The Eternal Darkness
An old sage once said secrets are what define us. Secrets can make nations fall, cause warfare, loss of life and madness. It has the ability to change people into something different. Secrets can hold power over you. They can make you do things which you normally would not do by forcing you to make hard choices to find out the truth. It also can bring pain and death to those who hold the knowledge of the secret.
All through your childhood people have treated you differently. People looked at you with sadness and fear. Other children's parents would not allow their children to interact with you because you were different. People knew to avoid you. Whenever you questioned why they said you were cursed by the gods. You tried to not let it define you as you grew up, but there was always a struggle to figure out why you were cursed.
As long as you can remember you had a mark on your body of a strange rune. Every time you would touch the rune it would glow a pale blue color. You try to keep the rune cover as this seems to be the source of the curse. There were times during your travels you would feel a rush of energy where the runes would glow. You are able to do strange feats during this time. The energy would only last for a short while before you would crash. There were times where you slept for days. As you grew older the energy rush would last longer but took the same toll on you.
A few weeks ago, things began to change. You felt there was an unseen presence watching you. You would turn around but nothing was there. There were times when you could of have sworn you heard you name being called out on the summer breeze. Each day the voice seems to get louder before you recognize it is calling out to you for help but why. Stunned you begin to ponder what does this all mean as you settle down to sleep. As your eyes grow tired and slowly begin to shut you think you see the shadows begin to dance around you. You tell yourself it just the reflection of the camp fire as you fall asleep. You awake to see a beautiful woman sitting across from you. The fire light catches her pale complexion and you briefly see bits of sparkles like stars glistening in her hair. She smiles at you and then speaks in a siren like melody.
“He has awakened the portal again,” she says softly.
“I do not know how much time I have before I am reborn into the world. You must find the book of Selu'taar as it will have the answers you need to close the portal. The others have hid it so you must find the resting place of the one with the twin blades with the mark. I have a friend which will help you, but he will not know why he is helping you,” the woman says as her words trail off.
She pauses for a moment and then look out to the shadows. Her face grows concerned as if she has spotted someone or something. She turns back towards you and says, “he is stronger this time. He had learned from his mistakes he made with the others. He is more determined to change to the order and bring the darkness into the Realms. He has hunted down others like you and killed them. You are a small few left which can stand in his way. You must listen to yourself. The power is in you. You must find it and open it. But be warn, once you open it he will know who you are and will try to find you to stop you.”
The woman looks back into the darkness. She stands and turns while making an arcane gesture. A small geometrical shape begins to form in front of her. It begins to glow brighter until it lights up your whole campsite. You hear screeches of pain from the darkness outside the perimeter of your camp. The woman shouts back to you, “he is tracking me. I cannot stay much longer without endangering you. Please listen to my words as they ring true. I give you my blessing to help me and the Realms.” As she says this you can feel the energy from you mark as you witness it starting to glow. The woman turns back towards you and says, “this should off you protection until you find yourself. I must go and lead them away before he senses you and sends his people.”
You watch as the arcane shape turns in a door and the woman steps through it. As the door closes you hear more shrieks from the darkness as the light from you camp site struggles to keep it at bay. You draw you weapon and ready yourself for what creatures is out in the darkness. You watch as the darkness closes in on you as the flames from the fire begin to die. You strain to see through the thick darkness as the last remaining light from the fire dies. The darkness closes in on you as you feel the coldness from it. The shrieks are on top of you as you try to swing your weapon. A heavy object hits you and you are knocked to the ground as the air escapes you lungs. You try to regain you breath but can’t as you slowly pass out.
You open your eyes expecting to see nothing but darkness but your eyes adjust to the sunlight. You sit up and find yourself in your campsite. A quickly check of yourself for any signs of an injuries did not find any. You get to your feet and make a quick check of the campsite. After a ten minute search you are alone. You gather your gear and make your way to the nearest town. On your way you try to make sense of what happened last night. It seems you have more questions than answers. The only way to find those answers is to find those who know the answers to the secrets your mark holds.
