[PF-1e] Pathfinder: Kingmaker

[Ysolde]

Game Name Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Game System Pathfinder

Theme Small Kingdom Needs Help

Flavour Kingdom Building, Adventure, Advisors to the Queen

Plot Summary Applications Closed for Now Be it so known that the bearers of this charter, having delivered the northern reaches of the Greenbelt from the scourge of banditry, having provided detailed maps of the lay of the land, and having done no small amount of work in the exploration of said land and the culling of hostile monsters and indigenous hazards, are hereby granted the right to rule. The nature and laws of rule are theirs to define, and the wellbeing of this new nation is theirs to protect. In accordance for providing a stable nation to the south of central Rostland, let there be a generous stipend of funds, support, and advice provided to this fledgling nation as a token of Restov and Brevoy’s goodwill, such that future relations between kingdoms might be mutually beneficial. So witnessed under the watchful eye of the Lordship of Restov and by the authority granted by Lord Noleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne. The Stolen Lands have had numerous countries try to settle them over the years. The Nation of Taldor was the first, followed by Brevoy and numerous other members of The River Kingdoms. The Most recent person to come along is Merina Istara who, at the request of Brevoy, came into the Stolen Lands and defeated the Bandit King. After that she named her kingdom Tazlford and set up a town called Fairhaven at the former Bandit King's outpost. This is where you come in. You know Merina Istara in some way and have come to Fairhaven to aid her and help guide this fledgling Kingdom.

Who is Merina Istara? Merina Istara is an Elven Sorceress of some renown and capability. She has been living on Golarian for nearly 300 years and traveled to nearly every part of it. Her hair is pure white and she tends to speak softly. She is known to have performed numerous good deeds and yet she knows she is getting a bit old and wishes to leave a true lasting legacy in the world. She has decided that creating a good Kingdom in The River Kingdoms will ensure a better world. Her personality is one of kindness and forgiveness. She has been known to forgive people who have tried to harm her and often tends a bit towards mercy on her foes. The only rare times she will act in true anger is for the utter worst of crimes.

Character Creation: As Always please do not roll dice in this thread Name: Age: Class: Role: (Possible Roles include, but are not limited to Treasurer, Diplomat, High Priest, Marshal, Warden, Spymaster, Treasurer, Councilor) Description: Pictures are acceptable but I do expect words as well Bio: How do you know Merina Istara: You may include this in your bio

Questions and Answers This adventure is for 4-5 PCs of 4th level 15 Point buy, 4,000 GP One Trait and a Second with a disadvantage. Hi everyone I'm trying again to DM a game. This follows the Pathfinder: Kingmaker modules starting at the second module. There will be changes from the Modules and from the PC game. There will be three main RP areas. 1) The Kingdom and how it is run: Here you will be presented with various options by the queen and will decide what things your characters will do and what you'll have NPC's do The focus here will be more on advising the Queen on various Issues and Deciding which ones your characters will deal with and which ones NPC's will deal with. I'm not going to focus on building points, where the docks ought to be built, and that sort of thing. The issues that come up here will be ones that each character might be interested in solving and yet at the same time may need the entire party to handle or you can decide to send a team in to handle it. There will always be at least one more item than available NPC teams.   Spiders! There are Spiders in the X woods and they need to be dealt with. Outsea Refuses to Ship our Goods The Council of Generals in Outsea had refused to ship any goods of ours brought to their city. We aren't sure why someone needs to go and talk with them or "deal" with them. Strange Shrines Strange shrines have appeared near X town. The villagers are afraid they might be a portent of doom. Resources: 1) The Tuskgorer's - A small tribe of loyal orcs. Powerful in combat, but not so good at socializing. 2) Bwyndyll's Band - Bwyndyll is a Gnomish bard, he and his band are often the but of jokes and yet they are quite charming. There will be consequences for things that your characters send NPCs to do. So choose wisely. 2) Main Area: Here will be where you and the other PC's go on the missions you have decided to take 3) Personal Thread: Here you may go on your own missions or do your assigned job -Being part of the defeat of the Bandit King/Stag Lord: Yes with the caveat that Queen Istara is starting at 15th level so be reminded of how different it would be between a 4th level and 15th... -Allowed materials: Anything from https://aonprd.com/ -Surrounding area is the River Kingdoms: https://pathfinder.fandom.com/wiki/River_Kingdoms - Firearms: Golarian is in the "Early" stage of firearms development anything more advanced will require some good explanation - Alignment: Whatever you like as long as you can get along with other party members and keep The Queen happy. - Feat Tax: No - There is currently little in the way of infrastructure. - In the last couple years (2-3) the Queen toppled the bandits. - People are beginning to settle new communities and are arriving to seek their fortunes. - There is a whole lot of room for your character's ideas to be put in place whether it be establishing a religion, starting new trade routes, running one of the new towns, and more.

