Apologies for the unexpected and unannounced absence. Life is funny like that sometimes. I should be back to close to normal Paizo time now.
I have really neglected this game for far too long now. Apart from just being way too busy for the past few months, I lost some enthusiasm and steam when Dagret left, couldn’t really get my act together to help Ithuriel introduce a new character, and then when Chubbs got too busy too, it all went into the too hard basket for a while.
My new year’s resolution is to get this one back up and running, with any of the players who are still into it. I suspect that Brash, Ash and Twiceborn are in. Ithuriel, do you still want to continue with a new character? I do actually have some ideas to bring you into the game if so. Chubbs, now that your busy time of the year has passed, do you want to pick this up again?
Apologies for the unexpected and unannounced absence. Life is funny like that sometimes. I should be back to close to normal Paizo time now.
I have really neglected this game for far too long now. Apart from just being way too busy for the past few months, I lost some enthusiasm and steam when Dagret left, couldn’t really get my act together to help Ithuriel introduce a new character, and then when Chubbs got too busy too, it all went into the too hard basket for a while.
My new year’s resolution is to get this one back up and running, with any of the players who are still into it. I suspect that Brash, Ash and Twiceborn are in. Ithuriel, do you still want to continue with a new character? I do actually have some ideas to bring you into the game if so. Chubbs, now that your busy time of the year has passed, do you want to pick this up again?
Hi Moth. Sure, I am keen. Can I play that aboleth paladin now?
Yes, I'm still in, and happy to see life returning to normal for you, Moth. And welcome back, Chubbs. Now Andolphas can go back to picking on "the new guy"... 'til he converts to the Cult of the Green Lady, anyway... ;-)
Yes, I would be interested in bringing in the new guy. I wasn't sure before if you were irritated with me for being a terrible participant (which would have been fair to be sure) or just busy so I waited to see how you wanted to play that. The wait stretched out though and I have to admit I stopped checking in regularly. At the same time I've been logging in very little all through December due to work.
The AP is just beginning to approach the point that I am not familiar with so I'm curious to see where it goes from here.
Yes, I would be interested in bringing in the new guy. I wasn't sure before if you were irritated with me for being a terrible participant (which would have been fair to be sure) or just busy so I waited to see how you wanted to play that. The wait stretched out though and I have to admit I stopped checking in regularly. At the same time I've been logging in very little all through December due to work.
The AP is just beginning to approach the point that I am not familiar with so I'm curious to see where it goes from here.
Nah, I had begun (back in October or whenever) to type up a long response to your last spoiler post, lost it, and first through frustration, then busyness, then the fact that I sort of put the whole game on hold never got around to retyping / completing it. Will aim to do so in the next few days.
Yep, I'm still in. Glad to see Ithuriel and Chubbs are still keen too. Boland certainly wasn't lookin forward to facing the Albino Orc's crew with just a priest and street Brawler between them and him (and I fancy they wouldn't be too keen to have just a weedy magic user watching their back!)
Ithuriel, just wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten you. Here’s what I have so far – there’s more to come, but just want to make sure you’re ok with the setup, you think it suits what you had in mind for your character concept / background. Also, any response to it so far, particularly the implied question at the end.
Spoiler:
When things went south after a scam went wrong in the Free City, Harrigan struck out for the mining town of Diamond Lake. He had a distant relative there, one Ragnolian Dourstone. Dourstone had left the clanhome some decades earlier, under somewhat mysterious circumstances (perhaps along with Harrigan’s own mother or father?) but had made it good in the meantime, becoming a reasonably prominent mine manager in the town.
Harrigan figured that he could play on the old clan connections for a while, long enough to get back on his feet – and set up his next scheme.
Ragnolian didn’t seem particularly enthused to have his distant relative show up, but grudgingly allows Harrigan to stay at his manor house for a few weeks, in exchange for you doing a few odd jobs and errands for him. He even goes so far as to allow you to use a tiny shopfront in a building he owns in town to set up your locksmithing business, and puts in a good word for you with a few potential clients.
However, you soon begin to realise that there is something rather odd going on with your distant cousin. He is moody and erratic, being positive and cheery one day, then short tempered the next. Somedays he seems paranoid and fearful, sometimes forgetful and confused. Some nights you hear sudden panicked screams from his room. Other times you hear him talking to someone when you’re sure that no one else is in the manor, or you hear voices that do not sound like his. Occasionally, odd folk turn up for meetings at odd time of the night, almost always heavily cloaked and hooded, and sometimes appearing strangely misshapen under their cloaks …
The mining business appears to be treating Ragnolian well, but you see little sign of portable wealth around the manor house (and you look no doubt!). He seems to be taking unusual precautions with his mine, paying to build a barricade around the entrance and hiring extra security. He seems convinced that the other mine managers are out to get him, although anyone with their ear to the ground in town quickly learns that most of the intrigue amongst the local mine managers and their supporters (or enemies) seems to be centered around those either for or against Balabar Smenk
Then, one day, Ragnolian approaches you, saying he needs a favour … something that might suit your particular talents.
I'm trying to get caught up around the boards, but still dragging a little. We are getting married in a couple weeks and preparation is keeping me tied up more than I had imagined.
