Meleck

A Path to Darkness

As the waves crashed into the ports side and the ship listed, Anata felt the rocks shift as much as heard them trying to counter balance the ship. Tables and chairs slipped, tipped, and fell. Atana now knew why the bunks were pegged in place. Atana tumbled, not gracefully, but like the tables and chairs. Only to be bounced back and the ship was righted. The smell of vomit mixed with the sea foam and the excrement of people filled her nose and lungs and she gave into vomiting. The mouth panting had kept it at bay, but now with the additional smells and fear was more than she could take. Antana managed to stand and reclaim gear. She tossed her boots around her neck.

At the shout of pirates, “Daemon spit,” slipped from her lips a little louder than a whisper.
She had learned that from a Tiefling thief that she had worked with. She would not say they were friends, but she did not die on his knife like his former partner. And yes, her mother would have been so proud to hear her speak like that that lye soap would have been used. But it seemed like the appropriate swear for the moment.

She gave the Tiefling space, she had learned that Tieflings don't trust people for no reason and they tended to have tempers.
She went and offered to the Drow and asked, “Let me help you get your things and get topside.”
She offered what aid she could then went topside with the others.

A Path to Darkness

I was in the mood to write a bit and this popped into my mind.

The inn

Pug sat in the common room of the inn watching people. A young serving girl had been casting a spell upon the room. Cedric talked repeatedly about magic being a powerful force that carried a lot of danger. This girl was casting even more dangerous magic than of the old Wizard. She was casting desire. Most of the eyes watched her in a way that wanted to use her. Some were indifferent, but one watched those who watched her. The serving girl had curly blond hair that was tied on the back with a lace ribbon. She had perfect ringlets adorned the side of her head. Her hips were full and her blouse overflowed like the foam of the beer. Pug had been in the room watched the serving girl most of the evening. She had been flirting with the men all evening and she was being tipped well. One gave her a silver as he grabbed her bottom with the other hand pulling her into him. Another took a small coin purse tipped it into her top then gave her a few quick twists from side to side letting the coins fall out while enjoying the motion of her.

In Atana's mind brewed a storm, no boy ever looked at her that way or wanted to throw coins at her. She wanted to be wanted. Her sister had used the same magic in her home town and married a nice farmer. She wanted to be wanted, but not as an object. But she was too much of a tomboy for dresses and bows. She was not endowed enough to catch a young man's eye. She was much to independent to want to be owned, she was not property. Since her sister dressed her in men's clothing, even the serving girls have tried to flirt with her. Master Cedric, Pug's master was in a meeting with a trade group working on some deal of importing and exporting goods through the port. She had been sent out to the common room, so Pug watched the crowd. A couple times, Pug had stopped a pickpocket from lifting Cedric's purse or warned him about incoming danger. So pug and two off duty guards watched the room.

The waitress came over and bent at the waist trying to catch Pug's eye, “Can I get you something more?” she asked suggestively. Pug's coins had run out. When the serving girl looked up at Pug, She was looking at Pug in the eyes. With a little pout that he wasn't looking elsewhere, she rose. Hearing Cedric's voice, Pug rose quickly. Gently grabbing the serving girls head with her left hand pulling her head close and kissed her on her full lips. With the right hand, pug put a hand inside her blouse. To the room it looked as if Pug had just groped the girl while stealing a kiss. Using the ring knife, Pug cut the cords of her coin purse and palmed it into baggy sleeve. Pug gave her smile while stepping away. As she raised a hand to slap Pug as the farm boy that had been intently watching had crossed the room. With his right hand, he threw a punch. With a bit of a Jump with the punch, Pug crashed into the table and then on to the floor. The farm hand consoled the waitress as she tried to fix her blouse, tears streaming down her cheeks. Master Cedric came out of the meeting at the sound of the commotion to find Pug getting up with a swollen eye from the punch. The room erupting in laughter as Pug put on a bit of a show by staggering. A guard came over and dragged Pug out the door and into the waiting wagon.

After climbing up to the wagon bench and nodding at the guard to drive home. He asked, “So was it worth it?”
After a moment of thought, Pug smiled a deep smile and said, “Yes. Yes, it was.”
Cedric asked the questions all mentors ask, “And?”
“For a brief moment almost every man in the room wanted to be me, till the punch. They will be married by spring,” Pug said proud of himself. Cedric laughed as Pug rubbed his sore back and eye.

A Path to Darkness

I think I am going to let her grow into the full blown sorceress.

Greetings everyone

Yes, 4 kittens who I don’t want sleeping with me that do. 1 golden retriever that whines because she can’t sleep on the bed too.

Glad to be here!

A Path to Darkness

Okay, I’d like some input.

Most of the forms talk about the thief/sorcerer combination as something hard to play. I suspect that it is due to mechanics.

I am wondering if I should have her as a Magic Initiate (feat) and later pickup the ritual caster. The dmg talks about feats being able to be given out by deities as rewards instead of treasure.

That would let her focus on being primarily a thief.

A Path to Darkness

Name: Atana Whitewood
Alias: Pug
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Species: human
Class: Rouge/Sorcerer

Appearance: Atana is a tomboy-ish girl with short red hair and blue eyes. Her complexion is clear and her skin is a cream color. She likes to wear clothes that do not reveal much of her feminity. Being a late bloomer, she is still able to pull off the illusion that she is a boy (She will look like the picture when she blooms).

As a rouge she likes to wear items of clothing that are dark and allow her to hide in the shadows.
As Pug, the magic user, she wears clothing that shows that she was a minor servant in an outlying noble household.

