Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Fangshi]

Myth: A New Age

Indexes:
1. Characters
2. Organization Overview
3. Skills, Spells, Spell Schools, Misc
4. A summary of the plot by Nevill (based on work by Baltika9)
5. Story Notes by Nevill

Prologue:
Chapter 1: A New Age
Chapter 2: The Scavenger
Chapter 3: A Temple of Lies and Truth and the Canvas City
Chapter 4: The Grand Bazaar
Chapter 5: An Evening with the Courtesan
Chapter 6: The trip into Darkness

Chapter 1: Through the Dark City:
Chapter 1: The Guardhouse
Chapter 2: Homeward Bound
Chapter 3: The Library
Interlude 1: In the Hands of a Master
Chapter 4: The Incantation?
Chapter 5: Going Home
Chapter 6: The Dwarven Quarter
Chapter 7: Emptyness and Fullness
Chapter 8: The Perfect Time
Chapter 9: A Strange Reward
Chapter 10: Uninvited Guests
Chapter 11: The Lost and the Damned
Chapter 12: Aftermath
Chapter 13: Revelations
Chapter 14: Under Siege
Chapter 15: Opening Moves
Chapter 16: Won't Get Fooled Again
Chapter 17: Casualties
Chapter 18: The Hunt
Chapter 19: The Price of Power
Chapter 20: The True Price of Power

Interlude 1: Preparations
Preparations 1 (Great Figures and Artefacts)
Preparations 2 (History and Geography)

Chapter 2: The Eagle and the Crows
Chapter 1: A Parting of Ways
Chapter 2: The Eagle and the Crows
Chapter 3: Smoke on the Horizon
Chapter 4: Few Against Many
Chapter 5: Banks, Beers and Little Birdies
Chapter 6: The Black Arrows
Chapter 7: Fishing in the Dark
Interlude 1: The Honeymoon
Chapter 8: Anatomy of an Ambush
Chapter 9: An Unexpected Ambush
Chapter 10: The Raid
Chapter 11: Berandal
Chapter 12: Mind Games
Chapter 13: Hope and Hatred
Chapter 14: The Mad, Mad Mind I
Chapter 15: The Mad, Mad Mind II
Chapter 16: The Mad, Mad Minds
Chapter 17: A Strange Mind
Chapter 18: Just Another Day
Chapter 19: Blood for the Blood God?
Chapter 20: The Arrows in Flight
Chapter 21: Troubled Dreams and Sweet Nightmares
Chapter 22: Shattered Sleep
Chapter 23: Wolves at the Door
Chapter 24: Man is Man's Wolf
Chapter 25: Faith or Folly?
Chapter 26: Dark Night
Chapter 27: Desperate Times
Chapter 28: Desperate Times II
Chapter 29: Desperate Measures
Chapter 30: The Calm Before the Storm
Interlude 2: The Serpent's Maw
Chapter 31: Stormy Night
Chapter 32: To the Victors
Chapter 33: The Cost of Doing Business
Chapter 34: Streams of Whiskey
Chapter 35: Miracle Worker
Chapter 36: New Management
Chapter 37: Fighting in a Basement
Chapter 38: In for a Penny
Chapter 39: In for a Pound
Chapter 40: Where Angels Fear to Tread
Chapter 41: The Drowned Dead
Chapter 42: The Battle of Blackrock I
Chapter 43: The Battle of Blackrock II
Interlude 3: What is there in the Dark
Chapter 44: The Battle of Blackrock III
Chapter 45: The Battle of Blackrock IV
Interlude 4: The Golden Empress
Chapter 46: The Battle of Blackrock V
Chapter 47: Battle's End
Chapter 48: Pursuit
Chapter 49: They Will Sing of Horrors, Darkly
Chapter 50: Elf
Interlude 5: The Worrier King
Chapter 51: Lost or Hidden?
Chapter 52: The Second Coming
Chapter 53: Detective D
Chapter 54: The Fish and the Net
Chapter 55: A Small Misstep
Chapter 56: Silver Tongue, Bronze Fist
Chapter 57: The Five Sovereigns
Chapter 58: Fateful Meetings
Chapter 59: Questions of Trust
Chapter 60: Power Obscured
Chapter 61: Lost and Found
Interlude 6: The Price of Freedom
Chapter 62: Disappointments
Chapter 63: Changes
Interlude 7: The Great Mage
Chapter 64: Demonic Verses
Chapter 65: The Hunter
Chapter 66: Projecting
Chapter 67: The Good Neighbours
Chapter 68: Insubordination
Chapter 69: The Sea of Glass
Chapter 70: Divided Loyalties

