It has been nearly a century since the Breach; when the earth shook and the skies tore open over the majestic southern cities of the Third Empire and all manner of disease, abomination and pestilence rained down. In less than a week, two thousand years of human wealth, art and culture were destroyed. Once spanning the entire continent of Gondesradt, the Third Empire was shattered in the Breach. The backbone of Imperial strength had been the 6 Cities; Statifiaris, Amnifortis, Viktoris, Formacullis, Vollenda and Klippen Vider. With those destroyed, towns and provinces in the north took advantage of the catastrophe to rebel and make war upon the beleaguered Empire. Worse, dark powers descended from overseas to claim war torn lands for their own. It was during this time that brave Vigor Mastieri, Prince of Amnifortis, gathered his legions and led an exodus of his people north to the frontier village of Bardstown. Declared by his people as Vigor I, he founded the Fourth Empire and fought to carve out a new home in the wilderness where civilization could thrive, while salvaging as much of the old culture as could be preserved.
It was a long struggle, but the Fourth Empire now flourishes. Last year, Vigor I saw his life draw to a close after an unheard of 126 years. His chosen successor was the youngest of his great-grandsons, who is now hailed as Vigor II. The new emperor has set to work completing some of the major construction projects begun by his great-grandsire and is said to be taking steps to reform the Empire to fit the modern world. He has also thrown open the borders and normalized relations with the neighboring rebel states, now full-fledged kingdoms in their own right. People and trade are moving again, and word is trickling into Bardstown of the wonders and mysteries of this strange and magical world.
It is here where you find yourselves, adventurers stepping out into the dawn of a new age…
This campaign will be set in a homebrew world I am building based on 5e lore with some bits and baubles borrowed from across other games and fantasy literature. The setting is dark fantasy – intrigue festers between the nations, religions, and power players in this world. Actions have consequences, whether it is winding up on the run from the law, or from shadowy foes whose plans you have disrupted. We will not be going super-dark, but there may be suggestions of off-camera violence and tragedy that may be unsettling for some viewers. The setting is also a mix of high and low fantasy. Major magic items are rare, but magical knick knacks are more common if you can afford them. Its hard for an adventurer to get their hands on a magic sword, for example, while most nobles have magical lamps and chandeliers to illuminate their homes and impress their dinner guests.
We recently finished the first tabletop campaign in this setting but there were many areas of the land my PC’s never explored. I plan to run this PbP as something of a sandbox game. There are a handful of major plots that could come to be the focus… but if the players characters just wander around and explore that will serve my purposes just fine… many locations exist as just a dot on a map right now, and I want to flesh this world out. I would like you to help me, and hopefully have some fun in the process.
This is likely to be roleplay heavy but with some combat-heavy adventures mixed in. This adventure will take place in the “recent but not too recent” history for future tabletop games I will run. Events you participate in, monsters you defeat, and items you wield will become a part of the lore of this setting – assuming anyone survives to tell your tale. Getting mixed up in politics or assassinations, engaging in the illegal trade of magical goods, founding a knightly order, etc… I want the players to have an opportunity to interact with and shape the world outside of just combat. Downtime activities are encouraged but they will require effort, creativity and investment from the players. I also have a system for “secrets”… things about the world that only certain races, classes, or professions know, or that you might uncover as you explore.
If all this sounds like your idea of fun, please apply in this thread. I will leave the recruitment open for several days at least... maybe more. Once the group is selected we will probably take at least a few more days to a week as I share maps and commonly known history in a group PM and we all decide on integrating back-stories and how we want to start the story (established relationships, just meeting for the first time, etc). Actual game play thread will probably begin in 10 days to 2 weeks.
CHARACTER CREATION NOTES
I cannot provide any books. Any non DNDB core materials needed for your character will need to be provided by you. Any players who have a large number of books and can share them with the campaign… well, I hate to say that would give you a leg up in the recruitment process… but it might give you a leg up in the recruitment process.
We will begin at level 1.
Ability Scores: Roll here in the recruitment thread 4d6(best3) dropping 1s once. If you are unhappy with the roll then you may opt for point buy as a second choice. *No character may begin play at level 1 with a score above 18 in any ability, even after racial modifiers. So if you get lucky and roll an 18, either stick that in a stat that doesn’t get a racial bonus, or manually waive the bonus. Stats up to 20 can be purchased with ASI at later level-ups.
Available Races: Only certain races exist in this setting. And some of these races have some quirks that set them apart from their typical 5e descriptions. A greater breakdown on those changes will occur in group PM later.
Common Races
Human
Standard
Variant
Northern Tribe Variant (variant, but no feat but take the usual variant +1 to two stats and add an additional +1 to either STR or CON. This +1 can stack with one of the other two +1s if you so choose)
Half-elf (mechanically functions RAW, but for role play purposes half elves are physically indistinguishable from humans.)
Elf
Wood
Dwarf
Mountain
Hill
Halfling
Any
“Orc”
Use half-Orc Stats. Orcs are civilized and much closer in appearance to the other humanoid races.
Rare and Exotic Races: Common folk may go their entire lives and never see a member of these races. These exist in the world and are available if you choose, but be aware they may face fear or prejudice that other more common races will not and the character’s backstory may wind up limited by the narrow sliver of the world that these races currently inhabit. On the other hand, playing one of these races and rising to become a famous hero may completely change the outlook for them as a playable race in the future.
Gnomes
Lizardfolk
Kobold
“Nephilim”
Variant Goliath, with 1 extra +1 that must be applied to either INT or CHA
Tiefling
Character Class Restrictions: All published classes are available with the following notes/restrictions. Subclasses are mostly available and can be discussed as your character evolves. No guns.
Artificer: Artificer is available but it is closely tied to a particular political/religious group.
Cleric: Works mechanically as written. But the gods in this world are distant. They power your spells but seldom respond to your prayers. Religion is more guided by dogma and church hierarchy than by the divine influence of the gods themselves. A list of the human, elven and dwarven pantheons will be shared in group PM later. *Also, Revivify is the only “return to life from dead” spell that is available.
Wizard: Works mechanically RAW. Lore wise, arcane magic is very difficult in this world. If your character is able to accomplish rising levels as a wizard, then it means they are able to accomplish a task very few others can do. Again, there is no mechanical penalty, but for roleplaying purposes you should assume your character is obsessively studious, an intellectual prodigy, or some other flavor reason to explain why magic comes so easily to them.
