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Lord.Sorasen
2012-06-17, 01:43 AM
I've left those underscores there because I know I'm not the first to do this... Yet I have no idea what to write to make this my own title. So I won't for now. Three Underscores it is.

Serpent's Skull

How does one write one of these? I guess I'll just start with like a general overview... If there is an accepted format let me know and I'll do what I can. I'll delete this message in like a week for professionalism but bare with me.

Overview
So, a few weeks back I had a very sudden urge to play some Pathfinder. I didn't have a group together and didn't know how I'd reassemble my old group (it's been a long time). More than that, I just wanted to do it right then and there and wasn't willing to wait for things. So I looked on my trusty facebook, found out who was online, and asked whoever was online if they wanted to come over and play some Dungeons and Dragons (easier than asking about Pathfinder and explaining). What I got was 5 yes responses. Of these five, two had played the game before all of twice, one of which had played only once (with a DM who didn't know any rules either), and another didn't know the general premise of tabletop gaming. It's turning out surprisingly well: they don't know the rules quite yet but they get into characters and roleplaying with a lot of spirit, and they read what I ask them to, which is more than I can say for some of my past groups.

I chose Serpent's Skull because it looked interesting, and because it's prewritten I could just sort of start. Turns out I was wrong about this, but more on that later.

I think at this point I'm going to write each session out as if it was a plot summary. Then, after that I'll put my DMing experience in a spoiler tag. That way I can try to get out all the ideas I want to without cluttering either field.

Ah jeez, I'm terrible at this. I'll clean this up soon, I promise. In the meantime, let me introduce you to our cast of characters. I'll provide a statblock in a spoiler at the end of this.

PS: Can one double post for chatlogs? I know you normally can't but it seems like that'd be the only way to do it here, really.

The Heroes

Arella: A half-elf gunslinger, acts as if she is a heroic person, for the most part walks the walk. Likes to drink, when drunk claims to be related to Cayden Cailean. No word on the accuracy of such statements. In combat, she mostly sticks about 20 feet away to get that touch attack pistol shot off. She will, however, take the front line if it means protecting a more fragile unit.
Aphrys: She keeps her lineage secret, but for a tiefling ranger with a jaw strong enough for a bite attack, it isn't easy. She's violent and eager to fight whatever comes her way, but possesses a fear of the supernatural. Right now she fights with her dagger and bite, but eventually, she'll get claws as part of her natural weapon style.
Iacobus: The Taldan bard, Iacobus is a lover of cultures and a fierce defender of foreign peoples, in great contrast with most natives of Taldor. His fascination seems to be its own form of discrimination, though he doesn't always realize it. For the most part, he's easy to get along with, fascinated by all the things in life still to learn. In combat he mostly uses his whip, sometimes with animate rope.
Petra: This elven oracle is small for an elf, physically weak, and almost blind. She is a no-nonsense and quiet person, and no one knows all that much about her. In combat she is a healer first and a summoner second, but she'll put herself in direct danger if it means saving someone who needs it.

APHRYS CR 1/2
Female Asura-Spawn Tiefling Ranger (Shapeshifter) 1
CN Medium Outsider (Native)
Init +2; Senses Darkvision (60 feet); Perception +6
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DEFENSE
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13. . (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 13 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee +1 Dagger +4 (1d4+3/19-20/x2) and
. . Bite (Bite Attack) +3 (1d4+3/20/x2) and
. . Dagger +3 (1d4+2/19-20/x2) and
. . Unarmed Strike +3 (1d3+2/20/x2)
Ranged Shortbow +3 (1d6/20/x3)
Ranger (Shapeshifter) Spells Known (CL 0, 3 melee touch, 3 ranged touch):
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STATISTICS
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Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Power Attack -1/+2
Traits Boarded In the Mwangi Expanse
Skills Acrobatics +3, Appraise +1, Knowledge (Nature) +3, Perception +6, Survival +6, Swim +6
Languages Common, Infernal, Polyglot
SQ Enemies: Magical Beasts (+2 bonus) (Ex), Track +1, Wild Empathy +0 (Ex)
Combat Gear +1 Dagger, Dagger, Masterwork Studded Leather, Shortbow; Other Gear Backpack (empty), Bedroll, Flint and steel, Lantern, hooded, Oil (1-pint flask) (3), Rations, trail (per day) (3), Sack (empty), Waterskin, Whetstone
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Boarded In the Mwangi Expanse +1 Knowledge (Nature) regarding the Mwangi Jungle.
Damage Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Cold attacks.
Damage Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Damage Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Fire attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Enemies: Magical Beasts (+2 bonus) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Magical Beasts.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Track +1 +1 to survival checks to track.
Wild Empathy +0 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.


