# Eberron: Mark of the Raven (Closed)



## Kishin (Jun 2, 2006)

Apologies for the long introduction. Spoiler tags included to minimize space consumption. 

*Introduction* 
[Sblock]

Breland-Cyre Border, 994 YK

_There is a first time for everything. Yet, the commander of the Iron Ravens had never thought he would face an ambush unprepared, especially so far into his career. A career that had, until this point, been marked by almost unblemished perfection.

"Down!"

Jagged shards of rock rained down upon Dhakken Ranos' prone form as a fist sized ball of orange flame exploded against the fallen boulder that had previously sheltered him.  It was a sixth sense born of two and a half decades of a battlefield that saved the mercenary captain, spurring him to leap panther-like from behind his stony shield moments before the spell's impact. Growling a curse and forgoing the recovery of the helmet which had fallen from his head as a result of his desperate dive to safety, the veteran commander snatched up a spear from the side of a fallen comrade and sent it sailing toward his aggressor with all the iron hard strength of sinew he possessed. Driven by Ranos' rage and desperation, the spear flew swift and true, slamming into and through its target even as the spellcaster brought the burnished golden wand in his right hand around for another blast. 

There is a first time for everything.

I was due for this, Ranos chuckled grimly, half surprised by the sudden rush of black humor in the midst of such slaughter. I am no god. I am not all seeing. Sooner or later, something, somewhere, was bound to slip through the cracks.

But how? How had a hostile unit of Blademarks crossed into Breland and cut his men off? How had they even discovered the Iron Ravens when the unit was travelling in the dead of night far from the main roads and battlegrounds. And why were supplemented with two whole squads worth of Karrnathi undead?

Scrambling to his feet, the former Knight of the Rekkenmark ripped his worn black-bladed longsword from its scabbard and pointed forward. This was the third confrontation with the Blademarks in as many days, and by the looks of it, it would have to be their last. Their backs against the canyon walls, the Iron Ravens would have no choice but to force their way through the body of the enemy troops. The Cyran border was less than half a day's march. Once crossed, the Ravens would be safe alongside the rest of their company.

"Push forward and put them to rout! If we break their lines, we'll be in Cyre before the day is done!" Ranos shouted. 

A hellishly brilliant flash of white light against the noonday sky was quick to draw the attention of both Ranos' mercenaries and their advesaries away from the battle at hand. At the edge of the horizon, a dead grey  mist slowly spun itself into existence, rising from the ground like a phantom from a grave. In the distance, Cyre was dying._[/Sblock]

*A Brief History of the Iron Ravens*
[Sblock]    Formed in 986 by the infamous Karrnathi war hero turned expatriate, Dhakken Ranos, the Iron Ravens were one of the innumerable mercenary companies to distinguish themselves during the hundred year history of the Last War. Initially, Ranos' reputation attracted a large number of would-be followers to his banner, but the former Karrnathi general chose instead to restrict the units size in favor of emphasizing quality over quantity. As a result, at the height of its success the Iron Ravens contained perhaps 500 members, divided into two units of 250 each, one group under the command of Dhakken Ranos himself, the other under his longtime subordinate and friend, Gared Caldarrn. Rarely did either commander deploy their units in full, however, preferring instead to utilize smaller squads to strike at strategically important targets. A large number of the Ravens were handpicked by Ranos himself, though both Caldarrn and Ranos' lieutenant also played major roles in the selection process. The Ravens possessed members of all nations and races, even counting a handful of goblinoids and (if rumors are to be believed) one Warforged amongst their ranks. The unit frequently made use of guerilla tactics, and relied on skirmishing and superior mobility to whittle down and defeat forces oftentimes larger than their own (Particularly notable is a small division of cavalry mounted atop magebred horses, presumably acquired through the machinations of Setian D'Vadalis, a dragonmarked scion of that house who linked up with the unit under questionable circumstances). For the most part, however, the Iron Ravens avoided open conflict, instead preferring surgical strike missions which could be accomplished with the least amount of casualties for both parties involved. The unit maintained a relatively low mortality rate throughout its service as a result of this preference, as well as the superior tactics of its commanding officers.

The first half of the company's eight year history was spent in the employ of Aundair, though lack of cooperation on the part of the regular Aundairian military (which culminated in a heated argument between Captain Ranos and Lord Darro Ir'Lain) led to the company's dismissal. The Iron Ravens were subsequently hired by Breland, and served there until the expiration of their contract and the promise of a better offer from Cyre. Sadly, an unexpected ambush by Deneith Blademarks while in en route to their newfound employer and the deaths of the entirety of Caldarrn's brigade during the Day of Mourning (his unit had traveled on ahead of Ranos' main force as a gesture of good faith and in preparation of immediate deployment) resulted in heavy losses for the unit, reducing the fighting strength of the Ravens to little more than 100 men. Those who survived the ambush regrouped alongside Ranos and spent several months on the lam, before the captain formally disbanded the unit in 994. The Iron Ravens have since dispersed to all corners of Khorvaire, with some finding service in other mercenary companies or in the militaries of post Thronehold Khorvaire and others taking up the adventuring lifestyle or even retiring completely. Small numbers of the Ravens have lived and cooperated together since the Last War, but for the most part, the unit now exists only as a collection of shared memories and experiences amongst a dwindling number of survivors.[/Sblock]


The game will begin in the year 998 YK, with the PCs having each received letters via House Orien courier from their long lost commander, Dhakken Ranos, asking their aid in completing one final mission left unfinished by the Ravens during the Last War, and hoping that they will honor their old loyalty to the unit. Included with the letter is a pouch containing 50 gp, and the suggestion that the recipient consider this either a severance pay or an up front salary, depending on their choice. 


2nd level characters, 32 point buy, 900 gp for equipment. The PCs in the campaign will be either a) former members of the Iron Ravens b) Friends, relatives, next of kin or acquaintances of a deceased or MIA member of the Ravens c) Anyone who could have for whatever reason intercepted one of Ranos' letters. Feel free to coordinate shared backgrounds/connections; you all are at least somewhat familiar with each other from your time in the Ravens.

The following supplements are available for usage:

Player's Handbook II
Expanded Psionics Handbook
The Complete Series (Warrior, Adventurer, Arcane, Divine and Psionic)
The Races Series (Stone, Wild, Destiny, and Races of Eberron)
Heroes of Battle
Eberron (ECS, Sharn: City of Towers, Explorer's Handbook, Magic of Eberron, Player's Guide to Eberron)

Ideas from outside these sources will be looked at case-by-case. I'm relatively open and accepting, and so long as you can provide a decent justification for something, I'm most likely not opposed to it. I could do without any Illumians from Destiny, however. Goblinoids, as a separate example, are fine by me. I'm more than happy to help provide inroads for any of your concepts. The Iron Ravens were/are an eclectic bunch, and there's certainly room for Warforged, Kalashtar or any number of oddities amongst their friends or their allies.

The game will for the most part be PbP, of course, though I wouldn't be adverse to doing an occasional session via D&DChat if the playerbase was willing.

S'all for now folks. Looking forward to hearing anything and everything out there.

Edit:

Included link to Sylnae's 3E profiler (http://www.sylnae.net/3eprofiler/), if people want to submit character sheets that way. I also have a pretty amazingly thorough MSWord sheet a friend devised for a previous campaign, furnishable upon request.

Also, you can reach me via email at Swordwraith@gmail.com, AIM at the SN Song of Wyrd, or simply by posting in this thread, if you have any further questions about the game.


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## JonnyFive (Jun 2, 2006)

i'll put in a bid for a berzerker type, possibly human, maby warforged
a battle rager who was used in the "cleanup" squads.  if he's human i'll probably look at dragon marks if thats allowed, if not he can eather be a warforged who join up with the iron ravens or a common zerker who did the same.  atm just throwing out some ideas, let me know if any sound good/bad.


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## nonamazing (Jun 2, 2006)

I have an idea for a character:  A young barbarian from Argonnessen who spontaneously developed an aberrant dragonmark on his fourteenth birthday.  The elders took him to see Fellithysaar, the ancient brass dragon who acted as the tribe's guardian totem, who deduced that the mark must be part of the mysterious draconic Prophecy.  Specifically, the mark indicated that the boy must travel far away to a distant and strange land, where he would be forged in the heat of battle.

The boy ended up in Khorvaire, where he was found and recruited by the Iron Ravens.  The Ravens, of course, were always in the market for more shock troops, barbarians being especially favored, and the boy's amazing resistance to fire made him all the more useful (_fireball_ spells were becoming all too common on the modern battlefield).  He quickly became an amusing spectacle to the troops, who found his mad willingness to set himself on fire to be very amusing.

Later, after his unit was disbanded, the boy returned to Argonnessen, where he was greeted as a hero.  The tribal leader, a powerful old shaman, began to train the boy in the tribe's secret arts, preparing him to become the new tribal leader.  He was given an offical naming ceremony to mark his entrance into manhood.  From that day forth, he would be known as Ixen'vaerirlym, or "he who dances in the strangers' fire".

