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Post by Surallel Sol on Nov 15, 2014 17:29:26 GMT -8
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Post by Surallel Sol on Nov 15, 2014 17:32:07 GMT -8
Moebius is a MAN, you philistine!
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Post by Surallel Sol on Nov 15, 2014 18:11:52 GMT -8
Background: Surallel Sol is a sorcerer elf who has limited memory recall of his 184 years on this planet. He instead persists in the broken memory of being a member of a cosmic fire race that dwells in the Sun and hails the Sun as the progenitor of their race. Surallel Sol feels his existence as an elf on this planet is punishment or some magical mistake for some act in his solar life. Surallel Sol now seeks any sort of magic or means to secure his welcome home among the solar race or the stars believing they will welcome him home and dissolve his elven body and existence and restore him to his solar form.
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Post by Master on Nov 15, 2014 18:41:16 GMT -8
My input on your background
Madness has been a common theme in the Sol family line. Generations ago, the family were master astronomers and stargazers. They even changed their name to Sol, in order to further demonstrate their position in the field. Those days are long past now. The family, in particular the male line, has been plagued by periodic bouts of madness. Fanciful ramblings soon turn to catatonic episodes, usually spent staring directly at the sun. Years upon years have been spent trying to find the source this transgenerational affliction, to no avail.
You, Surallel, have tried to your best to live a normal life among your peers. Peers however, are hard to come by. You frequently fall into catatonic comas, and when you emerge, you find yourself lost in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. After so many years of this, you finally stop trying. Instead you took to the road. Travelling far and wide across the known world, where everyone is a stranger, you found some measure of peace. It would not last long. A few years ago, you began having fantasies or delusions about a life as some sort of solar creature. Around the same time, you began to manifest strange powers. You soon learned that this was magic power. Control was difficult, you were never able to call up the right spell at the right time. Not long after you inadvertently burned down a roadside inn, you were approached by a woman, flanked by two riders dressed in black. The woman explained that she belonged to the Arcana Society and that she believed that the Academy there could help you control your magic powers.
From then on, you dedicated your life at the academy to two (often conflicting) goals. To find a means to contact whatever life lives beyond this world, and to find a cure for the madness that plagues you. In the cold light of day, you know that you are an elf, but that certainty becomes muddied by the slightest distraction. Some days it seems crazy to deny, some days it seems so much easier to simply live with the delusions. Beyond any doubt in your mind, is the existence of those outer realms, the celestial bodies, and other places. In the Academy you find others who share your in your ideas regarding these 'Other Planes', and you find peers among the Planar Theorists, even if you find it difficult to remember their names.
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Post by Surallel Sol on Nov 15, 2014 20:47:24 GMT -8
2nd Draft Proposed Background:
Generations ago, the elven astronomer and stargazer, Sural, used his knowledge and magic to reach out to the stars having faith they would offer clarity and instruction about the natural world and order which he would then use in service of the elf kingdoms. Sural's experiment had unforeseen consequences. Soon after the experiment, Sural became erratic and lost his prestige and station in elf society. Sural professed that he had come into contact with a cosmic force, a mighty and eclectic collection of beings that resided in the sun. These beings, as Sural rambled, were selected by the Sun personified to maintain the order of the stars. Sural went on to believe that they had branded his spirit as worthy of membership and that he need only "ascend" to enter their domain and join their ranks and be counted as a servant of the Sun. Sural departed elf society and secluded himself in an effort to reach his ascension through magic. Further alienating himself from elven society, Sural adopted the surname "Sol" and pledged no allegiance nor ill will the kingdoms of the realm. For himself, his efforts were for not. Sural never "ascended" and passed as many elves do.
Sural's obsession and seemingly unnatural call to the stars lived on in his family. Every generation has claimed they have experienced a vision from the Sun race calling them to "ascend" to their membership and station in service of the Sun. The elven Sols have labored and devoted themselves to the belief that ascension can be achieved. Each generation researching, stargazing, and hoping that they will achieve ascension and be welcomed among the Sun's servants.
Surallel Sol continues the family obsession. He claims his ancestor's membership and seeks ascension to live and serve among the stars. Surallel has inherited his family's wealth of knowledge and education into the workings of the planes of existence and seeks the means to ascension by any means magic or otherwise. Many of the Sol family have shirked away from the scorn of greater elven society but Surallel has sought out the Arcana Academy for any clues into his long search.
