[D&D-4e] The New World

[Enthusiast]

dpbj602, your app looks good. "Neutral Good, borderline Lawful Good" gives me a good idea of his alignment (I prefer 3.5e alignment too). Background is good. Mustache is awesome. You can post an RP sample if you want, but it's strictly optional, so no worries there.

Nikolas (Captain of Outer Space, no less!), I like Isaac. Great character. The party will definitely need a smooth-talker in Non-Combat Encounters. Government connections could be an asset in some instances and a hindrance in others. Should be interesting, especially if another player is able to draw a connection with it. Could be a guardsman assigned to accompany him, for sure.

Gulielmos, either of those could work well. Looking forward to seeing it!

Elementalist, the app posted by Nikolas above is a good example, in terms of formatting. Feel free to add a Character Sheet via iPlay4e if you want, but it's optional at this point.

Thanks to all for your interest. Great response so far!

[hyenaofleisure]

*edity edit* cut it down to my three most favored(by the crowd), so yeah... check em out. >_>

 

Name: Daniel Hoffman

Race: Halfling were-rat.

Class: Rogue

Role: Striker

Alignment: Unaligned

Deity: Pfft, gods aint never done nothin for me.

 

Personality: Daniel is shifty, sly, and cunning. He's quick to buddy up to anyone who he can use as a shield, and lacks loyalty in ways few could dream possible. His one true love would have to be money, if only because he doesn't like himself that much, if nothing else, he isn't too much of a womanizer, just because he dislikes people as actual -people- in general. He looks out for himself, and when he knows it'll serve him, he looks out for others too, however his main goal is just getting the most of what he can, then splitting off his own way.

Background: Daniel was born in a large, port city in the 'old' world, his mother was a dock worker, his father an anonymous sailor who had paid his dues. He was also born with lycanthropy, however his mother was more than expecting that given her own background. He was raised by the docks, as a kid he was taught how to handle petty theft, pick pocketing, luring, and general trickery, as an adolescent, his family taught him full mastery over his natural gifts, as well as how best to avoid the attention of authority figures, and how to make the most of any situation. By adulthood, well, Daniel had already cut a few deals by then, filling his pockets to make the docks a bit cleaner. Back stabbing is what he was raised to do after all.

After the extermination of the lycanthropic vermin that plagued the city, crime was a little less common in the city Daniel knew and loved, and a little less organized too. Though he had filled his wallets nicely, Daniel didn't realize til it was too late that he'd given the city guard a foothold into the docks underworld, and slowly, the entire city transformed, becoming clean, lawful, and downright moral. When Daniel realized this, he knew he had no choice but to leave before his own nature was discovered, and he was exterminated as well.

He set out on a ship to the new world, as a supposed supportive citizen of the empire, seeking to help colonize these new lands, and bring forth a great new civilization to its people. However, in reality, Daniel just wanted to cut loose from his old home, and find new prospects, new things to steal, people to rob, and maybe even new companions to keep his tedious life from getting any more pathetic, lest he give up all hope that he'd achieve mediocrity, and simply end things soon.

Potential Connections to Other Characters: Erethil(Berliad); Daniel know the ranger as a fellow mercenary, both hired by the baron, and presumably looking for money
Morrigan the blade(darkling); Though he doesn't exactly like the woman and her demeaning mannerisms, he subconsciously knows he deserves it, and he's fully aware of the benefits of having a woman by his side, especially one with skill in the blade.
Lirianna(strawberry); Daniel knows very little about this woman, other than she is Morrigan's 'friend' and hence a decent ally. He is however painfully aware of how brash, outspoken, and passionate she is, things that when working with a thief, could save them, or get them killed...

RP Sample:
Daniel signed, hands in his pockets as he skulked about the small, shabby little port, it was a scum pit, tramps on the street, muggings in open daylight, and even some guards extorting people for protection, he gave a rueful smile, feeling as if he'd gone back to the home he knew was now dead and long behind him. As he skulked the streets, he overheard the whispers of a small group of people talking about the Baron needing adventurers or some ****, and he grinned inwardly at this. If it was public news, obviously whoever this idiot was, was desperate. And if that was true, then what better way to greet the new world then to take advantage of a desperate, and stupid, baron. "Ya know" he said to no one in particular. "I may just end up likin it here."

