FYI, the turn will come out tomorrow.
Maybe it will give enough time for Dreithik to post. :)
Game on!
Action 1
Dreithik hung back a little, realizing from the last adventure they went on that he was not a fighter nor a leader. Play to your strengths and let everyone else to the talking. Don't want to set a potential Payment off.
He watched as everyone greeted, only giving a sleight nod when his turn came.
When the proposal was finished, he had his chance to speak up. "My skills unfortunately don't offer much in household jobs, and I fear I wouldn't impress from physical labour.. is there any other way?" he looked around anxiously. No use again.. maybe some day
Action 2
Shifting awkwardly in his seat, drink loosening his tongue a bit, Dreithik began "I fear I won't be much help unless this man needs an on site mortician.. anyone have an idea?"
Altha looked over at Dreithik as he spoke and hummed a moment. The other's skills were rather specialized... "What about as my assistant? Between the two of us, you get a well rounded image of a person's life - keeps the human capital under surveillance and then snips any loose ends if something goes on. There has to be power plays even among the slaves hasn't there?" At that she looked to Balanders for confirmation before continuing, "I'm the observer and consultant, Dreithik's the other half of our service. Between us we offer full-life surveillance of a kind that minimizes disruptions and puts out fires before they begin."
She looked to Dreithik, "How's that? And we're both good with machines to boot. Has to be worth something.
"My skills unfortunately don't offer much in household jobs, and I fear I wouldn't impress from physical labour.. is there any other way?" he looked around anxiously. No use again.. maybe some day
Shifting awkwardly in his seat, drink loosening his tongue a bit, Dreithik began "I fear I won't be much help unless this man needs an on site mortician.. anyone have an idea?"
Balanders stares at Dreithik, "You think death is an unwelcome visitor in these households? No, death is as commonplace as breakfast in the house of Tichronus. These nobles tend to keep a morgue on the property, cleaner that way than trusting to the public house. Fewer questions. I am sure they would welcome one such as yourself, more comfortable with a corpse than a room full of gamblers."
"What about as my assistant? Between the two of us, you get a well rounded image of a person's life - keeps the human capital under surveillance and then snips any loose ends if something goes on. There has to be power plays even among the slaves hasn't there?" At that she looked to Balanders for confirmation before continuing
Balanders nods his head in agreement. "You speak the truth. Death comes in many forms to the slaves of Tichronus. If you earn the master's favor one day, death might find you when you return to the dormitory and face the scorn of your fellow man. The paid servants as well, always fighting for position, for the honor to serve. Disgusting."
Turn 047 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
Action 1
Balanders was in a deep sleep, his snores echoed through the small silk padded room. A glass of water near the bedside began slowly vibrating, before long the entire glass was skittering back and forth on the wooden surface. Within minutes, the bed was tossing up and down. Balanders' mass kept him anchored. Balanders' snoring was momentarily interrupted while the movement was at its most severe, but as the tossing subsided, his snores resumed.
Action 2
Balanders looked at Dorial, “Look at me. Would you break into a house with me in it?”
Dorial looked unpersuaded. Balanders pulled out some of the slave pit postings. ”I have slain beasts, monsters, machines and men. None who stood against me lived. I will keep the house secure.”
Action 3
Balanders accepted the advance, “Who will we report to while you are gone? Do you expect any trouble?”
Action 3
Balanders accepted the advance, “Who will we report to while you are gone? Do you expect any trouble?”
He scoffed, "No, I do not expect any trouble plus I'm hiring you to keep things calm and safe. I will try and send messages from the front. Here."
He gave them a crystal cylinder. "If this glows a certain color, just twirl it and it will write a message on its surface. That is how I will communicate with you."
Action 1
Asleep on the hard floor, Agia woke nearly as soon as the tremors began. Imagining the footfalls of some great beast, she stood to run, only to remember the walls and heavy roof that surrounded her. She breathed hard as the building shook, imaging a hundreds ways in which she might be pinned amid tumbling bricks and beams. Rushing to the window, she threw it open and sat on the windowsill, ready to brave the fall onto the dark cobbles below at the first sign of collapse.
After what seemed like an eternity the tremors subsided. Agia listened to the night air for the sounds of panicking locals, but the town was quiet. Deciding this must be a regular occurrence, Agia climbed back inside. "Dung for brains land-squatters. How much sense does it take to know ya move on from a place like this? Twice today the bad omens would have driven me out. Instead, ya pitch a town and I get stuck here searchin' it."