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ARELLA CR 1/2
Female Half-Elf Gunslinger (Pistolero) 1
CG Medium Humanoid (Elf, Human)
Init +3; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +11
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DEFENSE
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14. . (+4 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 12 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2
Immune sleep; Resist Elven Immunities
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OFFENSE
--------------------
Spd 30 ft.
Melee Dagger +1 (1d4/19-20/x2) and
. . Masterwork Shortsword +2 (1d6/19-20/x2) and
. . Unarmed Strike +1 (1d3/20/x2)
Ranged Pistol +4 (1d8/20/x4)
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STATISTICS
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Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats Gunsmithing, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus: Perception (Adaptability)
Traits Boarded In Mediogalti: Blue Whinnis, Charming
Skills Acrobatics +1, Climb -2, Craft (Alchemy) +5, Escape Artist +1, Fly +1, Perception +11, Ride +1, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +1, Survival +6, Swim -2
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven
SQ Deeds, Elf Blood, Grit (Ex), Gunslinger's Dodge (Ex), Quick Clear (Ex), Up Close and Deadly +1d6
Combat Gear Alchemical Cartridge, Paper (25), Dagger, Firearm Bullet (20), Lamellar, leather, Masterwork Shortsword, Pistol; Other Gear Backpack (12 @ 28.22 lbs), Bedroll, Grappling hook, Lamp, common, Oil (1-pint flask) (3), Rations, trail (per day) (4), Rope, hempen (50 ft.)
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Boarded In Mediogalti: Blue Whinnis +2 Save vs. Poison, immune to the selected poison.
Charming +1 Bluff/Diplomacy/save DC for a language-dependent spell vs. targets who could be sexually attracted to you.
Deeds Gunslingers spend grit points to accomplish deeds. Most deeds grant the gunslinger some momentary bonus or effect, but there are some that provide longerlasting effects. Some deeds stay in effect as long as a gunslinger has at least 1 grit point. The
Elf Blood You are counted as both elves and humans for any effect relating to race.
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to Sleep effects.
Grit (Ex) A gunslinger makes her mark upon the world with daring deeds. Some gunslingers claim they belong to a mystical way of the gun, but it's more likely that the volatile nature of firearms simply prunes the unlucky and careless from their ranks. Whatever
Gunslinger's Dodge (Ex) At 1st level, the gunslinger gains an uncanny knack for getting out of the way of ranged attacks. When a ranged attack is made against the gunslinger, she can spend 1 grit point to move 5 feet as an immediate action; doing so grants the gunslinger a
Gunsmithing You know the secrets of repairing and restoring firearms.

Benefit: If you have access to a gunsmith's kit, you can create and restore firearms, craft bullets, and mix black powder for all types of firearms. You do not need to make a Craft c
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Point Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Quick Clear (Ex) At 1st level, as a standard action, the gunslinger can remove the broken condition from a single firearm she is currently wielding, as long as that condition was gained by a firearm misfire. The gunslinger must have at least 1 grit point to perform t
Up Close and Deadly +1d6 At 1st level, when the pistolero hits a target with a one-handed firearm that is not making a scatter shot, she can spend 1 grit point to deal 1d6 points of extra damage on a hit. If she misses with the attack, she grazes the target, dealing half the


