Character 99 - Mkpulunma Usweko

Picking a class for this week’s character was difficult. Although the high charisma screamed some kind of charisma caster; Bard, Bloodrager, Oracle, Skald, and Sorcerer all had magic that in the Mana Wastes would be unreliable at best and dangerous at worst. This goes to show that although the stats may lean toward one thing, background information may dictate another.

I was originally thinking that she would be some sort of charisma-monkey rogue. Then I remembered that constitution was the core stat for the kineticist from Occult Adventures. In looking through their archetypes I found one for specifically for changelings out of the Blood of the Coven book called the Arakineticist. Upon further delving I also found the Overwhelming Soul, which replaced con as the core stat with charisma. The fact that they stacked was just the providence I needed to make this character.

Mkpulunma Usweko

The Mana Wastes is a barren place, but life can be found here and there amongst the mutants and monsters. In many instances, these small towns and village fall along what few trade routes pass through these desolate lands. In one of these towns is where Yafeu Usweko made his home after leaving the jungles of Mwangi with his first wife and son.

Yafeu was a merchant among his people and used what money he made to expand his business upon his arrival in the Wastes. Just as his career grew, his family did as well. His late wife bore him one more child, although she passed before her youngest son even turned ten.

It took a few years but the merchant eventually remarried. The woman reminded him very much of his first wife. The married quickly and within a year she produced a daughter. But on the night of their child’s birth, the mother mysteriously disappeared leaving Yafeu to raise the child alone. The coming of a daughter and the loss of a second wife was bittersweet.

Mkpulunma grew the youngest child with two overprotective brothers. Even if she was only their half-sister they still loved her very much. As she grew up, the young girl exhibited a certain unnatural beauty that attracted many of the boys in their town. Nothing ever lasted and she often used her brothers to help her break off a romance that she decided she was over so as to protect her ego from the pain of being broken up with.

When she was spurned for another girl by a young man who she took a fancy to she became exceedingly jealous. She used her position as the daughter of one of the more prominent tradesmen to humiliate the young girl, who she felt stole the affections of the boy she wanted. Again her pride would not let her be hurt in this way.

Things began to change for her when Mkpulunma was sixteen. Aspects of her true heritage began to show themselves. The curse of her mother’s bloodline began to overwhelm her body with negative energy. The blood of a hag almost tried to kill her and those around her as she began to lash out with blasts of entropy and decay.

The young changeling began to hide from the world; her ego could not allow for those around her to see her so vulnerable. In her quest to remain unseen she turned to the lady of veils. She begged to be made invisible to those who would seek to know her. She also took up the wearing of many veils to cover the green hair and different color eyes that gave her away as the daughter of a hag.

The Mana Wastes are full of chaos. Magic has gone awry when it even works at all. Those who exhibit some of these wild talents do not go unnoticed. Although Mkpulunma’s abilities were neither divine nor arcane in nature they were still seen to some as a symptom of the anarchy of power in the region. One such person to take notice was the hunter Heracrix.

Heracrix’s powers came from the discordant nature of the land around them. His wild soul infused with the beasts of the land, but not so much that he could manage true druidic magic. As a member of one of the few druid groups in the region who looked to heal the land, he chooses to do so by helping others with wild talent to find some sort of balance within themselves.

The Hunter took Mkpulunma under his wing as her mentor and trainer. He found her strength in the force of personality she exhibited and helped her to learn to use that to control the power of her curse. Although it lessened what she was able to accomplish, it did keep her constant production of negative energy from eating away at her physical being.

Through years of constant study, learning to force her mind over her body, Mkpulunma eventually gained control of her curse. She still wanted very little to do with others, lest her fragile pride be hurt. She decided to leave all those who knew her in the past and make her way in the world where the new her was the only her people would know. What that will bring she is quite unsure of.

With that I give you a complete background but what class do you think this character would have become? Who was her mentor? Why was she jealous enough to humiliate someone? Where did her worship of Sivanah come from?

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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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Erupting to Life

 Fervent of Mhar

Before Golarion, before the gods of man, maybe even before time itself, there was the darkness. And in that darkness, now known as the Dark Tapestry, there were beings of alien intellect; The Outer Gods and their heralds, the Great Old Ones. Today we’re going to look Mhar, the Great Old One of caverns, mountains, and volcanoes. Here are three possible sects of this eldritch creature.

