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[KittenMaster]

I consider backstories kind of overrated other than justifying why your character is in the adventure. I usually end up coming up with the juicy backstory narrative on the fly during roleplay.

Feats are the worst, I agree (you kind of already have to know how to play the game to pick the most appropriate ones.) Fortunately Ranger comes with a bunch of feats that ignore requirements for them and the Druid part likes metamagic feats.

As for skills, Pathfinder made it really easy to get skills because the rank cap is pretty low. I usually get whatever skills make the most sense for my characters occupation, which for a Druid/Ranger would probably be stuff like:

- Climb/Swim/Fly/Acrobatics (because turning into an animal you would probably have done a lot of running around in your life)
- Survival/Knowledge(Geography)
- Stealth (Rangers are the Big Boss class, and the Druid can turn into animals as an aspect of stealth)
- Handle Animal
- Perception (one of the most common useful skills and it runs off of Wis).

 

[Mike M]

After almost five days of reading rules and stuff and my character is still nowhere near from finished... I thought picking a race and classes was already hard, but now I somehow find myself confronted with skills/feats/traits and whatnot.

And don't get me started on coming up with a backstory for my catfolk druid/ranger.

I'm stuck at my parents house ignoring the game today, so I've got all day to help out if you need it.

I consider backstories kind of overrated other than justifying why your character is in the adventure. I usually end up coming up with the juicy backstory narrative on the fly during roleplay.

Back story's my bread and butter of RP!

 

[Nezumi]

I'm stuck at my parents house ignoring the game today, so I've got all day to help out if you need it.

I think I'll take you up on that offer later

 

[ThLunarian]

((Alright everyone, let's get back into form for the thread. Just to brush up on conventions and to make things easier: For any out-of-game talk, mark it with either double parentheses, or some kind of other bracketing marks. When your character is speaking outloud, use quotation marks. At your option, you may use spoiler tags if you feel they're needed, but remember to label who is allowed to see it. Also, try not to highlight spoilers that aren't meant for you, but if you can't resist, then at least make sure your character doesn't know any of the information that he or she wasn't supposed to see.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to do individual scenes with each character, to introduce them and give everyone a sense of what's going to happen when the actual game starts. First up is Axel.))

The first thing he notices is the heat. Suffocating, inescapable, discomforting heat.

This is in stark contrast to the appearance of the room in which Ciel finds himself. Sterile and well-organized, filled bookshelves line the walls. Toward the back of the room is an ornate desk, carved of the finest ebony. At the center of the desk's frontpiece is the carved head of a goat, with menacing eyes which pierce straight into Ciel's soul.

Seated at the other side of the desk is a figure with those very same features.

The goat head is attached to the body of a man, and that man is paying no attention to Ciel. He is looking down at stack of papers, an inked quill in his clawed hand occasionally scrawling something on a page. He is dressed in a business suit befitting only the wealthiest of nobility.

Ciel would like to move, or even speak, but an invisible force is preventing him from doing either. He is left only with his thoughts, for what seems an eternity, stewing in the stifling office. Beads of sweat form on his brow, trickling uncomfortably down his face.

Finally, the goat-headed man on the other side of the desk sets down the quill and gazes ahead. "Ciel," he says, smiling with his mouth, though his eyes sing a different tune. "So good of you to finally join us. Of course, you know what this is about. Time to pay the piper."

Suddenly Ciel finds that he is able to at least move his lips and speak, though the rest of his body is still beyond his control. The moment he hears the voice of the creature before him, he knows to whom it belongs.

The creature is Asmodeus, King of the Devils, and Lord of the Nine Hells.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((All right! I've been looking forward to this part. Time to get the ball rolling for #TeamEvil. I've had a bit I've wanted to do for months with him now, so this is going to be a bit of a wall . There's going to be a picture of the character partway through the intro, courtesy of KM and his snazzy drawing skills)

Oh, you impudent, oath-breaking, sister-fucking piece of shit! The things I'm going to do to you and your-Ciel's train of thought is interrupted by an abrupt change in scenery. The room is far more pristine than anywhere he has ever dwelled. It strikes him as the room of a sophisticated client; one where he would sit down and negotiate the terms of a contract, should he judge them as the rare client that gets a face-to-face dealing. The only thing that makes this room unpleasant is the immense heat. It's almost as if he's in the Nine Hells... Oh for fuck's sake, I died? Wait, if I'm dead, that means the being in front of me must be Lord Asmodeus! So this is what it feels like to be in awe, then? It is... not entirely unpleasant. Ok, compose yourself, and let's get to the bottom of this. Ciel tries to speak, but finds himself unable, leaving him to his thoughts. A blessing in disguise, perhaps. This gives me more time to take in what's happened. Now, if I can just remember the last thing I was doing alive...
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A young man lies in wait outside of a tall building complex, eyeing the penthouse at the top. He is slender, almost frail looking, with short blonde hair. His light armor has been dyed a darker shade. If not for his ostentatious cloak and jewelry, he would be able to hide in shadows without putting forth any effort. But anyone can hide in shadows just by dressing in dark clothes, where's the fun in that?

The layout appears straightforward. There is normal security at the front, and more personal security can be expected outside of the penthouse. Simple enough. Allowing himself to fade from sight, he approaches the side of the building and climbs the exterior to the floor directly beneath the penthouse. He enters through the window of a currently unoccupied room, landing inside the room noiselessly. Closing the window behind him, he quickly steps into the hallway, and upon confirming that it's empty, takes an extra minute to re-lock the door behind him. The less odd traces are left, the better.

Inching up the stairs to the penthouse, he spies two well-equipped guards in front of the door to the penthouse suite. Perfect. A small round object rolls out in front of the guards, spewing sleep gas before they have time to respond. When the smoke clears, Ciel approaches the two unconscious men. In searching the man on the right, he finds a finely made longsword and a dagger. Taking the longsword, he plunges it through the throat of the second unconscious man, after standing him up to insure the blow wouldn't appear as a strike to a man on the ground. Wiping off the blade on the inside of the surviving guard's jacket, he returns it to the man's sheathe. Before entering the suite, he bends down and rips away pieces of the guard's shirt, making sure they fit under his fingernails. He then rips a second patch of cloth off of the guard's shoulder, removes one of the guard's gloves, and stows the scraps for the time being. With the guard's dagger in hand, he silently picks the lock and enters the suite.

Ciel manages to enter undetected, and spies his target, a nobleman lobbying for better working wages, sitting at a table, reading. Slipping behind him is a trivial matter, as is bringing him to the ground with a dagger to his throat and a hand over his mouth.

