TristenC[private thread]

[Namenlos]

Oh, now I see. Your actions would lead me/people to believe your good but in truth your neautral.

I'll get this down soon I swear lol. So I'll have a written out start for you soon, this has given me a lot of options to toy with for your starting point. It's the darn choosing of just one thats rough, haha.

[TristenC]

Lol, I feel your pain... I had to do that for the Demiplane of dread campaign twice per character! Once to start, and once for where in Ravenloft they end up

[Namenlos]

I've picked where you'll start out of the towns available, your being with The Tops had a bunch of options but I've found one I liked and it will provide a lot of options for world/game development.

A little starting knowledge for you:
Your character will begin in the city of Kaldane, a large/medium city focused on mining and industry. If a town could have an Alignment this place would be Neutral/Lawful Evil, making it the ideal home city of The Tops. Corruption is the word of the day, and gold is law, however the ruling council and more powerful organizations have formed a slight bond to keep things running relatively smoothly.

That was just to sort of set the mood for where you'll be beginning, but you're character is actually ready to go isn't he? I'll have to take a look and do some reading! and then comes the writing! you have been warned!

[TristenC]

Ready to go with the exception of equipment... am I rolling bard starter gold or did you go with something else?

[Namenlos]

You're level 2 so bard srarting gold plus 1000 gold. Aquired through your last mission/ guild reward.

[TristenC]

Hps roll: 8 + 1d6 (dopp start + bard lvl 1)
8+ 1d6=4 = 12 hps


Starting gold (4d4x10) + 1000gp from guild as reward/payment

4d4=11. 110 gp
Starting gold 1110 gp… sweet

I re-allocated some skill points:
Took 2 from escape artist and 1 from balance to add +3 to Performance, string instrument (violin).

Swapped prestidigitation with Mending.

I bought some equipment and such, but I have a couple of questions:
-Masterwork items can be purchased normally, yes?
-doppleganger innate alter self ability doesn’t ‘expire’ like the spell, but I can only change 1/day?
-I wanted to buy some wooden/porcelain masks for if he has to go out without alter self on Couldn’t find anything like that in the book, not surprising. Nothing life-like, but something plain. He could act like a peasant and say he has the ‘wasting sickness’ or terrible boils or something to keep others from looking under the mask. Think phantom of the opera. Cost idea?

Masterwork Items purchased (just want to verify I can buy these and that I understand the modifiers)
-Rapier, Mwk (20+300gp for masterwork. +1 to hit, non magical bonus)
-Chain Shirt, Mwk (100+150gp for masterwork. Reduces check penalty by 1, so -2 becomes -1)
-Violin, Mwk (100gp. +2 to performance checks). I feel like the bard he found dead was the fancy type.
-Disguise kit, Mwk (50+50gp for masterwork. Normally +2 to skill check, mwk adds +2 more. 10 uses)

I went ahead and added the equipment to the character sheet along with the above-mentioned skill point reassignments. Let me know if I need to adjust/move anything. I think my notes should explain it, but if it isn’t clear just ask.


Fun stuff:
Picked up a donkey to carry all the heavy stuff… named her Dulcinea
Bought a lot of extra outfits. He can use them as costumes/disguises, etc. maybe with the masks?
Grabbed some smokesticks for those quick getaways
A good lock is expensive. I imagine wouldn’t really be able to use it on much, but is the resale value any better than ½ price?


Purchases:

[Namenlos]

Masterwork can be purchased normally, you basically just went to a skilled blacksmith and paid extra for the better craftsmanship.
The alter self is once per day, but lasts as long as you maintain it.
Porcelain mask would be relatively expensive, lack of raw materials. A wooden or cloth mask would be cheap, a gold or less for just a plain one. the more ornate you want it to be would increase the price.
Your masterwork equipment looks accurate.
Pack animals are always a good choice! are you sure its not a miniature giant donkey?
the guild maintains an Inn nearby with a stables, Dulcinea should be kept there at the moment. unless you had a different plan.

[TristenC]

Sounds perfect. Should I roll up Dirthxanous' true ht/wt/age using the methods I mentioned above or do you have something else in mind?

Looks like I'm ready to roll when you are!

Oh, 3 masks; all wood. One very elaborate and painted grey and black. One quite plain and dirty. Raw wood. One richly stained fine wood of a somber young man's face.

[Namenlos]

I'd say go ahead and roll tem randomly, just for the sake of keeping things random.

I will create a new thread for your actual in game since we've written so much here already lol.

