[DUNGEON WORLD] City of Strangers (Inactive)

Game Master Haladir

Discussion thread for GM Haladir's Dungeon World: City of Strangers campaign.

Welcome everyone!!

Before we begin, I want to start out by posting my usual blurb about my GMing style...

To me, the magic of a role-playing game is the collective storytelling aspect. When I GM, I strive to spin a fun, engaging story where the players take on the roles of the protagonists. As a collective experience, I very much encourage players to add to the story. Go ahead and build references to your own (or other PCs'!) backstories in your posts. When appropriate, make up minor NPCs to interact with. Take the story down an unexpected path.

I'm not a fan of pointless PC death. It's one thing to make a heroic sacrifice to defeat the Big Bad, or to hold the pass to let innocents escape. It's quite another to get decapitated by an owlbear in a random forest encounter, or to get your throat cut during a fight with Thug#3 who happened to score a two critical hits and roll max damage both times. Consequently, my philosophy is not to let a bad die roll derail the plot. (Complicate the plot? Certainly. Derail? No.) That said, the life of an adventurer is inherently dangerous. I'm far less merciful with PCs making bad decisions than I am with bad dice rolls.

I'm not a huge stickler for rules-as-written, and try to live by rules-as-intended. (This is why I'd make a lousy GM in PFS.) I have no problem with ruling "No. Because that's dumb." Usually, I'm pretty liberal with interpretations, unless it leads to absurdity.

It's less a thing with PbPs, but in the case of rules questions, I like to make a table ruling to keep the encounter moving, and then figure out the real rule between sessions.

I wrote that about Pathfinder. I have found the Dungeon World is nearly perfect for for my GM style, as several of those aspects are baked right in.

So... let's get started!

I'd like to start with the big picture: What kind of story do we want to tell?

Kaer Maga is a weird and interesting enough place that all kinds of stories are equally appropriate.

Are you street rats or petty criminals who want a bigger piece of the action?

Are you freedom fighters who want to elevate the downtrodden?

Are you explorers who wish to unearth the city's secrets (and treasures) buried by the past?

Or something else entirely?

Hi Everyone! Isn't this is exciting!

I'm on the same page as the DM. I love this system for PbP for all the reasons alluded to above.

Ok, what kind of campaign? That's a tough question. Let's start with, does anyone have any strong behind on this? Because I don't. I'd like to be the good guys, but I can work well with even that.

Hey there everyone! KingHotTrash's character here and reporting for duty!

I've only played a friend's bastardized version of Dungeon World but I have played and ran Blades in the Dark, which both use the Powered by the Apocalypse ruleset. Character-driven plots and storybuilding has become my new favorite way of playing tabletops and I haven't looked back since.

As for the kind of campaign that we want to play, there a lot of options in it. Personally, I like the whole "good people doing bad things for good reasons" kind of story. Kaer Maga seems like the place that'd eat the truly good alive and spit them out. Maybe we're thieves and criminals but we're better choices for everyone, leading extortion rackets and taking out the worst offenders? It could really lead to interesting stories where we have to balance that line of being good and bad and if we can keep from being corrupted by the city's "dog eat dog" nature.

I'm also liking that idea because I think it'll give us opportunities to do all three. We work like a gang, albeit a good-natured one to a degree. We help defend the downtrodden who, in turn, take care of us. I think the mysteries of the city will naturally present themselves the more entrenched we become in the city itself.

A question for you Haladir! I don't know how often we're going to be leaving the city and travelling, especially if we pick a story like above. So I was curious about my Port In A Storm ability. Could I use that for districts of Kaer Maga, rather than just the city in its entirety?

That "best of the bad" angle is an interesting one. It would fit well with the setting, that's for sure.

Mishima here, I'll be reusing this alias if its all the same and so 'Rook' has changed to 'Chipluck'.

edit: As for type of game, I just want something where the full flavor of Kaer Maga can come out. For those who havent checked it out, you might take a look...its a departure from the norm similar to Eberron vs Faerun. The factions especially are amazing, imo. Naturally as a thief some criminal work would be most welcome. ;)

Hey, here's Halek ready to roll. Not a perfect representation of the character, but he's got the appropriately lean features and dour, watchful expression. We can decide on Bonds, as well, right?

My bonds are:
I have guided (insert names) before and they owe me for it.

(insert name) is a friend of nature, so I will be their friend as well.

