This is where you'll go over your session 0 information to work things out. Try not to stomp on each other's toes.

Some questions I would like to see specifically thought about and answered are:

1. How is your family doing?
2. Why did you become the class you are?
3. How do you feel about the Highlanders being aloof and absent from eastern Destivia?
4. How do you feel about the growing Imperial presence?
5. Which of the gods does your character follow and why?
6. What is the one thing your character yearns for but is always just out of reach?

Okay. Next.

Depending on if you want to be good, neutral, or evil, the three starting points are as follows:

Good Guys: Are hired to guard the Lost Cause bardic caravan as they make their eay westward to Julietta for the next leg of the tour on their eventual way to the capital. Pick two or three from the following 5 to make up companions to round out your party after the introduction: Larson (Half-elf Conjuration specialist wixard), Rodent (Goblin Scout), Daisy (Destivian Fiondrya Cleric), Ronnie Glass (Destivian Heavy Fighter), & Rain (Half-orc Bard)

Neutral Guys: You are part of an advanced scouting party hired by Imperials who found it easier to hire locals that knew more about the Longshaft Tribes than they did. You're returning from a recon which found a sizable camp of about 30 that seem to be gearing up to attack a caravan. Choose 2 or 3 of the following: Rain (Half-orc Bard), Corporal Vaslik (Imperial Scout), Corporal Tyfall (Imperial Legionnaire Fighter), Dassanna Greywing (Heartwood Elf Ranger), & Ju'Threxzya (Ashlundi Elf Rogue)

&

The Bad Guys: Attack! Loot! Pillage! Rape! & Murder! Not necessarily in that order, either! You are part of a mixed group of brigands and barbarians, and this Lost Cause caravan is too aptly named. The War Chief says attack it, so that is what you do. Once again choose 2 or 3 from the list: Larson (Half-elf Conjuration specialist Wizard), Zakida Gorgonhorn (Half-orc Barbarian), Slick, (Destivian Barbarian / Rogue), Olaff Oded (Longshaft Tribal Barbarian), Da'Kass'da (Ashlundi Elf Ninja)
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:06, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

I sort of want to do an anti-paladin, but I can be convinced either way. I generally don't have too much trouble finding something to play. Otherwise I'd lean towards the middle path. I do the goodie two shoes thing all the time.

You mean Dark Paladin. You're not against Pallies. You just serve a dark deity. As I said, the Dark Pally functions identically to a Paladin except all the good stuff is turned evil and the heals are turned into harms :P

This particular version of the setting is ripe for Druids, Barbarians, Inquisitors, and Hexblades, too.

Julietta seems like it is going to be the metropolis of note. Vyphobosya and Fiondrya will have influence. So will the elemental gods. Countess Roxanna Kimtatha (LE Wood Elf Female Rogue 7 / Vyphobosya Cleric 8) is the mysterious ruler that has ruled Julietta since her founding. Destivian Highlanders hate her because she doesn't play by their rules. The Lowlanders love her independence, but fear the lore surrounding her ascension to power.

I'm fleshing out the city to make it constantly skirmishing with barbarians and brigands from the Longshaft Kingdoms and Viktrimonte to the north as well as humanoid pests from the river. Espionage in the city is a thing, and I am thinking that the local police force is made up mostly of monks, ninjas, and hexblades. The more naturally oriented people follow Sunavitra of Fiondrya, while those more urban and loyal to their countess follow Vyphobosya. I am looking at dark victorian imagery for the city.

Thoughts?
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:45, Sun 06 Feb 2022.

Vyphobosya has been updated as a greater power.

Class list has been opened up a bit to reflect a slightly different approach to starting location. Slayer has also been tweaked thanks to somebody here breaking it. :P

Julietta in the Setting & Maps thread has been fleshed out and updated.

So it looks like I'm going Chaotic Neutral, which never happens. I've got a Fire Genasi Druid in the works, Ilera, the Ember that Burns, Daughter of Fire.

I suppose that means I'll be going down the Neutral path above.

But playing with an evil player should be fine. Good and Evil are two sides of the same coin. Things in balance, yadda yadda.

So far I think Ilera is going to be one of those barbarians descended from the Longshaft Kingdom people. She'll worship Nature as a force and Fire. I've got a loose philosophy worked out for her that's basically: We're all Sons and Daughters of the Flame, as evidenced how new plants, Life, grows from the ashes of the dead.

