The world of mortals prosper. Yet it is they who grow in the shadow of greater powers. Power hungry dragons rule the most advanced culture on this side of the world. A mighty witch has cursed the entire race of gnomes. Reminders of better times lay in scattered ruins across the lands. The people war with each other over grudges, wealth and favor, while emperors and kings participate as they must. Terrible creatures lurk and feed on the unweary, and while the glory-seekers chase them with impunity, it is not uncommon for the dangers to emerge in force and turn an entire kingdom silent. The fey are truly dangerous mysteries who toy with mortals, undead bide their strength in secret, witches seek marvelous pleasures, and haunted ghost towns are best left alone. These days, people see those with magic as those with pacts with demons and witches. And most of the time, they're right. The people reward those who murder warlocks, and witch hunters are more common than apothecaries.

In this world where magic is uncommon, and feats of ability are even less common, adventurers and mercenaries are everywhere. When they go into the ancient forest or a lost ruin, many do not return... and when they do, it is often with horror of how their companions were lost. Still, the allure draws many, for when they do come back, sometimes they bring something fantastic... or far stronger than before, even if touched by terror. Nobody hears what happens to those lucky few when they go into retirement after they show the wonders they return with. Still, the various powers quietly push folk into heroism- for if they were to stop, they know civilization will not survive without the few who defy the terrors beyond the reach of the common man.

This is the world of Midgard. Elves exist, have once ruled the world, but have all but disappeared, leaving a few and a weakening bloodline of half-elves, now treated as royalty. Gnomes are seen as tricksters who have gone too far and are distrusted. Gods lend power to few, and allow them to use it only when they must, without explaining why, while lending their blessings to many who praise and pray to them. Even so, many oddities are powerful but not threatening- some merely live apart, fearful of association with doomed mortals, while others believe them to be unimportant.

Still, even among those who hold secrets, some keep safe the knowledge of the terrors of the world. They occasionally seek heroes, for they know civilization will not survive without them. Knowing how terrible it is, they must continue to keep their most vital role as protector of those secrets. One particular hero-seeker knows more than most of those few who have exceptional skills and abilities... the ones who possess feats. This person has realized that they are not isolated incidents. With the need for heroes rising, this person sees a need to be able to do more than find heroes... they must be reared. Yet, there are too few who can train them. It is not enough to train swordarms and hedge wizards. The tome of feats must be created, so that a generation of heroes with multiple exceptional abilities may arise.

The need is high. While a strong arm and mystical powers certainly win many battles, before the end it is those with tenacious courage who carry hope. This journey may take years, and those who start are not likely to see it to the end. Are you brave enough... to act in the face of fear?

• The objective is to either imbue the tome with the abilities of exceptional individuals or to acquire the knowledge to train the ability. Imbuing the tome has increasing costs, which is not gold.
  
• Aiming for a sub-year game in real life.
• Seeking 5 PCs.
• Few, difficult fights, but don't expect to rest between every fight.
• Limited dungeon-crawling, the party might avoid it entirely. Lots of downtime and travel.
• Many of the feats for the tome will be completed in downtime. A lot of them will not require a fight.
• Magic items (outside of potions and low-grade wands and scrolls) are less common but proportionally more powerful. They are highly sought after.
• You must be predisposed to working with the team. No lone wolves.
• You must have a solid personal motivation to complete the tome. A couple example motivations: you don't have a choice (slave/debt/curse), this is an opportunity you can't pass up (personal perfection/gateway to the extraordinary/need for purpose/destiny).
• The hero-seeker finds you in most cases, or you can already be involved in the esoteric threats and answer the hush call yourself. Only one or two such characters will be accepted.

