Happy_Potato Character Creation

The Rudhir

What you need to know:
The Red Bloods are humans gifted with great physical strength. They draw favor from the Heroic Lion Spirit, an amalgam of all those human destroyers, warmongers, and strongmen who came before. As a result, they suffer mentally, to compensate for the increase in power.
All six of the Purebleeds have a "predominant type" which is very strong in their primary Virtue, and weak in others, not only their main weakness but other stats as well. They also have a "more neutral" version that is more on the level. If you desire, there is also a child version with altered stats.

Predominant Rudhir: Leon 6, Eyrie 4, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 3, Daimon 5
Neutral Rudhir: Leon 5, Eyrie 5, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 4, Daimon 5
Adolescent Rudhir: Leon 4, Eyrie 5, Grand 3, Enlight 2, Nemesis 3, Daimon 4

Lore:
Predators will avoid killing the Rudhir unless necessary, but may test them to prove the human's loyalty to the Lion Spirit. They tend to be formidable athletes, performing combatants, and soldiers. The most common place in Trimachae to find them is the Continent of Mountains, including such places as Enyon and Thenos. The more neutral personalities (typically the women in more traditional Rudhir societies, since they are less inclined to rampant destruction) have to keep a close eye on the dominant personality and especially the super-strong Bright-Blood variant (not available for play atm). Child rearing in Rudhir cultures is closer to training a very intelligent, potentially dangerous pet. Long hair is commonly seen as a symbol of power, with no gender norms. Not all men have it on top of their head, choosing instead to have a glorious beard. Bearded women are still rare, but not so much as in non-Rudhir cultures.
In ancient times, Rudhir cultures saw the rise of "Mother Earth" figures who were strong enough to fend off male raiders. The bigger and stronger the woman, the more noble her status. They also produced raiding tribes of men who turned their proclivity for destruction to their advantage. The ancient Rudhir only answered to a source of greater power; anyone weaker could not survive their onslaught. This breakdown led to the formation of "man's world" and "woman's world." Men were to be given respect when out in the field, but submit to women at home. Women were to be given respect at home, but were expected to keep their heads down and be calm when abroad. Over time, male-dominated cultures became more prominent, and female-dominated cultures slipped into the background. They still exist as tribes, but the scheme of global politics goes to Patriarchal societies. This is the same for all of humanity. Most Earth Mother cults became infiltrated by Demons, losing their bright red blood and becoming Cambions. Very few matriarchal Rudhir clans remain today.

Please read this material to confirm whether you want to play this, or would like to look into something else. I'll get started on your next step.

I'm ready to start making my character when you are. As my first go around I'm trying a Rudhir first.

Rudhir are the Red-Blooded People, blessed with the gift of the Lion Spirit, but rejected by the Sun Spirit. This is because they are so prone to displays of rage, brute strength, and overt destruction, having a slightly higher Leon PV, at the cost of a lower Enlight PV to represent their diminished reason and ignorance.

Do you want any more Birthrights to look at, or are you sure you're sticking with Rudhir?

Yeah, I'll start there first. It feels like the best fit to what kind of characters I play.

If you are willing to proceed as a Rudhir, please select if you are "Predominant," "Neutral," or a child, as explained above. Once you have, you have the option to reduce and boost according to the rules as written. Please reply with your choices. Taking reductions and boosts is not required. However, if you want a boost, you must take a reduction.

Neutral Rudhir: Leon 5, Eyrie 5, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 4, Daimon 5
No boost or reductions

Next up is your basic class. You have a choice between Juggernaut, Fury, and Aesthete (last one looks cludgy, but it's just pronounced ace-theet).

Juggernauts have three Physical Powers: Lion's Mane, Lion's Strike, and Lion's Roar.
Lion's Mane increases your strength and damage based on how long your hair is. If you're beardy, you can instead use a beard that is longer than your head of hair.
Lion's Strike makes your every movement destructive and amps up your strikes with blunt or shock weapons. You can turn it off, but it is on by default, and turning it off will lose you all of its benefits until you switch back.
Lion's Roar makes your talking and shouting much more intimidating, at the cost of making your subtler speaking less effective. This too you can deactivate, but it is on by default.
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Destroyer type subclasses (melee combatants), the Ardent type (ranged or mounted), or the Scholar (uses strength for reasons other than combat, but can still fight if pressed). More details on that if you pick this basic class.


Furies have three Physical Abilities: Eagle Eye, Falcon Dive, and Hawk Wing.
Eagle Eye gives you telescopic vision over great distances, and lets you quickly examine things at short range.
Falcon Dive empowers your slashing or piercing attacks, but weakens your blunt attacks, and makes your movements harder to see. You can also use it to cross fragile surfaces or water, but hazardous liquids will still be an issue. Like Lion's Strike, this can be switched off.
Hawk Wing allows you to replace segments of your move speed with fly speed, limited to being 5 ft. off the ground. This allows you to mitigate the negative effects of things like rough terrain, traps, and holes in the ground.
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Assassin type subclasses (melee combatants), the Elite type (ranged or mounted), or the Scholar (uses skill for reasons other than combat, but can still fight if pressed). More details on that if you pick this basic class.


Aesthetes have three Mental Attributes: Serpent's Gaze, Lovers' Embrace, and Move with the Pack.
Serpent's Gaze weighs your Daimon against the target's Nemesis, and can be used to control and mesmerize the weak through prolonged eye contact.
Lovers' Embrace weighs your Daimon against the target's Daimon, and can be used to alter sensory stimuli through skin contact.
Move with the Pack weighs your Daimon against the target's Enlight. Anyone who is lesser than you in this way will see you as indistinguishable from the group you're in, provided you have traits in common. For example, if you're all wearing white robes, or all in chain mail, or all have fair skin and red hair and roughly similar heights, you will appear to just be "one of the group."
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Socialite type subclasses (distance projector), the Winsome type (close-up or mounted), or the Martial Jester (uses charm for its useful applications in a direct fight). More details on that if you pick this basic class.

Going with this one

Juggernauts have three Physical Powers: Lion's Mane, Lion's Strike, and Lion's Roar.
Lion's Mane increases your strength and damage based on how long your hair is. If you're beardy, you can instead use a beard that is longer than your head of hair.
Lion's Strike makes your every movement destructive and amps up your strikes with blunt or shock weapons. You can turn it off, but it is on by default, and turning it off will lose you all of its benefits until you switch back.
Lion's Roar makes your talking and shouting much more intimidating, at the cost of making your subtler speaking less effective. This too you can deactivate, but it is on by default.
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Destroyer type subclasses (melee combatants), the Ardent type (ranged or mounted), or the Scholar (uses strength for reasons other than combat, but can still fight if pressed). More details on that if you pick this basic class.

What about names and character sheet layout?

The name actually comes last, unless "The One" occurs to you somewhere else in the process. Don't worry about character sheet layout. I don't have an official template yet, so we'll just get out all the information here, and then write it down in a way that works best for your viewing pleasure. Anyway, next we're doing subclass.

Destroyer Type
A label referring to the Fighter and Shieldmaiden, two subclasses designed for the infantry -- that is, fighting on foot with melee weapons. They are not limited to this, being capable of throwing, firing ranged weapons, or even magic, but that is their intended design, their strong suit. Take the Destroyer if you want to focus on being ready for a fight at any moment, to wear armor and swing a weapon, and ply the full destructive potential of your basic class against your enemies.

