@ Magnius,
You know that the Bellflower Agents refer to themselves, sometimes, as "Tillers," as in, 'tillers of soil like farmers.' The leader of the Bellflower Network is called "The Farmer" and "Tillers" likely comes from that.
Using this kind of language may help you. This being said, you still look like a HellKnight.
....You also know that there is a business in Westcrown that serves as one of the very few fronts for Bellflower agents.
I'll get the Bellflower Network tab in Campaign Info asap. Hopefully this helps for now, though you can certainly wait for the Campaign Info tab.
Oh, holy cow!
Magnius also knows the name -- and story -- of the escaped Halfling slave that the HellKnight Order of the Chain couldn't catch that Garrorka the Hobgoblin DID catch, for the glory of Viscount Mogranzini Spartaco & House Spartaco -- and Gheradescci County.
The Halfling was an Andoran freedom fighter and Bellflower 'Tiller' named Paine who was formerly a slave in Macini. After Paine gained his freedom and moved to Andoran, he joined the Bellflower Network and made forays back to Cheliax, mostly the Longmarch ArchDuchy of which he was familiar, to free other Halflings.
According to Garrorka's tale, he escaped Corentyn with the Order of the Chain a day behind him, and it was Garrorka's patrol that caught him. As you recall.
I need to re-work Azlain's crunch a bit but that shouldn't impact his intro much so I'll get a post up and worry about the numbers later.
GM, I need a little info from you-
I can't find anything about the Order of teh Cypher anywhere online.
Can you tell me what their armor style is? Also the symbol of the order and their Favored Weapons.
There is now a tab for the Bellflower Network in the Campaign Info section.
@ Azlain,
The Order of the Cipher, and many of the HellKnight Orders named in the Campaign Info tab, is Homebrew. It is not canon.
Regarding armor style and favored weapon, they would be the purview of the Homebrew DM. But I only ever cared about the Order's mission or directive. I never cared about HellKnight armor or weapons. Just never struck my fancy. As such, if you're interested in the HellKnight Order of the Cipher, feel free to design what you think is appropriate and suggest it here in Discussion. You could also start a Thread in Homebrew describing the Order of the Cipher and see what ideas other gamers suggest.
Um, sorry that I don't really care what HellKnight armor looks like.
@ Lucius Difax,
....And now I have a post in Gameplay for you. Hopefully you don't mind the past-tense segue. Let me know if you want to do any retroactive dialog.
Ok, I can do that. Thanks.
I've made a thread to see what the boards come up with. My initial thought is armor that is covered in faintly glowing infernal script (like someone made armor out of Matrix Code).
As for a weapons, I want something easily hidden, but scary when it comes out. Looking through the weapons I see there's one called a Switchscythe. That sounds prety cool to me.
Thoughts?
That sounds cool. What book?
Or Sawtooth Sabre?
@ Yaos,
Kylian Phandros agrees -- you have a deal.
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Truth be told, I haven't done the crunch for Minnow (nor Kylian Phandros). I have his personality and history and ambitions/goals and resources -- left fluid and malleable if I need to change this or that -- but haven't really decided on Class Levels, CR or Race.
It's Knowledge: Local for Class Levels (such as Shadow Dancer).
If he does turn out to be a vampire, that's Knowledge: Arcane.
If he is Human with a Template, that's Local.
If he is an Outsider of some kind, that's Knowledge: Cosmology.
And of course there are possibilities that he is some weird Fey or an Aklo creature, which are Knowledge: Nature.
Ultimately I'll go through some Classes and Templates and PrCs and what have you and decide what best fits with the Fluff in my head. Then make the build.
...Yaos should figure this: Based on Kylian Phandros' lack of articulate or detailed description, there is not enough evidence yet to discern or even narrow down what Winnow is. That's the intention of the encounter anyway -- make the Player guess, keep it ambiguous. In shadow.
Much of his character is drawn from inspiration from the spectacular Pathfinder Tales novel, Nightglass. While there is nothing like Winnow in the book, there was enough Flavor for me to create a character and goals/ambitions from the setting.
And this campaign specifically, and this particular setting in the campaign, provide the most appropriate time for me to introduce the character in my game.
That sounds cool. What book?
Or Sawtooth Sabre?
No sure. It's listed on pfsrd. I'll see if I can dig up its origin.
I don't think ill go with the sawtooth sabre because it is already the signature weapon of the Red Mantis Assassins.
@ DM Ray- OK, got it.
I thought Kylian was describing a PC available race. But he either isn't or the description is too vague.