• Some of those who possess the feats will give the knowledge freely if they understand your goals, some will try to kill you just because you're interested in their ability.
• Money is difficult to earn, and even harder to keep. Flaunting your wealth without accompanying guards will attract able thieves and murderers (or worse) like flies to fruit. To avoid this, keep your apparent wealth <100gp or hire mercenaries. Living expenses will be significant- choose carefully.
• If knowledge of the tome becomes circulated, you will have to take measures to ensure it is not taken from you
• Magic in mortals is feared. Killing things they fear makes them feel safe- and they have a lot to fear. If you show your magic in plain sight of commoners, you'll have to seem as harmless as possible or you will be hunted. Even priests need to be careful and generally only practice magic in certain events, particularly celebrating their state-approved deity.
• Skill at research, social integration, creating fame/infamy, infiltration, wilderness exploration, magic-crafting and money-making will all be valuable, though one should specialize at one or two things. Most important of all is money-making. Treasure hunting is for schmucks who have nothing to lose. That's not you- at least not anymore.
• Good-aligned characters are discouraged. The tome must be completed at any cost. You must be prepared to accept the cost yourself if you are good, and that might not be enough. Do not expect your allies to cater to your morality. If you pull it off... you'll be quite the hero.
• Similarly, the enforcers of the law are the most resourceful and experienced lot out there. The powers that be are measured by their ability to keep the law. Criminals who survive are the ones who get on the side of law enforcers, or above them. The ones who hide, survive by being smaller than other criminals.
• You could assume the role of the hero seeker if you know enough about Midgard. This is an even grittier version of it, as you ought to be aware if familiar with the setting. This particularly applies to the starting gold. I expect everyone's backstory to allow them some advantage (even if not in their statblock) so nobody is left behind.
• Inter-party interaction will be very important. You might work separately for extended periods, and try to accomplish the goal in different ways, but you'll be expected to support each other in order to maintain the hero-seeker's faith in you.
• You'll meet the hero-seeker or a representative in PM dependent on your backstory. The adventure will begin in a greco-roman style city in the south.

• 7th level.
• Point buy, 27 points
• One free feat, but can not pick variant human or pick one for 4th level.
• Races: Humans, dwarves, halflings, half-orcs, kobolds, half-elves, minotaurs, tengu, warforged (called 'gearforged' and flavored as such), dragonborn, gnolls, gnomes, centaur, goblins, ratmen, geniefolk, werefolk, teiflings, elves. PM me if you're going for minotaur, centuar, goblin, ratmen, geniefolk, werefolk, gnoll, elf, or gnome.
• Homebrew races tentatively allowed, but must have reliable means to be included in mortal societies of all kinds.
• Standard classes. Tentative approval for homebrew classes that are relatively simple, fit in Midgard, and are balanced compared to the sorcerer or rogue. 
• Each character must have at least one skill that will allow them to reliably contribute in downtime, preferably two or more.
• Standard starting equipment +600 gp.
• Backstory. It is the primary thing I'm looking at. It doesn't need to be a lot, just enough to establish your character's motivation for the quest.
  
• Secondary is the sort of player you seem to be, so that I can pick compatible players. Say a bit about your style of play and your experience, and what you hope for in the game.
  
• Any book is allowed as long as the chosen material seems to fit the theme.

The regions of Midgard spin around the Crossroads region like spokes around a wheel. Everything that goes from north to south and east to west passes along the River Argent, the Sultan’s Road, the Great Northern Road, and other well-trod trade routes, all with their own difficulties and dangers. But the nations that thrive in the heartland know how to spin copper into gold and how to turn a sinking barge into a prince’s ransom. Though they borrow language, customs, tools, and even gods from all their neighbors, the Crossroads have their own code, their own pride, and their own way of doing business.

Zobeck: The Free City’s austere feudal history defines the city’s current freedom-loving citizenry. After suffering under the long, harsh reign of the aristocratic Stross family, the people of Zobeck have little love for nobles or the institution of feudalism. They have vowed to never again accept a lord’s yoke. Instead, commerce and the ability of every man and woman to grab life’s wealth with gusto rule the Zobecker spirit. Free to make their way in the world, Zobeckers work to secure a living in whatever manner they see fit—though some occupations clash with the city’s laws—and answer to no one but themselves.

Perunalia: This nation of beautiful women sits at the mouth of the Argent River. The Duchy of Perun’s Daughter, as outsiders call it, lies several days downriver from the Free City and is a land of some interest to the people of Zobeck for two reasons: The nation controls the River Argent’s connection to land and trade venues on the shores of the Ruby Sea, and its matriarchy and matrilineal country is ruled by the demigod Vasilka Soulay, the daughter of Perun, god of war and thunder and the greatest god of the East. 