She's going to be a bit of a savage, eating with her hands, poor table manners. She'll do most things to excess and complain about the few clothes she has to wear because they're itchy and she's hot (literally since she's a Fire Genasi).

You do not necessarily have to pick the starting path most suited to your alignment. It is just used to give you a pretty good idea what alignments will likely flourish. It is also a fairly accurate representation of the NPC alignment. The most important thing is to make sure there is character compatibility.

Lets not forget to compare notes and stuff with each other. As you're figuring out your characters you two awesome playas should be figuring out the how and why you came together. Just randomly assigned so you now suddenly trust each other is lame. I tossed out a few possible prompts.

There has been some talk about starting on the dark side, in the evil path. Okay. How and why did you get there and become a part of that?

I have 2 rewards penciled in as quest "items" for you. A Staff of the Woodlands and a Nightmare. Coo. What else?

Also. What DON'T you want to see or do? This is useful for me to know too. :D

Thank you thank you!

I'm pretty flexible here. The tentative backstory I have for Ilera has her raised in the wilds, maybe even by animals, that doesn't seem like much of a stretch. Like a hedonist Mowgli who hangs out with Shere Khan instead of Baloo.

I'm open to how they got adventuring together. Maybe your character needed a guide through the jungle a few times, earned each other's trust and respect then decided they worked well enough together that it would be worth continuing to do so. Big Leagues and such?

Can't get much easier than the very valid, "We work well together," but I don't mind it being more complicated either.

Do you have any of your PC's personality picked out yet?

I heard you were back on the anti- dark pally (cool).
This message was last edited by the player at 05:24, Wed 09 Feb 2022.

Dark Pally. :/

:D

I was thinking a Dark Pally of the Goddess of Fear. Back story of a Thug ruled by his fear, that ended up nearly dying in a gang war. As he bleed out he conquered his fear and saw it for the tool that it was. He was a changed man after that night.

Well I imagine one of two things would bring him to the Jungle, either work, or faith. Perhaps he came to conquer a specific fear and check it off his list. Or he came to buy a dog. He has a soft spot for dogs and horses.

Alternatively both wanted to avenge a loss on some bad ass creature they both hunted, and then teamed up to take it down. Given their success they've teamed up a few more times to take on more dangerous quests. So lets say we have a half dozen missions under our belt together.

What if that creature is a giant dire griffon? It at the Dark Pally's horse (back then) and Ilera saw it as an unnatural thing that was disrupting the natural food chain so it had to go?

Let us also not forget that 2 or 3 more can round out the party as a whole. They may or may not stick around, be replaced, become cohorts, or, if treated poorly, become enemies.

LARSON: Half-elf Conjuration Wizard. Taken prisoner as a teenager after his group got separated and hunted by a manticore. He survived. They didn't. Eventually adopted by the Shaman of a nomadic tribe. Loves the savage way of life and believes working against the natural order of things is the path to ultimate destruction.



ZAKIDA GORGONHORN: Half-orc mark of shame for her father. Resents orcs and their patriarchal caste system. Loves killing things. Those too weak to survive die. Has been criticized by tribal leaders for never truly understanding the Longshaft way, and would become that which has twisted her heart.



SLICK: Born a barbarian. Imprisoned for theft. Raped as a teenager by her elven captors. Escaped. Never again. That which doesn't kill her makes her stronger. She desires the approval of her peers and an end to constant intertribal warfare. Lonely. No man will have her since she is impure and damaged. Also a noteworthy historian that believes she is destined for a higher purpose.



OLAFF ODED: Beer. Butts. Blood. Not necessarily in that order. Jovial, mostly. Violent whenever possible. He loves to sing. He's just terrible at it. Prefers the company of men, preferably the fat, squishy, sweaty ones. Has been nicknamed "Man Rape" by others in the war band. Somewhat surprisingly, is also a capable rider and blacksmith.



DA'KASS'DA: Ashlundi Ninja and follower of Vyphobosya. Rumored to be one of Julietta's Murder of Crows. Socially awkward and occasionally forgets that she is not in the Ashlands anymore. Seeks a master to complete her training. Is also fascinated by stories of the Old Kingdoms before the Longshaft Tribes split apart.




EDIT: I apologize about the image size. It doesn't seem to be too bad if you use the r.rpol.net version of the site.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:46, Wed 09 Feb 2022.

In reply to Playa Too (msg # 14):

Giant dire griffon work for you?

I think the what is ultimately less important than the how / when.

