All Rogues Game: Wretched Hive of Scum & Villainy

So, this is what I am thinking about for a character... If I am in, it can always be modified to the requirements of the game backstory.

Unassuming and sleight, most people who encounter Amaline would not give her a second thought. But the humble young woman born and raised in Porto Liure could easily be the most intellectually gifted crook in the city; perhaps even the most intellectually gifted person in the city. And while no one who met her would easily come to that conclusion, her considerable talents have not gone unnoticed by the seedy underclasses.

Amaline was born into the lower classes of Porto Liure, from a family descended primarily from a mix of Northmen and Terrasans. From a very young age her parents knew she was gifted, but they could not afford a proper education for her. So the girl who could have been the pride of the most prestigious academies, could have become a mistress of magic, instead gained her education on the streets. And what dangerous streets they were.

No matter how smart and logical one might be, you can hardly grow up in the poor neighbourhoods of Porto Liure without having the stories and superstitions of the area rub off on you. Though not religious, Amaline gained a healthy fear of Dog from her family as a little girl. Supposedly at least one relative was among the victims of the Bloody Saturday Massacre, though the details have become sketchy over the generations. And that is only the most well known of the supernatural dangers of the slums.

Mundane threats abounded as well in the slums, but Amaline's natural genius allowed her to ingratiate herself with the thieves, scoundrels, and crime families of Porto Liure, thus guaranteeing a degree of safety as long as she tread carefully. She became good at pricing stolen goods, creating and detecting forged documents, and crafting all matter of special substances, including some drugs and poisons. She also came to be skilled at protecting stolen goods from other thieves, crafting complex locks and traps. But it has been a dangerous life, as Amaline has always been more of a freelancer, and thus does not enjoy all of the protections that her clients do. And that has meant that to cover her tracks she had become adept at lies and disguise, as well as escape.

Amaline has so far managed to keep her reputation as a dependable hire, but the crime lords of Porto Liure can be fickle, and it may only be a matter of time before their is a major shakeup in her life.

Amaline, Girl Genius, female human trapsmith rogue 1, neutral
str 10 dex 14 con 13 int 20 wis 12 cha 8
traits canter, mathematical prodigy (engineering)
skills appraise, bluff, craft (alchemy), craft (locks), craft (traps), disable device, disguise, escape artist, knowledge (engineering), knowledge (local), linguistics, perception, sleight of hand, stealth, use magic device
feats fast learner, improvisation
languages?

I love it. Sounds wonderful.

I do need to describe languages, don't I? I've gotta run for a school open house in a few minutes, but I'll get to that later this evening.

Languages

Terrasan: This is the official language of the Terrasan Empire (surprising, I know) and as such is widely spoken in all the areas of the map shown on my campaign sites and elsewhere. In origin, it is based on the southern shores of the Mezzovian Sea, and it is there that its penetration is most thorough. That said, since no land shown on the map has failed to undergo a fairly severe "Terrasification" culturally, this is a common trade language, at least, if not native language of most people in the area.

Real life similarities: Most place and people names here come from this language. To represent this, I've used mostly Occitan and Catalan names and words, with a few that I draw or manually revise from Romanian, Spanish and various Italian and other Romance languages as well, such as Sardinian, Asturian, Aragonese, Piedmontese, Corsican, Sicilian, etc.

North Terrassan (Balshatoi): The Terrasan Empire was cobbled together over the course of many generations, and from many cultures. The northern rim of the Mezzovian Sea was originally populated by a completely different cultural group. Due to the many years that they have been part of the Empire, their language had largely faded, to be used only by lower classes (particularly, isolated rural populations) and scholars who read the ancient records of the region. As the strength of the Empire has faded in recent decades, however, North Terrassan has undergone a bit of a linguistic renaissance. More and more people of the northern cities: Razina, Iclezza and their surrounding lands, are trying to reclaim the language and bring about its greater prominence. This effort is still nascent; a person who speaks only Terrassan and not North Terrassan will get along fine in these cities, although more and more certain officials, merchants and others will view them as worthy of scorn or even resentment for attempting to "stamp out" their own native culture. Despite the name, North Terrassan is related to Terrassan only by way of geography. Linguistically the languages bear little resemblances that aren't obvious recent borrowings.

