[PF-1e] Blood and Guts

[LeoByron]

Originally Posted by Admin Dirk

Ah, Malifeek could have been interesting in this world...

Indeed he would...

Originally Posted by ShadowcatX

How prevalent are you going to have binding be in the world?

Probably very rare, though I am not sure how that affects the game. Is there a particular reason this is a concern? I feel there may be something I am missing that might be important or relevant.

Originally Posted by ShadowcatX

Also, is Demetrious a good guy or a bad guy? And were we good guys or bad guys before death?

I described the PC's thus in the introduction: "Your hearts were among the darkest the world had ever seen before Demetrious cast you low to rot beneath the earth, but now an even deeper darkness dwells where life once pulsed through your living veins."

I would say that means they were evil before undeath. Evil is a nuanced state, however. I leave it to each applicant to describe their character's motivations and perspectives.

As for Demetrious, he is the antagonist of this tale, the foil to our protagonists. He would, however, register as Good to most Detect spells or effects...

[ShadowcatX]

Originally Posted by LeoByron

Probably very rare, though I am not sure how that affects the game. Is there a particular reason this is a concern? I feel there may be something I am missing that might be important or relevant.

It effects the usefulness of the anti-pact stuff and how often pact makers will likely face anti-pact stuff. It also impacts how many binds you know at the very low levels. Rare is the basic default but I wanted to ask.

I described the PC's thus in the introduction: "Your hearts were among the darkest the world had ever seen before Demetrious cast you low to rot beneath the earth, but now an even deeper darkness dwells where life once pulsed through your living veins."

Sorry, reading comprehension fail.

[Firecat]

