GM Rednal's Mark of the Chosen (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

"If I had to tell you about everyone who's employed around here, you wouldn't have time for much else." he observed. "Trust me, for what we're trying to accomplish here, delegating is the way to go. You focus on the big stuff, and let the rest of us take care of the little things. Besides, we've got plenty of antidote, and a bit of sickness would be a good encouragement for those who don't have sense to find some."

The tone of her voice is honey over steel. "Oh, I'm not trying to manage everything, but I will set policy/ One of those policies is that we aren't just going to let people stumble over hazards for their own betterment."

After a moment, Ploutin nodded. "As you wish... ma'am."

Have I met all of the interesting people or are there still more to go?

Well, technically, I could keep generating NPCs for as long as you wanted to meet them... but that would mainly be for fun and roleplaying at this point. (There's nothing wrong with that if it's what you want to do - just note that there are no real mechanical benefits for continuing to look around right now.) Checking back later, after the place has grown somewhat, might yield better results.

Then she will check over her equipment to be ready for the next bit of adventure coming her way.

Checking over your equipment - and performing what maintenance was necessary - was an easy enough task. Another week or so passed by, and you could see Caer Sirona slowly but surely advancing forwards as work continued and policies went into effect.

The balanced security posture had never been likely to satisfy everyone - there were always hard-liners and soft-hearted folk - but it certainly appeared to be getting the job done and was helping both security and the castle's finances. Meanwhile, the quick completion of the citadel's Scriviner area meant that a few more resources for magic were available, and that'd probably be worth paying a visit.

More immediately useful was the way your spy network appeared to have made good use of the money you'd provided to them, and reports were trickling in of individuals who were willing to side with the returned gods. The army, too, was starting to show the fruits of its training.

You have gained 15 points to invest into faiths. In addition, you can select a bonus Tactic for the army to learn (check Ultimate Campaign if you're not familiar with them). This Tactic does not count against the army's normal limit, although it must be one they can use. In addition, pick two more buildings to get started on.

I will apply 8 to World and 7 to Day. For the tactic, I will have Ploutin teach the army a few tricks. Dirty Fighting. As for improvements, I'll go for Woodland trails and wells. Ensuring we have food and water.

Castle Events (1-75 Growth, 76-100 Attack): 1d100 ⇒ 4

Aah, excellent. XD With your current buildings factoring in, you got Growth, so you have another 17 points to invest into faiths.

I'll add in 14 to World and 3 to Day. We need to ramp up food production.

Through heavy investment and efforts, the new faiths of the world were starting to spread... and at the moment, none were growing faster than World itself. Allete dropped by a week or so after construction on the last of the Curtain Walls had finished, looking pleased to report that World's faith was now established properly. It still wasn't a very large faith just yet, but they'd been successful in converting a number of farmers, hunters, and fishers to a deity (or trio of deities, rather) who actually cared about their success. It would take a fair bit more effort to make the church truly prosperous, but real growth could be seen and measured in World's faith.

The days of work and preparation continued, until you woke up one morning to find Physis sitting in the chair across from your bed. Unlike the last time you'd seen her, she appeared entirely human-sized, with none of the immensity her presence usually offered. "Good morning, chosen one." she said. "I have finally located the one I wish to lead my... church, I believe you call them? Are you prepared to travel?"

She stretches and yawns. Getting strange visitors at odd hours was just another thing she had to get used to. "And a good morning to you. Give me a few minutes to wash and get dressed and I'll be ready to leave." Even when staying here, she kept her pack ready, just in case.

Before long, she's all ready to head out.

As you prepared, Physis was apparently communicating with Jevan, because the half-drow boy was waiting for you at the front gate with a map of the area. "So, you're looking for someone named Gwai... Gwef..." he grimaced. "Sorry, Gwenhwyfar. Kinda hard for me to pronounce that one. Apparently, this new goddess made some kind of covenant with her ancestors and is holding on to that - though if you ask me, she's just trying to say that her word is good and we should trust her. I knew some guys who did trading there, actually. Lot of wild animals in the area, and the local aristocrats treat it like their own private nature park.{/b] he paused again. [b]"Apparently. Never actually been to one myself. Anyway, they apparently have a lot of guards on the road that harass people, but going off-road means you could meet some animals instead. Normally I'd advise going whichever way is less risky, but..." he shrugged slightly. "I'm pretty sure you can handle it. Just wanted to make sure you know what you're likely to see out there."