She glanced ruefully at the squishy mattress, better appreciating the need for such cushioning, but settled back on the floor. If the ground shook again, she wanted to know.
Action 2
Agia sat overly straight in her chair, smiling a closemouthed smile at everything Dorial said to conceal her missing teeth. When her turn to speak came, she attempted to conceal her shin-talk laden southern speech by adopting an borderline offensive imitation of the Uxphon accent. "Mah special-ilty is as a foremost leech, and ah'd be making sure that yar 'assets' we're well looked aftar."
"Now, I ahm not much for herblore, but I know mah way around every kind of spleent and sleeng. Ah can freeze out sores afore they spread, and can cut the blackflesh when a wound goes sour. Ah know tricks yar wouldn't ba-leeve". For emphasis, Agia brought on a sudden drop in temperature, a touch of chill brushed against Dorial's cheek and the curtains of the room all gently stirred as the pressure equalized itself.
"So nah worries about the health of yar flock. And for any ah can't help, yar'll want him!" she motioned dramatically towards a somewhat offguard Dreithik.
Action 3
"How long exactly do yar expect yar'll be gone?
Action 1
Altha remained sound asleep as the rumbling began but as the shaking peaked and the bed swayed back and forth the building, rolling her across its surface, the Nano groaned as she woke, finding herself splayed awkward on the bed and half-draped out. “What!?” She didn't remember going to sleep like this! The rumbling continued for a few seconds after, dissipating quickly, and she sat up on edge. “What is that?” She looked out her window to peer around, see if anybody else was roused by the odd event.. only to have not a single other soul looking out... except for Agia a few windows down. She looked ready to jump! Altha waved awkwardly, ”You alright? Weird huh?
Disturbed, Altha returned inside and sat on the edge of her mattress for several moments, separating the veil of emotions from her dreams from herself. It was always difficult when she was started awake... she felt so very clouded.
Action 2
She found this man stuffy and condescending but his roughness seemed, at least in part, because he was in a hurry. Altha sighed and waited her turn, trying very hard to somehow remain neutral even though she wanted to curl her lip in disdain. They wanted to get the job, not insult him and his ancestors.
“I'm very good with assessing and managing people, and I'm very good with machines. I can keep tabs on your people without them being away and my intuition is excellent at spotting – and snuffing – fires before they start. Your household would be at peace, at lower risk of trouble among its denizens.” She smiled pleasantly.
Her tone didn't seem to convince him much. Inwardly she sighed. "With me, you get a rounded image of your... investments' state of minds. If they're scheming, slacking off, or any other such subtle cues for brewing trouble. In demonstration, I bartered our way to Uxphon, I've negotiated travel, and headed off arguments between strange parties... I'm good with people.” She looked to Dreithik and Agia to confirm her story.
Action 3
”Are you expecting any callers or deliveries during the away period? If not, are we to assume any visitors are unannounced?” She asked, wondering how much of the usual household business would run while the masters were away.
Action 1
Altha waved awkwardly, ”You alright? Weird huh?"
"Yeah, weird for sure. I'll be okay in a minute. These big ol' buildings with their several floors just make me a bit nervous is all, and the tremors don't help."
...I've negotiated travel, and headed off arguments between strange parties... I'm good with people.” She looked to Dreithik and Agia to confirm her story.
"Aye, these was a great misunderstandering between meself and the locals of a particoolar village in which I wrongly interpreted which of the wildlife was fer eating and which was revered as vessels of thar ancestor spirits. Altha managed to smooth the whole thing out, though ah did have to sleep in the woods that night."
Action 1
Still uncertain how he will impress someone with his "skills", Dreithik went into a light, uncomfortable sleep, riddled with words like "Useless" until a loud voice boomed "FINISH" and he bolted up again. Or what he thought was a voice until the whole room started to shake and shift as if on a carousel. Never a dull moment it seems..
He then sat in an armchair for the rest of the night.
Action 2
Dreithik waited his turn to speak, sipping some alcohol he snuk in to give himself courage. Spent my whole life hiding my abilities and now I have to brag and boast them to this filth... alright deep breath and cool it...
"I assume that the estate has gladiators under it's possession? I am under the impression that Gladiator's have a rather high er.. Turnover rate. Well that is where my skills lie. I take care of and dispose of the "deceased" with the added benefit of interrogating and gathering information from them as well. Don't suppose anyone else you have here can loosen a dead man's tongue, eh?"
He let out and sigh and waited the response.