Extras:
Behind the Scenes: Prologue
A Tale of Two Mages
The Rodent Commonwealth of Fort Blackrock Overview
The Dwarven Kingdom at a Glance
Political Map of the Realms; Nov 11, 2542
Timeline
Spellcasting Basics

So, what is all this then? (Note from the DM.)

Spoiler

Ok so you probably saw the title and thought; "Oi, a new Myth game I was unaware of!" well you would be right and wrong in this case. This will be a Myth game but I will need your help.

So here is the deal, last week I got the sudden urge to break out my Myth resources and run a campaign in the Myth setting. I have not done it for years and the last time I tried it the players had a lot of fun (ended shortly after a near TPK by Phelot). However, none of my groups are both interested and capable of taking on another game.

One of my campaigns is just winding down and I do have a bit of free time on my hands so I thought well why not turn this into a CYOA as a way to give back to the Codex for years of entertainment, and so you can all watch me fail at storytelling spectacularly. (I will consider it a minor miracle if we make it to twenty updates.) So with the encouragement of Baltika9 and Esquilax I have set out to do just that, if you are interested then feel free to vote or leave a comment. I generally just put forward a setting and let my players run wild in it, as such if you ever have a good idea for an option just speak up and I will figure out a way to try and make it work.

Disclaimer (in which I demonstrate my cowardice and fear of failure):

I have a fair bit of experience DMing but absolutely none writing CYOAs, hell I don't even know if my prose will be sufficiently interesting to entertain you all, but if it all goes south just blame Baltika9 (thanks for the encouragement bro).

Seriously though any failings are mine and mine alone.

So here we go...

Final words? I know I am going to regret this...

 

[Fangshi]

Prologue:

Chapter I: A New Age:

"He told me about old Muirthemne, describing it with words that seemed out of place coming from such a grizzled warrior. He spoke of its many spired palaces and monuments and the grand bazaar during each year's harvest. When I told him that I wished I could have seen the city at the height of its power, he said I might see it in my lifetime.

Then he told me that next year the Heron Guard will be reinstating the septannual tournament to fill out their ranks. Men of bravery and warriors of renown from every corner of the empire will gather to compete for the honour of joining them.

And so I came here..."

The man sitting by the fire finishes his story and the bar room erupts into applause, the ancient tavern rocks gently with the noise of approval from the gathered crowd. You have to admit the man does have a gift for storytelling and it looks like he won't be paying for his drinks tonight.

Coming from almost anyone else in that room his story would be absurd but as you sit there, staring at the figure you know every word of it to be the truth.

This man is a veteran of the last war against the Fallen Lord Soulblighter, old lieutenant to the worst villain of the last thousand years, Balor.

It was Balor that sacked the Old Empire, and just about put an end to the Kingdom of Province a mere sixty years ago.

You shake your head and take another swig from your mug. To think the events he just finished recounting occurred barely one year ago, when the pupil attempted to fulfill the ambitions of the master and wipe the lands of men from the map.

But here you sit a pint in hand, under a sturdy roof in the repopulated quarter of that old city, the jewel of the east, Muirthemne.

The Light, and humanity won out, thanks to Emperor Alric, and men like the stranger by the fire, soldiers of the Legion. And now he has come here to try his luck in the grand tournament for a position in the Emperor's own bodyguard, the Heron Guard, the best warriors in the known world.

You know who he is, but the question is who are you?