"I wouldn't scream, if I were you. If my intel is right, you've got a wife and child living here with you. Now, your life is forfeit regardless, don't get me wrong, but if don't cooperate with me, I'll make sure the last six hours of your life are spent watching me cut up your family limb by limb. Please, by all means, make me go that route, it's quite a bit of fun for me. Around the one hour mark, it clicks that what they're experiencing is your fault, and they start cursing you out in between whimpers. That usually goes on until they just lose the will to do anything. I've found that's the part of the torture that most breaks people to watch, something about further abusing once loved ones reduced to a shell of their former selves they just can't take. So, what will it be?" Ciel takes his hand off the man's mouth to allow him a chance to speak.

"You fiend! Why are you doing this? I'm close, so close! Do you not realize the good that will come out of-" Ciel interrupts him by poking the hilt of the dagger into his ribs. "It was a simple yes or no question, I don't want your life story. Should you waste my time further, I'll just take it as a no and we can get this party started." "Wait! Wait! Fine, if there is no hope for me, I'll listen to you. Just promise me that you won't harm my wife and child." Ciel grins, "Of course. You'll find that my terms are quite simple, you don't even need to renounce your work or anything so unpleasant. All you need to do is drive this dagger into your heart and kill yourself, let's say over there, in the middle of the living room. You do that, I won't raise my blades against your family."

Quivering, the man takes the dagger, walks to the center of the living room, and commits suicide, bleeding out on to the floor. Thanks to Ciel's coercion, he dies in silence. Satisfied with the outcome, he looks around the apartment to find the wife's room and enters, again taking her and covering her mouth. "Now now, I wouldn't scream if I were you. Your son's in the next room over, right? I have a contract for killing you and your husband, but whether or not you have to wear the brat's severed head as a necklace before I slit your throat is another question. Now, let's get out to the living room, working out the nitty gritty of your passing will be so much more pleasant over a glass of wine."

Ciel takes her back to the living room, with her husband's corpse in plain sight, still bleeding out. She goes hysterical, but a shush motion keeps her quiet, fear for her son's life winning out. He motions for her to sit in one of the chairs he put on either side of the corpse, leaving her to sob silently as he raids their cabinets for wine glasses. Finding an adequate bottle, he pours a glass for each of them. "Work is so bad for the soul if you don't stop to enjoy the finer things in life. You don't want your night to pass without enjoying yourself a little, do you?" Still weeping, she is unable to answer, and while she accepts the glass, she doesn't drink it.

"Straight to business then? Very well, I can be accommodating. I am a gentleman, after all. You see the dagger in your husband's chest? You're going to pull it out and stab yourself with it. Do that, and your kid gets to live. Simple, no?" In between sobs, the wife manages to say "But... but how do I know if I can trust you?" Keeping his laughter quiet, Ciel says "Long answer short, you can't. You have no way of knowing, and will die in uncertainty. What you do know, however, is that if you don't play ball, you're going to witness your little shit die a slow and excruciating death. And then you'll die a slow, excruciating death. Now, I guess you can call it a gamble if you want, but you'd be a fool to not take the fast death. The guards have been disposed of, and no one else even knows I'm up here right now. I assure you, there will be no rescue."

The woman quits sobbing, and stands up. Walking over to her husband's corpse in a catatonic trance, she removes the dagger from his chest and plunges it through her own, dying nearly instantly. As she fades to black, she hears "I thought you'd see things my way. By the way, do you think your brat can fly?" She dies with an expression of horror on her face. Quietly whistling, Ciel pulls out the tattered bits of guard uniform and inserts them under each of her right fingernails. He then gives the hilt a quick wiping down before putting on the guard's glove and firmly grasping the hilt with it. Satisfied, he calmly walks down the hall and kicks open the door to the child's room, seeing a child no older than five years stirring from his sleep.

"Child services! Your parents have abandoned you, I have to get you placed in the foster care system immediately." The kid just looks up in stunned silence, still half asleep. "All right, get out of bed and come out to the living room, you'll understand what's going on pretty quick." The kid gets out of bed and staggers to the living room, and predictably breaks down immediately upon seeing his parents stabbed to death on the floor. After a few minutes, he manages to ask "Mommy... daddy... is this my fault?"

"It is 100% your fault," admonishes Ciel. "They despised you, sent us notices about how wretched you were and how you just took the joy out of living. We should have come in earlier, but we have policies against taking children from their still-living parents. It looks like they took the only way out the could find, just to get away from you." The child breaks down even further, practically suffocating on his tears.

"Now, bad things happen to children that make their parents kill themselves. The foster home you'll be put in will be filled with monsters like you, and run by abusive owners too, more than likely. Given our location, I think you'll end up at an orcish slave camp on the city outskirts." He relishes the situation for a minute, allowing the child to fall deeper into despair before adding more.

"I say that, but at the end of the day, I have a conscience. I can't bear sending children into conditions so dismal, so if you were to flee, I wouldn't put any effort into finding you. There's just one catch: you can't go out the front door, I wouldn't be able to explain that one away. You'll have to go out the window."

"The window?" Says the five-year old. "Would I be ok from that fall?"

"Oh don't worry, you won't fall," assures Ciel. "In times of great need, children can fly. Weren't you aware?"

"Really? I can fly?!" Says the kid, going from shock, horror, and misery to wonder.

"Of course you can! Just keep saying 'I can fly! I can fly!' and imagine yourself flying into the sky. You'll be out of here roaming the lands in no time. In fact, take this good luck charm." Ciel fishes out the patch of cloth he tore from the guard's shoulder and hands it to the kid. "Now go on, if you don't jump, I'll have to take you in. The rest of your life is waiting for you!"

With eagerness and purpose, the kid jumps out the window. For a few moments, it seems like he may recover from tonight after all.

Ciel listens for the splat, and then looks out the window to confirm that he's not stirring after falling 20 or so stories. After checking to make sure there is no blood on him, he knocks over the untouched wine glass the wife left, allowing it to break on his way out. The guard is still unconscious, but will wake up soon. He makes sure to return the guard's glove to his hand before walking down the stairs. Just to be safe, he alters his appearance to look like a normal tenant. He would have probably been able to walk out the front door just fine anyway, but this ensures that he has no issues.

Strolling out, he sees a bear-sized vulture taking no time in going at the child's corpse. Fortunately, he made it outside before the whole thing was devoured. He does want some semblance of a body to throw off investigators, after all. "That's enough, Thanatos! I need a little corpse left, you're going to have to cut your meal short." The giant vulture looks sad, but listens. Climbing onto its back, Ciel rides it away from the city. He laughs to himself and mutters "They all killed themselves, I just gave a little push. I kept my word, nobleman." while fishing out a scrying stone designed to fit in his ear once they're high enough. It appears to be a device that will let him speak with and hear his client.

