Yeesh, Glad that you're not having to deal with that. Wonder if the question of drug possession charges are going to be coming up with this one. As far as I'm aware cocaine is still illegal throughout the US.
Pip is a creature of extremes. She's as quick to laugh as she is to tear your face off and rarely sits in the middle of those two extremes. She has brilliant green hair (though it's a little on the dark side) and brown, calloused skin. Her armored leather gloves wrapped in barbed wire (her "Ticklers") hang beside her in a protective pouch making tearing people's face off more of a reality than hyperbole.
She giggles. A job like that without drawing the attention of the big fish, you mean? If I knew where to find that I wouldn't be here!
I have all my bonds selected now and set up on my profile. I am super excited to get this strange assortment of strangers released upon Kaer Maga.
@Dahlia - I think the information was insight into the complicated web of debts, favors, and loans. Perhaps not all the crime bosses and gangs are as stable as they'd like you to think they are and the paper trail has revealed some of who is really in control. This is information that really, only the Church of Abadar would have. If it got out or someone used it, it could reflect badly on the church and put a target on Dahlia's back.
My original idea was him using his Charming & Open ability to get it but I can't make people spill secrets that way. Perhaps she got involved in a situation she shouldn't have been in and Silas stepped in to help her? Either with force or, more likely an option, diplomacy. After that, they shared a drink?
I'm not sure how naive Dahlia and if Silas was feigning friendship for access to juicy information or not. He is a bit of a bastard, one willing to do what he needs to survive. Yet he'd feel regret at harming anyone as collateral.
Any particular criminal organization you'd have in mind? I assume it'd have to be a smaller one, since bigger ones would have the resources to do a hit-job, and a reputation worth protecting with one.
I honestly do not know much of Kaer Maga and what criminal organization he has a secret from. It can even be a big one, Silas hasn't used the information...yet.
I am open to ideas and suggestions for greater drama and conflict.
"Perhaps some time out of the city's walls would serve you better," a hunched from growls as its head turns to glower at Chipluck. The voice and glower belong to a wild-haired elf with eyes that glimmer dangerously. His clothing, if the layers of matted furs and scarred leathers wrapped around his frame could be called such, is stained with food, drink, and darker things best not thought on. His amber eyes roam over the halfling, as if deciding whether he was a threat or prey.
"Or perhaps you learn to not steal from those with sharper fangs," he grins, an unsettling expression that never touches his eyes.
Thanks for the reminder about the chisels, Chipluck!
Maybe the info involved the Ardocs' golem-making biz, and Silas talked them out of taking a finger joint from Dahlia. My bond with Silas could be something like:
I owe Silas a great debt for intervening when I got in over my head.
Obviously this needs some adjusting...
I think the Ardoc Family is quite the possible antagonist and I'm all for having a secret about them from Dahlia and having kept Dahlia from having her finger joint taken by them.
The question is what Dahlia believes thanks to that. My other bonds have something that Dahlia feels or wants to do because of them. For example, "Piper has insulted my deity; I do not trust them" or "Aegor is in constant danger, I will keep them safe." We know what Silas DID. What does Dahila THINK of him now because of that?
I think that perhaps, maybe Dahlia saw behind the confident facade that Silas has up. He definitely tries to have an air of not being affected but he's messed up a lot of times before, it is just a mask. He wants to be a good man, he just goes about it wrong or picks the worst fights. So maybe the bond can be...
I owe Silas a great debt for intervening when I got in over my head and I saw who he really was.
Maybe it was a scene where Silas didn't talk his way out of it. Maybe he drew his blade and fought them off since Dahlia seems to just want to do something right.
What do you think, is that a good suggestion? Am I getting closer to the mark?
I like that! I'll add it to my sheet!
Were all good to go then? I'm excited to get going!
I'm ready!
One of the jurors was interviewed after the case. The anonymous juror reported that while the jury leaned toward believing the prosecution, there was enough reasonable doubt remaining that they had to acquit.
* * * *
Sorry for disappearing for a few days, and for this being a bit slower-going than I'd envisioned. A project deadline at work got moved up on me, and that's been sucking most of the free time I usually spend on gaming. It also seems that every time I do try to sit down and sort through what you folks have written so far, I get interrupted!
I am going to do just that: Sort through your characters' backstories a bit and summarize... hopefully before I head to bed for the night, and if not, tomorrow for sure.
