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[4e] Eternal: Beyond The North Road OOC
Arivia
I Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered User regular
I Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered User regular
What is Eternal, you say?
Eternal, is what your mother called the world once when you asked her. Your town of Everwood has always been besieged by snow. No seasons, just the unending drive of snow and sleet, the hasty work of chopping down trees in the forest on the lighter days, and birthing new goats in the barns when you were shut in for months. You traded with the men in mail that took the long North Road one way or the other, and the dwarves and the dragonborn who lived in their ember holds in the next valley. You've never talked to an elf, but you've seen them, deep in the forest at the edge of your ribbon-train. And now the caravans have stopped, the snow is harder, and you can see strange lights from beyond the North Road's mountain pass. Lights that your grandfather, the oldest person in the village, has never seen. Lights that call to you.
Since then, your dreams have been filled with the lights. You've spoken to your mother and your grandfather, and they're letting you go to find them. They warn you though - no one has ever left and come back to the village. When you left, the cold biting at your cheeks and the snow landing on your nose, you found five others had come to the same spot on the edge of the North Road. You didn't speak, but you continued north - all of you.
In other words,
Eternal is a 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons game for 6 1st-level characters. One spot is already reserved, so I will be taking applications for 5 more characters. It's play-by-post: you should be able to post once a day on week days. Don't go away for a month the week we start too.
Applications consist of a race/class choice and a character description. You don't need to include a full sheet, but a Mythweavers sheet or CB export is appreciated. 22-point buy, 100 gold.
The prevailing theme is the idea of timelessness. There are no dates or clocks in Eternal, history is oral, not written. In fact, in the eternal winter this game takes place in, there are no seasons. You don't have a birthday, an age, you just are.
The Standard Questions:
Applications will be open for a week. I will not close them early. If you need to ask why, you must be new to these parts. I may delay the start until Amnesia wraps up.
Edit: Food can be hard to come by in the eternal winter. I will be tracking it and your consumption of it- your characters should likely buy some during character creation, unless you'd like to forage.
Eternal, is what your mother called the world once when you asked her. Your town of Everwood has always been besieged by snow. No seasons, just the unending drive of snow and sleet, the hasty work of chopping down trees in the forest on the lighter days, and birthing new goats in the barns when you were shut in for months. You traded with the men in mail that took the long North Road one way or the other, and the dwarves and the dragonborn who lived in their ember holds in the next valley. You've never talked to an elf, but you've seen them, deep in the forest at the edge of your ribbon-train. And now the caravans have stopped, the snow is harder, and you can see strange lights from beyond the North Road's mountain pass. Lights that your grandfather, the oldest person in the village, has never seen. Lights that call to you.
Since then, your dreams have been filled with the lights. You've spoken to your mother and your grandfather, and they're letting you go to find them. They warn you though - no one has ever left and come back to the village. When you left, the cold biting at your cheeks and the snow landing on your nose, you found five others had come to the same spot on the edge of the North Road. You didn't speak, but you continued north - all of you.
In other words,
Eternal is a 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons game for 6 1st-level characters. One spot is already reserved, so I will be taking applications for 5 more characters. It's play-by-post: you should be able to post once a day on week days. Don't go away for a month the week we start too.
Applications consist of a race/class choice and a character description. You don't need to include a full sheet, but a Mythweavers sheet or CB export is appreciated. 22-point buy, 100 gold.
The prevailing theme is the idea of timelessness. There are no dates or clocks in Eternal, history is oral, not written. In fact, in the eternal winter this game takes place in, there are no seasons. You don't have a birthday, an age, you just are.
The Standard Questions:
What sources can I use?
Any printed material from Wizards of the Coast is acceptable up to and including the Eberron Campaign Guide. However! It is your responsibility to choose options that make sense in Eternal. If your background copypasta includes the words Sharn or Waterdeep, I won't be looking at you. Your application should tell me something interesting about the world as it relates to your character - if you're a cleric, what are the divinities of Eternal like? Who did your elven woodcutter pray to that night he broke his leg in the forest and the blizzard came in? What is arcane wizardry like in a world with few books and little knowledge of time? (In other words, instead of a Rary or a Mordenkainen, what kinds of remembered legends might accompany the magic summoning of a sword?)
Backgrounds?
The Village's winter is harsh and unforgiving. Everyone has Endurance as a trained skill.
Weapon/Implement Expertise?
Don't take it. I'll give it to everyone at some point.
John has been dying and is at -10 hp. Sue gives John a healing spell, allowing him to spend a healing surge. John spends it, gaining 8 hp. What is John's current hp?
Good question! Answer it with your application.
Any printed material from Wizards of the Coast is acceptable up to and including the Eberron Campaign Guide. However! It is your responsibility to choose options that make sense in Eternal. If your background copypasta includes the words Sharn or Waterdeep, I won't be looking at you. Your application should tell me something interesting about the world as it relates to your character - if you're a cleric, what are the divinities of Eternal like? Who did your elven woodcutter pray to that night he broke his leg in the forest and the blizzard came in? What is arcane wizardry like in a world with few books and little knowledge of time? (In other words, instead of a Rary or a Mordenkainen, what kinds of remembered legends might accompany the magic summoning of a sword?)
