Happy anniversary to you guys, as well!
Coolio! Can't wait to see a pic!
Happy Anniversary JSL/Dreamer!
(COming up on lucky 13 myself soon, June 1st. How she put up with me for so long i'll never know!)
I've said it on the other thread, but congrats again Fabes!
:)
Don't forget to let me know if you guys are going to venture up to Seattle for PaizoCon just to meet up and have lunch or something.
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Don't forget to let me know if you guys are going to venture up to Seattle for PaizoCon just to meet up and have lunch or something.
I'm not going to be able to make it up, but I think JSL mentioned going up there.
BTW, I left a little something on the ol' game thread. I got inspired to write, and what you see there is the result. For old times sake (not to be construed as a resumption of that thread).
Aside #2, JSL and I organized a game night here last night, and the DM at my table ran us through the first encounter of Scales of War, the same encounter that I ran you guys through in our 4experiment.
Needless to say, he did a better job than I did with the tactical aspect of the encounter. (Though I think I did a better job with the color commentary, if I may say so . . . one advantage of a PbP . . . though last night it only took an hour to get through what took us a month! Trade-offs.)
:)
Happy Mother's Day!
Oh, and I read the thread, very nice @Sant! (As usual!)
Ever since we declared a pause, I have been considering an 'Excerpt from Sli's Journal', detailing either an exciting moment from his travels Pre-Sandpoint, or how he got his Varisian tattoo,...
Unfortunately (or Fortunately!) I have too busy to decide which one to write, and too busy to actually write it anyway! ;P
But now I'm motivated again! (Maybe when I 'slow down' a little this week, or is it next week?,...) ;)
LAters!
BTW, I left a little something on the ol' game thread.
Yeah, that whole Vesh's-sudden-dissappearance-twist is still kind of a sore spot for me. The campaign survived a lot of comings and goings and rl delays, but I think the combination of DM burnout and Vesh's departure finally broke it.
It's fun keeping in touch with you guys and lurking occasionally, but unless JSL surprises me (which has occasionally been known to happen), I seriously doubt that this adventure will ever be resolved. And even if it did, what are the chances of a party of four being successful?
...I seriously doubt that this adventure will ever be resolved. And even if it did, what are the chances of a party of four being successful?
In my opinion...quite high actually. That's because smaller groups tend to move games faster (which is doubly true in PbP format). And, secondly, a party of four should be entirely do-able (and require less work on JSL to jigger the encounter difficulty) because that's what the adventure is baselined to accommodate.
Then we should really make the effort to finish this one. Not necessarily the entire Rise of the Runelords campaign...but at least the first installment of "Burnt Offerings." We've already made it through the first half (or more) of the adventure. Maybe I'll talk with JSL about it when we meet in Seattle next month?
--Neil
Maybe I'll talk with JSL about it when we meet in Seattle next month?
If you'd like, but not on my behalf. I'm not going to pressure JSL to return to Paizo or to DMing a 3e game. He has enough on his plate with regular life stuff and other projects and activities requiring his attention. He knows I'm still checking out the discussion and that I'd be up for playing again sometime.
If he wants to resume at some point, that's great, and I'm sure the core group would be here to play, but whether he chooses to resume is totally up to him, as far as I'm concerned.
This made me think of Rags:
There have been plenty of occasions I wish I could respond that way to those who ask about my freelance writing.
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Thanks for the comic!
Yeah, that whole Vesh's-sudden-dissappearance-twist is still kind of a sore spot for me...
I'm hoping the fruit platter atoned for some of that.
I'm going to put my 2 cp on the table. Take it for what it's worth.
This group had a phenomenal run that lasted about a year. We did some incredible writing, let alone virtual dice rolling. I'll grant that this PbP has an unfinished feel to it. I'll even grant that Dreamer and NSpicer, coming into the game later than Rags, Arct, and me, are probably left with an even more acute sense of how unfinished the game is. But we are slowly (or not-so-slowly) creeping up on a year since the game abruptly ended. I genuinely thought that when I left, you all would continue on. I thought that Vesh's leaving would actually increase the RPing fodder for the remaining players to use--and it did, I have to say.
But it's pretty obvious that the game is dead in the water without JSL (duh, right). It's also pretty obvious from what he's written here about 3.5, and from my first-hand experience organizing local games with the guy, that he's shifted his attention to 4e and playing RPGA games with folks in Eugene.
