#erastil HELP HIM

[daisymeade]

In which Birgir's situation gets worse:

He's like, "Oh shit, oh fuck, Ulbrig's going to hate me now. Conceal DON'T FEEL, BIRG."

Now that's a rude ass thing to say to a tiefling in particular, Broheritor.

Why thank you, ma'am. He's definitely questioning his entire life right now.

[another-heroine]

Witch Toll

Maybe I got carried away about the mission of seducing the local priest and it ended like this!

Thanks @jean-dieu for lending me your awkward Sarenite, I studied him like he was a bug and I'm pretty satisfied. And Ekaterina had some fun bullying another Inquisitor >:)

CW: slighlty dubious intentions, teasing, power dynamics, flustered tiefling, better than a simple kiss (though 'better' is not the right word for this *evil laugh*)

Another day, another opportunity for Hulrun to get on everybody’s nerves. And it was worse when Liotr was away from Kenabres like that time.

Raphaël took a deep breath. It was a matter of time. May Saranrae give him wisdom and resilience to endure that nonsensical chase by nighttime into the woods.

“By the instructions we have, they must be not far,” the Inquisitor warned his squad. “Keep your eyes open.”

Perched owls watched over them with their piercing yellow eyes. Some of the witch hunters babbled prayers while following their leader.

“Damn wenches,” one of them cussed. “Like it isn’t enough to put their worthless lives in demons’ grasp, they put innocent folk in danger as well.  Who in their right mind would stroll around here to ask for help?”

“Charmed folk,” another one replied. “The poor fellows fall for their words like flies on an open honey jar.”

“And then get slapped to death.”

Raphaël stopped suddenly and gave a stern look at them. “Are you done with chit-chatting?”

The witch hunters looked at each other and nodded, slightly embarrassed.

“Let me refresh your mind one more time,” the Inquisitor recalled. “When we find the suspect’s house, you stay right behind me and let me lead the investigation. No vandalism, no unrequired words, nothing without my approval. By Everlight, you are men, not rabid dogs!”

One witch hunter called quietly, “Inquisitor”.

Raphaël looked at him and noticed the lad was pointing to somewhere ahead. And indeed there was something: warm lights following in a line. The squad got in position without second thoughts and followed the Sarenite.

A few commoners were at the door of a humble cabin. The Inquisitor waved for his men to not approach too much yet. They had to observe them first.

The door opened and a subtly glowing figure appeared. It was kind of hard to see her face since she was surrounded by the small group. She talked in a hushed voice, giving satchels and apparently elixir vials to the visitors.

“... It should help. Come back if you need anything else,” she guaranteed to an old woman.

“Erastil blesses you, girl.”

One by one, the people dismissed through the woods, and Raphaël held the line, ignoring the antsy feeling among his squad. They were not under Hulrun’s orders, but his. They should know how to behave for good or else.

Finally it was possible to give a good look at her, though from afar. The suspect was a copper-haired aasimar. Raphaël had heard about her before, but for a long time he thought the stories were exaggerated — a child of celestial living alone in the woods, asking for nothing but for people to leave her alone and let her help them the best she could. Why was she not in the Iomedae’s ranks as many of her kind have been?

A thought sparkled in the Inquisitor’s mind — Maybe because she is not like the others of her kind.

“Inquisitor, what now?” one of his men asked.

Raphaël swallowed hard. He was not nervous, but somehow his throat got constricted and he felt thirsty.

The woman got back inside the cabin and closed the door.

“Inquisitor?”

“I'll go ahead.” Raphaël left the shadows. “If I need you, I’ll send a signal.”

“Yes, sir,” the group agreed.

Walking to the cabin was strange. It was like his legs weighed much more than they used to. But before the tiefling could raise his hand and knock on the door, a soft voice asked, “Come in”.

And so he did. The inside of the house was scarcely lit by oiled lamps. Raphaël stiffed for a second; he felt the same piercing yellow eyes from earlier over his head, right from the ceiling, but as he looked up, there was nothing there.

“May I help you?”

The aasimar was sitting on a straw stool, sorting some herbs. She didn’t seem bothered by the strange visitor.

Raphaël got to his composure again and asked, “How… How did you know I…”

“I saw you and your men outside. Not mean to be rude, but being discreet isn’t one of their greatest skills.”

The Inquisitor kept his mouth shut, with a bitter feeling lingering in the back of his head.

She looked at him for the first time, and a soft smile appeared on her face, though not touching her eyes. “And it’s very rare to see someone like you on their side.”

“What do you mean? Because I’m a tiefling?” Raphaël scoffed, defensive.

The woman shrugged. “Let’s be honest, you should have made a great impression over Hulrun and your comrade-in-arms for they don’t cut off your tail or horns. At least.”

Raphaël frowned. “Who are you?”

The aasimar kept organizing the herbs before her. “Just someone minding her own business. But if it’s a name you want, it’s Ekaterina.”

“By your accent you are not from here.”

The woman sighed and got up. Raphaël’s tail twitched; she was shorter than him for a few centimeters. “You are right. I’m from Irrisen. But don’t mistake me for a Winter Witch, yes? I’m a druid.”

“Why are you so far from your homeland?”

“Personal matters. And now, my turn; what’s your name?”

Her body language was quite relaxed, but yet her words made the tiefling hesitate a little. She smelled of thyme and smoke.

“Raphaël,” he exhaled noisily. “I’m a servant of Sarenrae.”

Ekaterina looked at him up and down. “I see.”

He flushed. Of course he was, otherwise he would not be wearing Sarenite motifs.

“So…” Ekaterina put her hands behind her back. “You came to my home, asking questions and giving judgemental eyes. But as you can see, there is no trap, no luring or even a hungry beast lurking to eat you alive around here. Have I satiated your curiosity already?”

Raphaël cleaned his voice. “There are rumors saying that you were involved in… hedonist rituals.”

Ekaterina’s brows raised. “Really? When?”

She did not look offended. In fact, the words of the Inquisitor made her giggle.

“Not like a host or a guest, but… Someone came here and ordered a love potion. Is that true?”

Ekaterina smiled warmly. “That’s not my kind of business. But it would be… interesting, I daresay. People say a lot of things about everyone and everything, don’t you think so?”

Raphaël nodded, feeling weird, and getting nervous for being weird. Maybe he should send the signal for the other witch hunter right the way. Or just walk through the door and put a stone over that investigation.

Ekaterina noticed his hooves bringing him back to the entrance. She shook her head and added, “You witch hunters are so childish sometimes, putting it mildly.”

Her words itched Raphaël. “What do you mean?”

“Same old stories, every day. Hedonism, eating children, demonic pacts. It doesn’t matter if someone like me is just trying to survive and help good people, for many of you, my kinship and I should be at the stake whatever it takes.”

Raphaël protested, “Not every Inquisitor is like it!”

“You mean ‘like Hulrun’, am I right? Gladly I never ever met him,” she snorted. “Everybody is afraid of you because you're always scared of anything. If you were more flesh than divine weapon, maybe things would be easier and fairest for everyone.”

He was angry, but she was right. Every word was like a scorching ray against his skin, ignoring his Hellish heritage. Like the purifying Everlight herself.

Raphaël gave up. He walked back to the druid with his fists clenched, but his voice sounded quiet, almost like a begging, “Let me prove I’m not like them”.

Why was he doing that? He had no idea. Maybe because he was unfairly suspicious towards a child of Heaven, a lonely heather. Maybe because her presence had a powerful influence over him…

Or maybe because his mortified flesh was asking for that.

Ekaterina gave him a strange glance. She did not expect her words would bring that kind of outcome. She just wanted to shoo him away, but the effects were opposite.

“Let me prove myself,” he repeated, his heart beating fast against his ribcage.

Ekaterina pondered. “Do you have any idea how strong this request is?”

“Yes,” he replied without a blink.

That was a serious matter. Then it would be. The woman suggested, “Back in my homeland, when the house owner is disrespected somehow, the offender should bring an apology token. It could be a sacrifice, a terrible secret, or even sex.”

The last word made the Inquisitor’s guts freeze.

“Whatever that makes the offender vulnerable. So, lay down on the floor.”

“What?”

“Now.”

He asked for it. Dear Sarenrae, where was his head when he agreed with that? His tail rattled on the cold stone like an eager serpent, and involuntarily it wrapped softly on one of the druid’s ankles.

“Calm down, Inquisitor,” she stated, removing her limb from the desperate grasp like it was but a withered vine.

Dozens of ghostly-yellow eyes were watching them. Raphaël’s throat got dry again, as the woman put one foot on his chest, right over the Everlight insignia. She kept the other on the floor, next to his head, letting the worned hem of her tunic flutter on his chin and neck.

“I’m sorry,” he begged, either to her or his goddess.

“You are fine,” the druid hummed, looking deep into his eyes.

He wanted to move, to brush at least one thumb against her warm skin, from the ankle to the calf and up the way. To… kiss her. But he couldn’t do that; he made an unbreakable oath on his own.

“Don’t come back here again, unless you have a good, good reason,” she said. “Am I being clear?”Raphaël just nodded, and when she took off her feet over him, he felt… empty. And naked.

[spyridonya]

Of the important deities of the Inner Sea, everyone loves, respects, or leaves Shelyn alone.

Desna and Sarenrae adore her, and she adores them. I headcanon their polyam as open seeing as Desna and Sarenrae take on masculine lovers at time, but Shelyn hasn't taken any masculine lovers at present. Cayden Cailean attempts to win her over, bringing her art and violins, but she's not been moved. Cayden respects that for the most part, not considering the gifts he gives her as something 'owed'.

She's admired and liked by Abadar because how love and art helps establishes communities and civilizations… though sometimes flights of love can break a marriage contract. But love of friends, family, and and community makes him over look that. Erastil thinks the very same, though he really wishes she settle down and start a family, because he's the local boomer.

Shizuru thinks Shelyn is pretty wonderful, too. Though not an Inner Sea goddess of major popularity, Shelyn is also worshiped in Tian Xia, and thus has good connections with them as well. She's very good friends with Brigh, who is a goddess of invention, though most people think they'd have little in common save artistry. She's even allies if not friends with the mercurial Calistria, because love and lust often take hands. Calistria says love make you weak, but she'll be among the first to throw hands for touching Shelyn. Aroden admired Shelyn, who smiled, said thank you, and really wished he liked low art as much as 'high arts'. Shelyn's relationship with Iomedae isn't well known, but likely she would try and support Iomedae considering Shelyn's personality.

She even has debates with Pharasma over philosophical issues, with Pharasma winning when she points out flowers grow from dead things. Very likely, Shelyn knows this, always remembers it, but likes to drop by on Pharasma because Pharasma is rather isolated.

None of the evil gods bother her. None. Amsodeus might have deep seated issues about the chaos of Love, though Shelyn would point out that love is not a lawful or chaotic force. Sarenrae and Desna give him nasty looks if he is too Lawful and Evil in Shelyn's direction. The only evil god she fights with is with Urgathoa over execess and corruption, and Urgathoa won't do anything because Callistria would get cranky.

As for the other evil gods? She rarely fights and most of her clerics are not ones to fight. Besides, bothering Shelyn would make Zon-Kuthon Not Happy, and few want to make Zon-Kuthon Not Happy. And despite it all, despite how much he says he hates her and the grief between them, Zon-Kuthon refuses to hurt her or allows his clergy to do the same with her flock. (Eventually in Starfinder, Shelyn gives up her duties to try and find how to save her brother.)

I headcanon that she has issues with Socothbenoth and Belial due to their corruption of love among mortals (femme vs fuckbois). However, I headcanoned she's welcomed the self redeemed Nocticula with open arms. Nocticula is a little confused by this because she's a former demon and her current profilo, but she's a little lonely and never really had a friend.

Only Rovagug hates her, but Rovagug hates everyone.

Basically, Shelyn is Lesbian Jesus and I love her.

[dujour13]

⭐ I hope I understand this game correctly. Sorry if I fuck this up. I was thinking about Wandering Stars in specific because you said you have a follow up in the works so I’m curious about any thing in the original you’d like to talk about. Or maybe any foreshadowing? If none of that is appealing just whatever you’d like to talk about 👀

Thank you so much for this Dolly 💕💕 there's no way to fuck up an ask where I get to ramble.

I’ve been going back to Wandering Stars to work on the sequel and there is some foreshadowing, things like the dark star, but mostly just a continuation of the story. Writing this helped me firm a couple things up!

Spoilers for the secret ending of PWOTR

“Wandering Stars” are planets that disrupt the harmonious movement of the heavens with their chaos—that’s my boys. And it’s not getting better in the sequel.

Besides Cayden Cailean hanging out at Daeran’s Mansion of Infinite Parties, the gods don’t often speak in Wandering Stars, but when they do it’s important, as godly pronouncements can be.

Desna says this to the Lark:

In time you will transcend this body, and wear it only rarely, like old, broken-in boots that your feet feel snug in, but that let in the rain of sorrow.

And Erastil says this:

To cultivate your garden, you must settle and tend the land, not leave it to wind and weather. All things erode, but for the work of our backs.

Wandering Stars only touches on what these are about, but the sequel will get to the heart of it. Desna is making a prediction, and Erastil is giving them a warning. They need to find balance, and it won’t be easy. Sia’s attempts to escape the trauma of the Crusade by losing himself in Elysium have consequences.

What it comes down to is that people need him to be the Lark, but Woljif needs him to be himself, and being himself means opening up to pain and grief. If he’s going to find balance he’ll need to meet those things head on and deal with them. And yeah. One reason I’m having trouble writing certain parts is that putting my little guys through it (the rain of sorrow) is fun on a certain level but not this through it.

The sequel will go a little further with these:

Siavash running from his crusade PTSD. The escapism which is Elysium and the loss of his mortality.

Woljif trying to secure his place among the pantheon one way or another, and discover the true nature of his divine powers.

Siavash’s joint project with Areelu to liberate mortals from the machinery of the millennia.

Siavash’s dark side – his div-touched Kelish lineage.

Who is Taurvi and why is she doing this?

What is Areelu’s long game?

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

Georgie's backstory NPC's

the various people and communities that are referenced as part of his backstory<3

His Father: Georgie's adoptive father is a Shepherd. Somewhat self isolated from the community, preferring to stay with his sheep than spend time socializing with everyone else. his few close friends are the Hamlet's Headwoman and Blacksmith, both of whom help him in raising and caring for Georgie. He does his best to raise Georgie, and is the start of Georgie's love of music and story's. he used to be a woodcutter and hunter, but was injured and became a Shepherd.

Hamlet Headwoman: the community leader, who made the decision to accept Georgie in to the community when she first learned of him. Her husband was the previous leader, but died from illness due to trying to appeal in person to the local nobles during a series of harsh winter, when they refused to lower the taxes and tithes despite the failing harvests. She is an excellent leader, and one who has lead the community to focus on the threats from the nobles, not whatever inner or outside enemy the nobles would rather they would focus on hating. She loves Georgie, and helped him learn his letters.