Kellog...
I intend to recap tomorrow.
Game on!
Action 1
After a later night than his fellows and still reveling in the rest that he was still enjoying Kellog barely felt the turn happening, it started as a dream of someone turning on some mining device and then as the trembling happened he wondered if it would stop and by the time it did he was back in dreams.
Action 2
"I, sir, have served as a law keeper and guard in the town of Redstone and am able to lend my skills and my hand to your services while you are gone." Kellog fairly convinced himself that his role would be simply as to guard his party and keep out other intruders as far as participating in larceny he would not take part.
"I am also a firm believer in temperance and have managed to use my skills in keeping the peace"
Action 3
"Is there anything in particular, you would advise us to be wary of or danger that could happen during your departure"
I'm out of town until Friday. I'll try to recap tonight but no promises.
Questions?
Game on!
Turn 048 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
It's 100 shins for the whole group plus 1 shin per day per person, which none of you thought to ask how/when that was going to get paid. :)
Game on!
It's 100 shins for the whole group plus 1 shin per day per person, which none of you thought to ask how/when that was going to get paid. :)
Game on!
Action1
After the interview was over, Altha suggested they gather around one of the tables and discuss their approach to the job. They'd gotten the offer, thankfully, but she didn't want to walk into the task unprepared. It hadn't gone as well as she'd hoped for herself and it had knocked a bit of the wind from her sails. Normally she could sweet talk most people... she was just glad Agia was there to help out. He'd seemed to take a liking to the nearly hilarious accent she'd adopted – it had taken quite a bit for Altha not to chuckle. Now, though, she was smiling.
“Now that that's over, I think we need to do a bit shopping and planning!” She announced to her fellow, smiling. It always felt good to have a fair sum available... they'd scrimped and bartered a lot during the trip and needed a chance to properly replenish supplies. “I know I'd like to pick up a few things from the shops around here so I think we should split the advance equally and stock up. As far as the estate goes, some clean clothing might be nice... I imagine leaving road drit around the place won't be appreciated.”
“Do you know any good merchants or weaponsmiths nearby? Maybe an apothecary or healer's office too?” She'd done some exploring but the recommendation of a native was worth so much more than an eager, desperate merchant's opinion of his own wares.
They only had a tenuous 'there are secrets beneath the estate' rumor to run on... she bit her lower lip thinking of things they might need – just in case. Altha had spent enough time exploring to know it was better to have the extra things than not. “What do you think is under the estate? Ruins? I wonder if it's something more to do with all these tubes... or maybe that shaking last night.”
She didn't want to look like she was showing up to rob the place either... “What do you think?”
Action 1
“I know I'd like to pick up a few things from the shops around here so I think we should split the advance equally and stock up. As far as the estate goes, some clean clothing might be nice... I imagine leaving road drit around the place won't be appreciated.”
Agia smiled, "Agreed about the supplies! Now that I'm to be a healer, I'll need the supplies to look the part. I think I'll be able to find everything I need..."
“What do you think is under the estate? Ruins? I wonder if it's something more to do with all these tubes... or maybe that shaking last night.”
"There must be something dark in there. This whole area has some serious bad vibes that reek of worlds past, so when the first folks settled here it must've been for something more schmancy than hot water and tunnels for walkin'. But if the secrets stem from old world sources there's no telling what it may be."
...
When the group arrived at the market Agia steered clear of any of the local healers, knowing that most of them would be peddling pure quackery and wouldn't appreciate someone new operating on their turf to boot. Instead she was able to get most of what she needed by bargaining with a local tailor for some of his extra tools. He was reluctant at first, but Agia was able to convince him that she wasn't trying to open a rival practice by giving him a good look at the sorry state of her own robes. She bargained for scissors, a curved needle, scraps of fabric, and fine thread. She also commissioned a small waterproof bag that she could pick up before the end of the day to hold her findings.
The costliest items had to be made special by a jeweler. Long pins of copper whose shafts were then coated with grey metal by a curious machine the jeweler usually used for putting thin sheens of gold onto baser metals. With needles such as these, Agia knew she could redirect the flow of energy throughout the body to ease pain and accelerate healing.
She packed away a few other odds and ends, and finished it off by spending her remaining budget on a small bottle of strong liquor. Few people knew that, much like the patients themselves, wounds calmed more quickly if given a stiff drink.