"The deed is done, you no longer have to worry about paying your workers more. Did it go well? Of course, I framed the murder of the whole family on one of his personal guards, he'll be hanging by the morrow. What? Yes, of course I know that the contract was just for the nobleman. You know how I am about mixing business and pleasure. Oh don't take that tone with me! You order a man dead to avoid paying your workers a few silver more, and you expect me to believe that you've suddenly grown a conscience over me killing his family? Look, if you really cared that much, you'd have payed the extra 5,000 gold to specify that I was to kill no one but the target. Good night, I expect my dead drop at the usual location." Removing the scrying stone, Ciel continues flying back to his hideout for the region.
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That was an excellent assignment, but I didn't die from that. My death must have come later that night. What was it?... Still unable to move, Ciel returns to his thoughts.
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Ciel's local hideout is not a glamorous place. As someone who takes jobs worldwide, he just relies on a bunch of shoddy lairs instead of a single, fitting one. The place is littered with weaponry, building schematics, and gruesome trophies from prior kills. Checking his traps to make sure they're set, he decides to call it a night.

His sleep is disrupted by the sound of a sword swinging down towards him. Barely rolling out of the way in time, Ciel springs out of bed to fetch his bow, only to be surprised that his assailant is Ser Grayhawke, one of the most powerful paladins to roam the world. He's been after Ciel in an attempt to wipe him from the face of the earth for a while now, but to resort to the skills of thievery, and going so far as to attack him in his sleep? Ciel couldn't possibly anticipate a paladin going to such lengths to slay him.

The two battle for a time, but while Ciel is no slouch in combat, he is an elite assassin, not an elite warrior. With Grayhawke having the element of surprise, Ciel finds himself outmatched, and winds up with a large blade stabbing him into the ground, its white hot energy, while appearing to fade, still burning him. Choking on his own blood, Ciel spits curses at Grayhawke with the last of his breath.

"Oh, you impudent, oath-breaking, sister fucking piece of shit!" This is as far as he can get before life leaves his body.
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Ah, so that damn paladin did me in, then? A pity, I could have killed him if I had gotten the jump on him. I suppose I'll have to be more careful about my sleeping arrangements, should such things even matter in the afterlife. On the bright side, he certainly fell for all that subterfuge he pulled. Who expects a paladin to break and enter into a place and not set off the traps?

Around this time, Ciel's lips are freed, though they alone can't do much about the sweat trickling down his face. Unable to alter his expression, he attempts to speak with as much poise and grace as he can muster.

"Lord Asmodeus, I dare say I wasn't expecting you to oversee my arrival personally. I'm quite grateful you'd take the time to see me yourself. It appears I am to honor my end of our contract much sooner than anticipated. Had I known this was coming, I would have worn something nicer to die in. Now, what do you have in mind for me?"

((Whew, I spent close to two hours typing that up. I had a lot of fun with it though. #TeamEvil 4 lyfe

ThLunarian:

Spoiler

I imagine the sweat and heat would be extensive enough to be at least smudging the makeup he uses to look more human than dhampir. Not that it would really matter, as I'm assuming Asmodeus already knows all there is to know about him

 

[ThLunarian]

Asmodeus nods in approval. "You impress me, Ciel. Most are far less willing to make good on their contracts. I see I was not mistaken in choosing you for this assignment." At this time, Ciel regains the full use of his body.

He stands from his chair, and though he reaches upwards of eight feet in height, his build is relatively slight. He folds his hands behind his back and walks around to the front of the desk; Ciel notes for the first time that Asmodeus has hooves, rather than feet, at the base of his legs. As he speaks, he paces back and forth across the room in a very calculated manner.

"Loathe as I am to acknowledge it, I am not the only power in the Astral Sea," he begins. "Though most of Hell's denizens tend to forget this fact in time, the truth is that a pantheon of gods such as myself govern their various domains within what you mortals know as 'the afterlife.'"

He frowns, and pauses to let that sink in.

"Though we each rule our own domains independently," he continues, "Every so often there is a matter with ramifications for the entirety of the Astral Sea - a matter of such great importance, that it is necessary for the gods to convene and take action. One such meeting recently concluded, and a resolution was decided. An ostensibly-neutral law enforcement body is to be formed, with representatives from each of a selection of gods, to carry out a very specific set of assigned tasks.

"This... collection of representatives will have an unprecedented level of authority throughout the Astral Sea, and will be permitted to move freely between the domains, when necessary to see to their jurisdiction, and will enjoy immunity from the dictates of all the gods but one."

He pauses again, and then exhales a disappointed sigh. "Alas, that god is not me. This team of enforcers will be overseen by the Raven Queen."

He turns and paces in a different direction now, to emphasize the fact that the subject is changing. "You will be a part of this team of enforcers. I expect you to represent my interests to the fullest extent, while simultaneously carrying out the assignments set forth to you by the Raven Queen, to whom you will be reporting directly. And make no mistake - you will NOT defy me and get away with it. There are procedures in place to... deal with... ambassadors who cease to represent the interests of their patrons."

Finally he stops pacing, in the center of the room, and looks Ciel dead in the eyes. "This is a fine line you'll be walking," he says threateningly. "There will be a balancing act, and it will not be easy. If you believe yourself unfit to carry out these duties, then you will be assigned to the appropriate level of Hell - but I assure you, you will find yourself in a MUCH WORSE place, should you take up this assignment and prove unsatisfactory in your performance."

Again, Asmodeus turns away and takes a few slow steps away from Ciel, pausing to allow it to sink in. When an appropriate amount of time has passed, he turns to face Ciel once more. "I believe that's all. Now, tell me, Ciel: are you prepared to fulfill your duty?"

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ciel steels himself for what Asmodeus is about to say, figuring that it won't end well for him. He is relieved to hear that instead of becoming a cog in the machine of the Nine Hells, he'll be joining some elite squad of ambassadors and enforcers for the gods. Granted, he's not thrilled about having to work with others, but it is still much better than untold centuries of torture.

"If I understand correctly, I'll be doing enforcement work for the Raven Queen across the Astral Sea, while doing what I can to twist each assignment to meet your ends. That sounds close enough to what I did in life for this to be an enjoyable job. I am quite prepared to fulfill my duty, though I would like to know if you know anything of my soon to be colleagues. Do you think I'll find them agreeable, or am I going to be working with the kind of people that balk at the poisoning of a well or two? After all, I don't know which deities besides you have got ambassadors on board, my lord."

 

[ThLunarian]

Asmodeus becomes noticeably agitated at the content of Ciel's last question. "The representatives will serve a mixture of interests throughout the Astral Sea - some which may align with my goals, others which decidedly will not. This will all be a part of the balancing act - there will no doubt be disagreements among your peers. You must learn to tolerate them, for eliminating them will not be an option."

Notably, he neglects to answer the question of exactly which other gods will be represented.