 

Name: Cinna Montreal.

Race: Human

Class: Psion

Role: Controller/Striker

Alignment: Good

Deity: I believe not in the gods, but in the power of man, and the capability of thought, and influence therein.

 

Personality: Cinna is a happy go lucky kind of girl. She was born into nobility, a lucky break she was quite grateful for, and also got lucky in having the power of telepathy. Though her powers strain her at times, she has always believed she was lucky to have such incredible talent, and good fortune. She believes that anything is possible, as long as people are willing to put their minds to it, and work together, and that anything is possible if you can just imagine it, and follow your dreams.

Background: She was born into nobility in the empire, and raised the daughter of a duke. Her mother did not die in child birth, no one killed her family or robbed her of her perfect life, she had in essence, a normal, happy, healthy life. She started showing signs of telepathic power at adolescence, and though a bit hard for her to come to terms with at the beginning, her loving parents reassured her that even though she was different from other people, that was by no means bad. She was special, and lucky to have such a wonderful gift, that if used wisely, could help her, and others for the rest of her life.

Raised perfectly happy, Cinna grew up in a wonderful environment, wanting for nothing, appreciating what she had, and even leaving her pampered home behind her now and then to go out to small towns and villages in her father's land, to help the people, and show that the nobility cared.

Cinna's world was absolutely perfect, and as happy as she was, she could not help but feel herself wanting for more. So, when her father informed her of the new world that had been recently discovered having some colonizing issues, and that the baron of Olid needing aid, she told her father she wished to go, so she could help to colonize this wonderful new world, and aid its people. And, along with that, she secretly dreamed of adventure, and excitement, and a world beyond the perfectly safe confines of her father's realm.

Potential Connections to Other Characters: Aukan(Grav); The man was hired by Cinna's father as a body guard, Duke Montreal refusing to let his daughter go out into the wilderness unattended, and unprotected. In the brief time she has spent with the man, she has learned to like and appreciate him, though she does still strive for some semblance of independence.
Rahne(Gnoll); Cinna met Rahne in Olid, and sensed the inner strength, as well as troubles, of the dragoness, deciding to befriend her, the noble quickly buddied up to the merchants daughter, that, and her guard dog could not complain too much, as she was looking after herself by making friends, and her father's investments by allying with merchants, possibly getting a foot hold for dukee Montreal in the new world.
Morrigan(darkling); Cinna met Morrigan through Auken, in a rather embarrassing way. Her 'guardian' had gotten into a drunken brawl, and apparently the woman was the tavern's owner. She was apparently furious, but Cinna helped to defuse the situation, and since then Morrigan had decided to go along with them on their quest, for reasons Cinna does not quite understand.

RP Sample: Cinna glared at the goblin shamen that had almost hit her with a fireball. "Oh that is it, it's one thing to be a downer, but you are just plain rude!" She growled angrily, calling up her mental powers and focusing her inner aggression on the goblin, sending a barrage of images into the creatures mind, stunning it, and confusing the creature. "Now Erick!" She called to her companion while the creature was stunned, and grinned a little mischievousness as the rogue wasted no time in dispatching the helpless foe. "Well, seems the day is saved, ya?" She said flirty, looking up at him from behind a soft curtain of her own hair. "So, what do we do now, aye?"

 

Name: Jet

Race: Shifter

Class: Barbarian

Role: Sriker

Alignment: Chaotic good

Deity: Jet worships no gods, but rather the spirits of the ancestors, and the spirits of the wild.

 

Personality: Jet is a proud warrior, raised by the longtooth tribes, in the way of his father, as his father before him, and so on. He is a barbarian, a primal warrior who is at one with nature, and allows his instincts to guide him in battle. He is very proud, and very stubborn, however he will concede when he is beaten, and he shows great respect for those who show respect and kindness to him.

Background: Jet was born to his own homeland, and takes offense to these claims of a 'new world', it is not new, it is his homeland, and his families, for generation after generation. The outsiders came to his home, and robbed his people of their lands.