Application Name: Nichros Derry Race: Half-Elf (1. Mummy Lord, 2. Vampire, 3. Necropolitan) Class: Monk (U) Intended Role: Damage Dealer, Controller Alignment: Lawful Evil Spheres: Open Hand, Boxing?, Scoundrel? Height: 6'2" | Weight: 175 lbs Age: 23 | Skin: Sand Hair: Thick black hair, unkempt, kept short Eyes: Golden with flecks of green Usual Attire: His hands and forearms are wrapped in thick gray wool, and he wears a plain brown tunic over an ornate robe kept on with several brown sashes. A small set of steel incense burners hangs at his waist which emit a faint hint of opium. He does not typically carry weapons openly.   Nichros is an emotionless killer who is convinced that only the strongest beings deserve to live and thrive. He does not hate those weaker than him, for he is nothing if not a teacher. But if he encounters weaker beings, he encourages them to find the strength to solve their problems for themselves. He would not, for example, give food to a starving child. But he would attempt to help the child figure out a way to get food without resorting to begging. These suggestions, regardless of topic, generally revolve around "take it from somebody else who is weaker than you are" thereby encouraging others to adapt to his worldview. In general, he is extremely formal and polite to people he encounters. True strength, after all, does not require exhibition, and it costs him nothing to be courteous. But for those who cross him, or insult him in some way, Nichros can fly into a murderous rage in an instant. Once these episodes happen, Nichros is difficult to control until the matter is settled to his satisfaction. Generally, the matter is only resolved with his opponent's death. With regard to Strathmoor and Demetrious, he is driven by a manaical belief that the city and its inhabitants need to go through a reckoning to destroy the current culture and order so that a stronger civilization may arise. In his twisted mind, this destruction and renewal will prevent anybody else from suffering what he and his brother had to go through.   Step 1: Background and Concept Elements 1) Nichros is a high-ranking monk who was sent to the Temple of Still Water when he was 8. He has spent almost his entire life studying their precepts and fighting styles. The Temple training is based on the ebb and flow of water and how they apply to attack and defense, as well as emphasizing circular movements in both armed and unarmed combat forms. 2) Nichros has almost perfect control over his emotions due to years of meditation and training. He is patient and polite, but not particularly kind. If he becomes angry, it is because he chooses to do so, and it is terrible to behold. 3) He had an older twin brother, Terris. The twins were inseparable until Nichros was taken from his home and sent to the Temple. Terris was born without a right hand. 4) Nichros learned that his parents sent him to the Temple and struck his name from their family tree in order to protect Terris and his inheritance as the first-born son. Nichros believed then, and still does, that he was the one person who supported and loved Terris like no other, and for anyone to think he may be a threat to his brother is ludicrous and deeply insulting. Unfortunately, he was still a novice when he learned of this, and was unable to leave the Temple or contact the outside world. That his parents would separate them over something as petty as money was devastating to Nichros, and he spent many years being angry at them, and the entire cultural nonsense that caused them to make such a decision. 5) Once he had achieved a level of autonomy, Nichros traveled back to Strathmoor. He discovered that Terris had died in an accident several years before. But as luck would have it, his parents had another son several years younger than the twins who was now their heir. Information about the accident was sparse, though almost all who spoke of it mentioned how unusual it was that Terris would die from such a minor injury. 6) After several months of living in Strathmoor, Nichros decided that the society was weak and diseased. It rewarded mediocrity, cowardice, and deceit. People died who did not deserve it while others thrived on lies and stolen wealth. The rich were blatantly corrupt while the poor were struggled to succeed in spite of having nothing. As the face of the city, Demetrious has allowed such perversion to take root. For the city to truly thrive and grow, it must be burned to the ground so that a new civilization, a stronger civilization, may emerge. Step 2: Goals for the Character 1) It would be great if Nichros has the opportunity to meet his younger brother. Bonus if he gets to decide his fate. Bigger bonus if the opportunity to convert him to the revolution presents itself. 2) Nichros cannot wait until the citizens of Strathmoor turn on the merchants and nobility. Step 3: Secrets about your Character 1) Nichros knows that there are several wealthy families in Strathmoor who chafe at the "noble" Demetrious and his rule. These families believe that they, along with their allies, would provide better leadership than their current ruler. The number of familied committed to this course of action is rather small, but they believe others will quickly fall in line once Demetrious is deposed. 2) Terris was killed to satisfy a large debt owed by his parents. They offered Nichros instead, but the debtor refused, demanding the current heir of the family. His parents acquiesced without protest. Step 4: 3 People Tied to the Character 1) (Friendly) Terris; older twin brother; deceased. The only person who Nichros still has emotional attachment to at this point in his life. Terris was a typical child, adventurous and rowdy, and he kept up with Nichros despite lacking his right hand. Though he knows he wasn't responsible for Terris' death, Nichros still feels responsible. 2) (Friendly) Master of Tides; Abbot of the Temple of Still Water; alive. A female tielfing who raised Nichros during his time at the Temple. The Master was a stern, unyielding instructor who demanded perfection while putting the novices through brutal training, both mental and physical. But as he progressed through the ranks, Nichros began to understand the rationale behind her methods, and also began to appreciate it. Nichros believes that everything he has become is directly due to the Master of Tides and her teachings. 3) (Hostile) Dannick; rival monk; unknown. Dannick was a tiefling who joined the Temple a few months before Nichros. For some reason, Dannick took an especially hostile attitude toward Nichros and constantly tried to provoke the half-elf into dangerous situations. This continued for many years until one night, Dannick went too far and actually ambushed Nichros, stabbing him in the chest with a shiv. The commotion attracted others who soon had the tiefling restrained. Nichros was hurt, but alive. The Master of Tides entered the room and stared into their faces. Nichros was calm, though confused. Dannick, however, was furious. A single blow knocked him across the room where he crumpled into a heap. "Give him to the water," was all the Master said before several monks gathered Dannick up and carried him away. That was the last time anyone at the Temple saw Dannick, and the incident was forgotten. Step 5: Three Memories, Mannerisms, or Quirks 1) Nichros lives very plainly, needing very little comfort or finery. Sleeping outside or in a bed is much the same to him. He also dines on basic fare, drinking only water. 2) He meditates and performs kata exercises every day if possible. This routine can last up to 6 hours or more unless he has other business. At the very least, he will make time for thirty minutes of meditation. 3) One of Nichros' fondest memories is climbing into the attic with Terris to go through the boxes and trunks stored there. The unbridled happiness at sharing mundane discoveries with his brother is one of the times he can remember truly feeling at peace. This particular memory was one of the last times he saw Terris.   Nichros has thought long and hard about how to accomplish his ultimate goal - bringing the current system of cultural tolerance and mediocrity crashing to the ground. Ultimately, Nichros believes creating conditions that end with the citizens of Strathmoor descending into chaos serves several of his goals. But this plan is not based on a single event... there must be many seemingly unrelated moving pieces to cause the carnage Nichros wants. After all, it is easy to manage one problem at a time, but several? Even with his allies and servants, Demetrious cannot be everywhere at once. And once the game has played out, when the populace sees how helpless their leader is against the anarchy gripping the city, it will only take a few well-placed suggestions for the common folk to raise their fists in revolution. As an added bonus, the strongest and most able of the citizens are those most likely to survive the coming storm, leaving the weak to be culled from the herd. Some ideas Nichros is currently considering: 1. Take control of several merchants and begin raising prices for commonly needed goods 2. Prevent resources, food, raw materials, etc from flowing into Strathmoor 3. Have wild animals begin to terrorize the outlying farms and towns, forcing refugees to flood into Strathmore 4. Create a panic amongst the populace by introducing magical plagues into the city

[Unforgiven]

