Time for a little lesson on the Aestherics. Every member enters as an initiate. There are five branches of ranks you can move up in, and you are only allowed to advance in one branch. At the head of each branch is a single person (Master Spy, Shade, Weapon Master, Warlock/Abbot, Annihilator), Heff being the current Master Spy. These 5 people form the Hand's Council, where all five are equal and make executive decisions together.
Initiate
Social: Messenger, Talker, Face, Spy, Master Spy
Stealth: Pad foot, Burglar, Thief, Shadow, Shade
Martial: Warrior, Bruiser, Enforcer, Mercenary, Weapon Master
Magic: Adept, Occultist, Magician, Thaumaturge, Warlock/Abbot
Killer: Hunter, Slayer, Cutthroat, Assassin, Annihilator
Description of branch
This branch handles anything related to charisma. Messengers, diplomats, liars, torturers, and spies. The beginning ranks get you delivering messages, spreading rumors, defusing situations and gathering information. The higher ranks get you further into the information game, where you can go into deep cover for months or years just to plan in idea, a lie, or find out a secret. This branch handles all the intel coming in and out of the Aestherics.
Thiefs, burglars, their main job is not to be noticed. Everything from small thefts to grand heists, the Stealth branch is where you go when something needs to happen quietly. Getting a powerful item, planting evidence, sneaking behind enemy lines, and learning things that others can't.
The simplest branch, but a very necessary one. Sometimes you don't need lies and stealth and magic, sometimes you need a dozen good men with fine steel in their hands. They are the muscle of the Aestherics, doing everything from beating up a target, performing snatch and grabs, and fighting the rare large scale fights the Aestherics get into.
A broad branch, as it covers everything from wizards to clerics to alchemists and everything in between. No organization can survive without magic users, the Aestherics being no exception. Arcane, divine, and science are all welcomed here. Rank is more grey here, some lower members being a walking library for a strike force while others are paper pushers. Some higher members spend hours behind their desks working over mysteries while others are terrifying battle mages or confounding illusionists.
By far the darkest branch, the Killer's have the most blood on their hands. While they occasionally set out and chase down fleeing targets and fight like a member of the Martial branch, more often their missions are well planned, cold blooded assassinations. Lower ranks kill by any means necessary, normally assigned low value targets and being told "just kill them." The higher ranks can get incredibly complex and delicate missions, such as killing a noble in a certain location at a certain time with a certain method in order to frame a group of people or make it look like an accident.
I think im going social. Though trying to get close to Alia sounds like a fun challenge. Unlike Bjorkus, Lindale has a more refined taste in women that are also harder to get. He also knows nothing of how non drow societies get mates. I think drow have females as higher up in the chain. So this could get interesting.
I really want to play against type and have Bjorkus go for spydom. He has the seduction and social saavy of 007 but lacks the sneakiness. Nobody expects the 400+ lbs bull to be a double-agent. Don't knock it till you've tried it Lindale! What better way to infiltrate an enemy organization than porking your way up the ranks?
Alas, Krokar and the face-beaters might be where he can do the most good.
Sorry i'm racist. I only date Drow.
Would love to see you go full spy mode. 007 was my thoughts too lol
I could see Bjorkus as Daniel Craig-Bond.
"Bond you've slept with another enemy agent and gotten her killed. Stop doing that!" or "Bond, you killed the man you were supposed to interrogate!"
In retrospect, Bond is a terrible spy.
Haha true
Being in a particular branch does not mean you can't have skills from the others. Naturally, the majority of the Killer branch is very stealthy. A large portion of the Social branch uses magic. And every kind of mixture in-between. Essentially you just pick one that you think you are best at.
Then where is the Womanizing branch for Bjorkus I ask?
I don't see one. Poorly organized structure if you ask me!
Martial it is.
Im wondering what the word Aestherics is meant to mean. I keep thinking aesthetics which is to do with forms of beauty and such.
Me too.
It's a bit of wordplay off that. But instead of simply "beauty" it is "the beauty of freedom"
My reality is already bent by Performance (Lovemaking), I will bury the Womanizing branch in the deepest pit of hell before I let it emerge.
Btw Lindale, Älia is like, 350 years old. And while that wouldn't deter somebody like Bjorkus you might want to think twice :P
Ok well since nobody seems to have any more immediate business we're going to move onto the long phase. Shortly I'll post in gameplay to get you introduced to the Aestherics, then you'll all have a few weeks in game where you're getting trained and have time to go about your own business, whatever that might be.
what's a couple hundred years
Get on it Lindale, give Bjorkus some competition.
Also, this week (in game) is pretty much completely sandbox. If you want to do something that isn't simple and you need details about the world or something else from me, either ask me here in discussion or PM me. We'll work it out!
