# All Rogues Game: Wretched Hive of Scum & Villainy



## Desdichado (Sep 11, 2012)

Thread for proposed "all rogues" Pathfinder game.  Content to be added as needed.

Will take 3-5 players.  If interested, propose a race/class/archetype combination to start with, and we'll see how it works.  I'll repeat the paramaters posted in the original thread where this idea originated.

Because of the archetypes, which allow for a great deal of variety on the mechanics of the concept, let's use the Pathfinder rules.  The "PRD"--SRD specific for Pathfinder, available at the Paizo website, has all the information you'll need.  The Classes link in *Core Rulebook* has the basic class rules, and the archetypes are listed under the link Core Classes in the *Advanced Player's Guide* with additional ones listed under Class Archetypes in *Ultimate Combat.*  Needless to say, I'm looking for characters who use the _Rogue_ class.  If you want to multiclass in a few levels into something else, that might be doable, but I want at least _three_ levels of rogue first, so we can maintain the campaign concept.  Game will begin at 1st level.  XP will be handed out by me, and not necessarily calculated according to XP by CR tables.
No alignment.  I'm not even going to ever address alignment.  As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing, except in the case of outsiders and maybe undead or something.  No "mortals" are strongly enough aligned to count, so don't even consider the concept of alignment when making your characters.
On that front, I have no problem with rather rascally, scoundrel characters; those who would be able to successfully navigate and feel at home in a fantasty wretched hive of scum and villainy.  This does not mean "can't work together with the other PCs when necessary" kind of nonsense, but otherwise, I'm not looking for white hats here.
I'll run a game that's mostly urban intrigue and skullduggery--but with some pronounced wilderness activity too, especially if I get any characters who are equipped to handle the wilderness.  I don't anticipate anything that looks like your classic dungeon, though.
I'm not going to be fussy about race selection, although I'm adopting my otherwise somewhat non-D&Dish setting.  The environment you'll be in is mostly populated by humans and tieflings, with some ifrits (fire genasi), aasimars, and shifters here and there.  My setting doesn't actually have any elfs, dwarfs, gnomes or halflings, although I'm adapting this for a one-off, so if you want to play one, that'd be fine.  You probably won't ever run into another one, but I won't make a big deal out of it; your race can kinda fade into the background.  And Pathfinder doesn't have rules for shifters, but I'll handwave them in with slight modifications to half-orcs or something.  Please no really bizarre races like tengu or catfolk, though.  I don't want to be the bad guy and veto stuff, but they really just won't fit with the concept of the campaign I'm pitching.
In my experience, play-by-post works best with a few caveats.  First, folks need to stay on top of the game.  When folks aren't posting for days at a time, that's when the game grinds to a halt and gets abandoned.  I certainly don't expect everyone to be waiting with baited breath for an update, but checking in a few times a day seems to be almost necessary to generate sufficient momentum to get a Pbp working.  Secondly, Pathfinder is a fiddly system, and if I don't handwave a fair amount of the rules during play, the game will seriously bog down and lose too much momentum to work.  What might work fine in a face-to-face environment doesn't always work in Pbp and vice versa.  If you have a problem with fairly fast and loose GM rulings because it's not your style, then Pbp (at least one run by me) is probably not your thing.  Similarly, combat will not be very tactical, because I'm not going to create grids or anything.  You'll just have to do your best to imagine stuff, based on my descriptions.  Combat will be firmly narrative, because I just don't know another method of doing it via Pbp that isn't more trouble than it's worth.
I'm confident that the game can work (theoretically) because I've run such a game before in the past (via Play-by-post, even) and it was wildly successful.  But it can, of course, fail is the players aren't sufficiently engaged to keep up a level of momentum that's sufficient to get Pbp rolling.


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## Desdichado (Sep 11, 2012)

Although I wouldn't start building characters until you get approved and get a concept in, just for the heckuvit, here's how characters will be built.  Use the old d20 array of ability scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8.  Add _three_ ability ups of +1.  You can add them all to one score, spread them among multiple abilities, or otherwise break up the three any way that you want.

Hit points are max at first level, and will be HD/2+1 (i.e. 5, given that Pathfinder rogues have a d8 HD) + Con bonus for every level thereafter.  We'll use average starting wealth (i.e. 140 gp, called pieces of eight in this setting).  Although I actually like more rolling at chargen, especially in a Pbp environment, I don't want to mess with it, so we'll go with average values for everything to keep things smooth and easy.


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## HolyMan (Sep 11, 2012)

Interested...

 But just wondering what the group would be up to? Would we be part of the local thieves guild running errands for them? Or just a group looking for that big score?

I would like to play the big muscle of the group. A slightly dumb brute who follows orders and likes to break things. 

HM


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## GlassEye (Sep 12, 2012)

Also interested.  Human, Rogue (of course).  Archetype is a bit tougher to narrow down (too many options!) but Spy is probably my main choice although there are a bunch of others that I'm interested in.  I'm also looking at Cutpurse, Poisoner, Swashbuckler, & Knife Master (?).  I like the 'too-smart for his own good' type but I've never tried a ranged rogue focus...


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 12, 2012)

Pathfinder + GlassEye and HM + all rogue game (my fav) = I'm in.


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## kinem (Sep 12, 2012)

I'm interested. I'd go with a human rogue (cutpurse).


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 12, 2012)

So far I am looking at the following, though I am going to passive and see what everyone else is doing:

-Smuggler
-Sniper (with climb for hitting from roofs)
-Roof Runner (with ranged weapons)
-Scout (nasty class)
-Charlatan


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## Kaodi (Sep 12, 2012)

Unfortunately I do not think I am in the market for another game, because this looks like it might be the perfect campaign for a character concept I had: a girl genius rogue who was about skills rather than combat. Maxed intelligence, weak in charisma, and maybe in wisdom too. Kind of like Ellen Page's character in Inception, but on the wrong side of the law; specializing in building traps and alchemy, and forgery as well, and related skills.


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## HolyMan (Sep 12, 2012)

I'm thinking of a human Rogue(Scout/Thug) - Brititus called "Brick" by everyone because he's as thick witted as a brick.

I'll need a character to follow - an older brother type figure to be there to give direction when things are more complicated than -smash this or break that. 

Volunteers?

HM


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## HolyMan (Sep 12, 2012)

Off course I am almost done with Brick's crunch just have a few questions. 

The setting? Mainly for the background and all.

So we add three more points to the array and not the normal racial bonus correct?

And are we using traits? Meaning we can pick two.

HM


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## Rune (Sep 12, 2012)

Very interested in this game (but will have to familiarize myself with what makes Pathfinder different from 3.5).

I'm thinking of a subtle behind-the-scenes manipulator with lots of connections and lots of ways to keep his hands clean...yet no compunctions about getting them dirty if he has to (and can do it without getting caught).


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## GlassEye (Sep 12, 2012)

Deuce Traveler said:


> So far I am looking at the following, though I am going to passive and see what everyone else is doing:
> 
> -Smuggler
> -Sniper (with climb for hitting from roofs)
> ...




Sniper & Scout make a good archetype combination, I think...



Kaodi said:


> Unfortunately I do not think I am in the market for another game, because this looks like it might be the perfect campaign for a character concept I had: a girl genius rogue who was about skills rather than combat. Maxed intelligence, weak in charisma, and maybe in wisdom too. Kind of like Ellen Page's character in Inception, but on the wrong side of the law; specializing in building traps and alchemy, and forgery as well, and related skills.




Sounds like a great character!  Surely one more...



HolyMan said:


> I'm thinking of a human Rogue(Scout/Thug) - Brititus called "Brick" by everyone because he's as thick witted as a brick.
> 
> I'll need a character to follow - an older brother type figure to be there to give direction when things are more complicated than -smash this or break that.
> 
> Volunteers?




I'd volunteer but a Spy-type that changes into and out of personalities like a suit of clothes might confuse poor Brick.


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## GlassEye (Sep 12, 2012)

HolyMan said:


> I'm thinking of a human Rogue(Scout/Thug) - Brititus called "Brick" by everyone because he's as thick witted as a brick.
> 
> I'll need a character to follow - an older brother type figure to be there to give direction when things are more complicated than -smash this or break that.
> 
> Volunteers?




Been thinking this over.  How 'bout this, HM?

Brick & Porcelain worked in a house of ill repute.  Brick served as bouncer, hired muscle and self-appointed protector of Porcelain.  Porcelain was a male prostitute with a specialty of dressing in costumes to fulfill the johns' fantasies.  After the house shut down (gang war, law crackdown, whatever) the two escaped to a new city but Porcelain uses his skills in assuming different guises to infiltrate and impersonate for pulling cons and acquiring information.

A twist: no matter how good Porcelain thinks his disguises are Brick, his simple-minded brother, can _always_ see through them.

Porcelain: Human rogue (spy) with specialty in Bluff & Disguise and an affinity for small, easily concealed weapons.


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

Wow, lots of great responses!  Although either everyone's on a very different time zone than me, or my "active" time online yesterday was just very different than everyone else's.  

Let's take stock of what we have, then I need to run.  I'll be back in a few hours with some more updates on the setting and some specific answers to some questions I saw out there.

HolyMan - human scout/thug
GlassEye - human spy (or maybe something else)
Deuce Traveler - human sniper/scout (or something similar)
kinem - human cutpurse
Rune
Kaodi - not sure if he's available to play or not, but pitched an interesting concept

That makes six, and while I said 3-5, I'll take six if Kaodi ends up being in.  That officially will close recruitment, though.  Anyone else who pops in to express interest will have to be an alternate at this point.


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

HolyMan said:


> But just wondering what the group would be up to? Would we be part of the local thieves guild running errands for them? Or just a group looking for that big score?



Depends on what I end up with for characters.  I've actually got a ringer of a concept for the campaign that I may use, though, where that doesn't actually matter as much as you'd think.

I imagine a theme and tone where the game is "swashbuckling low fantasy sword & sorcery noir, with a not insignificant helping of Warhammer or _Call of Cthulhu_ style horror on the side."


HolyMan said:


> The setting? Mainly for the background and all.
> 
> So we add three more points to the array and not the normal racial bonus correct?
> 
> And are we using traits? Meaning we can pick two.



Let me clarify these two questions first.  You add three points to the array.  This is just my version of point buy customization added to the array.  After you do that, you _also_ still make racial adjustments.

You can use traits, if you like.

Much more setting info coming in the way of posts today.  And while I certainly welcome more detailed background, I won't require it; what will be more immediately important is what your character has been up to (some kind of hijinks, no doubt) in just the last few weeks.


Rune said:


> Very interested in this game (but will have to familiarize myself with what makes Pathfinder different from 3.5).



Once the game is running, very little.  You'll definately want to look over the class and race combinations, though, as there are a number of tweaks both subtle and not so subtle that have changed.  The skill list was slightly pared down (Listen and Spot combined into Perception, Move Silently and Hide combined into Stealth, etc.) and all the weird special combat move bonuses have all been combined into a single bonus and defense score, making having to remember the specifics of grappling vs. being tripped vs being bull-rushed, etc. greatly simplified.


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

*Porto Liure*

_You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.  We must be cautious._

The Tolosa Islands are clearly a continuation of the mountain range that runs north-south through the continent, and the inner sea does little to disguise the unity of those ranges. North of the Mezzovian Sea, they are called the Garriga Mountains, south they are called the Romeu Mountains, and smack dab in the middle of the Mezzovian, their feet are submerged and only their craggy tops protrude as warm-water islands.

The Tolosas are rocky, and cliffs and fjords dot their shores, but a number of small fishing towns, villages and trading or stopping points ring the shoreline where geography permits. The interiors of the islands are a mixture of farmland--olives, grapes and more grow abundantly here--and subtropical mountain rainforest.

While the Tolosas are not heavily populated, and much of the population is rural or small fishing, or transitory mercantile in nature, the Tolosa Islands are still considered an integral part of the Terrasan heartland, and prior to their spread northwards and the foundation of the Terrasan Empire, the ancient Terrasans plied their fishing craft in and around the Tolosa Islands and the shores of the Mezzovian Sea immediately to the south.

A growing recent threat is that of piracy. The isolated, sheltered and hidden fjords and coves on many of the tiny, mostly uncharted islands that make up the Tolosa chain are the perfect hiding places for pirate ships, and as the once formidable power of the Terrasan navy gradually fades, pirates have become emboldened and more commonplace. On the long island Gandesa, an independent city that is harbor to many  pirates and privateers, Porto Liure, has grown up and managed to get grudging recognition and acceptance from the Empire as an independent city-state.

Gandesa is a long, thin island with a generally north-south orientation that serves as the "breakwater" for the Tolosa Isles; the easternmost major island, and the first one that one comes to if one were to sail directly west from the eastern edges of the Mezzovian Sea. Gandesa is sparsely populated, and is in fact made up of low, mountainous wilderness. There are few large-bodied creatures on Gandesa, with the exception of deer, peccaries, and a strain of feral dogs, but strange rumors and ghost stories about cryptic inhabitants of the island are numerous.

As part of the Tolosa Isles, Gandesa was long considered an integral part of the Terrasan Empire, and in fact part of the original Terrasan homeland. However, as its population gradually declined, its small fishing villages and rural farming communities were abandoned and over-run by the subtropical forest, the Terrasan presence faded as well. More recently, it became a haven for pirates, smugglers and other ne'er-do-wells, and a city of sorts grew in a sheltered bay to the north that accomodated this illegal traffic. As the city grew, it became powerful enough to actually challenge the navy of Terrasa with its pirate hit and run tactics, guerilla warfare and other "dirty tricks" to the point where the Empire was losing money in attempting to control it.





