1.) GM Edwin's Jade Regent (Inactive)

Game Master Insnare

"Hi again Spivey... good to see you again!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you little one", Vermundr says with a nod.

"Salutations Spivey!" says Kelda.

Spivey then says to Ahiko, "I did have a very pleasant conversation with you earlier today. Hopefully saving Tribble wasn't too much trouble.

She also nods to Vermundr and Kelda. She says to Vermundr "What do you do?"

"I'm a warrior. My favored weapon is the bow", Vermundr explains as he pounds his chest.

"What do you do?"

Spivey responds to Vermundr, "I have been long stranded on the
Material Plane after my mistress was slain by a hungry
plant. After several months of aimless wandering, I came upon the ruins of the church of Desna here and took it as a sign. That was" She starts to tear up but nonetheless continues "ten years ago, I originally tried to rebuild the temple, but gave up when I started attracting the wrong kind of attention from the denizens of the castle. Instead, I've taken to living in the cemetery and where I do my best to keep the graveyard clean and free of undead and other desecrations. Besides, Tribble has been with me for some time now."

"Well, time to stop being lonely then. I'm heading to their camp for the night now. Why don't you come with us? The graveyard doesn't need much tending at the moment. Probably be a lot safer, you'll have some pleasant company to go along with your food. I also hear that there is another cleric of Desna there on a pilgrimage."

Tribble give me a diplomacy check

Tribble contacted me to let me know he was going to be out of town for the weekend and to roll his diplomacy check for him so the game wasn't held up.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Spivey thinks about it for a few seconds and then says, "Well, I wouldn't mind swapping information with another Desnite. I will come for dinner and see how it pans out."

The group follows Kalistrine back towards the caravan and as the sun dips behind the horizon the group makes it back to the camp. Sandru and Shalelu are sitting with Omar as he slowly roasts venison over a hickory wood fire.

Sandru gets off of his camp stool and perks up at the sight of the group.
He makes his way over to Kalistrine and says, "How did the reconnoitering go? and who are these people?"

Vermundr puts a fist to his chest in a warrior's greeting and then extends a hand as these southerners seemed to prefer.

"Vermundr Bjornson", the young ulfen says in introduction. "We were ambushed in the ruins and captured by some trogs. Kalistrine and the others saved us. Together, we've cleared out the first floor of the place."

Sandru somewhat familiar with the ways of the Linnorm Kings strikes his chest with his fist and says, "Salve! my name is Sandru Vhiski and this is my caravan, it is a pleasure to meet you. This is one of my drivers, name is Omar a hardy man. That is Shalelu" pointing to the elfen rangress.

Kelda pipes up, "Well to be more exact we cleaned out the basement."

Shalelu says, "Salve! and well met!"

Just at that moment Koya an older Varisian woman waddles out of one of wagons and makes her way over to Ahiko and Takeshi and says, "Thank Desna you have returned! A strange voice has taken over Ameiko and she seems to be speaking in one of the Tian languages but of course none of know what she is saying its all a might macabre if you ask me"

Feel free to RP with any of the NPCs you would like to

"Take me to her, please. Perhaps I can translate for you."

Ahiko heads toward wherever Koya leads.

Kalistrine rolls her eyes and sets her Ranseur against one of the wagons before starting to pull her gore-stained breastplate off. She strips down to her undershirt and goes to one of the water barrels and begins to clean herself off. Her interaction with the drivers and others remains terse and mostly non-verbal as she leaves a pink-stained puddle filled with unidentifiable flecks of flesh and bone. Her skin beneath all that is very pale. Stripped of her armor and armaments (which still lie within arm's reach), she is still a dangerous-looking woman, but if you stare at her, she does possess a certain beauty beneath her grime and attitude. Of course, if you do, she glares back at you, reaching for a Chakram.

When she is finally clean, (or as clean as she cares to work for) she dons a fresh(ish) tunic and gathers up her things and takes them to her wagon. Leaving most there except her dagger and axe, she goes in search of Sandru.

"Ameiko speaks? Where is she? I must see her!" Takeshi says, looking around frantically and moving to wherever Ameiko is being kept.

Vermundr takes a glance as the hagspawn bathes more or less in plain view.

Not bad... for a monster...

Koya escorts you to Ameiko's impromptu hospital wagon, where she is lying on a straw mattress with a wet rag on her forehead, where you can tell she is sweating profusely every few seconds she convulses involuntarily.

