I've updated the Loot Sheet on the Shared Drive with the two suits of half-plate Pyotr has claimed. If anyone else wants to claim loot from the throne room they should post soon, as my next gameplay post will update the story out of the Garrison of Arith-Zind
Nine days since Alagor and Bonegrit last posted. Are they still with us?
Sorry guys, I am in the field for business, no net here (Nigeria), returning to Lagos (Internet acces) on Friday, will resume posting then.
Hey people,
Tomorrow Mrs. Tadpole and I embark on a two week road trip through Sarawak (watch out for headhunters!). I'm sure posting will be rather intermittent over this period, as we plan to do a lot of camping and hiking. I will try and post when I can, but updates might well be intermittent.
I will try and update the gameplay thread before I leave. I'd do it now, but I just got back from a party at the neighbour's, and to be wholly truthful, I'm too drunk to do it now.
Man, lots of traveling. :)
Have fun, I'm sure we'll all be here.
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Part 4 – The Fall Of Arith-Zind.
Arith-Zind continues his tale, but now his deathly voice turns whistful.
“After the death of Eladys Stormstar, I continued to sell my sword to the highest bidder. I gathered about a warband of men as skilled and ruthless as I, and enjoyed greater success and further riches. Some of those men still stand in my army now.”
“But with Eladys fallen, I found little pleasure in my good fortune. The only acts that still moved me where those of slaughter. The horrors enacted by my hand grew more terrible still, and my blade was never dry.”
“Yet the weight of my years was starting to drag at my sword-arm, and I despised the erosion of my skill and my senses.”
“And so it was we found ourselves in Ustalav, and an opportunity to fend off my mortality was presented. The Whispering Tyrant had returned, and was seeking minions of evil mien to declare fealty. I made a fine candidate. Through some fell sorcery I was wise enough not to question, I aged no more from that day, and led my warriors in battle against Aroden’s Shining Crusade. Tar-Baphon gave me a new name. I became Arith-Zind.
“But Arith-Zind did not live forever, as he had hoped. My master’s magic could stop the slow decay of aging, but not the killing stroke of a blade. And so came the Battle of Three Sorrows. By then Ulsverd the Unyielding and his terrible sword had gathered a reputation, but I had yet to realise it was Tanladvir in his hands. The weapon’s beauty had been terribly disfigured when Ulsverd bore it into battle against the mighty omox of Lake Encarthan.”
“Jobox. Not even Azlanti steel could withstand that leviathan’s acid blood, as so Tanladvir came to be as you see her today. But her magic remained. She was powerful as ever.”
“On the day of the battle, my warband were instructed to defend the Tyrant’s devastating war machines as a thousand naked skeletons pushed them into position, step by plodding step up the hill known as Grey Tor. The crusaders had recognised the threat they bore, and Ulsverd led a wing of two hundred knights in a flanking action to engage us. They were Taldor’s finest, and I knew we were outmatched. But in his wisdom, the Tyrant saw the threat, and cast a mighty spell. A wall of ice, whirling bone blades and death magic encircled us, and I thought us safe.”
“Then Ulsverd leaned from his horse and swung the greatsword clutched in both hands, and clove Tar-Baphon’s ward. The cavalry fell upon us, and our doom was written. But I had recognised Tanladvir, and who my foe was to be on the slopes of Grey Tor. Ulsverd was mounted, but I managed to cut his destrier from beneath him. As he rose we joined battle.”
Here, Arith-Zind hesitates, and grinds his yellowed teeth together in evident frustration. Even after centuries, his defeat still chafes.
“Not such a warrior, Ulsverd. I should have been able to best him. He might have been able to give me pause, but the result would have been inevitable.”
“If it were not for Tanladvir. She moved faster than I could keep track off, ensuring no opening offered itself to my own sword. Every ringing parry numbed my arms, forcing me to give ground. The dirt seemed to be constantly slipping beneath my boots. Then Ulsverd overreached, and I knew the tide had turned. I made my strike, and thunder shook the world about me.”
Arith-Zind’s finger traces the massive blow that almost bisects his torso. “It was a feint. In my haste, I failed to see it. Tanladvir killed me.”
“But in the end, it was I who walked away from the Battle of Three Sorrows, not Ulsverd the Unyielding. Tanladvir’s curse kept him there, even as the battle turned in Tar-Baphon’s favour. He joined the many heroes of Aroden who fell on that day, and Tanladvir vanished again. Tar-Baphon, in his wisdom, decided he still had use for me, even though my life had fled, so I walked once more to command the dead in his name, and finally to wait alongside them, in one of his many garrisons, for the word to come to march again.”