When Jacobo Bernat, a pirate captain and all 'round Rennaissance man stepped into power in Porto Liure with an offer for semi-legitimacy and a cessation of hostilities if the Empire recognized the city as an independent city-state and Bernat himself as the Lord of the City, they were only too happy to acquiece and put an end to the costly conflict.

Today, the Lord (or Lady, as the case happens to be) of Porto Liure is Damiata Aldonça Bernat, a descendent via twisted family tree, of Jacobo Bernat himself. The Bernat family has managed to maintain leadership over Porto Liure for a hundred and fifty years, in the face of incredible pressure from the humiliated and wary Terrasan navy, but as Terrasan sea power fades, her role there has become easier. Today, her plan is to stoke the fires of resentment and independence between the various cities that make up what remains of the Terrasan Empire, and encourage portegnos (as the locals are called) into privateership with Letters of Marque. As such, she's also extremely careful of which suitors she entertains, as giving up Porto Liure's independence as part of a dynastic union is the last thing that she wants.

Despite this rough around the edges background, Porto Liure remains a destination for nobles from Terrasa and elsewhere seeking titillation, illicit pleasures, or simply duty and tax free shipping of profitable goods around the Mezzovian Sea. While it has a seedy underbelly that threatens at all times to spill out, there is still a veneer of civilization and civility that encourages immigrants. As the Terrasan cities fade, Porto Liure's fortunes continue to grow.

The population of Porto Liure is mostly made up of ethnic Terrasans--the dregs of Terrasan society to be sure, but Terrasans nonetheless. Despite this, it is certainly not a Terrasan colony by any means, and is perhaps the most cosmopolitan population in the entire region. Great numbers of balshatoi, qizmiri (jann and human both), hamazi (hellspawn and human both), kurushi, cavusti, vucari and more exotic ethnic groups yet roam the narrow streets of Porto Liure. While, naturally, many of these people are those who were in some way unfit to continue living in the society of their birth, more and more they are legitimate and even honored citizens of Porto Liure, and after more than 150 years, many of them consider themselves native portegnos, having been part of Porto Liure for generations now. 

While Porto Liure retains a veneer of civilization and order, in the lower class neighborhoods in particular, this is not readily apparent.  Organized crime is a major part of life in Porto Liure, and the cynical say that Lady Bernat herself is only the most prominent and powerful of many warlords, and the City Watch is her cadre of troops.

Porto Liure is infamous as a haven for pirates and privateers, but in truth, its infamy is even deeper still.  Known as particularly--and even peculiarly--picturesque, it has drawn artists, poets, the idle rich and other "sensitive" types for generations, who wander--hopefully carefully, given the towns' somewhat exaggerated (but not entirely) lawless reputation--its cramped narrow streets, and its sultry seaside views.

While the Mezzovian is warm, particularly the smaller Chistau Sea which makes up the shores of the port city, cool sighing winds blowing off the hills west of the sea, and when the cool air from the heights meets the warmer air of the harbor, it coalesces into a drizzling rain or persistant fog.  Strange voices are often heard in this fog.  Skeptics say that that's just what happens in a busy city when you can't see and sound is either muffled or curiously amplified and carried in turns, but the locals who live in the poorer parts of town are not skeptics.  People disappear, or are found dead and curiously bloated, mummified, slashed or drained of blood or otherwise mutilated and desecrated.  Again; sceptics point to the lawless nature of the town and find explanations for these bizarre murders in gang warfare or other more mundance solutions.  And soon enough, the murders are officially closed and forgotten; there is enough mundane murder done in Porto Liure as it is, and few miss folks from the poor neighborhoods anyway.  But the locals know that Porto Liure's infamy as a nest of pirates is secondary to its less well-known but eternal nature as a haunted place, ruled in secret by ghosts, spectres and other supernatural entities.  This had led to the nickname many locals give to Porto Liure; Port of Ghosts, or Ghostport.  Anyone who uses this nickname is almost certainly a local from one of the poorer neighborhoods in the city, but as a picaresque nickname in literature, folklore and stories told abroad, it is also gaining popularity.





One of the most famous of these in old tavern tales, beside that of Dog, is Black Maria.  Although her original identity is unclear and there are many claims, most see her as the today unrecognized first daughter-in-law of Jacobo Bernat himself, the architect of Porto Liure's free city-state status.  Maria, the fifth daughter of an ancient Terrasan house, was as decadent as they came, and the story goes that she kidnapped, tortured and killed up to 500 young girls, drinking (or even bathing in) their blood.  When the hue and outcry came to be more than old Bernat could ignore, she was put on trial, hanged, drawn and quartered, and her spiked head was put on the city gates--her "quarters" thrown to sharks in the harbor.  Nonetheless, the story of Black Maria doesn't end there.

Claims of sightings of Black Maria's ghost were intermittant throughout the next decades, and a few deaths were even ascribed to her--especially young, female victims who died without apparent cause or motive, especially if they complained before their deaths about being unnaturally frightened or disturbed in some way--usually by advance sightings of the ghost, it is presumed.  But twenty years ago, when the face of the moon became a skull, things changed.  Now, whenever the moon is full and passes directly through the triangular configuration of the legs of the constellation Herne, Black Maria is said to make a much more substantial revival.  In whispered voices, the locals will say that once the legs of Herne were another constellation known as the Black Pharoah's Crown, and when the moon is thus "crowned" the brides of the Black Pharoah--the ghosts of witches and worse the world over--walk the earth to kill again.

It is unclear if this supersition has any basis in reality or not.  True, nights when the full moon is in the crown (which happens on average three times every two years) a number of girls go missing.  But since they are usually unreported, only those who have eyes to see and pay attention to the signs believe there to be any pattern.  Associate lecturer Enrico Sançez at Porto Liure's small Academy is the foremost expert on local folklore.  He's a taciturn, bookish fellow--suspicious and uncommunicative, and prone to easy frights.  But when drunk, he occasionally talks in private of his suspicions, theories and speculations about many of the supernatural goings-on in Porto Liure.  His pet theory about Black Maria is that the torture and murder of all those girls wasn't just to satisfy her sadistic urges, but was a ritual designed to grant her eternal life.  It wasn't ever completed before she was put to death, but it had been sufficiently advanced that the grave had only a tenuous hold on her, and when the moon died, as the expression goes, she was able to transcend her death at certain times.  Her goal now is to finish the ritual as quickly as possible and return in full to horrible unlife as an eternal predator on the lives of mankind. 

*Gods and Religion*

Some scholars of theology believe that all the world actually only worships a single pantheon of gods; it's just the names and representations of them that differ, as well as regional importance of one god over another. Others resist that notion, calling each nation's pantheon of gods a unique set, specific to that culture, although cults may migrate from culture to culture from time to time. Be that as it may, these are the gods that have temples in your area, as well as a handful of others that are also worshipped. Although, honestly, people in general are better described as "superstitious" rather than "religious." Offerings and invocations are tossed off out of habit, and people have a healthy respect for the ability of a displeased god to give you a really bad day, but they don't often otherwise pay particular respects to them. Pick whatever domains or favored weapon you think are appropriate if playing a cleric or other class that needs domains.

The way the pantheon works is that no god has "primacy" over another one according to myth. The various gods work in their respective sphere of influence, and their importance varies from region to region. Because the gods appear to be "hands off"; how their worshippers view them, and the popularity of their cults, evolves over time. If the gods exist at all, they may not resemble what mortal worshippers think of them anymore.

The most notable and noticeable of the pantheon are the Four Horsemen, who are frequently associated together on iconography and elsewhere. They are:

•Ciernavo (from Balshatoi Czernavog), also known as the Black Pharaoh, and The Conqueror. Riding a White Horse, and firing a bow into his enemies, Ciernavo is a god associated with the spread of civilization; the wresting of new nations out of wilderness, or out of the ashes of the old, either one. He is pictured as obsidian black, with long hair and a crown-like growth of eight four to six inch horns on his head. The hamazin see him as their patron and father, pointing to their resemblance to the traditional depiction of him as evidence. (Name is slightly revised from the name of the big demon lord in Disney's "Night on Bald Mountain" segment of Fantasia, which in turn comes from Slavic mythology. He's also pictured as looking very similar to Graz'zt, the famous demon lord of D&D lore, and is also meant to subtly invoke Nyarlathotep from Lovecraftiana.)

•Peronte (from Balshatoi Perun), the Thunderer. Riding a red horse and swinging a sword that flashes like lightning, Peronte represents war. He is a wild-eyed and wild-haired man, charging into battle on his horse naked except for his warpaint, and his face is obscured by constant crackling of lightning. (Name is a Italianized version of a Slavic thunder god not unlike Thor.)

•Culsans (from ancient Terrasan), the Taker, The Hoarder. Riding a black horse, he's a cold god, associated with weights, measures, scales, money and civilization. Infamous for his miserly attitude, he's also associated with famine, and when famine strikes the land, it is often believed that it is Culsans withholding his bounty because he hasn't been sufficiently propitiated. (Name is an Etruscan god; aspect is pretty much exactly like that of the third Horseman, without being combined or blended with any other source.)

•Caronte (from ancient Terrasan Charun); Death, The King in Yellow. Riding a pale, sickly (or even dead and mummified) horse, Caronte is depicted as an emaciated, hunched, sinister figure wrapped in yellow rags that completely obscure his features (except sometimes a skeletal face), often with a scythe or sickle in his hand, harvesting the lives of those who's time has come. Behind him is another figure walking slowly behind him, a leery, crawling demonic figure of uncertain and inconsistant depiction, known as Orcus or Hell. (Combining the fourth horseman with Charon of Greek mythology (or Charun of Etruscan who had many similarities) with further aspects of the Grim Reaper and Chamber's King in Yellow seemed fun. Caronte is all of them rolled into a single package. Reading the Biblical verse, Death was followed by Hell--not a horseman, but apparently a flunky or assistant to Death.)

Besides the horsemen, several other gods are frequently worshipped or propitiated, or depicted in art and literature around the area. These include (in much more brief format):

•Istaria (uncertain origin of the name, but older versions Ishtar and Ashtarte are noted from old books), a goddess of books, libraries, and knowledge. Also pictured as lascivious and decadent, her worship is famous for it's heirodules, or temple prostitutes.

•Cathulo (uncertain origin of the name, but also known by the alternate name of Dagon), a god who lives under the sea, supposedly dreaming in his underwater palaces, waiting for the day he will rise and flood the land again. His propitiation often includes the pouring of alcohol into the water, to keep him sleepy.

•Susnacco (from ancient Terrasan Susinac), a god of travel with statues in most towns. When in embarking on a long journey, it is often customary to kiss the statue first.

•Selvans, a wild god of the wilderness and the hunt. Tall and lean, with claws and fangs and a skull-like visage, adorned with great antlers, Selvans is a figure that represents the terror the civilized man feels at the wildness of untamed places.

•Moloch (origin of name uncertain), a god of fire and the sun. While seen as friendly in some locations, most see him as untrustworthy and dangerous, and see his hand in devastating wildfires and sere crops alike.

And a few other gods are known to the scholarly, but not to the general public--they have frequently been at the core of dangerous and seditious cults. Worship of--and even knowledge of--these gods has been widely surpressed.

•Demogorgon, a primal god of the earth, said to predate the other gods, and belonging to a much more wild and chthonic order of beings.

•Huudrazai, the blind, idiot Stargod, who sleeps in the blackness of the void, lulled into restfullness by the incessant piping of strange and hidious entities. One day, his cultists say, the piping will stop, jolting Huudrazai to wakefulness, which will initiate the End Times.

•Yaji Ash-Shuthath--also known as Yog-Sothoth, an ancient entity, knowledge of which came in suppressed and forbidden texts from the jann, is The Gate; the way to communicate directly with the gods, in a certainly suicidal and mind-blasting ritual. However, lesser rites remain which skate the edges of sanity, but which canny sorcerers occasionally risk to increase their own power.

And there are even local deities, like the worship of Dog in the area around Porto Liure (see below).

There are a great many lesser gods, demons, angels, and other spiritual beings believed in by the peoples of the Land of the Three Empires. For the most part, there is little difference between these lesser beings and gods other than magnitude and some of them might have local or cult worship as gods as well. These beings clearly take at least some interest in the affairs of mortals, since hellkin, jann and the Nefili or Nephilim are all supposedly humans, albeit blended somehow with spiritual beings.

In Porto Liure, there's a very unusual cult: the worship of Dog.  Dog is a "god" that's actually fairly apparent to the residents of Porto Liure.  Everyone knows about him.  He lives on the island of Gandesa, not far from the city.  He appears to be immortal--he's been there since the city was founded at the very least--and undefeatable.  In the early days of Porto Liure, soldiers and sailors tried to hunt or kill Dog, but most were killed and eaten for their efforts.

What exactly is Dog?  He's... well, he's a very big dog.  About the size of an elephant.  His shaggy fur glistens like the shadows of darkest night, and his teeth shine like polished silver.  His eyes glow a fiery red.

Mostly Dog sleeps on the island, unseen and hidden from view.  Nobody knows where his lair is, despite many efforts to find it over the years.  When Dog walks, he leaves dark footprints behind that ooze shadowy tendrils of darkness like oily black smoke, but if one tries to track Dog, the tracks always seem to end in a confusing maze, or circle back on themselves, or otherwise lead one to naught.