One thing about Dungeon World: As players, you all get to do world-building, too! If you need the name of a gang or business or enemy or ally: Just name it! We'll work together to figure out where they fit in the story!
Once I've got a handle on who we are, we'll start in earnest!
Same here!
Just wanted to wish everyone a happy 4th of July. If you're not an American, I hope your Wednesday is badass.
Same here. Hope you don't get too crazy with the fireworks.
Now that I finally have a bit of free time, let's finalize fleshing out the start of the campaign and the characters...
Aegor 'The Beast' is a male half-elf druid. He's kind of a "wild man" who's seen all the wild places in Varisia, and now finds himself in the City of Strangers. He'll probably fit in just fine. Probably.
Chipluk is a male albino halfling with white hair and red eyes. He's a street-smart grifter who's always playing an angle, and a native of Kaer Maga.
Dahlia is a female human cleric of Abadar, the God of Civilization. She wants to help the downtrodden, while at the same time is fascinated by all the weirdness that's normal in Kaer Maga.
Halek is a male human ranger who's currently working for the Duskwardens: a group of professional guides who lead travelers along the Halflight Path, which is an underground passageway that's the fastest (and most dangerous) road that connects Kaer Maga to the rest of Varisia.
Pip is a female halfling street fighter known for her "ticklers": heavy, spiked boxing gloves wound with barbed wire.
Silas is a male human bard, in Kaer Maga for... reasons? (I'm not too clear on that.)
Overall Themes
From what you've written so far, it sounds like you want to be street-level characters looking to make a better life for yourselves in this weird city. Some of you have underground connections and/or have made unsavory life choices.
More questions...
I'm not particularly interested in contriving a story that brings you all together. Since you already have Bonds about each other, I would like to assume that you all have worked together in the past and know each other at least tolerably well.
As we continue the Session Zero part of this campaign, I have three more questions for all of you:
1) What brought you to Kaer Maga, and why do you stay here?
2) Who is your foe/rival/enemy, and what is the nature of your animosity?
3) What was your group's first adventure together?
I'm going to post some more general information about the City of Strangers shortly.
That said, this is Dungeon World, a game where you always leave gaps and ask questions that move the story forward. I am not holding this version of Kaer Maga to any sort of Golarion canon: Feel free to create names, locations, and organizations that sound interesting to your character. While we may very well have a bit of a meta-discussion about any new elements of the Fiction, you folks are fully empowered to do some world-building of your own!
For Silas's story, he used to be a member of the ruling house in Cheliax before Abrogail II took command and usurped them. When he was still in the Empire, he was found guilty of sedition and fled from it before the noose could completely tighten around his neck. With no where to go and loyalists breathing down his neck, he has hid himself in Kaer Maga. That is, at least, my idea for Silas.
For the questions though, are numbers 1 and 2 for each of us separately and then number 3 is for all of us together?
I came here to disappear. The slave trackers from Cheliax who had my trail were unusually persistent, but not even the best tracker can guarantee a sack in this town, especially when your quarry is desperate enough to use the Duskway. I stay because I have no place else to go. I don't fear the trackers anymore. I've been lost for a long time now.
As for our first adventure? The trip in through the Duskway?
Oh, wait, there's another question I missed.
My rival? There is a particular slave manager that works the slave auction called Silent Sam. No idea why he's called that because he generally can't shut up. The guy seems determined to bring Pip in and she's threatened him with her Ticklers more than once. Thankfully he doesn't quite have the ability to bring her in with his own few men. And his bosses refuse to give him more since Pip keeps sending the men he has sent to snatch her back in various states of... disassembly, let's say.
Are we answering these questions in character or in general? Just wondering how I should phrase my answers, especially for the last one, which seems a little more collaborative.
Ah, the lack of distinction between second-person singular and plural in English...
Yes, for "1" and "2", I meant each individual should answer.
Question "3" is a group project. ;-)
A little about world history for those not terribly familiar with Golarion.
As I have noted earlier, I am following the broad strokes of Golarion canon, but this game will not be beholden to canon if what we come up with is more interesting.
There are at least two characters on the run from Cheliax.