Blacksmith: A female half orc who settled in the hamlet as a retirement from combat. A fellow outsider to Georgie, she encouraged his woodcarving skills, and was a shoulder to cry on as they both struggled to be accepted by the community. She has a close relationship with the Headwoman.

The Hamlet: in general, while Georgie was seen as a baby as 'cursed' and 'a bringer of bad luck', over time almost everyone came to love him, his hard work and joy for life winning them over eventually, but the doesn't mean their rejection and hate never left scars.

Birth Parents: Presumably the people who abandoned him were traveling through the Hamlet, abandoning him in the woods, wood which contained chaotic and evil fey creatures the villagers sacrificed sheep to in exchange for protection: creatures that all travelers are warned about the dangers of. Georgie has no desire to learn more about them, viewing them as people who couldn't handle the shame of birthing a demon-spawn, and depending on his mood, cowards who believed the superstitions, nobles who wanted to hide their sins, or a mother who wanted her child to live and a father, family or environment that would kill him. if they did appear, they would have to get through the entire community to reach him, as even when he was feared, many of the parents had thoughts about abandoning a child.

Local Fey Creatures: the nearby wood houses a group of fey mites, who previously took an un-negotiated tithe of sheep and other livestock instead of attacking the hamlet, however Georgies affinity for chaos and natural magic meant he was able to formalize the deal, meaning the community could pick what animals to send in exchange for the Mites to protect them from raiders and monsters.

The Traveling Performers: a musical group that regularly performed in the hamlet as part of their tour, and the group that encouraged Georgies love of music and want to travel.

His [ex] Boyfriend: a half elf traveling performer who got Georgie his first fiddle, one that was going to be thrown out for not being show-worthy anymore, after seeing his longing stars at the instrument. A devout follower of Desna, and someone who loves Georgie dearly, he saw him regularly as they were both growing up, with him traveling with and being raised by the above group of performers. after he conspired with the village to encourage Georgie to pursue his dreams of traveling, their friendship evolved into a romantic relationship, and he also converted a Georgie who was struggling with his worship of Erastil and his lawful aspects. Eventually Georgie wanted to travel further a field and they fondly parted ways, both still treasuring the love they have for each other, romantic or not.

[queen-scribbles]

For the kiss prompts: "…on a place of insecurity" for whoever speaks up

Borrowing Etain from @haledamage bc this prompt SCREAMED her/Vikkari and the muses agreed. Very late Act 3, not long before storming the Midnight Fane.

---

Noble visits were the worst.

Etain struggled enough with the burden of command; having so many people look to her for guidance and protection was overwhelming after a life spent alone in the woods. But at least the soldiers and civilians didn’t seem to have any expectations on etiquette. Every so often, however, a noble from Absalom or Andoran or somewhere would show up--usually unannounced--because they wanted to see what was being done with their contributions.

Apart from their much higher standards on acceptable, delicate noblewomen with their flawless complexions and perfect posture did nothing to make Etain feel less ungainly. But it would be rude to turn them away, not to mention dangerous, with the demons all around. So she welcomed them as graciously as possible, and then did her level best to avoid them without being rude.

Duchess Safia was making that difficult. The woman was a social butterfly; outgoing enough to rival Seelah or Vikkari, chatty enough to keep up with Woljif or Nenio, and utterly uninterested in acknowledging she deemed an inferior. Which meant she only deigned to seek out Etain and occasionally Daeran or Camellia.

Etain took advantage of the opportunity presented by the latter to hide in the chapel. She’d found that unless they styled themselves as especially pious, nobles tended to avoid the provincial building. Duchess Safia was not a pious woman, making it a safe haven during her visit. An escape from her airy chatter, flawless, collected appearance, and diminutive stature that made Etain hunch even more than usual, tugging her mask up high over her nose.

The chapel was quiet today, empty save her and a single priest tending the candles scattered among the statues to various deities. Etain let her shoulders relax as she sank into a pew, half-lurking on the outer edge even mostly alone like this. Pippin settled himself in the aisle and started drifting off in mere seconds.

Why can’t they just leave me alone? Etain wondered, almost imploring, as she glanced at the statue of Iomadae, flanked by Erastil, Desna, Sarenrae, and others. Trust that I’m doing as needed and let me handle it? Showing up to watch over my shoulder just adds stress to a... calling that’s plenty hard on its own.

No answer came, not that she’d expected one in the moment.

Worrying about providing for my people, deploying armies correctly, making the right choices for running a damn city... She shifted and something dug into her thigh. I don’t know what I’m doing, I just try my best and having someone around who will judge doesn’t help- She slipped a hand in her pocket to find the pressure’s source and her fingers curled around a carved wooden bear.

A smile tugged her lips and she ran her thumb over the details of whittled fur.

“Etain?” As if summoned by her thoughts of him, a familiar voice sounded behind her. “Didn’t expect to see you here...”

“I’m hiding,” Etain said, hand still curled around the bear as she turned to watch Vikkari travel up the main aisle.

He paused, canted his head. “From everyone? ‘Cause I can leave.”

“No.” She shook her head with a quiet, almost nervous, chuckle. “You’re fine. I’m just avoiding the duchess.”

“Ah. Our latest noble guest.” He moved a pew past where she was sitting before sliding in to join her. “I was sparring with Seelah,” he explained with a laugh when she arched a brow at the choice. “Trying to spare you at least some of the fallout.”

Now that he mentioned it, Etain found she could see the sheen of sweat on his face, arms, and the portion of his chest visible with the loosely opened shirt. She pulled her gaze up from his collarbone to his eyes.  “The consideration is appreciated.” She smiled at the dirt smudged on his sleeve, cheek, and--it looked like--behind his ear.  “She win this time, or is this the price of victory?”

“The latter,” Vikkari laughed, “though it was very nearly a repeat of last time.” He saw where her gaze had gone and rubbed at the smudge on his face.

“So, is Lann next?” Etain asked lightly, half-joking, her grin hidden behind the mask. “If you’re fighting your friends?”

He snorted and shook his head. “He’d kick my ass. Prob’ly into next week. Seelah at least I have a chance; we’re pretty evenly matched.”

“It’s good you know your limits.” Her tone may have been teasing-adjacent, but that was a good--attractive--quality.

“Is that why you’re in here? Knowing your limits?”

Etain huffed a breath of a laugh. “More or less, I suppose.” She rolled the bear figurine in her hand, thumb running over the snout. “There’s enough stress to this position without doing it under the judgmental gaze of some fancy, flawless noble who’s never run a military campaign but is very concerned how you’re using her mon-”

“Etain.” She hadn’t realized she was tugging her mask ever-higher until Vikkari covered her hand with his to stop her. “It’s not right they do this to you; showing up out of the blue like you owe them something. You’re doing a good job. I know it’s hard, and not what you ever thought you’d be doing, but you are an excellent Commander.”

“I’m trying to believe that,” Etain muttered, her pulse fluttering as they sat with his hand over hers against the mask. He's hardly unbiased, her doubts whispered, but she shushed them.

“May I?” he asked quietly, and she gave a single nod, sitting frozen as he shifted the mask back to where it usually sat. His thumb brushed the scar down her cheek and she flinched. Vikkari winced. “Sorry, is that sensitive?”

She shook her head. She didn’t trust her voice right now. Not physically, anyway.

Understanding filled his eyes, which seemed to glow brighter, and he deliberately, gently, brushed his thumb over the scar again. “Flawless is overrated, I’ve found,” he murmured.

That was easy for him to say; the trio of scars that cut across the apple of his cheek only enhanced the angelic attractiveness somehow. Added a dash of the heroic to the sharp cheekbones and strong jaw. No one would ever see her scars as anything but mangling.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, Vikkari’s eyes flickered and he leaned over the pew back to brush a soft kiss over the scar’s beginning at her temple, just over the corner of her eye.

Etain sat frozen, unsure how to react, her heart pounding in her chest and grip tight on the carved bear. This close she could smell the sharp tang of sweat he’d been trying to spare her from, but it barely registered.

Vikkari’s neck and ears had gone pink when he sat back. “I, um, I apologize if I overstepped, Etain,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. “I just... Anyone who sees that and thinks it detracts from who you are can’t have an opinion worth caring about.”

“I wish it worked like that,” she said with a sigh. She withdrew her hand from her pocket and braced both arms against the pew back. “Unfortunately, too much of our support comes from people  who like to gossip and measure worth by appearances. As long as I can convince them I’ll lead the Crusade well and spend their money wisely, it’s just something I’ll have to endure. You can’t stop it.”

“Well, since you are doing both of those things, hopefully it’ll be obvious to any noble visitors who drop in.” Vikkari squeezed her hand.

“Hopefully,” Etain said. It varied wildly from noble to noble, she’d found. “I think I’ll keep hiding in here a little longer, all the same.”

He laughed. “I’ll try to run interference if I see the current one looking for you.” He pushed to his feet. “Meeting Seelah for that drink. You’re welcome to join us, if you like.”

“I’ll think about it,” she promised.

Vikkari nodded and made his way out of the chapel, raising one hand in a brief wave of farewell just before he stepped out the door.

Etain pulled out the carved bear, turning it over in her hands. It was clear now, just as the first time she’d examined it, how much thought and care had gone into its creation. Because he was like that. And with such friends at her back, she’d do fine. No matter how many pushy nobles she had to endure.

She lightly brushed her fingers over the spot Vikkari had kissed.

Even if I don't think friend is quite the right word for one of them any more...

[golarion]

Name: Anra Moravar

Race: Aasimar (Angelblood)

Class: Cleric of Erastil (Ecclesitheurge- Community/Animal domains)

Appearance: Anra is an aasimar of shorter height with fair skin, pale blue hair, and glowing, silver eyes. She typically dresses in plain, traveling clothes, having taken an oath against wearing armor. Her voice, though quiet, has a ringing quality to it, almost like that of church bells. Her features are sharp, a bit severe, but never cruel and rarely angry. Anra’s magic tends to manifest itself slowly and calmly, and she favors healing or defensive magic over anything strictly offensive. She moves in a calculated, controlled manner, the manner of a farmer well-trained with her tool (or weapon) of choice.

Favored Weapon/Equipment: Scythe

Top Skills: Persuasion, Lore (Religion), Athletics

Alignment: Lawful Good

General Personality: Anra is a soft-spoken, religious woman whose main goals are to spread Erastil’s worship and to defeat demons in his name. She appears a bit distant emotionally at first, perhaps self-conscious, but can quickly warm up to the Commander if their goals align. A perceptive Commander notices she has a thinly veiled anger to her, at times- one she has tried to suppress through prayer, but has never quite extinguished.

What traits/values do they admire? Religious Devotion, Mercy, Authority, Charity

What traits/values do they disapprove of? Blasphemy, Ruthlessness, Carelessness, Selfishness

Are they affiliated with any deities? Anra is a priestess of Erastil.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party? Anra is quick to join the Crusade, but is more hesitant to share in the Commander’s powers. She will advocate for abandoning their powers for all except Angel, perhaps sensing it is not Iomedae’s work, but Areelu’s. She will leave if the Commander takes the Swarm path and will attack the Commander on the Demon path.

Who are their friends among the other party members? Anra gets on best with Sosiel, Lann, and Seelah. At first, she is wary of Arueshalae, but acts civil towards her by Act 4 and actively tries to help her on her quest for redemption. Both she and Arueshalae herself have dialogue noting it is likely Anra’s angelic heritage getting in the way of the two ever becoming close. Anra tries to be friendly with Ember, but grows exasperated by her “child crusade.”

What about rivals? Anra can’t stand Wenduag and acts outright hostile towards her. Camellia unnerves her from the start, and Daeran angers her- she hypothesizes that it’s their Angel-Azata heritage that forms their rivalry, though. She doesn’t approve of Greybor but has long since given up on trying to reform him. She is more neutral towards Nenio, and her rivalry with Woljif seems to be one-sided, with her trying to teach him and him being fed up with her.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give? Anra is on the Logistics council and advocates for plans that will give the most to the community, particularly if it benefits the poor.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss? Anra can be found near the Hand of the Inheritor in Drezen, and is off in a corner on the right side of the caves in the Abyss.

What are their idle animations? Her idle animations include her swinging at grass with her scythe thoughtlessly, dusting herself off, or (if summoned) scratching the neck of her elk companion.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream? Her dream is to return to her hometown and have her family see her become High Priestess of Erastil.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers? She advises the Commander to abandon their powers, claiming she sensed something wrong with them even before their source was revealed.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party? She joins the Commander in Act 1, and can be found arguing with Hulrun on Ramien’s behalf.

Describe their companion quest:

Act 1: Anra does not have a companion quest in Act 1, but approval can be gained with her if the Commander adopts any animals, such as the pipefox, while she is in the party. If the Commander worships Erastil, she will also reference that in dialogue. Anra approves of the Crusade and speaks highly of Irabeth- she will approve and open up more quickly if you do the same.

Act 2: Anra will come to the Commander with a strongly worded letter from her father, telling her to “give up [her] Crusade business” in order to better serve her god. She is clearly angry about the letter, as she believes she can best serve Erastil by hunting demons, and asks for advice on giving a response. If the Commander tells her to let him down gently or give a more neutral response, Anra will be more inclined towards Devotion in later acts. If Anra is reassured that she is her own person or is told not to reply to his letter, she will be more inclined towards Community. The Commander can flirt with her as well- if the Commander is male, Anra will act oblivious, and if the Commander is female, Anra will blush but not reciprocate.

Act 3: Anra opens up to the Commander about a project she’d been working on before her arrival in Kenabres- there was a shrine of Erastil she’d been working to restore to the southwest of the city, and she fears in her absence it may have been defiled by demons. If the Commander refuses to help her check on the shrine, she will leave temporarily in order to deal with it herself, and her angrier tendencies will begin to show. If the Commander takes her to the shrine, they will find it defiled by corpses of crusaders, including one archer who was stabbed to death on the altar itself. Several animal corpses, particularly those of deer or elk, can be found around the scene as well. As Anra approaches the altar, the party is ambushed by demons serving Baphomet. The combat is fought in waves, similar to the fight at the tavern in Act 1. After combat has ended, Anra requests some time to perform a ritual to cleanse the shrine. Should the Commander refuse her, the quest will fail. If Anra attempts the ritual, none of the plants or animals will return to life or begin to grow back. Anra fears her father was right and that her devotion to the Crusade (or the Commander, if she flirted with Anra in Act 2) has become a barrier between Anra and Erastil. The Commander can tell her her god must always come first (Devotion) or reassure her that by joining the Crusade, Anra has helped the most people (Community). The Commander can also try to help Anra realize her worth, which will set her on course for Community, or can remind her of her father (which will anger her but also set her towards Devotion).

