[OOC] A Paid Trip to Spellhold [D&D 4e]

[Voda Vosa]

In Amn, everything has a price. From assassins and slaves to art and artifacts, the nation offers an indulgence or a vice for everyone. The laws can be if you don’t have the coins to be in the proper side of things. From a Cowled Wizard of Athkatla to a simple militia man in any of the small villages of Amn, everyone has a price. Even you have a price too; this time, a very good price...Or that you thought. Athkatla is full of surprises, and when you came looking for what was promised, you only found a trap. Luckily you escaped with your life at least. As the athkatlaians says “Around every street corner and bend in the road, Amn might hold the opportunity of a lifetime—or a cutthroat waiting to end your life.” That was an example of the second one.
Now you are stuck in the capital city for a time.

What you know of the area:

Amn

Amn is a place where respect and reputation can be bought, regardless of race. The exceptions are many of the monstrous races, which have become reviled since the rise of Muranndin, a monster kingdom that lies to the south. The High Houses maintain a bounty on the heads of trolls, ogres, and giants.

Many adventurers come to Amn seeking wealth and reputation. Groups such as the Blazing Swords have seen their ranks inflate in recent years, and the lure of merchant bounties on bandits and monsters inspire many to take up the sword. However, spellcasting adventurers must conceal their talents or face the wrath of the Cowled Wizards, the only “legal” wizards allowed in the region.

The shadow Thieves are the predominant thief guild in all Amn. Bandits and pickpockets who do not ally with the guild face a grave threat from the domineering organization.

The Cowled Wizards are the cabal of the only “legal” arcanists in Amn. The Cowled Wizards serve as the Meisarch’s spies, troubleshooters, and assassins. Most are little more than mercenaries.

The Emerald Cabal is a secret society of unlawful spellcasters opposes the whole crooked Amnian system. The cabal occasionally arranges “unfortunate events” for merchant lords who become excessively destructive.

Athkatla

This capital city is the golden heart of Amn, though only insofar as the country’s wealth goes. Athkatla might be home to some of Faerûn’s richest citizens, but the city’s core is rotten. The council of Five controls every commercial trait, and dispense justice as money dictates. There are rumors that Shadow thieves have a free way to their illicit actions.

Athkatla’s government, the Council of the Five, have requested volunteers for an expedition to Spellhold, the abandoned detention center for outlaw and insane spellcasters.

The Blazing Swords seems to be a recently formed and exponentially growing adventurers guild. For a fee, anyone can become a Blazing sword. Of course there’s honor to be gained, the glory of battle... But first the fee.

Spellhold

Once a Cowled Wizard detention center for outlaw and insane spellcasters, the Spellhold is now an anathema to Amn’s otherwise ordered nation. The Spellhold lies abandoned on the island of Brynnlaw, and it has gained notoriety in recent decades after groups of adventurers traveled there and never returned.
The Five are interested in this places, but their reasons remain secret.

Character creation:
4th Edition Forgotten realm campaign.
22 buy points
Level 1
Background: I’ll like to pay attention to this particular thing. Also note that you must include your own reasons for being in Athkatla, and you particular episode with Athkatla’s finest residents. Where you set up by greedy merchant? Assaulted or robbed by the Shadow thieves? Arrested or blackmailed by Cowled Wizards? That’s up to you to decide.
Allowed material: Anything you can find in the character creator (Keep in mind that monstrous races would be in dire situations inside the capital city, if they don’t find a good way to conceal themselves).
You can use backgrounds from forgotten realms in the character builder.

It’s no necessary that you post an entire sheet, just a peek on background and main choices, like race class and such.

[Voda Vosa]

I have slots saved from my original players, but I'm open to additional players, not too many but who knows? =)

[Theroc]

Any particular roles that are preferable to others? I may try my hand at a character. I'm pretty new to 4E though.

[Voda Vosa]

Not at all, everyone is doing new characters

[Velmont]

I would be interested.

One thing, in your source book, you don't speak about Forgotten Realm source books, but you want to play in FR? Any particular reason?

[Theroc]

Not sure how much of a peek you wanted, but I'm thinking a Dragonborn Sorcerer, who was blackmailed into the adventure by the Cowled Wizards.

[Thanee]

Originally Posted by Velmont

...but you want to play in FR? Any particular reason?

Probably because it is an FR adventure (though it's called Spellgard there, I think)?

I do agree that no FRPG seems a bit weird in that context, heh. Maybe he just forgot to list it?

Bye
Thanee

[Voda Vosa]

Yes I forgot it, seemed too obvious that it would be allowed, heh.

[Velmont]

OK, so no Martial/Arcane/Divine Power. Nor Adventurer Vault 1/2. I'll think if I can come with an interesting concept.

[Voda Vosa]

Hmm I think I'll change it, since I've recently got my hands on the Character creator. If it's there, you can use it.

[Insight]

I'm working on a Dragonborn Sorcerer from Amn. My initial thinking is that he's a thrill-seeker of some kind and going into a prison intended to hold arcanists would be a challenge that would interest him.

[Theroc]

Originally Posted by Insight

I'm working on a Dragonborn Sorcerer from Amn. My initial thinking is that he's a thrill-seeker of some kind and going into a prison intended to hold arcanists would be a challenge that would interest him.