Application table Player Character Race Class Governmental role(s) Status Delpinator Nathanyellkelly Half-elf Ranger - WIP Arjuna332 Durya Silverfan Half-orc Monk Warden Complete Seekr34 Damon Downe Dhampir Rogue Spymaster Complete Preacherwolf Ursus Etiam Elf Druid Doctor/Councilor/Worships ErastilHigh Priest Complete Mrjoegangles Grym Banefinn Human Wizard Magister/Spymaster/Warden Complete Noblestride Brundig Coincounter Dwarf Fighter/Inquisitor Treasurer/Spymaster Complete Dbaque Calvin Ellison Aasimar Unchained Summoner Councilor/Diplomat/Warden Complete Sirviantis Golarion Severineas Elf Arcanist Treasurer/Warden Complete SelfAwareNPC 'Doc' Abner Halloway Halfling Cavalier Warden Complete Classic Gamer Maximiliam Wonder Halfling Bard Diplomat Complete Clawsome Barakas Urzog Half-Orc Inquisitor Diplomat/High Priest/Enforcer/Investigator Complete Keweheri Molos Zoren Tiefling Rogue/Magus Warden, Spymaster, Treasurer, Councilor, Minister of antiquities, Master of adventure Complete Taleteller50 Cookie Goblin Witch Chef Complete FunnyValentine Solomon Sarentil Human Oracle Complete

[delpinator]

Name: nathanyellkelly
Age: 25
Class: ranger
Role: warden
Description: Brown shoulder-length hair lays easily over a slender body. Semi-pointed ears poke out giving just a glimpse of his half-elf nature. His clothes are simple and patched with furs. He has a sash across his chest with a dagger and other survival gear.
Bio: I was born in the stolen lands. Life was hard but we learned to survive. mother and father worked the lands I did what I could though I was sent out young to help the traders carry gear. I learned to hunt by watching and working. I honed my skill and was trained with my dagger to kill quick and clean. clean skin is worth much more than a slashed one. I came back after training and my parents were gone leaving only a letter to find merina Istra and she would see to me having work and the opportunity for a better life. I looked into her and learned of a new kingdom forming. Being a warden seemed to work given his current skills though the possibility to gain wealth and perhaps learn more of his parents relationship to merina could be explored.

[Xildur]

On what level our character would be?

[Arjuna332]

I'm interested, though at what level do our characters start with?

[Arjuna332]