Nobody is exactly sure when worship of Dog started.  It became apparent that Dog needed to eat.  Three times a year, human sacrifices are left for Dog.  Usually they are convicted criminals or enemies of the state, but if none are available, occasionally a citizen will be sacrificed.  Dog prefers young maidens, but will take anyone that's not too old and stringy.  If Dog isn't satiated through sacrifice, he will slip into Porto Liure at night and eat anyone he can find in the streets, leaving nothing but bloody tatters in his wake.  In the summer of 421--almost 150 years ago now--Dog massacred no less than 43 men, women and children in a single night and was seen by many more, before slipping off again before sunrise, leading to the last attempt to hunt and kill him.  Unsuccessfully, of course--he wasn't even found after the Bloody Saturday Massacre, as it came to be called.

Another curious Liurism is that portegnos frequently swear by Dog, even if they don't belong to the admittedly small cult of Dog.  "By Dog!". "By Dog's rancid breath!" or "By the fleas of Dog's greasy pelt!" and countless other variations pepper the speech of most native portegnos.


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 12, 2012)

At the start of the above reading, I was definitely leaning towards smuggler as the merchant trade and piracy seemed to dominate the background.  However, now that the city-state is firmly established it seems that the supernatural and violent murder is in the present forefront.  I'm likely going to go with a sniper/roof runner type, or a sniper/scout as GlassEye suggested.


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

Besides Porto Liure, the following are some of the nations and peoples of the surrounding area.

• Terrasa is the large power that surrounds Porto Liure, in many ways.  While it styles itself an Empire, in reality, it's a fragile dynastic union between half a dozen fracteous city-states or smaller countries, and the control the King in Terrasa wields over them is very loose at best, and loosening quickly, as the king is a vain, and foolish man who pays little heed to matters of state.

The Terrasans are kinda like Renaissance Italians, or Spaniards from right around the time of the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella and the uniting of Castille and Aragon into the country that would become Spain.

• The Northmen come from the mountainous shores north of the Mezzovian sea.  While many of them are subjects of the Terrasan Empire and have integrated and hybridized with that culture over generations, many of them pay little heed to politics, and wander the wilds as their ancestors have done for many years.  Northmen are not too unlike Vikings of Cossacks, and names from this group will sound Norse or Slavic.

• Even further to the north, where the weather starts to get warmer (Southern Hemisphere, although that's neither here nor there) is Baal Hamazi.  Once a mighty empire, ruled by the unearthly hamazi (although populated by many, many humans as well), Baal Hamazi is now a memory.  The Empire collapsed about two hundred years ago, and now is fractured city-states and smaller kingdoms, each trying to reclaim the legacy of their grand forebearers.  Between them, hostile nomadic tribesmen claim the land, making travel often difficult and dangerous.  Think of ancient Egypt combined wiht the Wild West, except that instead of ancient, the fall of this kingdom is relatively recent.  Between the city-states is not unlike the Comancheria or the lands of the Huns or Mongols.  The hamazi themselves are hellkin, mortal descendents of some angel or demon, they claim.  With sooty black or gray skin, yellow "wolf" eyes, and a small ring of horns on their heads forming a crown, they have the appearance of the Black Pharaoh himself, a sign of nobility.  They claim.  Think Nightcrawler combined with Darth Maul, or perhaps a slightly more human-like Graz'zt.  Conceptually, the hamazin are not unlike tieflings, and rules for such can be used to represent them.

There are other hellkin besides just the hamazin, although they are rare, and their appearances are much more varied.  Nobody knows exactly what causes them, although since the day that the moon's face changed and it rose in the sky looking like a grinning skull-faced visage of death, the birth of them has been more common.  Many believe that they are cursed.

• Far to the east is the caliphate of Qizmir.  Qizmir is, as you can imagine, loosely styled on an Arabian Nights kind of theme.  However, it's also too far away to play a direct role in this campaign.  However, many Qizmiri come to Porto Liure, usually far-flung merchants, ambassadors, merchants, adventurers, or pirates.  Far to the east (although on the _westernmost_ fringe of Qizmir's orbit) is the small semi-independent sultanate of Sarabasca, a city-state that is a hybrid of Terrasan and Qizmiri culture.  In many ways, Sarabasca is a rival to Porto Liure, as it is also a major harborage of Barbary pirates, and some captains indeed put in at both ports as the occasion requires.

In addition to the human inhabitants of Qizmir, the ruling class are the jann, mortal descendents of inhabitants of the City of Brass, so they claim.  Some of these have made it as far west as Porto Liure (and beyond) although they certainly are rare, still.  With brick red skin, fiery yellow eyes, and wild blond hair that occasionally reminds viewers of a dancing flame, the jann also have a common appearance.  Conceptually, they are basically fire genasi, which in Pathfinder are mirrored by the ifrit (although curiously, I'd already been using ifrit as my preferred transliteration of the word better known to D&D players are efreet.  Oh, well.)  You can easily use the stats for these if you wish to play one.

• Northeast of Porto Liure, between the easternmost city-state of Terrasa and the wild place of Sarabasca is another kingdom, Tarush Noptii, the benighted kingdom of vampires.  It is said that over the capital city it is _always_ night, although few have been able to report this reliably, as few leave the capital.  What causes this astronomical improbability is unknown, and why it should be is similarly unknown (vampires in my setting are not necessarily vulnerable to sunlight--although they don't like it, of course.)  Luckily for everyone else, the vampires tend to be fairly insular, and rarely venture abroad.  Many of the Tarushans, however, escape as they can.  They are rarely trusted by outsiders.  Although rare, it has been reliably reported that vampires or ghouls have traveled with wandering Tarushan gypsies, feeding on the folks that they pass by.  Tarushans often have names that would sound Hungarian or Romanian to us.  And hey, Pathfinder has rules for a dhampyr!  I hadn't actually considered integrating them into the setting, but why the heck not?

• There are a few other nations and peoples, although I hadn't quite gotten around to converting any of them into Pathfinder directly.  Some of the wild forests are home to the vucari or changelings, the descendents of werewolves who's wild blood has lost much of its potency over the years.  They also live in ghettos in many cities of the southlands, and some of them have an association with organized crime.  Conceptually, they are not unlike shifters, first debuted in Eberron.  For a quick and dirty conversion, I'd represent them mechanically with half-orcs who have the Bestial and Forest Walker alternate race traits.  We also have the nephilim, also the descendents of outsiders; fallen angels who followed their leader Samyasa into forbidden union with women of mortal birth.  Occasionally, their progeny still pop up, seemingly at random.  They are best represented mechanically by aasimars.  Since my tone is much more low fantasy sword & sorcery with a dash of horror, it's important to note, however, that unlike aasimars normally in D&D, the are not the blessed progeny of _righteous_ angels, they are the cursed progeny of _fallen_ angels... and the cynical often point out that there is little difference between angels and demons anyway other than that angels are better looking and have better PR.


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

Also, although I haven't yet added any content to it yet, I just created an Obsidian Portal page for this campaign here.  I'll actually get to work bulking that out over the next few days while everyone nails down characters.


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

Porto Liure has a reputation as a lawless, anarchic place.  That's not entirely true.  One of the conceits for its very existance; a necessary caveat for Terrasa accepting its bid as an independent city-state in the first place, is the establishment and enforcement of a rule of law in Porto Liure. Agreeing to do so was old Jacobo Bernat's key compromise in his bid to establish himself as the newly minted Lord of Porto Liure at the end of the Pirate Wars 150 years ago.  How seriously that endeavor has been taken over the years has, of course, waxed and waned.  At its most stringent, the streets were nearly as clean as in any Terrasan city, and at its most lax, the Lord of Porto Liure was little more than among the most prominent gangster warlords in the city, with the City Watch as his personal enforcers.  Naturally, most of the time, it's somewhere in between.

But even at its most strident, the streets of Porto Liure have never really been clean.  It's just not in the nature of Liurans to roll over and accept too much authority, and the result of that is that organized crime is one of the most enduring and notable features of the city.

Currently, the following are among the most prominent elements of organized crime in the city.

*The Cherskii Mafia.*  Headquartered "overseas", this mafia was formed and remains run to this day by bosses amongst the hamazin.  Originally meant as a method to raise money and resources for a resurgent "glorious revolution" and revitalization of Baal Hamazi itself, as the years have passed, the patriotic zeal has proven fleeting.  Most likely, the organized crime business is simply more profitable.  Although nominally run by hamazin hellkin, in reality, they tend to be distant and rarely seen authority figures.  Much of the actual muscle of these gangs are made up of shaggy urban changelings and local humans.  They deal in the usual vices--prostitution (not strictly illegal in Porto Liure, although discouraged in some locales), smuggling, drugs, protection rackets, bribery of officials, and the occasional contract killing. 
*The Union of the Snake.* A small group in Porto Liure, this is actually a Sarabascan outfit that specializes in assassination and poisonings.  Because their reputation is so good, the business is incredibly lucrative, and they can charge so much, the Union has surprising clout given their small numbers.  They are much more specialized than most, however. 
*The Castiada Crime Family.*  A local Terrasan family business, which has grown over the years to be a major player in the city.  Ruled by the "Old Gray Lady", it's not entirely clear who this person is.  It's not entirely clear that it is in fact a single person, or even a person at all.  Commonly, it's believed that the Old Gray Lady is a leader in disguise, and the actual running of the family is confined to a small group or triumvirate who take turns donning the Old Gray Lady's robes when the occasion demands.  Some have made wilder claims; that the Old Gray Lady is the ghost of an ancient Castiada matron who still rules the family from beyond the grave being one popular tavern story, but if anyone knows the truth, they're not saying.  In addition to playing in the usual vices, the Castiadas have made a concerted effort in the past to corral all the cat-burglars and pick-pockets in the city under their umbrella.  They haven't been completely successful, but they've managed to take a cut from a fair amount of them, and freelance operatives better learn to take very small, discrete steps around town or risk their brutal wrath. 
*The Fuzeta da Ponte family.*  Another local gang, but one with tendrils extending throughout the western Mezzovian region.  Old Man Heitor, the _capo emeritus _of the family, spent many of his younger years at sea as a pirate, and only retired to take over the organized crime business from his father when the sea lanes got too hot for him.  He's now stepped aside for his own son, Leonardo, who plied the seas with a little more legitimacy, sailing with a letter of marque issued by the Lord of Porto Liure himself.  Fantastically connected, both locally with the nobility, abroad with various important VIPs throughout the region, and with a number of old pirates and smugglers on the waters as well, the Fuzeta da Ponte family might be the most potent player in the city, although their strength is difficult to estimate.  Although they dabble in everything, their specialty is smuggling and piracy, and many pirates on the clear blue waters of the Mezzovian are sailing with debts owed to the Fuzeta da Ponte family, which they ensure they use as leverage to take a cut. 
*Kaz's Crew.*  Kazimir Lagebøter's ancestors were from the north, as a casual glance at his name suggests.  However, his family has lived in Porto Liure for generations.  Seen by many as a newcomer, and therefore with some disdain, Kazimir's success derives from his reputation for potent, dangerous, and cursed witchery, which he learned from an old vampire hag he took as a lover while traveling in Tarush Noptii.  At least, so say the rumors.  Regardless, his rise has been meteoric, and his crew have an almost unnatural, offputting mien to them.  Few can say to have directly witnessed any action of witchcraft, but everyone whispers about it nonetheless.


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## Kaodi (Sep 12, 2012)

So, this is what I am thinking about for a character... If I am in, it can always be modified to the requirements of the game backstory.

Unassuming and sleight, most people who encounter Amaline would not give her a second thought. But the humble young woman born and raised in Porto Liure could easily be the most intellectually gifted crook in the city; perhaps even the most intellectually gifted _person_ in the city. And while no one who met her would easily come to that conclusion, her considerable talents have not gone unnoticed by the seedy underclasses. 

Amaline was born into the lower classes of Porto Liure, from a family descended primarily from a mix of Northmen and Terrasans. From a very young age her parents knew she was gifted, but they could not afford a proper education for her. So the girl who could have been the pride of the most prestigious academies, could have become a mistress of magic, instead gained her education on the streets. And what dangerous streets they were. 

No matter how smart and logical one might be, you can hardly grow up in the poor neighbourhoods of Porto Liure without having the stories and superstitions of the area rub off on you. Though not religious, Amaline gained a healthy fear of Dog from her family as a little girl. Supposedly at least one relative was among the victims of the Bloody Saturday Massacre, though the details have become sketchy over the generations. And that is only the most well known of the supernatural dangers of the slums.

Mundane threats abounded as well in the slums, but Amaline's natural genius allowed her to ingratiate herself with the thieves, scoundrels, and crime families of Porto Liure, thus guaranteeing a degree of safety as long as she tread carefully. She became good at pricing stolen goods, creating and detecting forged documents, and crafting all matter of special substances, including some drugs and poisons. She also came to be skilled at protecting stolen goods from _other_ thieves, crafting complex locks and traps. But it has been a dangerous life, as Amaline has always been more of a freelancer, and thus does not enjoy all of the protections that her clients do. And that has meant that to cover her tracks she had become adept at lies and disguise, as well as escape.

Amaline has so far managed to keep her reputation as a dependable hire, but the crime lords of Porto Liure can be fickle, and it may only be a matter of time before their is a major shakeup in her life.

Amaline, Girl Genius, female human trapsmith rogue 1, neutral
str 10 dex 14 con 13 int 20 wis 12 cha 8
traits canter, mathematical prodigy (engineering)
skills appraise, bluff, craft (alchemy), craft (locks), craft (traps), disable device, disguise, escape artist, knowledge (engineering), knowledge (local), linguistics, perception, sleight of hand, stealth, use magic device
feats fast learner, improvisation
languages?


