Same here!
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I'm untrained in Heal. :(
Good question. You know as much as I do. :P
Reusten avoids meeting the councilman's gaze, understanding the disapproval at all the strangers gathered in his small town. He listens carefully as Hearthmount reads the will, his hand cradling his chin as if deep in thought. At the mention of the chest of tomes, his eyes widen in surprise. He also notices Lomar sit up in attention, Hm. I'll have to see what's got him so interested. Thought I was the only one who actually enjoyed reading about those kinds of things. When the councilman mentions the second favor, Reusten furrows his brow and frowns in consternation. He'd hoped to return quickly to Tamrivena, but this throws some calipers in his plan. The prospect of learning what sort of information is in the professor's tomes would be enough of a reward to stay, though... the coin would be nice too. "Guess I'll be staying..." he says to himself and anyone else who might be listening.
Reusten spares a sidelong glance at Nadiya and Lomar. Were it not for the professor's association with the young man, Reusten might try to investigate more about him and this problem he keeps mentioning. As it is, he resolves to himself that it's simply just something that will to remain unknown for now and turns back to peering at the books.
On hearing that he was mentioned in the professor's will, Reusten frowns confusedly. Why would Lorrimor have named me let alone these other people in his will? Why not his family? After arriving at Kendra's home, Reusten accepts a drink but leaves it mostly untouched as his attention is drawn to the shelves of books. As the others explain their connections to the professor, Reusten peers closely at the titles looking for anything that might interest him. After hearing Nadiya finish (though not quite listening to what she said), Reusten responds briefly, "Your father passed through Tamrivena where I was studying at the church of Pharasma. I heard him lecture and sought him out to learn more from him. His knowledge of the finer points of our dogma was incredible, and I was able to learn much after several months of private study. I'll always be grateful to him for everything he taught me." His attention returns to the shelves of books as everyone waits for the councilman.
Looks like other people are in the same boat, but just wanted to let you all know I'll have limited access through Tuesday. Inquisitor-ing will pick up after the holiday!
Reusten listens closely to Grimburrow's sermon, finding comfort in the memories it brings him of studying with the professor in Tamrivena and learning from him the finer details of faith in Pharasma. After Kendra, Nadiya, and Dmitri each share their remembrances, Reusten speaks to the group, "As Father Grimburrow says, and as the professor so graciously taught me, we must remember that death is but one step of our journey through life. While we mourn our loss of this great man, I think the professor would also want us to celebrate his unending travels both through this life and the next."
Should we be keeping track of our XP total or will you just let us know when we've reached the next step?
"What my friend says is true. Who are you to cause a grieving family such anguish?" Echoing Nadiya's request, "Why do you show such hostility towards as great a man as Professor Lorrimor?"
Reusten glares at the man as he prepares to chastise him for interrupting the burial rites of the deceased. However, he holds his tongue as he realizes that that might not be the best course of action. Walthus here seems to have a better way with words... maybe he can diffuse the situation. Careful to keep the coffin steady, he looks behind him for the halfling. After catching Walthus' eye, Reusten subtly motions with his head to try to get him to talk to the old man.
Reusten nods to the group in the tavern, but otherwise remains silent through his breakfast. His mood is sombre as he reflects upon the time he spent with the professor. While the church teaches that death must come to us all and is no more or less a fact of life than breathing or eating, Reusten still feels a sense of loss knowing that he'll never have the chance to speak to his old friend again. After arriving at the Restlands and taking Kendra's hand, he smiles consolingly at her. "We share your loss, Kendra. I didn't know your father thought so highly of us. Surely, Pharasma will judge him favorably." As she greets the others in turn, Reusten can only feel honored knowing that the professor had told Kendra of him to the point of recognition. After hearing her request he steps forward, "Of course. It's the least we can do to repay the kindness he showed to us in his life."
"I'm not sure I caught your name. I am Nadiya. Mishka here deigns to let me travel with her, so that someone may tell of her adventures."
"Oh! Names... forgive me. I'm used to finding the names of others, not giving my own out. Reusten." Glancing at the cat, "Mishka here would do well to heed your advice. While many superstitions of the people here can be useful, old women with cats should be the least of their worries." After a second or two, he realizes how that might have sounded and grins sheepishly. "Er... um... not to say that you're old! No... I was just thinking of stories of old crones and witches who come to steal away misbehaving children." Reusten pockets his card as well and nods to those still at the table. "Well like I said before, a pleasure to meet you all. I have a long journey back to Tamrivena after the funeral, so I think I'll get some rest... heh... unless another crazy person claiming to see the future stops me again." With that, he heads to the stairs.
Or not... maybe I'm the one who's had a bit too much... Reusten's deductive senses must have been dulled from the ale. How else could he miss obvious cues? Embarrassing.
