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[4e/FR] Scions of Splendor OOC
Arivia
I Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered User regular
I Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered User regular
Wait, what? Another FR game from Arivia?
Yes. We don't have enough FR games here and I seem to do a pretty good job at them, so...
What This Is
A 4e Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms game set in the Gem of the North, Waterdeep. Once called the City of Splendors, Waterdeep's might and glory have receded, leaving the once-cultural and trrade center of the North to turn in upon itself. Still, a city that has lived for over a thousand years will not die quietly, and the guilds, noble houses, ancient mysteries - just the sheer people of Waterdeep - still have their stories to tell.
In this game, the party is a young group of noble scions, familiar - some might say friends - from the ball scene and the party circuit. Why the focus on origin? Well, unlike most games here, this will be a sandbox game. That is, I have no predefined plotline or goals for the characters to follow: I'll be putting out hooks and hints, planning some intrigues that you can stumble on if you'd like, so forth and so on, but no main story exists for you to be beholden to. This is about your adventures in the City of Splendors, not what happened on Elesias 22 1479.
So, how about those rules? Well, they're a bit intertwined, so let's start at the beginning and work our way through. First and foremost, I would not recommend new players apply. This is a complicated submission process with a good deal of extra detail involved. You can if you'd like, but I'll be preferring people already in a game here.
Sources
You'll need at least a copy of the Player's Handbook and the Forgotten Realms' Player's Guide. A copy of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide is highly recommended for the extra details it gives on Waterdeep.
You can use any printed material excepting the DMG2 or the Adventurer's Vault 2, just because I don't have them yet. Make sure whatever choices you make, however, make sense in the context of the Realms and your noble house (see next step.) Warforged or artificers you're going to have to do a lot of convincing to get in, for example.
Your Noble House
Before you even crack open the books, you have another part of character design to think about that will influence a lot about your character. Each character has to pick a noble house they're descended from/part of. Each one should be different. "But wait!" you say. "I don't know all the crazy Forgotten Realms details and Ed Greenwood will eat me if I spell Dhansczul wrong."
Well, this is where I give you some starter resources. This is a writeup of all of the Waterdhavian noble houses in 2006/1374 DR (in-game.) Note that 1374 DR - it's a hundred years out of date. Luckily, this Candlekeep thread (don't post on Candlekeep, don't) has a list of any new/updated noble houses as of 1479 DR (including a few that have died since the first link. If it's not there, just continue on with the first link's details.)
So, pick one of those and flesh it out! Make it yours! The vast majority of noble houses have some little detail on them like "is vaguely associated with the raising of elk-goat hybrids" and nothing more, so you're fine. If you're wondering what a more substantial bit on a noble house might look at, see page 5 of this. Don't worry too much about what's in the notes, especially a hundred years on. And don't worry about tripping over some obscure reference. Have fun.
Now, there are a handful with a bit more development that you probably want to stay away from. Those are: Eltorchul, Moonstar, Silmerhelve, Thann, Tchazzam, Ulbrinter and Wands.
Doing noble houses like this raises some issues, though. First and foremost, Waterdeep's noble houses are all generally human. What if you want to play an elf or dwarf? Well, a good number of them have seen some degree of interracial marriage. If you look at the footnotes in Noble Houses, they suggest origins for tiefling or dragonborn characters. Many eladrin have intermarried into the noble houses over the years. Finally, if you'd like to play a different race, you can explain your character as unusually stocky or small, or subject to some magical experiment. Make it make sense and we'll go with it. (as a side note, the Ethnicity line in Noble Houses is about the subraces of humans. It basically just relates to character appearance - there's pictures of most of them here, and I'll post a guide in a bit. If you're making up a new house, please include an ethnicity.)
Second, we're nobles! We have noble stuff! This is true. Especially as we're starting at level 3, you get a fair bit of coin. To simplify things, your items and money in that manner are fluid wealth that you can fritter away on adventuring. You may have a fleet of fishing ships that plies the Trackless Sea, but you can't exchange them for a +33 sword of dragon-thwapping. Same with noble luxuries: feel free to have as many ball gowns and "gleamings" (worthless magical trinkets that glow or sparkle, or play some minor party trick) as you'd like.
Backgrounds?
Everyone's from Waterdeep, everyone takes the Waterdeep background.
