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

Hey, as long as we all keep lines of communication open like this I can deal with delays. It's when things go quiet on the front that I start getting paranoid and unnerved and eventually annoyed and fitful.

FINALLY POSTED. That took a lot longer than I thought it would. Possibly because I had to look at half the Book of Jade to understand where I was putting Quinn's new meetup. And finding a correct name that meant something.

Also also, Raymond Chandler's maxim, Ironclaw style. XD

Have fun with that everybody!


Male Wolf

Everyone should be glad that Ceallach knows some hospitality rules, otherwise this party would be ruined already. ;)


Male Wolf

Can I just write 'Ceallach crushes Giuseppe's face with his hands.'? Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?!


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I'd like to give the majority of the group a chance to be horrified and at least attempt crossing the room or yelling at people before you do. Also you'd get thrown out of the party and that would be a problem because then I'd have to figure out what happen around you then.


Female Weasel Dilettante

I'm assuming at the moment that Rosza was distant enough amid the crowd noise not to clearly hear that name being cried...

But given the amount of attention that coyote is demanding since going and knifing himself in the foot, does she recognize Giuseppe?

Hmmmmm. Wasn't Raymond Chandler's maxim something along the lines of "when you don't know what to do, have a couple of armed men break the door down"? Or am I thinking of some other noir writer?


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Sorry for taking your blood price for you, Caelach.

At least he isn't going to be leaving town too quickly…

I was curious about that maxim as well, Google was failing me.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

You're conflating two different ones Ms. de Vieuxpont, one of Chandler's and one of several similar but imitation maxims that float around literary circles.

The original is from The Simple Art of Murder, and is as follows:

"Undoubtedly the stories about them [hard-boiled detectives] had a fantastic element. Such things happened, but not so rapidly, nor to so close-knit a group of people, nor within so narrow a frame of logic. This was inevitable because the demand was for constant action; if you stopped to think you were lost. When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand." -Raymond Chandler.

The last part was the specific one I was referencing. It's become known as "Chandler's Law" in some mystery writing circles, and other wider pan-genre circles because it's pretty universal and easy to apply. Basically it boils down to "When you're not sure what would happen next, or what would motivate your characters, have some sudden action occur that will force a response, then move the story on from there."

Otherwise...
@Rosza: You could probably get away with just filling in the gaps in elapsed time with short little bits/glossing over gossip enough to bring yourself up to the current moment and focus on responding to that. You'll get your own moment soon enough. By which I mean you'll either hate me or love me for about five seconds before diving into the RP. :)


Female Weasel Dilettante
UltraFennec wrote:
@Rosza: You could probably get away with just filling in the gaps in elapsed time with short little bits/glossing over gossip enough to bring yourself up to the current moment and focus on responding to that.

Um.

Due to the short sequence that some of the other posts seemed to make (very short conversations or barely started), I had written Rosza's last post as responding to 'the current moment' (the situation with Ceallach and the coyote) while still chatting with RI. She even called his attention to it and insinuated that the lion (as some large-scale socialite hosts will) must've deliberately loaded his guest list to create a certain amount of (barely) containable drama for the amusement of everyone but the immediate participants...So that was intended to be a catch-up-to-present post.

Or am I lost in regards to where the current moment is?

Is it behind the couch?


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

So in the interest of being able to actually find you all should the game become bogged down for some reason, or we lose the boards, or whatever, I'd like to ask for some contact info from everybody that I don't already have it for.

If you could PM me like...a Skype ID, or an e-mail addy (preferably a Gmail one so I could at least catch you on GTalk), AIM ID, or SOMETHING that I can use to contact you outside the forum should the need arise, I would dearly appreciate it.

Who knows, if enough of us are on Skype I could make a group for us to yakk about things...IN REAL TIME! *le gasp*

The other thing that I'd like to finally address after skirting the issue for awhile, despite hashing some things out in PMs, is posting.

Now hopefully we're never going to be in that awful August/September-ish spot again where nothing was happening and posts were days if not a week or more in coming at times, but I think I should have laid down my expectations/desires more clearly and strongly before we started so we could have avoided at least some of this.

