Mako's story

...Mako’s story
...The tale of how I came to be in the Redlands.
...As told by Mako.

A while ago, before Mako tired of city life, I was getting soused at a local public house, The Crimson Pagoda, in the port city of Ran Jang, on the coast of Chin. One of Mako’s drinking companions, a sly fellow named LoPan, boasted that he had just perfected a brand new potion recipe he called ‘potion of undead control’.

Mako being extremely intoxicated tersely said “I know a bit of magic, and I do not believe you. Undead have no minds to control.”

LoPan took great offence at this and challenged Mako to try it out himself. In fact he insisted that I do it that very moment, and led Mako out, and down the street to the docks.

“Where are we going?” Mako asked.

“The ‘Sunrise’ is in port, you ignorant sot. There we will find plenty of undead, on which to test my potion.”

We approached the docks, taking cover once they were close to the plague-infested, shunned ship. There LoPan gave Mako a flask of the, as yet untested, potion of undead control. Mako took a large swig of the foul tasting brew, and staggered towards the guards at the ramp leading up to The Sunrise. It was then that I heard a soft chuckling coming from behind me. Shocked I noticed bits of my flesh peeling off and falling to the cobbles at my feet. Then the skeletal guards moved forward and seized me. I tried to scream, but only raspy mumblings came out. Still being drunk I put up little resistance. I was thrown in through a hatch into a holding bay below deck, where I hit my head, and fell unconscious.

Upon waking, a couple hours later, Mako noticed two things. One, the ship he was in was assail, and two, I was a zombie, amongst other zombies, skeletons, ghasts, and ghouls in the hold of the most foul smelling and hideously creepy ship I’d ever been on.

Then I noticed something else, the potion was starting to wear off. Some of the ‘crew’ around me were glaring and sniffing hungrily at me. I checked my pocket, the flask was still there, if only…

...there was another swallow in it, I wasted no time downing the last of the ‘potion of undead transformation’ potion. The slavering undead went back to their own business.

Mako shuffled up deck. It was still dark, the crew was busy stowing gear, and netting things down. I heard shouting, and turning back looked up to see the captain bellowing to make fast for submersion.

Submersion, what the fuck was that!

I was filled with a great panic. I then noticed the captain, The Dread Pirate Captain Zakhi, was giving me the ‘fish-eye’. Double-panic set in, if I could manage to run, I would be in bed in fifteen seconds, but as (ill) luck would have it, there was no time to do anything. Captain Zakhi shouted “NOW!”, and the ship and all on it tilted forward at a disturbing angle and velocity, and plunged below the ocean’s surface. Is there such a thing as triple-panic?

Mako would have been holding my breath, if the potion hadn’t done it for me. I wasn’t wet, but was completely under water. The ship ‘bumped’ a whale out of its way. It drove through a large school of sea-dwelling mammals, pulling a few carcasses in its wake. As I clutched a railing for support, I noticed the crew was going about its normal business, battening and lashing. To-ing and fro-ing. Madness!

And dark, it was black. The only light a lantern at the wheelhouse, and it barely shed any light, illuminating only the terrifying visage of the Captain as he stared ahead.

Then Mako noticed a dim but growing light ahead. As the ship got closer I thought we were headed towards a great, out-of-focus mirror. We were going to crash into it! As the ship hit it, it the ship broke the surface, into the open air. Vertigo hit, then the ship lunged forward crashing into the sea in a flume of water.

It was night, full-mooned and calm. The ship continued on with no wind, sails un-filled. There was another ship on the horizon. The other ship was pointed away. Anchored. Waiting. As we got closer I could make it out better. “Bloody Cutlass” was painted in golden letters on the board nailed to the back of the ship.

The Sunrise slowed and pulled up alongside the new ship. A man swung over, landing on the Sunrises’ top deck, and said “Zak, I believe we have business to discuss.”

“Aye, we do. But a-fore that, a little matter… a little stow-away matter.” That said, Mako was seized, lifted, and hurled over the side of the ship. Thrown toward the other ships’ side. Where I hit the side and fell flailing into the ocean.

“He’s not one of mine, he’s yours.” Zakhi hissed.

“You sure?”, but seeing the look in Zakhi’s eyes, he knew, and shouted “Haul 'it' up, boys.” The two went below deck.