Act 4: Anra’s Act IV quest unlocks after you have finished one of the major questlines (Battlebliss, the Nahyndrian Crystals, or Lady Vellexia). Sosiel will be the one to have a quest marked in the journal, however- he’s grown concerned with Anra and asks the Commander to ask around if anyone’s seen her, and will hint at their closeness should the Commander have started romancing her. The Commander can then speak to any three of their companions before returning to Sosiel, each companion having an unique outlook on the world and Anra’s religious crisis as well. After finding that no one knows where she is, Sosiel asks the Commander to look for her. Though multiple places will show as part of the “Search for Anra” quest, she can be found fastest if the Commander heads directly to the Bad Luck Tavern. There, Anra is drunk, and arguing with a fellow priestess of Erastil. If Anra is on the Community path, the other priestess will admit that she started the argument, and not Anra, and the priestess will seem more haughty and look down on Anra’s more unconventional worship, eventually leaving the tavern, fed up with Anra’s antics. If on the Devotion path, Anra will admit to picking a fight after Erastil “sent a vision” telling her to root out false worshippers. The priestess will prove she is a true worshiper of Erastil by Channeling Energy and angrily leave. Either way, Anra insists the Commander follows her. The priestess can be found directly outside the door leading to the Bazaar, where she has been found easy prey by a group of slavers looking for Aasimar. The priestess and Anra will both sober up considerably hearing this, though when combat ensues, she has a penalty to dexterity and constitution equal to the Commander’s approval/disapproval points with her. The priestess is injured by the end of the fight, and when Anra tries to cure her, she finds her healing spells won’t work and that her god is angry with her. An atheist Commander can call out the irony in Erastil refusing one priestess power to let another priestess die. If Daeran is in the party, he will make a cutting remark as well. Sosiel or a Commander with the ability to heal can attempt to heal the priestess as well, but she denies them to try and prove something to Anra. She says she longs to meet Erastil after a long life of work anyway. Either way, the priestess dies, and Anra returns to camp. The Commander can have a conversation with her there, saying she did the right thing by trying to change the priestess’s mind (Devotion), that she was right to try to help (Community), wrong because the priestess was clearly unfaithful (Devotion) or wrong because she accidentally got someone killed (Community). The latter two options will anger Anra at first, in which case she lets out much of her Angelic anger and begins to criticize the Commander for their mythic path (if not Angel, Aeon, or Gold Dragon), and their quest decisions, including those of other companions’ quests. However, after letting out this anger, she is much more receptive to hearing the Commander’s thoughts and opens up about her problems with trying to please the two most important men in her life- her god, and her father. Implying that her father is the cause of many of her insecurities will force her onto the Community path regardless of the Commander’s points up towards that point, and the opposite will happen if the Commander insinuates the same about her god. If the Commander agrees with Anra, she becomes more confident in her decision and will be more assertive towards the Commander in conversation from then on. She thanks them, but never outright comes to terms with her celestial anger. If romanced, Anra will appear more sad than angry at first, and instead will come clean about her insecurities. After this, the Commander will have the same god-vs-father dialogue.

Act V: For the final time, Anra asks the Commander to take her to the shrine. After confronting her insecurities and taking time to think about her mistakes, she feels ready to retry the ritual she attempted in Act 3. If the Commander chooses to take her back there, they will find a sapling already growing back in the black spot where the altar was desecrated. If on the Devotion path, Anra takes that as a sign the ritual will work, and restores the shrine to its former glory. If on the Community path, she recognises that the tree is a sign of rebirth, and that she must learn to grow out of her old, tentative behavior and try to accept herself. Either way, Anra becomes much more confident of her role- on the Devotion path, she fits the mold that she believes a priestess of Erastil should and feels confident that she can forgive her father, though she wants him to try to correct his behavior towards her now that she’s “made it”. The Commander can argue that that’s not a healthy response to how her father pushed her, but she’s stubborn and refuses to listen. If romanced, the Commander can push her further, in which case Anra will abruptly end it. She will leave the sapling there as a reminder of how far she’s grown from a small farm girl, and will use magic to grow it into a grand apple tree. If Anra is on the Community path, she will be more confident in who she is and refuse to contact her father, saying she doesn’t need the man who never listened to her desires and instead used the circumstances of her birth to force her into a mold. She takes a cutting from the sapling and freezes it with ice magic in order to preserve it, but then cuts down the tree to make room for fields. If romanced on the Devotion path, she will give the Commander an apple “for the future”. On the Community path, she gives them a cutting of the tree to replant in Drezen. Back in the War Room, she will thank the Commander again- and if romanced, will tell her to stop by her quarters where she has a present waiting. When the Commander goes to see her, she is wearing rose petals… and nothing else.

If Anra ends on the Community path, she gains the Good and Healing domains (previously unavailable, even through Impossible Domain) and gains the Wings feat if she did not have it already. If Anra ends on the Devotion path, she loses the Community domain, but gains the Law and Nobility domains (previously unavailable, even through Impossible Domain), and gains the Wings feat if she did not have it already.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want! Anra is romanceable by female Commanders. (Some scenes are described above)

What would their ending slides be like? If unromanced and on the Devotion path, Anra will return to her hometown (called Bellesvry- loosely based on Belem, Portugal) and become High Priestess of Erastil. She uses her title to enforce order and becomes highly popular in the region, often being asked to settle disputes between towns, nobles, and even entire religious groups. Upon returning home, Anra reconnects with her father. She never marries, and the priesthood of Erastil becomes a bit stricter under her leadership, but she becomes close to a young girl who she eventually raises to be her successor. If romanced and on the Devotion path, she stays away for brief periods of time to tend to her work, but plays a much smaller role in the priesthood of Erastil. Her marriage to the Commander does much for her morale among the priests, and she is considered a well-loved, gentle leader. If she is unromanced and on the Community path, Anra stays in Drezen to better serve the common people there. She starts a large garden in the middle of the city, one said to be blessed by Erastil himself. Travelers from all over come to visit, claiming it’s more beautiful than the Royal Gardens of Mendev. If romanced and on the Community path, she will stay in Drezen if they do, or will continue to travel the world with them, spreading good will wherever she goes. She and the Commander settle down eventually, adopting children. Anra cuts contact with her father and puts her farming skills to use- skills he did not need to teach her- elsewhere.

Any other fun facts? Anra arrived in Kenabres only about a month before the Commander, and yet already knew Ramien, Irabeth, and Seelah.

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

Conversation start: Anra takes a moment to notice you, seemingly lost in thought. “Is there something I can do for you?”

Conversation end: Anra gives you a gracious smile. “Deadeye’s blessings upon you.”

Selection: “What do you need, Commander?” / “You need only ask.”

Skill success: “Father taught me that.” / “You learn a lot by working on a farm.”

Skill failure: “Oh, that won’t do to make him proud, will it?” / “Perhaps there’s another way I can help..?”

Combat start: “Through faith we shall prevail!” / “Erastil, guide my hand.”

Low health: “I think a quick prayer may be in order.” / “Old Deadeye, if you’re listening, I could use a bandage!”

Knocked unconscious: “I failed you…” / “Deadeye forgive me…”

[errantgoat]

Name:

The young man introduces himself (with a heavy accent and not without a healthy dose of stammering) as Madoc. Madoc Hafgrey. If you point out the Hafgrey is a Dwarven clan name, he thinks about it a bit, and then just nods.

Race:

Half-elf

Class:

Witch, Leyline Guardian subclass (Endurance domain)

Might dip into Loremaster

Appearance:

He looks young, as in not put quite together yet as teenagers often do. For a half-elf it would put him somewhere in his late teens/early twenties. He's tall and lanky, with a slight slouch to his back and you might notice he walks with a barely noticeable limp. Sage colored hair is kept very short. Both human and elven features fight to dominate his face, sharp cheekbones and chin don't mesh well with rounded light-gray eyes and a quite large nose, but he might grow into himself in a few years. Right now you aren't sure whether it's the bags under his eyes, pox scars or a large scar on his forehead that draw the most attention.

Favored Weapon/Equipment:

He does have a staff that acts both as an arcane focus and a bit of a walking aid. When in close combat he would use a sickle. No armor or shields.

Not too good with ranged weapons.

Top Skills:

Knowledge: Arcana, Knowledge: World, Lore: Nature, Lore: Religion; Use Magic Device;

Intelligence in general is his strongest suit; out of all of his skills Arcana is the highest.

Alignment:

Neutral initially, personal questline might push him towards Chaotic Neutral, or Neutral Good

General Personality:

The kid is an open book. He grins when he's happy, red in the face when embarrassed, which is often. When he's sad or angry there will be barely held back tears in his eyes. He doesn't act up - he's perfectly polite and helpful, and clearly unable to hide pride that working with purpose brings him. True, he seems a bit jumpy and uncoordinated at times, but that's only when he doesn't focus - otherwise he's sharp like a razor. Wouldn't strike you as a solitary soul - but he mostly keeps to himself and doesn't mingle with people, never in a crowd, never face to face with anyone, either. Maybe it's because he's shy- he's definitely self-conscious about his own inability to communicate properly. And every attempt at playful banter or good-natured jabs end up with him clamming up, red in the face, sulking for a few hours a good few paces away.

He definitely seems burdened by something and acts older than he actually is, but his wonder in the face of the unknown reminds you that he's barely an adult.

What traits/values do they admire?

diplomacy and keeping your word, hard work over station; he feels a sense of kinship with people who are othered... but doesn't extend sympathy past certain threshold. People who use others at their leisure and go against what he considers the 'natural order of the world' get his scorn no matter who they are.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

mind games and deception, thievery, crooked deals, taking advantage of people

Are they affiliated with any deities?

Not particularly, he took a liking to Green Faith of his teacher, and he follows a lot of its tenets.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

Madoc's recruitment would be quite easy to miss. He can be found during act II in the Chilly Creek Village, if you uncovered its location by talking to Jernaugh (Erastil Priest) in act I. Upon arriving in the village proper and talking to Jernaugh again, you can prompt him to spill more information about his new home, to which he admits, he's concerned about a certain incident - a few days prior the villagers roughed up a young vagrant who's been helping with odd jobs around the village and then locked him up in a cellar, unsure of what to do with him. His crimes? Petty and numerous. One villager could swear he saw the young man cutting fishing nets. Other was sure he was stealing booze. Another one could swear he saw him ankle-deep in the river, shouting at the water and throwing one of the tree- dolls towards hungry currents.

Jernaugh's presence in Chilly Creek is still too fresh for him to intervene on the criminal's behalf, but he found it odd there was no actual evidence of the wrongdoings, the 'cut nets' are actually whole, and when you take stock there is nothing missing. The third story he's unable to disprove, though he figures it would reflect on the young man's poor mental state and not prove any sort of nefariousness. He asks you as one with more authority to try and resolve the issue.

Getting to talk to the prisoner isn't too hard, you can either use persuasion or bribe the villager whose cellar is used to keep him in (the man isn't too happy about the unwilling tenant, it's a waste of a perfectly good cellar.) Madoc turns out to be a quite ratty looking young half-elf, alive but worse for wear, he stammers and stumbles over words making conversation tedious, but he denies stealing or meaning any harm. He doesn't deny the river incident though. He says he "had never seen a river this hungry before. He wanted to talk to it, but it didn't talk back so he's unsure if it's a river at all." After that string of nonsense you can decide to leave him there, because you don't need crazy people in your Crusade, but if you mention freeing him, he will eagerly latch onto the the idea, promising to help you for as long as you'll have him.

Recruiting Madoc would require either 300 goldpieces for bail money or a successful persuasion check. If you've got Angel Path option available you can convince the villagers you will make Madoc atone by serving the Crusade for the greater good.

Since Chilly Creek questline is pretty loose with the timeline of when you first choose to go there, to not miss Madoc and to have a possibility of triggering his personal questline, I would make "Cold Waters" time sensitive - you have to go there in Act II before Drezen. If you choose to ignore it for the time being, and proceed to act III, the quest doesn't fail, but the red indicator next to it in the journal disappears - Madoc is no longer there, and he becomes unavailable as a companion.

He might shortly return during act V, a brief run into during a 'you met someone on the road' type of event, where he helps you fight demons and you can buy some stuff from him afterwards - but other than that he cannot be recruited. He's treated as an NPC and none of his slides show up at the end of the game either.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party?

Madoc is a sensitive young man, especially in tune with the ebb and flow of the natural world around him. He experiences the Worldwound as a rotting corpse in the middle of a stream, the current taking and spreading filth as far as the eye can see. That said, he traveled near the area chasing his own goals, and before meeting the Knight Commander and the Crusade, dealing with the Wound seemed very much over his head. One could as well try and fill a canyon with sand using a toy shovel.

There is something special about the Commander though, and the half-elf readily offers his help, eager to help in any small way...in his heart knowing he will most likely be driven out of camp/city in the few following weeks either way.

As for sharing Mythic powers there were enough weird things that happened to him in the few past years he doesn't bat an eye... As much as he's not going to bat an eye if one day the powers just go away.

Who are their friends among the other party members? What about rivals?

(Ok disclaimer I had neither Ember nor Nenio in my first playthrough, so it's pretty much me guessing in their case.)

It's uncanny, you've traveled with your companions for quite sometime now, but the attitude some of them show towards Madoc is giving you a severe case of a confused headache. If you have Seelah or Lann in your party in Chilly Creek, they will both speak on behalf of freeing the young half-elf, but that initial sympathy does a one-eighty in the next couple of days. Lann is trying his best to keep away from the young man, insisting he gets in the way. Seelah is somehow convinced he's secretly a demon worshiper, and most of her banters with him go from gentle prodding to borderline interrogation. Greybor seems wary of him, like a wolf anxious in the presence of a rabbit, you don't understand it at all. Other party members seem more on point: the best thing Camellia can say about Madoc, is that he's 'positively damp,' but that's just Camellia. Sosiel likes him well enough, often talking about working in the vineyard, satisfying the young half-elf's curiosity with his tales. Regill brushes him off as young and inexperienced. Daeran picks on him initially, but then establishes a pseudo younger/older sibling relationship. You're not sure which one is which sibling to be honest. Woljif is being his normal perky self, though Madoc in turn took it upon himself to teach the young tiefling that Stealing Is Wrong. Ember is friendly, and Nenio treats him like a test subject. Madoc and Arue's conversations are borderline weird, circling around qualities and properties of souls.

The characters that would get most antagonistic with him during banters would be Seelah, Greybor and Camellia. Lann seems very hesitant but he's more civil about it. Madoc in turn would get most antagonistic with Woljif, with the tiefling shrugging him off.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

No councils, I would rather tie him to the Crusade mechanic of restoring/enchanting retrieved relics. (I found that option very hit or miss personally, It takes a good chunk out of the in-game time and resources, and when you finally get the item, you either have no suitable character to give it to or you have better weapons already.) So, since Madoc dabbles in the creation of magic items (albeit very mundane ones), I would have there be an option at the crusade table to give the found artifact to him to study and make something of. You can do this in act III and V.