Cantons of the Ironcrags: Dwarves think of their canton first, their race or clan second. The canton is home and hearth, family and wealth, and safety from an uncaring world. These traits do not guarantee greater harmony or joy among cantonal dwarves than among other races. Indeed, cantonal dwarves are notoriously dour, fractious, and opinionated about everything. Cantonal dwarves unify only in the presence of some external threat, which gives their elders and the leaders of their Free Companies an excuse to go on about the importance of the Free Dwarven Cantons to the younger generation. 

The Magdar Kingdom: Today, the rolling hills and grasslands south of Zobeck are the provinces of the Magdar Kingdom: a place rich in traditions of chivalry and warfare, where the good king Stefanos holds tourneys every summer and hires a great many mercenaries from the Ironcrags when war threatens. The Magdar must fight to defend their borders to the east against the wild tribes of the Rothenian Plain and to the south against the akinji, the skirmish troops, and the dragon-blooded sorcerers of the Mharoti Empire. Thanks to this constant conflict, the Magdar have become expert at the use of the war wagon. 

The Electoral Kingdom of Krakova: Caught between the vampire prince Lucan to the south, the diabolist gnomes to the east in Neimheim, and reavers from the Northlands across the Nieder Straits, it might seem that Krakova is surrounded by a sea of troubles. Its people consider matters differently. It is a time for struggle, and a time to seize the wreath of glory.

The plains are filled with human nomads, and most call themselves Khazzak or Khazzaki. They are followers of Svarog and Khors and Perun and Sweet Golden Lada, though Svarog is their patron. Their cities are built of tents and flesh and rope and the people are often driven from their chosen site before the wind, but they are no less formidable for that. Their master, the Khan of the Khazzaki, rules from the City of Wheels. His nation stretches wherever hoof beats thunder, from the Cloudwall to Far Cathay.

Domovogrod: This land nestles against the Riphean Mountains, and its heavily wooded taiga is filled with low valleys and plains covered with small rivers and lakes. Its people are farmers in summer, and in winter they are hunters and trappers of fine pelts including arctic hare, ermine, reindeer, and even wolves. The people include the small “winter folk” or halflings, who first brought snow cats (hunting cats similar to small tigers) to the region. Some say the halflings were the region’s first people; others claim they are more recent arrivals. The halflings care mostly about their old gods of forest and mountain. 

Vidim: These people are poor but proud, and they trade generously with the dwarves when they can. The tsar of Vidim is famous for his piety and love of novelty, and just as notorious for his fits of cruelty. The land’s farmers are serfs, not slaves, but they are unable to leave the farms and manors of the boyars, the nobles who rule in the tsar’s name. The tengu are the elite here, forming the country's best soldiers, spies, and traders.

Nimheim: The gnomes’ land is defined by their fear of Baba Yaga’s wrath, and its people shelter quietly and modestly among the dark forest boughs of the Wormwood. Their towns and two cities are half above the earth and half below, easily overlooked when fully covered in fey glamours. It seems as if the gnomes wish that everyone would ignore them and their woods. 

The lands of the Dragoncoil Mountains and the vast deserts south of the Middle Sea are another world compared to the fertile forests and mountains of the North. They are rich in trade and ancient in magic, but also dominated by a vast draconic empire, and by the god-kings of Nuria before that. Their strange magic and their control of valuable trade routes makes them rich and powerful, and their schools of learning are in many ways more advanced than those of the Seven Cities or the Crossroads, to say nothing of the Rothenian Plains or the Northlands.

Mahroti: It is difficult to adequately describe the depth and exotic confusion of the Mharoti Empire. Many of its cities are more populous than entire nations in the North, and its ambitions and contradictions are great. The Dragon Empire seeks to expand, to garner tribute from subject nations, and to bring the word of its elemental gods to a wider world. It has expanded quickly in a few centuries, backed by dragon fire and claws.

Despotate of the Ruby Sea: This nation is a curse among the free wandering folk of the Rothenian Plains and a peculiar neighbor to the Dragon Empire. The Rubeshi are slavers and aggressive, malevolent folk, always seeking their own gain, and all other nations be damned. Their hair is black as their hearts, and Rubeshi eyes are green and pitiless. They sell to anyone: to the gnomes, the tsar, the priests of Baal. The Rubeshi do not play favorites.