I have not read any of the Pathfinder novels. I remember the earliest D&D novels, people now think they are classics but I think they sucked. Maybe I should have a look at the newer Pathfinder stuff. The literary quality of the Pathfinder rules et al is much better than the real old stuff.
LOL, I remember posting with Erik Mona our mutual loathing of Rose Estes, her D&D books are painfully bad.
Does Magnius want to follow the Halfling child around back to find Aaron Smallbridge? Or head back to Parego Spera to look for Lucius Difax? Or something else?
I was waiting to see if either woman replied/reacted before deciding what to do next. I figured at least one would, considering how good you are portraying the NPCs like real people :)
My fault, Magnius. I'll get the old lady's post up. I should have posted a resolution.
....I was feeling a bit concerned -- afraid you were getting frustrated with the Halfling dialogue. Hopefully I resolved it okay. I originally put them in the description as a red herring, then realized how poor of a DMing decision it was because one player could frustrated with yet another NPC scene that turned out for nothing.
I'll try to get the post out right now but have a feeling the person outside my office is about to take up the rest of my day.
(But I have to come into work Saturday so I can post in the morning, too.
That scene was fine. Magnius wasn't/isn't looking to cause trouble, in his city, especially if it's not necessary.
I had intended for him to go in disguise, but it worked out better this way, since he was able to make it seem like he was trying to parley with the Bellflowers.
@ Azlain,
You presented me with an interesting dynamic. Obviously in an Over-the-table game I could never have one PC run off by himself across the country while the others slowly meet and move off together. Your intention to head straight to Gheradescci County made me think.
Here in PbP I ought to be able to manage Azlain perfectly even if he's 500 miles from the rest of the group.
Ultimately, I'm hoping Azlain will decide to go talk to Marcus Phandros so I can get the group together -- it's your choice though, of course.
I just thought, there's a good chance the PCs are going to be fighting some Bellflower Agents soon and you know how long combats take in PbP. It'll be tricky for me running that (potential) combat and running another PC somewhere else.
And if you go to that ruin on the western edge of the badlands by yourself, well, things could go very badly for Azlain.
That's my intent next. Azlain isn't the sort to go into a situation without doing his homework first, and when I started looking up things about Westcrown I discovered that the city doesn't have a library. Rivad is the closest one.
So I'll be heading to speak to Marcus next. Thanks for the nudge in that direction.
Sorry guys, I'm just so stuck on the PF2 Forums I'm neglecting my time here.
I'll try to rectify that.
(And I'm curious to your reactions regarding PF2)
It's cool. I was caught up playing WoW this week as I hit 110 and now have a massive amount of new stuff.
Re: PF 2.0. I'm tentatively curious and interested. I'm not fully sure about some of the proposed changes, but we'll see. There's tons of time before even the playtest is released.
Guys sorry for the delays -- I've spent all my free time recently on the Second Edition Playtest forum and sadly neglected our PbP (I've been neglecting work and my homegame as well.). As a result, I'm way behind at work, way behind on prep for my Saturday homegame, and obviously, I haven't been posting here.
To make matters worse, now I'm sick. Not so sick to take off from work, just sick enough to be miserable at work -- not to mention not very effective or efficient.
So between being sick and WAAAAAY behind at work, it's probably going to be another few days. I really need to rest at home and work at work. (At least I'm starting to get tired of reading and posting in the Playtest/Opinion forums for PF2.)
Please, please, please don't lose interest in our PbP -- I will be back SOON. And I really think it's going to be great.
No problem. Thanks for the heads up
Get well soon Ray.
Hope you feel better soon Ray!
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Thanks for your patience guys.
I'm not quite recovered from this mild flu, but this is the first day I haven't felt like hell on a dog's nose.
I got a mountain of work caught up yesterday and today but I'm still a little behind. But at least I'm posting again.
My goal is to be all caught up with work (and maybe my homegame prep) by Saturday so that when I go to the Spring-training baseball game this Saturday -- My Twins are going to face-rape Baltimore! -- I can do so with a clear conscience.
@ Azlain,
You're about 10 hours ahead of the timeline, traveling out to Citadel Rivad and back. I'm open to any ideas; I want to post with you but don't really want to get too far ahead of the time-line.
Well, given that nothing Azlain did had any effect on anything else in the game so far, Azlain could be whenever in the timeline you'd like. I honestly thought he was behind everyone else and playing catch up.
If he's 10 hours ahead though, he can just waste time being extra careful or by doing some pre-mission crafting. Wizard stuff.