You make your way to the tavern in town to see if you can catch up on the local gossip and find a lead. Disappointingly, the patrons ignore your queries and scuff at you. You are about to give up when a small halfling enters the tavern. He looks around for a bit before looking in your direction. He looks at a piece of paper before setting eyes on you. He makes his way across the tavern and stops at your table. He looks at you and says, “you are a hard person to track down. I am Sneaval, a messenger for the Zephyr Post in Waterdeep. I have a message for you.” Sneaval hands you a letter with a seal on it. He then turns and leaves the tavern before you can even ask him a question. You stare at the letter for a while before you decide to open it.
The letter reads:
Dear friend, You are a hard person to find. I may have some answers for you but I currently in need of assistance. One of my dear friends disappeared the other day on his way home. I fear he may have been kidnapped. The town guard offer no assistance and most adventurers do not want to waste their time trying to find a missing person. A friend told me you may be of assistance and I may be able to assist you in your questions whatever that means. I feel I can help and can pay you as well. If you do really well I may even mention you in my next book. Anyways, if you can assist me I can be found at the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep. If you ask around they will find me. I am looking forward to meeting you and helping me. In warm regards, Volo
You finish up your drink and grab your gear as you head off to Waterdeep in hopes in finding answers.
Campaign Background
The year is 1458 and several scholars have dubbed this year as The Year of the Shadow due to the veil to the Shadow Plane is at it thinnest. The nights have seemed to be darker and the moonlight has a difficult time of Illuminating the night sky. There are rumor about creatures lurking about in the darkness waiting to take the lone wanderer away. Travelers travel in caravans and never at night as the rumors of creatures have put people on edge. You were able to find a small caravan heading to Waterdeep. During your travels you heard several rumors about the Realms and Waterdeep (each character will learns these during character generation).
From what you know about Waterdeep it is call the City of Splendor. It is the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. For this reason it was considered part of the Western Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lay 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Daggerford on the shores of the Sword Coast. The road to Waterdeep was well paved and well patrolled. The city was the hub of trading from the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west. Waterdeep's authority extended between thirty to forty miles from its walls.
Waterdeep was named for its outstanding natural deep-water harbor, and the city that grew up at this site became the commercial crossroads of the northern Realms. More than 100,000 people made their home in the city proper of Waterdeep. The city sprawled northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, which used to be home to the Melairkyn, a mithral-mining dwarven clan, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain was riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which were occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain predated the founding of the city itself. The halls of Undermountain located beneath the city were a popular target for adventurers, who enjoyed the close vicinity of the city's main taverns and temples where aid could be purchased through donations.
As you enter Waterdeep you make you way to the Yawning Portal. The Yawning Portal is an inn, built in 1306 DR by the later Lord of Waterdeep Durnan on the ruins of Halaster Blackcloak's old tower. It has gained most of its renown for being the primary open route to the Undermountain. A stone building with a slate roof, the Yawning Portal offered guest rooms on the three upper floors. A signboard that simply read "The Yawning Portal," hanging on chains from a black iron pole above the front door, announced the entry to the inn.
The clientele consisted mostly of adventurers eager to enter the depths of Undermountain. The Called, as they were sometimes known, listened to Waterdhavians, who were only too keen on sharing rumors and stories about the dungeon. As Durnan, despite his old age, was still a brawny man,[as of when?] who kept his old greatsword among the racks and asked any troublemakers to leave the inn, the Yawning Portal remained safe from toughs and brawlers.
Your characters have travelled to the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep to find out possible answers to strange mark you character has and why the mysterious woman asked for your help.
Character Generation
Rolling for stats
Roll 4d6, re-roll all ones, discard the lowest die result and add the three remaining results together. Record this total and repeat the process until seven numbers are generated. Drop the lowest number. Assign these totals to your ability scores as you see fit.
Races
All the races in the Pathfinder Handbook, Advanced Race Guide and Races of Faerûn are available to play. I can work with you to make adjustments to a race as needed if you see a race you want to play not listed in the above books.