Now, Agia hesitated, thinking that maybe she could get away with spending the rest of her share on some curiosities or some cream for a treat, but Altha had been right, and her clothes weren't up to the job ahead. She wasn't about to replace her thick wool travel clothes with the the cream colour plant weavings the locals were passing off as cloth, but at the very least they needed properly cleaned and mended.
Action 2
Feeling deeply uncomfortable, Agia struggled to address the servants. "Uh, well, How do ya do? I mean, rather, you are who? I mean... I... I'm Agia." she managed to squeak. "You could introduce yourselves... if you want to, I mean. I'd like to know your names, is all. But you don't have to!"
She turned to her companions. "I'm making a hash of this. Little help?"
...
With introductions out of the way, Agia began to explore the manor. She didn't touch much, as there would be plenty of time for a deeper search later, but there was always a chance that something obvious would be in plain sight.
Action 1 -
After the interview was over, Altha suggested they gather around one of the tables and discuss their approach to the job.
Balanders suggested “We should tell Ricci we got hired, ask him if he knows where his heirloom might be tucked away.”
“Do you know any good merchants or weaponsmiths nearby? Maybe an apothecary or healer's office too?” She'd done some exploring but the recommendation of a native was worth so much more than an eager, desperate merchant's opinion of his own wares.
Balanders thought for a minute, “I know where the slaves go to get the things they need. Shops in makeshift houses, abandoned tunnels reclaimed by freed and escaped slaves. Places where the slaves can take care of their own. I know there are some healers and goodwives there who we could go to for help. They will welcome us there, and perhaps we might find one or two that could tell us about this address. As for merchants and smiths, I haven’t had much need for either until recently. Ricci took care of all that for me.”
Balanders offered to lead Altha & the group to the Slave Section for supplies & information.
The slave section didn’t take The Shifting well, some shacks had been demolished, many of the healers were tending to wounds and scrapes. Sobs and cries carried through the air as families surveyed the destruction.
As Balanders entered the ward, he caused quite the stir. He had forgotten that he was dressed up like the guard of a noble. His companions were not dressed in the Uxphon manner, and as such aroused more curiosity than fear. The majority of the slaves were from scattered lands, far from these mountain tubes. They longed to hear news of their homelands.
Balanders quickly took to helping families struggling to move the salvage. His strength made clearing the wreckage an easy task. After some time spent moving the larger pieces around for the families in this section of the ward, a desperate looking woman entered the section, begging for help. She claimed that her daughter was trapped by a displaced beam.
Balanders followed the woman to a deeper ward, as they proceeded down the pipe, the air became damp and warm. Balanders wondered how any could make a life in such a climate. The woman’s shanty had been assembled, like most, from the trash and leftovers of the Noble’s construction projects. At some point she had found an abandoned beam of synth-wood that was as sturdy and heavy as steel. She had wedged it into the pipe at an angle, and attached tarps to it that hung from either side. Her daughter's body lay beneath the beam, the shifting had dislodged it. Balanders prepared himself to carefully lift the heavy beam
Balanders saw that the girl was in need of help, the beam had fallen across her midsection and trapped her for hours.
I don't do micromanaging in my games so I won't track rations or water or shins UNLESS it leads to roleplaying opportunities.
So if you're stuck in a desert environment for days at a time then water may be an issue. If you're traveling through the Cold Desert then keeping warm and finding game to hunt may be an issue.
So unless I bring it up, then you're 'safe'.
Questions?
Game on!
Action 2 -
She turned to her companions. "I'm making a hash of this. Little help?"
Balanders stepped forward and grasped the wrist of each slave in the way that Uxphon nobles greeted one another. As he did so, he said ”It was not long ago that I too lived in chains. We are here to secure this manor, not to trouble you. You have no need to fear us.” The slaves were clearly uncomfortable when Balanders went to greet them. They glanced at one another out the corners of their eyes as Balanders identified himself as a freed slave, not sure how to make sense of that new and what it meant for them.
He stepped back to join the group, gesturing slightly that the others should make their introductions
After the introductions had been made, Balanders looked at the woman who had greeted them when they entered. ”This is a big house for the five of you to care for. Some of the rooms, maybe even a whole section might be in disrepair? Could you show us around, point out any projects you lot could use help with. I like to keep my hands busy.”
Altha was grateful when Balanders offered to take them to where they might allies, agreeing that notifying Ricci and doing some more information gathering would be a good idea.