Ardent Type
A label referring to the Combat Bow, Sky Piercer, and Knight, three subclasses designed for work at a distance, be that with archery or mounted combat. They are not limited to this, being capable of dismounting or taking up arms as you like, but they are specialists of one way only. Take the Ardent if you want to focus on shooting fast, shooting accurately, or riding a dedicated steed.

Scholar Type
A label referring to those who eschew the typical destruction of the more combat-centric Juggernauts. They are not incapable of fighting, but prefer not to use their more violent arts if at all possible. Take the Scholar if you want to focus your strength on something other than the art of war. The subclass options here are many: Blacksmith, Carpenter, Laborer, Leon Mage, Miller, Mining, Shipwright, and Woodcutter.

Pick the type you want, and we'll go into more detail about the subclasses in it.

Destroyer Type
A label referring to the Fighter and Shieldmaiden, two subclasses designed for the infantry -- that is, fighting on foot with melee weapons. They are not limited to this, being capable of throwing, firing ranged weapons, or even magic, but that is their intended design, their strong suit. Take the Destroyer if you want to focus on being ready for a fight at any moment, to wear armor and swing a weapon, and ply the full destructive potential of your basic class against your enemies.

An odd question, but do I roll for beard length?

Lion's Mane increases your strength and damage based on how long your hair is. If you're beardy, you can instead use a beard that is longer than your head of hair.

No you do not. You get to pick from my list, ranging from clean shaven to varying lengths of beard. You will make your choice under the full knowledge that I can take that beard away with the snap of my fingers. If you charge into a burning building, or get attacked by a dragon, or a sword cuts it off, or a Time spell makes it grey and fall out, etc etc etc. Just because your knee-length beard gives you this awesome power does not mean the beard is magically protected or immune to the whims of fate.

That being said, if you start with it relatively short and let it grow naturally, I will be significantly more motivated to let you keep it. Bear in mind as well, that some damage to the face could limit your hair growth for the foreseeable future, like third degree burns or getting all cut up.

All of this goes for your head hair as well, just fyi.

Oh, important question. Will you be wanting to try my magic system as a mage, or wait until you get some other source like a magic item? Bear in mind that it limits your class features, but not the subclasses you can select. EVERYTHING has a magic version, every option in the game.

That being said, we have the Fighter (or Magic Warrior). The Fighter is the epitome of the Juggernaut, a force of destruction and raw power, who takes up arms and armor to press the offense. While they are perhaps too willing to relinquish defense, their movements and attacks hit more often, and they hit hard every time. Fighters are consummate masters of weaponry. They pick up skill with their preferred weapon, but can also develop a widely varied arsenal of other weapons that fill out what their favorite lacks. They are different than the Brave Fighter and Rogue, from Atlas and Fury respectively, because they eschew finesse and endurance for an impressive display of force.
In addition to the Juggernaut's powers, you get a Combat Style, 2 Fighter Abilities, and the choice of 1 Fighter Trait from a list of 3.
As you gain levels, you become highly trained in various styles of combat, gain daily rerolls of your Trained bonus on attacks, gain powerful Leon-based upgrades, and develop more control over movement and attacks.
The Magic Warrior is limited in some of these aspects, generally not being as strong a melee combatant, and gains supernatural powers from their magical training in return.

Then we have the Shieldmaiden, or Shield Bearer if you're male (the Mystic Guardian is the magic variant). The Shieldmaiden takes up arms and armor to hold the line. They are part of a long tradition originally started by women, defending what they value most in life: be that their home or chief, their loved ones, or their fellow Shieldmaidens. They were deemed necessary in many cultures, especially those where the men had little interest in protecting their own lives, or those of others. Their mode of attack is focused on protection, meaning they lack the damage-dealing potential of the Fighter; despite this, they are still capable of slaying enemies if need be. They are defensive experts, training specifically in ways that help them protect someone. They are set apart from the Wild Guardsman and Bouncer in that they are a mighty power directed toward aid, rather than destruction.
In addition to the Juggernaut's powers, you get a Combat Style, 2 Shieldmaiden Abilities, and the choice of 1 Shieldmaiden Trait from a list of 3.
As you gain levels, you learn to use skills more safely, rather than gaining bonus ranks like the Fighter, and you receive additional defensive training, gain powerful Leon-based upgrades, and develop more control over your defenses on the battlefield.

I'll go the magic variant route with the Shield Bearer (Mystic Guardian)

As a Mystic Guardian, you may only choose one Shieldbearer Ability. If you choose to take none, then you may choose one Trait from the Shieldbearer's list, or from the Mystic Guardian's special list of magical traits. Here's the summaries. I'll give you the full rules of the one you pick. Oh also, the Ability can only be used once per day unless recharged, and the Trait can be used any number of times in a day.

Ability - Resounding Arms
Changes the Defensive Technique (Block), making it more powerful.

Ability - Shield Bash
Deals 1 point of Lucky Hair damage (a representation of luck sorta like AC), and might push the enemy back. If the push fails, it stuns the enemy instead.

Shieldmaiden Trait - Get Behind Me
The Shieldmaiden gets in the way of an attack intended for an ally, and rolls Defensive Technique (Riposte). The intended target of the attack is spared.

Shieldmaiden Trait - Form Up
The Shieldmaiden combines defenses with the person or people next to them, forming a defensive stance that benefits them all.

Shieldmaiden Trait - War Chant
Inspires allies and demoralizes enemies in one move.

Magical Trait - Holographic Shield
Like Resounding Arms, it adds something to Defensive Technique (Block), but special damage reduction instead of interfering with the attacker directly.

Magical Trait - Energy Pulse
Whether the Mystic Guardian successfully defends against a spell that deals damage, or it causes them to be harmed, they can drain energy from the spell to expand the reach at which the MG can use defensive techniques. Instead of blocking, parrying, etc. an attack directed at them, or throwing themselves into an attack for an ally's sake, they can reach out with a pulse of energy and intercept the attack.

Magical Trait - Repulsor Blast
When the MG is hit by three spells of any kind, the mage stores residual energy from them. On command, they can release the energy in a blast the throws back everyone and everything in 20 ft.

Magical Trait - Energy Pulse
Whether the Mystic Guardian successfully defends against a spell that deals damage, or it causes them to be harmed, they can drain energy from the spell to expand the reach at which the MG can use defensive techniques. Instead of blocking, parrying, etc. an attack directed at them, or throwing themselves into an attack for an ally's sake, they can reach out with a pulse of energy and intercept the attack.

Next up is skills. You get 9 skill ranks. You can put 2 ranks into any one skill, but this will increase as you level (the formula is 1/4 Eyrie PV + level). The recommended skills for a Juggernaut with magic are Athletics, Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Gymnastics, Shipwright, Swim, Trapping, Knowledge (occult), and Knowledge (religion). There are other skills though, so the important question we have to answer is...

What do you want this character to be able to do? Think about types of knowledge they've studied, or learned through experience. Think about what things they can make or repair, if at all. Think about standard fantasy stuff like whether they move like an athlete or gymnast, if they can perform and how, if they're good at diplomacy or bluffing, things like that. There is a list, but it is long, so I'd just like to see where your mind goes. If you can't use up all the ranks, I'll ask more pointed questions.