I'm trying to get caught up around the boards, but still dragging a little. We are getting married in a couple weeks and preparation is keeping me tied up more than I had imagined.
I’m on holidays for a week from tomorrow through to next Saturday. I’m not sure what, if any internet access I’ll have over that time. I’ll update if and when I can, but its possible things might be a bit slow for the next week or so.
January 30th. Originally we were doing something very small, but it has continued to balloon. 100 guests now :)
My original conception didn't really include so many sit down meetings with an army of professionals. About to go talk to a chef who will cater a smaller lunch after the ceremony now and I think the guy who is doing the cake.
January 30th. Originally we were doing something very small, but it has continued to balloon. 100 guests now :)
My original conception didn't really include so many sit down meetings with an army of professionals. About to go talk to a chef who will cater a smaller lunch after the ceremony now and I think the guy who is doing the cake.
Hey mate, how did it go on the weekend? Are you on your honeymoon?
It was all good. There was some lack of translation confusion during the ceremony where I didn't know what the proper reply was, but I had been told ahead of time that there was no "I do" part in the ceremony. So I was caught off guard to the amusement of our guests ;)
My parents actually missed the wedding due to weather delaying their flight overnight, but they were there in time for the lunch and the party that night. We had a good time. The party went till around 4:30 am :)
So now that I'm through the whirlwind I can go about starting the new guy over here. We'll be on the honeymoon from tomorrow till Feb 13th, but I will have the iphone and I'm certain we'll have wifi. I may be terse while I'm using the phone, but I can get started any time now.
The bg stuff sounds great and puts me in mind of cthulu. I think I am going to make him less of a miscreant though. Did you watch the hbo series Rome? I am imagining when Lucius verinas (a centurion in the legion) returns to Rome and marc antony pushed him into being a crime boss in order to maintain a hold on / hand in the underworld. So let's say his patron was either killed or lost interest in him as a tool and everything spun out of control after that so that he had to flee for his life. Gives him more room to be a hero at some point and not always ne acting out of self interest. He will still have a host of personal problems though. I will slightly tweak the character sheet to reflect this change in idea. Oh and I'm not saying he would have been ranked in the infantry at such a low level but he had some occasion to handle some things for his commander which brought him to mind when he wanted to plant a man in the criminal scene.
Cool, I was going for something a bit Lovecraftian. Haven’t seen Rome, but I think I see what you’re getting at.
Ok, more to the story:
There’s an old, abandoned observatory just outside of town, Ragnolian tells you in a near whisper, the property now owned by Balabar Smenk. Only its not empty anymore … someone’s moved in there, and Ragnolian is convinced that whoever it is is Smenk’s secret weapon against him (and perhaps the other managers) in the ongoing rivalry between the mine managers … or so your cousin says, but somehow his shifting eyes and slight twitches lead you to wonder if he’s being entirely truthful.
At any rate, Ragnolian seems very shaken by whoever – or whatever – has moved into the old observatory, and wants you to find out who it is and exactly what they’re up to; “What they know, what they’re planning,” as he says.
You’re not sure what’s really going on, but for whatever reason (loyalty, guilt, blackmail, curiosity) you decide to look into it.
It’s not so easy to figure out. Whoever is in the place moved in in the dead of night a couple of weeks back and hasn’t been seen outside since. There’s only one door into the place as far as you can tell, and its kept locked. Oh, you could probably pick it, but everytime you’ve been there and listened at the door you’ve heard a faint, strange scraping sound from inside, as if someone (or something) was moving about just on the other side … so you’ve been reluctant to do so. You’ve also had the unnerving impression that you’re being watched. All the windows into the place are either bricked up or high up in the tower, and narrow to boot.
You have seen some folk coming and going from the place from time to time though – an albino half orc who is apparently some sort of gang leader or local renown, and his gang of loyal thugs. You’ve heard rumours that the half orc, Kullen, also works for Smenk. He hangs out at a dive called the Feral Dog most nights … its highly likely that he knows whats going on in the observatory.
… From there its pretty much up to you to insert yourself into the game.
It was all good. There was some lack of translation confusion during the ceremony where I didn't know what the proper reply was, but I had been told ahead of time that there was no "I do" part in the ceremony. So I was caught off guard to the amusement of our guests ;)
My parents actually missed the wedding due to weather delaying their flight overnight, but they were there in time for the lunch and the party that night. We had a good time. The party went till around 4:30 am :)
So now that I'm through the whirlwind I can go about starting the new guy over here. We'll be on the honeymoon from tomorrow till Feb 13th, but I will have the iphone and I'm certain we'll have wifi. I may be terse while I'm using the phone, but I can get started any time now.
Don’t know if you’ve had a chance to look at that last spoiler I posted, but if you have any questions, or want to tic tac about how to get your character in, let me know.
We are on our way home now. Kinda lost service at the hotel the past couple days or so as they were upgrading modems throughout.
Yeah I was reading that scene trying to figure if that was a good place to jump in, but it wouldn't have worked like I had in mind as the general assumption was wrong. We'll be home tonight and maybe I'll just start out with a spoilered general description of how he has been trying to deal with the things you have brought up. We can figure it out from there.
I'm taking my computer in to the shop to get looked at today. If the problem is more than they can handle at the Apple store, I might be without my machine for several weeks, which likely will hinder my ability to post.