Durya Silverfang Name: Durya Silverfang Age: 27 Class: Monk of Four Winds ArchetypeMonk 4 Race: Human-Raised alternate racial trait, gaining human racial trait, replacing orc ferocity and weapon familiarity.Half-Orc Alignment: Lawful Neutral Role: Warden Description: Standing at 5'11" and grey-skinned, Durya is a female half-orc with a rather stern and humorless disposition. Being a monk, she sees no need to wear any protective attire, even resorting to wear a rather revealing leotard that allows greater mobility and doesn't restrict her movements. Despite being a half-orc, she seems to have more human features, making her seem more like an elf with strange skin condition and tusks. Moreover, her training as a monk seems to have extinguished any trace of her more brutish attributes from her orcish heritage. Bio: Durya never knew her birth parents as she was found by a pair of wandering monks, shrouded in worn blanket and crying. Despite her orcish features, the monks were willing to take her in and brought her back to the monastery, where she was taken care of by the monks there. Named Durya, she grew up alongside other children in the monastery, and she began wondering about why she was different compared to the other children. Once she learned of her heritage, she was wracked with guilt, knowing that she would never be able to fit in. Despite learning of her heritage, her life went on. She started to live a monastic life, training herself to one among the monks in the monastery. She sought to achieve enlightenment, but she felt like she hadn't achieved much in her life and as she grew older, she had decided to leave the monastery so that she could learn more about herself and help herself to grow. During her journey, she encountered an elven sorceress named Merina Istara, and after receiving some help from her in a near-death occurrence, Durya swore to follow Merina and assist her in any way she could in order to repay her. She also learned of Merina Istara's mission at the Stolen Lands, and still indebted to her, Durya assisted her in any way she could, and once Merina managed to establish a kingdom of her own, she also swore to serve the new queen in her own way. While she might have no experience in administration, Durya's skill and knowledge could be useful in making sure that the new kingdom could thrive.

[dbaque]

Hey, Ysolde.

The PCs would have had no involvement with helping defeat the Bandit King/Stag Lord? All show up afterward to Fairhaven offering their services?

For places that the PCs might have been, what are some of the other surrounding potentates at this time (other than Brevoy and Restov to the north)?

Echoing the question about starting level. Also, usual questions about classes/races/sources?

[Ysolde]

Originally Posted by Xildur

On what level our character would be?

4th level sorry about that.

[Ysolde]

Originally Posted by dbaque

The PCs would have had no involvement with helping defeat the Bandit King/Stag Lord? All show up afterward to Fairhaven offering their services?

For places that the PCs might have been, what are some of the other surrounding potentates at this time (other than Brevoy and Restov to the north)?

Echoing the question about starting level. Also, usual questions about classes/races/sources?

Being part of the defeat of the Bandit King/Stag Lord: Yes with the caveat that Queen Istara is starting at 15th level so be reminded of how different it would be between a 4th level and 15th...

Allowed materials: Anything from https://aonprd.com/
Surrounding area is the River Kingdoms: https://pathfinder.fandom.com/wiki/River_Kingdoms

[Preacherwolf]

I'm quite interested in this. I've got an idea, admittedly a rather silly one, but I just want ask for clarity. I know you've said you'll accept anything on Archives of Nethys, but does that include firearms and crafting rules? and will you accept someone of LE alignment?

[Ysolde]

Originally Posted by Preacherwolf

I'm quite interested in this. I've got an idea, admittedly a rather silly one, but I just want ask for clarity. I know you've said you'll accept anything on Archives of Nethys, but does that include firearms and crafting rules? and will you accept someone of LE alignment?

Golarion is in the "Early" phase of Firearms Development so anything more advanced would need some explanation. As for alignments I'll be honest and say I generally dislike using them so be what you want as long as it works with the rest of the party and you can keep yourself employed by The Queen.

[Preacherwolf]

Originally Posted by Ysolde

Golarion is in the "Early" phase of Firearms Development so anything more advanced would need some explanation. As for alignments I'll be honest and say I generally dislike using them so be what you want as long as it works with the rest of the party and you can keep yourself employed by The Queen.

Excellent, I really hadn't planned on using more than early pistols anyway and I only ask about alignment because the archetype I'm thinking of using demands I be LE. I'll post a proper application later on today we I get the chance

[Seekr34]

Name: Damon Downe
Age: 115
Race: Dhampir
Class: 4th level Rogue (unchained)
Role: Spymaster
Description: He stands at six feet even, jet black hair, just past his shoulders in length. At times, he’ll have it in a ponytail. Dark eyes and a goatee. Dressed in all black, Black chain shirt or rather a high quality chain shirt, a black shirt & vest and matching black pants designed for simplicity and mobility. Knee high boots. A dagger sheathed at each thigh and rib. A bow at his back and a sword at his side.