Life was good for the next year or so, until Ixen's dragonmark suddenly grew, covering his entire hand and forearm.  Once again consulting Fellithysaar, Ixen learned that his quest in the strange lands had not yet come to an end--he was destined to return.

Ixen would be a human Barbarian/Dragon Shaman with the Aberrant Dragonmark and Dragon Totem feats (his aberrant dragonmark power would be _produce flame_; his totem would be brass).  I'd also like to use the dragon barbarian variant from Unearthed Arcana (in brief, if you might not have that source: he would lose fast movement, uncanny dodge, trap sense, and improved uncanny dodge; he would gain Blind-Fight at 1st, +2 on paralysis and sleep saves at 2nd, and frightful presence at 5th).

If this concept looks okay to you, I'll come back later with a detailed character sheet.


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## Sidekick (Jun 2, 2006)

I've got two ideas that I'd be more than happy to play.

* Rel Der Serdalis: human scout1/kinetist1 CG. Rel is an expert marksman, safe-cracker and has some, unusual mental powers that he tries to keep hidden. [will go for psionX from 2nd level onwards, ideally hes the trap fixer and arcanist all rolled into one]

 Keldith Vair: male shifter monk1/shifter paragon1 LN. Nwo the thing is this uses a homebrew class that was made by SaveVsDM heres the link. If you'd allow that then I'd love to play Keldith.

Essentially Keldith is a powerhouse. He uses ther versatile strike feat, and a falchion for the big guys in combat. He's a true shifter with his beasthide and brash behaviour - he's also an excellent warrior and a capable scout.

Anyway holler back at me.


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## Mista Collins (Jun 2, 2006)

*Chev ir'Lyrandar*

Sounds very interesting and a lot of fun. Since I'm at the office right now, Ill just say I am interested and will update this post with my ideas and stats. Unless all you want right now is concept, background, personality, etc.

EDIT:

Here is the background for the character.

[sblock]
_The Greying Mist_, one of the soarwood sailing vessel's owned and operated by House Lyrandar, took advantage of the war that has storming on the continent of Khorvaire. Too most dock guards and magistrates, the _The Greying Mist_ appeared to me a normal cargo carrying ship. But with the shadier skills of both the Captain and First Mate of _The Greying Mist_, the vessel would smuggle things for anyone who would be willing to pay the price.

Born in 970 YK aboard _The Greying Mist_, just off the coast from Stormhome, Chev was raised on the water. Growing up on _The Greying Mist_, Chev has seen much of Khorvaire and love hearing and telling tales in the various ports. His father was the Captain of _The Greying Mist_ and his mother was the First Mate. Both parents had manifest the Mark of Storms at a young age and with no doubt, everyone believed Chev would also. By the time Chev fifteen, he had already manifest his Dragonmark and was on his way to take over as Captain of _The Greying Mist_ when his father could no longer man the helm. 

But two years later, on Chev's seventeenth naming day in 987 YK, he got into an argument with both parents over their involvement, or lack there of, in the civil war that has plagued Khorvaire. With tensions high on _The Greying Mist_, Chev disembarked the next time they came to port in Stormhome and decided to take action and join Aundair's effort in the war. Chev had heard rumor's of the Iron ravens and their accomplishments in the name of Aundair. Using his skill of words, Chev was able to gain an audience with Caldarrn and then Ranos himself. With his silver tongue and effective work of words, Chev found himself enlisted with the Iron Ravens. The idea of being apart of a mercenary company and having ties to those willing to pay, reminded him much of what went on aboard _The Greying Mist_.

With his sailing skills, and other skills he learned aboard _The Greying Mist_, Chev found himself gathering information, forging documents, interpreting letters in foreign tongues, and using diplomacy to help the Iron Ravens gain advantages during battle.

After the company disbanded in 994 YK, Chev found himself sailing aboard one of the few airships owned by House Lyrandar. It felt good to be sailing again and it felt even better to sail the skies than the sea. The limits were endless! He would still reminisce about the days with the Iron Ravens and would tell passengers and crewman stories of tense battles and the heroic deeds of Dhakken Ranos and the Iron Ravens.

Then the day the courier handed him the letter and pouch of gold from Dhakken Ranos changed everything! Ranos wanted a few of the Ravens back for one last mission? Why contact Chev? What would be involved? Maybe this would be a chance for Chev to relive those days with the Ravens and earn enough gold to purchase his own airship, or maybe he could even earn enough reputation himself to inherit a House Lyrandar airship.
[/sblock]

And here is the link to Chev's character sheet on EProfiler. http://www.sylnae.net/3eprofiler/view.php?id=23656

Chev will be going toward the Windwright Captain PrC.


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## Kishin (Jun 2, 2006)

Whew, thanks for the prompt display of interest, guys!

Anyway, here goes:

Nonamazing - I like the character concept alot, and it manages to tie in with a few plot threads I had previously drummed up for part of the campaign. I'm also ok with the usage of the Dragon Barbarian from UA, I actually do have a copy of the book, but hadn't included it in the list of options for the campaign mainly out of forgetfulness. So, feel free to fire away (too much alliteration, wow) with a character.

Sidekick - I have a soft spot for psionics, and a character with that sort of Swiss Army Knife usefulness would definitely come in handy. Looking at the Shifter Paragon writeup, however, it seems very much in line with the power levels and general build structure of the other racial paragon classes, so I'd be more than happy to allow it if its Keldith you'd like to play. Ultimately, the choice is up to you.

Mista Collins - I'd be content with just background/personality for now if you want, but I've no objections to a completed sheet.

JonnyFive - Dragonmarks are ok by me. If you wouldn't mind posting a snippet of background?


Also, for those listening, I'd encourage at least one character (or multiple characters) a degree of ability with social skills like Diplomacy, etc. al. Caster types would also be nice, as the group seems to be leaning toward a heavy melee base with this opening round of concepts.


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## ByteRynn (Jun 2, 2006)

I'd be interested in throwing my hand in with Breyer Coldstone, gruff dwarven druid and all-around pessimist.  

During his time with the Iron Ravens, he was actually rather pleasant, never letting the situation get to him, always talking about how "This ain't so bad" and trying to keep up morale.  Since the Ravens broke up, something seems to have happened to him and caused him to change.

He's always talking about how "the Last War weren't nuthin' compared to the one thas' comin' next." and how "The big one is gonna try an' eat us all up-only those as have prepared are gonna make it, an' I plan on being with them."  When asked how he knows these things he rarely gives reasons, he just looks knowingly at the offending questioner until one or both forget what the question was.  If pressed, he'll remind the upstart "I've been trained in secrets and magics far older than anything you can fathom!  Mine is the magic that put down invasions of demons and wars between dragons!  But don' listen to me...and don' ask for my help when the big one comes!"

Mechanically, I'd like to take the Shapeshifting druid and spontanious rejuvenation options from PHBII.


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## Azaar (Jun 2, 2006)

I'd be interested as well, although I'm finding myself at an impasse.  I could go three different routes; let me know which you think would be good.  All of these, most likely, will be human, with one exception.

1)  My quintessential favorite:  the warlock.  Probably high Int/Cha and take Able Learner.  Alternatively, I could go Rogue 1/Warlock 1 and take advantage of the skill points from being a first-level rogue and build upon that for my Warlock levels, perhaps towards becoming a Chameleon.

2)  My glaring exception comes as my second choice (which is, admittedly, neck-and-neck with the warlock concept):  changeling beguiler.  The potential of a beguiler cannot be ignored, especially not with being a changeling -- the synergy is absolutely perfect.  Possibly building towards Chameleon as well, although playing on the Cabinet Trickster and Mindspy prestige classes are also very viable for this particular concept.

3)  Duskblade -- straight duskblade, at that -- no multiclassing intended or needed for this concept.  Good mix of melee and magic, although the magic is limited to mostly touch spells, but the potential is also there.

I'm really leaning towards the warlock (or rogue/warlock) and changeling beguiler concepts.  I'll leave the final call to you on which you'd prefer, and I'd go from there -- either concept works for me.


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## Kishin (Jun 2, 2006)

Azaar -- One of the members of my old IRC campaign actually contacted me earlier today and proposed a Changeling Beguiler concept for this game, so ideally you may wish to avoid this concept for the time being. The Warlock or the Duskblade would both be fine, and as it stands, the party appears to be lacking a degree of arcane support/firepower, so either would stand a fair chance of coming in handy.


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## lonesoldier (Jun 2, 2006)

Cleaver (name might change, probably depending on weapon choice) was once a soldier in the army of Breland. He served without distinction, and during one battle with Aundair was severely crippled by a mounted knight. His fellow warforged squadmates came to his rescue and killed the knight, but the human officer decided that Cleaver would not be taken back, since it would be easier to buy a newer one. The other warforged obeyed, just as they had been taught.

Cleaver lay on that battlefield for what seemed like forever, until some mercenary, scavenging equipment, found him. Cleaver was barely functional, but the man carried the warforged back to the mercenary camp and with the help of an artificer (Any PC artificers?) they managed to fully rebuild him. Because of this he is forever indebted to the Iron Ravens, and though he earned his keep in battle, he will still do anything for them.

