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Note APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

Game Name Priestess

Game System DnD 5e

Theme Protect the priestess on a holy pilgrimage.

Flavour A group of disparate individuals is hastily thrown together for a mysterious mission to a remote mountain peak.

Plot Summary Plot Summary A call has been sent out across the city of Kersdinas, Jestine II, Presbytera of Evelyn, assembles a company to act as escort for one of her cherished priestesses. System DnD 5e Application Process The application process is going to be a little different than normal. Each prospective class will be given its own plot hook for you to use when creating your character. Its a starting point for you to flesh out. There will be one spot in the final party matching each class specific plot hook. Each plot hook has been designated a race which should be adhered to. Closing date is February 9, 2018 February 2, 2018 Application Required Information: Name: Chosen Plot Hook: Background: Mechanical Trait: What are you like? Bond: What is important to you in your life? Ideal: What would you be willing to fight for? Flaw: What don't you like about yourself? Appearance: Describe a couple items your character always has with them. Personality: Try to combine and reword your background traits into one paragraph that describes your character. Backstory: How did you get to where you are? Does not have to directly tie into your plot hook. Can be more general than that. RP Sample: Create an interaction with your character and an NPC. Please include at least one line of dialogue from your character. Bonus RP: Provide an introspective monologue from your character's perspective about the plot hook. What is going through their mind during all of this. If you would like additional information to help with this, feel free to ask for it. Plot Hooks by Class   The Ranger, Half-Elf You left the wooded hills in the northern reaches of the kingdom days ago travelling south along Goldcrest Run. The rough pine forests had given way to the rolling hills full of oak, maple, and chestnut surrounding the town of Coedtref. Your mentor and adoptive father, Delwin Dacus, rarely showed this level of urgency. As far as you could tell, he had shot off toward civilization on a whim. Scouting the forests around the border with the wood elves of Areth Taesi was always done in random fashion, 'where the wind leads us', Delwin would say. For him to abandon his watch so abruptly was odd and he has not been willing to divulge the nature of his distraction, only saying you must meet someone at the inn in Coedtref.   The Paladin, Human You are a holy warrior in service to the Temple of Evelyn, the prevailing religion of the kingdom. Your order are known as the Knights of the Spear in honor of the sacrifice the made by your religion's ascended deity, Evelyn. In the days of yore, your brothers were tasked with the security of the most prized possessions of the realms, the Priestesses of Evelyn. That was long ago and an age of peace has rendered the old ways nothing more than a formality. However, woken from your slumber in the middle of the night by one of the Presbytera's personal retainers, you have been tasked with upholding your sacred oath with the deliverance of a young priestess into your care. A wagon bearing a locked chest hauled out of the temple vault along with a dozen men-at-arms greet you outside. Only the priestess knows your destination. She merely states, "West to Coedtref."   The Wizard, Human Master Kamaex has been acting strangely lately. Up all hours of the night at the top of the tower pouring over old manuscripts. Sending you into the bowels of the library to dig out ancient texts about long forgotten lore. Something tugs at the fabric of his mind every waking moment. He refuses to tell you what it is he seeks, only sending you off on another errand. Go to the temple for a vial of holy water out of the font of Evelyn, receive a package from the royal barber, or a silver mirror from the dwarven finesmith. He can keep his secrets but you are no fool. He is at some manner of divination and it revolves around Breninpalis, the castle of the King.   