Ironclaw: The Will to Power

Game Master UltraFennec

An Ironclaw: Squaring the Circle game set in the environs of Triskellian, with potential to expand further. Focused on the intrigue and violence surrounding the conflicts between the rising Guilds, with a lighthearted base tone.


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Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

AUP=Acceptable Use Protocol/Procedure

RPoL doesn't allow multiple accounts for the same person, like most places on the web that aren't e-mail providers honestly, but a number of PbP sites have you create characters for multiple games by making a separate account linked to that character.

RPoL and Paizo both have you create "aliases" aka sub-accounts for each character instead.

And thus if Rosza wanted to do anything on RPoL, she'd need to set up a new e-mail addy that had never used RPoL before, because she tried to make multiple accounts, and they banned her for it.

RPoL is pretty hardcore about keeping their rules up, yes. It keeps their place tidy.

RPdom...I'd have to look into their AUP and such again, they're a fusion of an Exalted fansite and a pan-RPG site, but I know Ceallach has played games there before.

@Quinn, spoiler tags: RPoL tends to rely on people using the various text modification options to keep things workable, and it does its job pretty well. I've never really missed the spoiler option while I've played there.

It would necessitate a slight change in how I handle some things (the dice roller is a whole separate page for example), but it could work. I wouldn't really NEED the spoiler tag most of the time there.


Female Weasel Dilettante
Quinn Hildring wrote:

What's AUP? And why can't you have multiple accounts?

Acceptable Use Policy. And because they say so, and they run the site, so they get to make the rules.

Quinn Hildring wrote:

@Delroy

I would prefer spoilers, you can set text aside under a DC, and the players that make it can see what it says without waiting on you to inform them later. Also you can set flavor text or break up long posts, basically organize and set aside text without absolute limits on who gets to see.

My character sheets, or at least my newer ones, are all organized under spoilers for different segments of the sheet. Makes a much cleaner view, and easier to find what I'm looking for.

Yeah, if you look at Rosza's sheet, it's very much the same. Traits under one spoiler, gifts under another, etc.


Male Wolf

RPdom has you use one account, but there are no sub accounts, or anything like that. You simply post as your main account, and go about your merry way. You generally have a main forum, with the main game threads like IC and OOC stuff. Most games I've seen set XP logs in there, as well as ongoing side threads. Closed scenes/chapters are often place in some sort of 'old thread' sub-section. Separate sub-sections are generally set up for things like the groups' character sheets, and info dumps.

Actually setting up a game requires making a pitch post with certain requirements and restrictions that the mods of the site look over. If they approve the game, then it's set to 'Awaiting Players' until it has the previously stated minimum amount of interest. Once it reaches that mark, it is fully 'Approved', and the GM can then set up the forum for the game. It used to be that the mods themselves did it, but I think it works the way I described now.

EDIT: To clarify the actual point further, you make one account there, and can't have more than one per email. Generally they would prefer that you don't make lots of separate accounts at all. No sub accounts, and although you have custom avatar abilities, you can't set multiple avatars.


Female Weasel Dilettante

Is there a general consensus that we need to move someplace else?

I mean, I've had issues with the forum not appearing to update in the past, but I am not 100% sure that's the forum's fault. Yeah, it occasionally does weird things with the OOC or spoiler tag; many places do. I'm comfortable ENOUGH here, I guess is what I'm saying?

Also...Two days with no IC post: shall we move on to the confrontation with the initial 'scene-setting' as posted by UF on Tuesday?


Tiger Taoist, Sworddancer

I was awaiting the GM's next post.

Yeah I'm fine here. I am looking at rpol for trying to find test players for Roads and Ruins though, since I got zero turnout here.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I'd say we're safe to move on. If people had a bunch of stuff to do, they'd have done it by now.

And aye, there's no urgent consensus regarding a move or anything aside from my annoyance with the edit window. I just figured I'd ask in case anyone else wanted to move too.


Male Wolf

I like it here.