Weapon/Implement Expertise?
Everyone gets one of their choice for free.
How do I submit a character?
READ THE ENTIRETY OF THIS POST. Use 22-point point buy, you're third level, and post a sheet on either myth-weavers or Orokos. Your submission should include a character background, description, and details on your noble house. Oh, and an answer to this setting question.
Yes/no Downshadow?
What is she going on about. Basically, Waterdeep as currently written includes an underground community called Downshadow, which takes over the first level of Undermountain, the giant dungeon underneath Waterdeep. If you folks are more stylistically interested in dungeon-crawling, we should remove Downshadow just to open Undermountain up as an actual dungeon; otherwise we can leave it in for intrigue's sake. Note that this isn't a yes/no dungeons period question, just how much of it you'd like to do.
Applications will be open for a good while. Eternal is still ongoing and will need a controller replacement soon. And yes, your characters should know each other before the start of play.
Yes. We don't have enough FR games here and I seem to do a pretty good job at them, so...
What This Is
A 4e Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms game set in the Gem of the North, Waterdeep. Once called the City of Splendors, Waterdeep's might and glory have receded, leaving the once-cultural and trrade center of the North to turn in upon itself. Still, a city that has lived for over a thousand years will not die quietly, and the guilds, noble houses, ancient mysteries - just the sheer people of Waterdeep - still have their stories to tell.
In this game, the party is a young group of noble scions, familiar - some might say friends - from the ball scene and the party circuit. Why the focus on origin? Well, unlike most games here, this will be a sandbox game. That is, I have no predefined plotline or goals for the characters to follow: I'll be putting out hooks and hints, planning some intrigues that you can stumble on if you'd like, so forth and so on, but no main story exists for you to be beholden to. This is about your adventures in the City of Splendors, not what happened on Elesias 22 1479.
So, how about those rules? Well, they're a bit intertwined, so let's start at the beginning and work our way through. First and foremost, I would not recommend new players apply. This is a complicated submission process with a good deal of extra detail involved. You can if you'd like, but I'll be preferring people already in a game here.
Sources
You'll need at least a copy of the Player's Handbook and the Forgotten Realms' Player's Guide. A copy of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide is highly recommended for the extra details it gives on Waterdeep.
You can use any printed material excepting the DMG2 or the Adventurer's Vault 2, just because I don't have them yet. Make sure whatever choices you make, however, make sense in the context of the Realms and your noble house (see next step.) Warforged or artificers you're going to have to do a lot of convincing to get in, for example.
Your Noble House
Before you even crack open the books, you have another part of character design to think about that will influence a lot about your character. Each character has to pick a noble house they're descended from/part of. Each one should be different. "But wait!" you say. "I don't know all the crazy Forgotten Realms details and Ed Greenwood will eat me if I spell Dhansczul wrong."
Well, this is where I give you some starter resources. This is a writeup of all of the Waterdhavian noble houses in 2006/1374 DR (in-game.) Note that 1374 DR - it's a hundred years out of date. Luckily, this Candlekeep thread (don't post on Candlekeep, don't) has a list of any new/updated noble houses as of 1479 DR (including a few that have died since the first link. If it's not there, just continue on with the first link's details.)
So, pick one of those and flesh it out! Make it yours! The vast majority of noble houses have some little detail on them like "is vaguely associated with the raising of elk-goat hybrids" and nothing more, so you're fine. If you're wondering what a more substantial bit on a noble house might look at, see page 5 of this. Don't worry too much about what's in the notes, especially a hundred years on. And don't worry about tripping over some obscure reference. Have fun.
Now, there are a handful with a bit more development that you probably want to stay away from. Those are: Eltorchul, Moonstar, Silmerhelve, Thann, Tchazzam, Ulbrinter and Wands.
Doing noble houses like this raises some issues, though. First and foremost, Waterdeep's noble houses are all generally human. What if you want to play an elf or dwarf? Well, a good number of them have seen some degree of interracial marriage. If you look at the footnotes in Noble Houses, they suggest origins for tiefling or dragonborn characters. Many eladrin have intermarried into the noble houses over the years. Finally, if you'd like to play a different race, you can explain your character as unusually stocky or small, or subject to some magical experiment. Make it make sense and we'll go with it. (as a side note, the Ethnicity line in Noble Houses is about the subraces of humans. It basically just relates to character appearance - there's pictures of most of them here, and I'll post a guide in a bit. If you're making up a new house, please include an ethnicity.)