Warlock: The flip side to wizard. Many “wizards” in this setting have had to supplement their meager mastery of the arcane by entering deals with otherworldly powers. This setting is filthy with spirits, demons, fey, ghosts, great old ones, etc all too happy to teach magical secrets… for a price. If you have a homebrew Warlock subclass to pitch, this is the game for you. Additionally, most characters (any class) who make a name for themselves will wind up receiving an offer or two to sign a pact and multiclass as a warlock. That isn’t the DM trying to steer you into Warlock, and you’re welcome or even encouraged to say no. It is just a feature of this setting, that anyone revealed to be a talent will attract attention from those seeking to gain their service.
APPLICATION
Reply to this thread with the following:
Stats (either rolled or point buy and indicate which)
Name
Race
Alignment
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue)
Background
Backstory: Please keep this more thematic than specific for now. I can share some of the history of the world, its nations, its gods and the current world state that you can use to fill in the gaps later. What kind of life have you lived? What kind of person are you? What are your aspirations, motivations, dreams? *One specific item I will want to know: Will your character be a citizen of the Empire? Or are they a foreigner taking advantage of the newly opened borders to visit/explore?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Name: Sir Aubrey Duskshard Race: Human (Variant) Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Class: Warlock (Great Old One) Background: Noble Backstory: Although there were some rumours of the noble Duskshard family of Amnifortis having had its part to play in the Breach, few noble houses lost as much as it did in the cataclysm that followed. Being a family of survivors, a few eventually made it to Bardstown and swore allegiance to Vigor I and immediately set about restoring their former political strength. Young Aubrey was raised with the tales of the grand history of the house of Duskshard and rigorously trained in the arts of political intrigue. As he came of age he recieved his family talisman and was initiated into the darker secrets of his family, a pact with an unfathomable entity beyond the stars granting its servitors eldritch powers. His family is treading carefully to prosper in the shadow of its master while avoiding a new cataclysm. Aubrey has now been charged with uncovering more eldritch secrets and dark artifacts to further strengthen the position of his house. To this end Sir Aubrey has set about to create a coterie of people to support his ambitions of exploring the unknown and the forgotten.
(I will gladly modify and expand on all this when I know more details of the setting.)
Class: Paladin (Thinking like Oath of Conquest but more of a way to show his determination to take back his homeland.)
Background: Mercenary Veteran
Guilim is not from Bardstown but ended up their after the raiders from across the seas destroyed his home and left his family with no place to return to. With little to their name his family were able to take up life with a group of mercenaries, ot fighting but keeping the camp together while they fought. For his part Guilim was able to serve as a pseudo squire to a former knight that still saw themselves as a noble. By watching them, he picked up how to fight and eventually as somewhat as a way to amuse themselves and wanting to see if he could learn the knight began to train him in basic combat skills.
At first he was not taken seriously when he wanted to fight, being given shoddy equipment and a promise of ten gold if he managed to make it through his first battle. Not only did he make it through the battle he killed two much larger opponents, earning some respect and a chance to fully join the company. With the lessons from the knight and more combat he took off on his own after giving his family money to survive for a while. His only goal as he headed towards Bardstown was to get powerful enough to make a name for himself and reclaim his home from the sea raiders.
Also wanted to say I do have content sharing and most of the books. Got them to dm but unfortunately lack the time to devote to planning out a world of my own...
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue): Bard, College of Swords or Lore
Background:
Tristan was an orphan of the empire, one of the many poor children roaming the slums of Bardstown. Growing up on his own in the streets, he fought over scraps, picked pockets, and learned to watch for danger around every corner. He was rescued off the streets by a kind innkeeper and soon learned the stories of the breach and songs of the empire of old at the feet of minstrels and storytellers that passed through the tavern. Now that the borders were thrown open, he is hearing tales of the wonder of the world outside the empire. One particular musician, a true bard, taught him some basics in weaving magic through song and inspired him to seek out the outside world.
This is where he finds himself now, a novice musician with a poorly tuned lute, a curious mind, and an adventurous heart with dreams of fame, fortune, and glory. Tristan’s aspirations are to learn more of the world outside the empire, he asks lots of questions, and to capture tales and songs from different places. He wants to be a famous entertainer and thinks he can return after his journeys to help share the tales and glories of the outside world with the citizens of Bardstown. Used to having very little, and learning to protect it, he also searches for fortune, both for his own comfort and to repay the debt he feels he owes the friendly innkeepers who raised him, the Detsk family.
Class: Artificer (probably battle smith, but maybe alchemist)
Background: Acolyte
Grugga comes from the town of Raven's Hill. From a young age he saw the glory that the artificers of his homeland brought to his town. Where once there was death and disease, the artificers brought magical balms and machines that sprayed healing mists. Where once there were farmers with ploughs and horses, the artificers created machines to do the work of ten men. Where once there was stagnation, the artificers brought innovation.
The great inventions spread slowly from the capitol, most of them only making out to rural Raven's Hill in Grugga's youth. This rapid development in living inspired Grugga, and he too wanted to be a bringer of miracles. The young Orc asked a visiting artificer how he could be like him, and the artificer told him to go to the capitol, the colleges were always recruiting bright minds.
So Grugga bade farewell to his supportive parents and made the long journey to the capitol. He passed the entrance exam to the college with flying colors and he learned how the patron god of his country freely gave the gifts of better living to his acolytes. Grugga reveres his god, who has done so much good for the world. After passing his final tests and learning both how to give and to take life, he heads out into the fourth empire, where the heathens need to hear the good word of his protector god, so that they too may live in glory and quit their stagnant squalor.
Backstory: Þekkr having reached his 50s and finished his apprenticeship is now considered an adult. Like some of his brethren, he has the itch to adventure for a few (or several) decades before returning to his clanhold to get married and settled down. The priest hopes to amass enough wealth to expand the family smithy. He only has to wait a hundred years or so to inherit it.
