[OOC] The Fate of Lucumbro

[Dragonbud]

@Kafka Komedy Were these instructions written or verbal? Because Morada cant read lol

[Kafka Komedy]

@Dragonbud Yeah, she met them in person.

[Pathfinder]

@Kafka Komedy

What do you think would be the difference between Rat People and Rakeesh? You said something about domestication but didn't expand on it.

[Kafka Komedy]

@Pathfinder Oh yeah, I almost entirely forgot about that. My idea (and I'm willing to hear others) is that Rat Beastmen and Rakeesh were that they used to be the same race, but a group of Rakeesh intentionally broke off from the main group to go and live in the kingdom, as citizens. Eventually, they mixed enough with humans to have a more humanoid appearance, less hunched over and no bent legs. If you have another idea though, I'd be willing to hear it.

[Pink Snorlax]

Sorry for bothering you again, just wanted to work out a few details.

Does the town have guards, and if so, what do they look like? What are their colours, if they have any? Are they well-armed and well-trained? Do they enforce the law well, or are they susceptible to bribery?

[Kafka Komedy]

@Pink Snorlax It's cool. The town does have guards, but they'll be the ones escorting the townsfolk to the gallows. They wear cheap iron helms, chainmail shirts, and leather greaves. They wear the standard Firebird White and Red Phoenix symbol on their chests. The men are at about average level, in both skill and equipment. Some have swords, some have spears, and some are even wielding axes. The swordsmen all have shields. They do enforce the law, the law being "side with the Firebirds", and will not accept bribery.

Also, I'm not sure if you know this, but generally, the GM makes the first IC post, so once I set up the scene (which should be sunday at the latest) feel free to post.

[Orion]

@Kafka Komedy looking forward to the starting post and getting this thing underway.

One thing that we have nit duscussed is rhe the posting order and timescales. Are we going to go and then wait? How long until we consider someone gone and inactive.

[Pathfinder]

He is done.

---

Eshi

Eshi

Gender: Male
Age: 19
Race: Rakeesh, Rat Men in the common tongue

Equipment

• Reinforced Leather: Bruise colored leather reinforced with iron rings. This armor protects Eshi as well as keeps him hidden in dark places, a staple of Rakeesh Warrior-Assassins. Highly modifiable.
• Tinted Goggles: Rakeeshi eyes are very sensitive in sunlight and thus Eshi where's this goggles outfitted with darkened glass.
• Bloodletter: Long and thin, this sword is a thing of precision rather than one of war. While not forged with Wyrdstone like the greatest of Rakeesh weapons, the Bloodletter is still quite the scalpel and wounds made with this blade bleed heavier than they should.
• Wyrdforged Daggers: Large, heavy, and unmistakably Rakeeshi. These daggers are infused with Wyrdstone and glow with a sickly green light when activated. However they are less weapons and more a fear tactic, with the Wyrdstone blackening veins and generally allowing rot to set in much quicker once they are left inside a corpse.

Abilities

• Cunning Linguist: Eshi is proficient in many languages, able to at least converse in the native tongues of all major players.
• Scurry: Rakeesh are quick and nimble creatures, outmaneuvering those they cannot overpower.
• Gutter Runners: A natural affinity for filth and mazes has led to Rakeesh being masters of the sewers, marshes, and anywhere filth reigns supreme.
• Vermin Connection: Rakeesh love vermin, especially rats. They see their best qualities in them and have a special bond that isn't unlike that of dogs and man.
  Tunnel Vision: All Rakeesh have perfect nightvision at the cost of intense light sensitivity, sunlight effectively blinding them.