Koya then says, "Ameiko comes to life and speaks in a voice not her own and always in Tian everyone hour or so" as she grasps Ameiko's left hand with her right and takes the rag with her left and wrings out the sweetly smelling sweat water and returns it to her forehead.

Takeshi kneels beside his sister, gripping her other hand in his. "She looks so much worse," he says sadly. "Do we have much longer to discover the problem before it is too late? I was hoping that the destruction of that foul demon would have helped in some fashion. It seems, then, that it was not behind her condition."

Koya wiping a tear from her eye with the hand that had wringed out the towel responds to Takeshi's query, "I will be able to cast detect law on the morrow until then I do not have the facilities to figure out what has come over your sister."

Ameiko has a seizure and starts to mumble not in her voice and then says audibly in Tien

"So she is Ameiko, huh? Spivey, can you do anything for her?"

"I wonder what she means by the 'cuckolded cuckoo' and who this shattered silent love we should seek aid from is. Obviously this is information meant for us to get to the source of things in the castle and perhaps release Ameiko from what holds her in its thrall." Ahiko looks to Takeshi and gives him a nod.

"We must it seems go back to the castle and find this silent shattered love and deal with the cuckolded cuckoo. Ameiko speaks wisdom to us from her trance."

Spivey responds to Tribble, "I do not have detect law at my fingertips today, however tommorrow after a good night's rest praying to Desna, I will be able to cast detect law."

Koya's ears perk up and she says, Little one, you are a follower of Desna as well, my name is Koya Mvashti, cleric of Desna."

Sandru walks over to Kalistrine and says, [b]"You look a bit tired, rough day?"[b]

"You could say that. We did a good job in there though. We killed our way through some Troglodytes, and found some stuff, but probably not what we came here for. Rescued some people too. Couple of Ulfen and a Halfling." she says. "I guess we'll be going back in once we've rested up. What happened to the Princess?" she asks.

Sandru frowns at Kalistrine a bit and then says, "Ami is one of my oldest friends but she is well er, making noise in that language of hers ca-i-yen't make heads nor tails of it."

He then says, "Seems that Ulfen got an EYE on you, HAHAHAHAHa!!!"

Vermundr sees to his equipment, counting his arrows and maintaining his bow.

What will Kelda's next move be? Will she sell our services to these travelers?

"Hello Mrs. Mvashti. I am Tribble Padfoot, humble follower of Desna. I am a wondering doctor by trade. May I be of assistance?"

Takeshi nods at Ahiko. "Yes these words she speaks must mean something. I hope that resting until tomorrow does not make us too late. But perhaps it gives us the opportunity to ponder it's meaning. Could it have something to do with Kelda's 'Bird Face'? But then why would we find aid there? I suppose we'll be able to figure it out better once we find it. If we find it," he says dejectedly. He then shakes off his sadness. "No. We will find whatever it is that ails my sister. We will cure her."

Koya blushes at the remark and says, "Well Mr. Tribble you are mistaken I am not married nor was I ever helping my mother was what spent most of my life doing. So what exactly are you wondering?"[b]

For some reason I can't open that particular spoiler.

me neither here it is again

Takeshi looks up at Ahiko, "So now 'grandfather waits in the dark, but he knows not who he was'? That with 'beware the cuckolded cuckoo—it is in his shattered silent love you should seek aid'... Are they related do you think? It's so cryptic."

Koya shrugs her shoulders and says, "I am not sure young Takeshi"

If you want to continue to rp with each other other the NPCs feel free if not and you want to continue to the next day just tell me

Never married? Truly sorry for that. I thought Desna's luck would have blessed fine lady such as yourself with a husband by now.

"I have had many other duties mostly helping raise my mother's adopted children, like Sandru and of course my mother who had been ill for a very long time, Pharasma took her just a short time back."

"That Ulfen can suck Lamashtu's teat for all I care." she says angrily, stomping away from Sandru and to the wagon where Ameiko is laid up. She peeks her head in and observes what is going on for a few minutes before going off in search of her own wagon, from which she retrieves a bottle of amber whiskey. She takes that and her Chakrams and takes them to do some target practice at the edge of the camp. Her aim gets worse and worse as the afternoon wears on and soon she has moved the log she is throwing at to a point barely feet from her and is flipping the bladed rings into the wood at such close range it is no challenge whatsoever, even as she makes a significant dent in the bottle of whiskey.

Vermundr takes a break from his work to find Kelda.

"So where are we headed next?"

Sandru sees Kalistrine throwing Chakrams into the log and moves over to her with a glass and a handful of daggers and says, "By Desna, give me a dram would ya?"