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Post by Master on Nov 15, 2014 20:59:32 GMT -8
That is good. Does he still have memory problems?
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Post by Surallel Sol on Nov 15, 2014 21:05:52 GMT -8
Maybe just erratic and eccentric rather than full on memory issues. Maybe it's like Prof. Farnsworth's engines, he knew how in a dream and forgot it in another dream.
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Post by Master on Nov 15, 2014 21:19:07 GMT -8
That works. The only issue now, is we need to figure out why you are in the starting location, and why you want to travel with a group of murder-hobos.
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Post by Master on Nov 17, 2014 21:10:52 GMT -8
Moebius is a MAN, you philistine! I don't see people in those terms |
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Post by Master on Nov 29, 2014 11:14:24 GMT -8
You have long known about the existence of the outer planes. The Solar Plane in particular has long fascinated you, as it is your true home. You still do not know why you, and your family, have been exiled to this plane. Perhaps it is meant as some test, or a rite of passage before your ascension to that most noble people. When you relax your guard or you trance, you receive visions. The visions are often filled with images of the Solar People. For many years, you looked at the visions as hopeful prophecies, but more recently they have taken on a more mocking tenor. The light and nobility of the sun seems to morph into the darkness of the void. Welcoming arms seems to give way to taunting mockery. The visions are erratic, and conflicting from one day to the next. You do not know why there is the conflict, but you do get a growing sense of urgency, that perhaps the door to your ascension may close soon.
Years of research at the Academy have allowed you to hone your magical skills. You have spent most of your time in the library, reading all you can about Planar Theory. Early in your studies, you concluded that the Sun is likely a portal to another plane, a plane where your true people live, where they wait for you. Getting through that portal, however, has proven exceedingly difficult. Your late father wrestled with these problems, working for years until, he seemed to burn out. He put aside his research and gave up the quest. It may have been that the problem of Planar Travel is unsolvable, but you have always thought your father was simply too distracted. He followed the path of most of his generation, he became a poet, musician, husband and father. Your dedication is more ironclad. You never married and never fathered children. Despite the decades in the Academy, you find yourself at the same level as graduates at the Academy. The path of the Magi has always been more of a means to an end. You were born with magic power, and you attend the Academy to hone those powers and facilitate your research. Unlike your peers, you have never sought the power of the Archmagi of the Circle, only your ascension.
More to come
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Post by Master on Dec 3, 2014 22:04:38 GMT -8
No matter how right your conclusions, no matter how brilliant your mind, some people seem constitutionally incapable of seeing what you see, of knowing what you know. Because of these troglodytes your work has hit a stand still. You have come to realize that simply being right, will not allow you to ascend, not will it give you access to the spells or magic needed to ascend. You have some wealth, left by your parents, but it is not enough. You have tried every avenue for funding and support. The only option left to you is within the Society. The society, however, will not move forward on your research without assurances that it is not simply a dead end. Like the rest of the Planar Theorists, you are trapped. Unable to prove your theory without resources, and the only means of securing those resources is by proving the theory. Lesser minds might give up, continue to work in obscurity, or whore out their knowledge and power to a wealthy benefactor. A true genius can make their own opportunities, and with a bit of luck you believe you can break the enigma of planar travel.
Stretching across the known world are lines. They are invisible, but with the right magic in the right place, they can be seen, and studied. The lines radiate Conjuration auras. The prevailing theory, is that these Conjuration Lines, are part of the Creation subschool, and are seams from the creation of the world, slowly healing. A few Planar Theorist, like yourself, believe that the lines are not seams from creation, but are cracks. They are fracture points from the collision of two planes. Or possibly rips, allowing matter and energy to flow between two or more planes. In theory, if you followed a Conjuration Line, you could find a confluence, a place where several lines intersect and form a portal to another plane. If such a confluence exists between this plane and the solar plane, it likely exists at or near the sun, an extremely difficult point to study. There are, you believe, other planes. Elemental Planes. Confluences may exist near key points elemental energy on this plane, and are likely the source of the elemental energy. Most places would also be difficult to study, like the heart of a Volcano, or the eye of a massive storm.
