[D&D-5e] The Land of the Dead

[Arkanis]

Game Name The Land of the Dead

Game System DnD 5e

Theme A dangerous fight for survival for a group lost within the desert wasteland of a dying land

Flavour Dark Fantasy leaning into Ravenloft-Style Egyptian Mythology

Plot Summary Seven times the son of suns doth rise, To send the knave to an eternity of cries. The burning sands of Har'Akir are not a welcoming place for newcomers. The stinging sands of the seemingly never-ending desert are a deathtrap for those foolish enough to try and walk them, to say nothing of the creatures that lie in wait for the unwary, both above and beneath the sand dunes. There is little here in the way of respite from the burning sun that turns the land into a barren and scorched wasteland. Scattered across the surface of this wasteland are countless monuments, tombs and pyramids of a golden age long past. These ruins reach out to the foolish, yet no less intrepid for it explorers who follow the siren's call to their inevitable grisly demise. Indeed, Har'Akir is a land of vast deserts and deadly storms, where water is so scarce as to be considered more precious than the rarest and most valuable of gems in the eyes of the domain's embattled residents. Yet even given all that, the harsh and life-threatening conditions of the land of Har'Akir are not the most dangerous thing in this domain. The land itself is controlled by the God-King, the Pharoah Anhktepot who rules from his pyramid, the Pharoah's Rest, located within the City of the Dead. As the Child of the Sun and the intermediary between mortals and the gods themselves, Anhktepot's rule is untouchable, irrespective of the countless tales of his cruelty and the rumours that his touch itself causes death. His subjects live in fear....fear that the gaze of the Child of the Sun will fall upon them. There is no escape from this land of vultures and burning death as the land is sealed by an impenetrable wall of flame that turns all those who enter it into ash. Of all the domains of the Demiplane of Dread that call out for change, Har'Akir is the one that needs it the most, and change is coming whether it is desired or not. Deep within the City of the Dead, the Pharoah Anhktepot sits and he broods. He seeks something precious to him -- his Ka, the missing piece of his soul. With it, the fractured God King will become whole once more. Shadowed whispers and rumours have reached his ears. The missing piece of his soul have surfaced amidst the sands of the desert, and he will stop at nothing to retrieve it. However, the Pharoah is not the only being searching for this item, and possibly not even the most dangerous of them. Change itself is coming to Har'Akir, but the land itself may not be ready for it. *** A quirk of fate brings you to the troubled land of Har'Akir as you are enveloped within the Mists of Ravenloft. When you realise where they've taken you, it is already too late. You find yourself in the burning wastelands of the desert -- where nothing is as it seems. The first worry is survival in this harsh and dangerous lands, yet even though the desert is a powerful foe, soon it will be the least of your worries. In a shadowed tomb lost deep within the land the Son of Suns begins to awaken. As a dark figure watches you from across the sand dunes, and withered hands begin to cast off ancient shrouds, how will you look to survive their touch of death?

About the Game & Applications Welcome one, welcome all to a Ravenloft adventure. This will be a decidedly dark fantasy adventure set inside the desert land of Har'Akir. This game will lean very heavily into themes and lore taken from ancient Egyptian mythology. First and foremost this will be a Dark Fantasy adventure with a light sprinkling of survival elements as you look to survive the harsh desert wasteland. Good does not always win here in this land, and the lines here between good and evil are blurred. There is no black and white here, there are, however, themes of gray, and sometimes the best outcome is the one that is least bad. I will be looking for four players to join this adventure and you will all start at Level 2 to give you a better chance of surviving what is to come. If you are happy with all that and also happy that this will not be a bog-standard heroes vs villains adventure and enjoy games with darker themes then I would love to hear from you.   Starting Level: 2 Ability Score Generation: 27 Point Buy Starting Gold: As per background Starting Equipment: As per class and background. You will get to pick one magical item, we can discuss the specifics of this on character acceptance and generation Acceptable Sources: PHB, Mordenkainens, Tasha’s, Xanathar’s, SCAG, Van Richtens Guide to Ravenloft I would like to see an application in the following format:- Name: Race: Class: Alignment: Personality Traits: Ideal/Bond/Flaw: Go into a bit more detail on the below: Appearance: Personality: History: RP Sample (a scene from the character’s perspective): I would like you also to think about two secrets for your character. The first is a secret the character is aware of, and the second is a secret that they are not aware of. Please put both of these in secret text to me. Lastly I would like to know a little bit about the player behind the application. Could you answer the below questions for me as part of your application. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, it just allows me to tailor the game to meet individual expectations:- 1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game? 2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game? 3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game? 4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focussed on combat, or predominantly focussed on role-play? Or a mixture of the two? As a full disclosure in advance, the recruitment period for this game is quite a long one. I don't intend to close the applications until Saturday 27th July. The reason for this is I will be away on two weeks holiday in that time and I cannot guarantee I will have internet access, and the last thing I want to do is wreck my own games momentum by starting it and then disappearing on holiday. Equally I also wanted to allow enough time to get some initial applications up before I go off on leave and answer any early queries you all might have.

