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 Everything shines in Ostebras. The heart of a continent-spanning empire, its citizens are the elite toward whom all gold flows in this age of prosperity. The streets are clean, the guards are kind, and even the lowest peasant can raise their status by apprenticing in one of the city's many guilds. Crime is minimal, monster attacks are unheard of, and everyone loves the empress. Of course, that's not the whole story. Anyone who's lived in Ostebras long enough can see through the cracks of the city's gilded façade. It's true that the city is incredibly wealthy. It's even true that most citizens' quality of life ranges from fair to excellent. However, nothing good in Ostebras comes without expense to another. If you want to come out on top, you have to fight tooth and nail to make sure you're the one trampling someone else beneath your feet and not the other way around. Everyone has blood on their hands. At the top of the power chain, things are even more fraught. Ostebras is technically ruled by an absolute monarch, but in recent years, the Guilds Council – formed by the grandmasters of the city's most powerful merchant and trade guilds – grows ever bolder and more influential. The young Empress Caliste was only crowned a year ago, and like sharks smelling blood in the water, the Guilds Council has seized upon her inexperience as a potential source of weakness. The constant covert war between the Crown and the Council rages more fiercely than ever. Meanwhile, the guilds have problems of their own. The bulk of the city's underpaid, exploited labourers upon which the guilds rely organized themselves into a union – the Raaka Clan – some five years ago. It's not the first time such a union has sprung up, but for the first time, the guilds' union-breakers have been totally unsuccessful in dissolving it. On the contrary, the Clan has only grown in power since its inception, to the point where the empress is threatening to grant their leader a seat on the Council. In the midst of all this tension, a murder has set two of the city's oldest and most respectable guilds against each other. Two weeks ago, Hendrik Barle, a master in the Apothecaries' Guild, was found dead and dismembered in the city catacombs, surrounded by symbols of an ancient cult. Imperial investigators tracked the culprits down, ultimately finding them in the midst of another ritual – and among their number, Niklaas Van Virren, a master in the Silversmiths' Guild. The cultists were taken into custody, where they admitted to the murder and many more. Retribution was swift. Van Virren was dead by morning. The Council turned explosive. The apothecaries were calling for a reckoning, while the silversmiths, of course, denied any involvement. Both parties blamed the other for killing Van Virren before any more information could be extracted from him. What's more, the guilds were concerned about the cultic ritual involved in the killing. The occasional ritual murder and cult iconography had popped up here and there for some time, but such things never seemed to reach higher than the lower rungs of society, so the guilds hadn't paid it much attention. If these activities reached as high as guilded masters, though, that was another matter altogether. Something had to be done. The situation was threatening to divide the Council, so some of the other guilds did something they thought they'd never do – they asked the empress to intervene. After some back and forth, the parties found an acceptable solution... ----------------------------------------------- By the decree of Caliste of House Rosevech, Empress of Ostebras and Greater Vernat, a task force shall be formed to investigate cult activity in Ostebras, including but not limited to the group to which belonged the late Niklaas Van Virren, formerly Master Third Class of the Silversmiths' Guild. Each guild will be required to submit one representative for membership in the task force. These representatives must hold titles no greater than Journeyman First Class in their respective guilds. Members of the task force shall be selected from this number by Empress Caliste. The task force shall be subject to imperial oversight only, and will operate until such time as abolished by Empress Caliste. ----------------------------------------------- Character Creation Welcome to Shadows in the Guilded City! If you're looking for high fantasy intrigue, skullduggery and a healthy dose of the occult, you've come to the right place. We'll be using the Tavern Tales system. If you haven't heard of it, don't worry! It's entirely online and entirely free at http://www.taverntalesrpg.com/ . Mechanically, it's both simple and incredibly versatile. Here's a link directly to the character creation page in case you hate navigation: http://www.taverntalesrpg.com/#!character-creation/cjme Characters will begin with: - 4 Traits. - The default array of stats (a +3, a +2, a +1 and a -1). - Toughness 10. - 100 gold to spend on starting gear. In general we're in the city and your characters are at least decently well-off so you're not going to be hard up for resources, but there will be times when resources matter. - I'm not “officially” planning to include player races other than human, but if you want to be something non-human and it feels like it fits, that's fine. - Naming conventions: Vaguely Central European-sounding means you're local (to the region, not necessarily the city), and the further you stray from that, the farther away in the world you're from. - Please include a character bio! Make it however short or however long you want. - Your character is part of a guild! What guilds are there? Well, that's up to you! Make up whatever guild you're from. It can be a real-world profession or some kind of fantasy thing – the only limit is your imagination. - Whatever guild you're from, please tell me a little about them and give a brief bio of your guild's grandmaster. - Alternately, you can be a silversmith or an apothecary, in which case I'd like you to flesh out that guild some more.
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Nov 2, 2015 01:02
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PERSONS OF INTEREST IMPERIAL  Caliste of House Rosevech, Empress of Ostebras and Greater VernatCrowned a year ago upon her father's death, 20-year old Caliste has had to deal with a lot upon becoming Empress. When she's not contending with administrative affairs or trying to outmaneuver the Guilds Council, Caliste keeps busy learning ice elemental magic and educating herself in military strategy. She's also trying to counteract her late father's legacy of exploitation by improving living conditions for the city's working class and poor – a source of constant tension between her and the Council.  Brigadier Mathilde Rosevech, Advisor to CalisteMathilde is Caliste's second cousin once removed. Not nearly close enough to have ever had apsirations to the throne, so she threw herself into military service from an early age. Caliste has admired her cousin ever since childhood, relishing the times when Cousin Mathilde would come home from some campaign or another with wild tales of battle and strange trinkets from distant cultures. Now, Mathilde is Caliste's closest confidant and a firm moral compass upon which Caliste often relies.  Arlend Gierle, Advisor to CalisteWhen Caliste was a child, her father brought in masters of arcane magic from across the empire to teach her. It was Arlend's tutelage she took to best. Taciturn and severe, Arlend's manner suited not only the ice elemental magic he practiced, but also Caliste's gritty determination as a student. Today, Arlend is not often seen at Caliste's side – she trains in private, after all – but he remains in the imperial palace nonetheless, keeping a watchful eye.  Yoroa, Advisor to CalisteAn exile from a distant land, Yoroa saved Caliste from an assassin on her coronation day and has been at the empress's side ever since. She is trained in the necromantic arts, though rumours abound that ascribe to her all kinds of other powers. Many distrust her. Some go as far as to claim that she controls the empress through her magic – though none say so in the empress's presence. For her part, Yoroa takes these detractors with a certain sense of humour. One might almost say she enjoys the rumours.  Maarten De Lynd, Imperial InvestigatorTen years ago, having grown tired of the city guard's shoddy investigatory practices, the emperor created the position of Imperial Investigator to get to the bottom of criminal matters. Maarten was one of the first appointments to the position. Analytical, hard-working and a little paranoid, Maarten proved exceptionally well-suited to investigatory work. He's served the Crown faithfully ever since, though his accomplishments are known only by those who he works for, who work for him, or who he works against. GUILDS COUNCIL  Jaspar Huigens, Apothecaries' GrandmasterJaspar Huigens is not the sort of man to take anything on faith. He trusts only experimentally derived results, and even then, not until multiple trials. Fittingly, his reputation as an apothecary is impeccable. As a member of the Council, however, he is notoriously stubborn. He isn't interested in grand plans or distant future goals. If he is to give anything of himself or his guild, he wants to see an immediate and tangible benefit. “Equivalence”, he calls it – a term the rest of the Council is more than tired of hearing.  