[TristenC]

Ht/wt/age
56+2d10=63, 100+2d4=103, 15+1d6=20

So 5'3" (wow, shorty)
103 lbs
20 yrs old. I'll update his sheet shortly

[Namenlos]

17th of Surch, 516
The twin moons rise high above, their light shining balefully down upon the streets and rooftops of Keldane. Seeking solitude Dirthxanous has claimed a position atop the guild hall. The roof of a three story building provides the perfect position to watch the humans crawl about he thinks to himself. A warm summer breeze blows across the roof tops bringing with it the stench of smelting and refinery work , smoke from the forge fires blot out stars in the sky. The work never stops in Keldane, peasants constantly work themselves to death to make wealthy merchants wealthier. Those humans and other lesser races with business in the darker hours move about beneath Dirthxanous, their worries and troubles alien to him.
No one looks up, they never do, their troubles are always at their feet or right in front of them. How many of them know their passing a few feet from the guild hall of the deadliest assassins in the realm he ponders. That violent death could reach out and snatch them down faster than they’d even be able to realize. Bah, what am I even doing here he wonders to himself as the night passes. The hired hand of some human, working to cause the deaths of people he’s never even met for mysterious end.
Not that he’d actually killed anyone for the guild, not with his own hand and not on purpose but the thought still weighed heavily on his mind. All I’d wanted was to have a story, he thought, suppose it’s a start but where’s it going.

The scrabbling of claws on slats and the smell of brimstone signals the approach of “The Triplets”. The Tiefling sibling assassins’, long time guild members, with a history as woven in darkness as it is mystery and stories abound of their enjoyment for their jobs.

“ ’Eya Shifty, Watcha doin up here all by your lonesome again? You find me any lovely targets, a nice juicy ripe one?” Remarks Zerichar, the eldest and most violent of the three. A vicious warrior with both the skill of a blade in his hands and the power of dark magic to bolster his skills, the guild uses him when they need a mess.

“Looks like he’s moping away the good night air to me, brother.” Hisses Kaixes, the youngest and the one that bears the most obvious “deformities” from his dark heritage. Embracing his heritage and unleashing the power that flows through his veins by mastering sorcery in explosions of volatile fire, he’s a deadly foe. “All this beautiful darkness and all those wonderful talents for sowing pain and discord, and he sits on the roof, a waste.”

Moving behind the two brothers, silent as a cat creeps Yutari. The middle child, and the most reasonable of the three, though that’s not really saying much. She keeps her silence, as she always does, just watching with those burning crimson eyes, judging.

“Boss, wants to see you Shifty. He’s got work on the table, but if you don’t snatch it quick it’ll be mine.?” Croons Zerichar with a cackle. “Ah, please don’t go let me have this one, you don’t want it anyhow do ya?”

[TristenC]

[ooc: I presume they know he's a doppleganger since they keep calling him 'shifty'. Also, am I currently in bard or 'natural' form?]

Well well, nothing better to do boys? Hey Yutari. He says without turning around. No juicy ones tonight, just the same old shriveled skeletons working themselves into the grave...

'They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose
None spake nor moved their eyes
It had been strange, even in a dream,
To see those dead men rise'

His voice took on a sonorous quality as he recited the passage.

Besides, he continued, if you stopped killing for fun so much Zer, you'd be twice as rich... how many was it last week you off'd someone the guild wanted? You didn't even leave enough to bring back a 'token'... hell, you didn't even know they were targets! He shrugs, each his own, I guess...

Standing, he finally turns. Just killing time... Looking back to the sky and the sinister lunar eyes above, the moons are always changing, always moving... and yet underneath, behind tye darkness, they remain the the same... Shaking his head and clearing his mind of the reverie, he walks back to the entrance. I suppose if the boss wants me, the night won't be a total waste... Hey Kai, he pauses at the entry, you've got something on your face... right here... he touches his own face right where one of the tiefling's most obvious deformities is.

I'd have to know what the job is first, Zer. Besides, I wouldn't give it up just for you... I gotta eat too. He turns to Yutari and gives her a wink and his best smile, Maybe Yutari and I could share this one... she needs some time away from you louts... With that he turns to go inside and see the boss.

[ooc: not that it matters much, i guess, but what exactly do they look like?]

[Namenlos]

Darthxanous passes the tieflings to the ladderway entrance of the guild. Zerichar laughs loudly at his comments, his mouth wide flashing his razor sharp teeth and his guffaw carrying across the city roofs. Kaixes spits in Darthxanous' direction at his taunt and growls in anger, but restrains himself knowing Darthxanous is under the masters protection. and Yutari... she just stares, her eyes watching him move toward the ladder and as he clambers down, piercing into him. As Darthxanous passes out of sight Kaixes can't help but shout down one last parting jab at him.

"One day, Shifty, one day you won't have the master around, and that will be my day."