Bjorkus's first order of business is going to be getting out to see his crew. Where's the nearest port and how far is it from where we are now?
Theris is centered and at the north end of Andril, less than a days ride from the ocean. A few ports are available (all at relatively the same distance), but one is a little less regulated than the others and is a favorite for pirates. Port Balgradash.
How far is Balgradash from Theris?
A good twelve hours on horseback.
Nice. That gives him plenty of time to rejoin his crew and have a change of heart.
Is the girl in Bjorkus's scene intended to be important?
as important as a one night stand I imagine
Important? You don't even remember her name! You know three things about her:
1: She is a female human. Of that, you have no doubt.
2: She has dark hair.
3: If you don't figure out her name before she wakes up you're probably going to die.
Heh. I meant am I clear to do some time skipping narrative or should I do each scene piece by piece so Omen can adjudicate as necessary.
*Alters reality*
I never said that.
Said what? =P
I meant, am I good to handle her narrative or did you want to do that?
Ah I gotcha. Yeah go ahead, just some random minor NPC
Yup. Liberties being taken.
What can you tell me about this pirate port?
Port Balgradash is a port known for its size, but not its quality. There are dozens upon dozens of landing points, and with the massive amount of ships coming in and out every day the tracking of the ships is shoddy at best. There is also a port town, and it follows the same quality vs quantity rules of the port. There is a lot of one story houses built of mostly driftwood that spread over a large area. Many of the houses are built over the water and only connected by a few planks to the other houses. Thieving, pirating, and everything in between is heavy here, and most sailors who have had experience making port here watch their purses closely and often sleep in their ships. It's a large town with a constant influx of people so it's hard to keep track of who is legitimate and who skirts the edges of the law, but there are certain men here and there that are known well by reputation who keep tabs on everybody, and for the right price can generally give you some information. Bjorkus's contact is Flenn Strongut, the bartender and owner of The Silver Minnow, a large tavern/inn near the water. In his youth Flenn got his name from being able to eat or drink anything, his most legendary feat being drinking three pints of "I hate my job" (also known as fermented trolls blood). His days of testing his iron stomach are over though, but his current reputation is taking anybody that draws a weapon in his bar and tossing them headfirst out the nearest window.
Is Ianna in Andril, somewhere in dwarven lands to the north? I actually don't know where the main clanhold of the Trealamhgabha lie.
In the north, both
Love the bartender's avatar, btws.
Yeah, I was pretty happy with Flenn.
Also, looking at the math and loot it has really hit me that I've done a piss poor job of keeping the party properly supplied. So that being said, we'll say that the payment you all received upon returning to Andril got you up to standard character WBL. Take whatever gear and money you have, sum up the monetary value and subtract that from 3000 (your wealth). That is how much money you now have. Feel free to spend it on anything reasonable since Andril is a very large city and has all sorts of markets (if you plan to pick up something especially evil, rare, or dangerous tell me and we'll RP it out).
But with this gift comes a price. I want you guys to start tracking your resources closely. I should be able to look under your character profile and see exactly what you have on your person.
With the last 'treasury shopping spree' we're actually in a good place loot-wise. Bjorkus is at ~3500g right now.
Toramin is way ahead but hopefully that will level out in the next level or two.
I have over 3k worth atm so I'm all good.
Cloak of Resistance
Hat of Disguise
Bird token
various masterwork armour and weapons.
Apologies, I've been an (unexpected) medical courier for a family member the past 2 days; I'll get a post up when I get caught up on the reading in a bit tonight.
No worries Dalton, I hope they feel better!
Were you waiting on me Omen? I figured Flenn could reply based on the girl's description.
Apparently the forums ate my post. I'll get it back up...grumblegrumblegrumble
A couple things Dalton:
Welcome back! We missed you!
Could you update your stat line for level 3?
I always feel bad when you put so much work into one of your large, flavorful posts and I respond shortly. You have so much internal dialogue (which I love!) that it's hard to respond with a similar volume of text. That is why I am going to...oh why spoil the surprise? >:)
Am I still in standby?
Yeah, mostly because I need to plan your adventure. I had not forseen this particular adventure so I'm going to need a day or two (since I have multiple tests tomorrow).
Ah. Nevermind then.
Bjorkus will spend some time planning his approach, both with getting Seilvana into bed and finding her brother.
Hey, it could have been worse. I could have made the writing much more obvious so that the explosion killed his mother.
Statline updated, sorry. The explosion came within 4 points of killing me! I'm assuming you assumed Dalton stabilized. The odds aren't in his favor:
... except he makes it on the first go!