GM Euan's Mummy's Mask (Inactive)

Game Master Euan

As you enter Abdur’s office, you see a man who wears his muscle well, a clear result of his long hours in the sun. His lacquered 4 plated armor hangs well over his broad shoulders, a matching heavy shield on his arm (when on patrol or duty) or on over his shoulder (when not). He carries himself not necessarily with confidence, but with purpose. He looks like he knows what he's doing and going...if that's true is of no matter.

His weapons are rarely far from him; a falchion, a morningstar, and sturdy dagger. All have seen some usage, but none are quality weapons. It's clear that he prefers to get in close to his opponents rather than attacking from afar.

Standing a good 6'+ tall with brown hair and eyes, he can have a imposing presence, but mostly just doesn't. You wouldn't ignore him, but he doesn't stand out. His tanned and sun-worn face is (mostly) clean shaven and does take some care to keep himself clean.

Abdur Raqeeb al-Shabazz (image) closes the door to his office once everyone has entered. It’s a substantial office to be sure, but you’re a large group and there aren’t enough chairs so a few of you stand. Abdur comes in in last, weaving through you on his way back to his desk. He sits down heavily and takes a deep breath. ”That wasn’t easy. I do hate turning people away, you know? Well now, you are the lucky few. I thank you for your consideration and hope our relationship will be a long and fruitful one - beyond this current short contract.”

He smiles broadly, ”My deal is simple. I pay the fee for the group… and provide the wand of cure light wounds with 42 charges, just like I promised.” he takes out a slender wand from his desk and passes it to the party, closing the drawer with a click.

”In exchange, you show me all the goods you obtain, and allow me to purchase what I want at the going rates. Now there’s an auction planned after the digs are complete, and you’ll assuredly get more from that auction than you will from me.” he stops a moment and looks at you seriously, ”I’m not out to screw anyone over. I won’t be taking all your goods, just the stuff I think fits in well with my shop, or might gather me a particularly high return.”

”You play fair with me, and I’ll play fair with you. I’m investing in your little group, and I hope that you’ll succeed, but regardless, the wand is yours to keep. Or at least for the survivors.” he winks, but there’s a seriousness about him as well.

”Now, you may have questions, and I have conferred with the priests of Pharasma, so I might just know the answers. The lottery is in two days at dusk. You can enter the necropolis at dawn, and the event will last seven days. You’ll have three structures to investigate in that time. After that is the auction, where you can sell whatever goods I don’t buy.”

”What do you need to know? How can I help you succeed? My mind and my shop are open to you.” he spreads his hands broadly, eager to hear what you have to say.

Someone please take the wand and track the charges. It is considered a group item, so it doesn’t count against your individual wealth, but does count toward the party.

Please describe your appearance in your responses.

Zilchus steps from the shadows and into the light, his eyes going over the team that Abdur has chosen. He looks over each one like a horse trader examining auction pieces.

He draws his dagger and holds it blade-in-hand so that he might point and prod as he examines.

"Are you sure these are ones you want, Abdur? They look...they look...interesting," Zilchus blurts, then walks back his outburst. He bows to Adbdur. "I'm sure these are excellent selections. My father said you know people well." Zilchus walks around Prof. Dickens. He uses his dagger handle to prod the Professor's bicep and chest. "Forgive me, Abdur, are you sure about this one? Seems like he'll fade in the sun or faint at the first danger."

"What is your name?" Zilchus asks the Professor. "You have sold Abdur on your abilities, and he is rarely wrong. Are you up for this?"

Zilchus then turns to Florence, prodding her with equal zeal as he did the Professor.

"This one seems a bit stouter. She has arms at least...and its obvious you're not selected her for her looks, Abdur. My dad said you weren't ever picky with your mates," Zilchus smiles to Abdur, then turns to Florence.

"You must be smart. Abdur is wise to include smart ones in this. Are you?" Zilch asks Florence. He almost waits an answer before Augustus catches his eye.

"Ah, Abdur! This one is good. Look, strength! Look, a proud and noble bearing! This is a good one, I can tell," Zilchus raps his dagger handle along Augustus' armor, smiling at the tinning sound of the scales clinking.

"I expect that you can use that blade of yours," Zilchus says, rapping the handle. "Abdur can sense such things."

Zilchus turns to back to Adbur, thinking he is done when he notices the last member of the group...

"Ah! Look at this little wisp of a thing!" Zilchus says to Abdur and pointing at Nidhi. "You have certainly picked an interesting group. Look at that long braid! I have not seen that...well...ever. It's nice." Zilchus offers a grin at Nidhi and steps back.

"I'm sure that if you picked them, that they will do, Abdur," Zilchus says, sheathing his dagger. He seems about to relinquish the floor when he remembers something.

"Ah yes! I am Zilchus Lyghtlode, servant of Osirion and backer of the Ruby Prince. Nice to meet you all. My family has lived and served the Osirion government for generations. It is said that a Lyghtlode has been around at least since of reign of Pharaoh of No Rain, An-Hepsu XI, otherwise known as the Incorruptible Pharaoh." Zilchus looks to see if any of the faces register knowledge of that.

"Some of you smart types might know it," Zilchus taps his noggin with his pointer finger.

"Some of you may know that An-Hepsu XI has an invisible pyramid within the Pillars of the Sun? My father said that if I someday walk among those mountains, I will find the path to the Pillars as such profound memories are past down generations as well. Yes? You know this?"

Zilchus seems ready to give the floor to someone else to speak.

"Adbur, sorry for speaking so much. I'm sure this group will be fine."

Augustus's eyes narrow a bit as Zilchus drags his dagger across his armor and weapon. Waiting for the man to finish speaking Augustus steps forward and puffs his chest out before introducing himself to the rest of the group.

"You've probably already heard of me, but my name is Augustus Voralius III. I was born in Cheliax and grew up in Rahadoum. As you correctly guessed, I am able to use my blade and I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances to tell you the stories of my bravery and skill!" He grins as he says this, his shoulder length hair falling loosely around his shoulders. Augustus is wearing a nice set of scale mail armor that has been very well taken care of, as if he wanted the armor to help attract more attention. He wears a long sword at his waist and has a flail and dagger also sitting in his belt. His shield has a symbol of a cockatrice on it and is strapped across his back currently.

"Regardless of what happens I'll be sure keep you all safe, and when I do don't forget tell the story." He turns to speak directly to Abdur. "So to make money from this excursion we need to bring back artifacts to sell at an auction? If that's the case I recommend taking as much as we can! I don't plan on coming out of this empty handed." Augustus shows his trademark grin again as he considers the potential payout of the necropolis excursion

He steps back and opens the floor to let others speak.

When her name had been called moments before it had been all Florence could do to gather her things and stammer out a goodbye to all the people she'd been sharing a table with before hurrying after Abdur. Although both amazed and ecstatic to have been chosen, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for the ones who weren't chosen.

All of them seemed nice enough...and I never did hear how the rider was going to manage with his horse...

As they filed into the office, she glanced at the other three who'd been chosen. She had seen the armored man and the pretty singer earlier but hadn't gotten a good chance to speak with either of them.

At least I already made the Professor's acquaintance. I'll take any friendly face for now, even one that I just met.

Once inside, she listened intently as Abdur laid out the terms of their contract once more though she couldn't help but be curious about the second man who eyed them as if eyeing a herd of livestock. And before she could think of any questions to ask she suddenly found herself being bombarded by them as well as being poked and prodded. Once more she felt like a steer at market - and she didn't like it.

"What, you're not going to check our teeth too?" she scowls as she folds her arms across her chest. "I'll tell you the same thing I said when I spoke to Abdur - I'm a skilled herbalist by trade and I also know a little about magic. There's a lot that I don't know, but I'm a quick learner." A pause. "And my name is Florence, Florence Corvina. This is my companion, Bynx," she motions at the orange cat who had followed her from the common room.

As if on cue, Bynx flops over on his back and waves his front paws in the air for his audience.

Not as fierce as a lion maybe, but I'm twice as charming!

When his name comes out of Abdur’s lips, Benedictus West Dickens, former professor of Osirian History and Archeology at the University of Egorian, is on the verge of passing out. His face turns pale, and he falls off the chair. Now scratching the back of his head out of physical pain as well as embarrassment, Ben somehow manages to stand up, staggering towards Abdur’s office as he gives a quick look at the others. His heart is filled with regret for those who were not selected, but also with enthusiasm for his new adventuring companions.

This is becoming actually true…I can’t believe it!

---

Seeing the unknown man in the office, Ben’s first reaction is to smile at him with a rather void expression, his mind filled with information and new data to catalogue.

Ben looks like an ordinary Garundi young man at first glance, his new clothes revealing little of his actual profession and interests. He has olive skin and brown-greenish eyes, keeps his wavy black hair at medium length and his most prominent facial feature is an aquiline nose separating his slightly slanty eyes. Slender but tall just above average, Ben has a lithe body without any form of musculature.

Picture

Ben wears a still leather-smelling bandolier on his chest, a waterproof black bag containing a bulky tome, two small pouches (one containing coins, the other containing spell components) attached to his belt and a clearly overstuffed backpack.

As the people he had previously met enter the room, Ben gives a quick smile to each of them, trying to appear as calm as he can get. Here they are…Augustus, Florence, and Nidhi. Desna be blessed! I already introduced myself to all of them!

Putting his Chelaxian manners to good use, Benedictus let the women sit as he listens to Abdur’s speech while standing. His heavy backpack rests at his feet.

Slow to trust others, especially those he works for, Ben smiles at Abdur as the man passes the wand to the party. “Mind if I give it a look?” he asks to Abdur. If not stopped, Ben casts a quick cantrip (detect magic) in order to identify the properties of the wand. He wants to ensure that the wand being given to the party does what Abdur says.

---

“Sounds like a fair deal to me”, says Benedictus to Abdur as soon as the man has finished explaining the terms of their cooperation.

“I do have some questions, Mr. Abdur”, chimes in Ben as soon as the man asks for possible questions. “First off, it strikes me as a very peculiar feature of Garundi mindset the way in which this whole exploration is being handled. I mean, in Avistan explorers usually spend weeks if not months researching before actually getting into dangerous places such as tombs or dungeons. But things here are working very differently. The whole lottery idea, in itself, prevents a group from acquiring valuable knowledge about the place it’s going to explore, since the group cannot know which particular site it’s going to explore. Very interesting, and not necessarily worst than the Avistani way. Anyway, I believe we can still benefit from a little research about Wati in general—its history, burial habits and so forth. Would you be so kind as to point me to the closest library or archive? Since we have two days, I have every intention to spend a good deal of them reading something that could prove potentially crucial for our endeavor.”

