I still feel "earlybird apps" are our best way to get a sense of concepts and interests of the players, and the creative writing has given us some great stuff, but I know a lot of people don't like apps, so I'm putting up yet another way to give the DM and build team your opinions. I thought about posting this as a poll, but really the comments will help more than the raw data.

What factions inerest you, and are there any you've considered applying for?

What subraces interest you, and are there any you've considered applying for?

Will your prefered first character likely be, a surfacer new to the underdark, a long term slave, born a slave, born in Sactuary, or something else altogether?

Any other ideas or information you'd like to share about concepts you are currently thinking about?

I love the fact that the campaign is set in a deliciously evil area. Back when I was going through the Book of Vile Darkness and other evil sourcebooks, I've always dreamed of playing in a world of such vile creations rather than sticking to the standard RPG settings of fields, forests and castles.

That said, I've been tapping into my morbid brain and have come up with some idea's for characters (both good and evil aligned).

Currently, the Sanctuary based factions that interest me would be the Town Council. Seeing that it's so open for changes and political intrigue. I'd imagine the city to be in such a fragile state and to have conflict within the town's leaders would make for great roleplay. Kinda like being part of a parliament in a war torn, third world country. Imagine one of the PC members of the council is in league with a head of the Tiger Eye Merc's and they plan for revolt. Just wonderful.

Subraces, frankly I think being a normal human would be great enough. Since the threat and dangers of the underdark would prove a worthy challenge. I'd imagine it's already hard enough to try and do good in the underdark, imagine playing an evil character trying to work with the Drow/Beholders/Illithids, the challenge is there.

First character, I'd go with an ex-slave concept. A surfacer once before, but taken slave and then escaped, ending up in Sanctuary. In fact, it's the basic idea for a concept I'm currently working on with the DMs which I'm hoping would involve plenty of other players. *fingers crossed* :wink:

I'm really intrigued about playing on a server which is so different to the ones I've played on before. Where 'good' isn't necessarily the norm, and there is a reason for real faction conflict and struggle.

What factions interest you, and are there any you've considered applying for?

The Town Council sounds great, and would be something I'd be interested in in-game. I think it'd be great to have the town actually run by player characters, and should provoke a lot of intrigue and conflict.

The Seekers also sound like a very interesting faction, and membership would provide a character with some difficult but rewarding goals.

I'd also be interested in the Tiger Eye Mercenaries, if I choose to play a fighter character. I can imagine plenty of conflict between the Watch and the Tiger Eyes.

What subraces interest you, and are there any you've considered applying for?

I'm mostly interested in simply playing a normal surface race - probably a human, as subraces don't really interest me all that much. However, if I was going to go for a subrace, it'd probably be a svirfneblin or half-drow.

Will your prefered first character likely be, a surfacer new to the underdark, a long term slave, born a slave, born in Sactuary, or something else altogether?

Most likely a long-term slave, taken as a child and growing up in slavery.

Any other ideas or information you'd like to share about concepts you are currently thinking about?

The concept I currently have floating around in my head is pretty different to any other character I've played before, because the setting has made me really think about trying something new. Far less idealistic and 'good' than most of my usual characters, and with a set, determined goal in her mind, which will hopefully give me something to work towards in game.

Simply put: A place where everything is so close to the brink, even evil has to fight along side good to survive.

Edit: And the chance to play an escaped drow poison tester. That rocks alot as well.

The idea being kind of the exact opposite of every other world. Meaning, you normally get to play a Human in human cities or elves in elven cities, but rarely get to play the minority and endangered group. Thinking of a fighter type at the moment, simply because I've no idea what to expect we'll run into and it might be a bit easier to handle as a fighter... maybe <.< >.> All the factions sound interesting, but I think my concept might only realistically fit into one... maybe stretch it to two.

As far as factions, the Tigereye mercs have garnered a good bit of my interest. It's really intriguing to think about a group of people that are so necessary and perhaps greatly hated by a good deal of the people in sanctuary. Their military presence is welcome, but no one is fooled by the illusion of loyalty. A merc is loyal to gold. Who knows what conflicts may arise over that fact, or the fact that mercenaries place their own survival over the survival of those they work for. Mercs die for gold not people! :twisted:

As has been said above, the setting is a much darker place than your typical game world, and that in itself is really refreshing. I think in a way, it will make the true 'heroes' and good guys more special. Trust is something I imagine to be very scarce or held to select few individuals from person to person. I think this makes room for some very rich interaction in Sanctuary and will hopefully differ from the standard "We're adventurers, lets kill some monsters and find some loot!"

In the Underdark, you can't really be sure which is more dangerous...the nasty denizens of the caves and tunnels, or the ex-slave living in Sanctuary next to you. After all, they did survive slavery as well as an escape from it (for those that are ex-slaves). Can they really be trusted? What did they do to make it this far? What won't they do to make sure that they survive?

They same pretty much goes for the characters that aren't former slaves. The ex-slaves might look on them with jealousy and envy. Especially for the people with little to no memories of the surface world.

I just think there is so much built up into this. Subraces...the possibities are so wonderful, but like others, I am looking to establish myself in the setting as a human character and perhaps later delve into the exotic tastes of the underdark. Definitely thinking of a long term slave, although not someone born to it. Having had the most faint tastes of surface life is something I feel can give that drive for survival and possibly escape for a character.