When they disbanded he was truly lost. With the Treaty of Thronehold signed he could do whatever he wanted, but the complexities of Khorvaire never truly interested him, and he only knew war. For some time he worked in a Cannith warehouse, serving as both a guard and a labourer. He quickly accumulated 'considerable' wealth since he did not waste money on food, drink or lodgings. When he received the letter, a request for aid, he was gone in a moment, failing to even notify his overseers.

EDIT:
Oh right, I was thinking about a Warforged Fighter2, defintely a front-line warrior of some sort.
EDIT2:
See my next post.


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## Azaar (Jun 2, 2006)

In that case, I'll go with the warlock.  I'll try to have some stats up before the end of the evening (I'm on EST, so I've got a bit of time still).


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## lonesoldier (Jun 2, 2006)

*Sorry about the double post*

I just read your last response.

EDIT: Alright, I sent you an email about a Bard character.
EDIT2: Sweet Baator, I'm switching all the bard levels for rogue levels...


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## JonnyFive (Jun 2, 2006)

A young man from the house orion who elected to join the Iron Raves as a scout and courier.  he found that over time he truly enjoyed the rage and chaos that ensued in battle and elected to join them on a more perminent status.  though his family found his battle lust odd, they let him go at it, as he served a dual purpose there very well.  

About the time the Iron Ravens broke up, he developed a Dragon mark on the inside of his right eye socket.  that was on his 21st birth day.  Taking that as a sign that he was on the correct track, he went back to work for the couriers guild, always requesting the jobs that lead to battle fields.  and he usualy got thouse jobs as no one else wanted them.

as time passed, the young man begin yerning for his time with the iron ravens and his companions. so when the letter came from his former leader, he took off almost overnight, headed for whatever destiny had in store for him.


fyi i suck as a writer, hope this passes the test 
also perhaps the other barbarian an I shared a unit, that would serve as a decent link into why a courier from house orion whould be a barbarian


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## Shalimar (Jun 3, 2006)

...


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## Dracomeander (Jun 3, 2006)

I would like to put my hat in for this game.

The concept I'm looking at right now would be that of a Kalashtar Telepath taking all the kalashtar telepath substitution levels from Races of Eberron. He would be a diplomat/information broker and with some careful power choices could also assist as a secondary artillerist to complement whatever arcanist we have in the group. 

I will work up a firmer background concept and try to post it later tonight.


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## lonesoldier (Jun 3, 2006)

Taran the Rogue.

There are some things in here the other PCs shouldn't know, but I'm sure everyone here knows not to metagame. If you don't, that's what the sblock is for.
[sblock=Taran]Taran's parents were both mercenaries and served with the Iron Ravens. They were killed during the Deneith Blademark ambush and he was raised in a state-run orphanage in Sharn. Taran was the kid who would be very naughty, but everyone liked too much to punish and all the others looked to for orders, even though he wasn't the biggest or the brightest. When he became an adult he fell in with the local thieves guild and worked as a middle-man (The go-between for robbers and their fences) until the police began to crack down on such activity. At that time Taran decided to go legitimate and joined the King's Citadel to try and become one of the Crown's spies (a Dark Lantern) since he already possessed the crucial skills.[/sblock]


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## ByteRynn (Jun 3, 2006)

*Breyer Coldstone*

*Breyer Coldstone*
[sblock]Male dwarven Druid 2
LN Medium Humanoid
*Init* +2; *Senses* darkvision (60 ft.); Listen +3, Spot +3
*Languages* Common, Druidic, Dwarven, Orc
________________________________________________
*AC* 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15
*Special* +4 dodge vs. Giants
*Hp* 22 (2 HD)
*Fort* +6, *Ref* +2, *Will* +6
*Special* +2 vs. poison, +2 vs. spells and spell effects
___________________________________________________
*Speed* 20 ft. (4 squares); woodland stride
*Melee* scimitar +4 (1d6+2/18-20) or
*Melee* shortspear +3 (1d6+2) or
*Ranged* shortspear +3 (1d6+2/20 ft.)
*Base Atk* +1; *Grp* +3
*Special Attacks* shapeshift (swift action, predator form-wolf), +1 attack vs. orcs and goblinoids. +4 to resist bull-rush and trips
*Combat Gear* _wand of cure light wounds_ (35 charges)
*Druid Spells Prepared* CL 2
1- _surefooted stride, lesser vigor, lesser vigor_
0- _cure minor wounds, cure minor wounds, cure minor wounds, dawn_
_______________________________________________________________________
*Abilities* Str 14, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 6
*SQ* wild empathy +2, stonecunning, spontaneous rejuvenation
*Feats* combat casting
*Skills* Appraise +1 (+3 with stone or metal objects), Balance -3, Climb -3, Concentration +8 (+12 casting defensively), Craft (any) +1 (+3 stone or metal), Diplomacy +3, Escape Artist -3, Handle Animal +3, Hide -3, Jump -9, Knowledge (nature) +8, Move Silently -3, Ride +4, Search +1 (+3 to notice unusual stonework), Survival +10 (+12 in above-ground environments), Swim -8
*Possessions* Combat gear plus hide armor, heavy wooden shield, MW scimitar, shortspear x3, spell component pouch, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint and steel, 50 ft. hemp rope, sunrods x2, trail rations (10 days), waterskin, 15 gp.[/sblock]

*Breyer Coldstone, Wolf Form*
[sblock]Male dwarven Druid 2
LN Medium Humanoid
*Init* +2; *Senses* darkvision (60 ft.); Listen +3, Spot +3
*Languages* understand Common, Druidic, Dwarven, Orc
________________________________________________
*AC* 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14
*Special* +4 dodge vs. Giants
*Hp* 18 (2 HD)
*Fort* +6, *Ref* +2, *Will* +6
*Special* +2 vs. poison, +2 vs. spells and spell effects
___________________________________________________
*Speed* 50 ft. (10 squares); woodland stride
*Melee* bite +5 (1d6+6)
*Base Atk* +1; *Grp* +5
*Special Attacks* shapeshift (swift action, human form), +1 attack vs. orcs and goblinoids. +4 to resist bull-rush and trips
_______________________________________________________________________
*Abilities* Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 6
*SQ* wild empathy +2, stonecunning
*Feats* -
*Skills* Appraise +1 (+3 with stone or metal objects), Concentration +8, Diplomacy +3, Handle Animal +3, Jump +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Search +1 (+3 to notice unusual stonework), Survival +10 (+12 in above-ground environments)[/sblock]

Background: [sblock] During his time with the Iron Ravens, Breyer was actually rather pleasant, never letting the situation get to him, always talking about how "This ain't so bad" and trying to keep up morale. Since the Ravens broke up, something seems to have happened to him and caused him to change.  He was one of those with the ravens from the very beginning, following them out of Karrnath and into the war.

In the 4 years since the Ravens disbanded, he has returned to the Mror holds, and wandered the northern areas of Karrnath, Mror Holds, and even the Laazaar Principalities.  He doesn't speak about what happened to him in the north, but he has come back a changed dwarf.

He was surprised to receive a letter, but ever loyal and honorable, despite his changed outlook on life, he has decided to go to his commander for this one, last job.

He's always talking about how "the Last War weren't nuthin' compared to the one thas' comin' next." and how "The big one is gonna try an' eat us all up-only those as have prepared are gonna make it, an' I plan on being with them." When asked how he knows these things he rarely gives reasons, he just looks knowingly at the offending questioner until one or both forget what the question was. If pressed, he'll remind the upstart "I've been trained in secrets and magics far older than anything you can fathom! Mine is the magic that put down invasions of demons and wars between dragons! But don' listen to me...and don' ask for my help when the big one comes!"
 [/sblock]


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## Mista Collins (Jun 3, 2006)

*Chev ir'Lyrandar*

I edited my post. I put my characters background and character sheet in my first post. You can scroll up, or just click here


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## lonesoldier (Jun 4, 2006)

Okay, Chev and Taran overlap a bunch. My first idea was to simply drop Diplomacy and a few other Cha-based skills but then I realized that my backstory and future PrC required those. Since my other function is to generally assist the team, I'm going to make an artificer instead. More or less the same background and I'm not really interested in any PrCs.

EDIT:
What's your rule about previous level's Craft Reserves? Do I have 20 XP to spend or not?


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## nonamazing (Jun 5, 2006)

Kishin said:
			
		

> Nonamazing - I like the character concept alot, and it manages to tie in with a few plot threads I had previously drummed up for part of the campaign. I'm also ok with the usage of the Dragon Barbarian from UA, I actually do have a copy of the book, but hadn't included it in the list of options for the campaign mainly out of forgetfulness. So, feel free to fire away (too much alliteration, wow) with a character.




I've put up a rough draft of Ixen here.  I've got a lot more I want to write about his history and personality--expect a long post from me by midday tomorrow.

For his weapon, I wanted to give him a dragonfang greataxe.  The rules for them are in the Draconomicon.  It counts as a masterwork weapon, and the lingering power in it causes it to deal 1 point of energy damage per hit (in this case, fire damage).  The total cost of it would be  620 gold pieces (300 for masterwork, 300 for dragonfang, and 20 for greataxe).  If it's not allowed, that's no problem, I can certainly just make it a normal masterwork weapon.