---

Zilchus walks around Prof. Dickens. He uses his dagger handle to prod the Professor's bicep and chest. "Forgive me, Abdur, are you sure about this one? Seems like he'll fade in the sun or faint at the first danger."

"What is your name?" Zilchus asks the Professor. "You have sold Abdur on your abilities, and he is rarely wrong. Are you up for this?"

Ben stiffens at the man prodding his body with the dagger, but unlike before, in the common room with the others, he’s now filled with confidence from being accepted into the adventuring party, and that makes him much bolder than usual. Frowning, Ben steps back and fixes his clothes. “It’s not nice to ask someone his name without having first introduced yourself. Anyway, I’m Benedictus West Dickens, it’s not-so-good to meet you!” Although he’s trying to be as imperious and authoritative as he can be, Ben’s tone is more like that of a child reacting to a spite. One could think he’s even about to blow a raspberry, but fortunately Benedictus is a grown man, and has learned that others are unlikely to take such a behavior well…especially those using daggers to prod people. Realizing his unusual insolence, Ben hunches his shoulders, way too euphoric to stop. “Of course I’m up for this! And you? Are you up for this or have you been simply tasked with harassing us?”

When Zilchus introduces himself, Ben’s eyes almost turn to fissures in his face out of concentration. He tries to make a mental note of everything the man is saying. Ben is not sold on Zilchus’ tale. Unfortunately, though, his knowledge cannot go as far as to discern lies from a local, especially when obscure pharaohs from the past are involved. Instead, and delighting in the idea of making Zilchus nervous, Benedictus pulls out his journal from the backpack and starts writing down everything. I’ll verify these information later…, he thinks to himself. Without even realizing it, Ben is completely absorbed by Zilchus. The man has somehow drawn his attention, and despite the insolence Ben is showing to him as a form of defense for his harsh judgement, the scholar is clearly intrigued by him.
_______________________________________
Spellcraft check to identify the properties of the wand: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

"Adbur, sorry for speaking so much. I'm sure this group will be fine.”

Abdur watches Zilchus measure up the party with a gleam in his eye and a smile on his lips. When Zilchus makes his pronouncement, he laughs. ”Yes Zilchus, this group will be fine.”

"Regardless of what happens I'll be sure keep you all safe, and when I do don't forget tell the story." He turns to speak directly to Abdur. "So to make money from this excursion we need to bring back artifacts to sell at an auction? If that's the case I recommend taking as much as we can! I don't plan on coming out of this empty handed." Augustus shows his trademark grin again as he considers the potential payout of the necropolis excursion

”Right.” says Abdur clearly, ”Most of your items will indeed be sold at auction, but I caution you from taking everything. I’d like to think that the things that are nailed down, laminated on, etc. are to be left behind. I’d rather not have my team be known as the ones who destroyed their digs for every ounce of copper.”

He turns to you all, ”I want this to be a respectful group - respectful of the dead who’s tombs you’re raiding. This is history, our shared history.” he opens his arms, ”Let’s treat it properly. Agreed?”

“I do have some questions, Mr. Abdur”, chimes in Ben as soon as the man asks for possible questions. “First off, it strikes me as a very peculiar feature of Garundi mindset the way in which this whole exploration is being handled. I mean, in Avistan explorers usually spend weeks if not months researching before actually getting into dangerous places such as tombs or dungeons. But things here are working very differently. The whole lottery idea, in itself, prevents a group from acquiring valuable knowledge about the place it’s going to explore, since the group cannot know which particular site it’s going to explore. Very interesting, and not necessarily worst than the Avistani way. Anyway, I believe we can still benefit from a little research about Wati in general—its history, burial habits and so forth. Would you be so kind as to point me to the closest library or archive? Since we have two days, I have every intention to spend a good deal of them reading something that could prove potentially crucial for our endeavor.”

”Oh, aye, it is unusual - until you think on it a while. The Ruby Prince, long and blessed be his reign, ordered that our crypts and necropolis’ be opened to explorers nearly 7 years ago now. The church of Pharasma, as you may imagine, has some issues with that sort of maneuver. They’ve been fighting him all these long years, trying to limit the decree in any way they can to preserve the sanctity of our crypts.”

”This is their way of keeping access limited. They claim the necropolis is dangerous, and I suspect it is. But I think really the reason is they don’t want anyone looting in there. The Pharaoh is forcing their hands you see. So the church is playing things very close to the chest.”

”Now, do you have any other questions?” Abdur asks, before plunging in to some things he’d forgotten.

”Oh, right, I’ve arranged some rooms for you at the Tooth and Hookah, if you need them. Farhaaan, the proprietor, is a friend and I’ve no public rooms here. It’s also where many of the adventurers are staying - those who are investigating other tombs in the necropolis with you. They’re not competitors exactly as you’ll each have your own patch, but still, I’d be careful about trusting them - who knows what sort may be attracted to this endeavor.”

”I want this to be a respectful group - respectful of the dead who’s tombs you’re raiding. This is history, our shared history. Let’s treat it properly. Agreed?”

Ben nods wholeheartedly to Abdur. "Agreed, Mr. Abdur."

---

Benedictus turns to the his new companions. "Shall we pay a visit to this "Tooth and Hookah"? We should make arrangements for our stay, although meeting the other adventurers scares me off a little. Adventurers are a dangerous lot, and one should never trust them...ehm, except for us, of course", says Ben with an awkward smile.

"Oh, and Mr. Abdur, you forgot to answer my question. Is there any library or archive here in Wait? As I said, I'd like to know more about this city and its history before delving into its tombs. That just sounds...cautious to me."

"Oh, and Mr. Abdur, you forgot to answer my question. Is there any library or archive here in Wait? As I said, I'd like to know more about this city and its history before delving into its tombs. That just sounds...cautious to me."

"Too true, so I did! Good to keep me honest, but it's not Mr. Abdur, just Abdur these days." he grins.

"Well, within the necropolis there's the Archives of the Ibis, a temple dedicated to Thoth, the god of knowledge, literature, and science. But of course you want a more current and accessible location I'm sure."

He thinks a moment, "There are a number of private libraries of course, and I may be able to get you into one or two of those. We have no central library in Wati however. Researchers just head to the Great Library of Tephu down the Sphinx. It's a few hours by boat, if you've the gold it takes to cross, or a couple days over land. You might make the late ferry today if you hurry."

"If you go, do make sure you're back in time of course."

It's Sunday afternoon, the first of Sarenith, 4714 AR. The lottery is on the third at dusk, and the digs begin on the fourth at dawn.

Wait, the Pharasmins oppose this whole thing? Not that that's really *surprising*, but...

"M...er, Abdur?" Florence asks suddenly. "Of course we'll be respectful, but you said that the church of Pharasma has been against the opening of the crypts. What do the citizens think about it?"

------------

Adventurers? Of the five of us I think the only two that might fit the part are the showman and the snooty one.

"We probably should," Florence agrees. "We've got two days until the lottery so we'll need to get settled in and make whatever plans we need to in the meantime...research, picking up last-minute supplies..."

She pauses. "And to be honest, I've barely had any time to look around the city. If Wati is home for the foreseeable future then I'd like to get to know my way around a bit."

"What, you're not going to check our teeth too?...And my name is Florence, Florence Corvina. This is my companion, Bynx," she motions at the orange cat who had followed her from the common room.

Zilchus kneels down to inspect yet another member of the group. He eyes the cat warily, inspecting it, then nods to the cat after he is satisfied with the cat's cattiness.

Straightening to listen attentively to Abdur, Zilchus continues to measure up his new team through the questions they ask of Abdur.

”I want this to be a respectful group - respectful of the dead who’s tombs you’re raiding. This is history, our shared history. Let’s treat it properly. Agreed?”

"Of course, Adbur. This is a gift by the Ruby Prince to his people. We shall not squander it," Zilchus insists, checking the faces of those around him for agreement.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 Know (Local)

"Of course we'll be respectful, but you said that the church of Pharasma has been against the opening of the crypts. What do the citizens think about it?"

Zilchus nearly puts his hand to his falchion, so enraged is he by the question.

"The Pharasmites should mind their own business. They have no right to question the Ruby Prince, nor his edicts. If they don't like it here, they can leave," Zilchus angrily inserts his own opinion into the discussion.

So this is where the Gameplay is! Haha.

Nidhi almost topples off her stool when she hears her name being called. What… I can’t believe it. She stands up and gives Cahal ud'Din and Khalid Safar a hug before following the others into Abdur’s office. Perhaps hugging Cahal ud'Din a bit longer than necessary, appreciating the feel of the other woman’s muscled body.

Inside Abdur’s office, a man steps from the shadows and into the light. Nidhi narrows her eyes as she observes the man literally prodding others with his dagger. Who is he? Nidhi wonders.

Ah! Look at this little wisp of a thing!" Zilchus says to Abdur and pointing at Nidhi. "You have certainly picked an interesting group. Look at that long braid! I have not seen that...well...ever. It's nice." Zilchus offers a grin at Nidhi and steps back.

Nidhi doesn’t mind being looked at. She smiles and does a small flourish with her hands, bowing slightly. I wish he’d put his dagger away. There’s no need for that here. She relaxes a little when the man sheaths his dagger.

After Augustus, Florence, and Benedictus introduce themselves, Nidhi tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and straightens to her full 5’6” height. “My name is Nidhi Aashirya, I work at a tailing shop with my grandmother Jharna Aashirya. I’ve never left Wati or been on any adventures before but I couldn’t turn down this opportunity once I’d heard about it.” Nidhi bites her bottom lip, she generally had a lot of confidence but hearing Zilchus and Augustus speak made her feel like a country bumpkin. I wonder if I’m actually prepared for this.

He turns to you all, ”I want this to be a respectful group - respectful of the dead who’s tombs you’re raiding. This is history, our shared history.” he opens his arms, ”Let’s treat it properly. Agreed?”

”Absolutely, Abdur.” Nidhi nods with a serious look on her face, “a lot of family heritage is within those tombs and it should be treasured and treated with respect.” Nidhi flashes a charming smile.

"M...er, Abdur?" Florence asks suddenly. "Of course we'll be respectful, but you said that the church of Pharasma has been against the opening of the crypts. What do the citizens think about it?"

Zilchus nearly puts his hand to his falchion, so enraged is he by the question.