Talents

• Rakeeshi Warrior-Assassin: Too big to be a Sneak-Thief, too small to be Ravage-Guard, and too dumb to be Wyrdstone Engineer, but a good enough mixture of all to be the face of the Rakeeshi people. Eshi is trained in the art of sneaking about, silently killing, and putting up a decent fight if thats what it comes down to. Have it be known that a rat doesn't have to be cornered to put up a fight.
• Poisons, Herbs, and Spices: As is the norm, some jobs need a more subtler touch. Thus every Warrior-Assassin is trained in the art of poisoning, Eshi is no exception. However he has taken this training further and knows which herbs can aid in the healing process. Also... he's picked up cooking somehere along the road, a touchy subject he doesn't like to get into. But if you have some spices, meat, and some vegetables... well you'll get some dinner.
• Climbing Higher: All Rakeesh are able to climb, however the Warrior-Assassins turn this into an art. As long as it isn't too steep or shear, Eshi can climb it.

Personality:
While still retaining his species characteristic caution and paranoia, Eshi is quite bold by Rakeesh standards. He isn't immediately afraid of those who are bigger than him and in fact needs a show of power to give anyone an ounce of respect, usually by showing military prowess or shrewd cunning. All of this isn't to say he is an honor bound fool, the last thing you'll see Eshi do is run howling and screaming "Honor!" into the fray. He picks his battles carefully and weighs every option he can because only fools rely on instincts.

On a personal lever it is difficult for non Rakeesh to gain Eshi's trust, especially if they are human. However he is pragmatic to a fault and will at least tolerate your presence until it's all over. However, should you somehow gain his trust you will find a steadfast ally in your endeavors.

Biography:
There isn't too much to be said about Eshi's story. He was the prized scratling born of a litter, possessing many great traits needed for becoming a Warrior-Assassin. The training was harsh and brutal, many of his fellow trainees dying from one reason or the other, but in the end Eshi was successful and began his life as the face of Rakeesh. Eshi spent many years running gutters, stealing food shipments, taking contracts from both the Firebrand and Kingdom, and generally being an annoyance towards both sides. Then the fires came. They burnt down Eshi's home nest. females and children roasted alive in their homes, warriors split open on the ground, and the caches raided. Eshi tried to kill them, no matter how futile it was. He failed, ran through and left for dead in the muck of the sewers.

As tradition dictates Eshi's name was stricken away and replaced with that of his clan, the last shame of the whole sordid affair. Alive but wounded, Eshi began the long process of piecing together how Man-Things found the nest and how to kill them as slowly as possible. Fast forward four years and Eshi isn't much closer to the answers he seeks, only uncovering the names "Galloren" and "The White Scars". In an effort to fund his search and possibly kill even more Man-Things, Eshi has accepted Linona's offer of joining her motley crew of killers... at least as long as it benefits him.

Other:
Wyrdstone: A very corrupt and deadly form of Lapis only found in the Rakeesh capital lands "Rakould", a barren and dour place. The properties of Wyrdstone are... well odd. In its natural crystal state it gives whatever weapon it's attached to increased durability, a deadlier edge, and a sickly green glow. When ground into dust it becomes a form of powerful blasting powder, igniting from any high energy source to become a great green fireball. Finally, if mixed with water and roots native to Rakould Wyrdstone creates a terrible poison. In high doses it will kill nearly instantly, but if diluted it will cause the victim unimaginable agony for days.

Queekish: The language of the Rakeesh, a very chaotic and fast spoken language consisting of squeaks, trills, chitters, and liberal use of body language and pheromones. It has not been deciphered outside of the Rakeesh people.

[Pathfinder]

@Kafka Komedy
I like it, I feel like there is going to be some tension between Eshi and the "Mouse-Thing".

[Footman]

@Footman A good idea, but @Delta44 brings up an important point. More than half of the cast aren't really heroes. They're mercenaries. Maybe after the battle Izerk wagers some money for the help and the mercs hear him? We have to create a situation where even if you were just looking out for yourself, you'd intervene.

EDIT: Maybe someone hired all the mercenary-type people to intervene already, and since those who aren't mercs are generally good, they'd probably hop in too?

EDITX2: In fact, I believe I've figured it out. A mysterious benefactor will have payed a few mercenaries (the not-good PCs) in advance to stop the executions. A few heroes (the good PCs) hop in. Afterwards, said mysterious benefactor then gathers our heroes and the adventure begins.