Alisha Name: Alisha Von Strauss Race: Elf(Vampire 1, Darakhul 2, Zombie Lord 3) Class: Conscript 10 Gender: Female Intended Role: Skill Monkey/Damage Dealer Alignment: CE Spheres / Schools Dual Wield, Lancer, Fencer, TK, Equipment, Expanded Training   Height: 4' 7" | Weight: 55 Lbs Age: 27 | Skin: pale Hair: Black Eyes: Silver Usual Attire: Fine Clothing Alisha is a small Elven child that appears around the equivalent age of a 13 year old human. She has a slim figure and breasts that have formed, but have not grown to fruition. She frequently wears finery, and goes out in fine dresses of black silk with a tall silken hat upon her head. She wears a pair of refractory goggles sometimes when she's out, but keeps them up on her forehead when speaking to others. Her bright silver eyes show a child like glee at times, and a vast swath of hatred tainted with murderous intent at others. She carries many daggers stashed throughout her dress, and can produce them on a whim, throwing them with high accuracy, or dancing into a melee without a care in the world. Alisha has skin as soft as silk, and a moon pale complexion that is quite alluring when she dresses the part of a lady. When she wants to do more adult things, she stuffs her corset and puts on makeup tailored to make her look older than what she is, at which point she delves into the depths of society to find her way with wild abandon.   Alisha is extremely playful, and cruel. Due to her unfortunate circumstances growing up, she's become a monster hiding in the form of a young girl. She always had a cruel streak in her, torturing pets, beating up the other kids, and such as that. But her transition into undeath has amplified it. Her endlessly raging hormones cause her to have frequent mood swings and impulsive actions, and she will turn from giddy girl to violent psychopath at the drop of a hat. She delights particularly in the torment and murder of children, especially while forcing their parents to watch, or participate in her... festivities. The end result is generally children being flayed alive, and her with a beautiful new humankind dress. If she plays with the parents, their corpses are left mutilated in their house, left in humiliating poses. She enjoys doing that as it reminds her of how she killed her parents, which is the happiest memory she has of them.   Alisha was born into the Von Strauss family as the only child and sole heir. It was a wealthy Elvish family that had taken a human surname when it moved to the town of Strathmoor. Her father made a name for himself as an Elvish supremacist from the start, and treated the common folk like dirt, with the exception of one family who had come with them when they moved, a family in servitude to the Von Strauss family for generations. That family was beholden to the Von Strauss family, and was rewarded for the loyalty of their lineage, and the secrets they kept. It was somewhat widely known that young girls would be invited to the manor house from time to time and just disappear. Peasant girls they were, so no one could do much about the issue, but it had become somewhat of a folk legend over the thirty years the Von Strauss family lived in Strathmoor. They lived in a large manor house on a massive plantation, though had let the plantation fall to ruin. No one was quite sure where Baron Von Strauss made his money from, but whispers of necromancy and the selling of bodies ran amok. The truth however, was far less complicated. He was a slave trader for a thieves' guild in a nearby city, living out in the small towns to more easily gather girls for sale. He always sampled his merchandise before he transported them to the city, but some he would keep for himself. He'd do as he wanted with those until they died, from trauma, exhaustion, or torture. At that point, the family servants would clean out his torture chamber, and bury the bodies of the young girls in the garden, using them to enrich the soil for the plentiful garden they grew that supplied a large amount of the household's dietary needs. So it was, his daughter grew up in the uncaring household, while her mother acted more like a mute statue than a mother. She hired a midwife to deal with Alisha when she was younger, and had the women servants watch her otherwise. Alisha never really found out what her mother did all the time, but she knew that at the worst times in her own life, all her mother did was watch. She didn't speak or raise a hand in protest, she just watched. Those times were not far ahead however, for as soon as she began to bleed like a woman, her father made it clear that she would be his personal toy when he didn't have any of the slave girls that took his fancy. He had a special room, painted black for her. When it was time for them to play, he made Alisha go to the black room and wait for him. Her mother only watched while she screamed. When she was nearly twenty seven years of age however, she had begun working makeup on her face, and stuffing her corset with the help of the servant girls of their household. They were her only friends, and they did their best to help her be away from the house when it was time to go to the black room. So Alisha would dress as an older girl, looking old enough to be out on her own, and she would walk the town, fraternizing with the lowborn people and generally having a good time drinking and losing money at tavern dice games. There were those that thought to take advantage of the young girl, but everyone in town knew her father, and none of them dared cross him. It was not just young girls he buried beneath the garden plants... It was on one such foray that the young Alisha met up with a group of people who wanted to overthrow the High Lord of this territory. Some holier than thou type as she understood it, but a man that had not lifted a finger to help her out. So she volunteered to fund the venture, as long as she got to sentence a few people to death once she was a member of the ruling oligarchy. Since the group couldn't afford to turn aside a wealthy benefactor, despite her young age, they accepted her in and began their plans to take over the city. Alisha was quite knowledgeable about the local area and was also quite intelligent they found out as she suggested various plans to go about taking over the city. What she hadn't planned for, was some angelic lord being the true ruler of the city, and thus they were woefully underprepared when finally being confronted during their coup. At the moment of their failure, she also saw her father there. The father that had never loved her, the father that had betrayed her to this man. It utterly disgusted her, and it was only mildly satisfying when the high lord ordered all of them impaled, and a look of surprised and worry crossed her father's face. He was going to lose his little pet for the black room. It made her smile first, then burst out laughing. She had gotten her revenge, even if it was in her own death. She could die now, happy for the first time in a long time... The sky was beautiful she thought, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Those thoughts were passing through her mind as she stared up at the sky while the lord's servants prepared the impaling poles. The others looked scared, but she had a huge smile on her face. Pain was nothing new for her, and this would irk her father so much. She was certain he expected a scolding for his little toy, not death in such a horrible manner. It put an almost crazed smile on her face as she glanced down to see the rage and anger on her father's face as he was forced to watch the execution. Most of the people being impaled screamed and cried, begged and pleaded. She just laughed. She laughed and laughed, the pain flowing through her as her final release was upon her, and with the knowledge that she had won. She just laughed until the end... and then she woke up. The next part is more conjecture as the game starts with them rising as undead, but it makes for a good story.The Near Future... Panic flooded her as she clawed and scraped and screamed without needing breath. She fought for a couple hours before the soft light of the moon began to trickle through the first whole she had made to the outside world. The first gasping breath of fresh air that she realized she had no need to gasp. But it was glorious all the same, a breath of freedom, a breath free of oppression, a breath that was hers and hers alone. This was a new chance, a new change at redemption, a new chance to make the people who hurt her pay, pay with their lives... As she pulled herself up from the earth, the first person to see her in undeath was her best friend, a serving girl of roughly her equivalent age by the name of Kira. Kira gasped at seeing her dead mistress risen again, covered in dirt and with worms wiggling in her hair. But even then she could see the wounds closing up in her flesh, and hole from her impaling closing up slowly. Kira was too scared to even think about running, so she just stood there and stared. Alisha went up to the girl and gave her a big hug, before asking her where her parents were? Kira quietly responded, and watched the dirt covered girl in rags skip gleefully into the house that she called her home. That was the last time Kira saw the master and his wife, she only ever saw Alisha after that. Alisha would come to the servant house periodically to play with her and the other children there, and sometimes would venture into town and bring other kids back with her. Kira never saw those kids again, she assumed they ended up in the garden, but she never asked her pa and he said to just leave things like that alone. The manor house felt so empty now when she cleaned it. It was just little Alisha there now. The master and mistress had disappeared without a trace, probably eaten by wolves. Kira had been hearing more howling of late, and her pa made sure they were all in the house by dark. Kira also thought it was odd that Alisha slept all day and went out at night. It was strange, but Kira didn't want to think anything of it, she had her best friend back, and that was what mattered most, she was glad Alisha was ok. Alisha was on top of the world. She made her parents into pets, and then killed them! It took a long time for them to die, but the best part, was she made them love every minute of it. They even helped her skin each other live, and were glad for it. She didn't know how she had done it, but she commanded and they obeyed, like good little toys should. She played and played with them, played with them until they broke and she couldn't fix them. Then the groundskeeper helped her dig more holes and extend their garden. She always thought it was nice how big and ripe all the vegetables and fruits in the garden were. The plants had lots of bodies there to nourish them, and to make them grow big and strong. Now she ate people too, and maybe one day, she would grow big and strong...   Game Plan!?! Goal?!? Alisha doesn't have much of a goal, and the ones she has change from one day to the next. She is Highly impulsive and very susceptible to suggestions that come close to what she wants at any specific point in time. In general, she enjoys going to parties, sleeping with men, eating the men she slept with, torturing people, skinning them, and making clothes from their skin. Anything that involves things she enjoys doing, will likely get her agreement in working towards it. She also wants to kill the high lord of the town, cut his wings off, and use the feathers for a pillow. From one whim to another her goals will likely change along the way, but getting her feather pillow is definitely on her agenda, and ruling the town would make it so much easier to play with her toys.