"The Pharasmites should mind their own business. They have no right to question the Ruby Prince, nor his edicts. If they don't like it here, they can leave," Zilchus angrily inserts his own opinion into the discussion.

Nidhi observes Zilchus’ outburst but doesn’t say anything. He looks strong and powerful with his plated armor.

-------------

Benedictus turns to the his new companions. "Shall we pay a visit to this "Tooth and Hookah"? We should make arrangements for our stay, although meeting the other adventurers scares me off a little. Adventurers are a dangerous lot, and one should never trust them...ehm, except for us, of course", says Ben with an awkward smile.

"We probably should," Florence agrees. "We've got two days until the lottery so we'll need to get settled in and make whatever plans we need to in the meantime...research, picking up last-minute supplies..."

She pauses. "And to be honest, I've barely had any time to look around the city. If Wati is home for the foreseeable future then I'd like to get to know my way around a bit."

“Before we leave, I want to visit my grandmother and tell her the good news. She’s the only family I have. I can meet back up with you all at Tooth and Hookah” She smiles politely, waiting for other opinions and confirmations. “Shall we meet there tonight for dinner? I'd love to hear more about you all.” She wonders what Benedictus' plans are to visit the Great Library of Tephu down the Sphinx.

"We'll meet you there, then, Nidhi." Benedictus nods to the girl as she takes her leave.

Then Ben comes closer to Florence and smile genuinely. "I'm happy you're part of the group, milady. You...Well, you remind me of a famous adventurer I was used to read about when I was younger. Actually, she was my favorite. Her name was Keira Donagall, and although those books were only fictions, well...I always ended up envisioning her as the typical adventurer and you look so much like her...but this is stupid, I know, dungeon delving is not about tales and fiction...", he whispers, his face blushing.

Turning to the others, and perhaps to pull himself out of the embarassing situation with Florence Ben smiles warmly. "Shall we go?"

”Absolutely, Abdur.” Nidhi nods with a serious look on her face, “a lot of family heritage is within those tombs and it should be treasured and treated with respect.” Nidhi flashes a charming smile.

Abdur smiles, pleased that the party seems to align themselves with his desires so cleanly.

You do have time to visit Nidhi's grandmother prior to boarding the ferry, if you're plans include Tephu. Not sure what the party plans are so far - or are you splitting up? I'm sure that's totally safe this early. After all, who's got it in for you already? Surely you've made no enemies so far...

"M...er, Abdur?" Florence asks suddenly. "Of course we'll be respectful, but you said that the church of Pharasma has been against the opening of the crypts. What do the citizens think about it?"

”Oh, I don’t know.” he rubs his hands a little as he talks, ”I suppose folks around here are OK with it, but not thrilled. There is some concern among the more superstitious that opening the necropolis in this way will result in the dead walking the streets! But of course that’s ridiculous. We bury people there to this day, and the church opens the doors to those burials all the time.”

”Overall I think people are uneasy about raiding crypts for cash. They, as do I, want to see things handled with a certain amount of decorum. In that the populous aligns with the church. But I think the common man, if you’ll excuse the expression, is fine with it. As long as it isn’t them that goes!” he chuckles.

When Zilchus reacts so strongly, he just smiles, and adds, "Yes Zilchus, but the church is quite strong and invaluable to many of he people. The Pharaoh is wise to take their council, and they to follow his command."

Sorry, had this response in my notes, and failed to, well, actually post it!

“My name is Nidhi Aashirya, I work at a tailing shop with my grandmother Jharna Aashirya. I’ve never left Wati or been on any adventures before but I couldn’t turn down this opportunity once I’d heard about it.”

At this, Florence's ears perk up.

Another local? Maybe I can ask her to show me around the city later. She seems like she might be easy enough to get along with.

"The Pharasmites should mind their own business. They have no right to question the Ruby Prince, nor his edicts. If they don't like it here, they can leave,"

"Overall I think people are uneasy about raiding crypts for cash. They, as do I, want to see things handled with a certain amount of decorum. In that the populous aligns with the church. But I think the common man, if you’ll excuse the expression, is fine with it. As long as it isn’t them that goes!

Surprised by the sudden outburst from Zilchus, the young woman flinches away and then raises her hands in a calming gesture. "Okay, okay, I was just curious! I didn't mean any offense, I promise. I mainly wanted to know if locals were upset about the whole thing or not in case it comes up in conversation with any of them later."

---------------------

"Your grandmother?" Florence can't help but smile at Nidhi. Although they seemed to be around the same age, there was also something very innocent about the girl's demeanor and the way she carried herself. "You're right, I'm sure she'd be happy to hear the news and I don't think it'll hurt anything if you meet up with us later."

And now's a good a time as any to ask about sightseeing...

"Oh, and um...you said you live here? I know we might not have time today but maybe sometime before the lottery, you could show me around the city a little?" she asks. "Like I said earlier, if this is going to be my home for now I'll need to learn more about it. And...well, I'm sure it would be nicer to have company than wander around by myself."

Less dangerous, too.

---------------------

"I'm happy you're part of the group, milady. You...Well, you remind me of a famous adventurer I was used to read about when I was younger. Actually, she was my favorite. Her name was Keira Donagall, and although those books were only fictions, well...I always ended up envisioning her as the typical adventurer and you look so much like her...but this is stupid, I know, dungeon delving is not about tales and fiction..."

"Really?" Florence whispers, actually feeling a little flattered by the comparison. "I've never read those books but now I think I'll have to if I've got a reputation to live up to," she grins. Then her expression grows bashful. "And thanks. I was really hoping you'd get selected since it seems like the history of this land means a lot to you. I'm glad we both made it in."

"Your grandmother?" Florence can't help but smile at Nidhi. Although they seemed to be around the same age, there was also something very innocent about the girl's demeanor and the way she carried herself. "You're right, I'm sure she'd be happy to hear the news and I don't think it'll hurt anything if you meet up with us later."

And now's a good a time as any to ask about sightseeing...
"Oh, and um...you said you live here? I know we might not have time today but maybe sometime before the lottery, you could show me around the city a little?" she asks. "Like I said earlier, if this is going to be my home for now I'll need to learn more about it. And...well, I'm sure it would be nicer to have company than wander around by myself."

“You all are welcome to come with me to visit my grandmother if you like. I’m going to head over to catch the last ferry afterwards or Tooth and Hookah if I miss the last boat.” Nidhi laughs, her laughter musical. What is meant to be, will be. And with that, Nidhi exits Abdur’s office and heads towards her grandmother’s shop.

If there is time, Nidhi makes her way to catch the last ferry to Tephu where she spots anyone who didn't accompany her to visit her grandmother. Along the way, Nidhi points out any historical monuments and places she likes to frequent, including a small bakery shop. She gestures, explains, and laughs appropriately; proving to be a gracious guide to the small part of the world she understands.

I believe GM Euan said Nidhi had time but just in case:
If Nidhi misses the ferry, she still provides a tour of the local area (if she is accompanied) before waiting at Tooth and Hookah.

"I...er..." Florence looks at Nidhi and then back at the others for a moment. Even though she'd just agreed that securing their rooms would be the best thing to do, she suddenly realized that the last thing she wanted to do right now was sit in another crowded tavern or alone in yet another unfamiliar lodging. "Actually...I'd love to come and meet your grandmother - if you don't think she'll mind, that is. And if that won't be a problem?" she asks as she looks back at the others, particularly Zilchus and Benedictus. "We can still meet up at the ferry to Tephu afterward, can't we?"

Assuming no major objections from anyone else...

Once back outside, Florence turns to Nidhi with an expression of gratitude. "Um...thank you for letting us tag along on your visit. It was nice, it felt like...it almost felt like being back home, in a way." She laughs weakly and wipes at her eyes. "Sorry...I guess I'm feeling a little more homesick than I thought I would. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Now let's hurry and see if we can still make that ferry, okay?"

And I'm out for tonight. I'll catch up with you fine folks tomorrow afternoon/evening!

"The Great Library of Tephu? I would go to see that. It would be a good journey for counting crocodiles and passing the time so we might know each other better," Zilchus nods. "I will do this. If I am stuck in town waiting for auction, I might get into trouble. I have suspended my other works to make room for this."

Zilchus bows to Abdur.

"If I may be granted leave, Abdur? I shall escort those going to the Tooth and Hookah. And tomorrow, we will go to Tephu."

Zilchus gathers his gear, a backpack laying in the corner. A banner of Osirion drapes down the back. He wears it with pride. Before leaving he also attaches his weapon cord from his falchion (laying his his left hip) to his left wrist and rests his hand upon the pommel as he walks.

"Professor? Shall we go?" Zilchus turns to leave before looking back at Augustus. "You coming, Augustus?"

Nidhi would prefer to stay with the group (eat dinner together at Tooth and Hookah and/or travel together to Tephu.)

Augustus waits, somewhat impatiently as the others introduce themselves and ask their questions. He didn't really understand why they needed to ask so much, the job seemed simple to him, but he did like his new companions and they seemed to realize how useful he was.

Of course Zilchus! It was Zilchus right?" Augustus looks at Zilchus as he says this but continues to speak before waiting for an answer. "The Tooth and Hookah has a place for my steed right? I don't like staying to far away from him unless necessary.

Augustus goes to follow the others out shifting his gear into a more comfortable position as he walks. As they exit the Milki Augustus walks over to a large white horse carrying a decent amount of gear.

"Maximus my friend! I apologize for leaving you in the heat for so long. It appears we have a new job though and it'll be quite profitable for us!" Augustus strokes Maximus's mane and give a genuine smile as he does. Maximus seems happy to see his master return and starts to dance around as Augustus talks to him.

"Good! Then let's go."

With the smile of a child who has just received a toy he had wanted for many years, Benedictus follows the others on the outside. He travels through the city with a proud poise, feeling protected by his new allies.

When the group leaves the shop, Ben approaches Nidhi. “You know, your grandmother has some fine clothes in there. Once we get back, I’d be grateful if you could accompany me here again, so that I can buy a decent robe and repurpose these rags I’m currently wearing…”

Abdur bids you farewell, and reminds you to be at the lottery with time to spare in a couple days. ”Wouldn’t do to be absent at the start!” he laughs.

He adds, ”There’s an excellent place to stay called Purusha’s Inn, with an exceptional restaurant attached. It’s in the New City - you should find it without too much trouble.” he continues by giving you directions to the place from the docks and praising their onion and lentil based spicy soup.