Personality: He carries himself well with confidence, gets along well with others, although he has trouble trusting them. Seems many are friendly for a price or have a hidden agenda. He does not get overly excited, staying calm through most situations. He tries to be a even-tempered man, if anyone cross him, he will be marked. At the same time though, once you have him for a friend, you got a friend for life. One thing he hides is his race, more often than not, bad things happens when others find out what race he is.

Bio:

 

She woke up in cold sweat, although she felt warm. Her window was open again and she looked under the sheet, she was naked again. She couldn't understand what was going on. Rachel was afraid to tell anyone, she heard the stories. Women being seduced during the night in their dreams. She got up, shut the window and looked into the mirror and found couple of small cuts on her neck. Now she was terrified, she heard of vampires but who would she know that could be one? Her parents gone, the only one she could trust, was her professor. The next day after class, she approached him.
"Professor, I think I am in trouble." she says as she lightly bit her lip.

He turned to her from his books. "Nonsense, you will do well on the test, you have the potential to be the best scholar of the class." he smiled.

"Nnn no,nothing about class, it's..."

"Well my dear, spit it out." he smiled at her, putting her at ease, making her feel warm and fuzzy each time he smiles at her.

"It's this." she took off her scarf and showed him her neck.

He stood up and looked at the neck and his eyes on hers. "I see..." his hand roamed to her belly and slowly moving up. Any other time, she would refuse the advances, but looking into his eyes, she was memorized by him, so charming and so nice to her. She felt his hand softly cupping her breast and find herself kissing him passionately....

Rachel woke up middle of the night, a bit sweating but warm feeling but very tired as well. She noticed her window was open again, as well as being naked under the sheets. Scared and confused, she doesn't sleep in the nude and always has her window closed but been 5 weeks now. She gotten up to close it and walked by her mirror. She noticed her neck's cuts, they looked fresh. Strange, she put on her nightgown and seemed a bit tight. She went back to the mirror and stared open mouthed in shock. Her belly had swelled. How she thought? She hasn't been with anyone. She was really frightened now. She told her professor, scared and not wanting others to know because she had no answer. Once again, with a charming smile, he put her at ease, talked her into staying with him, he would tutor her at his mansion and his servants would wait on her while he was out during the day. Her belly swelled with the coming months and during her eighth month, Professor Warrick had an emergency and had to leave town for a few weeks.
A month later she gave birth to a healthy boy, but there was a problem, he was always crying as if bothered with something. But once it was dark, he was fine as can be. The child was examined, and they asked Rachel all kinds of questions and for the majority of them, she didn't have an answer. She wanted her baby and go home but they took the child for studies and kept Rachel in a guarded room. When the Professor came back, he appeared in her room and brought her home.

"What's going on, where's my baby? They say he has vampire blood, isn't that crazy?"

"Hmm, not really my lovely Rachel. It's rare, but it does happen on occasion." he smiles as he leads her into the house.

"What? but, but how can it be real?" she was scared now and she looked to him for guidance and answers. She felt concerned about him always but yet she felt safe with him. Weird mixed feelings.

"Because my dear, I am the father and you and I will live forever as lovers. Do not worry about the child." He turned around to face her with a smile, his teeth pointed and sharp. She screamed as he bit into her and fell into a pleasant dream...


Growing up, he never knew his parents. He became an orphan, although he was adopted, he was soon given up, then another couple adopted him, then found what he was. was quickly given up, back to the street, when word spread what he was, no other family came to him, he was not wanted. If that wasn't bad enough, he had trouble making friends as well. For a child, that's rough as it can get. Unable to fully play outdoors on a bright and sunny day with the other children because of his eyes being sensitive to light, he had to either wear a hat, hood or just stay in the shade and watch the others play. His bruised face exposed in the sun alone kept others away, shunning him, while others bullied him. He was living on the street like a common urchin. As he gotten older, he found he had skills and abilities that other humans and on occasion, his ability frighten others. He did wind up with one friend, someone he could actually call a friend and could rely on. Ghuan was a half-drow and he had his own similar troubles with the community. The two of them became best friends and protected each other, becoming blood brothers. They both helped each other find each other true identities, though Ghuan's history was easier to reveal. Damon finally found what he was later on and that gave Damon another question about his mother, not knowing if she was dead or alive, now he wonders if she gave him up because of what he was? The two managed to get invited to the Beggars Guild and two of them tackled the prejudice together, understanding the fear others may have but since they don't have the full abilities of their tainted blood and pose no real threat, why did the people continue to treat them as outcast?