[LeoByron]

Don't forget that you don't choose your template. You list them in order of preference and you may or may not get the one you picked as #1 choice.

[ShadowcatX]

I couldn't figure out what to do for a RP sample for him (brutal characters aren't really my normal forte), especially if I was going to go with skeleton champion, so I'm redoing the character from the ground (but not the name, lol) up. I know a wraith (the class, not the undead type) isn't exactly in keeping with your ideas, especially with this archetypes, but I hope you'll consider it, it can still be undead, that doesn't change. I incorporated some aspects of the previous Jaaren, though I couldn't keep a lot. This guy is the Emperor to the previous Jaaren's Vader.

Name: Jaaren
Race: Human
Class: Unbodied Wraith (or potentially collective wraith)
Intended Role: Ghost in the Proverbial Machine, infiltration
Alignment: NE
Spheres / Schools: Some amount of leadership, for magic maybe death sphere.
Undeath: 1) Necropolitan 2) Lich (I'd hope that my full wraith abilities would progress with lich, not just the spell casting since sphere casting isn't exactly all that and a bag of chips.) 3) Vampire probably.

 

Height: 6'1 | Weight: 195lbs
Age: 27 | Skin: Bronzed
Hair: Black, down to the small of his back when not tucked into his helmet.
Eyes: Light Blue
Usual Attire: Blue Nobleman's outfit, trimmed with Silver. He'd often have a servant (aka. slave) or two around to attend him as well, he'd consider them as much a part of his attire as the clothes he wore. Now his attire depends entirely upon whom (or what) he is possessing.