Nura Natal, the River Kingdom: As a land of opposites and millennial histories, Nuria Natal is difficult to pigeonhole. Its people are powerful and its priests and wizards especially so. Despite a dozen major attempts at conquest, the people of Nuria Natal have turned back the draconic tide, in some cases with ease, in others with a narrow margin and major losses. Its defenses are robust, and the people’s pride in their knowledge and achievements gives them a confidence that others mistake for arrogance. 

Ishada: Ask the dragons about Ishadia and they will tell you of how the Mharoti crushed armies and devoured godlings. When the Great Lords carved out their empire, they tore its southern flank from the flesh of Ishadia. What they did not conquer, they washed away by shattering the Great Dam. The legacy of Ishadia lies scattered across the Arandis river valley, monolithic works of pale stone that some say rivaled the celestial realms. For generations, the Ishadi clung to the crumbled cities of their forefathers. The dragons crushed them toward the shores of the White Sea but never did consume all of Ishadia, growing weary of the stubborn monotony of war. The Ishadi still believe their nation to be one of upstanding knights, but they are as often knaves if not outright cutthroats. They share a hatred for dragonkind and a heritage of angelic wrath and passion from a bygone age of gods now dead. Paladin or pirate, the Ishadi are not content to remain the dregs of the South.

The lost empire of the elves shaped much of Midgard, including its roads, great buildings, harbors, and monuments of this rich, warm peninsula. Under the rule of the Ostrellian dynasty, the empire extended out, leaping along fey roads to the Ruby Sea, and including much of the Ironcrags. When the elves stepped out of the world and called the Great Retreat, the empire vanished, and the Seven Cities suffered worse than most. Each city found ways to restore a level of agriculture, security, and law, but each also saw itself as a worthier successor-state than its neighbors. Under the empire, elven governors had skillfully exploited these rivalries, and the sudden collapse of the elven peace meant that bloody war ran riot.

Those wars have continued for centuries. The peace treaties made when supplies and coin run low fall away with every fresh influx of money and mercenaries each spring. The Seven Cities hate each other deeply, and citizens of one have little tolerance for the bragging and claims of the others. When the occasion arises, however, if one city grows too powerful or an outside power threatens invasion, they find enough commonality to unite and prove to Mavros and the world that there are no greater masters of war.

The Seven Cities both revel in and depend on war. Customs and laws limit their wars’ gross destruction, provide a season for it, make it a source of status for their generals and nobles that glorifies their power and right to rule, and—not least of all—make war a source of valuable plunder and tribute from weaker states.

Duchy of Borgund: Against the wastes’ stark western border stands the gleaming jewel of Bourgund. Many remark on the impossibility of a city nestled so near the badlands with nary a crumbled tower or pockmarked wall. Within its gleaming walls, order is all. The noble White Knights patrol the pristine streets wearing intricate armor, carrying shining shields, and flying embroidered banners without the slightest hint of dust or decay. Outside the city walls lies the massive body of Zhergthoth the Fallen One, the only Old One felled by mortal magic and sharp steel, mummifying in the dry desert winds. The corpse’s slow rot is the one foulness the citizens of Bourgund cannot easily erase, although the heavy, cloying perfumes made here are unrivaled for their strength and longevity. The irony of such sweetness originating on the edge of such foulness is not lost on knowledgeable buyers. 

Magocracy of Allain: In the aftermath of the Great Mage Wars, only the Magocracy of Allain stood among the ashes. Allain’s vast holdings are bordered to the east by gleaming Bourgund, to the north by fey-plagued Tintager, to the west by Maillon’s swamps, and finally crowned by the shining jewel of Bemmea. Through happenstance or (more likely) treachery, Allain inherited the convergences of ley lines that once crisscrossed the wastes. The paths, stretched and anchored by the isolated capital of Bemmea, make these lands an over-boiling kettle of magical might that travelers claim they can smell on the air like an approaching storm. As a result, arcanists of all stripes fill this land like rats in a granary. The people of Allain are a strange lot. Even common folk carry an unusual knowledge of the magical arts and display curiosity, rather than fear, at the unknown. Some attribute this to the demon blood that historically taints the people of this region, along with some commoners’ sharp, clawlike nails or unexplained immunity to fire. The people are used to the baying of invisible hounds in the distance, sniffing out transgressors of the land’s bizarre laws or tracking those children with magical talent so they can be properly trained. Magic is both powerful and commonplace here.