Going off the recommended skills I get a kind of corsair or privateer vibe. This gets me to thinking about building him around a navel theme, sailor maybe. Could be the captain of the ship, maybe second in command or even a bodyguard. I don't think he would be much of a builder but being on a ship he might pick up a few things so maybe shipwright. Athletics and swimming are a must. Not sure about knowledge (occult) or knowledge (religion) unless he is some spiritual adviser as well though I'm not sure he would be a good fit for that role. Trapping might be a useful skill as well so put that as a maybe. I want him to be somewhat intimidating as well and if he is the captain or second in command he would probably have to be diplomatic.

Definitely: Athletics, Swim, Shipwright
Maybe: Trapping, Knowledge (Occult) or Knowledge (religion)

I'd like to steer away from a nautical theme. I have an entire world that is mostly fleshed out...on land. Not ready for islands and seafaring juuust yet. Now, if you want a character who's got a background as a corsair or privateer and has the accompanying skills, I'm all for that. Just know that we probably won't be setting sail.

That being said, do you want to stick with what you proposed?

Yes, I fine with him not actually being on the water, that was just where I was drawing my inspiration.

How about Appraise 1, Athletics 1, Knowledge (occult) 1, Knowledge (seafaring) 2, Swim 2, Shipwright 1, Trapping 1.
That puts some emphasis on your background, and I've added Appraise and Knowledge (seafaring).

Alright, take your time to consider what I've got here. I need to get some sleep so I'll be functional in a few hours.

Appraise 1, Athletics 1, Knowledge (occult) 1, Knowledge (seafaring) 2, Swim 2, Shipwright 1, Trapping 1
All of this sounds like it would work great with the background I'm thinking of. Talk to you later then.

Okey-dokey! Back in action!

Next up is your Class of Progression and Combat Style, which we'll handle all at once. Remember, this is not the "only proficiency" or anything like that. You are physically capable of swinging around any weapon you can pick up, without any silly penalties. However, if a weapon requires some kind of advanced knowledge to use, you'll have to figure it out from scratch. Training allows you to do better than normal, and gives you access to special techniques. For now, you'll have one.

Combat Styles (you can have this no matter how sophisticated you are)
Club and Shield, or Staff and Force (looks like you have one weapon, but you supplement the staff with arcane power)
Second Class Only (you must be from a medieval society to have these options)
Light Hammer and Shield, Handaxe and Shield, Short Sword and Shield, Battleaxe and Force, Mace and Force

First Class of Progression means ancient, like Iron Age or earlier. High Magic. Second Class means moderate-medieval, and mid-to-low magic. Third Class is a non-magical high sophisticate, somewhere between late Imperial and early Industrial. Not an option you can use as a magic class.

Second Class: Light Hammer and Shield

I like it! Very solid choice. Last thing to do for your class is decide if you're an Exemplar, Neutral, or Dissent in alignment. Exemplar means that you align with your people, be that Humans in general, the Purebleed, just the Rudhir, or someone even more specific -- like a particular nation of Rudhir. Dissent means you stand opposed to your people. Perhaps that is the establishment, or maybe you are entirely opposed to the best interests of Rudhir, Purebleeds everywhere, or all of Humanity.

Next up is Focus. Do you want your character focused on Magic, or do they just have some magic in addition to their true focus?

Neutral with some Focus in magic in addition to his true focus

As Non-Magical Foci go, we have some Unarmed, some Weapons, and some others.

Starting with the Other category:
We've got Urban Resources, Survival, Sprinting, Tumbling, Swimming, and Climbing.
If any of those sound good, just ask for details.

Then there's Weapons:
Pole Weapons, Bludgeons, Axes, Chain Weapons, One Handed Blades, Two Handed Blade, Dual Blade Style, Launching, and Throwing.

And finally, Unarmed:
Precision Points, Drunken Boxing, Tiger Style, and Crane Style.
I'll go ahead and explain these. Precision Points turns the blunt force of your strikes into precise attacks against weaknesses.
Drunken Boxing randomizes your results, but can throw a lot more force into your attacks.
Tiger Style turns your dominant Virtue against the enemy to break and suppress them.
Crane Style does the same, but to dodge and deflect instead.

Ask away!

I think I'll go with Bludgeons to fit with my use of a light hammer

Very well, but just so you know, a character can branch out by Focusing on one style and taking their training in others. Nothing wrong with a solid build toward a single purpose, though! As someone Focused in Bludgeons, you roll your Light Hammer and Shield style as if you were Master Trained! Be warned, if you try to fight with just the hammer, you will step down to Trained. The style in which you are trained requires the shield in order to be fully effective.

Next up is Equipment!
You're Second Class, so roll 2d10x20 gp. Again, that's a roll of 2d10, with the final result multiplied by twenty.

Luck be on my side!
12x20=240

Is your character Wealthy, Middle Class, Lower Class, or Impoverished?

Middle Class

Alright, so that multiplies it by 2 and adds 50. Now you've got 240. Plus 20 for being Human. Plus 0 for not being Faery. Plus 20 for being Juggernaut. Plus 0 for Focus. Minus 1 for Light Hammer. Minus 2 copper for Shield.

That brings your current wealth to 278 gp and 98 cp. Ready to pick your equipment?

I'm ready for my equipment.

Well first off, do you want any additional weapons, such as a ranged option? To rehash what I said before, you can still use them and take no penalties.

I'll take something ranged, preferably something that can be fired with one hand.

Sling is one handed, blowgun is one-handed. You're not Third Class, so you can't buy crossbows out of the gate. You'll have to find one in-game, and your character wouldn't recognize them. Would take a little tinkering and practice to figure out "oh this is how you shoot one of these futuristic contraptions." Besides, Hand Crossbow would be the only one-hander there.

I'll go for a sling for now.

That costs three tin, so you're now at 278 gp, 97 cp, and 2 tc.

The First Class options for armor are Cloth Robes, Armor Padding, Leather Armor, Hide Armor, Scale Armor, and Laminar Armor.
The Second Class options for armor are Cloth Tabard, Studded Leather Armor, Chainmail, Splinted Mail, Plate Armor, and Armored Coat.

What can I get for you?

Can Iget more information on Laminar Armor and the Armored Coat and Plate Armor

Absolutely!

Laminar is made from horizontal overlapping rows of solid armor plates. It covers the wearer's Upper Torso (not including any part of the Head or Neck) and the Lower Torso. It has Very Hard quality and 3 inches of thickness, giving it 15 Health per covered region and Hardness 8. However, as you are a Juggernaut, you move at half speed. Athletics steps up one difficulty. Soft Steps goes up two. Gymnastics and Dance go up three. There are also Laminar pieces you can buy to cover other body parts.

Armored Coat is a normal coat with leather and light steel woven inside, making the unassuming garment effective for defense. It covers Upper Torso (not Neck or head), Arms, Lower Torso, and Upper Legs. It has a complex makeup of defensive properties. The wearer moves 75% speed.