A faction that really interested me was the City Watch as well as the town council.

The watch being that, in a diverse city with no true "Alignment", we will likely see everything from blatantly corrupt skullcrushing guards, to the honorable and loyal Watchmen who would rather die than dishonor the watch. Unlike most servers, where there is the looming superpower of a huge army, or a big group of mages, or a council of evil mages who control everything, there is much more opprotunity for conflict in EFU.

The town council is a completely unique idea that simply shocked me when I learned about it. This puts alot more control into the players hands, and could very well take some of the burden off the DM team.

The Seekers and The Tigereye Mercenary Company interest me.

The Aasimar, half drow and any of the genasi's sound interesting, but I find I want to play them for fun. So more then likely my first character will be a good aligned fighter of some sort. That way I can get used to this new world.

My first character will probably be a surfacer, who was kidnapped and taken down into the Underdark, at a very young age.

I was glancing at CoA's website these days, looking for some obscure deity/order that could give me an idea of a different concept... (something like werecat paladin of nobanion :P ) and something that sparked my interested was the description of a paladin order of Baravar, which was basically about getting rid of evil humanoids such as kobolds and goblins as they can't be redeemed.

But then I thought, that concept would be too 'standard' if it was just about hating and killing kobolds and goblins, as those would be always NPCs- and it would be much more interesting if there was possibility of opposing other player characters.

I think it would be still doable in a standard Faerunic setting, if you oppose half-orcs as well, and secretly work to spy/oppose them and their factions- but an Underdark setting would likely have more 'evil humanoids' player characters that could be opposed, and I suppose, that and the fact that the hole atmosphere will seem darker with the feeling of mistrust all around, is what teased me.

I suppose I like the idea of playing a priest or paladin of Baravar, maybe it could be a deep gnome, as they seem to be less charismatic and more reserved, which would give a better feeling of the setting.

White Cross But then I thought, that concept would be too 'standard' if it was just about hating and killing kobolds and goblins, as those would be always NPCs- and it would be much more interesting if there was possibility of opposing other player characters.

Interestingly enough, we've been considering making goblins and kobolds into playable subraces. It's not a high priority at the moment, but it may yet happen. :)

I think looks insanely interesting. A nice idea being worked out by people i know knows what they are doing is always fun.

The Council sounds very interesting, though i do like the Seekers the best.

I have a few ideas for characters, and i am trying to find a way to decide what to go with. One would be the "silent" ranger, who travels the underdark in hope of finding surviving slaves that has escaped, and running raids against slavers to free more, and with the goal of bringing them to Santuary.

Other would be a fanatic lathanderite priest who desperately seeks to see the sun once more.

The Spellguard interest me, I have an idea of a human born in the underdark (really have to study it a bit more for further details)

Although, to be truthful everything about the factions and the setting interests me. I think this will be a very welcome change from. . . the usual :)

What has caught my attention is the idea that not everyone, (slaves or escaped) can or would decide to sprint for the surface. The idea that an escaped might make an existence deep below say, as a smuggler(people, goods, stolen items..i.e whatever) to either the Underdark factions or assisting the escaped appeals to me. Sure Im willing to bet most will prefer to join factions while the remainder would prefer to make opposite of the former, but one who remains in the middle, one who struggles each time they wake to keep their head intact with their shoulder. Sure the smuggler concept is worn and used, but the idea of a character helping those who wish to see the sun, or in retrospect, a character assisting in the capture of the escaped for his own reason, is interesting. A more RP based core than advancement concept. This is what has caught my attention. The notion that there is no one sigle ultimate goal that is to be reached by the mass is exciting in itself, allowing a much broader range of character development.

In addition, the world being dominated by vile and evil beings, Underdark, is if not as but more interesting to me as a player. Considering the fact that most major themes revolve around a central goodness(which we all like) but offers little to no chance to an alternate without consequence. That I have to agree with the others on.

What really interests me about this server is the freedom this setting allows, as well as the ideal DM to player ratio that allows us to take full advantage of this newfound freedom. As a small band of survivors, I think it will be interesting to see the dynamic as we all struggle together in order to live to see another day, and unravel the mysteries of our surroundings. It's a complete shift on the lawful-good focus of putting down evil to the more sinister theme of simply surviving it, and it's this inversion that makes the setting so attractive.

That said, I'm particuarly interested in The Watch and The Town Council because I'm curious to what extent a group of diverse characters, each with their own pasts and ambitions, will compromise in order to come together and create a society that can survive the underdark.

The characters themselves also interest me, primarily because they have no credible backround. I imagine most of them being ex-slaves who can choose to tell any story they want explaining how they escaped their masters, as well as how they ventured into the underdark to begin with. The Sanctuary could very well be the biggest haven of liars in the entire Underdark.

We'll come with no past, and it promises an interesting future.

What interests me is the take off feel of what you all have put together. It's something fresh, something to give life to a lot of good RP as there is tension there from day one of your new character hobbling into Sanctuary. The background and simple set up to the setting are alluring, as is the opportunity to live the story of what is Sanctuary as it has been alluded to in the forums.

That there are not too many factions in the begging is a good thing I think too, to keep is simple and let the city bloom before too many things get piled on.