Barsella: Isolated from the magocracy by the inhospitable Ghostlight Forest, the Pytonne’s rough passes, and the unpredictable giants, Barsella has long sat nestled along the coast of the Western Ocean, the last free city before a vast stretch of water with no known end. Barsella is one of the few accessible centers of civilization this far west and has its own unique culture and heritage. The “city at the edge of the world” has grown to house adventurers and explorers of all stripes, who flock here to seek the great unknowns the Western Ocean conceals. 

Domains of the Princes: The southern kingdoms squabble over who is the true heir of the ancient elven empires, but in the north there is no doubt. The Grand Duchy of Dornig, also known as the Domains of the Princes, is the one truly successor state to the power that once was Arbonesse and Thorn. Gifted with the presence of a singular respected elf ruler, Dornig should be a land of peace and prosperity, unlike the human kingdoms that squat on the ruins of elven Valera. Instead, however, it is a land of continual political intrigue, as the three most powerful branches of the elf's descendants—and a host of minor cadet branches—plot and conspire against each other. When the Imperatrix is awake and aware, she rules fairly and justly. However, she is now in her fifth century, venerable even by elven standards, and she often nods and leaves the duties to her descendants. 

The Northlands: In the North, daily labor is a matter of life and death. Running out of firewood doesn’t mean a chill night but potentially lethal exposure to cold or a trip into the dark and dangerous forest for kindling. Everyone from king to lowly thrall must work hard to survive. A life of indolence is unheard of—and impossible without help from powerful magic. Work-shy characters aren’t just lazy; they’re ostracized as threats to the community. People of the North are expected to be practical and independent, energetic, and inured without complaint to the hardships of life. There’s no central authority to demand taxes or a cut of a party’s loot, but at the same time no one reins in the excesses of monsters and unscrupulous men. When bandits or trolls or a jarl’s bullying huskarls come prowling, it’s down to each family and their friends to choose fight or flight. Death comes to all, sooner or later, for no matter how well prepared and defended. Nothing lives one moment longer than it’s fated.

From birth, Lailah was raised with the knowledge that she was destined to be a tool of the divine. Her father, Lucas, was a Paladin in service to the goddess Hecate and once he had grown too weary to fight in the goddess' name on the battlefield she found another use for him: to sire a child in her name. Lailah never knew her mother, and her father would never confirm or deny if it were the goddess herself or another servant of Hecate, but she did know that she was touched by the grace of the deity.

Faith was drilled into her, faith in the goddess' plan, faith in her father's word, faith in their cause. While she took in these messages, she found it hard to trust things blindly, and had more than a little bit of a rebellious streak. But she didn't want to disappoint her father, so she practiced her rites and rituals, said her prayers and kept her holy symbol close. She took up the Oath of the goddess at last, and was appraised of her purpose: to collect feats for the goddess' archives, for Hecate is a goddess of magic that desires to know all, even if the mortals fear the power themselves.

And so Lailah has set out to collect as much information on the feats as her goddess demands, though with no small amount of trepidation for the quest. How long can she go, living for a god that hadn't even saw fit to tell her about the missing half of her parentage? She would just have to see...

610gp to Start

-4gp Traveler's Clothes x2
-1gp Dragon Chess Set
-60gp Greatsword
-100gp Potion of Healing x2
-2.5gp Rations (1 Day) x3
-75gp Riding Horse
-10gp Riding Saddle
-8gp Saddlebags x2

Remaining: 349.5gp

Conrad Baldner was born in the Dragon Empire to a pair of indentured servants, and thus was considered property from the moment he drew breath. His master, Vorelkothar, was stern when necessary, but did allow his slaves some freedom when the dragon was asleep or away. Conrad was not formally educated, but in his valuable 'free' time, he found his way to Vorelkothar's library, where he taught himself to read - a slow, but determined process. By the age of 12 he could read some of the simpler books in the library. When he was 21 he began to explore some of the books of magic. This is when his thirst for knowledge accelerated.

He took quickly to the study of magic, and the palace of a dragon leaves plenty of room to experiment without collateral damage. Before long, he noticed a common thread among seemingly unrelated spells - spells that could change someone's size or slow one's fall or grant flight. There was an invisible tether, tying all things to the surface of Midgard, and those that could defy it were the most powerful of creatures. Conrad focused on this idea, focusing on spells that manipulated that invisible tether. Conrad's parents died in his late 30s, his father of overwork and his mother of illness. There was nothing keeping him in Vorelkothar's estate but fear.