And here comes the tricky part - after a random number of days while the task is active, you'll get a 'task failed' message. With a little footnote that Madoc tried his best, but the item he was working on got destroyed while he was prodding it. You can't scum it, there is no DC - the loss of the artifact will always be the final result. It seems then ridiculous to keep repeating the process and losing potential items that way, but if you decide to trust the young half-elf, and give him at least 5 relics to study, he will approach you in act V, truly grateful he got to handle and tinker with powerful items of the past. He offers to gather the techniques he gleaned into during his research to create a powerful item of your choice - either robes, a cloak, shoes or gloves, any of them worthy of being an end-game quality item.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss?

In Drezen Madoc can usually be found near the Storyteller. Rarely randomly in the courtyard over the entrance to the Midnight Fane - without explanation why, maybe he feels the energy in the ground flows in strange patterns there but he doesn't know why.

In the Abyss when you look at the map, with The Hand of the Inheritor at the furthest left side of the path, Madoc would be at the opposite side in the little cul-the-sac. He finds the flora and fauna of the Abyss both revolting and fascinating.

What are their idle animations?

1. He crouches down, tilting and nodding his head,

2. While standing around, he will face the opposite direction the party is facing, as if looking at something.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

Madoc dreams of a glade at the cusp of winter and spring. There is a stag in the middle of it, its antlers overgrown and heavy. The animal picks a tree and proceeds to shed the growth. Three, four hits are enough, and the antlers fall away on the melting snow. The stag shakes its head, dazed, a bit of blood falls away but the creature is otherwise unscathed. After shaking its head the animal disappears into the thicket beyond. Madoc observes the scene calmly, he waves when he notices you. He seems a bit more aware of his surroundings than other dreamers. When you ask him what that was all about, he tells you there is a custom where he's from. Young boys and girls enter the woods when winter rolls into spring, looking for blessings. A stag shedding his antlers is a good sign! It's a possibility of a new beginning...it's a...He trails of. He looks pale, suddenly. "It's not what I saw," he mumbles. The glade doesn't seem as inviting as it was before. There is more blood on the snow than you remember. Madoc asks you if you both can leave.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?

No matter what, Madoc will always advise to abandon the mythic powers. A gift with strings attached might turn out to be more of a burden (or a curse) in the end. And the Commander is amazing enough without weird powers! (But he understands and accepts if the Commander has a different idea.)

Describe their companion quest:

Madoc's companion quest triggers in Act II, after you clear the Lost Chapel. The quest "Path of Thorns" (working title) appears in your journal - and starts the moment you enter camp again.

A few Crusader soldiers approach you, claiming they caught a suspicious individual who was sneaking around camp and hanging some sort of weird ritualistic fetishes all over the place. The individual is no other than Madoc, who seems pretty close to tears at that point and stammers out he was just placing good-luck charms. You can choose to simply believe him, or inspect those "charms" yourself. A successful nature check will reveal these are pretty benign herbs, usually used in curing low grade ailments. A bit more difficult religion check will tell you that this is a pretty standard custom often associated with Green Faith and it helps with guarding away an 'unseen evil' - allegedly. It's very much a superstition, and you can't tell if it actually works or not. After that you can shoo the soldiers away. If you shoo them and tell Madoc that 'this is fine for now, but from now on don't do anything strange without asking me first - will cost a bit of his trust. (This is one of the instances where you can either gain or lose a lot of trust points if you choose options that will strangle Madoc's need to act on his desire to help, even if it gets him in trouble.)

After the soldiers are gone Madoc gathers himself and confesses that trouble such as what just transpired follows him everywhere he goes, and he can't explain well why. And maybe it would be for the best if he actually left, before he becomes a burden to you.

If you ask him what he wants to do, he will hesitate, but then looks you in the eye and says that dealing with the Worldwound is as worthy goal as they go. And he would be happy if he could help. (+5)

Madoc's companion quest picks up in act III after taking back Drezen

The young man didn't lie, and the string of weird accusations seems to have followed him all the way to Drezen, and you as the Commander have to endure a few malcontents that want him punished or driven out of the Fort for whatever reason of the week it is now. "He harassed my daughter", "he was maliciously trespassing", "I saw him in the vicinity and my storage of ham went bad the next day." The whole hearing is laughable, accompanied by the whimsical tune that is otherwise present whenever the acting troupe is involved. The accusations are low-tier, and the other eye witnesses tell a completely different story - in favor of the accused. (Though this questline might be less obvious for the Aeon Path, since Madoc does have a criminal aura around him.) The whole situation repeats several times in ACT III, people seemingly can't stop having beef with this kid.

The hearings themselves are just an entry heralding the proper part of the quest - they are there for flavor, and you can deal with them however you like - siding with Madoc or siding with the accusers, or finding some sort of compromise via particular Mythic path - doesn't gain or cost you any trust points with Madoc.

The first time one of such hearings takes place you question the young man in private and he finally blurts out the whole truth. He hesitantly tells you that he's actually cursed...and then gapes at you awestruck as you inquire what kind of curse it is. Apparently every time he tries to tell anyone, they would ignore him completely, as if suddenly deaf. The commander being the first person in forever that would hear him out makes him excited and loosens his tongue quite a bit. He explains that the curse is something he had to live with for a few years now - and the way that it works is that people become unreasonably hostile towards him. Everywhere he stays for longer than a few days, people suddenly find him very suspicious, their minds making up stories about his apparent misdeeds. Not all people are affected but it doesn't take many to create a mob eager to go after him for whatever reason. He's not sure why, but so far his stay in Drezen has been inexplicably peaceful - he muses the Banner... and You by extension might be the reason why.

Madoc traveled near the Worldwould following a dream and a promise. He believes some sort of powerful entity unknown to him (he calls it The Lady) sent him a vision. The Lady had shown him the beginning of a path called The Invisible Trail and promised help with the curse after he finishes a mundane task at the end of it.

The Trail actually exists - it follows a hidden Ley Line and is marked by ancient stones - each stone containing coded clues leading way to the next one. Madoc's been slowly making his way north ever since the dream - the last stone he found was near Chilly Creek, and since he managed to decode it, he knows that the next location lays east of Drezen.

No matter the Commander's reaction - doubtful, questioning or outright supportive, Madoc simply asks to excuse himself for a few days, as he must visit the site of the location he uncovered. This leads to two options - the Commander might either let him go on his own - in that case Madoc disappears from Drezen for 24 hours 3 times during Act III and then returns. Or the Commander can offer help and then accompany him together with the whole team.

The Character arc

Madoc is a Ley Line Guardian, a fledgling one. He finds himself wherever the folklore meets the mundane, beckoned towards it by invisible strings of fate. The knowledge of the unknown someone as young as he possesses is mostly theoretical however - gleaned from old stories and legends. He's never set foot beyond Varno County of Ustalav- where he hails from before. Travelling near the Worldwound is the longest he's been away from home, and suddenly thrown into the deep end Madoc is forced to deal with situations and people in ways that are out of his comfort zone.

The physical path isn't the only path he needs to find on his journey however, the young man is in dire need of a mentor, and there is no other person around he would look up to more than the Commander.

Internally, Madoc is torn by a conflict between wanting to do things for others versus survival and pragmatism - stemming from the fact that it usually...well it almost never ends well for him. Sticking his neck out brought him nothing but trouble so far - the curse that plagues him, it doesn't even belong to him. He interfered on behalf of the person who was originally afflicted, and the curse found him a tastier morsel. Even in Chilly Creek, he tried to investigate what was wrong with the river - he saw that it ate the lives of men and the strength of monsters, but before he could find out anything substantial he was hurt and locked away in a cellar.

He does posses knowledge and insight necessary to find clever solutions in difficult situations, but he lacks perseverance and confidence (in short experience) to put his ideas into motion. And he came to often think that maybe it would be better if he focused more on his own well being instead.

There are three outings in total in act III - all significant in gaining Madoc's "trust" (though i wouldn't really call it that, interacting with his quest grants plus or minus - or no - points. The higher the points go, the more Madoc is inclined to help others even to his own detriment, and vice-versa. The early choice of letting Madoc deal with the quest on his own doesn't fail his personal questline, but it does lock in the 'bad' ending. You still get the hearings and the quest conclusion in act V without doing any more of the work.

The locations Madoc uncovers lead towards the "Lake lost to the Sun" north of Drezen - and all present a small vignette self contained story, often topped with a 'storybook challenge'.

1. First location you arrive at in the evening - and encounter a colony of Mites in the middle of a religious feast celebration thrown for what is for all intents and purposes - a cracked wooden stump. Mites are feeling generous and invite the group to join them. Not long while after Madoc zeroes in on his prize - the platform the stump is standing on is actually one of the stones he was looking for. Mites aren't eager to let him get close or take any rubbings of the symbols however - the stone acting as an altar is bedecked with all sorts of shinies.

Acting aggressively and disrupting the celebration is the easiest way to go, since mites quickly estimate your strength as way beyond them and hastily disperse. In addition looting the altar will cause loss of -5 points.

More interesting ways of accomplishing this challenge is using either Athletics to drink mites under the table, Trickery to orchestrate some sort of in-fighting that results in a brawl... Or use Knowledge: Arcana to provide the Mites with a magical pyrotechnics show. Whichever works, Mites are distracted enough and Madoc has a few minutes to do what he came there to do. If you choose options that aren't aggressive it will grant you +5 points - but if you still swipe what isn't yours it evens it out to + 0. If you restrain your greed, Madoc will pull out a bauble out of his pocket after he's done and place it on the altar for the Mites - you can follow in his footsteps and place a few gold coins as well. (No more additional points, but since the visit of the Commander will be then treated as a blessing, in act V a few dozen mites will join your army as a unit. Also it makes Madoc really happy.)

Fun fact:

It turns out there is nothing really valuable on the altar, the shinies appearing 10 times more enticing in the light of the bonfire. It's just a bunch of sell-in-bulk items.

2.

In the Second location, as Madoc is inspecting the next stone, the party is approached by a wondering scholar. The man has spent the last few months of his life tracking a fantastical bird called the Umu - the bird's blood is said to be a potent component in transmutation spells and potions. But the bird escapes the scholar's grasp no matter what kind of trap he uses and the man is desperate enough to outsource the capturing of his prize to brave adventurers for a sum of 1000 gold pieces. It all seems like ramblings of a crazy old man, until Madoc interjects that he actually heard legends mentioning this creature...though the stories are dubious even as legends go, since there exist several versions and none of them can keep the bird's description consistent. The scholar who was listening along exclaims that of course they aren't, because the bird is always hiding in plain sight - and then points towards a flock of wild pigeons.

You take a time out and let Madoc add more context. The boy admits that the creature such as Umu might exist, but that's probably not it. And even if it was, capturing it would most likely be impossible and he wouldn't want to condemn it to being an experimental subject anyways.

You can just leave the scholar to his devices. +0

Evil characters have an option of simply robbing/killing the scholar. -5

More chaos inclined Commanders might get an idea to catch a random wild pigeon, floof it up with glitter and pixie dust and persuade your way into acquiring 1000 gold (this is a fun one but -5 because Madoc told you he doesn't want to condemn a living creature, and you just went and did)

You can also use deception/persuasion and lie that you've seen a bunch of demons in the area to scare the man into abandoning his quest. Keeps the man safe and keeps the potential rare creature safe. No gold for you. (+5)

Fun facts:

If you leave the scholar be or give him the fake pigeon Umu, in act V if you choose to visit the location again, there will be no scholar found in the area, just one sad looking cow.

If you scare the scholar away, in act V, you get an envoy from a battlefield telling a story of how your troops found themselves pincered between the demon units and thought all was lost, when a giant flaming bird swooped between the enemy lines blinding them, giving the troops a chance to retreat safely. The soldiers took it a sign from the gods and brought the Commander of the Fifth Crusade one large flaming feather that was left by the bird as a gift. The feather can be then used to create a transmutation themed magic item.

3.

Vignette 3 is the last one for act III and takes a sudden tonal shift

In the 3rd location the Commander and his companions arrive at the escalation point of a tragedy.

A mob gravitates towards the heart of a small fishing settlement on the North side of the Lake, a few dozens ashen-faced fishermen armed with nets and long pointy weapons surround a dirty trashing and screaming creature restrained on the ground. "They caught it." One of the inquired Fishermen explains. His eyes are like empty windows to the Abyss. The malicious spirit, called the Silent - a monster who can kill you with a mere touch has been terrorizing the village for weeks. It takes the form of small girl, but looks are deceiving, as the creature reaches out her hands and claims all that she touches. "It took my daughter." The fisherman says. It also took two of his friends, and the village elder has been stricken by continuous death like slumber for weeks. Today when the creature showed up again, the terror wasn't enough to defeat the desperation and anger of the remaining villagers.

Madoc mouths something to himself, pale as a sheet. Gives the commander a look, stutters out "It's just a fairytale," and bolts towards the small figure.

At that moment the grim procession reaches a crescendo as the villagers weapons close the circle around the small writhing body, and the Commander has only but a split second to choose his next action - either stop Madoc or stop the villagers.

Stopping the villagers will be different for every Mythic Path - Angel Path will distract them with Light of Angels, Azata uses Nature's Grasp to ensnare them, Aeon uses Relativity to slow and disrupt the villagers' movements, and the Demon intimidates them with a Profane Hymn.

It gives Madoc a chance to lunge between the crowd and cover the small body with his own. Unfortunately it's too late and the little girl, exhausted and already bleeding from several wounds, dies in his arms. The moment he touches her however he feels a sting in his neck, and before the half-elf goes unconscious, he manages to warn the Commander that there is another creature involved.

The ruse is up, and a high pitched cackle rings through the air, it seems to be getting farther away. It takes a decent perception check to get a fix on the creature or a Demon Mythic path to intimidate/dominate it into showing itself. It's a tiny imp like demon, with a stinger of a size of a needle. It boasts how he played with the child hounding it through neighboring settlements, killing everybody who dared to touch her with his poison. It muses it was the best fun it ever had. An evil/Demon Path commander might choose to employ this small demon as a spy - and the demon is eager to please as long as it gets to play again. Beyond that choice (and if the creature doesn't get away) the Commander gets to either let it go or squash it like the vermin it is.

If the Commander stops Madoc from acting in the moment, the circle of blades closes in on the girl and she dies scared and alone. A moment later one of the villagers exclaims that something bit him, and falls down to the ground, dead. The rest of the scene plays out similarly.

Whatever you choose, the girl cannot be saved.

