Excellent!
And yes, if everyone's comfortable with marching orders and such, we can go to Harrowstone now. Well, probably on Monday afternoon, my time, anyway. : )
As long as we feel Septimus is integrated enough into the group for now I'm ready to roll. I guess he'll forge bonds through a trial by fire.
The only thing he might want to do is spend the rest of the day prepping potions for the group if they have some cash to burn (cure light wounds or enlarge person, anyone? Each one would only take me two hours...)
I'll modify his prepared extracts and gear to reflect combat readiness.
I should clarify--I, as a player, am ready.
Lem, as a character, at least wants to wait until the morning so he can memorize different spells.
LOL. I'll have post from Raj soon, and then I'll be ready to head out.
"I see, so only the fella actually whipping the sword about is a hero?
Bahaha! Nah, I meant "fighter" as "someone who is active in their opposition to evil" rather than the class. ; ) Kendra is coming to realise she can't be her father and is trying to come to terms with that. By the way, I meant to mention that anyone can read these spoilers; the only reason I bother with them is that nobody else is there to hear the conversation.
And yes, if all the players are ready to go, we will advance time to whatever hour you specify tomorrow morning, and head into Harrowstone. Your characters can have a week to prepare if they want, but I can't promise they won't be interrupted if you take that long...
I'm probably going to keep the group held back just a bit. Walter has some show-and-tell for everyone on the request of Theron, and he also wanted to ask Vesmera if she knew anyone who's been in Harrowstone (but I also don't want to make it "Only Walter Time" again for a while so I'll just stick to show-and-tell).
EDIT: Walter chose to bring his crippling insanity to show-and-tell. There was showing, and telling.
What a great post! So great, in fact, that Septimus was impressed enough to not make a snide comment.
If it's show-and-tell time, I can always hulk out on a mutagen/enlarge person combo and chop some firewood for us.,
What a great post! So great, in fact, that Septimus was impressed enough to not make a snide comment.
If it's show-and-tell time, I can always hulk out on a mutagen/enlarge person combo and chop some firewood for us.,
Wait for Theron to yell at you in a library about it first. It'll make it seem more dramatique.
I almost want to put Harrowstone off, this is too much fun. Awesome job Walter. : )
"I see, so only the fella actually whipping the sword about is a hero?Bahaha! Nah, I meant "fighter" as "someone who is active in their opposition to evil" rather than the class.
Actually, I got that. Raj was being metaphoric as well cutting to the chase of her idea, distilling it down to the basic theme. He was pointing out that she kept focusing on the "active fighter" being the only valid contributor to the battle and that her believe is flat-out wrong. Most of our back-stories with Doc pretty much run counter to it.
Actually, I got that. Raj was being metaphoric as well cutting to the chase of her idea, distilling it down to the basic theme. He was pointing out that she kept focusing on the "active fighter" being the only valid contributor to the battle and that her believe is flat-out wrong. Most of our back-stories with Doc pretty much run counter to it."I see, so only the fella actually whipping the sword about is a hero?Bahaha! Nah, I meant "fighter" as "someone who is active in their opposition to evil" rather than the class.
Ah, I see. It was the reference to insulting everyone that made me think you were being literal; as far as Kendra sees it, all eight of you (nine including Flori) are being active in your opposition to the evil that suffuses Harrowstone--making a change for the better. In contrast, she's sitting it out and is probably going to end up researching a book that--as far as she's aware--doesn't have even the remotest of connections to the case. She feels like she's being put out to pasture, before she can even try to do something worthwhile with her life, and has internalised it as 'you'll never be as good as your dad, so don't even bother--go live your life in obscurity and when you die, nobody will even remember your name'.
Not a happy place, especially for someone as outcome-focused as Kendra; the 'but individuals will have been affected by your life, and they will remember you' argument simply won't wash with her.
But look at me, talking out of school about NPC motivations. ; )
been down sick all day... will try post again in the next day
Bugger me!, Dragomir exclaimed as he sat wide eyed as Walter went through his show of magical ability, Are Raj and I the only ones who don't sling magic in here?!, he asked a bit panicky.
I think Dragomir is in for a bit of a surprise when he becomes a minority of '1' as Raj also learns a trick or two.
What a great post! So great, in fact, that Septimus was impressed enough to not make a snide comment.
If it's show-and-tell time, I can always hulk out on a mutagen/enlarge person combo and chop some firewood for us.,
Any efforts in the arson department will be met with an immediate and severe response from our own, pint-sized, in-house fire department.
But Im all for Septimus brewing up some potions. I don't' recall him mentioning it in-game. If he has (or if he does), Karrik will probably show him down to the Professor's alchemy lab. From there, it's really easy to get him producing some way useful potions to the group.
