1

Groups & Concepts / Supplicants (v2 player faction)

« Last post by Fiverine on February 25, 2021, 03:38:03 am »

The slums of West Conch were never an easy place to live but are becoming a Hobbesian hell under the stewardship of Grymtol and his Diiri's Boys.  And yet every now and then something remarkable happens.  A victim of a robbery awakens to find his wounds cleaned and dressed.  A starving beggar finds a parcel of food in his cart.  A gang of orphans find a bag of copper pennies hanging in their den.  Thugs on their way to beat a desperate debtor are waylaid by unseen attackers before they arrive. 

Who are these mysterious "Angels of Small Mercies" as those they have helped dub them?  They are the Supplicants, a secretive group of altruists who work quietly in the Slums. This faction would suit Good-aligned characters of most classes and races.  Though members' methods and backgrounds will differ they will all share the same purpose of quietly helping others in the most dangerous part of Conch.   An LG cleric would be just as welcome as a CG rogue.  It will be a loosely organised faction without ranks and allow PCs a lot of autonomy to work on other personal or factional projects. 

Send me a Discord message if you want more specific details 

2

Announcements / Updates and information on V2

« Last post by Rainman on February 10, 2021, 09:35:43 am »

Update

Just an update for you all. We have a goal of the following > Feb ( finish/update any core issues ), March ( Beta plus balancing issues ) April ( Easter launch with full wipe ).

We have made progress and almost finished Crafting, Loot/Treasure plus Portal Systems and added some other smaller systems. The Loot/Treasure and Crafting systems need some balancing.

Most new quests have been tested and the older ones have been moved/update/changed to different degrees.

Some haks updates will be added soon, some to updated different things and to give new options. More information to follow.

Have have been updating the wiki as we go along with the old player handbook information being added to the site as well, but more information needs to be confirmed and updated.


Setting

To give you some background, the main hub as such, has been moved to the Conch which is a boarder town and not a focus of the Empire due to its location but it still has its links to the Netherese Empire. The town of Conch sits in the shadows of the Columns of the Sky, which is a mountain range that has some of the tallest mountain peaks of Netheril, stretching thousands of feet into the sky and creating a landmark that could be seen for hundreds of miles in every direction.

Hadrian remains and has had some changes to its look and feel plus tying up some loose ends. The Enclave of Valstiir has fallen from the sky and hit an area in the plains, causing the area around the crash site to turn to a desert .. a sign of things to come. Citadels of course still remain in the Empire with a new Enclave to access in game. We have tried to keep links to the old version as requested.

A new option is being able to join one of three new DM faction from character creation at an entry level, giving new players direct access to the overarching storyline and that seeking to create a backstory using the factions. Some gear and perks are provided for taking this option. Of course this is just an option and you can create a normal character either with the normal races plus some non-application monster races ... more to follow on this.

Hope this helps and thank you for your patience

3

Journals & Backgrounds / Re: The Many Fates of Fiverine (v1)

« Last post by Leyoz on February 06, 2021, 10:24:26 am »

Some of my favourite characters on the server. Very well done.

4

Journals & Backgrounds / The Many Fates of Fiverine (v1)

« Last post by Fiverine on February 05, 2021, 12:52:22 am »

Bayin Kortharis lost his life in a bungled attempt to destroy "the Boatman" of the Western Swamps.  Though his dying wish was that fans of his proclamations would lay him to rest in the Crypts of Moander, they instead embalmed and minutely dismembered his body to make dozens of unholy relics. These relics still occasionally show up at trinket shops even now.

Cutter Browne permanently settled amongst the halflings.  He abandoned his lustful ways and pledged total devotion to Yondalla.  He rarely left the chapel to her he helped build and died an elderly bachelor in Hilltop.  Hilltop legend claims that the infamous Maximus Valerius once attempted to drag Cutter back to Hadrian to face charges of legal malpractice.  Cutter's Halfling Death friends Casper, Marlee and Pip furiously chased Valerius off, and then Casper even more furiously bellowed at Cutter for bringing trouble to Hilltop. 

Helle Nygaard-Bach continued flitting around the Hadrian area for several months with her visible Sharran faith repeatedly causing conflicts and misunderstandings.  She then abruptly left.  Days later, the bizarre "Lost Village" of Covington from which she hailed also vanished, seemingly permanently.  Some speculate or hope that the village may appear again some day, though others are scornful of the notion.