Before they arrived at the Slave Section, she took the opportunity to join Agia at the market. There she bartered with a few different merchants to manage a minor deal on the supplies she wanted – two daggers, some matches, and lockpicks... and after contemplating a much recommended rope, a 50ft length of that as well for 10 Shins. Her largest purchase of the day was a Glowglobe. It reminded her of the firefly she kept in the bottle but it was far more reliable that tormenting the poor time-locked creature for a bit of light. Finally, she purchased a new set of clothing in dark colours to replace her travel-worn ones. Her shoes were still in good condition and did not need a replacement, thankfully.
When they arrived at the Slave Section, Altha grew more withdrawn – there was an aura of pain about the place that gave her a mild headache and it wasn't hard to see why. The Shifting had toppled buildings and many were nursing injuries. It reminded her of her home. Immediately she set about helping Balanders sort things out and comforting the injured.
The strength of emotions running through the place made it exceptionally easy to connect but it quickly grew overwhelming and while she managed to take the edge off for some people, she had to withdraw less the emotional turmoil drown her out.
Thankfully, Balanders was heading off in a more isolated direction and Altha followed after, looking as if she were suffering a headache. He hauled some rubble off of a woman's daughter and Altha hesitated, rubbing her temples before she attempted to see what could be done. She wasn't much of a healer but maybe she could do something. "Agia! We need your help!" She called out as she checked for broken bones and found the girl's pelvis still in tact. Spinal injuries seemed limited as well, so she turned the girl to a recovery position on her side so she could breathe better, sensing much of the discomfort came from that.
Please write your purchases in your respective PC sheets. I'll keep track of the loot as a group in the table at the bottom of the turn recaps UNLESS you want to split that up. if so, let me know and you track those yourselves.
Like I said, I don't micromanage and trust you with this. (so don't cheat :))
I'll provide a couple of more places around town for you to visit some other time in the turn recap.
I intend to recap no later than tomorrow afternoon.
Questions?
Game on!
Altha smiled as Agia introduced herself and Balanders helped smooth the introductions. These servants were clearly disused to company like this. Stepping forward, she bowed, and smiled broadly at those assembled wanting badly to at least put them at ease and perhaps foster some trust with them. "We're not here to harass you, I promise. We've been asked to essentially house sit for a while. I'm Altha, pleased just call me Altha. I'll try to stay out your way." She winked.
After Balanders spoke about providing help, the Nano nodded, "I'm good with Machines if you need help repairing anything, I'd be happy to help!"
Action 1 continued
"Agia! We need your help!" She called out as she checked for broken bones and found the girl's pelvis still in tact. Spinal injuries seemed limited as well, so she turned the girl to a recovery position on her side so she could breathe better, sensing much of the discomfort came from that.
Altha's quick work had mostly stabilized the girl by the time Agia arrived on the scene, but the more experience young woman gave her a thorough once over anyways. Altha continued to chat to the girl while Agia did her work, discovering that her name was Rala. Agia occasionally butted in to scold the girl for cringing away from her cold hands. "None of that now, I'm cold but death's colder, eh? Looks like you don't need to worry about either of us yet. There's plenty of bruises and likely some bleeding in your insides, and while there's not much we can do about that it doesn't seem like it's about to get any worse. Stay dry, eat hearty, and avoid hard labour for a few weeks and ya'll should be back to bustlin' like wind."
Some other slaves arrived with a stretcher, led by the girls mother. Agia was happy to entrust Rala to them with a few instructions for how she was to be cared for.
Standing with her hands on her hips and looking satisfied, Agia smiled and turned to Altha. "Ya know, I think I might actually pull this healer shtick off!"
Dreithik, Kellog: I'm sorry to harp on this but I do expect daily posts from everyone. Running a PBP takes time (more so with turn recaps) and I need to be able to sit down when I have time and have everything ready.
I need your commitment that you can/want to sit down within a 24-hour period after the turn recap is out, read up on what is going on, and post.
Please try to post daily if possible or let me know otherwise if not.
If this game has become a chore or requires too much effort, please let me know. I have been in that situation myself plenty of times and understand that real life always comes first.
Game on!
@Altha and Balanders: I have a question for both of you. In your respective posts of 669 and 674, you both quote (Balanders and Group) but there is nothing in those quotes.
Is this your way of 'tagging' people? Meaning, are you expecting Balanders and 'the group' to provide input at that point in the dialogue?
Thanks for the clarifications.
Game on!