[Arkanis]

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are there any restrictions on where the characters can come from? None, as long as it is a medieval fantasy setting or one of the various D&D settings.

Character Name	Race	Class	Subclass	User Name	Link
Caeldrin Koehlanna	Eladrin	Sorcerer	Divine Soul	delpinator	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...12#post9875512
Ielenia Liado	High Elf	Rogue	Arcane Trickster	The Rat Queen	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...21#post9875521
Adze Usher	Dhampir	Rogue	NA	Seekr34	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...46#post9875546
Pippa Strongleaf	Halfling	Sorcerer	NA	Wulfman	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...97#post9875597
Zarina	Human	Sorcerer	Wild Magic	Mitsubachi	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...13#post9875613
Ivy Swiftcurrent	High Elf	Wizard	Necromancy	Alemar	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...51#post9875651
November Falls	Human	Monk	NA	Xbow	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...53#post9875653
Rain Ragnius	Reborn	Warlock	Undead	Togot	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...37#post9875737
Flitter	Fairy	Warlock	Archfey	silveroak	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...42#post9875942
Yashonk of the Bone-Biter Clan	Half-Orc	Bard	College of Lore	Grouchy	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...38#post9876738
Vjark'krull	Bugbear	Barbarian	NA	ratchett	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...86#post9876786
Ahten	Human	Barbarian	NA	Ghrimm	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...95#post9877495
Asteria Majere	Human	Druid	Circle of Stars	JohnStone	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...67#post9881467
Idumu-het	Aasimar	Cleric	Grave Domain	krossingkhory	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...78#post9884078
Ffard Trugáred	Half-Elf (Wood)	Monk	Way of Mercy	Tin Can Herder	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...30#post9884930
Ke Zhong-Jie	Human	Fighter	NA	Snicker	https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...87#post9888887

[delpinator]

Name:caeldrin koehlanna
Race: eladin
Class: divine soul sourcerer
Alignment: n moving toward ng
Personality Traits: I'm convinced people are trying to steal my secrets
I'm open to new ideas

Ideal
The goal of study is the betterment of one's self.
/Bond
/Flaw:
I'm easily distracted by knowledge

Go into a bit more detail on the below:

Appearance:
Personality:
History:
RP Sample (a scene from the character’s perspective):

[The Rat Queen]

Name: Ielenia Liadon
Race: High Elf
Class: Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Personality Traits: I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. I always have a plan for when things go wrong.
Ideal/Bond/Flaw: I will find the guilty to face the consequences of their actions, no matter what. I lost someone I loved, and the guilty were never caught or punished. It will never happen again if I can help it. In my pursuit of justice, I sometimes believe the ends justifies the means.

Appearance: A moon elf of middling height and light build, with fair skin tinged with blue, green eyes flecked with gold, and long silver-white hair. She wears light leathers, with a rapier on her left hip, a dagger on her right, and a short bow and quiver of arrows slung across her back.

Personality: Friendly and honest, Ielenia is still very task-oriented. She tends to take things seriously without being serious all the time. So while she enjoys hearing a good joke, she seldom tells them. She enjoys song and laughter, but rarely joins in a song or laughs with the others, simply smiling and enjoying the company.
While on the job, she is very focused and single-minded, regarding the laws or objectives of others to be of secondary import. Her duty takes precedence over everything else.

History: Ielenia is from Evereska, a secluded elven city within a valley in the Western Heartlands. For generations, her family has proudly served as guardians and caretakers of the elven tombs within the Greycloak Hills. Ielenia was a novice Tomb Guardian tasked with tracking down those caught defiling or robbing the tombs, in accordance with the Everaska Charter.

It was while tracking one such mission, while Ielenia was tracking a group of robbers through the Greycloak Hills, that she encountered a strange mist that sprang up without warning. Though Ielenia could tell the mist was unnatural, there was little she could do to avoid or counter it. She drew her blade and proceeded in the direction the tracks she had been following went. She wasn't sure how long she had traveled, or in which direction, when the ground gave way beneath her feet. She tried to scramble back, but pitched headlong into a deep pit. She could not see how deep the pit was, and tried to brace for impact, wondering if she would be killed outright by the fall or simply break her legs or back and wind up starving to death.

Instead, when she landed her impact was softened by what seemed to be deep sand. Even before she came to a full stop, she felt the extreme heat of the weather, as well as the dryness of the air. Struggling free of the dune, she stared around at a land completely different from where she had come from. At first, she thought she had wound up in the Anauroch Desert, but there was no sign of the Desertsmouth Mountains to the east. Additionally, the first night revealed a clear sky of millions of bright stars...none of them familiar to Ielenia. She was not near the Western Heartlands or her home; in fact, she began to realize she may not be on Faerûn at all.