For this, he is angry, however, he sees that fighting these invaders will only bring ruin to his people, so instead, he seeks a different solution. Against his peoples will, he has sworn he will remain peaceful to this empire, as he firmly believes that if he can prove himself to these outsiders that he, and his people, are indeed proud warriors, that the outsiders will learn their ways, and give them back their land. He hopes to make them understand, so his people can live their lives the way they always have, and hopefully live in peace with the outsiders.

Though he is barely tolerated in towns and villages, he does visit them quite often, and he always seeks out hard work to do, and battles to be fought so he might prove himself, so when he hears word that the baron of Olid, a powerful man of influence, is in need of aid, he quickly rushes to the Baron's manor to offer himself as a fighter for this cause, in hopes he can prove his worth to this man of supposed importance, and get one step closer to his goal.

Potential Connections to Other Characters: Erethil(Berliad); Jet met the man multiple times, both in shifter tribes, and human villages. The ranger fascinates him. A man of the 'civilized' world who takes interest in nature, and appreciates the land.
Tamos(c12); Tamos is Jet's older brother, the older male helping him to learn about the mixture of their own tribal culture, and this new empire's, and accept the change. It is due to Tamos' influence that Jet is the positive person he is today, and actively tries to help everyone, and prove his worth, and the worth of his people. He got a lot of his ideals from his older brother, and greatly appreciates him, loving him like only family can.
Morrigan(darkling); Jet met the woman through his friend Erenthil, and the two came to almost immediately came to hate each other. Jet see's her as a imperial woman, a female in need of protection, and she of course resents this, and sees him as nothing more then a barbaric beast despite his trying to protect her. The two are simply against each other, and though fighting on the same side, the rivalry between them is obvious, and the only thing that seems to stop them for killing each other is their fighting styles are so different, no matter who won it would not prove who was truly superior.
Aukan(grav); Met the goliath while working for a farmer, talked to him a while, and eventually made friends with the cynical man. He took Jet to a tavern for the first time, and though still friends, Jet will forever blame Aukan for his first hangover, and his fear of alcohol.
Kovak(Ollie); Jet met the rogue through Aukan, at the local bar. Though at this point Jet was more than a bit wary of alcohol, he quickly befriended the seemingly cheery fellow, and has to his own misfortune, been pushed into drinking again by the sheer peer pressure of his two friends, as well as brother, though to their eternal disappointment he always tries to emper himself, as to avoid another awful hangover.

[Jasontheswift]

Name: Ragnar Snow
Race: Shifter
Class:fighter1 => monk
Alignment: Lawful Good
Diety: Pelor
Background:

 

Ragnar being born to an animalistic culture he has known only battle since his birth. Ragnar being part of the Wulfen-kind, a clan existing for hundreds of years being born wolf-like calling themselves the Wulfen. Ragnar was the son of the Chieftain Grunt, Ragnar was born bearing expectation. Ragnar was sure to be the best as possible even defeating a senior Wulfen hunter in hand to hand combat at 19. With his growing potential becoming evident Ragnar was given the blessing of the warrior at 24 an unheard-of event but none detested the idea. Ragnar being supported by the entire clan was welcomed by all into the hunters.

Ragnar for the next 20 years grew in respect of the clan awaiting to become a complete adult he gave attention to the younger Wulfen and decided to become the combat and hunting instructor until his time to take the mantle of chieftain. Unfortunately the very year of Ragnar's ascension to chieftain the Wulfen were betrayed unknown whom but the entire clan all 200 were killed by an unknown noble's personal army. Ragnar was hunting at the time with a small group as they split up Ragnar was occupied with a particular beast, as his hunt concluded Ragnar made his way back to an empty camp, oddly no fire but death...his entire clan had been slaughtered by some force, clearly an army of some description but none like Ragnar had ever seen. His clan...His brothers were all destroyed. A blanket of death covered Ragnar with a cloud of guilt. Ragnar succumbed to drinking and mercenary work for the next 3 years.

