GM Red Ruin's Savage Tide

Game Master Oritun

The halfling before you is a wizened old crone, for lack of a better term. Deep crow's feet sit at the corners of her eyes, and smile lines mark her cheeks. Her greyed out hair is tied in a neat bun. Her dress is simple, but elegant; it gives the impression that she herself is not wealthy, but she dresses the part.

"My name is Kora. I work for Lady Vanderboren, and she saw fit to ask for your help," she says in a clear, strong voice. The halfling gives you an assessing gaze, and frowns. She rustles in her cloak, and produces a letter. As she extends it towards you, it flaps lightly in the air from the old woman's light tremor. "Don't see why. Always a troublesome one, that Lavinia. Where she thinks someone like you can help her, I've no idea. No one ever tells me anything," she complains, although a twinkle in her eye betrays her stern expression. She waits for you to read the letter.

The note reads:
Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health!

My name is Lavinia Vanderboren, and I humbly request your attendance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think I can present you with an opportunity uniquely suited to your skills. Please inform the carrier of this letter of your response to this invitation, and I hope to be speaking to you soon!

Lavinia Vanderboren

The halfling woman stares at you, one eyebrow ticked up in question. "Well?

The adventure will take place in Golarion, albeit a slightly modified one. I'm shamelessly stealing someone else's idea that I saw by setting the AP ten years AFTER the events of Wrath of the Righteous. The Worldwound is closed, and Demon Lord Deskari is dead, dead, dead. In the aftermath of the Worldwound sealing, a small mass of land, previously part of ancient Azlant, has risen from the deeps. Several attempts at colonizing it have been made, but they have largely been unsuccessful. This island will come up more later in the AP, and I will describe the lore involved further when we get there.

SASSERINE:
Hoo yeah, starting city. I could write several pages worth of stuff about the city, but people would probably just skim it and my hours of work would be tragically wasted. Here's the Cliff Notes:

Sasserine is a city that is located just south of the Shackles. It is divided into seven major districts, each ruled by a noble family. Each district has a temple to a god that is commonly worshipped by its residents:

Azure District:
The harbor district. This is where most of the sea-trade goes on, as well as a lucrative exotic pet/animal market exists. Most of the animal trade is illegal, but it is overlooked to some degree by the local authorities.
Noble Family: Islarans.
Deity: Gozreh.

Champions District:
The sports district. There is a booming arena/gladiator business that pervades most of the district. Fights are generally not to the death, and range from minor amateur bouts to fierce warriors that have become practical celebrities in the city. There are also "Dragon Challenges" that involve contestants pitted against dangerous creatures, but that will totally never ever come up in this AP so I don't know why I'm mentioning it. Never.
Noble Family: Lorchesters.
Deity: Kurgess.

Enlightened District:
The monk district. Well, actually, it is primarily a residential district, but the church of Irori plays an especially large part in the lives of this district. The district is fairly crime-free when compared to the others, as the clergy are part of the local authorities, and train daily in their quest for self-perfection. People here tend to live more quiet, reflective lives, and are generally more laconic and xenophobic towards strangers than other districts.
Noble Family: Taskerhills.
Deity: Asmodeus C'mon, of course it's Irori.

Merchant District:
I mean, it's got merchants. Shops on shops. This is where you go when you have a Bag of Holding filled to the brim with magical items that you want to sell so that you can buy your cloak of resistance plus whatever. Pretty self-explanatory. Also the Vanderboren estate is here.
Noble Family: Arabanis.
Deity: Abadar.

Noble District:
Buncha snooty rich-folk with silver spoons surgically embedded in their posteriors upon birth. It is, of course, one of the safest areas in Sasserine. The House of the Dragon is a magical academy of reasonable renown.
Noble Family: Lidus.
Deity: Timekeeper*

*Timekeeper is a homebrew deity with the Darkness, Good, Glory, and Travel domains. Timekeeper is a demi-god; a Samsaran who was one of the heroes that defeated Deskari and has since ascended to demi-godhood. More information will be presented in the AP; if anyone is interested in taking him as a deity, I can explain more when I'm not super tired.

Shadowshire:
The district where the poor, the unkempt, and the criminal bodies congregate. It's something of a free-for-all here.
Noble Family: Dracktuses, but it changes frequently.
Deity: Norgorber, with no official church.

Sunrise:
Another primarily residential district, but this one hosts a large number of non-human residents. In fact, its ruling noble family is a group of elves. Citizens of this district tend to value nature rather highly, farming plays a major source of wage earning for most residents.
Noble Family: Knowlerns.
Deities: There are temples to Erastil, Desna, and Cayden Cailean, although there is less of an emphasis on religious unity in this district.

This is a gestalt game. This means you pick two classes, and basically get the best parts of both. Here is a link with all the cool explanation stuffs.

Starting Level: 1

HP: Max HP first level, Half HP +1 every level after (d10 would get 6 per level, for example)

Starting Gold: Max starting gold from the wealthier of the two classes.

Race: Any Paizo, but I'm less likely to pick a super obscure race unless you have a good reason for picking it. I admittedly have a slight bias towards core races, but an interesting character can easily sweep this bias aside.

Alignment: Any. Yes, even evil, but you'd better be able to play nice with the group, or so help me I will turn this campaign around.

Class: Any Paizo class, none of the playtest classes.

Ability Scores: 24 point build, on a 1-1 scale, from a base of 10. You can go over 18, but your final score in any ability post-racial and age modifiers cannot be over 20. So, you can make an old paladin who is still supernaturally strong due to the power of his faith, or the dwarven bard you never could make due to that floating -2 CHA; this frees up a good number of character options, I think.

Skills: You get +2 skill point per level, BUT one of them must be spent on a social skill (Intimidate, Diplomacy, or Bluff). Remember that you can use Aid Another in social situations if you don't want to just stand there!

Feats: You get a bonus campaign feat at first level. It's a bit like a campaign trait.

Traits: 2 traits. No campaign traits. Those are feats, silly.

Water Rat
Most of Azure District’s citizens learn to swim at a very early age, and take to the water as easily as land.
District: Azure.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Swim checks. When wearing light or no armor and not encumbered, fatigued, or exhausted, you can swim at one-half your speed as a move action or your full speed as a full-round action. While swimming, you gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks.
Normal: Without the benefits of this feat, a character swims at one-quarter his speed as a move action or at one-half speed as a full-round action.