It ALSO also seems pretty obvious that NSpicer has firmly, and understandably, staked his ground in the 3.5/Pathfinder camp. He's the RPG Superstar for goodness sake!
With all of that in mind, I'm going to throw out some suggestions. Do with them what you want:
1. How 'bout you continue with the rest of Burnt Offerings with the characters you've come to love, and have NSPicer finish as DM? I suggest this in no way to slight JSL. When he described Vesh getting off the boat in Sandpoint, I knew that we had hit DMing pay dirt. But, if you want to play, and if JSL doesn't want to DM, then perhaps shifting chairs around the table is in order?
2. How 'bout letting the game go, and keeping the characters? You've created wonderful characters. Write about them. Towards the end, the game just kept getting in the way of the fun--the writing. Did anyone really care about how many friggin' magic candles we retrieved from the dungeon and how loot was going to be divided? We never actually resolved that as a party, so I'm assuming not. Forget the game. Write about where Rags came from, or Zieke, or Salome.
3. How 'bout letting it go altogether? It was fun. Maybe it's just over now. Maybe that's for the best. For me, putting Vesh out to pasture was and still is for the best. I still think about him fondly because he was a compelling character, and I'm proud of what I wrote for him. But thinking about playing him as a PC again, or playing in the PbP format for that matter, just makes me tired.
Again, just some thoughts and suggestions on the whole "should we finish Burnt Offerings/getting JSL to DM" thing. Disregard as necessary.
:)
...Disregard as necessary.
I will never disregard anything any of you post. I respect all of you and your opinions too much to do that.
I genuinely thought that when I left, you all would continue on. I thought that Vesh's leaving would actually increase the RPing fodder for the remaining players to use--and it did, I have to say.
I thought it represented one of the best plot twists in the entire story so far. But, like a good book and a character I'd grown attached to...I wanted to see what happened to Vesh. I wanted to see him eventually deal with his demons and return all the stronger for it.
But it's pretty obvious that the game is dead in the water without JSL (duh, right). It's also pretty obvious from what he's written here about 3.5, and from my first-hand experience organizing local games with the guy, that he's shifted his attention to 4e and playing RPGA games with folks in Eugene.
I think that's cool.
It ALSO also seems pretty obvious that NSpicer has firmly, and understandably, staked his ground in the 3.5/Pathfinder camp. He's the RPG Superstar for goodness sake!
From a mechanics standpoint, it's what I know and feel comfortable designing for...however, in terms of PbP games, I have always held the opinion that the system doesn't matter anywhere nearly as much as the roleplaying and story itself. PbP games really have to be run that way. You minimize the rules aspects so they don't slow the game down further than the format already does.
With all of that in mind, I'm going to throw out some suggestions.
Cool.
1. How 'bout you continue with the rest of Burnt Offerings with the characters you've come to love, and have NSpicer finish as DM?
I don't have the time or energy to run a game right now (which is why I haven't proposed kicking off Curse of the Crimson Throne again like we'd discussed previously). I'm open to playing a few characters via PbP...but I just can't commit to running a game right now, because it requires a lot more.
2. How 'bout letting the game go, and keeping the characters?
I'd be open to that idea. We could start a different game using them. Although, personally, there is a part of me that enjoys the Rise of the Runelords storyline...and the experiences Zieke has had within it so far. I think our characters are very well chosen to maximize the story-telling potential within that adventure path. And, if nothing else, it'd be fun to at least polish off "Burnt Offerings" before setting them aside.
3. How 'bout letting it go altogether?
I think we're all prepared to do that. It's essentially what we're doing now. But, as Dreamer pointed out, she's never had a chance to complete an adventure. And while I don't imagine we can finish the entire adventure path via PbP format with these characters, I do think we could more realistically finish "Burnt Offerings" as the first chapter of it. Or not...as it really all hinges on JSL being open to the idea of finishing that much of the story for these characters.
Again, just some thoughts and suggestions on the whole "should we finish Burnt Offerings/getting JSL to DM" thing.
I think those are all fair suggestions. And, in the spirit of camaraderie, I'll offer up one more. What if we converted to 4e? As I said before, I have no qualms about using one system over another in order to experience the story. Play-by-post games are all about the roleplay anyway, not the rules aspects. Now granted, we still have to roll the dice on occasion to see how successful our intended actions are...but that's minimized a lot more in PbP than table-top in the interests of keeping the game moving.
