[PF-1e] The Forsaken Plane: The Plane of The Elder Evils

[Mrjoegangles]

Khory is talking softly and carrying a big stick, and is finished with her initial application.

[Xian]

Originally Posted by Mrjoegangles

Khory is talking softly and carrying a big stick, and is finished with her initial application.

So having the first app in the mix, please read the following... I have updated this information in the recruitment thread as well.

Instead of a sample post and/or a background that may reach TLDR lengths, I have decided to introduce something a bit unorthodox and one that will help me to choose players that will not only mesh well with the game but with each other. Once a player has a good character concept completed and I have reviewed and added them to the list of approved candidates, they will go to the following game folder. Here in this forum will be an opportunity to introduce your character to me and more importantly the other candidates. Additionally, this will let me and the other potential players to experience how you interact with one another. The level of interaction and how well you interact with one another will play a significant role along with a strong character concept for acceptance into this game. I believe this method will allow things to come out that would not otherwise be apparent in the traditional static app approach.

This is by no means to indicate a huge commitment on your part, so you can participate in this portion as much as or as little as you want or able. The point here is to demonstrate quality not quantity of posts. And by quality I mean the quality that demonstrates your writing style, but more importantly how you interact and will interact with future teammates. I think this will be fun and will help people find their character's voice and flesh out their PCs. I think that this will be a better investment of time and effort than an out of context sample post and/or a lengthy background write up.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[DoubleL1987]

