Atomic nuclei are made of protons and neutrons. They don't orbit them :P
Told you I didn't know what I was talking about. ;)
Mended --
Let's run with what you wrote, chief. I'll try to get Brash's first post up tomorrow afternoon.
Would it help to just write the bare essentials for now, just a few sentences about how they got from the end of that last bit to the Wailing Banshee, then start playing? You could always fill in more details later, either in the form of a flashback or simply writing it out of order. Could be that actually playing the characters and figuring out how they react to some external stimuli will get you over the hump. And if not, that's not the end of the world either.
For my part, I'm pretty much done with what I had in mind for the story of Dutch and Talbert's trip to the Banshee. Dutch keeps Rando entertained and distracted from Talbert's continuing research while fending off his advances. Rando turns out to be an aspiring bard (and aspiring ladies' man) with an immature sense of humor (he likes to tell jokes, but can only seem to remember the details of the ones that really aren't appropriate to be telling a woman you just met). They part ways shortly after they reach the Wailing Banshee, and never hear from him again (unless Mended decides to bring him back down the road).
If we continue to draw this out, I might work in an encounter with some bandits or a small pack of wolves or something along the way, but I'd rather just fast-forward to all of the characters ending up in one place.
I think I'll post Brash's duel (gonna do the whole thing, Mended), and then we can just cut to the Banshee or whatever. I think you're right, whosa -- looking back from a "real" moment may give me the clarity I've been lacking.
Sounds good to me, can't wait to actually be involved in helping to tell this story. :) ... As a DM. Playing other characters... You know what I mean.
So, my thinking is that between whatever magical connection Orwyll has and Brash's survival skill, your characters will be able to navigate toward the destination better than mine. Dutch isn't going to want to let on that they're headed for the destination (which she still thinks is a treasure hoard), so meeting up there and intentionally venturing out together is unlikely. Eavesdropping on the others and deciding to follow them in secret is totally the kind of thing she would do, though. Talbert could easily mess up that plan, of course, possibly forcing a meeting in the woods when your guys catch my guys following them.
We could also have Talbert navigate there separately, using the book and his investigation skill to find the way. I still think it would be cool for the two groups to first meet in mid-battle (be it with cultists or whoever/whatever they encounter), though perhaps they will have already seen each other at the Banshee (which would cause them to pause long enough not to kill each other, both thinking the others are more cultists).
What do you guys think? How good will Orwyll and Brash be about keeping the secret of where they're headed? Will they even try? Should we start roleplaying at the Banshee, even if the two groups don't join up yet?
Starting at the Banshee is good with me. Considering your well-established "lead" in posting, we could probably start it with Brash hauling a befuddled Orwyll in the door on one shoulder . . . . lol, with Talbert and Dutch looking on. Or Dutch, anyway . . . . I could totally see Talbert secreting himself in whatever room just to read, letting Dutch do whatever suits her elsewhere. :)
I will get the duel post up this afternoon.
Mended -- want me to post your contribution? Or would you rather do it?
The universe conspires against me. Again.
I can barely hold my eyes open. Will try for tomorrow.
Starting at the Banshee is good with me. Considering your well-established "lead" in posting, we could probably start it with Brash hauling a befuddled Orwyll in the door on one shoulder . . . . lol, with Talbert and Dutch looking on. Or Dutch, anyway . . . . I could totally see Talbert secreting himself in whatever room just to read, letting Dutch do whatever suits her elsewhere. :)
Yeah, why would Talbert be in a public room where a barbarian might crash noisily through the door with a warlock thrown over his shoulder when he could be in a private room reading?
This, BTW, is pretty close to my general attitude toward life as well.
@Syrus, I don't care either way. So either post it, or tell me to, and I will. :) Are you still planning on posting Brash's duel? Or do you want to use the details of that as back drop and remembrances for future posts?
@Whosa, There's nothing wrong with isolation and reading, in moderation. Just want you to know that some of my most fond memories are memories that took place in raucous environments with people making extremely illogical decisions, myself included. :) It's what my dad used to call "cutting loose." "Go have fun," he'd say, "cut loose." I definitely cut loose of reason and sanity on more than one occasion in my youth, and some of those conglomerations of bad decisions are still remembered fondly, for they taught me valuable lessons about what NOT to do. Yet, I also had no end of fun while living in them. As I said, everything in moderation, even impulsive brazenness. :) Some of the best things that ever happened in my life, happened because I was "brave" for thirty seconds.
I'll post 'em both. :)
@Syrus, still got that duel post rolling around the ol' noggin?
Yup! It's actually crystallizing pretty well -- just been juggling too much stuff this week. You'll see it no later than tomorrow.
For real, this time.
. . . . I really can't apologize for my delays anymore, so I won't . . . . XD
No apology necessary. I'm glad that some part of your characters' story is coming together! :)
In all honesty, the biggest hiccup with the duel post has been hashing through the "real" tactics of sword/board vs axe/dagger!! The weapon selection didn't even register till well after the edit window ended for that post!! lol
I'm a bit of a slave to continuity . . . . Sometimes. lol
Also: hope you two have a *great* Memorial Day weekend!!