The closest human city to his clanhold is Bardstown. So Þekkr packed up his belongings and headed there. He knows that a sole adventurer is usually a death waiting to happen so he is on the lookout for like-minded fellows that he can join with.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ability scores: 111414131214
Name: Tender
Race: Tiefling
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue): Way of Mercy Monk
Background: Far Traveler
Backstory: (Keeping this rather vague for now, as I chose a rare race)
Tender is not from the Empire (I suspect), but has left her devastated monastery to take advantage of the open borders and put distance between herself and what happened there. Her driving force is duty - it was instilled in her from a very young age that her duty is to help others, either through healing or through a merciful death. She is supposed to stand between the horrors of the world and the regular people who cannot fight for themselves. She hides her scars beneath her clothes and her hurt beneath a bright smile and wonder at the world. She is unfailingly kind in a way that might seem naïve to those who don't know that she's the last of her Order.
She dreams of seeing the world, of fulfilling her duty, and perhaps one day, rebuilding her Order.
Note: I also have a Master sub, so I have access to books.
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue) Ranger (gloomstalker)
Background - soldier (maybe folk hero?)
Rohuzar has a primary motivation of getting to a wealthy, comfortable retirement. A citizen of the empire, he sees himself as a soldier of fortune. He’s better than the warm bodies headed for the meat grinder that populate the army. He IS the grinder, hell on two legs with a sword or axe. And… not above trying anything like an experimental potion to try to get the leg up (to grant those gloom stalker abilities?)
I was also considering a folk hero background, where he’s leaving a town of abandoned farms being turned to strip mines. Not really sure where that’s going, but I figured I’d toss the idea out.
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue): Draconic Sorcerer
Background: Noble
Backstory: Frokis has fled to the Empire after a disastrous attempt to overthrow his Uncle, the current ruler of his far off kingdom. Growing up in comfort he took an active interest in the affairs of the kingdom. Unfortunately for him his impulsive nature meant he was easily swayed by a group of minor lords who felt that his uncle was doing bad things to the kingdom. His uncle was well liked though and the support for a coup quickly fell apart. Frokis fled a little ahead of his Uncle's agents and made his way to the Empire, unsure of exactly what to do next and hoping that no agents have crossed the newly opened border yet. Frokis is a kind soul and likes to help people, but isn't always discerning about who's advice he takes and frequently finds himself in over his head.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ability scores: 13121615179
Name: Vincent Serrano Race: Variant Human Alignment: NG Class: Rogue (Swashbuckler) Background: Entertainer
Backstory:
Hidalgo Serrano and Madame Jeanette Serrano were proud, second-generation members of the Maenads - a circus that travelled far and wide across Gondesradt. Like all others, they had gone through a rough time during the Breach, but they continued their trade and eventually settled down in the Fourth Empire after Vigor I established the new empire.
Vincent Serrano was born as a citizen of the Empire. He was joined their circus act at a young age, being trained in acrobatics since birth. He started working young, sometimes that was chatting up locals to advertise the circus, and other times it was running “honest” games of chance or skill. As he grew older, he performed bit parts in other performers’ acts until he had developed their skills enough to earn his own showcase - and for Vincent, it was an impressive high-wire and trapeze routine. The shows were flawless, but the rehearsals for new routines were grueling, but Vincent never complained. He loved bring people excitement and laughter. He would constantly come up with new stunts, and his excellent crowd work kept people engaged and invested.
The accident happened when Vincent was twelve year old. The Serranos were performing their trapeze routine as usual, and just as Vincent was about to join them, their high-wire suddenly snapped. Vincent watched in horror as his parents fell to their death. The crowd panicked, and scattered, leaving Vincent alone, staring at the ground, the gore and the flesh and the blood and messed-up bones that used to be his parents. It didn’t make sense. They performed this a million times and they checked the wire every night. It shouldn’t have snapped.
From then on, Vincent was on his own. He ran errands, watched lobster cages, delivered messages, and cried for publications. He got beaten up by bigger urchin kids for his hard-earned coins, but he soon learned to use his acrobatic skills to get himself away from trouble, wielding a pair of juggling sticks. And soon enough, he started helping other orphaned kids in the same predicament, his warm and caring personality made him a natural leader, and he made friends all over the land. After his parents’ accident, he was determined not to let anyone else fall in front of his eyes again.
He was 22 when Vigor II had stepped up as the new emperor, the border had opened, and he saw this an opportunity to start his life anew.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ability rolls: Ability scores: 121516121613
Name: Jorgen Voltstag
Race: Half=Elf
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue): Bard (Lore) (there is a plan to multiclass in Sorcerer, to signify he has worked out magic on his own.)
Background: Sage
Jorgen is a prodigy. He played the lute and composed music by the age of 5. He could solve complex mathematical equations by the age of 7 and taught himself how to cast his first spell by the age of 9 (he worked it out). He sees the world as an open door, an opportunity to learn and do anything he desires. He attended private classes from parents, extended family as well as tutors. He learned to fence and use various other weapons during his youth. He was to take a place within his father's company which was established under Vigor 1, but to the shock of his parents, he has given up that position and has set out to explore the world and see what he can make of his life.
I appreciate all the interest. My next couple of days at work are going to be bonkers so I have my hands full at the moment. I will leave this up for a bit and I'm targeting Wednesday for making final selections.
I've sent a couple PMs based on questions asked (or where I had questions of my own) and will try to continue to do so over the next few days.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ability scores: 1881491312. Name: Rivessi. Race: Wood Elf. Alignment: Neutral Evil or True Neutral. (I know, red flags raised. Don't worry, I'm not a jerk. The "evil" is just meant to point out that Rivessi considers herself before any other if she considers the others at all. She will not do things that will end up harming her, such as randomly murdering people for fun or stealing from people who are helping her do whatever. I didn't really know where to place her in the alignment grid, as it is such a bad system to describe a character.) Class: Sorceress, Storm Sorcery. Background: Charlatan. Backstory (thematic):
Rivessi is a beautiful Elven woman. She is a foreigner who only just came to Bardstown for... reasons we will discuss, I guess. She's a person who puts her own well being above any other's. She'd rather manipulate others to take the risks for her than take the risk herself, whenever possible. Her life, up to this point, consisted mostly of living on others' expenses, manipulating others to get whatever she wanted. In addition, whenever she meets a new person she wants to manipulate, she creates a new false identity for herself (see my idea later about having a party member who knows the real her). She does this so often, however, that she had somewhat lost her sense of self. What if her "real self" is just another false identity at this point? She wants to have someone around who will know the real her, be there to remind her of herself, but she's afraid to let anyone know she's a liar. Her greatest motivation is greed, which was fueled by the need for comfort at first, but motivates her by itself at this point. She wants to become wealthy, but she wishes to do as little as possible to become so. Or, at least, she doesn't want to work hard for that or become a wife of a rich person - which would definitely be a demanding task. Given her beauty, though, she probably could have chosen that path... had she wanted to.