Arena Blood
The blood of an arena champion flows in your veins, giving you a thirst for glory and a drive to succeed.
District: Champion’s.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Intimidate skill checks. In addition, whenever you successfuly demoralize an opponent using the Intimidate skill during combat you are immediately healed of 1d4 points of nonlethal damage (max 4 points per round).
You also gain a +2 morale bonus on grapple checks, sunder attempts, trip attempts, bull rush attempts, and disarm attempts if you are aware of any noncombatants observing a fight you are participating in.

Steadfast Loyalty
Self control and discipline are the birthright of many who grow up in Champion’s District, and you strive to uphold these ideals.
District: Champion’s.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Will saving throws against charm, compulsion, and fear effects. In addition, when you are attempting a Constitution check to stabilize when dying, the penalty on the check is only half your negative hit point total instead of your full negative hit point total.

Suspicious Eye
You are always on the lookout for treachery and wrongdoing, like many of the other people from Cudgel District.
District: Cudgel.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Sense Motive skill checks. In addition, the DC to take an object from you through the Sleight of Hand skill is increased to 25. You still receive the normal opposed Perception skill check to notice the attempt, and if you make this Perception check, you may immediately make an attack of opportunity on the target who was attempting to pick your pocket. If someone attempts the feint combat maneuver on you, you gain a +4 bonus on your Sense Motive check to avoid the feint.
Normal: The DC to take an object from a character through the Sleight of Hand skill is 20.

Merchant’s Tongue
Growing up around the merchants of this district made you glib and gave you a keen eye for value.
District: Merchant.
Benefit: You have already made quite a bit of money, and have a knack for making more. If you take this feat at 1st level, you gain a one-time bonus of 300 gp to your starting cash. In addition, whenever you sell an object, you can make an opposed Diplomacy check to automatically sell an object for 5% over its asking price.

Academy Graduate
You attended one of several academies in this district, during which you were schooled in the finer arts of being an aristocrat.
Prerequisite: 1st level only.
District: Noble.
Benefit: Pick any three Charisma- or Intelligence-based skills.
These three skills are always considered class skills for you.
In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks, and may use
these skills untrained.

Knack for Magic
Magic is not that mysterious to you, and its gifts have made your life a little easier.
District: Noble.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft skill checks. In addition, you have an innate talent for magic, granting you the following spell-like abilities as a 1st-level caster: 1/day— detect magic, light, and prestidigitation.

Child of the Shadow
You were raised in the streets and back alleys of Shadowshore and have refined several talents and tricks valuable to survival in this neighborhood.
District: Shadowshore.
Benefit: You have a knack for rooting out the underground markets. You gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks made to learn about a city’s black markets.
Growing up on the filthy streets of Shadowshore has also gifted you with several tricks you can use to ensure survival. You gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks in urban environments. You are also adept at fighting in confined areas, such as narrow city alleyways or crowded taprooms. Enemies cannot gain cover from you if they are in your reach; you can thus attack someone around a corner without penalty. A creature with total cover from you still recieves all benefits of his cover.

Student of Nature
The wild has always excited you with its simple beauty and majestic creatures. It is no wonder that many of your talents let you better enjoy the natural world.
District: Sunrise.
Benefit: You get a +1 bonus on Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival skill checks. You also get a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws to resist special attacks from plant creatures.

In order for your application to be complete, I need the following things:
The Crunch: I don't need every single piece here set in stone, but I want at least a good idea of where you are going with the character. Your race, classes, level one feats, and traits are necessary for this section, everything else can more or less wait until the campaign starts.

Why You?: Why has Lavinia decided to recruit you? You have done something noteworthy that has gained you minor renown in some circles. What is it you did? Did you protect a caravan from a bandit attack? Steal jewels from a minor noble family? Thwart a small smuggling ring? Make it whatever you want, but remember that you are level 1. You are gestalt, so you are strong for a level 1 character, but odds are you didn't slay a dragon.

Flavor/Background: The good stuff. Give me an interesting story. Don't just make a justification for how your samurai once picked up a potion and suddenly became an amazing alchemist. Give me a character that could be a main character in a fantasy novel that would make everyone argue about who would play him/her if HBO picked up the series. That level of interesting. Feel free to be from Sasserine, or anywhere else, really.

Appearance: A few sentences is all I really need, but feel free to embellish. You can also describe mannerisms, quirks, etc.

I sort of wish you'd allow Dreamscarred Press' Path of War, because I'd kill to play a Hexcrafter Staff Magus/Dervish Defender Warder. D:

I am getting quite my fill of sailing from another pbp campaign I am currently in, and, with no knowledge of Savage Tide, I feel I must ask: How much sailing is involved in this AP? I realize the title would be indicative that there is quite a bit, but I figured I would ask prior to expressing extreme interest.

I am a well known advocate for religion, I have been in almost all the churches in the area.

Owl had made a name for himself as Jack of all Trades kind of man since he first appeared a few years ago. As long as the price was right, he was your man. And it doesn't have to be money. He is an avid collector of juicy information as well. The vast majority of his jobs have been clandestine in nature but he has worked on both sides of the law. He mas managed to do enough for them to not spend time in jail. Whether he knows it or not he has already done a few jobs for the Vanderborn family, either directly or indirectly, so it makes since to call on his unique skillset yet again.

The main features of Owl when first met are as follows: Finely dressed. On odd, triangular hat (imagine robin hoods hat, feather and all). And always smiling. He is half-elf and keeps the hat low to hide his ears and he walks with no small amount of swagger. It is rare anyone sees him as anything but confident and smiling. He always comes well prepared and well armed. Bow, sword, shield, scrolls, magic, knowledge, alchemical items. He likes to be ready for anything.

In the profile.