Backgrounds?
The Village's winter is harsh and unforgiving. Everyone has Endurance as a trained skill.
Weapon/Implement Expertise?
Don't take it. I'll give it to everyone at some point.
John has been dying and is at -10 hp. Sue gives John a healing spell, allowing him to spend a healing surge. John spends it, gaining 8 hp. What is John's current hp?
Good question! Answer it with your application.
Applications will be open for a week. I will not close them early. If you need to ask why, you must be new to these parts. I may delay the start until Amnesia wraps up.
Edit: Food can be hard to come by in the eternal winter. I will be tracking it and your consumption of it- your characters should likely buy some during character creation, unless you'd like to forage.
Arivia on
0
Posts
Accepted:
Razilin Cam Morwyn Human Ranger Striker Martial
Applications So Far:
Mike Danger Heriod Anaed Drow Cleric Leader Divine
Rainfall Dara Elf Warden Defender Primal
SnowSquall Tayrell Dragonborn Warden Defender Primal
SimpsonsParadox Breena Gnome Wizard Controller Arcane
Interrobang Jouet Elf Ranger Striker Martial
kuhlmeye Felnin Drow Rogue Striker Martial
Seeks Ren Schofield Human Barbarian Striker Primal
Ain Soph Shen Warforged Ranger Striker Martial
Hexmage-PA Paavu Goliath Warden Defender Primal
Hermenegilde Soil-Tiller Warforged Cleric Leader Divine
Mike Danger Varis Half-Elf Bard Leader Arcane
bok_choi _______ Deva Wizard Controller Arcane
NotoriousBEN Edwin Charce Human Wizard Controller Arcane
kuhlmeye Rangrim Dwarf Druid Controller Primal
psolms Forgrom Dwarf Shaman Leader Primal
samurai6966 Rolinkien Human Warlord Leader Martial
ProfMoriarty Mariven Goliath Ranger Striker Martial
Jyanta Glitnir Warforged Fighter Defender Martial
Jebu Alveus Antiq Tiefling Warlock Striker Arcane
Jacobkosh Kelvan Turner Human Warlock Striker Arcane
Blurbl Rhogar Dragonborn Fighter Defender Martial
Kistra Eden Human Shaman Leader Primal
Bogart Pennywise Melchitt Gnome Sorcerer Striker Arcane
Sigmund Tychondrious Veruk'thall Nagor Tiefling Warlock Striker Arcane
3clipse Alek Human Warden Defender Primal
SuperRuper Salvo Human Paladin Defender Divine
Cleonicus Sivcyp Orngix Kobold Artificer Leader Arcane
ProfMoriarty Tharia Leran Human Sorcerer Striker Arcane
Iron Weasel Moxidas Goliath Fighter Defender Martial
Lord Toast Ruhk Dragonborn Sorcerer Striker Arcane
Cleric (Shielding) of the Raven Queen
sheet
Background
The drow of the Exequy smile at these stories--usually heard from the lips of bewildered travellers who stumble in lost, or blinded by whiteout in a storm. They know that as long as there is life in the world beneath the snow, there will be death as well. They turned away from the darker worships of their deeper-down kin long ago in favor of the Queen of the Ravens, the Lady of Finality. Many an outlying point of light--whether a mighty dragonborn hold or a human village--has a member of the Exequy among them working as an undertaker, corpse collector, or gravedigger. These drow, the Brotherhood of the Funest, may stay at their post for decades or centuries tending to their flock--the oldest of the sages are rumored to be Funests who outlived every soul in their village, opened the doors and windows to the snow and the wind, and left for home.
Heriot has trained for his entire life to be one of these few, practicing bindings and embalmings and learning the customs of death of every creed and race in the cave-cities of the Exequy. His father is a Funest somewhere among the elves of the woods; his mother is a clerk employed in keeping track of the funests' correspondence by messenger-bird to and from the Cairns (they had what may have been the first postal relationship in drow history). He has been granted special permission to explore what the light is: the sages believe it to be a sign from the Queen of a place where the dead may not rest easy.
Personality
Secretly, however, Heriot fears that great life--in his prayers, he pleads to be sent among the elves or the dwarves, who do not age as the humans or halflings do. While his outward appearance may be cool and calm, Heriot dreads a life where he awakens every day to see his people grow older and older as he remains essentially unchanged.
He dresses, like many other drow of his ilk, in plain robes of black slashed through with iron-gray. His quarterstaff, cut from one of the strange underground trees of the drow, is gnarled and a deep brown color. His holy symbol is a classic design among the drow: a silver disc with the profile of a raven engraved, with five raven feathers for the Five Movements of Finality, hanging from the underside.
Sheet (from Character Builder, Myth-Weavers will come later)
Heriot, level 1
Drow, Cleric
Darkfire: Darkfire Charisma
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 14, Con 10, Dex 12, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 13.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 14, Con 10, Dex 10, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 11.
