My take on Verbrek

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Mistmaster
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My take on Verbrek

Post by Mistmaster »

My idea of Verbrek is a conflict beetween the evil of civilization, represented by the L/E Darklord Nathan Timothy e and the evil of the wild side, represented by the Cult of the Wolf and his Chaotic/Evil Archpriest Alfred Timothy, Nathan's son; and, in between, someone who choose only the best of both man and wolf, Noah Timothy, son of Alfred, grandson of Nathan, who is the N/G Lightlord.
For the time being, Nathan, head of the Musarde River Company is the worst evil of the land; the richest and the most powerfull landowner, an avid loan-shark, he is the alpha of the civilized werewolves of the Arkendale Pack, and the Captain of the biggest steamboat of the river.
He is cursed with a lack of control on his own land, since the wildest region of Verbrek are still umpregnable to the colonisation process; plus, he has limited personal freedom, as he can't leave it's own boat only for a short while, before he regress to a wild predator.
His son Alfred, however, os becoming a worse monster than his own father; in the beginning, he was the light who opposed his father's darkness; however, his growing hatred of his own sire, fueled the darkness in his heart, and he is now the second worse evil in the land.
From the cursed line of Timothy, however, a bright light is born; young Noah rejected the greed and cunning of his grandsire, and the rage and bloodlust of his sire; he choose armony and honesty;
Do you like this take on Verbrek?
Personally, as an adventure hook, I thought about the players being engaged by the Musarde River Company to escort a cart far from the river, to supply a fledgling city, born in spite of Alfred's adept attacks. The characters do know that in Verbrek Werewolves are reckognized inhabitants; the thing they ignore is that the fledgling city is mining a gold mine with the forced labour of enslaved humans and werewolves of rival packs. They will meet members of Noah's pack, on the road, and than we shall see if they makes the right choise or not.
Like this idea? Feedback is always appreciated.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

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Mistmaster wrote:The characters do know that in Verbrek Werewolves are reckognized inhabitants.
Sorry, but does this mean that Werewolves live openly as such? or that Verbrekans are aware that some in their number are Werewolves but don't know who?
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Re: My take on Verbrek

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The law do not persecute werwolves, but they do not have obligation to reveal themselves; those who do, are protected. Verbrekers which are not werewolves do guess that many of the greatest landowners are, however.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

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Verbrek, land of predators and opportunity.

Culture level: Chivalric
Ecology:Full
Climate & Terrain: Temperate river plain along the Musarde River,
Languages:Hight Mordentish,Dementlieuse.
Religions: Church of Ezra (L/N), Cult of the Wolf God, Cult of Lady Moon.
Races:Human (Verbrekers) 47%,Werewolves 50%, Other 3%.
Governement: The Iure Parlamentary Republic (Each village and town elects a number of representatives in the General Congress),the facto Oligarchical Plutocracy, ( landowning and proprety owning are required to vote and be voted in public offices.)
Ruler: CeO of the Musarde River Company and President of the executive Council of the Free State of Verbrek, Captain Nathan Timothy.
Darklord: Nathan Timothy.
Analog: American Fronteer, end of eighteenth, start of the ninteenth century.
Capital City:Arkandale Town (L/E, Non standard, 2,800 in.)
Important towns:Amoria (Standard, N, 1,200 In), Lady's Den (Not standard N/G 980 In), Tricco (N Standard 975 In), Gillsburg (N, 2,000 In, standard), Alyssum (N/E, Standard 870 In), Fylfot (L/N 1,350, Standard), Fang's Circle (C/E, 790 In, Non Standard), Ludlow (1,700 in, Standard, N), Duskpeace (Non-Standard, L/G, 650 In)
Borders: North-East, Borca; East, Invidia, South: Sithicus, West, Valachan; North-West,Mordent; North:Richemulot.