Plate Armor is a full suit of solid metal covering all regions. It has 1 inch of thickness, 10 Health per covered region, and Hardness 16. Soft Steps goes up three difficulty ranks. Dance and Gymnastics go up two. Athletics goes up one.

I'll go with the Armored coat.

Good to know! That costs 4 gp, meaning you're now at 274 gp, 97 cp, and 2 tc. Do you want armor pieces for your head, neck, hands, lower legs, or feet?

If I do go for the extra armor what changes? What are the pros or cons for having the extra armor?

Another excellent question! There is no HP block in my game. When you receive your character, you get a small amount of Health in each Region of your body: HUT, LT, each Arm, and each Leg. HUT means "Head Upper Torso" and LT means "Lower Torso." If Health in a particular Region falls to zero, then any further attacks will go to your Wounds, which are more specific target areas including the eye and neck. Having armor helps ensure your safety, because even if an attack does hit you, it will probably just glance off your armor.

The Block technique does implement your armor and shield for this purpose, but if you've got thorough enough armor, then the weapon can't hit anywhere except where you're protected.

Example: Tertius has armor on his Upper Torso but not his Head. An attack aims at HUT and hits successfully, beating his Block roll. Because he has no armor on his head or neck, the HUT strike is still good.

Example 2: A goblin swings its axe at Tertius' arm. He has Upper Arm protection, but not Lower or Hand. The axe still manages to injure him, because of that gap.

I'll take a full set then.

Alright, well you can't put Armored Coat anywhere else, so what kind of material would you like for the other areas? Cloth, Leather, Hide, Scale, Laminar, Chain, or Plate? They go in that order of usefulness (and expense) from least to greatest.

How much for plate or chain?

Chainmail gloves will run you 2 gp. A half-suit of Plate to fill your other spots will cost you 25 gp.

I'll go with that.

249 gp, 97 cp, and 2 tc after buying the Half-Plate.

What mundane equipment do you need? This would be things like containers, jewelry, camping equipment, clerical tools, etc.

Do you have a list I could look at?

I'm looking for camping gear and a pack to carry it in.

Here's the initial list. There's more specialized goods we can go through after.

Amulet (5 gp), Backpack (1 cp), Basket (1 tc), Bedroll (3 tc), Beer Mug (2 tc)
Blanket (2 tc), Bow String (1 cp), Bowl (1 tc), Bracelet (10 gp), Bucket (1 tc)
Caltrops (1 cp), Candle (3 tc), Canvas (1 cp), Chain (1 sp), Chalk (5 tc)
Crate (4 tc), Fishhook (1 sp), Fishing Net (5 tc), Flask (6 tc), Flint and Steel (1 sp)
Glass (2 sp), Glass Bottle (1 sp), Grappling Hook (4 tc), Hammer (1 gp)
Ink (1 gp), Inkpen (1 sp), Lamp (4 gp), Lantern (3 gp), Lock (1 gc)
Lockpicks (set; 1 gc), Manacles (4 sp), Map Case (2 sp), Necklace (15 gp)
Oil (4 sp), Parchment (1 cp), Pie Pan (1 tc), Pitcher (1 tc), Piton (1 cp)
Plant Pot (1 tc), Pot (4 tc), Pouch (3 tc), Rations (1 sp), Rope (5 cp)
Ring (20 gp), Sack (1 tc), Sewing Needle (1 sp), Shovel (4 tc), Sledge (3 tc)
Soap (5 tc), Spyglass (30 gp), Tankard (3 tc), Tent (6 tc), Torch (3 tc)
Urn (2 tc), Vial (2 cp), Waterskin (3 tc), Whetstone (2 tc), Wine Bottle (3 cp)

Thanks for the list, really helps. What is the currency conversion formula?
Cp=6 tc=27 sp=3 gp=33
Backpack (1 cp)
Flask (6 tc)
Flint and Steel (1 sp)
Grappling Hook (4 tc)
Lantern (3 gp)
Spyglass (30 gp)
Tent (6 tc)
Rope (5 cp)
Waterskin (3 tc)
Pouch (3 tc)
Bedroll (3 tc)
Blanket (2 tc)
Rations (1 sp)
Fishhook (1 sp) Does this come with fishing line?

Since the cost of a net is 5 tin, a spool of line would be negligible, providing you're making other purchases. That'll make sense in a second.

Platinum (pc) is worth 10 gp.
Gold (gp) is the standard.
Giltsilver (gs), a gilded silver coin, is worth 1/2 gp.
Giltcopper (gc), a gilded copper coin, is worth 1/10 gp or 1/5 gs.
Silver (sp) is worth 1/50 gp, 1/25 gs, or 1/5 gc.
Copper (cp) is worth 1/100 gp, 1/50 gs, 1/10 gc, or 1/2 sp.
Tin (tc) is worth 1/500 gp, 1/250 gs, 1/50 gc, 1/10 sp, or 1/5 cp.

An easier way to think about it is this.
If you tip the barmaid, a few coppers will be fine. If you buy information (or someone's silence), a silver will usually do, but they may ask for more. A giltcopper would be a gaudy, impressive way to do that. A giltsilver will ensure someone can keep your secret, unless it's a particularly dangerous one. If you give someone a gold piece, that is a sign to a poor person that you are of great wealth, but serves as a badge of acceptable quality to the upper-class.
If you want to impress the rich, pay in platinum. Offering someone a tin piece for pretty much anything is an insult, unless that's the list price.

Oh, and 1 sp will only buy you a day's rations. If you want more, you'll need to pay more.

Make that a weeks worth of rations to start with. Anything else you think I might need?

Deduct an additional 6 sp for that. Do you want a musical instrument or a bottle of alcohol? If not, we can move to the last stage of equipment purchasing.

A bottle of alcohol would do just nicely.
249 gp, 97 cp, and 2 tc
-(gp=33 sp=9 cp=6 tc=27)
-33gp -30cp

216gp 67cp 3tc (I hope my math is correct)

A bottle of wine will be 2 sp, a flagon of ale will be 2 tc, a stein of beer will be 3 tc, a flask of mead will be 1 cp, a bottle of rum goes for 3 sp, and so does a bottle of whiskey.

One bottle of rum
216gp 61cp

Good deal! I'm going for an evening walk. I'll be back in about 15 minutes, and we can handle the stage where you pick any magic items you want from the permitted list!

Sounds good, stay safe on your walk

I'm back! Now for magic items. Do you want your hammer to be magical?

That sounds like a good idea. What exactly do you mean by magical, extra damage or something a little more?

Oh, so much more lies at your fingertips. Extra damage is available, to be sure. But you could make the weapon highly durable instead, or load it up with a Magical Charge. Charges act as any one spell from the entirety of my magic system, but once you've spent it, it must be recharged by finding a mage of that caliber to cast it back into the weapon. With your money, you could only afford one charge from the cheapest source -- which would involve magic of the Earth, Wind, Motion, Parameter, Action, or Body variety. For the cost of 100 gp, plus the price of your hammer again, you could use the hammer to shift earthen materials, create a gust of wind or a deafening clap of sound, turn yourself super-speed, slow down the enemy's motion, alter how spacetime affects your hammer, or allow your weapon to grant you bodily mutations in some way.

