Character 83 - Keresk Dragn

Illustration by Luis Perez

This week’s random rolls left me with some hard choices. The strength and constitution being high meant some kind of melee fighter was probably the go to. The high intelligence could have led to any number of intelligence casters. The stats in and of themselves screamed Magus, but the background bits did not lead me to think caster. So after a search I had the choice between the two skilled fighter archetypes and I went with Tactician. So now we have a chance to meet our military minded Kellid born Dhampir from Brevoy.

Keresk Dragn

Life in the tribe was never something that felt right to Hurak Dragn. He felt like an outsider even among his own people. Scraping by in the blasted lands of Numeria, always afraid of what the fallen star stuff would spawn next. So he left his homeland with his new wife and set out to the west.

Brevoy always seemed like a land of opportunity and Hurak being the outgoing type skipped over the small towns and made his way to one of the biggest cities, Restov. Although he had little in the way of what would be considered civilized skills he did have quite the repertoire of musical ability. His skill at some of the traditional musical instruments of the Kellids was a selling point and after a few months performing on corners in the market square he was picked up as a novelty by one of the local taverns.

Kellid music was apparently a hit as, after a few years, Hurak was requested from taverns across the city. Even some minor nobles started having him at parties to play for them. The music had become a talking point, although these same nobles always spoke of it as ‘savage music.’ Hurak had made a small name for himself regardless and had settled into a nice life just in time for his wife to become pregnant.

Hurak’s big performance came while his wife was midway through her pregnancy, one of the swordlords was throwing a gala and he was invited to perform.  He was invited to bring his family with him to enjoy the festivities as well and so he did. The evening was full of music – his music – and dance. But after the event his wife fell ill.

For the rest of her pregnancy his wife was bed ridden. There were even a few close calls where the midwife thought that the child was lost. The entire ordeal drained the kellid woman who seemed cold and pale all the time. When the child was born, Hurak’s wife passed, the struggle was just too much for her and she succumbed to whatever sickness had plagued her.

Illustration by Luis Perez

The first son in any Kellid family is celebrated but Keresk son of Hurak was not. It was hard to celebrate the birth of a son and grieve the death of a wife at the same time. This was made especially difficult because of how obviously different the child was. Although he had his parents features – the traditional angular facial structure of the Kellids – he had none of their ruddy complexion. His skin was pale, almost white and much like his ailing mother, cold to the touch.

After his wife’s death Hurak went into a slump, he just couldn’t perform with the same enthusiasm he once had. Bills began to pile up as the mourning Kellid barely made it out of his house on most days. After weeks of his landlord coming by for payment the man finally stopped. When Hurak inquired about it the landlord said he was paid and also that some monies were left for him with a note. The folded slip of paper read, “for care of your son.”

It would be many months before Hurak could perform and when he did it was never as good as his older work. But no matter what his son was never in want for anything. When it came time for school Keresk was accepted at one of the better learning institutions. And although he took after his people’s tradition of strength and vigor he apparently also had a keen intellect.

Keresk through all his years of schooling seemed to gravitate toward military history. He was no slouch when it came to actual combat, but where he really excelled was tactics and strategy. Like everything in the boy’s life when he expressed interest in the field his father found that his tuition had been paid to one of the military academies in Restov.

His love of military life had always meant that Keresk liked to keep his life in a certain amount of order. He was strict with himself even if others weren’t. He also expected those above him to conform to proper regulations and standards. When one of the majors teaching his class had taken the students on maneuvers and through the officers negligence one of the students died, Keresk didn’t understand why their wasn’t punishment. The young Kellid understood military order but he did not understand politics and why the son of a noble could get away with the death of another.

In Keresk’s mind justice had not been served and so he set about making it right. For the boy justice was something that was swift and unforgiving; an eye for an eye. Keresk followed the officer on his daily routine and when the time was right he struck. A long sword pierced the man’s chest and Keresk meted out justice of his own. He then disposed of the body so it looked like the man had abandoned his post.

Upon graduation Keresk enlisted with the local militia. He wanted nothing but to serve, that is until he fell in love. The woman was a beauty, and a noble to boot. Keresk would have had no chance if she didn’t approach him. Something seemed familiar about her with her pale skin and dark eyes. The two became inseparable.