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 Mhar. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The The World Thunder. What character do you make?

For more information on Mhar

Mhar’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Mhar’s Archives of Nethys Page

Smoke Seer’s

Although many dwarves consider the eruption of Droskar’s Crag during the rending to have been a sign of displeasure from their god. This is not the truth of the matter. The active volcanic peaks have always been a hotbed of activity for followers of the Great Old One, Mhar. The volcanic eruptions have been caused by his minions, who had been making attempts to raised the beast. To this day the location remains sacred to the sects of The World Thunderer.

The Smoke Seers roam the tunnels and caverns of within the peaks known as the Hammer and the Anvil. They seek out pockets of lava flow so that they might take in the poisonous fumes they vent. This sect believes that by inhaling this sacred smoke they will have visions that foretell when Mhar will arise and how they may help hasten events. Quite mad, anyone who has “visions” may join the sect, but only a handful are true oracles.

Beast Hunters

Probably one of sanest group of Mhar worshipers, this sect actively seeks the destruction of agents of the Rough Beast, Rovagug.  This act may seem like a good deed to those looking in but their need to stymie the destroyer god’s plans is more because they believe their deity should be the one to wreak destruction upon the world. This group is active anywhere rumor of the children of Rovagug exists, and in particular their hunters patrol the Pit of Gormuz.

The sect consists of a few groups of hunters, each is led by a cleric of Mhar. Rangers, particularly those who hunt aberrations or magical beasts, are common among the units but any type of martial fighter is welcome. Arcane and divine casters often back up these groups of warriors and a handful of twisted scholars are said to reside in a secluded location where they research the location of the Rough Beast’s most powerful minions

The Leng Pirates

Not so much a sect as it spans all the members of a race in a particular location, the Leng Pirates can be found in the vaults of Orv. They range from the Sightless Sea to Irikusk River, plying both waters in their black galleys made of black bone. These alien beings worship various Outer Gods and Great Old Ones on their home plane, but here in the caverns below Golarion they revere the master of caves, Mhar.

Although wholly evil they are not as destructive as some of the other followers of the World Thunderer. They see themselves more as guardians of the eldritch horror’s realms while he slumbers. They actually war with a number of other creatures of the deep realms, including servitors of the aboleth and the dark elves. Because they sail the dark underground waters all the Pirates of Leng have some skill at seafaring.

As the Great Old One sleeps his followers seek to awaken him. Who is your disciple of Mhar? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The World Thunder? Where does their devotion 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.

Are You Not Entertained

Diversions on Golarion

Illustration by Luis Perez

It is said that the Roman politicians used the events held at the Colosseum to distract the populace from the slow decay of the Empire. Entertainments have been a continued way for the populace to do everything from sate their inner bloodlust to expand their artistic horizons. From sports to concerts to plays how people entertain themselves is an important part of all cultures. In worlds like Golarion entertainers like bards also become adventurers. So today we’re going to – using Golarion as an example – look at some forms of entertainment and characters they might spawn.

The most common pastime for worlds set around the same time period as Golarion are blood sports. Many, many cities – even the more cosmopolitan ones – have an arena in which they hold bloody combats. The town of Arena in The Shackles is named for the structure in which some of the most competitive and violent of these sports is held. Cheliax holds blood sports on the equinoxes and solstices, which they call the Days of Wrath. As a side note any slave or servant may enter these battles to earn their freedom or erasure of debt. Beyond just the straight up fights there are a number of named blood sports. Mig-a-Mug Tug, Hatch-a-Catch, and Knivesies are played in the basement of the Golden Scarab in Katapesh.

Characters that revolve around these blood sports may come from pretty much any class. Depending on the spor,t a brute strength fighter, barbarian or brawler might do well. In a game like knivesies, which requires balance and deft hands, rogues and monks might excel. Making a character that has performed in these bloody battles, and lived to go adventuring can lead to some interesting stories.

Why would one choose to participate in a sport that might kill them? Money or lack there of is a good motivator. In the case of slaves they may be unwilling. And then why would they leave the sport? A fighter who couldn’t stomach it anymore might talk his way out of fights. An escaped pit fighter might be cagey and know nothing but fighting.