Turn 049 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
Action 1 – At Tichronus' Estate
Altha took time to explore the house once they were settled, quickly finding the Tower Study. The sheer volume of books astounded her and she wandered the shelving, selecting tomes here and there when they caught her interest. It seemed that Tichronus had a penchant for hunting and tactical combat... that certainly explained the trophy room (she refused to call it a dining room).
Fascinated by the wealth of information in the study, Altha spent a fair amount of time investigating, eventually poking through the volumes on Tichronus' desk with interest. After looking through the memoirs, she moved on to the desk they were sitting on, fiddling with the drawers and rifling through to see if anything of interest stood out. A man like Tichronus probably had hidden drawers too – she couldn't reach the second floor yet so she'd decided to pour over the study.
Action 1
Balanders toured the estate alongside Altha. When he saw that she was engrossed with the books in the study, Balanders decided to look around outside.
Balanders was happy to be outside. It was a rare treat for him now, to be in a space where he did not have to duck and cower to avoid banging his head against this or that. It was a godsend to be able to stretch out and breathe fresh air.
After taking a few minutes to appreciate the freedom of the outdoors, Balanders walked out to the stables and saw the young boy from earlier tending for the thurdens. Balanders watched from a distance for a while, seeing that the boy seemed to enjoy and care deeply for the animals. The boy spoke to the beasts as he worked, and seemed to take extra effort making sure that the animals were comfortable. The boy first saw Balanders as he was allowing the animals to snack from out his hand, the boy jumped with a start and dropped the feed to the floor of the stable.
Balanders slowly approached the stables while the boy stood at attention, his eyes worriedly darting left to right. Balanders spoke to the boy “These thurdens look well cared for. What are their names, boy? And what is your name?”
...
The boy seemed apprehensive, unconvinced of Balanders' good will. He stayed quiet as Balanders approached, keeping his eyes to the floor. Balanders looked around the stables, seeing that the riding equipment appeared well-used and the thurdens’ iron shoes were well-worn. Balanders looked at the riding equipment, the stirrups and saddles.
…
Balanders stepped out of the Stables and scanned the horizon. He turned back to see the boy still standing awkwardly at attention. Balanders asked the boy, ”Where do the masters go to hunt?” How far away do they range, is there game nearby or do they go out for days at a time? What beasts do they hunt?”
…
Balanders walked over to the storage room, looking around for anything of use. He saw that the room contained many general supplies that would be useful for any ongoing household maintenance. He spent some extra time digging around to see if they were prepared for any unusual maintenance tasks, to see if there were any unusual tools, or any objects he hadn’t seen before.
…
Balanders left the storage room as the sun was descending, he decided to find out about dinner. He wondered: Would his companions be eating together or seperately? Was somebody going to be preparing food for them? He walked towards the dining room, hoping to share what he had found with the others and to see if the others had found anything of interest.
Agia stared over the cliff at the edge of the property. She could practically feel the threads of destiny coming together, but the way forward was cloudy. Staying in one spot waiting for fate to strike was wearing on her, so she had come to make a chant of guidance. "Wind and Sky, I call ya. For me and mine: bright skies, good eyes, and a path to travel 'til the 'morrow".
Her voice echoed over the surrounding black mountains out into the dark valleys and hidden hills, and Agia suspected they'd have found the path forward before long. Crossing back to the house she saw Balanders out investigating and thought about following him, but decided to go back inside. She was sure he was to be a key figure, but it wouldn't do to seem obsessed while they were getting to know one another.
On her way past the study Agia waved at Altha, who barely glanced up from pile of books she had managed to accumulate. Agia had taken a quick peek at files on the desk the night before but had struggled with the baron's propensity for sesquipedalian prose.
Moving into the dining hall, Agia leaned back in one of luxurious dining chairs and propped her booted feet up on the table to think. As she reflected she stared at the various animal heads and wondered where they all came from.
After spending most of the day in the study, Altha wandered out around dinner time to take a stroll around the exterior of the building, passing her inspection off as a sort of patrol. The area between the storage and the building proved mostly uninteresting... but the view from the cliff face was beautiful and she lingered there for a moment, taking in the cool evening air and breathing. Their trip had been a long one, it felt to good to finally be making headway.
When she finished making the rounds outside, Altha returned to the estate proper and poked her head into the dining room, trying to see if they were expected to cook their own dinner or how it worked with the servants. She spotted Balanders on her way to the dining room and waved, smiling broadly, ”Do you know how dinner's supposed to work here?” Altha paused at the doorway, eager to discuss her findings.
