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

[grifter730]

Awesome! Glad to hear you like the concepts. I’ll develop the ideas some more, I’m just overseas for a week, so I’m not sure how much time I’ll have for now. I’ll have a few more posts up and hit that threshold to get full forum privileges. I literally signed up after seeing the premise for this game.

[Xian]

Originally Posted by grifter730

Awesome! Glad to hear you like the concepts. I’ll develop the ideas some more, I’m just overseas for a week, so I’m not sure how much time I’ll have for now. I’ll have a few more posts up and hit that threshold to get full forum privileges. I literally signed up after seeing the premise for this game.

@grifter730,

Appreciate the update and take your time formulating your idea and narrative. Like I said before they both have lots of promise and I am very interested in seeing them when they are fully formed.


Cheers, Xian

[Zealot]

Character Idea:

Within the High Kingdom of Ghorash the separation between the slums and the noble quarter is one which is both figurative and literal. Separated from the rest of the city by an ornate wall, deeply engraved with the sigils of magecraft and the demons that shall feast on any who cross that wall without permission, the nobles live a life of light and splendour that rather than removing the shadows merely seems to throw them into stark relief. It is not unusual for a scion of the noble house (and certainly of the royal house) to never meet any of the lower classes outside of the indentured servants of his estates. This separation from the poor leads to a certain degree of disconnection which led to nobles seeing a poor life as not being worthy of treasuring.

It was in this crucible that Henri de Vermandois was born, youngest son of the ruling tyrant and living a life totally without consequence. Is it any surprise then that even before he grew to adulthood he and a few others were venturing into the slums in disguise and using their better training to get into fights in which they killed? By the time of his eighteenth year Henri's tastes had broadened and knowing than nothing within the cities laws would punish a noble he embarked upon building the reputation of his persona. Known for killing with a single spiked gauntlet and pounding his victims into so much tenderised meat it wasn't long before tales of 'The Butcher's spred. As his persona's fame grew so did his crimes until a mistake was made. One night his victim was no commoner but a young noble enjoying the city much like himself. It was not long before a secret that had been open within the noble quarter meant that the murder was laid at his door. It was when he stood at the gibbet unrepentant in the face of the baying mob of commoners that the Darker Powers noticed him and dragged him away from his death for their own ends. But not before he felt the rope burning his throat and the pain of slowly suffocating under his own weight.

Does that seem Ok?

[dbaque]