Holidays are done, back home, and I’ll be updating the gameplay thread forthwith (or maybe in the morning ...). I’ll also be trying to resist the urge to incorporate the giant cave wherein I witnessed mounds of cockroach infested bat guano piled metres high into future dungeoneering expeditions along the Flood Road.
I’d also like to request our favourite Slavic Sword Swinger check-in – Alagor – is all well over in wily West Africa?
It doesn't look like Alagor's posted anything on any alias since May 29th. He dropped a note in all his games that he would be back on Friday (the 30th, I assume), and nothing since...
I hope his work in the field is not of the very dangerous sort...
So... re-reading my post from last night... keep in mind that adherents of Iomedae are buried with a sword. If it appears that I am advocating some form of self-euthanasia, that was not at all where I was going...
And I am totally cool with trying to get him back to Freedom Town on a litter, if one can be constructed.
Another stray? How many squires does one paladin need?
Just bustin, of course, I think this is a great plot point and a much better scenario than dragging Commor around.
I actually thought Commor would have been a lot of fun. DM's been really clever and funny with his... "special-ness". There's a number of reasons why he doesn't make a usable Squire, though.
Speaking of tag-alongs... what to do with Khozin...?
Not wanting to contradict the Bellknight himself, but a couple of interesting passages from the Iomedae write-up in The Sixfold Trial.
. . . Iomedae believes it is wasteful to bury a perfectly good weapon with the dead; the only time a fallen hero is buried with his weapon is if it was broken or if there is unusual magic tying it to him . . .The church has no tradition to forbid burying someone in armour, though doing so is rare, . . . Most faithful who are wealthy enough to own armour usually bequeath it to close relatives or their favourite temples so that it might find use in the goddess' name even after they are gone.
It is common for the faithful to bury a small token sword with their dead.
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Not wanting to contradict the Bellknight himself...
By all means, contradict away! I am by no means an authority on the setting. I try to read as much as possible, of course. I actually played through CoT, but I don't own it. I understand the deity write-ups have been reproduced (and cleaned up) in Inner Sea Gods, but I don't own that either.
I don't think it bends the story too much for Pyotr to place the sword in the knight's grasp as he lies dying. Hopefully, it still appears as a noble gesture... =)
Also, has there been any response from emailing Alagor?
Speaking of tag-alongs... what to do with Khozin...?
In-game or outa-game? :-)
Also, has there been any response from emailing Alagor?
Sadly not :-(
Also, has there been any response from emailing Alagor?Sadly not :-(
Hmmm... I hope that's just a result of being extremely busy, without internet, or even just plain inconsiderateness... rather than some much worse alternatives.
On a game related note: If Alagor is lost to us, I would like to lay claim to Arith-Zind's sword, and toss the glaive back into the loot pool. (I know, I said I didn't want to do that. But, that was because having a powerful sword with a famous lineage was kind of Alagor's thing.)
Speaking of tag-alongs... what to do with Khozin...?In-game or outa-game? :-)
There was a moment where Pyotr said he would return him and hand him over to the proper authorities. Then the "proper authorities" tried to kill us, and Khozin saved a few of our lives (later on). Between this and Agtharda's presence, I'm probably working my way towards needing an Atonement spell... But, I think Pyotr would just wash his hands of the whole affair.
Thoughts?
Khozin has his own thoughts on the matter, which will be revealed in the not too distant future. Events may also enfold Alagor, dependent on whether we hear from his player.
On a game related note: If Alagor is lost to us, I would like to lay claim to Arith-Zind's sword, and toss the glaive back into the loot pool. (I know, I said I didn't want to do that. But, that was because having a powerful sword with a famous lineage was kind of Alagor's thing.)
Even if Alagor the player doesn't resurface, Alagor the character continues to exist (though he probably won't continue adventuring with the party). Ergo, if Pyotr wants the sword, he's got to find a way of convincing Alagor to give it to him.
Khozin has his own thoughts on the matter, which will be revealed in the not too distant future. Events may also enfold Alagor, dependent on whether we hear from his player.
On a game related note: If Alagor is lost to us, I would like to lay claim to Arith-Zind's sword, and toss the glaive back into the loot pool. (I know, I said I didn't want to do that. But, that was because having a powerful sword with a famous lineage was kind of Alagor's thing.)Even if Alagor the player doesn't resurface, Alagor the character continues to exist (though he probably won't continue adventuring with the party). Ergo, if Pyotr wants the sword, he's got to find a way of convincing Alagor to give it to him.