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## Sidekick (Jun 5, 2006)

OKay, I've reviewed my current commitments and I think I'll have to throw in the towel.

Which is a shame, beucase I really would have loved to play Keldith (mmmmm shifter monk).

well, have fun everyone.

And remeber, dont' take candy from strangers


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## Kishin (Jun 5, 2006)

Alright, folks, I apologize for my scarcity over the last couple days. I was experiencing connectivity issues after setting up a new PC, thanks to the bizarre and inscrutable-to-man practices of my ISP. I'm more or less back in full now, though.

As it stands we have Ixen (nonamazing), Chev (MistaCollins) and Breyer (ByteRynn), so a Barbarian/Dragon Shaman, a Bard and a Druid. There's two (maybe three, depending, I haven't quite settled yet) slots left to fill, with Sidekick bowing out. Skews the melee portion of the group a bit, but we shall see how things play out. 

Azaar and Dracomeander - Are you two still interested? You had mentioned planning to submit background blurbs at one point for a Warlock (Azaar) and a Kalashtar Telepath (Dracomeander). Love to hear from either of you.


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## jkason (Jun 5, 2006)

Dunno if I'm too late to put in a bid for a spot, but I've got a couple concepts to throw in. If you're already booked, no harm, no foul:

Shifter (shiftwing) Cleric:

[sblock=Galec Setou]Galec was raised in relative seclusion, on a small farm off any main thoroughfares. But much as his mother feared for his safety, when the young shifter learned how to fly, there was little Momma could do. High above everything, revelling in the wind caressing his face, the warmth of the sun all that much closer, Galec didn't notice the hunter until his arrow tore into the young shifter's shoulder, and he fell, hard. He heard and felt the bones crunching when he landed. His vision swam, his body burned with pain. The sound of the hunter, spitting out his hatred for "aberrations" like Galec, echoed oddly. He was going to die, the hunter promised.

But Galec fought. Through the pain, through the blinding fear, he fought, dodging blows and returning his own. He refused to give up, to believe his gifts were a curse to be cut out of Eberron like an infection. And when he could do no more, and the hunter once again raised his sword, another blade erupted from the man's chest.

A small group of Iron Ravens, using the sparsely-populated countryside to move discreetly on their way back from a mission, had chanced upon the struggle. Vorias, the group's medic and himself a worshipper of Dol Dorn, knew his god would never forgive him for letting such a fiery warrior fall at the hands of the kind of bitter coward who shot children. Unable to stop but also unwilling to let Galec suffer alone, Vorias convinced his commander to let him take the shifter with them, tending his wounds (and preaching Dol Dorn) as they continued.

Against Ranos' better judgement, Galec stayed on to become Vorias' assistant. He learned medicine, faith, and martial prowess from his mentor, and grew into something of a mascot for the Iron Ravens (he even began referring to his avian form as his Raven Aspect). Apparently Dol Dorn approved, as on top of his natural abilities, Galec gained the rare gift of divine magic, as well.[/sblock]

Human Sorcerer:

[sblock=Liev Sibin]Liev is a wild child. Orphaned early, he took to the woods, intending to eke out an existence with the woodcraft he'd learned from his parents.

There Liev discovered two important things. First, travelers could be amazingly superstitious when they were off the trail and under the canopy. They jumped at little things, sometimes packing up and running off in the middle of the night rather than face whatever rustling and noises they encountered in the woods. In their hurry, they had a tendency to forget things, and Liev was only too happy to take care of such abandoned belongings.

One of those belongings was a book about magics, from which Liev learned the second important thing: he had an innate gift for the arcane. It was an odd thing at first, expressing itself as random displays of light or sound. But when he learned to control it, well ... let's just say the abilities went a nice way to helping him take advantage of that aforementioned superstition.

He'd grown to be something of a local legend, a spook haunting the forest, responsible for unexpected bursts of cold or spontaneous combustion. And, as overfed merchants and self-important minor nobles ran at the odd sights, Liev found he'd made a comfortable little niche living for himself.

Unfortunately, he finds comfortable is horribly boring. So when he spooked a courier out of a bag of gold and a missive promising clandestine adventure, how could he pass up the chance? Intending to pass himself off as the son of the intended recipient, Liev set off to see just what these Iron Ravens had to offer.[/sblock]

jason


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## Azaar (Jun 5, 2006)

Yeah, sorry about that.  

Just finished, so here goes.  Background, stats and all.

*Farsis Nightshadow -- Ranger 1/Warlock 1*

[sblock=Background]Farsis Nightshadow was one of the last recruits attached to the Iron Ravens before the end of the Last War, serving the role of a scout more than anything else.  There always seemed to be something a bit off about him, but it was the kind of thing that one could never really put their finger on.  His past was something he always kept relatively quiet about, but eventually the truth came out.

One of Farsis's ancestors had made a pact with fell powers to augment his own spellcasting ability.  Such "taint" skipped several generations after the initial pact was made, but Farsis had been born with arcane power of his own from that pact.

Still, Farsis was brought up to hide that part of himself, and as such, he was never really forthcoming about his true nature, preferring to hide his true self away.  Such hiding sent him invariably into the wilderness, where he began to learn the ways of the rangers.

Despite that, the "taint" remained, and as time passed, grew increasingly stronger.  Fortunately, the end of the Last War and the Treaty of Thronehold came to pass, allowing Farsis to depart and make some serious choices of his own.

Now, with the receipt of the letter from Dhakken Ranos, Farsis finds himself at another crossroads.  This time, however, the innate power of his warlock nature has emerged, and with it a desire to take the fight to the powers that would subvert him (or all of Khorvaire, for that matter -- the fell powers have little regard for life of any kind that is free of their influence or dominance).[/sblock]

[sblock=Stats]*Male human ranger 1/warlock 1*:  Medium humanoid; HD 1d8+1 plus 1d6+1; hp 16; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +1; Grp +1; Atk or full atk +1 melee (1d8/19-20, longsword) or +1 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +3 ranged touch (1d6, eldritch blast); SA favored enemy (outsider (evil)) +1, wild empathy; SQ invocations; AL CG; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 14.

*Skills and Feats*:  Concentration +5, Heal +5, Hide +6, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Listen +5, Move Silently +6, Search +7, Spot +5, Survival +5, Use Magic Device +6; Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency (medium), Able Learner, Martial Weapons Proficiency (all martial weapons), Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Track.

*Special Abilities*:  favored enemy (+2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks against evil outsiders, as well as +2 weapon damage bonus against evil outsiders); wild empathy (can improve the attitude of an animal like a Diplomacy check on an NPC:  ranger level + Cha modifier + 1d20).

*Special Qualities*:  invocations (1d6 eldritch blast; least:  see the unseen -- 24-hour darkvision and see invisibility)

*Possessions*:  Masterwork studded leather armor (no armor check penalty, as the masterwork component negates the -1 armor check penalty from normal studded leather), longsword, 2 daggers.  Miscellaneous Equipment:  backpack, bedroll, blanket (winter), chalk (8 pieces), flint and steel, mirror (small steel), pouch (belt), trail rations (14 days), 2 sacks, waterskin, whetstone, cold weather outfit, explorer’s outfit, traveler’s outfit (x2), identification papers, tent, magebred mule, pack saddle, magebred wolf.  Total Cost:  615 gp, 9 sp.  Remaining Funds:  283 gp, 9 sp, 20 cp.[/sblock]


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## Gideon_Gideonson (Jun 6, 2006)

I'd love to join, but I've never done one of these before, so I'll have to see how times/required post frequency shapes up.

Anyway...I have four characters I'd like to run.  They don't have names, and I don't have them completely drawn up (finals coming up...), but tell me which one you'd prefer and I can get him up and running shortly.

Option 1: Human Marshal1 (from Minatures Handbook, can be found in an excerpt on Wizards site)/Fighter1:  This particular character has quite an interesting story behind him, but it requires DM approval...if you prefer this one, I can e-mail it to you, since other players shouldn't know it...probably taking on the role of the melee fighter, and works well in a group due to his auras.

Option 2: Human Scout 2: This one's role is pretty obvious...This is my last choice

Option 3: Half-Orc Fighter 2: Used as a first-attack shock trooper...probably specializing in charges/bull rushes.  Possibly using the Headlong Rush feat (also found on Wizards site)

Option 4: Human Warmage 2: Pretty obvious...raw firepower, and plenty of it.


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## Gideon_Gideonson (Jun 6, 2006)

Sorry about the extra post   , but I found another viable option would be Bard 1/Marshal 1, out to be the party face with insane Charisma skills and going mostly Bard/bard prestige from then on.  Don't know how that would fit in though...maybe regimental drummer...

anyway, just post which one you like best.

EDIT: Hmmm...that little edit button didn't load before...

Anyway, just throwing another option out there.  Marshal 1/Paladin 1, same general idea as the Marshal 1/Fighter 1...just depends on party alignment.  Sorry about so many options, but I don't know how you're planning on running the campaign, so pick the one you think will work best given the current party.