App Name: Dr. Aurelius Aylmer Races: Elf (envoy variant) Classes: Alchemist (promethean alchemist, probably chirurgeon & wasteland blighter also) Alignment: LG (as a start anyway) Appearance and Personality: Tall, thin, and clad in a long, formal coat with spectacles, Aurelius' bearing gives the impression of austere academia. However, the smiling twinkle in his eyes hints the kind & generous spirit beneath his stern exterior. Place of Origin: Aurelius hails from a respected family in Vieland. Before being snatched up by the Forsaken Plane, he was most recently at the University of Lepistadt as a professor and researcher.   10 Minute Background   1. Born to a long respected family in Vieland, Aurelius attended the University of Lepistadt and eventually became a professor of alchemy & medicine. 2. While strict & exacting as both pupil and then professor, Aurelius' passion & love for his craft was contagious, inuring him to his students and fellow faculty. 3. Like many academics, Aurelius was also a researcher. His interests were many, but his focus was on the "alchemical animation of inanimate matter" and its application to medicine. 4. Despite the stern and austere man of science he projected, Aurelius was a good man, always happy to lend time to a student or help out a colleague. 5. Aurelius fell for a colleague, a fair human physician named Georgiana. They wed and lived happily, though never blessed with any children. They collaborated and made stunning advances in Aurelius' research. 6. Over the many joyful years, the human Georgiana began to grow old while the elven Aurelius remained untouched. Eventually, she took ill, and despite his vast medical ability, she passed away in his arms. 7. A despondent Aurelius could not, would not let his beloved go just like that. He secreted her body to his lab and preserved her, working tirelessly for days. His alchemical sciences were no match for simple aging and death, but in his labors, they made a breakthrough. Mingling Georgiana's body, his own blood, and alchemical reagents, he fashioned a little girl. 8. He named the little homunculus Yana and treated her like the daughter he never had. 9. Yana was bright and the sweetest creature he ever met. She happily helped him out as a lab assistant. 10. Aurelius tried to disguise her true nature for a long time, but eventually his colleagues caught on and confronted him. Understandably, they did not take too kindly to experimenting on the dead and necromancy. 11. With the resulting scandal, Aurelius chose to abandon everything at the university. He took all his notes & materials and absconded with Yana before the authorities could arrive for him. 12. Many days from Lepistadt, Aurelius was camped for the night along with Yana. He fell asleep, unsure what he was to do or whither he could go. He awoke in an unfamiliar glade. He soon learned himself far from home in the Forsaken Plane. 13. As he figured more about his new environs, Aurelius set himself up in a city as a physician with a profitable practice. With the increased racial unease of this realm, he kept us a disguise as just another human. 14. Aurelius continued his research, especially with tweaking Yana. She actually became more anxious than he for them. 15. Eventually, he acceded to her request to make her more mature. The procedure worked surprisingly well, and she bore remarkable resemblance to Georgiana. However, this marked a subtle shift in her attitude toward her "Master," whom she loves so very, very much.   1. Aurelius wants to uncover the secret to preserving life with his alchemical sciences. Part & parcel of that goal is continuing to perfect Yana, the masterpiece of the work of his wife and himself, as well as fruit of their very bodies. 2. The relationship between the goodly Aurelius and the increasingly obsessive Yana is a classic case of struggling to face the consequences of well intentioned but risky plans. It is just the first instance of the broader conflict between his dangerous research and his better judgment. All something I would like to explore.   1. Yana's true nature is not common knowledge. Normally, she just looks like a beautiful, devoted assistant that accompanies Aurelius. But beneath her disguise, she is stitched together, unbreathing, and cool to the touch. Since her time in the Forsaken Plane, she has wicked claws, poison dripping fangs, and bat-like wings, giving her the look of a succubus or vampire. 2. While Aurelius knows some of Yana's changes since her recent upgrade, e.g. more enthusiastic about his work, taken to dolling up with dresses and makeup, and more affectionate with him, he does not know quite how much more she wants to be to him. During his slumber, she spends much of her time molding her body more into her idea of Aurelius' ideal woman. When not working on herself or a pretty dress, she enjoys simply staring at him in his sleep, recalling flitting memories of him through the eyes of a woman she never met. Protective as she is, women that flirt with the good doctor tend to get frightening visits the following night. Worse, the last woman that made a pass at him received a bloody visit the following night; she barely escaped her savage attacker who looked intent on killing her. As the fruit of his perfect Georgiana and his treasured art, Aurelius cannot contemplate that his dear Yana is anything other than the sweet innocent girl he first met, so of her advances to him (or tensions over the attention he pays to other women) he remains largely oblivious.   1. Georgiana is Aurelius' late wife, with whom he spent many treasured years. Aurelius used her body to fashion his homunculus Yana. 2. Fashioned from Georgiana's body, his own blood, and their combined alchemical research, the homunculus Yana is Aurelius' bright and sweet assistant in his work as research assistant, nurse, or whatever else she thinks he needs. About town, she is usually disguised with flowing dresses and makeup. Beneath that, her unnatural origins are obvious, resembling a stitched together, curvaceous succubus, but Aurelius can only see the sweet innocent girl he brought life to. 3. Dr. Jacob Montresor was the wealthy chief physician of the town before Aurelius arrived. The latter's success has brought on a great deal of jealousy. Dr. Montresor now watches Aurelius closely for his chance to bring low the upstart outsider.   1. You can take the professor out of the classroom, but less so vice versa. When asked for some explanation, Aurelius tends to lay out a full lecture on the subject instead. As much as she normally adores listening to him, Yana is usually the one sweetly reminding him that he's getting off topic. 