Now if you wanted a Magically Damaging Weapon instead, see below:

If you made your weapon into a Crushing Magic Light Hammer, it will appear to burn or crackle with energy, especially when dealing damage. Every strike, the weapon will deal twice as much damage as normal.
If you made your weapon into a Magic Light Adze, it will appear to taper to an edge, which faces toward the enemy no matter how the weapon is held. When an effect would check whether the weapon's damage is blunt, the damage will count as slashing instead. You can also deny yourself training bonuses as use it like a handaxe instead.
If you made your weapon into an Impaling Magic Light Hammer, it will appear to resemble a morningstar when still, but seem to become bestial claws when swung. Instead of exchanging for slashing, it will exchange for piercing damage. You can deny yourself training bonuses to use it like a morningstar instead.
If you made your weapon into an Energy-Charged Magic Light Hammer, it will deal the normal quantity of damage, but damage dealt will not heal by any means until the weapon is broken.

Could I make it where if I throw the hammer it will return to my hand?

A weapon that does this every time would be special, an item you'd have to find in game. The options for purchase during cc are three basic categories: Damage, Durability, or Charge.

Through various magical charge options, you could get a hammer that returns when thrown. However, it would do so once, and then the charge would need to be refilled by the appropriate mage. See above for my explanation on that.

Earth, Wind, and Motion are really the only relevant options for this charge. With Earth, the hammer would burrow underground and find its way back to you eventually. With Wind, a powerful gust would kick up after the impact, seizing your hammer and blowing it back to you. With Motion, you could simply set up a kinetic loop, where the throw is a curve rather than a straight line, and ends back at your hand. Thoughts?

I'll look into that later, for now let's just make it do extra damage to make things simpler to start out with.

Crushing Magic Light Hammer, Magic Light Adze, Impaling Magic Light Hammer, or Energy-Charged Magic Light Hammer, those are the extra damage options I listed above.

Also, I need to go. I'll help you more when I get back, hopefully tonight. Check out the Group Chat when you get the chance!

Crushing Magic Light Hammer, later then.

I can't seem to get the group chat doc to work right for me.

I'll address that concern in the Group Chat thread on this site.

So that should take 100 gp off your current money, plus the cost of the original hammer again. Do you want to keep the rest or spend more?

I'll think that I'm good for now, I'll keep the rest.

Magnificent! Now, the next step is Devotion, then we can start the finishing touches. Paired with Focus, I designed the Devotion system to replace D&D's alignment axes in a more thorough sense. Your Focus determines what you've spent your life building up thus far, and your Devotion determines what Path you're on.

Your Path is not only in your past, but your present, and something in the future you may be working toward. There's a shit ton of options, so the easiest way to start would be: what does your character want? What defines them? Are they just in it for gold, or a good fight, or family? Maybe they want to be the Strongest, or the Fastest, or they're driven by Greed. What is the number one ultimate thing in your character's life?

Note: A character can have several Paths they follow, but only one can mechanically be a part of your physical, written character. This is because some but not all of the Path options come with benefits, and I don't want them to stack.

Let's make it simple and make it all for the gold. He may be saving up for something like a ship or starting his on mercenary company.

You were the sailor, after all. With other people, I might have suggested thinking a little harder on it, but with your background it actually makes sense. You might change your mind during finishing touches though, and that's welcome.

Your Devotion is The Warrior, and your path is For Gold. This warrior fights for direct monetary gain. Where all else fails, the coin prevails. Such men are easily bought, once the price is established. They care not. If the money's good, then so is the fight.

The only effect this has on your character is that, if you're about to start combat, and your current employer or their representative declares that your pay grade is going to increase as a result of victory, your dice rolls change. Each time you attack for the duration of that fight, and roll a 1 as part of that attack, it is simply removed from your pool. Not replaced with success, just removed. This only applies to a single result of 1 per attack.

Now, onto the finishing touches! Here's a series of questions for you to answer. Take your time. When you have them finished, I'll present you with all the information about your character in a nice, neat bundle. You can organize it in a "Custom" character sheet, to be in an order you like. I'll help with that to make sure things are easy to find.

As a Rudhir, are you from Machal, Skuldra, Badbae, Ventasa, or Thenos?
Machal is a nation founded by escaped slaves, who liberated themselves through bloodshed. Your people are a subculture there, and generally looked down upon because the slavers in the Continent of Mountains are pure Rudhir like yourself.
Skuldra is a nation where Purebleed lines don't matter. The dominant population are the Baseborn, mixed people who lack magically colorful blood. The scrappy barbarians here don't care who you are, as long as you can survive.
Badbae is a fledgling nation that lives in the shadow of its more ancient, traditional neighbor of Fodlan. Like in Machal, your people are a subculture here, but not looked down upon nearly as much. Most people here are Jasil or a Baseborn mix of yours and theirs. You are just another among several minority populations.
Thenos is a nation overrun by demons and cambions who work in the criminal underground as the real power in the country. Once a colony of the mighty Empire, they were abandoned to their fate when it was determined the neighboring tribes were too hostile. They did not want their independence, but now they have it anyway. Your people are looked down upon as descended from the neighboring, "savage" tribes.

How long is your head hair? What about your beard?

Why did you train as a Mystic Guardian? Was this part of some organization that is responsible for your training, or is your subclass just a result of your own personal efforts?

Speaking of magic, do you subscribe to Nature Magic (Nemesis based; devote yourself spiritually to an element and gain its power), Cosmic Magic (Enlight based; devote yourself to tireless study of rituals in order to master Matter, Space, Time, or powers from the deep darkness of the Void), Body Magic (Grand based; turn your natural mutations into true power that comes from within), Mind Magic (Enlight based; turn your unique mind into true power that comes from within), or Soul Magic (Nemesis based; draw true power from your own spirit, from your True Self, or by questing for your ancestors)? Further questions will come from this once you've picked your Magic Type, as you still have a School and Subschool to pick.

How did you learn Energy Pulse? Did you just figure out how by trial and error, or did you learn through some special course of events?

(Application that may not be used) If we start in a nation other than the one where you were born, describe a few events that happened to lead you there. Use as much or as little detail as you like, but what's needed is a brief explanation of how you set sail and what happened out at sea. You don't need to know where we're going just yet, but if you need a placeholder name, use Heramar. It's DEFINITELY not going to be that, so I'll know what to replace with the real name.

Did you pick up a hammer and shield out of practicality, or was there more of a story behind your chosen style? Bear in mind that Bludgeons are your Focus, so this is canonically something you've put a lot of work into in your past, possibly also a lot of thought.

More specifically, we need to know about your current hammer. In my setting, magic items are not exactly common or "easy" to make. Artificers are rare and powerful mages capable of making interesting changes to materials, or even building them where they can be charged with magic. For you to have gotten this hammer, you would have to have gone on some kind of adventure, or at least met such an Artificer and convinced them to make it for you. Was the Crushing magic a choice you made, or was it out of your hands?

How old are you? Most cultures say 16-18 is the point where you become an adult.

How tall are you? This is usually between 4'5'' and 6'5''.

What color is your skin, hair, and eyes? If you've said it already, just repeat it for the answer.

How does your character feel about the other five kinds of Purebleed? Does he know they exist? Bear in mind, Porphs are quite rarely seen outside of their home nation, of which there is only one. Meeting the Porph player soon might be your character's first time meeting one, if he even knows that they're a Black Blood at all.

