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Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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If you are looking for a grand adventure about saving damsels/lads in distress and blasting dragons out of the sky with mighty spells then look someplace else! If your looking for a story about struggle, overwhelming odds, the beginnings of a hero/heroine, and the choices between justice and vengeance then welcome to Rites of Passage

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Setting & Timeline----

On the continent of Faerun, in the world of the Forgotten Realms, the Time of Troubles has just ended. The godly pantheons have stabilized, the divine beings are no longer forced to walk the earth as mortals, and their powers are once again being fueled by their worshipers on the mortal plane. Gods, both good and evil, seek to secure a place in the heavenly and abyssal hierarchies and for some the acquisition of devoted followers, through any means necessary, is the only way they will achieve the dominance and influence they crave. For though Faerun is enjoying a much needed time of peace, a sigh of relief after a terrifying time in history, the wars of the heavens and hells are eternal. And there are deities from beyond Faerun, deities that would grow in secret and stealth until they can challenge even the great gods.

Much of this is unknown to you however and what you have heard is so wildly twisted and varied in story that it is impossible to know what exactly happened. It doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of your world. Player Characters are children between the ages of 10-15. Most work hard all day long, either for their families or teachers to whom they have been apprenticed. Free time is rare and most of the day is devoted to work or study. They have all the problems and joys of a child of their age and station in life and while most are from laborer families a few might be street rats or from what constitutes and upper class in the small towns and villages living off the woods and rivers along the black road. Life is simple and usually very very busy. The needs of life and survival take precedence over imponderables and philosophy. Concerns over the squabbles of the gods rarely enter into day to day life, and while many might profess to be religious few have the dedication and devotion to have more than a basic grasp of Faerunian religion.

Few have lofty goals and for most children of the village it is assumed they will take after their parents or master. Their skills, their moral compass, and their personal and professional goals will be formed as they take on an adventure that will send them from rural village to bustling city to sea to jungle.



Our story begins in the town of Loudwater, however characters may have converged on the town from a variety of locations. Each character, depending on their history and how they came to be in Loudwater will have different life skills honed by their experiences up to this point. They will also have different reasons (provided by the DM) as to how they came to be without family/mentor now.



Other potential background, starting locations for characters are listed below.









Over the courese of the adventures important bits of information, clues, encounters, physical items relating to the plot will be colected. For ease of looking up later I will try and keep them listed here, and update as more information is gathered.








Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Stairdweller
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Stairdweller it's all black and white

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Now with edits for history compliance!

Name: Kieniscar "Kieny" Dryvalley
Age: 13
Gender: Female
Race: Dwarf
Class: Cleric (Level 0)

What you want to be when you grow up? She wants to be a cobbler.

Who is your mentor?: Rithgrid Slate, a dwarfish saddler. Rithgrid is not related to Kieny, but was a childhood friend of her mother. Kieny's parents are both alive and well, but she was not interested in following in their trade (white-smithing) and so was apprenticed to Rithgrid. Although she would rather learn cobbling, Kieny settled for saddle making because the town cobbler was not accepting apprentices (he has seven children, and is thus guaranteed of someone to take over the business) because she thought the skills would be somewhat relevant. She was also greatly influenced by the travelling clerics who visited her village (see history). She also has a current master, a cobbler in Loudwater.