Neither choice ends up influencing Madoc's worldview in itself. More important is the aftermath conversation that happens in Drezen. Both versions of the conversation give choices to either push Madoc towards altruism or self preservation, but the range of the influence is different in both cases.

Madoc who had the girl die in his arms is shell-shocked, weighted down by the people's potential for cruelty and his own inability to do more.

Two morale boosting options here: The commander can simply acknowledge that Madoc did the right thing, and that he's proud of him. (+10) Or that he did well, but he should also stop acting rashly, because people who care about him don't want him to be hurt, and he will help more people that way. (+10)

Choosing the second dialogue is the only way to unlock the Good Ending.

In addition to the above stating that it made a difference to the child to be embraced by someone, will give another +5

Chastising him for acting rashly and telling him he could've died, or that he stepped out of line not waiting for the Commander's orders, or that it made no difference will give a small kick down for. -5

Madoc who didn't act is riddled with guilt, doubting his own ability to make a difference. Only if the Commander apologizes and admits that they shouldn't have stopped him will result in a small boost of +5. If the Commander firmly convinces Madoc that they've done all that they could've, it pushes the half elf into the pit with a -15

Fun fact:

If the Commander chooses to spare and re-purpose the tiny demon for the Crusade, Madoc will leave at the beginning of act V

This concludes Madoc's questline in act III.

There is no personal quest in the Abyss (act IV)

ACT V

Shortly into the act V Madoc's quest continues with one more vignette.

The fourth vignette is the final one, and an indicator of what path with Madoc you are currently on.

The last location takes the Commander a bit north off the lake's shore, to the land of frozen marshes and swamps. A few hunters are ending their season early, three of their comrades drowned in the muck and they won't stay in the area any longer partially due to superstition, and partially because with fewer hands, it's going to be difficult to transport more game down south. The men pack up and leave their temporary hovel behind. You can loot the place (a few gold coins and a few baubles.) The druidic stone Madoc's looking for is touching the back side of the building, a support for the wall.

Leaving the area will trigger a conversation with Madoc only, if the half elf is far enough along on the altruism scale (20 points.) If he has any less, you just leave the area and move on - Madoc is ultimately on the Bad End path.

If the Commander has been bolstering the boy's kinder instincts, before you leave Madoc will stop the party, stating he saw the hunters were carrying dead rabbits.

Questioned what that has to do with anything, Madoc explains that there is a spirit that takes a form of a wounded rabbit, and lures people to their doom, usually in swamps. It watches them lose their footing on treacherous ground, feeding on the last breaths of drowners. Madoc clearly feels some sort of obligation to investigate, even if there is no incentive - nobody's in immediate danger since the people are now gone from the area, but he arguments that the hunters will return next season, and more people will drown.

Nothing spiritually relevant happened so far while helping the young man on his journey, Mites and Crazy Scholars and Demons are just a regular Tuesday in the proximity of the Worldwound - but the half elf seems determined and even your possible rejection of the idea doesn't seem to have much of a negative effect.

Accepting the challenge sends you into the story-book mode, and requires a few quite difficult checks on your team's part to locate and then catch this elusive creature. But even if all things fail, Madoc takes one for the team and jumps into a swamp (he can't swim.) His wild trashing around lures what seems to be a limping grey rabbit, and you easily catch it into a bag. Madoc - dirty and wet - forbids you from killing it (you can still do so) - and tells you he wants to test an old legend. You all take the rabbit to the entrance of the hunters' hovel. Madoc holds the seemingly regular animal by the scruff, gathers himself and crosses the threshold of the house. The creature instantly catches fire, burning with a bright blue flame as acrid smoke quickly fills the small abode. Madoc coughs but holds the creature firmly until the flames subside, leaving what looks like a spectral white rabbit in his grasp, its eyes blue like the flames. "You will protect this house, you will protect travelers that make it their home." He instructs it, hoarse, then places the spirit down on the floor. The creature doesn't run, but sniffs its surroundings carefully, then hops into a corner and disappears. Madoc beams at you, looking for approval. The commander can only suspect what just transpired, but it seems the boy did something good.

Killing the rabbit will not carry any negative repercussions, but letting the binding ritual play out and succeed will definitely give the boy a boost of confidence. +5

This parts marks the end of the proper questline - what's left is the 'mundane task' part and the conclusion shortly afterwards.

There is no way of changing the ending outcome by gaining 'trust points' from now on, but you can still mess it up if you choose to.

The Task

The old, decrepit graveyard you arrive at seems almost out of this world. Situated in the middle of nowhere, if there was ever any settlement that it served before, there are no signs of it now. In that liminal space, Madoc rolls up his sleeves and gets to work. The shrubbery that had covered most of the tombstones is swiftly removed, chipped stone mended into place with magic. Runes withered by rain and wind, covered by lichen and moss restored with a help of a small chisel. You might help the half-elf to speed up the overall work or you can just camp in the area, whatever you do it takes about at day to bring the graveyard to a state of being cared for.

A lot of gravestones carry the inscription mentioning "The Sunsplit Shore." It's implied it's somewhere along the Lake's parameter -and it's where Madoc will finally meet The Lady.

A hidden successful Knowledge: World check reveals the final location immediately, if not, Madoc needs a week to check the local legends and maps to confirm the location.

As you are leaving the Graveyard, if you're super mean, or you don't trust the entity that sent Madoc on his journey, you may choose to tip over a few of the gravestones, destroying Madoc's work without his knowledge. That particular choice locks Madoc out of the 'good' ending.

Fun Fact:

A hidden personal Knowledge: Arcana check at the arrival makes you suspect you entered some sort of small pocket plane. High perception will also reveal a few baubles on the gravestones similar to what the Mites hoarded on the altar. There is also a lone pigeon observing you from a gnarly looking branch.

With the Sunsplit Shore Location revealed, Madoc invites the Commander to visit the Lake site together. And here, depending on your previous choices, you are presented with the outcome of Madoc's journey.

Bad Ending

(If Madoc reached only 15 or less points on the trust scale.)

Good news, The Lady is real! Bad news, in this ending you both arrive at the shore at noon, wait for a few hours, and nothing really happens. In that context, Madoc believes he's been tricked into performing a long fruitless endeavor. He's very crestfallen, but thanks you anyways. His questline is complete, Madoc's alignment shifts towards Chaotic Neutral (self-serving) and he receives the 'bad ending' slide during the epilogue.

The Lady is real, but as one might say, the journey is more important than the destination and Madoc's pilgrimage north was a test in itself. The Lady is a good-natured entity, and Madoc piqued her interest when he sacrificed his own well being by willingly bearing a curse on his shoulders. She's not his patron, but she considers taking him 'under her wing.' The Commander discouraging the half-elf from helping others or putting material gain above all pushes Madoc into becoming a person The Lady isn't interested in anymore. (At least not at this point in time.)

Also if you decided at the beginning that Madoc should deal with the quest on his own, it also reaches the Bad End, as it's implied Madoc had a really bad time with the Mites, and for the rest of the journey he kept his head down and didn't reach the Lady's expectations either.

Neutral Ending

The only instance where The Lady doesn't show up but Madoc still gets Neutral Ending slide is if you messed with the Graveyard while Madoc's trust scale is still pretty high. The journey wasn't properly completed, even if the young man isn't aware of that. In that instance, he seems a bit disappointed, but appreciates the journey and doesn't lose hope. His alignment stays Neutral.

If you didn't sabotage him, at noon a river of light will appear above the waters of the lake. It's so bright, the middle of the day suddenly seems light midnight, but the light doesn't hurt your eyes when you try peering within. A disembodied voice speaks gently and thanks Madoc for tiding up the graves of people she loved over the centuries. She asks him what kind of boon would he require in return.

With 20 trust points and beyond, Madoc will always defer to you as the one who should get the boon instead of him. He will always consider you the one who needs it more because of the responsibility you carry, and the ramifications of what happens if you fail. You sincerely helped him on his journey and you deserve the reward as much as he does. You might object, but Madoc is adamant.

A tendril of light approaches your person and waits for your permission to bestow a blessing. You can either accept it (2 ability points to spend as you please) or refuse it, in which case the tendril gently recedes and the river of light fades. Whatever you choose, Madoc seems content. His alignment shifts towards Neutral Good. => Neutral Ending

Good Ending

Can only be reached if during Act III, after trying to save the girl - the Commander implied that the young half elf won't be able to help others if he throws all caution to the wind and that there are people who would care if something happened to him - it helps Madoc to strike a balance with his actions in the future.

It also unlocks the option of Madoc taking the boon for himself, when you insist you don't want it/need it. You can tell him he deserves it himself, and since you managed to make him feel like he's worth something- he will go red, but simply nod, thankful, and he'll accept it.

The tendril of light reaches into him, and he doubles over as it pulls out what seems to be a piece of a blackened thorny vine. The curse seems to be broken, or at least weakened.

Madoc's alignment shifts towards Neutral Good. His charisma score goes from 7=>9.

The questline is complete and you unlock Madoc's good ending slide during the epilogue.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

Nah, non-romanceable.

What would their ending slides be like?

Three endings available, depending on whether Madoc's curse was partially lifted or stayed unchanged.

Bad Ending:

"Disheartened, Madoc returned to Ustalav and settled down, waiting fruitlessly for another clue or vision to come. For determined who would find his little abode in the woods he had a few things to sell, but no help to offer. But even living as a recluse didn't stop the thorny tendrils of the curse for long. When endless rains and a flood struck the area it was the sorcerer in the woods dealing with strange creatures and spirits that was the first one to blame. With his home in smoldering ruins, the half-elf found himself on the road yet again."

Neutral Ending

"A village near Shudderwood was stricken with grief when all of its children disappeared during the night of the Summer Solstice. The accusing fingers quickly singled out a stranger, a traveler who spent a few nights in the inn, the rumors spread he was dealing in strange magic. The villagers tried to capture Madoc but the half-elf fled towards the woods, and even the hounds came back with nothing but a piece of his cloak. Three of the lost children returned at dawn, emerging from the thicket. They said they dreamed of a fairy-land far away, but a man told them to wake up and go home. The villagers searched the forest far and wide for the rest of the younglings, but they were never found."

Good Ending:

"A village near Shudderwood was stricken with grief when all of its children disappeared during the night of the Summer Solstice. The accusing fingers quickly singled out a stranger, a traveler who spent a few nights in the inn, the rumor spread he was dealing in strange magic. The young man stood his ground however and gestured towards the woods, promising to bring back the missing children before dawn. Together with a few brave villagers they challenged a mischievous Fey, who wished to make the younglings his servants, and promptly banished him from the land. With all the children returned the village rejoiced, and the tales of wonders seen that night were shared for many seasons after. Madoc didn't overstay his welcome leaving the next day, and the village waved the half-elf off as he headed north."

Any other fun facts?

1. Madoc speaks using uncomplicated language, giving others an impression he might be a simpleton. Two reasons for that - he's deeply self-conscious because of his stammer, and if there is a shorter word to convey his thoughts, he will prefer it over the more complicated one, because the danger of him stammering is lower. The other reason is that Madoc is more proficient in Skald language than in Common. If there was ever an option to use Skald language in the game Madoc would sound way more eloquent. Doesn't help with the stammer though. This is also where his accent comes from.

2. In Drezen Madoc offers a similar option of purchasing wares like Woljif does, the only items of note being lesser and medium healing potions as well as potions that purify food -he brews a few more every 10-days, if you depleted his stock. He also offers a few curiosity magical items with names like "Cloak That Protects You From Getting Wet", "Boots that Keep Blisters Away", "Gloves that Keep Your Hands Warm" and such. They can be purchased (50- 100 gold each) and worn like a regular gear, but don't provide any additional bonuses beyond their description. (Also all available items are fabric based, since he enchants them by embroidering arcane patterns and components into regular clothing.)

3. The spirit/demon called The Silent that looks like a little girl that can kill with barely a touch, as well as the spirit rabbit like creature (called Jaroszek in polish) are both creatures taken from Slavic mythology. I didn't create them on my own or anything. ;)

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

"I-I will do it."

"There is always tomorrow."

"Is this something bad? It's something bad."

While fighting: "Sstay away!"/ "The ground will swallow you whole."

Provide some examples of companion banters!

With Daeran:

a)

Daeran: "Of all the sights I must endure on this dreadful journey, I will not suffer your poor posture. Chin up, shoulders back. You're quite too tall to crawl in the mud."

Madoc: "N-not yet. My back hurts still when I do it. But it will get better."

b)

Madoc: "I f-finished the shirt that you wanted."

Daeran: "Aaah marvelous, the eyes follow you at every angle! If your adventure with magic doesn't pan out, remember you will always have an employer in me."

c)

Madoc: "I was a laugh for the Count at the party, yes?"

Daeran: "Oh I apologize, I did watch you closely. I was simply amazed at you using all the right utensils in all the correct order. You have to tell me where you learned your intricate table manners. Nobody knows what to do with the curved spoon. "

With Lann

Lann: "You're making my skin crawl and I don't know why. And I lived in cave. With things that crawl all over you."

Madoc: *apologetic* "I'm so-ory, I'll keep my distance."

With Camelia:

a)

Camelia: "A bouquet, for me? How...nice. Hmm.. *pause* Every lady worth her salt knows how to read flowers. This is a very rude message, I am appalled. *deadpan with a hint of warning* We might have to have a talk, both of us. In private."

Madoc: *panicked* No-o, thank you.

b)

Madoc: "Blood of the W-w-orld went bad here, sick from the Wound. Those who drink from the Blood, got sick as well. I wouldn't guess what they really want now.

Camelia: "Don't pretend to speak with the spirits. You don't."

*Madoc uses expression 'Blood of the World' interchangeably while talking about magic and Ley Lines

With Sosiel

Madoc: "You said you can take one v-v-ine and put it in the stump of the old one. But the new vine...what happens to it after the harvest, does it die in the end?

Sosiel: "Grafting, you mean? No, it would be a waste of work if it died after one season. It doesn't always take, but when it does, the old plant doesn't treat it as if it didn't belong. Vines don't care about such things."

[dailycharacteroption]

Deity Drop 1: Apsu

Though today’s subject is also lawful good, he is much less involved than Erastil. I present the draconic deity Apsu!

 It always seems that in fantasy settings, at least the ones with their roots in D&D, there are always two major dragon gods, one good, one evil, and Pathfinder is no different. However, while the classic duo in many D&D settings are brother and sister, in Pathfinder, the duo is father and son, and today we are looking at the father.

According to draconic belief, Apsu is in fact one of the deities responsible for the creation of the multiverse, and while that is likely an exaggeration on the part of dragons, it no doubt has a grain of truth to it. In any case, Apsu originally did not go by a name, and was originally described as one of two great waters (which ties into the description of his real Mesopotamian namesake), the other being Tiamat (whom is implied to be, or at least a version of the very same Tiamat running around D&D’s various settings, but who is only mentioned in Pathfinder briefly because of legal reasons), whom was his mate and wife.