There are Mechans in my world, people who have had part of their body replaced with machinery. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Chems in my world, mutants created by exposure to volatile chemicals. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Sorcelled in my world, deceptively red-blooded folk who lack your strength, and are smarter than you. This is because they have special magic powers granted by some kind of permanent enchantment. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Neutrati in my world, white-blooded humanoids created by the Porph as genderless artificial servants. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Baseborns in my world, deceptively red-blooded folk who may be weaker than you, or stronger, and are likely smarter. This is because their parents or ancestors were not of the same Purebleed variety, like a Rudhir and a Sini for example. You likely know they exist, because they are very common, but do you? If so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Felbreeds in my world, who are only half-human. The other half is some kind of inhuman monster. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Faeries in my world, inhuman creatures of magic. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Angeli in my world, heavenly angels and demons. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Amorphae in my world, unnatural shapeshifting creatures of chaos. You likely do not comprehend the truth of their existence, relying instead of myths about werewolves or doppelgangers, but do you believe some version of them exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Nephs in my world, terrifying giants who crave human flesh. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Jinn in my world, mystical genies and nightmarish ghouls. Do you know they exist, and if so, how does your character feel about them?

There are Ancients in my world. It is impossible for you to not to know about them as great Behemoths, enormous sea serpents, or legendary Dragons. But are these creatures legends with no proven existence, or does your character have proof? Bear in mind that, when one of these things wake up anywhere near your civilization, entire towns and villages tend to go missing.

And finally, what is your Name?

Is there any guidelines for creating a name for a character?

Name: Gottfried
Age: 30
Height: 6'
Skin color: caucasian
Hair: Black (shaved head with medium length beard)
Eyes: grey

There is not. Deciding in any kind of systemic way what linguistic and nominal traits belong to each culture in my world would be almost as hard as writing my own language. So I'm okay if Siobhan, Athumani, Kiyoko, and Tom all come from the same country.

Alright, to make this more clear, there are guidelines for non-humans. But everyone's playing humans so that doesn't apply. Just use a human name you like, and you can provide symbolism in the meaning if that's what you're into.

You've given me a lot to think about. I'll go over it all and get back to you later. How common are Mechans? Is it expensive to have done and is it done voluntarily or due to injury?

Yes please take all the time you need. This block of text is not something to rush through, and you are at the final step before the rest of the party.

Mechans are more common than Chems, but less than Sorcelled. They only come from Third Class societies, or are kidnapped from less developed cultures and used as experiments. However, these robotics are extremely expensive, and are not just something you can wear. Volunteers are rare, but so are people rich, smart, and powerful enough to do this to themselves, nor do the rich and powerful often want to amputate perfectly good limbs and replace their own with metal.

What is more likely to occur is that a very important person who is not rich enough, smart enough, or influential enough to make this happen on their own will become horribly injured, and such a benefactor will supply them with the parts they need...for a price. Since the "benevolent" party is the one with all the gold, this is typically not a price paid in money. By far the most common source, due to the scarcity of Mechans in Eryuna (one of the only two countries that makes them), is the realm of Lunas. There is a Mechanized subculture there that is very politically powerful and secretive. They induct people who are not particularly attached to a pure sense of humanity, and make them earn their augmentations through a long gauntlet of secret practices.

Short form: the odds of your character being familiar with the inner workings of Lunas, or the realm of Lunas at all, are quite low. But there are Mechans wandering the world of Trimachae in virtually every civilization, so your odds of meeting one that way are much higher. By meet, I don't necessarily mean you know each other that well. You might have been in a random port town in your travels, and seen a man with an arm made of gears, driveshafts, and chassis parts.

I believe that he would see Faeries, Angeli, Amorphae, Nephs, Jinn, and Ancients all with an air of superstition. As a sailor he would travel a lot and hear stories of these creatures and any knowledge he would have of them would be shrouded in myth and half-truths. Also as a sailor, Ancients would probably hold special meaning to him when it comes to any that originate from the sea.

Working on a ship and going from port to port he make have seen or even worked with the other Pureblood races though he may not have met them all, especially the Porph given their isolation. He tends to try and have an open mind especially if they can help him make the coin he his looking for. He is willing to work with anyone as long as they pay.

Scorcelled: In his travels he may have met one or two and came the opinion they were too smart for their own good. As he worked hard for his abilities and sees theirs as unnatural.

Chems:I'm not sure if he would have met any but he may view them with an air of suspicion due to his superstitious nature.

Mechans: He would most likely know of them and even served under a captain who had augments themselves. It was understood that they received these augments for services rendered though its questionable how legitimate these services were. This has colored his view on people who has them somewhat.

Neutrati: He would probably not have seen any or even see any to form an opinion on them.

Baseborns: He likely knows they exist and is willing to work with them if they pay and has no negative feelings towards them.

Felbreeds: He may see them as some kind of bogeyman used to frighten children.

Everything he has accomplished is all due to his own personal efforts.
Body Magic (Grand based; turn your natural mutations into true power that comes from within)
He learned Energy Puls quite by accident while trying to help defend a merchant who was being attacked.

What led him to where he is now was him having a difference of opinion then his captain and then being dropped off at whatever port they were at. From that day forward he has started to save coin up in the hopes of buying a ship of his own. He hopes to become successful while also running an honest busines.

He uses an hammer because it's what he is used to wielding whenever he was on a ship, a place one had to carful of not cutting the wrong rope or slashing the sails. His current hammer was given to him by the merchant he helped save.

I really like what I'm seeing so far! The three schools of Body magic are Soma, Anatomy, and Temperament.

Soma is abstract. In meta terms, it deals with Leon, Eyrie, and Grand, as well as physical interpretations of the mental three. But in canon it's somewhat more fishy. It aids in your strength, speed, and other attributes, but not by changing your muscles or bones. There's weird magic going on there and not even Body mages understand it fully. The six subschool options are Leon, Eyrie, Grand, Capacity, Gnostic, and Beauty. We'll go more into those if you choose Soma.

Anatomy is very literal instead. The Skeletal subschool deals with bones, making them harder, or sharper, or healing them. The Musculature subschool deals with muscles instead. Where the Leon subschool makes you stronger without changing your physical form much, Musculature turns you into a hulking monstrosity (if temporarily), as well as letting you mend torn muscles. The Digestion subschool is more strange, dealing with things like the power of your bite, your ability to swallow and digest anything, and even spewing corrosive fluids to burn and melt things. The Cognition subschool deals with your brain and nerves. And finally, the Vitality subschool deals with your heart, lungs, and blood. We'll talk more about these options if you pick Anatomy.

Temperament is also somewhat literal, and somewhat esoteric. It deals with the humors of your body, but not just the physical fluids. The Sanguine subschool is about fire and joy and passion. The Melancholy subschool blends your sorrow with control over water. The Choleric subschool uses your rage to tear up and control the earth. The Phlegmatic subschool flushes your system of all emotion, leaving you calm and apathetic while winds howl around you. If you choose Temperament, we'll discuss that further.

I'm leaning more towards Anatomy at the moment. I would go with Temperament and Melancholy but I don't think he would be a sorrowful kind of person. I can imagine him becoming an hulking monstrosity, if only temporary.