With the help of his lover Keresk moved up in the ranks of the militia. And she helped him find his way through high society as well. Where she would point he would go to the point of dedicating himself to the same Infernal Duke she worshiped. Eventually she revealed the she was a vampire and the one whose influence allowed him to be born. She charged him with not only being her lover, but her agent in the mortal world.

Now Keresk roams Brevoy doing the bidding of his lover. In some cases joining other adventurers if it furthered his mistresses goals. He carries with him a pendant with her picture inside to remind him why he travels so far from his home. His deeds always influenced by her will.

Where did your Dhampir’s background lead you? What class did he choose? Where did his inheritance come from? How did his mother die? Who did he kill?And why?

Bringing these characters to life is a second full-time job. A pledge of as little as one dollar a month on my Patreon or a one-time donation to my paypal can help keep the lights on while I concentrate on producing new content for you.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media; please join us on Facebook,  Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

The character illustration was created by the fine artist Luis Perez. You can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and on Instagram at luisperezart. 

Knowing is Half the Battle

Learning About Your Enemy

As if I haven’t said it often enough, I love playing skill monkeys. One of my favorite parts of playing a skilled character is getting all of the knowledge skills I can get my hands on. A few recent threads brought up the question of what you learn about your enemies with knowledge skill checks. So today we’re gonna look at that particular use for knowledges.

The basics of knowledge skills seem simple enough. Make a roll get some information, if the roll is good enough get even more information. But even with this seeming simplicity there was a difference of opinion on what a particular sentence meant in terms of what one knows with just the base roll. In the rules for knowledge it says “A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster.” The question that came up was does “a bit” mean literally one single bit of information or does it fit the other meaning of bit, a small quantity of something, in this case information.

I personally take the ‘small quantity’ approach on this. For me that small quantity is everything available under the type of creatures type, humanoid, monstrous humanoid, undead, outsider, etc. Since every type of creature has the exact same general abilities, it stands to reason that these pieces of information would be common among scholars of these creatures. For some creatures like humanoids this isn’t a lot of information, for others like undead it gives quite a bit more.

Whether you subscribe to my definition of “a bit” of information or the one piece of information – most likely name – you need to figure out what the players can learn if they gain extra successes. For me, much like type, subtype holds a lot of information that is common to all creatures of that subtype. Therefore, I allow my players to ask about subtypes. If a creature has more than one subtype then each subtype is a different question.

Beyond that, what other types of information should you give your players? Mine like to ask things like “what are their best saves”.  Special defenses, special attacks, spell-like abilities, and special qualities are also very common. But how much of this do you give to your players? If the creature they’re facing has two special qualities do you give both or just one? If it has a handful of spell-like abilities do you give all or just a single one? That’s really a personal decision. For special qualities I usually just give one, for spell like abilities I will often give them all.

The last bit comes when making the roll in the first place. At its core the DC for figuring out information is 10+ the CR of the creature. But for incredibly rare creatures it could be DC 15 + the CR of the creature, and for incredibly common creatures it could be DC 5 + the CR of the creature. The second part is handy because it means that the common citizen could know about a goblin because the DC would only be 6, which means even someone untrained could make a roll.

This leads me to my last point. What counts as common? Some things are pretty obvious: goblins, skeletons, orcs, zombies are all things that people will know something about. Even if it just stems from common folklore, these are things people will have some bits of information on. But it could also be a regional thing. In Cheliax minor devils roam the streets bound to their masters so things like imps may be considered common there. Other locations might have other common creatures, so that’s something to think about.

As both a player and a GM I love knowledge skills, but knowing how much information to give out and when to do so is hard. Hopefully this will give you some ideas on how to use them in your game, even if it’s not exactly the way I do it. How do you apply knowledge skills in your game? How much information do you give out to your players? How do you present that information to your players?

You’ve made your roll and the CRB has provided you with your knowledge check. If you’ve found this useful please consider becoming a contributor. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

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Character 83 - The Randomness

A Kellid, living in Brevoy whose mother birthed a dhampir. He is strong, tough and smart. We have to decide what the statistical limitations of what this character could become means. Then we must balance that with what his upbringing as the son of entertainers who goes on to be a murdering follower of the infernal duke Ose tells us. How do we mesh these things together to make a whole character?