A little on Cheliax... The Empire of Cheliax is an expansionist state that lies about 1000 miles to the south. Once the favored nation of Aroden, the God of Humanity, the empire fell into civil war after the death of said god in the year 4606... which was 109 years ago. The Chelish Civil War occurred shortly thereafter, and ended about 70 years ago, when Duchess Abrogail of Egorian seized the throne and named herself Empress. The turning point in the war was when Abrogail signed a pact with Hell and bolstered her armies with legion of devils. To this day, the official state religion of Cheliax is worship of Asmodeus, Prince of Hell. Politics in Cheliax is very much "lawful evil," where the powerful use the letter of the (extremely complex) statute law to subjugate the weak. Political purges and assassinations are commonplace. The current Imperial Majestrix is Queen Abrogail II, the granddaughter of her namesake. Additionally: in Cheliax, halflings are a slave race; many attempt to escape to the relative freedom of the land of Varisia, where our campaign begins.
The land of Varisia is an unorganized border territory with no central government. The land is dotted with city-states, the largest of which control the lands around them. The five largest city-states in Varisia are Korvosa to the south, Magnimar to the west, Riddleport to the northwest, Janderhoff to the southeast, and Kaer Maga. The southern and coastal parts of Varisia are temperate and mostly forested; Korvosa, Magnimar, and Riddleport are located there. Janderhoff is located in a mountainous border region. The norther part of Varisia is an arid plateau that rises nearly a mile above the lowlands; Kaer Maga sits just on the edge of that plateau.
Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers... also called the Asylum Stone.
Kaer Maga is an ancient immense fortress: At one time, the entire city was contained within stout walls and even had a roof. However, the millennia have taken their toll: Much of the roof has long since collapsed, as has a section of the eastern walls.
Kaer Maga itself has no central government; several independent groups have some degree of power over certain regions or circles of influence. Some of these groups are legitimate (e.g. the Church of Abadar), while others are less so (e.g. various criminal gangs.)
Residents of Kaer Maga make it work. The adage that everyone seems to agree upon is "Your business is YOUR business." In other words: as long as you don't stick your nose into what I'm doing, I will return the favor.
Kaer Maga is a place that has no bounds on who is accepted as a citizen. Most residents are human, but a significant number of non-human and even monstrous citizens live here more-or-less peacefully.
The City of Strangers is divided into the following districts...
Ring Districts (located along the walls of the city)
Ankar-Te Racially and nationally diverse even by Kaer Maga's standards, this district houses organizations and businesses that would be outlawed in other cities. For here, necromancy is openly practices, and undead (skeletal or zombie) servants of the rich and powerful openly walk the streets. Ankar-Te is also the home of the mysterious religion known only as "The Cult of the Child-Goddess." Little is known about this cult to nonmembers.
Bis is one of the few districts still under the original roof of the city. Ladders and walkways crisscross the dizzying heights of Bis, as it is fashionable here to build balcony homes jutting from the city walls-- up to eight stories up. The de facto rulers of Bis are the Ardoc Family, famous manufacturers of magical constructs, such as golems.
The Bottoms is a working-class district that values freedom above all other virtues. In the Bottoms, slavery is abolished, and anti-slavery crusaders regularly raid the slave-pens that operate openly in other districts.
Cavalcade is the industrial heart of Kaer Maga, where mills and factories produce goods for domestic sale and export to other cities.
Highside Stacks is a series of towers inhabited by the truly rich and powerful. Residents rarely set foot on the streets below.
Oriat is the Artists' Quarter, home to theater, artisans, music halls, brothels, and general nightlife. While very much open to tourists, it is also a den of thieves.
Tarheel Promenade is home to the Arcanists' Circle, and is the center of magical learning in the city. It is also the birthplace of the magical school of "hemotheurgy" or blood-magic. The practitioners are derisively caled "Bloatmages" for their corpulence.
The Warren is the poorest district in the city. It is built in the ruins of a collapsed section of the wall. While the main entrance to the city, its twisting alleyways are not for the uninitiated without a proper guide.
Core Districts are located in the central part of the city, where the roof has long-since collapsed, and are always open to the sky.
Downmarket is Kaer Maga's center of commerce: A vast bazaar where nearly anything can be bought or sold. The stalls of Downmarket are what bring the majority of visitors to the City of Strangers.
Hospice is the city's hospitality district, home to inns, taverns, brothels, and other forms of entertainment that might just make one's blood run cold.
Widdershins is a bastion of law among the chaos of the city. It is a gated community of people who value proper behavior and the ordering of society... and who enact swift justice on anyone who violates their norms.
And, while not a true district, Kaer Maga sits atop a complex and varied series of catacombs, crypts, sewers, dungeons, and natural caves that run deep into the earth. Collectively, these subterranean areas are called the Undercity... and the inhabitants are rumored to be extremely dangerous.