Fair enough. =)
FYI, I'm moving so my posting has been (and will be) unreliable for the next couple of days.
Things will likely tend towards terse for the most part.
As often as possible is best, even if the posts are terse! :-)
My first experience of Scuba diving today (excited!), but in all likelihood won't have time to update until tomorrow.
Also, just had an email from Alagor, who's been stuck in the Nigerian wilderness without Internet connection, but should be rejoining us fairly soon.
By email Alagor said he'd be rejoining the campaign last weekend. I'm hoping he'll post over this weekend, but if he doesn't, I'll have him accompany Khozin, looking after his friend for (at least) some of his journey. In which case, if Alagor does return to us later on, he can slot back in easily enough by returning to camp.
I've been working on an update for the Gameplay thread this evening, but haven't had time to finish it this evening. Hopefully tomorrow.
Sounds like fun! Hope you have good weather.
Have a good trip Del. Just got out of the hospital myself, so perhaps no update until Monday!
The loot sheet has been updated, and I also realised the map of the Freedom Town was an incomplete version - this has been corrected. Also more on that later.
With the latest post we’ve crawled over another landmark – 2,000 gameplay posts – so it seems like as a good a time as ever to ask for your feedback, especially considering posting has been rather lacklustre these last few weeks.
So I guess my first question – how are people feeling about Follow the Flood Road? It does seem to have turned into the War and Peace of these PbP boards, with each page of the thread probably twice as long as the ‘average’ PbP.
That’s of course my fault, and to some degree I’m unrepentant. This is more or less my first foray into this kind of campaign, and I’ve gone with what feels right to me. However, in retrospect I’ve realised the level of immersive ’ness’ that suits me is probably a little strong by most people’s play styles, and whilst it makes for a deep campaign, it also creates a slow one. Thanks for sticking with me.
‘How am I feeling about Follow the Flood Road?’ I (don’t) hear you ask. Well, I still take great enjoyment updating the campaign and reading your responses, and my Campaigns page remains the first page I turn to whenever I go online. That being said, my available free time has certainly narrowed since I began the campaign last year. The new job, rewarding though it is, is a toughie. Borneo’s such an intoxicating place to live I’m more eager to be out in the jungles than sat at my laptop. The last six months have also seen me re-engage with my first love (playing guitar and writing songs) that had lain dormant for a long time. On top of all this, at the end of August I’m starting a distance learning course which (the blurb tells me) will require six or seven hours of study a week. There’re better ways I’d rather spend my time, my professionally now’s the perfect time to do it, so I’d better man-up.
Because of the above I’ll admit there have been moments I’ve questioned, even resented the amount of time I spend on Follow the Flood Road (and the other two games I’m a player in), but at the end of the day it’s a fun and creative outlet for me.
Still, my own pace of posting may remain slow. How are people feeling? If you’re bored with the campaign, perhaps it’s time to knock it on the head. If you’re still very much on board despite the erratic posting, then I’m game to forge ahead.
As I said before, any and all comments on the campaign are welcome. A few observations from myself:
For Whom The Bell Tolls: I’d like to commend Pyotr for being such a regular and dedicated poster. It does very much seem like he’s the prime protagonist, the ‘leader of the gang’ as it were. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, but the campaign does rather respond to whatever is driving it forward. Even if you’re standing on the sidelines, post and tell us what the PC is doing (Delkaneth does this quite nicely) – it might well trigger an idea from me or have some bearing on whatever encounter is taking place (as there’s always things going on ‘behind the scenes’ you might stumble across).
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve PC-driven things in store for all, although sometimes they remain far down the line.
Bait & Switch: Three levels, two thousand posts and over a year of play, and we’ve still not fought any orcs, but have fought quite a lot of undead. I’ve half expected Bonegrit to demand a change in his favoured enemy. Still, although it might appear something of a bait and switch, I still consider orcs to be the main ‘thing’ in this campaign. It’s just the scope of my plotting has been vastly more EPIC than I’d anticipated, and there have been so many curious little diversions to explore en route. If Gorum wills it and everyone keeps posting, they’ll be orc-slaying galore … eventually.
Fresh Blood? We did this before and it didn’t work out very well. Khozin got introduced, his player failed to even complete a character sheet, and we ended up with a plot device to baby-sit. As DM I didn’t really mind, because I’m a DM and love plot devices. Furthermore, despite his email to me Alagor’s player has not returned, which is a great shame because I felt the character fitted in great with the vibe we’d developed. He’s been written out in a manner that should make his reintegration fairly easy should he return.