"As to your understanding of your duties, you seem to have a firm grasp on it. Now begone - it's time for you to get to work. And don't worry - I've seen to it that your pet will be joining you shortly."

Before Ciel has time to respond further, he suddenly finds himself in a large, spacious room, with six other figures.

((End of Ciel's introduction. Next up will be DeadPhoenix, probably on Thursday of this week))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Damn, I forgot how many feats go into archery builds without my other groups house rules. I probably should have pick at least one class with extra feats... then again hexes are pretty redunkulous, so I guess it works out.))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((Yup, archery's a huge feat eater. I had to count several times to make sure I had enough))

 

[Mike M]

((Man, Nezumi's playing a ranger too, would be nuts if we had three archers going. Range attacks everywhere!))

 

[KittenMaster]

<That'd be enough rangers to take on Thaddeus!

Since we've veered off topic again I'll ho ahead and say that ciel drawing is months old and I've been improving since then.>

 

[Nezumi]

((Man, Nezumi's playing a ranger too, would be nuts if we had three archers going. Range attacks everywhere!))

((I was going to go for an archer, but if we already have two I can change to wielding two weaopans instead.))

 

[KittenMaster]

((I was going to go for an archer, but if we already have two I can change to wielding two weaopans instead.))

<Actually there are two Rangers in the party, and since I worked with Alex and inquired about his character design for that artwork in his post it's a safe bet he's probably a TWF Ranger.>

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((I was going to go for an archer, but if we already have two I can change to wielding two weaopans instead.))

((well, i'm a shaman/bard so i'll be mostly focused on support and casting... but that doesn't really require feats and since i will be spending most of my time at range anyways, being able to whip out a bow and use it well is just a bonus for me. i just hope we have enough melee characters to so the range guys have some kind of buffer. i guess ciel will be using a bow at melee range, but he will also be invis most of the time(i assume anwyays) so he'll probably be ignored a lot(unless they have see invis/true vision).))

 

[Nezumi]

((I was thinking I pick archery for ranged attacks and rely on wildshape and summoning creatures for melee attacks. Then again I'm really new to this so I don't know how wise an idea that is.))

 

[KittenMaster]

<Yeah, just stick with that as archery is good and Ranger gives excellent feats for it automatically. Druid also has a really good spell list for various other stuff, too.>

 

[ThLunarian]

((You guys as a party are going to be super flexible and will be able to change roles in combat on the fly. By my approximate count, between the seven of you you're going to have 4 front-line melee, 3 archers, 2 glass cannons, 4 full casters, and 2 support buffers/debuffers. That's a nice thing about Gestalt. Nobody needs to change unless they actually want to))

 

[Nezumi]

((So... where exactly do I find the rule that keeps me from taking a freaking T-Rex as my animal companion?))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((I'm on my phone and can't dig up the level table, but if it's not barred by that or DM fiat, I don't think there's anything stopping you from that freaking T-Rex.

A better question is whether Druid/Ranger means you get two pets. Then you could have T-Rex twins! (With a fun to explain 3-level gap between them, admittedly) ))

 

[Nezumi]

((So there are level restrictions? Because all I found was an entry that said I could choose any animal from a certain list, nothing more. But somehow I feel that riding into battle on a T-Rex sounds to good to be true... ))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((If no one responds by the time I'm home, I'll check. I'm a lot dicier on animal companions in Pathfinders than on standard 3.5e (where there is one for sure). Riding around on that T-Rex is probably an option, though))

 

[Mike M]

((T-Rex as an animal companion is almost certainly nerfed compared to T-Rex as an enemy. It's only a Large creature at level 7, which seems small considering it's a t-Rex.))

 

[Nezumi]

((Yeah...but it's still a T-Rex...))

 

[ThLunarian]

((You can choose a T Rex if it's on the list, but remember that you might run into problems in taking it everywhere you want to go. For example, large creatures are awkward to fit in a lot of places, you may encounter NPCs who frown upon that sort of thing, and if there are any midair battles then it will be pretty useless unless you manage to get it to fly somehow. A flying T-Rex would be extra badass though...

I'm actually going to say that you only get one animal companion. It's the exact same ability, so you just take the one with the better numerical value (which is the Druid's). An argument could be made for having two, but that's my decision here))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((You can choose a T Rex if it's on the list, but remember that you might run into problems in taking it everywhere you want to go. For example, large creatures are awkward to fit in a lot of places, you may encounter NPCs who frown upon that sort of thing, and if there are any midair battles then it will be pretty useless.

I'm actually going to say that you only get one animal companion. It's the exact same ability, so you just take the one with the better numerical value (which is the Druid's). An argument could be made for having two, but that's my decision here))

((as a side note, in pathfinder druid and rangers can choose to not take an animal companion and get another ability instead. druids can take a cleric domain(from a smaller list then clerics of course) and hunters can grant people a buff based on their favored enemy ability. it is the worse ability ever(imo...although if you have high wis and are willing to use a move action, you might be able to make it worth using. domains are probably still WAY better though), so i'd suggest taking the ranger's animal companion since the druids domain abilities can actually be useful(there is a feat you can take to put the ranger's animal companion up to max level as well).))

 

[Mike M]

((A flying T-Rex would be extra badass though...))

 

[Nezumi]

((You can choose a T Rex if it's on the list, but remember that you might run into problems in taking it everywhere you want to go. For example, large creatures are awkward to fit in a lot of places, you may encounter NPCs who frown upon that sort of thing, and if there are any midair battles then it will be pretty useless unless you manage to get it to fly somehow. A flying T-Rex would be extra badass though...))

((Well, I'd say that any person who frowns upon my t-rex should take it up with my t-rex. But I somewhat forgot the whole flying thing... which means that basically any companion that isn't a bird or something becomes problematic.))

((as a side note, in pathfinder druid and rangers can choose to not take an animal companion and get another ability instead. druids can take a cleric domain(from a smaller list then clerics of course) and hunters can grant people a buff based on their favored enemy ability. it is the worse ability ever(imo...although if you have high wis and are willing to use a move action, you might be able to make it worth using. domains are probably still WAY better though), so i'd suggest taking the ranger's animal companion since the druids domain abilities can actually be useful(there is a feat you can take to put the ranger's animal companion up to max level as well).))

((Good idea. I'll definitely look into that.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((as a druid you should have plenty of ways around the flying thing. i'm pretty sure you get airwalk, which is 10 minutes per level and is basically fly. you might have other option as well.))

 

[Nezumi]

((as a druid you should have plenty of ways around the flying thing. i'm pretty sure you get airwalk, which is 10 minutes per level and is basically fly. you might have other option as well.))

((Oh for myself I just thought I'd transform into a flying animal and be done with it, but I didn't think about the fact that my animal companion needs to be able to fly as well...))