I was just having everyone start up at that same morning-- Azlain heading out of Delvehaven to Citadel Rivad, Yaos making a contact with Kylian Phandros, Magnius tracking down the Bellflower agent Aaron Smallbridge, and The Bogeyman meeting with Grand-Count Marcus Phandros. That's why I included the little blurb about a light morning rain that ends by afternoon. ....And since it would take the day for Azlain to head to Citadel Rivad and back,--
But considering your post, you're absolutely right....
Azlain could be whenever in the timeline you'd like.
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I can have Azlain leaving Delvehaven the day prior to everyone else's day -- so that after your meeting with the HellKnight Lictor you come back to Westcrown and it's the same night Yaos and Magnius first enter Westcrown.
Thus, it's a brand new day -- Yaos is going to go meet Kylian Phandros, Magnius is going to track down some Bellflowers, and the Bogeyman will go to see Grand-Count Marcus Phandros after his Hellcat delivered a message to a random passerby (Lucius Difax) the previous evening.
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I'm sure I can roll with whatever you come up with. I haven't been reading the other players' spoilers so I honestly have no idea what anyone else has been up to.
LOL
As a point of note, the Spoilers are used so we can easily look at just ONE thread of roleplay at a time -- not to keep roleplay private.
When anyone wants to look at one PC's thread of roleplay without clutter, you can 'SHOW' all of those posts while keeping the others 'hidden' behind the Spoiler tags. And then read straight through that PC's posts and the posts from NPCs roleplaying with the PC. That's why I always include the PC's name in the Spoiler bar -- so it's obvious whose post it's for.
You can choose to read a PC's roleplay thread whenever you want, or wait until your PC meets up with another PC to 'compare notes' as it were, and update each other more organically.
As for me, when I'm ready to post for a PC, I 'SHOW' all the recent posts for that PC and his or her NPC posts and just read those down the list -- then make up a new post. When I'm done I 'HIDE' all of those posts and move to another PC, 'SHOW' all of those posts to read in a line.
It's kinda like having four different stories going at once -- thank the Nine Hells I have so much prep work on so many NPCs! Though once you guys are together again obviously it gets easier.
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And EVERYONE -- let me know if there is anything that is confusing or ambiguous.
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
(I'm unable, I think, to select avatars for the NPCs; it's just a monstrous time-gulp to find a picture 'somewhat' like the one in my head, either from the Paizo avatars or a google search that I can url. But hopefully going through recent posts for "NPC" it's easy to find so-and-so, or going through various campaign info tabs one can find what one is looking for.)
@ Yaos,
I think you mentioned something about you were interested in the fishing boat captain braving the waters at night -- the one who didn't look like he was always a mere fishing boat captain. ....Or maybe you said something about the Tiefling woman who caused a stir with her own socialite retinue. You can pursue either of those avenues, or something else, when Yaos is ready. 'Maybe' Bellma is one to ask; maybe you'll have to visit other places in the Parego Spera.
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@ Magnius,
I assume you're going to stealthily follow Aaron Smallbridge; let me know obviously, if you're going to do something else.
It is mid-afternoon for Magnius
I'm hoping for a little meta-game understanding -- there are a couple parts here and there that are getting a whisper 'railroady' -- I'm just trying to get everyone together sooner rather than later. You know, and still be organic and realistic. But the dynamic is important so, play on!
Fine with me. PbP games need that sometimes.
@ Azlain,
LOL, after reading your post to Marcus Phandros I realized I had forgotten why you were there in the first place. I had a pleasant time going back through page 10 of Gameplay and reading your posts, from the exit of Delvehaven to Citadel Rivad to here.
Honestly I'm a little confused on that point too. I'm going to have to do some rereading too.
Mostly I remember that there's supposed to be a ruin here that has information about the secret history of cheliax. Also, the other PCs are here somewhere.
@ Azlain,
The ruins are west of Gheradescci County -- check in your PM Inbox, I think two posts from a few months ago.
Azlain is in Westcrown waaaay east of Gheradescci County. (The rural County is House Spartaco's land.)
You visited Citadel Rivad and now Marcus Phandros in order to learn about House Spartaco.
I think you'd decided that going to the ruins by yourself, in the badlands between Anferita and the Eismonts, was too reckless -- and so you were going to try to make an ally with House Spartaco (since their County is closest to the ruins) and thus have back-up going to the ruins.
I was going to try to get those allies to be the rest of the PCs.
Ok, that was pretty close to what I thought was going on. Thanks for clearing it up though.
@ Azlain,
Still wondering if you were going to ask Phandros about House Spartaco or Gheradescci County. Let me know if you have any questions.
@ Lucius Difax, ....And while we're at it, The Bogeyman too.
When the Vigilante Class was introduced I, along with the gamers in my group, were quite 'intrigued' as well as excited.