Morgaine "The Red" Pritchard served as curator of the Southbank Art Gallery for several years.  Though she remained active as an adventurer and played a supporting role in the barbarian siege and the reclamation of the great mythallar, she was best known for her tortuous love triangle with Saeb Alanchi and Fjord Bjornson.  It became such a staple of town gossip that more than a few wagers were placed upon whom she would ultimately settle down with.  Punters and suitors alike were deflated when she instead married the mysterious new mayor of Hadrian, Sezar Voust.  Despite finally having the legitimate claim to the Voust title she had long pursued, Morgaine surprisingly then moved far away with Sezar to Saharelgard to start a family.

Dame Neasa Lawley lost her life defending the Eternal Flame against Dacethor the Blasphemer and his undead army at the Old Court of the Face on the Sun.  Amongst her motley allies were friends like Tenshi of the Heavenly Fist, Southbank Overseer Oscar Eisenhuth Montgomery III and Shi Lei of House Skettus, and more unusual arrivals such as the blackguard Boteler the Black and elf general Elanor Ginfer.  Neasa lured Dacethor into the Flame itself which then utterly consumed them both. Her allies then destroyed his army of fallen knights forever.  In honour of her sacrifice, Thomas Rayne of the Swords of Everlasting Light took a few young knights to the Old Court to become its new caretakers.  This proved a serendipitous move because they were absent from the catastrophe that later befell Moonglow Keep.

Sindisiwe Mbatha pleaded for allies to aid her quest to retrieve a relic of Ilmater deep in the Hollow to no avail.  She resolutely descended into the depths alone, and never returned.  Once again the stay of an Ilmaterite cleric in Hadrian proved tragically brief. 

Tyra Falk faithfully served in her new troll body as a Chosen of the Mother of All Monsters and with Gorag Skullcrusher became the shaman Biagrut's personal bodyguards.  Tyra perished in the great volcanic eruption at Sullivan's Port.

5

Journals & Backgrounds / Re: Lauriella Sithiir

« Last post by Winterhawk99 on January 10, 2021, 09:54:17 am »

     Lauriella sits at a table at the university. she takes ink to paper and writes a letter to her lieutenant Cyr.

     Dear Lieutenant Stafford,

     It has been several weeks now since I disembarked to solve our problems. I am currently living In Conch and have been inducted into the city's university of magic. Thus far I have kept a low profile (except for the group I have adventured with) They are reckless Cyr. One the first part of saving three children from a demon like entity one Juno the magnificent lead the party. It was a disaster with everyone separating into groups of one or two and many suffering grievous wounds including myself.
     Later I made a point to travel with this Juno. He is undisciplined and more fighter than sorcerer. He knows but the simplest of spells and makes a better part of a shield wall than actually doing sorcery. In fact I questioned even if he was a sorcerer until he showed me he had a friend like Jax. He has a pseudo dragon familiar. I became familiar with this Juno while we quested for a bit of coin to gain his trust.
     On the second part of our quest I started to take over the group. You know my ways. Not forcibly but by using my experience as a ship commander for some twenty five years. I nudged them to be better prepared when opening doors, attempted to make them form up with some logic. It worked better until we found the last child in a den of hags. Things got chaotic again. The group ceased to act as a unit partially my fault. You see I have reached 4th circle and have gained access to one of my go to spells (black tentacles). Juno rushed off to meet them and got caught in the tentacles. The group as a whole fractured. Many including I received heavy wounds but we survived by some miracle. We saved both girls and killed all the hags along with the demon like entity that had stolen the children.
     Be that as it may afterward with much coin in my pocket I took the caravan to Sullivan then a ship to Haidren. I wanted to connect with you and debrief you on how it is going. Before I could make the connection something very strange happened to me personally. I was heading for the ship and going through an ally in Hadrian when I suddenly found myself again in Conch. I felt no magic. Somehow I teleported the entire way without my magical senses even noticing. This is high magic, Mythallar magic.
     Be extremely cautious Cyr. Someone had to purposely impose magic upon my person to keep me away from you and the ship for this to happen. And even though I am now only 4th circle I should have sensed it but did not. Do you remember the mist? We thought is was some wild accident. What if it was purposeful? I can think of several spells that would transport us to this place, wish, limited wish, alter reality, a very high summoning spell and several more. If someone wanted us here for some purpose then eventually they will contact us. If that someone contacts the ship first and tries to board do not under any circumstances let them. Tell them they must speak with me first. Do not try to do anything alone since we do not know who or what we are dealing with.
     Also, keep the men occupied with light duties. Have them go over every stich of silk for the next few weeks along with the sea anchor and back up silk. That's 8,000 square feet of silk they can spend their time on. Have our qualified divers start shucking the barnacles off of the bottom of the haul. By the time I come back I want the bottom completely clean.  I want to keep them busy and happy until we can solve the ageing problem. I will include a 500 gold coin note with this letter for supplies and upkeep of the ship.
     One last thing I want you to do. check that 4 1/2 ton of gnomish black powder at least once every week. if you see a barrel sweeting, throw it overboard. I am not sure how the gnomes make it but I do know if it starts to sweet it becomes extremely dangerous and likely to explode. I do not want to loose a ship I spent 10 years to design and build with a hole in its hull. Especially when the people of this era probably will use substandard materials to fix her up in dry dock.
     We are in a tough situation and I have not voiced my goals to the university yet until I can find a professor or arcanist I can trust. In time (hopefully) I will acquire the necessary power that someone will notice. At that time I will express my interest in Chronomancy. If my plan works and if our journey is not happenstance someone will here and see me.
     Do not be dismayed lieutenant. Chin up! Do your duty! And in the end I will see you and the crew home.