 

RP Sample (a scene from the character’s perspective): Ielenia watched her quarry from the shadows, crouched against the corner of a barrel as the man haggled with a merchant over a sheathed sword. Even from where she was, Ielenia could see the glimmer of the jeweled scabbard, and she knew the quality of the blade that lay encased within, as it had come from a Straeth tomb. Apparently, the seller had foolishly thought that a street merchant would be able to pay even a fraction of what the blade was worth, and was putting up quite an argument against the merchant. Whether the price was too high, or the merchant suspected the origin of the blade, the deal was not going well for the seller.

It made little difference to Ilenia whether the merchant bought the weapon. If he did, she would simply wait until he stored it, then take it back. She would attempt no justice against the merchant; he was not responsible for the theft and, though he likely suspected the item was stolen, had no way of knowing it had come from the tombs. If the thief was unable to sell it, she would wait until he paused in his attempts to collect on stolen bounty, then reclaim the artifact.

It seemed that the man was desperate enough to settle for whatever price the merchant had offered. A quick exchange of goods for money, another exchange of curses and accusations, and the deal was done. The thief stalked off down the street and, after glowering at the thief's back, the merchant stored the weapon behind the booth.

It was too risky to try to reclaim the blade now. Merchants had ways of alerting guards without notice, and Ilenia had no desire to fight the guard. They were innocent and she was outmatched anyway, so she stalked after the thief, curious what drove the man to dishonor the dead. Perhaps he was trying to feed his children, or had found himself on the unfortunate end of a business deal with shadowy agents. Desperate times made desperate men, and she was not a murderess.

Trailing the man down a few side streets and alleyways, she saw him duck into an unmarked building where shouts and conversations could be heard half a block down. She pressed her lips together slightly, eyes narrowing as she waited a moment, then slinked silently after him. Pausing to listen at the door, she slipped in, hood up and weapons covered by her cloak.

The room was lit only by a fireplace at the back of the room and a few dingy lamps along the walls. She noted a few eyes scan her as she stood, allowing her eyes to adjust, but that was common. After an appraising glance, everyone seemed to lose interest and return to their business, and Ilenia found a small table unclaimed with a line of sight on the thief. A barmaid approached him, listened to him for a moment, then nodded and moved over to Ilenia's table. After a quick once-over, the barmaid asked what Ilenia would like. "Wine," she said, and waited as the barmaid scurried off, watching her target.

After dropping off a frothy mug to the thief, the barmaid returned with a cup of wine. "Four copper, luv," she said, pausing and scanning the room.

Sliding a silver across the table, Ilenia said, tilting her face up so the barmaid could see her, "That man you just gave an ale to. Is he a regular?"

The barmaid hedged a bit at the question. Tavern workers were always leery of answering questions about clientele. Worse, if they were preferred customers, or had connections, questions could lead to pretty deep trouble. Fortunately, Ilenia was known to a certain level of the population here and in several other nearby towns. She saw recognition in the barmaid's eyes, and luckily, revulsion as the woman turned to regard the thief. "Aye," she sighed, sweeping the coin up as if it had disappeared by magic. "When 'e can afford it, 'e comes in, gets in 'is cups, causes trouble." Glancing back at Ilenia, she arched a brow. "No trouble in the bar tonight, aye?"

"There will be no trouble," Ilenia assured the barmaid, which was good enough for the barmaid, who whisked off to attend other patrons.

The thief drank quietly, casting sour glances around the revelers around him without keeping eye contact with anyone. Both fists clenched, one around the mug and one on the table, he sat staring and drinking, mulling his lot in life. As he neared the end of his mug, he kept it tilted to allow the last rivulets of cheap ale to spill down his throat...before a glowing blade shot from his chest with a sizzle and the crash of shattering crockery.

The man gasped in pain and shock, staggering to his feet and wheeling around awkwardly. The conversation had stopped dead as everyone turned to look and see what had happened. They saw a bleeding man staring down an cloaked figure standing fifteen feet away and holding a rapier. "Sit back down and be still," ordered the cloaked figure, but the wounded man was in no mood to take advice. Taking a shaky step forward, the man fumbled for a wicked-looking knife at his belt. Gripping it, he took another step...

BOOM! The sound of thunder exploded throughout the crowded room, causing many to duck or roll under tables. The sound burst threw the man backwards, upsetting his table and causing both to crash to the floor. The man shuddered once, then lay still and unmoving.

With a soft sigh, Ilenia walked calmly to the man and stooped, collecting his purse. Tossing it to the barmaid, she said simply, "No trouble at all." She then turned and walked out the door, forming a plan on how to recover the stolen sword.

Player questions:

1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game? Fun, of course! And great story telling, both from the GM and the players. The interpersonal relationships and character growth are my favorite parts!

2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game? The usual, I guess - I don't want OOC drama, and I don't want a railroad plotline (though I understand sometimes it's necessary to nudge the players in the right direction or there's no story).

3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game? It's an Arkanis game. Duh. Plus, I have a character concept I've been wanting to try.

4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focused on combat, or predominantly focused on role-play? Or a mixture of the two? I prefer an even mix of the two, though if I leaned slightly toward one or the other, I'd lean toward role-play.