Brief Biography: Kieny was born and raised in Middleridge, a mixed human-dwarf village near the black road. The dwarves primarily quarry slate for export, while the humans are generally farmers and labourers. Kieny's parents didn't work directly in the mine, but rather as smiths they manufactured tools and so on for use by the other inhabitants of Middleridge. As smiths, her parents were respected members of the community, and Kieny was afforded a little more leisure time as a small child than the children of a quarryman or farmer might have been. Although her village was too small to have a dedicated temple, it was serviced by a few travelling clergymen of various dieties. Kieny spent a great deal of time listening to the Priest of Moradin, a dwarf called Rin Brightore, and greatly improved her reading skills by studying the holy books he lent to her family.
Kieny had the usual assortment of friends - Gorra and Lentar, son and daughter of the cobbler, Dewdrid, Cassomera and Jade, children of various miners, and several others. She was neither the leader of the group now the bottom rung.
Although she was generally content in Middleridge, Kieny was not able to find a cobbler to train her as an apprentice. She often toyed with the idea of moving to a larger town or city in order to pursue her chosen trade. About five weeks ago, Elder Rin, her cleric friend, counselled her that if she wanted to leave, this was the time to do so. His clerical powers warned him that something bad was coming - something of shadows, darkness, evil, slavery and the divine, something that would touch all the small towns and villages of the region. However, Rin was not a powerful enough cleric to pinpoint the source of the coming peril or exactly what its nature was.
So, Kieny used a combionation of her life savings and a loan from her parents to purchase a set of leatherworking tools from Rithgrid and set aside a sum of money to pay an apprenticeship fee in Loudwater. She travelled to the city without incident, and found a cobbler who regularly trained many apprentices to take her on. As a fiscally responsible dwarf girl, she immediately wrote home to ask her parents to send the other portion of the apprenticeship fee (they had decided it was not safe for a girl trravelling alone to carry so much money). She has not, to this day, received an answer.
It wasn't long after that The change occured in Loudwater. Kieny learned the lesson about not following the new God very quickly, after being forced to attend the public executions of several clergymen and the faithful of other dieties. She hid her holy book behind a loose section of wainscotting in her bedroom and professed conversion - while remaining unchanged in her heart.
by the present day, she has heard numerous conflicting stories from travellers about empty villages and slain clerics and mayors. Suffice it to say, she is extremely worried about her friends and family.

What person(s) of interest do you know where you are from? Who all do you have a relationship with?: As it is a small village, Kieny knows most of the dwarves who call it home, at least in passing. However, although the human and dwarf contingents were friendly, they tended to keep to themselves. Therefore, she did not know many of the humans and doesn't really have much experience interacting with them. She is very familiar with the travelling clerics that visited her village.

Equipment:
- The leather-working supplies that her parents helped her to buy from her former master, including: an awl, several strong leather needles, a large roll of sinew for sewing, a pair of wing dividers, a set of three four-prong thonging chisels, a pot of leather conditioning salve, a half-litre bottle of neatsfoot oil, a 1/4 pound block of beeswax, a swivel knife, a small head knife, a small piece of jewellers rouge and a leather strop, and three tooling chisels - a smooth bevel, a chequered pear shader, and a bar backgrounder. All of these tools are kept in a hard leather case with several compartments; except the head knife, which she keeps in a sheath on her belt.
-Nondescript travelling attire: an ankle length, dark brown skirt, an undyed, long sleeved linen shirt, a sturdy dark brown leather vest, a money pouch worn on a string around her neck and kept under her shirt, sturdy leather work boots, a wide leather belt with two small buttoned pouches and a knife sheath, a broad brimmed straw hat, and a wide-cowled linen cloak. Also, a sturdy backpack.
-A book of legends about the Dwarvish deities, which she keeps securely hidden.

Class Skills: - She knows quite a bit about the more popular Gods worshipped in her town, especially the Dwarven deities Moradin and Berronar Truesilver. (This might be two points?)
- She knows how to handle a knife for cutting leather, and feels like she could apply this to a fight if necessary.

Life Skills: - Basic leatherworking skills like sewing, dyeing, cutting, basic tooling, and general care
- She can read very quickly for a child her age.
- Some basic woodworking as it applies to saddlery; mostly sanding and measuring. (Her master didn't think she was ready for cutting yet.)
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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I don't mind the new village but based on its current location I may do to it what happened to Llorkh and Twiddledale. That is "vanish" all the people within, including anyone you care about.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Stairdweller
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Okay, that sounds reasonable. I can tweak her reason for leaving to fit that.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Guzomixiel
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This comes at a perfect time for me. My sessions have just reached a halt for the summer. I'll have something up sometime today. Are there any specific classes I should avoid doing?
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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@stairdweller--I'll shoot you a PM with the info when I get back to my computer, if I forget remind me...description of what would happen to your village would be basically identical as to what happened to Llorkh...