Domain Overview
The land included beetween the two rivers, the Arden (with the Wolfen River) and the Musarde (with his affluents, and emissaries included the Arkan and the Noisette) is covered in thick forrests; rocky hills dot the otherwise plain land.
the City of Arkandale Town sits at the conjunction of the rivers Arkan and Musarde, at the mouth of the eponymous Dale.
It is one of the most important trading hubs of the western Core; In the North, near the Wofen River, sits Amoria, the second city of the domain for population; The Wolfen River has been recently linked to the Arkan River and to the Arden River with a channel, allowing easier communication beetween Amoria, Ludlow and the capital. On the banks of the Arden River lays the towns of Ludlow, on the north and Fylfot, Alyssum and Tricco in the south. Ludlow is the third main city of the nation, and hosts also the University of Ludlow, renowned learning center in the fronteer, in particular on Werebeasts, expecially Werewolves and Werepanters. Alyssum is the only all-werewolves open community in Verbrek. Fylfot and Tricco are triving mining and wood-harvesting centers. Siel, in the Northern Musarde River Valley, is currently the only fluvial city in the Free State not owned by a private company; Fang's Circle is the holy land for Fenris followers, the same is Lady's Den for the followers of Lady Moon; The two religions are equally adversed by the governement. Appropriately the two towns are pretty much insulated, as the Free state governement is very weak far from the rivers.
Duskpeace is another fortificated village, home of various Werebeasts worshipping Lady Moon near the Valachan Borders.

The People
Verbrekers are an hard people for an hard land; and Werewolves lives here since before human colonizarion began. For a period the two races hunted eachother, until they reached a standstill, and a common threat, that of an Invidian invasion, presented itself; Invidians had theyr chosen chmpions, the Wolfweres, and only Werewolves' help saved the colonist from annexation; from there on the two people mingled, even if many werewolves preferred, and still prefers, insulation in theyr forrestal communities; Humans are still wary about Werewolves, and so a few of them declare it publically if they live among human communities, the principal exception being the Arkandale Pack which members are a very powerfull faction in the Arkandale City governement. Wary of strangers, once you get the friendship of a Verbreker that will last forever. Usually Verbreker clothing is practical and simple, even if the richest landowners and mineowners and theyr relatives usually efford more elegance. Small weapons with silver blades and silver heads for arrows and quarrels are fairly common, but frowned upon in mixed communities. Avoiding to carry silver items is seen as a sign of trust in regard of werebeasts.

The Famed and the Infamous:


Argent Whitmoor
(Male Adult Werewolf, L/G, Paladin 7.)
Argent is the scion of the Withmoor Clan, a clan of Werewolves who worships Lady Moon.
He and his wife Celia reside in the fortificated estate of Duskpeace Lodge, near the Valachan Border.

Patrick Connor
( Adult Human Barbarian 8/ Ranger 5 N/G)
Patrick is a trapper and an enemy of both the Cult of Fenris and of the corrupt Governement; a worshipper of Lady Moon, he is feared both by evil Werebeasts and by human poachers.

Broderick Bonebreaker
(Adult Werebear Caliban C/E Barbarian 10 )
Broderick is the head of a small clan of Werebears and he managed to bully in submission the majority of the other not-wolf clans of Werebeasts in Verbereker, to form the Brood of the Purple Moon, which rules the desolate hills of the Bleedingbarrows in the north-east.

Meogon Whiteye
(Male Human Werewolf Ranger 8, N/E)
The Alpha of the Whiteye Clan, and the Alderman of Alyssum, Meogon is cunning and diplomathic; He is interested to keep the Noisette river under the control of the Noisette River Company, his family being the mayor share-holding. He has develpped Alyssum in one of the mayor trading point in the nation, however, he has still some sentient-eating habit whch he tries to satisfy with discretion.

Ambrosius Brightfur
(Venerable Male Human Greater Werewolf, Cleric of the Moon Lady 10, N/G)
The Alderman of the Lady's Den, Pack-Leader of the Ladychildren Pack, leader of the Brichtfur Clan and Archi-Priest of Lady Moon, Old Ambrosius is ailing, but his leadership is still uncontested; his wisdom is sought by many, even by werewolves from other packs or humans; he has the aspect of a candid headed, candid bearded old man, with pentrating auburn eyes, dressed in a silver tunic, wearing the moon shaped symbol of his faith. ; in wolf's form he is a towering white wolf, slowed by age but still exuding majesty. While Alfred Timothy is more magically powerfull, and surely he is younger than Ambrosius, his lack of control in wolf form and his wraker phisical body has allowed the older wolf to get the upper hand in many a confrontation.