[Seekr34]

Name: Adze Usher
Race: Dhampir
Class: Rogue
Alignment: CN
Background: Criminal
Personality Traits: I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
Ideal: People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral)
Bond: My ill-gotten gains go to support my family. (kids)
Flaw: I have a "tell" that reveals when I'm lying.
Appearance: Standing about 6 foot tall, he is medium built, a bit on the slender side. Brown hair down to his shoulders, matching goatee, and brown eyes. A young but very attractive male. Dressed in dark clothing, a sword sheathed at each hip, and a shortbow at his back.

Personality: Laid back, can get lost in a crowd, for he’s on the quiet side. Has had some trust issues while growing up, so he doesn’t trust others easily. Being a rogue is all he ever known and while he does hang out with others, there are times when he prefers to be alone. Not fully happy being alone, but yet, not fully happy being among people either.

 

Adze was born and raised in Greyhawk, he never knew who his father was. Even his mother had no memory of him, even though she had gotten pregnant.

As he grew older, his origins became known. He had a fondness for raw meat, when he was checked on while napping, he was not breathing, yet he still felt warm, but each time he was shaken, he awakened as if nothing was wrong. Already afraid of the boy, when he was angered, his incisors appeared, showing his fangs, and once, being chased by a mean dog, he scaled the wall like he was crawling upwards. His mother then had a nervous breakdown, and the rest of the family decided to send him to the orphanage

It was there he had only himself in controlling his urges for raw meat, controlling his emotions to keep his incisors in check, and not scaling walls with people watching. For the most part, he did well, the only thing he could not control was his breathing. He could fake it, but not when he was asleep. That had creeped out the other children out and some would either stay away from being weary of him, or the others would bully him. One time he was trapped in an alley by a group of kids that were planning to beat him up when pure darkness suddenly covered ten feet at the end where Adze was, then a voice spoke to him. He was offered a gift, in return, he would always be grateful to his savior. With not much choice, Adze agreed. An amulet with the symbol of a black mask appeared around his neck, then the dark shadows disappeared. The boys then saw him and came forth. Adze quickly threw a punch, determined not to go down without a fight. The leader backed away from the punch, but a shadow of his arm stretched out further than normal and struck the bully on the jaw. The rest of the kids were wide eyed with fright and took off. The bully that was struck rose up with a shock look on his face and he too ran off and they never bothered him again.

He joined a Thief Guild and began to work for the guild, and he was treated as a youngster, which Adze found another trait of his vampire father. Aging, although he grew every year, he didn’t show his age. When not working for the guild and stealing and spying, he spent a bit of time in the library and found all the information he needed to know about himself, a dhampir. He found that his lifespan was very long, nearly a thousand years, give or take a few years.

While he had fellow rogues, he never got close with any of them. Sure he hung out with something of them now and then, but he wouldn’t call any of them his friends. He was always treated differently, and not always with good intentions. He did what he wanted, not caring about other feelings. If he helped someone, it was that they needed it, if he killed someone, well, they had it coming. He was neither good man, nor an evil man and he was fine with it.

His skill of scaling walls made it easy for him to enter a window or a ledge, and it never failed him until one fateful day. He was trailing someone when a mist rose up from nowhere and seemed to follow him. He quickly scaled up the wall but the mist followed and was quicker and he was soon engulfed and not only he could see nothing, but he also felt nothing. A couple of moments later, he appeared in a desert…

 

When he reached the orphanage with his uncle, he was curious. Then he was told to go play with the other children while grown ups talked. A couple hours later, one of the workers came to him and showed him his room.

“Where’s uncle?”

“He left, he said for you to stay here…until family handled their business.”

Later on, he found that he wasn’t wanted, and his family sent him to the orphanage to be rid of him. He knew it was because he was different, but yet, he was saddened. He was given a letter explaining why. He moped for a few days and then became angry. It was not his fault he is what he is. Not even his fault that he was born.


One day, when he was a teen, he was being chased by a bully leading a group of other kids. He ran into an alley that led to a dead end. He had never scaled a wall with people watching before and now, he had no choice but to, but suddenly, dark shadows engulfed him. He could not see a thing, even with his darkvision and before he started to panic, a voice came to him, from where, he knew not.

“Let me help you, I been watching you and you have great potential, more than those bullies that want to harm you. Accept my gift, and I shall help you.”

Adze didn’t see much of a choice, and he really had no friends that he could count on, while he hung out with a few, he was a loner.

“Time is running out young man, I have other engagements to attend to.”

Adze took the help. “I’ll take the gift, thank you.”

“Never forget who helped you. I give you, the gift of “Living Shadow”

The shadows then disappeared, and he saw he had a amulet around his neck, it had a symbol of Mask, the god of Shadows and Thieves. The boys then saw him and the bully went forward alone with a smile.

“Nowhere to run, you aren’t like us, and we’ll have to do something about that.” He came close and raised his fists.

Adze quickly threw the first punch and the bully quickly backed away with a laugh that was quickly cut off for even though he was out of reach, Adze’s shadow extended its reach, striking the bully across the jaw.