Second, we're nobles! We have noble stuff! This is true. Especially as we're starting at level 3, you get a fair bit of coin. To simplify things, your items and money in that manner are fluid wealth that you can fritter away on adventuring. You may have a fleet of fishing ships that plies the Trackless Sea, but you can't exchange them for a +33 sword of dragon-thwapping. Same with noble luxuries: feel free to have as many ball gowns and "gleamings" (worthless magical trinkets that glow or sparkle, or play some minor party trick) as you'd like.
Backgrounds?
Everyone's from Waterdeep, everyone takes the Waterdeep background.
Weapon/Implement Expertise?
Everyone gets one of their choice for free.
How do I submit a character?
READ THE ENTIRETY OF THIS POST. Use 22-point point buy, you're third level, and post a sheet on either myth-weavers or Orokos. Your submission should include a character background, description, and details on your noble house. Oh, and an answer to this setting question.
Yes/no Downshadow?
What is she going on about. Basically, Waterdeep as currently written includes an underground community called Downshadow, which takes over the first level of Undermountain, the giant dungeon underneath Waterdeep. If you folks are more stylistically interested in dungeon-crawling, we should remove Downshadow just to open Undermountain up as an actual dungeon; otherwise we can leave it in for intrigue's sake. Note that this isn't a yes/no dungeons period question, just how much of it you'd like to do.
Applications will be open for a good while. Eternal is still ongoing and will need a controller replacement soon. And yes, your characters should know each other before the start of play.
Arivia on
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Posts
Also, since someone will try, don't pick a house like one from Eberron and take a dragonmark. It doesn't work that way in the Realms at all.
Common languages in Waterdeep include Common, Chondathan, Illuskan, Elven, Dwarven and the other racial languages by order of importance.
If anyone has any questions about the Realms I'm happy to answer.
When do submissions close?
"a good while" was in the op. I'm not sure just yet, I'll give at least five days notice of the close of submissions.
Thinking about a wealth land owning someone from house Thann.
PSN: ChemENGR
It'll be a lot of reading, I'll put it that way.
Also! When you submit your noble house, please include one house they're friendly/allies with, and one they're antagonistic/enemies of.
We should probably do a coat of arms too, but I can't break into that quite right now.
EDIT: Or not. Reread the OP. ^^;; Doesn't mean I can't try...
Also by 'all things published' I imagine you mean no dragon magazine stuff?
I have the forgotten realms players guide, but I've never read the fiction, so I'll be playing a fairly obtuse nobleman who doesn't know the big names (outside of the players guide of course).
4e.orokos.com is MW and IC rolled into one.
Your sir/madam are a killer of kings and destroyer of worlds. I thank you from the bottomless depths of my heart.
Wait until you meet Infidel.
All Hail Infidel!
It's all things printed, so yes, no Dragon magazine.
I don't think hybrid classes have been printed in a supplement yet.
A few points of clarification and more detail for that should be applicable to submissions:
Starting Gold- if you're not familiar with it, the starting equipment for level 3 characters is one level 4 item, one level 3 item, one level 2 item, and 520 gp.
Human Ethnicities- I promised some more details on this, and here they are. The human ethnicities common in Waterdeep are Illuskan, Chondathan and Tethyrian.
Illuskans are seafarers, originally from the island of Ruathym, far to the north and west. They have pale skin and blond hair, often with blue or green eyes. After a series of tribal wars on Ruathym, many Illuskans left the island: it is those who landed at the Mirar River to the north and founded the city of Illusk there that most Illuskans are descended from. They made their way down the Sword Coast, further strengthened by more emigrants from Ruathym, and eventually an Illuskan warchief named Nimoar made his hold where Waterdeep is today.
Chondathans are the people descended from the cradle of the Vilhon Reach. They spread quickly due to a penchant for trade and travel, but a boom-bust cycle predicated upon two tyrannical horrific empires (Jhaamdath and Chondath) shattered any unified Chondathan state. Today, Chondathan people can be found almost anywhere in Faerun, especially west and north of the Sea of Fallen Stars. They have ruddy or olive skin, and their hair is often brown or black.