After years of study, you discover what you are looking for. Several Conjuration Lines seem to approach each other far to the south, in the ocean. It is possible that a confluence exists deep in the ocean. It would be safer to study than a volcano, with the right magic. The task would be simple enough: assemble a team, hire a ship and sail to the confluence of the Conjuration Lines. Once there, you could find the portal and bring back your finding to the Society. With firm proof of the existence of the Plane of Water, it would be a small enough jump for those simpletons to support your research on the Solar Plane. The more you consider the plan, the more convinced you become that this is your destiny. This task will ensure your ascension.
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Post by Master on Jan 2, 2015 8:31:27 GMT -8
The endeavor nearly bankrupts you. All the money your father left you, every scrap of gold and silver your could scrounge and whatever donations you could elicit have gone to this. The ship you hired is not as grand as you hoped. It is a fine ship, not terribly large or robust, and her captain claims she sails to Cathay and back on a regular basis. "Dubious" you think. It matters little, you don't need to go to Cathay, your route will take you far beyond the established shipping lanes, far out into open water. Based on all the charts you've seen, there should be nothing out that way, no land, no other ships, nothing but sea. Unfortunately, the staggering cost of hiring the ship has left you with little left to pay for research assistance. Even among the other planar theorists, you find little support. Most feel their own research to be more applicable. Others are under contract outside Caer Uthis. Undaunted, you do hire the best alchemist in the City, best in your price bracket. She is young, with little experience outside the city or Academy. Her name is Ravna Reiersgaard. A human with a keen intellect, she has read everything you have written on Planar Theory. In particular, this venture appeals to her. She believes that her alchemical skills and planar knowledge will be extremely useful to you. In preparation, she designed several experiments to test the waters around the Conjuration lines, as well as their confluence. Her ideas are similar to yours, and you know that you cannot have too much evidence when trying to prove a theory. The moment your ship, the Sunfire, slowly lumbers out of the quay in Sofiholm you are filled with pride, and an almost overwhelming eagerness. The voyage drags on for weeks, but your enthusiasm is not dampened. By night, you use the stars to map your progress. During the day, you and Ravna collect water samples, and test them to see if they are any different closer to the confluence. If your theory is correct, water around the confluence should be extra-planar water. While neither of you are sure how extra-planar water is different than native seawater, if you were to discover a significant variation it would be a boon. One day, as you are nearing your final destination, you are disturbed by a small argument among the Sunfire's crew. A few men at the wheel seem to be arguing about which direction to take. The helmsman wants to keep on the same steady course, while a few others on watch demand that he turn, to avoid a chain of craggy shoals in their path. The helmsman insists that there are no shoals, that there is nothing in front of them. The captain then arrives to put an end to the argument. The crewmen become frantic, thoroughly convinced that to continue on this course would be death. When the captain orders them belowdecks, they panic and draw daggers and swords. You step in, hoping to restore calm. Before you can do that however, you look in front of the vessel, and see a chain of what looks like mountain peaks, just about the surface of the water. You blink, look again, and the peaks are gone. {Spellcraft Result} yjvXUgcY1d20+11 While the mirage only lasted a second. You are able to recognize similarities between what you saw, and the spell: Mirage Arcana. However, that spell is targeted in relatively small area. The mirage you saw was much larger. More likely than the spell being used, is some other force in the area mimicking the effect of that spell. This knowledge is not particularly comforting, as Mirage Arcana is fairly powerful spell, and something nearby can use a more powerful effect You call out over the argument. The shoals are an illusion, a mirage created by something else in the area. The captain hears you. He looks out into the distance for a moment, as if in contemplation. Then his eyes widen, his skin pale. Terror is on his face. Shit. BATTLESTATIONS NOW!1d20+11 |
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Post by Master on Jan 3, 2015 10:31:18 GMT -8