Gender: Male

Race: Dhampir

Human Ethnicity: Kellid

Nationality:Brevoy

Age:

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 165lbs

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Str: 15

Dex: 11

Con:  14

Int: 14

Wis: 10

Cha: 11

Homeland:City or Metropolis

Parents: Only your father is alive.

Siblings: You have no siblings.

Circumstance of Birth: [Middle-Class Birth] You were born to the middle class, which includes merchants, artisans, and tradespeople. You likely grew up in a good-sized settlement, and one of your parents is likely associated with a guild or other trade organization. As a free person, you don't experience the bondage of serfdom or peasantry, but you also lack the privilege of the nobility.

Parent's Profession:Entertainers

Major Childhood Event: [Inheritance] A great sum of wealth or property was bequeathed to you at an early age, providing you with extraordinary means. Daily costs of living have ceased to concern you, and you've learned that there is little that money cannot buy.

Influential Associate: [The Lover] You had a romantic connection in your adolescent years, and this person deeply influenced your personality. Perhaps this was a first love, a casual partner you grew close to, or the one who got away. The experience bolstered your confidence in romantic interactions even though you often find your thoughts still straying toward that special someone from so long ago.

Conflict: [Murder] You killed someone.

Conflict Subject: Civic or military official.

Conflict Motivation: Justice.

Conflict Resolution: [Denial] You feel little if any regret, and deny the event mostly so others won’t judge you. Few if any know of your part in the conflict, and your constant denials are meant to keep it that way.

Conflict Resolution: [No Guilt] Either guilt is for the weak, or you know you made the right decision. You might not openly brag about your part in the conflict, but you don’t deny it when confronted either.

Deity/Religious Philosophy: Ose

Romantic Relationship(s): [Current Lover] You are currently involved in a romantic relationship.

Drawback: [Attachment (Object)] You are attached to a precious possession with immense sentimental value and significance. Without it, you are no longer yourself and are prone to suffer from depression, moodiness, or aggressive behavior.

(Trait) Artisan

(Trait) Charming

(Trait) Civilized

(Trait) Hellish Shackles

(Trait) Merchant

(Trait) Poverty-Stricken

(Trait) Rich Parents

(Trait) Vagabond Child

(Story Feat) True Love

(Drawback) Attached

In the comments please tell us how you would tie all these bits of information into a whole character? What class would this character become toward? How did his mother birth a Dhampir? Who did he kill? What made him take up the worship of Ose? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me right – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

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Bringing The Walls Down Around Their Ears

Spite Bringers of Ahriman

The destruction of everything that mortals have built means that mortal cultists have to not only hate everything around them, but also themselves to follow this week’s divine being. Oddly for a creature so hell – or this case abbadon – bent on destruction our subject has created a great many terrible things. Today we look at Ahriman, the Daemon Harbinger of oblivion. Here are some sects that might have spawned from this foul being for use in your Golarion based games.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Ahriman. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Lord of all Divs. What character do you make?

For more information on Ahriman

Ahriman’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Ahriman’s Archives of Nethys Page

Hate Whsiperers

The followers of Ahriman especially love to foment discontent in areas where civilization is hanging on by a thread. The Hate Whisperers go out of their way to spread foul rumors in these areas so that peace and cohesion is never possible. They are currently very active in Nirmathas and Molthune, working to keep both sides at war with each other. They also have agents in Galt, The River Kingdoms, and Mendev.

Anyone can destroy with a sword, destroying with a word is a fine art all its own. Members of the Hate Whisperers are usually well spoken and convincing. Bards, rogues, investigators and others who can change the tone of region with a few utterances make up the bulk of the small sect. Like most cultists of Ahriman one does not seek out entrance into the Hate Whisperers, they find you if they think you are ready.

The Div-erence Makers

It is said that the servants of Ahriman were created by corrupting Jinn. This corruption transformed them from their elemental nature to far more evil and dangerous outsiders. Some of the Daemon Harbingers mortal followers take it upon themselves to ‘recruit’ more of these disgraced jinn to the cause.

All members of the sect are casters of some sort. Summoning and abjurations specialist in particular are sought after. Theses arcanists trap jinn on the mortal plane and force them to do the most terrible, horrific things they can imagine. The hope is that forcing the jinn to commit great evils will bring them closer to the fall and joining the ranks of Ahriman’s div.