As for posting, i've been taking care of a sick wife, and planning new characters for another game.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

If we've gotten the gist of things, mayhap we can move on to the denouement? Do I need to re-post the scene setting that got lost in the shuffle?


Female Weasel Dilettante

Ack, sorry, posted before reading your last, UF.

Rosza is courteously trying to be sure everyone is on the same page (and there are no other better plans) before she walks grinning into Cedric's office and makes him either wish he'd eaten a lighter breakfast...Or chosen a better final repast.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Eh, I'll live.

I'm just trying to move things along, perhaps a bit hastily. I'm ready to get to other stories with higher stakes, and so far the group's assessments have been right on the money.

If y'all wanna yak about how to take him down in-character, that's fine I guess. We won't finish by month's end anyway unless everyone suddenly starts posting daily at minimum! XD


Female Weasel Dilettante
UltraFennec wrote:
We won't finish by month's end anyway unless everyone suddenly starts posting daily at minimum! XD

Do we want to say "Cedric's office, Friday the 1st." Thus letting everyone get their two Denarii in by Thursday night while providing a sort of a 'AND NOW WE MOVE ON." marker?


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Let's make it official!

We move on by Friday. Be ready. :D


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

Sounds good to me too.
Natalia is more interested in puzzling out the item and runes on the trip back, but will definately want to deal with Cedric. Although she's not sure what would be the best way to do so, she's always willing to play the "reasonable person" to Rosza's "in your face".


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

If you want to attempt any more real "puzzling out," well...how much academic material did you bring with you? I consider the rolls you made when you first looked at it to be about where your own knowledge stands, and the design is distinctive enough that if you knew about it in any detail, I definitely would have told you. :)

I kinda set these things up as things to do in the city on purpose. They'll be playing a few important parts across the arc I'm envisioning.


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

Natalia doesn't have any other academic material, she's just obsessing over the item. You don't have to give her anything else. She can wait until the city, even if she doesn't want to.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

You guys just want me to re-post the original entry I had for hitting up the place? I think it'll still work with your new ideas.


Female Weasel Dilettante

Fine by me?


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Well OK there's really only one part of it that was actually about busting into his office but I think it'll work.


Female Weasel Dilettante

Edited my post to be a bit more inclusive (albeit a bit more longwinded), because when I write Rosza straight up and don't check it, she showboats too much. So if you read it before this went up, I beseech you to go back and wade through all that bold text again.

I feel a little bad about it. Usually I play paranoid, panicky types or grudgingly aloof scholar/engineers, but it is disturbingly easy to play Rosza as a flamboyant, greedy, assumptively soloist spotlight-seizing little b+*@!.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Frankly I feel like that's completely in character for her, and my opinion is that you shouldn't edit it at all, except perhaps to include your fellow noble once in awhile, because this can lead to character development as she fights alongside these people and perhaps realizes that they're not so bad after all. A bit smelly and uncouth perhaps, but who isn't after a day of hard fighting and rabble rousing? :)


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Delroy only has his book on Thaumagurgia.
I'll have more to say when I catch up on the entries.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Oh Ceallach, you silly wolf.


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Delroy should say "I think the High Inquisitor keeps a Phelani around for special questioning." but I don't want him to upset Javeara.

Also, as 'Duty' is not an actual 'character flaw', I think going into Delroy's Curious nature might be the key, since his stated Personality is a first edition flaw, if I play it out well he's going to get into trouble.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I have a sudden desire to take the members of ESTA northward to the bear lands...

Hilarious picture totally not lying at all...


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Cedric doesn't actually know the laws all that well, so if someone else does now would be a great time to tell Ceallach that he can't eat him, because he's going to be a slave.


Male Wolf

Ceallach would actually rather eat cedric than see him become a slave.


Female Weasel Dilettante

re: Rosza and her paper-filching ways

I'm guessing the seal is likely to just be an 'identifier' used in the literal sealing sense, to deter or show when a message has been opened, rather than a symbol immediately traceable to some noble house or another.