On NPCs:
Feel free to describe and interact with NPCs either passively (i.e., you take over the NPC) or actively, (you tag me and I act for the NPC).
I'll let you know if you step on my toes and remember that this is your game world as much as mine.
ON ACTIONS 1 AND ACTIONS 2
The tricky part of being a good GM in these games is giving enough situations for everyone to act upon, which usually means providing a couple of breaks for actions from the PCs. Hopefully all PCs will have something to do/say in all breaks but it's OK if they don't.
So the trick is to provide different situations but making them 'independent', meaning whatever happens in Actions 1 does not invalidate whatever is going on in Actions 2. Not that easy sometimes. :)
However, since the turn recaps are the only venue to know what really happened, we can adjust. I'm also Ok if the roleplaying in Actions 1 makes us delay Actions 2. As long as I get a decent post from everyone every day, I don't necessarily have to recap or even move the game forward. It's all about keeping you engaged and everyone entertained.
With that being said, I'll provide information on results of the search in Actions 1 tomorrow when I intend to recap.
Questions?
Game on!
Sure thing.
That happens to everyone every once in a while. Please try to send a 'very quick PM' (or post to the discussion thread) letting me know of your troubles (no need to explain) and when you expect to be back.
Something like 'Busy, will post on Sunday' is plenty. This is just so I know what's going on and I don't hold up the game needlessly waiting for your post.
Questions?
Game on!
Action 2 -
Balanders got up early in the morning, before dawn. He felt like it had been an eternity since he had been on a hunt. Armed with the information the boy had given him the previous day, Balanders set out to survey for game. Whether he caught anything or not mattered little to him as he set forth, he wanted to survey the region, observe the wildlife, and experience the wonder of the sunrise from outside. In the nature, he felt free.
Balanders carried his maul on his back, and a javelin in hand as he hiked through the brushy, mountainous terrain. The pre-dawn light snaked through the mountains from the East, and Balanders made his way through the dimly lit trails hoping to chance on something alive. He longed to see animals living amongst nature, a bit of respite from the rigid cruelty of Uxphon.
If he finds anything, here are a few rolls to determine what happens? Is this helpful?
…
As the sunlight thickened in the air, Balanders knew it was time to return to the Manor. No more game would be had that morning. (If applicable)Balanders took what he had gathered to the kitchen, he hoped the chef would welcome some variety of fare. He offered his assistance cleaning the game, and after seeing that all was taken care of, he returned to his room to clean up before his companions came down to break their nightly fasts.
No, you did not have a specific job but were sort going to help out Altha and others as needed.
Whatever method you use for tracking is fine. You can have 100% resale value.
I DO need to know what you have bought in case you want to use it. For example, I won't let you pull out some rope if it was never listed in your character sheet.
Game on!
Insert into Action 1
After Balanders looked through the storage shed, he emerged with a bag full of heavy tools. The bag included a crowbar, a chisel and large tongs, a 10ft. length of metal wire, and six spikes. He also took Two Javelins from a rack of hunting weapons in the house. He walked with the bag and the weapons inside and found the old man, paying him for the value of the goods to ensure the household inventory stayed in balance.
Turn 050 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
Action 1
Altha had only seen the final portion of Agia's fall and couldn't help the laugh, unsure whether to help the other woman or remain out of sight and keep her dignity in tact. Then, deciding to offer assistance was better than not, Altha stepped out from the doorway and helped shift the chair off of the Nano, trying hard to keep a straight face, “You alright? I heard a noise... a crash. What were you looking at?” Altha glanced up at the wall curiously, wondering what had caught Agia's attention.
Action 2
When dinner was served, Altha was surprised to find a proper noble's feast spread out before them – several courses, a few different kinds of meat, free-flowing wines and spirits... and fruit. Fresh, sweet fruit. Eagerly, the Nano took a few of the fruit from a neatly organized pile then served herself a few fillets of meat. “I didn't find anything interesting... But the study's full of books on hunting and tactics.” She gestured at the trophies around them, sounding mildly disappointed, “What about you guys?”
Action 1
“You alright? I heard a noise... a crash. What were you looking at?”
Agia hesitated, The hot blood rushing to her face from embarrassment combined with her usual blue pallor to make a deep violet. She desperately wanted to take a closer look at the mounted animal to see if it really had bellowed, but she had a creeping suspicion that someone may have been playing a joke on her and she didn't want Altha to think she was stupid. Agia already dragged the party half way across the world on what was looking like a wild bursk chase, after all. "Nuh... Nothing. I'm fine." she finally managed to stammer out, convincing no one.