Irena Van Virren, Silversmiths' GrandmasterElegant, unflappable, and of dubious moral character, Irena Van Virren is exceptionally well-suited to leadership of Ostebras's richest guild. Irena and her guild control everything to do with silver in Ostebras, from mining in the mountains a couple days' ride from the city, to shipping, to smithing, to selling. If anyone outside the guild gets their fingers anywhere near the silver trade, they are quickly absorbed or annihilated. Irena takes a similar approach to politics – anyone she can't buy, she destroys.  Isra Amir, Messengers' GrandmasterAs the first non-native Grandmaster, Isra was once distrusted and disrespected by her colleagues. Yet time upon time again, Lady Amir has proven to not only have a shrewd mind for business but also an unwavering dedication to the men and women under her command. Despite this, her personality can be best described as casual, and she will often speak with a carefree air. There are years of wisdom and experience behind those easygoing words, however, and woe be the person that requires her to lift that veil of kindness and show her wrath.  Cornel Ungur, Stationers and Printers' GrandmasterGuildmaster Ungur has a cold and calculating demeanor, in fact seeming the more calm the more upset he is.He prefers to stay away from guild council's scheming and bickering if possible. While he would like everyone to consider him but a scholar, uninterested in worldly matters, in truth he deems most fellow guildmasters akin to unruly children and is mostly interested in exerting his influence outside of the council, shaping the view of discussed matters, shaping the discourse itself. Admittedly, this is as much Cornel's vanity leading him imagine oneself as a grey eminence, as a very real philosophical fascination with the concept of words shaping reality.  Irenka Dunin, Alchemists' GrandmasterEager to upstage her enemy and former master Jaspar Huigens, Irenka took the oldest noble pastime, backroom politics. She went to any and every guild and influential person that would hear her, promising them worthy returns, new metals for the Blacksmiths, larger stronger crops for the Farmers, and many other promises for many other Guilds, if only they would provide gold and perhaps support her bid for Council status. After all, if she had a Council seat they'd have what they desired so much faster. Now a Council member, Irenka has almost everything she needs to show Jaspar just what her 'fantasies' are capable of.  Agnete Snoeve, Exporters and Importers' GrandmasterAgnete Snoeve climbed the ranks of the Exporters and Importers' guild as a sea captain, making her name on mastery of the treacherous and deadly Vartand Channel. Her skill in navigation opened up a reliable trade route between Ostebras and the isolated nation of Baretu, an act which earned her the rank of Master. She continued to run that route for seven years until Baretu's plutarchy was overthrown and most of the wealthy merchants Agnete had traded - not to mention grown close to over the years - were slain. Agnete swore if she ever returned to Baretu, she'd go with cannons and an army to take revenge on those who'd killed her friends. She spent the next couple years exploring new frontiers. When it came time to elect a new grandmaster, the masters almost unanimously chose Agnete - both for her skill and for the fact that she was the only one without valuable personal rapport with a key trade partner.  Henrike Kai, Geomancers' GrandmasterThe oldest living grandmaster, Henrike Kai often serves as a calming, relatively neutral force on the Council. For the most part, her guild has little to gain from cutthroat politics - the city has long relied on their services for numerous public and private works, and the arcane nature of their work provides enough of a barrier on its own to keep competitors from popping up. The Geomancers need little in the way of funds, as their own works provides well enough for them to keep their guildhall maintained and to send members on the occasional voyage or exchange. Henrike is happy to keep it this way. The Guild as it is has let her live a long and fulfilling life, so why change?  Corentin De Blanc, Architects' GrandmasterCorentin De Blanc sees himself as an artist, and Ostebras as a canvas he's constantly painting. "I only like beautiful things, and Ostebras is my favourite of them all", he'll tell you. "Well, second favourite," he might add if you're an attractive woman at a party. Indeed, Corentin's hedonism is well and widely known. If there's anything he loves more than his work, it's being one of the richest men in Ostebras and all the benefits that come with that. His reputation doesn't go much farther than that - he spends enough time arguing contrarian viewpoints for his own amusement at Council meetings that even most of the other grandmasters would have a hard time putting their finger on his political motivations. Things seem to go the Architects' way more often than not since he became grandmaster, though, so the more perceptive Council members are beginning to suspect him of extensive backroom dealing. Or perhaps they're the ones who've been making deals with him the entire time. He'd certainly never tell.  Emeric Sarel, Blacksmiths' GrandmasterSome might suggest that the Blacksmiths ought to sympathize with the Raaka Clan, as both work in labour-based professions. Emeric Sarel takes umbrage with this idea. "Blacksmithing is a noble and skillful profession," he says. "We master a craft based on generations of wisdom and years upon years of individual practice. What the hell does a bricklayer know about anything?" The Council is well used to this kind of bluster from Emeric. He's a passionate man who does nothing by half and has little time for other people's opinions. He's also at the forefront of the Guild's campaign to gradually take power from the empress. The way he sees it, a committee of the city's most skillful people is far more equipped to govern than "some pampered child who's never made anything of value in her life." He's careful enough with his words to not be accused of high treason, but only just barely.  Jann Grigol, Naturalists' GrandmasterJann Grigol was not only the first person to make it to the summit of the infamous Mt. Crommehorn and back alive, but he took the time to study the ecology of the lesser alpine goat while he was up there. Twenty years ago, this made him a controversial choice for grandmaster. Detractors called him a mere sportsman, and his treatise on alpine goats of little use to anyone other than sportsmen. Nonetheless, his heroics and personal charisma won over enough of the guild for him to get the nomination. He's sat on the Council ever since, his jolly personality earning the Naturalists some surprising allies from among the other guilds. GUILDS Niklaas Van Virren, former Master Silversmith (Third Class) – DECEASED Despite him being the grandmaster's nephew, nobody ever accused Niklaas Van Virren of benefitting from nepotism. Both his skill and Irena's dedication to meritocracy serve as evidence enough to the contrary. Despite this, those in the know would agree that not everything was above board with Niklaas. He'd been seen with suspected criminal lords on multiple occasions, and there were rumours that he was involved with smuggling. Whatever he may or may not have been involved with, the murder and cult involvement has quickly become all anyone remembers him for. Just as quickly, Irena Van Virren posthumously stripped him of his rank and membership in the guild. Hendrik Barle, Master Apothecary (First Class) – DECEASED Hendrik Barle was one of the most productive members the apothecaries' guild had ever seen, churning new potions and tonics out of his laboratory at an alarming rate. They didn't all work, mind. But for all his failed experiments, he did produce a number of concoctions that Ostebras would find it hard to live without. The excavation into the ancient vaults of the Old Undercity, for example, would have had to be stopped permanently if he hadn't invented a cure for graveworm. The only blemish on his record was that he was once caught selling poisons to a minor noble – contrary to the guild's policy of providing poisons exclusively to the Ostebras military. Still, in the balance of things, most would call him a good man. RAAKA CLAN  Harrat Bukaram, Leader of the Raaka ClanFive years of protests, walkouts, and scuffles with guild enforcers. A lifetime of hard work and blood with poor compensation and no recognition. These are the things Harrat Bukaram would tell you brought him to where he is today: The forefront of an ever-growing labour union, and the first in the history of Rosevech rule to receive audience with the monarch. He would also tell you that he is where he is because he's not unique – that he's just one of thousands of men and women, largely migrant workers, who are sick and tired of having no legal recourse against poor treatment and worse pay by their largely guilded employers. Between his imposing figure and the passion with which he speaks, it's hard to disagree with him in person. OTHER  Marlaine Cassebrot, Private InvestigatorIn the old, formerly prestigous district Stub Hill, headquarters of organized crime titan The Family, sits the office of one Private Investigator Marlaine Cassebrot. Living under The Family's watchful gaze, she has to play by the rules like anyone else - her clients understand that "Sorry, I cannot continue the investigation" means only one thing - but she's still been able to do some good for a lot of people inside and outside the district.  Auriane Theux, Investigative AssistantAssistant to Marlaine Cassebrot, Auriane Theux is the organized, focused mind that keeps the brilliant but distractable Marlaine on track. Other than their way of thinking, the two women share much in common: analytical skill, strong work ethic, and distrust of the government and the guilds to name a few. They even look fairly similar.  Dimo Vitolis, Tavern OwnerAfter nearly fifteen years of running a successful tavern in the least restored, scummiest area of Stub Hill, Dimo Vitolis finally picked everything up and moved to the far east end of the district, right on one of the main thoroughfares that leads from the dockside to downtown Ostebras, a few short months ago. The move was controversial for many of his patrons, but Dimo's long planned to move somewhere where he wouldn't have to clean blood up off the floor every night, and he figured the increased traffic from being in a highly traveled location would make up for any loss of patronage. So far it seems to be working well for him - his close friends from the old place still come, and he's finding considerable popularity among traveling merchants looking for someplace a bit safer than the raunchy dockside bars. Wol fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Jan 1, 2016 |