 

[Azih]

((Shrink the animal and carry them around with you? Is that something druids can do? Pocket T-rex cooler than Flying T-Rex.))


((Item advice. Investigators are feat starved so should I go for a Keen weapon to improve crits rather than Improved Critical Feat? If I go for a Keen +2 Rapier than I'd be looking at 16 K gold. Is that a good buy at level 10+? How much does the +X start mattering at higher levels?))

 

[ThLunarian]

((Flying isn't constantly going to be relevant. You may just have to leave your companion behind occasionally, and go back to retrieve it later. Or you can have a fellow party member use magic to let it fly too. Or you can shrink it and carry it with you; I'm pretty sure druids have spells for that sort of thing. So a t-rex is totally doable))

 

[Mike M]

((Shrink the animal and carry them around with you? Is that something druids can do? Pocket T-rex cooler than Flying T-Rex.))


((Item advice. Investigators are feat starved so should I go for a Keen weapon to improve crits rather than Improved Critical Feat? If I go for a Keen +2 Rapier than I'd be looking at 16 K gold. Is that a good buy at level 10+? How much does the +X start mattering at higher levels?))

((I think I at high level play the general opinion is that stuff like adding an Ennervating property is more advantageous than the equivalent straight +X enhancement to hit and damage.

All my stuff is straight +5 because all this shit scares me. Heh.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Shrink the animal and carry them around with you? Is that something druids can do? Pocket T-rex cooler than Flying T-Rex.))


((Item advice. Investigators are feat starved so should I go for a Keen weapon to improve crits rather than Improved Critical Feat? If I go for a Keen +2 Rapier than I'd be looking at 16 K gold. Is that a good buy at level 10+? How much does the +X start mattering at higher levels?))

((as a investigator/witch, you can't get improved crit till level 11 anyways, as you need BAB +8 to take it. so keen is your only option right now. on the note of weapon abilities, you might want to check out inspired. investigator only(and limited by weapon type, but rapier is on the list anyways), but nice if you plan on using inspiration on attack rolls at all.))

 

[KittenMaster]

<trex used to be level 20 only in dnd 3.5 but they changed it so that it's weak enough to have at lower levels as a baby animal>

 

[ThLunarian]

"Goodbye, Great Grandmother."

Those were the last words that Mako heard during her time in the material realm.

They were spoken by Carolyn, the youngest child in the room, wearing a sad smile and watery eyes. Mako shared one last moment of warmth with her family before time got the better of her. Her old eyes, which had seen so much, slid closed, and her soul left her body.

----------

When she next opens her eyes, she finds herself in standing in a Great Hall. The first thing she notices is that she feels decades younger - like a woman in the prime of her life. She feels spry, strong, and able-bodied, and one quick look at her hands confirms that she looks the part as well.

The next thing she notices is her surroundings.

This Great Hall is a sturdy, wooden building, with an enormous rectangular table at its center, large enough to seat an entire town's worth of people. A feast is already prepared and laid out on the table; some of the seats are occupied, where men, women, and children make merry and commiserate over the day's events. Every so often, an attendant comes to clear off a portion of food that has overstayed its welcome, and replaces it with a fresh dish. In the corners of the hall are oversized barrels and crates, full of foodstuffs. The walls are lined with hunting trophies: monuments to various great beasts of the forests who have been felled by greater-still hunters of renown.

The far end of the room is elevated by three steps, and at the top and in the center of those steps is a throne-like, yet simple, chair, more fit for a mayor than for a king. Seated in the chair is a larger-than-life man with a stag's head, and the grandest pair of antlers that Mako has ever seen. He wears the simple attire of a hunter; the colors remind her of autumn.

She recognizes him immediately as Erastil, or, as some prefer to call him, Old Deadeye, god of hunting, community, family, and farming.

"Well met, Mako, daughter of Grasshorn," he greets her. His voice is thick and robust, but not overbearing. "On behalf of the citizens of the Eternal Countryside, I welcome you to our domain. You stand before me in the Hall of Plenty, where I have a matter of great import to discuss with you. Will you hear my words?"

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Though surprised by these sudden events, Mako quickly replies, "Yes my lord, of course!"

((heres art i stole from paizo, because there version of changelings of kinda of unique so there aren't a lot of options(especially the multi-colored eyes...)... just ignore the cauldron of evil as Mako is not a witch(just a class partially based on witch), or evil.))

 

[ThLunarian]

Erastil nods and continues. "In the mortal realm, you were a bastion of your community, and a paragon of the values I consider most important. You are a shining example of what all mortals should strive to be.

"I have recently returned from a meeting with others such as me, who lord over the domains of the Astral Sea, and a great responsibility falls upon me. I have been called upon by my brethren to choose one who would represent me on a team of lawkeepers - lawkeepers who would serve the Keeper of Souls, the Raven Queen."

He leans forward slightly in his chair. "I cannot think of one better suited than you, and so I ask you this favor: Will you take up this call and join the proxies of others such as myself, to uphold the Raven Queen's law in my name?

"Before you answer, I caution you: Do not take this responsibility lightly, for it is quite heavy indeed. You may need to work side by side with those who do not value the ideals we hold most dear. They may have no sense of community, they may balk at the concept of family, they may eschew the honest, simple living of farming and hunting. You must learn to work with these people, for they will be your equals.

"But you will not be alone. There will be others whose values align much closer to yours. Of this I have no doubt, though I am not yet meant to know which other gods have been chosen to send champions."

He pauses a moment and leans back in his chair again. "What say you, Daughter of Grasshorn?"

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Yes, of course. Living or dead, I am always willing to protect those in need and if I can make this world a safer place for my family, how could I possibly refuse?" Mako exclaims as she stands proud, ever ready to serve Erastil.

 

[ThLunarian]

"Then serve me well. When the time is right, I shall see to it that you are reunited with your family."

Without further fanfare, Mako is teleported away. She finds herself in a large, spacious room, among several other men, women, and... other... creatures.

((End Mako's introduction. Next up will be Azih, playing the part of Menek, our resident Witch/Investigator, this coming Sunday))

 

[ThLunarian]

Menek finds himself on the precipice of a great mountain, looking out over a breathtaking view of a sprawling city, far below. The buildings of the city are tall, old, and historied; for him it calls to mind some of the more impressive university towns of his home continent of Minae.

The city is located in a valley, and surrounding it is a circular mountain range. The mountains look to be made of black stone, and extend for what must surely be hundreds of miles.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Menek is startled by the voice. He whirls around to see its source, and notes with some surprise that his body is far more responsive than he remembers.

"Oh, yes," says the source of the voice, "Now that you've passed on from the mortal realm, you're no longer stuck in that old, decrepit body. You can feel young again!"

Bald head, hooked nose, jet-black eyes, bony frame pale skin, robes. It takes a moment for it to sink in, but there's no mistaking it - this was the object of Menek's worship for all his life.