On Vorelkothar's next trip abroad, Conrad took what books he thought were most important, stole some trinkets, and fled north, to the Free City of Zobeck. It was a long journey, and when Conrad arrived in Zobeck he was weak, severely injured, and fearful of the dragon's wrath.

There was one path offered to him, one that offered a healthy body and a new identity. Conrad traded the stolen treasures for a new beginning as a Gearforged, renaming himself 'Cobalt'. Cobalt learned the basics of smithing and tinkering to maintain himself and earn some coin to fund his studies. Since then he has furthered his studies in private while saving up his income - he has stockpiled one hundred gold with the expectation that eventually he will have to take that money and begin again somewhere new. Cobalt has tried to keep his magic to himself. When pressed about the speed of his production, he waves a hand and attributes it to the mind of a former slave in an inexhaustible body. But the truth is, most of his time is spent researching what he can - fancying himself a Graviturge, he hopes someday he might pull a dragon from the sky.

Ursus the Grim started playing D&D back in 3.0 when he was younger than he is now.   His first character was a half-elf werebadger druid with a dire badger companion (Tharivol Xiloscient) but his favorite was a lizardfolk druid with a fleshraker companion (Krodoke Ornmolik).  His least favorite class is the rogue because of how they are often played.  Much of his RP experience is actually systemless, having used web forums throughout his teens and early 20s to get the fantasy fix, but he has some experience with 4e and PF.  He's a strong believer of the social contract of the table and promises not to maliciously work against the other players without talking about it first.  Lawful Evil is the best alignment and his color identity is Blue/Green/Red.  He doesn't usually play Wizards, so is looking for something new.  He does best in games where the DM puts some effort in - if one observes wild variance in his posting history it is usually a reflection of what he is working with in that game.  Ursus is a transhumanist, so a lot of his characters touch on the idea of 'becoming more', whether via soul-upload to a gearforged, a yuan-ti successfully ascending, or an elf druid living for millennia.  He also thinks it would be cool if Cobalt lived long enough to see multiple histories of the tome(s) but knows that's a little presumptuous.  Finally, he enjoys research, and having done a cursory read of the core Midgard book, is about to go read it more in depth.  There's some cool stuff in there.

Playstyle: Daily posts, sometimes more. Works grave shift on the West Coast, so usually doesn't post in the morning.  Likes conversation, roleplay.  Dislikes metagaming/'proactive rolling', and 'takebacks'.  People make mistakes, and that's what makes a story possible.

Went 8/14/13/15/10/12 on the point-buy. +2 Con/+1 Int from race, +2 Int from ASI.

Starting feat was Resilient (Con).

The moneymaker (which he shakes) is his smithing proficiency and sparing use of the Fabricate spell.  He limits how much he makes so as not to draw attention, but it frees plenty of time for his studies.  He is proficient with tinker's tools too, but wouldn't know a good way to monetize it.

His goal is self-defense, really. He fears dragons, and whether it's the inevitable invasion or just Vorelkothar looking to collect, he hopes that one day his magic will save his life.

Spending some of the goal on crafting supplies but most of it will be intact for the start of the session.

615 gp.

-100 One pearl for identify.

-60 One month of comfortable living expenses.

-60 One month salary for Davvy, hired muscle who keeps his mouth shut and pretends to be an assistant.

-50 One set of tinker's tools.

-50 Two nonmagical books about arcana.

-75 Three pinches of gold dust for immovable object.  One has been consumed.

-30 Two chests with locks.  One contains 10 gp.  One has been enchanted with immovable object and contains the rest of his coin and magic paraphernalia.

-26 One light crossbow with one case containing twenty bolts.

-25 One Mastiff named Rebekah.

-15 One set of fine clothes.

-13 One hundred and thirty pounds of iron ingots.

-5 One merchant's scale.

-5 One signet ring bearing an image of a blue ingot.

-1.5 One month's feed for Rebekah.

-0.05 One signal whistle recognisable by Rebekah and Davvy.

Remainder: 99.45.  Less than expected. :)