The boys yelled out. “Magic! Freak!” Then they ran off, leaving the bully by himself who rose, looking at Adze with both fear and hatred, and he then turned to run off to catch up with the others. They never bothered him again.


He joined a Thieves Guild when he became an adult. He was doing well, learning quick. What he didn’t know, was that he was being watched. A couple of weeks later, one of the instructors approached him.

“Afternoon Adze, after you had your lunch, you need to go to the library and look up dhampir and read about that race carefully.”

“Ok sir, but is there a reason?”

He smiled at the lad. “Yes, you see why.” He then left the lad.

Later on, Adze went to the library and found the information about this dhampir. A while later, when done, he just sat there, a bit stunned. He IS a dhampir, He shook his head. He rose and his whole thought project changed. He knew had to be careful, but now he knew he had to be extra careful. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have any vampire powers that could harm others, he couldn’t drain anyone of their blood, a few ounces at the most, but still, people finding out that he is half vampire can get him in trouble, if not killed.

He stayed a few years, becoming good at being a rogue, but it was time for him to leave, other people were aging but he wasn’t, and a couple of people were talking about it. He spent some years at different towns, never staying because of his low aging, and then in one town, he was following a target, the man was rich, and snobbish. He saw a child ask for a coin for food and the man just pushed him away. He never really gone out of his way to help anyone, but he remembered being a urchin. He gave the young kid a gold coin and quickly followed the rich man. He turned a corner and kept watch, then he noticed a mist had formed out of nowhere and was approaching him.

“Mask?” The mist kept coming and suddenly, something told him, it wasn’t Mask this time, so he ran back further and started to scale the wall, but the mist was rose quickly and surrounded him a couple of moments later, he the mist disappeared, and he found himself standing in a desert.

Two secrets. First secret character is aware of, and second secret they are not aware of. Please put both of these in secret text to me.
1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game? Fun and companionship
2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game? Hmm, troublemakers of course. Ones that try and take over and questions everything.
3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game? Besides loving fantasy roleplay, the campaign looks interesting.
4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focused on combat, or predominantly focused on role-play? Or a mixture of the two? Mixture of two is best in my opinion. Too much role-play can get boring and too much combat can get tiresome.

[Wulfman]

Name: Pippa Strongleaf
Race: Halfling
Class: Sorcerer
Alignment: Neutral Good
Personality Traits: Despite my Noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
Ideal/Bond/Flaw: Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people deserve to be treated with dignity. / I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises. / By my words and actions I often bring shame to my family.

Go into a bit more detail on the below:

Appearance: About average height and weight for her race, Pippa doesn't really tend to stand out all that much. Some might consider her pretty, but not beautiful. She has a scar on the back of her left hand that has some age to it, already having turned white. She wears sensible clothes in greens and browns, with an occasional white blouse thrown in for variety.
Personality: Pippa is friendly to those that are friendly to her. She will answer rudeness with rudeness as well. Stay on her good side and you'll be fine though.

History: Things were starting to come to a head as the long line of Strongleaf nobility tried desperately to cling to their throne and the power it gave them. The King was a just and kind king, but that didn't mean that he wanted to lose the power he has or his kingdom to some upstart noble that was trying to take it from him. Pippa wasn't too interested in all the politics and definitely wasn't interested in becoming queen if her older brother refused the throne.

Pippa was content to stay the dutiful princess and daughter and let others take on the responsibility of running the kingdom. Leaving the kingdom was not even an idea in her head as she had the best life she could imagine in her parents castle. Sure they tried to get her to think seriously about running things but she knew that responsibility would never fall to her.

RP Sample (a scene from the character’s perspective):

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky that wasn't white and fluffy. And the birds were singing their praises of the beauty around them. Pippa was in a great mood. Sure, she didn't know where she was or how to get back to her parents kingdom, but she wasn't going to let that get her down on a day like this. It was just too beautiful out to be depressed.

So with that thought in mind, Pippa made her way outside and took a deep breath of the fresh air. Twirling in place, she grinned over at her companions. "“Isn't it just a glorious day? The sun and the birds, and there are hardly any clouds. What more could you ask for?”"

Yes they had their worries and problems, but Pippa was all for putting them off for tomorrow and just enjoying the day with her friends. You had to seize these opportunities when they presented themselves cause you didn't know when they would come again. So seize this one was what she was going to do whether anyone liked it or not.
I would like you also to think about two secrets for your character. The first is a secret the character is aware of, and the second is a secret that they are not aware of. Please put both of these in secret text to me.



Lastly I would like to know a little bit about the player behind the application. Could you answer the below questions for me as part of your application. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, it just allows me to tailor the game to meet individual expectations:-

1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game? I'm looking to have fun and what appeals to me is interactions. Whether that's with the other players or with NPC's doesn't matter as long as they are there.

2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game? I prefer things to fade to black if there is sex involved, and abuse or torture of minors is not something I like to read about as well.