Character Creation:

Spoiler

Okay choice time (and no you can't be a Trow...):

Name: (feel free to supply a name of your choice, if you need suggestions we can do that too)

1. Sex (should be self explanatory):
a)male
b)female

Background:
Here is how this will work, pick your top three options, your first pick gets 3 points, second 2 and last 1. If you can't find three you like, (well then I guess I really do suck at this); no worries just pick the ones you like or try "the kid" option.

Also I am limiting you to "starting classes" so no Heron Guards, if you really want to be one you can try to win the tournament they will be holding.

Stats work on a one to ten scale, they are not absolute measures of ability per say but should help you figure out how good the classes are in relationship to one another and potential threats, (for example a Trow has a strength of 10, and an Archmage has a intelligence of 10 and so on) the stats can improve with effort but don't expect it to happen very often (maybe once a chapter, if you pick the right choices).

Your character will also have skills which are easier to acquire but no less useful, to keep this simple I will just list the skills as you get them, if it is on the list then you are proficient at it, if we need a more complicated system then that I will come up with something. Most importantly if you want to try something then let me know and I will see if it is feasible. Any questions about a skill just ask and I will try to clarify.

Oh, one last thing, the apprentice starts out with magical knowledge and an "in" into magical circles but magic is not innate in Myth. Anyone can learn provided they have the patience and someone willing to teach them (it will be harder to do with the other backgrounds however).

2. Backgrounds:

a) The Apprentice:
Str: 3/10 Dex: 4/10 Con: 5/10
Int: 7/10 Wis: 6/10 Cha: 5/10

Useful Skills:
Literacy, Language Bruig, quick learner, magical training, scholarly knowledge

Equipment:
plain clothes, spellbook, knife

Current Spells:
An assortment of utility spells and a basic attack spell, nothing special.

You did not fight in the war but rather served your master behind the front lines. Your master was harsh but fair and took good care of you, unfortunately he died in defence of the dam across the Ire River. He often told you that you had the potential to become a true great. You came to Muirthemne in pursuit of magical knowledge as even ruined it is the greatest repository of arcane knowledge in the world and home to a number of colleges and wizard circles.


b) The Veteran:
Str: 5/10 Dex: 5/10 Con: 6/10
Int: 5/10 Wis: 3/10 Cha: 6/10

Useful Skills:
Combat Knowledge, Tactics, Leadership, Literacy, Language Bruig, herbal skill

Equipment:
Broadsword, Kite Shield, Mail, Pot Helmet

You fought alright, sword and shield against the Dark. Ghôls, Souless, Thralls you fought them all but the worst were the enemy mercenaries, living men turned to the service of the Dark. Through the cold and the heat and the blood and the shit you fought on (you even lost an eye to an enemy arrow of all things). All your mates may be dead but you won and free men and women can live their lives because of your sacrifice....

And then they let you go...

So now here you are in Muirthemne searching for work and a meaning to your life...


c) The Northerner:
Str: 8/10 Dex: 6/10 Con: 7/10
Int: 2/10 Wis: 5/10 Cha: 2/10

Useful Skills:
Combat Knowledge, Tracking, Outdoorsman, Berserker Rage, Resistance to Cold, Silent, Language Berserk, Language Bruig

Equipment:
Wool Armour, Greatsword

You could hardly care less about the soft men and women of the empire. You signed up and left the "Strainer of Kraken" to fight the blasted Dark Lords and to keep your word to a dead empire. Now that the war is over perhaps you will stay and perhaps you will go but always you will search for the next great battle and always will you hold the honour of the Beserk lands close to your heart.


d) The Inventor:
Str: 5/10 Dex: 6/10 Con: 6/10
Int: 8/10 Wis: 3/10 Cha: 1/10

Useful Skills:
tinker, demolition training, friend of the dwarves, Language Bruig, Language Dwarven

Equipment:
ruined clothes, backpack with 40 improvised "dwarven" cocktails, 4 satchel charges

You sit in the corner by yourself, you almost wish the damned Fallen Lords had won, at least then you would not have to worry about your future. You are the product of one of the Emperor's attempts at modernizing the army through the introduction of dwarven weapons and knowledge. It was all going so well until on of those idiot nobles blew his own head off with one of your rifles. Now the whole program has been mothballed and you have been cast out with barely a penny to your name...