AC: 16 Fort: 12 Reflex: 11 Will: 16
HP: 22 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 5
TRAINED SKILLS
Endurance +4, Religion +4, History +4, Insight +9, Heal +9
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Arcana -1, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering +4, Intimidate +3, Nature +4, Perception +4, Stealth +2, Streetwise +1, Thievery, Athletics +1
FEATS
Cleric: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Death Knell
POWERS
Channel Divinity: Healer's Mercy
Cleric at-will 1: Astral Seal
Cleric at-will 1: Sacred Flame
Cleric encounter 1: Bane
Cleric daily 1: Font of Tears
ITEMS
Ritual Book, Chainmail, Adventurer's Kit, Holy Symbol, Quarterstaff
RITUALS
Gentle Repose, Unseen Servant
Healing Question (almost forgot dis!)
Dara, Elven Warden
Eternal. Memory cannot pick out a beginning, and the end seems far away. Memories fade, pass, into the long cold winter that is the life of the Elf-kind. Eternity is long, and there are few of them, living alone in the woods unless necessity calls, or a child is born, marking time in the endless chill.
Once upon a time, the woman named Dara was brought before the Primal Spirit by the other elves. It granted her gifts, as it did all of her people, reminding them that life flourishes even in the chill of the Eternal. She was forever marked with the sigils of a Warden, and as a Herald of Winter she walked the forests, reveling in the life that grew around her even as she fought to protect it from any who encroached on the land.
Once upon a time, the woman named Dara met a wounded human in the forest. She gave him shelter, warmth, food, and companionship. They became friends, and perhaps something more, although the memory is dull and somehow painful. Finally, he left, but it gave her a taste of human life.
Once upon a time, the woman named Dara chanced upon a village. Small, insignificant, but the humans were strong within it. They respected nature, and in return they were allowed to live. She became their protector, slaying beasts before they could threaten the people within. She bled upon the earth, once, but the Primal Spirit accepted her offering of pain and she lived.
And now the lights have come. They beckon to Dara, calling her in dreams. Perhaps they will become another memory to fade in the emptiness of the Eternal, or perhaps she will forge something real from them. Her companions on the road north are as quiet as she, but the call is inside them all.
Personality
For an elf in the Eternal, life is cold, long, and memories fade as quickly as they come. Only the most important events are worth remembering after a century or two of cold.
Dara's life has been filled with loneliness and quiet, so she is lonely and quiet. Shy and reserved, even her actions in battle speak to her nature, as she retreats behind her shell as quickly as she strikes.
Appearance
With deep turquoise eyes, skin marked by the Primal Spirit with marks in the same color, signifying her status as a Herald of Winter to any elf who lays eyes on her, and dark brown hair, Dara looks inhuman to any who lay eyes on her. The muscles apparent even beneath her thick winter clothing and the sword, shield, and bow slung across her back make it readily apparent that she is ready for battle at any time, although the forces that drive such a woman to fight are not as easily discerned.
But so cool.
edit: survey says: Dwarf Protecting Shaman
Edit: Think I got a good idea for a Dragonborn Warden. I'll have a basic outline up after I get some coffee in me.
Background:
No one has ever wondered about “______” just like the snow she has always been there, part of the landscape. Perhaps, long ago, her lifespan was questioned, but those days have long passed and now she has faded into the background, into the sheets of white.
The world is not quite as it might seem. It would be easy to mistake it as such, but for “______” she knows something is amiss, an underlying simplicity that seems to be obscured. She sees it in the endless coiled rivulets of energy that she manipulates, seemingly instinctively. And she sees it in the howling silver lights that haunt her. For the first time in as long as she knows, “______” is scared, but there is no other choice.
DevaWizard, level 1
Deva, Wizard
Arcane Implement Mastery: Orb of Imposition
Background: Deva - Forgotten Lifetime (+2 to Endurance)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 10, Dex 12, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 12.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 10, Dex 12, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 12.
AC: 14 Fort: 10 Reflex: 14 Will: 16
HP: 20 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 5
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +9, History +11, Insight +9, Religion +11
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering +4, Endurance +2, Heal +4, Intimidate +1, Nature +4, Perception +4, Stealth +1, Streetwise +1, Thievery +1, Athletics -1
FEATS
Wizard: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Remembered Wizardry
POWERS
Eternal Memory (Remembered Wizardry Spellbook): Flaming Sphere
Wizard at-will 1: Storm Pillar
Wizard at-will 1: Phantom Bolt
Wizard encounter 1: Grasping Shadows
Wizard daily 1: Horrid Whispers
Eternal Memory Wizard daily 1(Spellbook): Sleep
ITEMS
Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing), Adventurer's Kit, Orb
RITUALS
Silence, Tenser's Floating Disk, Animal Messenger
Regain Hit Points: When you are dying and receive healing, you go to 0 hit points and then regain hit points from the healing effect. If the healing effect requires you to spend a healing surge but you have none left, you are restored to 1 hit point.