Blood sports aren’t the only type of combat events. In some cities staged combats and other sporting events are more common. Serpent’s Run in Magnimar is probably the most well-known non-lethal sporting arena. Dog and horse racing, decathlons, and magic displays are all popular forms of diversions given there. There is also a rodeo, but the bull fights can get a little bloodier. Feats of strength and performed combat are other means of non-lethal events, and I’ve already written about bringing professionalwrestling into your game world.

Characters for these types of entertainments can also come from all walks of life, but some good ideas are rangers who specialize in training and breeding sport animals. Horsemen, falconers, and dog breeders could come from an entertainer’s background. Any character with an athletic talent whether it is the strongman, fighter, or the pinpoint accuracy knife-throwing rogue could do well.

In worlds like Golarion, where gods are a real part of life, worship is also important to our sporting characters. Kurgess the minor deity of bravery, sports, and competition – who was once himself a competitor – is popular among athletic contestants. Marishi, one of the Empyreal Lords, is also popular as the overseer of athletics, contests, and sports. Clerics of either of these two deities may well be competitors themselves, or have worked for a sporting venue.

Sports obviously aren’t our only means of diversion. Just the existence of the bard class alone shows us that artistic performance has and always will be a major form of entertainment for humanity. Kintargo – the setting for the Hell’s Rebels AP – is home to one of the most well-known opera houses on Golarion. The capital of Oppara in Taldor holds not one but two bardic colleges; The Kitharodian Academy, which is the single largest bardic college on Golarion, and The Rhapsodic College. The bards trained at both of these academies use the House of the Immortal Son, a former temple of Aroden that has been turned into an opera house. Many cities including Almas in Andoran have an entire district for the arts including many theatres. Even a town as small as Sandpoint has one to bring art and culture to its people.

Bards are by and large going to be the performers that may also be adventurers. In Tien though, monks or brawlers who learn to perform a form of stage combat – much like that taught by the real world Chinese opera – could also well be performers who travel. Almost every class gets perform as a class skill. A rogue knife juggler or clerics of Shelyn, Hathor, or Seramayiel might perform at one of the theatres around the world.

All in all how we choose to entertain ourselves says something both about us and the culture in which we live. Whether we seek out the most bloody and brutal entertainments or just enjoy measured competition is quite telling. Giving these kinds of details to our players and allowing them to run with them can lead to some very entertaining stories. After all, our form of entertainment is to pretend to be other people. Why not let those other people be entertainers themselves?

What forms of entertainment exist on your worlds? Do your players get to interact with – either viewing or participating in – these events? What kinds of entertainer characters have you made as a player? What kinds of entertainers that weren’t bards?

Role-playing is our form of entertainment and the CRB aims to help bring new layers to your gaming table. If you’re enjoying the CRB, becoming a contributor to my Patreon helps pay the bills so that I can keep writing. You can also give a one-time donation through my Paypal if that suits your needs better. Every bit helps keep the lights on and the ideas flowing.

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

Wings of the Ocean

 Flocks of Ylimancha

Illustration by Luis Perez

The coastlines of the world bring a majestic beauty and a home to many creatures. It is a safe haven for the birds that fly out over the oceans to catch their meals. This natural perfection has been embodied in the divine for of Ylimancha, the Empyreal Lord of coastal waters, fisherfolk, and flying creatures. Little is known about her or her followers except for her constant war with Pazuzu. This week we take a look at three possible sects of the Empyreal Lord known as Harborwing.

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

For more information on Ylimancha

Ylimancha’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Ylimancha’s Archives of Nethys Page

The Aviary

This sect of followers Ylimancha sees birds – especially sea fowl – as the children of their patron. They have set up a large aviary on the coast north of Magniamr in which to protect these creatures. Although they mainly deal with sea birds like gulls, ernes, albatross, and puffins they occasionally take in something much rarer. They have been known to help griffons and pegasi regain their strength if injured, and rumor has it that a phoenix even calls the sanctuary home.

Membership in the sect is a lax affair. The desire to help the creatures associated with Harborwing is usually enough. However many of the sect members are naturalist who specialize in avians. Healers – both divine and mundane – are also common among the members of the Aviary.  Ylimancha has been known to call some of the common members of this sect to her divine flock granting them clerical or oracular powers.