With Ragnar seeing no end an only a fools existence he decided to find his way back into the wild. Being an adult of the Wulfen he owed it to his old clan to atleast attempt to rebuild the former glory of his past and name. Through his travels he was visited and talked to by many nature spirits revealing to himself that he was born as a Dreamer Wolf. Ragnar was able to hear and converse with nature spirits and was able to be blessed by them with their consent, this was an incredibly rare occurrence with shifters in general but Ragnar used this blessing as tool to find himself once again. Ragnar through his travels was guided toward a monastery of monks far within the snowy mountains. Ragnar begging for consideration to be taught how to live with complete internal and spiritual peace so that he can adjust to being the last Wulfen and hopefully if the nature spirits willed it to rebuild in a new light. They accepted Ragnar and gave him the last name Snow, as a symbol of a lone wolf returning from the wild to become a leader of a new pack. To this day Ragnar studies with the monks learning how to channel his anger into a spiritual power to become a strong warrior.

However growing among these other monks Ragnar cannot ignore the spirits of nature calling out to him. Devoting himself to a peaceful nature for so long the spirts now recognise his strength and control thus they spoke to Ragnar directly to retrace his steps into the human cesspit that is the Erathic Empire. During his time as a mercinary he knew of their reign and their growing influence, living in the way of weakness but having the gold. Ragnar keeps to himself on his opinion of their weakness, nevertheless the spirits call Ragnar to leave his monastary, take what he has learned of peace and rekindle the guise of a mercinary and discover what the spirits require of him there. Ragnar confused but ever faithful, he accepted his quest. Taking no more that a few simple clothes and a few scrolls moved down the mountain toward Olid.

Appearance and Personality:

 

Ragnar has dark black hair pulled back, a thick mane of facial hair (lamb-chops) revealing his animalism in his very blood. Ragnar further is looked upon as an animal due to his tanned skin, sharp inscisors, yellow eyes and slightly flattened nose (like navi from Avatar). His beastly face is his first tool in his arsenal as his second being his very body, Ragnar's muscular body allows for his great strength and even greater speed giving him the name among the older monks, Wolf Claw, acting as not just a nickname for Ragnar's appearance but or his combat style, using sharp claws to claw his opponents and strike with his hands and fists whilst even pivoting on all fours for greater speed. Ragnar's body was created for combat making him quick to adapt and deadly at all angles.

RP Sample:

 

As the hand to hand instructor bowed to Ragnar, upon the reply bow Ragnar springs to battle ready. The low growl of Ragnar fills the ears of the instructor, his smile begins to confuse Ragnar, upon the first strike Ragnar jumps back. Ragnar strikes back at his head. The battle between them raged on for hours, Ragnar's wolf-blood keeping him aware and still strong and the instructor's experience has yet to be tested. A crowd had gathered, all curious to whom would be the victor. As the battle between them continued the instructor rose his hand for a moment. The Instructor took off his robe top, Ragnar continued to do the same to which he illuminated his secret of his training. Ragnar wore steel plated weights down his abdomen, his arms, his chest and down his legs. Removing the weights as like shedding a year old skin Ragnar exasperates in relief...a scent of disbelief and excitement filled the air.

Ragnar takes his stance readying himself, the instructor does the same, they breath together...Suddenly a scrape of feet the two of them meet strike for strike, their speed is equal each bang of flesh, bone and muscle echoing in every ear surrounding them. another hour of complete battle passes, blood and sweat stain the battle field. Both pushing themselves to their limit they fall back to their corners taking a short breath, the stance of the eagle against the claw of the wolf. Ragnar and the instructor both being at their edge nod to each other to finish this battle. As they rushed to each other again strike again and again until both see an opening...Ragnar looks down to see his strike stopping on the instructor's chest, with a slight mistake of victory Ragnar looks down at his own chest illuminating their battle's result. A draw both having a strike at the chest over the heart. The result surprised all including Ragnar, his focus had paid off revealing Ragnar to be a true warrior and a cunning monk.

[elementalist]

iplay4e character sheet

Name:Hadrim Kordhammer

Race: Dwarf

Class: Fighter (Battlerage vigor)

Role: Defender

Deity: Kord

Alignment: good (somewhere between neutral and chaotic good)

Apearance and personality: Hadrim stands at a towering five feet, making her the tallest of clan Kordhammer. She has long blonde hair which she styles in a sort of double braid and often dies red. (Red being the more respectable color.) She wears a suit of well maintained armor, and will often a spend an entire afternoon polishing her gear.