Subaru Litner – The Free Fox Name: Subaru Litner Race: Kitsune (Superior Shapeshifter trait) Class: Bard (Masked Performer archetype) Alignment: True Neutral (Subaru) / Chaotic Good (The Free Fox) Appearance and Personality: It would be very hard to conflate Subaru Litner and the Free Fox with one-another. While Subaru is a light-tanned young man in his late 20s with a head of messy black hair and almost unsettlingly-bright blue eyes that are usually found cast down in a book or else just a warm drink that he always seems to have on him, the Free Fox is a good five inches taller than Subaru, sporting a shocking bright-red mane of hair with his true face hidden behind a grinning white fox mask that oddly manages to not muffle or obscure either his banter or songs. Clothing-wise, Subaru prefers dark muted colours and often hides his face in the hood of a long cloak while the Free Fox dresses in long robes in the manner that a tradition-bound true Kitsune would…Only his are often decorated in garish colours and designs. Place of Origin: Sigil – The City of Doors Character Concept: 10-Minute Character Background: Step 1 – Background and Character Concepts 1) Neither of Subaru’s parents were native to Sigil – the two Kitsune were originally a pair of cat-burglars from Neverwinter who, while escaping from a heist one night, ran through what appeared to be an abandoned building in the warehouse district that turned out to be a portal leading straight to Sigil. 2) Subaru managed to avoid falling into the same bad habits as his parents, despite Sigil’s nature making it very tempting, and he worked as an innkeeper before drawing the attention of the Dark Powers. He still has most of these skills and prides himself on being both a decent cook, as well as being able to make a bed faster than most people. 3) It was while working as an innkeeper that he met Wilsa Everheart, a dhampir bard who often performed for the guests on nights when they were particularly full. The pair seemed to be an odd match, the quiet dutiful innkeep and the vivacious, spontaneous bard who enjoyed her free drinks a little too much but the pair developed a friendship after Wilsa discovered that Subaru had a beautiful natural singing voice and attempted to get him to join in on her act though the chronically-shy innkeep initially refused. It was only after two months of badgering that Subaru finally agreed to let her teach him how to sing, having decided it wasn’t something that would take up too much of his time and besides, he had grown quite fond of the young dhampir in the intervening time and saw there being no downside to spending more time with her. With that, he began slowly learning the ropes of singing from Wilsa, and slowly began climbing out of his shell. 4) The pair’s relationship blossomed into love after Subaru finally worked up the nerve to perform to the crowded inn one night (and then only after several drinks of encouragement from Wilsa) and sang a rather cheesy love song to her that he himself had composed, which rewarded him with an equally-drunken kiss from the target of his affections and a muttered “I was thinking you’d never get around to saying it…” 5) What followed was a whirlwind romance and the pair eloped in the middle of the night after a last rousing performance at the old inn where they had met. They became a pair of traveling musicians, roaming the planes with no goal other than bringing a bit of musical joy to those who needed it. Sometimes it was a struggle, with food or money occasionally hard to come by, but the two had each other and felt that was all that they needed. Even though he had forsaken stability (or the closest the Planes had to it) Subaru had never felt happier, and from the moment Wilsa announced she was expecting their child, it was said his songs and melodies could bring even the most downtrodden to smile. 6) Alas, it was not to be for too long. Several months after they found out that they were to be parents, Wilsa and Subaru were walking through the street of Curst when a thick mist started enveloping them. Despite having been holding hands with each other, the mist seemingly pulled them apart and Subaru’s panicked yells were answered with Wilsa’s own, though they grew softer and softer until it felt like he was only screaming into the white wall in front of him. When the mist finally cleared, Subaru found himself not in Curst, but in the fields outside an unknown town, the smoke and bustling noise of the city replaced by a deathly-quiet hiss. Subaru took a step forward, his foot kicking a small object and he bent down to find that it was Wilsa’s mask, the grinning white fox she used when they did a comedic performance, mirroring the brown bear that he used. Stooping to pick it up, Subaru felt the bright flame of hope and happiness that had burnt inside of him dim slightly, before he steeled himself – he would find his way back to her, to their child. Step 2 – Goals 1) Subaru wants to get back to his own world – he doesn’t know how, or why, but anything else is of a secondary concern to him. 2) Whisper-whisper… Step 3 – Secrets 1) Wilsa herself was not left stranded in Curst – she was brought to the Forsaken Plane, just as her husband was. Both are trying to find their way home, not knowing that the other is on the same plane. 2) The night before they ran away, Subaru stole all the money and a good amount of the very expensive alcohol from the inn, reasoning that he had been a good person all this time, and it would only be this one time, to give them a start on their new life. He’d never told Wilsa where the money came from, as despite her flightiness and occasional lax respect for the law, she despised thieves. Step 4 – Characters of Note Wilsa Everheart Subaru's first and if he had his way, only love. A dhampir native of Sigil, she started performing at the same inn that Subaru worked at by complete chance, having gotten lost on the way to another engagement and ending up at the inn that happened to need an entertainer for that night. She'd later say that it was Fate that she'd gotten lost that night to end up at the same place as her eventual husband. Wilsa's vivacious, loud and utterly-incorrigible behaviour drew her more than her fair share of admirers but her eyes had been on the quiet innkeep since the begininng. That being said, she's fiercely protective of those she cares about and will do anything to keep herself and her new family safe. Step 5 - Mannerism and quirks 1) Subaru’s personality is the usually completely opposite to his alter ego – while the Free Fox is loud, gregarious, companionable, friendly and an incorrigible flirt, Subaru keeps mostly to himself and says comparatively few words unless he gets to know someone very well. Once he is out of his shell, he does show flashes of the Fox’s personality from time to time with a snarky remark or a joke, though he never lifts his voice above its even tone. 2) The Free Fox has a habit of treating his instruments as if they were real thinking, feeling things and often makes them a part of his act, via both his Animate Tools spell, or if more varied, theatrical movements are needed, he will subtly use Mage Hand to manipulate them. Step 6 – Why were you chosen? Subaru was an interesting contradiction - the child of thieves, with all the cunning, dexterity and charisma to take what he wanted, whether it was through theft or honeyed words, but he did none of those things, subjecting himself to a mundane, almost boring job in order to not break the law. That, combined with how bright and optimistic he was after meeting Wilsa and learning of his impending fatherhood, the Dark Powers decided to conduct a small experiment: Take away everything that makes the perfect criminal, the perfect conman, the perfect assassin, a good, happy person. Bend him, break him, extinguish the flame that burns and put him in a world that would welcome him, would tempt him with dark powers...See if a good man remains good when you take away everything he cares for.

[Xian]

@DoubleL1987 - Great initial applications and I think I have a good idea of the character's personality and most importantly his motivations and character concepts. Everything I really needed has been provided, but you may continue to refine the application, if you would like, and hopefully the interaction and the posting in the intro forum will help to draw out the finer details. You have been added to the list of permitted participants in the application game folder and may begin to post and introduce Subaru and/or The Free Fox there. Also, if the initial ad did not communicate it clearly, there is a fair amount of prejudice for non-humans, and in Subaru's case, should he be discovered as a kitsune, would likely be targeted (and not in a good way) as a lycanthrope.