I also was assuming that the letter already had been opened. If I'm wrong, do let me know. Rosza is hardly a flaps & seals ermine (so far).

However, it DOES strike me that she's clever enough to figure out that fine parchment probably isn't thick on the ground, even in a city with the kind of bureaucracy Triskellian has, and individual makers are liable to know their own work and possibly even recognize which batch a given sample came from, given the nature of medieval/renaissance paper-making. There probably aren't that many papermakers who cater to making nice stationery for nobility. That's assuming there's nothing so simple as a full or partial watermark (watermarks are startlingly old! 1282 in Italy). So in the near future, barring other assignments, she's likely going to see if she can find a short list of clients by interrogating high-end papermakers, in hopes it will give her a starting point to snoop further from.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I'll get to the letter tomorrow...er, today, since it's after midnight where I am.

Perhaps more urgently, I take this opportunity to remind the group that in Triskellian, while the manifold groups and factions and houses jockeying for favor certainly can impress their claims to "justice" most thoroughly, in the end Cedric's fate would be decided by the Magistrates if the party actually wants to see him through the justice system in place. At that point the difference is mostly in who presses the most serious claim against him, and who gets anything out of it.

If you DON'T want to take him to normal judicial channels...well then, everything Rosza's already said holds true. :)

Ceallach would know that Eamonn, and by extension the Four Corners Coster would have alerted the Constabulary however. This is Triskellian's Constabulary though, so bribes, fast-talking, and pretty faces can win them over well enough. Nobility and status seem less effective these days than they once were. Odd that.


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

Question, which would be worse, being turned over to Triskellian justice or Bisclavet justice?


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Cedric is a member of the Triskellian merchant's guild and a citizen, there's a very, very slim chance he'd be turned over to the Bisclavret. Triskellian and the regents controlling house Rinaldi right now may pay some form of reparation to Bisclavret, but they're also just as likely to minimize the impact of, or even destroy evidence that he was ever linked to a large criminal operation in Harrowgate. Anything that could upset the power balance even the smallest bit will be taken seriously.

Cedric does not KNOW that for sure, however, so it may prove to be useful leverage.

To actually answer your question however, I'm fairly certain Bisclavret justice is swifter and harsher than Triskellian's (gameable) attempt at a more "enlightened" justice system. They've got magistrates too IIRC, but the wolves are fond of punishments that last and make their mark indelibly.

Cedric is either going to prison for a looooooooong time, or will be put into slavery, possibly even under the Merchant's Guild, unless you all attempt to take another road.


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

I was just wondering, since I might just "add" that possiblity to the mix facing Cedric.


Female Weasel Dilettante

I will note that what Rosza is up to is more about seeing if anything further can be squeezed from Cedric (including who he thinks might treat him most leniently or who he is most afraid of) than any actual intention on her own part to drag him towards one or another specific party that might want his ears.

P.S. Brilliant move on Natalia's part! Rosza would squeal gleefully and hug her, but, you know, not the time or place!


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Gaiz?

....herro?

........nani desu kaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Na, und vie?

Ca va? (really wish I could add the little tails. Forgot what they're called.)


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Ça va?
Alt Codes, Fennec. Lovely things. :)

Also, I couldn't stop myself from posting what I did.


Male Wolf

So, I was wondering: I've been talking with UF about me running a SIFRP (Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying) game, and wished to know if anybody else was interested in such a game.

Since he knows me IRL, I'll have at least one person to take me to task regarding my tendency to wander away from my GM duties.


Female Weasel Dilettante

I'm afraid I've never read SIFRP, sorry.

Also, a fair impression of Rosza as of UF's last post.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Derailed your plans, did I? ;)

I changed a few things around in the background that none of you have seen yet. None of your plans should actually fall through, though anything involving Cedric will need to be a bit more long-term than resolved immediately.

This is entirely because I had an idea about how to use him and this debacle as a plot point down the road, past the plot points I was already using from what we've jointly set up already. So I kinda had to force a conclusion that would let them happen. Sorry! I think when we get there you'll like it though.