She stands, pausing to balance herself as if she were a bit top-heavy (specifically as if something was weighing down her shoulders)... Wonderful. Another drunk.
"Adventure? I'd hardly call attending a funeral for an old friend an adventure!" Reusten looks at the woman and cards with disdain. He speaks wryly, "But if you were tasked by the spirits, well we wouldn't want to disappoint, would we?" Muttering a small prayer to Pharasma under his breath, he hastily draws a card.
Reusten flinches as Lomar calls to the woman. Being with loud strangers is not the best way to remain inconspicuous, especially when they've had a few too many drinks. He speaks quickly as he stands, "I must take my leave. Pleasure to meet other acquaintances of the professor. Dmitri, Walthus, Lomar, ... and others... Until the morning." As Reusten leaves the table, an old woman in a corner catches his eye as she shuffles a deck of cards.
If I recognize them:
Gah... another charlatan card reader attempting to divine the goddess' secrets! Reusten barely conceals a sneer, believing that fate and prophecy are the domain of Pharasma and not for mere mortals to pry into. If I don't:
A puzzled expression crosses Reusten's face. Who gambles the night before a funeral? Still, he approaches her out of pure curiosity.
Reusten shifts in his chair, uneasy at all the attention being drawn to the table. "Er... it seems the professor was quite a popular fellow. While we shouldn't question the will of the Lady of Graves, I am... sorry... for your... or should I say our loss." He nervously rubs his wooden scarab pendant as he struggles to find the right words, trying to avoid offending those who might not be familiar with the tenets of the church of Pharasma.
"He passed through Tamrivena a number of years back. Heard a lecture of his, asked some questions, and I guess he took a liking to me. Taught me most of what I know. Shame he's gone... could've learned so much more. Looking to get tomorrow over with and head back to continue my studies, to be honest." Reusten quirks an eyebrow as he looks at the halfling. "Heard you asking about stories. What's yours?"
Eavesdropping from afar, Reusten slightly raises his mug before taking a swallow of the bitter liquid. Ah yes, Dmitri did have a way with words, I remember now. Says it like it is. I can appreciate that. After several seconds of watching the group some more, Reusten laughs quietly to himself. A half-orc, a halfing, and a human walk into a tavern... I'm sure there's a joke there somewhere. Well, I suppose they're here for the funeral too, and Lorrimor didn't choose his friends lightly... With one last swig of ale he sets his mug down on a nearby table. Might as well say hi. Reusten approaches the table, giving a slight nod to Dmitri before addressing no one in particular, "Evening. Here for the funeral too, I assume." He takes an empty seat and leans over the table. "So how'd you all know the Professor?"
Reusten stands leaning against one of the taven walls, mug of ale in one hand, the other absentmindedly fingering the small wooden scarab hanging from his neck. From under the wide brim of his hat, his eyes constantly scan the crowd and dart to the stairs whenever newcomers enter from the inn above. Too crowded in here... Still, nice to be somewhere dry. Hope the rain holds off a bit longer though... getting sick of these damp clothes. He was neither surprised nor saddened to learn of the Professor's death... disappointed, maybe. He fondly recalled the many days spent learning from Lorrimor and had hoped to possibly meet with him again to discuss further about the plague of undeath or tenets of faith in Pharasma. But Lorrimor knew that we all belong to the Lady of Graves in the end. The final step of his long journey. A familiar face caught Reusten's eye... a face someone could never forget. Huh... should have figured that half-orc would be here... what was it... yeah, Dmitri. Surprised they even let him into the town, though. Better keep an eye out and make sure no one gives him any trouble. We're both strangers here, after all.
Oh... any posting conventions you'd like for the gameplay thread? Bolded speech, italicized thoughts, etc.?
Ok... Reusten's ditching the bedroll and trail rations. Only adventuring he might be used to are quick scouting trips to old crypts to make sure all the corpses are still resting. Still need the sunrods for that. And the garlic, of course. @Walthus: If you want to stick with the dervish, I could always grab some levels of rogue. It would fit pretty well with my character concept... especially the investigator archetype, but too bad that drops trapfinding. As far as posting times goes, I should be able to post weekdays morning to night (EST), especially during the day *cough* at work *cough*. Weekends aren't as consistent, but I can check periodically.
Hm... without someone with trapfinding, we're kinda screwed when it comes to magical traps. It looks like the archaeologist can disable magic traps at level 6, but if you prefer the dervish we could always try/hope to avoid them. I think my/our Perception is decent enough that they won't all surprise us at least. Granted, I usually play a rogue, so I'm a bit biased when it comes to roguish types! My character sheet should be all set to go... do our characters know they've been named in the will (I think that's what it said in the Player's Guide), or have we just been summoned to Ravengro for the funeral?