Alfred Timothy
(C/E Adult Human Werewolf Cleric 11)
The firstborn son of Captain Nathan Timothy, in his youth he was a gentle soul, who sought to free Verbrekers from his father's iron grip; he joined the Ladyschildren Pack, and became a priest of the Moon Lady; However, his disgust for civilization growed and not even the love of Elaria Brightfur could quench this hate; when he destroyed a village who was negitiating settling rights with the Pack, he lost the lady's blessing along with his family; he ran in the heart of the forrest where he arrived in the Circle of Fangs, the circle of blood-stained dolmens, where, legends said, Lady Moon chained a force of evil; he killed the two guardians and entered the circle where he was blessed by the imprisoned deity, Fenris, the Lady first mate. Since then, he is the Archpriest of the Fenris Cult, and the leader of the Bloodfang Pack; however, the Lady cursed him, for this betrayal, and now, he reverts to human form everyrime he feels strong emotions.

Natalia Vhorishkova
(Female Adult Human Werewolf Slayer 9 C/E)
The Alfa of the Vhorishkov Clan, and second mayor shareholder in the Musarde River Company, Natalia is a dangerous predator, not only as a Werewolf, and as a bounty hunter, but, more so, as a businness woman; even Nathana Timothy afford her an ounce of respect. Her cruelty and her underhand tactics, combined with her cunning and cold-bloodness, makes her an effective negotiator.

Tremeur Hollowmore
Human Adult Fighter 5 L/N
Tremeur is Arkandale Town's City Watch commander, He is a native of Fylfot. He is honest and zealous, too much for the job, maybe.

Noah Timothy
(Young Adult Human Greater Werewolf Barbarian 13 N/G)
The Champion of the Moon's Lady, he is the son of Alfred Timothy and Elaria rightfur, and believes in peacefull convivence between Human and Werewolves, beetwen Werewolves and other Werebeasts, and beetwen Civilization and Nature. Noah do not resent his father nor his granfather for theyr sins; instead he is a firmly believer in the idea of offering them a chance for redemption; When all attempts fore peacefull resolution have been made and have failed, than he turns in his 10 feet tall, white-and-gold-furred hybrid form, and allow the Lady's righteous fury to be unleashed on her enemies.

Yellowfang Sisters
(Amanda Yellowfang, Female Young Adult Human Werewolf, Expert 3 N, and Caroline Yellowfang Adult Female Human Werewolf Expert 4 N)
The Yellowfang sisters are the bartenders in the Gorging Wolf Inn, the most frequented Inn in Ludlow. They are not widely aknowledged as Werewolves, and they prefer to keep it this way.

Mathias Frand
(Middle-aged Human Werewolf Ranger (Tamer) 3 C/N)
Frand is the owner of the Pit, a casinò on the benchs of the Arden, in Tricco; His activity inclede an arena of fighting dogs humans and werebeasts; while greedy, Mathias is far less malicious than he used to be in his prime, and he try to avoid useless deaths.

The Musarde River Company
This L/E Trading Company is the owner of 74% of Verbreker's land; The Timothy Clan and Arkandale's Pack's leader Captain Nathan Timothy is the majority share-holder of the company, it's CeO, and the defacto solo candidate to every Verbreker Free State's Executive Council Presidency election (sice the company have the majority of the seats in Verbrek General Congress, the legislative Assembly. The Musarde River Company employ a squad of 300 Werewolves thugs, the River Boyz (Human Werewolves Warriors 4) commanded by 6 Werewolves Betas (Human Werewolves figter 7). The organization can allso afford services of bounty killers, poisoners, mercenaries, and elite crafters.