Hadrim Is loud, raucous, and often the first to charge into battle. She often meets strangers with a loud laugh, and a hearty clap on the back.
The only time she is quite is when she is near a river. Hadrim has an Irrational fear of crossing streams, and will not be easily persuaded to approach them.

Background: Despite her father's wishes Hadrim decided that clergy work was beneath her. This made her a bit of a black-sheep among the rest of her clan. She didn't mind though. Her thinking was that there is no better way to show her devotion to Kord than through strength in battle. She signed on as a guardsmen shortly after leaving home. She quickly rose through the ranks, as none could match her martial prowess. Soon she was in charge of an eastern branch somewhere near Olid. As the paperwork began to amass Hadrim grew quickly dissatisfied with her new post, feeling it to be more of a desk job . After hearing some gossip in a tavern she decided that she would try her hand at mercenary work. She left without notice.

Soon she found herself in the middle of Port Calia, Shouting at any who passed by. Hadrim quickly spotted a finely dressed young man, and approached him with much haste. " I can assure you there is none stronger than a Kordhammer." After which she swiftly drew her hammer. With a mighty swing she crushed a sizable rock spraying the poor fellow with an array of pebbles. She then let out a bellowing laugh. "It seems I will be buying you a new outfit whilst we discuss my contract." She grabbed him by the hand and proceeded to drag her hapless victim to the nearest tailor.

 

Any who spent time as a guard, or who worship Kord. (Her father being a predominant figure among the clergy.) She is also likely to have forced her services upon any who passed threw Port Calia.

 

Unfortunately for Hadrim her services to the man where adamantly declined, about eight times. As she began to slump back toward the street, She was approached by an interesting older gentleman. He called himself Oloros, and offered Hadrim little more than food and shelter. Something about his presence intrigued her though, and she agreed to his terms. She also found something amusing about being the "larger" of the two companions. After several days on the road Hadrim started to address Oloros as "Rolo". This was due to the fact that she had inexplicable difficulty with the pronunciation of his name, despite some of the difficult dwarven titles on her mother's side of the family. She soon began to view him as a friend of sorts.

[Darkling]

Ooh, this looks like a prime chance at rebuilding my Eladrin Swordmage, Morrigan! I'll definitely run an idea or two by you when I can, Enthusiast.

[nebelun]

Posting interest for now.

I'll be working on, most likely a Human Ioun Paladin. I've been itching to play character out searching for new knowledge and whatnot. This seems like the perfect setting for that. If anyone wants to tie our backgrounds together, let me know.

Edit: It may not be Ioun. I'm toying with a couple ideas right now.

[Gulielmos]

As a general statement prepare to have your characters hijacked. By that I will try to find a fun way to get everyone in my background.

[Doghouse]

Are you ok with applicants adding some flavor to the setting in our background? Persons, places, that sort of thing?

[Berliad]

Here we go!

Name: Erethil

Race: Elf
Class: Ranger (Hunter)
Role: Controller
Alignment: Good
Deity: None
Appearance and Personality:

 

Erethil is smaller than a typical Elf, and is slightly built. Yet even by elven standards, he is unusually graceful. He moves about in smooth, quiet steps that allows him to go unnoticed in both the wilderness and urban settings. He has black hair that is often tied back, and sharp eyes that he uses to pan about the room. It is as if he sees everything.

Erethil can come across as a bit gruff; he's generally quiet, but quick and to the point when he has something to say. He prefers to avoid long conversations and chit-chat, and has no qualms about walking for miles with a companion and not saying a word. That said, he has learned to work amicably in a team via his experience as a wildness guide, and is a reliable, generous companion to those he trusts.

Background:

 

Erethil was among the first Erathic children born in Medrona. His mother was a dignitary of some importance in Amarin, where her father was a sergeant in the local militia. When Erethil was just 10 years old, however, both of his parents went missing while traveling to Port Calia shortly after its founding. His parents were not wealthy, but left him with sufficient resources to survive until he had completed his education, while his mother's colleagues were available to help him on his way.

Nevertheless, Erethil spent much of his teenaged years roaming the wilderness between towns. At first, it may have been in a desperate attempt to learn what happened to his parents. But the long months spent in solitude also brought Erethil solice. He found himself in awe of the combination of beauty and brutality in the natural world, and in time began to feel intimately connected to it. Through careful observation of the cunning fox, he learned how to deftly maneuver to avoid threats while in danger. By watching the wolf spider, he learned the power and efficiency of stealth and a sudden, deadly attack.