If they both accompanied Lorrimor to the Canter house (which is ok by me!), Reusten would probably have been distrustful at first, but his attitude toward Dmitri would have cooled over time. Probably not to the point of friendship, but enough to recognize him as an equal and potential ally in his quest to rid Ustalav of undead.
I was definitely intrigued with Dmitri's character concept... Reusten would probably view him with mixed emotions. On one hand, Reusten was steeped in the Ustalavan distrust of outsiders and would view any half-orc with extreme suspicion. But on the other hand, his faith in Pharasma defines him, and who is he to second guess someone who was accepted into the church? Serious case of cognitive dissonance, that's for sure!
Wow - thanks for picking me! Really looking forward to my first PbP... playing in person is great, but it seems like this is a better format for telling a story. Barring any suggestions or recommendations, my character sheet should be ready. Let me know if there are any format changes to make things easier as well. (I do need to type up an appearance section...)
Reusten here again. Looking for undead to kill... as well as anything that gets in my way! (Except for my adventuring companions, of course. Unless they're undead.) Copied from your first recruiting thread: Character Background:
Reusten was the unexpected result of a romantic tryst between a farmer's daughter and handsome guardsman that had caught her eye. Furious at the lack of respect and decency showed by his daughter, the farmer forbade the child from entering his home, and his daughter brought Reusten to the nearby town of Tamrivena. Finding the temple of Pharasma to be a suitable place, she left him in the care of the clergy.
In his religious upbringing, Reusten proved to be an attentive student. With the priests of Pharasma as his foster parents, his fanatical devotion to the Lady of Graves grew over the years. He showed particular aptitude and interest in his lessons and lectures on the abomination of undeath. Vowing to seek out and put to rest undead creatures and to destroy any who might create them, he began to study combat arts as well. In combat he uses a morningstar in one hand for close combat, but is exceptionally skilled with the hand crossbow he holds in the other. When Professor Lorrimor passed through Tamrivena in his travels, he gave a lecture on the nature of the undead. His theories and knowledge intrigued Reusten to the point that he sought out the professor for further study. Drawn to Reusten's intensity for learning more about the subject, Lorrimor conducted a number of personal sessions with Reusten. After several months of discussing the finer points of undeath as well as faith in Pharasma in general, Lorrimor had to continue his journey. Question Answers: 1. Who are you and where are you from?
I am Reusten van der Zicht from Tamrivena. I serve the Church of Pharasma in hunting undead to bring them final rest. 2. How were you acquainted with Professor Lorrimor?
3. How would you describe your personality?
4. Do you buy into the superstitious paradigms of the denizens of Ustalav?
It is rumored that there are many in Ustalav who practice necromancy, ranging from minor experiments to occult ceremonies. How do you feel about such practices? Could you ever work along side such individuals? Answer:
Those that wield the power of death for their spells walk a fine line between what is permitted and what is heresy. As servants of the Lady of Graves, the church does attract those who practice the necromantic arts. However, the creation of undead is strictly forbidden, and I feel the church is too lenient towards those who choose to command undead instead of destroy them. I would reluctantly work along side those who practice necromantic arts, but never with those who summon or create undead for their own nefarious purposes. Also, who is this 'Richten' fellow that shares my surname?
osuracnaes here presenting Reusten, an inquisitor of Pharasma! Still a few things left to flesh out (spells, skills, and feats mostly). I've copied the character background to here for easier perusal. Character Background:
Reusten was the unexpected result of a romantic tryst between a farmer's daughter and handsome guardsman that had caught her eye. Furious at the lack of respect and decency showed by his daughter, the farmer forbade the child from entering his home, and his daughter brought Reusten to the nearby town of Tamrivena. Finding the temple of Pharasma to be a suitable place, she left him in the care of the clergy.
In his religious upbringing, Reusten proved to be an attentive student. With the priests of Pharasma as his foster parents, his fanatical devotion to the Lady of Graves grew over the years. He showed particular aptitude and interest in his lessons and lectures on the abomination of undeath. Vowing to seek out and put to rest undead creatures and to destroy any who might create them, he began to study combat arts as well. In combat he uses a morningstar in one hand for close combat, but is exceptionally skilled with the hand crossbow he holds in the other. When Professor Lorrimor passed through Tamrivena in his travels, he gave a lecture on the nature of the undead. His theories and knowledge intrigued Reusten to the point that he sought out the professor for further study. Drawn to Reusten's intensity for learning more about the subject, Lorrimor conducted a number of personal sessions with Reusten. After several months of discussing the finer points of undeath as well as faith in Pharasma in general, Lorrimor had to continue his journey. Question Responses: 1. Who are you and where are you from?
I am Richten van der Zicht from Tamrivena. I serve the Church of Pharasma in hunting undead to bring them final rest. 2. How were you acquainted with Professor Lorrimor?
3. How would you describe your personality?
4. Do you buy into the superstitious paradigms of the denizens of Ustalav?
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