The Darklord

Nathan Timothy

Middle-Aged Medium Humanoid (Shapechanger ) [ L/E Rogue(Rake) 14 ] (128/146 HP)
Speed:20
Initiative:+7/+9 (+8/+10 on the Virago)
Armor Class: 22/26 (+4/+6 Dex, +8 Armor , -/+2 Natural Armor) (+2 Deflection on the Virago)
Space/Reach: 1 square /1 square
Combat Manouver Defense/Combat Manouver Bonus:28(32 vs Trip)/+17(+21 Trip)//32 (36 vs Trip)/+19 (+23 Trip) (+2 on the Virago)
Str:13/17, Dex:18/22, Con:14/16, Int:17, Wis:14, Cha 16.
Saving Throws: Fort:+9/+10, Ref:+15/+17, Wil:+8 (+2 on The Vorago)
Special Qualities:Shapeshifter Traits, DR 5/Silver and Magic, SR 28, Invisibility Field, Mastery 2. Sinkhole of Evil 2, Evasion, Alternate Form (Wolf or Hybrid), Alfa, Howling (Calling, 6 miles, 1d& round, call 3d6 of Werewolves of the River Boyz), Scent, Lowlight Vison, Bravado's Bade, Rake's Smile (+4), Improved Uncanny Dodge, Uncanny Dodge Rogue Talents [Another Day, Befuddling Strike, Charmer (2xday), Honeyed Words (2xday),Redirect Attack, Skill Mastery ( Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Swim), Surprise Attack]; Curse of the Darklord, Regeneration 5 (on the Virago), Control Virago.
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack (+7d6), Disease (Lichantropy, only with Bite Attack) (DC 22 Fort Negates), Howling (Fear) (Frightened 1d6 round, Will Negate, DC 22, 24 on the Virago)
Attack: Melee:+3 Dagger +21/+16/+11 ( 1d4+4) (+2 Hit Rolls and damageRolls in Hybrid form, +2 on The Virago), Ranged:+3 Handcrossbow +21/+16/+11 (1d6+3) (+2 Hit rolls in Hybrid form, +2 on HR and DR on the Virago). In Hybrid form he also has a natural attack, Bite + 17 (1d6+3+Desease Fort Negates DC 22).
Skills: Bluff (+27), Diplomacy (+27) Intimidate (+31), Perception (+34), Sense Motive (+26), Swim (+25), Profession (Sailor) (+26).
Feats: Combat Expertise, Focus Weapon (Crossbows), Focus Weapon (Light Blades), Greater Improved Feint, Greater Improved Trip,Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Weapon Finesse, Iron Will .
Challenge Rating: 18
Proprieties: +3 Hand Crossbow, 20 Quarrels, +3 Dagger; Key of the Engine Room of the Virago.

Background:
The son of moderate conservative Werewolf Alfa Eowin Timothy, whose greatest concession to integrationism was marrying a human woman, Emily Gerhardt, Nathan werewolf nature stayed latent, making him an outcast in his own community. At sixteen, he left his village in the forrest, and decided to integrate himself with the human community, in the capital, Arkandale Town; Back than, he was blissfully unaware of the legacy of the Timothy clan, and of the brothers Cain and Abel Timothy, respectvely, his Grandfather and Greatuncle; Cain Timothy was he first Werewolf to fight alongside humans during the Invidian Invasion; Abel Timothy was the chosen of Fenris and the first Darklord of Verbrek. While his sister Irene took over the mantle of bridge beetween human and werewolves which was of theyr Grandfather, Nathan worked hard to thrive in the human word, and starting as an humble sailotr he became a successfull businnessman; however, belonging to a so notorious werewolf family, Nathan was shunned by many in the human elite; his seeping resentment for his werewolf family grew more strong; plus, he started to develop an unhealthy fascination with gambling; however, in spite of this problems he managed to hit it bigtime, entering in society with a progressive trade leader and landhowner called Jacob Lee; At the age of 26 he met Annabelle Lee, 20 years old, and fell in love with her, and with the flagshisp of Lee's fleet, the Virago; he managed to woe her and got her hand in marriage by the ailing Jacob; his sister took part to the celebration, briging him the clan's felicitations; whishing to reconcile with the Werewolf side of his family, he decided to celebrate the marriage in a night of full moon; It was in the moment he kissed Annabelle, that, under the bright eye of the Lady, he started to turn, for the first time; Jacob fell vitim of Nathan jaws; Only his sister swift acion prehented a worse tragedy from happening, but Annabell was comprensibly shoked by the turn of the events, stricken with grief for her father's death; thinking she was going to file for divorce, he blamed his sister and the werewolves for his plight, and with a cold-blooded fury, he poisoned them with aconitum, and than killed them, skinning his own sister alive with a silver dagger; in truth, Annabelle was not going to leave him, after previosly talking with Irene, shehad found the strenght to firgive her husband for something he could not control, but she would have, after discovering what he had done willingly; they were alone on the Virago, when she found the horribly disfigured corpse of Irene; She tried to escape, but she fell in the water and was mangled by the Virago's paddlewheel; He could have saved her, but doing that would have meant to loose the money, the Virago and all the things he had always whished for. He decided that his greed counted more than his love for her, and he sealed his fate as the mists crowned him as new Darklord of Verbrek.