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## Desdichado (Sep 12, 2012)

I love it.  Sounds wonderful.

I do need to describe languages, don't I?  I've gotta run for a school open house in a few minutes, but I'll get to that later this evening.


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## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

*Languages*

Terrasan: This is the official language of the Terrasan Empire (surprising, I know) and as such is widely spoken in all the areas of the map shown on my campaign sites and elsewhere. In origin, it is based on the southern shores of the Mezzovian Sea, and it is there that its penetration is most thorough. That said, since no land shown on the map has failed to undergo a fairly severe "Terrasification" culturally, this is a common trade language, at least, if not native language of most people in the area.

Real life similarities: Most place and people names here come from this language. To represent this, I've used mostly Occitan and Catalan names and words, with a few that I draw or manually revise from Romanian, Spanish and various Italian and other Romance languages as well, such as Sardinian, Asturian, Aragonese, Piedmontese, Corsican, Sicilian, etc.

North Terrassan (Balshatoi): The Terrasan Empire was cobbled together over the course of many generations, and from many cultures. The northern rim of the Mezzovian Sea was originally populated by a completely different cultural group. Due to the many years that they have been part of the Empire, their language had largely faded, to be used only by lower classes (particularly, isolated rural populations) and scholars who read the ancient records of the region. As the strength of the Empire has faded in recent decades, however, North Terrassan has undergone a bit of a linguistic renaissance. More and more people of the northern cities: Razina, Iclezza and their surrounding lands, are trying to reclaim the language and bring about its greater prominence. This effort is still nascent; a person who speaks only Terrassan and not North Terrassan will get along fine in these cities, although more and more certain officials, merchants and others will view them as worthy of scorn or even resentment for attempting to "stamp out" their own native culture. Despite the name, North Terrassan is related to Terrassan only by way of geography. Linguistically the languages bear little resemblances that aren't obvious recent borrowings.

Real life similarities: Names in North Terrassan can be picked from Scandinavian and Slavic namelists, particularly Old Norse and Polish or Russian.

Common: Common in this setting is not like Common in a typical D&D setting. Common is a patois or Creole type language formed from Terrassan and various other substrate languages, and it has never achieved anything like a legitimate status. Although a few people write glosses and other short passages in various alphabets, especially Terrassan, this is merely an accomodation; Common actually has no written form at all. Speaking in Common is certainly possible over a wider audience than Terrassan, but it is limited in what it can convey; it lacks the robustness of a naturally occuring language.

Roleplaying note: Realistically, anyone roleplaying in this setting can use Common to get by (although there is no written form of it) without any penalties. For added flavor, anyone trying to conduct any social skill check (Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, etc.) in Common takes a -2 penalty due to the simplistic and sparse nature of speaking in Common.

Kvuustu: Kvuustu is a language that originates in the southern portion of the map, and is most closely associated with the Neanderthal population. It's too simplistic to simply say that Kvuustu is the equivalent of the Neanderthal language, however; many humans who live in proximity to that area speak Kvuustu as their native language as well. Many scholars believe that this language was once much more widespread over this area, long before the rise of the Terrassan Empire, and that ironically it was humans from the shores of the Mezzovian Sea who first brought an ancient form of this language to the Neanderthals... who now bring it back with their foederati army units and settlements. Many Neanderthals who are recently arrived in the Empire speak only this language, or at best, Kvuustu and Common. Kvuustu does have an ancient written form, but today few people can use it and most native speakers are illiterate.

Real life similarities: I actually have a word generator program, with custom parameters, that generate my Kvuustu words. It is notorious amongst Terrassans for its difficult consonent clusters and long "doubled" vowels, as well as having fewer phonemes than some other languages. In fact, the more difficult consonent clusters compensate for this lack of phonemes, so that k-, kv-, ksv-, etc. serve as different letters from each other, effectively.

Kurushi: The language of the Kurushat khaganate, this language is commonly known by its association with the native ethnic group of that area, who speak it as a native language. Unlike the neighboring Kvuustu, this language is quite cultured, and the Kurushi themselves can claim to have a growing, vibrant, powerful state that is a legitimate rival to Terrasa and other states in the region. In any case, Kurushi has a rich literary history, at the very least, and its use, especially on the southern rim of the Mezzovian, is becoming more commonplace.  It remains today, however, an exotic foreign language.

Real life similarities: If the Terrassan empire is often compared loosely to Rome, then the Kurushi have to be compared loosely to the Sassanian Persians, at least in terms of role in the setting, if not actual linguistic similarity. The fact that the Kurushi who remain on the shores of the Mezzovian are isolated from their motherland, and have been for a long time, does not mean that they have forgotten their heritage. Although many serve as foederati for Terrassa, their primary allegiance is to themselves. The names I've created for Kurushat are often Leigh Brackett Martian names that have been modified and malformed to scrape the serial numbers off. In addition, a pseudo-Asian vibe has been applied to some names, although this is too vague and generic to be binned to any specific Asian culture.

Sylvan: This language comes from the woods and wilderness areas on the western borders of the Empire, and is still common amongst the rural mining towns in Caurs Mountainsand the woodlands of the southern Bisbal Forest; especially along the banks of the Erau River. Because many Imperial citizens only know it from the changelings who live in that region, it is informally called "Changeling" or Vucari by many. Another branch of this language exists deep in the Shifting Forest, but since the inhabitants of those lands are extremely xenophobic and don't maintain relationships of any kind (other than "kill on sight") with their neighbors, this dialect has diverged from that spoken in the Caurs region significantly.

Real life similarities: Most Sylvan names are ones that I've grabbed from namelists from Georgian (the country, not the state in the southeastern United States) and Turkish. I might have grabbed a few Abhkhaz names just for fun as well.

Qizmiri: This language came from across the ocean with the jann. The version of Qizmiri today is heavily influenced by a substrate language of the humans who lived there, who spoke a language distantly related to Terrasan. That language is now extinct, and everyone from Qizmir speaks Qizmiri.

Real life similarities: Most names and words from Qizmiri are borrowed and adapted from either Farsi or Arabic, and should have a similar "feel" to those languages.

Tarushan: Tarushan is mostly a substrate language of the northern reaches of the map, distantly related to North Terrasan. It's mostly extinct except as a source of ancient inscriptions, placenames and loanwords. However, it does remain an active and vibrant language in one region: Tarush Noptii. It is speculated that it is the original native language of the Primogenitor vampires. The linguistic conservatism of effectively immortal creatures has ensured that it remains mostly as it was many generations ago, and today Tarushan is one of the most archaic and conservative languages in the region.

Real life similarities: Tarushan names are borrowed from Hungarian.

Infernal: This is the primary language spoken by those from the Realms Outside, although myriad other tongues exist amongst this diverse breed as well. In addition, this is the language of magic, so a smattering of it, at least, is known by any practitioner of the arcane arts. Perfect fluency in this language, on the other hand, is almost impossible for any mortal to achieve. Because of this, it takes two skill points to earn this language, not one. 

Despite that, it was always very fashionable in Baal Hamazi, where the demonic taint of their bloodline was a source of pride to the ruling caste, to speak Infernal natively, and many noble houses took great pains to ensure that their children didn't hear any other language until they were five years of age. Some households still speak Infernal in the home, and it is still a living language of some importance in some of the successor states to Baal Hamazi, and amongst the hamazin in particular.

Real life similarities: Most of the names are borrowed from the slightly more obscure cultures of the ancient middle east: Ancient Egypt, Elam and the Hurrians, in particular.

Dagonic: This is a bizarre pre-human language, remnants of which float around on isolated and moldy standing stones and other areas. Intriguingly, it appears to have originally been a underwater language. Few people on the surface can even make an attempt to learn it, due to the challenges of speech that an underwater language had to have overcome, and the language itself is only known from very scanty and fragmentary remains, making fluency all but impossible for even the most dedicated scholar.

Roleplaying note: Because of the difficulty in learning this language, it takes three skill points rather than one to do so. Also, for all intents and purposes, it is a written language only, not a spoken language, since there are no speakers that anyone knows of at all, and how to pronounce the language is anyone's guess.


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## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

_duplicate post_


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## Kaodi (Sep 13, 2012)

Okay, I think I am going to opt into this. I keep telling myself I should not join any more games, but that is hard to live by when some, such as this, match up with characters I have wanted to play for a while,  .

In any case, Amaline, with her five bonus languages and the extra from linguistics, speaks Terrasan, North Terrasan, Common, Kvuustu, Kurushi, Sylvan, and Qizmiri. It was a bit of a toss up between Kvuustu and Tarushan for the last one, but I figured the latter would probably be less easy to come by, even if it is related to North Terrasan.


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## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

You speak pretty much every language that's currently in use in the region and beyond.  Perfect fit for the concept!


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## kinem (Sep 13, 2012)

Stefano Claude, male human rogue (cutpurse) 1

[sblock=stats]str 12/+1
dex 20/+5
con 10/+0
int 13/+1
wis  8/-1
cha 14/+2

HD 1d8+1, hp 9
AC 18 (+5 dex, +3 armor), touch 15, flat footed 13; +1 Combat Expertise when attacking
move 30'; saves Fort +0, Reflex +7, Will -1; init +5

attack rapier +5 melee (1d6+1, 18/x2)
or sap +5 melee (1d6+1 nonlethal, 20/x2)
or dagger +5 melee or ranged (1d4+1, 19/x2)
or crossbow +5 ranged (1d8, 19/x2, 80' range inc) (move action to reload; can attack while prone)

Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

The rogue's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 8 + Int modifier + 1 (human)

skills (ranks/total/with ACP): Acrobatics 1/9/8, Appraise 1/5, Bluff 1/6, Climb 1/5/4, Disable Device 1/9/8, Escape Artist 1/9/8, Perception 1/3, Sense Motive 1/3, Sleight of Hand 1/9/8, Stealth 1/9/8

languages: Terrasan, Common

feats: Weapon Finesse, Combat Expertise

traits: Magical Talent (message 1/day), Threatening Defender (reduce Combat Expertise penalty to attack rolls by 1)

class abilities:

Sneak Attack +1d6

Measure the Mark (Ex): When a cutpurse makes a Sleight of Hand check to take something, the target makes its Perception check before the rogue makes his Sleight of Hand check, and the rogue knows the Perception check result. He can decide whether or not to make the check based on the results of the target’s Perception check. If the rogue elects not to make the check, he can make a Bluff check, opposed by the target’s Sense Motive, to prevent the target from noticing the attempt.

140 gp equip:
rapier (1d6 P, 18/x2), 2 lb, 20 gp
sap (1d6 B nonlethal, 20/x2), 2 lb, 1 gp
dagger (1d4 PS, 19/x2, can throw 10' range inc), 1 lb, 2 gp; +2 on Sleight of Hand to conceal
light crossbow (1d8 P, 20/x2, 80' range inc), 4 lbs, 35 gp
20 bolts, 2 lbs, 2 gp
studded leather armor, (+3 AC, max dex +5, ACP -1), 25 gp

Thieves' Tools, 30 gp
Periscope (+12 stealth, -4 perception), 20 gp
Rope, hemp, 50', 10 lbs, 1 gp
backpack, 2 gp
waterskin, 1 gp
sack (x2), 0.2 gp
8 sp[/sblock][sblock=Description]Stefano is a dark haired (bald) human male, 5'8'.

He grew up in an unhappy rural household, constantly at odds with his father, who often beat him. As a young teenager he ran away and came to Porto Liure, where he quickly fell into a life of thievery. Despite his frequent stealing, he has a moral streak and sometimes deposits stolen items in the pockets of those who need them more than he does. Unfortunately, that once caused an innocent woman - Sandra Grin - to be caught and jailed for a crime that Stefano committed. Though unhappy about it, he wasn't willing to come clean and go to jail himself.[/sblock]


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## Kaodi (Sep 13, 2012)

[sblock=Amaline]
[sblock=Game Info]
Race: Human
Class: Trapsmith Rogue 
Level: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Languages: Terrasan, North Terrasan, Common, Kvuustu, Kurushi, Sylvan, Qizmiri
Deity: Dog[/sblock]
[sblock=Abilities]
STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 13
INT: 20
WIS: 12
CHA: 08[/sblock]
[sblock=Combat]
HP: 10 = [1d8=8] + 1 (CON) + 0 (misc) + 1 (favored class)
AC: 13 = 10 + 1 (armor) + 0 (shield) + 2 (DEX) + 0 (misc)
AC Touch: 12 = 10 + 2 (DEX) + (misc)
AC Flatfooted: 11 = 10 + 1 (armor) + 0 (shield) + 0 (misc)
INIT: +2 = +2 (DEX) + 0 (misc)
BAB: +0 = +0 (rogue)
CMB: +0 = +0 (STR) + 0 (BAB)
CMD: 12 = 10 + 0 (STR) + 2 (DEX) + 0 (BAB)
Fort: +1 = +0 (base) + 1 (CON)
Reflex: +3 = +2 (base) + 1 (DEX)
Will: +1 = +0 (base) + 1 (WILL)
Speed: 30 ft.
Damage Reduction: None
Spell Resistance: None
Spell Failure: N/A[/sblock]
[sblock=Weapon Stats]
Dagger (melee): +0 = +0 (BAB) + 0 (STR) + 0 (feat)/ DMG = 1d4 (PorS), CRIT 19-20x2
[/sblock]
[sblock=Racial Traits]
+2 Int, Bonus Feat, Bonus Skill Point/Level[/sblock]
[sblock=Class Features]
Proficient w/Simple Weapon, Hand Crossbow, Rapier, Sap, Shortbow, Shortsword, and Light Armour
Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding[/sblock]
[sblock=Feats & Traits]
Bonus Human- Improvisation
1st lvl- Faster Learner