Ingo Hawker "Ingo of the Two Hawks'
Male halfling hunter 1/shaman 1/gestalt 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 26, 35)
NG Small humanoid (halfling)
Hero Points 1
Init +4; Senses Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +6; +2 vs. fear
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +5 (1d3+2/19-20) or
trident +3 (1d6+2)
Ranged composite longbow +5 (1d6+2/×3) or
sling +5 (1d3+2)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 3/day (DC 12, 1d6)
Hunter Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +4)
1st (2/day)—aspect of the falcon[APG], cure light wounds, summon nature's ally I
0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, know direction, purify food and drink (DC 13)
Shaman Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
1st—produce flame, sleep (DC 14); detect undead[S]
0 (at will)—arcane mark, dancing lights, mending
S spirit magic spell; Spirit Life Wandering Spirit
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 15
Feats - Custom Feat -, Weapon Finesse
Skills Diplomacy +6 (Opposed to get 5% better deal in buying or selling), Handle Animal +6, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +9, Ride +8 (+10 to stay in saddle), Stealth +12, Survival +7, Swim +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Halfling
SQ animal companion (roc named Falk), animal focus (1 minutes/day), hero points, nature training, spirit animal (osprey named Aya), wild empathy
Combat Gear sharpstone sling bullets (20); Other Gear mwk studded leather, arrows (40), composite longbow (+2 Str), dagger, sling, trident, animal gear (worth 135 gp), artisan's outfit, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, belt pouch, gear maintenance kit (worth 5 gp, 2 lb), hemp rope (50 ft.), mess kit, signal whistle, signet ring, trail rations (5), waterskin (2), 8 gp, 4 sp, 3 cp
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Special Abilities
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Animal Companion (animal companion (roc named Falk)) (Ex) If no current companion, summon nature's ally spells last 1 min/level but only 1 at a time.
Animal Companion Link (Ex) You have a link with your Animal Companion.
Animal Focus (1 minutes/day) (Su) As a swift action, gain bonuses from emulated animal(s). If no companion, +1 slots.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Familiar Bonus: +3 to Survival checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Fearless +2 racial bonus vs Fear saves.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Shaman Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (3/day, DC 12) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Share Spells with Companion (Ex) Can cast spells with a target of "you" on animal companion, as touch spells.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Wild Empathy +3 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.

Aya
Female osprey (valet)
N Tiny magical beast (animal)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +14
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 5 (1d8); fast healing 1
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee 2 talons +5 (1d4-2)
Space 2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration -1)
—prestidigitation
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Statistics
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Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 9
Feats Weapon Finesse[B]
Tricks Air Support, Attack, Bombard, Deliver, Hunt, Seek, Sneak
Skills Acrobatics +3 (-5 to jump), Diplomacy -1, Fly +7, Handle Animal -1, Perception +14, Ride +4, Stealth +15, Survival +3, Swim +7; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SQ able assistant, air support, bombard, deliver, hunt, improved evasion, seek, sneak, teammate
Other Gear belt pouch
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Special Abilities
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Able Assistant (Ex) A valet's master treats the valet as if it possessed the Cooperative Crafting feat and shared all Craft skills and item creation feats he possesses. This ability replaces Alertness.

Cooperative Casting
Your assistance makes item crafting f
Air Support [Trick] An animal trained in air support knows the attack, bombard, and deliver tricks.
Bombard [Trick] Drops item on designated point or opponent.
Deliver [Trick] Delivers item to indicated point or person.
Fast Healing 1 (Ex) Heal damage every round unless you are killed.
Flight (60 feet, Average) You can fly!
Hunt [Trick] Hunts or forages for food to bring to handler.
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Prestidigitation (Sp) A valet can use prestidigitation once per hour.
Seek [Trick] The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.
Sneak [Trick] Creature stays hidden.
Teammate (Ex) A valet is considered to have all the teamwork feats its master has.

Falk
Male roc (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary)
N Medium animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5
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Defense
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AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+2 armor, +4 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 11 (-2)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +1
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Offense
--------------------
Speed 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Melee bite +5 (1d6+2), 2 talons +5 (1d4+2)
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 19, Con 9, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 17
Feats Weapon Finesse
Tricks Attack, Attack, Attack Any Target, Deliver, Down, Fighting, Hunt, Seek, Stay
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+0 to jump), Fly +8, Intimidate +1, Perception +5, Ride +4 (+6 to stay in the saddle), Stealth +8
SQ animal focus, attack any target, deliver, fighting, hunt, seek
Other Gear leather armor, bit and bridle, carnivore feed (per day) (5), ingo (67 lb), masterwork backpack, military saddle, exotic
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Special Abilities
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Animal Focus (Su) As a swift action, gain bonuses from emulated animal(s).
Attack Any Target [Trick] The animal will attack any creature on command.
Bull +2 (Su) When assuming this aspect, gain listed enhancement bonus to Str.
Deliver [Trick] Delivers item to indicated point or person.
Fighting [Trick] The animal has been trained to fight.
Flight (80 feet, Average) You can fly!
Hunt [Trick] Hunts or forages for food to bring to handler.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Seek [Trick] The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.

When marooned as child, Ingo was able to survive and help his injured mother. He managed to tame a Roc as well as a Seahawk and fly back home. That shows resourcefulness. As the family is practically on her door, Lady Vanderboren would surely know that they have a talent for spirit magic.

Ingo adds mobility to the group. While riding, he's fast and can avoid things on the ground. Aya also makes an excellent scout.
He's balanced between healing, melee combat, and ranged combat. He's good at all three, but not as good as a specialist.
In terms of utility, he's got the nature skills and both spontanous and prepared casting.

Newcomers to Sasserine might notice that scattered throughout the city are a number of bars and rods striped scarlet and tan. They're always mounted outside windows or tiny doors in the walls. These mark the clients of the Hawker Family Courier Service. Their purpose becomes clear when they see a seahawk, wings dyed with scarlet stripes, land and pull a message from a pouch on it's chest.
The Hawkers are an extended halfling clan whose business is delivering letters and small items (a few ounces). Heavier items and people who can't pay for seahawk delivery will go by halfling-foot. House members that don't have hawks and younger members deliver things by running. They have many coracles (marked scarlet and tan) to navigate the waterways quickly. The youngsters use their small size to navigate the crowds quickly and they know all the back ways. They are about 100-150 of the roughly 800 halflings in Sasserine. They are easily the most prosperous group of halflings, though they are mid-sized when looking at all of the guilds and businesses in the area.

Though the main aviary is located centrally in the Merchant district, they have offices in each of the districts. If you look near the noble houses, you'll always find their scarlet banner, as the houses are among their most important clients. Since some of the messages come from the noble houses, the city watch treats attacks on the hawks like attacks on people. The kind of people that matter, that is. This doesn't happen often, because it's become common knowledge that harming a seahawk brings bad luck. In some cases, extremely bad luck.

Though delivery is their primary business, they do have a few sidelines known to select customers. Their affinity for birds is not merely skill - many members have a talent for spirit magic and bond with their birds as familiars. This means that the birds seen overhead have eyes and minds to report what they've seen. Combine that with halfling children (and sometimes adults disguised as human children) running about and you have a good information network. Their spellcasting ability is also for hire. They don't advertise these services to avoid conflicting with the local churches, but if somebody needs discreet healing, the Family can provide.