I mean, an Enlarge potion (and possibly another CLW) would be really useful to Karrik. I'm sure Dragomir wouldn't mind the same... though I'm not sure how he'd feel about drinking magic potions this early in the game. :)
Apologies - yes, haven't mentioned it in-character. I was kind of waiting to see how introductions played out before Septimus barged into the basement and started cackling to himself. I'll get a post up shortly.
Lol. i was just trying to help make sure we were all on the same page.
I was looking for a way to get Septimus's help in the basement anyway. Karrik would see it as a (hopefully) useful second set of hands as well as a way to test how good Septimus is. Even at his worst, I'm fairly certain he's way, way, way better at that gig than Karrik is.
So i was looking back over Karrik's interactions with everyone, especially about what abilities he's actually seen people use.
Dragomir exploded a spider with his big-ass blade. Lem constantly inspires us all to greatness. Kendra's got some arcane skills. Rose is a blade + magic ninja. Theron pin cushioned a baddie or two. Walter apparently knows everything about everything in conjunction with his newly-revealed voodoo. Rajuna can... um... open and close things at opportune moments?
Rajuna, do those knives actually do anything? ;P
Well, I guess there's the whole woo-ing Kendra thing.
If you haven't checked the Kendra/Raj spoilers... that is exactly the point I was trying to make with her. In terms of "who done heroicy stuff", she can at least lay claim to toasting a load of spiders. What was Raj's contribution? Running real good. :)
Of course, I do it with such style, you guys are just impressed. :P
Septimus slowly picking up on the Raj/Kendra thing is going to be fun. I don't think he and Raj are going to be fast friends, to say the least.
Neither are Septimus and Dragomir, for that matter. Being a weirdo/outcast, he probably has the best chance for friendship with Karrik. Hey, it takes all kinds.
Well, you seem to be an intellectual, so Karrik can appreciate that about you. And so far you haven't mentioned his race... so two points in your favor. :)
So an alcoholic alchemist, a halfling priest, and an intellectual half-orc walk into a bar...
I don't think he and Raj are going to be fast friends, to say the least.
LOL. You never know.
Raj doesn't trust what he doesn't know and Septimus is an unknown at the moment. Raj's basic operating principle is useful people on the right side of the fight are worth cutting slack. And bad people on the wrong side of the fight get turned into fertilizer. :)
Karrik is really pissing him off but he gets a pass because Raj knows the man's reputation, has an inkling of his skills, and knows he is definitely on the right side of the fight.
At day's end, it is business, not personal.
Ah, I see. It was the reference to insulting everyone that made me think you were being literal; as far as Kendra sees it, all eight of you (nine including Flori) are being active in your opposition to the evil that suffuses Harrowstone--making a change for the better. In contrast, she's sitting it out and is probably going to end up researching a book that--as far as she's aware--doesn't have even the remotest of connections to the case. She feels like she's being put out to pasture, before she can even try to do something worthwhile with her life, and has internalised it as 'you'll never be as good as your dad, so don't even bother--go live your life in obscurity and when you die, nobody will even remember your name'.
Not a happy place, especially for someone as outcome-focused as Kendra; the 'but individuals will have been affected by your life, and they will remember you' argument simply won't wash with her.
OK, I see where Kendra is coming from. Raj would disagree with that assessment because he's looking at things 'big picture'. To him, this is just one mission in a larger war and there are many roles that contribute to the win. Raj is goal-oriented without ego - "As long as we win, my role isn't important". Further, he anticipates his Harrowstone role is going to be almost entirely supportive... blades vs ghosts? Useless.
Yeah, Kendra misses out on Harrowstone but that doesn't mean she'll be sitting out every other battle... or that our little team won't get spanked in Harrowstone and immediately come back saying "Pack your gear, girlie, we need more firepower." From his perspective it looks as if Kendra is looking at one small mission and extrapolating it into the only chance she'll ever get to kick butt and take names, which Raj thinks is not the case.
Based on what you're saying, unless I'm reading it wrong, it sounds like Kendra has something to prove to herself.
Based on what you're saying, unless I'm reading it wrong, it sounds like Kendra has something to prove to herself.
Pretty much my thoughts exactly!
Can I just say how much I love the RP around Kendra thus far? If ever there were a character who could have become a pat love interest or Mary Sue, it's her.
Same goes for a lot of the folks you all have run into thus far - Grimburrow, Iona, the Sheriff, Alendru, even smaller players like Gibs and Zokar. I know it's partially a testament to great writing on the part of the Adventure Path staff, but the collaborative fleshing out of these characters has been fantastic.