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## Bront (Jun 6, 2006)

Kishin said:
			
		

> Alright, folks, I apologize for my scarcity over the last couple days. I was experiencing connectivity issues after setting up a new PC, thanks to the bizarre and inscrutable-to-man practices of my ISP. I'm more or less back in full now, though.
> 
> As it stands we have Ixen (nonamazing), Chev (MistaCollins) and Breyer (ByteRynn), so a Barbarian/Dragon Shaman, a Bard and a Druid. There's two (maybe three, depending, I haven't quite settled yet) slots left to fill, with Sidekick bowing out. Skews the melee portion of the group a bit, but we shall see how things play out.
> 
> Azaar and Dracomeander - Are you two still interested? You had mentioned planning to submit background blurbs at one point for a Warlock (Azaar) and a Kalashtar Telepath (Dracomeander). Love to hear from either of you.



Still looking for someone?

I've been pondering dipping into a Spirit Shamen, maybe a Shifter, Elf, or even Halfling.  I could also do a Halfing Cleric.  I'll stat something out shortly


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## Hanuman47 (Jun 6, 2006)

Hello,

I'd also like to submit a character.

*Wen*
Male Kalashtar Soulknife 1/Psychic Warrior 1
Chaotic Good

*Statistics*
[sblock]Str 14 – (6 pts)
Dex 14 – (6 pts)
Con 12 -- (4 pts)
Int 12 -- (4 pts)
Wis 15 -- (8 pts)
Cha 12 -- (4 pts)

Hit Points 16
Action Points 5
AC 16*#, Touch 12#, Flat 14*  *+4 w/_forcescreen_ #+1 w/Dodge
Init +2 
BAB +0, Grap +1
Speed 30 (base 30, load 50/100/150, light armor, acp -1)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4

+3 Melee, Mind blade, 1d6+2 piercing, 19-20/x2

Medium, 5'10" tall, 150 lbs., 19 yrs old
Black hair, Variable eyes, White with gold undertones skin

Speaks Common, Elven and Quor (doesn’t yet realize he can)

Skills
+3 Bluff (0, racial bonus)
+3 Climb (1)
+6 Concentration (5)
+3 Diplomacy (0, racial bonus)
+3 Intimidate (0, racial bonus)
+6 Jump (4)
+1 Knowledge: the Planes (1cc)
+1 Knowledge: Psionics (1)
+5 Listen (3)
+5 Spot (3)
+6 Tumble (4)

Feats
- Weapon Focus: Mind Blade(+1 to attack rolls) Soulknife bonus
- Psionic Weapon (expend psi focus for +2d6 damage) Psychic Warrior bonus
- Dodge (+1 AC vs. 1 opponent) 1st level

Kalashtar Traits
-+2 racial bonus to saves vs. mind affecting spells and abilities and possession
- +2 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks
- +2 racial bonus to Disguise checks to pass as human
- Immune to dream effects
- Naturally Psionic:  +1 power point/level
- Mindlink 1x/day (as wilder of 1/2 character level – min 1)

Soul Kinfe Abilities
- Mind Blade (move action to manifest)
- Align Mind Blade (as free action spend 1 power point to give mind blade 
  Good trait for 1 round)

Psychic Warrior Powers Known (Power Points 4)
1st – force screen[/sblock]

*Possessions*
[sblock]Masterwork Chain Shirt (worn, 25 lbs.) 250 gp 
Traveler’s Outfit (worn, 5 lb.) 1 gp

Beltpouch x2 (worn, 1/2 lb.) 4 gp
Plain Silver ring (worn) 1 gp
Targath charm bracelet - +2 to saves vs. disease (worn around wrist) 3 gp
_Potion of Cure Light Wounds_ x 6 (right pouch) 300 gp
Alchemist’s Fire x2 (right pouch, 2 lb.) 50 
Alchemist’s Frost x2 (right pouch, 2 lb.) 
Alchemist’s Spark x2 (right pouch, 2 lb.
ID papers w/portrait (pocket) 5 gp 

Coins- 34 gp 9 sp (left pouch, 1 lb)
Bank of Kundarak letter of credit – 200 gp (left pouch)[/sblock]

*Background, Personality, and Appearance*
[sblock]*Background*
Wen grew up among humans, in a small and fairly isolated farm village in northern Breland. His parents, Adnan and Meeda, made his childhood a happy one and he was well liked in the village, but as he reached adolescence he began to sense that he was somehow different from those around him.  A few weeks after his nineteenth birthday, Wen discovered just how right he was.  Returning from an errand in his father's fields, he noticed smoke rising from the home of the widow Burness, with whom he had spent many happy evenings in the last few months.  He sped to the cottage, but only arrived in time to see two bandits dumping his lover’s body into the well.  

Wen had never lifted a hand in violence to anyone in his life before that moment.  He charged, driven by anguish and wrath, and also a strange, almost aloof, distaste that any being could treat another in such a way.  The bandits, alerted by his howl of rage, simply stood and laughed, casually waiting with swords drawn to strike down this unarmed peasant boy.  They were almost as surprised as Wen was when a shaft of shimmering blue light sprang from his hand.  Wen struck out with the mystic blade and left one of the bandits dead, nearly decapitated.  The other fled, but got no further than the road before the nimble youth was upon him.  It was over very quickly. 

Wen returned home shaken and upset, to say the least. When he related this incident to his parents, they reacted with neither disbelief nor surprise.  Wen’s mother merely looked quietly sad while his father left the house in anger.  Meeda explained that when she and Adnan were courting, a stranger, a tall man with brilliant eyes and hair like the night, came to the village.  Meeda was a barmaid at the village inn at the time and she felt herself strangely drawn to the traveler.  With boldness that surprises her to this day, she invited him for a walk by Glittermoon Creek, a popular spot for lovers.  The two spent an enchanted night together and in the morning the stranger informed her that she would bear a son.  He gave her a silver ring and told her that she would know the right time to give it to the child.  After that he departed, never to return, leaving Meeda with bittersweet memories.  Two months later she accepted Adnan’s proposal of marriage.  When it became obvious that she was with child, she confessed her indiscretion.  Adnan was angry at first, but swore to raise the child as if he were his own, a pledge he lived up to to the fullest.

Wen listened to his mother’s story with wonder.  He felt the truth of her words deep within himself.  With trembling hands, he accepted the ring that she took off a chain that she had worn around her neck as long as he could remember.  He slipped it onto his finger and was stunned by an almost overwhelming eruption of knowledge.  At that moment he knew that he was one of the kalashtar and that the strange images and feelings he had experienced all his life arose from the refugee dream spirit within him.  He is still sorting through all of the implications.  Further, the ring informed him of two specific things.  One, that he must travel to Sharn to seek out his people and the great things that awaited him and two, that a small fortune was buried nearby to help him begin his journey.  The second premonition quickly proved to be true.  He found a chest with gold, nearly 2000 galifars altogether, exactly where the ring told him it would be.  Since that initial burst of insight, the ring has been silent and inert, but Wen keeps it as a reminder of who he is.  Insisting that his parents take half of the money, Wen bid a tearful farewell to them and his village and set out for Sharn to discover his true origins.

To his surprise, he was quickly diverted from that destination.  Barely ten miles from his village, Wen stopped for the night at an inn.  An Orien courier was waiting for him there, much to Wen’s bewilderment, since he did not decide to stop at the inn until the moment he saw it.  His confusion grew even more when he read the letter from Ranos asking him, in the name of his father, to help the Iron Ravens.  Wen got little sleep that night and left before dawn the next day.  He stopped at the next sizable town to equip himself and is now hurrying to meet a destiny he cannot imagine.

*Personality*
Despite the recent loss of someone dear to him and his separation from his parents and all he has ever known, Wen remains cheerful and optimistic.  He approaches the new adventure life has presented him with curiosity and an openness that borders at times on naivety.   Most find it impossible not to like him, although his enthusiasm and almost manic glee at trying new things can be wearying at times.

*Appearance*
While Wen’s general size and shape, as well as his rustic speech and mannerisms, mark him as a simple human farmer, there is an indefinable alien quality about him.  Tall and lithe, his motions are quick and frequent, as if he wants to see everything and be everywhere at once. Wen dresses simply, for practicality and comfort, and prefers the earth tones favored by the people of the village where he grew up.  His jet-black hair is worn shoulder length, without particular attention or ornamentation.  Those who watch him long enough will note that his eyes seem to slowly shift through several improbable colors over time.[/sblock]


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## Azaar (Jun 6, 2006)

Two questions for you, Kishin:

1)  Hit points:  first level is maximum, I assume.  How about for the second level and so on?  Half the Hit Die plus Con modifier?

2)  I'm thinking of having an animal companion, although it would be one purchased, since I'm not planning on pursuing any further ranger levels.  Specifically, I was thinking of getting a tame wolf.  What would be the cost for that?  Something like a riding dog in the PHB?

Once I hear back on that, I'll likely be ready to post my stats for Farsis.