If JSL prefers 4e, I'm willing to stick with this adventure so we can finish "Burnt Offerings"...and that means we all get an opportunity to provide closure for these characters beyond where we've left them so far. And, it gives you a chance to resolve Vesh and bring him back into the fold...as a redeemable character, etc...while also giving Dreamer a chance to have closure for this adventure as a player and not just for her character.
In an ideal world, that's what I'd love to see. Doesn't mean it'll happen. I'm just sharing what I can about how I feel. But, that in no way should minimize or override how the rest of you feel.
But that's just my two-cents,
--Neil
I feel like I invested a lot into this character and game and was denied the promised payoff. I understand that everyone has eggs in other baskets, but as far as RPGing goes, this was/is my only basket. The game went on at a time when I really needed friends, but didn't have a lot of time for socializing (wrapping up my internship at four different sites, plus two weekly rape crisis hotline shifts, plus grief camp for kids, plus being pregnant, plus being a full-time mom, plus all my other rl projects and obligations).
To have it all end so abruptly and in mid-sent...
...well, that was a little hard.
I'm glad JSL is DMing live at his game nights, and I am 110% supportive of him and all he does. If he chooses not to resume (as it appears he has), that really is OK with me. We've talked about this.
At the same time, I don't see being able to participate in a regular game again in the next 18 years, what with kids and all. And while we have tried running a couple of one-player (and even a 2-pc/player) games, it's hard when it's just two people at the table at 11pm. Under the conditions I've observed and been in games (or more accurately segments of games), it's really hard for me to see the appeal of it -- lots of work, time and effort and it's gone without even getting to the end.
At least with my clients, there's termination paperwork involved, and often some form of "good-bye."
I've already had a stab at converting Ehlissa to 4E. She is a bit sub-par, so if we did go 4E I'd ask to fiddle with her stats a bit.
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I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. I only want to address one thing here:
And, it gives you a chance to resolve Vesh and bring him back into the fold...as a redeemable character, etc...
I thought I had made it clear in my previous comments, and am going to reiterate here, that I have no intention of returning Vesh to the game regardless of edition. I'm sorry if that is (lack of a good word, here) . . . uncharitable (?). It's not that I don't like Vesh, or that I don't like playing D&D. I just can't do the PbP thing.
(And, as a little aside, I also really don't like any of the 4e builds of Vesh that I've been able to come up with. So, yes, I've tried.)
Continuing: I think that the PbP format is one that I cannot sustain in a balanced fashion. For whatever reason, I have a harder time "putting the game away" when I play in this format.
Frankly, if I'm going to invest that much emotion and thought into a character, I need to be writing honest-to-goodness stories, not PbP posts. My gas tank is only so full these days, and my intent is to write. I need to get out of the "someday" or "when I grow up" mode when it comes to writing and into the "right now" mode. PbP's are a fattening writing-substitute for me. I need to crank out a lean beginning, middle, and (most importantly) end to a story of my own.
Thanks for the dialog. It's been helpful . . . and nice hearing from you all again.
This made me think of Rags:
OMGosh that was funny!
Thx Dreamer, I needed that!
Related to all the above,...
For all my RL griping/b!tching/whining/moaning,etc.,... I'm really an easy going kind of guy. I'm certainly open to ALL of the above propositions, or none, or a combination thereof. ;P
While I confess that I still hold out hope that someday, on SOME board if not Paizo, in SOME version if not the original specs,... we will ONE day all get together and finish 'Burnt Offerings'.
BUT, if you corner me and force-feed me a potion of truth, I'll grudgingly admit that I'm not holding my breath. It will be another year or more before I come close to giving up hope entirely, but I do realize that we ALL have RL things that require our attention, and we have all already moved on,...
To other Pbp's, to become Paizo Superstar,... etc,...
I just hope that you all realize that our PbP was important to me on a number of levels.
Just to start, it was the first time I'd actually gotten to play a game (other than a one-shot at the odd Con every 5 years or so, or a short attempt at playing over internet with my friends in Oklahoma) for almost 12 years. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the playing, the camaraderie, and the FRIENDS! :) And I do consider you all my friends, and am proud to call you all so.
AND passing up all the other reasons, It was FUN! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed both writing and role-playing! (WHile I certainly don't pretend to have the magic with words that either JSL, Sant or NSpicer have, I'll put my best work up against their second best and call it a close second,... ok third!) ;P
Seriously, I have considered continuing to write stories about Slidell, it;s not a lack of ideas, it's a lack of MOTIVATION. I'm a guy who has a difficult time doing things alone.
