Songs-of-the-Beast-Gods-BoL
Map[edit]
After long hot months as tomb guards in the hills south of Akhet, you both have drawn your pay and turned your minds to Susrah. It will be good to taste wine not spoiled by the dry desert heat ...
... your steady feet have brought you north across the desert, guided by the tracks of caravans that have passed before you. Sometimes portions of the tracks are swept away by sand drifting on the fitful desert breezes, but you have been fortunate and have arrived at the Bahir Oasis.
The oasis is small and lush, with dense ranks of palm trees surrounding a lake a few hundred yards across. There are no permanent buildings here, but numerous camel-hair tents are pitched at a customary distance from the water. Most of the tents are clustered on the south shore of the lake, under the occasional shadow of a massive rock formation. At the north side, desert animals come to drink the fresh, sweet water that wells up from the base of the rocks and runs in a steady stream down into the lake.
You have just started to raise your tent when you hear a sound of jangling bells from the southeast, toward Ament. You recognize this merry tune - it is the signal of slave collars, each poor captive being tagged with a brass collar bearing a bell that jingles to betray their movements.
Looking toward the noise, you see a group of about a dozen people wearing hooded desert robes, escorting a half-dozen camels. The robes conceal much about them, save for their body language. Eight of the people walk with the characteristic slouching shame of the oppressed. A ninth, among the eight, holds their head and body arrogantly. While apparently also a captive, their posture signifies contempt for their captors. The other three, walking upright and talking loudly, include one person casually bearing a whip, one person prodding a reluctant camel with a hooked stick, and one very large person with empty hands.
This sort of scene was commonplace in your grandparents' childhood, but slave revolts back then resulted in a re-ordering of society. Now, the working class througout Xoth are merely impoverished and ill-fed, but no longer regarded as property.
What are your characters' feelings about this scene that harks back to their grandparents' old bitter stories?
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Characters[edit]
(players please post your characters here)
Valdaris (Xhaosdemon)[edit]
Race: Male Susrahnite (from Zhaol)
Culture: Susrahnite
Appearance: Average height, slim but wiry build, dark brown eyes, dark skin, black hair pulled back into multiple tight braids, braided beard, some ritual scarring on both cheeks
Character Concept: Artificer/Assassin
Deity: pays homage to ?
Languages: Susrahnite, Taraamite, Khazistani, Yar-Ammonite, Sorceric (Literate in all)
Strength 1
Agility 3
Mind 2
Appeal -1
Initiative 0/-1
Melee 2
Ranged 1
Defense 1
Careers:
Blacksmith: 1
Artificer: 2
Assassin: 1
Mercenary: 0
Lifeblood: 11
Hero Points: 5
Boons:
Savant (+1 to Mind, Max Mind 6)
Sneaky (Bonus die to stealth checks)
Trademark Weapon (Clockwork Bow, bonus die to attack)
Flaws:
Distinctive Appearance (Ritual scarring on both cheeks, penalty die to disguise/maintain low profile)
Untrustworthy
Advancement Points: 0
Artificer Items:
Clockwork Bow (common: masterwork; smaller than a Susrahnite longbow due to gears & pulleys but functions the same; Range Increment 75', Damage 1d6 re-roll 1's once)
Masterwork Sword (common; scimitar design, Damage 1d6 re-roll 1's once)
Gear:
Light Armor (leather jerkin, bracers, helmet, and greaves; d6-2 protection, -1 initiative)
Quiver w. 30 arrows
Stabbing Dagger (Range Increment 10', Damage 1d6L)
Cloak
Lantern w. oil flasks
Rations
Rope
Grappling Hook
Waterskin
Born to a blacksmithing family in Zhaol, Valdaris had little choice in what he was to learn in his early life. While he learned to be good at the craft he found the monotony of churning out simple metal items too boring to consider a long life as a blacksmith. He frequented a shop owned by an artificer who often looked to his father to forge items for him. Valdaris was fascinated by the clockwork creations and intricate planning that went into some of the items in the shop. In delivering items to the artificer he came to know him and started doing odd jobs around the shop. The artificer took a liking to his diligence and obvious intellect and decided to take him on as an apprentice. Valdaris eagerly learned everything he could about crafting and repairing clockwork items. When his father was slain he suspected a rival smith had hired a killer so as to be above suspicion. Valdaris was no stranger to the streets and thought perhaps his unique skills could be of use slowly made inroads into the local thieve's and assassin's guild. He proved his worth by setting up mechanical traps and maintaining ones already in use. In return he was trained in the arts of assassination; stealth, human anatomy, secret killing techniques, and disguise. Through his time in the guild he was able to determine which rival smith had arranged his father's assassination and petitioned the guildmaster to take blood vengeance. Normally he would have been turned down but as fate would have it this smith had earned the ire of some local mercenaries due to the cleverly disguised shabby arms he sold to them and they decided he should pay with his life. They put out a contract on this smith and Valdaris was able to both get paid AND take vengeance for the death of his father. His crafted items assisted him in his task and he fulfilled his contract. Having learned what he could he looked to move along and joined on with the mercenaries to travel the world and gain experiences and wealth. Valdaris made sure he made the requisite oaths of loyalty to the assassin's guild so he would be allowed to move on without problems.
"Sallah" (JEL)[edit]
Strength
Agility
Wit
Appeal
Initiative
Melee
Ranged
Defense
etc.