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Nov 2, 2015 01:04
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Making an interest post. I haven't decided at all what I'm gonna do. Gonna wait for an idea to strike me.
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Nov 2, 2015 01:57
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I'll leave an interest post as well. I've got a vague idea, but I need to see if he'll flesh out well.
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Nov 2, 2015 02:45
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Interest post also, I have a few ideas
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Nov 2, 2015 03:34
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 Tamara Muyskens, Journeyman Second Class of the Messenger's Guild When you're with the Messengers, life can be incredibly boring - or incredibly fun. For Tamara, it's the latter. The freedom of running around the city unchallenged, taking paths nobody else can; it is no secret that Tamara is a bit of a thrillseeker. Despite that, she is a well-regarded, efficient Messenger, and there are few people among the ranks that can get a delivery as quickly to their destination as she. Some call her methods too risky and arrogant, but there's no denying that she gets where she needs to go. Even if she might have to fall down two stories or scale some rickety scaffolding. pre:Name; Tamara Muyskens Stats; Brawn 1, Finesse 3, Mind -1, Spirit 2 Toughness / HP; 10 / 40 Themes; Artifice, Beast, Martial Arts, Thievery Traits; Crazy Enough To Work [Artifice] When you explain a plan that is even theoretically possible, it becomes perfectly feasible. The GM can’t cite logic, physics, or difficulty as reasons to decrease your rolls to enact the plan. Also, you’re bolstered to enact your plan. Anytime anyone needs a message to go anywhere, the Messenger's Guild is involved. Whether it's top-secret high-priority missives from a Grandmaster to the Empress, or just your every day mail, the Messengers take care of the information network in Ostebras and the Empire. The un-ranked labourers are the regular postmen and supervisors, but those who prove themselves through a trial can ascend through the ranks. Anybody at the rank of Apprentice deals with low-level registration and bureaucracy (recording sender and receiver including dates, making sure the right deliveryman has the right stuff, etc.), Journeymen and Specialists go out into the city or the region to deliver the same, and Adepts and above deal with everything else. Of course, privacy is one of the utmost concerns of the Guild, and sealed documents will always arrive sealed. But rumours are that there's something bigger than the Grandmastercontrolling a Guild that seems so innocent and efficient, something older than the Empire, and far more dangerous, that knows all that transpires within... but of course, that's just slander by those who feel slighted by the Guild.  Isra Amir, Messengers' Grandmaster As the first non-native Grandmaster, Isra was once distrusted and disrespected by her colleagues. Yet time upon time again, Lady Amir has proven to not only have a shrewd mind for business but also an unwavering dedication to the men and women under her command. Despite this, her personality can be best described as casual, and she will often speak with a carefree air. There are years of wisdom and experience behind those easygoing words, however, and woe be the person that requires her to lift that veil of kindness and show her wrath. Wahad fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Jan 16, 2016 |
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Nov 2, 2015 12:54
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The Ostebras Company of Stationers and Printers is a relative newcomer to the council, with the first printing license awarded to the (now-Guildmaster) Cornel Ungur mere twenty years ago. Initially dismissed as Engineering Guild's newest money sink, the unwieldy, borderline experimental, printing industry enjoyed unprecedented success and rapid rise in stature, becoming - in words of many jealous guildmasters - perhaps the single biggest force controlling the flow of information within the Empire. Facts and rumors: - The Worshipful Guild of Bookmakers was nearly completely swept away by the rapid rise of the fledgling printing industry, saved only by Guildmaster's Velichkov's timely move to secure the art of papermaking itself for the scribes. Suffice to say, the bookmakers aren't exactly on speaking terms with the printers. - It is rumored that Stationers hold an archive of every document ever printed in the Empire. - The Guild is prohibited from printing tomes of Arcana Obscura (this includes disciplines deemed magickal purely out of legal status/tradition, such as Alchemy). While the sages have their wordy philosophical explanations for such a restriction, it is an open secret among the council that the real reason is fear of opening this jealously guarded knowledge to commoners en masse and its possible consequences. - By law, the stationers are forbidden from favouring particular political stances in their printing and can only interfere in the content to protect Guild's quality standards, authorial rights and public decency. In practice, its ability to sway the common opinion - or the very threat of it - is Guild's single biggest bargaining chip. - Regrettably, this editorial clout seems to be working less and less with regards to the Raaka Clan. Partially due to exceeding the critical mass of bullshit, partially due to Raaka's underclass memebers mostly remaining out of the reach of literacy. Some interpret the waning intensity of attacks against the Raaka in the press as a sign of Guildmaster Ungur being ready to rapidly switch sides if Harrat Bukaram does indeed win the Empress' favor... Many among the Council questioned Empress' wisdom in bringing a guild chronicler to a task force whose entire point involves keeping the public from knowing unwelcome developments. Truth be told, those voices did not properly understand the way stationers and printers tend to think - if things get out, we better drat have our side of the story ready. quote:
 Guildmaster Cornel Ungur Former Master Second Class of the Engineer's Guild, Cornel Ungur was a staunch supporter of his co-guildmember's idea of the printing press from the early stages of its inception. Having used his considerable influence and wealth to back the experiment, he became the de facto leader of the project, whose unexpected success allowed spinning off a guild of its own. The move to establish the guild proved fairly unpopular, not only among the threatened Bookkeeper's Guild, but also Engineer's, who felt stripped of their rightful property - especially those who pointed out Cornel became a Guildmaster on the back of a machine he neither invented nor developed himself... Guildmaster Ungur has a cold and calculating demeanor, in fact seeming the more calm the more upset he is.He prefers to stay away from guild council's scheming and bickering if possible. While he would like everyone to consider him but a scholar, uninterested in worldly matters, in truth he deems most fellow guildmasters akin to unruly children and is mostly interested in exerting his influence outside of the council, shaping the view of discussed matters, shaping the discourse itself. Admittedly, this is as much Cornel's vanity leading him imagine oneself as a grey eminence, as a very real philosophical fascination with the concept of words shaping reality. Lichtenstein fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Jan 18, 2016 |
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Nov 2, 2015 20:53
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Also, I don't exactly get this trait:quote:Rumor Mill • Slow Action Like, it sounds like deliberately inventing rumors and then finding out one was true which really fucks with my sense of causality. Or is it supposed to mean I just roleplay talking about poo poo I heard in character to introduce the rumors in a fun way? I don't really get it, but I'd like to, because it sounds like it would go really well with a newspaper theme.