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IACOBUS CR 1/2
Male Human (Taldan) Bard 1
LG Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +1; Senses Perception -1
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DEFENSE
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AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13. . (+2 armor, +1 shield, +1 Dex)
hp 10 (1d8+1)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee Dagger +0 (1d4/19-20/x2) and
. . Masterwork Whip +1 (1d3/20/x2) and
. . Rapier +0 (1d6/18-20/x2) and
. . Unarmed Strike +0 (1d3/20/x2)
Ranged Shortbow +1 (1d6/20/x3)
Special Attacks Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day, Bardic Performance: Countersong, Bardic Performance: Distraction, Bardic Performance: Fascinate (DC 13), Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1
Bard Spells Known (CL 1, +0 melee touch, +1 ranged touch):
1 (2/day) Animate Rope, Ventriloquism (DC 14)
0 (at will) Open/Close (DC 13), Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Sift
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STATISTICS
--------------------
Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Bard Weapon Proficiencies, Serpent Lash, Weapon Finesse
Traits Mwangi Scholar, Rich Parents
Skills Acrobatics +0, Climb -1, Craft (General) +4, Escape Artist +0, Fly +0, Knowledge (History) +7, Knowledge (Local) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +7, Linguistics +6, Perform (Act) +7, Perform (Oratory) +7, Perform (Percussion Instruments) +7, Perform (Sing) +7, Ride +0, Stealth +0, Swim -1
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Polyglot, Sylvan
SQ Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex)
Combat Gear Arrows (20), Buckler, Dagger, Masterwork Lamellar Cuirass, Masterwork Whip, Rapier, Shortbow; Other Gear Backpack, Masterwork (22 @ 35.14 lbs), Bedroll, Blanket, Candle (5), Flint and steel, Iron Spike (4), Mug/Tankard, clay, Rations, trail (per day) (3), Rope, silk (50 ft.), Tent, Small, Waterskin, Whetstone, Whistle, Signal
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex) Add + 1 to all knowledge skill checks.
Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Bardic Performance: Countersong (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sound.
Bardic Performance: Distraction (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sight.
Bardic Performance: Fascinate (DC 13) (Su) One or more creatures becomes fascinated with you.
Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1 (Su) Morale bonus on some saving throws, attack and damage rolls.
Mwangi Scholar +1 Knowledge (History) regarding the Mwangi Jungle.
Serpent Lash Gain extra trip/disarm with whip on success, whips reposition at -4 CMB.


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PETRA CR 1/2
Female Elf Oracle 1
NN Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Init +1; Senses Clouded Vision, Darkvision (30 feet), Low-Light Vision; Perception +5
--------------------
DEFENSE
--------------------
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10. . (+1 Dex)
hp 8 (1d8)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +4
Immune sleep; Resist Elven Immunities
--------------------
OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee Morningstar -1 (1d8-1/20/x2) and
. . Unarmed Strike -1 (1d3-1/20/x2)
Oracle Spells Known (CL 1, -1 melee touch, +1 ranged touch):
1 (4/day) Summon Monster I, Inflict Light Wounds (DC 13), Cure Light Wounds (DC 13)
0 (at will) Stabilize, Light, Guidance, Spark (DC 12)
--------------------
STATISTICS
--------------------
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 15
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 10
Feats Breadth of Experience, Elven Weapon Proficiencies
Traits Caretaker, Seeker of Brightness: Knowledge (Planes)
Skills Diplomacy +6, Heal +7, Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Planes) +9, Knowledge (Religion) +8, Perception +5, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +6
Languages Celestial, Common, Elven, Sylvan
SQ Elven Magic, Safe Curing (Su)
Combat Gear Morningstar;
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Clouded Vision You cannot see beyond 30'
Darkvision (30 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to Sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 racial bonus on caster checks to overcome spell resistance. +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Safe Curing (Su) Casting healing spells does not provoke AoO


Ok, here's what I have for now. Hopefully I'll have a more updated version soon. Until then, any advice anyone has on the party builds, how to run a campaign, how to write these campaign logs, etc?

Hope to see you all soon.