@Mrjoegangles - A good initial effort. While it is addressed, I would like you to flesh out a bit more of the character's personality, her motivations, and her flaws (not to be confused with just quirks) in her application. Having said that, I think that there is enough of Khory to work with and perhaps writing her in a post will help to draw some of the finer details out. So the application forum has been opened up for you as well and you may begin to introduce and interact with the others that are there or will be there.

@All - Like I mentioned in my update, you do not need to provide the nth level detail in your character app, but give me a good sense of the character's personality, flaws, and motivations. The key events that you highlight in your background should be focused on how they influenced and shaped these things.

I hope that helps!

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[Keante]

Hi Xian, how am I doing for the initial stage of my application?

[Xian]

Originally Posted by Keante

Hi Xian, how am I doing for the initial stage of my application?

@Keante,

I like everything that I am seeing so far. I would like for a bit more on the character concept though and especially if it is going to be the concept that you had proposed to me in PM. My assumption would that is the direction that you are going with, but it would be great if you formalized that in your app.

Once you make those updates, let me know again and I will add you to application thread so you can get to conversing and interacting with the others.

For those that do make it into the application forum thread, I want to clarify that the intent is for it to be a sort of ice-breaker for the PCs/players to one another so there will not be the usual level of DM involvement asides from a bit of atmosphere and resolving certain actions. The point is to introduce your character to the other players as much as to me.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[Qiksilv]

Rowan Ashton Name: Rowan Ashton Class: Druid (Reincarnated) Race: Other (Dm's Choice) (Rolls below) Physical description: While his appearance has shifted several times through the ages Rowan currently is a Human Male of dark complexion. Dark skin, hair, and eyes are rarely brightened by the glimmer of a smile. Most often the man's eyes burn with emotions that broil beneath the surface. Personality:Rowan is a bit of a pessimist, largely due to his depression. He has been known to offer his life to save those in need and has also left others to their fates depending on how likely it is that his efforts will have any affect. He has recently been trying to keep it in check but Rowan tends to try and drink his sadness away, without great success. Through it all is a near obsessive drive to reach home again, making it hard to see the challenges of others. Place of Origin: Not from the Forsaken Plane. My actual knowledge of the typical DnD settings are limited though so I'm not sure where exactly he is from. Probably an area that had woods. Perhaps a place where the woods died or were burned down a while ago (If such a place exists). Motivations:Rowan want to get back to his daughter, Olivia, more than anything he's ever wanted. He wants to be able to find Clarence and strong enough to defeat him this time. (No more dying multiple times only to fail.) Rowan is willing to die to save people's lives but... Flaws: He has also learned that he has limits to what he is able to do. If it really looks hopeless or if he's tried and failed there's a good chance he'll want to just give up and move on; leaving the unfortunates to their fate. The lifetimes after he failed to save his townsfolk were bitter times. He took to drinking away the pain. During his happier times he mostly managed to drop the habit but now he will be sorely tempted to stop trying to save Olivia and drop back into his non-motivated depression. (Ordinarily he can't take things with him when he reincarnates but I figured if you liked he could have respawned with some trinket his daughter would have made. This would be a flaw because he'd do just about anything to keep it. The item would be sentimental but also one of the surest ways he could find her again since it would be something of hers it would be useful for divining her location. There's also a good chance he will be trying to do so in the Forsaken plane even after he knows about it's weird divination rules.) Background: He was born under an astrological sign. The druids who raised him denied any parents but merely said 'he was a gift' When he was older the town he had been assigned to as druid was burned and its people either killed or captured. Rowan was killed. He tried through several reincarnations to save the others but was killed each time. Eventually he realized that he was unable to save them and quit, though a piece of him died that day that wasn't physical. After this he wandered for a while; miserable at abandoning his fellows. Eventually some random friendships and his soul's natural buoyancy lifted his spirits and he was able to almost lead a more normal life. He even managed to birth a child though he died during childbirth. He had told the father about how he always came back and and so was able to be in the child's life in his new form. Life was simple and truly the happiest he had ever been. A mysteriously long-lived individual named Clarence who had met and recognized Rowan in every body appeared after a few years, took an interest in the baby, and killed Rowan to take it. "You'll come back but never find me," the man had said. He respawned in the Forsaken plane; alone.