1. Halek fled to Kaer Maga with his recently hatched hippogriff Runt after Queen Ileosa publicly (and personally) killed the leader of the Sable Marines. Though he's since taken up work for himself and Runt with the Duskwardens, he's essentially a refugee. He stays in Kaer Maga despite his distaste for the place out of both a need to disappear and the nagging guilt of fleeing his home city to save himself- he sees guiding travelers and protecting the city from the perils of the Undercity as his penance for saving his skin.
2. His rival is a fellow Duskwarden, a Forlorn elf named Amren. Amren is a native to Kaer Maga and he resents that Halek was immediately welcomed into the organization without having to spend years proving himself the way everyone else did.
1. Aegor is hunting an enemy that lives in Kaer Maga. So far, he's had little luck locating him. (And potentially why he started adventuring with the others, as ways to pay for information or in hopes of finding this elusive enemy.)
2. Fianniel the Hunter is Aegor's most hated enemy, and the one he came here hunting. The feeling is mutual as Aegor managed to ruin several of the mage's hunts. Aegor hates Fianniel for using magic in his hunts and hunting solely for sport. He's often left hundreds of pounds of meat to spoil while casually sniping any scavengers that come close. Things recently came to a head when Fianniel slaughtered a small pack of wolves that Aegor considered packmates. It's no secret that the two elves hate each other and recently there have been rumors that Fianniel has made plans to mount Aegor's head as a trophy.
Hi, folks.
In a few hours, I'm driving down to New York City for the weekend to attend a family event. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post, if at all. I should be back home Sunday night, and will resume posting by Monday.
Sorry for the radio silence for the past two days. I was asked to switch to mid-shifts for two days because one of my co-workers got her wisdom teeth pulled, and I came down with an obnoxious cold at the same time, so I needed my rest in-between.
1) What brought you to Kaer Maga, and why do you stay here?
"You don't have much choice in the matter when you're born here, neh? Kaer Maga is my home, and one of the most vibrant cities in the world. I wouldn't trade it even for Absalom, the City at the Center of the World!"
2) Who is your foe/rival/enemy, and what is the nature of your animosity?
"That'd be Floridus Laber, a fellow acolyte of Abadar like me. He's got eyes on becoming the Archbanker for the city, and thanks to my efforts in the city he thinks I'm the most significant rival for the position even though I've never expressed interest in it. He won't waste an opportunity to shade me, but he's not the kind of man to go out and actually DO things the way I do, so we mercifully don't have to tolerate each others' presence very long."
3) What was your group's first adventure together?
I agree that a good starting adventure where we all met would be along the Halflight Path. Perhaps, wanting to do some civic duty, Dahlia volunteered her healing services to the Duskwardens and that's how she met Halek and anyone entering the city that way!
Hmm, First adventure together? I'm not sure if that would work of Aegor. I kinda picture him as the kind of druid that'd just fly to the top as some sort of bird to enter the city. He is the type to act like the only laws that matter are the ones in nature. I can see him having to work community service that then goes hilariously wrong as how he met Dahlia, Halvek, and Runt. Perhaps it was Piper and Silas that caused things to go so south on Aegor? That could be fun.
What if our first adventure was at the behest of the Kaer Maga Mercantile Benevolent Society- warehouses underground were being robbed, a few of their guards found with their throats gnawed out as if by some savage animal.
Dahlia, as a priestess of Abadar, was called in to interrogate Chip and Aegor (Aegor being a prime suspect in the mauling deaths, Chip being in the wrong place at the wrong time). She came to the conclusion that they had been falsely accused by the angry mob of merchants. She branched out to get assistance in clearing up the matter, tapping Halek for his connection to the Duskwardens and his experience in law enforcement back in Korvosa, Pip came along to provide muscle and trusty Silas signed up to get in good with the Merchants League. After investigating the cellars, we found that each cellar had access to the Undercity that was long since bricked up and a warren of wererats had been sneaking into the warehouses using their rat forms, shrinking the inventory magically and then selling the goods in the market themselves.
I can dig it.
Yeah that's much more plausible, especially. If Aegor has been in Kaer Maga for a while before hand.
1) What brought you to Kaer Maga, and why do you stay here?