You walk to grandmothers as a group, Augustus riding at a slow walk. Maximus seems eager for a trot, but the mass of people on the city streets makes it impossible. On the plus side however, folks do get out of the way of the mighty steed, so Augustus quickly ends up in front clearing a path and getting directions to grandma’s house as you go from Nidhi.

After grandma’s you have a choice, Tooth and Hookah or Tephu as you can still, just, make the ferry.

Not totally sure which way the party wants to jump, but it’s not critical, so…

The group decides the Tooth and Hookah can’t wait another day, and heads there first. A nice evening together to learn more about each other seems like a good plan before heading out to Tephu on the morning ferry.

The sign board (link) to the Tooth and Hookah is a burned-in etching on a large piece of wood - must have been quite expensive both for the artistry and the plank itself.

It’s a cozy place (link) but well appointed, and very nearly full. They do indeed have a nice stables for Maximus, and when it’s discovered by the stable boy you have rooms, the stabling fees are waived. You may, if you wish, leave Maximus here on your trip to Tephu, or bring him along for another 1gp ferry fare.

As you enter the establishment, cooler than the outside for sure as it’s protected by thick mud walls, the proprietor, rushes up to meet you, ”I am Farhaan, at your service! I have a table here, just for you my good friends!” he quickly ushers you to an available table, next to an odd assortment of foreigners having a quiet conversation - a Chellaxian, a Nexian, a Qadiran wearing a prominent symbol of Sarenrae along with a gentleman who’s a bit harder to place, but definitely from the somewhere in the inner sea. They grow even quieter as you sit nearby.

Farhaan asks, ”What may I offer you this evening? Our kitchen is open for dinner, and we have a nice variety of meats and delicacies to choose from. I’m afraid our rooms are all booked - lots of travelers for the opening of the crypts you understand.” he gestures to the many full tables. As he goes over the evening menu, a servant brings bowls of stuffed olives and sets them on the table for you to munch on.

Ben shows his appreciation of the Tooth and Hookah with a nod. “A cozy place, don’t you think? Too bad there are so many people in here, people are so…noisy!”

Ben takes a sit and smiles at Farhaan. “What would you recommend, good sir? I’m eager to taste the specialties of the house, if you have some. The spicier, the better!” The scholar is clearly in a good mood for chat and conversation.

“So many foreigners in here…”, he whispers to Nidhi. “Is it always like this?”

In the meantime, Benedictus tastes a few stuffed olives. “Between these and Jharna’s cookies, I could get used to Osirian flavors very quickly…”

Leaning towards Zilchus, Ben whispers in the man’s ears. “Do you think it would be wise for us to speak here about our abilities? I see so many foreigners in here, and logic leads me to think that many of them will become our ‘rivals’ very soon. Of course I hope we never conflict with other groups, but I’ve read stories. It might happen…Why give them an edge over us, in the unlikely event of a confrontation?”

"I know... I know Maximus! You'll get plenty of time to move about tomorrow. I promise!" Augustus strokes the horses mane trying to comfort Maximus. The horse does not seem pleased to be locked up so soon, he has hardly spent any time with his master all day.

Augustus speaks to the stable boy. "Boy! You there! Make sure you take very good care of my horse. If you do it'll be worth your time!" Augustus flashes a gold coin at the boy before putting it away and puling out a silver piece. He tosses the piece at the boy. "He really likes carrots... and if he tries eating too many don't let him. I don't need a fat horse!" Augustus says this last part with a joking laugh and a grin on his face. The horse snorts as if it understood the joke.

Augustus follows the others inside and does his best to position himself at the head of the group when Farhaan approaches them. "Ah! This is the kind of service I could get used to!" Augustus sits to that he is closest to the group of foreigners. Listening to Farhaan list the dinner items he takes a handful of olives and lucks them into his mouth. "I'll just have the most expensive thing on your menu Farham.... or was it Farhaan? Either way! And bring wine for all of us!" Augustus waits for the others to order and then speaks rather quietly to the group."So friends, how would you all like to hear a story? I have plenty to tell and the night is still very young. If we're going to be working together we should at least get to know each other a bit." Augustus nods towards Ben in particular remembering that he spoke to the man before Abdur chose them all.

Good, if I get him to talk about his boastful and rather unlikely endeavors, the our potential rivals will take us for a band of pompous fools and let us alone...Or perhaps this would cause them to think they could easily steal from us...Either way, Augustus will talk, and will do so loudly. Very loudly. Oh, for Nethys' sake, we're lost...

Ben puts a brave face on and encourages Augustus to speak. "I couldn't help but notice your fiery steed, Augustus. What breed he is?"

"Maximus is a Dort Charger! I bought him off of a merchant right after I set out from home. Actually its pretty good story! You see...." Augustus starts to tell his story but cuts himself off mid sentence. "Enough about me for now. I'm actually interested in who I'll be protecting for the next week or so." Augustus looks at the group expectantly, getting serious for the first time since he joined with the group.

No need to boast AFTER I get the job. Plus if I let others talk every once in a while it does seem to make them like me more.

Ben takes a sit and smiles at Farhaan. “What would you recommend, good sir? I’m eager to taste the specialties of the house, if you have some. The spicier, the better!” The scholar is clearly in a good mood for chat and conversation.

Farhaan smiles broadly, ”I have an excellent spicy lamb this evening on a plate of tadik with onion that I think you’ll like, very much so sir!”

Augustus speaks to the stable boy. "Boy! You there! Make sure you take very good care of my horse. If you do it'll be worth your time!" Augustus flashes a gold coin at the boy before putting it away and puling out a silver piece. He tosses the piece at the boy. "He really likes carrots... and if he tries eating too many don't let him. I don't need a fat horse!" Augustus says this last part with a joking laugh and a grin on his face. The horse snorts as if it understood the joke.

The stableboy smiles widely at the silver and promises, ”I’ll take good care of ‘im sir, you can count on me!” he quickly tucks the wealth into his pantaloons and guides the horse inside.

Augustus follows the others inside and does his best to position himself at the head of the group when Farhaan approaches them. "Ah! This is the kind of service I could get used to!" Augustus sits to that he is closest to the group of foreigners. Listening to Farhaan list the dinner items he takes a handful of olives and lucks them into his mouth. "I'll just have the most expensive thing on your menu Farham.... or was it Farhaan? Either way! And bring wine for all of us!"

”It’s Farhaan good sir, but I’ll answer to nearly anything, don’t trouble yourself to remember my humble moniker.” he smiles. He gestures to another servant and mentions a vintage, sending him down into the wine cellar to produce the bottle. It’s a fine wine, easy to drink, from the north coast of Osirion. There are better foreign wines, but for a local vintage it’s not too bad.

”Fire is the solution to everything!” you hear a man exclaim from a few tables away as he and his little group seem to be engaged in a friendly argument over something or other. He looks around, somewhat embarrassed and lowers his voice, but not his intensity as he makes his case to his fellows one of whom seems somewhat familiar to some of you perhaps?

When the group leaves the shop, Ben approaches Nidhi. “You know, your grandmother has some fine clothes in there. Once we get back, I’d be grateful if you could accompany me here again, so that I can buy a decent robe and repurpose these rags I’m currently wearing…”

Nidhi’s eyes sparkle and she smiles with pride, “She'd love to fit you into some robes. She’s also excellent at repairs.” Nidhi starts to laugh, “And with the way you complimented her cooking earlier, I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to get you to stay in the spare room upstairs while she works on your clothes. She usually rents out the spare bedroom and she and I share the other one.” Nidhi’s seems to be in even a better mood than she was before, humming absent-mindedly as the party makes their way to the Tooth and Hookah.

As you enter the establishment, cooler than the outside for sure as it’s protected by thick mud walls, the proprietor, rushes up to meet you, ”I am Farhaan, at your service! I have a table here, just for you my good friends!” he quickly ushers you to an available table, next to an odd assortment of foreigners having a quiet conversation - a Chellaxian, a Nexian, a Qadiran wearing a prominent symbol of Sarenrae along with a gentleman who’s a bit harder to place, but definitely from the somewhere in the inner sea. They grow even quieter as you sit nearby.

Farhaan asks, ”What may I offer you this evening? Our kitchen is open for dinner, and we have a nice variety of meats and delicacies to choose from. I’m afraid our rooms are all booked - lots of travelers for the opening of the crypts you understand.” he gestures to the many full tables. As he goes over the evening menu, a servant brings bowls of stuffed olives and sets them on the table for you to munch on.

”I would like today’s special. Not too spicy please. And some water. Ahh... and no wine for me please.” Nidhi responds to Farhaan, a small polite smile on her lips.

“So many foreigners in here…”, he whispers to Nidhi. “Is it always like this?”

Nidhi smiles and shrugs, although she doesn’t whisper. ”I’m honestly not sure. My grandmother cooks a lot at the shop. It’s cheaper than going out to eat.”

Nidhi listens to Augustus talk about his horse after Benedictus asks. Nidhi listens intently with interest. She’s never owned a horse.

"Enough about me for now. I'm actually interested in who I'll be protecting for the next week or so."

“When I was little, my father and I used to shoot arrows at sacks of grain in the yard. My grandmother hated it but our chickens loved it!” Nidhi starts to snicker and she grabs her stomach. “It got to the point where grandmother would try to hide the grain but father and I would always find it. She’d hide it in the strangest of places. Once it was hidden under one of the mattresses in the spare room upstairs and grandma forgot to remove it before renting the room” Nidhi gasps out the story between chortles, a tear of laughter streaming down her face, “The renter, a traveling cleric, had to give a sermon the next day. He was so polite but he told her the mattress felt as lumpy of a sack of grain - because - it was a sack of grain. Of course she never told him that, but grandma felt so bad about it she refunded him the money.”

“Anyways” Nidhi tries to collect herself and shakes her head, “I haven’t used a bow since my childhood - my grandmother hated archery after what me and my father did - but I recently picked one up again. I also know a small healing spell. What about you all?”

”Fire is the solution to everything!” you hear a man exclaim from a few tables away as he and his little group seem to be engaged in a friendly argument over something or other. He looks around, somewhat embarrassed and lowers his voice, but not his intensity as he makes his case to his fellows one of whom seems somewhat familiar to some of you perhaps?

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

"You guys" Nidhi addresses the group with excitement, "that person at the table," Nidhi points at Lirgala, trying to be discreet, "Is Lirgala, a fine singer who’s bounced around a few of the pubs in town. Her voice is cool and clear, and enjoyed by many. She’s not ‘famous’ but she is reasonably well known for her skills." Nidhi looks at her companions, "How do I look? I wonder if I look familiar. We should introduce ourselves" Nidhi finishes resolutely.