2. The austere researcher is not given to many creature comforts, but his few indulgences are a glass of dry vintage and his trusty pipe. A good book in a comfy chair would simply be the cherry on top. 3. Sometimes when work is long & unsuccessful, dreams return of his wife dying in his helpless arms. When Aurelius invariably awakens in a cold sweat, Yana is always there to let him cry on her comforting shoulder. 4. "Let's think logically," is a common expression of Aurelius whenever he's stumped. 5. Beneath his austere cloak of formulae and academia, the good doctor is a hopeless romantic. While his love for his late wife is unquestioned & a definite wound still healing, he is far from against giving attentions to charming women about him (much to a certain homunculus' frustration).   Aurelius is a good man who cannot accept the impotence of his sciences before death. This dangerous path has already resulted in Yana. Apparently, the Dark Powers already imagine the possibilities whither it shall take the good doctor next.   Aurelius curls up in his sleeping bag, trying in vain to find some succor against the chill in the air while the childlike Yana tends to the fire. An eerie rustle from the surrounding forest brings his nervous gaze with a start. Even days from Lepistadt, the good doctor is still worried that the authorities were after them ... to say nothing of the native perils of these woods. Feeling the weight of fatigue and despair over their pitiful plight, Aurelius groans aloud, "Just like that, everything is gone. Oh, how could I have been such a fool!" Little Yana jerks from her place by the fire. She turns deep soulful eyes upon Aurelius, and her voice sounds piteously in his mind over their link, "Master regrets making Yana?" "No, of course not!" exclaims Aurelius, already berating himself for the ill chosen words. "Prithee, dear Yana, hither," he mentally beckons. Scooting out of the sleeping bag, he wraps his arms about the little girl, ignoring how much of the precious heat her chilled, lifeless skin robbed him. "I'll never regret making you, Yana. You're the dearest treasure I have left. ... I'm sorry it came to all ... to being on the run like this, fleeing into the wilderness. ... And no where to go ..." His thoughts trail off sadly. If the Lepistadt guards were set on bringing them in, where could they go to hide? They likely had all the roads and rivers watched. Aurelius's shiver interrupts his despairing musings. Yana stands up from the embrace and looks chidingly at Aurelius. "Master is cold; Master will get sick. Yana knows just what to get." She scurries to his alchemical reagents and begins mixing a draught. The good doctor can't help smiling at her helpful enthusiasm. With only a couple telepathic reminders about gently mixing the ingredients, the extract is ready. "Here, Master." Aurelius downs the draught recognizing it as his formula for warding against the elements. Almost immediately, his shivering stops, and he more comfortably settles into his sleeping bag. Yana giggles happily. "See? Yana will take good care of Master. Yana will keep watch while Master sleeps." Worn by the day and soothed by the alchemical warmth, Aurelius drifts off to a most welcome slumber. Before the fey queen of dreams claimed him, his parting thought is, 'Sweet, sweet girl. How I wish I could take you somewhere safe.' Aurelius wakes to soft shaking by Yana. Her voice sounds insistently in his head. "Master, something is wrong." Opening bleary eyes, he notes that they are still camped in the woods, but he looks confused as he doesn't spy anything obviously hostile. Shaking her head, the girl clarifies, "No, Yana means that we are not where Master fell asleep last night." As the tendrils of sleep eased themselves of his conscious mind, Aurelius stands up and takes another look around. She is right; he does not recognize these woods. Frankly, he'd never seen trees of this breed near Lepistadt. He looks to the girl for explanation, but she just fidgets ashamedly. "Yana doesn't know. One moment we were there, then Yana felt the world spinning, and then we were here. Yana is sorry, Master." The good doctor shakes his head and hugs the girl reassuringly. "You did nothing wrong, Yana. Let's think logically. Why don't we pack up and see if we can't figure out where we are?" Yana nods enthusiastically and rushes off to gather their equipment. It is a week later. The pair soon realized that they were no where near Vieland. No one around had even heard of it or Ustalav. So, to make the best of things, Aurelius settled into a small medical practice in one of the larger towns; the basement he kept clear for his research. But for now, the good doctor is sleeping soundly in his bed. Yana watches the soft rise and fall of Aurelius' chest from her own bed. Even though she did not get tired nor need to sleep, he gave her own "just in case you ever feel like sitting or laying down." So, she sat there, thinking in the quiet of the night. Aurelius is in much better spirits. He has hope and a second chance at life in this new place. Even if she gets tired of it sometimes, he always fusses to make sure her disguise is freshened before she steps out. He is always taking care of her so that people won't be afraid of her, like they were in Lepistadt. 'Master does so much for Yana, works too hard. Yana sees how tired Master is. Yana knows how sad Master still gets, saying that he has not done enough for Yana. Even if Yana does not show it, Yana is sad when Master is sad. Master should not be sad! Master does everything for Yana! Master loves and protects Yana. ... Yana does not do much. Yana is still little. Yana wants to do more! Yana needs to do more. Ever since we left, Master only has Yana. If no Yana, who else has Master? No one. ... Master needs Yana. Yana has to be bigger like Master. Yana has to be stronger, smarter like Master. Yana needs power like Master. Then, Master will have Yana and will never be alone. ... Master loves Yana. Master keeps Yana from getting hurt. Yana loves Master. Yana will protect Master. No one will hurt Master again. Yana will never let Master get hurt again. Yana will be all Master needs. Master will love Yana like Yana loves Master ... like Yana remembers loving Master.' A grin stretches unnaturally wide on the homunculus, very unlike any from the sweet girl before. The morning finds Aurelius waking to Yana finishing up all the cleaning in the house. She greets the good doctor with an excited hug. Her bright, glittering eyes look up into his pleadingly. "Master, can you make Yana grow up?"