The two grew up to adulthood in the city of Absalom, one of the largest, if not the largest city of the land, and with the two of them becoming quite a force, with Ghuan's drow blood resisting charm and sleep spells and Damon's vampire half resisting mind effects from enemies, they were a force to be dealt with. Having trouble entering their minds, they had to face the duo up close. Their reputation spreading, The Thieves’ Guild of the Coins, one of the Guild of Thieves of the huge city came a calling, accepting both of them. The two of them gradually enhanced their abilities, learning more skills to better themselves, thriving. Both learned a lot at the guild, besides the art of thievery, they learned how to strike and when to strike, they also learned to fight, though not warriors, even thieves need to know how to defend themselves. As their skills grows, they had still had their troubles. Their skills and abilities, surpassing their peers has added jealously besides bullying and being shunned. Their teacher Larald though, thought differently. He saw the two young men as exceptional thieves that could only make the guild better and more powerful. He has been around for a long time, he knows the two mix breeds had no real power of their evil blood and enjoyed teaching the two.

One day, the Drows appeared, and they wanted to partner up with the guild. The guild master, known as Harlequin was concerned at first, but was persuaded as both sides would benefit. Harleguin, like other guild masters, wanted to be the best.
Damon and Ghuan still had a few enemies and both were always on the alert. It was those same enemies that made a deal with the drows. A very valuable item was the target. The two were given the task of leading the rescue, they were told that the item was held in a warehouse that were heavily guarded. They took four men with them and set off on the mission, once they arrived at witching hour, Damon took two with him to the back, while Ghuan took two and went to the front. Each only managed to reach the second room in when the four men suddenly disappeared. Quickly crouching, scanning the area with his darkvision, Damon saw movements, then he was attacked. It was hard fought, and he was losing when he heard rats and he quickly communicated with them and after quickly making a deal, the rats came and came in droves. They were much more than the dhampir had expected and the rats attacked the drows. Damon quickly escaped and searched for the item. He found the room that it was supposed to be in, the door was locked. He easily got in and it was empty, which didn’t make sense to him. He quickly went to look for Ghuan. It was a good thing he went stealth, because there were other drows and they didn't notice the thief as they went by, hearing their comrades shouting. He left his hiding spot and went to find Ghuan. The dhampir rogue had found his half drow comrade, his best friend. It was ugly a sight, Ghuan was sprawled on the ground, body slashed, and his throat cut, he wasn’t just killed, he was slaughterd.. Taking a couple of personal items from Ghuan, he then left the warehouse and went into hiding. He heard word from a fellow thief, that the drows had made a deal with Damon & Ghuan’s jealous rivals to set the two up. For the first time since he was a toddler, he wept, Ghuan was like a true brother and now he was gone. He wanted revenge, but his teacher Larald and Harlequin asked him not to pursue, the drows were out of their league, at least for now. The guild members that did this will pay with their lives.

After a few days, he finally realized that it wasn't worth going after his fellow rogues, they are taken care of. It was time to leave and with a heavy heart, Damon left the city. He thought about his father, if he ever met him, he had to die. But how would he know which vampire sired him? Yet, it didn't really matter, they all needed to die anyway, including the drows. He vowed revenge and one day, he will avenge Ghuan, but right now? Now he just had to get his mind right.
He came to a large town after a few weeks and decided to stay a bit. He joined the guild there, and with no one knowing what he was, he got along with others pretty well. There was one man, a human, he was amazing, he would be there one minute, then gone the next. He worked with him one time and the man seem to travel to the shadows and just blew Damon away. Everyone had called the man Shadow because of what he can do. Damon tried to get the man’s secret, but he wouldn’t tell. It was a week later, coming out of the inn, Shadow was ambushed, and Damon happened to be nearby and went to help. There were three of them and after one of them fell, the other two decided to take off, now that the odds were even. In return for Damon’s help, Damon wouldn’t accept anything but the secret. So Shadow showed him the art of being a shadowdancer.