Traits:
a) Canter
b) Mathematical Prodigy[/sblock]
[sblock=Skills]
Skill Ranks: 15 = [8 (class) + 05 (INT)] x 01 (LvL) + 01 (misc) + 01 (Favored Class)
Max Ranks: 01 
ACP: -0

Skills:
() = class skill
^ = trained only

```
Total                      Stat   Rank  CS  Misc  ACP
+04 =  Acrobatics          +02    +00   +0  +02   -0   DEX
+09 =  Appraise            +05    +01   +3  +00        INT
+03 =  Bluff               -01    +01   +3  +00        CHA
+02 =  Climb               +00    +00   +0  +02   -0   STR
+09 =  Craft:Alchemy       +05    +01   +3  +00        INT
+09 =  Craft:Locks         +05    +01   +3  +00        INT
+09 =  Craft:Traps         +05    +01   +3  +00        INT
+01 =  Diplomacy           -01    +00   +0  +02        CHA
+06 =  Disable Device^     +02    +01   +3  +00   -0   DEX
+03 =  Disguise            -01    +01   +3  +00        CHA
+06 =  Escape Artist       +02    +01   +3  +00   -0   DEX
+04 =  Fly                 +02    +00   +0  +02   -0   DEX
+01 =  Handle Animal^      -01    +00   +0  +02        CHA
+03 =  Heal                +01    +00   +0  +02        WIS
+01 =  Intimidate          -01    +00   +0  +02        CHA
+08 =  Know:Arcana^        +05    +00   +0  +03        INT
+07 =  Know:Dungeoneering^ +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+10 =  Know:Engineering^   +05    +01   +3  +01        INT
+07 =  Know:Geography^     +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+07 =  Know:History^       +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+09 =  Know:Local^         +05    +01   +3  +00        INT
+07 =  Know:Nature^        +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+07 =  Know:Nobility^      +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+07 =  Know:Planes^        +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+07 =  Know:Religion^      +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+09 =  Linguistics^        +05    +01   +3  +00        INT
+03 =  Perception          +01    +01   +3  +00        WIS
+01 =  Perform:_____       -01    +00   +0  +02        CHA
+03 =  Profession^:_____   +01    +00   +0  +02        WIS
+04 =  Ride                +02    +00   +0  +02   -0   DEX
+03 =  Sense Motive        +01    +00   +0  +02        WIS
+06 =  Sleight of Hand^    +02    +01   +3  +00   -0   DEX
+07 =  Spellcraft^         +05    +00   +0  +02        INT
+06 =  Stealth             +02    +01   +3  +00   -0   DEX
+03 =  Survival            +01    +00   +0  +02        WIS
+02 =  Swim                +00    +00   +0  +02   -0   STR
+03 =  Use Magic Device^   -01    +01   +3  +00        CHA
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Spellcasting]
...[/sblock]
[sblock=Equipment]

```
Equipment                    Cost  Weight
Hot Weather Outfit	       --      --
Padded Armour		     5 gp    5 lbs.
Dagger   		     2 gp    1 lb.
Backpack		     2 gp    2 lbs.
- Small Steel Mirror	    10 gp   .5 lbs.
- Sewing Needle		     5 sp      --
- Merchant's Scale           2 gp    1 lb.
- Thieves' Tools	    30 gp    1 lb.
- Disguise Kit		    50 gp    8 lbs.
- Magnet	             5 sp   .5 lbs.
- Flint & Steel		     1 gp      --
Waterskin		     1 gp    4 lbs.


Total weight carried: 23 lbs.
```
Treasure: 36 gp, sp, cp Gems:

Carrying Capacity:
light- 33
medium- 66
heavy- 100[/sblock]
[sblock=Details]
Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 105 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Skin Color: Light Tan
Appearance: Plain 
Demeanor: Nervous[/sblock] 
[sblock=Background]... [/sblock]
[sblock=Adventure Notes] None yet[/sblock]
[sblock=Level Ups]
Level 2
Class:
BAB: +0 to +0
Fort: +0 to +0
Ref: +0 to +0
Will: +0 to +0
Feat:
Class Features:
HP: +?? = (1d?? - 2 = ?) + 0 [CON] + ?? (Old Total) = ?? (new total)
Skill Ranks: +?? = +?? (Class) + 0 (misc) + ?? (Old Total) = ?? (new total)
Skills:
Favored Class Bonus:[/sblock] [/sblock]


----------



## Rune (Sep 13, 2012)

I _think_ this character is rules-legal:

[sblock=Roderick]Human Rogue (Investigator)
Favored Class: Rogue (+1 skill rank/level)

STR 10
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 8 (-1)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 17 (+3)

*Feats:* Alertness, Persuasive

*Languages:*
Common
Terrasan
North Terassan
Kvuustu
Kurushi

*Skills:*
Appraise +7
Bluff +7
Diplomacy +9
Disable Device +7
Disguise +7
Intimidate +9
Knowledge (history) +4
Knowledge (local) +7
Knowledge (nobility) +4
Linguistics +7
Perception +8
Sense Motive +8
Use Magic Device +7

*Traits:* Canter, Rich Parents (Is this one okay?  'Cause it would be very handy to have a 900gp pool for bribes and other unexpected expenses.)

*Combat Stats:*

Initiative +1
HP 7
AC 13 (Leather 15 lb.), Fortitude -1, Reflex +3, Willpower +2
Dagger (+0 melee, +1 thrown, 1d4 P or S, 19/X2, 10 ft range, 1 lb.)
Sap (+0, 1d6 B, nonlethal, 2 lb.)
CMB +0
CMD +1

*Equipment:*
Candle
Case, map or scroll (0.5 lb.)
Chalk, 1 piece
Flint and steel
Ink (1 oz vial)
Inkpen
Mirror, small steel (0.5 lb.)
Mirror, small steel (0.5 lb.)
Paper (sheet)
Parchment (sheet)
Sack (empty) (0.5 lb.)
Sealing wax (1 lb.)
Sewing needle
Signal whistle
Signet ring
Soap (per lb) (1 lb.)
Thieve's tools (1 lb.)
Explorer's outfit (8 lb.)
938 gp 3 sp 2cp (900 in a safe stash/not on person).

31.86 lb.[/sblock]


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Sure, I'll accept Rich Parents.

Let me take stock here later this morning; it looks like we're still missing [-]two[/-] three characters.  Before we begin, I want to do one more quick and dirty exercise in character refinement (non-mechanical.)  To do that, I'll need everybody to write up a very brief (paragraph or two is more than enough) summary of some of the adventures or shenanigans you've been up to in just the last week or two.  Everybody needs to have had something happen to them that requires you to spend a day or two on a trip to a nearby village named Bara Gairo that's associated with Porto Liure.  Slow moving fishing schooners make almost daily milk runs between the village and the port.  As you can guess, you'll all be in the village at the same time for one night, planning on returning the next day.

Also; Rune, what's your character's name?


----------



## Kaodi (Sep 13, 2012)

A week ago Amaline was contacted by a representative of the Fuzeta da Ponte family with details of a forging job that would take her out of the city to the village of Bara Gairo. There, a Qizmiri businessman and associate of the family would be waiting, in need of some special documents so that he could get a special shipments of good into the city. Of course, details of what exactly was being transported were not forthcoming, but Amaline could guess it was likely some exotic drugs, or a dangerous pet; really, it was not her concern.

She was furnished with an example of the documents she would be forging, with instructions to burn them once she was done studying and preparing for the job. Materials would be provided on site in Bara Gairo, so as not to unduly risk her being apprehended on the way out of the city. So Amaline did as she was asked, and once she was confident she had the technique down, she burned the example and waited a couple of days for when she needed to head to the village.

In the time to spare, Amaline did a little consulting work on the price of stolen goods for a couple fences from the Castidia family, but otherwise she decided to take it easy. She was not hurting too badly for money at the moment, and the price on the documents would add nicely to those savings. Eventually it was time for her contracted job though, and she headed to Bara Gairo.

Forging the documents ended up taking a little longer than Amaline had expected, but the Qizmiri businessman had been quite impressed by her knowledge of his language; if he had any issue with her work, it seemed to have been forgiven. In any case, once the forging had been completed and she had received her payment, it was too late for her to head back into the city that day, and she was forced to stay in the village for the night.

( Okay, I had not intended to write more than two paragraphs, but it just sort of... happened. )


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

And, just as an FYI, I've been making some updates to the Obsidian Portal campaign page, so it's relatively complete (at least so far; obviously much to come as we delve into the campaign.)  I've added, also, some details about the little village you'll be visiting as the campaign starts.  Don't worry!  I fully intend to only spend a little time there, and then get back to the city. 

Wretched Hive of Scum & Villainy | Obsidian Portal


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

And as an aside, anyone seen GlassEye, HolyMan or Deuce Traveler in the last couple of days?


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Also, sorry... one more question.  I tried to add the first statblock I had (Stefano) into Obsidian Portal, and I frankly got kinda lost by their system.  He's there, but his character sheet is showing as blank, for some reason (!?)  Anyone ever use Obsidian Portal for character management before?

Rather than go on and add Amaline and Rune's so-far nameless character, I stopped until I can figure it out.  Maybe instead of being on Obsidian Portal, I should just create a quick n dirty campaign page on Wikispaces.  I know how that works.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Sep 13, 2012)

*Feo Gato*

Deuce Traveler checking in.  I'm sure the others will soon, too.  Tell me what you think about my first draft:

Name: Feo Gato
Human Rogue (Roof Runner)
Favored Class: Rogue (+1 hit point/level)

HP: 10
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 20 (+5)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 8 (-1)

Feats: Sneak Attack +1d6 (Class), Roof Running (Class), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

Languages: Terrasan

Skills (9 points):
Acrobatics: +9
Climb: +6
Swim: +6
Disable Device: +9
Escape Artist: +9
Perception: +5
Sleight of Hand: +9
Stealth: +9
Knowledge (local): +4

Traits: Deft Dodger (+1 to Reflex Saves), Reactionary (+2 to Initiative)

Initiative +7
HP: 10
AC: 17
Saves: Fortitude +1, Reflex +8, Willpower +1

BAB: +0
CMB +2
CMD +7

Weapons: Short Bow, Club (table leg)
Short Bow (+5 to hit, 1d6 damage, x3 Critical, Range: 60 feet), Club (+2 to hit, 1d6 damage, x2 critical)

Armor: Leather

Equipment: Chalk, 1 piece; Flint and steel; Mirror (small steel); Backpack; Signal whistle;  Thieves Tools; Quiver, Arrows: 20; Smoke Arrow; Traveler's Outfit; Sack; 42gp, 9 cp

Total Cost: 95.91 out of 140gp
Total Weight: 32 out of 58 pounds (Light)

Background: Feo grew up as another poor street rat in Porto Liorte, though he had a knack for climbing and roof jumping.  He joined up with one of the local gangs called the Saracens, but the group ended up on the wrong end of a score and were wiped out of their turf by the Turnball ACs.  They should have known that the Turnball ACs would look down on them robbing a low-rate jewelry store on their territory, but Edge, the Saracen gang leader, thought the place was too undefended and lucrative to pass up.  Feo came out of the fight unscathed and with enough of the loot from the score to escape to Bara Gairo and lay low for a bit.  Half of his gang was killed outright (including Edge), while the others were hurt bad or scattered to parts unknown.  Feo knows some other local gangs that might take him in, such as the Moonrunners, once things settle down.  Feo is dusky skinned with chubby cheeks and dark eyes set in a squat face.  He is downright unattractive and talks little, though he is generally even-tempered.

---

I'd love to throw chakrams instead of firing a shortbow.  I just love chakrams.  I think this character should fit well in the group as a sneak, burglar, climber and all around infiltrator.


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Ugly Cat?  Ha-ha!

I like it.  Nice use of the Roof Runner archetype.


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Putting all of the backgrounds/last few weeks stories in one post, for easy access.  As of this point, still looking for one for Brick, Porcelain, Stefano, and Rune's unnamed character.


> *Amaline.*  A week ago Amaline was contacted by a representative of the Fuzeta da Ponte family with details of a forging job that would take her out of the city to the village of Bara Gairo. There, a Qizmiri businessman and associate of the family would be waiting, in need of some special documents so that he could get a special shipments of good into the city. Of course, details of what exactly was being transported were not forthcoming, but Amaline could guess it was likely some exotic drugs, or a dangerous pet; really, it was not her concern.
> 
> She was furnished with an example of the documents she would be forging, with instructions to burn them once she was done studying and preparing for the job. Materials would be provided on site in Bara Gairo, so as not to unduly risk her being apprehended on the way out of the city. So Amaline did as she was asked, and once she was confident she had the technique down, she burned the example and waited a couple of days for when she needed to head to the village.
> 
> ...






> *Feo Gato.*  Background: Feo grew up as another poor street rat in Porto Liorte, though he had a knack for climbing and roof jumping.  He joined up with one of the local gangs called the Saracens, but the group ended up on the wrong end of a score and were wiped out of their turf by the Turnball ACs.  They should have known that the Turnball ACs would look down on them robbing a low-rate jewelry store on their territory, but Edge, the Saracen gang leader, thought the place was too undefended and lucrative to pass up.  Feo came out of the fight unscathed and with enough of the loot from the score to escape to Bara Gairo and lay low for a bit.  Half of his gang was killed outright (including Edge), while the others were hurt bad or scattered to parts unknown.  Feo knows some other local gangs that might take him in, such as the Moonrunners, once things settle down.  Feo is dusky skinned with chubby cheeks and dark eyes set in a squat face.  He is downright unattractive and talks little, though he is generally even-tempered.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 13, 2012)

Sorry, was kinda waiting on HolyMan's input about our associated character ideas.  I'm off to the gym right now but I hope to get character info/background up after (with or without HM).


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Quick change, in case anyone's looked yet.  I got tired very quickly of fighting with Obsidian Portal.  It's probably a great site, but I'm having too much trouble figuring out how to do things like post characters and whatnot.  And the text editor was very poor.  I prefer the "straight wiki" type stuff.

Because of that, I've spent the last hour or so migrating all the information I had on the OP page to a wikispaces account, which I've created as a new campaign wiki for this campaign.

http://wretched.wikispaces.com/

From now on, any updates will show up there, and the Obsidian Portal site will be taken down.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Sep 13, 2012)

Hobo said:


> Ugly Cat?  Ha-ha!
> 
> I like it.  Nice use of the Roof Runner archetype.




Well if you were going to use Latin-based names such as Porto Liorte, then this Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican/Irishman was going to enjoy himself.  Speaking of Brooklyn, I also threw in a few references to the greatest Brooklyn movie of all time in the background.

How much has Thieves World stories and the Freeport adventures influenced this campaign your created?


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Indirectly, quite a bit.  Directly, it's probably more influenced by stuff that's outside the genre entirely; The Godfather, Robert Ludlum style spy-thrillers, James Bond, and whatnot.

But I think I can make a nice line between what I'm hoping to do and writers like Doug Hulick or Scott Lynch are doing too.

And yeah--Porto Liure is Catalan for Freeport.  Roughly.  But the similarities are more generalized rather than specific.

I noticed your references.  I tend to do things like that a little bit subtly (a gang called "The Union of the Snake", anyone?) but sometimes I'm more overt in being silly.  I had a game for a while where folks got extra XP every time they could use the lyrics to an 80s song and make it sound natural.


----------



## Rune (Sep 13, 2012)

You can call me Roderick.

I'm a simple man.  I usually like to take the time to enjoy the niceties that life has to offer, but lately things have been a little hectic.  One of my...heavier...associates has decided to do me a favor by putting the screws to a rival of mine.

Thing is, the heavy doesn't realize I've a truce with said rival, and now he's going to think I'm trying to put him out of business--which is _not_ an endeavor I am prepared to undertake at this particular juncture.

If that weren't bad enough, my father's been getting a little anxious about a recent undertaking of his own--and he want's me to see if I can take the heat off of him, for a little while.  That means raising _my_ profile a bit higher than I normally like, what am I going to do?  The man's been good to me.

_Complications!_  Maybe when I get these messes all cleaned up, I'll get a chance to unwind and relax for a good long while...


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 13, 2012)

Rune said:


> _Complications!_  Maybe when I get these messes all cleaned up, I'll get a chance to unwind and relax for a good long while...



_I wouldn't count on that! _


----------



## HolyMan (Sep 14, 2012)

GlassEye said:


> Been thinking this over.  How 'bout this, HM?
> 
> Brick & Porcelain worked in a house of ill repute.  Brick served as bouncer, hired muscle and self-appointed protector of Porcelain.  Porcelain was a male prostitute with a specialty of dressing in costumes to fulfill the johns' fantasies.  After the house shut down (gang war, law crackdown, whatever) the two escaped to a new city but Porcelain uses his skills in assuming different guises to infiltrate and impersonate for pulling cons and acquiring information.
> 
> ...




I like it. Just need to add in there a few months spent in the wilds (probably traveling between cities) where Brick picks up both his knack for Survival (trait) and Heart of the Wilderness ability. 

Maybe in the wilds Brick takes better care of the both of them than in the city, where he is ill-at-ease, and Porcelain is the better provider in the city. But since Porcelain loves the city and Brick will do anything for his "little" brother (who is probably the older) he goes along.

I also took militia veteran so he probably served in a small town/village militia at a stay over when the two made a stop between cities. Probably only there a month before Porcelain grew tired of "Hicksville" 

Going to have everything done tomorrow night I have run out of time and a lot to read here. So don't wish to rush him. Really only need equipment and finish this background, as I have the rest figured out.

HM


----------



## HolyMan (Sep 14, 2012)

Of course I had to get the crunch done right away. So here is most everything. As to what he has been up to the past week? Probably playing bodyguard for his "little brudder" but shhh! he's in disguise and on some secret mission again. 

[sblock=Brititus "Brick"]
[sblock=Game Info]
Race: Human
Class: Rogue(Scout/Thug)
Level: 1
Experience: 0
Languages: Common (broken a bit)
Deity: ???[/sblock]
[sblock=Abilities]