Classes
All the core classes in the Pathfinder Handbook and the base classes in the Advanced Player's Guide are available. If you find a class outside these book I can make adjustments as need to fit in the campaign.
Favored Class: Each character begins play with a single favored class of his choosing—typically, this is the same class as the one he chooses at 1st level. Whenever a character gains a level in his favored class, he receives either + 1 hit point or + 1 skill rank. The choice of favored class cannot be changed once the character is created, and the choice of gaining a hit point or a skill rank each time a character gains a level (including his first level) cannot be changed once made for a particular level. Prestige classes (see Prestige Classes) can never be a favored class.
Skill Points
Determine the number of skill ranks your character gets based on his class and Intelligence modifier (and any other bonuses, such as the bonus received by humans).
Class Skills Each class has a number of favored skills, called class skills. Refer to Table: Skills Summary and look for your chosen class across the top row (abbreviated name.) Look down the column for your chosen class. Any skill with a "C" in it is a Class Skill for your class. It is easier for your character to become more proficient in these skills, as they represent part of his professional training and constant practice. You gain a +3 bonus on all class skills that you put ranks into.
Then allocate these ranks to desired skills, but remember that you cannot have more ranks than your level in any one skill (for a starting character, this is usually one).
Each level thereafter, your character gains a number of skill ranks dependent upon your class plus your Intelligence modifier. Investing a rank in a skill represents a measure of training in that skill.
You can refer to Table: Skill Ranks (below) to determine your starting Skill ranks.
Note: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.
| Class | Skill Ranks per Level (+Int modifier) |
|---|---|
| Alchemist | 4 |
| Barbarian | 4 |
| Bard | 6 |
| Cavalier | 4 |
| Cleric | 2 |
| Druid | 4 |
| Fighter | 2 |
| Gunslinger | 4 |
| Inquisitor | 6 |
| Magus | 2 |
| Monk | 4 |
| Ninja | 8 |
| Oracle | 4 |
| Paladin | 2 |
| Ranger | 6 |
| Rogue | 8 |
| Samurai | 4 |
| Sorcerer | 2 |
| Summoner | 2 |
| Witch | 2 |
| Wizard | 2 |
Feats
Determine how many feats your character receives, based on his class and level, and select them from those presented in Feats.
- All characters begin with 1 feat.
- All characters gets a background or regional feat.
- If your characters race is human you get 1 additional feat (for a total of 3).
- If your characters class is fighter you get another feat (total 4).
Hit Points
A character starts with maximum hit points at 1st level (the maximum number on its Hit Die) or if its first Hit Die roll is for a character class level.
To determine a hit points for levels beyond 1st, roll the dice indicated by its Hit Dice.
| Class | HD |
|---|---|
| Alchemist | d8 |
| Barbarian | d12 |
| Bard | d8 |
| Cavalier | d10 |
| Cleric | d8 |
| Druid | d8 |
| Fighter | d10 |
| Gunslinger | d10 |
| Inquisitor | d8 |
| Magus | d8 |
| Monk | d8 |
| Ninja | d8 |
| Oracle | d8 |
| Paladin | d10 |
| Ranger | d10 |
| Rogue | d8 |
| Samurai | d10 |
| Sorcerer | d6 |
| Summoner | d8 |
| Witch | d6 |
| Wizard | d6 |
Background Generator
The background generator is optional. The background generator is intended to remove the creative pressure that can sometimes frustrate players as they try to flesh out the murky details of their characters' backgrounds. This generator provides these details with either a simple roll of the die or the players deliberately selecting from options on the furnished tables and lists. Think of each element on the background generator's tables as a piece of story material that you can link together with other random pieces to create a story you otherwise might now have imagined. Use this tool to inspire creativity rather than as hard-and-fast rules to mandate rigid and seamless character backgrounds. Though the generator provides many foundational details of a character's background, it takes some creative thought to massage the specifics together. As you use the generator, feel free at any point to reject or reroll contradictory elements or ones that go against your vision of the emerging character. Like the background questions presented earlier in this chapter, the ideas on these tables are simply suggestions designed to channel and focus your imagination.
Use the following link to access the Background Generator