A couple of years later, during the late evening, he heard a scream, he moved quickly toward the scream and saw a woman trapped in an ally with three men. He recognized the woman from the brothel, and he jumped in. The three men turned, big burly built and Damon knew he couldn’t take them on by himself, so he hissed at them, showing his incisors. The men then turned pale and quickly ran away as fast as they can go, yelling “Vampire!!” His incisors disappeared just as fast as he turned to the woman to see if she was ok, but the woman looked scared out of her wits and fainted. He realized she saw his teeth and he sighed.

He left town the next morning, and traveled around Taldor for awhile. He stayed in one town over three years, then some town folks were asking questions about him, wondering how he stay so young looking. It was then Damon knew it was time to move on again and he headed north, traveled through the Five Mountains and settled in Galt. Crazy place, the people there didn’t like strangers much, so he kept to himself to see what to do next. When the third year came, he up and left again, he could only imagine what they would do to him if they knew what he was.

Damon went west and entered the city Iadara in Kyonin. He found it was an elven country. Luckily, he could speak elven and speak it well. So he only spoke elven. At first, they were curious and a bit leery of him, but since he spoke their language and spoke it well, they accepted him. He stayed for a few years, since the elves do not age as quickly as humans, looking the same year after year, he forgot about himself. The elves, who do not age, didn’t pay Damon any heed until later on when a couple of them mentioned that the human has not age. Word spread and others became concerned. Damon was obviously not half-human, so what was he?

He was summoned by Queen Telandia Edasseril, and now Damon himself was concerned, wondering, since he done no wrong and mostly kept to himself. He was brought to a private chamber, it was him, four guards and the Queen. She wanted to know what he was and thought it be better to ask in private since Damon done no wrong. To appease her people, she summoned him to find out for herself.

Now he was in a bind, most of the time, when he reveals himself, no matter what good things he did or is, he either gets shunned, run out of town, or worse, they try to kill him on the spot, especially a few paladins who seem to go crazy of the undead. While she patiently waited, Damon took a deep breath, rose from the chair and stood against the wall like a caged animal, frighten and ready to fight. The way he stood, the queen became concerned but had her guards to stand down. Damon then told her what he was and a bit about his life.

The Queen and the guard’s eyes lit up and looked each other. To his surprise, she just nodded and told him to sit and offered him some wine she had on the table. Turns out, she not only heard of his kind but met his kind as well. They talked for awhile and then she had an idea. Some of her people may not accept him, but she knew who would. She wrote a letter and gave it to him. She told him if you want to be somewhere to be respected and have a place to call home, he was to meet Merina Istara and told him about her and what she was doing.

Well, Damon excepted, he thought why not? The Queen would send word to Merina of his coming, so he set out north to Narmarches in the River Kingdoms. When he arrived, she was fighting the Bandit King and he helped out the best he could. The Kingdom Tatzlford was then formed after the war. Then helped set a town up they named Fairhaven. Merina and Damon talked, Merina trusted him and had the favor of Queen Telandia as well. She also liked that he wouldn’t age so quickly. Damon agreed to stay and help however he could.

How do you know Merina Istara: Now he was in a bind, most of the time, when he reveals himself, no matter what good things he did or is, he either gets shunned, run out of town, or worse, they try to kill him on the spot, especially a few paladins who seem to go crazy of the undead. While she patiently waited, Damon took a deep breath, rose from the chair and stood against the wall like a caged animal, frighten and ready to fight. The way he stood, the queen became concerned but had her guards to stand down. Damon then told her what he was and a bit about his life.
The Queen and the guard’s eyes lit up and looked each other. To his surprise, she just nodded and told him to sit and offered him some wine she had on the table. Turns out, she not only heard of his kind but met his kind as well. They talked for awhile and then she had an idea. Some of her people may not accept him, but she knew who would. She wrote a letter and gave it to him. She told him if you want to be somewhere to be respected and have a place to call home, he was to meet Merina Istara and told him about her and what she was doing.
Well, Damon excepted, he thought why not? The Queen would send word to Merina of his coming, so he set out north to Narmarches in the River Kingdoms. When he arrived, she was fighting the Bandit King and he helped out the best he could. The Kingdom Tatzlford was then formed after the war. Then helped set a town up they named Fairhaven. Merina and Damon talked, Merina trusted him and had the favor of Queen Telandia as well. She also liked that he wouldn’t age so quickly. Damon agreed to stay and help however he could.