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Nov 2, 2015 21:46
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 Josef Pospíšil, Journeyman Third Class of the Nightmen's Guild Josef Pospíšil came to Ostebras from a small, outlying river village where he was the second of four children, Lenka and Lukáš being 6 years younger and Vojtech being a year older. Josef grew up like many children in his village, working the fields with his parents and brother. A young Josef showed a particular aptitude with the complicated work of irrigation, the diverting of streams and assembling of piping necessary to bring water to the fields. When his older brother married, his new wife brought 2 of her unwed brothers along to help work the fields. The new hands allowed Josef to spend less time working the fields and more time working on the pipes. Soon he was approached by some of their neighbors seeking his, relative, expertise. He brokered an agreement, he'd set up the irrigation at the neighboring farms and teach them how to properly maintain them, and in exchange they would send any spare hands to his family's farm to help them work the fields. The idea that people wanted his skills was something of a revelation to Josef and he quickly seized the opportunities it represented. He gained his parents blessing, bid his siblings farewell, and made the journey to Ostebras. Now he works with poo. It's not quite the work he expected, but Josef took to sewer work with the same mindset he had with the farm, it is something that needs to be done and he has the skills to do it. His straightforward, some might call it blunt, attitude and keen mind have served him well, both in the sewers themselves and with his fellows in the guild, and he has found himself a sort of second family in the guild. pre:Name: Josef Pospíšil Stats: Brawn +1, Finesse +2, Mind +3, Spirit -1 Toughness: 10 Life: 40 ==Themes== Artifice, Bardic Lore, Tracking ==Traits== =Exploration= Ingenuity [Artifice] Increase all rolls you make to build, deconstruct, and fix. Tracker [Tracking] Increase all rolls you make to track. You have a perfect sense of direction. =Interaction= Connections [Artifice] Nightmen's Guild When you gain this trait, work with your GM to create an organization, or select a pre-established one. You are an honored member of that organization. No matter where you go, that organization has a presence in the area. =Combat= Demolition Charge [Artifice] Slow Action Describe how you create an item → Create a bomb and determine the trigger condition. When activated, it charges obviously and ominously for less than a minute (runes appear, a clock counts down, it glows red-hot, etc ) and then explodes, annihilating structures and brutally maiming creatures (or worse). Work with the GM to determine the explosion size. ==Gear== =Weapons= Large Monkey Wrench [Melee/Staggering] Emergency Crossbow [Ranged/Accurate] =Armour= Protective Leathers [Light] =Equipment= 20 Gold The Nightmen's Guild control the setup and maintenance of the cities' vast sewage network. It is a close knit, thinly spread guild, for there are many more miles of pipes and tunnels than there are bodies willing to work them. They do not posses much outright power, but only the foolish would raise their ire. Grandmaster Procházka does not like to flaunt the cities' need of the guild, preferring to keep them to their tunnels and dealing with their necessary but unpleasant work.  Ondrej Procházka, Grandmaster of the Nightmen's Guild Just like every other member of his guild Ondrej started at the bottom, apprentice to a a more experienced Nightman, and worked his way up. Many years of service and a great degree of respect from his peers made Ondrej the obvious choice when the time came for a new Grandmaster. Once at the top he began changing the structure and operation of the guild to emulate the same methods that had gained him his position. Among the guild he cultivates an atmosphere of brotherhood and solidarity, no infighting allowed. The way he sees it, Nightmen have to keep the waste running for the city, or they'll get removed and they can't keep the waste running if they're busy fighting with themselves. Ondrej knows what can happen to those deemed "troublesome" under an new, unsure regime, and he aims to keep the Nightmen around for a long, long time edit: fixed the table shattery-ness ShootaBoy fucked around with this message at 08:26 on Nov 4, 2015 |
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Nov 2, 2015 22:09
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The Guild of Henges, Temples, Ominous Rocks and Allied trades is among the oldest organisations, if not guilds, in the city. Originally starting as the Pantheons grand cathedral as the empire expanded and an increasing number of different faiths were, to a greater or lesser degree of difficulty, added to the empire. Over time the large board has had to alter itself to fit the changing needs of the populace and of its own new found brothers and sisters in faith. In time they decided that with the increasing power of the guilds it was better to incorporate than to potentially remain outside of the circle.  Facts and Rumours -The vast central Pantheon is a repository of many hundreds of ancient relics, some of dubious prominence and worth. It is also rumoured that the vast catacombs beneath the Cathedral hold the bones of every single member of every single priesthood for the past 100 years. - The vast silver mines that the Church once controlled were grudgingly handed over to the silversmiths in the reign of the last emperor. The Church still receives funding for it but some members still nurse old grudges about the apparent favouring of the mercantile over the spiritual. -There is great debate within the Guild over whether to support the Raaka clan, some members find their methods distasteful and the fact that some of the more out spoken members of the group have expressed distaste for all religions. Others are much more earnest, seeing in the fire that they wield a potential not only to better the lot of the majority of their parishioners, but also to have a bargaining chip against the other guilds. (more to come)
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Nov 3, 2015 13:13
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"Here I am performing a ballroom dip." Nashwa Basheer, 1st Class Journeywoman of the Musical Artist's Guild Years ago some friends and I walked the Long Road to Ostebras from the rocky hills to the far, unconquered East searching for fame and fortune. One turned before the end of the first hot day, another didn't make it a week, the last jumped on a caravan heading home before the first month marked one twelfth of the journey complete. It was all for the best though, being the last one gave me a head start learning how to fit in anywhere, and join in whatever song was being sung, and made me special. I'll never admit to homesickness, but will talk the ear off of anyone in the city who looks like they might be from my lands. Usually they're just not from around here. Not from where I was. That's the past though. In the present I made a deal with the Empress and her Guildmaster to bring a lot of renown to the immigrants by doing the very important work of resolving this murder mystery. When we do our part for crown and country, we might start breaking into the Master ranks of more than just the Messenger's Guild (nothing against them, but a lot of people seem to think they don't count). Starting with me! Seeing the looks on the faces of all those Masters of Dance who said I wasn't graceful elegant or artistic enough will be honey sweet... quote:Name: Nashwa Basheer Guild of Musical Artists Singers, dancers, composers, and musicians of all types. The founding members, aka the guys with the most seniority now, are opera singers who were tired of being mistreated and underpaid by the owners of the concert halls and other venues. The old emperor, always their biggest patron and supporter, was the one who convinced them and helped them to set it up, so their approval of his daughter is high too. So high that I can make anyone jealous by telling them the time she stood up to applaud our native dance when I was still Journeywoman second class. Grandmaster Friederich Uhl An operatic bass-baritone who's been trying to integrate foreign talent into the empires own works. When's he gonna let us play our tunes and dance our dances in his concert halls? "Soon." Still, he seems like a good guy and loves that I can mimic his and his colleague's voices. Makes me a good understudy. He also stood up for me when some of the skeptics weren't too into size changing dances. He said they were just jealous I didn't have to get so round to project my voice. I don't know what's wrong with being round, the richest city in the richest country would have the richest food, wouldn't it? I kind of want to stay lean and mean here though, even though he and everyone's always telling me to try this fried dough or that cured meat or beer, it'd probably hurt if I tried to scale up afterwards. Besides, do you really want this drunk?  That's me preparing to partner dance with the guildmaster with just my left hand. Never played Tavern Tales before, I'm open to suggestions about mechanics or aesthetics or whatnot. e; changed a 2nd combat trait to a 2nd interaction trait since it's gonna be mostly investigation and intrigue. slydingdoor fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Nov 3, 2015 |