Poisoned Faith

One of Ahriman’s follower’s favorite pastimes is making people lose their faith. Watching those touched by divine power fall from the graces of their deity is the sweetest of all conquests. The Daemon Harbinger doesn’t even care if these former faithful follow him instead, he actually prefers to instigate a form of atheism. Long ago there was a citadel dedicated to Ahriman in Thuvia around this location is where the masters of the divine fall – The Poisoned Faith – are situated.

This sect often pretends to be from Thuvia’s neighbor Rahadoum. The enlighten atheists are the perfect cover for this sect, hiding their nefarious deeds under the guise of the protection of humanity. Any can join this sect if the current membership can find a use for them, although they almost never recruit those they help fall from grace, as they enjoy watching their torment after losing their patron.

Let the hate flow through you, harness it, serve it. Who is your disciple of Ahriman? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Lord of all Divs? Where does their devotion to this Daemon Harbinger come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

Character 82 - Torin (Altorielal) Illiskata

Illustration by Luis Perez

When I was looking at the stats for this week’s random rolls all I could see was an elf that didn’t care. What little is known about the Deamon Harbinger Ahriman show that he is a true nihilist and so are his followers. The character’s lack of charisma and high intelligence I saw as being cold and calculating. His lack of wisdom comes off to me as not having an emotional understanding of anything. So I went looking for some classes to reflect that.

Since he was going to be thoroughly evil but curious, when I saw the interrogator archetype for alchemist I knew that was where I wanted to go. But then I saw the empiricist archetype for investigator and I knew I wanted that too. Lastly I took a look at the vivisectionist archetype for alchemist and I knew exactly where I was going with the character. However, because I needed to multiclass to get the full scope, this character is not actually written up as first level, as my usual characters are.

Torin (Altorielal) Illiskatal

Torin was born within the confines of the elvish homeland of Kyonin. His parents were servants to one of the noble families that lived in this small enclave. As a child his life was not easy, the children of the noble families would pick on him relentlessly. They would do so, not only because he was beneath them in station, but because he was odd.

The young elf didn’t understand people; he would trap himself with whatever books he could sneak out of the noble family’s library. He found interest in the strangest things, dead things. He was constantly bringing small creatures he found to show his parents, although he never understood why they would look at him so strangely when he did.

No one applauded his interest in the internal workings of things. Nobody wanted to know why things worked the way he did. And so as he grew older he learned to stop sharing with people, even his own parents and sisters. Even though he stopped being openly so weird he still met with malice from the other elven children around him.

Torin’s curiosity turned from morbid to downright violent. There were times when he couldn’t find corpses to poke and prod and so he would make his own. People’s pets began to go missing but, despite suspicions, no one could place these deeds on Torin. Although he hadn’t learned to understand why people found his musings creepy he recognized that they did and made sure to hide his curiosity and his misdeeds from them.

Eventually Torin would head off to school like all elves. Even the lower class children attended classes. Torin was an excellent student. He voraciously devoured any forms of knowledge and was especially keen on those things having to do with anatomy. He was top of his classes which saw even more derision from his peers, many of whom felt their status meant they should be better at everything than him.

During his time in school he had one rival, only one person who was as smart – and occasionally smarter – than he was. The two were always in competition, but the race for academic supremacy spurred them both to greater heights. Torin’s heights also included becoming more vicious and spiteful.

Illustration by Luis Perez

One of the things Thorin had become good at was convincing others to do things. He wouldn’t appeal to their emotions, he would assault them with unerring logic. In many cases he could convince others that the ideas he was pushing weren’t his but the logical next steps in their own thinking. During one particularly tough assignment he wanted to beat his rival so badly that he convinced one of the local pixies to destroy the student’s project. Driven by his own malice he turned a creature of almost pure good into an instrument of chaos.

Thorin’s misdeeds would eventually catch up to him as he took further and further risks to slake his curiosity. Although he had yet to make his first kill he came across a body. A man died in the woods, by the look of it from an animal attack. Thorin took the corpse back to his secret ‘workshop’ and began the arduous task of taking it apart bit by bit. But the experimenter’s lair was not so secret –at least not to his rival – and the guard came upon him up to his elbows in blood and gore.