Real life similarities: Names in North Terrassan can be picked from Scandinavian and Slavic namelists, particularly Old Norse and Polish or Russian.

Common: Common in this setting is not like Common in a typical D&D setting. Common is a patois or Creole type language formed from Terrassan and various other substrate languages, and it has never achieved anything like a legitimate status. Although a few people write glosses and other short passages in various alphabets, especially Terrassan, this is merely an accomodation; Common actually has no written form at all. Speaking in Common is certainly possible over a wider audience than Terrassan, but it is limited in what it can convey; it lacks the robustness of a naturally occuring language.

Roleplaying note: Realistically, anyone roleplaying in this setting can use Common to get by (although there is no written form of it) without any penalties. For added flavor, anyone trying to conduct any social skill check (Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, etc.) in Common takes a -2 penalty due to the simplistic and sparse nature of speaking in Common.

Kvuustu: Kvuustu is a language that originates in the southern portion of the map, and is most closely associated with the Neanderthal population. It's too simplistic to simply say that Kvuustu is the equivalent of the Neanderthal language, however; many humans who live in proximity to that area speak Kvuustu as their native language as well. Many scholars believe that this language was once much more widespread over this area, long before the rise of the Terrassan Empire, and that ironically it was humans from the shores of the Mezzovian Sea who first brought an ancient form of this language to the Neanderthals... who now bring it back with their foederati army units and settlements. Many Neanderthals who are recently arrived in the Empire speak only this language, or at best, Kvuustu and Common. Kvuustu does have an ancient written form, but today few people can use it and most native speakers are illiterate.

Real life similarities: I actually have a word generator program, with custom parameters, that generate my Kvuustu words. It is notorious amongst Terrassans for its difficult consonent clusters and long "doubled" vowels, as well as having fewer phonemes than some other languages. In fact, the more difficult consonent clusters compensate for this lack of phonemes, so that k-, kv-, ksv-, etc. serve as different letters from each other, effectively.

Kurushi: The language of the Kurushat khaganate, this language is commonly known by its association with the native ethnic group of that area, who speak it as a native language. Unlike the neighboring Kvuustu, this language is quite cultured, and the Kurushi themselves can claim to have a growing, vibrant, powerful state that is a legitimate rival to Terrasa and other states in the region. In any case, Kurushi has a rich literary history, at the very least, and its use, especially on the southern rim of the Mezzovian, is becoming more commonplace. It remains today, however, an exotic foreign language.

Real life similarities: If the Terrassan empire is often compared loosely to Rome, then the Kurushi have to be compared loosely to the Sassanian Persians, at least in terms of role in the setting, if not actual linguistic similarity. The fact that the Kurushi who remain on the shores of the Mezzovian are isolated from their motherland, and have been for a long time, does not mean that they have forgotten their heritage. Although many serve as foederati for Terrassa, their primary allegiance is to themselves. The names I've created for Kurushat are often Leigh Brackett Martian names that have been modified and malformed to scrape the serial numbers off. In addition, a pseudo-Asian vibe has been applied to some names, although this is too vague and generic to be binned to any specific Asian culture.

Sylvan: This language comes from the woods and wilderness areas on the western borders of the Empire, and is still common amongst the rural mining towns in Caurs Mountainsand the woodlands of the southern Bisbal Forest; especially along the banks of the Erau River. Because many Imperial citizens only know it from the changelings who live in that region, it is informally called "Changeling" or Vucari by many. Another branch of this language exists deep in the Shifting Forest, but since the inhabitants of those lands are extremely xenophobic and don't maintain relationships of any kind (other than "kill on sight") with their neighbors, this dialect has diverged from that spoken in the Caurs region significantly.

Real life similarities: Most Sylvan names are ones that I've grabbed from namelists from Georgian (the country, not the state in the southeastern United States) and Turkish. I might have grabbed a few Abhkhaz names just for fun as well.