So:
healing surge-> 0hp actual heal effect-> 8hp
It is a mystery that no Deva has wondered about their lifespan but then again, it is hard to comprehend what the span of endless years has done to their minds. What brought them to Eternal, and more importantly, why have they all forgotten their past and goals?
<ProfMoriarty> oh yeah. one time I PMed a picture of my penis to a forumer, and then I got a PM from Thanatos saying "nice girth"
Also, you have no idea how hard it is to work without time measures...
Anyways, here is:
Edwin Charce, Pint-size Human Wizard
Appearance
Background
"Oh sowy, m'boy" the merchant said, "a bwank book wike this shoud 'ave been thwown in with the kindwin'."
"Oh no sir, it's no problem, um, I'll buy it just the same. For the kindling." Later that evening, Edwin read the book, and when he sounded out the words, shadows began creeping along the walls, and inaudible whispers made his skin crawl. He read another set of words, and a bright bolt of power blew a hole in the side of his house, but the shadows dissipated. Rather than be scared, Edwin was intrigued and began to decypher the words and the language he was reading.
A month later, the lights appeared at the edge of the village. Gathering his few belongings, Edwin sets out with others who are also drawn to the lights.
CharBuilder Summary, Mythweavers coming Saturday
Human, Wizard
Build: Illusionist Wizard
Arcane Implement Mastery: Orb of Deception
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 14, Dex 11, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 14.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 14, Dex 11, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 14.
AC: 14 Fort: 13 Reflex: 15 Will: 15
HP: 24 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6
TRAINED SKILLS
Endurance +7, Diplomacy +7, Arcana +9, History +9, Insight +5, Religion +9
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Bluff +2, Dungeoneering, Heal, Intimidate +2, Nature, Perception +2, Stealth, Streetwise +2, Thievery, Athletics
FEATS
Wizard: Ritual Caster
Human: Phantom Echoes
Level 1: Alertness
POWERS
Bonus At-Will Power: Illusory Ambush
Wizard at-will 1: Magic Missile
Wizard at-will 1: Phantom Bolt
Wizard encounter 1: Grasping Shadows
Wizard daily 1: Wizard's Fury
Wizard daily 1 Spellbook: Flaming Sphere
ITEMS
Spellbook, Adventurer's Kit, Implement, Orb, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing), Dagger, Trail Rations (20), Waterskin (3), Pouch, Belt (empty) (5)
RITUALS
Arcane Mark, Make Whole, Comprehend Language
John's HP
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
Edit: Also, if you cannot read, you may want to not apply for this. My descriptions are detailed and usually quite important.
Background
Tayrell was ecstatic about his trip, and outdid himself in preparing. He packed extra layers of clothes in case of the temperature dropping unexpectantly; extra dry provisions in emergencies or an extra snack; made sure he had a knife in case something happened and that it was sharp, and various other means. The weather that greeted Tayrell as he finally left the protective arms of the hold, was a rare bright and sunny day. The temperature was high enough to start melting that first layer of snow that made walking on its thick layers possible, with a quick enough step. Everything seemed to be running perfect. The trading run proved to be uneventful to the traders, but everything was new and wondrous to the young Tayrell.
That all changed on the return trip back to the hold when a sudden blizzard hit the party. The snow was falling so intently that one couldn't see passed their stretched arm. And within that storm, something attacked the trading group. Tayrell never got a good look at it or them or whatever it was, but all he remembered was tumbling in the snow and running. He kept on running until the snow started to thin and he could see the bare, dead leafed trees and various evergreens of a forest.
Eventually exhaustion overtook the young lad, and he had to stop. Tayrell found himself a large enough nook between some exposed roots of a very large evergreen which would help to keep the elements at bay. He checked for all of his provisions, but found them to be gone. The backpack full of extra clothing; lost somewhere when he was rolling down some slope. The extra rations kept in a satchel slung over his shoulder; snagged and pulled free by an errant tree branch on his wild run. And his knife...he didn't remember how he lost his knife. All Tayrell had to keep him warm as the memories of how he wanted to leave the hold on an adventure. He fell asleep in the nook of the tree what he thought was for the last time.
But Tayrell awoke the next morning. The storm had passed but light snow was still falling on the ground. Pulling himself free from his makeshift bed, Tayrell realized that he didn't really feel the cold that acutely. He should have found that odd, but he was too busy being overjoyed at the thought of surviving. However, the reality of the situation eventually set in and Tayrell knew he had to find some food and shelter. In what would pass as days, or months, or maybe even years, Tayrell would learn hunt and forage food for himself. He found that he had some sort of connection with the wild that to live in, and that he felt certain pulls or pushes that would help to find what he was looking forward. Although it seemed that Tayrell had found a place that he could live, he felt the hollow of his memories about the place he was from. So he never gave up in searching for his old home, and until one day he did find it.