Still, now back down to four PCs, do we continue on as normal or re-open recruitment? The core-four are doing pretty well, so there remains the same argument as before i.e. “let’s not rock the boat”. On the other hand, the return to the Freedom Town once again provides a good opportunity to pick up a couple of extra PCs if we want to try.
The last recruitment drive went poorly, which may have been the result of simply using the same (overly large) recruitment thread. Starting a new recruitment thread might get more in the way of responses.
Transparent DM? One thing I’ve been considering is whether to be more transparent and unsophisticated about my intentions with the story we’re telling. I’ve tended to keep little things unexplained or thrown out little passing clues to things mentioned way back when in the depths of the thread, but perhaps this novelistic approach doesn’t work so well in a play-by-post. When people are being feed the story piecemeal over months, and skimming over a web-page at work just to see if they need to kill anything quick, the subtleties are probably lost..
Perhaps I should use the OOC text to blatantly explain what I’m hinting at, e.g.
Equally, maybe I should be more flagrant in the direction of the campaign, e.g. .
Thoughts? I must acknowledge that despite my worries you’ve been very obliging at gulping down and following most of the major plot-hooks I’ve placed ahead of you.
Plot Compendium: Related to the above, even I’m getting a little bewildered by all the stuff that’s happened in this campaign. I’ve set myself some homework to read back through the Gameplay thread and make a little plot compendium (something I should have created at the beginning if I had any sense) of what’s gone on. The non-secret part of this compendium I’ll share with everyone.
In the meantime, remember we’ve always got the gameplay index and diary of events on the Campaign tab as a quick refresher.
= = = = =
Enough from me. Over to you guys.
Also, Bonegrit - check your PMs!
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I want to start by saying that I am still very much enjoying the campaign.
Yes, the posting frequency has slowed down some (myself included) but the story still reads vibrant.
As you assumed, the medium doesn't help if you want to be subtle and drop clues here and there so I wouldn't mind if you were more explicit in your posts and use more 'ooc' to make sure we understand what's going on.
With regards to fresh blood, I'm OK either way. Fresh blood usually means a flurry of posts from the newcomer to try and wow us (you know, new brooms sweep really well and all that).
That being said, you seem to be able to tailor the challenges to our 'party' and able to keep things 'interesting' without killing us so I guess it's up to you. Introducing new players take time so watch your 'limited time'.
The plot compendium will be a bear to tackle at this stage but it would be a great addition if you're up for it.
In summary, keep doing what you're doing and don't be afraid to ask (demand) what you 'need' from us to make sure that the game is still enjoyable on your end.
Game on!
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So I guess my first question – how are people feeling about Follow the Flood Road?
I am still really enjoying this game. I wouldn't mind getting into Belkzen soon-ish. Though, I won't complain about being in Freedom Town. It's a pretty classic fantasy setting. A lot of interesting stuff could still happen there...
Regarding Pyotr in the game: I am a little annoyed with myself for how he's acting lately. What I really wanted for him, character-wise, was to be a teenager putting on a veneer of self-assured maturity. The scene in Sharpe's bedroom was a good example of what I was going for. Lately though, he's been kind of the classic stick-in-the-mud paladin. (Part of that was the presence of undead...) Going forward, I may try to show a few more chinks in the armor, so to speak.
Aside from that, he's right where I want him to be.
It does very much seem like he’s the prime protagonist, the ‘leader of the gang’ as it were.
I think part of it is coincidental. It's interesting how weirdly perfectly my unusual work/sleep schedule synchs up with a DM who lives in Borneo... I can honestly say it doesn't happen with DM's in my time-zone.
I'll certainly continue posting, and moving the things along. But, it won't bother me at all if someone else wants to drive things forward a bit. And for the love of orcs, you guys have to start claiming some of the loot! Pyotr can't keep it all!!! =)
Fresh Blood?
I'm not opposed to it. But, I'm not enthusiastic about it. Alagor may still return. I just added a Squire. And we should have enough money, now, to pool into a party wand or two, for healing's sake!
DM Transparency
Hmmm... thinking on that one...
The Gameplay index has been invaluable, not to mention the Dramatis Personae! A plot compendium will be quite an undertaking, but incredibly useful.
I'm looking forward to what the next 1000 posts bring!