Without looking he throws all five dagger into a 1/4 inch grouping. Hearing the thud he smiles.

Kelda turns to Vermundr and says, "Well we may as well clear out this damned castle and then see if these people are going to go north or not if not we buy two horses from these folk and make it North back to Kalsgard".

Vermundr grunts and nods.

"The castle first then. What do you think controls that place? More trogs?"

Kelda smirks, "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you were unconscious for most of the interrogation, the place seems to be controlled by a bird guy and his corby lackies..."

Vermundr laughs and rubs the back of his head.

"Those damned trogs hit hard."

I figure I will push it forward.

At first light, Omar and Jorland start cooking some quail eggs with some venison that shalelu took down the day before for breakfast. After breakfast, Koya walks and Spivey flies over to where Ameiko still tossing and turning.

Koya casts Detect Law

"The spell tells me that some spirit called a Kami has control over her, I know that is Tianese but am not exactly sure what..."

Knowledge Planes DC 25(15 for Ahiko)

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

"The word is definitely Tien," Takeshi says. "But I don't know it's meaning, or what it may be."

knowl planes: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

"A kami is a protection spirit... usually protection of an animal, thing or place. Perhaps it is protecting Ameiko... or perhaps it is protecting the castle?"

"A protection spirit is causing her affliction? Perhaps that is also what is causing her to speak. We must clear the castle, and hopefully free her from this spirit."

Ameiko mutters this in Common but in a strange voice "“A key you seek laid in the grip of the ten-handed one—his fear
is your greatest ally, but now is yours...”

A little later another shrill comes out after breakfast, "One treasure beyond two seals in the third vault...”

Vermundr gives Ameiko a confused look.

"She doesn't talk like that all the time, does she?"

Koya shoots Vermundr a strained look then realizes that from his point of view that is a reasonable remark and she says, "Actually no, we arrived two nights ago and she was fine, we were all about to leave for the castle yesterday morning and well, she fell into a coma..."

Ok guys, I will give you some options, you can choose to take one of the NPCs with you to the castle excluding Koya and Ameiko... the list consists of Sandru, Shalelu, Kelda, or Spivey, or go it alone.

Well Vermundr is inclined to stick with Kelda. Will they be taking a share of the XP?

Ahiko wouldn't mind an additional healer, but a good fighter is useful too... so whatever the group wants is fine

"Well let's get moving. We have more of that castle to clear", the young ulfen says as he picks up his things and slips his bow over his head.

Hi

Checking in. Thanks for the selection! Very excited to play this adventure path! :)

Reporting in. Thanks for selecting me! I really like the idea behind this character and have been looking forward to the chance to play her. I'll add stats shortly.

Checking in. Looking forward to it.

Any advice or suggestions on how to treat my blindness curse will be helpful, as well as rulings on just how much I can or can't see. My basic understanding is that I can make out general shapes as long as they're close up, but that's about it - everything looks like through frosted glass.

Jorland the Shuhite has arrived....I'm the cook for this party.......just don't ask whats in it and you'll be fine.

Ninja Luna stepping out of the shadows here. Thanks for selecting me to join the group!

Since Jorland's background has him as a cook at the Rusty Dragon, I'll revise Luna's background to have her working as a waitress instead of as a cook. I'll re-allocate the skill point I put in Profession (Cook) to another skill.

Takeshi would also know Luna since she and her mother were servants in the Kaijitsu household (Luna is two years older than Ameiko). However, he would not know about her ninja skills. I believe Takeshi and Luna both share a similar dislike for Sandru.

Looking forward to starting the adventure!

Those of you who are familiar Ameiko and frequent the Rusty dragon know me as the cook. My foods taste great but have strange names. I also make new concoctions from time to time. Always called Jorland's surprise. Always tastes different.

I am pretty close with Ameiko. She and I talk a lot. Those of you who hang around Ameiko a lot would know my back story.

Looking forward to everyone confusing our names, Luna? I wondered about that from the moment you applied to the game - funny we both made it in!

You're right, Lina. Hmmm... I wonder if that's one of the reasons why we both made it?

Luna's known Ameiko since she was born (Luna is two years older than Ameiko). Luna's mother was a servant in the Kaijitsu household, and Luna and Ameiko grew up together. When Luna came of age she became a servant as well, and worked in the Kaijitsu household until Lord Kaijitsu was murdered. Since then she's workded as a waitress at the Rusty Dragon.