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## Kishin (Jun 6, 2006)

Alright, folks, just so you know, I'm gonna keep things open for another day or two, then I'll announce the final party. I'm also considering expanding it from a party of five to a party of six, given interest and the overall quality of concepts everyone's presented.


Azaar - Thanks for bringing the HP issue up, I had neglected to mention.  Both levels should be calculated at max HP, for everyone.  Also, as far as a wolf goes, I'd probably up the price slightly over that of a riding dog, given that wolves are generally wild and more intractable. So, say 200 gp?

Gideon_Gideonson - At the moment, it looks like the party is lacking a tankish melee character, so the Half-Orc Fighter or the Marshal/Fighter (Or Marshal/Paladin) would be ideal, I'd think.

Hanuman47 - For curiosity's sake, is there a specific reason that Wen, despite now knowing he's a Kalashtar, isn't using a Kalashtar name (Ie, for males, one with either -harad, -khad, -melk or -tash as a suffix?)

lonesoldier - Feel free to use the 20 XP Craft Reserve from 1st level, if you're still keeon on an Artificer.


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## Gideon_Gideonson (Jun 6, 2006)

Great.  I'll have a build/backstory up either today or tomorrow...


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## Hanuman47 (Jun 6, 2006)

Kishin said:
			
		

> Hanuman47 - For curiosity's sake, is there a specific reason that Wen, despite now knowing he's a Kalashtar, isn't using a Kalashtar name (Ie, for males, one with either -harad, -khad, -melk or -tash as a suffix?)




1)  The ring did not tell him his full name (Wen doesn't know yet if this was a deliberate omission or if it was somehow lost).  Learning his true name will be a part of his voyage of self-discovery

2)  His identity as a kalashtar is still new to him, so it is likely that even when he does learn his full name he will stick to the one that is more familiar to him (at the very least as a nickname).


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## Azaar (Jun 6, 2006)

Okay, the stats are appended to my earlier post with the background for Farsis, so I'm pretty much set.  If you want, I can stat up the magebred wolf and magebred mule as well.


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## jkason (Jun 7, 2006)

I went ahead and statted up my two concepts, behind sblocks to save space below:

[sblock=Liev Sibin, Human Sorcerer]
	
	



```
[B]Name:[/B] Liev Sibin
[B]Class:[/B] Sorcerer 2
[B]Race:[/B] Human
[B]Size:[/B] Medium
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Alignment:[/B] Chaotic Neutral
[B]Deity:[/B] --

[B]Str:[/B] 10 +0 (2p.)      [B]Level:[/B] 2        [B]XP:[/B] 1000
[B]Dex:[/B] 14 +2 (6p.)      [B]BAB:[/B] +1         [B]HP:[/B] 12 (2d4+4)
[B]Con:[/B] 14 +2 (6p.)      [B]Grapple:[/B] +1     
[B]Int:[/B] 14 +2 (6p.)      [B]Speed:[/B] 30'      
[B]Wis:[/B] 10 +0 (2p.)      [B]Init:[/B] +2        
[B]Cha:[/B] 16 +3 (10p.)     [B]ACP:[/B] -0         

                   [B]Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]              10    +0    +0    +2    +0    +0    +0    12*
[B]Touch:[/B] 12              [B]Flatfooted:[/B] 10 

* Add +1 vs. Dodge opponent

                         [B]Base   Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]                      0    +2          +2
[B]Ref:[/B]                       0    +2          +2
[B]Will:[/B]                      3    +0          +3

[B]Weapon                  Attack   Damage     Critical[/B]
Shortspear................+0.....1d6..........x2
Shortspear, thrown........+2.....1d6..........x2, range 20'
Light Crossbow............+2.....1d8..........19-20/x2, range 80'

[B]Languages:[/B] Common, Goblin, Elven

[B]Abilities:[/B]

--Human-- 
* Extra Feat at 1st level
* 4 extra skill points at 1st, 1 extra at each new level
* Highest level class is favored
* All languages available

--Sorcerer--

* Summon Familiar
* Arcane spells (used / slots per day):
       Cantrips: 0/6  DC 13
       1st level: 0/5 (base 4 +1 Cha) DC 14
* Spells Known:
       Cantrips (5): Resistance, Flare, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Message
       1st level (2): Mage Armor, Burning Hands

[B]Feats:[/B] 
Stealthy (1st level)
Dodge (bonus human)

[B]Skill Points:[/B] 25       [B]Max Ranks:[/B] 5/2.5
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[i]--Class--[/i]
Bluff......................5....+3..........+8
Spellcraft.................5....+2..........+7
Concentration..............5....+2..........+7
[i]--Cross Class--[/i]
Move Silently..............2....+2...+2*....+6
Hide.......................1....+2...+2*....+5
Survival...................2....+0..........+2

* +2 Stealthy Feat

[B]Equipment:               Cost  Weight[/B]
[i]--Worn / Carried--[/i]
Light Crossbow............35gp...4lb
Crossbow bolts (10).......1gp....1lb
Backpack..................2gp....2lb
Explorer's Outfit.........--.....--
Spell component pouch.....5gp....2lb
Shortspear................1gp....3lb
[i]--In Backpack--[/i]
Flint and steel...........1gp....--
Fishhook..................1sp....--
Bedroll...................1sp....5lb
Caltrops..................1gp....2lb
Waterskin.................1gp....4lb
Everburning torch.......110gp....1lb
Trail rations x2..........1gp....2lb
Tanglefoot bag...........50gp....4lb
CLW potion x2...........100gp....--
Barkskin (+2) potion....300gp....--

[B]Total Weight:[/B] 30 lbs      [B]Money:[/B] 2pp 91gp 8sp

                           [B]Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]                33   66   100   200   500

Age: 16
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 150
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Dusky
```

*Appearance:* While he's rather short for a "hero," a life in the woods has left Liev leanly muscled. Of course, that can wind up obscured by the poorly-sized clothing he wears (most often "donated" by frightened travelers in his wood). He keeps his hair relatively short to avoid catching on the branches and various snags in the forest, but he cuts it himself, resulting in a wild mess.

[sblock=Background]Liev is a wild child. Orphaned early, he took to the woods, intending to eke out an existence with the woodcraft he'd learned from his parents.

There Liev discovered two important things. First, travelers could be amazingly superstitious when they were off the trail and under the canopy. They jumped at little things, sometimes packing up and running off in the middle of the night rather than face whatever rustling and noises they encountered in the woods. In their hurry, they had a tendency to forget things, and Liev was only too happy to take care of such abandoned belongings.

One of those belongings was a book about magics, from which Liev learned the second important thing: he had an innate gift for the arcane. It was an odd thing at first, expressing itself as random displays of light or sound. But when he learned to control it, well ... let's just say the abilities went a nice way to helping him take advantage of that aforementioned superstition.

He'd grown to be something of a local legend, a spook haunting the forest, responsible for unexpected bursts of cold or spontaneous combustion. And, as overfed merchants and self-important minor nobles ran at the odd sights, Liev found he'd made a comfortable little niche living for himself.

Unfortunately, he finds comfortable is horribly boring. So when he spooked a courier out of a bag of gold and a missive promising clandestine adventure, how could he pass up the chance? Intending to pass himself off as the son of the intended recipient, Liev set off to see just what these Iron Ravens had to offer.[/sblock]

I'm debating giving Liev a familiar (Weasel or Rat) too, but figured I could stat that up fairly quickly if you take a shine to Liev and pick him for the game.[/sblock]

[sblock=Galec Setou, shifter cleric of Dol Dorn]
	