Erethil became an accomplished hunter, renowned for his accuracy with the bow and uncanny ability to down his quarry with a single strike. His preferred hunting grounds are in the Oliddian Wood, the lush coastal forests between Olid and Amarin. Able to make a modest living selling game, he also has found employment as a guide. Wealthy Imperial citizens, recently arrived in Medrona, take comfort in hiring him as a guide as they travel between settlements along the coast of Medrona.

While comfortable, Erethil continues to be drawn to the wilderness. He has rarely interacted with the nomadic clans of shifters that live on the continent. But what little he has seen of them hints at their deep connections with the natural world, which manifest in powerful primal energies and powers. When the Baron of Olid sent an appeal for adventurers to procure a mysterious artifact, Erethil jumped at the chance. Perhaps this artifact might hold some secret that would allow him to grow more in tune with the wilds.

(there's a few plot hooks in there should you want to use them)

Potential Connections to Other Characters:
* Tamos the Seeker - As a ranged fighter (guessing bow?) and user of primal power, Erethil would be fascinated by Tamos. I can see the two of them becoming very close friends. And it ultimately could become a very influential friendship for the empire, given Tamos' position of himself as an ally to the empire and Erethil's (distant) political connections.
* Isaac the Bard - As a nobel, Isaac could have hired Erethil as a guide as he ventured out into the wilderness. If Isaac is from Amarin, his parents could have known Erethil's mother. Even if he is from the old world, there could be some connection to his mother via administrative channels.
* Canris the Paladin - Erethil would jump at the opportunity to be involved in missionary work to the nomadic clans, though more as a wilderness guide facilitating Canris's passage than someone who would actually espouse the virtues of the Erathic empire. Erethil would spend his time with the clans trying to learn from them, rather than teach them.
* Oloros the Ardent (or Battlemind) - like with Canris, a logical connection would be as a wilderness guide. Oloros's connections with the nomadic clans makes him a person who Erethil would probably seek out and offer his services.
* Jet the Barbarian or Ragnar the Fighter/Monk - Erethil would be drawn to party with these characters because of their connections with the nomadic clans. This works especially well for Jet because of his focus on primal strength.
* Hadrim the fighter, Daniel the Rogue, or Yang the Monk - could have been hired along with Erethil for mercenary work by the young nobelman that appeared in Hadrim's RP piece. They could have decided to adventure together from that point forward.
* Varrec the Bard or Cinna the Psion could also have hired Erethil as a travel guide upon arriving in the New World.
* Roma the Skald - from sammichweasel: "Portraying himself as a noble (not an easy feat when you have the horns of the Folk), Roma talked his way out of a village after swindling more coins than he should have in a confidence bait-n-switch. He "hired" the ranger to get him through the woods, but conveniently forgot to mention that he didn't actually have enough to pay the man." I'd expect that Erethil will not take kindly to the duplicity when it is finally revealed...it's never wise to upset a specialist in stealth. You never know where they'll pop up next.

RP Sample:

 

From his perch in the treetop, bow drawn, Erethil watches his prey. The deer has been milling about on the other side of the brush. While he could hit it now, the cover might keep him from targeting it precisely at the base of the neck. Such a strike would kill the deer instantly, preventing both pain for the animal and noise that could attract unwanted attention. With a bit of patience, soon he will have a perfect shot.

Suddenly, from within the brush, something stirs: the doe has a fawn! Lowering his bow, a small, contented smile forms on his lips. Erethil might not sell a deer today, but the snares he set up nearby were sure to provide dinner. For now, he could simply watch the beauty of a mother caring for her offspring.

Character sheet: http://www.rpgcrossing.com/profiler/view.php?id=31460
(built using 100 gp allowance in HotFK, with one mundane item from Mordenkainen's).

Also, I do not have DDI. I like to roll up my characters by hand (plus the wife kind of vetoed it...gotta pick my battles). That said, I have absolutely no problem with others using themes/backgrounds from DDI. I'm very content to stick with the Essentials stuff I have for this character.