The pair had many children together, but one in particular, Dahak, was a violent and destructive being whose rampages are the very thing that turned the plane of Hell into a burning place of suffering long before the first devils or even asura arrived on the plane. He was not content to end his rampage at an entire plane of existence, however, and slew many of his siblings, whose broken remains fell to the material plane and were reborn as the first metallic dragons.

Enraged, Apsu named himself and took form, joining with the metallic dragons against his wayward son, defeating him. However, before the final blow was struck, Dahak pleaded for aid from his mother, who answered, offering the dragons injured in the fight healing if they would turn on Apsu. Those that accepted became the first chromatic dragons.

Dahak escaped in the ensuing fight, but Apsu ordered his followers not to pursue, turning to ask his mate, who took the name Tiamat, why he had aided his son.

Tiamat only answered that she blamed Apsu for the death of their children, and cast them out from their home to wander.

Since that time, Apsu and Dahak have only met once, when they teamed up to help other gods defeat the monstrous Rovagug. After the battle, Dahak swore he would kill his father, and left. Ever since then, Apsu has been a distant leader of dragonkind, quietly preparing for the day when he and his son will have their final showdown on the surface of Golarion.

Apsu himself, who dwells in a roving demiplane home called the Immortal Ambulatory, teaches that one should seek glory and peace, and that leaders should be just and fair, which makes sense as he is the patron deity of all good dragons, metallic and otherwise. However, while many good dragons worship him, very few among them actually take training in divine magic under his guidance, perhaps out of draconic independence. However, he does have a small following of humanoids on Golarion, most notably the group known as the Platinum Band, who do train as proper priests of Apsu.

Unsurprisingly, Apsu has a much wider following on the planet Triaxus, where the native Rhyphorians and their dragonkin allies among the Dragon Legions of the Allied Territories.

Though Apsu’s parenting skills are called into question by the existence of Dahak, he is nonetheless a god of justice and good, serving as an inspiration to those who wish to uphold his ideals. He commands his followers to help those in need, as well as guide them to become stronger, and punish the wicked that betray your mercy.

This aligns him with a lot of paladins, as a lawful good god he is at least respected by many civilizations, but he is most commonly worshipped by those who travel and do his work across the world. However, it is notable that Apsu apparently refuses to have a hand in the creation of oracles, even as part of a pantheon, as it is against his beliefs to force power upon a mortal, especially not that which also curses them. Oracles that come to worship him later do exist, apparently, as those that do gain access to unique spells. Additionally, as he is associated with the preparation for war, he is often given prayers by architects and craftsmen who build fortifications and other tools of protection for coming war.

 Apsu is served and worshipped by most good dragons, metallic and otherwise, as well as even some wyverns and drakes that have risen above bestial concerns. He does command some angels as a celestial god, but he counts no one specific outsider type as his own. He does have a herald in the form of the celestial silver dragon Oreganus, as well as Blameless Flame, a coatl surrounded by the flame of a gold dragon’s breath and Syrax the Platinum, a clockwork dragon with the mind of a once-living brass dragon.

Apsu rules over the domains of Artifice, Good, Law, Scalykind, and Travel, as well as the subdomains of Archon (by way of good or law), Construct, Dragon, Exploration, Toil, and Trade. The inclusion of Artifice is tied to the oft-forgotten aspect of Apsu as the builder of fortifications.

His second edition domains are creation, protection, travel, and wyrmkin, as well as granting spells associated with bolstering natural attacks, creating temporary items, and shapeshifting into draconic form.

Those who are devout enough to follow his deific obedience perform a daily ritual of walking in one direction for half an hour, then walking back. When traveling away from their starting point, they consider the tactical and strategic advantages of the terrain, while on the way back, they consider it’s wonder and beauty and contemplate on the Wayfinder’s role in its creation. Such devotees are granted heightened awareness, particularly when it comes to attackers.

Evangelist devotees tap into Apsu’s aspect as a crafter and preparer, gaining spells to carry large loads with a disk of force, bless weapons with the divine power of law, and create wards against the environment; as well as enchant weapons to fight on their own, and the power to pour life into an object you have crafted, animating it.

For those that follow the path of the exalted, they imbue his aspect as a traveller, blurring their movement, defying gravity, and moving with incredible speed. What’s more, they are blessed with the ability to monitor the places they have been, placing short-lived sensors whenever they teleport away, letting them see what goes on afterwards, be it pursuers, or potential spies or sneaks. Additionally, they can set up safe locations and teleport back to them with allies at later dates.

Draconic fury is the gift granted to those who become sentinels in his name, blasting foes with sprays of light, bolts of fire, and imbuing themselves with draconic wards against the elements. What’s more, they can surround themselves in a ward against foes that is most effective against evil dragons. Additionally, they can imbue their weapon with the normally reserved fury of Apsu in battle, making for supernaturally accurate attacks that are almost guaranteed to deliver deadly wounds to evil dragons.

As far as I know, neither Apsu nor Dahak have been mentioned in Starfinder yet, so it is unknown what their status is. Both deities were prophesized to end their struggle once and for all on Golarion someday, but in the far future of Starfinder the planet Golarion is missing. So, either their battle has already happened before or during The Gap, or that prophecy was derailed in the same way as most other prophecies in the Age of Lost Omens and beyond. If Apsu does exist, either with or without Dahak, he is no doubt most popularly worshipped among the Skyfire Legion and among more goodly parts of the Drakelands on Triaxus, much as they have always done. Still, any world where metallic or otherwise goodly dragons exist may see some of his influence, and I imagine that he might even have a small following in the Knights of Golarion.

That does it for today, but it’s good to demonstrate how even gods outside of the Inner Sea grouping can be just as influential in their own way.

[thawte-wills]

Memories of Faith (After the Siege of Sandpoint)

"...Sister Faith?"

The blackened debris surrounded her like jagged spires growing from the ground. The still fresh, acrid smell of burning scorched her heart; though all the embers had long petered out.

Faith Dy'S—Ravenswood stared out at the structure that had raised her, as much as she did it. Her first true creation at the side of her fellow sisters and brothers of the faith. And, the ones who led her to follow in Desna's footsteps, Father Tobyn, and now, Father Zantus. One died in a fire when it was a chapel, and the other died in a fire set by a red dragon on the newly constructed cathedral.

It seemed like a cruel gift of fate that not only did Zantus fall in the same fashion the previous high priest did; but Faith was 'blessed' with a vision of his death. Though the Sandpoint Cathedral lay in ruins; she still saw it all so clearly, as if the fire was closing in again.

Then again, she could also remember walking into the chapel it was before its first fire; but it looked so big to her at that age, even if it truly wasn't. Her eyes peered down to see the burnt remains of the murals that hung around the prayer garden, and a tinge of hope sparked for her that maybe, just maybe, there was a small image of any of the gods worshipped there that had survived. Her covered feet ambled through the charred, jagged wood with ease; a sign of her growing skill, yet the farthest thing from her mind was how powerful she had grown.

"...Sister.... Faith?"

The seven stones still stood strong in the middle of the ruins, unbeaten by fire for a second time; the only thing standing for a second time. It was almost enough to stop her heart from feeling dour. Almost. Choking back a sob, she laid against one of the stones, its ash rubbing off on her 'adventuring vestments' she'd made for herself. Whatever. She'd clean it later.

Blinking back tears that were winning the fight and burning against her eyes, she searched for the hope she was looking for: a star off of Desna's mural, a single background decoration of a gold piece of Abadar's, a piece of a ray of light from Sarenrae's brilliance, the beauty of even the smallest illustrated part of Shelyn, a hint of the waves or storms of Gozreh, or even the smallest part of an antler or arrow of Erastil; something to help her hold onto hope.

But nothing but the scorched stones and discolored pine and eucalyptus seemed to be recognizable through the multitude of ash. "Father Tobyn... Father Zantus... Desna... What should I do?" Her own words were the final nail in the coffin, as her soft sobs were finally rung out of her.

"....."

For a moment, the wind picked up, rushing the ashes past her and out of Sandpoint on a breeze; and with a soft hiccup she was able to clear her eyes for a moment. And on the singular stone surrounded by the seven others she saw her old carving of a star, back when she was first learning of Desna.

The small, roughly carved star was a foolish whim she'd taken upon herself when she first learned of the Desnan clergy's penchant for leaving 'Found Marks' in difficult to reach places. Once it had caught the attention of Father Tobyn what she was doing, she feared she'd be admonished when she simply wanted to leave her own mark somewhere. Thankfully, Father Zantus (Brother, at the time) had intercepted the older priest, and had somehow convinced him that this was the true meaning of the middle stone. A place for those who worshipped to leave their own mark, no matter who they worshipped; the start of the Shrine Wall writings in the Sandpoint Cathedral.

This star had somehow caught ash in its rough ruts, and almost out of instinct, Faith looked out in the direction it pointed. Past the damaged town and homes, even from the other side of the town, she could still see it.

A large flaming meteor surrounded by massive white fangs glowing with the power of some unknown creature's magic, plastered to the side of The Old Light. But she knew the symbol wasn't what it was pointing toward; it was pointing toward Zephyr. Her draconic protector. Her magical colleague. Her close friend. And maybe... maybe more. Even though dull and misshapen, like the Stair of Stars it seemed to point directly to her own North Star. "Thank you. I hope.... I hope I can make you all proud."

Faith stood, feeling a bit stronger emotionally and more set in her faith while wiping away some tears. As she brushed off the ash on her clothing, she finally heard the voices calling for her.

"Sister Faith! Are you alright in there?"

Taken aback by the voices, she'd almost forgotten she was one acolyte of a remaining five; her being the youngest, and yet the most devoted. As hastily as she could, she cautiously made her way through the remnants of the cathedral back to the front, her eyes set on returning to her draconic mage in his time of need and unbridled fury. Once her feet found purchase on the unburnt grass slightly outside of the remains she saw the four in front of her, all of them focused strongly on her. At first, their patient but quizzical stares only drew questions from her; but quickly she realized they were looking to her the same way she had with Father Tobyn, and Father Zantus. Like a leader, or a-"High-Priestess, what should we do?"

The sudden title surprised Faith, and she was sure the look was obvious on her face, even after doing her best to try to hide it afterward.

"Please Torthiel, right now, its too soon to say that much." The old fear of never being able to travel and explore like a real child of Desna loomed over her emotions once more, but she wasn't the same girl she had been when she first volunteered herself to the adventurers that would help her to become one of the Stormbringers.

"We will rebuild again. We were all here to set the structure of the Cathedral, and we will be here for it again; like it has always been here for us. Look, the seven stones still stand strong, both a testament to Desna's power, as well as Abadar, Sarenrae, Shelyn, Gozreh, and Erastil. Father Tobyn and Zantus have guided us the best they could. Now it is time for us to walk the path.

"Torthiel, Lasslin, Sargiel, Naerbera. For now, we will help the town; and in time, the town will help us. We were all there when the blueprints of the Cathedral were drawn up, and we will remake it in its previous glory. Help those you can. Heal those in need. And when you are done, rest. There has been much pain here, but Desna will bless us all with peaceful dreams for our hard work." With that, she lightly hugged each of her fellow siblings of the cloth, simply glad they were able to see another day.

"But Faith..." Lasslin whimpered softly, "Are you to leave again? And if so, who will lead us?"

"Desna has her plans for me, sister. Save for these last few months, I have only spent my time on Golarion within these walls. I don't plan to leave immediately; but for right now, I cannot be the High Priestess just yet. I promise you all, I will return after Desna has shown me what she needs to. But until that day, I will never be too far away. You all have your own paths with your gods you must follow. And just like this church and its gods, you will lead together, as my Deacons of the Faith." A smirk played on Faith's lips as she continued,

"But you better believe I'm not leaving the foundation of the construction to you fools." The five acolytes held together then in a group hug, all smiles and tears at their melancholy situation, yet hopeful for the future.

After they had all released their hold, they dispersed around town to help the citizens still reeling from the attack.

And Faith? She had her dragon to console.

[adozentothedawn]

First Playthrough Log Pathfinder: Kingmaker Part 14

And I’ve detected the first misgendering of my character in the game. Excuse you, I am not ‘His Grace’. Jamel, be ashamed. Unless this is not a bug but a story point. In which case it would still be shame on Jamel, but not on the game. Doesn’t seem like it though.

AAAAH! What just happened? I was just complaining about the misgendering thing and then suddenly an owlbear popped up in the game. And oh no, that servant got critted. I think I’ve mentioned already that I’m not a fan of the crit animation in this game. If someone makes a mod to disable that exploding thing please tell me.

I just got what happened to the servant. It’s still disgusting.

And suddenly Linzi is calling me a him too! What the hell?

I am HERE for Kesten’s undercover adventure! I just like Kesten a lot.

I don’t appreciate that I can’t save Verdrin.

Is this gonna end up as a fight for Ekun between these two women?

The doggy has a name! <3!!

Well, if Kanerah asks me to take nok-nok I can’t say no. Not that would have otherwise, but making Kanerah happy certainly helps.

Oddventure is now my favourite word.

I just read that you can only save Khesten and Jhod if you are lawful. I hate this fucking shit so much. I also read that it’s possible to change your alignment in the tavern, which I’ll go try out right now and fuck character consistency because what the hell. I hate this alignment shit so much.

I have decided to just fuck it and got myself the bag of many tricks. 

Jhod said “Praise Erastil” and Kesten answered “Yeah, hail me.” Kesten, you want to tell me something?

I like the other world, but it’s frustratingly chaotic. That’s the point, I get it, but I already have a horrible sense of direction in real life, I don’t need the game reminding me of it. xD

[dragonastra]

1-100 on the DnD questions, for Deah >:3

Wow you're sure as hell fishing to kill me huh xD

I'll answer these under a read more cuz FUCK. I'll also try to keep it spoiler free -- I may mention stuff that hasn't come up in game but it would be stuff that might not ever come up explicitly anyway. Everything else has either been said or can be gleaned.

If your character wasn’t an adventurer, what livelihood would they lead Probably what she had been doing -- being a pirate

Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life Probably Maddie and/or Gael. Maddie is a divine soul sorcerer and probably the one Deah is closest to. Gael is our barbarian/paladin who is probably the emotional backbone of the group? He is very earnest and genuine, and also hits like a brick house.

What are your character’s core moral beliefs? [Brushes off notes I made like a year ago] Promises must be kept, and debts one day fulfilled. Clean up the messes you made. Family is more important than self. Survival means not letting the past define you. (Not all morals but those are her ideals)

What relationship does your character have with their parents and siblings? She has a twin brother, whom she would die for. Their relationship used to be solid, but theyve currently broken apart somewhat due to lies and building tension, and the brother needing to go his own way. She is still very broken up about it. Her parents are both dead, and she has not spoken of much closeness there, but describes them as "they tried their best." Her pirate captain was basically a surrogate father for her teenage years and onward until their separation, and she... misses him.