	



```
[B]Name:[/B] Galec Setou
[B]Class:[/B] Cleric 2
[B]Race:[/B] Shifter (Shiftwing)
[B]Size:[/B] Medium
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Alignment:[/B] Chaotic Good
[B]Deity:[/B] Dol Dorn

[B]Str:[/B] 14  +2 (6p)  [B]Level:[/B] 2        [B]XP:[/B] 1,000
[B]Dex:[/B] 12* +1 (2p)  [B]BAB:[/B] +1         [B]HP:[/B] 20 (2d8+4)
[B]Con:[/B] 14  +2 (6p)  [B]Grapple:[/B] +3     
[B]Int:[/B] 10  +0 (4p)  [B]Speed:[/B] 30'      
[B]Wis:[/B] 16  +3 (10p) [B]Init:[/B] +3**      
[B]Cha:[/B] 10  +0 (4p)  [B]ACP:[/B] -1         

* Dex 14 in Shiftwing form
** +2 init. from Shifter Instinct feat

                   [B]Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]              10    +4    +0    +1*   +0    +0    +0    15
[B]Touch:[/B] 11              [B]Flatfooted:[/B] 14

* Add +1 to AC in Shiftwing form

                         [B]Base   Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]                      3    +2          +5
[B]Ref:[/B]                       0    +1          +1*
[B]Will:[/B]                      3    +3          +6

* Conditional: Ref. Save is +2 in Shiftwing form


[B]Weapon                  Attack   Damage     Critical[/B]
MW Longsword*.............+5......1d8+2.........19-20/x2
Light Crossbow**..........+1......1d8...........19-20/x2, 80 ft.

* Add +1 to melee attack/dmg when Strength Domain power active
** Add +1 to ranged attack when in Shiftwing form



[B]Languages:[/B] Common

[B]Abilities:[/B]

--Shifter--

* Shapechanger subtype
* +2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha
* Shifting 1/day, 6 rounds (3 +2 Con +1 feat)
* Shifter trait (Shiftwing): +2 Dex, fly speed 20' (average maneuver)
* Low-light vision
* +2 racial on Balance, Climb, and Jump

--Cleric--

* Simple Weapon and all armor proficiencies, all non-tower shields
* Divine Spells per day: 
            orisons: 4 (DC 13)
            1st level: 3+1 (DC 14)
* Spontaneous Cure Spells
* Domains:
      ~Strength: Enhancement bonus to Str = cleric level (2). 1 round / day
      ~War: favored weapon (longsword) Martial Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Focus  
* Chaotic and Good auras
* Turn Undead 3x/day (3 +0Cha)


[B]Feats:[/B] 
Shifter Instincts (1st level)
Martial Weapon Proficiency-Longsword (War Domain)
Weapon Focus-Longsword (War Domain)


[B]Skill Points:[/B] 10       [B]Max Ranks:[/B] 5/2.5
[B]Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total[/B]
--Class--
Concentration..............2....+2..........+4
Heal.......................5....+3..........+7
Know: religion.............3....+0..........+3
--Cross Class--
Balance....................0....+1...+1*^...+2
Climb......................0....+2...+1*^...+3
Escape Artist..............0....+1...-1^....+0
Hide.......................0....+1...-1^....+0
Jump.......................0....+2...+1*....+3
Listen.....................0....+3...+1**...+4
Move Silently..............0....+1...-1^....+0
Sense Motive...............0....+3...+1**...+4
Spot.......................0....+3...+1**...+4
Swim.......................0....+2...-2^....+0

* +2 racial bonus
** +1 Shifter Instincts bonus
^ -1 Armor Check penalty (-2 Swim)

[B]Equipment:               Cost  Weight[/B]

--Worn / Carried--
MW Longsword............315gp...4lb
MW Chain Shirt..........250gp..25lb
Light Crossbow...........35gp...4lb
Crossbow bolts x10........1gp...1lb
Backpack..................2gp...2lb
Pouch, belt...............1gp...1/2lb
Holy symbol, wooden.......1gp...--
Traveler's Outfit.........--....--
spell comp pouch..........5gp...2lb

--In Backpack--
Flint and Steel...........1gp...--
Trail rations (x4)........2gp...4lb
Everburning torch.......110gp...1lb
Waterskin.................1gp...4lb
Ink (1 oz.)...............8gp...--
Inkpen....................1sp...--
Parchment (x5)............1gp...--
Holy water...............25gp...1lb
Antitoxin................50gp...--




[B]Total Weight:[/B]48.5lbs      [B]Money:[/B] 91gp 9sp 


                           [B]Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]                58    116   175   350   875

[B]Age:[/B] 22
[B]Height:[/B] 5'10"
[B]Weight:[/B] 180lb
[B]Eyes:[/B] Yellow
[B]Hair:[/B] Light Brown
[B]Skin:[/B] Olive
```

*Appearance:* Galec is lean and well-kept. While he embraces his wild shifter heritage, he likewise understands the value of "appearing civilized." His face is angular, his nose pointed. Both features grow more prominent when he channels his raven-self to shift.

*Background*[sblock]Galec was raised in relative seclusion, on a small farm off any main thoroughfares. But much as his mother feared for his safety, when the young shifter learned how to fly, there was little Momma could do. High above everything, revelling in the wind caressing his face, the warmth of the sun all that much closer, Galec didn't notice the hunter until his arrow tore into the young shifter's shoulder, and he fell, hard. He heard and felt the bones crunching when he landed. His vision swam, his body burned with pain. The sound of the hunter, spitting out his hatred for "aberrations" like Galec, echoed oddly. He was going to die, the hunter promised.

But Galec fought. Through the pain, through the blinding fear, he fought, dodging blows and returning his own. He refused to give up, to believe his gifts were a curse to be cut out of Eberron like an infection. And when he could do no more, and the hunter once again raised his sword, another blade erupted from the man's chest.

A small group of Iron Ravens, using the sparsely-populated countryside to move discreetly on their way back from a mission, had chanced upon the struggle. Vorias, the group's medic and himself a worshipper of Dol Dorn, knew his god would never forgive him for letting such a fiery warrior fall at the hands of the kind of bitter coward who shot children. Unable to stop but also unwilling to let Galec suffer alone, Vorias convinced his commander to let him take the shifter with them, tending his wounds (and preaching Dol Dorn) as they continued.

Against Ranos' better judgement, Galec stayed on to become Vorias' assistant. He learned medicine, faith, and martial prowess from his mentor, and grew into something of a mascot for the Iron Ravens (he even began referring to his avian form as his Raven Aspect). Apparently Dol Dorn approved, as on top of his natural abilities, Galec gained the rare gift of divine magic, as well.[/sblock]

*Spells Prepared (morning)*:[sblock]Orisons (4): Guidance, Resistance, Detect Magic, Mending
1st Level (3+1): Bless, Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon, Enlarge Person (D)[/sblock][/sblock]


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## Dracomeander (Jun 8, 2006)

Kishin said:
			
		

> Azaar and Dracomeander - Are you two still interested? You had mentioned planning to submit background blurbs at one point for a Warlock (Azaar) and a Kalashtar Telepath (Dracomeander). Love to hear from either of you.




Sorry, family commitments and a change of schedule kept me away from being able to connect online the past few days. Family leaves town tomorrow so I should be able to get back to a regular posting schedule.

Yes, I'm still interested. The character has a lot of overlap in the diplomatic department with Mr. Collins' bard character, but I see that as an asset as we can complement each other and gain more information that way.

[sblock]Kalantash is the son of a kalashtar of the Tash line and the human daughter of a Brelish merchant in Starilaskur. Loerantash left the kalashtar enclave as a hotheaded young kalashtar and joined the Brelish army toward the beginning of the Last War. Between long stretches of boredom and a few battle injuries, Loeran's fervor for adventure cooled and he decided to leave the army and settle down with the daughter of one the merchants supplying his old unit. As the merchant had no other living relatives, Kalantash's parents inherited the business.

Kalantash, his bother, and his sisters grew up in Starilaskur watching the soldiers coming in for their supply runs and sometimes pestering the soldiers for news of the front and tips and training for when their time to join the army came up. Loeran tried to discourage his children from bothering the soldiers, but realized how difficult it would be to deflect their youthful enthusiasm.

Although his daughters were just human, Loren knew his sons were kalashtar and began to teach them how to use and control their family gifts. As the youngest in the family, Kalantash received the greatest amount of attention and training while growing up. Kalantash didn't really realize how different he was until he saw his sisters grow, have families, and become grandmothers all while he and his brother were still working with their father learning to interpret the bond with Tash and control their burgeoning mental powers.

When Kalan's mother died in 985, Loeran left the business to his daughters' families and took his sons with him to the enclave in Sharn to complete their training. In Sharn, their merchanting background and contacts helped ease their settling in to the community. Soon, Kalan's brother completed his training and worked his way into a House Orien courier business.

Kalan had finished his training and was looking for some place where he could be an asset both to his employer and to the kalashtar community when a unique opportunity arose. A respectable mercenary company named the Iron Ravens were finishing their former contract and being hired by Breland. Using his contacts with the Brelish army and merchants, Loeran - at Kalan's urging - arranged for Kalan to meet with Dhakken Ranos. 

Though green, Kalantash managed to present a good enough face that Ranos agreed to take him on as a replacement in the company. Kalantash took some ribbing as he settled in as it was obvious that though eager, he was not a warrior. The ribbing ended when Kalantash proved his worth not by fighting but by acquiring some hard to get gear and rare potions to add to the companies stores for what was going to be a rough campaign. Then proving that while his weapon skills weren't all that great, his mental powers could be quite devastating.

Kalantash enjoyed his time in the Ravens and made many friends there. He was with Ranos' company on the Day of Mourning and was at a loss when Ranos decided to disband the Ravens. He felt their was something that they could do to avenge the loss of their friends and was willing to start the hunt for who caused it.

The past four years, Kalantash has become an itinerant merchant travelling the roads and gathering information to pass on to the enclave in Sharn and the Brelish government. The call for a gathering of the Ravens has sparked a fire in Kalantash, and he is looking forward to seeing what it is that Ranos needs of him.[/sblock]


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## Gideon_Gideonson (Jun 9, 2006)

Sorry about the delay...I was in the hospital with appendisitis...lucky me .  I'll have my build up this evening.  Oh...a note out to the rest of the party...My Marshal build works (for now at least) on helping flanking, so if you don't plan to melee much, just tell me and I can alter him a bit.  Also, he's not a complete tank (working more on helping the entire party...maybe some bard/warchanter levels later...), so if you think we need one, I can scrap him easily and build one.


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## Kishin (Jun 9, 2006)

Gideon: Its not necessary that you devote the character's entire existence to being a tank. Merely having another competent melee character with good AC would suffice.