(insert name) has no respect for nature, so I have no respect for them.

(insert name) does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach them.

Playing a good guy gang might be good; Halek's day job is with the Duskwardens but he's figured out that it's a respected job without much in the way of a payday so he's struggling to make ends meet for himself and Runt since he's essentially a refugee. Learning to be more "morally flexible" might be an interesting angle for him.

Mine are:
X owes me their life, whether they admit it or not.
I have sworn to protect X.
I worry about the ability of X to survive in the dungeon.
X is soft, but I will make them hard like me.
Just so everyone knows, the bonds on your sheet are just suggestions. If we think of a better one then we can totally use it.

So this is my first DW experience, I maybe misunderstood that section. What goes in the blanks are fellow party member names?

My bonds are as follows...

This is not my first adventure with -blank-.

I sang stories of -blank- long before I ever met them in person.

-blank- is often the butt of my jokes.

I am writing a ballad about the adventures of -blank-.

-blank- trusted me with a secret.

-blank- does not trust me, and for good reason.

I had an idea for the last one; perhaps one of the halflings may have been former slaves in Cheliax? Silas comes from the former ruling family and he may have seen them be auctioned off and did nothing to stop the evil acts of his fellow nobles.

As for the rest, I'm open to ideas!

Pip is from Cheliax. Her story could easily include a slavery escape.

Chip: that's right! When one no longer applies to the named person then you resolve it for one xp and make a new once. Inter-party relations are actually backed into the mechanics!

Archpaladin Zousha here! Is it okay If I add a last name to Dahlia here?

Here are my bonds!

[blank] has insulted my deity; I do not trust them.
[blank] is a good and faithful person; I trust them implicitly.
[blank] is in constant danger, I will keep them safe.
I am working on converting [blank] to my faith.

@ Piper - That sounds good then. I think that is something my character is going to be ashamed about; he is decadent and a bit snobby but he isn't coldhearted.

@ Chipluck - I can only see good things from having the bard and the halfling having done work together before. The last time that happened, Disney's "The Road to El Dorado" occurred. You want to have been previous partners in crime?

@ Halek - I am thinking that you are the one that Silas is currently working on a ballad for. You're heroic, a protector, something that Silas is not naturally. Writing an uplifting tale about a ranger and his Hippogriff is something Silas sees could do some good in the world.

@ Dahlia - I don't think she's the kind of lady to take softly to being the butt of Silas's jokes, nor is she someone he has been singing tales of already. I think maybe she confided a secret in Silas? He is quite the charismatic man and he can be quite disarming. What do you think?

I think that perhaps, we're good guys who use criminal techniques to take out bad guys. Think of like...Leverage or something? Just...fantasy Leverage?

How about this:
I worry about the ability of Silas to survive, mainly because purple will probably blame me of he dies.

Actually, Road to El Dorado's a DreamWorks movie. Dahlia got her start as an accountant, quibbling over details like that's her thing! ;)

I could definitely see her sharing a secret with Silas. Since she's had access to peoples' financial records through the Temple of Abadar, it'd make sense if she found some compromising transaction that a guy like Silas might want to know about...

Hey Pip! You think you might work for "X has insulted my deity?" Looking at your sheet I noticed you follow Gorum, and Dahlia probably would be wary of someone so eager for war, since war disrupts peaceful civilizations. Plus, considering that due to its Lawful Neutralness, the church of Abadar tolerates slavery in places like Cheliax and Kaer Maga, it'd be easy to see why Pip might think Dahlia's god is full of it and let her know to her face.

I think that perhaps, we're good guys who use criminal techniques to take out bad guys. Think of like...Leverage or something? Just...fantasy Leverage?[/b]

I don't know what Leverage is, but ya, that.

Hey Pip! You think you might work for "X has insulted my deity?" Looking at your sheet I noticed you follow Gorum, and Dahlia probably would be wary of someone so eager for war, since war disrupts peaceful civilizations. Plus, considering that due to its Lawful Neutralness, the church of Abadar tolerates slavery in places like Cheliax and Kaer Maga, it'd be easy to see why Pip might think Dahlia's god is full of it and let her know to her face.

Sounds good to me!

Sounds good, Silas.

Maybe if you and Pip were fleeing to Kaer Maga, I guided you through the Halflight Path where we met and you guys impressed me enough with your unfortunate dilemma as fellow refugees that Halek waived the fee and now one of you owes me a favor?