Or I could just be terrible and mean. I never really know how my actions will be taken. :(


Female Weasel Dilettante

Naw, from what I've seen so far of your GMing I trust you to take the 'more fun' track as often as possible.

OOC I'm having an utter blast. I just love the timing right as Rosza is trying to make sure that she's got all the i's crossed and t's dotted and isn't leaving Natalia out, and is trying to figure out how to wrap the whole thing up in a bundle with a ribbon and deliver it to the house...

AND SUDDENLY!

It was perfect. :)


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Well I did say I was taking inspiration from lighthearted fantasy cartoons. >.>

But now is as good a time as any to say that basically the adventure is over, so now I have to go back and calculate how much XP I need to give out, and how much of a bonus to slap down for the extra long time.

It'll take me a minute to gear up for the next phase, which should be interesting since I'd originally planned to start it back in September and lead up to Halloween...but the story is still good, and if I add in some of the bits that came up later in THIS adventure it will tie into things more smoothly. ...Ah, right, I never mentioned that. Sometimes I get better ideas and make something up on the spot to cover holes. NOW YOU KNOW.
Another reason I have to go back through Gameplay, lol. Notes need refresh.

In the meantime, I'd like to hear from everyone which of those clues you want to pursue in the downtime, if any. Some of them won't actually pan out quite yet (these things take time, after all), but getting things rolling shouldn't be hard.

Note that I'm not intending these to be long interludes, just something short and interesting as an aside to the group-oriented SRS BZNZ.
Just drop a line here about what you'd like to do, and if you want to play it out we can do Spoiler tags or PMs at your preference.

Oh! And if you have any specific NPCs or plot threads that you'd like to appear soon (or immediately lol), tell me NAO. So I can figure out how to work them in. Pls.


Male Wolf

I'll just make a public note that the longer Ceallach goes without seeing a friendly phrlan/disembowling enemies/eating Cedric the crankier he will get. He's not going to break the law, but he may notbe above goading someone into a fight.

Also, it would be nice to see Eamonn again at some point, or maybe an actual Fiann.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Okay. Folks this is the big windup, and heeeeeeeeere's the pitch!

I've decided we had two Chapters, and they would have taken around three sessions to play out. Because time! So that's five!

Current total: Five XP

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!

Anyone that lived up to their Motto during those Chapters gets another point per Chapter, and everyone did that handily. Two more!

Current total: Seven XP

SECOND VERSE SAME AS THE FIRST!

Anyone who's Flaw actively hindered their efforts somehow during the two Chapters may receive the Learning Experience, one per hindering event per Chapter.

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM!

The Story Completion award, or whatever it's called! Five XP for getting to the bottom of things, even if it raised more questions than it answered.

Current total: 12 XP

THAT'S NOT ALL!

And then we have the totally made up "holy crud this took way longer than I planned for...poop!" award!

See that base 12 XP there? Double it.

Total: 24 XP, plus Learning Experience if applicable.

IT'S FINALLY OVER...OR IS IT?

Goals. Let's talk Goals. Unless I somehow missed it during my IC thread sweep, everyone should still have "Find out what happened to X's shipment(s)" or somesuch as their first quest Goal. That's been worded that way on purpose, and you've completed it handily.

That deserves a Gift!

Anyone that hasn't yet completed their "gimme" Goal (the initial chargen Goal you picked), figure out how to complete it because we're checking it off the list. If you're not sure about it, I have ideas EVERYWHERE. THEY POUR OUT MY EARS REGULARLY.

I'm also retroactively putting out the already accomplished Goal of Bring Cedric and His Conspirators to Justice. Hey, didn't that just happen right now?! It did!

That's a whopping three Gifts everybody!

So to recap: 24 XP (25 or 26 if you've got active Flaws that hindered you), and three Gifts.