To be clear: I understand about schedules and being so busy you may have in fact re-attached the chicken head that got cut off...multiple times.

That said, regular posting is what keeps the game going, and what keeps us from having a single adventure take 10 MONTHS to complete. Well, maybe 9 months, some of that first month was character-refining stuff and basic introductions and preludes.

The...I don't want to say "fix," but it is a fix of sorts, that I'm looking at is twofold. First, I really would prefer if people could check in at least once a day, even if all you do is read new posts and wonder how to respond when you actually have time. I think everyone's probably doing this already, when their schedules allow for it/brain and memory cooperate, but it never hurts to reiterate.

To facilitate #1 becoming more actual posting and not just "hmmm, but if I say something here..." I want to encourage you all heartily, via GM/Host power words (total BS you understand, but...), to not worry about stealing the scene, someone's idea, or wait for everyone to respond to every incident or idea put forth. Consider a coincidental post of the same idea to be a sign that you're thinking cooperatively and becoming more like a team! This is a good thing!

Aside from the "everybody gives 2 cents always" not really being realistic, it also keeps us from advancing at a reasonable pace even when we're all here and have time to post. If you want to respond to things after the fact, just spoiler tag it so we can keep things moving in the "main" view. Please!

Also, I have noticed that smaller scenes with fewer PCs (never split the partyyyyyyyyynoooooooooo) tend to be more...well, they worked WAY better. The new assumptions should ameliorate the need for them, but since y'all like them so much I'll try to work them in where I can.

The ugly downside to all that is this: I am never, EVER going to let an adventure drag out so long again if I can help it at all. That was approximately two scenes to a Chapter that I'd planned out, and a few more miniature ones added in aside by players/me to account for oddities. That's fine, but only when we keep things moving. Those six scenes were supposed to take less than half the time they did.

Now, part of that was that awkward gap where none of us were really posting, and half were still figuring out the forum's somewhat buggy notification features. I'm not leaving myself out of that group, far from it. I was certainly disinterested for time...but my interest in running the game drastically decreases when posts are so infrequent as to be a noteworthy event when they pop up.

The rest of it...

OK. I'll be a bit more blunt, but hopefully polite.

I'm not going to be extra-imperious or pompous about it. Just regular GM SRS BZNZ.

I really, REALLY, trulymadlydeeply don't want to drop anyone for dragging the game along. Hopefully with those two new assumptions in place I won't HAVE to.

But if it comes right down to it, I will, without a single second of hesitation.

I'm a player too, and quite frankly the time factor of these scenes does play a significant part in my enjoyment. At least, of the "plot" scenes, those being my major contribution to the game's story.

The parts you guys have offered up are yours to advance when you deem fit, and we can figure out how they should go, and I can find a voice for those NPCs populating them.

>.>....<.<.....

For anyone wondering, while the current scene is a "plot" scene, and the next one is too, I'm playing this specific one faster and looser because of the nature of the party.

Sorry if I came off as offensive or RRAGAGHAGHGHH. I've been trying to figure out how to say all this for a few months now and I finally got the words right.

Alright guys. Let's talk. Discussion.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

And because I always need to clarify myself ( a persistent condition in my life, Ceallach can tell you ):

None of that was meant as some sort of rant or any sort of indication that things haven't been moving anything but smoothly (mostly) the last few months when we really got things moving again.

I, personally, felt a need to put down in writing my intent on how I'm trying to make sure the game stays relatively on track. For ME, that means regular input+output, it's just how I am. I check the board at least once a day, pretty much always have excepting that dark period where molasses could have gone faster. Usually I'm actually checking so often I could probably rent a house here!

If that doesn't clarify things, and it might not for some, ask me to do it again, possibly with specific questions.

Again, not angry, we've been doing really well, but. Never doing another near-year-long single plotline unless it's the big wrap-up to the whole shebang. Just...consider this a well-intentioned, very mild warning that I'm not going to let myself slide on poking y'all to post.

So that probably didn't need all those WORDS above, but I sure feel better having gotten them out there.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Fagh. Maybe I should have just deleted it when I had the chance. This is looking more and more like a well-intentioned but terribly executed idea in hindsight.

