Author: Jon

Player Character Profile

Name: Ikki
Played by: Ralph

Race: Aarakocra

Sex: Female

Class: Monk

Strengths: Dexterity and Flight

Weaknesses: Intelligence

Background: Outlander. I’m driven by wanderlust that led me away from home.
Ideals: Change, life is a constant change and we must change with it.

Bonds: My family is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.

Flaws: Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.

Unique features: Being an Aarakocra makes Ikki very unique outside of the mountains. But it’s not just her hawk headed appearance and talons, it’s also her wings, which allow her to fly up to a distance of 50ft every turn (6 seconds).

Additional Notes from Player: On starting the campaign Ralph had the idea of creating an Aarakocran Pro Wrestler, inspired by a picture on the web. A goal Ikki mentioned would be to defeat the Undertaker at Summerslam.

Development during series 1: So far Ikki has been very much the outsider looking on and resolving disputes with violence, which is very much in line with her background. She is also receiving visions of an impending Trial of the Talons, a fight to claim an Aarakocra partner that links her fate to that of her family as it was her sister who instigated it.

DM Note #4

Reordering and Recycling

This refers to Episode 4, Confined: Part 1 of Agora Core:

In DM Note #2 I mentioned that the players actions and decisions took the plot in an unpredictable direction and set things in motion that meant it would be impossible for them to visit the town of Mid-Nis unless they were disguised or seeing it through the bars of their prison cells.  This meant that for me as a Dungeon Master (DM) many plot elements would go unused and also more work was needed to prepare for the next episode.

Fortunately for me, we were missing a few players in Week 3, so I made more of the remaining journey to Mid-Nis and that provided more time for creating and setting up scenes and characters online in Roll20.

The prison cell was a brand new section which would make use of the town guards (already created). The part which was recycled or re-appropriated was the Non-Player Character (NPC) known as Belstogley. Belstogley is a barbarian and is the current fighting champion of the Mid-Nis Festival of the Clans and was meant to be in the ring defending his title against brave Player Characters (PCs) should they dare to fight.  However, with that plot highly unlikely, another chapter in Belstogley ‘s life was being written in.  It turns out that this hardy fighter also liked his drink and occasionally got himself into trouble.

The interaction between the players and Belstogley made me very glad that I did this.  Sure, it wasn’t what was originally intended, but it is the players who dictate where the plot goes and not the DM.  Of course, just because he is working with them, doesn’t necessarily mean that the NPC is a suitable party member.  Fortunately, Belstogley did manage to provide the party with some useful information about the guardhouse.

Belstogley will make another appearance in Part 2 of Episode 4.

 

Player Character Profile

Name: Orix Crota
Played by: Finn

Race: Human
Sex: Male

Class: Wizard

Strengths: Dexterity and Intelligence

Weaknesses: None

Background: Criminal. The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it. I don’t pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.

Ideals: Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them.
Bonds: I’m guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it.

Flaws: If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it.

Development during series 1: Orix lived up to his chaotic neutral alignment, sometimes trying things just to see what would happen. His curiosity has brought him both good and bad results. The visions he experienced as the ‘Summit’ approached were of his college days when he helped expel a fellow mage student, Vian by getting him into trouble. Could this be the terrible crime he feels guilty of? In the visions he say Vian approach the mysterious Mara Society in the north with some apprehension.

Character Portraits used: 60 Terrible Character Portraits for Creative Commons Release by ‘A Terrible Idea’

DM Note #3

Visions

This refers to the third episode of Agora Core:

I spoke briefly in #1 about characters having backstory and how in Agora Core, the players were allowed to create their own.  In part 2, the characters experienced visionary dreams which they could partly manipulate if their minds were alert enough.  This was the first time that I tried to interact with their backstory.  Based on the information they provided, I could work some information in that either shed light on a past experience or about events that will happen soon.  A good example of visions in roleplay is in Titans Grave, and also Critical Role.

It is hard to say how much the players digested of this information because they were in the middle of a mission at the time.  The cause of the visions themselves is a longer plot arc that is playing out in the background for now but it provides a way to give the players insight.

  • Will Orix go after Vian, the boy who he had helped to expel from magic college?
  • Will Ikki be visited by his kind and have to face the Trial of Talons?
  • Will Hector face an assassination attempt for having stolen a precious medallion?
  • Will Long ever find his leader and prevent a disaster from befalling his clan?
  • Will Nomo be tempted to visit the site where he was attacked and burned by an orc and where he witnessed a monk burying an artefact?
  • Will Pevel overcome the demons of his childhood and be able to face conflict head on?

This is what the visions were for; to ask questions of the player characters and see if they pay heed to the warning of thing to come or want to pursue an answer for themselves.