I would be the more likely one to owe you for the passage.

On Bonds

Bonds are what make you a party of adventurers, and not just a random assortment of people. They're the feelings, thoughts, and shared history that tie you together. You'll always have at leat one Bond, and you'll often have more.

Each Bond is a simple statement that relates your character to another player character. Your class give you a few to start with; you'll replace your starting Bonds and gain new ones through play.

Bonds are a combination role-playing aid and a game mechanic to ensure that the PCs all have connections to each other. Everyone should have at least three Bonds, and each Bond should be with another PC. You can have a maximum of five Bonds, if you want: One with each of the other PCs.

The Bonds that are presented on the character sheet are guidelines: Anything in that vein is fine by me. Before you write down a Bond, make sure that the player of the character with whom you share that Bond is OK with what you have in mind. (That doesn't necessarily mean that the other player character is OK with it!) Bonds are one of the things that you as players need to work out among yourselves as you develop your backstories.

At the end of each session, you may resolve one Bond. Resolution of a Bond depends on both you and the player of the character you share the Bond with: You may suggest that the Bond has been resolved through play, and if they agree, it is. When you resolve a Bond, mark an XP.

A Bond is resolved when it no longer describes how you feel about that person. That may be because circumstances have changed—Thelian used to have your back, but after he abandoned you to to those goblins, now you're not so sure. Or, it could be that it's no longer question—You guided Wesley before and he owed you, but he paid the debt when he saved your life with a well-timed spell.

Any time you look at a Bond and think, "That's not a big factor in how we relate anymore," the Bond is at a good place to resolve.

After you resolve a Bond, you should write a new one. The new Bond does not have to be with the same character, but it can be. When you write a new Bond, it should be about something that happened recently in the course of play. You should choose a thought or belief about that character that ties you together, and an action that's something you intend to do about it.

Here are some examples of new Bonds from the book...

• Mouse's quick thinking saved me from the ice dragon's attack. I owe her a boon.

• Avon proved himself a coward in the Dungeons of Xax'Takar. He is a dangerous liability to the party and must be watched.

• Valeria's kindness to the Gnomes of the Vale has swayed my heart. I will prove to her that I am not the callous thug she thinks I am.

• Xotoq won the Bone-And-Whispers Axe through trickery! That prize is rightfully mine, and I swear I shall have it.

Alright, that makes the 4th bond make much more sense! Chipluck is a gem and jewelry fencer.

a. I stole something from ____.
b. ____ has my back when things go wrong.
c. ____ knows incriminating details about me.
d. ____ and I have a con running.

a. This would be the wealthiest PC, especially if that PC were a resident of the Highside Stacks. Otherwise, anyone with a specifically valuable gem or piece of jewelry.

b. Maybe Piper, since halfling.

c. Halek or Dahlia might be on to me, but doesn't turn me in for some reason.

d. Silas, art student con?

Silas, maybe instead of one past experience, we have something like a art student con running. I make cheap copies of crappy art, you then pretend to be an art student desperate to make back at least what you paid for in materials. What you ask > what I paid thus profit.

Hi y'all! This is AdamWarnock.

So, I've played Dungeon World a couple of times before and I've had a blast. I tend to play more fighty characters, but I decided to try branching out and play a druid this time. The idea behind Aegor is to subvert the hippie, honorable, one-hitpoint wonder elf archetype. He's fairly tough and more akin to a wild animal than anything else, hence the epithet. Of course, I didn't come up with that until I rolled to figure out race and gender. :P

So below are the bonds that are suggested for the druid.

____________________ smells more like prey than a hunter.
The spirits spoke to me of a great danger that follows ______________.
I have showed ________________ a secret rite of the Land.
___________ has tasted my blood and I theirs. We are bound by it.

I think Silas would be the best fit for the first one. Aegor is belligerent and stubborn, not to mention territorial. He'd see Silas' always seeking a peaceful resolution as weakness and an admission of inferiority. Not really a good way to be seen by Aegor.

Maybe Dahlia for the second. Piper is also a good choice.

Halek for the third one, though I'm open to suggestions.

Halek or Piper for the fourth one I think.

Not sure about Chipluck. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. Same for the others. Those are just my first impressions. I will say that Aegor would make an easy target for Silas' jokes, so consider this permission to use him as the butt of them. :)

Alrighty, for bonds so far I have...

This is not my first adventure with Chipluck.