Kol Korran
2012-06-17, 02:26 AM
first of all, i think you can double post as long as the new posts deal with a new subject (such as a new session, a DM's question and so on). i've done it with my campaign/ adventure logs and it didn't seem to cause any problems.

note that most campaign logs get less response then regular ("help me build X!") sort of threads, but don't be discouraged. i've found that later on being able to come back to your campaign log might be just as rewarding.

you'll need to find your own balance of what to put in, and how much to elaborate. different people are attracted to different types of log lengths.

another important decision is how to write it. as if from a character's pov? the DMs? include table talk and comments or purely "in the world"? again, different people are attracted to different things.

to tell the truth i haven't yet seen a serpent's skull log, so i'll definitely be interested. i'm mostly interested in DM's plans, and how the group responded- what worked, what didn't and why? i'd appreciate if you can explain (briefly, just briefly) any kind of nuance that might be important to properly understanding the game and campaign. (i for example know of Golarion only in a minor way).

i'll be keeping my eye on this. good luck! :smallwink: i'd love a group of such dedicated and enthusiastic players...

robertbevan
2012-06-17, 05:45 AM
you've got a pretty impressive collection of facebook friends, if five of them are willing to drop what they're doing at a moment's notice and swing by for some d&d action. count yourself lucky.

Lord.Sorasen
2012-06-19, 03:55 AM
you've got a pretty impressive collection of facebook friends, if five of them are willing to drop what they're doing at a moment's notice and swing by for some d&d action. count yourself lucky.

Yeah I couldn't believe it either. Well, 3 actually. The others came later. But it's still quite a feat! Better given of the 3 who came I only actually asked 5. Life can be good!

Unfortunately I'm a terrible DM, but I'm thinking if I keep going at this, things will go well enough.

robertbevan
2012-06-19, 08:34 AM
Yeah I couldn't believe it either. Well, 3 actually. The others came later. But it's still quite a feat! Better given of the 3 who came I only actually asked 5. Life can be good!

Unfortunately I'm a terrible DM, but I'm thinking if I keep going at this, things will go well enough.

i'm right there with you, brother. here's to terrible DMs.

ThiagoMartell
2012-06-19, 09:23 AM
...Professionalism? :smallconfused:

Lord.Sorasen
2012-06-23, 03:01 PM
SESSION 1

This is actually the second time we met up. The first time was dumb enough, and didn't have a complete cast, so we retconned it out. So the first session is Session 0. This is Session 1 and the beginning of the campaign.

The Jenivere, a ship carrying passengers from elsewhere in the world to a new life in Sargava, has just made its last pitstop, and is now heading straight to the new land. Most of the ship's people seem to keep mostly to themselves, with the exception of two, a Taldan woman just barely 21 years of age, who has just set aboard the ship and immediately begun drinking, and her new best friend, an even younger human bard, who has agreed to drink with her. They reveal their names to each other as Arella and Iacobus, respectively. Both being native to Taldor, they talk merrily about their homeland and its chivalry and greatness, seemingly unaware of how hard the country has fallen. Iacobus mentions his fascination with the "beautiful exotic cultures" of the world, and seems perhaps too eager to explore, and Arella agrees, bringing up that her patron god Cayden Cailean was all about adventures.
"Did you know I am related to him?" She blurts out. Iacobus, never the best at recognizing what is conceivable, and being somewhat tipsy besides, stares with wide eyes.
"That's incredible!" he states. They get louder as the time passes and attract the attention of a black haired elf known as Petra. At 5' 6", Petra would have been seen as quite tall if she had been born a human, but as a pure blooded elf she was unusually small and frail. With her eyes murky and her body draped in cloak, she appeared elegent but much older than her years. She didn't speak, but listened with interest from the other side of the bar.
The dinner bell rings, and the two stop drinking for a moment in order to move to the food and alcohol at the table. Petra follows suit, and they find themselves the last to arrive. They sit in a row on the large table, in between a strange hooded humanoid of red skin and orange hair, and a halfling in a noble's suit. This is the last thing they remember from their cruise.

Simply put, I did something I hadn't really done before, and just sort of gave everyone free reign to talk to NPCs and each other during the introduction here. I was hoping they would talk about things with each other, learn things, etc etc. Our gunslinger and bard were the most into it, while the oracle and ranger a bit less so. They're shy people in real life, so I figured it would take time for them. All in all though this little prelude was a success, I think. We got to reveal our gunslinger as something of a Kamina type, into adventure and heroism but a little bit on the wild side, and got to see that the bard was young and had that adventurer's spirit, but was inexperienced and had a lot to learn.