[WhiteStag]

Originally Posted by PopCultureBard

While I am having to step away from the game due to life nonsense, I would recommend this game to anyone who is seeking depth of character and drama. Xian is doing an amazing job of tying characters to the setting and making choices matter. If you like personal horror in your Pathfinder this is a great choice for you.

I completely agree with PCB. Xian has done an excellent job bringing his environment and scenarios to life. Truly, his narratives are extremely well written. Xian must be a English Professor in real life, I wouldn't doubt it. He provides much to chew on, and much for us to sink our teeth into. I look forward to what he has planned for us next, and for his selections of some new personalities to join the fray.

A pleasure, Xian-man. There are some good apps here. I can't wait!

[suburbanplankton]

I may still have a few tweaks to make, but the application for Adria, Ecclesitheurge Cleric of Pharasma, is ready for review.

[Xian]

Team,

Thanks for the effort put into your characters so far and I have provided some feedback and food for thought for each of you in secret text below. I will predicate those comments with a clarification of my intent for the application process. My intention was to mitigate for providing too much (and potentially superfluous) details for a character up front and to bring those nuanced details in a gaming narrative, but there are basic components and details so that I and the others have something to work with. Remember the app is as much for the other applicants as it is for me.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[suburbanplankton]

[rhaiber]

Full disclosure here:
First: This is a character concept I originally put together in an app for another DM’s campaign, but she did not make the cut, so I hope you’re not offended if I revised and recycled her. However, once I started revising the character, I realized I actually like her much better for this campaign than the other one.

Second: I recognize I might have a slightly unorthodox angle. I used to play Ravenloft campaigns back in the days of DnD2e (makes me feel old just saying it) and it always seemed like most players use Ravenloft settings as an opportunity to play dark, brooding, morally ambiguous characters (i.e. “I’m a self-loathing half-vampire whose mission is to kill all vampires and anyone who gets in my way”). But I like to go a different angle by taking a pure and innocent character and seeing how long they can stay that way once they are thrown into Ravenloft. I don’t know if that suits your campaign, but let me know what you think:

Application: Luminara Starshimmer Name: Princess Luminara Starshimmer Race: Human Class: Summoner (Synthesist archetype) Alignment: CG Appearance: Lulu is a fairly ordinary young girl - at least she never thought of herself as anything special. She always lagged behind her peers in height, and physical development in general, often causing her to be mistaken for younger than she is - a misconception her softly rounded cherubic face and her wide, guileless eyes do little to dispel. When not merged with her Eidolon, Lulu dresses very simply, in a common peasant dress made of plain cloth that typically carries a layer of dirt on its hem, and heavy boots far too big for her that give her a somewhat clownish appearance. There is a brightness to her smile that can be infectious, though.   Lulu When she merges with her Eidolon, all of that changes: she no longer looks anything like a simple peasant farmgirl. Instead Princess Luminara Starshimmer appears as a tall, robust warrior encased in ornate, golden, glowing, magical armor. All her bumbling clumsiness is suddenly replaced by majestic grace and power, and her typically unruly hair grows longer, and yet manages to stay out of her way far better than when she is “just herself.”   Princess Luminara Starshimmer Personality: Lulu is ever the bright and cheerful optimist, who prefers to see the best in others and views strangers as simply friends she hasn’t met yet. She sees the world as a fundamentally good place full of good people and can’t quite bring herself to believe that anyone could ever knowingly and intentionally be “evil” without reason, which makes her more interested in figuring out what causes some people to behave badly (since there must be a reason, right?) and sees beating people up as a last (though sometimes necessary) resort. Place of Origin: Lulu is definitely not native to the Forsaken Plane. However, I don’t actually know enough about Golarion lore to say where she’d be from (somehow all of the Pathfinder games I’ve played have been set in home-brew worlds. Is it okay to say she’s from a home-brew place, or should I go do some research on Golarion?   Step 1: Background 1) Many generations ago, a demon horde invaded Lulu’s homeworld. In order to defend against them, Lulu’s ancestor, Queen Lucia, summoned a powerful outsider and bound it to herself. 2) When Lucia grew old, the eidolon passed on to her heir and daughter, beginning a long line of hereditary mystic warriors. 3) Though powerful enough to fend off demon hordes, Lulu’s great-grandmother was unable to defend her family against the sort of standard political intrigue that allowed a usurper to steal the throne. 4) Lulu was raised secretly in exile, as a simple farmgirl, with no knowledge of her family heritage. 5) When Lulu’s mother was killed, the ancestral eidolon was passed on to Lulu, along with the mantle and responsibilities of the Mystic Knight, protector of her home land. It has been a steep learning curve for her since then. Step 2: Goals 1) Princess Luminara’s ambition is to one day overthrow the cruel dictator who stole her family’s throne and restore justice to her people. 2) As a player, I would like to see how long Lulu is able to hold on to her innocence and optimism in a dark gothic world. Step 3: Secrets 1) Despite the amazing power that comes from merging with her eidolon, deep down a part of Lulu just wishes she could go back to being a normal farmgirl. 2) Although Lulu (and in fact most of her ancestors) have always believed their family eidolon to be a celestial, Nyxx is actually a rogue devil who sought to break away from his archdevil overlords, largely because Hell is just a terrible place to spend eternity. After centuries of “pretending” to be good, the innocence and purity of his mortal hosts has begun to rub off on him. Though not particularly evil (he wasn’t that bad to begin with, just too much a hedonist to cut it as an angel), he is still far from being redeemed since his motivations are primarily selfish. Step 4: Characters of Note 1) Iridessa “Dessa” Starshimmer (deceased): Lulu’s mother and the previous Mystic Knight. She was largely absent during Lulu’s childhood in an effort to keep Lulu’s existence a secret. 2) Leon Fallwether (AKA Leon Starshimmer): After Lulu was born, Dessa left her with her brother Leon, who lived as a small farmer. Since Lulu never knew her father, and her mother was rarely around, Uncle Leon became more of a parent figure for her than anyone else. He was stern, gruff, practical, sometimes strict, but always caring. He helped instill in Lulu a strong sense of morality and humility. 3) Baron Lothos Orlon: Grandson of the man who originally usurped the throne from Luminara’s great-great grandmother. To solidify his position, he struck an allegiance with the neighboring empire, giving up his title of king to become a baron. He has since risen in the ranks to become Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Emperor, a position arguably more powerful than the king of a small city state. It was his assassins that ultimately found and eliminated Lulu’s mother. Though the Baron suspects that the line is still not fully extinct, he does not know of Luminara herself, as her mother’s efforts to hide her existence seemed to work … for now. Step 5: Memories/Mannerisms/Quirks 1) Lulu is a bit of a klutz. Even though the process of merging with her eidolon grants her unearthly grace in battle, she still manages to stumble and drop things out of sheer awkwardness when she is not fighting and her mind starts to wander. 2) She has a nervous habit of chewing on the ends of her long straw-colored hair. 3) She often thinks back to the last normal day of her life: she stole her first kiss from the stablehand, which should’ve been the greatest day in a young farmgirl’s life … then she learned of her mother’s death, her noble bloodline, and the eidolon that was her inheritance. Step 6: Why have we been chosen The Dark Powers are curious about the symbiotic relationship between Nyxx and Lulu: the devil who pretends to be an angel and the gullible child who believes him. Each possesses power on their own, but together they are truly formidable. And yet, it would be so easy to push either one of them over the edge. What, then, might happen to the other?

[Raylorne]

Posting interest. Would you be able to tell me who's currently playing, and provide a link to a recent chapter for me to read? Wouldn't mind getting a sense of things before pondering a character.

[MundayKnight]