     Thank you. Your Captain,
     Captain Lauriella Sithiir of the Free Merchant Marines.


     Lauriella places the letter in an envelop then melts wax on to it and places her seal upon it. The seal reads in hieroglyphs: Mulhorandi House of life. When that is done she burns her own arcane mark in the center of the seal. from there she goes to the couriers office in upper Conch. She has the letter sent to the Southbank to the ship Moonflower II with specific instructions to approach the large cargo vessel carefully and to call for LT. Stafford to receive the letter.       
 

     

6

General Discussion / Re: Novel update.

« Last post by Winterhawk99 on November 12, 2020, 08:30:54 am »

I have completed the rough draft of the novel 'A field of Lilies' it is currently 26,624 words, about 1/10th my other two novels. I'll be looking for proofreaders to tell me where I may improve it soon. I need to have a clean and polished novel before copywriting it. Soon enough you will be able to download it. I believe even as small as it is that its a powerful novel and my best work thus far.

7

General Discussion / Re: ▶ Tips: Lifelike Character Creation!

« Last post by Ritu on October 28, 2020, 04:52:48 pm »

5. QnA


1. My character is perfect and it doesn't need anyone else.
With this approach you miss out on character development, which is the best part of any RP. You never know what's coming, and all of it being imaginary opens up a path of wonder if you allow it.


2. I made an evil character, what now?
Keep in mind that evil = focused solely on their own gain. Why wouldn't they be nicer to certain people? If your character enjoys their company, or they are a survival tool, or a cloak against suspicions while you secretly work for a demon lord - it makes perfect sense!
An evil character would do good if it'd bring them closer to their goals or would be worth the hassle.
Take a cold mercenary as an example - Whether you pay them to protect the school trip or slaughter the school trip, they're getting paid so they do it.


3. Why are Paladins only Lawful Good even if they'd serve a neutral deity?
It's in their oath and belief. Paladins believe that what they do and have sworn to do for the world is Good, and they follow their oath and/or their patron's dogma, which is Order (Lawful). If you'd feel like it's too constraining, a multiclass of Cleric/Fighter could be an alternative way to go.


4. How about a Monk-Druid multiclass?
Monks usually follow a strict code or a path, while druids follow the course of nature, its changes and generally focus on maintaining the balance with a greater picture in mind. While a druid can be Lawful Neutral, it would mean they are even more faithful to the druidic tradition they follow, thus not even considering mixing in an entirely different life approach of monks.


5. My character is a victim by profession etc.
This might be a starting point, but will likely change as your character grows more sure about their skillset, and as a person.
e.g.: A wizard who can open Gate rifts and wipe out villages with Horrid Wiltings is clearly someone who has endured a tough training of their mind to the point of being capable of concentrating on difficult spells in the stressful environment of an open battle - which influences how they behave to a certain extent.


6. I want my character to be a paragon of kindness or whatever ideal-thing else.
Amazing! Make an ingame story out of it and involve other PCs. A level 2 character has a long way ahead of them, after all.
Following the example - If your character desires to nurture the kindness within them - they could become a part of the Selunite order, donate to building of a chapel with an infirmary, sponsor a shelter… Anything can go. Consult a DM with your ideas.
Stuff like this is always welcome on the server. We had a charity house and two soup kitchens built in the past, and countless other projects have seen the light of the day as well.