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Our Glorious Czar: I rather enjoy Pyotr's designation as party leader. It's nice to have a moral anchor to keep the rudder right, and Pyotr is far from a boring flavor of Paladin. I think you've done a great job of conveying the teenager aspect of the character. The dynamic between Pyotr and his order has likewise been fun to watch play out.
Bonegrit is kinda like an outside cat I think. He sees the indoors through the glass, and thinks he really wants in on that, but the moment he gets inside he's longing for the freedom of the outside again. I've struggled here and there to adequately represent that outlook. I think sometimes he's a little more altruistic than what I intended with others. In any event, the party's ranger is ill-suited and does not want the leader spot in any formal capacity.
Stupid, Fat Orcses!: No worries on my account. My selection of favored enemy and terrain had more to do with Bonegrit's history than any benefit in play to be wrung from it. I had momentarily considered humans when I was making him, back when I was leaning more towards bounty hunter than tracker-guide extraordinaire.
We'll get to em when we get to em. I have no regrets or complaints thus far, especially about foes. We've mostly been dealing with undead, true, but that's right up my alley if not Bonegrit's. I actually get a lot of player complaints about my heavy applications of the unliving, hah.
New Friend-a-thon: I'd recommend reaching out to Thron if you're looking for a new face. He's a great player and far more dependable than I (so much so that I even have him co-DMing one of my own PbPs).
Subtle Threads: I think both the pace and the plot have been outstanding in this game. This is actually my favorite PbP I'm currently involved with, so you're scratching the right itches. I will echo Pellius a bit here, if I may; sometimes the forgetfulness of the player might pluck away a reference that the characters wouldn't miss. For things of noteworthy significance/importance, maybe a brief refresher or hint would be sufficient.
Beyond that, there's not any recommendations I can think of really. You've done a great job of presenting a rich and fleshed out world for your players. That kinda stuff really goes over well with me. It conveys a real sense of a living, breathing world. The people we encounter seem genuine and have their own opinions, objectives, etc. I far, far prefer that to the alternative of only interacting with specifically relevant PCs or places. In short: keep up the good work.
Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. Will respond to your comments in more depth later when I have more time.
First thank you all again for your affirmations. It inspires me to keep on keeping on with this.
On the fresh blood front, following Bonegrit’s suggestion I’ve had an expression of interest from DM Thron who runs the Rise of the Runelords campaign we both play in. He's a great DM and a reliable poster. Unless anyone has any protests, I’ll take this further and see what transpires.
Also, if Alagor reappears, he'll be welcomed back to the fold with wide arms.
The plot compendium will undoubtedly be a momentous task – so don’t expect it to appear immediately. Still, I think I’ll approach in small passages, like reading a bedtime story, and see what turns up.
That’s about it for now :-)
Hi All,
Over the last few days I've been working with Thron, who DMs the Rise of the Runelords PbP which Bonegrit and I play in, to create a new PC to join our merry band.
Thron's been working up a Summoner, and whilst we're still a few ways of introducing him to the campaign I've invited him to drop in here and introduce himself.
Working on a campaign update at the minute, in between celebrating my birthday (I hope you all sent me a cake).
Cheers,
DM Tadpole
Happy birthday! Your present?
ME!
*Plays stripper music*
In all seriousness though, thanks for letting me join up! I'll finish up my character ASAP.
That's funny to me. Two pair!
All silliness aside, I should probably say a bit about myself for those of you who do not know me.
I am one of Kage's (Bonegrit) friends IRL. I am a RN at one of the local hospital's ICUs. I currently DM a RotR game as Tadpole has mentioned, I Co-DM and play in another game Kage runs, as well as play in 5 other PbP's on the boards, though 3 of them are fairly slow paced.
I am a regular poster, using my phone or tablet mostly to do so. I try to announce absences well in advance, but that doesn't happen often, as even when I travel, I keep those devices with me.
At any rate, I look forward to joining up and hope you all like my character.
Welcome to the game, Thron!
Doubles amuse you, eh? So, you either limped in on the big blind with an off-suit 3-5, or you just bought Oriental and St. James and you want that free parking money...
Yes on both references, Pyotr, double yes in fact!
Also: woo Zeltresh! Didn't realize you were her too. Sweet.
Welcome!
I'm sure you'll have a blast here.
Game on!
Here*. Typo from work posting. Lol
Have visitors at the moment, so posting might be spotty for the next few days. Hope to get a post for Del and Lunt up soon.
Here is my summoner, as of right now. For the record: Kyras honestly looks nothing like his avatar. Check his reference image for his appearance.
And the eidolon!