After being found out he became a pariah, an outcast. Thornin fled Kyonin over the border into the human occupied land of Galt. The constant revolution usually saw people fleeing from Galt and not to it, but even the nation of anarchists has a place where criminals and dissidents go to lay low. Thorin made his home in the town of Woodsedge at the northern tip of the Verduran Forest.

Because Woodsedge was a place where everyone kept to themselves and people came and went as they pleased, Thorin found it the perfect place to continue his studies. He had long since exhausted most of the study he could do on the dead and sought to test the limits of the living. His intellectual endeavors in Kyonin had included some alchemical study during his academic tenure but he began to explore that in earnest in Woodsedge.

The general temperament of the populace of Woodedge meant it was also a place that organizations went to recruit those with special talents; talents that may be looked upon unfavorably by the populace at large. Thorin was scouted and approached by not one but two such groups who believed they could make use of his unique skills.

The group known as the Grey Gardeners had – through informants – come to understand that Thorin had developed new techniques for interrogation. They approached the elf to join their ranks and help them root out those who would bring dissent to the land of Galt. They did so by first attempting to threaten Thorin, but his emotionless nature was unmoved by their posturing. He was, however, interested when they offered him an endless supply of test subjects.

The second group that sought him out was a small cult of a mostly unknown Daemonic being. The Usij, although mostly active in Katapesh, had come to Galt hoping to help the nation, which is hanging on the brink of destruction by a thread, sever that last connection to civilization. Promises of revenge against the elves of Kyonin and a link to the resources he needed to further his alchemical studies, without hunting down the rare ingredients himself, saw Thorin dedicate himself to this religious organization.

Thorin has come a long way from being derided by his peers. He now has the backing of two organizations and all the tools he needs to continue his experiments. How long he will remain among the Grey Gardeners or the Usij is unknown, but he knows that as long as they need him they will be of some use.

How did your elf’s background manifest? What class did he choose? When did he begin his worship of Ahriman? How did he corrupt a non-humanoid monster? And what did he have it do? Why was he bullied?

Bringing these characters to life is a second full-time job. A pledge of as little as one dollar a month on Patreon or a one-time donation to my paypal can help keep the lights on while I concentrate on producing new content for you.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media; please join us on Facebook,  Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

The character illustration was created by the fine artist Luis Perez. You can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and on Instagram at luisperezart. 

Children of the Mithril Tree

Jinin Elves of Tian-Xia

This week we continue to take a look at some of the lesser known subcultures of non-human races. Last time we explored the orcs of the Mwangi Jungle and we’ve already looked at the snowcaster elves, cannibal halflings, and desert dwarves. In a reddit discussion about the jungle orcs a commenter mentioned the Jinin elves. Now I had never heard of them, so I looked them up and found an interesting group of lawful elves who live by the samurai code. So this week, we will take a look at the elves in the Jinin province in Tian-Xia.

History

The history of the elves of the Jinin province goes far back to the ancient – and now overrun – city of  Celwynvian in the Mierani Forest in Varisia. When the earthfall was imminent the elves of the region did not flee to their off-planet home, but fled into the Darklands with a number of other elves. But unlike the elves that would become the drow, those that became the Jinin elves would follow a vein of mithril back to the surface of Golarion.

It took almost a thousand years, which saw two generations born among the long lived elves, before they would rise from the bowels of Golarion and into the Dragon Empire. The forested land into which they arose they claimed as their own and named it after the oracle who led them to the light, Jininsiel. Influenced by their travels through the underground they would be further changed by the societies that surrounded them.

When the elves first emerged they found themselves in a lush forested land. Their numbers were small and thus they did not spread far at all. There were new terrors to deal with, including the horrific oni, and so the Elves were insular and spend much time reinforcing their homeland.

The Dragon Empires were far less affected by earthfall, but the elves of Jinin remembered it well. Some two millennia after they surfaced,  the great mountain Shibotai erupted and sent waves of terror through the people of Jinin. They feared that they would once again have to travel into the darkness to save themselves. Luckily the long-lived elves take much time to discuss anything and the ashes dissipated in a few months, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was nine thousand years before the elves of jinin truly met the rest of humanity in Tian Xia. Minkai explorers –  who were expanding the Lung Wa empire – made contact with the elves and there was a mutual understanding made. The people of Jinin were impressed with the honorable and powerful samurai, and in a surprisingly speedy manner adopted many of the Tian-Min traditions and declared themselves a shogunate.