Does your character have any biases for or against certain races? Not really. She probably doesnt trust ratfolk based on where she grew up, but beyond that? If you're good, you're good.

What is your character’s opinion on nobility? On authority? (: fuck em. She is... shall we say... less inclined to help rich people.

Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc. She's grown out her undercut so she has an asymmetrical style, one side of her head buzzed. She is still wearing her bright red pirate coat, but now wears a dark brown vest with purple accents underneath, as well as a long black sleeve to cover magical scars she received when she accepted a warlock pact with the hunter god. Also covering her scars is a gauntlet made by Maddie, so that they can't be detected by Detect Good and Evil and such.

What location encountered in the campaign has your character felt the most “at home” in, or just generally liked the most? Sometimes she still thinks about that nap she had on the beach at a random island they had stopped at to restock on food.

What deity, if any, does your character worship? What’s their opinion on other people’s worship? As i mentioned, she has a pact with the hunter god, Erastil. She does not worship him. In fact, she rather doesnt like gods much. She doesnt really understand other worshippers, but if they're not hurting anyone with it she doesn't really care. Their worship doesnt affect her.

If your character had time to pick up any artisan’s tools, game set, instrument, etc., what would it be? Let's get this binch some navigator's tools finally!

Describe your character’s current relationship with the player character sitting to your right. We are entirely online so we don't really have table seating. Based on the order of our nicknames in discord though, that would be... Haru, our new kitsune Oracle who joined us to fill a gap while some other players went on hiatus. Deah is uncertain about him, and she is generally pretty wary about strangers in her party, but he is useful. Their relationship is not deep by any means tbh.

What is your character’s current goal, summed up in one sentence? Stop the lord of the sea, and stop Aleksander.

Does your character ever want to “settle down” with a spouse, children, house, etc.? ;) you'll have to ask her

Has your character ever been in love? Before the campaign, certainly not. She's hella ace, and doesn't open up easily, so she's got some confusing feelings right now for Maddie ;)

What battle in the campaign has been most memorable to your character The battle against Tokt, since this was the battle that she was able to help save a person from being possessed by a demon -- something she figured out beforehand and convinced her team about.

If your character wasn’t whatever class they are, what would they be instead? I mean... probably a fighter???? Or maybe a full warlock, if she was desperate enough.

What is your character’s favorite season? Probably the fall? Sailing is usually good during that time, plus the harvest is coming in on land, so there's a lot of fresh food.

What would your character’s Zodiac sign be, following stereotypical astrology? She would be an Aries based on her birthday! Our homebrew world just uses "Season Day" as time markers, with 90 days each season. She was born on Spring 12, which would translate to the first week of April.

Where in the world does your character most want to visit? She's been all over as an adventurer and a sailor. The place she'd like to visit the most is one she doesn't know about -- somewhere important to her old captain.

What is the biggest mistake your character has ever made? Deah would maybe even say joining the pirates. It was the happiest she'd ever been, but it led her brother to a path he regrets and feels pain over, and she feels a... bit guilty about that.

Does your character have any noticeable scars? If so, what are their stories? The only scars she has are from her pact to Erastil. She hides them, though. She's not ashamed of them, but she likes to keep them to herself... she's private like that.

What animal best represents your character? I always liken her to a hawk, especially a sea hawk. In some ways she’s like a cobra or a porcupine too -- kind of hard to get close to!

If your character could go back in time and change one thing about their life, what would it be? 😬

Which other player character does your character find themselves having the most in common with? I don't know about most in common, really, but she gets along easiest with Ro, our halfling. Their banter is 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻. Honestly though? She probably has the most in common with Mercy, our tiefling fighter/paladin.

Does your character regret any particular choice the party has made? She probably regrets the party not staying behind in a certain town after a powerful enemy escaped. They thought the immediate threat had been dealt with and that another team from their guild could keep watch over the town, but then that team got surprised by an undead and two of them died. She feels at least partially responsible for that.

What would your character say their best trait would be? Her ability to perceive and track things. She has the observant feat plus the invocation that lets her see through even magical darkness!

What is your character’s greatest fear? Deep, irrational? Being abandoned.

What is currently motivating your character to stay with the party? No where else to go, really. Like, sure, she likes at least most of them and they've been through a lot!!! And she DOES you know, feel like this is a stable job, and she does feel good helping people. But... she really does have no where else to go. :(

What are your character’s hobbies and interests outside of their class? She does enjoy reading, though she's a little slow. Her favorite books are detective/mystery novels! She also sometimes likes to practice magic tricks (like... sleight of hand stuff). And technically this isnt outside of her class, but she really does enjoy training. Let's her burn off steam.

What would most people think when they first see your character? Pretty little waif, but that resting bitch face looks like she will cut me of I even say hello (this is by design).

What stereotypical group role does your character play in the party? (The Mom, the Mess, the Comic Relief, etc. Optionally: What role would your character play in the “Five Man Band” structure?) [Googles five man band] probably Lancer. Initially she wanted to be the Leader type but with the group dynamics and her own insecurities and issues, that isnt really truly possible for her. But she still tries to lead...

What is your character the most insecure about? :)

What person does your character admire most? Her old ship captain. Her DEAD ship captain :(

What does your character admire and dislike the most about the player character sitting to your left? She admires maddie's strength and kindness (and to a degree, innocence). Maddie's cooking skills. Maddie's family. She dislikes how nervous/anxious and possibly depressed Maddie can get :c

Why is your character’s lowest stat their lowest (the in-character reason, not “because there’s no reason for a wizard to have 16 strength, duh”)? Her lowest stat is strength, and her second lowest is constitution. This is because she grew up poor, and was at times starving and definitely malnourished. Once she was om the pirate ship, she was regularly fed though.

What would be your character’s theme song/favorite band/favorite genre of music? I've been saying if she was in modern time, her favorite band would be Florence and the Machine. There's just something about the Florence sound that speaks to her. She'd definitely be into that kind of music, plus some heavier stuff leaning more towards metal or symphonic metal...

What stereotypical role would your character play in a high school AU/if they attended a normal high school? (Nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc.) She's got the soul of a goth but the hobbies of a jock (in our team's college AU she's totally on the fencing and sailing teams). When I've drawn her in modern day she is usually wearing athleisure (capris leggings, loose tank top, sports bra, e.g.) but also it's mostly dark colors. She's Joth.

What treasure/item/artifact that your character has collected during the adventure is the most important to them? Toby :) just kidding, the pseudodragon isn't an item!!! Specifically collected during the adventure, probably her force blade. Her brother had found it, but had given it to her, near the beginning of the adventure.

Is there any particular weapon, item, etc. that your character longs to find? She's not really looking out for items, no.

Where does your character feel the most at home? On the beach, on the ship. Specific locations to call home, she does finally feel like she has a stable place to call home in the patty's estate.

Does your character care about how they’re perceived by others? How do they change themselves to fit in with other people? She's worn disguises and fake names before, but that's mostly to protect herself during her pirate years. She doesn't care a whole lot, but she does want to appear somewhat intimidating so that unsavoury people won't approach her LMAO. But she also wants to be seen as nice by children and poor folk, so she does soften a bit when they're around.

What does your character think is the true meaning of life? Happiness. Safety. Survival. Family/community.

What is your character’s scent? (Bonus points for a description that sounds like it could be from a bad [or awesome] fanfic.) She's always got a slight scent of salt on her, reminding you just a bit of the sea. For herself, she prefers to just smell... clean, so there's a fresher floral scent lingering...

Does your character think more with their heart or their brain? She tries to think more with her brain but sometimes the bottled up emotions get to be a bit much.

What is your character’s most recent or frequent nightmare? BEING. ABANDONED.

What opinion does your character have on [CERTAIN ESTABLISHED GROUPS/AUTHORITIES IN THE GAME WORLD]? (Dragonmarked Houses, royal crown, etc.) She hates (most) rich people and used to be a pirate, so you can kind of figure it out.

How did your character spend their childhood? Where did they grow up/who were their childhood friends? :(

What aspect of your character’s future are they most curious about? (If they could know one thing about the future, what would it be?) I dunno man she is just taking things one step at a time.

What colors are associated with your character? Red is her primary color. She also uses blacks/dark grays and a light purple as an accent. She's using more brown now tho to represent her connection to the hunter god.

Who in the party would your character prioritize rescuing, in dire circumstances? Maddie always. Then Ro. Then Gael. Haru would probably be up there because he is squishy and also mostly blind.

Is your character the most swayed by ethos, pathos, or logos? A mix of pathos and logos is most effective on Deah. Logos probably most of all, but there are pathos buttons that hold away above all that... if you know which buttons to press.

If your character was granted a single use of Wish, what would they use it for? Currently? To bring back her pirate captain. She knows its selfish but...

What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.? Her favorite spell is stab with rapier.

How does your character feel about keeping secrets from the rest of the party? She keeps secrets pretty regularly! Basically if the party needs to know, then the secret should be shared. But if it doesnt really affect the group or something important, and the person doesnt want to share, then go ahead and keep the secret.

What type of creature in the world is your character the most intrigued by? Dragons probably, at this point. Definitely an influence by me the player, haha, but it's buoyed by an early meeting with a particular dragon that sparked her interest.

When they were a child, what did your character want to be, or think they were going to be, when they grew up?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ she didnt have life plans as a kid. She just wanted her and her brother to live.

The player character to your left admits that they’re passionately in love with your character. How would your character respond? That's already happened LMAO. Deah didnt know how to react so her brain blur screened and she ran away from the situation for a bit.

If somebody (an NPC, someone from their backstory, etc.) your character trusts/loves asked your character to do something against the party’s best interest, who would they side with? If it only involved herself, Deah would probably go do it. But if it was a huge net loss for the group, she wouldn't, if that makes sense? It's hard to make sweeping statements like that.

Does your character value their own best interest more than the party’s? She values her own interest for sure, but she would prioritize the party's if one meant dunking on the other. She knows what it's like to sail with a tight knit crew; sometimes you sacrifice to make the group as a whole better/happier.

What decision would the party have to make in order for your character to consider splitting off from the group? Oh gosh, uh.... I mean, if they decide to help her enemies (not likely to happen, there are a couple shared ones). If they don't let her do something she REALLY wants... I can't really think of anything specific.

How does your character imagine the way they will die? Tragically. 

What is your character’s greatest achievement? Taming her pseudodragon ;w;

Is your character willing to risk the well-being of others in order to achieve their goal? Hmm... not to a certain degree. Eh, probably not. She only really wants to risk herself, not others. Risking others doesn't give them the choice.

What is your character’s opinion on killing others? She does it all the time!! But if they're defenseless or not fighting back, she won't.

What is your character’s favorite food? Beverage? She really loves fresh baked bread!! As for beverage, uh.... I guess she'd like water with like, something fruity mixed in???

How generous is your character? Especially to those they don’t know? To the poor and to kids? Very. Also, recently, she gave all of the money she got from a quest to a townsperson to help them rebuild their city a bit (secretly of course. Not even her team knows she did that, though maybe some of them suspect hahaha)

What is your character the most envious about, regarding anyone in the party? Once again... probably most envious of Maddie!! She comes up a lot doesn't she ;P

The player character to your left and the player character to your right are both telling your character two different versions of the truth. Who does your character believe? Maddie vs Haru? Shed probably lean towards Maddie :p

What is your character’s sexuality/relationship with sex? I've described Deah as Panromantic Asexual. She is rather sex averse and has difficulty pinpointing romantic feelings as well, being rather prickly at times.

What is your character’s biggest pet peeve? When people try to dig into something she doesn't want to share at the moment.

Describe how your character feels about the party’s current situation/objective/etc. The current objective/situation involves her backstory, so you'll see soon ;)

Who in the party would your character trust the most to keep an important secret? Maddie of course! She trusts Gael, but not with secrets. Similarly, she trusts Mercy to hold an oath to the best of her ability, but not if a secret comes up -- same with Rudi. Ro does what she wants LMAO and she isnt telling Haru anything personal atm.

If your character knew that they were going to die in a month, how would they spend the rest of their life? I dont want to think about that question and neither does Deah

What makes your character feel safe? Having her weapons. Having her pact/her pact scars.

If your character had the chance to rename the party/give the party a name, no questions asked, what would it be? Nah, she likes Fortune's Blades

What memory does your character want to forget the most? Cal leaving. It's probably her most painful memory.

If your character had to multiclass into a class they currently aren’t the next time they level up, what would it be and what reason would they have for doing so? She's already multi classed and her reasons for becoming a warlock are kind of muddied. She explained them initially but maaaaybe wasn't 100% truthful. If she had to pick a third, probably uh.... fighter?????

What television/book/video game/etc. character would your character be best friends with? (Or: what media character is your character the most influenced by/similar to?) I would HOPE she would be friends with Elizabeth Swan (: but idk lol

What unusual talents does your character possess? Sharp senses and magic tricks.

How does your character feel about receiving/giving orders? Are they more of a leader, or a follower? It's rather situational. She tries to be a leader type, but she also realizes she's not at the top of the leader chain (and, with her party, at times different people take the head, so it's almost more consult-y like).

What does your character’s name represent to them? (Or: why as a player did you choose your character’s name?) The player of Cal, her brother, chose his name first from a generator. I like to construct my names sometimes from different name elements, so I made hers to match the sound of her twin's (that is, make it sound like it came from the same language). Her name is constructed of "Feld-" (field) and "-Deah" (dye) so her first name translates roughly to "field of dye." Her original last name is Shearwater, which is a real life sea bird but also follows the traditional elven naming convention (their dad was an elf). She never felt much of an attachment to her last name. She recently changed her last name to Blackheart, which was the moniker of her captain.

Is your character more of an introvert, or an extrovert? Introvert for sure

How far is your character willing to go to pursue the “greater good”? Do they believe in a greater good at all? She would go as far as she needs to, but would never force others to make that same decision.

What does your character want to be remembered by? At one point she thought she would eventually be a famous pirate captain. But mostly I think she just wants to be remembered by those who love her and by those she helped...

What would be your character’s major in college? Fuck, uh... I had discussed this before.... I think I made her pre-law??? Math major???

Does your character consider themselves a hero, villain, or something else? Something else. She doesn't really care about that, she's just Being.

What major arcana tarot card best represents your character? I believe last it was discussed I had picked the Chariot for her.

Where does your character see themselves in 20 years? If not dead from adventuring, then settled somewhere nice, hopefully...

What is your character’s relationship with magic? Are they scared of it, wish to know more about it, indifferent to it? For a long time she was the Sokka of the group, the only non-magic user. Then she got her pact. She's still kind of awkward about it, and at times really doesn't like magic, but she sees it as a tool. A means to an end.