e) The Archer:
Str: 5/10 Dex: 7/10 Con: 4/10
Int: 3/10 Wis: 3/10 Cha: 8/10

Useful Skills:
Archery, keen eyes, Language Bruig, Language fir'Bolg, courtly manners, combat knowledge

Equipment:
Bow, 24 arrows, 1 fire arrow, cloth armour, knife, falchion

You had joined the archers before the war because father had demanded it. You never thought you would actually be accepted, but the fir'Bolg had seen something in you and taken you into their forests. They had taken in the spoilt child of a minor noble and turned that same spoilt child into a crack shot with a bow, and you made the Dark pay for every inch of ground they tried to take. Following the war you returned home to Strand but Soulblighter had left nothing in his wake, your family dead, your estate in ruins you set out once more to find adventure, to rebuild your family name and to win eternal fame.


f) The "Merchant"
Str 6/10 Dex 6/10 Con 5/10
Int 4/10 Wis 4/10 Cha 5/10

Useful Skills:
Combat Knowledge, gambling, born liar, thief, language bruig, language ghôl, dirty fighter

Equipment:
thick cloak, mail, round shield, broadsword

You pull the cloak closer around yourself as the stranger finishes his tale. You remember the war, you lived it, but from the other side. You were a sell sword in the pay of the Fallen Lords. You won't lie to yourself, though you lie to everyone else, you loved it even as it scared you. The nobles, the merchant lords, all those who had kicked you and beat you and ran you out of the service; well you got them back and even made a fair profit doing it.

And then one day, the mother of plagues, Shiver marched into your camp at the head of a column of Myrkridia.

And you made the mistake of looking into her eyes...

And you saw the madness and ever so much death and you ran...

In truth you still have not stopped running, maybe here in the capitol of Alric's new Cath Bruig Empire you will finally find a reason to stop.


g) The Scavenger
STR: 4/10 DEX: 5/10 CON: 6/10
INT: 6/10 WIS: 7/10 CHA: 2/10

Useful Skills:
Literacy, Magical Training, Scholarly Knowledge, Herbal Skill, Keen Eyes, Language Bruig

Equipment:
clothes, knife, spellbook, a weathered book "On the cycles of Light and Dark", a very stylish hat

Spellbook:
a variety of utility spells and simple attack spells

A life-long study of the arcane and a master with a single-minded obsession for lost artifacts hasn't made you particularly charming, but it's given you a strong constitution, a keen eye for traps, and an even keener mind for magic. Your thirst for knowledge has brought you to Muirthemne, in search for one of the Halycon Stones. Your master would also have come with you if your last excursion into a tomb didn't end with him triggering a pressure plate. Not to worry though, you haven't let the sight of his strewn entrails diminish your optimism. The only trouble here seems to be seeking out some help for your journey. For some reason, everyone seems to think your plan is insane and they don't even want to bother hearing you out.


h) The Courtesan:
Str: 1/10 Dex: 5/10 Con: 3/10
Int: 7/10 Wis: 5/10 Cha: 9/10

Skills:
Born Liar, Quick Learner, Literacy, Courtly Manners, Magical Training, Sexpert

Equipment:
Knife, fine clothes, spellbook.

Spells:
An few utility spells.

Background:
Opportunity is where you find it. Riches and nobility and stories of heroes of light battling dark lords - all of those had little meaning to you. Growing up in a city still recovering from the Fallen war six decades ago, you made a living the only way you could, taking the only opportunity you had. You sold your body, and you were good at it. To capture the nobles' attention you learnt how to speak in a way pleasing to them. To give yourself that little edge over the younger girls that joined the establishment with every passing year, you plied simple tricks of magic from the mages that favoured you. In another life you could have been a mage yourself, they said, lying in bed while you flattered their ego. You laughed. This life suited you just fine. It was one where you did not have to lift a finger for your whims to be fulfilled.

Then, Soulblighter came.

What use had the undead for a courtesan?

The city was razed. Your patrons were killed. You escaped, but just barely.