Qizmiri: This language came from across the ocean with the jann. The version of Qizmiri today is heavily influenced by a substrate language of the humans who lived there, who spoke a language distantly related to Terrasan. That language is now extinct, and everyone from Qizmir speaks Qizmiri.

Real life similarities: Most names and words from Qizmiri are borrowed and adapted from either Farsi or Arabic, and should have a similar "feel" to those languages.

Tarushan: Tarushan is mostly a substrate language of the northern reaches of the map, distantly related to North Terrasan. It's mostly extinct except as a source of ancient inscriptions, placenames and loanwords. However, it does remain an active and vibrant language in one region: Tarush Noptii. It is speculated that it is the original native language of the Primogenitor vampires. The linguistic conservatism of effectively immortal creatures has ensured that it remains mostly as it was many generations ago, and today Tarushan is one of the most archaic and conservative languages in the region.

Real life similarities: Tarushan names are borrowed from Hungarian.

Infernal: This is the primary language spoken by those from the Realms Outside, although myriad other tongues exist amongst this diverse breed as well. In addition, this is the language of magic, so a smattering of it, at least, is known by any practitioner of the arcane arts. Perfect fluency in this language, on the other hand, is almost impossible for any mortal to achieve. Because of this, it takes two skill points to earn this language, not one.

Despite that, it was always very fashionable in Baal Hamazi, where the demonic taint of their bloodline was a source of pride to the ruling caste, to speak Infernal natively, and many noble houses took great pains to ensure that their children didn't hear any other language until they were five years of age. Some households still speak Infernal in the home, and it is still a living language of some importance in some of the successor states to Baal Hamazi, and amongst the hamazin in particular.

Real life similarities: Most of the names are borrowed from the slightly more obscure cultures of the ancient middle east: Ancient Egypt, Elam and the Hurrians, in particular.

Dagonic: This is a bizarre pre-human language, remnants of which float around on isolated and moldy standing stones and other areas. Intriguingly, it appears to have originally been a underwater language. Few people on the surface can even make an attempt to learn it, due to the challenges of speech that an underwater language had to have overcome, and the language itself is only known from very scanty and fragmentary remains, making fluency all but impossible for even the most dedicated scholar.

Roleplaying note: Because of the difficulty in learning this language, it takes three skill points rather than one to do so. Also, for all intents and purposes, it is a written language only, not a spoken language, since there are no speakers that anyone knows of at all, and how to pronounce the language is anyone's guess.

Okay, I think I am going to opt into this. I keep telling myself I should not join any more games, but that is hard to live by when some, such as this, match up with characters I have wanted to play for a while, .

In any case, Amaline, with her five bonus languages and the extra from linguistics, speaks Terrasan, North Terrasan, Common, Kvuustu, Kurushi, Sylvan, and Qizmiri. It was a bit of a toss up between Kvuustu and Tarushan for the last one, but I figured the latter would probably be less easy to come by, even if it is related to North Terrasan.

You speak pretty much every language that's currently in use in the region and beyond. Perfect fit for the concept!

Stefano Claude, male human rogue (cutpurse) 1

[sblock=stats]str 12/+1
dex 20/+5
con 10/+0
int 13/+1
wis 8/-1
cha 14/+2

HD 1d8+1, hp 9
AC 18 (+5 dex, +3 armor), touch 15, flat footed 13; +1 Combat Expertise when attacking
move 30'; saves Fort +0, Reflex +7, Will -1; init +5

attack rapier +5 melee (1d6+1, 18/x2)
or sap +5 melee (1d6+1 nonlethal, 20/x2)
or dagger +5 melee or ranged (1d4+1, 19/x2)
or crossbow +5 ranged (1d8, 19/x2, 80' range inc) (move action to reload; can attack while prone)

Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

The rogue's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 8 + Int modifier + 1 (human)

skills (ranks/total/with ACP): Acrobatics 1/9/8, Appraise 1/5, Bluff 1/6, Climb 1/5/4, Disable Device 1/9/8, Escape Artist 1/9/8, Perception 1/3, Sense Motive 1/3, Sleight of Hand 1/9/8, Stealth 1/9/8

languages: Terrasan, Common

feats: Weapon Finesse, Combat Expertise

traits: Magical Talent (message 1/day), Threatening Defender (reduce Combat Expertise penalty to attack rolls by 1)

class abilities:

Sneak Attack +1d6

Measure the Mark (Ex): When a cutpurse makes a Sleight of Hand check to take something, the target makes its Perception check before the rogue makes his Sleight of Hand check, and the rogue knows the Perception check result. He can decide whether or not to make the check based on the results of the target’s Perception check. If the rogue elects not to make the check, he can make a Bluff check, opposed by the target’s Sense Motive, to prevent the target from noticing the attempt.

140 gp equip:
rapier (1d6 P, 18/x2), 2 lb, 20 gp
sap (1d6 B nonlethal, 20/x2), 2 lb, 1 gp
dagger (1d4 PS, 19/x2, can throw 10' range inc), 1 lb, 2 gp; +2 on Sleight of Hand to conceal
light crossbow (1d8 P, 20/x2, 80' range inc), 4 lbs, 35 gp
20 bolts, 2 lbs, 2 gp
studded leather armor, (+3 AC, max dex +5, ACP -1), 25 gp

Thieves' Tools, 30 gp
Periscope (+12 stealth, -4 perception), 20 gp
Rope, hemp, 50', 10 lbs, 1 gp
backpack, 2 gp
waterskin, 1 gp
sack (x2), 0.2 gp
8 sp[/sblock][sblock=Description]Stefano is a dark haired (bald) human male, 5'8'.

He grew up in an unhappy rural household, constantly at odds with his father, who often beat him. As a young teenager he ran away and came to Porto Liure, where he quickly fell into a life of thievery. Despite his frequent stealing, he has a moral streak and sometimes deposits stolen items in the pockets of those who need them more than he does. Unfortunately, that once caused an innocent woman - Sandra Grin - to be caught and jailed for a crime that Stefano committed. Though unhappy about it, he wasn't willing to come clean and go to jail himself.[/sblock]

[sblock=Amaline]
[sblock=Game Info]
Race: Human
Class: Trapsmith Rogue
Level: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Languages: Terrasan, North Terrasan, Common, Kvuustu, Kurushi, Sylvan, Qizmiri
Deity: Dog[/sblock]
[sblock=Abilities]
STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 13
INT: 20
WIS: 12
CHA: 08[/sblock]
[sblock=Combat]
HP: 10 = [1d8=8] + 1 (CON) + 0 (misc) + 1 (favored class)
AC: 13 = 10 + 1 (armor) + 0 (shield) + 2 (DEX) + 0 (misc)
AC Touch: 12 = 10 + 2 (DEX) + (misc)
AC Flatfooted: 11 = 10 + 1 (armor) + 0 (shield) + 0 (misc)
INIT: +2 = +2 (DEX) + 0 (misc)
BAB: +0 = +0 (rogue)
CMB: +0 = +0 (STR) + 0 (BAB)
CMD: 12 = 10 + 0 (STR) + 2 (DEX) + 0 (BAB)
Fort: +1 = +0 (base) + 1 (CON)
Reflex: +3 = +2 (base) + 1 (DEX)
Will: +1 = +0 (base) + 1 (WILL)
Speed: 30 ft.
Damage Reduction: None
Spell Resistance: None
Spell Failure: N/A[/sblock]
[sblock=Weapon Stats]
Dagger (melee): +0 = +0 (BAB) + 0 (STR) + 0 (feat)/ DMG = 1d4 (PorS), CRIT 19-20x2
[/sblock]
[sblock=Racial Traits]
+2 Int, Bonus Feat, Bonus Skill Point/Level[/sblock]
[sblock=Class Features]
Proficient w/Simple Weapon, Hand Crossbow, Rapier, Sap, Shortbow, Shortsword, and Light Armour
Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding[/sblock]
[sblock=Feats & Traits]
Bonus Human- Improvisation
1st lvl- Faster Learner