I sang stories of [ long before I ever met them in person.

-blank- is often the butt of my jokes.

I am writing a ballad about the adventures of Halek.

Dahlia trusted me with a secret.

Piper does not trust me, and for good reason.

So Piper doesn't trust me because I was there when she was sold off to one of the Houses of Cheliax and I did nothing to stop them, even though she could see that I didn't agree with it.

Dahlia has fed me information about some of the city's elites, specifically their financial situations and whether they're good...or bad.

Halek is my focus so far, as I write a heroic ballad about the hero's journey. Now I'm just waiting to see a truly heroic moment to finalize my story.

Chipluck and I have been partners before, we're even partners now. I run con stories selling paints for "cheap" and we sell the profits we make. Easy money.

I am thinking perhaps Aegor will fit my "I sang stories of -blank- before I ever met them in person". A fierce druid, an elven druid who isn't this gentle thing is an interesting tale for sure. Now I get to be beside a growing legend.

@ Chipluck - I definitely like the con artist idea of how we know each other. We do what we must to survive.

@ Aegor - I think that it'd be a blast to be seen as prey by Aegor. He is diplomatic, aristocratic, the complete opposite of how Aegor is.

@ Dahlia - I think maybe Silas can fit the "-blank- is a good and faithful person. I trust them implicitly." He isn't but he is able to talk a very good amount to sounding like he is. Maybe that is even the way he learned the secret she was not supposed to share.

@ Piper - I like the idea of being the one you're worried about dying. I'm curious though, who or what is purple?

@ Halek - Perhaps I am the one who does not understand life in nature, so you'll teach me. I'm following you, writing some heroic ballad, but don't really know the truth of the wilderness at all.

Sorry, that should read "people". Though of you have an idea for a threatening group who would care if you died called Purple that might be interesting.

Alright! So for bonds I've got:

I have guided Pip through the Halflight Path before and she owes me for it.

Silas does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach him.

If Aegor has shared a secret rite with me (or maybe he helped me figure out that Runt, my hippogriff, is going to stay relatively small without magical intervention?) he's an obvious choice for: Aegor is a friend of nature, so I will be their friend as well.

Since the Duskwardens are tasked with checking cellars and underground spaces for openings to the dungeons below Kaer Maga, maybe Halek and Runt found one of Chipluck's safe houses or stashes underground and knows he's up to something fishy?

For Dahlia, I can imagine Halek goes to the Church of Abadar regularly since it reminds him of home in this city of anarchy. Maybe she's working on converting him?

Ok, for me so far:

Chipluck owes me their life, whether they admit it or not. Sounds like you get into trouble and I pull you out.

I have sworn to protect Haleck perhaps because of that debt.

I worry about the ability of Silas to survive because his "talk first" attitude is likely to get him mugged. I don't trust the guy, is true, but I don't want t to see him bleed out in a back alley either.

Ageor is soft, but I will make them hard like me. Because wrestling a bear sounds fun!

Ageor is soft, but I will make them hard like me. Because wrestling a bear sounds fun!

Oh this is going to be fun! :)

So, updating my bonds, I have

Silas smells more like prey than a hunter.
The spirits spoke to me of a great danger that follows Dahlia.
I have shown Halek a secret rite of the Land.
___________ has tasted my blood and I theirs. We are bound by it.
Piper thinks my fangs blunt, I shall show her otherwise.
Too long has Chipluck languished in the decadence of civilization. I shall show him the better path.

Thoughts?

@ Halek: Honestly, part of me thinks that Dahlia would think Halek is a good and faithful person: He already comes from a very urban city and he left Korvosa because of the corruption in the city, something Dahlia would greatly respect him for. If we were using standard Pathfinder alignments, Dahlia would be Lawful Good, wanting to help society build to the most fair and just version possible, but she understands systemic issues can't be solved by a single person, so she wouldn't think of him as a coward for leaving when the city turned against him and the Sable Company.

@ Chipluck: I could see Dahlia knowing something incriminating about you, maybe involving money changing hands that she spotted in her records. I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested in having her trying to convert him: she doesn't turn you in because she thinks you can still be guided down a better path, using your unique skills to STOP crimes and injustices instead of committing them?