In life Jaaren was a handsome nobleman, soft spoken, clever and obsessive. He hated that others had things he didn't and he worked towards having the most everything he possibly could.

 

Jaaren wants to possess both things and people. He hates losing anything that he thinks of as his and he's willing to resort to murder to keep even the most minor of trinkets. He has the same attitude towards people, "if I can't have X, no one can" where X can be anything from a lover to a talented chef. He mostly treats his "possessions" well, so long as they do what they're supposed to and don't get any ideas about independence.

Despite his predilection for possession he'd rather be the power behind the throne, than the one on it. He learned early on from his father and from history that much of a Pharaoh's power came from the people around him, rather than from himself, but that the danger was almost entirely focused on the Pharaoh.

 

Born to an old but minor noble family Jaaren's father is a Count, aka. a noble who works for a living. Jaaren was raised with other noble children, all of whom looked down on him because he was poorer, lower in station, and generally considered worse than they in every way. This grated on Jaaren and he quickly became obsessed with possessing things. Briefly he fixated on his mother in this fashion, but when his younger sister was born, it transferred to her, in force, she was HIS and nothing and no one would ever change that. When his mother finally sat Jaaren down and told him that one day he and his sister would both be married and in separate households of their own it became a massive fight, and he struck her for the first time. When his father returned she pleaded with him to send Jaaren away, both for her sake and their daughter's sake. Unfortunately for her, Jaaren heard her pleading and killed her that night, fleeing just ahead of Osirion's law. He hated to leave her behind after he had killed to avoid being separated from her, but she was still young and she would only slow him down.

Jaaren later settled in Strathmoor, where he posed as a merchant and assumed the name Jaaren. His grace, bearing, magic, and wealth enabled him to rise to the upper crust in Strathmoor but to his frustration he could not manage to get influence over Demetrious and so Jaaren decided that Demetrious had to go. Jaaren teamed with others who had similar goals and was happy to be supportive of the others, content to take a place in the back as it were, he felt this would protect him should things go poorly, at least giving him time to flee as he did after his mother's death. But Demetrious was more intelligent and more prepared than Jaaren or the others had expected, not only did the coup not go as planned, but Jaaren was captured and executed with the other traitors.

When the black magics reanimated the team though, something didn't go quite right with Jaaren. He's unsure what it was, but his body didn't reanimate, only his spirit quickened, and now he is condemned to not just a half-life of undeath, but a largely incoporeal unlife.

 

Jaaren tried and failed a coup through the nobles of the city, so now it's time for a change. His current form offers some advantages for sneaking about and learning secrets, and he wants to know all Demetrious's secrets before launching yet another attempt at over throwing the goodie two shoe leader. But there will be another attempt, Demetrious took the most important thing Jaaren had, his very life, and that cannot and will not go unpunished.

 

1. 5 Background and Concept Elements 1) Loving home but he became obsessed with possessions due to being lower nobility and looked down on for being "poor" and "low.". 2) His obsession fixated on his sister and he murdered their mother for trying to separate them. 3) Fled from Osirion for his life with the aid of his father, but had to leave his sister behind. 4) Spent time as merchant aka. "new money" while rising through the noble spheres of Strathmoor 5) He's exploring his new found wraith powers, and while he hates the half-physical, half dead existence he's condemned to he's kind of enjoying the new powers. 6) Jaaren wanted to be a slave master in life.
   
2. 2 Goals for the Character. While revenge is certainly a goal of Jaaren, I think he's more interested in seeing just how much he can push his ability to possess and grow in both power and stature and leave a mark on the world the likes of which have never been seen before or sense, ascension to godhood (or spirit hood) perhaps. My goal would be to have him come face to face with what his scheming and murderous ways have done, this could be encountering his father or sister, it could be some kind of magic that might show him what his life would be like had he not followed the dark path he's now on, just basically some kind of "come to Jesus" moment, though obviously there's no Jesus in the setting. Come to Sarenrae moment perhaps?
   
3. 2 Secrets About Your Character. The secret that involves him of which he is unaware is that his reanimation as a wraith was done according to something's plan, what that something might be and what that plan might be are left up to you. Jaaren's secret is that despite his hatred of being a wraith and being undead, he's really enjoying the ability to possess others and he's not sure he'd give it up even if he could be returned to life.
   
4. 3 People That Are Tied to the Character.
   
   Kella: His sister who idolized Jaaren, at least up until he killed their mother. She was the first person Jaaren really wanted to own, and he would constantly do "tests" to see if she was loyal to him or to their parents. His obsession has since moved on from her, but if the opportunity came for him to snag her up and own her once again came, he would be very tempted.
   