Insight, are you selecting the Dragon Magic powerset as well?

[Insight]

Originally Posted by Theroc

Insight, are you selecting the Dragon Magic powerset as well?

Yeah, he's a Dragon Magic/Strength build with the feat that adds to his attack roll when he uses a power that matches his breath weapon type.

[Theroc]

Originally Posted by Insight

Yeah, he's a Dragon Magic/Strength build with the feat that adds to his attack roll when he uses a power that matches his breath weapon type.

I guess if my Dragonborn Sorcerer doesn't do the strength thing, they might be different enough.

Otherwise, I can think up another idea or something

[Velmont]

It has been a year since he left the Werewood. He had decided to leave as many members of his clan was thinking he was fool. There was that voice in his head he had been hearing since he can remember. It wasn't quite a person, but more the memory of one, the memory of many person, or maybe the memory of one who had live many lives. Things wasn't clear. But for the shifter he was, that wasn't normal. The others was following their instinct, himself was following the wisdom behind those memories.

So he always felt as an outcast, and one day, he has decided to leave his clan and travel south. The few people he could have called friend suggest him to travel to Baldur's Gate, but he was attracted to the south, to the kingdom of Amn. When he arrived to Athkatla, he was putting his eyes on the city for the first time, but the city seems to him so familiar. Each lives he had memories, they all came to this city, and they all died there. Every death came to his mind and he understood that he had reach his final destination.

So the first place he visited was a small chapel of Illmater. He knew exactly where it was, as many of his memories was from there. He found an old man, sick, who was attending to the chapel. The man told him there was very few followers of the Martyr god in this city, as no one was willing to die for their belief. People die here because of the gold. Because they lack it, because they want it, because they have it.

But in this foreign land, Cliff had to find a way of living. He was a warrior in his tribe, so he decided to earn his living as the only way he knew. He became guard for a merchant house. He was guarding some storage house during the night, taking advantage of his higher sense.

During months, his live was guard at night, sleeping at day and a visit at the chapel, talking with the old man an hour before leaving for work. But one day, all changed. He arrived at the chapel and found the old man dead. He died of his sickness. He mourned the man for an hour, also making sure someone would take proper care of his body. After that, he left the empty chapel to go to his work.

That same night, the storage room was attacked by a band of thugs and thieves. Probably the Shadow thieves. They had well prepared the hit and Cliff got seriously wounded. He was left dying. The wound was too serious for his regenerative power. He thought a moment that he was meeting the same faith as every live he had memories, but Illmater came to him. "Not yet child."

He awoke a week later, in his house. He never knew how he had awake there, but the first thing he did was go to the chapel. The chapel had been robbed, as no one was left to take care of it. So Cliff spend the day putting back the chapel into order, and establish himself in the room where was leaving the old man.

It is a month later that he saw the announcement as which the council of five was seeking people. For an unknown reason, he felt he had to go there. Also a clear image of Spellhold came into his mind. A memory of another life. Why it awoke at that moment? He decide to take a chance and follow his instinct. Maybe one day he will understand why he came here, why he is like that, or maybe he will just die one of the many death he remember.

OOC

Longtooth Shifter Ardent Paladin with the Deva Heritage feat. A reincarnation of a follower of Illmater, coming back to Amn every live, each time meeting his death. The reason of that faith is up to you.

[Insight]

Originally Posted by Theroc

I guess if my Dragonborn Sorcerer doesn't do the strength thing, they might be different enough.

Otherwise, I can think up another idea or something

Well, I'm not exactly married to this idea. If you'd rather have the Dragonborn Sorcerer, I can certainly come up with something else. I don't think it'd be wise to have 2 of them in the group.

[Velmont]

A sorcerer can become a good Controller or a good striker. If both of you are willing to concentrate on those aspect, it could work, but I doubt if you each focus on an element you will end by having a controller and a striker.

[Theroc]

Originally Posted by Insight

Well, I'm not exactly married to this idea. If you'd rather have the Dragonborn Sorcerer, I can certainly come up with something else. I don't think it'd be wise to have 2 of them in the group.

Well, I'd mentioned wanting a dragonborn sorcerer in my second post here, which was like post 4. I didn't want to make you change it though, if you really liked the idea.

[Insight]

Originally Posted by Theroc

Well, I'd mentioned wanting a dragonborn sorcerer in my second post here, which was like post 4. I didn't want to make you change it though, if you really liked the idea.

Nah, moving on to something else now.

After reading the FRCG and the FRPG entries on Amn and the surrounding areas, I have an idea for a Shaman coming from the Nelanther Isles, located off the Amnish coast. I figure he's a "reformed" pirate now looking for an "honest" life, although he never quite puts the former life he led behind him.

[Theroc]

Originally Posted by Insight

Nah, moving on to something else now.

After reading the FRCG and the FRPG entries on Amn and the surrounding areas, I have an idea for a Shaman coming from the Nethander Isles, located off the Amnish coast. I figure he's a "reformed" pirate now looking for an "honest" life, although he never quite puts the former life he led behind him.

Alrighty, sounds good.

By the way, Voda, when should we start statting up our PC's?