the conference, so I just cut a bunch of material, smoothed things over a bit and called it a day. I don't want to hold things up even longer just trying to make this more polished.
__________________
Multas Gratias to Kopaka for the great avatar.
Editor and playtester for Legend. Check it out, or drop in on the Legend Chat to have all your questions answered.
Knowing: Samael has a Purpose. It's like cooling lava, solid as rock, but you can still feel the massive forces that caused it to swirl and flow like water, not long ago. He will do whatever the Purpose requires, with no hesitation nor regret.
Also, I see the "moral and ideological predilections" of everyone (not hiding) within 35 ft.
[Edit]: Also, I really like the word "also".
__________________
Quotes:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus
Also fixed the money issue by sacrificing a goat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by subject42
This board needs a "you're technically right but I still want to crawl into the fetal position and cry" emoticon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yukitsu
I define [optimization] as "the process by which one attains a build meeting all mechanical and characterization goals set out by the creator prior to its creation."
Eva doesn't seem to be paying much attention with those rolls.
Maybe if she weren't splitting her attention between Samael and Karsus, she'd have better luck?
__________________
Quotes:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus
Also fixed the money issue by sacrificing a goat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by subject42
This board needs a "you're technically right but I still want to crawl into the fetal position and cry" emoticon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yukitsu
I define [optimization] as "the process by which one attains a build meeting all mechanical and characterization goals set out by the creator prior to its creation."
Poor Eva, forced to decide between two high-charisma studs...
Since Karsus has a familiar of sorts in Phaestus, I'm going to snag sandybrown for when Phaestus is talking. Hopefully that'll help spare confusion.
[EDIT] Aaand I just realized that the little spirit has a higher intelligence score than Karsus. Let hilarity ensue.
Greenish, re: Knowing
Spoiler
Karsus is more or less what he appears, a do-gooder upstanding citizen type. He has a firm belief in the law (not any specific set, more like a protect the weaker kind of thing), but you can tell that before anything he believes in fully uncovering a situation before making unequivocal decisions. Mingling with this determination is a vivacious interest in everything happening around him.
I'm playing Phaestus as if he were, basically, like Roy's Archon from TOotS - a glowing sphere that talks. The feat description is somewhat ambiguous, so I just thought I'd point that out.
Also, those deleted scenes make me chuckle. "He was a brony lad..." "So he's a big guy?" "What? No, he's from Bron."
They're more like outtakes now that I think about it. Much too ridiculous to be included.
I imagined Phaestus much the same. I just figured that if every 15th adventurer had a mote, they would be a known quantity by now, especially among the higher classes, who might occasionally even hire these kinds of spirits as servants and messengers. I've also been told that Hallow's magic is highly learnable, and the rich often have the free time and money for education on such matters. So I figured her reaction would be less shock that this thing exists or can talk or whatever, and more annoyance at its attitude and the apparent carelessness of its "owner."
But yeah, Dartmuth family members can rust things with a touch, and an earlier draft of that post had her dog as a bizarre mutant thing custom-made by elven bioengineers. Wealthy city folk are probably going to be the least surprised by unusual things. This is the same reason people aren't flipping out over Samael's wings. They've probably seen adventurers and bodyguards weirder than that. It's the jaded cosmopolitan view of a world of magic.
__________________
Multas Gratias to Kopaka for the great avatar.
Editor and playtester for Legend. Check it out, or drop in on the Legend Chat to have all your questions answered.
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