 

Player Character Profile

Name: Nomo
Played by: Terry
Race: Male
Class: Monk
Strengths: Dexterity (very high)
Weaknesses: Intelligence and Charisma

Background: Hermit. I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster.  I’m oblivious to etiquette and social
expectations.
Ideals: Greater Good. My gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit.
Bonds: My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.
Flaws: I like keeping secrets and won’t share them with anyone.

Additional Notes from Player:  Nomo Naurehta doesn’t know what name his Elvish parents gave to him. His mentor, Ereb Noldo, found him standing outside the smoldering ruins of a remote outpost near Orcish territory. Nomo was a toddler in Elvish terms, badly scarred by the fire and unable to speak. While there were no elves there, Ereb believed some elves had been captured and taken as slaves or hostages.

A half-elf monk living in self-imposed exile, Ereb raised Nomo as he himself had been raised in the monastery, training him in martial arts and how to master his fear of fire, always focusing on becoming as swift and nimble as forest animals and birds, and as aware of his surroundings. Ereb’s favourite question was “Is it better to absorb a blow, or to be elsewhere when the blow falls?”  Ereb was nearly 200 years old when he died, and he encouraged Nomo to seek others who would value his gifts.

Development during series 1: Nomo has had to wrestle with the greater good of his party and the conflicting influences of Hector and Long.  He has been a stable, consistent force the others could depend on and very useful in combat.  Nomo experienced visions of an orc attack he witnessed when very young and this resulted in his fire scars.  This took place at a now abandoned monastery to the south of DaNis.

Character Portraits used:
60 Terrible Character Portraits for Creative Commons Release by ‘A Terrible Idea’

DM Note #2

How far down does the rabbit hole go?

This refers to the second episode of Agora Core:

The journey between the towns of Nis-Ton and Mid-Nis was designed to be 2 episodes at most, adding some intrigue, action and a chance for the Player Characters (PCs) to get to know their characters better along the way.  This episode was part 2 of their journey.  The intrigue was to create a room in the inn where they were to rest for the night that had a sign on it which said ‘Keep Out’ and a quiet wailing noise…

This side quest could have stopped there.  They had no need to snoop, and yet they snooped.  Once inside the room the windows were boarded up and there was no visible source of the wailing sound.  Orix’s curiosity got the better of him and he stabbed holes into the paintings on the wall. They found a hole…

The hole had spiritual entities living inside it.  Having got this far, the prepared sucker-punch was that if they stuck their head inside the hole they would have to pass a wisdom saving throw or be possessed by an animal spirit and behave oddly for a time until the group could seek clericial aid. The players, however, wanted to find the source of the wailing.  They wanted to see how far down the hole went…

From now on, the plot was completely off-book, with Long in very real peril having dropped off the pages and into the abyss.

The resultant actions and decisions took the group on a very different path to the one originally planned.

As a DM this was an exciting challenge – how much would their employer, Elstan, suspect and how would he react?  What consequences would this have when the group reached the town of Mid-Nis?  In such situations the DM is roleplaying as much as the players are.  Their employer is a Non-Player Character (NPC) with a motive and resources of his own.  I decided that he would have been in the next room to the merchant Lanir and so would have heard the group force entry and attack him.  As a response, he would have sent a message ahead to the town guards through means of a messenger bird to request the group’s arrest.  They were no longer trusted by their Employer, Elstan, and through his actions they would no longer be able to enjoy Mid-Nis Festival of the Clans and would face a trial, which could result in their execution.

Player Character Profile

Name: Pevel
Played by: Dan
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Class: Rogue
Strengths: Charisma and Dexterity
Weaknesses: Strength and a weasely disposition, described by the player as ‘pathetic’.

Additional Notes from Player: Dan describes Pevel as “a weasely blub of cowardice.  A young man that would betray all his friends to avoid being bullied again, a fat Rincewind, an adolescent Falstaff with the humour, pathetic.”

Development during series 1: Pevel has indeed been cowardly, but his survival skills have allowed him to be sneaky and do anything to avoid near-death experiences.  We also learned in series 1 that Pevel comes from the town of Mid-Nis, which proves useful when the group have to make haste.

Character Portraits used:
60 Terrible Character Portraits for Creative Commons Release by ‘A Terrible Idea’

DM Notes #1

The Meeting

This refers to the first episode of Agora Core:

It is a conundrum, because however original your plot may
seem, you need to contrive a reason for a group to form.  How should they begin?  Perhaps there is a backstory connecting some
or all of the players.  An example of
this approach is in Will Wheton’s Titans Grave where character backstories are
discussed and secret bonds are disclosed to the Games Master.