And no, I'm not just buttering you guys up so that when you realize Septimus is going to be almost entirely self-centered in terms of party utility until Level 2 you won't be so upset :)
I wish that my dice in my tabletop games were as kind to me as the dice on this board have been so far. I'm waiting for the bad luck streak to come and undo all these good rolls XD
So, I wonder what Dragomir's reaction is going to be like when he realizes that he really is the only person in the party who can't cast spells? Raj is joining team spellcaster after all ;)
Dragomir has the same sense of humour possessed by 12 year old boys and rugby players - you guys just left him an opening he couldnt resist to hit back at the polysalybics of the group
Hahaha. Guess it's time to make a decision as to whether Septimus can take it as well as dish it out. It doesn't seem likely!
What a great post! So great, in fact, that Septimus was impressed enough to not make a snide comment.
If it's show-and-tell time, I can always hulk out on a mutagen/enlarge person combo and chop some firewood for us.,
Any efforts in the arson department will be met with an immediate and severe response from our own, pint-sized, in-house fire department.
But Im all for Septimus brewing up some potions. I don't' recall him mentioning it in-game. If he has (or if he does), Karrik will probably show him down to the Professor's alchemy lab. From there, it's really easy to get him producing some way useful potions to the group.
I mean, an Enlarge potion (and possibly another CLW) would be really useful to Karrik. I'm sure Dragomir wouldn't mind the same... though I'm not sure how he'd feel about drinking magic potions this early in the game. :)
Did someone say fire?
*drenches Karrik *
Dragomir just crystallized something for me. Septimus is a bit like a cracked mirror version of Walter, if Walter made the absolute worst choices he possibly could over the next 10 years. How interesting...
This thread is going to be a huge impediment to my actually accomplishing any work. I'm going to have to mimic Septimus's cold turkey experience by only checking it on breaks or I'll end up in an alleyway begging for a hit off the old posting pipe.
Now thats cool... really looking forward to the RP
As a logistical note, if I'm going to be making potions, I'm going to need some cash and materials with which to do it, and Septimus is close to penniless at the moment. CLW would run 25gp a pop, Enlarge Person 125. It seems like the group hasn't uncovered any coinage thus far, instead garnering mostly consumables from the Pharasmin cache, so I'm not sure what our options are.
Also, if there's any loot Septimus is inheriting (scrolls of detect undead and anticipate peril, from what I understand), we should probably formalize that and I can add them to my equipment.
I think Karrik has 90g or so. Not enough for an Enlarge, but he could put it towards other spells if that's helpful.
I wish that my dice in my tabletop games were as kind to me as the dice on this board have been so far. I'm waiting for the bad luck streak to come and undo all these good rolls XD
Walter rolls so good it's actually making me go crazy. It's completely absurd. I don't even want to put points in Sense Motive anymore because the moment I do Walter will lose his reading powers. It's like a crippling gambler's luck ritual kind of thing.
Walter can evidently see right through Septimus, which I like. It's intersting how Walter provides a canvas for the rest of the party to paint their own worries and insecurities upon. At least that's how I'm seeing it.
It's tough to stay quiet about Walter's display but I think Septimus is trying to take the pulse of the group and is worried his mouth will get him in trouble (which it already would have if Dragomir weren't so "good natured"). I want to interact with absolutely everyone and see how Septimus bounces off of them but I also want it to come naturally and not hog the spotlight. I've definitely seen you guys do some great back & forth without taking the thread over completely, and I don't want to upset that balance.
Holy moly! I go have a little nap and you good people write an opus. Nice work! Loving all the interaction between the party members. Raj, I will have you back downstairs directly. Just need to go catch my train. : )
Raj, I will have you back downstairs directly.
I can see how this is going to play out....
Kendra is no knife-fighter but she is a trained monk. Her stamp kick catches Rajuna in the chest and shoves him through the door into the hall. He crashes heavily into the opposing wall in a shower of door fragments as Kendra calmly steps through the rogue-shaped hole in her door.
Staggered, Raj pushes himself up the wall, trying to clear the stars he's seeing. Kendra moves through the third motion of the left-foot variant of Sculpting the Buddha to drive a spinning hooking heel kick to his jaw. Spinning like a top, consciousness a vague memory, Raj tumbles bonelessly down the stairwell.
Congrats, you are now 'downstairs'.
Raj, I will have you back downstairs directly.I can see how this is going to play out....
Kendra is no knife-fighter but she is a trained monk. Her stamp kick catches Rajuna in the chest and shoves him through the door into the hall. He crashes heavily into the opposing wall in a shower of door fragments as Kendra calmly steps through the rogue-shaped hole in her door.