Aroz, the God of Intellect.

....Or was it Zora, the...

A glimmer of recognition comes to Menek, as though he suddenly remembered a temporarily forgotten dream.

"Yes, that's right - The Dreamer dreamt of reality. That was not a dream; it is the way of things. The more you know..."

Menek blinks, and suddenly, the man-god before him is a woman with dark skin, and flowing, red hair.

"...The more you do not."

Menek blinks again, and somehow both figures seem to exist in the same space and time, in perfect harmony.

"This is the highest point on the Isle of Enlightenment," says Arozora. "Below you is the University of Knowledge. You stand upon the Mountains of Contemplation."

The god/dess pauses for a moment, allowing Menek to absorb everything. As he looks around, he notes that on the other side of the mountain range is a great, limitless sea of shimmering bluish-pink, which seems to extend into eternity.

Finally, the god/dess speaks once more. "Though you have much to learn regarding the True Nature of Things, the fact remains that you are perhaps my greatest follower. I have need of your talents. You have been selected to join a council of warriors, who will be charged with keeping order throughout the Astral Sea. You will be working with worshipers of other gods, and must be vigilant to maintain a proper balance between Ying...." says Aroz,

"....And Yang," says Zora.

"What say you, Menek Intart, of the Continent of Minae?" inquires Arozora.

 

[Azih]

((Woo. Story post time. Don't blame any for skipping this entire thing. TL;DR Minae is an investigator who dies of old age. Carries out religious crusade against magic users. Discovers right before death that his god is god of not just science/technology, but magic as well. Uh oh.))

Menek dropped to his knees and remembered the last few moments of his life and, more importantly, the dream that preceded it.

He was once again an old man sitting alone in his favorite chair near the fireplace. He could see the fire blazing away in its hearth but could barely feel the heat. He felt cold all the time now. He sighed and shook his head ruefully. Just like a sick man cannot grasp how it feels to be hale he couldn&#8217;t remember anymore what it was like to be young. He did know that he would never have imagined it would be like this. Just the concept of even having a &#8216;favorite&#8217; chair would have been ridiculous.

He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. There was nothing more that he could accomplish but, and here he smiled, there was nothing more for him to accomplish. His life&#8217;s work was complete and here near the end, more than anything else, he was thankful that his lord had allowed him to retain full control of his mental faculties.
&#8220;Thank you Lord&#8230; it was all&#8230; all of it for you.&#8221; He murmured the core catechism of his faith &#8220;Recite these four words always&#8230; the more you know&#8230; the more you know&#8230; the more you know&#8221; and closed his eyes.

***

Then he opened them. And furrowed his brows.

Above him wasn&#8217;t the familiar ceiling but&#8230; stars? A whole universe of galaxies and nebulas spun and danced above him with stars twinkling like handfuls of silver sand scattered crazily against an endless ink blank shore. He practically jumped out of his chair and whirled around to see his chair, but it was standing on&#8230; nothing? And so was he! And wonder of wonders he had just JUMPED. Menek looked down flabbergasted at his legs. Though still clad in the absurd nursing pyjamas that he had been reduced to they were no longer weak or frail but strong and fit. As strong as fit as they had ever been even during his adventuring days. Maybe even stronger! His hands were nimble and flexible and all of his joints moved smoothly without the pops and pains that were already becoming like a distant dream. Wonderingly he placed his hands against his face and felt the skin smooth and tight and&#8230; hah, a full head of hair, strong and full just as he remembered it.

Menek turned around slowly looking both up and down. He couldn&#8217;t see where his feet were resting but below him a constellation of stars twirled gracefully with him.
His eyebrows furrowed as his mind whirled crazily examining and sorting all the possibilities of what could be happening to him. The only possibility that made sense was one that demanded to be spoken aloud.

&#8220;Death?&#8221; he said.

&#8220;Not quite. But close.&#8221; came the reply.

Menek jumped around in shock to see a man sitting on his chair regarding him with amusement. His long robe clad legs crossed over as he leaned back comfortably. His elbow rested on an armrest as a long bony index finger tapping against a pale cheek.
Menek stared at the man&#8217;s face and his shock gave way to an almost overwhelming awe as he recognized the bald head, sharp cheekbones, hook nose, and most of all the eyes that were jet black in both pupil and iris,. He dropped to his knees before his deity and started murmuring a prayer &#8220;O Master of all minds. He who brings order to chaos. Father of rationality and reason. It is because of you that we have the intellect to understand and master that is what is around us.. it is you that protects from the absurd and they my&#8230;&#8217;

&#8216;Yes, yes, very good Menek. You have always been one of my most pious and effective servants. Rise.&#8221;

Menek stayed where he was shivering.

&#8220;Hrmph. I do believe that I commanded you to RISE, faithful servant.&#8221;

Menek got up slowly not daring to look up.

&#8220;Oh dear&#8221; the tall bony figure got up from Menek&#8217;s chair and clapped Menek on the back and put his arm around his shoulder.

&#8220;Come let us walk&#8221;

Menek shuffled his feet, mortified at what was happening, but slowly he relaxed as he walked with his god for what seemed like hours. He finally found the courage to look back. He could just make out his chair still sitting there; A tiny impossibility amidst the dancing cosmos.

&#8220;Ah good, no longer tense enough that you&#8217;d vibrate if I plucked you. Hrmph.&#8221;

Menek looked up and dared to speak.

&#8220;Lord Aroz&#8230; what.. what is happening?&#8221;

&#8220;Aroz&#8230; yes.. Aroz is one of my names. I like it quite a bit actually. Your people venerate me. More than most. What is happening is that you are almost dead and this is your last dream.&#8221;

&#8220;I don&#8217;t understand.&#8221;

&#8220;I am as you say, Aroz, avatar of intellect, through me comes the idea that the universe - the metaphysic of it, can be discovered and understood by minds both mortal and immortal. I am the patron of the Library and the Inventor and the Physician. The Dreamer Who Dreams Of Reality.&#8221; Said Aroz his voice changing in tone from friendly to commanding as the god proclaimed his domains and his power to the surrounding stars which whirled around them following laws which Menek could only guess at and which Aroz knew.

Aroz stopped and stepped away to look back at Menek who was transfixed. &#8220;The Dreamer who Dreams Of Reality&#8221; he murmured. That was a honorific he had never heard even in his many hours spent in temple.