The Hawker family doesn't only work out of Sasserine, there are other branches further away. Many times they'll travel from one group to another to share news and find spouses from further afield. After living several years abroad, Bellis Hawker was bringing her husband Boram and their young son Ingo back to Sasserine when their ship was lost at sea with all hands. Nobody expected their return, but two years later the city was surprised to see a hawk the size of a man coming off of the sea with scarlet stripes dyed into it's wings. It carried an injured Bellis, Ingo, and a couple of eggs as big as they were. They had been marooned, and over time Ingo had bonded with one of the dwarf Rocs on the island. This was odd, as he still had a normal-sized hawk of his own. Their survival was hailed as a miracle, and the family is already planning to breed these bigger hawks to expand into different kinds of services.

Since then, Ingo has become part of the family business, and people have started to get used to a bigger shadow blocking the sun now and then. Even though he's made a name for himself in the family, Ingo is looking for something more than flying over the same city again and again. While he's still a novice, he seems to have a lot of magic for one so young. Between that and his hawks, people are predicting great things from him.

Ingo is a charming young halfling just reaching adulthood. He's surprisingly muscular for one of the small folk. Sturdy leathers with brass studs protect him, and bow and trident show over his shoulders. Outside of combat, he dresses in well-made practical clothes with a few decorative flourishes. Curly reddish-brown hair, green eyes, and a bright smile ensure that he gets plenty of attention at halfling festivals.

Aya is a beautiful bird, every feather in place. She seems almost unreal, like a master artist's picture come to life. She wears a leather pouch that fits tight along her chest and has the house's scarlet stripes under her wings. Falk looks much more common, except that he stands five feet tall. He wears leathers that protect his body, with a saddle and bags on the back. Ava is a bit standoffish, refusing to acknowledge most people. Falk is more curious. He'll cock his head to watch new people and make bige eyes at people eating meat.

Ingo Hawker
Male halfling hunter 1/shaman 1/gestalt 1 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Animal Archive, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 26, 35)
NG Small humanoid (halfling)
Hero Points 1
Init +4; Senses Perception +9
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +6; +2 vs. fear
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +5 (1d3+2/19-20) or
trident +3 (1d6+2)
Ranged composite longbow +5 (1d6+2/×3) or
sling +5 (1d3+2)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 3/day (DC 12, 1d6)
Hunter Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +4)
1st (2/day)—aspect of the falcon[APG], cure light wounds, summon nature's ally I
0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, know direction, purify food and drink (DC 13)
Shaman Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
1st—produce flame, sleep (DC 14); detect undead[S]
0 (at will)—arcane mark, dancing lights, mending
S spirit magic spell; Spirit Life Wandering Spirit
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 15
Feats - Custom Feat -, Weapon Finesse
Skills Craft (leather) +4, Diplomacy +6 (Opposed to get 5% better deal in buying or selling), Handle Animal +6, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +9, Ride +8 (+10 to stay in saddle), Survival +7, Swim +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Halfling
SQ able assistant, animal companion (roc named Falk), animal focus (1 minutes/day), hero points, nature training, spirit animal (osprey (valet) named Aya), wild empathy
Combat Gear sharpstone sling bullets (20); Other Gear mwk studded leather, arrows (40), composite longbow (+2 Str), dagger, sling, trident, artisan's outfit, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, belt pouch, gear maintenance kit (worth 5 gp, 2 lb), hemp rope (50 ft.), mess kit, signal whistle, signet ring, trail rations (5), waterskin (2), 107 gp, 1 sp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Able Assistant (Ex) A valet's master treats the valet as if it possessed the Cooperative Crafting feat and shared all Craft skills and item creation feats he possesses. This ability replaces Alertness.

Cooperative Casting
Your assistance makes item crafting f
Animal Companion (animal companion (roc named Falk)) (Ex) If no current companion, summon nature's ally spells last 1 min/level but only 1 at a time.
Animal Companion Link (Ex) You have a link with your Animal Companion.
Animal Focus (1 minutes/day) (Su) As a swift action, gain bonuses from emulated animal(s). If no companion, +1 slots.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Familiar Bonus: +3 to Survival checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Fearless +2 racial bonus vs Fear saves.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Shaman Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (3/day, DC 12) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Share Spells with Companion (Ex) Can cast spells with a target of "you" on animal companion, as touch spells.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Wild Empathy +3 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.

Scion of the local branch of the Chelaxian House of Arionne, Flynn was brought up to take over the local slaving business run out primarily on the export of slaves from the Mwangi Expanse. Flynn was a dutiful son, diligent in school, and well versed in business.

As a member of a noble house, he was, as one might expect trained in arms. Many a Chelaxian boy dreams of becoming a Hellknight, though Flynn preferred fighting styles more focused on agility since heavy armor in this southern clime was just too damned unpleasant.

The future laid out by his family ended when he fell in which a priest of Cayden Cailean who managed to make clear to him just how evil slavery actually was. Flynn become a convert to the god of freedom, and then realizing the evil of his family's work, decided to bide his time.

Once he was appointed to one of the slaver missions to Garundi to pick up a cargo, he waited until the ship was loaded and returning to Sasserine, then freed the slaves leading them in a revolt which took over the ship. The slaves, none of whom were sailors barely got the ship back to the mainland only to wreck it on some shoals. Flynn, then secured passage back to Sasserine where he could plot more actions against the evil done by his family business.

Currently he is laying low as his family has not only disowned him, but put a bounty on his head. He knows the city well, and gets support from the local temple of Cayden, but still does have to constantly look over his shoulder.

Flynn Arionne
Human (Chelaxian) fighter (lore warden) 1/swashbuckler 1/gestalt 1 (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 56)
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Perception +5
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee rapier +7 (1d6+5/18-20)
Special Attacks deeds (derring-do, dodging panache, opportune parry and riposte), panache (2)
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 18 (18 vs. disarm)
Feats - Custom Feat -, Dodge, Fencing Grace, Weapon Focus (rapier)
Traits indomitable faith, reactionary
Skills Acrobatics +8, Bluff +6, Climb +4, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility) +6, Perception +5, Profession (merchant) +5, Swim +4
Languages Common, Kelish, Polyglot
SQ swashbuckler finesse
Combat Gear acid (2), alchemist's fire (2); Other Gear studded leather, rapier, candle (2), chalk, everburning torch, hammer, piton (4), sack (2), silk rope (50 ft.), sunrod (3), tindertwig (4), 65 gp
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Special Abilities
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Fencing Grace Add Dex instead of Str to rapier damage. +2 CMD vs. disarm if you have at least 1 panache point.
Panache (Ex) Gain a pool of points that are spent to fuel deeds, regained on light/piercing crit/killing blow.
Swashbuckler Finesse At 1st level, a swashbuckler gains the benefits of the Weapon Finesse feat with light or one-handed piercing melee weapons, and she can use her Charisma score in place of Intelligence as a prerequisite for combat feats. This ability counts as having

Flynn has dark brown hair and a fairly light complexion as suited to his Chelaxian background. He's a bit over average height, but not overly muscled. While he is driven by ideology, he is calculating, willing to take his time to seize the best possible opportunity. This reflects his upbringing, and rather makes him atypical of followers of Cayden. He is rather suspicious at this point over the price he has brought down on his head, and hence is not a very open sort.