I guess that's the theme I'm going for. As for her reason to come to Bardstown, I have two ideas: The first is tagging along/dragging along one or more of the others. I prefer having premade connections because it feels more natural to become a party, rather than just a bunch of strangers meeting at a tavern. Perhaps she believes that person will be someone worth sticking by for practical reasons, or perhaps they are that one person who knows the real Rivessi. A childhood friend, someone who shared a near-death experience thus forming a bond etc. Perhaps they are someone Rivessi is trying to manipulate, but they'll spot that at some point (this option is only if the other player agrees, of course). If we choose that the characters do not know each other, though, that's also fine. In that case, she will come to Bardstown believing that in this flourishing country, she will find wealth and comfort, or something along those lines.
Now, you may have noticed I omitted anything related to her class. That's because I want to think with you what reason fits best for her to have such powers. I managed to think about one, but it isn't a very good one. Maybe some more information about the world could help me with that, or maybe you'll have an idea. Her powers contradict her personality and behaviour - as they attract a lot of attention (I plan to pick spells that relate to the subclass, but many of them produce loud noises) - and because of that she never used them much or tried to master them well, so she isn't a studious Wizard or something like that (which is another reason why she's a Sorcerer). She mainly used them as a last resort whenever things go wrong and people turn on her.
Death has been something Riffard has known all his life; orphaned young from a plague and went under apprentership of a gravekeeper. Victims of that plague did not discriminate between the old and young. Soon that plague waned, but Riffard learnt of the near endless ways death grips people. He would hear tale after tale from his teacher; gravekeepers are here to guide, to tie the knot at the end of the thread. It had nothing to do who he was, but it was everything was now about. He remembered those words as he buried his teacher. The kingdom prospered, but the dead kept arriving, but now the gates were open and people were coming from all sorts of places. Riffard turned to his own young adult of an apprentice, gave her the grounds as he had a feeling a lot of people had loose threads that need tying.
Hello. I’ve read the summary of your campaign and I would be interested in submitting an application. I own all sourcebooks on DND beyond:
Stats (rolled): Ability scores: 161510131113
Name: Leelan Dapper
Race: Forest Gnome
Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Ranger (most probably Monster Slayer)
Background: Sage
A foreigner to the Empire, Leelan is a scholar who studied various subjects like the arcane, medicine, biology, geography and zoology. During his time as a scholar, he met the one who would become his wife, Rosie. She held a fascination for monsters and creatures that inhabited the world and she had begun working towards writing a tome of encyclopedic knowledge on all those creatures. Together, they worked tirelessly on the book for decades. Unfortunately, tragedy struck as Rosie was taken away by a disease. On her deathbed, Leelan swore that he would complete her book and publish it. After the funeral, the gnome travelled to the newly-opened borders of the Empire in hopes of complementing his notes with the knowledge hidden in the Empire’s library.
(I am very opened to editing this to make it fit into your world. If I need to come up with a different character altogether, that works too. If I’m not selected then I wish all the lucky players a very good game.)
The only book I have is the PHB but not on D&D Beyond though.
Ability scores: 5201791414
Name: Quagmire Asan
Race: wood elf.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Warlock
Background: Haunted one
Quagmire is from the nearby woods, where he lived independently. But one day a group of travelers entered the forest. He followed them to a nearby clearing. The human woman started to chant, then suddenly a massive beast made of fire appeared. The fire beast burned down the wood, his home destroyed Quagmire fled. He found an old abanded temple, inside the temple there was a mysterious beautiful woman. He poked his head out, then woke up in a bed in a village, with a strange rune on his hand.
Sounds really interesting… I think I have a couple good character ideas for this…
Ability scores: 1481015179
Name: Arthur ‘Art’ Fisher
Race: Half-elf (wood)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue): Warlock (Fathomless) - not sure about pact yet.
Background: Fisher.
Backstory
Personal Background
Arthur's life was one that centred around hard work, but within a loving family. He learned a love of the woods from his mother, but his heart lies with the sea, and salt water flows through his veins. His main role was as crew on his father's boat, and in mending the nets and preparing the fish caught when he wasn't sailing. He grew to love everything about the sea - her fickle nature, the breath taking beauty, the exhilaration of sailing before a stiff breeze. On his final trip out he was sailing with his father again, when they were caught by an unexpected squall, and it took all their skill and strength to bring the boat around to flee before the wind. Suddenly a flash of lightning and all went dark.
The Event
The darkness of unconsciousness gradually changed to the darkness of deep places, the pressure, and the almost liquid silence of a dark draped like velvet across his senses. Then the voice came, within his mind. 'It has been long years since one of you came into my domain. It has been longer still since I sensed the colour and sounds of the surface world. If you carry my awareness within you for a time, I shall give you a portion of my strength, to see you back safe to the world above.' Agreements made, there was a flash of pain on Arthur's right bicep, and then darkness again... (This is all he currently recalls - more may come later...)
The Landing
Arthur's consciousness returned slowly to the sound of lapping waves, and the cry of gulls. Suddenly he jerks awake fully. 'Dad?' Standing slowly, he finds his pack next to him, which has somehow contrived to wash ashore at the same time, and then, recalling the dreamlike experience, he suddenly checks his bicep, which is now tattooed with a stylised image of a whale. 'My name is Tehano...' he hears whispered in his mind, at which point the additional awareness of his new gifts comes flooding in, the shock bringing him to his knees as the knowledge scours his mind. 'I'm sorry, young one, there was no easy way to accomplish that...' and his awareness of the voice fades away, for now. Instinctively he uses Prestidigitation to clean the salt water from his gear, and then he turns inland to investigate surroundings, his stomach starting to protest its currently empty state...