In the aftermath of that war, you wandered, travelling from town to village to town, doing what you could to stay alive. It was not aimless. You had a destination in mind. Muirthemne, crown jewel of the east. Opportunity is where you find it, and in the new Empire's seat of power, there will be plenty.


i)The Prodigy (designer's note - Male fits better for this)
STR: 3/10 DEX: 4/10 CON: 4/10
INT: 9/10 WIS: 6/10 CHA: 4/10

Useful Skills:
Quick Learner, Herbal Skill, Keen Eyes, Literacy, Language Bruig, Language Berserk

Equipment:
3 Mandrake roots, wool armour, knife

You had never quite fit in, growing up in the lands of Gower. The hearty Northmen there were known for both their great mirth and their great skill at cleaving a man in two. You were known for a dour demeanor and could barely even hold onto the massive claymores your kinsmen carried into battle, let alone cleave a man in two with it. Your peers mocked and bullied you mercilessly for your frailty, and while you ended up developing a thick skin and a stoic attitude from the abuse, you yearned for an escape.

Your salvation came in the unlikely form of Soulblighter's army. His undead had laid waste to your village to add more to their number as they marched further west. Your bolder kinsmen, aided by a token Legion force, placed you in the rearguard of the defense, seeing you as too much of a liability up front.

As they charged forward to meet the enemy, they didn't spot the wight shambling out of the riverbed.

The wounded were brought back to you and a fur-garbed Southerner with the Legion. Shaking, dismembered, and pus oozing from their festering wounds, you went to work by amputating, applying tourniquets and disinfecting wounds with what you had taught yourself of medicine.

While most of your kin had survived thanks to your efforts, rather than growing fond of you, they became more resentful. As they saw it, you had denied them an honourable death. For his part, the Southerner was in awe of your skills; a skilled healer with no formal training was unheard of in the walled, sprawling city of Muirthemne where he hailed from. As he left, slinging his shovel across his back while returning to his comrades, he urged you to seek him out in the city, should you find him. He was even kind enough to provide you with a book, though you didn't have the heart to tell him you were illiterate.

That was over a year ago. Your journey here has been long and difficult, and you've taught yourself to read in the meantime, but you've finally made it. Now to make a new life for yourself.


j) The Witch:
Str: 2/10 Dex: 6/10 Con: 4/10
Int: 8/10 Wis: 6/10 Cha: 4/10

Useful Skills:
Literacy, Language Bruig, language ghôl, quick learner, magical training, scholarly knowledge

Equipment:
thick cloak, plain clothes, spellbook, knife

Current Spells:
An assortment of utility spells and a basic attack spell, nothing special.

You pull the cloak closer around yourself as the stranger finishes his tale. You remember the war, you lived it, but from the other side. Unfortunately, for some reason your master picked the wrong side in the conflict. He was not the kindest man, but you served him faithfully. Or maybe that was fearfully. Until one day, the mother of plagues, Shiver marched into your camp at the head of a column of Myrkridia.

And you made the mistake of looking into her eyes...
And you saw the madness and ever so much death and you ran...

In truth you still have not stopped running, maybe here in the capitol of Alric's new Cath Bruig Empire you will finally find a reason to stop. You have no idea what happened to your master but it was probably (and hopefully) nothing good.

k-z) The "Kid"
Str -- Dex -- Con --
Int -- Wis -- Cha --

Useful Skills:

Equipment:

Your life is an empty book, just waiting to be written...

Don't like any of the characters well then fear not, come up with your own. You have 30pts to spend on stats, pick a reasonable equipment load out (weapon, armour) and make up a few skills. If people back it then I will see what I can do...

 

[Kipeci]

I have no idea what the setting is here, but I hope we can finally achieve bear cavalry!

My vote is:
1. Inventor
2. Archer
3. Northerner

 

[Fangshi]

Never played Myth:The Fallen Lords or Soulblighter?

That is fine if you haven't, if you have any particular questions feel free to ask and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.

If you would like I could draw up the basic timeline/geography of the world which would be common knowledge for its residents.