A thousand years later, spurred by the death of Aroden, which was felt even in Tian-Xia, the Imperial Lung Waempire collapsed. Jinin remained steadfast in its defense of its people, although to the south the region fell to banditry and the Hobgoblin tribes to the north began to organize into their own official empire. The southern region would eventually reach a form of stability under the guiding hand of a small detachment of the Taldan Military, becoming the nation of Amanandar, and the hobgoblins would unite in their own military controlled empire, christened Kaoling.

Physiology

The elves of Jinin are incredibly similar to their forbearers from the Mierani Forest. Tall and slight the years of scant resources in the Darklands have made the Jinin elves frames seemingly leaner than most elves. Many of the elves also have slightly paler skin, in some cases almost appearing translucent. One physiological difference between the Jinin and the Avistani elves is that some of them retain the darkvision that the third generation of travelers began to develop. These elves, however, are also blinded by brighter light.

Mechanical Note: Some of the Jinin elves replace their low-light vision trait with the darkvision trait

Family

Family is extremely important to the Jinin elves. Every elf is a representative of his or her family and to bring dishonor to oneself is to bring dishonor to one’s family. Although love and respect for one’s family has long been an elven tradition, the adherence to family honor is something that has been added to this dynamic with the appropriation of much of Minkai culture.

Although most of the lower class families see little more three generations within its walls; grandparents, parents and children, noble families tend to be much larger. Traditionally in Minkai the eldest male below what could be considered retirement age is the head of the household. But the elves are a lot more egalitarian in their stance on gender roles and it may be either the eldest male or eldest female.

Families go beyond those that are living. The Jinin elves have taken up a form of ancestor worship. Small shrines to revered ancestors are kept somewhere within the household. The elves will also set a place at the table for any unnamed ancestral spirits that wish to visit for dinner. For the elves, family is important even after death.

Society

The Jinin elves have adopted much of the societal structure from their Tian-Min neighbors. The have a very strict hierarchal society led by a shogun, currently JininsielRyukiatsu. They have not only blended much of the Tian-Min culture into their own, they have also adopted their name conventions and many of the family names of the Jinin elves are actually Tian inspired.

The class structure starts with the nobles. The shogun is the leader of the people of Jinin. Unlike the Minkai emperor, who is seen as almost the equivalent of a god, the shogun is still just a mortal although hereditary leader of the elves. The elves use the title of shogun because they were originally beholden to the emperor of the Lung Waempire, but when that fell the shogun became the defacto ruler of the sovereign nation of Jinin.

Although often synonymous with each other in Minkai, the Daiymo ranks under the shogun and controls individual territories within the nation. The Daimyo rule over the samurai clans which, although respected and romanticized among the elves, are the lowest ranking nobles.

The farmers, artisans, and merchants make up the common man or peasant class. The divide between the commoners and the noble classes is not as stark as it is in some cultures, but it is still there and the peasants know it. For their part, mistreatment of the peasants within their domain is considered dishonorable to both a noble and their family.

Art is still a major part of the lives of the Jinin elves. However, their creations tend to be far less experimental than their capricious kin in Avistan. Mastery of artistic precision is the most sought after quality in an artist. Being technically proficient is preferred over all else. This is shown off especially in JInin architecture which often includes designs made in mithril for the wealthiest patrons of the arts.

Alignment and Faith

Most of the noble houses of the Jinin elves live the by rigid traditions of the samurai code introduced by the Tian-Min. The society as a whole tends to be lawful good, but like most races there is some variance among the people of Jinin. Although, even with a less capricious lifestyle, they still retain a love of art and beauty.

A belief that many of the gods abandoned them, which is why earthfall happened, means that the Jinin elves have turned their backs on many of the deities they worshiped in Avistan. The samurai of Minkai brought the worship of Shizuru, who is now considered the official patron of the state. The elven alliance and friendship with the samsarans has made their patron deity Tsukiyo, husband of Shizuru, also common. The elven penchant for magic use has made Qi Zhong popular among spellcasters of the region.