The Druid, Elf or Half-Elf The Archdruid, asked you to accompany him to this strange subterranean cave at the base of a great mountain in the range north of Areth Taesi, your people's ancestral forest home. The cavern was guarded by an earth spirit that refused your entry even though it was your people who had placed it guard over this location. Inside, a rancid odor pervaded all and a slick film of slime covered every inch making progress through the passages treacherous. Finally, upon reaching your destination, the Archdruid gasped at the sight before him. A perfectly round water filled tunnel underneath a cage made of a metal you had only heard of in legend, mithril. The bottom of the cage had been ripped open from the inside allowing whatever had been within to escape down the water filled hole. An eagle with a mouse clutched in its talons returned to Areth Taesi where upon the elders secluded themselves in chambers for months before you were finally summoned again. You were being sent into the world of men, your people's hated enemies to aid one of their own, sworn to protect her even if it meant defending her from your own kin.   The Rogue, Human Your chance to prove yourself to the guild had finally arrived. Word had reached the boss that an artifact had been pulled from the temple vaults and was being transported out of the city with a retinue of men...and you were going to be one of those men. Summoned to the temple late at night, disguised in the equipment of a man-at-arms, you report to a Knight of the Spear, a holy warrior of Evelyn charged with protecting a priestess on some holy quest. Within the wagon, an iron clad chest and within that chest, the artifact. Ingratiate yourself with the party and when the time is right, make off with the loot.   The Fighter, Human Why did military drills always have to be conducted at night? You'd think the commanders revel in rousing people out of a perfectly good night's sleep. Though, arriving at the temple grounds, this drill has the look of something far more serious. A Knight of the Spear and a priestess of Evelyn along with a wagon, a chest, and eleven other men, leaving the city under cover of darkness for reasons unknown to a destination unknown. By the goddess, how did you get picked for this?!   The Priestess (Cleric), Human Female Looking out over the city as the night fires are put out and the townsfolk begin their nightly slumber, a priestess’ calm is interrupted by the matriarch of her faith, Jestine II, Presbytera of Kersdinas. The usually unreadable mask of expression is painted in panic as she beckons her priestess back inside and begins packing a traveling pack. ”I wish for you to go on pilgrimage to the Sanctaid, the sacred peak where the martyr Evelyn ascended to godhood. I know this is sudden and the road long and possibly dangerous but you will thank me later. You won’t be going alone. A knight is being assigned to protect you as in the days of old. Along with a company of men-at-arms. Reach the Studded Buck Inn in Coedtref, I have arranged for a guide to meet you there. Tell no one else of your final destination. We do not know who can be trusted." Rushed out of her quarters in the temple, the priestess is led to the pantry to stock her pack with food before she is ushered to the stables where a horse drawn wagon awaits. Lifting a blanket covering the back of the wagon, the Presbytera reveals a sturdy iron clasped chest. ”A sacred artifact from the days of Evelyn. Take it to the peak with you as an offering to the goddess so that she may bless your pilgrimage.”   The Kingdom of Rhyfel Carved out of the conquest of an ancient orcish domain a thousand years ago, the kingdom is ringed by mountains on three sides with the defeated orcs retreating over the southern peaks, a lost dwarven kingdom to the east, scattered barbarian tribes in the north and a vast savanna to the north west with a small cluster of peaks to the west. Large tracts of the region are still covered in forest. The capital city of Kersdinas is situated in the eastern portion surrounded by the agricultural heart of the kingdom. The town of four thousand is located atop an ancient orcish site with the castle, Breninipalis, built around a throne room that some say predates even the orcs. The round room is ringed in marble columns that surround a perfectly circular and deep reflecting pool at the base of a raised throne carved out of the bones of some prehistoric beast. Orcish ruins still dot the landscape in places but many are more prevalent in the largely uninhabited southwestern corner around a former orcish stronghold. It was at this site a thousand years ago that the final battle of the war between man and orc ended with the sacrifice of a priestess named Evelyn and the rise of a great warrior to king. Most of the north and northwestern portions of the kingdom are still covered in forests which stem from the elvish homeland of Areth Taesi. The rivers Flehost and Evoss form the borders of Areth Taesi until they combine at the southern reaches of the forest and flow west towards plains. Former allies of men during the orc war, the two races have shared open hostilities for hundreds of years resulting in great losses of land and life for the elves. Their forest of Areth Taesi is their last