7. My past character has been the best one and I won't have such a good one ever again!
Each character can have something about them, every single one can develop in unexpected ways and bring out the living magic the RP is. Give it a chance!

8

General Discussion / Re: ▶ Tips: Lifelike Character Creation!

« Last post by Ritu on October 28, 2020, 04:44:15 pm »

4. Origins & Story
A series of questions to flesh out your character’s profile and their past. It would be awkward to not have anything to talk about during an evening of reminiscing about the past with the other party members.


    1. When were they born? Do you decide to have an astrological sign impact them?
    2. Where did they grow up?
    3. What was the situation there? How did it shape them?
    4. What is/was their family like? Or did they have a guardian/s?
    5. What was their childhood and youth like?
    6. Why have they chosen the path of {their class/multiclass}? Was it a choice or were they brought up into it? How does it influence their day-to-day life?
    7. For PCs with a Familiar/A.Companion - How did you meet? How did you bond?
    8. What brings them to the developing North of the Netheril Empire? Why Conch?

Write down all of these into your character's file.


And with this said, we're wrapping up. You've worked through the basics, or perhaps even beyond, of character creation, and have put together an actual person with many facets, joys and struggles.
I‘d very much like to thank Winterhawk for providing his thoughts, insight and suggestions to this tip article. We both believe it has helped you, the reader, especially if you're just starting out with the whole concept of RP - like everybody did at some point in time. Thanks also go to ElvenStarr and Fiverine for helping to polish this article and smooth down the rough parts.

Take care, and have fun!
- Ritu & Hawk

9

General Discussion / Re: ▶ Tips: Lifelike Character Creation!

« Last post by Ritu on October 28, 2020, 04:41:40 pm »

3. Personality

Picking a class, build and alignment has given you a canvas of a specific shape you now get to paint with any colors you want.
Important is - ignore the stereotypes! Character's personality traits can create a conflict with their alignment, they can feel unsure about the path and decisions that lead them to their chosen class, and much more! These bring a certain kind of depth to your character.

Neutral Good paranoid cleric, who believes in helping people and loves doing it. However, he has a deeply rooted feeling that he is voluntarily being used and that anyone he's ever helped might come at him with a knife the next minute, bringing a shadow of worry over his face. His head and heart thus fight every day.

Lawful Good paladin, rigorous and sadistic. The negative trait shines through in battles, heated conflicts, in the moments the party finally captures the 'bad guy', and in interrogations when the criminal doesn't cooperate and the paladin's patience runs out.

Two things that might really help a character‘s personality are skills and feats. However, these are often limited by being cross-class, difficult to skill up, and by the fact that many classes are feat-starved and have to put usefulness and survivability first instead of a fancy feat with little impact.

Halfing fighter who grew up in a merchant family might have a high Persuade and Appraise skill. But, due to the system in game both are very limited and expensive to improve within the Fighter class.
Fortunately, thanks to being a Fighter, they have plenty of extra feats and can afford picking a origin-related feat on the 1st level. Having often helped their parent at their shop, the Silver Palm feat offers itself as a perfect piece of mosaic to signify that origin.

Personality - Basics
These are a series of questions and designed to explore you, the player, and the character you are coming up with.

Useful Links:
▶ DISC personality profile
▶ Languages of Love profile
▶ MBTI personality profile
▶ Pretty good Basic Trait List with opposites