Also, after looking at the list of NPCs:

Slick > Da'kass'da > Zakida > Larson > Olaff

And yeah, I was hearing about some of what you were trying to do. Why not just go Fighter until you get the Feats you want then dip into Paladin after? Would make doing the TWF a helluva lot easier.

Slick and Da'Kass'Da it is.

I think I should be okay feat wise. Not a ton to spare or anything, but it gives me a little shield stuff, and some extra uses of of touch of corruption, and the first Mounted combat feat. I think I should be okay not picking up Fighter for the moment.

Where is Touch of Corruption coming from?

I was just using that as something to call evil lay on hands. Evil lay on hands sounds dumb. Call it 'Touch of Darkness' to differentiate.

Word. Like I said in the PM on steam, I was looking for clarity.

Okay, my sheets are mostly sorted out.

Ilera's sheet:

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2592439


Taika's sheet (tiger animal companion):

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2594412

If you want to take a look at them, Too, and see what Ilera is good at so we can try to complement each other's skills. Ilera can brew potions!

Session Zero Questions:

1. Xeros's Mother is doing well. She's the Madame at the whore house that she worked in while he grew up. In his mind whoring is a perfectly honourable occupation.

2. Xeros mostly grew up on the streets. It was only matter of time before he joined a gang and became some kind of small time thug. He was a man ruled by his fears. Fear of those stronger, fear of hunger, fear of cold, and all the other fears that plagued a man living on the edge. His gang was smashed in a bloody gang war, as he lay bleeding out on the cobblestone road a peculiar thing happened. Somehow laying there with his life all but over his fears seemed so silly. So insignificant. Somehow he found the strength to rise back to his feet and pull himself from the gutter where he had been left for dead. From there he set about conquering fear after fear, which inevitably brought him into Vyphobosya's worship, and service.

3. Xeros mostly doesn't care about it. He expects to manage his problems through his own strength, and wit. If someone wants to leave the card table, well more money for him to win.

4. He respects the way they get things done. Otherwise he hasn't really examined his feelings very much. Imperial gold spends just as well as any other.

5. Think I answered this one in #2.

6. Xeros yearns for respectability, but on his terms. He wants important people to respect him, the bastard son of a whore, and accept him as one of them. He wants to force them to see what they fear, what they think is beneath them.

Here's the mostly finished character sheets. I still need to do languages and basic adventuring equipment. I'm still planning on making a guard dog, it'll just be a normal pooch though.

Xeros Darkshield(Yes he took a different name when he became a Pally.)
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2593273

Dusk(The Heavy Horse)
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2594393

It looks like I have at least a couple skills you don't have. Neither of us have great skill access. So it's a good thing we have a Ninja.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:11, Fri 11 Feb 2022.

1. How is your family doing?
The Fire is doing well, thank you for asking. Oh, you mean my mortal parents? I don't know. I don't think I ever had any. The first milk I tasted belonged to a goat I freed from a farm.

2. Why did you become the class you are?
You say that as if you believe it was a choice. What else would I be?

3. How do you feel about the Highlanders being aloof and absent from eastern Destivia?
"The few Highlanders I've met are soft. It's better for them to keep their soft skin away from the hard, sharp things in my jungle."

4. How do you feel about the growing Imperial presence?
"The only Imperials I've met have been traders. They seem decent enough."

5. Which of the gods does your character follow and why?
"We are all the sons and daughters of the Fire. Fire cleanses and from that cleansing new life is born. We are all born of Fire, some of us just carry a little more of it in us than others."

6. What is the one thing your character yearns for but is always just out of reach?
"I had a staff when I was a child. I don't remember where it came from. I remember always having it. I fell asleep one night, and when I awoke it was gone. Sometimes I see one like it, but it's never the same. I'll know mine when I see it."

@Ilera

1. A lot of the time, the Longshaft barbarians do attack the traders. It has been less frequent over the last few years because the Imperials are sending much more heavily armed caravans. Settlers and Destivian traders are still pretty easy pickings. Every once in a great while the orcs will come through the pass and it is always bad. Something about the orcs prevents them from surrender. They will fight to the death, even if outnumbered 5 or 6 to 1. It is pretty crazy. They will also kill their own (and themselves) as well as destroy whatever they are transporting before letting it fall into savage hands. As much as the tribals would love to get their hands on whatever the Orakku have, it just never pans out well. The Dead Merchant Pass is named such specifically because of Longshaft and Viktrimonte barbarians raiding and stealing from anyone who comes across (that they can). The Imperials are just the most protected as of late.