Tethyrians are a newer racial group, a product of intermarriage between Chondathan traders from the east and Calishite conquerors from the south in the area north of the Lake of Steam. The short Tethyrian history is clogged with civil war, from the dissolution of Tethyr to the slave rebellions in Amn. Somehow, Chondathan blood mediated the swarthy Calishite features, resulting in people with fair to olive skin and deep black hair.
(Note that I'm writing this from memory, so I may have gotten something wrong.)
Coats of Arms- All Waterdhavian noble houses have their own coats or crests. Many of them are quite simple, consisting of one or two colors and one element placed on a shield. The Thann crest here is a good example.
Background
Through a called favor or blackmail, an arcane specialist was summoned. He refused to reveal his name or his calling, but instead endeavored to bind the boy’s soul to remain in this world, invoking names of old and using curious admixtures and tonics. Through this work Septimus turned, his still blonde hair darkening, his grey eyes taking on a purple hue, and he fed voraciously for weeks before finally assuming the characteristics of a normal child. He grew up as normal as one would expect, though many would question whether or not he was indeed a changeling due to his stunted growth and dark countenance. As he aged he began to notice that his size and appearance moved along at a severely slower pace, while his hunger and mental aptitude increased. However, what he lacked in physical size he began to make up for with strange outbursts of arcane magic whenever he lost his temper, cursing people under his breath causing clumsy accidents or mishaps, bouts of vanishing from sight occassionally, and causing people to faint with a scathing look. Taking this along with the whispers of his mother about his beleaguered infancy, Septimus has been made to understand he has a pact with forces that will guarantee him his youth, vanity, and rise to power.
Once old enough Septimus fell in with his cousins among the family business. He took especially well to the information gathering and rumormongering aspects of the business, using his quick tongue and wits to glean information and sow misinformation at the same time. He is well-like by most and is known for his dark temper when he fails to get what he wants.
Description
He wears a custom tailored suit of leather; the upper portions are stylized to appear as a near-passable jacket. A blood red silk scarf is carefully wrapped around his neck and tucked into his white linen shirt. His belt pouch is lined with pens, keys, scrolls, and an intricate and delicately gem embedded dagger. He wears a pair of rose-tinted wire-rimmed spectacles solely for cosmetic fashion purposes.
House Cassalanter
Ethnicity - Tethyrian
Patron Deity - Waukeen
The mostly Tethyrian noble house Cassalanter is known for their banking, moneylending, information gathering, and rumormongering. While the first two ventures fall under normal business, the latter two callings have earned the family much scorn and praise from the targets and clients respectively. By involving themselves in all forms of business matters, the Cassalanters are known and welcome to most if not all celebrations thrown by the other noble houses. Whenever a party is thrown, a business deal being made, or a vice being explored, you can be assured a Cassalanter is somewhere watching or manipulating the circumstances.
Septimus was a second cousin to the former heir of the House Cassalanter, Panricon. The line of succession has changed several times over and now Caladorn Cassalanter rules the families.
Friendly with
House Dezlentyr - Strong alliances through marriages has been made with the Dezlentyr. With the Dezlentyr's hand in expanding trade to settlements, the Casslanter have been able to expand their moneylending and banking industry into the border territories.
House Hawkwinter - The Cassalanter rely heavily on the resources from the Hawkwinters to provide security and protection for the banks and vaults. They have long tried to intermarry with the fellow Tethyrians to secure long lasting blood ties between the families, but the Hawkwinter have yet to be receptive to the Cassalanter beyond business relations.
Rivalry with
House Urmbrusk- The Urmbrusk have long tried to pry away business from the Cassalanter along with all the other moneylending families. With their focus in using their accrued debt to take over land, the Urmbrusk often render many debtors unable to pay because their place of business has been seized. There are many conflicts and disagreements of the litagious nature over who is correctly entitled to the property of the debtor. Several violent attacks have been made on family members from both sides, with both families denying any involvement. The long and bloody feud seems to have no end in sight, with both heirs openly expressing hatred for eachother.
Mutual Disdain but no direct conflicts - House Cragsmere, Ruldegost
Setting
Character Builder Summary
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Septimus Finn, level 3
Gnome, Warlock
Eldritch Blast: Eldritch Blast Charisma
Eldritch Pact: Dark Pact
Background: Waterdeep (Waterdeep Benefit)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 18.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16.