Current Sketches
Using his dead family connections, Nathan took control of the Musarde River Company, and thought that, of Arkandale; he appealed to the most ambitions of the Sheepskinner werewolves clan and quickly extended his influence in all of the Free State; He is the richest man in Verbreker and on of the richest in the Core, he married again and had several sons and daughters; all of them, as part of his curse, revolted against him; His primary worry is to manage to extend is control on the totality of Verbrek; the other one isto satisfy is greed and his compulsive gambling; Nathan Timothy conduct himself as a proper gentleman, but under the facade a predator lurks, ready to tear apart any opposer.

Combat
Nathan usually pay peoples to do his dirty job for him, but, sometime, circustances force him on the field; when it happens, he concentrates himself on the stronger opponents, trying to demoralize them. He assumes wolf or hybrid form only if forced to. In Wolf form he is as black furred as he is black-hearted.

Special Abilities:

Howling (Su) Only in Wolf or Hybrid Form, Standard Action, effects: Calling or Fear (See Special qualities and Special Attacks).

Control Virago (Su) Nathan Timothy can move, fuel and repair the Virago with a move action.

Curse of the Dark Lord: Nathan's Curse is three folded: 1) He can't win in any gambling he does if he does not gamble the Virago itself, which he is always loathe to do; 2) He wish for stable mates, which he will invariably leads to children which will rebel to him, and the suicide of those mates; 3) each time he leaves the Virago (going more than 600 feet far from it) he is firced in his Hybrid form; should he go more then 3600 far, he will be forced in his wolf form, instead. He utterly dreads this circumstances, but to keep his businness goingheis often forced to do so.

Lair:
The Virago is a the paddlewheel boat and primary house of Captain Timothy; Hee keeps a skeleton crew of ten River Boys on it, but he can control it at will. The Virago is a rank 2 Sinkhole of Evil, who can bestow the Rage and Despair condition (DC 21 Will negates)

Closing the Border:
If someone try to cross borders of Verbrek when they are closed, they are attacked by 3d6 Wolves + 1d4 Werewolves, +3 Wolves every Round they advance; People can, theorically, force the borders fighting off the wolves, and the Weres, or escaping.Natha Timothy can close the border up to a maximum of 2 days, every week.

As always, any feedback is wellcomed.
Last edited by Mistmaster on Mon Nov 20, 2017 6:36 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

Post by brilliantlight »

Mistmaster wrote: For the time being, Nathan, head of the Musarde River Company is the worst evil of the land; the richest and the most powerfull landowner, an avid loan-shark, he is the alpha of the civilized werewolves of the Arkendale Pack, and the Captain of the biggest steamboat of the river.

His son Alfred, however, os becoming a worse monster than his own father; in the beginning, he was the light who opposed his father's darkness; however, his growing hatred of his own sire, fueled the darkness in his heart, and he is now the second worse evil in the land.
I'm sorry but Alfred is much worse than his father. Nathen is a rapist, thief , scoundrel and all around exploiter but at least he isn't a genocidal murderer and Alfred is. It is like comparing Bernie Madoff (if he committed a couple murders and rapes in addition to his fraud) with Adolph Hitler. Both are evil but the second is clearly far more evil.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

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In my version, if you have read it, Nathan is responsible of a body count way bigger than his son in canon; he is persecuting every community which could be a threat; he is, basically, a cold-blood murderer with the whole power and resourse of an economic powerhouse at his backing. And I find Nathan, personally, a cooler darklord than Alfred. Who, however, is growing to the level of threath he was in canon, but he has the Cult of Lady Moon to contend with, and so is somhow contained.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

Post by brilliantlight »

Mistmaster wrote:In my version, if you have read it, Nathan is responsible of a body count way bigger than his son in canon; he is persecuting every community which could be a threat; he is, basically, a cold-blood murderer with the whole power and resourse of an economic powerhouse at his backing. And I find Nathan, personally, a cooler darklord than Alfred. Who, however, is growing to the level of threath he was in canon, but he has the Cult of Lady Moon to contend with, and so is somhow contained.

Fair enough, I admit I skimmed it too much as , at first reading, it is pretty similar to canon.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

Post by Mistmaster »

At a glance maybe, but it his more populated and more urbanized than canon.
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Re: My take on Verbrek

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

Interesting that you have Natalia Vhorishkova as a human, rather than a werewolf? Why the change?
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
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Re: My take on Verbrek

Post by Mistmaster »

It is Werewolf Slayer, not Werewolf-Slayer; Slayer is a Pathfinder class; sorry for confuring you; she is a human Werewolf.
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