Of the gods not in the Tian pantheon, Desna remains revered as the elves believe she aided them in their travels and Shelyn is still popular among artists. Yuelral is the only purely elven deity still worshiped among the Jinin people for her use of crystal, which is mined alongside the mithril that infuses the land beneath the elves’ feet. Lastly there are small sects dedicated to the Empyreal Lord Benorus as the god of hidden wonders and mines, who some believe lent the elves protection in their time in the Darklands.

Relations

The people on Jinin have little to do with Taldan military state of Amanandar to their south. Although both peoples originated in the west, the Jinin have acclimated themselves much more to the culture of their new homeland than the Taldans have. This sometimes leads to contention but not outright hostility. The Jinin elves will trade with the people of Amanandar as long as the westerners don’t press their borders. The mithril mined by the elves is worth much to the military state and so they keep open, if cool, relations.

To the north is the hobgoblin empire of Kaoling. Although brutal, the hobgoblins are far from barbaric. Their culture is a strict bureaucracy that answers to military leaders. Although not officially at war, the hobgoblins and their allies – ettins, ogres, and giants of all sorts – sometimes raid the borders of Jinin for slaves. Kaoling officially decries these actions a s they wish to trade with the elves for their mithril. Sadly they have their eyes set on the lands of Zi Ha, home of the elves’ samsaran allies, which leaves relations strained at best.

Although the immediate border between Jinin and Zi Ha is the monster filled so-called ‘Wild Peaks’, the region is actually controlled by the blue-skinned samsarans. The elves of Jinin happily trade with the enlightened samsarans, with whom they feel some amount of kinship. Even though a full samsaran life is shorter than elves – although longer than a human’s – their memories of their reincarnated lives means that they remember about as much as one single elf lifespan. Their goodly and spiritual nature, a well as a traditional love of magic, means that the samsarans and the elves have much in common.

Adventurers

Between being beseeched on two sides by aggressive forces and the elven romanticized views of the noble samurai, there are many warriors among the elves of Tian-Xia. Samurai, fighters, cavaliers, paladins, and rangers are all common adventurers among the Jinin. Even if one is not of the samurai class many call themselves samurai and almost all follow a code of honor regardless of class.

Even before returning to the surface, those with attachments to the divine have been well respected among the elves. Clerics were very common and continue to be so. Because of their savior from the dark Jininsiel, oracles are revered. Although they live in the forests of Tian-Xia the Jinin elves have all but abandoned the ways of druidism and the green faith, however there are many spirits in this land and shaman taken the reigns of the elves’ connection to the natural and spiritual world from druids.

Magic is now and has always been popular among the elves. Wizards and arcanists abound, and many elves are born with one form of magic in their blood or another. Elves have traditionally found a way to blend magic and swordplay together. Among the elves are a tradition of magi who mesh the arcane with the ways of the samurai, including following much the same code of honor.

What kind of cultures for other races would you like to see? Would you use these Jinin elves in your Golarion campaign? Would you adapt them to your homebrew world? This is just a short write up, but what other information would you like to see about the elves of Tian-Xia?

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Random Roll 82 - The Randomness

When people think elves, they think capricious creatures that are almost fey like. Evil elves are usually relegated to the ranks of the drow. But that doesn’t mean that a surface elf can’t be evil, and that is what we have this week. A elf both quick in physical reactions and intellect. He resides in the ever revolutionary kingdom of galt, and follows of the lord of destruction and nihilism. How do we cobble these bits of information into a tale worth telling? Stay tuned this Friday to see.

Gender: Male

Race:Elf

Nationality:Galt

Age:146

Height: 5’ 11”

Weight: 121lbs

Alignment:Neutral Evil

Str: 10

Dex: 16

Con:  14

Int: 16

Wis: 10

Cha: 10

Homeland: Forest

Parents: Both of your parents are alive.

Siblings: You have 2 biological siblings.

- biological older sister

- biological younger sister

Circumstance of Birth: [Lower-Class Birth] You were born among peasants or slum denizens. You grew up working the land around a village or manor, practicing a rudimentary trade, or begging in a settlement.

Parent's Profession: Serfs/Peasants

Major Childhood Event: [Bullied] In your early life, you were a victim— easy prey for those stronger or cleverer than yourself. They beat you when they could, using you for their sport. This abuse nursed a powerful flame of vengeance.