3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game? I love 5e. And it lets me apply as a favorite class and race as well.

4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focussed on combat, or predominantly focussed on role-play? Or a mixture of the two? I like a mixture of the two with maybe a slight touch more combat.

[Mitsubachi]

Withdrawn

[Alemar]

Application Complete Part1 Name: Ivy Swiftcurrent Race: High Elf Class: Wizard (School of Necromancy) Alignment: Lawful Good The Far Traveler (SCAG) Trait #1 I tend to fall in love easily. Whether it's people, architecture, or ideas, I'm a sucker for a pretty bauble Trait #2 I will stretch truth for the sake of a good story Ideal Reserved - As someone new to these strange lands, I am cautious and respectful in my dealings. (Lawful) Bond I owe everything to my Mentor, I wonder if I will ever see her again? Flaw I would do ANYTHING to get my hands on a rare or powerful artifact Appearance: Hair the color of dark chocolate falls midway down her back, posing in stark contrast to her pale features. Ivy has dark eyes and a thin mouth, though perhaps her most striking feature is her button nose. Of shorter stature, she gives off the appearance of softness and comfort... And woe be it to those who make her face harden in anger Personality: Initially shy, Ivy has spent most of her life cloistered with books and a very few friends. While she is capable of conversation, her social comfort needs to be coaxed a bit before she will open up to new stimulation. That's not to say she is afraid of having experiences, or that she doesn't want them... She just knows not all consequences are good. There's a price for sticking your nose in an anthill. History: Ivy was raised in a small hut deep in the forests of Wealdath by her Mother; Her father having unfortunately died some time before she was born. Still, she was a happy and mischievous child who never really wanted for anything that she desired. At a young age it was discovered that she had the gift of magic, which excited and thrilled her mother who also had a small amount of control over the weave. Soon enough the days of running wild through the woods chasing after squirrels and birds was replaced by strenuous study; The two women working together to hone Ivy's powers to the sharpest they could. Soon after Ivy reached a skill comparable to her Mother's she was sent out to continue to learn and grow, but was made to promise to return home later, so that she could take over the role of the Mother, and teach each other further. part 2 RP Sample: 'It had been an unusually damp and claustrophobic morning' Ivy thought to herself as she strolled the woods of the Wealdath. Normally all manner of birds would be singing, the breeze would blow through the trees leaving behind the faintest rustle and fresh air, yet on this morning? Nothing. A fog had rolled in and hung thick in the air like a soggy blanket, dampening sound and spirit alike as the Elf took her usual morning exercises. There was something strange in the air, but as strange and foreboding as it was, She couldn't help but feel some tingly sense of excitement. "I'll ask Mother about it when I get back, funny, I should have already been home by now... Where exactly AM I?' The realization was the first time that Ivy had felt a shudder of fear creep into her. She knew the trees, had run amongst the brambles and thickets for as long as she could remember... Yet as the fog rolled ever closer around her feet, her surroundings seemed strange and foreign, something was definitely wrong. Her casual stroll quickened, first to a determined march, then an all-out run, as the young Witch looked left and right in an ever more desperate plea for familiarity. Suddenly, she stepped through the Fog, and found herself no longer in the Forests of Faerun, but a vast Desert expanse. And even as she turned around to step back the way she had come, the fog had receded, and the only sensation on her still damp clothes was of the rising heat of a strange new sun, in a strange new land. Lastly I would like to know a little bit about the player behind the application. Could you answer the below questions for me as part of your application. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, it just allows me to tailor the game to meet individual expectations:- 1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game? I have not played a Wizard in a very long time, I am looking forward for a chance to stretch out of my comfort zone both in playing something less familiar, and in a new scenario that could be dangerous to those unfamiliar with it. 2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game? I like rules, as it allows everyone to be playing on an equal footing. And I understand that we need to agree on how to play this game. However, I recently had a very rigid DM who did not like going with the flow, and it really pulled me out of the game to have to go back to explain my or other player's posts, or feel like I was walking on eggshells all the time when I was just trying to play a game 3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game? I think that the Dark Fantasy theme and Egyptian Mythology (though I know very little of it) seems like a great place to build a world to play in. 4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focused on combat, or predominantly focused on role-play? Or a mixture of the two? Mixed with a slight leaning towards Combat driven games. I enjoy "light" RPing with the party members or NPCs between fights, but I find that lots of sitting around a table having conversations can cause games to drag... Combat gives us a common goal and structure to keep the story going forward, without allowing us to get bogged down in the minutia of everyday life.

[Xbow]

 

Starting Level: 2
Ability Score Generation: 27 Point Buy
Starting Gold: As per background
Starting Equipment: As per class and background. You will get to pick one magical item, we can discuss the specifics of this on character acceptance and generation
Acceptable Sources: PHB, Mordenkainens, Tasha’s, Xanathar’s, SCAG, Van Richtens Guide to Ravenloft

Name: November Falls
Race: Variant Human
Class: Monk 2
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Personality Traits:

Ideal: Redemption. There's a spark of good in everyone. (Good)
Bond: My tools are symbols of my past life, and I carry them so that I will never forget my roots.
Trait #1: I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me.
Trait #2: I judge people by their actions, not their words.
Flaws: People who don't take care of themselves get what they deserve.