You too!
The weapon selection there, probably, came directly from me watching The Last Kingdom on Netflix lately. I read the first book of that series by Cornwell, and I've been watching the series during my every other day weightlifting workouts. I like it. It's character driven and gritty. The real life clashing of religions in a violent and world altering way is a very interesting dynamic. One I might want to try and bring into this very game... :D
In all honesty, the biggest hiccup with the duel post has been hashing through the "real" tactics of sword/board vs axe/dagger!! The weapon selection didn't even register till well after the edit window ended for that post!! lol
I'm a bit of a slave to continuity . . . . Sometimes. lol
Sword thrust parried and turned away by axe, thrusting dagger bashed aside by sword...
"Thrusting dagger bashed aside by sword" could easily result in a missing hand, or at least a few absent fingers.
"Thrusting dagger bashed aside by sword" could easily result in a missing hand, or at least a few absent fingers.
Too true, maybe, bashed aside by shield would be better in that instance... :)
I've envisioned that Othald's man is a southpaw . . . . Which provides a new wrinkle . . . .
Axe in the left hand, dagger in the right, versus sword in the right, shield in the left...?
Yarp.
If it helps, you might want to think about what type of dagger it is. A dagger being used in the off-hand (the right hand, in this case?) with a larger weapon in the other hand is probably being used as a parrying dagger, more for defense than attacking. Daggers used for this purpose often have a wide knuckle guard that would be good for punching. It also might be a swordbreaker, with large serrations designed to catch and entangle another blade. If these features seem out of character for a highlander, maybe it's a wavy blade with rings integrated into the hilt to act as individual finger guards, or maybe it has a heavy bronze hilt and a forward-curving blade like a sica.
Now I'm imagining a knife like this one. Which is AWESOME... Thanks for that whosa. Before you said that all I could think of was the "normal" dagger, handle, crossbar, short blade.
Well, a less modern version of that, but yes. That is the kind of dagger you would likely see used as an off-hand weapon.
I still have 3.5 hours, by my clock . . . . It's halfway-ish done. Been hammering away at it since about 10 AM, off and on. The last 4 hours have been at my best friend's daughter's 4th b-day party. And I just pulled/tore my right calf playing soccer-ish . . . . Yay!
More time to finalize, though. :D
Thank goodness for lidocaine.
Sorry you hurt yourself Syrus. Men as old as we take much longer to recover from such things, I know. Great post! That action was impossible not to imagine clearly. I can see the fight unfolding, and that is awesome! Can't wait to read the conclusion. :D
Will try to muster the duel conclusion before Monday morning for ya, Mended. :)
Will try to muster the duel conclusion before Monday morning for ya, Mended. :)
Yay!!! Then I can spend some time narrating your arrival at the inn of The Wailing Banshee, and we can get this game out of the starting gate! :D
FYI boys, starting on Friday afternoon next week (June 8th) all the way through June 18th, I'll have minimal if any time to post. Taking a trip to Alaska for my 20th wedding anniversary. Yes, my wife is coming too. :P :P :P I am bringing my laptop, but not sure how much time I'll actually have to jump on and check the boards...
:)
I don't know which post you'll see first, Mended, but here's "ours":
I simply *cannot* get this thing rolling. My storytelling wellspring is effectively shut off. I'll find some way to get the end of the duel posted, but I think it'll be all I can manage.
I wish I understood what's wrong, so that I could adjust/correct, but I'm finally convinced that now simply is not my time.
. . . .
Yeah. :/ :(
Can you clarify what you're saying here. Are you saying you'll post the end of the duel and then you're out? Or that you're going to post the end of the duel and then wait for me to get things going and hope that my narrative of the world sparks buy-in? I'm confused.
Edit: Read your post in Stormstrider's game, and, therefore, am no longer confused. Well this is going to get chalked up as one of those games that is over before it got started. No need to post the end of the duel. It would be a futile exercise at this point. Take care of yourself first and foremost. I'll mark this campaign as inactive, perhaps if your life sorts itself out in a more creative-writing conducive way, we can pick it back up at some point. Thanks for giving it a shot.
I'm just going to float this idea because I know you really do want to tell this story, Mended, and I don't want to keep both you and whosa from it --
Is there an alternate player who might be able to grab these two characters of mine and do the tale justice? Somewhat like I almost did for that stint with Goruck in the Hollow campaign?
*Or*
I can finish the duel, you can find another player, and we can see if I can get back in it further down the line with Brash and Orwyll?
I feel badly about this, chief -- I truly do. I'm just . . . "creatively constipated", or something. Neither of you should need to drag me along on this project, but that's exactly how it feels to me.
I *will* stay in touch.
Enjoy your anniversary trip, chief!! :)