Also, for everyone, I'm going to be away from tonight till Sunday evening, at which point the party will be assembled and we will officially kick things off (Being that it's been about a week at this point).


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## lonesoldier (Jun 10, 2006)

Kishin:
Sorry for the delay, I managed to format my hard drive and I've spent the last few days trying to get an unfamiliar Linux distro working properly. I keep my RPG stuff backed up on a USB Jumpdrive however, so I'll get to work on that Artificer. He will be done tonight.

[sblock=Taran Ebor, Human Artificer 2]Taran Ebor, Human Artificer 2
Medium Humanoid, TN
23, 5'10", 180lb, Male, Brown eyes, Light-brown skin, Black hair
No distinguishing marks

STR: 14 (+2) (6pt)
DEX: 14 (+2) (6pt)
CON: 10 (+0) (2pt)
INT: 14 (+2) (6pt)
WIS: 10 (+0) (2pt)
CHA: 16 (+3) (10pt)

XP: 1,000 / 3,000

Hit Points: 9/9
Hit Dice: 2d6 (9 hp)
Speed: 20ft
Initative: +2 (+2 DEX)
AC: 19 (+5 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 DEX; touch 12, flat-footed 17)
MaxDex/ACP: +3/-3
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3

Fort: +0 (+0 Base, +0 CON)
Ref: +2 (+0 Base, +2 DEX)
Will: +3 (+3 Base, +0 WIS)

Attacks:

MW Morningstar +4 melee (1d8+2; x2; B/P)
Heavy crossbow +3 ranged, 120' (1d10; 19-20x2; P)
Dagger +3 melee/ranged, 10' (1d4+1; 19-20x2; P/S)

Special Abilities: 

Action Points (6; 1d6)
Artificer knowledge (1d20+4)
Artisan Bonus
Craft Reserve (40)
Brew Potion
Disable Trap
Item Creation
Scribe Scroll

Skills: (35 points, max ranks 5/2.5; Check synergies)

Disable Device +7 _(5 Ranks, +2 ATB)_
Know(Arcana) +7 _(5 Ranks, +2 ATB)_
Know(A&E) +7 _(5 Ranks, +2 ATB)_
Open Lock +7 _(5 Ranks, +2 ATB)_
Search +7 _(5 Ranks, +2 ATB)_
Spellcraft +11 _(5 Ranks, +2 ATB, +2 Synergy, +2 Feat)_
Use Magic Device +10 _(5 Ranks, +3 ATB, +2 Feat)_

Feats: 

Extraordinary Artisan
Magical Aptitude

Languages: 

Common
Dwarven
Goblin

Equipment:

Breastplate, MW (350gp, 30lbs)
Bolt case (20) (2gp, 2lbs)
Coins (2gp; 4sp; 3cp; -lbs)
Crossbow, Heavy (50gp, 8lbs)
Dagger (2gp, 1lb)
Morningstar, MW (308gp, 6lbs)
Potion, CLW (4) (CL1) (75gp, 8XP)
Scroll, Bless (CL1) (9.375gp, 1XP)
Scroll, Divine Favour (CL1) (9.375gp, 1XP)
Scroll, Magic Missle (CL1) (9.375gp, 1XP)
Scroll, Ray of enfeeblement (CL1) (9.375gp, 1XP)
Shield, Heavy steel (20gp, 15lbs)
Thieves’ Tools (30gp, 1lb)
Total weight carried -- 63lbs;
Light load -- 58lbs; Medium -- 116lbs; Heavy -- 175lbs;
Lift -- 350lbs; Push -- 875lbs.

Mule (8gp):

Feed (7) (7cp, 70lbs)
Rations (14) (7gp, 14lbs)
Rope, Hempen (50ft') (1gp, 10lbs)
Saddle, Pack (5gp, 15lbs)
Waterskin (2) (2gp, 8lbs)

Infusions: Save DC 12 + Level; All infusions known

1st: 4/day;

Appearance:
XXXXX

Personality:
XXXXX

Background:
XXXXX

Notes:
XXXXX

[/sblock]


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## MrCjeli (Jun 12, 2006)

Kishin:
Sorry for delaying so long, here's the character I promised.
*
Denihade, Changeling Beguiler 2
Description*
[sblock]
Background: While most changelings choose to exist within (or inspite of) the conventions of mainstream humanoid society, some have renounced this way of life, forming separate utopist changeling communities. The changeling known as Den was born into such a community, a small hamlet on the border of Aundair and the Eldeen reaches.  Den grew up like many a changeling child, mimicking friend and rival alike while developing a strong identity as a changeling.  He had two older brothers, Dhun and Ert, and younger sister named Harl, though he called his whole extended tribe “family”.

At the age of 12 he began to express male characteristics and began to dress flamboyantly, much to the chagrin of his more dour elder siblings and relations.  He even went so far as to adopt a multi-syllable name, Denihade.  He also began to display a natural talent for enchantment and illusion magic.  He used his burgeoning abilities to entertain Harl with fanciful tales and displays of chicanery.
Denihade would often wander off from the changeling village, Harl in tow, in search of an adventure.  Invariably Dhun and Ert would be sent to retrieve them.  On one fateful occasion, Denihade strayed far enough that it took two days for his brothers to find him.  When the siblings finally returned they found their home put to the torch.  Filled with rage, Ert blamed Den for the death of their family and beat him within an inch of his life.  Dhun finally intervened on Den’s behalf and decided that the brothers must seek vengeance for the deaths of their kin. The bloodied Den immediately agreed.  After recovering from his injuries, he set out with his brothers, leaving Harl in the care of distant relations in Fairhaven.

Several months into their vendetta, the brothers determined the culprit to be a human mercenary by the name of Grell Canendell, a mercenary serving in the Iron Ravens company.  However, with the dissolution of the company after the Day of Mourning the brothers were unable to determine the man’s fate.  They split up, agreeing to somehow contact the others in the event they found their quarry or a substantial lead.  In 998 YK, Denihade intercepted a letter sent by Dhakken Ranos to Grell’s bastard son, Horat Fierlen.  Denihade immediately developed a Horat persona and commissioned a sending spell to contact his brothers.  However, the spells mysteriously failed.  Unsure of his brothers’ fates and fearing the worse, Denihade (as Horat) set off to join the Ravens.

Appearance:  In his featureless changeling form, Denihade is of average height and build, his pupil-less eyes large and bright.  His hair is silver and long, tied back in loose knot.  He wears a small white gold earing and prefers to dress in red and black clothes.  He typically wears studded leather armor under a tunic or jerkin.  He wears long black leather boots and many simple pieces of silver jewelry.

As Horat, Denihade appears as a slim, short human with sandy blonde hair and a long scar running from his left ear to his chin.  He dresses for travel and speaks excitedly in a high voice and moves about agitatedly.

Personality: Outwardly, Denihade is aggressive, self-confident and full of bravado, whether in his true featureless form or masquerading as Horat.  However, Denihade bears a great deal of guilt for the death of his parents nor is he confident that he can succeed where his brother’s have failed.  He also worries about leaving his sister in the care of people he barely knows.  Denihade greatly fears that his anxieties will give him away and foil his chances at redeeming himself.
[/sblock]


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## Kishin (Jun 12, 2006)

Alright, folks, I'm back, and in keeping with my word, things are getting underway around here. The final party (which I expanded to 6 slots over the original 5) is as follows:

Ixen'vaerirlym, Male Human (Seren) Barbarian 1/Dragon Shaman 1, played by nonamazing

Breyer Coldstone, Male Dwarf Druid 2, played by ByteRynn

Farsis Nightshadow, Male Human Ranger 1/Warlock 1, played by Azaar

Galec Setou, Male Shifter (shiftwing) Cleric 2 (Dol Dorn), played by jkason

Wen, Male Kalashtar Soulknife 1/Psychic Warrior 1, played by Hanuman47

Denihade, Male Changeling Beguiler 2, played by Mr Cjeli

Thanks to everyone who submitted characters. All were intriguing, and the decision was difficult enough to warrant the addition of an extra party slot.

In any event, the introductory post is up, so feel free to make your grand entrances. The thread for the game itself can be found here:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2885715

Welcome aboard, everyone! Looking forward to gaming with you all.


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## nonamazing (Jun 12, 2006)

Kishin? Will you also be starting a Rogue's Gallery Thread for the game?


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## jkason (Jun 22, 2006)

General question: do PC's make opposed Bluff / Sense Motive checks vs. each other like they do vs. NPCs?

I don't want to sidetrack the main plot or anyone's intended character arc--and I figure class and racial bonuses (as well as whatever regular ranks in Bluff he has) for Denihade mean Galec's paltry +4 Sense Motive isn't likely to see through 'Horat's' Bluff in any case--but it seemed natural to check. Just by introducing himself, Denihade's perpetrating a Bluff, and that automatically generates a Sense Motive opposed roll. I'm trying to avoid metagaming (either in Denihade's favor or against it), though, so rolling the check was the best thing I could come up with to get the question of PC trust out of the way early.

thanks,

jason


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## Azaar (Jul 17, 2006)

Has the game died or something?


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