@ Aegor: I was thinking you'd work well for the "in constant danger" bond. I mean, you're a lone druid in the big city, probably in need of a streetwise guide to keep you from stepping on too many civilized folks toes, and who knows civilized folk better than a priestess of the god of civilization? I think it'd be an interesting dynamic, especially if I'm in your "great danger" bond. Two people representing the polar opposites of nature and civilization mutually respecting each other and working together rather than glaring daggers at each other every night across the campfire.

Piper has insulted my deity; I do not trust them.
[blank] is a good and faithful person; I trust them implicitly.
[blank] is in constant danger, I will keep them safe.
I am working on converting [blank] to my faith.

@Dahlia, Aegor, Pip, Silas:Those bonds sound good to me.

For mine, its looking like:

I stole something from Halek.
Pip has my back when things go wrong.
Dahlia knows incriminating details about me.
Silas and I have a con running.

Halek, I was thinking perhaps Chipluck stole one of your duskwarden charts or maps and maybe hasn't found out yet. Chipluck would be interested in setting up smuggling routes down through the halflight path for his fencing business.

This is great stuff!

@Dahlia: That is interesting. I wonder what she did that caused Aegor to respect her. He respects strength and self-sufficiency. Those that are able to take care of themselves deserve respect while those that contribute nothing of value are to be held in the most loathsome contempt. He doesn't see the value of gold and barely grasps the concepts behind bartering and trade. in many ways, he really is a beast.

Oh and in case it wasn't clear. I'm all for seeing each other's looming doom. It'll be fun.

@Chipluck: Hopefully you still feel that way once we get started. Aegor likes to teach by pushing the chicks out of the nest and seeing if they'll figure it out on the way down. His personality traits start at prickly, and quickly go downhill from there.

@ Aegor: Well, Dahlia's reason to start adventuring is that she feels she can do more good for Kaer Maga's people out there than just sitting in the Temple sifting through numbers. Some acolytes retreat into temple life, their head so into theology and interest rates that they lose touch with normal people, and Dahlia believes normal people ARE civilization. I imagine Aegor would see that as strength of will, if not of body, since she has a soft city-girl body, but is willing to put on a suit of chain and swing a mace at someone's face too, and that'd probably be worthy of respect. Even a pampered pet dog or cat can bite!

On the flipside, Dahlia could see Aegor the same way. Some "tree-kneelers" just go out into the wilderness and never come back, living as hermits and communing with nature and not DOING anything, but Aegor is a druid who is willing to contribute to and be part of the civilized world, instead of writing it off completely. He may be a beast, but he's not a dumb beast, and he clearly has SOME elfity (I don't know what the elf version of "humanity" would be).

Here's my current setup of bonds. Lemme know if they need correcting!

Piper Zappenpop has insulted my deity; I do not trust them.
Halek the Duskwarden is a good and faithful person; I trust them implicitly.
Aegor the Beast is in constant danger, I will keep them safe.
I am working on converting Chipluck to my faith.

Are we mostly set to go then?

I am. As far as the story I want to tell myself, I'm looking forward to what I like to call the Star Wars Cantina aspect of Kaer Maga. I wanna interact with all the wierd and interesting people and creatures that call this city home, like the wormfolk (nagas), the Iridian Fold, the troll Augurs, the Tallow Boys, the Sweettalkers and of course we have a direct connection to the Duskwardens through Halek. I kind of designed Dahlia to be kind of "aggressively normal" compared to the wild and crazy people in Kaer Maga as a kind of constrast.

As far as Dahlia's own specific goals include "elevating the downtrodden" as much as can be done in a wretched hive of scum and villainy like Kaer Maga, and generally making the city a better place. She realizes her individual efforts can't get rid of Kaer Maga's slimy aspects like the open practice of slavery, or the tyranny of various criminal groups like the Ardoc family, but she feels like individual improvements that the group makes may inspire more of them in other people, snowballing to make Kaer Maga a slightly less crappy place.

I want to ruin faces. For good.

Beyond exploring Kaer Maga, I love character driven stories (which might explain why I don't like TLJ.) Banter is one of my favorite things in roleplaying games and writing so stories that give opportunities for that are really what I'd like to see.

Given that, Aegor's kinda flat. I don't see his character evolving all that much, and the ways I do see it evolving is more knowledge than personality or personal demons. That may change when we get started, but for the moment, I don't see him changing his world view that he is a predator among mostly sheep. He may decide that some people are predators too, but I don't see him having any big character arcs like with some of my characters.