Andoran Coast Guard

Andoran has one of the largest fleets that sail the innerseas. They are defenders of their nation and consummate hunters of the slaver ships that haunt the waters.  But slavers and pirates are not the only things that threaten the citizenry, and Andoran boasts many fishing fleets. To protect these folk from the monstrous predators beneath the waves the followers of Ylimancha – many former Andoran naval personnel – have taken it upon themselves to patrol the waters closer to home.

Reefclaws and giant flying piranha are constant threat. Fishing can also draw a large number of sharks to an area. The Andoran Coast Guard deals with these common threats but it is the uncommon threats – which thy try and keep quite lest promote panic – where they really excel. The small coastal fleet has defeated at least one scylla and negotiated with a nest of water naga disturbed by a careless fishing trawler.

Sky Warriors

The battle for control of things that fly has been long and hard fought. The Demon Lord Pazuzu is a tireless opponent to Ylimancha in the outer planes, and their followers clash often on the material plane. The Sky Warriors are a sect of the Empyreal Lord’s church whose only mission is to battle against the minions of the King of the Wind Demons.

This sect is one of the most martial of the otherwise peaceful Empyreal Lord. Consisting mainly of warpriests, clerics, paladins and rangers the sect will also accept the occasional warrior not granted divine power by their patron. Almost every member of this sect also has a natural means or attempts to find some way to fly. Many aasimar whose divine blood has manifested in the form of wings become members of this sect.

The bounty of the water and the freedom of the sky call the followers of this Empyreal Lord. Who is your disciple of Ylimancha? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to Harborwing? Where does their devotion come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has inspired your next character please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon . 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.

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

Character Exploration 60 - Neeter

Random rolls sixty brings us our second ratfolk and another one I really enjoyed making. The pieces seemed simple enough, nothing over the top like the divine touch from last week’s character. Everything except charisma being decent, with a good intelligence left a lot of choices. But what character I should make is always the tough question.

Picking a class is the hardest part. I didn’t want to go straight up arcane caster. The last ratfolk was a wizard and I wanted to move away from that. Looking at ratfolk characteristics, they get a bonus to craft (alchemy), Perception, and use magic device so that gave me an idea. Investigator is a class I really love and I thought fit the stats of the character well. The next question was how to tie it altogether. The answer was like this:

Neeter

Illustration by Luis Perez

Although Winterbreak is the only city on Acuben Isle it is not the only settlement. A number of small fishing villages dot the coast of the forty-five mile long island. One of these villages was where young Neeter was born. The bastard son of his father and some woman in Port Ice, his dad took him to live with the rest of the family, which at the time included two older sisters.

Although most of the village lived off of fishing and crabbing, Neeter’s father was a salvage and repair specialist. The young ratfolk grew up around ships and the docks that housed them. Sadly his home, the boats, and many of the people he knew were demolished when he only five. A particularly harsh winter brought storms across the Lake of Mists and Veils and hurricane force winds destroyed everything in sight, killing over three quarters of the small settlement. The family of ratfolk was saved only by the cunning use of some of his father’s inventions.

Many of the former townsfolk, including Neeter’s family, made their way to the large city of Winterbreak, the center of power for House Ludovka. The much larger city already had a thriving port with many established repair facilities. Finding work was difficult for his dad and that left Neeter on his own a lot of the time. Somehow, despite his mangy look and a lack of social ability, he soon made a friend.

Burkin Hiefender was a half-elf who seemed to know just about everyone in town. Where Neeter had  problems with everyday conversation, often coming off as rude or disinterested even when he wasn’t, Burkin had a knack with people; from the former pirate captain who now owned a dockside tavern to even some of the Ludovka children. If you needed something, anything, Burkin could find it for you.

With his father’s fourth child on the way, Neeter asked Burkin to help him find his father some steady work. It came down to dealing with some of the less reputable folk dockside, but to Neeter’s family was very important. As was typical of the socially inept ratfolk, the meeting didn’t go well. Feeling cornered, Neeter attempt to manipulate one of the crime bosses, a mistake he tries to forget although the scars on his face won’t allow him to.

Dockside became his home even after his father found work with one of the repair companies. The piers, taverns, fish markets, and hoists and pulleys all felt like a part of him. Like many of the fisherfolk of the small village Neeter paid homage to Ylimancha and these coastal waters were all he needed to feel alive. But the docks weren’t all fun and games. In the shadows, hidden from the sight of man, bad things happened.