-Practice 30 karate kicks with the class? NO problem!
-Practice 30 karate kicks alone? What are you nuts?
Being involved in the PbP not only gave me ideas, it provided motivation, and direction, and guidance for my otherwise erratic writings.
BUT I can also certainly attest to the fact that it definitely detracted from other things that I SHOULD have been working on, SO I think I understand at least some of where Sant is coming from.
By the way Sant, if you have a chance to make it as writer and you find Pbp's distracting,... RUN! DON'T LOOK BACK! ;)
I'll be the first to congratulate you by being the first in line to buy your book when it hits the shelf! :)
Hmmm,... After 45 mins of typing, I seem to have forgotten where I was going with this,... Sort of like most of my writing,... :P
How about this?
-I had a blast playing with you guys! And I hope that we can continue in the future in SOME way, shape or form!
-I can almost guarantee that you will see Slidell return, either in short stories posted to our old thread, or he will migrate to another Pbp!
-I value my time I had with you all, and hope that we can continue to keep in touch here, or email, or whatever.
-And just so you know, as you (may) recall, ours was the first PbP that I had ever played in. I signed up to a couple of others as we progressed, but to date I am in 5 active PbP's! (Not a record I am sure, though these are the ones that are STILL going, and do not include the ones I started in that have shut down for various reasons!) I only tell you this so you will realize what it took to replace the time I was spending with YOU guys! ;)
It's bedtimes, LAters all, and keep in touch!
SALOME bajATRU -- the rest of the story
Backstory
Ever resourceful, Salome dressed as a boy and joined a children's gang and survived on the streets for several years. However, when she came of age and was no longer able to hide her gender, she came under the "protection" of a pimp and worked the line with other orphaned girls, servicing traders and warclansmen. During her childhood, she observed much of humanity at its worst and developed a cynical and self-interested view of the world. She quickly learned how to identify people's weaknesses and desires and manipulate their behavior to her own advantage, and did whatever it took to survive.
One night she got into a situation she couldn't escape and was beaten in an alley by a gang of warclansmen who attempted to rape her. Garjjan De intervened with an amazing display of divine power that struck down her attackers. He then ministered to Salome and taught her of Sarenrae. Salome wasn't yet ready to follow him down the divine path, but began to seek a purpose in her life. She had training in combat and defense, and her excellent martial talent caught the attention of several warclans who pressured her into aligning with them. Instead, she rejected the underworld life and decided to seek religious training and perhaps find Garjjan De.
The abbot of the monastery, Mejjur De, was an arrogant and corrupt man who was a follower of Sarenrae in name only. Besides twisting Sarenrae's teachings, he frequently singled out Salome for his tirades and extra work. Salome spoke out against him, but he only retalliated by heaping on more abuse. Once she felt she had learned all she could -- and borne all she could bear -- she left, looking once again for the Gardian Angel who had rescued her years before.
Intentions
As a substitute for Naelah, I designed Salome with the intention of creating someone who would fill the role of the wise healer when Naelah was absent, but having a distinct and different personality and set of motivations so that if they did interact, they would have something to work with. Where Naelah was airy and intuitive, Salome was practical; where Naelah was quiet, Salome spoke her mind; where Naelah was coolness and air, Salome was fire.
I also saw Salome as a split being, struggling between the opposites she contained. She wanted to be peaceful in a life marked by war and conflict. She sought the spiritual life, but was pulled back again and again by the underworld. Her "fatal flaw" was pride -- she saw herself as one-down, often feeling jealous of or less-than those around her, but unwilling to ask for help or show her weaknesses to anyone but Sarenrae. Although she was jaded by worldly things, she was still fairly young in terms of her own spiritual growth, largely due to things she missed out as a result of her deprived childhood. Therefore, she did many good things out of a sense of duty, a desire to "be good" and to atone for her past (and present) sins, but she hadn't progressed to the point that she was doing it out of love for her fellowman. That changed when she joined the "Heroes of Sandpoint," and allowed herself to connect with them.
I liked playing Salome as a strong woman who didn't recognize her own strength, and as a good person who didn't recognize her own goodness. From her chaotic background, she craved the structure that ritual and religion created in her life. She was definitely a wounded healer. She wanted to make the world a better place, but often felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task and was acutely aware of all the ways she fell short. Yet she persevered.