Influential Associate:[The Champion] You were close to someone who excelled at athletic endeavors and tests of strength or skill. Through your friendship or rivalry, you developed the competitive spirit that continues to drive you in everything you do.

Conflict: [Corrupted an Innocent] You counseled an otherwise innocent person who trusted you, toward adverse choices.

Conflict Subject: Non-humanoid monster.

Conflict Motivation: Hatred or Malice.

Conflict Resolution: [No Guilt] Either guilt is for the weak, or you know you made the right decision. You might not openly brag about your part in the conflict, but you don’t deny it when confronted either.

Deity/Religious Philosophy:Ahriman

Romantic Relationship(s): [No Experience] You have never experienced any kind of romantic connection whatsoever.

Drawback: [The Past] You long for the world to return to a past age. You’ve adopted the manners and style of this age, and are fascinated by its customs, relics, and artifacts, and by the historical figures of that time. Perhaps you live so much in this past age that your connection to the present is tenuous. Or your pretentiousness annoys others.

(Trait) Ambitious

(Trait) Bullied

(Trait) Kin Guardian

(Trait) Log Roller

(Trait) Poverty-Stricken

(Story Feat) Feral Heart

(Drawback) Sentimental

In the comments please tell us what character you would make with these disparate pieces information? What occupation/class would this character gravitate toward? Why has never had any romantic entanglement? How was he bullied? Who was champion that influenced him? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

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Goodnight Moon

Sacred of Tsukiyo

The deities of Tian have an intricate weaving of relationships. This week’s deity was killed by his own brother out of jealousy and resurrected by another of the gods by the request of his wife, Shizuru. So today we take a look at the Prince of the Moon, Tsukiyo. He is the Tian deity of jade, spirits, and the moon. Here are three sects that may work well in your version of Golarion.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Tsukiyo. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Prince of the Moon. What character do you make?

For more information on Tsukiyo

Tsukiyo’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Tsukiyo’s Archives of Nethys Page

Children of the Moon

With Tsukiyo’s title as Prince of the Moon and the satellite of Golarion being within his portfolio, it is no wonder that a number of his followers are lychanthropes and their kin, the skinwalkers. Long ago, a priest of Tsukiyo was bitten by a weretiger but could not cure his affliction. The monk felt that he would disrespect his patron’s symbol – the moon – if he could not find a way to control the beast he could not contain. With perseverance, and some amount of divine guidance, he came up with a ritual that would allow a lycanthrope a way to keep his own mind through the transformation, instead of allowing the beast to bring him low, to the side of evil.

Most members of the Children of the Moon are those who have fought their bestial urges and won. Others are the children and grandchildren of lycanthropes who have some of the shapechanger blood in them but not enough to cause full transformations. Victims of lycanthrope attacks are often sought out by members of this sect to either cure them, or help them through their transformation.

The Veil Splitters

Between this world and the next rests the home of the spirits. Some are the restless dead who have yet to pass to their final reward, others are the spirits of natural and unnatural world. The Veil Splitters are a sect of Tsukiyo worshipers who commune with these spirits to aid those in need, and combat those who would do harm. They seek to bring balance between the physical world and the world of spirit.

Members of the sect all have a way to commune with spirits. Oracles, mediums, shaman, witches, and spiritualists make up the core membership of the Veil Splitters. Some rangers and others who excel at bringing a physical battle to the spiritual world align with the group but do not actually have official membership within the sect.

The August Warriors In Jade

When Shizuru had Tsukiyo resurrected and his brother Fumeiyoshi punished, the Lord of Envy made it his mission to once again destroy his brother and Shizuru. The August Warriors in Jade are a sect dedicated to defending Tian Xia from the predations of Fumeiyoshi’s undead children. Warriors trained from childhood in a secluded monastery in the art of combating all types of undead, these followers the the Prince of the Moon have a single-minded dedication to this purpose.

Monk, paladins, clerics, warpriests, and rangers make up the bulk of this sect’s membership. Although they fear that they may one day turn to evil and are closely watched, the monastery trains a number of arcane spellcasters in the art of necromancy to combat the undead. One cannot apply to join the necromancers, one is chosen after years of observation.

Through the cycles of the moon, the faithful commune with the spirits of the world. Who is your disciple of Tsukiyo? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Prince of the Moon? Where does their devotion to this Tian Deity come from? Let me know in the comments.

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