Personality:

• Curious - Atana is curious about the world around her. She wants to know why things happen. She wants to learn more and experience more.
• Motivated – Atana isn’t one to sit around and let the world come to her.
• Impulsive – Atana will take risks to learn things.
• Insecure – Atana is still young and not sure about herself.
• Lazy – Atana will look for shortcuts
• Confident - She is sure she can get what she wants.

Motivation:
In general, Atana wants the finer things in life, she just does not want to have to work to hard at it. The exception to that is if she finds it interesting or is challenged by the activity.

Secretly she wants to restore Cedric to his proper place.

History: Atana Whitewood was raised in a small rural village near the boarder. She has six brothers and sisters that she knows of. Her mother was a seamstress and was woman. Her father was a fun loving lazy drunk, who always found the money the family needed when there was a crisis. Her village was raided and her parents killed.

Her older sister dressed her in boys clothing and cut her red hair short, placing a staff in her hand a small pack of personal items from her parents. A sewing kit, a dagger for her belt, a cloak, a fur hat, and her father’s walking staff. She grabbed her father’s pipe and tobacco pouch from the fireplace mantle. Her sister explained that it was safer for her if people thought she was a boy. Atana was sent out with others fleeing, her older siblings were going to stay and fight the next raid.

Atana is not sure where her magic comes from. She is drawn to the power it offers and she finds it tempting.

ooc

I’m not use to playing mages. I wanted her to have a little utilitarian magic – ability to start a fire, a light spell, and mend. I am thinking that she is going to function more off her rouge side as she and I develop her sorcerer side.

Equipment:

• Clothing
• 2 daggers,
• a quarter staff,
• basic pack with a little bit of supplies,
• her father’s lock picks,
• her mother’s sewing kit,
• and a small bag of coins.

Weakness:

• The magic – Atana feels the pull of the magic to use it. It whispers to her that she can right the wrongs of the world by imposing her will on others.
• The desire for power – Like magic power has a lure all its own. The motivation is the same, to be able to impose her will to set the world the way she thinks it should be.
• Crowds and tight spaces with others – Atana does not like being in crowds. She always worries that her secret is going to be exposed.

Relationships:
Yet to come

A Path to Darkness

Atana Whitewood

Surprise

Atana Whitewood recoiled as the door flew open. Lying on the planked decking looking up in fear and surprise, thoughts raced through Atana’s mind. Was this man sent to kill or arrest? Atana thought that the job had gone off perfectly or so it seemed. A year-and-a-half of hard work had going into that job. The Guild Master of the Shadow Wolves had arranged an apprenticeship tough a traveling bard for a young boy born to a stakeholder from the wilds. The boy was brought to Master Cedric Fartheth to teach and train with a payment of three gold coins. Cedric was a well to do mage and a Baron by birth. The problem was, Baron Cedric had made some enemies, intentionally or otherwise, that wanted to ruin him. The first and foremost was his younger brother. Money had changed hands, bribes were made, and Atana was eventually planted in the house as a promising student, going by the name of Pug.

As time had gone by for Pug, learning how to read and write, magic theory, and other things that a boy should know. Many of the skills Pug showed no real skill in. Sword and shield and heavy armed combat were painful. When they put the chainmail on, Pug could barely raise a sword let alone swing it. When Pug’s magic started to come in, it came not in the way that Master Cedric described it, but more from anger and will. Pug could say the words, wave his hands, and impose will and the magic happened. This got Pug a reprieve from the beatings from sword and shield practice, the errands around the keep to stay out of the way and out of trouble. Now Pug worked as a scribe for Master Cedric. Pug was allowed to be present, much of the time, when Cedric was doing something important holding court, working in the lab, or making a point to be seen by the people. Atana started to like the man and started to understand some of the harshness that came from him in a different way.

When the fall festival was near, the time came to bring him to ruin. It pained Atana to betray Cedric. Being an orphan the keep had become like family. Atana was the one who opened the window to let the thieves in. Atana knew where the key was that let pass into the magical lab, loot it and plant the evidence that would bring him down. As payment, Atana was kidnapped with rough hands, given a small bag of silver coins and thrown on a ship as it was casting off.

Atana, the rouge and runaway apprentice started to slide back, hoping to get a hand on the hilt of a dagger. “What do you want?” Atana said with fear. Atana looks around to see who else in the cabin is there to help deal with the situation.

D&D Founded Story Starter - A Path to Darkness

I am willing to give it a go

Greetings everyone

Yes, it was accidental. Id10t error.

Greetings everyone

It was a dark and stormy night when my wife and children gave me a few moments to make this post.

Gaming history - I started gaming back when D&D came out on copy paper, was folded and stuck in a plastic bag and if you dropped the dice they chipped. I’ve also played 2nd, 2nd not second, werewolf, Ars Magica, Starwars (d6), fate, Dresden, and various other gaming systems. Haven’t really gamed for about 20 years now, so consider me new.

Preferences - The genres I like are Tolkenish fantasy, urban fantasy, and modern. I am not interested in westerns or adult 1x1’s. I’m not a rules lawyer or a power gamer. I like characters that have flaws and need other people. I also like to grow the character.
I like to game in a group, but I think I like the flexibility of solos.
I like detail, when I played Ars I had spreadsheets about the estate holdings in terms of livestock, servants, crops and the minutia. I don’t have that time anymore.

Hobbies: I have a wife and four children. Computers, logic puzzles, reading non-smutty fantasy and sci-fi.