Relationships with other PCs
Corran: Didn't really know him.
Ehlissa: Salome admired Ehlissa, but may have been a little jealous that she seemed to come from a great, glamorous life. She really wanted Ehlissa's approval and friendship.
Malcolm: Salome didn't trust Malcolm; he reminded her of the bandits on the trade routes and she imagined he had something to hide.
Naelah: Salome didn't know Naelah very well, but did heal her a couple of times. They worked well together in the tunnels, and definitely had a polite relationship. I don't know if they would have been good friends or if their differences would have created conflict down the line.
Slidell: I loved how Salome and Slidell were total opposites on the Wisdom vs. Intelligence spectrum. Salome was naturally suspicious of majji, and anyone else who worked outside her religious framework and worldview. So he frustrated her to no end. But remember, she wouldn't have gotten mad at him if she didn't care. :)
Vesh: Vesh touched a very deep place for Salome, perhaps seeing a lot of her own shadow in him and wanting to help and redeem him somehow -- and perhaps if she could help him, she could help herself. He also represented the family she never had (bazé/zostra) and didn't want to let go of. It was through her relationship with Vesh that Salome began doing her good works not out of duty or compulsion, but out of real charity and love for others.
Zieke: Salome saw Zieke as a kindred spirit -- older, somewhat calloused by the challenges of life, but with a strong sense of justice and wanting to set things right. At the same time, Salome had to meet Zieke with strength and was not yet able to admit her vulnerability to him.
Facts and influences
• Salome struggled with a dual nature. Love/hate, war/peace, fire/ice, good/bad. The name "Salome" means peace, yet Salome was also the name of the girl who danced before King Herod and requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Yeah, not so peaceful.
• The name bajAtru was influenced by Atreyu in The Neverending Story. In TNES, Atreyu means "child of all" -- he was an orphan. Reading that, Bastian concludes he must be a "child of none" because his mother is dead and his father doesn't notice him.
• Salome's mother may have also been a priestess of Sarenrae, but Salome didn't consciously know it.
• Garjjan De may not have existed; he may have been a vision or an angel. He was a Radian Servant of Sarenrae -- a class with a pretty cool description; it would have been fun to play Salome at that level.
• It was fun making up Qadi words to sprinkle in.
• After all the stuff I'd made up about Qadira in my head, Paizo came out with their gazetteer and changed it all. Dang!
• It really is true that everyone Salome ever loved was taken from her; and I'm sorry that that worldview was reinforced within the game. I had hoped she would learn that that doesn't necessarily happen. But it explains a lot about how she functions.
• I'm still a little shocked that Zieke considered Salome the leader of the group, but quite flattered that a veteran player would put so much trust in the PC of a novice.
• Literary and media influences include several of Orson Scott Card's books, Arabian Nights, "Aladdin," "The Thirteenth Warrior," Zoe from "Firefly," the X-Men movies (I thought, what if a mutant looking for Dr. Xavier was recruited by Magneto instead?) several kids' nonfiction books at the library about Persia and the cultures of the Middle East and India, and -- OK -- maybe a little bit of me. :)
Thanks, all, for a good game and for being such a fun to write with and play off of. But now I think it's time to say good-bye.
I offer you all my thanks and best wishes.
Arctaris:
Fabes:
Neil:
Rags:
Santinj@:
JSL:
Due to the nature of my work, I want to keep my personal life out of the Googlesphere as much as possible, so I won't leave my email address or name here. If you wish to contact me in the future, you may do so through JSL or leave a message here; I'll still take a look from time to time. I am not going to troll for new games to join on Paizo, but I may accept a direct invitation sometime; I'll keep that possibility open.
Thanks again for your storytelling and camaraderie. I count you all as my friends.
-- Dreamer
Thank you and good luck for the future! :D
I never realised Salome wanted Ehlissa's approval. How interesting! I always got the vibe that Salome disapproved of Ehlissa. Mind you, I'm not very good at that sort of thing in real life either!
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May 23, 2009 at 4:26 am. FabesMinis had the last post to this forum nearly 10 years ago (okay, four months shy). I was tripping down memory lane and looked up the writing we had done here--writing that I am still very proud of.
I'm going out on a limb, the adult in me knowing that none of you could possibly still be getting notifications from this forum. But there's a kid in me that wants to believe, so . . .
Anyone still out there?
~santinj@