   Allie: Jaaren's wife in Strathmoor, she never knew the truth of his past nor did she know he was involved in plotting against Demetrious. She feels Jaaren betrayed her, and she hates him for it. Meanwhile Jaaren feels possessive of her, she's something of his, and he hates even the appearance of giving up something that is his (unless it's part of his plot at least). Should she try to move on with her life with someone new, Jaaren would most certainly take issue with it. She still lives in Strathmoor and is trying to keep the circumstances of Jaaren's disappearance a secret, though she knows everything thanks to a personal visit from Demetrious.
   
   Kenneth: A member of the night's watch and probably the closest thing Jaaren had to a friend, they were partners in smuggling (from drugs to human trafficking). Jaaren decided Kenneth was too low down the totem pole to be brought into the revolt against Demetrious and so it was that when the revolt was destroyed Kenneth wasn't caught up in it, or aware of Jaaren's part in it.
   
5. 3 Memories, Mannerisms, or Quirks He wants to own and possess things, including people. He's charming and smooth, he'll remember your name, your wife's name, you children's names, and enquire about them when he bumps into you at a social event, even while he's plotting to have you and your family murdered so he can put have one of your rivals step up in your place. In life, he took great pride in his life, he'd have servants brush it for him daily, and punish them severely if they pulled tangles.

 

Alone on the nighttime street, a single guard gazed up at Demetrius's palace, hours before his shift was too start. He was far enough away that no one would recognize him if he was seen from the palace, far enough away even that few would think twice, even the guards on duty. And he wouldn't have been the first person to have stared at the nighttime silhouette of the palace, it was a powerful sight after all. But what no one knew was that it wasn't the guardsman who was taking in the sight of the palace, not really, the guardsman was asleep after all, it was merely his body that was being used, the one taking in the sight was Jaaren, and he was as disturbed by it as he had been before his death.

In death, however, the sight of Demetrius's palace disturbed Jaaren for altogether different reasons than it had when he had been alive, though he still felt the familiar pang of envy and desire looking at it, now those feelings were just buried under another, not quite fear but close to it, possibly respect for such a powerful adversary, and certainly touched by rage, a stronger rage than he had ever known, stronger than that which had driven him to murder in the past. But tonight was not a night for murder, nor was it a night to penetrate the palace, tonight was a night for simple observation and experimentation both enabled by the borrowed body of a sleeping palace guard. He knew he probably could have walked into the palace easily enough, despite the guard not being on shift, but it wasn't worth the risk, not with so many unknowns still in play, and certainly not with a foe so powerful as to have already killed him once. "Hurt me once, shame on you," the guard whispered softly into the cold night air, "but if you hurt me twice, that would be shame on me."

The guard's body with Jaaren in control turned away from the palace and wandered the darkened streets of the noble's quarter. In this area, in the dark of night, a palace guard in his full outfit would stick out slightly more than he had merely gazing up at the palace and Jaaren had another stop to make on his tour of the city. It didn't take him long to find it though, it was on the outside edge of the quarter, the "cheap seats" of the expensive section, as it were, as all his life had been. The house was dark, neither light nor fire shown from inside. That was good. Had his wife, Allie, been up entertaining at this hour, that would have ended very poorly for her. But apparently she was still in mourning, or perhaps she and her lover, if there was one, had exhausted themselves elsewhere. One day, Jaaren would know for certain, after all, taking a maid would be the easiest thing in the world now, but that was not for tonight, either. She might still be under Demetrius's watch, might even be a trap, and that was a risk Jaaren couldn't take, especially if Demetrius knew what Jaaren and the others had become.

The guard turned for home, Jaaren's observations, short as they were, were done, and he didn't wish to overly tax his new found abilities. One stop on the way, picking up a cheap but strong bottle of whiskey, paid for from the guard's own coin, would more than account for the guard's lethargy come morning as well as the mud on the guard's boots, better to let a tool believe he had simply indulged himself in the night and in the indulging forgot he had indulged, than to risk him asking questions about why things, like his boots and his body, weren't quite as he remembered leaving them.

 

TW: Violence against women
The tavern keeper's will surged against Jaaren, struggling to break free. He didn't care for the actions he was forced to watch his body commit. Mostly it didn't matter though, the man might believe his will was as mighty as the sea, but Jaaren knew his will was the moon, and even the oceans danced to the moon's whim.

The woman tied to the chair didn't dance, though she did moan softly. Jaaren was afraid it would be difficult to get her alone once the people had left the tavern but inviting her down to the cellar for some vintage wine not on the menu had worked well, almost too well. Jaaren wondered, idlely if the two were lovers. It played into his plans well enough if so, so he didn't question it. And speaking of questions.

SMACK! The sound of the slap rang out through the cellar. The woman returned more fully to consciousness. And there was Jaaren, right in her face. Well, technically it was the tavern keeper who was in her face, but it was Jaaren who was behind the tavern keeper's eyes. "Good, you're awake. Tell me, thief, how did you come by those ear rings?"

"Oh gods, please, please don't kill me. What do?" SMACK.

"The earrings, thief, how did you come by them? I won't ask again."