He is known around the city for his bold strike against his family, and the bounty is well known.

Crunch:

Ila Indigo is a Human Shaman/Arcanist, who specializes in the Nature Spirit and plans to become a Brown Fur Transmuter. She has an Osprey familiar that is prepared to become a Mauler. She has the False Focus Feat and Skill Focus (Perception) Feat. She is taking Student of Nature as her campaign feat. As for traits, she is taking Transmuter (Magic) and Reincarnated (Faith).

Why Me:

Ila Indigo is well known for her generosity. She frequently gives away services that others would ask a price for. She is kind and polite in most situations, and altruistic even beyond that. She regularly prepares multiple goodberry spells and uses her hunting and foraging skills to provide free meals in the Sunrise and Shadowshore Districts. She hasn't done one singularly exceptional thing, but her kindness means she's generally welcome where others would not be. On off days, she's very likely to take goodberry and snapdragon fireworks almost exclusively.

Flavor/Background:

Ila was born and raised here in Sasserine. She's well known to anyone who's ever been hungry, and often sought out by anyone who's ever needed reliable healing for no cost. She has eked out a reasonable living with her companion, a protective Osprey that she nursed from a fledgling with a broken wing. She spends the majority of her time moving between the Azure, Sunrise, and Shadeshore districts, providing fish and other foods to anyone in need, though especially children. When she isn't trying to use the land to make people's lives better, she's often meditating on just where she is and who she is.

She has had minimal contact with any of the noble families, though it is likely that she hasn't gone at all unnoticed. She believes rather strongly in the cycle of souls, and her single most valued possession is actually a spiral representing her belief in cycles, through her faith in Pharasma, which has been tattooed on her left cheek.

Appearance:

Ila adopts the typical traits of a Varisian sorceress; bright hair the color of white sand, and vibrant eyes the color of the sea. She has a black Pharasman spiral circling her left cheek. Her hair is longer on the right side, partially obscuring the right side of her face, while the left is left clear. She has an easy smile, and tanned, weathered skin from many days spent out in the sun, and many nights spent under the open sky.

She is ritualistically clean, though that is made significantly simpler with her magical capabilities. Her nails are always filed to rounded edges, even as the rest of her body is well-worn. She wears light, thin clothing that serves to both accentuate her features (an accident), and to be breathable and quick to dry in even the most humid or stormy weather. She only wears shoes while in the city, and even then, they are simple wooden sandles.

Crunch
Xoruk is a Half-orc Primalist Bloodrager/Spirit Guide Oracle with the Destined Bloodline and the Lunar Mystery. He has a Wolf animal companion from the Lunar mystery named Quomaugh, which will effectively both be his companion and a service dog. You can find the rest of Xoruk's crunch in his profile, which I believe should be 100% ready.

Why me?
I'm a very consistent poster on these boards, as evidenced by the games I'm currently involved in. I have been playing PF for a little over two years now, and I bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm with me.

In terms of why you should bring Xoruk, he is a sturdy frontliner character that will be able to hold his own in a fight, but also will be able to fill the roll of divine spellcaster (though he lacks noticeably in terms of healing ability). As the leader of the Ironmaw tribe, Xoruk is making a name for himself in the Shadowshore as an up-and-coming leader, though admittedly mostly as a leader of thugs, pickpockets and other rough youths. He's a rough diamond that could be polished into a great general, if only given the motivation and means to serve the city at large, instead of just his family and the Ironmaws.

Background
Xoruk is the leader of the Ironmaw tribe, a makeshift gang of teenagers and twenty-somethings from the slums of Shadowshore. He's instilled himself as chief and shaman of this disparate group, trying to turn the members into more than petty thieves and thugs.

The son of a human man and an orc woman, Xoruk has been taught about the culture of both his halves, and is trying to build something better than either by combining them. His goals will revolve around building up his own personal power to both better lead the Ironmaws, and to allow them to muscle their way into a share of Sasserine's black market.

Appearance
Xoruk is a relatively handsome and charismatic half-orc with olive skin, striking gray eyes and black hair. His armor and equipment are clearly found or forged amongst the slums of Shadowshore, and as such are clearly hand-me-downs and cobbled-together knockoffs. His most noticeable trait is that he walks with a very pronounced limp, his left leg having been cursed for reasons beyond the half-orc's understanding. His training and experience have left him surprisingly agile despite the handicap, but it still hampers his movement.

Quomaugh is a proud but slightly-dirty wolf, his grey and white fur marred by dust from the environment he lives in. His bright green eyes shine with intelligence, and he is always to be found at Xoruk's side.

Know one knows where it came from. Ships in the area state one second there was empty sea, the next it was there. An Ice berg in a tropical sea. And embedded in it was a ship. A very large trimaran ship.

Of course, people being people they boarded and found...a child. With white hair, pale skin and strange tattoos on her face. Andrew firetips, a monk of Iomadae traveling on the vessel that boarded first (the Gale Force) took her off the ship, to both care for and investigate. Other strange magical devices were found, and some gold, but little else.
The next vessel was not so lucky. A horrific undead creature, used black fire to drain the life from its victims, screaming the entire time. Then the ice berg vanished.
By then the child was returned to sasserine and was examined. Barely a toddler she was found to be a Assimar, a person related to, or influenced by, a powerful celestial. All she could speak, and fluently at that was celestial, tongue of the upper planes. But she had no memory before being found.
After some thought, the monks decided to enroll her as a initiate in their monastery. To give her a livelihood, and to prepare her for learning of her past. She excelled at the teachings, but she soon manifested an innate power over cold. First it appeared as a chill linked to her punches, and then she used her power to craft spells. A prodigy indeed.
Once she passed the trials to make her a monk of Iomedae, she explored the city, and gained a reputation for solving disputes, through reason and intuition, or through a more direct approach. Released from her monastery to explore and help the world, she continues to do this, a well liked figure on the streets, except for those who have opposed her with violence. Questions plague her. Where did she come from? What was her purpose? Perhaps she would find out. Perhaps. In the mean time she will help those who need it.