stronghold and they defend it ardently. The Religion of Evelyn During the final battle with the orcs, a stand off took place between the human hero, Bartholomew Wraith and the orcish warchief, Sugigoth. Both forces had thrown their all into this one decisive battle with the winner sure to proceed to absolute victory. During the fight, Sugigoth landed a telling blow against Bartholomew Wraith as the tide of battle began to shift in the orc's favor. A simple healer, named Evelyn, intervened and while her healing magics rejuvenated the injured hero, the spear strike meant for him killed her. Rising up from sure defeat, Bartholomew Wraith struck down Sugigoth and the army of men routed the orcish horde. The paragon of mankind, Bartholomew Wraith was named king of the newly founded Kingdom of Rhyfel but he did not forget the sacrifice made to bring victory to men. The body of the martyr Evelyn was taken to a sacred peak in the small cluster of mountains in the west of the region. Upon a stone altar her body was laid to rest in honor. Before the men gathered there, a holy radiance encompassed her deceased form as her spirit ascended to godhood. Worship of the Martyr Evelyn began once news of the miracle spread throughout the land. Priestesses began hearing her words and founded her temple upon a large outcropping in Kersdinas. Ever since the priestesses of Evelyn have worshipped in her temple while her male priests attend to satellite shrines and keep the grounds in Kersdinas. Even after the war was won, small pockets of orcish resistance remained. The new human priestesses became the prime targets of orcish attack and so the Order of the Spear was formed. Made up of holy warriors, the men of the order dedicated their lives to protecting the priestesses during battle. After the orcs had been chased beyond the southern peaks, war with the elves began and the Order of the Spear and the priestesses of Evelyn led the charge against the woodland realm. It has been two hundred years since the Elf War ended with the elves secluded to their forest fortress of Areth Taesi but the order still exists even if it is in a more ceremonial capacity.   1)There are several mentions of the Priestess' guard being composed of men: 'men at arms', 'eleven other men', etc. Is that meant to be taken literally? Or can some (or all) of them be women? They can absolutely be women. The only two plot hooks with a definite gender are priestess and the paladin. Maybe I could rephrase it to persons-at-arms, lol. 2)I assume that the Knights of the Spear train in spears mainly. Do they also train in the use of a certain kind of armor or is it optional per the paladin starting gear? I would also like to know if some of the Knights might be female? The spear referenced in 'Knight of the Spear' is more for imagery. The martyr Evelyn was struck down by a spear and the knights are there to protect the priestesses from the metaphorical spears of their enemies. I envisioned a female priestess and a male paladin to build a father-daughter or husband-wife dynamic between the two. Or Conan-Princess Jehnna if you like. Its going to be starting gear for the classes. Beginning at level 1 (maybe I should have mentioned that...) but I don't plan on staying there too long. 3) Wouldn’t a mother-daughter or wife-wife dynamic work just as well? Two women can also share that kind of parental/romantic bond. You are absolutely correct and I won't be as archaic as a medieval setting. The Knights of the Spear can be either gender. 4)Are you excluding warlocks? I had a fey pact warlock from 4e that I would like to remake. I had designs on a warlock but wasn't certain if I was going to offer it to players or keep it as an NPC. If you'd like to make up a character, go ahead and we'll see if we can get it fit in with the story. 5) Do you have an expected posting rate? In my experience, most games settle into a 2-3 post per week rhythm at best regardless of what anyone says or hopes for. 6) For the human characters, can we use variant human? Absolutely. Player Name Character Name Plot Hook Status Arthilian01 Kane Karlo The Rogue Submitted Landsknechts Tahira The Priestess Submitted Kaiya Amelia Verrick The Paladin Submitted Superstrength79 Alaura'lyn The Druid Submitted mandaanne Ari (Aracelia) Wardhouse The Fighter Submitted cookieyummy Araceli Naeva Hazesun The Wizard Submitted Smokefire12 Jubai The Ranger Submitted Andor Berilac Fairbairn The Ranger Submitted Maskain Huern Haive Amiliya'goule The Druid Submitted Anazider Brother Qu'hier'ren The Monk Submitted RedWolf0214 Cornan Merrillbright The Wizard Submitted mrtowne Shira Everell The Priestess Submitted LinguaManiac Bartholomew Orthis The Paladin Submitted Duskdog Hadrian Hawthorne The Paladin Submitted