[Xian]

@dbaque,

Keep up the great work! I am liking what I am seeing!

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[Xian]

@Zealot,

A fine start... obviously it is still very much a work in progress, so I look forward to seeing how Henri develops.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[Xian]

Team,

Also, just as an aside, since the question was asked, while I am willing to make mechanical accommodations for character concepts for flavor, I am generally against inclusion of third party material and usually never consider home-brew outright. Much of this is for balance, but also in consideration of and for the fairness to the other players that built concepts and characters without having to resort to 3rd party or homebrew.

With the ever expanding Paizo material available, most, if not all, concepts can be built with existing material and only minor re-fluffing for flavor.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[dbaque]

I think the app is ready, Xian. I may have gone a tad overboard with the "sample post," but hopefully entertaining & insightful to read, at least. Questions/comments/suggestions all welcome.

[Xian]

Originally Posted by dbaque

I think the app is ready, Xian. I may have gone a tad overboard with the "sample post," but hopefully entertaining & insightful to read, at least. Questions/comments/suggestions all welcome.

I am never one to discourage those that get into their character and produce a solid narrative. Regrettably, I won't have the time to digest what I have read into written form tonight, but promise to get you some feedback posted by tomorrow. Again, I appreciate the obvious energy and effort invested in this character app! Thanks!

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[Zealot]

Ok things are to be changed somewhat in my backstory of Henri and would likely be easiest expressed in the ten minute background so will work on that shortly.

[Zealot]

Description Name: Henri d'Hugh Race: Human Age: 22 Alignment: Lawful Evil Class: Vigilante (Avenger) Traits: TBCTBC and TBCTBC ~~~~~~~~~~ Description: Henri is a generally slim man with a frame which has never been imposing but is corded with well defined muscles beneath his clothing. Standing at 5'8" he has never been the tallest and his weight of 154 pounds reflects a generally slim nature rather than the heavy muscle-packed frames of more physically minded people. Due to his being part of a culture where appearance is everything and being slim is an indication of attractiveness this has led to his face being hollow and tapering to a pointed chin. Delicate arched brows that are almost feminine frame piercing eyes which are a dark blue colour almost purple when the light hits them directly. Tipping his head is hair which is a chestnut brown and tends to be left to grow as it will about his head, with his volunteering for the mistrunners he has cut this back to a neat style that can be slicked back as needed. Having spent much of his youth working in one library or another bent over books and sharpening his mind away from direct light, Henri possesses skin that is pale to the point of looking unhealthy, especially in contrast to the intense colour of his eyes and hair. While Henri remains a young man, his years spent either attending balls or engaged in his more nefarious activities gave given him a straight backed posture that marks him as a noble. Despite this his gait remains brisk and long and a shorter man would often find himself outpaced by Henri's customary swift walking speed. Due to his time spent wielding pen rather than any physical weapon the fingertips of Henri's right hand have been permanently dyed back by exposure to ink.

Personality Being possessed of an instinctive interest in everything and anything around him, coupled with a need to do something to curb the worst excesses of the other young nobles has led to a type of intensity about Henri. Indeed Henri is likely to wish to spend some time examining and exploring all diversions that might possibly contain at their ends objects or knowledge of usefulness. This has led to Henri developing a tongue that many describe as "mithril lined" rather than the usual silver due to having found themselves convinced to spend an afternoon crouching and making their way through long abandoned sewer tunnels thinking they were looking for some doodads but had in fact been set up to be attacked. As regards a group dynamic, Henri is unlikely to openly assume an 'alpha' position but would much rather leave that to another and assume the power behind the throne style position. This is due to his belief that when he has comitted himself to removing the worst abusers of the lower classes then avoiding direct notice is the better part of valor. This usage of another to hide himself does not indicate a lack of trust or unwillingness to sacrifice self just a display of pragmatism.