Staggered, Raj pushes himself up the wall, trying to clear the stars he's seeing. Kendra moves through the third motion of the left-foot variant of Sculpting the Buddha to drive a spinning hooking heel kick to his jaw. Spinning like a top, consciousness a vague memory, Raj tumbles bonelessly down the stairwell.
Congrats, you are now 'downstairs'.
Hah! You know what's particularly amusing about that? If Kendra had become a more active member of the party, and gone into Harrowstone, her next level was going to be monk of the four winds. ; )
Raj, I will have you back downstairs directly.I can see how this is going to play out....
Kendra is no knife-fighter but she is a trained monk. Her stamp kick catches Rajuna in the chest and shoves him through the door into the hall. He crashes heavily into the opposing wall in a shower of door fragments as Kendra calmly steps through the rogue-shaped hole in her door.
Staggered, Raj pushes himself up the wall, trying to clear the stars he's seeing. Kendra moves through the third motion of the left-foot variant of Sculpting the Buddha to drive a spinning hooking heel kick to his jaw. Spinning like a top, consciousness a vague memory, Raj tumbles bonelessly down the stairwell.
Congrats, you are now 'downstairs'.
Don't worry Raj, one of Theron's gestalt Ninja/Inquisitor minions will catch you on the way down!
Septimus celebrates the freeing up of Kendra's affections by smashing a vial containing a horribly malformed dire rat on the floor. Ain't no party like a dire rat party.
Thanks Theron! We Iomedaens gotta stick together!
So is everyone ready to head into Harrowstone? I can make a post now if you like. Let me know what time you want to get there, and what, if any, precautions you are taking to avoid being observed.
Only unresolved piece for me is what I do the day/night before in terms of potions and any additional items the group might give to me to hang on to/use. At the very least I'd be glad to make a CLW for Karrik, and if we want to contribute additional gold I can make more from there. If no one minds I can throw up a quick retro montage on it and we can proceed from there.
Essentially I'm only concerned about it as it might relate to our combat readiness/encountering a crisis situation. Other than that, my spells are selected and gear equipped and I'm ready to go!
Sadly Raj spent all but his last coins on books and magical lollies. I have perhaps 2 GP to my name.
I think we just need to figure out who is going to be helping out the sheriff come nightfall.
Also, I'm thinking we shouldn't all go to Harrowstone in one big group. Probably break up into groups of 2 or 3, and take different routes. That's my best guess as to a way to get over there without attracting too much attention at least.
I think I have some money to my name... but I think I'll be able to survive off of my healing spells for now.
Only unresolved piece for me is what I do the day/night before in terms of potions and any additional items the group might give to me to hang on to/use.
Let's say you find 100gp worth of useful reagents in the Professor's basement that you may use to create potions. Do your worst. : D
Also, I'm thinking we shouldn't all go to Harrowstone in one big group. Probably break up into groups of 2 or 3, and take different routes. That's my best guess as to a way to get over there without attracting too much attention at least.
Harrowstone is around a mile south of town; the only way to get there is a single road that heads south, then curls around the bluff upon which the prison stands, and then snakes up the south side--the north side is a sheer cliff.
Fortunately, the bluff is visible for quite a way, so if you head out of town in another direction, you will easily be able to loop around 'off-road' and make your way there.
But then, off the road, there might be a few random encounters to be had... ; )
Let's say you find 100gp worth of useful reagents in the Professor's basement that you may use to create potions. Do your worst. : D
Huzzah! This is eminently reasonable, in my humble opinion.
With this in mind, perhaps we make 2 CLW and, on a 50g/75g split, an Enlarge Person for Karrik? Alternately, I could do 4 CLW straight-up with the day we have remaining to us. Right now, these are probably our best options.
Harrowstone is around a mile south of town; the only way to get there is a single road that heads south, then curls around the bluff upon which the prison stands, and then snakes up the south side--the north side is a sheer cliff.
So am I the only crazy bastard who saw this and thought "The North side is definitely the way to attack this problem."
I think we just need to figure out who is going to be helping out the sheriff come nightfall.
Also, I'm thinking we shouldn't all go to Harrowstone in one big group. Probably break up into groups of 2 or 3, and take different routes. That's my best guess as to a way to get over there without attracting too much attention at least.
I think I have some money to my name... but I think I'll be able to survive off of my healing spells for now.
Yeahhhhhh, Lem was planning on wearing his cleric's vestments and parade armor while carrying an aspergillum. He thinks his symbols of office will give him more power over/ standing vs the undead. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, to be honest.
If you want subtlety, you might need some of the taller folk to stand around him and shield him from the road. ;-)