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Nov 3, 2015 18:13
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Lichtenstein posted:The rest I'll be able to fill in upon receiving an answer from Wol, as I'm not sure about how he imagines the task force. Is it a big, publicized affair to control damage of the major scandal that was Van Virren's death, or is it rather an almost-clandestine thing, hoping to get this poo poo sorted out before it spills out from the guildhouses to the streets? *She, and somewhere in between. The scandal is widely known amongst the court, guilds and nobles, but everyone has more or less agreed for now that there's nothing to be gained by announcing it to the public. Also, please don't take the Rumour Mill trait. In a game that'll be largely focused around investigation, being able to create truth seems too strong.
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Nov 3, 2015 18:24
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Thanks for the answer. I edited my remaining stuff into the previous post.
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Nov 3, 2015 19:06
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This sounds like an interesting system. Do have an idea when apps close and is this PBP?
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Nov 4, 2015 04:33
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This is PbP, and apps close...sometime. IF you're worried about not having enough time to app, don't worry, you have time.
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Nov 4, 2015 04:47
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I'm really interested in this but I've never done a pbp on trad games. Would this be okay for a newbie such as myself?
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Nov 4, 2015 06:42
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Yeah you bet! Come on in, and if you have questions about anything at any point I'll be happy to answer.
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Nov 4, 2015 08:02
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"Look I'm out booze. You can either leave peacefully or become my new entertainment. So what's gonna be!" Areil Dabna 1st Class Journeymen of the Corsair Guild "Search". This was the geas the Wheel of Progress placed on Areil when she was a little girl. Her decision to join the Corsair was a way for her to fulfill the commandant of her lord. At least it was at first, now a days it is an way for her to get paid doing her favorite things, fighting and partying, across the world. Unfortunately, her partying got her grounded after she was found partaking in the goods of a shipment. The guild sent Areil to the task force hoping that experience in the capital will temper her disposition to be as resolute as her skill with the blade. quote:
Patron Vio, The Voice of Inspiration  quote:Vio is a Remnant. They are being born of the collective unconscious and represent concepts. Remnants' power grow and wane with the popularity of the concepts they represent. As Vio is a progresses and industrialization his power is on the rise. Note: Wol I change anything about the patron if you need it. The Corsair Guild The Corsair is the premium shipping and exploration company in the empire. It is one of the younger guilds on the council. The combination of skyship raids and sponsored expeditions has helped to expand the borders of the empire. Additionally, they function as a special forces of imperial navy. It is organized between two main branches: ship captains and explorers. Captains work to preserve trade routes, while the Explorers go to fringe areas of the world to seek for new materials and people.  Hazam Takam, Grandmaster Corsair The Big Boss, Hazam shaped the Corsair into what they are today thanks to his iron ruthless in trade and battle. Hazam inherited the Grandmastership in massive battle in the sky were his predecessor was shot down. He has turned the Corsair from a primarily merchant force into a military one. Thankfully, when off the job he can loosen up and is known for the wild parties he throws at his residence. JesterOfAmerica fucked around with this message at 14:59 on Nov 9, 2015 |
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Nov 4, 2015 20:13
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Calli Galbraith Journeywoman 3rd Class Apothecaries' Guild Knowledge is power and Calli wants nothing more to scry the secrets of the world by any means possible. This has lead her into the study of alchemy and other arcane arts. Growing up in Ostebras, she realized the importance of having and selling information. She is well versed in the power struggles and politics that run the city. With the recent changes in the Apothecaries' Guild, she hopes to use this opportunity to move up in ranks.  Stats Brawn: -1 Finesse: +2 Mind: +3 Spirit: +1 Traits Alchemy, Occultism, Arcane Traits Alchemy Exploration Mutagen -> You can spend reagents to create a mutagen, which can cause any effect imaginable. Collaborate on your mutagen's effects. For every beneficial effect your mutagen has, the GM gives it a detrimental side-effect. Occultism Interaction Dark Bargain -> At any point, gain creative license to temporarily channel your patron's power. However, this power comes at a price. The more power you channel, the greater the price. Exploration Cast into the Void -> You can open a 1-space hold to the void for several minutes. The void is in an endless, empty nothing. Anyting cast into the void is gone for all eternity. Arcane Interaction Mutual Edification -> When you honestly reveal information to someone or answer one of their questions, they must share equally important information or answer an equally sensitive question. Gear Weapons Staff (Melee and Staggering) -25 gold Wand of Bleeding (Ranged and Rending) -25 gold Armor Robes [Light Armor] -20 gold Equipment Gold Remaining: 30 gold Patron Geron, The Librarian  Geron is demonic entity who is completely neutral in alignment to the world's problems. He is the organizer of secrets, gatekeeper to unknown knowledge, lover of dusty tombs, speaker of languages, and promoter of quiet order. He will share his knowledge only if the seeker understand the complex cataloging process Geron has set up in order to dissuade casual aspirants. Guild Apothecaries' Guild As mentioned before, the Apothecaries' have had some changes of management, which may lead to new guild policies. As of now, the guild focuses mainly on medicinal concoctions. Herbs and poultrices to treat the various diseases of the city and beyond. The researching of poisons, curses, and other mixtures of war are not against guild policy, but is frowned upon by many of the members. Some say this is what caused the death of Master Apothecary Hendrik Baarle, who took a much more liberal approach on the research and selling of less savory preparations. Baarle's sloppy experimental process also led to certain "accidents" in the guild hall that cost the guild expensive restitution fees. Some hope the rise of Grandmaster Jaspar Huigens will return the guild back to the glory days when the guild was respected and had more clout with the Imperial Court. Others feel Huigens is too obstinate to enact any semblance of change. Only time shall tell. Ms. Happiness fucked around with this message at 09:49 on Jan 9, 2016 |