"Thief? I ain't no," Jaaren drew back the tavern keeper's hand but a third slap proved unnecessary, the woman changed topics instantly. "My lady, she gave 'em to me. Said her good for nothing husband bought them for her an now he was dead she didn't want them." She broke down into sobs at that point but it didn't really matter.

The tavern keeper's body ripped the earrings off the helpless woman and carried them up stairs, laying them gently on the floor, all the better for Jaaren to take them with him on the way out, then returned below. The tavern had no real vintage wine, but it did have a cheap and strong spirit that would burn oh so fine. Tomorrow a murder suicide story would be all the rage and no one would be any the wiser about Jaaren's involvement, just as he wanted. And in time those earrings would go back to where he had intended them.

[Rakaghi]

Quick question for the zombie and skeleton. They have 2 racial hit die added in the template. How do you want that handled?

[Rakaghi]

Name: Charsis
Race: Human (1.Zombie Lord 2. Vampire 3. Mummy)
Class: Unchained Rogue (Deadly Assassin)
Intended Role: Damage Dealer/Skill Monkey
Alignment: Any Evil
Spheres / Schools Duelist, Fencing, Scout, and possibly Sniper or Scoundrel depending on template.

 

Height: ? | Weight: ? lbs
Age: ? | Skin: ?
Hair: ?
Eyes: ?
Usual Attire: ?

Include a detailed text description for your character. Finding an image to represent your character is highly encouraged.

 

Write a detailed text description of your character's personality. This should incorporate elements of your optional 10 minute background if you chose to write one.

 

Write a detailed text description of your character's background. This should incorporate elements of your optional 10 minute background if you chose to write one.

 

What is your character's proposed game plan? What is his ultimate goal? To kill Demetrius, certainly, but does he want the whole town to suffer? Include any preliminary ideas or strategies you might have here. Feel free to secret text this part if you want.

You can use the 10-minute Background to guide your character creation if you choose:

 

The 10 Minute Background is a tool to help you flesh out your character’s existence. This is optional.

1. 5 Background and Concept Elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
2. 2 Goals for the Character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
3. 2 Secrets About Your Character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character.
4. 3 People That Are Tied to the Character. At least one of them is friendly to the character, and at least one is hostile. One of these characters should be tied to your character's Affiliation.
5. 3 Memories, Mannerisms, or Quirks That Your Character Has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

[LeoByron]

Originally Posted by Rakaghi

Quick question for the zombie and skeleton. They have 2 racial hit die added in the template. How do you want that handled?

You can replace them with Class levels or keep the racial HD if you are so inclined. Max HD is 12 regardless, including class levels, Racial HD, and/or CR adjustments.

[Admin Dirk]

Is it irony that your game is titled with two things that your PC's are unlikely to actually have?

[LeoByron]

Their victims will have plenty

[Admin Dirk]

AH, true... there WILL be mass quantities of both... just not theirs, necessarily.

[ShadowcatX]

Originally Posted by Admin Dirk

AH, true... there WILL be mass quantities of both... just not theirs, necessarily.

It'll be ours. We may have to take it by force, as one does, but still ours.

[mightymconeshot]

Name:Wyran the Fallen
Race:Aasmir (Angelkin) (See Notes at bottom regarding template)
Class: Antipaladin (Dread Vanguard) 8 Stalwart Defender 4
Intended Role: Battlefield Controller and Minor Support
Alignment: CE

Spheres: Leadership sphere is a maybe.

Height: 6'0" | Weight: 160 lbs
Age: 71 | Skin: Perfectly Tanned
Hair: Long and White (Silver in Moonlight)
Eyes: Green Emerald Cut
Usual Attire:

 

 

 

Appearance:When moving around off the field, Wyran dresses in long flowing robes of a rich quality that show off his features. He wears jewelry featuring unusual and expensive gems and lets his long hair flow down his back. He is constantly surrounded by a musk of fine cologne and his eyes are piercing green with the pupils cut in the same of a square emerald. Many would say that he looks to be of elven blood except for the fact that he is extremely well built and muscled.

All of the pomp and fancy disappear when it is time for battle. The rings and rich robes disappear for a suit of full plate fashioned with a howling demon face on the chest and jagged metal claws that stretch over his gauntlets. The whole thing is the color of hot charcoal and the joints and seem to ooze with light as if it was fresh off the blacksmith's anvil. His silver hair stands in sharp contrast as it whips and flows around him as he smashes through his foes with two handed weapons seemingly crafted from the same black glowing metal as his armor.

 

Personality: In public, Wyran is all smiles and friendly demeanor. He attends parties when he can and mingles with the upper crust of society that once consumed his life. One could hardly image the evil staining his soul and it is only those unfortunate that he chooses to be alone with him that realize just how sick and corrupted the man is. Those he chooses to save are taken below where he spends time with them each day teaching them of Zon-Kuthon until they convert to his way of thinking or their mind breaks under his guidance. He sees non-converts especially those following Lawful Good deities as lost children that do not know any better. They need to be shown the truth and he dedicated his life to educating the world on the true powers and deities of the world. Well he encourages them to join him in worship of Zon-Kuthon during his administration, he is not offended if they choose a different god as long as that one preaches similar tenants of evil and corruption. Just like when children become adults, you can't do anything beside set them loose into the world and hope for the best of them.