@guzomixiel--take a look at what we already have (under the character info spoiler bar) & how many limits there are for each of the 4 main class types. If you want your character to become something more specilized just include a note in the "what you want to be when you grow up" section. I think there are openings in all four of the four archytpyes.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Stranger
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Name: Rogk
Age: 13
Gender: Male
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Level 0 Barbarian

What you want to be when you grow up?
Rogk seeks to become a great and powerful warrior, accepting and defeating any who would challenge him, and conquering all those he himself challenges.

Who is your mentor?
The Orc children Rogk grew up with used to pick on him and beat him up because he was only half orc, and thus was not as physically powerful as they were. Over time, he became strong enough to fight back, and even win on some occasions. Now those children beat him up out of a sense of camaraderie and respect, and he returns the beatings in kind.

Brief Biography: Rogk was born the child of a human male and his Orc mother. These Orcs were a nomadic tribe, often packing up and moving whenever the local prey would grow scarce. When next they moved, the human left for his own home, leaving Rogk's mother to raise their child alone. Growing up as a Half-Orc among full Orcs was never easy. Children would mock and attack Rogk for being "half-blooded", and many adults would simply ignore Rogk or hit him. As time went on, Rogk began to retreat into the local wilderness to get away from the village for a time. Slowly, as time went on, Rogk began to get stronger. At the age of 10, he could hold his own against another Orc child. By the age of 12, he could win. Through his time in the wilds, he began to learn about the different animals and their different habits, even managing to befriend a few of them here and there (though not yet at a level to tame them). At the age of 13, Rogk officially came of age. Despite his Half-Orc status, he was given the same rite of passage as other Orc children: he was given a large weapon (he chose the battleaxe) and told to go kill something. While most children stuck to killing bears or sabre-tooths, Rogk had other plans in mind. He swore in front of the whole tribe that he would not return with anything less than the head of a dragon, to prove that he was strong. Naturally, the entire tribe burst out laughing at him, but he meant it: that very afternoon, he said goodbye to his mother, packed up his things, and left the village behind him. Today, Rogk is wandering, searching for worthy opponents to make himself stronger as he works his way up to standing toe to toe with a mighty winged dragon.

What person(s) of interest do you know where you are from? Who all do you have a relationship with?
Rogk knows his entire tribe, as it is a smaller tribe, and thus more tightly knit. He has a special relationship with the Orc children of his age, who have come to respect him as a fighter.

Equipment:
- Battleaxe (still clumsy at wielding it)
- Clothing (and by "clothing", I mean a cloth around his legs, a belt, and a tiger pelt on his back)
- Sleeping Mat
- Water Skin
- A few rations
- 5 silver

Class Skills:
- Survival
- Tame Animal
- Hand-to-hand fighting (not like martial arts, but straight up fist-fighting)
- (still in development) Battleaxe Proficiency

Life Skills:
- Can set up/break down a campsite (pitch tent, start fire, etc.)
- Can follow an animal's tracks
- Actually a decent cook
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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Stairdweller & Stranger your characters are both great, I'll be moving them into the character database shortly...hopefully tonight if I can stay awake long enough. I hope to have the In character up sunday night/monday morning to get us started.

I welcome new players after the IC has begun...so anyone who is still interested please don't hesitate to make up a charactersheet.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Shadowefil
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Name: Jatan (no last name, as he never knew his parents)
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Race: Elf
Class: Monk (Level 0)

What you want to be when you grow up?
Jatan aspires to be a master monk and to one day run his own monastery. He believes it is his duty to set others on a path to spiritual enlightenment, as his master did for him.

Who is your mentor?
When Jatan mysteriously arrived as a baby in Loudwater, his parents could not be found. Lacking a home, the orphan was taken in by the head monk at the local monastery: Edgar Blackheart. Edgar became a mentor and spiritual guide for Jatan. He has earned Jatan's unwavering admiration and loyalty, and Jatan hopes to become a head monk himself one day.