Hey everybody, glad you all could make it. I just landed and will kick it off tomorrow morning my time. Think about where you would like to start off, in the dragon, from the road or what have you. It should be fun.

How about we start at the Rusty Dragon? Jorland and Luna would be working, Takeshi could be visiting Ameiko, Lina could be making moon-eyes at Ameiko, and Kallistrine could have just arrived with Sandru's caravan.

Of course, if Sandru is at the Rusty Dragon, Jorland could burn his food and Luna could spill it all over him...

Decided to use Liu Na's actual spelling for her name. It still sounds like "Luna".

Lina just got back into town after an absence of about 4 years - it could certainly make sense that she'd go have a bite to eat at the rusty dragon while she gets her bearings and tries to figure out where to go from here.

While the chance to meet Ameiko again will certainly be a bonus, Lina won't be making moon eyes at anyone. She'd have too hard a time figuring out just who she's looking at.

Kali'd be in with the caravaners, just off the road, looking to unwind.

Spunky bunch of ladies in this one......and a LOT of Ameiko fans. Wow this will be interesting.

Since we all pretty much seem to be attached to Ameiko in some way, what should be our relations to each other.

Jorland tend to talk a bit but he also listens too. He is very open and honest and hates liars.

So, as cook of the Rusty Dragon, how much would I know about Liu Na and Lina?

P.S. If you frequent the Rusty Dragon, you know to be cautious of Jorland's Surprise. Every so often he produces some new concoction that is either a hit or a miss.

Two weeks ago he made an excellent stir-fry out of various herbs and veggies he found in the wild or had grown at home and cooked them in Linnorn Mead. Turned out great.

A week ago he made a special dish of goblin toes and fingers cooked in BBQ sauce. Wasn't so great.

People at the Tavern tend to make bets on if it is a good week or bad.

Another thing. Jorland is very sensitive about his height. Anyone who has joked about it finds themselves in a fight for their life. Jorland doesn't always win but he makes his point. He is usually very friendly and easy to approach otherwise. Diplomacy +8 and all

Important to note also. Jorland loves chatting with Ameiko. He is always asking about her homeland. The events that plagued Sandpoint, he treads carefully when talking about her family, Jorland knows all about how easy it can be to offend someone, and about other stories about her life. He usually does what he can to support her and he tends to hang around her a lot, even when he's not working.

So there is somethings most of you would know. Again, Jorland has nothing to hide, he's quite open with anyone, just a good amount more with Ameiko.

EDIT: Oh and for where I'd be. If not on patrol or hunting in the morning, I would be hanging out at the Rusty Dragon all evening. It's where I like to spend most of my time.

So, as cook of the Rusty Dragon, how much would I know about Liu Na and Lina?

Jorland would know that Liu Na's known Ameiko since she was born (Luna is two years older than Ameiko). Liu Na's mother was a servant in the Kaijitsu household, and Liu Na and Ameiko grew up together. When Liu Na came of age she became a servant as well, and worked in the Kaijitsu household until Lord Kaijitsu was murdered. Since then she's worked as a waitress at the Rusty Dragon.

Jorland and Liu Na probably get along pretty well. Watching how Jorland behaves around Ameiko, Liu Na likely knows that the Ulfen has a crush on her friend. Liu Na would be supportive of this, as she thinks rather highly of Jorland - and he's much better for Ameiko than that no-good Sandru!

It's unlikely that anyone would know me. Sandpoint's a small town, and I lived there until I was 16, but that was 4 years ago and even then I mostly kept to myself. I'm not even sure Ameiko knew my name, as I mostly watched (obsessed) over her from a distance. Anyways, I no longer have any living relatives in town either.

Kali is new to Sandpoint, so everything except Sandru is new to her.

Fantastic! This should be good. Can't wait to get started.

@Kali, would it be cool if you start off with Sandru in the Sheriff's office? You would be with him giving the report about the Licktoads.

Hey I am currently a member of the Licktoads! Have they mentioned the famous Klepy? Valeg? Tark or Bucko and the Efesti Skwad?

Sorry, I have a character in the We be goblins campaign. Pretty intense

Yeah me too,

Ok so I got the ball rolling. You can choose to be almost anywhere

For Kali,

With the Sherriff sounds good.

GMEDWIN, did you have any comments about my blindness? It says I have darkvision up to 30' but I'd like to clarify just how much detail I can make out with that (other than the obvious colorblindness).

I'm just waiting to pose until things progress to the Sherriff's office or Sandru and Kali move to the Inn.