 

Background:

Wyran was born to power and rich human parents and wanted for almost nothing in his early years. His birth was seen as a sign of support from the gods and a blessing on the family's fortunes. Food, toys, plush pillows, soft clothes, all was handed to him on a literal silver platter. Tutors were brought in when he was of age and well he never excelled at his studies, he wasn't the worst. Average was the word his tutors used. All except in the art of war. Weapon training came naturally to him and his mind easily grasped complex strategies needed to command blocks of troops. Military campaigns, last stands that shaped civilization, and logistics were all included and with a real logical problem in front of him pushed him to excel. It wasn't long before other nobles and his tutors started to discuss his enrollment in an officer program. All that hope and planning unraveled in a single night.

On the eve of his 18 birthday, a party was thrown at a friends house however disaster struck. Kidnappers financed and supported by a powerful demonic cult appeared and started to abduct many of the young revelers hoping to strike a blow at the city-state's advancement. Searches, gold offerings, and a thousand other rewards were offered for their safe return. Some were recovered but most lost. Wyran was one of the lost. Turning their captures over to the cult, it was in the dark dungeon in a forgotten corner of the world that Wyran first heard the word of Zon-Kuthon. The cultists would arrive every day at the same time. It got to be that he could tell time based on their appearance. They would drone at him sayings and scriptures of the the Lord Zon-Kuthon before asking him if he would ask for pain. Every night he would refused, but they would just smile and demonstrate it to him anyway. Pouring potions and healing his wounds with wands, he was returned to one piece to await the next night's administrations. Weeks based and than months. He would spend the days offering prayers to the deities of the world to save him from this hell. His voice became a ragged shell from the screaming, but no one ever appeared to save him. He could hear others screaming as time passed, but slowly their voices disappeared. He assumed they died.

Finally after months of torture, his mind broken down and his body a mass of scars he gave in. He asked for them to inflict a minor pain on him. The cultists in front of him smiled and inflicted and left. It was that first temptation, that relief from the pain the sucked him. It didn't take long for him to fully convert, murmuring the prayers along with the cultists and indulging in the pain from the torture. Before long, he was released and brought to their high priest. Pledging his soul, he joined the band and started his ascension. His old skills served him well and it didn't take him long to become a favored man. Rising his prestige and power, he quickly became the high priests right hand man, performing the private ministration and attacks that he couldn't trust to anyone else. It was during that time, Wyran started to realize the truth. The High Priest was weak and scared. His body and mind were failing and dooming the cult to bad maneuvers. As ever among the more evil minded individuals that might makes right, Wyran strangled the High Priest during his morning meditations and purged the cult of his loyal followers. Taking the survivors into the world, he started to campaign against the forces of good. Raising recruits and sending them on missions to corrupt, turning communities to darkness and leaving behind seeds in the larger ones. Small villages disappeared entirely, its population taken prisoner to be converted, killed, or run off.

It didn't take long before he heard of Demetrious and the city he ruled. It became an obsession as he listened to reports and took stock. He would need help and so he sought out others that wished to bring it down. Gathering together, he died in the crypt. Now risen, he would have his vengeance.

Long Term Beside the defeat of his former killer, Wyran wishes to continue to spread the word of Zon-Kuthon. He wishes to restart his fledgling cult, travel around and spread pain and darkness to communities. He desires to break people down and to show other people that the gods they worship are really uncaring about their subjects. He would be willing to serve as a general or bodyguard for a spell casting person/group provided they remember that he is an equal not a subordinate and he continue to practice his beliefs.

Template Notes I don't particular care which template I gain if chosen for this game. Just my general thoughts on each one. Wyran is a rather vain individual. It would be interesting to role play if he has no face left or is a simple rotting corpse. Skeletons and Zombies both had minor boosts and some high point buy so you know yay stats. The DR could be a lot of fun depending on what we run into. Death knight is almost tailor made for my class. I would like to swap out the mount for something else if possible we could discuss that. Maybe an animal companion-4 with a feat choice? But he isn't built around being mounted so a mount is nearly worthless and being CR 2/4 makes it pretty weak at our level. Mummy Lord would be pretty scary with my bonuses against Will and attacks. +8 and +6 Str/Cha are tailor made for a brute paladin. I could even make a Lich work but the spell casting boost is worthless to me since I traded away my spells unless I can apply it to Beacon of Evil ability. Vampires are always awesome but the no entering homes things sucks. Necropolitan have the least abilities but more money and 40 Points buy is crazy. I was already planning on taking Noble Scion so you know, fits the theme and all.

[LeoByron]

I have created an applicants table. Please let me know if anything is incorrect or if I missed anything.