Hadesh "The Apprentice" Race: Orc Class: Trapper Ranger 5/Living Monolith 2 Alignment: Lawful Good Appearance: Hadesh was born to the bow, his broad shoulders, thick waist, and trunk like limbs give him the strength to draw back his horn bow and unleash hell on any foolish enough to break his master's law before closing the distance and using the claw bestowed upon him by his master to complete his mission. Personality: There are two aspects to Hadesh presented by his two faces. When his face is bared to the world or he only has a sand mask covering the bottom of his face he is sociable, gentle, funny, and kind. His laugh is infectious and booms across the dunes at the simplest of provocation and it seems there is always a gentle smile on his face. The second aspect of Hadesh is the uncompromising iron edge of his Master's will, represented by the magically hardened porcelain mask in the form of his Master's guise. Master Idaxis the androsphinx had bestowed the Ka stone to Hadesh years ago and with it the mighty sphinx had showed him his past, a thousand of his futures, and in so doing had shown him his purpose with this life. That purpose was, when needed, to enforce the laws of Idraxis and execute his will. Idraxis has only imposed one law, to not initiate harm against another, for which there was only one punishment, death. Idraxis trusted Hadesh to make a judgment call if the punishment was beyond the scope of the crime but in the desert mercy was too often foolishness. Place of origin: Hadesh is from a remote stretch of the Osirian desert ruled over by a mighty androsphinx named Idraxis.   Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encourage. 1) Born into a tribe of desert raiders Hadesh has known death since his earliest days. 2) He believes that all people have a path to redemption, but he believes even more that innocents should not be harmed along that path. 3) The Ka stone upon his forehead was bestowed upon him by Idraxis when he took the title of Idraxis's Apprentice and began the path to becoming a Living Monolith. 4) Idraxis's Claw is his most prized possession, the adamantine scimitar remains on him even in his sleep or when bathing. 5) When moved to violence Hadesh puts his mask on, the cutout in the center of his forehead fitting perfectly around his Ka stone. Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game. 1) Hadesh would like nothing more than to find and execute the men who he is hunting. 2) I think it would be interesting for Hadesh to face a moral dilemma that even he cant boil down to a binary of good and evil where he has to deal with the internal evolution of moral subjectivity. Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises! 1) While Hadesh has taken up the mantle of Idraxis's Apprentice he has also accepted that that mantle will lead to his death. In all the potential futures shown to him by Idraxis all where he became Idraxis's apprentice ended in his death. 2) Idraxis failed to show Hadesh many futures that would see him living to old age as Idraxis's apprentice specifically to ensure the orc was devoted to his duty, and because more than a few of those futures involve the orc slowly losing his mind as he punishes more and more people for his Master, a fate Idraxis will prevent by any means necessary. Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you. 1) Idraxis is Hadesh's Master and closest friend. While the great Androsphinx acts gruff to those who wander into his land he is very sociable with Hadesh. While Hadesh is far less intelligent than Idraxis he is clever in his own way and his sense of humor amuses Idraxis to no end. 2) Alkadeszi Ben Sulibann is a traveling merchant of the sands that has made Idraxis's temple a regular part of his route. Hadesh trades the skins of animals and the goods of those who have broken the laws in Idraxis's lands in exchange for gear, books, and scrolls for his master's collection. 3) Hodan Pect led a group of bandits in slaughtering a caravan of gnolls in Idraxis's stretch of the Osirian desert. Hadesh will hunt the bandit to the end of the multiverse as long as there is still breath in his body. Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor. 1) Hadesh often hums to himself in the night, the memory of his mother singing the songs of their tribe one of the few he cherished from his youth. 2) Hadesh often scratches around where the Ka stone has been implanted in his forehead when he is thinking. When asked about it he responds with genuine confusion, not realizing his own action. 3) Hadesh ties a piece of a victim's cloth to any arrow he plans to use upon a criminal, an act performed from his tribes superstitions about the cloth of the dead. [design notes for the example character] Hadesh is the prototypical ranged when wearing the mask that acts as his badge of office but when his face is revealed he acts more like a good natured barbarian, happy for competitions of strength, a hearty laugh, or a strong drink. Reason for being taken: Hadesh was taken to enact judgment upon those that brutally slaughtered innocents within Idraxis's land. The Apprentice has tracked down and killed all but the bandit leader and his right hand. He knows he is no longer in his master's lands but it matteres little, his master's will extends as far as Hadesh can roam. His narrow view of the world is his greatest flaw, he believes in his heart that those that willingly harm others deserve swift and immediate retribution for their crimes which could easily lead him down a path of tyrannical slaughter. Sample post: Hadesh had been hunting the bandits for well over a week, he should