@Kafka Komedy

This all seems reasonable. I'll see what your first post looks like, and write Izerk in accordingly. As for recruiting a band of selfish mercenaries to embark upon a noble quest to unseat powers far greater than they, I'll have to see how they behave IC before coming up with any grand schemes of unification.

I mean, Izerk could offer them "all the gold in Glimmerdale" as a cop out, but I prefer to mix my valuables with rousing speeches if possible :)

And on that note, I'm going to go and study everyone else's characters and start writing me up a "cheat sheet" of their various bits and pieces so I can tell Jack from Jill.

[Kafka Komedy]

@Orion I don't think there needs to be a dedicated posting order, just wait two posts before posting again. As for how long we wait before we call someone inactive, I say a week without warning.

@Pathfinder Eshi seems good. And yeah, Kait is going to be both immensely curious and cautious about Eshi.

[Footman]

So, let's see.

We have:

Big hairy gorilla dude trying to stop an entire country from destroying itself.

A rat-man assassin living in disgrace, bent on vengeance. He hates Man-Things, and will kill them gladly for what they did to his nest.

A blacksmith with skin as hard as rock, who appears to be wandering from A to B searching for a cure before his heart gives out.

A gender confused thief with a backstory that may or may not be true.

Mendrake, the power hungry personification of death himself.

A Half-Orc trying to find meaning in her bastard of a life.

Annnnd an aspiring Lapi mage who is no doubt plagued by Kaiden's death to some degree.

Yah, this is quite the party! Should be fun :D

[BCTheEntity]

@Kafka Komedy Not hired it is. I'm going to get started on her Bio now; if it's not finished by the time I go to bed, it will definitely be completed tomorrow.

@Footman And a combat prodigy with a friendly exterior and a neurotic interior. Is neurotic the right term for that? Insecure and overpressurised, certainly.

[Footman]

@Footman And a combat prodigy with a friendly exterior and a neurotic interior. Is neurotic the right term for that? Insecure and overpressurised, certainly.

@BCTheEntity

I think you mean:

Hot red-head that Mendrake is totally gonna fall for at some point in this story, thus reducing our tale into an epic romance that proves once and for all that love will always prevail over the coldest of hearts and the most uncertain of minds.

In fact I might go ahead and change Izerk into a Cherub. Can never have enough cherubs in these fantasy settings.

[Kafka Komedy]

<Snipped quote by BCTheEntity>

I think you mean:

Hot red-head that Mendrake is totally gonna fall for at some point in this story, thus reducing our tale into an epic romance that proves once and for all that love will always prevail over the coldest of hearts and the most uncertain of minds.

In fact I might go ahead and change Izerk into a Cherub. Can never have enough cherubs in these fantasy settings.

@Footman

And at the very end they both make Kait their adopted daughter even though she's already reached the age of maturity for Rat Beastmen.

[Dragonbud]

Morada officiates the wedding. Orc weddings include a lot of fighting and bloodshed.

[Orion]

Shamus can make the shackles ... I mean wedding ring. His skin condition isn't contagious, probably.

[Footman]

Well that settles it. Kafka is gonna have to relaunch the RP again, this time as a romance centring around Mendrake and Akella. A heroic tale of how a bunch of randoms strive against all odds to complete the preparations for their friends' wedding. We'll cram a few dragons and wraiths in there to keep things fresh... but otherwise, yeah, I think we're set.

You're all very welcome :D

EDIT: Anyway I'll stop now. Sorry for detracting things, couldn't resist!

[BCTheEntity]

@Footman@Kafka Komedy@Dragonbud@Orion Seems legit. As far as theoretical romance arcs go, Akella has stuff to work over before any proper romancing happens, so bear that in mind.

Anyway, I've finally finished off Akella's character sheet. If Kafka can affirm that all is well with it, I can get it placed in the Characters tab, and we can be on our way.

[Pink Snorlax]

I'm back to pester you with my questions.

What's the attitude toward poverty in the town? Do people view them as unfortunates, or are they held in low regard? If, hypothetically, someone killed a beggar while the guards had their backs turned, would anyone report him?