Brief Biography:
Little is known about Jatan's parents. The elven boy was left abandoned on the streets of Loudwater late one night. The local monastery that Jatan, like many orphans, was taken to quickly became his home. Although he is an elf, he adapted quickly to many of the human rituals he encountered. Particularly fascinated by the monastery's patron deity, Torm, Jatan delved into religious and spiritual studies. He strives to promote justice and protect the weak, as any true servant of Torm would. In addition to religious studies, Jatan was also taught basic martial arts. Early morning runs with the other boys, solitary prayer, tumbling and combat practice, and meditation became normalized parts of his daily routine. As an elf, Jatan often felt at odds with the other boys, all of whom were human. Although he was never picked on outright, he would rarely be invited to free hour activities, so he spent a lot of time to himself. Most of this time was used to read poetry, which Jatan views as an avenue through which he can become closer to Torm. Though he will never publicly admit it, Jatan longs to befriend other elves, find his parents, and reconnect to that lost part of his heritage.

Recently, Jatan fled the monastery and has taken to hiding in Loudwater. The forced religion hit the monastery even harder than the rest of the town. Few monks agreed to give up their faith. Locals stormed the monastery, dragging Edgar out and publicly executing him. Edgar became the first of several such executions. Knowing in his heart that he must do what he can to resist this tyranny, Jatan has holed up in a shady part of town where he can continue his worship of Torm in secret and bide his time until an opportunity for justice arises.

What person(s) of interest do you know where you are from? Who all do you have a relationship with?:
Jatan knew his mentor, Edgar, (now deceased). He knows many of the other boys and leaders of the monastery, though he was never particularly close to anyone except Edgar. Moreover, many of the monks have dispersed after Edgar's execution, and Jatan has no way to find them.

Equipment:
- A backpack
- A sleeping mat
- A canteen
- Standard Peasant Garb
- A quarterstaff he took from the monastery before he left (Jatan left his few silver pieces behind to cover the expense, of course).

Class Skills:
- Basic meditation
- Basic unarmed combat training
- Basic tumbling
- Basic quarterstaff training

Life Skills:
- Literate in common (not Elven, as he was orphaned and never learned the language or cultural practices of the Elves)
- Basic knowledge of poetry
- Religious knowledge about Torm
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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@shadowefil...the character looks good. the only problem I see is that it wouldn't have been soilders that stormed the monastary but locals...people that would have been known and trusted and probably once great supporters of the monastary.

To all I just got home...I hope to get the IC underway tonight but I am pretty knackered so I will see what happens when I get a breather in.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Shadowefil
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Ah ok, I'll edit my post! Thanks for letting me know!
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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Sorry for the delay. Site kept giving me hell last night, I gave up in frustration. We should be underway tonight.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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so I can't edit the first post of this OOC for some reason. It keeps giving me an error message. I will keep trying...till then everyone above this post is approved and has some unique bit of history leading up to our starting post. Its a fairly inauspicious begining in case you wish to write any sort of post setting up your character.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Stairdweller
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Updated my CS, will have a post in the IC up tomorrow.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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Awesome. Wish me the good luck computer fairy tomorrow.ill be attempting to resurrect mine (been out a computer since tues)
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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Allright folks. My laptop was unrescuable so now I have a brand spanking new one which I should have up and running tonight. I hope you all didnt give up.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Jollan
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Jollan "let's devide by zero!" / (queue apocalypse)

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wow, that worked out well...kinda (save the fact you are out whatever was on the old computer). Good luck with windows 8, i hear its a mess if your used to the old system. unless you are a mac user, ...uhg.... mac....
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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yeah I've spent the last 2 hours trying to figure the damn thing out. 11 years since a new computer...things changed a little.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Astarael42
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sorry for the delay everyone but I'm ready to go...new computer needs to be broken in too. Much writing needed and I lost everything I'd already written. But such is life and we move onward twirling twirling....

Jollan will you be joining us again? I can move your character out of hock...I mean inactives. We can just say that in the bandit attack Serra got "lost" in the woods and you eventually had to assume she was dead or captured by one of the bandits. That way if she comes back we can easily resurrect her as well.

Got another player joining us soon as he gets a character up...
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by orcpunx
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Oh and i would like to gently dare others to post as well. It would help, to get the story going.
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