That said, I think it'd be cool if Aegor has seen Dahlia take the kid gloves off. He might have even started calling you something like "my little bear cub." Exactly what depends on what Dahlia looks like and what her build is. I do know that if Aegor has his way, Dahlia isn't going to have that soft, city-girl body for long. Imagine the training that Zeetha gives Agatha in Girl Genius if you've ever read it.

Bonds so far:
I have guided Pip through the Halflight Path before and she owes me for it.

Silas does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach him.

Aegor is a friend of nature, so I will be his friend.

@Chipluck: The stolen map works for me. I'm trying to think of a bond that goes from me to you that isn't a repeat of someone else's. Maybe "Chipluck is as comfortable in Kaer Maga as I was in the wild; I should learn from him"?

@Dahlia: Likewise, I should try to have one from me to you. How about "I know deep down that I'm a coward for fleeing Korvosa, but Dahlia is the only person I can confide in"?

Works for me, definitely the feeling I'm going for with him. ie epitome of street smarts

@Dahlia: Likewise, I should try to have one from me to you. How about "I know deep down that I'm a coward for fleeing Korvosa, but Dahlia is the only person I can confide in"?

That's a good idea! I like it!

@ Silas: With that in mind, I should think of something for Silas too...I've filled up the pre-made bonds. Let's brainstorm! Dahlia trusted you with a secret. What might that secret have been? And why would Dahlia have trusted you with it?

I believe I'm set for bonds with this list:

I have guided Pip through the Halflight Path before and she owes me for it.

Silas does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach him.

Aegor is a friend of nature, so I will be his friend.

Chipluck is at home in Kaer Maga- maybe he can teach me how to make this city my home as well.

In my heart I know I am a coward for fleeing Korvosa; I only trust Dahlia enough to speak freely of my shame.

I have all my bonds selected now and set up on my profile. I am super excited to get this strange assortment of strangers released upon Kaer Maga.

@Dahlia - I think the information was insight into the complicated web of debts, favors, and loans. Perhaps not all the crime bosses and gangs are as stable as they'd like you to think they are and the paper trail has revealed some of who is really in control. This is information that really, only the Church of Abadar would have. If it got out or someone used it, it could reflect badly on the church and put a target on Dahlia's back.

My original idea was him using his Charming & Open ability to get it but I can't make people spill secrets that way. Perhaps she got involved in a situation she shouldn't have been in and Silas stepped in to help her? Either with force or, more likely an option, diplomacy. After that, they shared a drink?

I'm not sure how naive Dahlia and if Silas was feigning friendship for access to juicy information or not. He is a bit of a bastard, one willing to do what he needs to survive. Yet he'd feel regret at harming anyone as collateral.

Hey, folks.

I'm not sure how much posting I'm going to get in this week.

I had jury duty today, and while I didn't get picked, they went through 54 potential jurors and have only called 9 so far. I have to go back tomorrow for a fourth round of jury selection, and I have a weird feeling that I am going to get picked for this one.

It's a criminal case that will be emotionally jarring. I can't say anything beyond that.

I'll let you know how things pan out.

No worries Haladir, I'm sure we'll still be conspiring here with ideas when you get back.

Yup. As I said elsewhere, I hope things work out and if you need it, I'm always willing to lend an ear and a shoulder.

Well, anyone up for some casual RP while we wait? For me its usually more helpful to play my character than to think about backstory.

The bastard found him. His face was covered in shadow but Chipluck knew it was him...he could tell by the fingers. Just shy of catching his 28, only a few joints left. Meant a man was desperate. Meant a man wasn't his own man. He didn't waste time and ran for it. He tumbled down the 'Stacks like rain on glass, feinting his pursuer at every chance.

Cracking his neck around he spotted the visage of Cayden, and ducked inside the dark tavern running right into the waist of [insert party member name], tossing a few coppers for the local ale.

"Lovely day, neh?" sweating profusely he downs a pint.

Pip knew Chipluck was in trouble the second he set foot in the dive that barely passed as a tavern known as the Whale's Tale, or the Anus as its vertical whale trail sign had an unfortunate hole blasted in it in just the right place a few years back and the connection was unavoidable. The drinks tasted like crap to boot, but out was cheap so...
What is it this time? she asks

I was not picked to be on the jury, so that will not be a hindrance to my posting rate.

Ya. That one would be rough. Glad you're free!

Yeah, oof. I would not want to be on that jury.

Yeah, that sounds like a mess to deal with. Glad you're with us Haladir!