A brief word about all Body Magic is that it only affects you, unless specifically noted otherwise in a particular spell. There is a forbidden secret called the Ritual of Three Parts, but it can have TERRIBLE consequences.

Skeletal Magic can reduce damage you receive, heal your bones, increase the rate your bones heal themselves, and extrude armor or weapons from your bones.

Musculature Magic can likewise reduce damage, but soft tissue instead of bone. It can negate reductions to your Leon PV, or even grant a boost if a powerful enough spell is used. It can increase the damage your attacks deal via the Power Attack spell. It can restore damage done to your muscles. And finally, it can overcome the hardness of armor or other objects, but that takes a whopping five successes, so you won't be able to do that right away.

Digestion Magic lets you chew through body parts, wood, stone, iron, or even harder materials. At your best roll thus far, you could even swallow a dog, human child, or similarly sized creature whole! You can heal damage done to your digestive tract and all relative organs. You can survive without proper nutrition. You can even spew stomach acid on enemies, but that takes four successes so it will be rare for now.

Cognition magic can grant you a percentile chance to automatically dodge attacks. Normally this is reserved for ambushes, but you can do this with any attack, if properly prepared. You can also make yourself hypersensitive to get more out of your eyes, ears, nose, etc. You can even heal your sensory organs, though this is no easy task.

Vitality magic can grant you immunity to foreign contaminants, increase how long you can hold your breath, and even let you breathe in air you should not be able to, like a sandstorm or blizzard. With four successes, you can even turn an intense heart rate into a regular state of calm. At the upper limits of power, you can even use Gigantism and Diminishing to change size, manipulate your own body to resist the control of others, or to refine your motor skills. If any effect like suffocation, motion, or blood clots would cause you to lose consciousness, you can resist this with three successes. Four will even let you breathe water. The most powerful ability of Vitality magic, however, is your Superhuman Breath Weapon. Using this can let you fire pressurized air blasts, or even breathe fire!

Vitality magic seems like it would be fun to try.

Ah, you have chosen the route that one of my old players did. Only his character was a Jasil child who fought unarmed. Same magic, though. This should be fun!

Let me draft up your base details, the ones where choice is not involved, and I'll get back to you. You're almost done!

Gottfried
Birthright: Human
Sub-birthright: Purebleed (Rudhir)
Virtues: Leon 5, Eyrie 5, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 4, Daimon 5
Class: Juggernaut
Sub-class: Shield Bearer (Mystic Guardian)
Physical Power: Lion's Mane
With Stage 1 hair (Buzz-cut) and Stage 6 beard (Short), your actual Leon is 6 until that beard gets longer or shorter).
Physical Power: Lion's Strike
Physical Power: Lion's Roar
Magical Trait: Energy Pulse
Skills: Appraise 1, Athletics 1, Knowledge (occult) 1, Knowledge (seafaring) 2, Swim 2, Shipwright 1, Trapping 1
Class of Progression: Second
Combat Style: Light Hammer and Shield
Alignment: Neutral
Focus: Bludgeons
Equipment: Crushing Magic Light Hammer, Shield, Sling, Armored Coat (supplemented in all exposed areas by half-Plate), Backpack, Flask, Flint and Steel, Grappling Hook, Lantern, Spyglass, Tent, Rope, Waterskin, Pouch, Bedroll, Blanket, Rations (1 week), Fishhook, Bottle of Rum
Wealth: 115 gp 61 cp
Devotion: The Warrior
Path: For Gold
Age: 30; Height: 6'; Skin color: Caucasian; Hair: Black; Eyes: Grey
Lucky Hairs: 8; HUT - 8; LT - 6; Left Arm - 2; Right Arm - 2; Left Leg - 3; Right Leg - 3
Wounds:
Skullcap: 1; Face - 2; Left Eye - 1; Right Eye - 1; Neck - 3; Upper Torso - 4; Lower Torso - 4; Upper L Arm - 1;
Upper R Arm - 1; L Forearm - 1; R Forearm - 1; L Hand - 1; R Hand - 1; Upper L Leg - 3; Upper R Leg - 3; Lower L Leg - 3; Lower R Leg - 3; L Foot - 2; R Foot - 2
Span 1; Land Speed - 30 ft.

Gottfried barely believes non-humans exist, but has heard a lot of stories. Leviathans hold special meaning because they come from the sea. He has seen or worked with all Purebleeds, and tries to keep an open mind. Doesn't trust Sorcelled. Views Chems with suspicion. Knows of Mechans, but his trust is mixed. Does not know the Neutrati. Is fine with the Baseborn. Thinks of the Felbreed as a "monster under the bed" story.

Everything he accomplished was a personal effort, including learning Vitality Magic. He learned Energy Pulse by accident while trying to help defend a merchant who was being attacked. What led him to where he is now was him having a difference of opinion then his captain and then being dropped off at whatever port they were at. From that day forward he has started to save coin up in the hopes of buying a ship of his own. He hopes to become successful while also running an honest busines. He uses an hammer because it's what he is used to wielding whenever he was on a ship, a place one had to carful of not cutting the wrong rope or slashing the sails. His current hammer was given to him by the merchant he helped save.

Everything looks good so far. I've added everything to a custom character sheet.

Great! I look forward to getting you started when I get back from my lil' bro's wedding.

Gottfried, you are standing in one of many port towns in Trimachae, having just gotten off a ship on which you paid passage. The docks are bustling with all sorts of people, many of which Purebleeds or Baseborn (it's hard to tell which at a glance). You spot a few with bright orange eyes or hair, and one deeply tanned man among the dockworkers, who has long dreadlocks woven from forest green hair. One group already leaving the dockyard is quite distinctive.

What you see immediately is a litter carried by four armored guards. Each one has a cobalt blue cape with ebony trim, emblazoned with a silver crescent moon sitting on its curved side. The back left guard has a heavy greatsword on his back, the back right has two smaller swords on his, and both have metal arms. The back left man only has two, both entirely made of iron. The back right has one human arm, one that is metal from the elbow to the fingertips, and two additional arms underneath that are made of a lighter steel. The front guards are each carrying a glaive that has gears and cogs built in where the blade connects to the pole. The front right has had his legs replaced by two bug-like metal ones, while the front left has no mechanical features visible at this angle. The litter stops by a carriage trimmed in cobalt blue and little chrome moons, which is drawn by two Fullmetal horses. The curtain parts, and a youthful woman in her mid-thirties steps out. She wears ornate robes in orange, bronze, and gold tones with intricately carved pauldrons, and carries a staff that shines copper and holds a luminous orb at the top. Her hair is auburn and her eyes orange, and she has a crescent moon painted on her forehead. She stands to the side of the curtain, continuing to hold it open with her free hand. You notice that she has an ebony cape trimmed in cobalt blue, featuring a silver crescent with two golden stars, one above the moon and one in the midst. The last figure to step from the litter is wreathed in robes of midnight blue satin, clasped with a masterwork brooch in the shape of a lunar eclipse. There is a hood over the figure's head, but you can make out what is either gauntlets or metal hands, and some kind of mask poking out from the hood. The dignitary's cape is jet black and decorated with tiny points of starlight, trimmed in cobalt blue, with a silver crescent ringed in gold stars. It looks as though the two visitors are making a quick transition into the "horse" drawn carriage.