A hook bit into Mako’s side, and I was pulled up, and locked in a holding cell, where I passed out.
Upon waking the first thing I noticed was that I was ‘human’ again, and hungry, and hung-over. Mako waited till someone came past my cell to ask what was to come of me. And was told I’d have to ask Captain Shanahan.

A few minutes later a cleric came to me, said some magic words and I was healed, and sober. Twenty minutes later I was brought topside to meet the Captain.

Captain Shanahan said “I don’t know who you are, nor do I care. I don’t know what magics got you onboard The Sunrise, again, nor do I care. You are still a stowaway, and will be treated as such. In payment of your bread and water you will write a statement of how you came to be in this situation. Then you will be freed in the first friendly port we come to. I wish you well. Take him away, give him a pen and parchment.”

Mako was returned to his cell. Where-in I have written this missive. But someday I will find that son-of-a-she-dog sorcerer known as LoPan.

And on that day Mako will kill him.

Mako.

I plan to run this Tuesday

I plan to run this Tuesday. We should complete the current adventure.

Please plan to level to 10th and bring a copy in case we finish the adventure before the end of the night.

Bob, what is your character's name?

I will likely not be there the following week, June 30th, as I will be driving back from a camping trip with the scouts in PA. Someone else should plan to run that week. If I make it back early enough I will try to attend but I cannot say I will be there for sure.

Keith

Art for Pathfinder RPG GM Screen

Checkout the art for the new Pathfinger RPG GM Screen at the top of the Tuesday blog page.

New Game!

I've decided to run a Pathfinder game on Tuesday. It will be set in the same world as the pirate game, but it will be more of a traditional dungeon crawl.

You can play any of the standard races from the Pathfinder beta. Depending on your country of origin, you may get a small bonus class skill:

Redlanders get Knowledge Nature as a class skill. There is a strong druidic presence in the peasantry there. Redlanders have a somewhat myopic view of history, and either will not or can not talk of the time when their King was called Defiler.

Whitelanders get Knowledge Religion as a class skill. If you choose this origin, you must come up with a reason why your character would go to the Redlands (where the adventuring will take place), when the Church bans all travel to that country.

Duleanders (sorry, no background link) come from a chaotic, polyglot, and Byzantine nation. If your character concept is kind of out there but still passes inspection, he's probably from Dule (dooLAY). Duleanders get Knowledge Nobility and Royalty as a class skill.

Islanders are one of the native peoples of the Uncharted Archipelago. They are similar to Maori or Hawaiians, except for the islands closest to the Redlands or Darklands. Islanders get Profession Sailor as a class skill.

For those Asian fetishists out there, you can choose to come from the Chin Empire; a collection of island states ruled through a mixture of political savvy and outright force. Chin characters get Knowledge History as a class skill. While there are no travel restrictions for Chin citizens, you still must come up with some reason as to why you would be in the Redlands. The Empire is on the other side of the world.

Darklanders would draw quite a bit of suspicion and fear from the Redlander populace, so it would be wise to shed conspicous clothing and mannerisms that would mark you as such. Darklanders have pale skin and dark hair and eyes. They get Knowledge Dungeoneering as a class skill.

Next to the Empire lies Arabia, for those of you that would like a Hakim or Sinbad knockoff. Like Chin, you must come up with a reason why your Arab would be adventuring in the chilly northern hemisphere. Arabian characters get Knowledge Architecture and Engineering as a class skill.

Elves most likely come from Fejounaise or the Whitelands, but also from scattered conclaves here and there. Dwarves almost always hail from Frostheim, the arctic metropolis. If you want to play one of these races, you have to come up with a creative reason to be in the Redlands. Elves and Dwarves have a deep hatred and mistrust of the Red King and almost never visit the Redlands. Imagine a Jew going back to Germany shortly after Hitler called a truce with the allies, and you have a good idea of how these races feel about it.

Halflings and Gnomes have communities in the Redlands and would not draw attention in a city. Seeing one in the more rural areas might be considered odd.

Half-Orcs draw just as much suspicion as they do anywhere else. The rank and file of the Dogwa's army was orcish, and many a Redlander grandpa has an orcish war trophy on the mantle.


Any basic class from the beta is good (altho I strongly recommend the group adheres to the 4 basic monster food groups), and any off-brand class from one of the old books is probably ok too (ie Favored Soul).

Use the point buy chart for your stats.

Start at first level. Choose whatever starting gear you can afford using the standard chart on Page 99 of the Pathfinder book.

I should be ready to start in 2 or 3 weeks.

Any questions?