[SinnerBeta]

Always wanted to play this campaign beyond the first few scenes, grabbing a spot for my application.

EDIT: have to withdraw my application for now. Good luck to everyone!

[Preacherwolf]

Ursus Etiam Name: Ursus Etiam Age: 145 Race: Elf Class: With the Restorer archetypeDruid Role: Doctor/Councilor/High Priest of Erastil Description: Ursus strikes an opposing figure for such a mild mannered person. Pitch black eyes with no expression, long dark hair and an equally long beard that's some how well kept all sitting atop a six foot solid frame of muscle and little waste. You could easily mistake Ursus as a barbarian or tribal warrior, but they are soft spoken with good manners and only carries a quarterstaff to assist in walking and not for attack. Bio: Ursus was raised by bears, that alone really sets the tone for his childhood. He wasn't raised by actual bears of course, but druids who spent most of their time wild shaped as bears. It made for an interesting childhood as you saw your mother both as a human female, but also as a just as easily recognizable female bear. It was Ursus' parent who first instilled his duty to nature, to Erastil and to his fellow people. His parents were healers and past down the healing art to him. Ursus' family schooled him in the ways of druids and healers that had been past on throughout the generations of the druids living in the Verduran Forest. Teaching him of how to heal the wounds of others and of animals while also training him in the arts herbology and druidic magic. The druids of Verduran Forest have a lot of autonomy and his parent made sure that Ursus' was instilled with a sense of duty so as not to abuse his position. For his part, Ursus took to all of this like a pig to mud. He reveled in his studies and sought to learn all he could about the forest and the beasts within and he become a devout follower of Erastil believing wholeheartedly in his teachings. Unfortunately Ursus became a little too devout and solitary. He became concerned with his part of the forest and only his part of the forest, believing that anything outside of it was a waste time that could otherwise be spent serving Eratil and honing his craft. For almost a full century he spent in virtual isolation, barely interacting with any non-animal life apart from his parents. He spent his time mostly talking to animals and seeing to his patch of forest and oblivious to anything beyond it, even other parts of the forest. Its why the hydra took him by surprise as much as it did. Having ignored the warnings and pleas from others, Ursus was utterly unprepared to face such a beast. But his lack of knowledge did not dull his confidence at all, he believed the beast could be calmed just like any other he set out to face it. But his skills had only grown so far, and in his solitary learning he had barely scratch the surface. His attempted ending in dismal failure and only served to provoke the beast. Ursus tried to fight it but once again, his skills were sorely lacking. The beast managed to pin him but just before the killing blow several burst of flame erupted upon it. His parents and an elven sorceress he had never seen before had arrived and began to fight the enraged Hydra, their skills being an equal match for it. Wounded and bleeding profusely, Ursus called out to not kill the beast and surprisingly the Elf drove it away just as Ursus passed out from his wounds. He awoke in his parents care who explained the elf was Merina Istara, an old friend and collegue of theirs. She was chasing the hydra in order to put a stop to its rampage and had called upon them to assit, given their knowledge of the area and being powerful druids in their own right. While they were kind, there was a distinct edge to their words. A sense of scolding and admonishment. They were disappointed in their son for the way he acted and his presumption of power and skill he had yet to even loosely grasp. Ursus wanted to argue that he had things under control and knew exactly what he was doing but the words died in his throat. His parents were right, he knew nothing about the world, the extent of its threat and wildlife. While Ursus recovered, he made plans. It was time for him to leave his forest and travel the world and actually learn about it. He packed lightly and left without barely a word to his parents, only a note explaining his motives and reasons. He couldn't face them with the shame he had inside himself. He started to travel the continent, slowly, methodically, stopping here and there for a month or two learning about each creature and the people there. He started to realise just how little he actually knew about the world. Along his travels he heard that Merina Istara victory over the Bandit King in the Stolen Lands and her fledgling kingdom. He immeditely started to make his way there, still stopping along the way where he could find new creatures and people. Eventually finding his way to the new kingdom, ready to help Istara and repay her for the kindness and service she paid him all those years ago How do you know Merina Istara: She saved Ursus' life. A hydra had wondered into his homelands and Ursus tried to calm the beast and send it on its way. It ended horribly for him but Merina intervened and drove away the beast, without killing it.