Traits:
a) Canter
b) Mathematical Prodigy[/sblock]
[sblock=Skills]
Skill Ranks: 15 = [8 (class) + 05 (INT)] x 01 (LvL) + 01 (misc) + 01 (Favored Class)
Max Ranks: 01
ACP: -0

Skills:
() = class skill
^ = trained only
[/sblock]
[sblock=Spellcasting]
...[/sblock]
[sblock=Equipment]
Treasure: 36 gp, sp, cp Gems:

Carrying Capacity:
light- 33
medium- 66
heavy- 100[/sblock]
[sblock=Details]
Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 105 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Skin Color: Light Tan
Appearance: Plain
Demeanor: Nervous[/sblock]
[sblock=Background]... [/sblock]
[sblock=Adventure Notes] None yet[/sblock]
[sblock=Level Ups]
Level 2
Class:
BAB: +0 to +0
Fort: +0 to +0
Ref: +0 to +0
Will: +0 to +0
Feat:
Class Features:
HP: +?? = (1d?? - 2 = ?) + 0 [CON] + ?? (Old Total) = ?? (new total)
Skill Ranks: +?? = +?? (Class) + 0 (misc) + ?? (Old Total) = ?? (new total)
Skills:
Favored Class Bonus:[/sblock] [/sblock]

I think this character is rules-legal:

[sblock=Roderick]Human Rogue (Investigator)
Favored Class: Rogue (+1 skill rank/level)

STR 10
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 8 (-1)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 17 (+3)

Feats: Alertness, Persuasive

Languages:

• Common
• Terrasan
• North Terassan
• Kvuustu
• Kurushi

Skills:

• Appraise +7
• Bluff +7
• Diplomacy +9
• Disable Device +7
• Disguise +7
• Intimidate +9
• Knowledge (history) +4
• Knowledge (local) +7
• Knowledge (nobility) +4
• Linguistics +7
• Perception +8
• Sense Motive +8
• Use Magic Device +7

Traits: Canter, Rich Parents (Is this one okay? 'Cause it would be very handy to have a 900gp pool for bribes and other unexpected expenses.)

Combat Stats:

Initiative +1
HP 7
AC 13 (Leather 15 lb.), Fortitude -1, Reflex +3, Willpower +2
Dagger (+0 melee, +1 thrown, 1d4 P or S, 19/X2, 10 ft range, 1 lb.)
Sap (+0, 1d6 B, nonlethal, 2 lb.)
CMB +0
CMD +1

Equipment:

• Candle
• Case, map or scroll (0.5 lb.)
• Chalk, 1 piece
• Flint and steel
• Ink (1 oz vial)
• Inkpen
• Mirror, small steel (0.5 lb.)
• Mirror, small steel (0.5 lb.)
• Paper (sheet)
• Parchment (sheet)
• Sack (empty) (0.5 lb.)
• Sealing wax (1 lb.)
• Sewing needle
• Signal whistle
• Signet ring
• Soap (per lb) (1 lb.)
• Thieve's tools (1 lb.)
• Explorer's outfit (8 lb.)
• 938 gp 3 sp 2cp (900 in a safe stash/not on person).

31.86 lb.[/sblock]

Sure, I'll accept Rich Parents.

Let me take stock here later this morning; it looks like we're still missing [-]two[/-] three characters. Before we begin, I want to do one more quick and dirty exercise in character refinement (non-mechanical.) To do that, I'll need everybody to write up a very brief (paragraph or two is more than enough) summary of some of the adventures or shenanigans you've been up to in just the last week or two. Everybody needs to have had something happen to them that requires you to spend a day or two on a trip to a nearby village named Bara Gairo that's associated with Porto Liure. Slow moving fishing schooners make almost daily milk runs between the village and the port. As you can guess, you'll all be in the village at the same time for one night, planning on returning the next day.

Also; Rune, what's your character's name?