But it didn't take too long before we realized a problem.
According to RAW, Knowledge: Local can provide information about Humanoids. Um,.... Humanoids have abilities based on Class more than Race (though there are plenty of alternate Racial Traits, etc.) So I decided, I think quite logically, that Knowledge: Local would be what one would roll for info on Class abilities (and Race stuff). This was years ago. My group knows that when they run into someone with Class Levels they roll a Knowledge: Local to find out whether this cat can do Sneak Attack or has Panache or goes into a Rage or spontaneously casts arcane spells or summons an Eidolon or has a Favored Enemy, or blah blah blah.
To make a short story long, I was very pleased for years with my ingenuity, making the Knowledge Skills more balanced and streamlined -- and when Paizo eventually published Unchained, I felt vindicated for my Houserule; I was way ahead of them on fixing the Knowledge Skills. Even though MY variation is waaay better than Unchained ;)
Which brings us all the way back to Vigilante.
The whole concept of Vigilante is that NO ONE knows you're a Vigilante.
So I can't have some random PC or NPC do a quick Knowledge: Local check and realize that So-and-so is a Vigilante alter-ego!
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This is how I *think* I've solved it -- and since you're playing a Vigilante in my game, I'm hoping for some feedback:
Each alter-ego gives info for that identity only. So, when my PC is The Ace of Spades and someone rolls Knowledge Local on The Ace of Spades they get a little Crunch info and a little Fluff info (based on their result) but NEVER can get info on Sir Tabbir Snow of Lancaster.
And if someone rolls for info on Lucius Difax they can't receive any info that suggests he has an alter-ego or has any relationship at all with The Bogeyman.
And I just have to keep myself from saying, "Oh, according to your check the NPC is a Ranger, .... or the NPC is a Wizard, or a Brawler, or a Priest or White Necromancer or Magus." I have to say instead, "According to your check the NPC has Favored Enemies and Favored Terrains, .... or the NPC casts arcane spells out of a book," or blah blah blah.
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In your case, I have the personality and Fluff for both Lucius Difax and The Bogeyman -- and I'm going to go over the character sheet for some Crunch when I have time (which will hopefully be prior to the year 2026). If you could help by posting here some obvious Crunch differences, that would help.
For example, when my Vigilante (who was the first to fall in a TPK two Sundays ago!) was Sir Tabbir Snow of Lancaster he had a sword-cane, nobles' clothes over his armor, and used potions and elixers and vials of acid, alchemist's fire, holy water etc. But when my Vigilante was The Ace of Spades he carried a whip and attempted Dirty Tricks and other combat maneuvers.
Magnius and Lucius Difax are at present the only ones in The Gargling Gargoyle who look like important people. Maybe you're dripping with magic items. Maybe it's your demeanor. Or reputation or some je ne sais quoi. But you two are casting the coolest shadows in a tavern full of low Commoners and struggling Experts.
So, what do I know about Mr Difax? Aside from potential class features.
Also Ray, how complex of a message can I pass via Bluff? Will you allow more detailed messages with a higher roll?
I included what you know socially about Lucius Difax in Gameplay. Regarding the mechanics, feel free to look at his post here in Discussion right above yours -- he uses a rapier, for example. Your Knowledge: Local check was high enough for all that. And Magnius knows he's about as experienced as you and Yaos are.
Regarding Bluff to give a detailed private message, I don't know. Oddly, I don't think I've had PCs attempt that in over a decade, maybe the 90s. Let's stick to RAW (unless you have a Houserule you think is really balanced and have some experience with -- if you want to propose it).
For Magnius & Lucius Difax....
Since this is PC to PC dialog, I'll let you guys handle it.
My advice, though, is that you decide here in Discussion the metagame purpose of what you're doing, then you can go to Gameplay. But certainly post in Gameplay your description -- what does Magnius look like; what does Lucius Difax look like....
And obviously since we need Lucius to be a PC, it'll be a good idea to decide to become allies or something. This could get tricky since Lucius Difax has a Good Alignment. ....Maybe Magnius will plan to use Lucius Difax to find the precise location of the Bellflower Network camp that he has tracks to begin his search -- and then when you guys get there and Lucius Difax turns out to be someone else,.... The Bogeyman helps take out the Bellflower Halflings with Aaron Smallbridge. This may actually be perfect, Magnius thinks he's using Lucius Difax to get the exact location (instead of wandering around following tracks and hoping to not get ambushed by Halflings), but really The Bogeyman is using Magnius to ensure he can win against the powerful Halflings. In any case, my advice is Discussion first, then Gameplay.