As he grew older Neeter became protective of Dockside. The facts his family lived there added to his need to keep it safe. Even the the guards of the Ludovka family kept commerce moving they didn’t always keep people safe. Humans had a hard time seeing into the darkness but ratfolk could see just fine. When the city guard left dockside at night, that’s when Neeter took over.

Even if he couldn’t talk his way out of a fishnet, Neeter had a remarkable intellect. He could piece a puzzle together quicker than most. His reflexes were about as quick as his mind as well. Combine all of that with his ability to read people - even if he had a hard time talking to them - and Neeter started solving more crime than the guard ever did. Sometimes known as “The Dockside Detective”, many of the locals would come to him if they had a problem. He was their light, and he would drag the bad things from the darkness for them.

From the darkness there is light and that light is Neeter. But is this the character you would have made? What class would you have chosen? What disaster would your character have survived? Would you have chosen Winterbreak or Port Ice as his home? How was he a bastard? It’s never too late to let us know in the comments.

Just like Neeter, I seek to bring more light to your gaming experience.  Contributions to my Patreon or Paypal help me be able to invest more of that time into creation instead of worrying about keeping the lights on. If you’d like to support your favorite content provider – come on, that’s me, admit it – please consider contributing. If you’re enjoying the blog, why not join the rest of the fans of the CRB on our social media hangouts? Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence and my inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion.

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

Water Water Everywhere

The Sea Is More Than Pirates

Illustration by Luis Perez

People love a good campaign based around pirates. Paizo has made not one but two Adventure Paths - Skulls and Shackles and Serpent’s Skull - as well as at least one module with pirates as the theme. Chris Jackson has contributed their splat book on ships as well as written three book series about the crew of the Stargazer. Seafaring seems to be pretty popular in Pathfinder, and with the new 7th Sea book which came out last year I think it's pretty popular across game platforms.

Pirates, however, aren't the only people sailing the seas of the world. There are plenty of other types of ships to ply the waters that your players might enjoy playing, or to feature as enemies. Using Golarion as an example Andoran, Cheliax, Qadira, and Taldor all have massive navies. Games set around being a crewman on any one of these seagoing vessels could be quite interesting. It is a slightly more structured lifestyle than being on a pirate ship but you're far less likely to get a knife in the back for your share of plunder.

If you'd like a mix of pirates and legitimate naval fleets maybe it’s time to live the life of a privateer. Letters of Marque given to buccaneers allowed them to prey on ships of enemy countries. Taldor relies on these legal pirates to patrol the river that runs between the empire and Qadira. Even Andoran uses privateers to attack the slaver ships of Okeno, and occasionally vessels from Cheliax. Even though Cheliax is considered an evil nation they are all about order and they despise both pirates and privateers.

In the northern waters you have the Ulfen raiders. Not as active as they once were, still some clans of the Ulfen from both the Land of the Linnorm Kings and the Ironbound Archipelago continue the tradition of raiding coastal villages and towns. Different from pirates who usually attack other ships, these raiders are also usually a family or clan, which has a different dynamic than the 'every man for himself' rule of a pirate ship.

Slavers are feared across the inner sea region. The yellow-sailed ships of the slavers of the Katapeshi island of Okeno strike terror even into the hearts of hardened pirates. Using these foul folk as a foil to your sea bound players could lead to many interesting games. Be careful though, slavery is a tough subject for some so choose your use of slavers judiciously.

No matter what kind of seafaring game you end up playing, a lot of folk who end up on boats for a living grew up around them. We need to consider where characters learned to sail in the first place. Fisherfolk, merchant vessels, and transport ships are all perfect places for sea bound characters to have gotten their start. Children of people who make a living off the sea often find a way out onto the waters themselves.

One need not have ever been on a boat to know a lot about them. There is a lot of support that goes into the seafaring. Harbors and docks are filled with shipwrights, sailmakers, and cordonniers. If your parents were dockworkers, harbormasters, or even a barkeep in a dockside tavern there is a good chance you'll have some knowledge of seafaring.

On Golarion you also have deities that deal with waters and seafaring; Gozreh in her female aspect of goddess of the sea, Besmara the goddess of pirates,  Hei Feng the Tian god of the seas. Other than these major and minor deities there are a few Demon Lords, Infernal Dukes, and Empyreal Lords that deal with aspects of life at sea or on the coasts. Deciding which deity a character pays homage to gives a good idea of how they feel about the sea.