"While some of the guards may be reasonable, others will likely take their orders too far. I suspect going through the wilderness will be more reasonable."

Jevan nodded slightly - you didn't need his approval for your decisions, and he knew it. He was simply taking note of your planned course of action, and before long, you were mounted and heading down the slopes. Forging ahead was certainly an option, of course - or you might get creative along the way and work to hide yourself (and/or your mount) from notice.

In other words, if you want to set anything up before we forge boldy ahead, now's the time. XD

She will cast foreshadow and see hazard to keep aware on the trail. She will recall the beasts of the area and the best ways to avoid them.

Knowledge: Nature: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Also, if we are going through the wilderness, a mount may be more trouble than it's worth.

It is a fair distance, and the mount would get you there considerably faster. ...Which, of course, assumes that speed is something you care about. XD Going without one is entirely possible, and it's your choice. For what it's worth, the higher speed of a mount would make it easier to circle around troubles, lowering the DC of the check you'd be making there.

Then we'll ride

After some consideration, you eventually ended up taking a steed out of the stables (with a few notes on proper care from the stablemaster, who clearly cared for the state of his charges).

1d20 ⇒ 4

Equine senses probably weren't a bad thing, though... about six hours out from the town by the estimates you'd been given, you felt your steed tense and slow. Off in the distance, you could see a large lion of some kind examining the area. It didn't appear to have spotted you yet, but there was no telling when that might change.

I'll pat the horse gently to keep it calm and walk away at a steady pace. I'll keep an eye on the lion and stay ready to blast it if it starts looking like it's hunting us. With hope we'll avoid it and if it does come, a sharp pain will often cause a beast to look for other prey.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

The lion didn't appear to be particularly alert at the moment - though the fact that it was alert meant you had to put at least minimal effort into evasion if you wanted to avoid its notice.

Stealth DC 11.

stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

...Emphasis on the 'minimal' effort, because you didn't have to try very hard to avoid the beast's notice and continue along through safer paths off from the main road. About an hour later, you finally came to the town you'd been given. It looked to be a moderately prosperous place, with a number of stone buildings, decent walls, and reasonably large farms. There was also a definitely poorer area. Your target was apparently somewhere in town, but no information other than that had been provided.

Did Physis come along? I had assumed so, but I realize it could be ambiguous.

She did not.

...Admittedly, that's mostly for the sake of ensuring a better game. XD Unlike the gods, Physis doesn't need to put most of her energy towards warring. If she actually came along to do things herself, they would get done - and this would just be a story I was writing in which you and your choices were irrelevant. This is a game, though, and the emphasis is always on your decisions and how they impact the world. ^^

As such, while Physis could do things, the story explanation is that she doesn't out of courtesy towards the gods and a desire to be seen as cooperative rather than a potentially rogue force. For that reason, she won't do anything the gods wouldn't.

So I simply have to guess who is the right person? okay...

She will head into town, watching and looking for anything unusual. something to catch her eye. Someone chosen of Physis would probably show a creative spark. so she heads toward the market.

Well, you did get a name.

As you walked through town, it didn't take long to see that the markets were a little... odd. Rich goods were on display, but few people were browsing them. Rather, it seemed like many of the stalls had been set up for a very small number of customers. Off to the side, you saw what looked like a large caravan settled down, with many large cages to hold animals. The food stalls saw more business than most, though the overall quality was lower than the rest of the market - and there was a clear divide.

She will browse through the stalls, enjoying the craftsmanship even though they had a ways to go before they could afford luxuries. As she browses, she will ask about Gwenhwyfar.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 12 + (6) = 30

"Gwen? Oh, she's probably over by the trade caravans somewhere. She's been trying to get that zoo group to just head off without trying to capture any of the rare beasts around here. 'Course, they're not listening to a word of it since they have permission from the Count to go hunting, but she's never known when to quit."

She will thank the merchant and head over to try and find Gwen.

You heard the girl before you saw her, though once you had, her well-made outfit helped her stand apart from most of the crowd.

"It's called an ecosystem! If you upset too much of the balance between predators and prey, things get unbalanced! Too few predators and they can't keep the prey at an appropriate population, which can mean trampled fields and hardship for people. And for what, a quick coin and a show some aristocrat will be bored of the next day? It might be legal, but it's wrong and you know it! How about making a living in a way that doesn't threaten hundreds of people!?"