He couldn't have been sure of how much time had passed, but he was sure that this was the place. Upon approaching the hold, he was greeted by armed Dragonborn that guarded and weary. Whenever Tayrell tried to approach them, he was pushed back by a sharp blade or bludgeoning shield. It wasn't until an elder appeared from behind the armed guards that another one of his people approached him. The elder moved closer to Tayrell and examined the wayward Dragonborn. After a few moments, the elder turned and walked back to the others. It wasn't until he was beyond the guards that he proclaimed that Tayrell was a lost soul that had turned into some sort of abomination. The guards immediately leaped into action who charged at Tayrell. But the youth was faster and he ran from the guards.
He kept on running until he couldn't hear his pursuers and he was back into familiar territory. Tayrell had no clue as to what had just happened. But then he spied his reflection for the first time since the storm in a large sheet of ice that had frozen to one side of a tree. His once brilliant bronze scales had changed to greyish blue. Horrified, Tayrell remembered stories told about Dragonborn that would be taken by the storms and transformed into horrifying, mindless wights. They were horrors that Dragonborn parents would tell their children to get them to behave, but they weren't real were they? If they were, he wasn't one of them, was he? He wasn't taken in the storm, he survived it. And he wasn't mindless, he knew everything going inside his head and beyond. But what if he was wrong?
Appearance
Tayrell wears white hide armour in the form of several of the hardier dire bear and wolves. Sometimes the pelt were scavenged from another beast's kill or from when Tayrell had to defend himself against an aggressor. He kept the fur on the hide to help keep warmth in while he was wearing them. In all, Tayrell looks like a blue Dragonborn covered in white fur. One time, he couldn't have been sure of how much time had actually passed, Tayrell found a band of Dwarves, all frozen in their sleep, probably from a storm that they saw until it was too late. Giving them a proper burial, Tayrell borrowed a warhammer and a shield from them. Giving himself from extra weapons and equipment with which to protect himself.
Personality
Summary Sheet
Dragonborn, Warden
Build: Earth Warden
Guardian Might: Earthstrength
Dragon Breath Key Ability: Dragon Breath Strength
Dragon Breath Damage Type: Dragon Breath Cold
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 16, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 16, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.
AC: 18 Fort: 15 Reflex: 12 Will: 12
HP: 38 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 12
TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +6, Athletics +6, Endurance +5, Perception +6
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -3, Arcana, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering +1, Heal +1, History +2, Insight +1, Intimidate +3, Religion, Stealth -3, Streetwise +1, Thievery -3
FEATS
Level 1: Toughness
POWERS
Warden at-will 1: Weight of Earth
Warden at-will 1: Strength of Stone
Warden encounter 1: Thunder Ram Assault
Warden daily 1: Form of Winter's Herald
ITEMS
Hide Armor, Adventurer's Kit, Heavy Shield, Warhammer, Rations, Trail (20)
Question: John has been dying and is at -10 hp. Sue gives John a healing spell, allowing him to spend a healing surge. John spends it, gaining 8 hp. What is John's current hp?
It may not be specific to anyone. See the second paragraph.
I'm thinking of maybe changing from Warden to a Ranger (if I can after posting it), since I could work off of the survivalist angle and still keep the mysterious background. Since well I do like both my background and Rainfall's.
Breena, the Female Illusionist Wizard.
Myth-Weavers sheet (Bare bones; no bio) - http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=145223
Mannerisms and Appearance
Personality Traits
Backround
Joy Dancers - In Everwood, there are three certain things: oral history, a fire for that oral history to be told over, and the entertainment that comes before and after an epic retelling of Bronjian's search through the winter. The Joy Dancers fill that third slot quite nicely. Each Joy Dancer specializes in a different form of entertainment (Dancing, Singing, Mock Battles, Illusions, etc), and, depending on what they do, wear different 'uniforms'. For example, Illusionists wear black with a light colored sash, dancers wear deep purple with a deep, dark colored belt, etc. Since these forms of entertainment are so integral to culture, they're not so much 'the arts' as they are an institution. You don't just go out, grab some black pajamas and a yellow ribbon and start casting stuff at a camp fire for money; you fill out forms, become registered, take classes, work within a predefined troupe, etc.
Zien - The God of Illusions, Joy, and Chance. The first thing any blooming Joy Dancer learns of is the 'History of Zien'. Zien, an elf, dedicated his life to bringing joy to others. He did so through many different forms, but what he's most remembered for is creating thousands of six sided dies during one performance and rolling them throughout the streets of a village. No knowledge is known of what happened when he died. There are those that say he ascended to godhood, others who believe that he merely died, some who believe he became a demi-god, and still other groups who think that he never died and that whenever someone casts an illusion a piece of his life form remains. All Joy Dancers are required to memorize the epic story of 'The Rolling Of The Die', and every spoken illusion or song (IE: All of them) are spoken or sung in Elven in honor to him. It is generally though that Zien was illiterate, which is also generally thought to be a-okay.
The Actual Backround - Breena was born to a human and a dwarven Joy Dancers. Her birth was considered somewhat odd, as a male dwarf and a female human had never mated before. Needless to say, when Breena popped out, it was somewhat of a shock to the system. Her birth is still talked about somewhat to this day. There are three general theories about her birth. 1) She's a genetic defect that can't repeat itself, 2) She's an entirely new species and should be studied, or 3) Her mother and father, both illusionists and practical jokers, gave their normal looking daughter the illusion of being small to yank on everyone's chain. Number 1 is the most accepted, although 2 and 3 both have sizable minorities that believe in them.