Personality
Art is a hard-working fisherman. He’s been taught his letters, and is well-read (for a fisherman!), but his heart lies with the sea. He comes from a good family, raised to be forthright and easy-going, but is also willing to fight his corner if he’s in the right. Being a fisherman, he has patience bred into his bones - he knows the ocean deserves respect, and will punish those acting without thought or knowledge…
Will your character be a citizen of the Empire? Or are they a foreigner taking advantage of the newly opened borders to visit/explore?
My view at the moment is that *if* he’s a citizen of the empire he’s from its furthest reaches, and certainly is from parts remote enough that they don’t feel / consider themselves part of the empire…
Class/subclass: Cleric, Domain of Knowledge, Goddess Seluneif allowed - easily altered if not
Background:Noble
Backstory:Orsine Icebrand is of a Noble birth but far down in the line and female so longs to prove herself. Trained throughout her youth to behave as a noble, fight as a warrior and serve the people as all nobles should, she has come to an age where she desires more than training. She is far past the age of marriage at 20 and has found no-one worthy of her hand. Disappointed in her daughter's lack of marital ambition but not willing to force the issue, her noble mother has given Orsine the option of a life of service instead. It will honor her birthright and still be a noble endeavor.
Her bearing and manners are noble, hard to miss by those who pay attention. She will however, not mention her family as she is meant to prove herself on her own merit and will only do so should it be required or necessary to accomplish her end. Not out of hand.
Religion is fading in the world, the Gods are starting to be forgotten. This must NOT happen. Orsine is sent for training in a remote Temple of Selune, learning all she can about the Goddess and immersing herself in the Temple's massive libraries for Selune is a Goddess of Knowledge as well. After two long years of intense study and prayer, now at 22, she is released back into the world to prove that she understands what she's learned. To serve the people as she was raised to do. There is much more to learn and evil to fight.
It has been nearly a century since the Breach; when the earth shook and the skies tore open over the majestic southern cities of the Third Empire and all manner of disease, abomination and pestilence rained down. In less than a week, two thousand years of human wealth, art and culture were destroyed. Once spanning the entire continent of Gondesradt, the Third Empire was shattered in the Breach. The backbone of Imperial strength had been the 6 Cities; Statifiaris, Amnifortis, Viktoris, Formacullis, Vollenda and Klippen Vider. With those destroyed, towns and provinces in the north took advantage of the catastrophe to rebel and make war upon the beleaguered Empire. Worse, dark powers descended from overseas to claim war torn lands for their own. It was during this time that brave Vigor Mastieri, Prince of Amnifortis, gathered his legions and led an exodus of his people north to the frontier village of Bardstown. Declared by his people as Vigor I, he founded the Fourth Empire and fought to carve out a new home in the wilderness where civilization could thrive, while salvaging as much of the old culture as could be preserved.
It was a long struggle, but the Fourth Empire now flourishes. Last year, Vigor I saw his life draw to a close after an unheard of 126 years. His chosen successor was the youngest of his great-grandsons, who is now hailed as Vigor II. The new emperor has set to work completing some of the major construction projects begun by his great-grandsire and is said to be taking steps to reform the Empire to fit the modern world. He has also thrown open the borders and normalized relations with the neighboring rebel states, now full-fledged kingdoms in their own right. People and trade are moving again, and word is trickling into Bardstown of the wonders and mysteries of this strange and magical world.
It is here where you find yourselves, adventurers stepping out into the dawn of a new age…
This campaign will be set in a homebrew world I am building based on 5e lore with some bits and baubles borrowed from across other games and fantasy literature. The setting is dark fantasy – intrigue festers between the nations, religions, and power players in this world. Actions have consequences, whether it is winding up on the run from the law, or from shadowy foes whose plans you have disrupted. We will not be going super-dark, but there may be suggestions of off-camera violence and tragedy that may be unsettling for some viewers. The setting is also a mix of high and low fantasy. Major magic items are rare, but magical knick knacks are more common if you can afford them. Its hard for an adventurer to get their hands on a magic sword, for example, while most nobles have magical lamps and chandeliers to illuminate their homes and impress their dinner guests.
We recently finished the first tabletop campaign in this setting but there were many areas of the land my PC’s never explored. I plan to run this PbP as something of a sandbox game. There are a handful of major plots that could come to be the focus… but if the players characters just wander around and explore that will serve my purposes just fine… many locations exist as just a dot on a map right now, and I want to flesh this world out. I would like you to help me, and hopefully have some fun in the process.
This is likely to be roleplay heavy but with some combat-heavy adventures mixed in. This adventure will take place in the “recent but not too recent” history for future tabletop games I will run. Events you participate in, monsters you defeat, and items you wield will become a part of the lore of this setting – assuming anyone survives to tell your tale. Getting mixed up in politics or assassinations, engaging in the illegal trade of magical goods, founding a knightly order, etc… I want the players to have an opportunity to interact with and shape the world outside of just combat. Downtime activities are encouraged but they will require effort, creativity and investment from the players. I also have a system for “secrets”… things about the world that only certain races, classes, or professions know, or that you might uncover as you explore.
If all this sounds like your idea of fun, please apply in this thread. I will leave the recruitment open for several days at least... maybe more. Once the group is selected we will probably take at least a few more days to a week as I share maps and commonly known history in a group PM and we all decide on integrating back-stories and how we want to start the story (established relationships, just meeting for the first time, etc). Actual game play thread will probably begin in 10 days to 2 weeks.
CHARACTER CREATION NOTES
Common Races
Rare and Exotic Races: Common folk may go their entire lives and never see a member of these races. These exist in the world and are available if you choose, but be aware they may face fear or prejudice that other more common races will not and the character’s backstory may wind up limited by the narrow sliver of the world that these races currently inhabit. On the other hand, playing one of these races and rising to become a famous hero may completely change the outlook for them as a playable race in the future.
APPLICATION
Reply to this thread with the following:
Backstory: Please keep this more thematic than specific for now. I can share some of the history of the world, its nations, its gods and the current world state that you can use to fill in the gaps later. What kind of life have you lived? What kind of person are you? What are your aspirations, motivations, dreams? *One specific item I will want to know: Will your character be a citizen of the Empire? Or are they a foreigner taking advantage of the newly opened borders to visit/explore?