"When one is being hunted by the ruling family of one of the most powerful countries in the known world, you must take desperate measures to protect yourself. The City of Strangers is the greatest place to lose oneself in the crowd; everyone seems to mind their own business. The city seems absolutely full of opportunities as well to start anew and to start again, if you don't get gutted in the streets."
2) Who is your foe/rival/enemy, and what is the nature of your animosity?
"In Kaer Maga? I dare say that everyone enjoys my presence and songs. If I had to say who might be upset at me, I'd say it would be Karlin Ardoc. It seemed he had an issue with my dear friend Dahlia and I did not take kindly that they were exacting "payment" from her. A few well-sung notes, a few strikes of my blade, and the man will certainly have a scar to remember me by. I'm sure he forgot about it though."
"No, my real enemy is Surio Thrune. He was the man tasked with hunting me down and bringing me back for sedition. A dangerous Hellknight, I fear the day that we encounter the man, I heard he has been tasked by Queen Abrogail herself to bring me in for punishment. I shudder at the thought."
3) What was your group's first adventure together?
I really like Halek's suggestion for that first adventure. It probably has established themselves as troubleshooters for the city and now more people are coming to them to deal with problems.
1. What brought you to Kaer Maga, and why do you stay here?
"And what business is it of yours?"
"*Sigh* If you must know, then know I only come to this cesspit of cesspits in search of the one I loathe above all others. I stay because I have not found him yet. All of Kaer Maga will hear his screams when I do."
2. Who is your foe/rival/enemy, and what is the nature of your animosity?
"The wretch I seek is a vile sorcerous cur that kills for sport and leaves the meat to rot so that he may have his fun burning the scavengers seeking to eat it with his vile magics. He is an elf— no, a goblin in an elf's guise — who makes his home here and calls himself Fianniel the Hunter. When I find him, I shall show him the error of his ways by showing him a true hunter."
Sounds awesome, folks!!
It looks like we're just about ready to wrap our "Session Zero", and I'm working on putting together a few Fronts to get us started. I'm hoping I'll get a for-real Gameplay starter in a day or two.
Sorry for not moving this as quickly as I had hoped... life has become busier than I had expected for the summer.
That said, I've put together a description on the Campaign tab, with the Basic Moves and Special Moves available for reference.
I'm also working on putting together a player map of Kaer Maga.
I'm getting excited for this, and we'll start playing "for real" soon!
Woohoo! I'm looking forward to getting into Aegor's character. I'm also looking forward to the first time he turns into a bear, or anything large and terrifying really.
What if our first adventure was at the behest of the Kaer Maga Mercantile Benevolent Society- warehouses underground were being robbed, a few of their guards found with their throats gnawed out as if by some savage animal.
Dahlia, as a priestess of Abadar, was called in to interrogate Chip and Aegor (Aegor being a prime suspect in the mauling deaths, Chip being in the wrong place at the wrong time). She came to the conclusion that they had been falsely accused by the angry mob of merchants. She branched out to get assistance in clearing up the matter, tapping Halek for his connection to the Duskwardens and his experience in law enforcement back in Korvosa, Pip came along to provide muscle and trusty Silas signed up to get in good with the Merchants League. After investigating the cellars, we found that each cellar had access to the Undercity that was long since bricked up and a warren of wererats had been sneaking into the warehouses using their rat forms, shrinking the inventory magically and then selling the goods in the market themselves.
BRILLIANT! Brilliant, I say!
So...is everybody ready?
I am. :)
Ready to roll, comrades.
Good to go
Ready and waiting!
Hi, folks.
Sorry for the silence.
My personal life got suddenly busy and my boss dumped a "drop everything and do this" project in my lap...
I'm hoping to get a real post up tonight.
I thought the summer would be a lot less busy than it's turning out to be. Thanks for bearing with me!
Hey, at least it gave us time to talk amongst ourselves to get ready! Hope your busy-ness slows down soonm.
Yep.
And trust me, I understand about "Drop whacha doin'" projects. Always fun to get the m the day of the deadline. :)
Hi, folks.
I am SO sorry for the delayed start of this game. I thought that it was going to be a quiet summer, but life keeps throwing me curve-balls.
I was at a four-day outdoor music festival this past weekend. It was a lot of fun, but not really conducive to online gaming.
While I'm back home now, we had a family health scare today, and I spent the afternoon at the hospital. I should know what's going on in that light tomorrow... and hopefully it's a false alarm.
Consequently, my head's just not in the game right now.
I do fully intend to start up this game for real, soon.
Thanks for bearing with me.