Appearance: November is 6"4, medium length dark brown hair, with unnaturally green eyes.

 

Personality: He can best be described as an idealistic realist. He always hopes for the best and attempts to see the good in people, though ultimately he is no fool and understands that what the best may be, is not often the reality of the situation.
History:

 

WIP

1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game?
- the main reason I gravitate to PBP games is directly due to the fact that I just dont have a lot of time these days. I have 2 young boys both are less than 20 months old (19/5) and I have to spend time with them. Hence large blocks of time are simply something I cannot commit to spending.

2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game?
-I avidly want to avoid ooc drama.

3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game?
-To be honest, I really liked the concept! Feels fresh, at least to me!

4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focused on combat, or predominantly focused on role-play? Or a mixture of the two?
-I prefer a pretty good split. I wouldn't want it to be one sided either way.

[asura8]

A quick question out of idle curiosity — the characters are of course getting Ravenloft-ed, as you do, but do you have any intended restriction on where they are being Ravenloft-ed from?

[Togot]

Character name: Rain Ragnius

Race: reborn

Class: undead warlock

Background: Noble
Alignment: Lawful Good
Personality Traits: I always try to do the right thing, even if I don’t always know what that is.
I try to see the good in people

Ideal: If everyone performed one act of kindness each day, the world would be a much better place.
Bond: My father was a great man and I seek to live up to his name
Flaw: I am very timid
Personality: Rain is shy and unsure of himself due to the lack of encouragement he received from his mother and the severe bullying he endured at the hands of his peers, but he has a good heart and is well spoken and well educated. He always wants to do the right thing and be a good person, though he doesn’t always know how. He is terrified of the entity that dwells within him and what he is becoming.

Physical Description: Rain is a short young man with shoulder length straight golden hair. He looks even younger than he is and has often been described as looking like a lost puppy. He takes pride in his appearance, always wearing fine clothing that reflects his refined upbringing. When he transforms, he takes on the appearance of a ghostly undead king.

History: Born into the noble Ragnius family as the son of the renowned wizard Marko Ragnuis, Rain’s father committed suicide the night he was born. This scandal damaged his mother’s reputation, but Lady Lucia was not some trophy wife. She was cold, intelligent, and vicious. The frequency of her rivals having their lives destroyed or disappearing entirely earned her the nickname, the villainess. Through her cunning navigation of the king’s court, she held on to her prestigious position. Unfortunately for Rain, she put no such effort into his upbringing.

Not once did she tell her son she loved him. Not once did she embrace him. She left her servants to raise him and showed little interest in his well-being. As a result, Rain grew up with deep insecurities and a lack of confidence which singled him out among the ruthless world of affluent children he was surrounded by, but none were worse than the children of the Rand family, Miguel, Liguel, and Castor. The three siblings always sought Rain out and brutally tormented him in ever-escalating attacks for years on end. Then one day on Rain’s twentieth birthday, the brotehrs Miguel and Caster ambushed Rain and kidnapped him. Rain found himself tied down on a floor with a magic circle drawn beneath him. Miguel, Castor, and their father Escaldos were standing around him attempting to perform a demonic ritual. When Escaldos moved to stab a dagger through Rains’ heart, something happened.

Rain felt a cold chill run through him, and he spoke words that were not his with a voice that was not his. “You shall not harm my precious vessel.” His chains were broken, and he felt something compelling his body to move. He lashed out with green magical power, killing the three men. With the casters killed, the magic of the ritual went wild and destroyed the tower that Rain had been held in. He survived the incident though most of those present in the tower were killed.

The investigation that followed led to the destruction and imprisonment of most of the Rand family with one very unexpected exception. Lady Lucia petitioned the king to allow her to take Liguel Rand into her family. Not only that, but she proposed an arranged marriage between the only daughter of the Rand family and her own son, Rain.

She did this for two reasons. First, it would allow her to gain control of the Rand estate and fortune which was considerable, and second, Rain’s part in the events had made him the center of the court’s attention. There were many young maidens flirting with him, and his mother did not like this one bit. She saw these girls as vultures trying to worm their way into her family. By marrying her son to Liguel, a girl with no power, Lady Lucia would maintain control over her house and its future. There was just one problem, Rain wanted nothing to do with it.

For the first time in his life, Rain confronted his mother. He was incensed at her callous disregard for his feelings. He asked how she could do this to him, to not only take the woman who tormented him under her roof but to force him to spend the rest of his life with her, especially after her family had tried to kill him. His mother dismissed his outrage as childish which only angered him further. He demanded to know why his mother didn’t love him and, having an epiphany, asked her what she knew about what had happened to him. His mother revealed that Rain had been born stillborn. His father had been unable to accept it and took him into his study for several hours. During this time a massive storm formed out of nowhere. Then, she heard the sound of a baby crying from the room. When she looked inside, she found his father dead, having cut his wrists and drawn a magic circle on the floor in his blood, and there in the center of it was Rain, inexplicably alive.