```
STAT  START  MISC ADJ  RACE ADJ  MAGIC ADJ  TOTAL
STR:   15       +1       +2         0       18
DEX:   13       +0        0         0       13
CON:   14       +2        0         0       16
INT:   08       +0        0         0       08
WIS:   10       +0        0         0       10
CHA:   12       +0        0         0       12
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Combat]
HP: 15 = [1d8=08] + 03 (CON) + 03 (MISC) + 01 (favored class)
AC: 14 = 10 + 3 (armor) + 0 (shield) + 1 (DEX) + 0 (MISC)
AC Touch: 11 = 10 + 1 (DEX) + 0 (MISC)
AC Flatfooted: 13 = 10 + 3 (armor) + 0 (shield) + 0 (MISC)
INIT: +1 = +1 (DEX) + 0 (MISC)
BAB: +0 = +0 (Rogue)
CMB: +4 = +4 (STR) + 0 (BAB)
CMD: 15 = 10 + 4 (STR) + 1 (DEX) + 0 (BAB)
Fort: +2 = +0 (Rogue) + 2 (CON) + 0 (MISC)
Reflex: +2 = +2 (Rogue) + 1 (DEX) + 0 (MISC)
Will: +0 = +0 (Rogue) + 0 (WIS) + 0 (NISC)
Speed: 30'
Damage Reduction: None
Spell Resistance: None
Spell Failure: 00%[/sblock]
[sblock=Weapon Stats]
*Spiked Gauntlet(melee): *
Attack: +4 = +0 (BAB) + 4 (STR) + 0 (MISC)
Damage: 1d4+4(P) = + 4 (STR) + 0 (MISC); CRIT20x2

*Spear(melee): *
Attack: +4 = +0 (BAB) + 4 (STR) + 0 (MISC)
Damage: 1d8+6(P) = + 4 (STR) + 2 (Two Handed); CRIT20x3

*Morningstar(melee): *
Attack: +4 = +0 (BAB) + 4 (STR) + 0 (MISC)
Damage: 1d8+6(BorP) = +4 (STR) + 2 (Two Handed); CRIT20x2

*Dagger(melee): *
Attack: +4 = +0 (BAB) + 4 (STR) + 0 (MISC)
Damage: 1d4+4(PorS) = + 4 (STR) + 0 (MISC); CRIT 19-20x2

*Spear(ranged): *
Attack: +1 = +0 (BAB) + 1 (DEX) + 0 (MISC)
Damage = 1d8+4(P) = +4 (STR) + 0 (MISC); CRIT 20x3, Range: 20 ft.

*Dagger(ranged):* 
Attack: +1 = +0 (BAB) + 1 (DEX) + 0 (MISC)
Damage = 1d4+4(P) = +4 (STR) + 0 (MISC); CRIT 19-20x2, Range: 10 ft.[/sblock]
[sblock=Racial Traits]
*Size:* Humans are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*Base Speed:* Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
*Languages:* Humans begin play speaking Common. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
*Bonus Feat:* Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
*Heart of the Wilderness:* Humans raised in the wild learn the hard way that only the strong survive. They gain a racial bonus equal to half their character level on Survival checks. They also gain a +5 racial bonus on Constitution checks to stabilize when dying and add half their character level to their Constitution score when determining the negative hit point total necessary to kill them. This racial trait replaces skilled.[/sblock]
[sblock=Class Features]
*Weapon and Armor Proficiency:* Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

*Sneak Attack* If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The rogue's attack deals extra damage (called "precision damage") anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter. Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a rogue can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.
*
Frightening* _(Ex)_ Whenever a thug successfully uses Intimidate to demoralize a creature, the duration of the shaken condition is increased by 1 round. In addition, if the target is shaken for 4 or more rounds, the thug can instead decide to make the target frightened for 1 round.

This ability replaces trapfinding.[/sblock]
[sblock=Feats & Traits]
Human B: Toughness
1st lvl: Intimidating Prowess

*Traits:*
a) Bully(social) + 1 to Intimadate and is a class skill
b) Militia Veteran(regional) +1 to Survival and is a class skill[/sblock]
[sblock=Skills]
Skill Ranks: 07 = [8 (Class) - 1 (INT)] x 1 (LvL) + 0 (favored class bonus)
Max Ranks: 1
ACP: -1

Skills:
() = class skill
^ = trained only

```
Total                         Stat Rank CS Misc ACP
+00 = Acrobatics()            +01  +00  +0 +00  -1 DEX
-01 = Appraise()              -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+01 = Bluff()                 +01  +00  +0 +00     CHA
+07 = Climb()                 +04  +01  +3 +00  -1 STR
-01 = Craft():_______         -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+01 = Diplomacy()             +01  +00  +0 +00     CHA
+na = Disable Device()^       +01  +00  +0 +00  -1 DEX
+01 = Disguise()              +01  +00  +0 +00     CHA
+00 = Escape Artist()         +01  +00  +0 +00  -1 DEX
+00 = Fly                     +01  +00  +0 +00  -1 DEX
+na = Handle Animal^          +01  +00  +0 +00     CHA
+00 = Heal                    +00  +00  +0 +00     WIS
+10 = Intimidate()            +05* +01  +3 +01     CHA
+na = Know:Arcana^            -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Duneroneering()^   -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Engineering^       -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Geography^         -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:History^           -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Local()^           -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Nature^            -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Nobility^          -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Planes^            -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Know:Religion^          -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+na = Linguistics()^          -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+04 = Perception()            +00  +01  +3 +00     WIS
+01 = Perform():________      +01  +00  +0 +00     CHA
+04 = Profession()^:soldier   +00  +01  +3 +00     WIS
+00 = Ride                    +01  +00  +0 +00  -1 DEX
+00 = Sense Motive()          +00  +00  +0 +00     WIS
+na = Sleight of Hand()^      +01  +00  +0 +00  -1 DEX
+na = Spellcraft^             -01  +00  +0 +00     INT
+04 = Stealth()               +01  +01  +3 +00  -1 DEX
+05 = Survival()              +00  +01  +3 +01     WIS
+07 = Swim()                  +04  +01  +3 +00  -1 STR
+na = Use Magic Device()^     +01  +00  +0 +00     CHA

*STR/CHA modifiers added to Intimidate
-
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Equipment]

```
Equipment                           Cost    Weight
studded leather                     25gp     20lbs
guantlet, spiked                     5gp      1lb
morningstar                          8gp      6lb
spear                                2gp      6lb
dagger                               2gp      1lb
Backpack                             2gp      2lbs
-bedroll                            .5gp      5lbs
-trail rations(6 days)               3gp      6lbs
-waterskin                           1gp      4lbs     
-torches(3)                        .03gp      3lbs
-thurible                           50gp      3lbs
-common herbs(3 uses)               .6gp      -lb
-cooking kit                         1gp      1lb
-stove can                          10gp      1lb
Belt Pouch                           1gp     .5lb
-flint and steel                     1gp      -lb
-whetstone                         .02gp      1lb
-potion:stabilize                   25gp      -lb
Traveler's Outfit                    0gp      -lb
                          
                    Total weight carried:  60.5lbs
```

Total GP spent: 137.15gp

Treasure:
GP: 2
SP: 8
CP: 5
Gems: none

Carrying Capacity:

```
Load        Normal
light:    000-100 lbs
medium:   101-200 lbs
heavy:    201-300 lbs
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Details]
Size: medium
Gender: male
Age:
Height: 6'-1"
Weight: 245lbs
Hair Color: diry brown
Eye Color: brown
Skin Color: light
Appearance: 
Demeanor:[/sblock]
[sblock=Background]...[/sblock]
[sblock=Adventure Notes] None yet[/sblock]
[sblock=Level Ups]
Level ??
Class:
BAB: +0 to +0
Fort: +0 to +0
Ref: +0 to +0
Will: +0 to +0
Feat:
Class Features:
HP: +?? = (1d?? - 2 = ?) + 0 [CON] + ?? (Old Total) = ?? (new total)
Skill Ranks: +?? = +?? (Class) + 0 (misc) + ?? (Old Total) = ?? (new total)
Skills:
Favored Class Bonus:[/sblock][/sblock]


----------



## Rune (Sep 14, 2012)

[MENTION=2205]Hobo[/MENTION]: I just edited Roderick to include the feat bonuses to his skills that I had left out.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 14, 2012)

Not quite done yet but nearly there...