Why has she been recruited.
Angelena has built a reputation for being able to resolve disputes one way or other. She also is known as a dangerous opponent and a good ally. A useful asset.

Appearance.
She stands about 5'10, and has a slim, athletic build, and moves with an unconscious grace. Her hair is silver, blond and she has silver coloured eyes. She has pale skin (but never sunburns) and tattoos on her face. If you stand close to her, the air seems cool.

Crunch
Yago is a half-orc barbarian (wild rager)/alchemist (vivisectionist, ragechemist). He has been bred and trained for combat. His traits are reactionary and iron control. His feats are arena blood and power attack.

Why Yago?
Yago was trained from the time he could walk to fight in the pits. His natural brute strength and keen mind make him an extremely deadly combatant. Despite being new to the arena Yago has racked up a number of notable wins. Outside of the arena Yago has gained a reputation as kindhearted man who has never once raised a fist without provocation and goes out of his way to help those in need.

Backround
Yago was born to a human mother and an orc father. His mother wanted to raise him as a human and hoped that one day he would take over her apothecary business. His father had different plans. From the day he could lift a sword Yago father drilled him in the ways of a warrior. Teaching him to let out his primal rage and let it fight for him. When he turned 14 his father took him to an underground pit and threw him into the ring. Yago was a natural he dispatched his opponent and went home.

But for Yago the brutal ways of the pit were boring. He wanted to be the best so he spent every night reading books and mixing strange concoctions in his mothers lab. When he finally found the right mixture he returned to the pit. With the combination of his own bloodlust and his rage mutagen Yago's strength was far beyond that of the average warrior.
He left home in search of a larger arena where he could truly test himself of against other mighty warrior.

Appearance
Yago is a fairly civilized looking half-orc his dark brown hair is cropped short and his beard is well groomed. His skin is tan and adorned with several orcish tattoos. He wears plain clothing and carries very little besides a side arm and a book.

When Yago steps into the arena he looks an entirely different person. He carries a massive great sword covered in scratches and notches. He wears a heavy iron chest plate and carries several steel charm on his belt. From his belt hang multiple different vials filled with all sorts of concoctions and chemicals. The Biggest difference is the way he acts. When under the affects of his rage and his mutagen Yago cares only for battle and will not stop until his opponent has fallen.

M CN Dwarf (with the saltbeard alternate racial trait)
Warpriest of Besmara/Rogue (Pirate) Gestalt 1
STR 16 DEX 10 CON 16 INT 11 WIS 16 CHA 11

Traits: Battlefield Disciple, Glory of Old
Feats: Sea Legs, Weapon Focus (Hook Hand), Skill Focus (Heal)
Campaign Feat: Suspicious Eye

Doc comes from a very traditional dwarf family. The eldest son, they had always hoped he would take over the family stone-cutting business. Doc (or Bjorik, but don't ever call him that) was more interested in ale and gambling however, and was kicked out of the clan at a fairly young age. At some pointhe got himself press-ganged by some pirates, and he found he was as good patching up holes in people as he was at putting them in and found himself running a back alley medical clinic. Especially since the hook-hand prevented (unpaid gambling debt) him from getting a respectable job in doctoring.

Why? Well he either likely discreetly patched up someone employed by Lavinia, or owes her money from his gambling habit.

Taryk’s grey eyes are soft and warm, and stark against her bronze skin. Her dark brown dreadlocks grace her shoulders. She has a noble posture, almost challenging. A tattoo of an upside-down tree runs down her neck, spreading across her shoulders. It's actually not one tattoo, but hundreds of tiny magical sygil tattoo's, forming the image of a tree. It is red when a sygil forms, deepens to black, and then fades to white. When she casts spells, it may turn colors (DM’s descriptions).

Taryk is a hard woman to love. She's brilliant, and believes she is on a mission to civilize the world, one person at a time. She believes that society is doomed because of the way people treat each other, and the way the species treat each other. She believes that there is a problem with the rich crushing the poor, even though she doesn't believe that there is something inherently wrong with being rich.

She distrusts magic, and dislikes religion. The conundrum of her life lies in the fact that she seems to seep magic from every pore. She would prefer to just read a book, cook an extravagant meal, enjoy an expensive scotch and cigar, and live out her life in a warm place overlooking the sea.

Calculating and thoughtful in her planning, she often doesn't think about what she is going to say before she says it in conversation. She believes in the best of mankind, but also believes that most people are idiots; sheep, with no willpower to make an informed choice for themselves, bent on treating each other poorly simply for a lack of understanding.

She was born to the north of Corentyn in Cheliax, in the small village of Little Mingin, a dirty fishing village on the Arcadian Ocean. Her family sent her away to school in West Crown because "weird things always happened around her", the final straw being when she turned the mayor's daughter's hair purple, and gave her a beard.

At fifteen her tattoo appeared, growing steadily down her back. She was afraid it was a disease, or infection of some sort. Now she knows she was right. She is infected with magical energy. It took the form of a slowly growing upside down tree, made of of thousands of tiny arcane symbols, one by one appearing on her skin, bleeding down her back, slowly over the years. Every time something strange happened around her, the tattoo grew a little more.

At the age of 21, she awoke in an inn she was staying at in the city of Manaket in Rahadoum, while working as a freelance researcher for Venture Captain Obo...or what remained of the inn. Her bed alone stood unharmed, on an untouched rise in a crater where the 'Three Barmaids' once stood. She believes she destroyed it with her magic. That was when her Mark changed from a tiny shoot to a tiny sapling on her back.

She wants nothing more than to control it, so it can't hurt anyone else. She can't let this thing inside her destroy everything around her.

Unbeknownst to her, her families home was destroyed in the same fashion, at that same moment, back in Little Mingin.

Fleeing, she jumped a ship heading up the Uta river, up over the pass and down into the Sodden Lands. Over the next year, driven by fear of hurting anyone, she made her way to The Shackles, where the amount of alcohol they served seemed to match her thirst well.

She is a sorcerer, who will take levels of wizard to learn to control her magic. Eventually she will become an Ultimate Mage.