She grew up watching and studying the way Illusionist Joy Dancers worked their particular craft. Her decision to join the Illusionist division of Joy Dancers when she become of age? Yeah. It was sort of expected. Since her induction into the Joy Dancers, she has spent years memorizing from speech alone thousands upon thousands of lines of poems, stories, and spells. It has been the legends of the lights, however, that have piqued her interest. Stories tell of lights that spontaniously appear and disappear at random, and of the people who have dreamed of them. Breena saw them not as lights, but powerful illusions. Something else to bring to the Joy Dancers that could enhance their ability to do their job. She started to obsess about the lights. What could they mean? What type of illusion could they be? She could make light, sure, but nothing like that.
She started to daydream about the lights. She started spending every waking hour thinking about the lights. Ironically, she was quite surprised when she actually started dreaming about them. Her! Dreaming about the lights! What luck! With that omen (Breena *hopes* it's a good omen), she's set off to find out what's making the lights...well, light, and to learn how to do them herself, as well as be able to teach it to others.
The Healing Question
Much Ado About Spellbooks
A Few Questions:
1 - We can make up gods, customs, etc, correct? If not, I can change some things on my character. It won't fit as well, but it'll be close.
2 - Can we fluff how Wizards can have a spell book in an area with little to no written language, or should we just axe that extra spell? I'm fine either way.
3 - Can we assume that the racial make up is roughly the same as it is in the 'regular' D&D world? For example, would we need to provide an explanation for how, say, a Deva or a Gnome came about, or can we roughly assume that these people have seen one before?
Thank you in advance for answering and for giving my character a glance!
-edit- Updated! NOW WITH FOODS!
That was what the midwife told her when she tried to ask where she'd come from.
"The children of the woods are special, my dear child. Your differences are your gifts, bestowed to you by the forest as evidence of your beauty and wonder."
That was what the midwife told her when she tried to ask why she looked different than the other villagers; why her reflection in the frozen river had so little in common with theirs; why nocking an arrow and skinning a rabbit came to her so naturally when the other children struggled.
"Oh, my dear child. Men are fools. Pay them no mind; their words are heedless."
That was what the midwife told her when she ran to her sobbing, her tears freezing on her cheeks, seeking solace after the other villagers had become so cruel to her.
"It is because you are a creature of the forest, my dear child, and the forest demands your return. I know you hear it calling to you. Do not grieve. Your true home lies elsewhere, out there in the White."
That was what the midwife told her when the elder ordered her exile on her eighteenth birthday.
Jouet is a young elf woman in her late teens, short of height and slight of build. Her deep brown hair is kept long, worn braided into a bushel of dreadlocks and held back with a thin scarf. Her eyes are as dark as her hair, the same shade as the bark of the conifers that serve as her new home.
Ignorant to her true parentage, the only life she's known has been with a small village of humans in a small village/camp several miles west of the North Road. She's never seen another elf in her life, and is unaware that there are others like her. According to their accounts, one day she was simply discovered at the village's edge, bundled up in rough-sewn swaddling cloth and seemingly abandoned under the dead husk of a fallen tree. Throughout her childhood she was exposed to ridicule and scorn. The isolated nature of the village lent itself well to prejudice, and her noticeably different appearance served as perfect fuel; her pointed ears, dark hair, dark eyes, and unnaturally natural proficiency with the hunter's tools made her a prime target. The fact her abandonment and subsequent exposure to the elements as an infant had damaged her vocal cords only made things worse, and she quickly became accustomed to mockery directed at her diminished speaking capacity.
It was around the time of her seventeenth harvest when she first began to experience the lights, but it wasn't until her eighteenth that she finally confided in someone about them, regaling the midwife who'd raised her as a mother with tales of the strange dreams, the foreign murmurs in the breeze she could have sworn were voices. The woman just smiled and shook her head, but the village's mystic did not take the news so lightly. To him, her dreams represented an ill omen - he did not know what of, but he would take no chances. Times were hard, and if game were to flee the village may very well have starved to death. Airing his concerns to the village elder, the elder took action and forced her into exile that very day. The only home she'd ever known was soon little but a fond memory.
While she had hardly been forced out into the eternal winter with nothing but the clothes on her back - as per custom, she'd been provided with weapons, adequate armor, and enough trail rations to last her just over a week - Jouet had nowhere to go. So she thought of the lights. She remembered their call, she remembered the whispers on the chill wind, and she set out in search of whatever destiny the White had in mind for her.