Another simpler approach is a reason that attracts the
players to one spot, such as a call for adventures and the promise of riches
for successfully completing a mission.  I
decided to loosely follow this second approach, bringing the group together at
the docks of the town of Nis-Ton.  Their
reasons for being there were their own, but each was looking for an
opportunity; perhaps to earn more money, perhaps for adventuring, perhaps they
hoped to escape the land of DaNis altogether.

In much the same way as Character Creation, I left the
players to choose their reasons for being there.  This has both advantages and
disadvantages.  The main advantage, as I
see it, is that they are in total control of their characters and can develop
them organically.  I can then suggest
paths for them to follow during the roleplay but they can choose where they go
from there.  The main disadvantage is
that they are complete strangers and they have no bonds to each other or to a
central plot.  The introduction of Long
mid-way through this episode highlights the loose bonds between the characters.

What worked really well at the docks was that the players
grasped the situation quickly and decided that there was an opportunity worth
exploring.  They then advanced the plot
with their actions and dice rolling.  

The finding of a horse and cart was a single line plot
that developed because Hector did not roll well when perceiving where to look
for a horse and did not ask anyone.  So
rather than go straight to the transportation store, they successfully deceived
a resident and took their horse.  Then
they had to deal with the transportation store for the cart.  In this case, the characters of Nomo and
Hector started out being civil and ran an errand for the store owner; collecting
flowers that grew on the cliffs ledges, but when that didn’t work out they
resorted to tossing him over the side of the cliff.  Hector is definitely a bad influence on
Nomo!  The interesting part is that they
had already secured a horse and cart but decided that they needed an extra
horse!  The poor store owner needn’t have
been so roughly discarded!  But this is
what makes roleplays so interesting – you never know how players and plot will
interact!

A lovely moment was when Orix decided to pay special
attention to the horse they commandeered and named it Loki.  I liked that personal touch, which he also
displayed when creating the Weasel familiar.
Another character-driven bonus was the strange friction between
man-of-the-wilds Long and the dry-witted drow Hector.  Long simply didn’t trust Hector.  To be fair to Hector, if someone threw a warhammer at me I would not warm to them either!
Still, it is moments such as these that make each party unique, for
which I am very grateful.

The World

Agora Core is designed to be a D&D 5th edition campaign that takes place in a fantasy realm. The players participate remotely using Skype and Roll20.  You will get to meet the players through the Agora Core Episodes, but I will also post Player Character Profiles over the following weeks.  But what of the world they will inhabit, what is it like?

DaNis Map:

DaNis is a spectre of the place it once was.  The fertile plains have long since been swallowed up by the Da; the mysterious and constantly shifting desert. The river Nis is the life-blood of the lands and whilst it runs the land on either side continues to sustain life.  There are two main towns in this area – the port town of Nis-Ton is an important supply line to other settlements and Mid-Nis is a hub for the many clans and settlers in the area.

DaNis is an annex of the Kingdom of Thoregar, which stretches east, past the Hussarian Mountains into the lush basin of the Dudron before meeting the rocky halls of Tratridra and Vatet.  To the west lies miles of wasteland where only those crazy or cold-blooded enough survive in the fiery Arlatla.  The south is nought but sea but merchant ships do occasionally sail in from distant, exotic shores of which only books and stories tell; they normally leave DaNis disappointed with what they find.  To the north (once the Nis turns around) the road is rocky and baron and only those belonging to the mysterious Mara Society go on willingly.

Map production by Jon Paget, created using Inkarnate (Inkarnate.com).

Player Character Profile

Name: Hector Nyrna
Played by: Ben
Race: Dark Elf / Drow
Sex: Male
Class: Rogue
Strengths: Dexterity
Weaknesses: Intelligence

Unique features: A drow is an uncommon race on the surface world and so will attract attention.

Additional Notes from Player: Hector is a moody, vain, arrogant, durable fighter with a few tricks up his sleeve.  Background: A dark elf living in an underdark city. Has dreams of Ezakina, Archfey, lady of the Fey. They strike up a relationship. He is told that a medallion of hers is kept by someone high up in the drow ranks, She says she wants him to take and wear it. Will strengthen their connection. In exchange for entering her service, he will be rewarded. He sneakily steals it and flees the underdark to the upper lands…..

Development during series 1: Hector has lived up to his arrogant and durable fighter status.  He is not afraid to speak his mind or sleep if his surroundings do not interest him.  His visions show that the drow are seeking him and the medallion that he stole. Ben has provided plans for his level ups and as a Warlock, he may well encounter Ezakina again.

Character Portraits used: 60 Terrible Character Portraits for Creative Commons Release by ‘A Terrible Idea’