Knowledge: History: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

She steps up, "She has a point. They had a huge wolf-hunt back in Glencove upriver. Next year deer and rabbits and rats decimated their crops. Lord Falvery had to spend quite a bit bringing in grain. It took many long years before their lands recovered. I'm not sure if their treasury ever will."

diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 12 + (5) = 27

The girl - clearly Gwenhwyfar - looked over in surprise as you spoke up, and you saw a definite look of appreciation in her eyes. The man (A manager? A merchant? He didn't seem like the owner, but he wasn't a simple guard or helper either) just shrugged and shook his head. "Look, I get it, you care about the animals - but I've got my own family to feed, and the boss already paid for gathering rights. We can't just take a loss that big - this is a business. Besides, maybe seeing some rare creatures will motivate the nobles to try and protect them, if only so they can get more shows in the future. They love dumping money into artsy stuff. You can holler at us all day if you want to, but it's already been decided. Might as well save your breath and go do something more useful with your time."

"You should be concerned about feeding your family next year, and the year after that," she says. She's keeping calm, but confident. "If you are not the one to stop this, then all I ask is that you hold off for long enough for us to talk with your boss." She looks over the crew, "After all, you'll need to have your trackers spend a few days locating them and preparing a strategy. You don't look like the kind of person to go blundering out and risk the lives of your men trying this by simple brute force. It would cost too much paying the families of the dead men."

"More of you?" the caravan member asked with a sigh. "It's just a couple of animals - it's not like we're depopulating half the forest. And anyway, animals die all the time from accident and injury - you're treating this like way more than it really is."

"And you're so obsessed with keeping what you have that you won't even consider a change for the better." Gwenhwyfar snapped. She glanced at you a moment later. "Much as I'd love to yell at their boss, he isn't coming anywhere near us anymore." As she spoke, her eyes flicked over to an empty alleyway well away from the caravan.

Damn that one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple post-eater!
perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35 Do I see anything special in the alley, or is this just an invitation to talk away from them?

Yeah, I like to copy my posts before I put them up. XD; Alternatively, I think there are some add-ons for browsers that auto-save information in case you lose it. Have you tried looking for one of them if you're losing posts regularly?

As near as you can tell, Gwenhwyfar's just discreetly inviting you to talk where the members of the caravan can't hear (or see) you. The alley itself looks pretty much exactly like you'd expect it to - a little overgrown, but occasionally walked through, and largely forgotten when it's not being used. There's no sign of magic, invisible assassins, or anything else lurking threateningly.

"Be careful, and consider my words." she says to the hunters.

With that, she'll head off and make her way to the alley.

Gwenhwyfar looked rather cheerful that you'd chosen to show up instead of just walking away. "Lots of them are more afraid of their bosses than they are interested in making the world a better place." she said sadly, shaking her head. "If you're interested in getting something done, though, I have an idea for convincing them."

"I am interested in stopping them. What's your idea?" she asks. "By the way I am Verthandi Fargazer."

"Gwenhwyfar." the girl said, extending a hand. "There's a deep pit outside of town, and I was just thinking how unfortunate it would be if the caravan's owner got stuck down there until he agreed to stop kidnapping animals." she paused for a moment. "Of course, I really don't want him to get hurt, so we'd have to drive the predators away for a little while first. They sometimes use the pit to trap kills, see, and having one show up would be quite awkward."

She thinks on that one for a while. "How well do you know him?" she asks, "Some men will learn from something like that and understand what it's like to be trapped. Others will come out feeling humiliated and attack more animals in order to feel like they are in control again."

"Well, it'd be easier if I could actually meet him for once..." she admitted. "Whiiiiich is why I'm planning to make him sign a binding legal document. Trust is everything for a merchant, so if word gets around that he broke one in pursuit of further profit, it's probably not going to end well."

"Then it sounds like you have things well-planned. How can I help?" she asks.

"I need help scaring off the predators. There's a few of them in the area - shouldn't be too hard to get them to clear out for a little while, and they're really not that dangerous to someone who's properly prepared for them." Gwenhwyfar explained.

"That sounds like a good plan." she says with a nod. "Lead on, Gwen.

Rather than running outside of town, Gwenhwyfar took you to what was probably her home - a moderately large place, made of stone, though it didn't have very many furnishings. After a few moments, she pulled out a map of the area and started pointing. "The pit that predators use is about 20 minutes away on foot, right here. There's some ridges around these points that stop sound from going very far, so predators usually hang out in these areas. I'll cover this region - the terrain's rougher there, and I know it better than you do. The last thing we need is one of us getting hurt when we're trying to drive predators away."