 

[Night Goat]

Sex: female. This will double the number of female characters in Myth games.
Backgrounds:
1. Inventor
2. Apprentice
3. Veteran

 

[Baltika9]

See later post.

 

[Fangshi]

I will see what I can do, and really if you go with the inventor he will probably need a recipe book as well.

I am just keeping it general for now since only one of these characters will make it into the game (well unless you get your first pick killed, but when has that ever happened in a Codex CYOA ).

Don't think of the skills as a finite set of possibilities but more like the descriptors you would find in a wargame, they are potentially endless and just act as a mental note for me to remember that "oh yeah they are really good at x or y". That being said I could draw up a short list of skills if you guys real want.

Also the apprentice really is just an apprentice at the moment, your spell book is filled with things like "Sort" which lets you sort your master's papers. and "Polish" which lets you polish the floor. You do have some more practical spells like "Light" and "Energy Bolt" but you are not throwing fireballs yet. Now if you want to throw fireballs then you should look at joining the Warlocks but there are also less "destruction" oriented colleges as well.

Edit:
Ok added a quick list of known skills, also Baltika9 that only counts as one vote for Apprentice you know .

 

[Elfberserker]

Come on people vote for archer. We always seem to play warriors or wizard, but never rogues or archer.

1. Archer
2. Northern
3.Appearance

 

[Baltika9]

Come on people vote for archer. We always seem to play warriors or wizard, but never rogues or archer.

I dunno, Senya was a pretty rogue-ish character, what with his hacking and sneaking and blackmailing, etc... I really want to play a master of magic and eldritch lore. Ergo, apprentice.

 

[Kz3r0]

Name: Darlain Du'val
Male

1st choice: The "Merchant"
2nd choice: The "Merchant"
3rd choice: The "Merchant"

 

[Erebus]

Female

1 : Inventor
2 : Merchant
3 : Archer

 

[Fangshi]

So Current Tally:

Names:

Male Names:
Remlin Wyllt 1 vote
Darlain Du'val 1 vote
Hallice Colyvar 1 vote
Culhwch Etain 1 vote
(in the interests of democracy) Commander Shepard 1 vote
Egil the Frail 1 vote

Female Names:
Derryth ó Foghladh 1 vote
Harle Thrombe 1 vote

1. a) male 8 votes
b) female 8 votes

2 a) Apprentice 17 votes
b) Veteran 2 vote
c) Northerner 4 votes
d) Inventor 15 votes
e) Archer 4 votes
f) "Merchant" 15 votes
g) Scavenger 16 vote
h) Courtesan 13 vote
i) Prodigy 6 votes

Fairly even spread really with Inventor Apprentice out front, for those of you that have not voted for a gender or a name feel free to cast your vote (unless you don't care of course).

It is late afternoon here, I will probably close the polls sometime tomorrow morning to give everyone time to weigh in, expect an update tomorrow afternoon (probably 18-20 hrs from now)

Also the name vote will be conditional based on the sex vote obviously.

 

[Esquilax]

We've never played a full-on wizard type with a thirst for knowledge and all things arcane. The magic in the Myth setting is just so cool, and I'd love to harness something that devastating for our character in the long-term. The Inventor sounds alright, but I don't think he has the WIS to became a great mage. Fangshi, who in the setting would have a 10 WIS score? I guess somebody like The Deceiver might fit the bill.

Male
1) Apprentice
2) Northerner
3) Merchant

I also had my own character background in mind. I'm keeping my vote as is, but I'd like to see if this character is acceptable.

Scavenger

A life-long study of the arcane and a master with a single-minded obsession for lost artifacts hasn't made you particularly charming, but it's given you a strong constitution, a keen eye for traps, and an even keener mind for magic. Your thirst for knowledge has brought you to Muirthemne, in search for one of the Halycon Stones. Your master would also have come with you if your last excursion into a tomb didn't end with him triggering a pressure plate. Not to worry though, you haven't let the sight of his strewn entrails diminish your optimism. The only trouble here seems to be seeking out some help for your journey. For some reason, everyone seems to think your plan is insane and they don't even want to bother hearing you out.

