Escape From the Underdark

Scoodles · Oct 2 '12, 5:52am

With the topic of Sanctuary being brought up, I want to ask a few questions, if you wouldn't mind. Would Sanctuary typically act as the 'Quest hub' for the group? I'm guessing since the Underdark is a horrid, vile place, the group of five would have to spend some time going back to the town for provisions and all that, whilst picking up quests along the way? Or will Sanctuary be more of a one-time visit sort of area? Considering I'm still very greenhorn, I hope for an answer.

Crucival · 8:14am

Name: Horus Kraele
Race: Tiefling
Class: Ideally hexblade warlock, though other warlock would be fine. I could also see him being a Psion, though it'd make the Pact element less crucial.
Alignment: Neutral

Horus Kraele is the latest in a long line of Tiefling slaves, descending from a Narfell Chieftain captured by the Drow in a surface raid. He was raised among the tales of his family's heritage, how they made fell pacts with demons for power and glory. But there was no glory here, only work in the mines, and Horus had the worst role of all: the canary.

Above ground, when you want to test a mine for safety, you bring a canary, a sensitive creature, able to detect changes in the quality of the air and die before the miners do, allowing them to escape pockets of trapped gas. In the Underdark, you bring a sensitive mind, attuned to seeking the thoughts of eldritch abominations buried in the cavernous places time forgot. Horus Kraele, despite his protests to the contrary, was an excellent Mindseeker, and the Drow were quite happy to put him at the forefront of every mining expedition. He'd saved countless lives by discovering pockets of territorial Beholders or steering a mining team away from a slumbering colony of Umber Hulks.

And one day, the seeker found something extraordinary. On an otherwise routine expedition into the depths of a mine, he found a wounded, dying Illithid. Too weak to dominate him or enslave him yet unable to suppress its instincts to call servants to it, Horus followed its keening cry and came upon it shortly before its death. Contact with the Flayer's mind was fascinating--an entire wealth of racial memory, the knowledge of ancient empires and hidden glory. It reminded him of the tales his mother told about the Tiefling empires that once roamed the surface. He found himself keeping the creature company in its final moments, sharing an odd sort of sympathy for times long past and for futures closed off before they could even reveal themselves. The creature came to a decision, and as it died, Horus felt his mind flood with the creature's experiences, a knotted ball of knowledge and power buried deep in his psyche. He wouldn't be able to access it all at first, only bits and pieces, but it was enough to know one simple fact: he had a weapon, now. When the moment came, when the mine foremen showed even a moment's weakness, he would be free.

DMs, I'd love any feedback you have to offer. I tried to skirt the line around gimmicks by making his personality the sort to be receptive to a situation like this rather than having his whole life defined by the pact, but I'm happy to tweak. PMs or here is fine.

Fortive · 9:31am

Gah, wow. I was thinking today, and these were what I came up with for builds in the order I wanted them...

Fighter
Rogue
Barbarian

And all of them were taken!!
Now I need to come up with something new...

*Edit* Screw it, I am going to go with a fighter anyway.

Celtic Guardian 7 · 9:33am

*COMPLETE*

Name: Francis "Fran" Mystral
Race: Human
Class: Cleric
Alignment: Good

spazz451 · 4:38pm

Application is done outside of any comments from other PCs or DMs.

Application FormatName: Calderax Romazi, known to his current owners as Krin
Race: Tiefling
Class: Psion
Alignment: Neutral

When inspected the mark just above his chest appears to be a brand but is actually a birth mark - the mark of the royal house of Romazi, or at least the once royal, back when Tieflings were able to use their full power and ruled over much of the land. But that was a long time ago. Since then the Tieflings have fallen into disrepute. While many have banded together they only ended up turning on each other, vying for more power. Now to be marked as a noble is practically a death sentence, seen as a threat to any leader or rising upstart; though few know of the marks anymore.

Lady Luck is fickle and apparently she saw Calderax doing too well. A new rising star in the coterie Calderax had been thriving quite well with somehow came to learn of the royal marks and caught a glimpse of his. But Lady Luck is not strictly mean, Calderax had been paying well for information to keep his position and heard of the discovery before the young one had time to put a plan fully in place. Selling some of his highly valued items he hired a tasker - someone who could get things done and kept their mouth shut about it - to deal with the ambitious youth.

Unfortunately Calderax needed to leave the city while matters were dealt with and cooled down, not knowing of the final outcome of the tasker. He set off for a dwarven town for some new scenery, but never made his destination. While working his way though the mountains his entourage was set upon by a band of Duergar at night and captured Calderax. Seeing the same fiendish blood in him as themselves they decided to humiliate him before selling him into service to the Drow, they cut and ground his horns. Calderax knew he needed to act. Not only was he about be be sold to the Drow, but potentially Illithids that passed through their domains. And if they knew of his heritage it would be much worse for him. Calderax worked to subtly influence the Duergars' minds, eventually convincing them to only send a small band to enact the transaction. To his benefit they were set upon by a trope of Troglodytes and he managed to escape in the chaos. Although in his rush he was clipped by both sides, noticing him as a prize and he latter collapsed from his wounds. Waking he found himself right where he was initially headed, in the hands of the Drow. Although this way they did not know of his dark heritage or noble rights, making him at least a little safer.

fishingpenguin · Oct 2 '12, 3:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoodles

With the topic of Sanctuary being brought up, I want to ask a few questions, if you wouldn't mind. Would Sanctuary typically act as the 'Quest hub' for the group? I'm guessing since the Underdark is a horrid, vile place, the group of five would have to spend some time going back to the town for provisions and all that, whilst picking up quests along the way? Or will Sanctuary be more of a one-time visit sort of area? Considering I'm still very greenhorn, I hope for an answer.

Yes - Sanctuary, should the PCs manage to make it there, will serve as a central hub for much of the campaign's action, and a place of relative safety in comparison to the rest of the Underdark.

I'll be providing feedback and advice for each completed app in private text in this thread. I've really enjoyed the applications so far - many of them are quite good! Also, please continue to feel free to ask questions, either here or through pms.

TwilightKiwi · Oct 2 '12, 4:01pm

I originally had a thri-kreen monk in mind, but I think I like the human version of the character better. I'll get a full application done after work tonight.

Atrus Arcanus · Oct 2 '12, 11:48pm

Looks like an intriguing game premise. I had an idea for a wizard, but I doubt I know enough about 4e to pull off a controller just yet, so I would like to be a reader instead.

fishingpenguin · Oct 2 '12, 11:56pm

A few people have brought this up, so let me just say that I have no problem with people new to 4e, and in fact we would be happy to help you learn the mechanics, and I'm certain the other players would help out as well. If you have a great concept, don't let unfamiliarity with the system get in the way.

Celtic Guardian 7 · Oct 3 '12, 12:17am

Oh, do we start the game still in the slave position rather than in Sanctuary? I'm even happier if that's the case but I need to change my idealized backstory to fit accordingly if so.