Prosperity has a price. Ditmir and her peoples delight in the midst of a golden age. Industry and the arts flourish on the backbone of conquest in the name of the human empire. Humankind reclines in the shade of manifest destiny, cast by the tree grown from the seed of their Forefather's faith. A seed also known as Red Ice: ore infused with the divine spark leftover from creation in the bowels of the earth. Once again, in the 84th year of the empire, Tribute must be paid. Festival horns signal the devout. Midwinter's Day approaches. The Iron Barrows Trading Company prepares to trek into the Gullet to deliver humanity's offerings and retrieve another year's worth of Red Ice from its Keepers in the subterranean dwarven megacity, Cinderglimmer. This year marks a change, however. In lieu of private contracts with government-funded guilds and temples to fill the caravan's roster, Iron Barrows is publicly recruiting. To those who answer the call, 10,000 gold pieces up front and an equal share on completion. It's almost enough to make a man forget the tales of dreaded things that lurk below; those which also were forgotten by the gods. But you will not be forsaken. Never has Iron Barrows failed its mission. Your name forever engraved upon the 84th tooth of the Maw, proclaiming its names be heard by the heavens. Thus Zenith remembers his children. Hey there, I'm planning on starting a game in the near future. There's no scheduled date as of right now because it depends on how recruitment goes. This isn't first come first serve as I want to pick the best fits so feel free to reply until I update that I'm no longer looking. Posts or private messages are both acceptable. Information Schedule: My available start times are Fridays at 4pm EST or Sundays at 5pm EST with the possibility of beginning later. Sessions will be weekly and average 6 hours with at least one break in the middle. There isn't a specific session count planned but the campaign is expected to last a couple months. Seeking: Up to 4 players. Discord and a microphone are required. Proficiency with Pathfinder and experience with tabletop gaming recommended. A high level of maturity is more desirable than mechanical knowledge. Immersion is important, knowing there's a time and place when to joke and when to be serious. Content is 18+ minimum but mid-20s or older is preferred (I'm in my 30s). Those interested shouldn't be easily offended in or out of game. My stories often deal with uncomfortable subject matter and themes. System: Pathfinder 1e. Many third party materials are allowed. If you want to use any, run it by me and I'll handle it on a case-by-base basis. There are a number of house rules, mostly to improve mechanical options and character utility. I don't adhere strictly to rules as written; I arbitrate a respectful balance between storytelling and fairness. Campaign: This is a homebrew game in an original setting. It is designed as a psychological thriller, but there will be moments of levity. There is an emphasis on roleplay with combat and other obstacles interspersed. Action takes place in the theater of the mind; battle maps are not used. Events are narratively driven with no random tables. I balance the game based on what players bring to the table rather than expect them to meet a standard of power. If you enjoy strong character builds I can work with that too so long as it doesn't take precedence over contributing to the story or interfere with other player's enjoyment. There will be a session 0 to meet each other, work on characters, and answer questions. About Me: I've been playing tabletop more than 20 years and DMing over half of it. In that time I've run a couple dozen campaigns ranging from a few weeks long up to 2 years in length. Of those, I can count on one hand the amount of campaigns left unfinished. AD&D was my introduction to the hobby and my affinity for the system continues to this day in the form of Pathfinder. Off the top of my head I can recall in excess of 20 systems/editions of TTRPGs I've played over the years such as Call of Cthulhu, Crimson Exodus, Shadowrun, The Edge of Midnight, Vampire: The Masquerade, and others. My philosophy lies in cooperative storytelling - not an adversarial relationship with my players. "Yes, and..." and "No, but..." are important cues I use to maintain progress and avoid pigeonholing solutions. It isn't my role to tell the story. Instead, I referee the rules, manage logistics, and present scenarios for players to interact with. That's not to say NPCs lack character development or the world is static. To me, I create questions meant to be answered by others. Then a chain reaction builds of players reacting to me and me reacting to them, creating a journey feeling like a story that's telling itself. About You: Enthusiasm is nice, but I don't want any character ideas just yet. I'd prefer to hear about you. If my game interests you, that's great, and I want to be as interested in you as you are in it. So, why should I be? There's the basics like age and experience but also tell me why you want to play in my game. Why do you enjoy tabletop, anyway? What's your hook that makes a DM want you in their group? What is it you're looking for on these forums - in this hobby - that you haven't found yet? Thank you for your time and consideration.