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ability scores: 10 12 15 15 15 8
Name: Sir Aubrey Duskshard
Race: Human (Variant)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Class: Warlock (Great Old One)
Background: Noble
Backstory: Although there were some rumours of the noble Duskshard family of Amnifortis having had its part to play in the Breach, few noble houses lost as much as it did in the cataclysm that followed. Being a family of survivors, a few eventually made it to Bardstown and swore allegiance to Vigor I and immediately set about restoring their former political strength. Young Aubrey was raised with the tales of the grand history of the house of Duskshard and rigorously trained in the arts of political intrigue. As he came of age he recieved his family talisman and was initiated into the darker secrets of his family, a pact with an unfathomable entity beyond the stars granting its servitors eldritch powers. His family is treading carefully to prosper in the shadow of its master while avoiding a new cataclysm. Aubrey has now been charged with uncovering more eldritch secrets and dark artifacts to further strengthen the position of his house. To this end Sir Aubrey has set about to create a coterie of people to support his ambitions of exploring the unknown and the forgotten.
Sir Aubrey Duskshard - D&D Beyond (dndbeyond.com)
Ability scores: 13 15 16 16 12 13
Name: Guilim Nimbletoes
Race: Halfling
Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Paladin (Thinking like Oath of Conquest but more of a way to show his determination to take back his homeland.)
Background: Mercenary Veteran
Guilim is not from Bardstown but ended up their after the raiders from across the seas destroyed his home and left his family with no place to return to. With little to their name his family were able to take up life with a group of mercenaries, ot fighting but keeping the camp together while they fought. For his part Guilim was able to serve as a pseudo squire to a former knight that still saw themselves as a noble. By watching them, he picked up how to fight and eventually as somewhat as a way to amuse themselves and wanting to see if he could learn the knight began to train him in basic combat skills.
At first he was not taken seriously when he wanted to fight, being given shoddy equipment and a promise of ten gold if he managed to make it through his first battle. Not only did he make it through the battle he killed two much larger opponents, earning some respect and a chance to fully join the company. With the lessons from the knight and more combat he took off on his own after giving his family money to survive for a while. His only goal as he headed towards Bardstown was to get powerful enough to make a name for himself and reclaim his home from the sea raiders.
Also wanted to say I do have content sharing and most of the books. Got them to dm but unfortunately lack the time to devote to planning out a world of my own...
Backstory:
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Reminder for myself. Work together or fail apart. Talk with each other when necessary. Describe how, where, if, your character moved.
The sign on the trail ahead reads "DONT FEED THE DRAGON!" "Working Together" Follow this link please
Ability scores: 15 14 15 16 17 14
Name: Tristan Detsk
Race: Human (Variant)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class (and Subclass you would most likely pursue): Bard, College of Swords or Lore
Background:
Tristan was an orphan of the empire, one of the many poor children roaming the slums of Bardstown. Growing up on his own in the streets, he fought over scraps, picked pockets, and learned to watch for danger around every corner. He was rescued off the streets by a kind innkeeper and soon learned the stories of the breach and songs of the empire of old at the feet of minstrels and storytellers that passed through the tavern. Now that the borders were thrown open, he is hearing tales of the wonder of the world outside the empire. One particular musician, a true bard, taught him some basics in weaving magic through song and inspired him to seek out the outside world.
This is where he finds himself now, a novice musician with a poorly tuned lute, a curious mind, and an adventurous heart with dreams of fame, fortune, and glory. Tristan’s aspirations are to learn more of the world outside the empire, he asks lots of questions, and to capture tales and songs from different places. He wants to be a famous entertainer and thinks he can return after his journeys to help share the tales and glories of the outside world with the citizens of Bardstown. Used to having very little, and learning to protect it, he also searches for fortune, both for his own comfort and to repay the debt he feels he owes the friendly innkeepers who raised him, the Detsk family.
Grugga comes from the town of Raven's Hill. From a young age he saw the glory that the artificers of his homeland brought to his town. Where once there was death and disease, the artificers brought magical balms and machines that sprayed healing mists. Where once there were farmers with ploughs and horses, the artificers created machines to do the work of ten men. Where once there was stagnation, the artificers brought innovation.
The great inventions spread slowly from the capitol, most of them only making out to rural Raven's Hill in Grugga's youth. This rapid development in living inspired Grugga, and he too wanted to be a bringer of miracles. The young Orc asked a visiting artificer how he could be like him, and the artificer told him to go to the capitol, the colleges were always recruiting bright minds.
So Grugga bade farewell to his supportive parents and made the long journey to the capitol. He passed the entrance exam to the college with flying colors and he learned how the patron god of his country freely gave the gifts of better living to his acolytes. Grugga reveres his god, who has done so much good for the world. After passing his final tests and learning both how to give and to take life, he heads out into the fourth empire, where the heathens need to hear the good word of his protector god, so that they too may live in glory and quit their stagnant squalor.
Ability scores: 12 14 16 14 11 17
STR 18 DEX 14 CON 16 INT 12 WIS 17 CHA 11
Backstory: Þekkr having reached his 50s and finished his apprenticeship is now considered an adult. Like some of his brethren, he has the itch to adventure for a few (or several) decades before returning to his clanhold to get married and settled down. The priest hopes to amass enough wealth to expand the family smithy. He only has to wait a hundred years or so to inherit it.
The closest human city to his clanhold is Bardstown. So Þekkr packed up his belongings and headed there. He knows that a sole adventurer is usually a death waiting to happen so he is on the lookout for like-minded fellows that he can join with.
Backstory: (Keeping this rather vague for now, as I chose a rare race)
Tender is not from the Empire (I suspect), but has left her devastated monastery to take advantage of the open borders and put distance between herself and what happened there. Her driving force is duty - it was instilled in her from a very young age that her duty is to help others, either through healing or through a merciful death. She is supposed to stand between the horrors of the world and the regular people who cannot fight for themselves. She hides her scars beneath her clothes and her hurt beneath a bright smile and wonder at the world. She is unfailingly kind in a way that might seem naïve to those who don't know that she's the last of her Order.
She dreams of seeing the world, of fulfilling her duty, and perhaps one day, rebuilding her Order.