Zilchus tries to take a chair in the Tooth so that he can see who enters.

Leaning towards Zilchus, Ben whispers in the man’s ears. “Do you think it would be wise for us to speak here about our abilities? I see so many foreigners in here, and logic leads me to think that many of them will become our ‘rivals’ very soon. Of course I hope we never conflict with other groups, but I’ve read stories. It might happen…Why give them an edge over us, in the unlikely event of a confrontation?”

Zilchus snorts and then decides to look around to see if there was anything to worry about. He sees the Sarenaren and smiles, returning this head to bowed reply to the Professor.

"I didn't realize you were worried about trouble from the Sarenraens, Professor," He snorts again, with a bit of mirth. "Is there something you need to tell us? Why might the Sundopes have reasons to cross us? Or is it the opposite I need to worry about?"

"No, I do not think we need to worry about what we say here...especially not when what we say is boastful bragging." Zilchus flicks a look at Augustus.

Zilchus orders whatever meat dish seems fresh.

* * *

"And bring wine for all of us! ... So friends, how would you all like to hear a story? If we're going to be working together we should at least get to know each other a bit."

Zilchus waves away his wine order, wishing no drink this early in the day.

"The drink makes me morose. I'll have no part of it on this day of new friends and new beginnings."

Benedictus suddenly blushes as soon as his mind confirms that what Zilchus is saying is true. Scratching the back of his head in embarassment, the scholar leans toward Zilchus in order to whisper a reply. "I-I...I just failed to i-i...identify them...Such a shame...And I even attended to a Saranrae rite once, would you believe it? Anyway, thanks for the heads-up..."

There's something in Zilchus' confidence that makes Ben feel safer. He instinctively trusts the man judgement, even though he has no rational evidence to judge him as trustworthy. Ben has always had a tendency to trust confident people. And all that prodding with the knife and being eyed as a herd of livestock somehow had convinced Ben that Zilchus was someone confident in his own abilities.

I didn't roll for the Knowledge (local) check voluntarily, since I assumed Ben to be too stunned to attempt the check. I'll do it now, anyway.

Knowledge (local) check (+1 if regarding Osirion or its people): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

"So, since it seems like we're free to talk here, I'd like to ask you if there's something in particular you would like to know about Wati and its history. I'll be spending the whole day at the library tomorrow, and I hope to able to find some information that could prove useful for our...task. I usually have too many questions to answer when my eyes fall upon a book, but it has been taught to me that adventuring is also about companionship, so I'm going to put your questions first." With a sincere smile, Ben takes a sip from whatever drink is at the table. Preferably wine.

"W-W-Wait! What?! Why should we introduce ourselves to that...Lirgala? I mean, not that I have any problems in introducing myself to people, especially when they're opposite to me in terms of gender, b-b-but..."

”I would like today’s special. Not too spicy please. And some water. Ahh... and no wine for me please.” Nidhi responds to Farhaan, a small polite smile on her lips.

"Well, avoid the special then!" he laughs. "I'll see if chef can do one up just for you, with a lighter sauce. We'll see you don't burn m'lady."

Benedictus - Lirgala is Osirion, and well known in the Wati pub scene, a city in Osirion, so the +1 definitely applies.

Zilchus smiles as the Professor realizes his mistake. Internally, he is relieved that the Professor has no problems with the Sarenraens (and vice versa). Though he holds to the Old Gods, he recognizes the power of the new gods, especially in Sarenrae. While Zilchus does not hold to Sarenraen ideals, he does respect the might and power of the Sarenraen church.

"Last thing I wanted was an army of angry sundopes chasing us wielding scimitars," Zilchus jests back and turns to his meal and other companions.

""You guys that person at the table is Lirgala, a fine singer who’s bounced around a few of the pubs in town."

Zilchus overtly turns his head to look at Lirgala, to see if he recognizes the name or face.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 Know (Local)

"Ah, her," Zilchus says, reaching for his water with his left hand...causing a loud clonk as his falchion hits the table, the cord still attached. Zilchus offers and embarrassed smile and undoes the cord and reaches again. "I've heard of her. I don't recall having heard her play before." Zilchus takes a sip of water and pretends not to be totally embarrassed.

Zilchus has no interest in introductions (no time for romance when there is work to be done) but offers Nidhi a silver.

"For her efforts, Nidhi, give this to me. See if she will play 'Whipers of the Crocodile's Tears' for me. It's a favorite."

"What do you have for someone that isn't fond of spicy food?" Florence asks as Farhaan busies himself taking their orders. "I used to not mind it so much as a child but lately it seems like I've lost my taste for it."

”Fire is the solution to everything!"

As the words ring out from the nearby table Florence shivers, feeling an all-too-familiar tightening in her chest.

Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

From underneath the table she felt Bynx rubbing against her legs and once again she was thankful for his presence. He always seemed to sense when she was feeling afraid or upset. She quickly reaches down under the table and gives him a quick pat on the head.

Thanks, Bynx. What would I do without you?

"Oh...and just water for right now, please," she adds, remembering her order. Even with Bynx by her side, she still felt a bit off-kilter. With some difficulty, she manages to refocus her attention on the conversation happening at their table.

"A song with dinner sounds nice, if she'll indulge us," Florence agrees. "And as far as questions go, I can't really think of any off the top of my head. I'm sure that when I finally do think of something, it'll be in the middle of the night - that's usually my luck," she sighs as she glances down at the table. It was also usually her luck to be reminded of the past at the worst possible moments.

Just when I was starting to relax, too. But I can't just excuse myself now; Augustus wanted to know more about each of us.

"Sorry Augustus, I almost forgot about your question," she says as she looks up. "There's not really much for me to tell about myself. I grew up in Cassomir, lived there all of my life until very recently. My family owned an apothecary so I spent a lot of my time learning the trade as I grew up. Like I told Benedictus and some of the other applicants earlier, I'm not exactly experienced in exploring tombs and the like. But it sounds like you and Zilchus both have some experience with it - with good teachers and a little hands-on training, I'm sure I'll be fine. So I'm not all that worried."

Not much.

"What about you?" she asks of the horseman. "I didn't get a chance to talk with you earlier. What brings you to Wati?"

Zilchus leans in to hear the horseman's tale, his own story forming in his mind.

After everyone in the party finishes saying something about themselves, Nidhi stands up with Zilchus’ silver in one hand. She approaches the table with Lirgala and the man who made an exclamation about fire.

“Excuse me,” Nidhi tilts her head coyly and smiles, “are you Lirgala?” Nidhi places Zilchus’ silver on the table and slides it closer to Lirgala. “Do you mind performing Whipers of the Crocodile's Tears? It’s one of my companion’s favorites.” Nidhi curls her fingers and points a thumb behind herself towards Zilchus. Nidhi laughs gaily, finding humor in being a bard requesting another bard to perform.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"What do you have for someone that isn't fond of spicy food?" Florence asks as Farhaan busies himself taking their orders. "I used to not mind it so much as a child but lately it seems like I've lost my taste for it."

”You and the other lass, nice and mild. Got it.” Farhaan bustles off to the kitchen to put in your orders with chef.

“Excuse me,” Nidhi tilts her head coyly and smiles, “are you Lirgala?” Nidhi places Zilchus’ silver on the table and slides it closer to Lirgala. “Do you mind performing Whipers of the Crocodile's Tears? It’s one of my companion’s favorites.” Nidhi curls her fingers and points a thumb behind herself towards Zilchus. Nidhi laughs gaily, finding humor in being a bard requesting another bard to perform.

The woman looks at you, but frowns. Her companions, especially the fiery one, laugh. She darkens a little with embarrassment and mutters, ”Oh dear, that’s very sweet, but I don’t do that anymore.” A tall thin man at the table, with a book which he carefully closes lest you see it’s contents, says ”Oh, go on. You’ve only been an adventurer for a day.” and the other two members of the group laugh again as Lirgala grows more embarrassed.

Pretty soon they’re chanting, ”Sing, sing, sing!” and she finally rises up, clearly a little angry, and agrees. Standing she regains her composure and asks of the room, ”Does anyone here play the ney?”

An Ulfen woman from another table joins her, ”It’s not a ney, but it’s close.” she says as she removes a recorder from her gear. With a short conversation, the two figure out a song they can do together. It’s not Whipers of the Crocodile's Tears, but the deeper tone of the recorder and the lighter tone of the voice blend together nicely and the music is beautiful, though it's clear that Lirgala is the superior talent.

They eventually stop… to a resounding round of applause.

The ney is an Osirion flute.

Ben applaudes the performance with a vacuous smile, his thoughts drifting away in relax. For a moment, he enjoys the rowdy round of applause, the overlapping voices filling the room, the ringing whistles of the roaring crowd. He never had time to actually enjoy the moment. Osirion. This is the place where I was born, these are the people to whom I truly belong, this is the land my eyes saw first.

"I'll add something about me, since everyone here has introduced himself in a way or another". Ben clears his throat and scratches the back of his head. "Ten years or so ago my tutor, a renowned Chelish professor by the name of Beltias Leround, suggested that I should complement my theoretical study with some actual experience on the field. I refused. I thought that as a scholar, my duty was to study what others unearthed for me. Now I know I was wrong.”

Benedictus hunches his shoulders. “Anyway, I’m here now. I can provide the group with the knowledge about Osirion and its history I’ve developed during the course of my years of study. I’m also able to cast a few arcane spells. Nothing too flashy, but they can prove quite useful if cast at the right time. Magic is a rather new field of interest to me, and I’m looking forward to expand my knowledge about it as soon as possible”.

Zilchus bangs on the table with appreciation, trying to catch Nidhi's eye to deliver his silver despite not playing his song. As the applause dies down, he turns his head to the Professor, again drawing his head close.

"Looks like Lirgala has also been drawn into doing some exploring and forming a team for the auction. I'm sure her and her team will represent Osirion well, as will we," Zilchus confides. "Their team could grow once the crowd that Adbur's find their places, I tell you what. But as long as they respect the rules of the Ruby Prince, we have little to worry about."

Zilchus continues to eat and waits for Augustus to offer his story.

"Magic, right?" Florence says as she applauds the fine performance. "I guess we have something in common." Then she thinks back to her journey to Wati and of the little gnome she met along the way. Peony had tried to help her out by sharing what she herself knew of magic. It had been...interesting, to say the least. And more than a little frustrating at times.

"Well, sort of? My methods seem a little different from most...but it works, and that's what matters I guess."