South of you is the ship you just disembarked from, where the crew are offloading cargo and running a quick check of the exterior. East is more dockyard, the Dockmaster's office, and two roads heading northeast of your position (one wider and one narrower; the narrow one is closer). West is more dockyard, the short path to the trade yard adjacent to the marketplace, and one narrow street heading northwest of your position. North is a throng of locals waiting for disembarking passengers, with peddlers mingling within, and a high defensive wall that serves well in the event of an invasion by sea. The litter is North, but the carriage is likely heading East.

(future posts will vary in length, but are not likely to be this extensive; respond when you are ready to act)

Roll a Sight check (according to the rules given in Spoiler).

There's a lot of people to look through, but it doesn't seem like there's a noticeboard here. You could ask around for jobs, or you could follow one of these paths to see where they go. There's probably a noticeboard in town somewhere.

The robed figure climbs into the carriage, and the one in orange closes the door tight, before hoisting herself up onto the seat and driving the mechanical horses forward, departing to the east with guards at each corner of the carriage. They are still in sight, for the moment.

Paths:
South - The Ship (where you just were)
East - More dockyard, the Dockmaster's office, and two roads heading northeast of your position (one wider and one narrower; the narrow one is closer). The carriage is going this way.
West - More dockyard, the short path to the trade yard adjacent to the marketplace, and one narrow street heading northwest of your position.
North - A throng of locals and peddlers, and a high defensive wall that serves well in the event of an invasion by sea.
Stay - There's still lots of people and things where you are (as you can read above).

We'll say you're new here.

You are new here and don't know that. You might look for a map, ask around, or just pick one of the three streets heading out in generally northward directions (see Paths above).

Are you attempting to follow the carriage undetected, getting as close as you can, or just playing it casual?

Alright, you follow it up the broader street to the east, but after that it passes from sight. Those metal horses really can move! After you clear the dockyard, the street is bare on both sides for about thirty minutes. Just rocks and gravel and a thin layer of sand. There's some people about half a mile ahead, and a quarter mile behind you, just heading up the same way you are. After about half an hour, you see a few sparse, dead trees, followed by a general store. The street goes on past it for a good ways, but you can see that more of the town starts up past that. Do you stop here for a while?

Let's have a Sight check then.

Sight (Enlight 3)

2nd die

(The following assumes that you're looking around outside with this check)

The exterior of the general store is rather uninteresting. The walls are made of birch planks, badly aged and weathered, scored by wasp and termite alike. The roof is thatch. The ground is lined with dust. There is a small outbuilding made of similar materials, but more recently repaired in full. Likely is newer in general. The main building is not far off the street, sitting slightly northwest of the main thoroughfare. In the same general area are old stumps, a stand of birch trees, and patches of uneven ground where it looks like farming was attempted many times to little success. Lots of cleared ground, butting up against the town to the south and the far north, as well as a dry forest that is far to the west, though the nearest protrusions of it reach much closer.

On the east side of the street, there is a similar clearing and a small shanty town that gradually mixes back into the dockyard area from whence you came. Only a few homes nearby, but you sense it would be a shorter trip to check out that area than to carry on to the main town up north. The sky is clear, a bluish-silver color with few clouds and none of them hung about with rain. The air is warm, but with a cool and salty wind washing up from the ocean.

You come up on the nearest house, a small thatch affair with a little fence made of sturdy boughs stripped of their leaves and twigs. A dog has been chained to a post, and perks up when it sees you approaching. The dwelling is small, with one window and one door. There is a little bed of flowers by the path, opposite the dog and out of its reach. Do you get closer, or work your way around it toward one of the other dwellings?

In a surge, the dog rushes to the edge of the chain, barking and snapping at you. The owner pops out from the door with a sizeable club in hand. It's a brawny woman with her dishwater hair up in a sloppy bun, and a stained apron over her calico dress, "What you doin' coming up my drive, sir?"

Roll a Guile skill check (that's Daimon, total any dice you actually get, and add your Guile ranks).

She brandishes the club in your direction and threatens you. "Git, 'fore I sic my dog on you. Out! GO!"

Are you going in?

The interior of the shop is quaint, cramped, and smells like mildew and bad eggs. There is a center rack of goods, stocked on either side, shelves and hooks lining two of the four walls (which hold various wares), and a small counter behind which the owner keeps money, valuables, and more fragile goods. Said owner, a curmudgeonly short man of middle age, stands behind the counter at the moment. A bell jingles above the door when you enter, and the man greets you,

"Ey, good mornin'. What can do ya for?"

The shopkeeper polishes the counter with an old rag, "Suppose that depends on the kind of work. What are ya good for? What are yer skills, son?"

"I suppose you could try your luck down by the docks," suggests the old shopkeep. "Strange folk come in every few weeks, and I'm sure some of them haven't brought their own guards. Of course, there's also the town proper."

He points off to the North, in the direction the street goes.

"If they don't take up guards when they step off, they might be looking for help when they get settled. You could always try there. Won't lie to you though, stranger, there's not much work to go about."

Roll a Guile skill check.

Guile skill check Daimon 5

He's hiding something, but you don't know what. You're not even sure the shopkeeper is trying to deceive you, but there is something he knows, and has thought of at the moment, that he is not saying.

The shopkeeper looks bashful, and more than a little surprised. Clearly he had not intended to conceal anything or twist his words. "W-why I, well, but..." he stammers at first, then he clears his throat and composes himself. A little. "Shouldn't really be talking to you about this, but it seems like you're not from around here. There's only one guild that runs business around here. The provincial governor of this island doesn't really pay attention to the goings-on. Daily matters, you understand."

He pauses, casting a wary glance to the door, and lowers his voice, "If you're lookin' to make some easy silver, or even more lookin' to rough up some poor sods, the Gardi Brothers have this town under their thumb. They'll decide if you get work, or if you are work."

A mild look of fear crosses his face, mingled with hesitant admiration, "You're a damn fool if'n you plan to cross paths with the Gardis. They were mercenaries from over in Cerbesia. Real unsavory louts. Anyhow, they came over here on a ship, decided they liked the look of our little town. Made themselves at home. They're not easy to find, not that any smart person would want to meddle in their business. But their enforcers are everywhere. Most of 'em got chain shirts or scale mail, and a badge in the shape of an eagle. I'm sure you'll see them if you go looking."

Coming back this direction, it's much easier to spot them than it would have been stepping off a ship. You see the high section of wall overlooking the docks, and upon it stand four guards. Two of them are in very formal, uncomfortable-looking uniforms, with a lot of blue and white and silver, and white plumes atop polished helmets. The two closer to you (about 40 ft. away) wear no helmets, and have jackets of iron scales that make them look kinda like fish. Unlike the fancy guards, who hold spears festooned with the civic standard of the local governor, these two shady characters in the back have long daggers with sturdy handles. You don't see any badges, but then, the fellows are facing away from you. Probably wearing the badges toward the front.

How long do you watch? Also, are you trying to Act inconspicuous, or are you actually trying to Hide?

This would be an Acting skill check. Since you don't have any ranks, just roll your Daimon PV.