&#8220;You, Menek, have not only been unfailingly dedicated in your worship of me and what I represent. But you have also been by far the most accomplished.&#8221; Aroz said emphasizing the last word. &#8220;Where in most places I am confined to the veneration of the librarian or the philosopher, you&#8230; single-handedly&#8230; raised me up to be the primary god of an entire continent! And you did it in a way most pleasing. You accomplished feats for nations that earned you their trust. Feats of intellect and investigation. Feats of rationality and reason that let you see things that others had missed. And you used that trust to arrange matters so that it was I who was gloried. You were the power behind every throne. Whispering advice that brought them prosperity AND brought them closer to me. Because of you the sons of farmers and daughters of miners grew up in schools and gloried in the wonder of the mathematical and the intellectual. &#8220; Aroz raised his arms and threw his head back seeming for a moment like a conductor in charge of all the stars and galaxies that spun around them. &#8220;YOU, MENEK. YOU ELEVATED ME&#8221; he boomed.

It seemed like an eternity passed as Aroz stood drinking in the wonder of the spectacle around them.

&#8220;I&#8230; only strove to place you in your rightful place, my lord, and only with your blessings&#8221; Menek said humbly, and his humility was sincere.

Aroz lowered his arm and returned his aspect to something more human than divine as he regarded his worshipper with a kindly expression.

&#8220;Yes. I did assist, but you know my way is not to interfere unduly as I expect my flock to watch out for itself. No. I will take no credit for what you wrought. Not only did you bring me glory but you also arranged to bring down my foes. It was because of you the Volgoth worshipping barbarians who burned libraries as they rampaged were defeated. You were the one that outmanoeuvered the followers of the Trickster Prince who would mock and cast down the researcher and philosopher for their work.&#8221;

Menek nodded as Aroz pronounced on some of his earlier triumphs. &#8220;The more you know&#8230; The more you know..&#8221; he murmured piously.

&#8220;The more you know&#8221; Aroz agreed and then looked at Menek as if waiting for him to say something else. When Menek just kept mumbling the four words over and over Aroz shrugged and continued. &#8220;And then after defanging the minions of the trickster&#8230;. You used your influence to start having books burned yourself.&#8221; his tone changed slightly. Menek didn&#8217;t notice.

&#8220;Yes, the final goal I set for myself. Elimination of your greatest foe. The hated Zora. Mistress of Magic.&#8221; Menek piously mimed spitting at the cursed name. &#8220;I seeked to end what the blessed St.Paut of Tass started for you and I am glad to say that the stink of unknowable odious magic is as suppressed as possible on Minae&#8221; he looked up to see Aroz, eyes closed, rubbing his forehead with a pained expression at Menek&#8217;s proclamation.

&#8220;Paut&#8230; yes&#8230; not a surprise that you are a disciple of his&#8230; teachings&#8221;

&#8220;Yes can I meet him?&#8221; Menek said excitedly. St.Paut of Tass was one of his heroes and as a young acolyte had devoured the ancient scrolls left behind by the scholar who was now the primary saint of Menek&#8217;s school of thought.

&#8220;It is only because of my personal and adamant intercession that you have not&#8221; Aroz replied his grimace deepening. &#8220;Believe me on this.&#8221;

Menek was confused. &#8220;I don&#8217;t understand.&#8221;

Aroz opened his eyes and asked curiously. &#8220;You do realize the alchemy you practice is a form of magic?&#8221;

Menek&#8217;s confusion heightened &#8220;What? No. There is nothing of magic in the extract and the infusion&#8230; that is a vile Zoran heresy that&#8230; &#8221; he faltered as he realized the absurdity of accusing his own god of heresy.

Aroz shook his head and motioned to Menek to look around.

Menek turned and right behind him with an expression that could only be described as pure and twisted fury was Zora. The dark skinned, fiery haired Mistress of Magic herself.
Menek blanched and fell backwards frantically making a warding motion to keep the evil goodess at bay. Breath catching in his throat he scrabbled backwards on his hands and feet over the nothingness until he thumped into the Aroz&#8217;s hem. Looking up he saw Aroz looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.

Menek scrambled behind his god as Zora advanced &#8220;This is him? This is your lackey? The hated demagogue responsible for the death of my faithful? The hypocrite who destroyed their teachings and knowledge? Hiding behind your robe like the manipulative and poisonous SPIDER that he is!&#8220; she shouted pure white eyes blazing with divine anger.

Aroz shrugged to acknowledge the truth as Menek gibbered behind him &#8220;Master&#8230; Lord&#8230; protect me from the hated practitioner of the arcane&#8230; playing with forces that cannot be explained and thus must be eliminated&#8230; strike down the perverse witch, wizard, and sorcerer so that the forces of reason can..&#8221;

&#8220;Oh hush Menek. Stop with the absurd Tassian prattlings and get out from behind me so I can introduce you to my twin sister.&#8221;

Menek blanched &#8220;Your what?&#8221;

Aroz sighed as he reached down to grab Menek by the scruff and tossed him forward so he ended up between his god and the goddess. &#8220;My twin sister. Yes.&#8221;

&#8220;Your most depraved of enemies is your twin sister?&#8221; Menek yelped as he sprawled disturbingly close to the goddess.

&#8220;Menek. Fool. Might I suggest that you STOP TALKING&#8221; Aroz boomed stunning Menek into a silence that turned into whimpers as Zora leaned down to regard him like a particularly hated mosquito that she had finally trapped. &#8220;This&#8230; man&#8230; should be thrown to the mind sucks for his sins. To let them slowly drain his higher thoughts over painful eternities, only to return them to him for a moment of pure horror before they start all over again&#8221;

&#8220;You&#8217;re already pulling that trick on Paut&#8221; Aroz reminded her.

&#8220;And so? It would fit to throw his most dedicated follower to the same fate. You KNOW what he has done. The mages killed. The knowledge lost&#8230; The witches burned.&#8221;

&#8220;But they were evil. Dedicated to impure and.. &#8220; Menek protested from his prostate position.

&#8220;Shut it mortal. While your God is speaking.&#8221; Aroz cut him off pleasantly before resuming his divine conversation &#8220;Come now Zora, there are plenty of planes where your followers hound mine.&#8221;

Zora tossed her hair impatiently &#8220;Perhaps, but none of them, no matter how large their numbers might be have caused as much damage as him.&#8221;

&#8220;Yes he is exceptional&#8221; Aroz said raising his hands as he made his point &#8220;Which is exactly why we need him. And consider him. You know for all that he did he did not manage to reach his potential before his short life span caught up with him.&#8221;
Zora crossed her arms over her chest lips twisted in denial for a while before she let herself acknowledge her brother&#8217;s wisdom.

&#8220;Very well but he shall be forced to be one of mine as he becomes our herald. And it shall be from the most mysterious and absurd of the sources of magical power.&#8221;

Aroz nodded as he agreed to the terms &#8220;Very well. It will perhaps show him the folly of his ways and the deficiency of his belief&#8221;

They both turned to face the confused and distraught Menek, who was still on his hands and knees, as one. He shied away from the still angry gaze of Zora to look at Aroz with pleading eyes &#8220;Deficiency of my belief? My Lord I&#8230;&#8221;

&#8220;Repeat my catechism as you know it faithful Menek.&#8221; Aroz cut him off

Menek paused &#8220;The more you know&#8221; he said.