2. Where and how did you meet Talka?

3. Since you both picked Slick and Da'Kass'Da as additional traveling companions, give me something quick that you like about about them that makes them okay in your book.

@Xeros

1. I'm just poking humor here, but FEEL THE EDGE!!! Is it Zeroes? We were trying to figure that out last night. Zur-Ahs? Sur-Ahs? Sur-rose? It is Zeroes isn't it? :P

2. Do you still visit your mother?

3. Do you have any positive relationships with anyone? Anywhere? Surely among the church, right?

4. Since you both picked Slick and Da'Kass'Da as additional traveling companions, give me something quick that you like about about them that makes them okay in your book.

1. Lol. It would be pronounced zee - roos, so basically zero with a long 'O' sound and pluralized. At least that's how I thought of it. It was either that Xavier and that ones been done pretty good. So Xeros the EdgeLord, :P

2. Of course I do. I'm proud of all the success she's had. Also she's an amazing cook, wouldn't want to miss out on that home cooking, and one of his retired dogs(Grump) lives with her. I'm not afraid of people judging me for having a whore of a mother.

3. Xeros still keeps in touch with any of the surviving thugs from his street days. Brotherhood isn't something easily forgotten. Family wise he keeps in touch with his mother, and two half sisters, Faith and Hope. Among the faithful Xeros is known to be a large supporter of the High Priest, and the old guard in general. That support has allowed the High Priest to continue in his role, despite his very advanced age.

4. Slick - Strong Ambitious Woman, what's not to like. Destined is just another way for saying driven.
Da'Kass'Da - She came highly recommended by the High Priest. I appreciate how useful she is in covering some of my weaknesses.(We need skills.)

The High Priest in Julietta is actually a High Priestess. But if you want to originate from somewhere else, that can be squared easy enough.

1. OK, so Ilera definitely steers clear of the Orakku when they come through. I'd gather that the DMP is a good place for salvage if you don't mind some dangers? Maybe a little trade from those Imperial caravans that are better guarded? If so then Ilera will probably make regular journies to the area for that purpose.

2. Where and how did you meet Taika?
"Taika is not the first companion I've had. I found him five years ago, hurt- he had been badly gored by a boar while hunting. I healed him. Spoke with him. He spoke with me. He's been with me ever since."

3.

@Xeros: I'm going to assume they linked up with us as a group rather than us as a party unless you have other ideas.


Da'Kass'Da: is strong, and her dark skin means she carries more of The Fire in her than most. Ilera would admire that. If her interest in stories of the Old Kingdoms translates into an interest in stories in general then Ilera will like that too; she likes telling stories.

Slick: Strength and perseverance will always impress Ilera. Slick is going to also have the benefit of being skilled at survival in lands Ilera knows can be deadly for the unworthy.

Works for me. Now I know how to better flesh them out. I have some ideas of what to do with you and where to go. This is why I like these sort of round table talks with people. When there is a larger group or even when I join a game nobody ever wants to be so blunt or up front.

Yeah, it works out a lot better with session 0 stuff. Tiberia kinda got screwed on that angle with the game already running when he joined.

Indeed.

Sure the city where he comes from can be anywhere that ticks all the boxes.

Sheets look pretty good but both of you are missing some stuff.

Ilera: Ilera and Taika both are missing stuff related to their AC. Taika's armor bonus for the barding is not included. Ilera's natural armor bonus from the AoNA is not included.

Sir Edgelord, your languages are missing. Please make a note of how much wealth you've actually got left, too. I expect to be starting within the next few days. Possibly as early as tomorrow.

Working on it now.

Since this came up yesterday in Xeros's post I want to clarify something.

I do not want you to feel like you are forced to play or act a certain way besides your character personality. But having said that, try to think of the consequences and the other player playing too. If you want to be a murder hobo and pick fights with everyone you meet, that is fine. Just remember, you will lose. Eventually. At level 7, as awesome as you are, a smart group of level 4s can still take you down, especially if you're not on the same page as each other.

Can Xeros embarrass Man Rape? I'm pretty positive of it. Can Xeros embarrass Man Rape and 10 or so Barbarians plus the war chief, and most likely the convicts, fail his mission, and convince the High Priestess of his church it wasn't his fault? I am pretty positive he cannot. :/

Please be reasonable and take it seriously. Thats all! :D