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Nov 6, 2015 14:56
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goddamn that website is not the funnest. Also, just going with a concept/character I've played elsewhere and haven't read any of the other apps, so apologies if I inadvertently step on toes. Also  lemme know if I'm missing anything.Is it safe to assume my Combat traits will work together?  Ghepard [theme music] Ghepard was born in the wild, but most of his tribe was decimated by plague. Moving to a large city, he took up a life of crime, as often is the case with the impoverished, struggling to get by in a new society. His talents as a thief caught the eye of the local authorities; luckily, he was taken into the employ of someone high up, and began operating as a "black ops" agents. Over the years, he committed many guild-sanctioned crimes. Through the years, he did freelance work as a private investigator, spy, bounty hunter... anything that suited his skillset and paid well. His travels eventually took him to Ostebras... Ghepard is smug and self-assured, but also cynical and hard-nosed. He likes fine cigars, amongst many other vices. While he is a proficient killer, his greatest thrill is escaping capture (whether in the immediate- or long-term). Ghepard has the mind of a great detective -- being capable of thinking like a thief often helps him stay one step ahead of his targets. An excellent sniper, whenever possible he prefers to fight from range. ... Themes of interest: (in case we get more traits later, or something) Tracking, Thievery, Savagery, Beast Traits: - Detective [Interaction:Tracking]
Brawn: -1 Finesse: +3 Mind: +2 Spirit: +1 100 gold: Lockpicks – 10 gold Accurate Ranged Weapon – 25 gold [The base damage of your ranged attacks is d8 instead of d6] Infinite Bundle – 50 gold [save] -- 15 gold The Mercenaries Guild A loosely affiliated group, mercenaries generally know their own, but rarely work together outside of their "cells." A wide variety of skillsets can be found within the guild; some are brutes and ruffians, while others are skilled in subtlety -- whether that means espionage and infiltration, or outright assassinations. Magicians are rare -- their fireworks tend to be too loud and messy -- but those who manipulate magic more discretely (or charmingly) can sometimes find employ within the guild.  Guildmaster: Duke Okenstav, of the Mercenaries Guild Though there are many Dukes or Duchesses who operate their own bands of mercenaries, Duke Okenstav is considered to be the ringleader of the informal "mercenaries guild," (only ever spoken of in hushed tones) and generally any mercenaries operating outside the sanction of the guild will find themselves more often in trouble with legitimate forms of law enforcement -- and have a harder time getting out of their jails. Okenstav is a shrewd, sage man -- a deep thinker who puts value on the bigger picture. He values tradition and old-fashioned chivalry, respect for ones enemies -- but that's never stopped him from hiring those who delve into the shadows. P.d0t fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Nov 7, 2015 |
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Nov 7, 2015 05:21
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This is a neat system. I'd like to make an app, but I won't be able to post it til Sunday night at the earliest, since I'm currently out of town. Consider this an interest post.
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Nov 7, 2015 19:45
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P.d0t posted:
I realized I completely missed what Class of Journeyman to be; is this A Thing, and if so, where on the site should I be looking?
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Nov 9, 2015 04:09
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It doesn't mean anything other than "Your character can't be a Master or Grandmaster".
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Nov 9, 2015 06:11
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@ShootaBoy: I don't like the poo man. Sorry. Got any other ideas on the plate? @P.d0t: Yep, the combat traits would work together. ------------- Would like to get started by next weekend...if you're considering making an app, please get it done this week!
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Nov 9, 2015 07:05
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Ghepard is a  First Class Journeyman, in the Mercenaries Guild.
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Nov 9, 2015 07:32
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I am looking at some ideas right now, but I came up with a question. How does Grappler from Martial Artist work? How does it interact with the make a melee attack in a cone part of Dragon's Breath from Dragon? Also does Demand Tribute from Dragon seem like it would work for a Panhandler/Beggar's Guild?
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Nov 9, 2015 07:59
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Wol posted:@ShootaBoy: I don't like the poo man. Sorry. Got any other ideas on the plate? Aww  rip poomanI'll whip up a new post either tonight or tommorrow. edit: update this post with ideas as I have 'em and see if any in particular catch your eye Wol. Bookie for the pugilists guild Blacksmith guy or gal "Equestrian" guild that trains and rides a lot more than just horses merchants guild Foreign, world traveling chef Alchemist guild gal that is VERY adamant that alchemy is not potion brewing and that it is, in fact, science dammit I'll add more at some point... probably ShootaBoy fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Nov 9, 2015 |
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Nov 9, 2015 08:52
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Alrighty, finally got the images to work on my character. If everything looks good to Wol, I'm gonna say my character is donesky.
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Nov 9, 2015 14:36
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ShootaBoy posted:Aww The last one would step on the toes of the Apothecaries, but otherwise they're all good! @ Ms. Happiness: looks good to me!
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Nov 9, 2015 22:22
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Wol posted:The last one would step on the toes of the Apothecaries, but otherwise they're all good! That was pretty much the idea. In my mind they're a small group focused around attempting to directly create new stuff, instead of brewing some plants into a burn salve they'd want to create a plant that's can just be directly applied and has the same effects. They're either an ideological splinter of the Apothecaries or founded by an outcast from them as a sort of "I'll show you fools I was right!  " deal.I'll leave their exact situation up to you, and until then I'll just work on 2 different versions of her, as I've found myself quite taken with her idea.
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Nov 9, 2015 22:56
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ShootaBoy posted:That was pretty much the idea. In my mind they're a small group focused around attempting to directly create new stuff, instead of brewing some plants into a burn salve they'd want to create a plant that's can just be directly applied and has the same effects. They're either an ideological splinter of the Apothecaries or founded by an outcast from them as a sort of "I'll show you fools I was right! Here's my concern: There are people who would be in that situation, but they wouldn't be representatives of a guild. Becoming a recognized guild with a seat on the Council in Ostebras requires significant funds and clout, and generally either sucking up to the Council so they'll give you a seat, paying them off with incredible sums of money, or being big enough and important enough to the city that you can successfully lobby the Empress (or, formerly, Emperor) into appointing you to the Council. If you can write up this Alchemists' Guild such that it makes sense within this context, we're good to go.