Zora&#8217;s mouth twisted into a sneer. &#8220;Your portion sounds so insipid when divorced of the rest of it.&#8221; She said to Aroz.

&#8220;True&#8230; but at least it makes some sort of sense unlike yours&#8221; Aroz retorted with a smile.
Menek made to say something before being silenced by both pairs of divine eyes snapped back to him as one.

&#8220;You only followed half of the creed. Fool.&#8221; Zora proclaimed.

&#8220;The more you know&#8221; Aroz intoned
&#8220;The more you do not&#8221; Zora continued
&#8220;I am the Dreamer Who Dreams of Reality.&#8221;
&#8220;I am the Awoken Who Transcends It.&#8221;
&#8220;I am the master of those who use intelligence and imagination to understand what can be understood.&#8221;
&#8220;I am the mistress of those who manipulate and play with the forces beyond comprehension.&#8221;

Menek boggled as his eyes strained to make sense of what he was seeing. What idiocy to have ever thought the gods were humanoid or adhered to human concepts? Aroz and Zora blurred and melded as they gave up their human avatars and turned into&#8230; two embryos hugging? One body with two heads? Two halves of a rotating infinite figure 8? Siamese twins joined at the hip&#8230; no the head? Four eyes in one head? A hermaphrodite? A perfect circle split neatly into black and white by a swirl in the middle?
Menek fall onto his back with knees still bent as the image of his deity swirled and contorted. He shut his eyes but the visions didn&#8217;t stop.

Were they Two in One? Or One in Two? Did such concepts even make any sense?
Finally the bewildering flicker of images settled down to a shimmering spectre of two children. A pale and serious dark haired boy who focused on what could be understood and the dark fiery hared girl who gloried in playing with what could not holding on to each other&#8217;s hand as tightly as only children can.

&#8220;I am the Dreamer Who Dreams of Reality&#8221; said the boy gripping the hand of his sister
&#8220;I am the Awoken Who Transcends It.&#8221; replied the girl returning the grip of her brother.

Menek groaned as their faces expanded to take up his entire field of view and then further until he could only see their eyes. They were now two faces set opposite one another in one head that was as big as worlds.

&#8220;You served half well in life.&#8221; Aroz whispered as his dark eyes held his as they rotated by
&#8220;You shall serve full well in death&#8221; Zora shouted her blazing white eyes boring into his very soul.
&#8220;AND THUS PERHAPS YOU WILL EARN YOUR REST.&#8221; They screamed together so loudly that the sheer volume of it pressed against Menek&#8217;s skull driving him blind.

Just before he lost consciousness entirely he heard Aroz intone &#8220;The more you know&#8221; And Zora whisper &#8220;&#8230; the more you do not&#8221;

***

The old man opened his eyes and above him weren&#8217;t stars but&#8230;. Two giant yellow eyes?

&#8220;Azor protect me&#8221; Menek croaked starling the owl sitting on his chest. It flapped its wings accusingly before settling down comfortably on his head bending over to regard him upside down.

&#8220;What&#8230; what is happening?&#8221; Menek said feebly swinging his arms to try and dislodge the bird and get away from the gaze.

The owl merely increased its grip on Menek&#8217;s skull and said inside his head. &#8220;Congratulations asshole, you&#8217;re a witch now.&#8221;

And that along with a gasp and a wheeze and an owl on his head is how Menek, esteemed advisor to all of the various kingdoms of Minae, died of old age.

 

[Azih]

((Start playing now))

Menek, no longer old and no longer wearing nursing clothes, drops to his knees with this head bowed low. The ramification of his dream and what is happening now hits him hard.

"I... I have much to.. Everything that I did in the last thirty years of my life... all the people I had exiled and even executed. I wasn't having evil purged at all.. I was... prosecuting innocents." Minae shivers "How can I redeem myself Lord?"

Minae blanches and corrects himself "How can I redeem myself my Lord and Lady?"

 

[ThLunarian]

Arozora waves his/her hand dismissively. "Words are meaningless," he admonishes. "Lord, lady, one or both; it matters not."

"You can atone," she continues, "By serving the Raven Queen in our name."

"The laws of the Astral Sea must be upheld, regardless of which god is inconvenienced and which is benefitted. The lawkeepers of which you will be a member are responsible for keeping this order. Your focus will be to maintain the balance of forces within this group," Aroz explains.

Zora adds, "To serve us in this way is the only way to atone for your misdeeds and guarantee a place for yourself upon this Isle of Enlightenment."

Now Aroz. "Stop groveling and collect yourself, mortal. This is your last chance to speak up before we send you off to perform your duties. Unless you refuse?"

 

[Azih]

Menek stands up and dusts himself off. He wasn't really sure how he should behave; grovelling had seemed like the right thing to do. He'd certainly done enough of that in temple but it seemed in this, and in many other things, he had misjudged what his faith and god really ware.

He collects himself and nods. "I will do this. I always tried to be an agent of your will in life. I will be one for true now that I'm... dead."

He crinkles his brow. "I remember... right before I died.. there was.. an owl?"

 

[ThLunarian]

"Yes, your... ah... 'parole officer' will be joining you at your destination. If these are all the questions you have, then away with you."

In an instant, Menek is no longer standing atop a great mountain. Instead he finds himself in a cavernous room, with a familiar owl firmly planted upon his shoulder. "Hello again, jackass," it says. "You and I will become the best of friends."

Menek also notes that there are other men, women, and creatures around, some of which are distinctly magical in nature. His newly acquired magical senses confirm it, if their appearances weren't already enough.


((End of Menek's introduction. KittenMaster's Ozzan'gac is up next, coming around midweek))

 

[KittenMaster]

<coriolis became really sour after quintis left him stranded in an alternate timeline>

 

[ThLunarian]

<coriolis became really sour after quintis left him stranded in an alternate timeline>

(jnc))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((Woo. Story post time. Don't blame any for skipping this entire thing. TL;DR Minae is an investigator who dies of old age. Carries out religious crusade against magic users. Discovers right before death that his god is god of not just science/technology, but magic as well. Uh oh.))

((After the wall I put up, I don't think I'm legally allowed to say anything even resembling TL;DR. XD

Anyway, I digged that opening. I also have a feeling that owl's going to be my favorite familiar out of the past several campaigns I've seen.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Speaking of familiars... Mako should have a rather nasty looking scorpion somewhere. It may be hiding or something though, since its small enough to do that(for now... if we ever make it to level 16 it'll actually become an animal companion, that'll be sick).))