[sammichweasel]

Oh god, I so want to make a semi-Aztec/loa-influenced Kobold from a southern expanse that has come north as part of some convoluted and obtuse prophecy. Any chance you'd be okay with a Vestige Pact Warlock Kobold from another portion of the New World who's not familiar with the locals?

[nebelun]

iplay4e - This is just a rough idea, nothing would be set in stone till group is made

Name: Oloros Shieldheart
Race: Human
Class: Ardent |or| Battlemind
Role: Primary Leader |or| Defender
Alignment: By 3.5 Standards, Lawful Good
Deity: Erathis
Appearance:

 

Oloros is an old, battleworn man. He is roughly 40 years of age. He has a scar on his cheek, and is rather short for a human, standing a little over 5 foot 6 inches. He may be a little heavyset, but one would not guess it by the way he carries himself in battle. He has a forboding presence for a short person, and he's commonly got a smile on his face.

Personality:

 

He is a very congenial fellow. Known for his stories, however wild and bizarre they may seem. He has a tendency to strike out on new endevours quickly, and makes sure that he does it with a smile on his face. Those who meet him, enjoy his company, and those who hear stories of him, always are excited to finally meet him.

Background:

 

Oloros came to Medrona at the age of 10. A page to a leader in one of the colonization expeditions. As early as age 15, Oloros began to notice something, a dormant power. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, early on anyways. He began to practice, to exercise this power, as if it were a muscle. He began to notice the nature of the power lying just underneath his being. It was, what seemed to be, a keen insight into the minds and actions of others.

His first attempts to train this insight on others, was around the age of 20. It was at a negotiation,the leader he served had dispatched him to assist a new up and coming diplomat who was in the process of trying to talk a small group of shifters into accepting the ways of the Empire, and to begin a conversion from the more primal ways, into a civilized society. The diplomat, known as Grif Telmet, was running into nothing but resistance. During a short recess, Oloros made a suggestion to Grif, he fed him the words that the shifters wanted to hear. Promises to make, phrases to avoid. When asked where this was coming from, Oloros didn't quite know what to say. He attributed it to intuition and subtext, and the two left it at that. After the recess, Grif quickly sealed the deal, using the arguments and promises Oloros had offered up.

After their success, Grif Telmet spread word to his superiors about how vital of a role Oloros played in the negotiations. He was quickly upjumped from page, to an apprentice diplomat. By the age of 25, he had risen in the ranks to become a reliable member of the Empire, and was given a role in converting Shifters from the more barbaric ways, into reliable civilized citizens. He began to enjoy the company of the shifters he would convert. Many were great people, a strong, reliable, people.

After years of valiant service, his superiors decided it was time to send him out further into the wilderness. He was to act as a front man, or, an advance party if you will. He was given the freedom, and the authority to make the choices he best felt would support his agenda, and given a pittance to get him started along the path.

He left the conversion camp, and headed to Port Calia. There he learned of a job posted by one calling himself The Baron of Olid, that was looking for adventurers to seek out some 'artifact'. He wasn't quite certain what the artifact was, or if it would help spread the light of civilization further, but.. perhap deep down.. Oloros didn't care. The excitement of the adventure settled down in his mind. On one hand, it could be a glorious step forward, it could promote the ideas and tennants of Erathis. On the other, it could be a wild goose chase. Oloros decided that, although it may not be worth it, his curiosity was going to make this decision, and he travelled to Olid, to at least hear the Baron's offer.

On his way out of town, Oloros saw what could only be described as a 'spectactle'. Had he not seen it himself, he would not have believed it. He saw an incredibly short human smash a rock and shower a superbly dressed man in pebbles. After the dwarf said a few words, she dragged the young man to a tailor shop on the outskirts of town. Although, Oloros was headed out of town anyways, he had the curiosity to peek his head into the tailors as he passed. Apparently, this 'Kordhammer' as she called herself, turned out to be a dwarf looking for work. Oloros should have known by the way she carried herself, but this would be the biggest dwarf he had ever seen. Plus, it wasn't common for Oloros to see one of the civilized races presenting themselves in such a barbaric way. When the young man adamantly declined the services of the dwarf, for what was probably the sixth or seventh time, Oloros spoke up. He offered her food and lodging on the way to Olid, and his company on the road. Although he only had a pittance to his name, he hoped that the work in Olid would be enough payment for the dwarf.