1. What makes you want to play as this character?
    Is it to explore a playstyle? Leave your comfort zone? Have an easy time but with a new personality and in a new world?
2. How old are they?
    Age is a large factor in interactions and in character behaviour.
3. What motivates your character to grow and put in the effort?
    Leveling up is a tough job a character would be unlikely to do on a whim. Do they want more knowledge? Do they want to build something bigger than they are? Or are they entirely devoted to their work and faction? Why? What does it bring them? When has this desire first sparked?
4. What is their view of the world?
5. What are their strengths?
    Positive or virtuous character traits, and what they are good at.
6. What are their weaknesses?
    This could be anything. R had a character who’s been allergic to potions, and they had to roll 11+ on Fortitude to survive if they drank or have been forced to drink one. Playing a PC like that was fun with a risk of permadeath.
7. What are their character flaws?
    Make the flaws count. I’d recommend two for the start - one based on stats, the other being any impactful one.
8. What is your character good at doing?
    Their skills, hobbies, tasks from their past or current job.
9. What cannot your character grasp to learn to do?
10. What can they be excited about?
11. What do they fear?
    As a side note of advice, keep in mind Fear RP both with their fears and in critical RP situations that call for it.
Special word for paladins; the fear immunity would RP-wise only prevent from being paralysed by fear thanks to the strength of your will. Fear is a natural instinct and will be present. Aura of Courage feat shows mental training to hold oneself functional instead of crumbling under heavy stress.
12. Why would anyone spend time around your character?
    Exactly, why? What do they bring to the table? What pros outweigh their cons in the eyes of others?
13. List 4 likes and 4 dislikes.
    These can range from mild annoyances through unpleasant to straight out NO. Be specific. These are easy to link to their past and backstory.
14. List 5 specific little things about your character which haven’t been mentioned above.


Personality - Detail

In RP, it’s not only about the bulletpoints you choose your character to represent. Actions and thoughts determine a person, not who their distant relatives think they are. Many new traits will arise naturally or develop as the story continues. Therefore, for each of the traits on your list, write an example situation of when it displays. Be specific. This helps you to get a better hold of the new character you're creating even before the roleplay starts.

10

General Discussion / Re: ▶ Tips: Lifelike Character Creation!

« Last post by Ritu on October 28, 2020, 04:38:06 pm »

2. Alignments

Alignment, even though chosen with the character creation, deserves a little more focus. Some of the alignments are taken in an entirely wrong way, and this chapter is to give perhaps another look at each of them while leaving you plenty of space for the character quirks and for who they are. Alignment choice is also an important part of the character‘s world view.
To make it shorter, the “you” in the descriptions stands for your character.


Let's start with the two ranges.
Good -> Evil  =  Determines whether the character is more keen to prioritise others, a small group, or themselves only.
Lawful -> Chaotic  =  Determines whether the character tends to follow the rules, make situational exceptions, or follow their own moral code regardless of the standards.


Complete Overview:
Below is a quick overview of all alignments as they are usually presented. Keep in mind that any alignment has a wide range of how can it end up showing due to a large variety of possible backgrounds and personalities.

(Unwrap the spoiler to see all the alignments described a little more.)
Spoiler

Lawful Good:
You do what you believe would benefit the world in the eyes of the system you follow, regardless of your own expense. You tend to be inflexible in your standing and hold others to the same standard as you hold for yourself.

Lawful Neutral:
You do what you believe would benefit what you chose to hold high in your life. Whether that is a city, deity, or a tradition. The given rules hold a high importance to you, but you don't feel that everybody should think and act the same as you do.

Lawful Evil:
You enjoy every way the order of the society can benefit you. Your aspirations, your organisation and the mutual goals take the priority. You do what you believe is right, but without more self-sacrifice than necessary. You usually act within what is acceptable and allowed, and might find ways to tread along the grey edge.

Neutral Good:
You do what you feel people need, because you see that it could be good for many. If the general rules lead to outcomes that benefit masses, you're fine with following them. Most times people and their wellbeing comes first to you, while staying within the socially acceptable confines.

True Neutral:
You choose what benefits you and what matters to you, in any situation. Standing between two overlapping systems, you usually march to your own drum. That doesn't mean you are distant - your personality traits get to shine the most in pure neutrality.

Neutral Evil:
The core of your life are your own wants, needs and ambitions, though you might not normally harm anyone on a whim unless given a valid reason. Law and Order to you might be a tool to push others, or a guideline as to what to abide by on the surface to get people on your side.

Chaotic Good:
You follow what's good for others by your own moral standards and preferences, without much care about the norm and the rules. You might try to bring change where you see it might be needed, however, your own view on it might be more important than whether the current system works fine or not.

Chaotic Neutral:
You believe in freedom and the equality of it for everyone. It is something you might want protect above anything else. Good and evil plays little role to you, what matters is the outcome and what feels natural in the moment.

Chaotic Evil:
What you think is correct, is correct. You might only care about yourself, disregarding anything that might stand in your way. Usually the most volatile, you might have a lack of self-control and no respect for anything but yourself.

Remember, many evil acts are performed in the belief they are good, or in a choice of lesser evil. And good acts might be performed to gain a future advantage to an evil person. And everything, everything has a consequence.