Please don't flay me too harshly! I have XP!


Female Weasel Dilettante

I must admit that my first response to it was less "Flay the gamemaster!" and more "Hide under the table!" But I know I have been a horrible boat anchor a few times in terms of not posting for long periods.


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

"Your XP or your HP."


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Ahhhhh take the XP, please, don't kill me! I have six unruly children and an absent spouse!

/terrible cheeky joke

@Rosza: You had a reason for being unable to be there, and communicated it. I was able to figure out how to move around you not being there...after awhile anyway. I probably should have done it sooner and not spent so long waiting and wondering.

So I guess what I mean out of all of this is that I treat this like I would a live game with some modifications. More personal RP and the ability to simultaneously RP multiple scenes makes it so people can have something to DO regardless of scene, but I'd rather we not drag things on just to wait on everyone's responses at all times, like a live game.

Er, y'all don't usually do that in your live games, do you? I don't so...thus my opinion?

Now of course there are some times where I'll need everyone to respond in timely fashion, but I'll tell you guys when I actually HAVE to have everyone's attention, like I've been doing in this scene.

That cover everything?


Female Weasel Dilettante

I am an idiot and forgot about the sideboard. Sorry, very stressful week so far.

On phone right now, will get a post up sometime tonight.


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

Too late! I'm stealing Guillaume as my escort now!
hee hee hee!


Female Red Fox

Our resident Raccoon swiping things?

What a twist!

I've been doing my best to keep up with things, so don't taze me bro!


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I should have thrown a joke in there about leaving Rosza behind because Guillaume's cheeky like that but I'm outside the edit window now. :(


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

In other news I am a giant derp, and only just now noticed Rosza's post that appeared while I was typing that one response to Delroy.

Excuse me while I lash myself, then have Maître Ilaire actually respond...and repair the time-fracture in my brain. GAHGAHGHAGH


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

If you ever want to dive into confusion, look up historical titles for just about any country with nobility ever. Every servant has their own little title for the extremely specific task they were doing at the time.

Like in Romania there was a title for the guy that handed the local prince a towel after he got out of the bath, and the guy that straightened the royal shoes for dressing. Not polished them. Just made sure they looked straight. Yeah.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Hmmmhmmmhmmmmm...I'll wait a teensy bit longer I think. Hopefully the weekend gives people enough respite to respond.


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

How about a little Sideboard love?


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I was waiting for Rosza's comments, she's sure to have some, but since you asked directly I'll aim my magic wand over thataway.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Just waiting on Ms. de Vieuxpont in the main thread. Would prefer to have her response in before I make another HUUUUUUUGE post so I can address her responses with it as well as all of yours.


Female Weasel Dilettante
UltraFennec wrote:

In other news I am a giant derp, and only just now noticed Rosza's post that appeared while I was typing that one response to Delroy.

Excuse me while I lash myself, then have Maître Ilaire actually respond...and repair the time-fracture in my brain. GAHGAHGHAGH

Well, this explains a lot. You must have been rather confused by my posts/pms saying 'Oh, I think I am caught up, and what about Ilaire's response?'

Sorry things went crazy again past few days. GOing to try to put a post out now before I'm too asleep to think.

(Emphasis on 'try'. It might happen in the morning...Er, later in the morning, it's already 0148 here.)

And oh yeah, titles...Yow. So much craziness. Look up the positions in the courts of the French or European kings of the 15th-18th centuries some time. A particularly amazing example of the inversion of apparent function to authority is the Groom of the Stool.

EDIT: Ohgawd I'm so far behind on the sideboard, too.


Female Weasel Dilettante

*Reads what she just wrote.*

*Decides to go to bed before something even more embarrassing happens.*


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Lol I could care less if people's posts are perfect, I just need to be able to read them. After that I can intuit just about anything.

And sorry about missing your post, again. Normally I copy the text of my posts and refresh the page first, but I forgot to then.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Not actually DONE, but I need to pull some notes out for the next part and it'll take awhile to make sure I'm touching on everything I want to, so feel free to RP a bit while you're waiting.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Slight interruption to our regularly schedule "wait on the Host to post part 2" to bring you...our game, in comic form, with all the serious parts stripped out. Somebody knows my mind rather well apparently.