AC: 17 Fort: 13 Reflex: 15 Will: 16
HP: 36 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 9
TRAINED SKILLS
Diplomacy +12, Streetwise +10, History +9, Bluff +10
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +2, Arcana +6, Dungeoneering +1, Endurance +3, Heal +1, Insight +1, Intimidate +5, Nature +1, Perception +1, Religion +4, Stealth +4, Thievery +2, Athletics
FEATS
Level 1: Distant Advantage
Level 2: Reaper's Touch
POWERS
Warlock encounter 1: Cursebite
Warlock daily 1: Decree of Khirad
Warlock utility 2: Ethereal Stride
Warlock encounter 3: Otherwind Stride
ITEMS
Pact Blade Dagger +1, Eagle Eye Goggles (heroic tier), Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Battle Harness Leather Armor +1, Everburning Torch
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
Can I trade my level 3 item and use the gold left to purchase two level 2 items?
Also, how many submissions can we have per player?
Hmm, that could work out well - I'm currently putting together the bio for a character from house Dezlentyr, and had already selected House Cassalanter as an allied house. I'll have my submission up shortly.
Calwyn Dezlentyr, of House Dezlentyr
Background:
As Calwyn grew older, the family attempted to involve him in their business ventures, but grew increasingly frustrated with him. Calwyn would always return from a trade excursion with little business acumen and lots of gambling debts. Eventually, Calwyn’s parents grew tired of financing his debauchery and refused to pay his debts. This did not stop him from gambling. Calwyn actually does have skill at gaming, but he has a reckless streak that sometimes causes to push things too far. At one point he fell in deep with some unsavory characters in the Dock Ward. Rather than returning to the family and beg for money once more, Calwyn turned to a shadier source of income – the Thieves Guild. He honed his skills as an apprentice in the guild, and eventually stole his way out of debt. At the beginning of our story, Calwyn has completed his apprenticeship. He is no longer at the beck and call of the Guild, but he still has contacts there who will be available for information / occasionally suggest opportunities for him.
Description:
Calwyn’s disposition is taciturn; he stays out of conversation when possible to avoid disclosing his speech impediment. He has a competitive streak which sometimes drives him to reckless behavior, however he has a finely-honed sense of intuition which often allows him to get away from trouble before it starts. He enjoys drink, but knows when to stop. He also enjoys gambling, and often does NOT know when to stop.
House Dezlentyr:
Coat of arms: a silver griffin on a striped field of sky blue and black
Patriarch: Domerlyn, his wife Hylua
Heir: Norin
Norin’s younger brother, Calwyn (our hero)
The majority of House Dezlentyr’s fortune comes from shipping – a sizeable percentage of the ships and caravans carrying goods to and from Tethyr bear the sigil of Dezlentyr. While the original founders of House Dezlentyr were human, the family has a long history of marrying and/or siring bastards with elves, leading to a significant amount of elven blood mixing into the gene pool down through the generations. For the sake of simplicity, all members of the House with few exceptions can be considered half-elven. The House is active, if not prominent in the politics and intrigues of Waterdeep, and is well-known for the Feast of the New Vintage, a celebration held annually on the Dezlentyr estate after the arrival of the first caravan of wine from the vineyards of Tethyr.
Allied with House Cassalanter – many intermarriages over the years, Cassalanter has less money and holdings, but more political influence. The current heir of House Dezlentyr, Norin, is betrothed to the youngest daughter of the Cassalanter patriarch.
Enemies of House Rosznar – House Rosznar runs a thriving slaver business out of Tethyr, and has frequently attempted to hire Dezlentyr’s caravans to ship their merchandise. Dezlentyr has refused to traffic in slaves, and certain wilder cousins of the family based in Tethyr have been known to hire mercenaries and attack Rosznar’s slave caravans, freeing those in bondage. Rosznar does not have the resources to mount a full-scale war against Dezlentyr, but are constantly looking for opportunities to take down their rivals.
Houses with personal grudges against Calwyn:
House Harbright – owners of the Roaring Dragon House, a gambling den located just south of Waterdeep along the coast. Calwyn is a frequent patron of Roaring Dragon House, and has on several occasions piled up large gambling debts there. At the beginning of our adventures, he is more or less even. Calwyn has not been formally barred from the Roaring Dragon, but the Harbrights are very aware of his comings and goings and would love an excuse to ban him once and for all.