Background Concepts/Elements 1 - Henri is a young noble brought up in a culture where his class was the poor as being inherently worth less and atrocities against them are common. 2 - Seeing the aftermath of such an attack while but a teenager and not being able to see the poor as less than human he sees his only path to be inflicting upon the noble yours the same thing they do to others. 3 - Knowing that he would never be allowed to kill nobles with impunity no matter the fact that he is the son of the King, Henri decides to adopt a persona that will allow him to protect his public life. 4 - In an effort to make the identification of his victims harder, Henri ensures to strip them off their belongings and either burn them or sell them on the Black market. He also ensures to disfigured them heavily such that most victim start as being a jane doe. 5 - While Henri knows that the culture he lives in is inherently wrong he remains a product of it and cannot envision a way to change it except through violence. Goals Character's - Henri's goal remains the creation of a society where the poorer classes are respected as people, though not one wherein the nobility is removed or their superior position dissolved. Player's - I would like for Henri to discover that perhaps there is a greater evil than that which he comes from and if the possibility exists to encounter societies where justice is meted out without a campaign of murder. Secrets Known by PC - Henri, before he embarked upon his 'crusade', took part willingly in the abuse of the lower classes. It was only when faced with his 'friends' killing a poor child that he realised that something had to change. Not known by PC - The manhunt to find him which led to his eventual arrest and execution (from which he was saved by the Darker Powers) was led and hampered by his own brother who had always been aware of what he was doing. Memories/mannerisms/quirks Memory - Henri's defining memory remains the face of the Blacksmiths child beaten and kicked until death by his friends. Mannerism - Henri has a habit of pronouncing words beginning with a wh in a nasal fashion, with what becoming h-what. Quirk - When Henri is thinking he unconsciously rubs his chin with one hand and this has in occasion led to him being recognised in his persona. People Hostile - Emmanuel de Bourgogne [Father of Last victim] - The Dud d'Bourgogne hates Henri with a burning passion for killing his eldest son and heir for nothing more than 'ensuring the riff-raff do not get out of line'. What offends the Duc more is that his son was killed without honour and found naked with the symptoms of his various....unsavoury illnesses clearly visible. Friendly - August d'Hugh [Brother] - August led the ongoing investigation into the noble murders for months, ensuring to subtly undermine it once he knew his brother was responsible. It was only when the Duc insisted on his own man taking over that his brother was finally found and August was accused of incompetence. Friendly - Salina d'Este [Bethrothed] - Salina remains besotted with Henri despite his having been caught. Unable and perhaps unwilling to accept what he had done and believing that it was a miscarriage of justice.

RP Sample TBC

[Xian]

Team,

Apologies for the silence on the net... I have just been recovering from illness that had me flat on my back for most of the day and coughing up quite storm. I will get some reviews and feedback to those folks that had worked so hard on their apps this week!

Again, appreciate the interest and the work! I promise to do my best to get caught up tomorrow.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian

[Eleven Sided Die]

I've had a concept for a Bladebound Magus bouncing around in my head for a while; I think it might work well in this setting. I've also always wanted to play an Oracle...there are several curses from the Horror Realms book that ought to fit the theme of this game...

[grifter730]

Just dropping a note saying I'm back from vacation. Will work on finalizing the concept in the next few days. I'm going with the musician character. Don't know the mechanical aspect of it, most likely bard, but will have a much better idea soon.

[Xian]

@Eleven Sided Die,

They all sound like great concepts and I look forward to what you come up with. One of our past characters was also a Bladebound Magus... and that of itself would be an interesting twist/tie in. Oracles are also an interesting choice for this campaign and their curses are natural lead in for Gothic angst.

@grifter730,

Great to have you back and look forward to the musician character! As per my previous comment, while both character ideas had nice, meaty concepts to sink my Gothic teeth into, I was much more drawn and interested in the bard concept... especially his ties to fire.

Onward!

Cheers, Xian