Jouet, level 1
Elf, Ranger
Fighting Style: Archer Fighting Style
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 13, Dex 20, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 8.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 13, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
AC: 18 Fort: 12 Reflex: 16 Will: 12
HP: 25 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 6
TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +9, Perception +9, Heal +7, Acrobatics +9, Stealth +9, Endurance +5
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana, Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, Dungeoneering +2, History, Insight +2, Intimidate -1, Religion, Streetwise -1, Thievery +4, Athletics -1
FEATS
Level 1: Elven Precision
POWERS
Ranger at-will 1: Twin Strike
Ranger at-will 1: Nimble Strike
Ranger encounter 1: Two-Fanged Strike
Ranger daily 1: Hunter's Bear Trap
ITEMS
Hide Armor, Longbow, Adventurer's Kit, Short sword, Arrows (90), Dagger
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A note: she isn't mute, she just speaks slowly and stutters on large words or awkward sounds.
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Yes, you can.
Keep your spellbook, but coming up with a rationale for it is good. If you're challenged on that front, there's some ideas in 3.5's Complete Arcane.
The answer to that is up to you. Consider the thematic elements of the race against what's in the OP. However, the OP's description contains all of the races that have had contact with the village in one way, shape, or form.
MikeDanger's already submitted one. I'm not against them; it's up to you to make them fit. Note, though, there's nothing saying they have to be your Realms-standard matriarchal arachnophiles.
this means that there are no excluded races.
also, there are 2 elves submitted already.
Background
That was how the Elders of the village told it, at least. The Elders could tell the tale like they had lived it, and no knows for sure if the Elders were around for what they called The Great Change. But no one in the village could tell how long it had been since the Dark Elves left their brethren on the edge of the forest, and traveled deep into the woods. They had discovered that deep in the woods, the trees had helped stave off the heavier snow falls, allowing them slightly easier living than they were used to on the edge of the Great Forest. They started hunting, and collecting their own food. The village had become self sustaining since they left the Elves, and now the Dark Elves enjoyed their lives in the forest, at one with nature around them.
At least, most of them were. Felnin was just reaching the age of adulthood in his village, and wondered if there was more to the Dark Elves existence than just their lives in the Great Forest. He had been trained from a child to wield the weapons of his village, and had raised as one of their hunters. For weeks at a time, he would venture from the village with the hunting teams to find food for their people. He was excellent at stunning the creatures of the wild, and allowing the other hunters time to take down the animals of the Great Forest. But his life here bored him, and the hunt stopped being as exciting for him.
So when he saw the light, he wondered. He went and consulting with the elders, and they said they had never seen such a light in the distance before. The light haunted him in his dreams, taunted him, made him yearn to discover its source. His mind had been set: he must find out why this light had appeared in the night sky through the blizzard that pierced even the trees of the Forest. He went to the Elders, and asked their permission to seek out the source of the light, but his request was denied.
"No Felnin, you are too valuable to village. Your hunting is what helps bring us food in the deep cold."
This was not an answer he could accept. He pleaded with the council of Elders, begging to go. But still he was denied. Despite their denial, his course was still set firm. That night, he gathered his things and set out to north. Luckily, his time as a hunter had given him the skills needed to survive the tundra of the Forest, and he survived his journey. Upon exiting the Great Forest, already a week had passed. He had been pursued to a degree by the Dark Elves, but his training had showed him how to remain hidden in the deep forests, and camouflaging himself was second nature. He found the road through the snow, and followed it. After days of travel, he found others like him, intrigued by light in the distance. Recognizing their journey was much like his, he set out with them, words not needing to be said.
Appearance
Personality
Health Question
I hope the background I made up is ok Arivia. If you want me to change any of the history details I can.
And so...
Ren Schofield, Human Barbarian
Background:
Appearance
Personality
Edit: CB Summary
Ren Schofield, level 1
Human, Barbarian
Build: Rageblood Barbarian
Feral Might: Rageblood Vigor
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
AC: 15 Fort: 17 Reflex: 13 Will: 11
HP: 36 Surges: 11 Surge Value: 9
TRAINED SKILLS
Perception +5, Nature +5, Athletics +8, Intimidate +5, Endurance +7 (Eternal BG)
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Heal, History, Insight, Religion, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery
FEATS
Human: Toughness
Level 1: Powerful Charge
POWERS
Barbarian at-will 1: Howling Strike
Barbarian at-will 1: Pressing Strike
Bonus At-Will Power: Recuperating Strike
Barbarian encounter 1: Avalanche Strike
Barbarian daily 1: Rage Drake's Frenzy
ITEMS
Greataxe, Hide Armor, Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Tent
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Johnny boy
PSN: ChemENGR
Quick aside: with the definition that only those races are the same, you don't have to assume any of the same flavor details about any of the other races. Gnomes could be a substrain of humans or dwarves, for example.
Background:
He wasn't fleeing from his tasks. He resented them, but they were the purpose for which he was created. Forged to hunt and kill those who struck the ire of his forger. those the artificer was too weak and cowardly to stand and face. The artificer knew, and Shen knew that the artificer knew about the pangs of guilt that tore at his artificial heart after his swords cleaved through another victim. It was his purpose for which he was created.
But these lights...they couldn't leave his mind. To Shen he wasn't fleeing from his tasks. He had seen another purpose for which he was created, moving ever closer to the light.