Dropping the charade, she picked the up the chair and flopped into it, grimacing as she bumped what was likely to be a sizeable bruise on her abdomen. "I mean to say, I was looking at some of the fuzzers on the wall and I heard a noise and got jumpy. Might've been a trick of the numenera, but was prolly just someone having a laugh."
Action 2
As the soup dishes were whisked away by the staff, Agia was a bit put out. "I'm always all for a job with that comes with meals included, but this baron is touch stingy, no? A bowl of broth for evening sup erry day and we'll be mighty thin afore long."
Her look of resignation turned to confusion as the serving staff brought out fresh dishes, and then finally comprehension dawned as the various dishes of meat and fruit that formed the main courses were set out. Agia saluted the staff, "Ya silly billys have been holding out on a us! Clever-clever, holding back the good stuff 'til we were hungry enough to appreciate it. I can't say why ya took my bowl if we were gonna keep going, though, thing was perfectly fine yet and it could have saved ya a dish."
"Also, I think I'll be needing another spoon. Ya'll took both of mine with my bowl, and upon further reflection I'm thinking I was only supposed to eat soup with the one. I was just using both because I figured if ya'll spent the time setting 'em out I ought to make use of 'em."
...
"This place sure is plenty schmancy,"Agia said while tucking in, "I'm none too impressed, though. My ol' clan had a saying: 'All's fine for fair weather, but when the storm comes ya only own what ya can carry'. And tha storm always comes afore long."
Thinking hard while she chewed, she turned to Balanders, who had barely managed to fit himself into one of the dining chairs, "I guess that'd make ya the richest man in the world, when push came to shove, eh? Ya'll could haul half this house, no question."
"I wish we'd had your likes on the trail, truth be told. It was often that we had to pack up in a hurry and leg it. Usually 'cause of Margr, but sometimes it was mutie huggers down from Nihli' to grab slaves to sell off to the Pytharonese. Any of 'em you can drive off once, but the only way to keep 'em from coming back with more than ya can handle is to keep moving on. Wasn't long afore we was mostly walking along the course of the Wall, in the Shadow of the Lady."
"Winter never really ends in those parts, but an umlan can eat tha squishies and slimeys that grow on the rocks like mold on a loaf, if ya let 'em range widely enough. Ya can almost eke a living that way. Almost. Near the end there I think I was one of tha only things keeping it all together. I don't quite freeze, ya know, so when a storm hit sudden erry' one else could huddle 'round the flame and I could still gather up the herd and lead 'em to shelter. When it gets that cold, even I feel it. Once, I went so far gone that I couldn't move no more, just sat there toppled over, frozen like a stone. Couldn't move, couldn't even breath, but couldn't die neither, in the end. When they dug me out the next day I think they figured they'd be thawing me for tha birds' sake, but in the end I woke up. Wasn't pleasant, mind ya." She shivered at the memory.
"There's days that I think they've likely all died now that I'm gone, but that's just my pride talking. Fact is, the herd was dwindling anyways and the whole lot was doomed afore long even if I stayed. We could've limped along for a while yet, maybe joined up with another clan for as long as they'd have us, but things was rough all over. Tha elder's were waiting on a miracle, probably from yours truly, but I didn't have a miracle to give. Making things colder doesn't amount for much in a place like that."
Turning to her older companions "Ya know, when we first met I was worried someone from my old clan might be chasing me down. Now, I think I was hoping for it. They'd never get me, I'd see to that, but at least it would mean someone else made it out alive and was limping around the wider world."
As the servants brought small glass bowls of fruit gelatin for dessert, Agia's expression did a complete reversal, all dark thoughts of her past banished by the promise of treats. "You're joshing me! There's more tasties yet? It never ends!"
...
In the end, the food was well cooked but somewhat plain. While the pantry was stocked for well-bred palettes and needed to be used, it seems the staff had determined that guests of this caliber would not require the use of the good spices. Even so, it was heaven compared to travel food, and even outmatched the indifferently served meal from the inn the night before.
Agia belched loudly and realized that she could get used to all this, which was an excellent reason to avoid doing so. She resolved to work harder at the task at hand tomorrow. But she no longer minded so much if destiny took its sweet time tracking them down.
Sorry :(
Sorry :(
I am sorry to hear that but thanks for letting me know. I know it's no fun when people are expecting things and you are just too busy.
I hope your life gets back to a 'good normal' soon.
Game on!