House Moonstar – during his apprenticeship with the Thieves’ Guild, Calwyn was part of a team that broke into the Moonstar estate and stole several maps. The heist did not go altogether smoothly, and during the escape Calwyn lost one of his gloves. To his dismay, he realized later that the lost glove bore a stamped imprint of the Dezlentyr seal. While no charges were ever brought, nor was Calwyn formally accused, he continues to live in fear of what may be coming.
Character Sheet (in progress):
Magic Items:
Lvl 3 - Catstep Boots
Lvl 4 - Bloodcut Leather Armor +1
Setting - I'm in favor of Downshadow, but don't have a strong feeling either way.
Let me know if you have any questions.
if rainy sees this there's a climate writeup in the 3e frcs
No worries - I still haven't purchased the 4E FR stuff, but I was home sick from work today and spent a couple hours getting germs all over some sourcebooks at Barnes & Noble before putting them back on the shelf. :?
I promise to actually purchase them if my submission is accepted. But yeah, I'm a PbP newb, so I understand if you'd rather move forward with some vets.
Don't worry, I'll consider your application just like the others. I just didn't want you to go drop $100 and not get in.
Description is perfectly fine.
No.
Up to five? Like, you probably shouldn't do five, but hermenegilde
http://4e.orokos.com/sheets/1186
House Rosznar Background
Normal drugs not giving you the right sort of kick anymore? House Rosznar's got some extra special stuff for sale that'll blow your frilly socks off. It's not that expensive, really, at least not for nobles.
Have a particular taste in women? Rosznar can get her for you, no questions asked. That's because they're just too kind to ask those sorts of questions. We understand.
Oh dear, that nice young lady we introduced you to seems to have accidentally strangled herself! That's all right, Rosznar will clean it up for you. There'll be no scandal. It will be as if she never existed. Of course we won't charge you for such a service. We're friends, after all! But it would be nice if you could lend us a hand, now and then...
House Rosznar is the grand enabler to the noble houses and the guilds. They feed every forbidden extravagant desire that the bored and wealthy have. In return they gain some profit and quite a lot of political capital. They use their leverage very carefully though. After all, they don't want people to think that they'll start blabbing everyone's secrets. For the Rosznar, discretion is the key to their power.
Though the House deals primarily in slaves and drugs, they maintain the thin veneer of legitimacy. They claim to hold vast tracks of vineyards and farmlands, and it is true. But all the workers are the filthy poor of Waterdeep and prisoners of war purchased from marauding goblinoids, forced to sign contracts of servitude at sword point. When the time is right, they 'vanish' into the Downshadow to be sold.
The wine they make is real and excellent as well. Rosznar put almost as much effort into making quality wines as they do into creating potent drugs and poisons. The quality of their product is a matter of pride for the nobles and tremendous amounts of money and energy are poured into the making of drugs that can bring a mind to the heights of ecstasy, or snuff it out entirely. Many successful assassins have a Rosznar contact for just this reason.
Traditional Enemy: House Estelmer
Traditional Ally: House Artemel
Character Background
Welik had a difficult childhood. His mother and step father ignored him completely, focused blindly on their work. He was raised by a rotating staff of nannies and tutors and starved of emotional contact. He did very poorly in school, and it was feared that Dela's many addictions had stunted his intellectual growth (though it turned out she didn't start drugging him until after he was born). Few other children wanted anything to do with him either. Welik never really matured and acted out loudly, throwing massive fits. He was frequently violent. He misbehaved in the worst possible ways, just to get attention. In a House that prized secrecy, this behavior was unacceptable.
When Welik was 14, his step father decided that the boy was a lost cause. He poisoned the youth's birthday cake and went off to make funeral arrangements. When he returned, Welik was vomiting on the floor. That was normal. Then he began to vomit boiling acid and vicious poisons. That was not normal. At that point Dela remarked that it was entirely possible that Welik's father was a steel dragon. Or he just might be reacting badly to all the drugs she had been slipping him for the last 14 odd years.