I hope you don't mind me throwing in some details about Sandpoint from Rise of the Runelords - they're very much spoilers for anyone who hasn't played that campaign, but since this adventure supposedly takes place after that one I figure some of the major events would be common knowledge to the people living here.

Sorry everybody, we had a power outage for over 15 hours. The blindness thing, hey its your character be as blind as you want. You can mention stuff from ROTRL or Second Darkness and any of the other APs that works.

Ok. It says I can see black and white, so I'm going to say while I can make out general shapes and outlines (enough to know what to aim at when in combat, etc) I don't really see details, and anything beyond 30' is just a blur.

That work?

Just to throw in my 2c. Technically, by RAW, you can see perfectly fine within 30ft (e.g. no penalties to perception) and you have the added bonus of having darkvision. Beyond that you can see nothing (so the typical blindness penatlies to perception). Whether it was darkness, one large blur, or even if all you see at 30ft is a whirlwind of butterflies, is just flavour text and up to you.

Yep, I'm not going to have it give me any mechanical penalty, but for flavor I'm gonna say my vision is pretty hindered within the 30'. It very much fits my backstory and character design.

Whatever makes you happy is fine with me....

Hey Jorland: I just read in your description that you're planning to take a couple of levels in Ninja, and that you've been studying books on the subject. We could also say that Liu Na knows of your interest and has been teaching you a few basics as well - that way you won't be surprised when she offers to help against the goblins and breaks out all of her ninja badness.

Yeah thats a good idea. Cool. I like how things have been falling into place. Good group we have.

Hey guys, Could you all chime in on the PM saying to me where you would like to get relationshipwise with each of the four primary NPCs. Because according to the AP you get XP awards and stuff.
Just write:

A=
K=
SV=
SA=

Then write TF or TE(Trait Friend or enemy), PF or PE(primary), and the other two put something like friendly or unfriendly. Then I will assign points and xp when it is earned.

In addition, you can say what you would like to see happen.

I put up the preliminary Companion/Rival stuff, I have left a few at 0 because your character hasn't met the NPC in Gameplay yet.

For those of you who haven't PMed me yet, please do so. I want everyone to have a fun RPing time and swap ideas about how you would like the story to go.

Hey all! I hope everyone is enjoying the campaign so far.

Definitely!

Good stuff so far. Just a suggestion - and if you prefer to have a less structured combat system (more like most of us used to do back in 2nd edition) and hand-wave placement you're welcome to do so - but even if you're not an artist there's plenty of ways to come up with some sort of grid for combat.

There's Google Docs, and you can just use a spreadsheet for the grid and letters or numbers to represent players and monsters. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even add colors or lines for terrain. Example

There's MapTool, which provides lots of images of terrain and structures that you can throw together on a grid, then simply turn it into an image to share with us. Also has a tool that makes it easy to create tokens out of each player's avatar pic to move around the map. Example

Hope that helps!

Yeah, I kind of go back to the old school. We didnt have miniatures and stuff. i'll see what I can do.

I just hope I am not too hand's on. But, waiting for the GM to post is a bit of a peeve of mine. Ill see what i can do with the map tools. I have seen other GMs have all of the enemies go at once, would you guys prefer that or do you like having it broken up by character?

Due to the nature of PbP, when I run a game I usually am pretty flexible with initiative. I'll roll groups of enemies together (all goblins go together, but if there's a big boss among them he might get his own initiative) and then invite players to post their intentions any time within their given initiative group. I'm not sure that makes any sense so let me give an example:

Initiative:

24 - Player 1
19 - monsters
14 - Player 2
13 - Player 3
7 - Player 4

So in this case after player 1 posts, I'll post with the actions of all the monsters, and then all players can post their intentions for this round. Once everyone has posted (I usually give 24 hour limit) I'll wrap up their actions in a summary post, and then have the monsters' actions again.

I figure combat in PbP can get bogged down and slow down the game so much that I try to do anything I can to keep it moving better.

You certainly don't have to do it that way, it's just what has worked for me.

Kalistrine

So...we have the choice of roasted game birds or roasted...faceless stalker for dinner. I wonder which is going to be more popular...

Anyone mind if I keep the cloak?

Liu Na may make a meal of her trail rations this evening...

I'm good with Lina keeping the cloak.

I will fight you for it!

Just kidding.

Any defenses we give the healer are a good thing!

I'll let you have it but in return you need to eat what I prepare for you. Deal?

Um....how about I'll agree to taste it.

Hey quick question ala Goldilocks, Am I pushing it forward too quickly, slowly or just right?