Literacy, Magical Training, Scholarly Knowledge, Herbal Skill, Keen Eyes, Language Bruig

STR: 4/10
DEX: 5/10
CON: 6/10
INT: 6/10
WIS: 7/10
CHA: 2/10

 

[Tigranes]

Have no idea about the setting, but great!

1) Inventor
2) Archer
3) Merchant

Female please, so Codex can confuse itself with its harem urges.

Edit: Also willing to vote for a Mage if magic is so cool in Myth, I just want to avoid fighter type.

 

[Fangshi]

Ok I will update the tally...

Scavenger

A life-long study of the arcane and a master with a single-minded obsession for lost artifacts hasn't made you particularly charming, but it's given you a strong constitution, a keen eye for traps, and an even keener mind for magic. Your thirst for knowledge has brought you to Muirthemne, in search for one of the Halycon Stones. Your master would also have come with you if your last excursion into a tomb didn't end with him triggering a pressure plate. Not to worry though, you haven't let the sight of his strewn entrails diminish your optimism. The only trouble here seems to be seeking out some help for your journey. For some reason, everyone seems to think your plan is insane and they don't even want to bother hearing you out.

Looks good I will add it to the list, just let me know if I got any details wrong, you did not provide an inventory so I made one up. (So what will his name be? Indiana Madrigal Jones... ).

Also willing to vote for a Mage if magic is so cool in Myth

Magic in Myth is a bit weird and difficult to explain. The setting draws heavily from Glen Cook's Black Company novels so if you are familiar with those then you should have a fairly good idea. The magical community is divided into essentially three layers. First are those that dabble, since anyone who is willing to put in the effort and find a teacher can in theory learn magic there are a lot of minor talents out there, above those are the second layer of mages with actual talent these are the guys/gals that can throw fireballs, enchant items and the like. Finally there are the truly terrifying archmages that stride across the setting, they can raise armies of the dead and consume cities with magical fires. They were divided into the Nine Avatara (the good guys) and the Seven Fallen Lords (the bad guys). All of the Avatara fell during the war with the exception of the current Emperor Alric, of the Fallen Lords five have their deaths recorded while two disappeared following the great war sixty years ago.

The high level magic that the archmages wield are known as the dreams and there are supposed to be 49 of them, they are very powerful and quite varied, for example the Dispersal Dream is a terrifing attack spell while Shiver's Dream involved the manipulation of the dreams/nightmares of her target. There are lots of little theories about the dreams and the archmages but your character would not really know much more than this.

who in the setting would have a 10 WIS score?

Many of the more magically gifted archmages would have a high wisdom to allow them to control the power that they do.

A character with high Int and low Wis would likely become powerful quickly but also burn out quickly. Wis helps the mage survive the crippling power that they seek to use, Mazzarin for example probably had/has a 10 Wis, probably the Deceiver as well, like you said, and I would say his old enemy the Watcher also had a high Wis, Alric has a very high Wis but I am not sure I would give him a ten, (maybe if he makes it a few more centuries).

By contrast I would say both Shiver and Soulblighter had low Wis and fairly Average Int really, they just put the time in and had a lot of time to practice.

It is also important to know that a high wisdom will not completely shield a person from the warping impact of magic, the more power you try to grab the less grounded you will be, just like the other archmages in Myth (or in the Black Company novels that inspire Myth).

 

[Grimgravy]

I also have no knowledge about the setting, but when does lack of knowledge stop the codex?
Male
Hallice Colyvar
1)Merchant
2)Apprentice
3)Scavenger

 

[Erebus]

We've never played a full-on wizard type with a thirst for knowledge and all things arcane.

I seem to remember a certain vampire... Not sure what happened to her, though.

 

[Grimgravy]

Also, kudos for starting this up. It will be nice to have another CYOA around especially since two others may have been killed by excessive holiday cheer.

 

[Baltika9]

Vote for a name, bros, even if The Nameless One would be cool too.

 

[Anabanana]

Scavenging looks pretty damn interesting! If I could triple-vote for that I would. Also voting female and generally magic-based characters just for something different from the usual Codex CYOA fare.