The crew scrambles for weapons, most look confused, others look on the brink of panic. You start to think that maybe the captain is under some sort of magical effect, compelling him to act so irrationally. Such thoughts are violently expelled when there is a sudden shock to the side of the ship. The force is amazing, you fall to the ground and roll across the deck. You regain your footing, to only to see a massive swell crash over the side of the ship. Water flows over the deck, leaving a large pile of seaweed behind. You hear the captain screaming orders, but such sounds seem far away and insignificant, you feel like a casual observer to chaos aboard the ship. You notice, crewmen charging the seaweed with swords and spears. Perhaps justifiably, the seaweed strikes back, slamming the crew with massive vines. You try to shake the clouds from your mind, on some level you recognize the danger, but it still seems so far away, like an old memory or a some tale half-heard as a child. Hello Surallel. The voice seems much closer than the events aboard the Sunfire. The voice is soothing, but also regal.  You look beyond the deck of the ship, floating beyond is a strange being. She appears to be made of sunlight and starfire. She shines so brightly that you should have to avert your eyes, but somehow looking at her seems to sharpen your vision. The world around loses focus, but her features become clearer. Tongues of flame become golden hair and a featureless orb becomes a face. She is beautiful, but also terrifying in a way that you could never adequately describe. Her eyes seems to pass beyond your physical body, looking at the entirety of your being. You cannot help them. Those little creatures on the boat. They face a battle they cannot win. We have need of you, as we have always needed you. I will not allow you to perish with these things. To be crushed, broken and consumed is not your fate. Come to me, and we may leave this sad lonely place. She stretches out her hand toward you. You start to move toward her. As you near her outstretched hand, a hand so large, she could likely pick you up as if you were a mouse, her visage changes. The look of serene concern turns to one of anger. Her staggering beauty seems to have morphed to a plain humanoid. Her sneer is one of rage, greed and perhaps...hunger? Just as quickly, the vision changes again, to great pain and suffering. The woman before you seems to burn, not with starfire, but terrestrial fire. The bright and beautiful flames that wreathed her seem to be consumed by a dull flame. She screams in pain as the image burns away from your sight. The screams from your vision change in pitch, to something more bestial, as the world comes back into focus. You find yourself standing by the railing aboard the Sunfire. Several members of the crew lie broken and bruised around the deck. The captain stands, sword in hand, beside Ravna. Ravna hold several bottles and clay pots in her hand, looking ready to throw them.The captain, then rushes over to the rail, you both look out and see a patch of seaweed floating away at high speed. The water around the patch seems to burn with a dull flame. It is still alive, but that creature may think twice before it comes after this, or any other ship for some time. The captain says to you. We called out to you, but I suppose you were caught in its mirage. That was a Sargassum Fiend. A terrible creature that lures prey with powerful hallucinations. Its not uncommon for whole crews to entranced and killed. It would have killed us too if not for Ms. Reiersgaard. The rest of the day is consumed with funerals for the fallen, and new watches placed to guard against the creature's return. |
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Post by Master on Jan 7, 2015 10:18:24 GMT -8
At your insistence, the cruise continues the next day. The day after, you hear an unusual shout from the lookouts. Sail HO! You rush to the bow, along with Ravna and the captain. Sure enough, about a half day's sail away is another ship. It is strange, as you are far from the shipping lanes. No ship should be out here without a very good reason. Even if a ship wanted to avoid the Reaver Isles, this ship would be weeks beyond what is necessary. Perhaps they are looking for the Confluence as well? Ravna suggests.
You reply I suppose thats possible. Seems unlikely though. As far as I know, no expedition has ever come here looking for the Confluence, what are the chances of two coming at the same time?
The captain looks closely at the ship. I can't make out any flags at this distance, but her hull shape and rigging are Alaintan. Only Alaintan and Cathan ships would be out this far east.
We are far to the east, is it possibly an Orc ship?
I wouldn't bet on it, I have never heard of Orcs taking to the open sea, let alone this far out. I recommend me meet up and hail them. They may be lost. If they planned for a usual voyage and got blow this far off course, they may not have the provisions to make it to port. At the very least they need to be warned about the Sargassum.
The Sunfire makes for the unknown ship. Within an hour however, it is clear that it does not require any warning about Sargassum Fiends. It is difficult to gauge size at this distance, but there appears to be a massive fiend next to the ship, smashing it with a massive tendril. It is clearly many times larger than the one that attacked the Sunfire, larger than both Sunfire and the other ship. With a terrifying crack, audible even at this distance, the keel of the unknown ship is broken, and the ship lies in two pieces, and both start to sink.
They launched their boats. Tradition requires that we move to help them, but I won't put my ship in a position to share their fate. You nod in agreement with the captain. The captain issues orders to the crew, and the Sunfire moves toward the ship, with no great speed. If we move slow, we can reach those boats by nightfall. The Fiend should move on before then, or destroy those boats. If it does, I want to be able to move out of here as soon as possible.
Against something that big, I doubt it will do much good, but I will prepare some more bombs. Maybe that thing just hates ships. Ravna goes below.