Arella feels the sand beneath her and hears the waves crashing beside her, but more importantly she feels a painful stinging on her leg. She opens her eyes to find there is a Eurypterid, otherwise known as a sea scorpion, attempting to eat her. In a panic she attempts to stab at it with her knife, but when she tries to move she feels a nausia coming over her and misses. The scorpion starts to try and claw at her outstretched hand but she evades. Petra awakens. Unfortunately while she can hear something happening, she can't see it (she can't see anything more than 30 feet in front of her) and can only use this time to move towards the sounds. Arella takes her gun out and tries to fire, but the waterlogged firearm jams. The scorpion successfully stabs her with its stinger, and is aiming to attempt again when its tail is bitten by the red skinned humanoid, who turns out to have incredibly viscious jaws. It turns to fight this new threat and the gunslinger again attempts to shoot the scorpion, only to have her gun misfire, hurting her terribly. Iacobus wakes up and attempts to inspire courage, and the red skinned humanoid manages to kill the Eurypterid. Arella thanks her, and she reveals her name as Aphrys.
The rest of the crew has finally begun to wake up, and the group finds that, other than their weapons, which they were carrying, all their equipment is in a large pile. They look around and find they are on a strange island, and see in the distance what looks to be the sail of the Jenivere.

Most of the crew wants nothing to do with them nor even each other, but one man in particular, a strange shackled man known as Jask Derinde, is willing to talk. He states he was a prisoner of the ship, but that he was framed. The complete story is that he was a government worker who discovered corruption, a secret set of agreements between the Sargavan Navy and the Free Shackles, an organization of pirates. He was imprisoned in order to keep him silenced. As a cleric, he states that if they could help him get the shackles off, he would help them. The party decides to believe him and set off to their old ship. When they get there they find it has been sent into jagged rocks, and only a small part of it remains over the water. They find another Eurypterid on board and quickly dispatch it, remove their armor, and enter the ship, looking for anything that isn't submerged in hopes of finding the key.

Anyway, this is where we ended this day. I had hoped the early eurypterid battle would display the team as capable warriors, but actually it displayed the gunslinger as really good at absorbing blows, and the ranger as a fighting machine, and the others as civilians. Go figure.
I'm terrible at getting people to talk to NPCs. It's hard because the group sort of defaults to "help me out, what do you know about this," and not being friendly, the NPCs don't actually agree. I'm thinking I'll avoid this by just having the NPCs more helpful right away. It feels more fun that way anyway.

You might have already guessed but this log is from the PAST. We've actually done 2 sessions since this. I'll have to get the information for this soon, because it's clear to me that I'm forgetting a lot.

Finally, what should I do stylistically? I've been trying to write it from the perspective of someone who would not understand any Pathfinder terminology, but maybe I should make it a little more from a metagame perspective? I'm still not certain.]

deuxhero
2012-06-23, 05:18 PM
Likes to drink, when drunk claims to be related to Cayden Cailean. No word on the accuracy of such statements.


Given Cayden lived almost 2000 years before the "modern" era of PF and was fond of sex, if her human linage comes from the general area he lived in, he likely is her ancestor, just very distantly and no more than the average person (Genghis Khan is less than 900 and is thought to be the ancestor of roughly 8% of a large chunk of Asia)

Mind you fantasy even now hates accepting that kind of thing, so you are free to ignore it

Lord.Sorasen
2012-06-23, 08:55 PM
Given Cayden lived almost 2000 years before the "modern" era of PF and was fond of sex, if her human linage comes from the general area he lived in, he likely is her ancestor, just very distantly and no more than the average person (Genghis Khan is less than 900 and is thought to be the ancestor of roughly 8% of a large chunk of Asia)

Mind you fantasy even now hates accepting that kind of thing, so you are free to ignore it

I might have someone bring it up! It'd be fun if someone believed her but also thought it was unimportant.