Note: I also have a Master sub, so I have access to books.
No Longer ActiveAny chance I could get a heads up on houses or families of the empire to belong too for my backstory
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Reminder for myself. Work together or fail apart. Talk with each other when necessary. Describe how, where, if, your character moved.
The sign on the trail ahead reads "DONT FEED THE DRAGON!" "Working Together" Follow this link please
Rohuzar has a primary motivation of getting to a wealthy, comfortable retirement. A citizen of the empire, he sees himself as a soldier of fortune. He’s better than the warm bodies headed for the meat grinder that populate the army. He IS the grinder, hell on two legs with a sword or axe. And… not above trying anything like an experimental potion to try to get the leg up (to grant those gloom stalker abilities?)
I was also considering a folk hero background, where he’s leaving a town of abandoned farms being turned to strip mines. Not really sure where that’s going, but I figured I’d toss the idea out.
Ultimately: I’m making a character who’s in this for the money, high risk, high reward, and wants to save his pennies to build his villa in the mountains.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/nschrock/characters/55523527
Paladin - warforged - orange
Gronk in Bastion, Kingdom of Medrin Elixisys in Talaveroth (Team 2) Uthal in Lost Continent of Theviranne
Ability scores: 13 12 16 15 17 9
Name: Vincent Serrano
Race: Variant Human
Alignment: NG
Class: Rogue (Swashbuckler)
Background: Entertainer
Backstory:
Hidalgo Serrano and Madame Jeanette Serrano were proud, second-generation members of the Maenads - a circus that travelled far and wide across Gondesradt. Like all others, they had gone through a rough time during the Breach, but they continued their trade and eventually settled down in the Fourth Empire after Vigor I established the new empire.
Vincent Serrano was born as a citizen of the Empire. He was joined their circus act at a young age, being trained in acrobatics since birth. He started working young, sometimes that was chatting up locals to advertise the circus, and other times it was running “honest” games of chance or skill. As he grew older, he performed bit parts in other performers’ acts until he had developed their skills enough to earn his own showcase - and for Vincent, it was an impressive high-wire and trapeze routine. The shows were flawless, but the rehearsals for new routines were grueling, but Vincent never complained. He loved bring people excitement and laughter. He would constantly come up with new stunts, and his excellent crowd work kept people engaged and invested.
The accident happened when Vincent was twelve year old. The Serranos were performing their trapeze routine as usual, and just as Vincent was about to join them, their high-wire suddenly snapped. Vincent watched in horror as his parents fell to their death. The crowd panicked, and scattered, leaving Vincent alone, staring at the ground, the gore and the flesh and the blood and messed-up bones that used to be his parents. It didn’t make sense. They performed this a million times and they checked the wire every night. It shouldn’t have snapped.
From then on, Vincent was on his own. He ran errands, watched lobster cages, delivered messages, and cried for publications. He got beaten up by bigger urchin kids for his hard-earned coins, but he soon learned to use his acrobatic skills to get himself away from trouble, wielding a pair of juggling sticks. And soon enough, he started helping other orphaned kids in the same predicament, his warm and caring personality made him a natural leader, and he made friends all over the land. After his parents’ accident, he was determined not to let anyone else fall in front of his eyes again.
He was 22 when Vigor II had stepped up as the new emperor, the border had opened, and he saw this an opportunity to start his life anew.
Ability rolls: Ability scores: 12 15 16 12 16 13
Jorgen is a prodigy. He played the lute and composed music by the age of 5. He could solve complex mathematical equations by the age of 7 and taught himself how to cast his first spell by the age of 9 (he worked it out). He sees the world as an open door, an opportunity to learn and do anything he desires. He attended private classes from parents, extended family as well as tutors. He learned to fence and use various other weapons during his youth. He was to take a place within his father's company which was established under Vigor 1, but to the shock of his parents, he has given up that position and has set out to explore the world and see what he can make of his life.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/leapingmountain/characters/55556777
I appreciate all the interest. My next couple of days at work are going to be bonkers so I have my hands full at the moment. I will leave this up for a bit and I'm targeting Wednesday for making final selections.
I've sent a couple PMs based on questions asked (or where I had questions of my own) and will try to continue to do so over the next few days.
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ability scores: 18 8 14 9 13 12.
Name: Rivessi.
Race: Wood Elf.
Alignment: Neutral Evil or True Neutral. (I know, red flags raised. Don't worry, I'm not a jerk. The "evil" is just meant to point out that Rivessi considers herself before any other if she considers the others at all. She will not do things that will end up harming her, such as randomly murdering people for fun or stealing from people who are helping her do whatever. I didn't really know where to place her in the alignment grid, as it is such a bad system to describe a character.)
Class: Sorceress, Storm Sorcery.
Background: Charlatan.
Backstory (thematic):
Rivessi is a beautiful Elven woman. She is a foreigner who only just came to Bardstown for... reasons we will discuss, I guess. She's a person who puts her own well being above any other's. She'd rather manipulate others to take the risks for her than take the risk herself, whenever possible. Her life, up to this point, consisted mostly of living on others' expenses, manipulating others to get whatever she wanted. In addition, whenever she meets a new person she wants to manipulate, she creates a new false identity for herself (see my idea later about having a party member who knows the real her). She does this so often, however, that she had somewhat lost her sense of self. What if her "real self" is just another false identity at this point? She wants to have someone around who will know the real her, be there to remind her of herself, but she's afraid to let anyone know she's a liar.
Her greatest motivation is greed, which was fueled by the need for comfort at first, but motivates her by itself at this point. She wants to become wealthy, but she wishes to do as little as possible to become so. Or, at least, she doesn't want to work hard for that or become a wife of a rich person - which would definitely be a demanding task. Given her beauty, though, she probably could have chosen that path... had she wanted to.
I guess that's the theme I'm going for. As for her reason to come to Bardstown, I have two ideas:
The first is tagging along/dragging along one or more of the others. I prefer having premade connections because it feels more natural to become a party, rather than just a bunch of strangers meeting at a tavern. Perhaps she believes that person will be someone worth sticking by for practical reasons, or perhaps they are that one person who knows the real Rivessi. A childhood friend, someone who shared a near-death experience thus forming a bond etc. Perhaps they are someone Rivessi is trying to manipulate, but they'll spot that at some point (this option is only if the other player agrees, of course).