[size=+1]*Lano*[/size]
Human Rogue (Spy) 1
N Medium humanoid (human)
*Init:* +1; *Senses* Perception +6
[sblock=Mechanics]
DEFENSE
*AC* 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)
*hp* 9 (1d8+1 (FC)) (max @ 1st, half +1 thereafter)
*Fort* +0 (0 (base) +0 (Con))
*Ref* +3 (2 (base) +1 (Dex))
*Will* +2 (0 (base) +2 (Wis))

OFFENSE
*Speed* 30 ft.
Attacks
Dagger +1 (1d4+1 19-20/ x2) 10 ft. range
Unarmed +1 (1d3+1 20/x2)

STATISTICS
Str: 12 +1  
Dex: 13 +1  
Con: 10 +0
Int: 10 +0  (+2 misc)
Wis: 14 +2
Cha: 18 +4 (+1 misc, +2 race)

*Base Atk.* +0
*Traits* Dirty Fighter (combat, +1 dmg when flanking), Canter (social, +5 bonus for secret messages)
*Feats* Deceitful (H), Improved Unarmed Strike (1)
*Skills*
Skill Points: 9 = [Base (8) + human (1)/Level]
Acrobatics +5 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +1 (Dex))
Bluff +11 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +4 (Cha) +2 (feat) +1* (Liar, see below))
Disguise +10 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +4 (Cha) +2 (feat))
Perception +6 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +2 (Wis))
Perform (any) +4 (0 ranks, +4 (Cha))
Profession (Cicisbeo (male courtesan)) +6 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +2 (Wis))
Sense Motive +6 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +2 (Wis))
Sleight of Hand +5 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +1 (Dex))
Stealth +5 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +1 Dex))
Use Magic Device +8 (1 rank, +3 (CS) +4 (Cha))
*Languages* Terrasan, North Terrasan

RACIAL TRAITS
Human
Favored Class: Rogue

CLASS ABILITIES
Rogue
Armor/Weapons: Light armor; Simple weapons plus hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, short sword.
Sneak Attack +1d6
Skilled Liar* (Ex): + ½ rogue level to deceive (Bluff) but not feint or passing secret messages.

WEALTH
PP: 6     GP: 12    SP: 9     CP: 00

EQUIPMENT
Dagger 2 gp / 1 lb.
Traveler's Outfit 1 gp / -- lbs. (currently worn)
Belt pouch 1 gp / .5 lbs.
Lute (common) 5 gp / 3 lbs.
Chest 2 gp / 25 lbs. (stored)
-Artisan's Outfit 1 gp / 4 lbs.
-Cleric's Vestments 5 gp / 6 lbs.
-Wooden holy symbol 1 gp / --
-Explorer's Outfit -- / 8 lbs.
-Peasant's Outfit .1 gp / 2 lbs.
-Scholar's Outfit 5 gp / 6 lbs.
-Studded leather armor 25 gp / 20 lbs.
-Light steel shield 9 gp / 6 lbs.
-Short sword 10 gp / 2 lbs.


                         Total Weight:  00  lb

Max Weight: 0-43 (light); 44-86 (medium); 87-130 (heavy)
[/sblock]

He was Porcellana to the Mother of the Gabia d’Ocell, ‘Lanetto to the ladies of the house, ‘Lano to his younger half-brother.  Porcelain to his half-brother’s Brick, he was the precocious darling of the house, favored, pampered, and played with like a living porcelain doll that could have any face painted on and dressed to take on any role.  When he got a little older he was trained to entertain those nobles from the Empire who came to Porto Liure seeking illicit pleasures of a certain, unusual bent.

This was the only life Lano knew until a short-lived war between an upstart gang and the established criminal enterprise that owned the Gabia d’Ocell ended with the Gabia burning and Lano and Brick escaping to the streets.  Life on the streets of Porto Liure was particularly hard for Lano and the two brothers eventually stowed away on a ship headed to the Empire.  In the Empire the two roamed from town to town, lived in the woods briefly (Lano hated it), fell in with bandits, and ran away from any problems they encountered.  Brick did a short stint in a city militia and when Lano finally learned that the best disguise was one that didn’t call attention to oneself he dragged Brick back to Porto Liure.

Lano immediately began planning small cons and thefts…

Recently returned to Porto Liure after a few years abroad, Lano immediately began looking for marks and that edge that could set him and Brick up for life, or at least a month or two while he looked for the next bit of work.  Hitting the streets and bars of the city Lano has picked up a few unusual rumors concerning the Fuzeta da Ponte family, hidden pirate treasure and the nearby village of Bara Gairo.  Shoving his meager possessions into a bag and collecting his brother Lano books passage for Bara Gairo.


----------



## kinem (Sep 14, 2012)

It could take me a few days to post my fluff as I'm currently on vacation with internet access but less than usual.


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 14, 2012)

No problem.  Hope you have a good time.  The three "vacations" I took this summer were 1) a family reunion with my in-laws, 2) chaperoning a camping trip with my teenaged son and a bunch of other kids his age, and 3) manning the fort at home while my wife was in the hospital with my daughter, who was having spinal fusion surgery.

While none of them were terrible, of course, and 1) and 2) were occasionally quite fun, none of them were how *I* would have chosen to spend my time off of work.  :\  Luckily, I've got enough seniority at work now to still have another full week's worth of vacation to spend.  Plus, we're not all that far away from "big holiday" season, where I get election day, deer hunting day (I mean, uh, veteran's day), Thanksgiving, and all of the time between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day off.  Add a week to that, and I might yet get some time to relax this year after all...


----------



## kinem (Sep 16, 2012)

Thanks. I'm visiting my folks in FL. It's a nice break. I'll probably post Mon.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 17, 2012)

I'm wondering about the usefulness of Use Magic Device.  Is it something that will actually see some use?  I've seen a few posts from you in other threads, Hobo, about your preference for low-magic, gritty settings (and you probably mentioned it earlier in this one).  If it is not something likely to come up then I'd most likely change that skill out for something else.


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 17, 2012)

Given that there aren't any spellcasters in the group, if anything it might be _more_ useful than otherwise.

But I'm glad that you specifically pointed out to me that you took it.  I'll make sure and give it some use, then, if you decide you want to keep it.

I do prefer low magic, but I don't like _no_ magic.  With everyone having to be members of the rogue class, since that was the whole concept behind this game in the first place, it'll be a no-magic game without that.  I can get some scrolls, or wands, or other magic items in your hands if you want to use them, though.


----------



## Rune (Sep 17, 2012)

Hobo said:


> I can get some scrolls, or wands, or other magic items in your hands if you want to use them, though.




Well, if _he_ doesn't, Roderick might...he's got the skill, also.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 17, 2012)

You don't have to do anything special.  I guess I was looking for the clarification on whether this was low magic or no magic.  Now I've got that straight I have to decide whether UMD or Escape Artist fits my concept better.  For some reason I like the idea of Escape Artist and feels it kinda goes along with Lano's perspective but UMD would allow him greater options for disguises by giving him the possibility of disguising himself as a minor spellcaster.  I think I'll stick with UMD.  By the way, last I looked Rune's character also had UMD; don't remember if any of the others selected that skill or not.

Another question, more along a setting style than character building but it will affect my final character choices.  I currently have Improved Unarmed Strike for Lano.  Is that an acceptable choice for the setting?  I'm also considering a style feat further down the road.  If it is an acceptable option is there a group that I should mention in Lano's backstory?  If unarmed martial arts don't fit in the setting I'll be more than happy to select another feat.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 17, 2012)

Rune said:


> Well, if _he_ doesn't, Roderick might...he's got the skill, also.




Ninja'd!  Looks like you're in the right game.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 17, 2012)

I've never thought much about the disguise skill before but with this character I've been reading it over again to review and familiarize myself with it.  I'm kinda curious, what qualifies as a disguise that changes 'minor details only'?  Would it be a disguise that doesn't include one of the other items on the chart, i.e. gender, race, age, & size?  (If this thinking is too rules-y I'll just not worry about it.)


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 17, 2012)

GlassEye said:


> Another question, more along a setting style than character building but it will affect my final character choices.  I currently have Improved Unarmed Strike for Lano.  Is that an acceptable choice for the setting?  I'm also considering a style feat further down the road.  If it is an acceptable option is there a group that I should mention in Lano's backstory?  If unarmed martial arts don't fit in the setting I'll be more than happy to select another feat.



I have no problem with unarmed martial arts.  They may not be specifically kung-fu like in derivation, but even then, they could be.  There's a nation off to the southwest in the setting, which I haven't really told y'all much about because it's likely to be irrelevent to this particular game, but they could be the source of martial arts traditions that are specifically "Hong Kong movie" style martial arts.

Otherwise, I certainly envision Jason Bourne like unarmed fighting fits in already without being very specifically Asian in execution.


GlassEye said:


> I've never thought much about the disguise skill before but with this character I've been reading it over again to review and familiarize myself with it.  I'm kinda curious, what qualifies as a disguise that changes 'minor details only'?  Would it be a disguise that doesn't include one of the other items on the chart, i.e. gender, race, age, & size?  (If this thinking is too rules-y I'll just not worry about it.)



I'd say your interpretation is more likely what I would agree with.

For those of your with UMD, let me know specifically what kind of magic you are interested in chasing after, and I'll make sure to accomodate that desire (in one way or another) as the campaign progresses.

I also hadn't really noticed until I re-read all of the Rogue archetypes, extra Rogue Abilities and whatnot that Pathfinder have expanded the class with, but there are three abilities that are very Gray Mouser arcane training in derivation; you can get 0 and 1st level spells as a class ability, and a familiar!


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 17, 2012)

For martial arts I was thinking more of avoidance techniques and dirty punches rather than full bore Asian kung-fu so that works perfectly for me.


----------



## Kaodi (Sep 17, 2012)

Amaline has UMD too. I am not too concerned about how much use is made of it (it is only one skill among many for her), but even though it is a charisma-based skill (and charisma is her weakest stat), I thought it was an obvious choice for someone as smart as her to have some understanding of.


----------



## kinem (Sep 18, 2012)

Stephano was working dockside this evening. He was loosely allied with the Fuzeta da Pontes (meaning that he could also work independently) and wanted to keep it that way, so when Carlo asked him to pull this job, he didn't hesitate or ask too many questions.

He used his one minor magical talent, so that he Carlo could communicate at a distance with whispered messages. Carlo knew what the mark looked like, but the mark also knew him. So when Carlo whispered from his hiding place "It's him. Rico. Guy with the red hat", Stephano began to make his way toward the mark.

The man he was following looked wealthy enough, with a fine leather outfit, rapier, and that jaunty hat. But Carlo's instructions were clear: He was to steal a sealed scroll and nothing else. He must not open the scroll, or else.

Rico was walking quickly, so Stephano could do little but follow. Rico went straight to the dock and onto a ship! Stephano hesitated, but knew he had to follow. He paid the last of his gold for passage on the ship. Only later did he find out that the ship was headed to nearby Gara Bairo, much to his relief.

It wouldn't do to make his move during the trip, since if the mark missed his scroll, the passengers would surely be searched.

Stephano's eye was drawn to a young lady on board. With nothing better to do, he struck up a conversation, using his sleight of hand skills to perform a couple of fake magic tricks. Sarah was friendly and laughed readily.

By the time the ship docked, Stephano was hardly thinking about the job, but he forced himself to get his head back in the game. With an 'accidental' brush against Rico as the passengers disembarked, he had the scroll.

He turned back to Sarah, hoping to turn this chance encounter into something more. "Good bye!" she told him, laughing and embracing the tall blond man who had come to the dock to greet her.

He sighed. In the morning, he'd have to book passage back to Porto Liure. In the meantime, he'd have to find the cash to do it with. He began to eye the people around him, looking for an easy mark.


----------



## Seven (Sep 18, 2012)

Greetings all. This looks like an interesting game to cut my teeth on. Is it full?

*Edit I found where it said the party is full and will simply sit back and watch. I'll be around if you need an extra set of daggers .


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 18, 2012)

Ironically, you'd be player number seven.  Six is a pretty full crowd, but stick around; it seems that we always somehow find a way to get somebody else in.  If nothing else, possibly when someone else has to back out due to other commitments.

Great story for Stefano!


----------



## Desdichado (Sep 19, 2012)

Here's all the backstories I've got so far.  What I need everyone to do, and this should hopefully be fun, as well as giving us lots of roleplaying hooks to play off of, is to pick two backstories (other than your own) and _insert your character_ into them.  Not in a way that changes the backstory; it could just be a cameo, or maybe you were involved in a minor way on the side. 

The purpose of this exercise is to avoid the whole problem of the characters working together because it's the structure of the game that they have to, but they otherwise have no reason to.  If you have some shared backstory, even if it's very light, then you've got some common ground to build upon.

Anyway, just a real quick explanation of how your character was involved somehow in the backstory of _two_ of the other characters.  Ideally, I'd assign you two of them randomly, but I'm just going to let you pick which backstory seems like the most likely for you to have been involved with somehow.  Creativity is always fun; when I've done this before, I somehow ended up with three characters who were all on the same side of a scam that went south.  I had another barbarian character who had fended off an attack by hobgoblins on her village; another character decided he was the hobgoblin that she had scarred; although she didn't recognize him.  Anyway, I'll leave the details up to you.

And once we're done with this, we've done everything we need to to build our characters, tie them together, and kick the game off!  Let's try to have it done by this weekend, so at the latest I can start the game on Monday.



> *Amaline*. A week ago Amaline was contacted by a representative of the Fuzeta da Ponte family with details of a forging job that would take her out of the city to the village of Bara Gairo. There, a Qizmiri businessman and associate of the family would be waiting, in need of some special documents so that he could get a special shipments of good into the city. Of course, details of what exactly was being transported were not forthcoming, but Amaline could guess it was likely some exotic drugs, or a dangerous pet; really, it was not her concern.
> 
> She was furnished with an example of the documents she would be forging, with instructions to burn them once she was done studying and preparing for the job. Materials would be provided on site in Bara Gairo, so as not to unduly risk her being apprehended on the way out of the city. So Amaline did as she was asked, and once she was confident she had the technique down, she burned the example and waited a couple of days for when she needed to head to the village.
> 
> ...