House Rosznar had a dilemma. If Welik was sired by a dragon (which seemed increasingly likely) then there could be trouble if they killed him and the dragon showed up to visit his old lover. They tried to fit him in with the slave handlers, but Welik lacked the necessary cruelty for the job. For all his flaws, the sorcerer genuinely wanted people to like him. In the end the nobles went back to their old plan. They ignored Welik completely. Welik reacted as any rich nobleman with a lose leash. He went out to party and hasn't stopped since. Though his outrageous behavior fueled the minstrel's lyrics and the local rumor mills, he didn't do anything other spoiled rotten nobles hadn't done, and he did not spill any of the family secrets. So long as Welik keeps his mouth shut, his relatives are content to let him be a loud drunk. Hopefully he'll get himself killed in a bar brawl or something.
Or maybe he'll reach for greatness.
Description
I would say yes to Downshadow, considering how much business his house does there. A little would be fine, though I wouldn't mind the occasional dungeon crawl and it's the stupid sort of thing Welik would want to try.
Also apparently House Phylund doesn't exist anymore. Would those Cassalanter dudes make reasonable allies?
Read my house description - I picked out Cassalanter as allies and Rosznar as enemies prior to seeing either of your submissions.
Nah, it's cool - I'm sort of the black sheep of my house, and I could easily see myself palling around with someone from our traditional enemies just to piss off mom and dad. Just thought it was funny...
I'm kinda hoping someone submits a character from House Ralnarth (the closest thing House Anteos has to an enemy, afaik) so my warlock-to-be can have someone to get snarky with all the time.
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Ok, updated my sheet and submission to fix equipment.
Don't worry too much about having your house's enemies/allies represented in the party. We can massage it if necessary while you folks figure out how you know each other.
Appearance:
Background and Personality:
Quinn is friendly and boisterous, always wanting to move, move, move and never sit still for long. He is quick with a smile but does not forgive past transgressions lightly; his rivalry with Kahlem Ralnarth of House Ralnarth is nearly legendary amongst the other noble houses of Waterdeep.
House
Coat of Arms: The House Aethe Coat of Arms is simply three silvers stars upon a blue shield-shaped field. The symbol of the star represent excellence while stars themselves symbolize the three family words - fate, determination and family. The blue field represents the Illuskan roots of the House, millennia ago when House Aethe were sailors instead of woodsmen.
Ethnicity: House Aethe is entirely Illuskan in ethnicity, known for their rich, full blond hair and fair complexion.
Deity: House Aethe officially worships Bahamut as they have since the House was created, long before the Spellplague.
Background and Wealth: House Aethe lost nearly all of their land holdings and a vast amount of political clout along with House Talmost during the Year of the Circling Vulture and the corresponding attacks by Drow raids. Since that time and the subsequent retreat back to Waterdeep, House Aethe has bought plentiful portions of land in Ardeep Forest and the Forlorn Hills, setting up logging camps and lumber mills. Over the course of the last century they have become the largest exporter of raw lumber in the Waterdeep area. More recently, an attempt to reopen some of the Dwarven mines found deep in Ardeep Forrest have ended in disaster; though only the Captain of the Guard and Lord Davyd himself seem to know exactly why.
Because of their lumber operations, House Aethe has access to an ample coffer which Lord Davyd Aethe strategically loans to other Houses and even the City of Waterdeep itself. It is often mumbled in closed circles that House Aethe has it's hands in just about everything around Waterdeep and some even claim that Lord Davyd is involved with illegitimate trading in the Downshadow itself, though no one will actually say that in his company.
Politics: House Aethe has maintained a cordial relationship with most Waterdhavian Houses but calls very few "friend". This in and of itself has been an area of contention with some of the more social Houses, but Lord Davyd Aethe has maintained his distance nonetheless.
House Adarbrent - Though Lord Dorgar Adarbrent is the last of his family and near-death, House Aethe and House Adarbrent enjoyed many centuries of friendship; Aethe giving access to cheap lumber for the Adarbrent shipping fleet in exchange for reduced shipping prices.
House Phulbrinter - After being caught coupling with one of the younger sisters of House Phulbrinter and the disastrous scandal that went along with it, Quinn only narrowly missed being forced to marry the girl due to his father interceding on his behalf. In private later Lord Davyd was heard to say to Quinn that "no son of mine, even one so wild as yourself, will be caught with a harlot of Phulbrinter". Years later Quinn learned that his father had forgiven a substantial loan to wipe everything under the rug.