Ben leans toward Zilchus once again. "Competition is an incentive for success", the scholar whispers with a smile. "But I'm curious about these rules of whom you speak. I mean, I know Osirian laws pretty well, at least for a foreigner, but I wonder how strict is the pharaoh in his law enforcing. In Cheliax..." Ben looks around quickly. When talking about Cheliax he had learned to be wary, regardless of the contents of his words. "In Cheliax law enforcement is very strict, so much that even corruption, which is inevitable, has been regulated. Does the Ruby Prince hold a detachment here in Wati, as far as you know?"

---

Ben snaps his fingers and yawns. "I'm starting to feel very tired. It's been a tiring day...Augustus, what about you? We're eager to know more about your abilites! Come on, don't keep us waiting. I, for one, am very curious about your skills...aside from the great endeavors you told us before".

The woman looks at you, but frowns. Her companions, especially the fiery one, laugh. She darkens a little with embarrassment and mutters, ”Oh dear, that’s very sweet, but I don’t do that anymore.” A tall thin man at the table, with a book which he carefully closes lest you see it’s contents, says ”Oh, go on. You’ve only been an adventurer for a day.” and the other two members of the group laugh again as Lirgala grows more embarrassed.

While Lirgala sings, Nidhi continues to stand where she initially approached Lirgala, taking the time to observe the fiery one, the tall thin man, and the two others. In the following order:

Perception : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 (fiery one)

Perception : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 (tall thin man with book)

Perception : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 (Other member #1)

Perception : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 (Other member #2)

If any of them catch Nidhi staring, Nidhi smiles and nods before directing her eyes towards the performance. After 10 seconds, Nidhi resumes her Perception. When the performance finishes, Nidhi personally thanks Lirgala and makes sure Lirgala accepts Zilchus’ silver (currently on the table). “My name is Nidhi Aashirya by the way. I’m a tailor here in Midwife. May I ask who you all are?” Nidhi addresses the fiery one, tall thin man and the two others in the party, smiling and trying to look encouraging. Nidhi doesn't use Sense Motive because she doesn’t think they would have any reason to lie.

Regardless of polite or rude responses, Nidhi smiles politely and wishes them Pharasma’s blessing if they plan on entering the tombs. “May Pharasma’s fate be kind to you in all your adventures. Does your adventure perhaps begin with the Pharaoh’s lottery?”

Nidhi gathers as much information she can, trying not to be too inquisitive. If they ask about Nidhi, she responds: “If given the privilege, I plan on exploring the tombs but, before that, I think my companions and I are going to visit The Great Library of Tephu tomorrow.” Nidhi sees no problem with telling the strangers her plans because their initial interaction seemed friendly enough.

Nidhi returns to the table with her companions. I’m hungry. I should've eaten more of grandma’s cookies. Nidhi sits down in her seat. She can’t help but smile. “I’m excited about tomorrow but I’m not sure what I’m going to do while you pour over books all day Benedictus.” Nidhi makes a sidelong glance at Augustus. I can’t imagine him in a library either.

Nidhi turns to Florence: “Do you frequent libraries Florence?”

After a few minutes of listening to the others, Nidhi declares: "Zilchus, perhaps next time you should ask Lirgala to sing yourself. She was more than amiable." Nidhi laughs and asks with a glitter in her eyes: "Or, are you perhaps starstruck by well-known entertainers?" Nidhi gives emphasis to 'starstruck.'

"What about you?" she asks of the horseman. "I didn't get a chance to talk with you earlier. What brings you to Wati?"

"I came here for a job. My previous employer hired me to get him to Wati for the digs. We planned on creating our own team but Abdur snagged me first. He also probably pays better." Augustus gets a sour look on his face as he realizes that Abbe stills owes him some money. He shrugs to himself knowing that he will find the man and get his gold later. "Initially I travelled this way for work and adventure. It seems I hit the jackpot"

As the others talk about Largala, Augustus turns to stare at her. He runs a hand through his hair and waits for her to finish her song before attempting to catch her attention. He stands and tried to make himself look as large as possible before addressing her. Hello beautiful! My friends we're saying that you're a fairly well known singer arounds these parts. Would you happen to know any songs about Augustus Voralius and his daring adventures? If so I think we'd all love to hear them!" He turns back towards his table as he says this with a wide grin on his face.

Not sure if i should be making any sort of diplomacy or charisma roll here since Augustus is trying to flirt with her a bit.

If any of them catch Nidhi staring, Nidhi smiles and nods before directing her eyes towards the performance. After 10 seconds, Nidhi resumes her Perception. When the performance finishes, Nidhi personally thanks Lirgala and makes sure Lirgala accepts Zilchus’ silver (currently on the table). “My name is Nidhi Aashirya by the way. I’m a tailor here in Midwife. May I ask who you all are?” Nidhi addresses the fiery one, tall thin man and the two others in the party, smiling and trying to look encouraging. Nidhi doesn't use Sense Motive because she doesn’t think they would have any reason to lie.

There are four total at the table. The man voicing his love of fire, is in fact a dwarf (which I should have mentioned sooner by the way, sorry) who is, strangely enough, wearing hide armor. He introduces himself as ”Fergrim, at your service.” and seems friendly enough. Though he’s got heavy armor, heavy clothes, and assorted other gear, he’s the only one in the room not sweating - very strange! He’s got a longspear in reach leaning against the fifth chair, loaded with other packs and gear from the group.

The tall thin man carries no fewer than two scroll tubes, and you see another book sticking out of his pack, besides the one he was examining. He’s the quiet one at the table, introducing himself as ”The arcanist Verichi.” He's hard to read. Finally, the third member of the group is rather formidable, wearing a breastplate, and carrying a greatsword as well as a heavy flail. ”Wernan” is all he grunts when its his turn for introductions, and it’s clear he’s uncomfortable at the examination. You catch him staring back at you a few times during the performance.

Regardless of polite or rude responses, Nidhi smiles politely and wishes them Pharasma’s blessing if they plan on entering the tombs. “May Pharasma’s fate be kind to you in all your adventures. Does your adventure perhaps begin with the Pharaoh’s lottery?”

”Yes, it certainly does.” says Fergrim, ”And we aim to do well at that. You in the lottery? Got a sponsor yet? That was the hardest part to be honest. The rest will be a walk in the park!” he exclaims, pounding on the table. Verichi nods in agreement, though he’s more reserved with their chances, ”If your fire is all it’s cracked up to be. I have my doubts.” he says dryly.

Which gets them going again about the refinement and nature of fire. You’re quickly forgotten by the pair as they renew their friendly argument and you drift back to your table. You can't help but shake the sense that they don't know each other any better than your group does. They too are likely newly linked together in this endeavor.

As the others talk about Largala, Augustus turns to stare at her. He runs a hand through his hair and waits for her to finish her song before attempting to catch her attention. He stands and tried to make himself look as large as possible before addressing her. Hello beautiful! My friends we're saying that you're a fairly well known singer arounds these parts. Would you happen to know any songs about Augustus Voralius and his daring adventures? If so I think we'd all love to hear them!" He turns back towards his table as he says this with a wide grin on his face.

She smiles, and her warmth and glow from the performance shines through it. ”Why thank you Augustus Voralius, that’s very kind. I knew a Chelaxian Archaeologist by the name of Vorailus. What was his name… Auric I think. Or Auran. No that’s a language, silly me.” she smiles again. "Did you know him? A distant relation perhaps?"

She presses on, taking a nod or shake of the head to be enough, ”Unfortunately I don’t know any songs about you - yet.” she laughs, but clearly not at you, but rather at her own ignorance.

"Zilchus, perhaps next time you should ask Lirgala to sing yourself. She was more than amiable.Or, are you perhaps starstruck by well-known entertainers?"

Zilchus smiles, embarrassed, yet not.

"I already told you that I have no time for love," he replies, his eyes watching Augustus' confident swagger over to the woman. "You were already going over and I didn't want to bother her. Like I said, no time...need to focus on the important things, you know?"

Zilchus seems content to finish his meal, making small talk, and watching Augustus in case the man's brash manner rubs someone the wrong way.

When that spectacle is over, Zilchus will see about the rooms that Abdur mentioned, taking (or sharing one with others) a room and a bed.

Come the morning, he will be breakfasted and ready to go early after his morning imprecations.

"Do you frequent libraries Florence?”

"To be honest, not very often," Florence admits. "Sometimes we'd have to consult our own books when we'd get an order for a medicine or tonic that we didn't make very often, but that was about it. The rest really came down to practice and hands-on experience."

"To be honest, the last time I really studied a book was on the trip here. I realized that learning the local language might be a good idea, because someone might want to talk to me," she chuckles. "Not to mention it's the polite thing to do."

As they watch Augustus head over to speak with Lirgala, Florence smiles with amusement. "I'm glad you and him aren't shy at least," she nods at Nidhi. "You two could be our ambassadors!"

-------------

Noticing that the hour was indeed growing late, Florence also moves to take her leave from the table. "Guess we've got an early start in the morning then. Sleep well everyone and we'll see you in the morning for breakfast," she says as she gathers up her things. "Come on Bynx, let's go get settled in."

She gets a few steps from the table before pausing. "Hey Nidhi? I figured you'd probably rather sleep in your own home tonight but you also welcome to share with me if you'd like."

Once the matter of who is staying in which rooms is decided, woman and cat take their leave and head off to bed.

"Thank you Florence, that's very kind of you but I think I'll return home tonight. Actually, if you all need a bed, my grandmother rents out the secondary room above her shop. Fair warning: it's pretty cozy."

"Shall we meet back at Tooth and Hookah in the morning?"

After the party enjoys their dinner, Nidhi decides to return to her grandmother's shop for the night.

"You're welcome. I sort of figured as much but I thought I'd offer," Florence replies. "And thank you too but I'll be okay here for now. I'd hate to intrude."

Not to mention Abdur was nice enough to make sure we had rooms. I'd also hate to refuse his generosity.

Ben kindly turns down Nidhi’s invitation, although on their way back to her grandmother’s home, he makes arrangements for a custom-made robe, leaving Jharna all the space to put her creativity at work. “There’s just one thing I need. Pockets. A lot of them.” The scholar lets the woman take his measures and promises to come back in a few days.

After having said goodbye to Nidhi, Benedictus follows the other at Purusha’s Inn, the place Abdur had recommended for their stay. Ben asks for a single room, but if that’s not available, he accepts to share a room with Zilchus and takes the opportunity to show the Osirian his spellbook and his greensting scorpion, introducing the latter as “Stingy. I couldn’t find a better name. Perhaps you can suggest one to me? I’d like something with an Osirian vibe to it”.