> *Feo Gato*. Background: Feo grew up as another poor street rat in Porto Liorte, though he had a knack for climbing and roof jumping. He joined up with one of the local gangs called the Saracens, but the group ended up on the wrong end of a score and were wiped out of their turf by the Turnball ACs. They should have known that the Turnball ACs would look down on them robbing a low-rate jewelry store on their territory, but Edge, the Saracen gang leader, thought the place was too undefended and lucrative to pass up. Feo came out of the fight unscathed and with enough of the loot from the score to escape to Bara Gairo and lay low for a bit. Half of his gang was killed outright (including Edge), while the others were hurt bad or scattered to parts unknown. Feo knows some other local gangs that might take him in, such as the Moonrunners, once things settle down. Feo is dusky skinned with chubby cheeks and dark eyes set in a squat face. He is downright unattractive and talks little, though he is generally even-tempered.






> *Roderick.* I'm a simple man. I usually like to take the time to enjoy the niceties that life has to offer, but lately things have been a little hectic. One of my...heavier...associates has decided to do me a favor by putting the screws to a rival of mine.
> 
> Thing is, the heavy doesn't realize I've a truce with said rival, and now he's going to think I'm trying to put him out of business--which is not an endeavor I am prepared to undertake at this particular juncture.
> 
> ...






> *Lano.*  He was Porcellana to the Mother of the Gabia d’Ocell, ‘Lanetto to the ladies of the house, ‘Lano to his younger half-brother. Porcelain to his half-brother’s Brick, he was the precocious darling of the house, favored, pampered, and played with like a living porcelain doll that could have any face painted on and dressed to take on any role. When he got a little older he was trained to entertain those nobles from the Empire who came to Porto Liure seeking illicit pleasures of a certain, unusual bent.
> 
> This was the only life Lano knew until a short-lived war between an upstart gang and the established criminal enterprise that owned the Gabia d’Ocell ended with the Gabia burning and Lano and Brick escaping to the streets. Life on the streets of Porto Liure was particularly hard for Lano and the two brothers eventually stowed away on a ship headed to the Empire. In the Empire the two roamed from town to town, lived in the woods briefly (Lano hated it), fell in with bandits, and ran away from any problems they encountered. Brick did a short stint in a city militia and when Lano finally learned that the best disguise was one that didn’t call attention to oneself he dragged Brick back to Porto Liure.
> 
> ...






> *Stephano*.  Stephano was working dockside this evening. He was loosely allied with the Fuzeta da Pontes (meaning that he could also work independently) and wanted to keep it that way, so when Carlo asked him to pull this job, he didn't hesitate or ask too many questions.
> 
> He used his one minor magical talent, so that he Carlo could communicate at a distance with whispered messages. Carlo knew what the mark looked like, but the mark also knew him. So when Carlo whispered from his hiding place "It's him. Rico. Guy with the red hat", Stephano began to make his way toward the mark.
> 
> ...






> *Brick.* Brick & Porcelain worked in a house of ill repute. Brick served as bouncer, hired muscle and self-appointed protector of Porcelain. Porcelain was a male prostitute with a specialty of dressing in costumes to fulfill the johns' fantasies. After the house shut down (gang war, law crackdown, whatever) the two escaped to a new city but Porcelain uses his skills in assuming different guises to infiltrate and impersonate for pulling cons and acquiring information.  Maybe in the wilds Brick takes better care of the both of them than in the city, where he is ill-at-ease, and Porcelain is the better provider in the city. But since Porcelain loves the city and Brick will do anything for his "little" brother (who is probably the older) he goes along.
> 
> I also took militia veteran so he probably served in a small town/village militia at a stay over when the two made a stop between cities. Probably only there a month before Porcelain grew tired of "Hicksville"
> 
> A twist: no matter how good Porcelain thinks his disguises are Brick, his simple-minded brother, can always see through them.


----------



## Kaodi (Sep 19, 2012)

Usually Amaline tries not to get too involved in the business of fellow thieves and lowlifes outside of work, but from time to time it is inevitable that she plays a part exceeding her desire. In just the past little while she had been conferring with a man named Roderick on some work he was doing when she let slip how earlier one of his other associates had put the screws on one of his rivals. Apparently he had not gotten the news yet, and had to leave in a hurry.

And...

Amaline was sitting quietly in the common room of the inn when in walked a man who she knew to work with her Fuzeta da Pontes contact, Carlo. She thought for a moment that something was wrong (hopefully it was not her being double-crossed), but when he looked right at her and recognition did not dawn, she relaxed a bit. All the same, it made her a little uncomfortable that another Fuzeta da Pontes hireling was crowding this Castiada village.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Sep 19, 2012)

Feo Gato was the one selected to stake out the jewelry store, and he reported that it seemed unguarded.  The only person he did see enter the shop was a well-dressed woman with a clever look and light step.  She certainly looked too clever and well-to-do to be in that particular neighborhood.  He would have forgotten all about her if it wasn't for the fact that they shared passage to Bara Gairo.  What a strange coincidence that the same woman he saw before the failed hit would be traveling on a boat to the same obscure town he was destined.  Though she showed no sign of recognizing him, Feo became a bit paranoid and asked discretely for her name.  Folks knew her as Amaline.  He would have to keep his eyes out on that one.
---
Feo Gato was also surprised to see Brick in Bara Gairo.  The walking slab of meat was a nasty piece of work, but was often open for a job when some quick coin was to be made.  The Saracens had an agreement with Brick.  He got paid to help back them up during a problematic shakedown, and they stayed out of the way if Brick was standing in as a bodyguard for a possible mark.  If the Saracens had hired Brick during their last job, they might have made it out intact.  Feo was relieved to see a familiar and near-friendly face.  Hecounted the coins in his pocket and tried to figure out how much it might cost to hire Brick's protection for a day if trouble found him in Bara Gairo.


----------



## kinem (Sep 20, 2012)

While walking in Bara Gairo, Stephano sees an ugly mug he thought he recognized from years ago, a fellow urchin when he first came to Porto Liure. _Feo Gato? I thought he was dead! Whatever he's hiding from, I'd best steer clear._ Stephano turns down a side street before Feo notices him.

Stephano sees a potential mark. The man must be upper class, as he shows none of the calluses of a working man. However, before Stephano can make his move, he notices the large bodyguard. It's not worth the risk, and Stephano moves on.


----------



## HolyMan (Sep 20, 2012)

Brick walked behind his brother as instructed. He enjoyed playing the "game" whenever Porcelain let him pretend to be someone else, he just wondered why he never go to wear one of the fancy wigs or pretty clothes himself. 

There were no wigs or pretty clothes as his brother was pretending to be a well to do business man. Shrugging to himself he turned his attention back to the crowded docks, and remembered he was suppose to be mean and menacing. 

He glared hard at a man that was eyeing them both and when the cad turned and went quickly the other way Brick let out a big toothy grin. "Dis is fun, brudder." he said as was immediately shushed. 

Going slightly red and hunching his shoulders the big man whispered a short "Sorry." before once more getting into the "game".

As he looked about at all the people coming and going he noticed someone he thought he knew. And for Brick remembering someone is really tough, but the man had made an impression and paid the big man which is something Brick never forgot.

 He had just thrown a guy out of Madam Filzer's House when another came up quickly to the door. Roderick, impressed by his strength hired Brick for a night to help get some heavy items out of a house that Brick thinks was his, but wasn't to sure about that.

Then he disappeared, just like he did into the crowd now.


----------



## GlassEye (Sep 20, 2012)

*[Feo Gato]:*  Late at night after the ladies were occupied with patrons of the Gabia d'Ocell and when Brick was off on chores assigned by the Mother or some late work of his own Lano would sneak up to the attic of the house and watch the darkened city.  One night on the moonlit roofs Lano watched another boy run and leap free as a gazelle and graceful as a cat across those rooftops.  Smitten with a sudden longing for the freedom as evinced in the reckless abandon of that dashing figure Lano returned night after night to watch for the boy.  Some nights he would witness stunning leaps from roof to roof, some nights the figure wouldn't appear, some nights the appearance would just be a shifting of shadow.

One night as Lano watched the shadows for the figure he was startled as the boy pushed open the attic window and climbed into the attic glaring at him.  "Why are you watching me?"

Lano scrambled back to a safe distance from the boy.  "You move like a cat.  I want..."

"You want _what_?"

_Boy-whore._  Lano could almost hear the unspoken words.  His own words turned icy.  "Get out, or I'll call Brick and he'll beat you a whole new shade of hideous, you ugly cat!"

The boy's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched but invoking his brother's name seemed to do the trick and the boy turned and clambered out the window.

__________

*[Stephano]:*  It wasn't long after the Gabia d'Ocell burned that Brick and Lano found themselves in a difficult situation: no money, no food, no place to stay except the broken crate in the back alley covered by detritus and smelling of dead fish and urine.  Brick slowly came to the realization that he would have to leave his brother alone for a while and take work.  "Stay here.  You don' know da streets like me.  No tricks.  Tricks ain't da same as in da Birdcage.  You'll get hurt."  And so Brick left Lano alone.

It was only supposed to be for a few hours but it went on and on and the hunger gnawed at Lano's belly like a worm.  Finally he could stand it no longer and he crawled out of his meager shelter and headed for the street and the nearest market.  _No tricks._  He remembered that warning at least and kept himself to snagging wrinkled fruits from the tables of merchants occupied with paying customers and gobbling them down when but a few steps away.  That is until he felt himself roughly shoved into an alley off the market square.

"Don't know what high hill you fell off but you don't have a clue, do you?  You bring the guard down on me and I'll boot your backside to the bay and let the sharks gnaw your skinny bones."

Scared and afraid to say anything to the other boy lest he raise his ire further Lano just stared as tears welled up in his eyes.  The other boy just laughed.  "You got that down, don't you?  Stick with that 'poor beggar' act and leave the Lift to us _professionals_.  Got it?"

Lano nodded and reaching into his ragged shirt pulled out a dessicated orange he had tucked away for Brick and offered it to the boy.  Snorting with suppressed laughter and shaking his head the boy snatched the orange from Lano, rolled it around his hand and across his knuckles, down his forearm to the crook of his arm, popped it into the air where he caught it and then stashed it into his tunic.  Shaking his head he strolled out of the alley leaving Lano alone.


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## Rune (Sep 21, 2012)

Alright, so remember that friend I was telling you about?  The heavy?  Thing is, I helped him out of a real jam one time and he's been real keen to pay me back with favors.  Again and again.  Whether I want him to, or not.

Now.  Remember that rival he was pressuring?  Edge was his name.  Head of a little outfit calling themselves the "the Saracens."  Well, he and half his gang went and got themselves killed in an unrelated little turf-war, but I've been hearing whispers that say _I_ was involved, on account of how my friend "helped" me out.

I'm going to have to sort this out.  I've been made aware that one of Edge's crew has turned up--a roof-runner named Feo Gato.  I'm going to see if I can't have a chat with him.  Besides, a roof-runner might be a handy person to know...

While I'm on the subject, I think I told you about a mess my father got himself into.  Turns out, he was doing some freelance work tailing someone that the Castidia family had hired for an out-of-town job.  _She_ was doing a bit of forgery (quite a skilled individual, if my sources speak truth).  _He_ got made by the Castidias, and now they want to know who he was working for.  And why.  Like I said, it's a mess.

The only good thing is, I think the forger, Amaline, was only freelancing, herself.  I'm _certain_ a woman of her intellect would be good to know.  I'm definitely going to have to seek her out.


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## Desdichado (Sep 21, 2012)

Come Monday, I'll start a game thread and a separate OOC discussion thread.

Good stuff, guys!  I think this'll really help jump into roleplaying a lot smoother, easier and quicker than if we were all a bunch of strangers at the beginning of the game!


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## Desdichado (Sep 24, 2012)

Started the IC thread this morning as promised.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/playin...ed-hive-scum-villainy-part-i.html#post6020817

Let's keep the OOC stuff in this thread for the time being.  If it gets too large and/or cumbersome, I can start another one to replace it.


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## Kaodi (Sep 25, 2012)

[MENTION=67]Rune[/MENTION] You actually have to roll to deliver a secret message using thieves' cant I believe.


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 26, 2012)

How far is the innkeeper?  Maybe Feo doesn't even have a decent chance of catching him, so I'm curious if he made the right move.


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## Rune (Sep 26, 2012)

Kaodi said:


> [MENTION=67]Rune[/MENTION] You actually have to roll to deliver a secret message using thieves' cant I believe.




Thanks for the heads up.  I've added the roll to that post.


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## GlassEye (Sep 26, 2012)

Lano's posted roll was a 12 but should be a 17.  I forgot to add the +5 bonus for Canter.


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## Desdichado (Sep 26, 2012)

Feo; when I made my response a second ago, I forgot to include your action.  You could conceivably catch him.  You made that post without the knowledge that there were other people approaching the inn with drawn swords outside.  That may not matter to you, but I point it out nonetheless.


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 26, 2012)

I'm going to have Feo beat a retreat back to the inn.  I'll catch up with the chubby man later.


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## Desdichado (Sep 28, 2012)

Ah, man!  Those guys just wanted to throw you a surprise, welcome back party!


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 28, 2012)

And I was going to be the piñata.


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## HolyMan (Dec 26, 2012)

Will give this a well need bump - but system says Hobo hasn't been on since the end of Nov 

HM


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