House Ralnarth - When they were little, Quinn and Kahlem Ralnarth got in several schoolyard brawls and made quite a mess out of a party in their preteen years. Quinn can't stand that Kahlem is a self-centered pushy nitwit and Kahlem can't stand that Quinn is a boisterous prankster. The tension between the two men have strained the relationship between House Aethe and Hose Ralnarth.
Lord Davyd Aethe: A serious man in his late fifties, Lord Davyd is a shrewd financier and has a mind for math and money. He does not take his son, Quinn's, pranks and boisterous nature well and the two of them often end up having loud and lengthy arguments over any number of subjects. This is in stark contrast to the man he used to be, however, since the death of his beautiful wife, Lady Juliana, during the birth of Quinn; some of the house help who have been around for decades often tell Quinn that he reminds them of who his father used to be; open, honest, if a little vain and impatient.
I'm a PbP noob (only being in a short lived one once in the past) so I'll understand if I'm passed over but either way, I'm super stoked about this game.
http://4e.orokos.com/sheets/1201
House Eltorchul Background
The spellplague hit the House hard. Many of their most powerful mages wanted to study the event, only to be consumed by it. The loss of the portals cut off much of the exotic material component trade. With fewer components, there were fewer places for students in Eltorchul-run schools. The economic devastation harmed the noble's investments too.
House Eltorchul would not go out without a fight though. they organized their own caravans to harvest more magical materials. They secured their positions with bribes of magic items and political marriages and with other houses. They have solidified their position, but the future does not look rosy for House Eltorchul.
Traditional Allies: Kormallis
Traditional Enemies: Roaringhorn
Zeke's Background
Eventually came the question of Zeke's future. Her parents wanted the girl to join one of the house's Wizard Academys. Zekrah refused. Though she was smart enough for it, she found the subject matter intensely boring. She wanted to go out and explore or make weapons or clothes or buildings or fight... anything but magic! In the end they compromised, and Zekrah was sent off to become a swordmage.
Again, Zeke was the dutiful student. Though she squeaked by the 'mage' part, she was very good at the 'sword' part. She often bested her sparing partners by simply crashing through their carefully prepared wards with brute force. She passed her classes with decent grades and was apprenticed to an older cousin by the name of Evan to practice her skills in real life.
Her first mission was a disaster. Zeke and her cousin had been along on a expedition to the east to search for some rare flowers. The night guard fell asleep at his post and the caravan was ambushed by goblins. The expedition was captured to a man. For the remainder of the night they were beaten and tortured. Zeke's tongue was torn out and a hot poker burned away her vocal chords. But the girl would not be beaten that easily. When the morning came, Zekrah managed to chew through her bonds and freed the rest of the expedition. They fought their way out of the goblin camp and managed to escape.
Sadly, the torture left Zeke unable to speak. Without the ability to say incantations, the girl would not make a good swordmage. Her cousin Evan saw that she would make an excellent warrior, and enrolled her for training for Knights under House Kormallis. The girl excelled under their tutalage, and graduated with flying colours.
Zekrah even found a way around her silence though, ironically enough, magic. The girl found she had a knack with potions, runes and had a few theories on constructs as well. She was able to attract a raven spirit named Abigale to speak for her (when the raven wasn't yammering about something else).
Though it wasn't the direction they had intended, House Eltorchul was pleased with Zekrah's progress. They had someone to advise them on martial matters who was loyal to their house, and it was amusing to use her to trap would-be assassins who expect some weakling wizard. Though she primarily serves as a member of the honour guard for more important Nobles, Zeke frequently finds herself guarding Eltorchul interests from saboteurs. Even so, she's beginning to crave something more...
Description
Most of the time Zekrah is clad in a set of huge silver steel plate mail, with a round helmet with a visor, and a steel heavy shield adorned with House Eltorchul's heraldry. The armor is thick enough to disguise her features and most people outside her house do not know her true gender. Accompanying her armor is her weapon, a large wooden stick with a cruel spiked steel ball on the end. Weaponsmiths will recognize a goblin design.
A raven named Abigale constantly follows the knight. The raven speaks for the both of them in a cheerful high-pitched voice. She's a mischievous bird who's constantly singing laughing or telling dirty jokes. There are conflicts between the raven and her mistress on occasion.
See previous character about the underworld place.