Please dot in.
Let me now if you have particular questions about integrating your character's backstory more thoroughly.
Dotting, I can help flesh out the Iron Empire more if you would like!
I'm here.
Checking in.
Would you be able to set up a gameplay thread? The campaign won't show up in our profiles until we can check in there.
Ḕ tā̀n ḕ epì tâs
"Honestly, why bother with a shield? Just an invitation for idiots to try to hit you..."
@ Saturday: Nice.
@ Sylas: Good. It keeps the rest of you safe.
Dottin' in! Also, did you want me to flesh out my character's tribe more?
As far as my character's history goes, I would like for him to have worked with some specific group of mercenaries in the past if you have any in mind, GM Eric. If Amren has some history as an axe-for-hire, then I'd like to know of what companies he may have served with and what battles he may have participated in. If it helps, I figure he's done some recon / stealth / assassination missions and possibly has fought on the front lines, yelling at the top of his lungs.
Have any of our characters met each other in the past?
Finally, is it just me, or does it feel like the King of Wodmarch might secretly hope all our characters (being as wild and loopy as they are) get killed on their mission?
EDIT: ...Okay, admittedly, only MOST of our characters are wild and/or loopy.
The party's fame concerns the newly crowned king. He knows he's a second choice king to his dead brother and fears the popularity of the heroes. He grants them stewardship over the province to get them out of sight of the people, and set to lucrative, yet historically risky, task.
Given this line, I'd say highly probable.
I'm simply unfairly profiled because of my heritage! Mostly...
I've created the game play thread as requested. Planning to start the "Prologue" on wednesday.
I'll get some answers for Amren about mercenary companies. You and Saturday might have crossed paths in adjourning mercenary camps, especially if you fell in with the less picky mercs.
Sounds good! Amren would have been alright with joining less picky folks so long as he was promised a good chance at some action.
If our characters have crossed paths, Saturday, what should their opinions of each other be? And do you want them to have crossed paths?
Got'cha, got'cha!
Concerning Amren's personality: He's somewhere between "pleasant enough to drink with" and "crazy freakin' berserker." He loves to drink, fight, and boast in no particular order and sometimes two of them at the same time, or all three. He's a very cheerful fellow, and smarter than he lets on; he just uses pragmatic means to achieve stupid and dangerous ends. He's a daredevil and a competitor through and through.
He might be creeped out by Saturday, not so much because he executed a bunch of people but because he executed a bunch of people that were his comrades-in-arms just days ago. That doesn't exactly inspire trust, and Amren comes from a culture where bonds with your battle-brothers are sacred things. Warrior culture and all that. I'm still trying to work out what his overall opinion of your character should be.
In that case, Armen and Jason should get along almost instantly.
In that case, Armen and Jason should get along almost instantly.
I was thinking about that. I agree, mostly, even if their reasons for fighting are VERY different (Jason seems to have fought against Lochlannach because he believed it was right and also to become a man; Amren fought because he wanted to make a name for himself and grab some loot, and also a little bit out of spite). It doesn't help that Amren is actually from Lochlannach; he just was banished from his tribe for being TOO hotblooded, basically. He fights like the raiders Jason has fought, and clearly has their upbringing even if he's a halfling.
I'm not saying that they won't be friends, but certain qualities of Amren's may strain the relationship.
In other news, I think I may stop calling Amren's tribe a tribe and start calling it a clan. I'm not sure, though. 'Tribe' seems more fitting for what sounds like a Norse-inspired nation. GM, do you have any opinions on that? Tribe or clan?
I don't believe Jason would have too much of a problem with Amren coming from Lochlannach, a warrior's respect has a tendency to transcend geopolitics.
I think Willem' opinon of his fellows will be something along these lines to begin with.
Mr. Argus: An honorable warrior, can trust, for short periods of time.
Mr. Ong'Rag: A foreigner, but an honorable warrior, keep an eye on.
Mr. Nachtlight: An anti-paladin, do not trust. Interested in seeing him fight, his loyalty would be very valuable if obtained.
Amren(No honorifics): Stay out of this little bugger's way. Note to self, see what happens if made to adult size.
Mr. Silas: A fellow scholar, quite probably the only really sane person in the group.. Excepting me.
Hehe. I just thought of how funny it might be if Wilhelm ever found out that, technically speaking, Amren is a prince. Of course, he's the youngest prince of a small tribe, but...