She is a tiefling, being from Cheliax' but honestly considers herself human. She often forgets she's different until the racism slaps her in the face.

I don't tend to play an alignment, as I believe most people are good, but have shades of grey.

She wasn't invited by Lavinia...but she wants desperately to meet her. Perhaps she feels Lavinia has a way to help her get information to control herself, or maybe she wants to meet Lavinia's parents, as someone told her they had a bit of information. But she is not a hero, and has done nothing she considers special...and Lavinia hasn't bothered to consider her, because she's beneath her notice; or something like that.

I'm honestly not to worried about Gestault...this build will get fairly powerful the higher she goes. But we'll see.

Class: Alchemist 1/Wizard 1 (Universalist: Arcane Crafter)
Race: Aasimar
Feats:
Mounted Combat (1st)

Skills:
Craft Alchemy +12
Knowledge Arcana +9
Knowledge Engineering +9
Knowledge History +9
Knowledge Local +9
Knowledge Nature +9
Knowledge Planes +9
Knowledge Religion +9
Linguistics +9
Ride +10
Spellcraft +11

Traits:
Horse Lord (Faction)
Rich Parents (Social)
Knack for Magic (Campaign)

Jinji and her family are well know in many Sasserine circles for their famed horse rearing skills. Jinji herself took a different track in life and focused on the arcane. She devoted herself to wizardry and alchemy and has mastered both vocation as well as one can expect at her level. She brings a wide range of knowledge skills to a group as well as her bombs and extracts. She is a skilled mounted combatant, and provides missile fire when the bombs and spells run out. She can create alchemical items, scrolls and potions and carries a small arsenal of both. Her healing potions will be a boon to others. She knows many languages, and the local history and quite a few nobles. She has friends in high places and the drive to solve problems. She will take tumor familiar and mauler familiar and she will be able to ride her hawk into battle eventually.

History
Jinji grew up in Sasserine in the noble district. Her family is reknown for their horse trade and breeding of strong steeds for nobility and warriors. Though partaking in the family business, she was very bookish, and took to other vocations.
Appearance
Celestial blood runs deep in the Nobaru family of halflings. Jinji herself appears as a small slender woman, not even three feet tall. She has very pale, almost white skin and long thick black hair, which is sometimes in a bun or a braid. She has wide almond shaped eyes, slightly pointed ears, and graceful features. She sometimes wears safety goggles for work in the lab. Her normal garb is a simple short red and green plaid tunic with brown low ankle boots. In the lab she will cover up with a long thick protective leather apron.
Personality
Jinji is fairly bookish but also personable and friendly. She is a quick learner and often thinks a situation through. She is very logical and tries to analyze every situation as if it were a puzzle to be efficiently solved.
Goals
Jinji has spent a good part of her life so far cloistered away in the lab or library, she has not made many friends beyond her family or the esoteric study groups of which she is a member. She has decided if she wishes to grow in power and test her skills, she needed to experience the world more and break out from her shell.
Friends and Family
The Nobaru family are famed halfling horse lords, skilled a breeding horses and ponies as battle steeds, work horses, scouting ponies, long distance riding and more. For generations they have supplied the area with quality mounts. Jinji is on great terms with her parents, her one sister, and with many aunts, uncles, cousins and the like. She maintains close contact with dozens of wizards and alchemists through schooling, college, and arcane study organizations.

Artillery: Bombs and Missile fire with gravity bow
Wizardry: Buffs, Problem Solving, eventually Battlefield Control and Summons
Alchemy: Potions, Alchemical Items
Lore/Knowledge/Linguistics
Contacts and Noble friends
Scouting: Small size and hawk familiar
Survivability: High hp for a caster + healing and good saves, eventually will be able to stay out of battle by flying on hawk familiar. Die for your Master feat will increase survivability.
Magic Item Crafting: scrolls and potions to start, Wondrous items and more eventually.

Abraham is a capable melee combatant and something of a controller with the flexible feats that brawler grants. By far though he is a skill focussed character, the only class skill he doesn't possess is survival. His inspiration pool only makes this even more flexible.

He has a good diplomacy and sense motive making him an able party face, great knowledges as well as perception and of course disable device.

Aberam Maedrhos
Elf brawler 1/investigator (empiricist) 1/gestalt 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 23, 30, 100)
CG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +5; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +5 (1d6+6) or
dagger +5 (1d4+4/19-20) or
unarmed strike +5 (1d6+4)
Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6/×3)
Special Attacks martial flexibility 4/day
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +0)
1/day—comprehend languages, detect magic, detect poison, read magic
Investigator (Empiricist) Extracts Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5)
1st—cure light wounds, shield
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 18
Feats Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack
Traits friend in every town, warrior of old
Skills Acrobatics +5, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +4, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +8, Use Magic Device +3; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Elven
SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +1), brawler's cunning, inspiration (4/day), martial training, trapfinding +1
Other Gear lamellar (leather) armor, club, dagger, shortbow, backpack, belt pouch, chalk (4), flint and steel, ink, black, inkpen, torch (5), waterskin, 1 gp, 6 sp, 2 cp
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Special Abilities
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Alchemy +1 (Su) +1 to Craft (Alchemy) to create alchemical items, can Id potions by touch.
Comprehend Languages (1/day) (Sp) With Intelligence 11+, cast Comprehend Languages once per day.
Detect Magic (1/day) (Sp) With Intelligence 11+, cast Detect Magic once per day.
Detect Poison (1/day) (Sp) With Intelligence 11+, cast Detect Poison once per day.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Inspiration (+1d6, 4/day) (Ex) Use 1 point, +1d6 to trained skill or ability check. Use 2 points, to add to attack or save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Martial Flexibility (move action, 4/day) (Ex) As a Move action, gain a combat feat for 1 min. More gained for greater actions.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Read Magic (1/day) (Sp) With Intelligence 11+, cast Read Magic once per day.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.

Sasserine is a large town with a small town mentality. Since the colony sprang up ten years ago, most of the original inhabitants know and word of a keen-minded, dedicated and quite brilliant investigator has been spreading among them. He works freelance but despite his obvious talents has been most recently residing in Shadowshire. Possibly to do with the fact that he seems very particular about the jobs he takes, valuing the mystery over the money, or possibly it is to do with something he once cryptically mentioned to a client; There is a certain honesty among the criminal underclass that I find most agreeable.