---

The next morning, Ben wakes up almost at dawn. Taking care not to make too much noise, he pulls out his spellbook from the waterproof bag and spends some time rehearsing his spells, funny hand-gestures included. After almost an hour, he stretches and lets out a yawn. He washes his face, if water is available, wears his hot-weather clothes and joins the others for breakfast. He asks for milk, if possible, otherwise he settles for whatever the house has to offer. “I’m looking forward to see the Grand Library”, he says to the others as he eats, forgetting his Chelish etiquette for a moment, “What are you going to do while I stay there?”

After eating his breakfast, Benedictus meticulously organizes his backpack for departure. Those who observe him closely notice that the scholar does it very patiently and thoroughly, almost as if the whole process allowed him to relax. When he’s done, after almost ten minutes, Ben stares at the others. “Is anyone coming with me in the Library? I could use some help!”
______________________________
Following on Zilchus’ push and moving the action a little forward, if it’s fine for everyone.

“Stingy. I couldn’t find a better name. Perhaps you can suggest one to me? I’d like something with an Osirian vibe to it”.

---

Ben stares at the others. “Is anyone coming with me in the Library? I could use some help!”

Zilchus smiles as he introduced to Stingy, keeping his hands, legs, and face far away from the creature. He respects the sand scorpion and no desire to feel its sting.

"Stingy is a fine name...a name that inspires fear and pain at those who cross it. Why would you want to change that?" Zilchus says somberly serious. "Would that my name be 'Blade' or 'Retribution', then others would be wary of crossing me, yes? No, Stingy is a good name. A good, strong name."

---

"I shall go to the library as well," Zilchus replies, having nothing better to do.

OK folks! Welcome to the discussion thread.

First things first, everything that happened in the recruitment thread, actually happened. You can consider that a Jr. gameplay thread. It’s how you’ve all met, it’s an introduction to poor Abdur, everything. We’ll start the gameplay thread in a bit, in Abdur’s office.

Second, I’m serious when I say I don’t care about your builds. I do care, they should be reasonably done naturally, but role play is far more important here. We’ll make the party work, though I think you’re pretty well balanced.

I’ve reviewed your builds and have some minor comments/questions.

A note about familiars since two of you have them. If you keep them tucked away, I’ll not go after them in most cases. Bring them out though to make attacks, carry spells, etc. and they’re fair game like any other PC. Benedictus, I suggest you get a familiar satchel or the like for their protection.

Next, please check the following spoilers for accuracy. Ignore the ‘good folks’ line. That’s just my notation for your opponents. Let me know if you have any special abilities that might effect these rolls (like Benedictus’ surprise round action).

Finally, the Treasure Sheet. Everyone can ‘see’ it, but only I can write to it currently. I’d like one of you to take over, at least temporarily, as the treasure tracker. I’m fine if you trade off over time, but there should always be one person, not me, in charge so I know who to nag if it gets behind. :)

I’ll add the first few things and teach whomever gets the gig how it works. It’s pretty automated, so the biggest problem is usually just cut-and-pasting the loot over and looking up values for things I don’t already provide. I do not worry about appraising non-magical gear. i assume you’ll get professionals to check it over before selling anything to ensure you’re not being taken advantage of. No need to play that out each and every time you sell a trinket. There will be some role play of loot naturally, but I don’t want to get bogged down in it. You’re heroes not merchants. Uh, probably.

Hey all! I'm so glad to be here! My thanks to Euan for the selection. I'm looking forward to share this adventure with you all!

Treasure Tracking I volunteer for keeping the treasure sheet up to date. I'll need some instructions from Euan, but I'm willing to do it at least for the first module.

As for my build, I'm going to change my stats as decided as soon as possible. I'm fine with your way of managing initiative Euan. No problems at all about that. As for drawback, Ive chosen my traits accordingly to it. So much potential in that drawback! I took student of philosophy (trait) just to ensure I will actually use Diplomacy and fail my checks every now and then.

I'm definitely buying the familiar satchel.

Hello, checking in and thank you for the selection! I'm really looking forward to playing with everyone :)

Re: familiars - Right now I have no intentions of sending Bynx into combat so we should be good, for the most part. I am toying with the idea of whether I'd like to take a familiar archetype for him (assuming such would be allowed) or if I want to 'upgrade' him to an Improved Familiar on down the line; most of the familiar archetypes don't stack with Improved Familiars so it's either one or the other. Still thinking over which would make the most sense for him.

Re: stats and stuff - I don't think I'll be doing much changing to my stats or build aside from possibly adjusting spell selection a bit, if needed.

Initiative and perception setups look good to me!

Thanks to the good professor for volunteering to track loot, by the way :)

As an aside I'm working tonight so it might be a bit before I get a chance to check back in but I'll try to poke my head in as opportunity presents itself :)

Benedictus - great. I’ll do some of the data entry initially, so you can see how things work, but I’ll share it with you shortly.

Florence - your spell selections are fine for now. Keep ‘em both. I don’t think they’ll be unbalancing.

Player 3 enters the game.

Hey all, nice to meet you.

I hope we have a rocking good time with this. Forgive what may be some jiltedness in my early posts for Zilchus, his voice and mannerisms are still new to me. They will come in time.

I look forward to this; let's have fun.

Hello! No worries on that, it usually takes me a bit of playing to really nail down a character voice too :)

*edit* Since Gameplay is up I'm going to do the dot-and-delete to get the campaign on my Campaigns page; will try and get a proper post up in a bit.

Checking in and very glad I was accepted for the campaign.

As for my steed, It shouldn't be too much of a problem to not have him all of the time. I planned on building the character to not rely on mounted combat. I just get some extra bonuses when I am mounted. I will look at the archetypes though and let you know if I see anything that works better for the AP.
I may want to change my teamwork feat though since I took it to pair with my friends character.
Is anyone in here planning on or willing to take a teamwork feat though?

Is anyone in here planning on or willing to take a teamwork feat though?

Zilchus shakes his head, having little teamwork within him. He has often acted alone, so working with others will be new for him.

It's good to see you're up for this, Zilchus! I'm sure we'll have some fun together! Also, Florence, Augustus and Nidhi...it's nice to see you here!

A couple more things...

To speed things up, if it's agreeable, I'll assume any magics you encounter will be identified with Detect Magic, taking-10 by your most skilled character. I think that means Benedictus, with a +8 will be the lead identifier.

The upside is that it speeds up the process of identifying items, but the downside is it does count as his attempt for the day, so if he fails, he cannot then roll that day to ID the item more closely. Others of you of course can, and Benedictus can check the following day as per standard rules.

Further, there's a prestige class in the AP that is available to you. The Living Monolith (link) is a little different, and takes some doing to achieve. As with most prestige classes I'm not sure it's worth it, but it is rather keen if you're interested. Please chat with me though if you're planning to head down this road so we can coordinate.

That makes perfect sense to me GM. Also, if the first check fails, I could cast identify in order to learn more about the properties of a particularly powerful magic item.

Sounds like a plan on IDing the magic goodies; just assume that Florence will help out when needed if Ben has any trouble with something!

As far as teamwork feats go, erm...let's just say that Florence isn't really who you'd want watching your back in the middle of a melee. Her talents lie elsewhere :)

That prestige class is certainly flavorful for the AP but it's not a path I see Flor heading down!

While I'm thinking about it, I wanted to mention that as far as posting goes my posting times will fluctuate somewhat since my work schedule varies a bit from week to week. On Mondays I'll almost always be unavailable to post until early to mid-afternoon CST (GMT -6 I believe) when I get home from work. As for the rest of the week I'm usually off a few days in the middle of the week and then work a couple of night shifts somewhere in the Thursday-Saturday range. So don't be surprised if you see posts from me at all sorts of strange hours :)

Hello everyone! I’m excited to be picking up this new hobby! I’m probably the most novice in this campaign so advice and suggestions are always welcome!

Checking in for the day. I plan on posting when I get back home tonight. I just moved to a new place yesterday so I'm still getting things settled here.

No worries Augustus, I hope you're able to get settled in okay!

Nidhi, I'm really digging your writing style :)

More of a general question for the group: in other games that sometimes move quickly and/or have a lot going on, I sometimes do a 'flashback' of sorts and tag it under a spoiler if something happened that my character would've responded to but the action moved on before I had a chance to post. Would that be okay here or would it be too confusing, even with spoilers to keep it less cluttered?

Also sorry for all the little posts today; I had the day off and a new campaign is always super exciting.

Florence, thank you!

Personally, I'm fine with flashbacks on the main gameplay page. I feel the same way - there have been 2 instances (so far) where I wanted to add a line or two but I felt as if I missed the time frame for opportunity.

No worries Augustus, I hope you're able to get settled in okay!

+1 to this. I'm usually a fast poster and oft-pusher, but have been trying to go slower to allow the group to find their pace and get accustomed to checking the thread.

I've been playing with GM Evilan for a long time and respect that his greatest skill is consistency: you know you'll get an update in the morning and there is almost always more posts in combat.

More of a general question for the group: in other games that sometimes move quickly and/or have a lot going on, I sometimes do a 'flashback' of sorts and tag it under a spoiler if something happened that my character would've responded to but the action moved on before I had a chance to post. Would that be okay here or would it be too confusing, even with spoilers to keep it less cluttered?

+1 to this. I've been known to have spoilered flashbacks and side chats as well.

I'm totally fine with spoilered flashbacks as well, provided we don't get too carried away. With luck, I'll get our game-flow perfectly balanced and everyone will have time to post to everything in it's right place and time (hahahahahaha).

But I'd rather have more role play than less, and will adjust the campaign to allow for it. For example, we haven't started on page 1 of the AP quite yet... we're still in the pre-AP stage, and with the addition of Tephu, will be for a while yet.

So stretch your creative legs, and if we move too fast, spoiler away! :)

Benedictus - Lirgala is Osirion, and well known in the Wati pub scene, a city in Osirion, so the +1 definitely applies.

Indeed it is, but there was no way for me to know the check was about Osirion without reading the spoiler XD Any thoughts on how we can solve this issue in the future? Perhaps an asterisk (*) in the spoiler title to let us know that the check is about Osirion or its people?

Yes, as I think a few of you have that feat, or will, if it's an Osirion question, I'll asterisk it so you know to apply the bonus. Easy!

Yes, as I think a few of you have that feat, or will, if it's an Osirion question, I'll asterisk it so you know to apply the bonus. Easy!

Cool, thanks!