Now technically I'm supposed to decided on what Gifts you gain from accomplishing Goals, but in the interest of people playing their characters to their heart's content, I'm open to suggestions, and I know some of you have talked to me about this already.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

LASTLY (oh god why won't it stop?!):

I'm putting down a Goal for the future. Note that you're only allowed to keep three active Goals at a time, but just about everyone should be "empty" after this denouement so it should be cool.

Uncover the Nature and Identity of Cedric's Further Conspirators.

This is another great goal because just about everything you can do right now will feed into accomplishing it. :D

And that's it for my big spiel. Spend some XP, suggest what you'd like for your "gimme" Goal's Gift and beyond, I'll make some decisions, and we'll buckle up for the next (shorter) adventure.


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Is this the XP summary from the beginning? I remember a Christmas gift in there somewhere, but I could be wrong. I'm just trying to keep everything correct.

Flaw: Curious
Goals: (Not sure what I want, actually, so feel free to over-ride.)
• Find Employ as a Witch Finder (Gimme)
•• Reprisal (Thaumaturge Spell)

• Find out what happened to Videliei's Shipment
•• Eidolon (Thaumaturge Spell)

• Bring Cedric to Justice
•• Team Player.


Tiger Taoist, Sworddancer

I remember gaining one gift so far, so correct me if I'm wrong on that.

I will need to check the book when I get home, but right now for the three gifts, I'll select, fencing, extra career: sword dancer, and increase stat: career.

I don't remember all the stuff about spending xp so I'll refrain from that till I get home.

----
Quinn will go find that guy she knows who will tell her about the peices that we found, and the other things down there. She will also study that book, and she will send a report home about what she has found here and a few updated maps as well.

----
I would take the noble gift, but whether Quinn has earned that recognition is just gonna be left up to you, so let me know if you ever think she has earned and my next gift will go to that. As well as whether Quinn's house will come or not. Which the noble title would just help trade and relations if they don't come here but would be very important if they do.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

That's the XP summary since the last time I gave out XP in...June, I believe. So it's everything you didn't have yet.

As for picking Gifts, while I do want to cleave close to how you feel your character should grow, please also remember that the system is designed for...organic? Is that the right word? IDK. Anyway, the game is balanced around characters receiving Gifts that reflect what they've done and seen during their adventures, not necessarily increasing their personal power.

Not that anyone is really powergaming yet, but I felt like I should put that out there before I got deluged in suggestions from everyone.

EDIT: I should clarify. The Gifts I'm supposed to hand out for Goals, as part of being GM and controlling the power curve of the game, are supposed to reflect what the player in question and I think would be appropriate given their experiences.

Your XP is yours to spend of course and you can do whatever the heck you want with it. 8 Skill Marks? Sure. 2 Gifts and save for later? Sure.

OH. BTW: Since we're at the end of a story and Chapter, you can "sell back" Gifts you don't want for 5 XP a piece.

I don't honestly see that happening with anyone right now but the option's there.


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Thanks Quinn, Delroy will have to go to his superiors with what information the party has gained, and to ask if he should investigate further, perhaps finding where (and to whom) the shipments (His employer's as well as the other cargo) have gone off to.

Heck, talking to the Thaumaturge he apprenticed under might be good, (possibly gaining an insider gift rather than one of the spells listed.) for advice on what we may be dealing with.

EDIT:

UltraFennec wrote:
That's the XP summary since the last time I gave out XP in...June, I believe. So it's everything you didn't have yet.

I missed everything given out until now, so I feel rather dumb, though I think that might have been the time I had problems gaining new message indications on the forum. If any of the players has kept a log of awards, I'd appreciate a head's up. (Then again, I did start later and might not have earned as much.)


Female Weasel Dilettante

So to re-clarify:

There's the XP from June.

There's the Christmas Gift.

And there's this latest post of XP and Gifts.

Rosza's enemies were markedly non-present this time around, but I've no doubt she'll make more...


Male Wolf

And now I will become the big bad wolf.


Female Weasel Dilettante

I should also note that Rosza's Starting Goal is a bit material, but I suppose we'll get to such things shortly.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

It's something I plan to bring up shortly while I prep the new story.

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