Abraham entered the shop, taking in the smell of sawdust and oiled wood. He moved with a languidness that looked aloof, as if he were simply on an afternoon stroll instead of a scene of horror. His keen, deep-seated eyes immediately perceived that the man in the centre of the shop was hanging from a hook, probably used to hang some of the heavier tools or even as housing for a pulley system.

Mr Bradbury led him passed the slightly swaying man to the counter at the rear of the shop where a sales ledger lay open.

I’m sorry the body is still here Mr Abraham, I’m told the guards will be removing it shortly. Could have at least taken him down... the man grumbles.

Bradbury was the owner of the shop next door and some distant relation to the deceased. The pace of life was always fast in Sasserine, had been since the colonies started springing up and where death was involved, life moved all the quicker. Bradbury was interested in the will. Or more importantly, the lack of one.

Abraham had been hired to unravel the legal threads that lead to the rightful owner of this newly vacated property with it’s prime dockside location.

Indeed they could. Abraham said, idly scratching his long nose and flipping through pages in the ledger. For the past six months every one of them told the same story, a great increase in sales of prow carvings and figureheads. Apparently the man had some skill with a chisel and plane. But had they done so we may never have realised the man was murdered.

Bradbury reacted as if punched in the chest, his face turning a sickly white.

Murdered!? The man is hanging from the ceiling? he exclaims, irritatingly pointing out the obvious but neglecting what, to Abraham at least, was equally obvious. How can you possibly say he was murdered?
His shoes. Abraham replies, stifling a yawn.

His shoes!? Bradbury repeats, again quite irritatingly.

Abraham brightens at this point. Before him is a puzzle, a disappointingly simple one, but a puzzle nonetheless and his mind has always stagnated when inactive. At least this was a distraction until he went to see the Vanderboren lady.
Indeed. The man was a carpenter was he not? he doesn’t wait for the response. Cast your eyes to his shoes good man. Can you see they are freshly blackened and polished.

Bradbury nods dumbly and shrugs as if to say so what?

There are few men I can conceive of who would find it prudent to freshly polish his shoes before he took his own life. he says impatiently. Also, regard the newspaper there. A few sheets of the Sasserine Tribune lay in a heap a few feet from the body and Abraham strides to retrieve it. He holds the first sheet up to the bright sunshine streaming in through the window so that the parchment is almost transparent. Here. he indicates a series of small impressions on either side of the page, both left and right. Do you know what those are? Fingernail marks. The man was reading this paper in what I might only describe as a heightened state of emotion. Not surprising, given the first page article describes a major ship-building contract being awarded to what can only be a rival company – Freebooter construction

Plainly, this man, this rather successful man, was about to set off for a meeting with said company and somebody decided they would rather not allow that session to take place. I’m sure a very public disagreement over the validity of that business deal would be rather perturbing for all involved. Besides which if he had hanged himself the bruising around his neck would be high under the chin and not low around the apple of the throat. He was choked. He was murdered. he says; plainly, simply, unequivocally.

Bradbury stands and looks at the investigator with stunned silence.

Quite an appropriate response, Mr Bradbury I’m sure. Now unfortunately for you, the fact that this case has now become a murder means that this man’s holdings are frozen until that investigation is concluded to a satisfactory outcome. I wouldn’t plan on redecorating this shop for some time.

Now, you hired me to unravel the legalities of this situation which I have. I believe that now belongs to me. he reaches across and unhooks a small money pouch from the man’s belt.

B…but…. Who killed him?

Abraham had already turned and taken several long strides toward the door. He was dressed in a long cotton coat over a leather jerkin that rattled with various vials and concoctions as he walked. He turns at the question but answers with one of his own.

Well isn’t that also obvious? The empirical facts are there to be read Mr Bradbury and as much as I would like to interpret them for you, alas. I am predisposed on another case. Good day.

Without another word he strides from the shop, a small smile on his face.

It had been four years since he had sailed south to the Shackles, booking a place on one of the colony ships headed out of Egorian. For too long he had investigated scenes of diabolism and corruption in Cheliax. Certainly a steady living, but work that made him feel…. Dirty somehow. It was only so long that you could take payments to first establish what happened at a scene and then look the other way while the Hellknights instigated their own unique brand of justice.

His mentor had told him that justice was a word that had many interpretations and whilst he didn’t necessarily disagree with that, to him there was only one meaning to the word ‘truth.’ And honestly, that is all he cared about; simply taking a puzzle and rearranging the pieces to make the whole. He thrived on it, he lived for it.

It is a curse to have a mind so blighted with brilliance. For inactivity is a precursor to boredom which in turn leads to…. Well a craving for other distractions. He had tried them all in his time. Women. Wine. Worse.

For some time he had taken to fighting in the worst kind of pits beneath the poor areas of Egorian and Westcrowne. It wasn’t the adrenaline he craved. Nor the feeling of beating on another man, nothing so base as that. No, it was simply the puzzle. Fighting with your bare hands is a chess match. A brutal, beautiful chess match. And he had become very adept at the game. Until that too lost it’s appeal.

So he found himself looking for a new challenge, a new distraction and what better than an entirely new country! A country that is itself an entire mystery, raised from the depths of antiquity and the ocean’s watery clutches! Such a thing must surely happen only once in ten thousand lifetimes. His mentor was furious of course. The women he left behind more so. But still, they would live.

And so he found himself in the newly formed walls of Sasserine, taking jobs such as that with the shopkeeper, slowly building a reputation and a new life for himself.

Besides, he couldn’t argue with the weather and as he received the letter, he couldn’t help but feel it was the work as well as the weather that made him feel rejuvenated.

As described by his one-time mentor; Barnabous Snipe.

His very person and appearance are such as to strike the most even the most casual observer. In height he is rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller even than that. His eyes were always sharp and piercing, sometimes alarmingly so except during those periods of destructive boredom and obstinate torpor to which he is prone when his faculties are not utilised to their fullest. His thin, hawk-like nose gives his whole expression an air of alertness and decision and his chin, too, has the prominence and squareness which mark the man of great determination. His hands are invariably blotted with ink and stained with chemicals and yet he is possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating the most fragile of documents. In truth, Abraham shall become an investigator to which I shall pale and though I am livid at his decision to leave Egorian in truth it brings with it some relief. For whilst he is absent my reputation as Cheliax' greatest living investigator is secure.

Abraham is very often the most intelligent person in the room and is not shy at remarking so. He is outspoken, brilliant, charming and infuriating. When the work takes him he is a fiend of activity but when sullenness and boredom strike he is as aggravating as he is belligerent.