If we choose that the characters do not know each other, though, that's also fine. In that case, she will come to Bardstown believing that in this flourishing country, she will find wealth and comfort, or something along those lines.
Now, you may have noticed I omitted anything related to her class. That's because I want to think with you what reason fits best for her to have such powers. I managed to think about one, but it isn't a very good one. Maybe some more information about the world could help me with that, or maybe you'll have an idea. Her powers contradict her personality and behaviour - as they attract a lot of attention (I plan to pick spells that relate to the subclass, but many of them produce loud noises) - and because of that she never used them much or tried to master them well, so she isn't a studious Wizard or something like that (which is another reason why she's a Sorcerer). She mainly used them as a last resort whenever things go wrong and people turn on her.
Varielky
Death has been something Riffard has known all his life; orphaned young from a plague and went under apprentership of a gravekeeper. Victims of that plague did not discriminate between the old and young. Soon that plague waned, but Riffard learnt of the near endless ways death grips people. He would hear tale after tale from his teacher; gravekeepers are here to guide, to tie the knot at the end of the thread. It had nothing to do who he was, but it was everything was now about. He remembered those words as he buried his teacher. The kingdom prospered, but the dead kept arriving, but now the gates were open and people were coming from all sorts of places. Riffard turned to his own young adult of an apprentice, gave her the grounds as he had a feeling a lot of people had loose threads that need tying.
Hello. I’ve read the summary of your campaign and I would be interested in submitting an application. I own all sourcebooks on DND beyond:
A foreigner to the Empire, Leelan is a scholar who studied various subjects like the arcane, medicine, biology, geography and zoology. During his time as a scholar, he met the one who would become his wife, Rosie. She held a fascination for monsters and creatures that inhabited the world and she had begun working towards writing a tome of encyclopedic knowledge on all those creatures. Together, they worked tirelessly on the book for decades. Unfortunately, tragedy struck as Rosie was taken away by a disease. On her deathbed, Leelan swore that he would complete her book and publish it. After the funeral, the gnome travelled to the newly-opened borders of the Empire in hopes of complementing his notes with the knowledge hidden in the Empire’s library.
(I am very opened to editing this to make it fit into your world. If I need to come up with a different character altogether, that works too. If I’m not selected then I wish all the lucky players a very good game.)
The only book I have is the PHB but not on D&D Beyond though.
Ability scores: 5 20 17 9 14 14
Name: Quagmire Asan
Race: wood elf.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Warlock
Background: Haunted one
Quagmire is from the nearby woods, where he lived independently. But one day a group of travelers entered the forest. He followed them to a nearby clearing. The human woman started to chant, then suddenly a massive beast made of fire appeared. The fire beast burned down the wood, his home destroyed Quagmire fled. He found an old abanded temple, inside the temple there was a mysterious beautiful woman. He poked his head out, then woke up in a bed in a village, with a strange rune on his hand.
Sounds really interesting… I think I have a couple good character ideas for this…
Ability scores: 14 8 10 15 17 9
Backstory
Personal Background
Arthur's life was one that centred around hard work, but within a loving family. He learned a love of the woods from his mother, but his heart lies with the sea, and salt water flows through his veins. His main role was as crew on his father's boat, and in mending the nets and preparing the fish caught when he wasn't sailing. He grew to love everything about the sea - her fickle nature, the breath taking beauty, the exhilaration of sailing before a stiff breeze. On his final trip out he was sailing with his father again, when they were caught by an unexpected squall, and it took all their skill and strength to bring the boat around to flee before the wind. Suddenly a flash of lightning and all went dark.
The Event
The darkness of unconsciousness gradually changed to the darkness of deep places, the pressure, and the almost liquid silence of a dark draped like velvet across his senses. Then the voice came, within his mind. 'It has been long years since one of you came into my domain. It has been longer still since I sensed the colour and sounds of the surface world. If you carry my awareness within you for a time, I shall give you a portion of my strength, to see you back safe to the world above.' Agreements made, there was a flash of pain on Arthur's right bicep, and then darkness again... (This is all he currently recalls - more may come later...)
The Landing
Arthur's consciousness returned slowly to the sound of lapping waves, and the cry of gulls. Suddenly he jerks awake fully. 'Dad?' Standing slowly, he finds his pack next to him, which has somehow contrived to wash ashore at the same time, and then, recalling the dreamlike experience, he suddenly checks his bicep, which is now tattooed with a stylised image of a whale. 'My name is Tehano...' he hears whispered in his mind, at which point the additional awareness of his new gifts comes flooding in, the shock bringing him to his knees as the knowledge scours his mind. 'I'm sorry, young one, there was no easy way to accomplish that...' and his awareness of the voice fades away, for now. Instinctively he uses Prestidigitation to clean the salt water from his gear, and then he turns inland to investigate surroundings, his stomach starting to protest its currently empty state...
Personality
Art is a hard-working fisherman. He’s been taught his letters, and is well-read (for a fisherman!), but his heart lies with the sea. He comes from a good family, raised to be forthright and easy-going, but is also willing to fight his corner if he’s in the right. Being a fisherman, he has patience bred into his bones - he knows the ocean deserves respect, and will punish those acting without thought or knowledge…
Will your character be a citizen of the Empire? Or are they a foreigner taking advantage of the newly opened borders to visit/explore?
My view at the moment is that *if* he’s a citizen of the empire he’s from its furthest reaches, and certainly is from parts remote enough that they don’t feel / consider themselves part of the empire…
https://ddb.ac/characters/55558661/lDCfMS
p.s. I should be able to share content with the campaign…
p.p.s. If this character doesn’t work I have a bard that I could finesse…
Ability scores: 13 13 13 15 14 16
Backstory: Orsine Icebrand is of a Noble birth but far down in the line and female so longs to prove herself. Trained throughout her youth to behave as a noble, fight as a warrior and serve the people as all nobles should, she has come to an age where she desires more than training. She is far past the age of marriage at 20 and has found no-one worthy of her hand. Disappointed in her daughter's lack of marital ambition but not willing to force the issue, her noble mother has given Orsine the option of a life of service instead. It will honor her birthright and still be a noble endeavor.