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Nov 9, 2015 23:16
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Now with less poo! Hana Nemec, Journeyman First Class of the Alchemist's Guild Like her Guildmaster, Hana is formerly of the Apothecaries Guild, having left alongside her. From an early age Hana had a great curiosity and desire to push the boundaries around her, often this landed her in trouble as most parents dislike explosions in the attic. As soon as they were able, her parents got her an apprenticeship in the Apothecaries Guild, having long resigned themselves to her desire to experiment, but wanting to avoid re-tilling the roof... again. Hana had a few masters before finding the one that understood her need to create and agreed with her, one Irenka Dunin. Under her tutelage Hana completed her apprenticeship and became a full Apothecary, though she often still acted as an assistant of sorts to her former master, helping her create her fledgling art of alchemy. So when Irenka split from the Apothecaries, it was only logical that Hana would be right there alongside her. Now Hana is a founding member of the Alchemist's Guild, and their highest ranked member besides the Guildmaster.She acts as the de facto second in command due to her part, small as it was, in the creation of their discipline. Fiercely loyal to Irenka and the Guild, she shares her masters dreams of a guild that rivals the Apothecaries in size and status, and is willing to put all of her ability into making it a reality. Name: Hana Nemec Stats: Brawn -1, Finesse +1, Mind +3, Spirit +2 Toughness: 10 Life: 40 ==Themes== Artifice, Psionics, Alchemy, Arcane ==Traits== =Exploration= Grappling Hana produces a medium sized tube with a large blob of... something on one end. "Now THIS is a good one, this blob here used to be iron but a few mishaps left it considerably... gooey-er. BUT, it's still metallic, so it still get affected by these special stones I discovered. So with the proper application of electricity, I can shoot it out and bring it back at will! It's great for grabbing stuff from tall shelves!" Pull yourself to a target within a far distance, or pull it to you (whichever is more logical). If you or your target is falling dangerously, you can use this immediately (even if it isn’t your turn). Perfect Mind [Psionics] "Hard work will take you far, but a good mind for problems doesn't hurt." You have a perfect memory, and you can instantly complete complex mental exercises. =Interaction= Polyglot [Arcane] "I have a few tongues under my belt, Mother and Miss Yitalo insisted on it. I'm only passable with most of them really, but sometimes passable is all you need." Collaborate on which additional languages you know. =Combat= Flashbang [Alchemy] "Oh I've got a million and one ways to make it! I've even got one that I can do with just potatoes and water, wanna see? You can create an incredibly bright flash and loud bang in a zone. Creatures in the zone gain the condition “Blind and deaf ” until the effects fade. ==Gear== =Weapons= Custom Launcher [Ranged/Accurate] Using the same stones found in her grappling device, Hana uses this rifle length tube to launch metal chunks at high speeds. Shock Prod [Melee/Disarming] "Well this was originally designed to lightly stimulate muscles to speed up recovery. Rest in peace Flopsy... it's pretty good at stopping a rowdy drunk though!" =Armour= Protective Lab Gear [Light] =Equipment= 20x Ammunition Pouches Alchemist's Guild The history of the Alchemist's Guild is a short and troubled one. It's members pursue what many call foolish dreams and fantasy, the bending of nature into new, never before seen shapes. Why settle, they argue, for cramming a dozen plants into a bottle to relieve an ache when you could breed an entirely new plant whose leaves could be chewed, straight from the branch, for the same effect? Why go through the effort of mixing copper and tin, when a new metal that serves the same purpose could be formed, ready and waiting to be shaped? New trees that bear more than one fruit, crops that are hardier, more resistant to disease and grow larger, the Alchemist's claim all these and more are possible if only the correct ratios are found. A few explosions in the meantime are just the costs of progress!  Irenka Dunin, Grandmaster of the Alchemist's Guild Formerly Master Apothecary First Class, Irenka split from the Apothecaries shortly after Jaspar Huigens took the position of Grandmaster. The two had a long simmering rivalry due to their differing approaches to their craft. While Jaspar trusted only the vigorously tested and exhaustively noted, Irenka preferred a much... looser, approach to it, trying to improve her mixes with 'a dash of this' or 'a sprig of that'. While Jaspar disliked Irenka's methods, that was something that could be tolerated, what finally brought the two to blows was Irenka's pet project, alchemy. Now that he was Grandmaster, Jaspar voiced his opinons of the amount of time and work Irenka put into her, "silly, unscientific, and entirely wasteful fantasies." Irenka gathered her equipment and those apprenticed to her and stormed from the building. The next morning a letter was nailed to Jaspar's door formally announcing Irenka's departure from the Apothecary Guild. Eager to upstage her enemy, Irenka took the oldest noble pastime, backroom politics. She went to any and every guild and influential person that would hear her, promising them worthy returns, new metals for the Blacksmiths, larger stronger crops for the Farmers, and many other promises for many other Guilds, if only they would provide gold and perhaps support her bid for Council status. After all, if she had a Council seat they'd have what they desired so much faster. Now a Council member, Irenka has almost everything she needs to show Jaspar just what her 'fantasies' are capable of. edit: Screw the nice presentation, I'm sick of it breaking tables. ShootaBoy fucked around with this message at 10:43 on Jan 10, 2016 |
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Nov 10, 2015 01:14
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I just came here to post this: 
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Nov 12, 2015 05:58
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Well everytime I try to make a character, something goes wrong and school's being busy as hell, I think it's a sign I shouldn't apply to this.