Hmm. So, it looks like Amren will get along well with Jason, probably have mixed feelings of respect (as a warrior) and disgust (as a killer-of-comrades; he doesn't know the whole story) for Saturday, will probably want to try whatever potions Sylas has to offer and worry less about the tiefling's personality, and... I don't have much of an idea yet with the samurai.
Indeed, Willem may well be my soul refuge of enlightenment among those gathered here.
Jason is a known entity, a solid rank and file soldier, can be trusted to do what is required of him.
Amren is similarly predictable, rather like a mix of volatile chemicals. Dangerous but incredibly useful if used correctly.
Saturday is another matter entirely, someone to watch and stay well clear of.
Time will tell with Ong'rag...
Willem would never dare insult lord Nachtlicht by assuming a 10 ft. pole were ever sufficient! 15 ft pole absolute minimum! Not sure if the correct honorific is sir or lord in your case though, ser since you are a knight(of sorts), or lord since you are a probably a lesser lord under a more powerful demon lord.
As far as Amren though, first thought will probably be to wet himself. And then possibly get himself killed through excessive brown nosing, which might be quite entertaining.
I am thinking Willem's personality to be one of a young lord who has always had firm guidance from his father, tutor or master. Slightly wimpish and posh, never had the courage to stand up for himself. This will add a lot of fuel for our less stable companions :D
So the first "scene" will be set in the antechamber to the audience room with the king. You all will have been summoned; there will be a few other NPCs present as well.
Timing is roughly 2 weeks after the decisive end of the war (I'll get the exact date/real world equivalent soon).
If you want to start RPing in the gameplay thread, for your time in the capital before the summons to the king, feel free. You can safely assume/create just about any standard medieval city type things -- inns, taverns, shops (no magic shops, charlatans/folk remedies ok) Noble houses that are at least not the royal family nor related to Duke Marcus (the second most powerful family) are fair game for creation from whole cloth (as long as you don't have an exploitable connection). You can assume that you already know about the kings summons. In particular is probably useful if you build in your character's rising fame/notoriety.
I'll post the first scene sometime tomorrow, (or later if RP takes off and I think it has more interestingness to run)
Cool, I'll work on an opener for Sylas I should be able to get up today.
I have some ideas but I could use some information first.
From the sounds of it Daelsend might not be as big as I was initially thinking. Does it have a keep or similar fortification? Were there any actual sieges/assaults on proper fortifications involved with the most recent push of the war?
This was my initial idea sort of involved this but as I'm rereading the information we currently have I'm not sure the Voyllr plains are well enough developed for that sort of warfare?
The daelsend I envisioned had an exterior wooden palisade wall. Inside most of the structures would have been wooden. The blacksmith's was stone as was a temple. Prince Henrick's house was likewise stone. Not really a keep, but the locals might have called it such. People from more populated areas would probably laugh at it being called a keep. Daelsend was more of a walled hamlet that also had a sizable trading concern attached --warehouses and docks along with lake/river.
The assaults/rampages over Daelsend are not particular siege like. By the time the final few battles occurred most of the walls had been burned down during smaller raids. More classic army v army in open field battles, where there just happened to be a small village in the middle, with neither side often intelligent enough or able to use the village defensively. People tended to get heroic ideas in defense of the village -- leading counter charges, which often successful generated high losses on both sides.
Ok, thanks for the info.
Are there any other major sites of battle during the war or is it mostly conflicts over the one trading town of Daelsend?
There are some border towers along the river -- more like forester stations than true forts. First story would be stone, stories 2 and 3 are wooden, often with a small tower/spire even higher. Design to watch for troop movements or forest fires. More defensible, but only against small squads, rather than armies. All of them have been destroyed, some early, some late in the battles.
At the north end of Voyllr plains where the main pass over the mountains to Lochlannach opens up there is the only real fort of the area, Shapedstone Fort. It also changed hands multiple times. its been ransacked, but has not been completely destroyed.
Here's the campaign's obsidian portal site planning to put most shared world details here. I don't think you'll need to create accounts in order to read. Please let me know if I'm wrong on that.
I can't access it at work, I'll have to look later.
It was started when I was planning a tabletop campaign for this, so some information is still out of date/obsolete, but I've been purging stuff that's incorrect and adding in more.
Sorry about not posting earlier. I'll look over the gameplay thread and start.
Also, any thoughts on what sort of mercenary companies Amren should have run with, or shall I make up a few names?
I'm not sure whether this makes me happy or desperate for a shower? :P
kick off gameplay post is up.
Amren, please make up a name of the merc company and please get into the gameplay thread :)