Faced with the horrifying revelation about his own existence and unwilling to marry the woman who had tormented him most of his life, Rain did what many neglected youths do, he ran away from home. Now he wanders aimlessly, struggling just to survive while trying to uncover the nature of the being that inhabits him.

To seek answers, and a means to support himself, Rain became an adventurer. It seemed an obvious choice, where else would one find such a collection of worldly individuals knowledgeable in obscure lore? Sadly Rain has yet to find his answers, though he has begun learning to wield his powers, but at least he’s free.

About the player:
1) What is it you would like to get out of the game? What kind of things appeal to you in a PbP game?
I like a good story and a chance to explore my character and his relationships with NPCs and other player characters. I like playing with friendly groups who work together and help each other rather than toxic everyone out for themselves situations. I like play-by-post because I’m a writer and it's good practice for both my writing and imagination.

2) What sort of things do you not want to see in a PbP game?
Player versus player, punishing players for coming up with creative solutions to obstacles. These things really take the fun out of a game.

3) What is it that made you want to apply to this game?
I love ravenloft and an Egyptian version of it is really interesting, and I think my character would be a great fit for the setting as an innocent boy fighting to hold on to his soul.

4) Do you prefer PbP games that are predominantly focused on combat, or predominantly focussed on role-play? Or a mixture of the two?
I like a mix of the two.
Secrets:

RP Sample:

 

“How could you do this to me?” Rain shouted. His normal gentle features and voice twisted in anger.

“I’m doing this for you, why can’t you understand that?” his mother, Lady Lucia said. She had the same long golden hair as her son and fair features. Her delicate frame made her seem deceptively frail, but her expression was as hard and unyielding as iron.

“For me?” rain exclaimed incredulously. “Not only do you invite my tormentor to live under the same roof as I, but you arranged for her to marry me! Do you have any idea what she’s done to me? her family tried to murder me!”

“Her family’s sins are not her own. Stop dwelling on the past. This is about your future.” His move responded dismissively.

“What future?” Rain asked. “Being married to a woman who made my life a living hell? I do not love her!”

“What does love have to do with marriage?” His mother asked angrily. “Marriage is about survival and mutual benefit. She has no house, no family, and no future. Stop being childish.”

Rain stared at her in disbelief. “You care so much for her, and so little for me,” he said. “Why?”

His mother looked away, uncomfortably. “You exaggerate.”

“Do I?” Rain asked. “Not once in my entire life have you ever told me you loved me. Not once have you ever embraced me. Not once have you ever shown me affection. You treat me like I’m some dog you never wanted.” Rain stared at his mother’s discomfort, and a disquieting thought occurred to him. “Mother, do you know how I survived that explosion that destroyed the tower and killed Liguel’s family? Something happened to me. Something strange. You know, don’t you.”

Lady Lucia turned to look back at her son, and he could see the disquiet in her eyes. “What am I?” Rain asked.

“My son,” his mother answered simply.

“What else?" Rain persisted.

His mother hesitated before answering, “I don’t know. The day you were born, you were stillborn. Your father was distraught. He took you into his study, and an hour later a violent storm suddenly appeared. Shortly after that, I heard the sound of a baby crying in his study. When I looked inside, there was Marko lying dead on the floor, his wrist cut open, his blood all over the floor. He had used it to draw a magic circle, and in the center of that circle was you, alive and crying.”

Rain stumbled backwards, grabbing onto a nearby chair to support himself as he reeled from the revelation. His mind struggled to process the implications of his mother’s words. So many questions. What was he? What was that entity that compelled him to kill? What did it mean by its precious vessel? So many questions and no answers. But Rain did understand one thing. This place was no longer his home.

[Arkanis]

Originally Posted by asura8

A quick question out of idle curiosity — the characters are of course getting Ravenloft-ed, as you do, but do you have any intended restriction on where they are being Ravenloft-ed from?

That is a very good question. My answer is broadly speaking I don't mind where you write them coming from, as long as the place in question is a setting that is one that lends itself to medieval fantasy, i.e. no "I'm actually from the far future where there are lots of lasers or aliens" or such. I'd say if you are familiar with the various D&D settings already then it would make the most sense to place your character from one of them.

[Xbow]

Originally Posted by Arkanis

That is a very good question. My answer is broadly speaking I don't mind where you write them coming from, as long as the place in question is a setting that is one that lends itself to medieval fantasy, i.e. no "I'm actually from the far future where there are lots of lasers or aliens" or such. I'd say if you are familiar with the various D&D settings already then it would make the most sense to place your character from one of them.

Understood, so we could be from anywhere dnd wise though somehow arrived here, sound about right?

[Arkanis]

Yup, that’s it in a nutshell

[The Rat Queen]

From what I understand, Ravenloft is kind of a dimensional pocket thingie, with connections to several worlds like Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and even Earth.