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Nov 13, 2015 08:18
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The Guilds Council Chamber is twice as full as usual, but far from the usual scheming, bickering, and drinking of expensive wine, the room is near silent. Each of the grandmasters is accompanied by their respective picks for the empress's new task force. This puts them in an awkward social position, as any schemes they would normally talk about in front of their fellow grandmasters, they can't talk about in front of their students - while any advice or comfort they might want to give their students would be too humanizing for them to say in front of a Council they might have to cajole, intimidate or backstab tomorrow. Henrike Kai of the Geomancers' Guild is alone in not caring, and reassures her white-knuckled young journeyman that the empress is actually quite kind and generous and nothing to be scared of. Though whispered, her words carry around the room, perhaps giving you a bit of solace as well. A couple minutes pass. You see Irenka Dunin of the Alchemists' Guild adjust her glasses impatiently, and Corentin De Blanc of the Architects' Guild raises a finger and makes a face like he's about to make some clever remark. You're spared his witticism, though, as the Chamber's immense oaken doors begin to slowly creak open. Two imperial guards step into the room side by side, then part, each taking up post to one side of the doors. Empress Caliste then follows, the picture of elegance as she glides into the room, her feet barely touching the ground. The room rises to its feet as one. Then, behind the empress, the council guards pull the doors closed again. You can see another two imperial guards standing outside with them, along with the empress's advisor, Brigadier Mathilde Rosevech.  "You may be seated."Caliste surveys the room. The journeymen are all new faces to her, and she makes sure to lock eyes with each of you, giving you a nod and a slight smile. A young scribe sitting in the corner of the room places her quill to paper, ready to record the session. "Honourable Speaker, if you please." "The Guilds Council of Ostebras hereby convenes its two thousand, six hundred and fifty-first session on this day, Gersmanod the fifth, in the year one thousand and ninety-five, with the following stated purpose: The selection by Caliste of House Rosevech, Empress of Ostebras and Greater Vernat of journeymen from the Guilds of Ostebras for the formation of a task force which is to investigate cultic activity related to the deaths of Hendrik Barle, Master Apothecary First Class and Niklaas Van Virren, former Master Silversmith Third Class, as well as cultic activity within Ostebras in general." "Thank you, Honourable Speaker. Before I reveal who I have selected for the task force, I would like to give some context that should allay any fears or suspicions that may spring to the minds of those whose candidates were not chosen. My selections were made after careful consideration and extensive consultation with my advisors. My selections were made with the aim of putting together an investigative unit that will be focused, competent, cooperative with each other, and able to approach the obstacles they will face from numerous perspectives. I also made sure to select a team of individuals who did not already know each other, so that no baggage will be brought into the task force. If your candidate was not selected, it has nothing to do with you or your guild as a whole." "I would also like to give a small word to the candidates I do not call forward. You were all well chosen for candidacy and I have personally enjoyed learning about you and your works. This task force has a very specific aim, and nobody thinks any less of you for not being chosen."Caliste flips the latches on a silver-gilt pyx resting on the podium in front of her. Gently, she removes the lid, placing it to one side. "Now. If I call your name, please come forward to receive the blessing of pure sight, then take one of the seats here beside me." "Tamara Muyskens, Journeyman Messenger Second Class."Tamara makes her way toward Caliste, who dips her thumb in the pyx then draws it vertically down Tamara's forehead, leaving a dusty purple mark. Caliste waits for her to be seated, then calls up the next candidate. "Lovro Strnad, Journeyman Stationer Third Class." "Calli Galbraith, Journeyman Apothecary Third Class." "Hana Nemec, Journeyman Alchemist First Class."In turn, each of you who are chosen approach Caliste, receive the blessing and sit down. You start feeling quite alert, with small details around the room that you'd never ordinarily notice coming into perfect focus. "That is all."Caliste lets the words linger, staring into the eyes of Emeric Sarel of the Blacksmiths' Guild, who looks like he's about to explode. A couple awkward seconds go by before Emeric can't resist anymore and shoots to his feet, ramming his hand down into the mahogany round table. Before he can say anything, Jaan Grigol of the Naturalists' Guild cuts him off with a hearty laugh.  "You have a flair for the dramatic, Caliste! Quite mysterious choices you've made. We'll be debating them for weeks!"Emeric's face remains a murderous shade of red, but he says nothing and slowly returns to his seat, glaring at the empress the whole time. "Whatever you have to discuss amongst yourselves, you may do shortly. For my part, the Talessan ambassador is probably wondering where I am by now. If any of you have questions for me that aren't 'Why wasn't my candidate chosen', you can speak with me at the usual time. As for my new task force, one of my advisors and my investigator who was in charge of tracking down Niklaas Van Virren are ready in the other room to meet you when you're ready. It's the room with the, ah, golden bird thing perched over the door. Farewell for now."Caliste's guards open the doors behind her as she's putting the lid back on her pyx, and she glides back out of the room, somewhat more urgently than she came in. You're left to your own devices until Henrike Kai of the Geomancers' Guild speaks up.  "Congratulations! And don't worry, she always leaves like that. Sometimes I pity the young, always having to run from place to place. So much is expected of them. But this is an exciting opportunity for you. You can trust the empress's people to give you what you need...and us, too, if at any time you're looking for advice. Now go! Be young! There's much for you to do!"--------------------------------------------------------------------- The Persons of Interest post is updated! Go check it out. The party consists of: Wahad as Tamara Muyskens Lichtenstein as Lovro Strnad Ms. Happiness as Calli Galbraith ShootaBoy as Hana Nemec Thread'll be up soon, probably tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to post your character's initial reactions and assessments of your fellow task force members.
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Nov 15, 2015 06:11
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 Hana Nemec"Gods bless Miss Yitalo and her abominable high etiquette lessons.", is one of the many thoughts slamming through Hana's mind after her name is spoken by the Empress herself. Her face is kept perfectly straight while she receives her mark, the only thing betraying the gamut of emotions she's experiencing is a small hitch in her step, a slight unsteadiness. After the Empress has left and the task force has been dismissed from the Council Chamber, Hana makes her way to the 'golden bird room' while considering her new fellows. She's not sure what qualities got Ms. Muyskens her spot, she seems like she'd have her head in the clouds, she jumps off of buildings for a living after all. It's obvious why Mr. Strnad was picked, a chronicler knows a lot of people that know a lot things, and they're good at following a lead. Hana is unsure about working with an Apothecary, the split wasn't the most amicable event and some people hold grudges very well. Recalling the words of the Empress, Hana resolves to keep their Guild differences outside the taskforce and to focus on finding out what this cult has planned. Sorry this took so long. Got kinda caught up with my birthday yesterday, and spent most of today with Fallout. ShootaBoy fucked around with this message at 06:15 on Nov 17, 2015 |
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Nov 17, 2015 06:03
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 Calli Galbraith Calli is visibly pleased with herself to be appointed to the task force. She offers a slight smirk to those guilds not chosen, not at all pitying the other guilds. After the rest of room shuffles out, she makes her way to the room with the golden bird to meet with her fellow appointees. "Well then!" she exclaims as she flounces in the room, "What an interesting turn of events! Anybody have the faintest idea how we should go about investigating this torrid turn of events?"
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Nov 17, 2015 08:23
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 Lovro Strnad Lovro was way above his paygrade - the Council, the Empress, the golden... bird... thing - and he knew it all to way. This place did not play by the anthill rules, and so any chance of opening one's mouth was a chance to breach some arcane etiquette rule and pike off some men Lovro had no intention of messing with. Therefore, he just bowed politely and - despite attempts to look natural - stiffly followed everyone to the assigned room. As a relatively uncultured street boy, Lovro tends to pepper his thoughts and speech with Ostebras slang. If you berks ever get confused, I limit myself to applicable parts of the slang used in Planescape: Torment. Lichtenstein fucked around with this message at 13:50 on Nov 18, 2015 |
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Nov 18, 2015 13:42
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Game Thread OOC Rules: If you have a short OOC message or question to go along with a post you're making in the game thread, you can put it in that post in italics. All other OOC questions, discussion and random chatter should go in this thread, please!
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Nov 20, 2015 14:59
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 02:27 |
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How would I use a power in game? Like, right now, I want to use my Taste of Alchemy power on the whisky given to me. Would I PM you or just write in italics in the gaming thread?
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Nov 25, 2015 08:09
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