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Post by Master on Jan 11, 2015 14:14:46 GMT -8
The Sunfire makes its way, slowly, toward the wreckage of the unknown ship. As the hours pass, the crew and passengers are all on the lookout for the massive beast. As far as any of the crew know, Sargassum Fiends don't get much larger than a full grown bull, at least no one has seen a Fiend get bigger than that. The captain remarks, It is possible Fiends do get bigger, and nobody who sees them survives to tell about them. You are plagued by a theory, one that you fear to suggest to Ravna or the captain. It might not be coincidence that such a bizarre, possibly mutated, Sargassum Fiend would make its home so close to the Confluence. DM note: I won't go into specifics, for fear that the player might misconstrue a character's wild theories for a DMs description. Suffice to say, a number of theories run through Surallel's mind trying to explain why the Sargassum Fiend would be living so close to the Confluence. Instead, you simply join the watchers hoping to be denied another sight of the creature. You have never been adept at battle magic, but since the last attack you have kept a scroll of Scorching Ray handy, just in case. The approach is uneventful, no sign of the Sargassum Fiend, or any other creatures. As the Sunfire approaches the debris field, Ravna emerges from below. She has one of her many vials in her hand, as well as a sealed leather pack. She boldly announces I will go out there. There may be injured or unconscious survivors within the debris. I can maneuver through the debris faster than the ship, and can offer help much quicker than launching our own boats.Its too dangerous. You counter. If there are more Fiends out there, there would be no way for us to help you. Safer to stay with the ship.If that thing comes back, it will rip apart our ship as well. If those things are hunters, its likely that they already have more than they could eat with the other crew. If they aren't hunting, but protecting something, we need to keep the Sunfire back. I get in, and out quickly.The Captain points out, Unless you are a particularly strong swimmer, I doubt you will be any faster than our boatsRavna hold up the vial in her hand. This, is my latest experiment. Using some of the water I believe is from the Confluence, it should give me the necessary speed in the water. Unless, that is, I'm wrong, in which case this will be quite embarrassing. Before anyone can stop her, Ravna pops the stopper out of the vial, takes a few deep breaths, and downs all the contents of the vial. Nothing Ventured, Nothi- She stops mid-sentence, with a very worried look on her face. She falls to her knees. You think she must be quite nauseated, as she looks like she is about to vomit, her face is dripping with sweat. Your fear that she has done something foolish is magnified when it looks like she is crying. You run to her side, unsure of what you can do, when she starts vomiting. It is odd, as she seems to be vomitting a surprising amount of clear fluid. Seawater by the look and smell. As seconds tick by, Ravna does seem to be slowing. Gallons pour from her mouth, and nose, and eyes. You glance at the Captain, who looks terrified by the scene. Almost on impulse, you cast Detect Magic and you are shocked that the expanding pool of water on the deck does not radiate as magic. Just as suddenly as she began, Ravna stops, and stands up straight. Her skin color has changed, to a translucent blue, like a clear pool of water. Well, that was not quite what I expected. How do you feel? Alright, I guess. It was unexpected, but not terribly unpleasant. She looks at her hands and arms . Sure wish I had a mirror. Sadly, if my calculations are correct, this effect should wear off within the hour, so I better get moving. With that. She walks over to the rail, and jumps into the water. Her pack seems to poke above the water as she swims, but she seems to move gracefully, and with great speed. It reminds you of dolphins you have seen trailing the ships in the past few weeks. Three lifeboats are found, and 5 sailors are saved by the Sunfire. You do what you can to help, but the captain and his crew are capable of getting the survivors what they need. You can't imagine what they are feeling. Gratitude seems to be all they can express, but there is likely some trauma mixed in as well. The sun is nearly set when Ravna returns. Ravna looks like her usual self, whatever concoction she took appears to have worn off. With her, is a young woman. She is of a race you have never encountered before. She is covered in thick fur, near as you can tell anyway. Her features look almost vulpine, with a short muzzle, and small eyes. Ravna tells you and the captain that she searched the debris field as thoroughly as she could, but didn't find anyone else. She might be able to mix a new potion and go back out in the morning. No. There may be more we can do, but I cannot risk this ship and crew by remaining here any longer. We have tempted to gods too much already. We will be leagues to the north by morning, and we won't stop until we are safely back in port.
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