His history dealing with the conversions of Shifters (and maybe Genasi, if they are converts from Medrona as well) will automatically give him ties to any shifter/genasi that wants to combine histories. His work within the empire will also put him on speaking terms with anyone who worked within the empire themselves.

This background was written with an Enlightened Ardent in mind, however I feel, for all intents and purposes if a defender is needed, it could work reasonably well for a Battlemind also.

[Enthusiast]

Hyena, as always, your enthusiasm and hilarity are second to none. Thanks for taking the time to put up five apps, all tailored nicely to the campaign setting. Well done! I can see any of those apps working, although the gnoll is going to be a bit of a tough sell in the city. I appreciate that you've written into his background that he was raised among dwarves, etc.

Jasontheswift, app looks good. Always interesting to see a "middle-aged" character, rather than the usual teen/twenty-something. I'd like to know a bit more about how Ragnar views/relates to the Erathic Empire. Also, if he spends his days in a mountain monastery with other shifters, what draws him to Olid? Good character concept, though.

Elementalist, I like your app as well. A five-foot dwarf... Awesome.

Darkling and Gulielmos, I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Doghouse, you can play with it a bit. I've got an idea in mind of what the New World looks like, and if anything in your background is really incongruent with it, I'll let you know. Here are some basic points, and you can add some details within this framework...

Olid was the first settlement established, followed by Amarin and then Port Calia. Each of the three cities has a Baron presiding over it, and each city is surrounded by a small amount of farmland. Port Calia is still under construction; its location was chosen because of its potential importance to trade, although passages to the North and West are still incomplete. It is the capital of the New World, and is home to the Viceroy of Medrona, who acts on behalf of the Empress. While Port Calia is a center of commerce/politics, Amarin is a center of culture (both Imperial and native Medronic culture, for those "converted" aboriginals), and Olid is a fairly simple, down-to-earth port city. Beyond these three cities and the surrounding farmland, the Empire has very little knowledge of the land and its secrets. Expansion has been slow, but anyone can see that the Empire is not throwing up cities in a hurry; the cities are well-built, well-fortified and relatively lawful. This is no "Wild West" kind of thing. If you're looking at political ties between the Old and New Worlds, Port Calia is the most likely place. Given that the New World is quite small, however, political figures in all three cities would be quite familiar with one another. If you want to know anything else, just ask!

Berliad, awesome app. Well written. Erethil could fit very well within this setting and this campaign. Good stuff. Nice build. Aspect of the Lurking Spider will work well with the Hidden Sniper feat.

Sammichweasel, that's a tough call. Really intriguing. But I'm gonna have to say no. Many within the Empire will barely tolerate the converted shifters, and that's more a matter of pragmatism than anything (if they join us, that's one less fighting against us). There's just no way that a kobold would be tolerated. The animalistic appearance of shifters is offensive enough, but a kobold? It's downright uncivilized in every way. They'd kill it on sight. Sorry, man. I'd love for you to cook up something else, though!

Nebelun, very nicely written app. It works well with what I have in mind for the setting. The Baron of Amarin is a renowned diplomat (perhaps the very diplomat that you've mentioned in your background), known for his successes in converting the native shifters. He has developed Amarin as a city that welcomes both Old World Imperialists and New World converts. After advising the Baron in some of his early negotiations with the shifters, Oloros could have figured prominently in Amarin's subsequent development as a center of culture for the New World Empire and its converts. Very cool.

[OllieNorth]

Dangit Enthusiast, now I have to apply to ANOTHER game! :P I'll have something up in the next couple days. Depends on how busy I am today. @hyena: We seem to travel in packs, anyone send and invite to Darkling, Strawberries, or Grav?

Edit: Nevermind LOL, Darkling's already here. I should probably read the thread first . . .

[Enthusiast]

Heh, good to see you Ollie! Sorry to put more on your plate, you poor little fella. I'll send an invite to the others.

Just updated original post with a table to show apps submitted to date. Lots of good stuff coming in... if I'm feeling really, very, extremely ambitious, I might have to get two parties going.

[elementalist]

I think the worst part of placing a game ad is the making the final decision.
There are many excellent applications.