Oh don't worry, I won't overdo it with the spoilers! I mostly try to save them for things that seem fairly important or for moments where someone or something specifically addressed my character in some fashion. It's a pretty big bummer to try and engage another PC and not get any real response so I try very hard not to let things like that slip by me.

It's a pretty big bummer to try and engage another PC and not get any real response so I try very hard not to let things like that slip by me.

Totally.

Along the same lines, if Zilchus ignores you, it's probably because he(I) missed it. Feel free to bump it again or call me out. Sometimes I miss things or read things wrong...lemme know when that happens!

Benedictus stats have been updated. He has now 12 Con, 10 Str and 12 Wis. I updated all the relative modifiers accordingly. Also, I removed his rank in Craft (alchemy) in order to put his FCB into his hp. I shall put a rank in that skill as soon as Ben reaches 2nd level.

Also, there's something I've realized only now. Thanks to his familiar, Ben gets the benefits of the Alertness feat, giving him a +2 bonus to both Perception and Sense Motive. These conditional modifiers are calculated in brackets in his stats line, next to his Perception and Sense Motive modifiers.

Question 1: Can I make a Perception (Wis) roll if it is a class skill but I haven't put a point into it? If yes, will my Perception be capped at 10 until I put a skill point into it?

Question 2: What does FCB stand for?

Nope. Only knowledge skills are capped at 10. Check the individual skill descriptions (link) for more information.

Perception is not capped. If you have a +1 and roll a 20, you get 21. :)

FCB - Favored Class Bonus (link)

I suspect you have not yet applied your free skill bump for being human, or your Favored Class Bonuses. Let me know if you have further questions. :)

Ugh, first days of classes finally over. Sorry for the late post today guys.

I missed your character's comic relief!

No worries Augustus! I got called in to work tonight so I'm just now getting a chance to check the forums again.

And yes, comic relief is always welcome :D

Agreed, post when you can, but don't worry so much. We're still getting into a rhythm and there will always be interruptions. ;)

There's a mistake in my last post. I thought that Abdur had pointed us to the Purusha's Inn to sleep, while that Inn is in Tephu instead. As such, I believe we spent our night at Milki. Sorry for the mistake ;)

GM, a few questions about money and treasure tracking. Am I supposed to put the money we spent for mundane things like transport in the treasure sheet when they amount to more than a few gp? Also, should I note down other mundane purchases such as the familiar's satchel and the souvenirs in the treasure sheet or is it enough to subtract the amount spent from my character's sheet?

The treasure tracking sheet is only for large group purchases (like wands, buildings, etc.) and income (mostly income). You should track your own income and expenses on your own sheet, or wherever it makes you happy so long as it's tracked independently of the treasure sheet.

I'm also not worried about a gold piece here and there, meals, residence, etc. I don't want to worry about that level of tracking, to free you up for more role play and less a game of Papers & Paychecks. :)

Do track anything that runs a few gold or more, and I do expect you to track arrows and arrow purchases (as those accumulate) and the like. It's a little inconsistent as they are also cheap, but you should know where your gear is coming from.

Don't sweat things like rations/water when you're in/near a community. However, should you decide to head out into the wild, you'll want to track that carefully so you know when you start dying...

The treasure tracking sheet is only for large group purchases (like wands, buildings, etc.) and income (mostly income). You should track your own income and expenses on your own sheet, or wherever it makes you happy so long as it's tracked independently of the treasure sheet.

I'm also not worried about a gold piece here and there, meals, residence, etc. I don't want to worry about that level of tracking, to free you up for more role play and less a game of Papers & Paychecks. :)

Do track anything that runs a few gold or more, and I do expect you to track arrows and arrow purchases (as those accumulate) and the like. It's a little inconsistent as they are also cheap, but you should know where your gear is coming from.

Don't sweat things like rations/water when you're in/near a community. However, should you decide to head out into the wild, you'll want to track that carefully so you know when you start dying...

Perfect, thanks!

I'm also not worried about a gold piece here and there, meals, residence, etc. I don't want to worry about that level of tracking, to free you up for more role play and less a game of Papers & Paychecks. :)

Dude, I'm a subscriber to the Accountants supplement product line. Do you mind if I bring in some material from the recent Actuairials and Abacii recent release? It has some nice feats for tracking compound interest on crocodile teeth.

Also, would you look over the 'Spreadsheets of Power' section? Will you allow that in this game?

Lol. Dude, I do animal rescue for a living. I know this is a cat(link) trap. You can't fool me...but Zilchus...*sigh*...

Snipped from Gameplay to avoid clutter. That's really cool that you do animal rescue! I don't have any sort of experiences like that, but growing up from about age 7 or so we always had at least one cat running around so I'm painfully aware of the traps they like to lay for their human slaves :3

(I'm a sucker for cats, something that should be apparent if you ever peek at my aliases.)

That also reminds me that I've not really introduced myself here. I already know our GM a little from another game where we're both players and I know *of* Zilchus (Painlord) by reputation and his PbP guides, but that's about it. I'm Lady Ladile (Kristin) from Tennessee and I've been gaming for about 18 years or so, though I've only been doing PbP on Paizo for about 3. When I'm not on the forums or doing other things in my spare time, I make a living working in a hospital laboratory.

Anyone else? Feel free to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with :)

Whaaaaaaat? I feel like everybody knows everybody else except for me and Augustus. It must be a small community?

-------------

My name is Carol and I live in Richmond, Virginia. I'm a cat-person as well and always had a cat growing up (although I don't currently have a cat.) I mainly play games like League of Legends, Diablo 3 (I love Blizzard games), and Pokemon (Go, 3DS, console.)

My boyfriend plays video games with me and we built both of our towers. We met playing Magic: The Gathering but I don't play much anymore. (He still does.) All the gaming stores in our area (5-6) also have Pathfinder and DnD but I wanted to try something I could do from home in my pajamas.

I recently graduated from college. (Sounds like Augustus is still in college.) I may be going back for my masters but I'm not sure yet.

I’ve been gaming in the world of D&D since 1977 with the ‘blue box’ basic set. Picked up Pathfinder when I moved to California in 2010 or so having joined a game with Painlord as another player. He suckered me into Pathfinder Society and that lead naturally to Play By Post where I spend my time these days.

This is my third campaign as a DM on these boards, but I’ve been a DM of one game or another more or less nonstop since ’77. I feel old now…

I know Benedictus only a little as he DMed a game I was in for a short time, and Florence I know even less as we’ve been in a game together but also only for a short time. So yeah, it is a relatively small community. :)

I’m living in the Bay Area, CA now with my wife, as well as a cat and dog who mostly get along. By day I part-own a company that helps folks do probate without an attorney, saving thousands. Luckily, as owner, I can take my breaks in my hobby - PbP is great.

Anyway, I better get back to the gameplay thread before you lot take over my library!

I sent some private/public stuff to Nidhi & Florence, but will elaborate on that here.

I've been playing D&D forever as well, but got into Pathfinder in 2008-9 when I failed to find fun in 4e. I had played a lot of Living Greyhawk (the 3.5 living campaign) and started PFS play in the Bay Area and grew out region to one of the biggest.

Yes, I was able to dupe convince Euan to come play PFS after we both joined an infinitely awful Curse of the Crimson Throne game.

Euan eventually helped me organize some of the biggest PFS conventions on the USA (at the time), including Kublacon and Pacificon.

But after getting really sick of bad PFS policy encouraging bad play (and despite my ability to try to train better players), I've mostly left PFS play for PbP play. Yes, even again suckered convinced Euan of the benefits of online play, and I've never regretted it.

I still want to be a better player and encourage better players around me...and I am in the process of slowly collecting ideas for another guide. But mostly, I like PbP play as a creative outlet during the day.

Outside of this, I enjoy my wife and cats and live in the Bay Area.

Why don't you like PFS? What do you mean by bad PFS policy? You get to play your character basically wherever you want!

Why don't you like PFS? What do you mean by bad PFS policy? You get to play your character basically wherever you want!

Oh, I don't want to discourage you from playing PFS. I encourage you to enjoy it. :)

We can have a discussion of the policy and the merits of such as you wish, but it should happen via PM.

PFS is good for many things and I encourage you to go enjoy.

I can't speak to the experience of playing PFS live since there's no presence in my area, but I've done some playing here on the forums. On the whole I think I still prefer to play modules/APs/homebrews via PbP than PFS, but it's still been plenty of fun and something I'd encourage you to check out if you're interested :)

And yeah, it's sort of a small community on the forums. If you spend enough time in the Recruitment forum you'll start to recognize a lot of the same people even if you never end up actually playing in a game with them.

Hey all. Checking in finally! Just got done with a bunch of school/school work and its not fun. I'm going to take care of some non related school stuff and I promise to post before I go to bed tonight.

I've been gaming for 6 years now. I discovered the game very late, when I was 20, but since then it has quickly become my favorite hobby.

Unlike all of you, I'm based in another continent: Europe. I live in Italy, where I work as a translator for the Italian version of the Pathfinder RPG and earn my living through a scholarship. I'm currently studying for my PhD, and simarly to Benedictus, I plan to become a Professor one day, although I already made some lessons. Next year I'll move to France, where I'm going to continue my PhD at the Sorbonne. I'd love to come to the U.S. and work as a professor there, either at high school or university, but I don't know how things work there. But that's definitely something I will at least try. My primary areas of interest are late medieval & early modern history and philosophy. I'm not married yet, although I live with my girlfriend, and I have no pets with me currently.

I don't like PFS either, especially in PbP; we don't have PFS IRL at all, here in Italy. As for its PbP transposition, well...I'm not going to go into the details now, but I don't think it suits my tastes.

Ben, were you born in Italy? Your English is excellent if you're not a native speaker.

Yes, I was born in Bari, southern Italy. I'm not a native speaker, so I thank you for your praise Nidhi!

Off to work so it may be a bit until my next post. In the meantime, do you still need a rank in the relevant knowledge skill to make a check here? If so, Flor will be about as much help as Zilchus on this one :P

In the library checks may be made untrained with no limits.

Further, the library itself adds to your checks, in some categories, if you are trained.

Figured i'd introduce myself as well.
I've been gaming since i was pretty young, D&D 3.5, 4th and 5th edition as well as Pathfinder. I've never tries PFS and this is my first PBP game ever. I live in Las Vegas and until a couple weeks ago worked in a Pharmaceutical Research Company. I decided to go back to school though. I'm currently not married but I have a 4 month old son.
I hope that this game really helps get me into the PBP community and that I can become friends with you all.