Who is your character’s biggest rival? Rival?????? I guess Morrigan tbh??? Cuz a rival isn't an enemy, and she had a thing going with Morrigan (her player is on hiatus tho). In some ways she rivals Mercy too. A dance of similarities and differences.

What is your character’s guiltiest pleasure? Fine, beautiful dresses. She doesn't own any, because it's a waste of money, but.... she wants them. Secretly.

What does your character hope for the afterlife? Peace and rest.

Who in the party does your character trust the least? Haru, currently, simply by virtue of being new.

What is your character’s biggest flaw? BIGGEST flaw???? Uhhhmmm..... Her secrecy probably. Her tendency to run away from really big, painful problems, to bottle up her emotions around that until everything just gets worse.

How did your character learn the languages that they speak? Common, prucrician and Elvish she learned just growing up. Deep, she just... mysteriously knows. Doesn't know why she can speak it. Draconic she learned at first from Rudi, and then from a dragonborn NPC to finish her lessons during a timeskip.

What is your character’s favorite school of magic/type of weaponry? Rapier

What is most important to your character: health, wealth, or happiness? Why must she choose? Wealth, because that brings health and happiness in her eyes. (Because money buys food and when you have food.....)

What advice would your character give to a younger version of themselves? I know it's hard, but open up more. You don't have to keep it to yourself to protect others. Your brother can be your friend as well... you don't have to just keep holding yourself back for your friends and family.

Are there any social or political issues your character feels strongly about? She doesn't feel super strongly about politics, having been a pirate. She feels strongly about protecting children and poor though, as I've mentioned.

What, currently, is your character the most curious about? The afterlife. Erastil, but specifically just that one god. Her ship captain.

[haledamage]

🖊 for Aurienne?

I said a while back that she accidentally takes a level in cleric, but it actually happens much earlier than she realizes. it happens during Season of Bloom, while she’s helping with the (ugh) vivisection/surgery of that one lady. in an effort to ease the woman’s pain, she accidentally calls up some divine magic. as one does, I suppose.

she doesn’t realize it until much, much later, because since her goddess is Sarenrae, her healing magic feels similar to Tristian’s, so she assumes it’s his doing. I’m of the opinion that magic has a scent to it, and divine magic from Sarenrae smells like amber and cinnamon, warm and comforting but also a little spicy, like the goddess herself. Tristian’s also has a note of something like frankincense, because I associate it with temples and churches and it suits him. Ari’s has a woodsy scent to it, like sage or mint, but with that being similar to Jhod’s Erastil-given magic, it didn’t immediately ping as something different to any of them.

I like the idea of accidental divine magic and of the character carrying it trying to play off the idea. like, “yes of course I cast Bless? I have a ring that lets me cast it 3 times a day, it’s not my magic.” “don’t clerics have to pray to earn their spells? I don’t do that, I just... get up and greet the sunrise every morning, and have a moment of quiet contemplation. that’s definitely not the same thing.”

her domains are Healing and Sun because Aurienne is a predictable little bird :)

[gefdreamsofthesea]

Highlights from the oneshot:

Seven foot tall tiefling woman starts a surprise round by jump-tackling guard, he also gets kicked in the ankles

Cormac (champion of Cayden Cailean) crits a diplomacy check on the guard, the guard goes from hostile to helpful

We find out one of the party has previously eaten her best friend, this happens in casual conversation

Seven foot tall tiefling rogue decides to peace out, everyone follows her onto the roof, my character is the only one who does not parkour (note: a ranger with +13 acrobatics and the cat fall feat) because I am scared of my dice

"That's witch shit."

Siegmar (the cannibal) licks the witch cauldron.

A hag appears, everybody wails on her and the monk decides to not kill her

The BBEG appears, Ged is fucking useless because magical darkness

The hag rolls two natural ones for death saves. The universe obviously wanted her to die

Cormac is charmed, then vampiric touch happens, Cormac is mad, Cormac fucking ends the dude

We discussed what our characters are doing post one shot, Ged is heading back to the mountains, finding a boyfriend, and never going adventuring again. Erastil could appear to him personally and be like "I need you to do something" and he'd be like ".....no"

"So I heard you have diplomatic immunity," says the tiefling to the blackguard (evil paladin) of the god of pain, loss and darkness from the country that exclusively worships said god, trying to book passage out of the country.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Fiendish Musings: Goodbye Restov

The Journal of Adnachiel  (xv793)

Our motley band has finally set out from the trappings of “civilized” Restov for the Stolen Lands after some interesting twists- the death of one of our original band, a friend of the halflings. They were a forest giant-kin that mysteriously was found dead in their camp under quite odd circumstances.  Recovering from that quickly, we set out. To back track a bit, more about who we are seems worthy enough to make note of…

[Sketch by Karis Shadowcil]

Evrin Brazenbrook, warrior. Apparently the halfling was trained with the sword at the Aldori school. While I am ignorant as to why that is so impressive, it is clearly significant to those who understand it. He seems quite skilled with a blade and nimble on his feet, though I’ve my concerns about anyone going to such great lengths and danger for another. If I understand right, going to this land is a test of manhood so to say or coming of age story. Giving that much weight to another’s approval is not something I am willing to die for, though he certainly seems a decent fellow. I had never met a halfling before.

Armauk Blackstag, priest of Erastil. I like him, though I am biased towards half breeds, admittedly. Few can truly understand the mongrel’s plight without living it and oddly his seems to have made him quite cordial to others. He seems terribly focused on the letter of the law, quick to come to others aid, and content to be surrounded by bandits. I very much appreciate these traits in him despite how contradictory they are to myself. Perhaps even more so, is how curious I am of his name. In the little research I was able to do in Restov, it appears that a white stag is a holy icon of his faith. His patron appears, at least to public perception, as a god of hunts, farming, and harvests. As the acolyte I spoke with put it, “He is a god of the hunt and of farming, leading his followers by example and good deeds rather than flowery rhetoric.” Say what you will about simple or even goodly folk, I am entirely behind the willingness to act.

Karis Shadowcil, elf. As per the stereotype, he seems rather fond of blade, instrument, and spell. He is a curious fellow who when left alone speaks to himself. At first, I expected his raven familiar though I now expect something more. He seems quite competent despite his alarmed reaction to being struck, though of the many things elven blood is said to provide hardiness has never been among them. It is nice to have another with some level of respect for the arts, though I am curious as to how he has come about his. I do not get the impression it is through rigorous study. I am also rather amused and curious to the reporter dubbing us Company of the Iron Raven as someone with a raven appeared willing to join.

Eshela and Veshka Vamashu.  They are a mother and daughter that had been getting by working in a seedier tavern in Restov and the occasional odd job as they could it seemed. I met them over a meal and was given the impression they were quite interested in not only the excitement of all the carts and rumors of expedition, but truly changing their stars. Upon considering what could be required or helpful it seemed wise to have those willing and able to fill more menial roles that will undoubtedly be regularly required. Were I being entirely honest with myself, I realize the idea to employ them was partially fueled by my insufferable need to aid downtrodden half-bloods.

Leaving Restov was refreshing. In traveling to the outpost, we wound there to be a small farmstead as well as a currently abandoned military outpost that seemed to really have a lot of potential. Note: I am very interested in the potential and the willingness for the government to continue to concern themselves with it. Aside from the murdered corpse we found along the way, we reached the trading post. Before we even got there my familiar warned me of a conflict within puts us on alert. It seems the reports of bandits lacked their unification and that they not only preyed upon those here, but also required payments or a “tax” as they saw it. Bullies are enraging and intolerable. Thankfully, it appears that my companions supported my murderous intent as the law requires it as banditry is outlawed. While that is all well and good, it certainly was simply a happy accident- the law was irrelevant and unknown and there is a beauty in destroying those who extort the weak. If our time in this land is any indicator, I believe this journey to be very therapeutic.

After enacting the laws good work, we settled in and found the outpost to be quite a welcome sight in this place. The couple that owned it were quite decent and seemed to want nothing more than to run their business in peace. Perhaps two weeks’ time passed when more of the bandits apparently realized something had occurred with their friends who obviously never returned with their extortion. After they flanked the trading post I assume they planned to intimidate their way in, which seems to speak to their intelligence. I suppose the fair thing to do was at least engage in the attempt at dialog with the bandit leader, though I really can see no possible words that might have mattered in a situation such as this. It was our first real engagement and test of the Iron Raven. We were outnumbered three to one, and I am pleased to say that my companions are not inept in combat.

After the smoke cleared, the nature of these bandits, at least in their leadership, is now more known to us. They are not simply greed-driven, but malicious and cruel hearted. The leader, a brutish woman named “Kessel” was found wearing a necklace that appeared to display her calling card- taking trophies in the form of wedding bands. While the idea of marriage has little worth or value to me, the idea of beings driven to destroy others happiness does. If there are those bent on malice this land will not know peace. And if it does not know some semblance of peace, I cannot be free.

Lastly, and more of a side note, is the fellow priest of Erastil Jhod who showed up. He claimed he was following a vision from his patron and was very tight lipped about his past, other than he was from Galt. I am curious as to having never met a person from Galt, to recently meeting two who both are eager to leave their past and less willing to discuss what occurred in it, and the Gray Gardeners showing up on someone’s tail. It would be rather excellent if all our pasts didn’t come calling at the same time…  

[firefly-fez]

Okay so our bard had to leave early from our session and tbh I’m still reeling from the plot twists so Hoolie, mutuals, here’s a debreif for ya’ll to enjoy.

Our campaign consists of Vanora (a paladin of Erastil, human, played by yours truly), Ixia (slayer, half-elf), Jembo (alchemist, half-ling), Hoolie (bard, human) and the Sherrif/Festus (vigilante, human). Vanora has a Divine Mount, a horse named Galanthus. We are all level 6.

There have been a series of attacks in the city of Diacha. One of the antagonists we killed, involved in these attacks had a map on his body when he died, of locations he had hidden treasure. One of those locations does not contain treasure, but is an underwater dungeon which has been untouched for decades, and contains all kinds of unholy, unethical experiments.

We are in the process of exploring this dungeon.

40ft below us are many, many spiders. They are big spiders (they take up 1 square each). There is a bridge that leads to where we want to go, but it’s a fake bridge. There are illusions a-plenty in this place, and that bridge is one of them. There are also two glass walls, on either side of the bridge.

Soon enough, the spiders begin climbing said glass wall - they are headed right toward us. What joy.

Roll initiative!

We fight the spiders. Jembo (alchemist) has some nifty splash-damage dealing bombs. The Sheriff (vigilante) gets into... a spider costume. Okay. Ixia (slayer) shoots down at some spiders, but the ones closest to us can’t be hit because the glass is in the way. Hoolie (bard) inspires us all with her motivational speech. Vanora (paladin) smashes one glass wall with her springspear, so now we can shoot at the spiders more easily. Hoolie (bard) Shatters the other pane of glass. We can all shoot/stab/fight more easily now. The Sherrif runs off in his spider costume to kill a giant spider we crossed paths with (but did not attack) earlier. His spider costume enables him to trick the giant spider into walking past him, without attacking. He attacks from behind. One attack fails, but he dies manage to kill the spider. Meanwhile, we are fighting the others. One jumps at Ixia (slayer). It provokes an attack of opportunity - Vanora (paladin) hits it with Power Attack - it doesn’t die, but it has no health left. We fight some more. One of the spiders bites Ixia. She takes damage. Eventually, we have defeated them. All the spiders are dead. The Sherrif returns.

We use a grappling hook to cross the fake bridge, managing not to be decieved by the illusion. Acrobatically-inclined party members climb via the rope. Vanora crosses by jumping across with her devoted steed.

We come to a room with four large circles - teleportation circles, big enough for a gargantuan creature. They are defunct, but one has a slight magical aura. The Sheriff decides he wants to attempt to make the teleportation devices functional. Vanora and Ixia raise their concerns. To them, booting up a teleportation device and hopping inside when one had no idea what dangers await on the other side seems like a bad idea. The Sheriff elects not to listen. Nothing happens on the first three. On the fourth... His foot slips through the floor. (I mentioned - there are illusions a-plenty in this place) He falls. For a moment, he grabs on to te edge of the circle, but he plummets.

We panic. The Sheriff is a crafty character, and if anyone is prepared enough to think his way out of this, it’s him. Still, we worry. We have no way of knowing if he’s alive. Our alchemist has a potion of spider climb. We are worried. We debate the consequences of sending someone down.

After SOME TIME and MUCH DISCUSSION our alchemist remembers. “Oh hey! I have a potion of Fly!”

Well, that would’ve been helpful to know a LITTLE SOONER but this tips the scale in favour of sending one down to look for him. (We had previously thought sending someone down would likely only result in them falling to their death). We send Ixia down, because she’s a half-elf and has dark vision. She comes to a large cavern some 1200 feet down.

Meanwhile, Vanora, Jembo and Hoolie are worrying from above at the state of their friends. Well, Vanora is worrying. She and Ixia go way back.

~ Flash back ~

Before she became a Paladin, Vanora was a stablehand in the army. She worked hard, and believed in doing what was right and serving her community in whatever way she could. Not everyone she met shared her worldview. One man - a soldier in the army - Serrel the Gladiator, was such a man. He made Vanora’s life hell while she worked in the army, for he was a cruel and selfish man. She caught him red-handed abusing a servant, and defended the servant in question, which angered Serrel to no end. She succeeded in standing up to him, he conplained about it loudly in the tavern that night. Ixia, another soldier at the time, overheard this and was inpressed with the story of the stablehand brave enough the stand up to Serrel. She saught Vanora out, and gave her some pointers on how to fight to better defend those in need. After Vanora succeeded at defeating Ixia in battle, there was nothing left for Ixia to teach her. She gifted Vanora a dagger, and the two parted ways not long after. Since that time, Vanora has always held Ixia in high regard. Since adventuring together, the two have become good friends.

~ Flashback over ~

Vanora worries over the fate of her friends. She says a prayer to Erastil, begging him to keep her friends safe.

Ixia is at a large cavern at the bottom of the pit. She cannot see te Sherrif anywhere. Already regretting the foolishness of what she is about to do, she flies up some and calls out at the top of her lungs “SHERIFF!” She hears a groan. It’s Sheriff. His belongings are scattered across the floor.

He’s in critical condition. He only managed to survive the fall by putting himself in his bag to protect him. He weighs too much for the bag to hold him - in order for his plan to work, he had to cut off his own legs.

Ixia grabs the Sheriff and his sword and begins to fly upward.

They’re not alone down here.

CRACK! A loud sound echos through the pit, and a bullet lands in Ixia’s shoulder. She doesn’t have time for combat. She continues to fly.

Alas, the potion wears off and she’s forced to use the potion of spider-climb instead. Still, she makes it.

She clambers over the edge of the pit.