Darthxanous climbs down the well maintained ladder entering the third floor of the guild. The third floor is devoted to training floors and storage chambers, gear, crates and barrels stacked against the walls. As he passes through on the ladder he is only able to see the main hallway and there is no one about at this time, either away on mission or using the night hours to amuse themselves.

He soon finds himself entering the second floor main hallway and dismounts from the ladder. This is the level he seeks, the guild masters quarters and several high ranking guild members keep chambers here, including his own. Darthxanous makes his way north along the richly upholstered hallway, treading upon fine carpets and rugs, and turning to the right to enter the masters private office.

Dathxanous steps within the lit chamber to find Arnos Veltur, Master of the Tops and arguably one of the most powerful men in the city, sitting behind a Desk pouring over the pages of a book before him. Of slightly above height and blessed with classic good looks, knowing brown eyes, dark tousled brown hair and a quick smile. Arnos made his name and his fortune as a Gentleman Assassin in larger cities, before establishing the Tops within Keldane.

Arnos looks up as Darthxanous enters, smiling a friendly, knowing smile and his eyes flashing with greed.
"Ah, there you are Dimitiri. Enjoying the night air again? You know it's not good for you, the only blessing from that damned smoke is that it killed all those birds that used to shit on my statues!" he says with a laugh. "But enough with the pleasantries, there's a job offer been made and the golds good. ten thousand gold, your take will be thirty percent off the top as per usual with a bonus if you can accomplish the task within the set conditions." says Arnos, once more flashing a smile and reaching forward to grab a piece of parchment before him.

"I assume you'll accept, the moneys good my friend." Carries on Arnos. "This will be a tricky one, but your talents make you the obvious choice."

OOC: I like to take a break after writing a bit, just in case you'd like to interject something before getting to carried away

Tiefling descriptions as requested, I totally should have included these, Doh!

Zerichar- The eldest, Red eyes and black hair cut short and slicked back wrapping around the prominent horns jutting from his head. He wears various metal armors depending on the mission assigned, sticking to a light suit of red chain mail when about the guild hall. Several daggers are strapped and sheathed about his body, but his longsword at his waste is the weapon he is proudest of most. He proudly calls his sword Maimer, shouting its name loudly and often when in his cups with fellow guild members, The blade has a red tinge to
its blade, almost glowing with a red baleful light.

Yutari- The middle child. Considered by most to be the deadliest of the three. When seen, and thats not often, she is wearing soft black cloth covering almost every inch of her body, even going so far as to wrapping it about her face up to her nose. Red pitiless eyes stare out from above the black cloth, not many can hold her gaze as she stares out at them. Though she wields no weapons obviously the creases and folds of the cloth about her conceal many.

Kaixes- The youngest. Red eyes match his red hair, only the polished obsidian of the horns twisting about his forehead break the color pattern. Almost as loud as his elder, but more arrogant. He wears colorful robes, red, purple and black being his colors of choice and golden chains studded with precious gems adorn his body. Wand handles poke from his belt and various pockets, some just bits of wood designed to look as such to provide distractions. He is often seen twirling a metal rod tipped with a small skull at one end and a clawed foot at the other, when he calls upon it, the rod extends into a staff.

[TristenC]

Dirthxanous calls back through the opening before proceeding to meet the boss. Come now, Kai. Can't you see I'm only jealous of your power and talent? Hmm? Your brother Zer will explain it. Goodnight sweet prince of darkness. Flights of angels sing thee to thy rest... And tell your sister I think she's hot! After the last he hurries down the hall, practically sauntering to the office. Before he arrives he takes a more sedate pace.

Entering the room he affects a companionable grin and even laughs at Arnos' jibes. The lie of humor in his eyes comes so naturally to one born of a race of deceivers. Dragging a chair nearby he plops down, crossing his feet and nearly placing his heels on a corner of the fine desk; but thinking better of it. Well the pay certainly sounds acceptable, he smiles, letting the bardish features reflect the mild greed of their original owner. But what are these conditions and the subsequent bonus? Or the job, for that matter... I take it your mention of my talents means I have a particular 'part' to play?

[Namenlos]

Arnos Grins back wolfishly. "Our competitors in Clansedge are doing a little too well of late, a little competition is good, drives the prices up, keeps the merchants and the like happy. Now they've taken money from the pockets of some important people in the city and so we need to slow them down."

Arnos leans back in his chair and grabs a piece of parchment from his left, looking it over. "As I said, a task to suit your "special" skills. We need someone to infiltrate their mining complex and "poison" their ore supplies, and to sweeten the deal, you'll need to disappear one of their foremen and place a vial of the stuff on him to throw suspicion. It's an extra two thousand gold if you can do it proper, so i'd recommend you get it right." Finishes Arnos raising an eyebrow at Dirthxanous as he waits for a reply expectantly.