[Mrjoegangles]

The world needs more Muscle Mages.

Grym Banefinn Grym Banefinn Class: Wizard of the Transmution (Shapechange) School. Race: Human Age: 28 Role(s): Magister, Spymaster, Warden (Str/Int based and transmutation makes him excellent at disguises) Alignment: Neutral Good Physical Description: A large mass of corded rippling muscles formed into a shape not dissimilar from that of a human male, though proportionally too large, Grym is physical perfection from head to toe. Even the scars that decorate his face and body do little to mar and only serve to better highlight his good looks and tight physique. Finishing his look is his carefully maintained and styled hair, and expensively tailored outfits. Grym believes that a man must always look and act his best if he is to achieve the pinnacle of greatness that all long for. Personality: Bold, Brazen, Brash, and a Bastard above all else Grym is a hotheaded man who never backs down from a fight, and will usually start one if nothing exciting is going on. Beyond his flaws though Grym is upfront and brutally honest to those around him, and as steadfast a friend as you could hope for in these troubled times. While his work keeps him close to places known for vice: Alcohol and women being popular pastimes at the bars he is employed at as a bouncer, and all manner of illegal goods and services being offered at the underground fighting pits, Grym himself doesn’t pay much mind to such things. More concerned as he is with training and perfecting his magical and martial arts. Bio:   Born the youngest child from House Balefinn, an esteemed and ancient family of powerful magic users, Grym’s life was dedicated early on to realizing his family’s destiny of magical greatness. His father, House Patriarch Keenan Banefinn, personally taught Grym and his brothers in his family’s highly secret magical technique. Keenan, as his father before him drilled his children and honed their techniques to a razors edge. But while his siblings flourished, Grym was found wanting, labeled magically stunted by his family Grym was given grueling punishment after punishment as his father attempted to beat his ineptitude out of him. Finally in a fit of bitter rage he cast the magical runt of the litter out of the House. Undaunted Grym made a vow to use this event as a catalyst for his greatness. To turn what should be a tragedy into his defining moment. Physically weak, as many mages are, Grym decided to dedicate himself to honing his body to perfection, for by mastering the physical he could better tackle the mental. To finance his transformation Grym loaned out his paltry magical ability to merchants and mercenaries alike as a guard. While many wizards would have found such work demeaning, Grym saw it as a good way to learn, doing his best to ingratiate himself to other guards in order to better learn the art of combat. None of his instructors were masters, and no hidden styles or secret techniques were learned, but from the common rabble Grym learned the rough and tumble art of the brawl. An art perfected as a bouncer and later as a pit fighter. Soon his skills in combat grew, as did his physique, and before long Grym learned how best to blend his limited magic into his repertoire. No flashy bangs, grand conjurations, or displays of arcane power, but subtle Magiks made to enhance and amplify what was already there. Having reached the pinnacle of what his current life could bring him to, Grym set out to adventure, and the promise of fame that was the Stolen Lands. How do you know Merina Istara: When first banished and struggling to find his way a chance encounter with the sorceress is what set Grym on his path of physical and mental perfection. The kind words and earnest advice from what he thought was just a simple stranger remains tethered to his soul, strengthening his heart even now. When Grym learned of Merina Istara’s mission upon his arrival in the Stolen Lands he rushed to be of service without hesitation. For a chance to repay a kindness and make his mark was not something the mage was willing to squander.