Personality:
Apearance:
Background:
One day, while Yan was readying a fresh patch of soil for planting, his plow came to a sudden halt as it slammed into something hard buried in the soil. Thinking he had hit a large rock, Yan retrieved his shovel and began digging out the obstruction. However, as the soil was cleared, the farmer was amazed to find he had not hit a rock, but rather a humanoid figure comprised of stone and wood. Terrified, the old man fled, quickly barricading the door of his house and cowering for hours before curiosity finally overcame the fear. Returning to the field, Yan finished digging out the figure, loading it on a makeshift sled and dragging it to his home.
WIP
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
Personality
The spirit of the ram led Paavu through the biting winds of the Aescrawl Mountains and back to the peaks that once belonged to the Softgraves. He is grateful to it for walking him towards his reinvention. Paavu has gladly accepted it and other spirits into his soul. Though Paavu is willing to obey their beckons, just as often he will insist that the spirits of nature follow him in his endeavors.
Background
The tribal council chooses to remain on these wind blasted peaks, thanks in no small part to the influence of the elderly priests. Some individuals protest the council's decision; these individuals are imprisoned in a small cavern. Those who sneak away hoping to find a less harsh climate are soon found dead on the outskirts of the Softgraves' miserable village; none can say what drags the corpses back up the slopes.
Only one way to leave the peaks of the Aescrawl exists: ritual exile. The occurence of the ritual and the choosing of an exile seems to have no pattern, entirely dependent on the visions of the skywatchers. Once chosen, the exile is forced from the home of the Softgraves to confront the unknown horrors in the dark. The ultimate purpose of this ritual is only known to the elderly priests.
Paavu was one of these exiles. His wife and his children had all perished from exposure to the bitter winds of the peaks. Being cast out to the monsters of the frozen darkness held no horror for Paavu; he was tired of the melancholy that haunted his days.
He neither saw nor heard any kind of foul beast in his wandering of the slopes. Instead, Paavu laid eyes on a lone ram pushing its way through the piling snow banks. The exile found himself trudging through the snow after the tenacious creature.
The goliath followed the ram in a state of single-mindedness, oblivious to the cold. "This creature must be leading me to my death. Strange that the end of my life is more pleasant than the rest of it."
When Paavu finally lost sight of the ram he suddenly realized that he had been climbing upwards for quite some time. The goliath surveyed his surroundings and was soon able to recognize his location: he was back at the peak of the Softgrave clan, but no member of his tribe remained. The nooks and crannies were free of shivering mountain folk, and the crude tent that housed the elderly skywatchers was gone.
His eyes did not search the peak for long. Instead they were drawn to the lights suddenly visible on the horizon. Paavu smiled. This peak was never his home, not truly. Whatever happened to the joyless Softgrave tribe during his sojourn was of no consequence to him.
"As long as there is a world outside these mountains," Paavu spoke to himself, "I have something to look forward to."
Stats
Paavu, level 1
Goliath, Warden
Guardian Might: Earthstrength
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 17, Con 18, Dex 9, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 15, Con 16, Dex 9, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.
AC: 19 Fort: 15 Reflex: 12 Will: 14
HP: 35 Surges: 13 Surge Value: 8
TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +9, Perception +7, Heal +7, Athletics +7, Endurance +6
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -4, Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering +2, History, Insight +2, Intimidate, Religion, Stealth -4, Streetwise, Thievery -4
FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Craghammer)
POWERS
Warden at-will 1: Weight of Earth
Warden at-will 1: Strength of Stone
Warden encounter 1: Thunder Ram Assault
Warden daily 1: Form of the Fearsome Ram
ITEMS
Hide Armor, Heavy Shield, Adventurer's Kit, Craghammer, Climber's Kit, Pitons (10), Sling, Candle (6), Horn, Lantern
To answer the question, the character's current HP would be at 8.
where the ashes meet the snow
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Backstory
Plot
Looks
Domewhat like this, but with a bigger hammer :P.
Character
Warforged, Cleric
Background: Occupation - Farmer (Nature class skill)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 15, Dex 10, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 14.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 14.
AC: 16 Fort: 14 Reflex: 10 Will: 15
HP: 27 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 6
TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +4, Nature +7, Diplomacy +7, Heal +7
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -1, Arcana -1, Bluff +2, Dungeoneering +2, Endurance +3, History -1, Insight +2, Intimidate +4, Perception +2, Stealth -1, Streetwise +2, Thievery -1, Athletics +3
FEATS
Cleric: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Mordenkrad)
POWERS
Cleric at-will 1: Recovery Strike
Cleric at-will 1: Righteous Brand
Cleric encounter 1: Healing Strike
Cleric daily 1: Shield of the God
ITEMS
Ritual Book, Mordenkrad, Chainmail, Adventurer's Kit
RITUALS
Gentle Repose, Banish Vermin
Someday, I'll play a robot :P
edit to answer the healing question : 8 + whichever bonuses the power granted, if any.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzdw7934kg
Thought that was a funny fact.
Food can be hard to come by in the eternal winter. I will be tracking it and your consumption of it- your characters should likely buy some during character creation, unless you'd like to forage.
Woo