No, it's not my comic, lol.

Swords & Sausages


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Aaaaaaaalmost ready. If you've got something to comment on to Rosza's relative or the Host before we get to the silly part with the real gossip and the first official phase of dramatic action (afterward), then say it now because my fingers are gonna start flying.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I'll get something up tonight...my brain hasn't conjured up anything coherent for this game today.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Okay so that didn't really work either. I'm gonna try again in the morning. Something's just blocking my mind's creative process off from this today.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

@Quinn+Javiera: are you after any interaction in particular right now, or should I assume no? Don't want anyone to sit there waiting for others' bits to finish without anything to do themselves...unless that's really what you want.

Also the last seven Discussion posts are by me, that is odd and also a lucky number.


Female Red Fox

Well, unless our dear badger, or Delroy's friend want to talk, Javiera is simply relaxing a little.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Well I can probably whip something up for them. I just wondered since you didn't actually initiate anything.


Tiger Taoist, Sworddancer

I am a bit in the same tub here. Quinn is mostly relaxing and listening to the others, though she won't avoid a conversation that comes her way.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Hmmm...I'll think of something. Wouldn't want you to have nothing to DO after all!

Mayhap time to pull out the envious hanger-on card.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

So, does anyone else get the feeling that we're slowly sliding away from "light-hearted with serious accents" into more "serious with a mind toward actual social issues of the times" territory? And how do you feel about that? And where do we draw the line of what's okay for the game, and what's not?


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

So far I'm enjoying the direction this is going, at least for a while, Such things help us remember the setting and keep the light hearted aspects on a more even keel, likely doing a job to keep us from inadvertently parodying ourselves.


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

Hmmm. I thought that this was one of the serious accents.
Really, though, I think it is just the circumstances that bring this out. When we get back to murders, or ghost-busting, or investigating magical items; I think we will go back to more lighthearted stuff.
After all, social status and such are very important in social situations, other places it doesn't matter too much.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I figured the current scene would be more light or heavy depending on perspective and what ends up happening.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

OK so as per my earlier request that got buried by my freakout, contact info for outside Paizo please! I've only gotten one so far of those I didn't already have, and my PMs are all read already.

E-mail, Skype, just about anything.

Aaaaaaaaaand I forgot what else I was going to say darnit! It was important in my head too. :[


Female Weasel Dilettante

One more day of horribly irritating busyness, then I'll be able to post, and my schedule next week is so light I feel silly calling it a schedule.

Sorry about the delay, folks. :/


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I think we'll manage to live...somehow! D:

EDIT: If anyone gets a message from an email address containing my username in lowercase, that's, y'know...me. So please don't ignore it!


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Gaaaaaah DERP I'm sorry I missed your response Natalia. ;_;

Fixing that.


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

I'll be working on some reply posts in just a bit. Don't wanna jump tooooo far since Rosza hasn't had a chance to answer Penny yet, but given two weasels it's not a stretch to say that they could swing around the conversation willy nilly and not miss a beat really.

So maybe I'll stop worrying and just post, if that's not objectionable. :)

EDIT: Ohhhhh Delroy, you are teasing him now! This cannot end well. ;)


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

Yeah so y'all might have noticed that Delroy and I got bored last night and posted a bunch. That's what happens when you have a direct chat connection to the Host to bounce ideas: The Host gets ideas and posts more!

I did elect to leave it in the main board though since it's chronologically in the same place as the rest of the scenes currently though.


Male Raccoon: d6 Witch Finder: d6

Guilty as charged.
We did not remain bored for long, in fact, that post run was quite fun!


Male Hooman Utter Fool/4

It was!

I'm researching pump rooms right now actually to continue my streak of historical semi-accuracy, while at the same time generating a character for two different games! It's as though I have far too much free time on my hands! You other PCs too can have silly post runs in goofy situations skirting the TOS when you skype with me! XD


Female Bat : Star Elementalist

But I don't Skype.

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