So, there’s more to just sailing the seas than being a pirate. Whether you’re playing in or running a game based on a ship there’s a lot to consider, and not just what you do on the boat. How did you learn to sail? What do you do on land? What job do you have onboard? Which deity do you pray to to keep you safe?

The open waters have been a source of wonder for ages, and hopefully the CRB brings you that same sense of excitement and adventure. Contributing to my Patreon is a great way to help support the CRB, giving me the time write the content you enjoy and do things like replace the cracked screen on my laptop. If a onetime donation is more your speed consider contributing a donation via my paypal.

The CRB has a growing community of followers and you can find us on Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter. Check out some of the art I share and the conversations that pop up. Feel free to drop me a line on any of those platforms with questions or comments. My inbox is always open.

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

Things That Don't Go Bump In The Night

Goodness In The Moonlight

Illustration by Luis Perez

Through history man has feared the night and monsters have been linked with the darkness. This is apparent in some of the traditional monsters like vampires which fear the sun, and werewolves whose change is brought on by the fullness of the moon. But not all things that make their home in the world after the sun goes down are evil, and today we’re going to look at some of those friendlier faces you might find after the sun slinks over the horizon.

So you’ve chased your players with angry ghosts, snarling trolls, and some of the worst undead you can find all though the night. But now you want to give them a reprieve, a safe haven from the more grotesque and brutal things brought out by the setting of the sun. There are creatures from as small as fey to as powerful as gods that make the moonlight their home. But which ones will fit your setting?

Golarion itself has nine divine beings that have the moon or the night in their portfolio. Of these only three are evil, giving a large portion of the night to good or neutral beings. I’ve already done some write ups on followers of Tanagaar and Ketephys but members of the churches of any of these moon-bathed deities can be the perfect respite for your players. The vigilant protectors of Tanagaar, or the tenders of the spirit world Tsukiyo of the Tian deities, or the Empyreal Lord Ashava may lend succor to your bedraggled party.

Speaking of spirits, the shaman class has opened up the idea that there is more to the spirit world than just vengeful ghosts and haunts. Although they have yet to really expand upon this (and I hope they do) some third party products already have. With spirits and lonely spirits being in the portfolio of two of the good gods of the moon, if you are going straight Paizo then Ghosts are going to fit the bill. Since the Ghost template doesn’t change the alignment of a creature a wandering spirit may very well lead your players away from danger, and not even know she’s dead. These kinds of spirits can also be helpful in moving your plot forward so you can really play around with them if you like.

One of my favorite goodly—although mischievous—creatures which lend aid to PCs are faeries. Although they tend to be reclusive the fey, especially pixies, have a deep-seated curiosity. Although none of the fey Eldest have night or the moon in their portfolio, these minor godlings as well as the creatures under their purview may be a welcome sight when the slavering beasts are coming in the darkness. She may not want to talk to the PCs but a dryad may use her mastery of the forest to disguise their trail. Brownies might leave something behind in camp that is useful while everyone is asleep. There is much the wee folk can do to aide your players without even being seen.

Although werewolves are often known for their evil ways not all lycanthropes are. The oft misunderstood werebear is a perfect guardian of the night time. Deadly to their enemies, which includes many of the other were-beasts, they are known to be friendly to lost travelers and many are worshipers of the Empyreal Lord Ashava. Strictly speaking not all of any lycanthropes are evil, so even a werewolf that has managed to keep his feral heart tamed could be a nighttime aid to your party.

So when you’re running your game of terror and constant peril, remember to give your players a brief respite. A friendly face after being chased through the woods by lord-knows-what can add some great role-playing opportunities. No matter what kind of creature you use, make sure every bump isn’t some murderous creature. And make sure your players aren’t the shoot first and ask questions later type.

What creatures have you used to aid your party in times of distress? Have you ever presented them with creatures that are normally evil but in that instance were allies? How have you presented the night to your players throughout your campaigns?

Like many writers, for me the night is an inspiring time. If the CRB has inspired you the way the moon and darkness inspires me, please consider contributing to my Patreon. If you’d like to converse further join the CRB communities on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is always open on all platforms.

The opening illustration was created by a fine artist Luis Perez. You can find him on Twitter and on Instagram at luisperezart.