Female: Ayn Hawkes
1. Courtesan
2. Scavenger
3. Witch

 

[Esquilax]

Looks good I will add it to the list, just let me know if I got any details wrong, you did not provide an inventory so I made one up. (So what will his name be? Indiana Madrigal Jones... ).

Brilliant . I suppose the Scavenger found the stylish hat on an expedition.

Equipment:
clothes, knife, spellbook, whip, a very stylish hat

I had actually envisioned the character as more of a hermit or a monk type; the sort of person more concerned with spiritual and magical matters and not quite as concerned with worldly ones. Part of the fun would be trying to assemble a team of people to help the PC, despite the fact that convincing people to jump into certain death in a tomb would be difficult for a high CHA character, let alone this guy. So we'd be bound to end up with people who are some combination of crazy, completely inept, or utterly treacherous.

I seem to remember a certain vampire... Not sure what happened to her, though.

Wow, it's been that long since we rolled a magically inclined character? That was so long that I forgot about it until you brought it up.

Also willing to vote for a Mage if magic is so cool in Myth, I just want to avoid fighter type.

A fighter in the Myth setting is pretty cool too (it is inspired by The Black Company, after all, and that was all about soldiers) but I agree that we've already rolled ton of warriors already, so I can see why you're sick of it. But mages in this setting are capable of some truly incredible and terrifying things in equal measure, as Fangshi described. A guy like The Watcher can enslave nations with necromancy in the finest of BioWarian tradition. Likewise, considering that the world at this point is still recovering from the devastation that Balor wrought sixty years ago, as well as the recent war against his lieutenant, Soulblighter, there are a ton of lost artifacts and bits of forgotten knowledge strewn about as well.

Edit: Calling the Myth fan potato contingent - Storyfag, I summon thee!

 

[Anabanana]

I like the idea of a monk/hermit-style character having absolutely no idea what to do with the stylish hat and using it as a container or backpack or something like that instead. Or the stylish hat ending up looking totally goofy on them. XD

 

[JagreenLern]

I vote
Male
1. "Merchant"
2. Apprentice
3. Scavenger

As for the name, since this is Myth, someone should come up with a Gaelic name for the PC.

 

[Anabanana]

I'm unfamiliar with the setting, but here's a Gaelic name for the female PC: Derryth ó Foghladh

(Derryth is linked to druid, while ó Foghladh means plunderer. Yes I am still hoping that Scavenger wins.)

 

[treave]

Hm, interesting. I'm more familiar with the Black Company setting than Myth, but let's try this out...

***

Vote: Female
1) Inventor
2) Scavenger
3) Apprentice

***

Optional background -

The Courtesan:

Str: 1/10 Dex: 5/10 Con: 3/10
Int: 7/10 Wis: 5/10 Cha: 9/10

Skills:
Born Liar, Quick Learner, Literacy, Courtly Manners, Magical Training, Sexpert

Equipment:
Knife, fine clothes, spellbook.

Spells:
An few utility spells.

Background:
Opportunity is where you find it. Riches and nobility and stories of heroes of light battling dark lords - all of those had little meaning to you. Growing up in a city still recovering from the Fallen war six decades ago, you made a living the only way you could, taking the only opportunity you had. You sold your body, and you were good at it. To capture the nobles' attention you learnt how to speak in a way pleasing to them. To give yourself that little edge over the younger girls that joined the establishment with every passing year, you plied simple tricks of magic from the mages that favoured you. In another life you could have been a mage yourself, they said, lying in bed while you flattered their ego. You laughed. This life suited you just fine. It was one where you did not have to lift a finger for your whims to be fulfilled.

Then, Soulblighter came.

What use had the undead for a courtesan?

The city was razed. Your patrons were killed. You escaped, but just barely.

In the aftermath of that war, you wandered, travelling from town to village to town, doing what you could to stay alive. It was not aimless. You had a destination in mind. Muirthemne, crown jewel of the east. Opportunity is where you find it, and in the new Empire's seat of power, there will be plenty.