still be firmly within his Master's lands in the dunes of the Osirian desert but instead he was thigh deep in a fetid swamp that had five less crocodiles and one less anaconda than when he had first entered. His mask served as well to keep mosquitos from going after the sensitive tissue around his eyes and nose but the constant moisture had forced him to carry his clothes draped on his shoulders, the light silks were perfect for the dry heat of the sands but tried to meld with his skin in the moist swamp air. The occasional broken twig told him he was going in the right direction but he wanted solid ground to confirm the footprints were still that of his quarry and not some random boar cracking it's way through the swamp. As the sun was setting Hadesh got his wish, the swamp opened up into more solid moorland and, sure enough, the boots he was following were the same and, as fate would have it, led straight to a cottage mysteriously alone in the swamp. When The Apprentice got close he noticed that the tracks continued away from the cottage, it appeared no one had given umbrage to the killers which certainly spoke to the owners wisdom. Hadesh removed his mask and hung it from his belt before he knocked on the door, hoping to borrow a brush to scrub the grime from his flesh before continuing on his way. He was greeted by a wizened old woman with a mischievous grin upon her withered face. "I knew you would be coming. Come in my boy come in. Now that the last member of the tea party has arrived let's get this underway!" To say Hadesh was confused would be an understatement but he had been greeted by Idraxis in much the same way, though without mention of a tea party. He followed the woman down a corridor be could swear was too large to fit in the hut, especially after the first full minute of walking, before the woman took a right and walked through the wall, dragging him with her. The room he now found himself was thick with fog but she walked him confidently to a well worn but heavily padded chair before bodily shoving him into it and putting a cup of tea in his hand. "Drink up boy, gotta meet the others." And, for reasons beyond Hadesh's understanding, he drank the tea and promptly fell asleep. He awoke back in the room but the fog was gone and now there where five others sitting in similar chairs arranged in a loose circle. An elf sat to his left with what appeared to be four humans completing the circle. "Where are we?" The elf raised a hand at a student at a lecture, or perhaps like a professor trying to draw the attention of the class. "Let's think logically. Those of us outside of yourself were gathered into a room by a kindly old woman and invited to tea, I know I for one fell asleep, an odd feeling for an elf, and now we are all in a room much the same as where we slept and you have joined my companions and I so I must posit that this kindly old woman is a witch who had reason to bring us all together, perhaps you are here to assist us or, conversely, we are here to assist you. So who are you and why are you in this hut?" Hadesh sat in thought for a moment and couldn't help but agree with the academic elf. "My name is Hadesh, apprentice and enactor of justice for Master Idraxis of the Temple of the Dunes. I am here because bandits slaughtered a caravan in my Master's lands and I must bring them to justice. I should still be in Osirian so I must assume they set a portal somewhere in the path that I somehow went through without detecting it. I find it hard to believe but it's the only possibility." The academic tapped his chin and nodded thoughtfully. "I can take over from here Doctor." A pale and slender human spoke up from opposite the circle, her skin and hair nearly glowing in the dim light. "You arent on your home plane anymore, or really in your home planar system really. To avoid getting into a very difficult to explain situation you are in the Forsaken Lands and I can promise you those bandits didnt choose to come here." "Thank you, I suppose that makes as much sense as me stumbling through a portal. Though it does raise many questions to be asked later." "Happy to answer any time." Hadesh ruminated over the new information for a time before he nodded at the gathered group. "So why are you all here?" The handsome human fielded the question, his oddly dour countenance betraying little of his thoughts in the matter. "We are, one and all, being tested. Now to find what is to test you may be added to the list." Hadesh smiled at the group, his tusks jutting up above his lip prominently. "Well Master Idraxis says I am a terrible test taker, hope I can prove him wrong on this one." The big orc howled with laughter from the look on the faces of those gathered, this was going to be a fun hunt indeed.

[Xian]

@Raylorne - Welcome! It is good to hear from you again! Anyway, here is the link to the post that has the requested information that you seek along with the link to current game forum. The current chapter is chapter 2: Trial and Crucible.

@rhaiber - Welcome! I recall the character since I had also put in an application to Moon's game as well. I have been with Ravenloft since the 2e as well, but most of the good material that I have and adapted to this campaign is from 3e and 3.5e. I don't have time at the moment (in transit from work) to properly address your character's adaptation to the Forsaken Planes, but I will when I get home and time to formulate some thoughts. Once we address them then you can head into the introduction / icebreaker forum so we can all get to know Starshimmer a bit better.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian