Palomia dreamt of rolling hills, mountains more majestic than anything she'd ever seen in the waking world, and lush, vibrant forests - all inhabited by wise, noble animals and benevolent angels. She'd had this dream before, many times in fact, and it always left the same, lingering feeling of sadness upon awakening. For even though she'd never been to such a place, somehow she knew - it was home.
A wide variety of shouted insults, oaths, and slurs echoed through the air like a litany of derisive rebukes. The clash of steel on steel was shockingly drowned out by the eerily echoing goblin cacophony. Somehow, the part of the battle that dominated the attention of those locked in brutal combat was not actually the fighting. Exceedingly capable warchanters were hard to come by, but this encampment had more than its fair share.
From within his cage with all his fellow goblin whelps, he stared out at the distant fighting through a small, barred window. While his brothers were busy staring at their elders clinging to longshank arms with their teeth or slashing out at horses with their hollow blades, he had eyes only for the warchanters. Their songs were the things of legend, their lyrics flawless, and their insults unparalleled. Those sick burns could - and sometimes quite literally did - scorch the opponents meant to hear them.
Poor, tiny Globlob was in love and he even found himself mumbling along with some of the better slurs slung to commit them to memory. All the better to use against his peers later on when they attempt to pick fights with one another. And while he may not have won many of the fights he found himself in back then, his dreams find him dining on seared goblin whelp regularly.
"No Solie! You put that out right now! No not--- there..."
Solie cackled to herself as the trash bin went up in flames and a few bystanders scrambled to get water on the small blaze. Scorch marks followed Solie more accurately than her own footprints. It wasn't her fault! The flames danced just so beautifully she couldn't help herself.
"Solie, that is it. We can't just let this keep sliding. I expect you in my office tomorrow morning. Maybe a day in a cell will keep you from causing so much trouble!" The sheriff's tone was as serious and exhausted as a gnome could sound. Maybe he meant it this time. The grumbles and nods of the townsfolk who were nosing in on the scene seemed to suggest it was serious.
"No! You can't keep me in there! I'll run away!" Solie shouted back before fleeing back to her own home. She chucked a few of her favorite items into a rather shabby looking bag then snuck out the window. Of course, there was no need to sneak. No one was trying to make her stay. How offensive! She'd show them. She'd show them all some day!
Solie half woke up, mumbled a foul goblin slur about the sheriff, then fell back asleep.
Male Monkey Goblin Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist) 4 |Trickster 1| HP 6/35 | AC 17, Touch 12, FF 16 (19/12/18 w/ Mutagen) | CMD 18 | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init. +3 | Perception +7, Climb +16
Somewhere deep in the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse
Blekk rubbed his eyes, annoyed. The sun had barely set over the crest of Mount Pointyrock in the distance, and already he was squinting at his notes. Cursing his lack of night vision, he rummaged around his backpack for a moment for his ioun torch. An explosion in his hut a few months ago had left him blinded for a few days, and even afterwards he couldn’t see well in the dark anymore. After playing with the small stone for a few moments, he let it float around his head and returned to his brew stand. He’d been working on this potion for nearly two hours, and all Blekk wanted to do was finish it and go to bed. He took another sip of the strange, black liquid the traveling salesman had called “coffee” and started pouring the potion into a spare glass phial. Inspecting it, he nodded happily-the potion was good. He drew a small picture on the phial of a goblin smiling, to show that if a wounded person drank it, it’d make him better.
As he was leaving the potion-makers’ hut to go home, a small goblin ran up to him. ”Blekk, Blekk! Chief want see you, say very important! Go now, yes?” This was the last thing Blekk wanted to do at this time of night, but when the chief said something, you did it. Usually. There was always one or two goblins in the tribe who disobeyed orders. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes because the Flying Circle People had come and taken them and turned their ears into other, smaller goblin heads. Blekk shook his head sadly, remembering his old friend Wort. Some goblins had all the luck.
Blekk made his way to the center of the village, where the chief’s house stood. Making his way into the hut, he sat in the single chair in the middle of the seemingly empty room. He didn’t have to wait long, as a patch of mold on the wall started moving, eventually forming into the shape of a goblin face. ”Hi, Daddy. What you want?” asked Blekk, trying to not sound as irritated as he really was.
His Ugliness Blurk, Chief of the Ogawdwaddahelizzat Tribe, spoke. ”Son...me not feeling so good. Think gonna die soon. You ready for that? You don’t look too nasty, what taking so long? Thought you say you gonna make yourself into monster. But still look like my son. Unless you saying that monster inside you all along?”
Blekk sighed. So it this conversation again, he thought. ”Daddy. Blekk been tellin’ you for ages now. This takes long time. Look! Me have tail now!” He waved his new tail in the air, hoping it’d be enough to sate his father for now. The two of them had run this tribe for nearly a decade now, after the Circle People had made Blurk into what he was now. Blekk was the idea man, while Blurk was the one who made it all happen. But now that Blurk was dying, Blekk had been trying to make himself into a worthy successor to his father, knowing that anyone else who took over (aka, the ugliest person in the tribe) was more than likely to utterly destroy the entire tribe, in typical goblin fashion.
Blurk’s face contorted in exasperation, most likely about to say something about how a simple tail wasn’t enough, how Plurb the toad farmer had six of them and blah blah blah, when a commotion from outside the hut interrupted them. The younger goblin who had fetched Blekk appeared at the door, looking both terrified and excited. ”CIRCLE PEOPLE! FLYING CIRCLE PEOPLE!” Blekk and Blurk shared a glance. ”Go, Blekk.” Nodding, Blekk jumped out of his chair and sprinted to the window. Climbing onto the windowsill, he looked back momentarily at his father on a whim. “Love you, daddy. Stay ok till Blekk gets back, kay?” With that, he scrambled madly up the side of the house, onto the roof.
He could see the flying circles up in the sky, flying low over the treetops. Blekk jumped up and down, trying desperately to attract the attention of one of them. ”HERE! HERE! TAKE BLEKK TAKE BLE-WHOAAAAAAA!” He slipped close to the edge. He screamed as he fell off the roof, hands and tail scrabbling wildly at thin air. The ground rushed at him in a blur, and then all he saw was a flash of light and then blackness.
Lost in dream, Solie and her companions sleep... a tapestry of stars is smeared across the heavens... sharp whites, twinkling blues and soft yellows, each star with its own story, with its own worlds, its own lives…
Meanwhile, a thousand miles plus to the south, another goblin brushes up with destiny before crashing down to earth... unconscious as the world changes around him, Blekk sleeps…
Imperceptibly and through powers that would seem almost god-like to the group, the stars in the sky...change... in the merest fraction of a second, Solie, Palomia, Ravboom, Biggun, Globlob… and Blekk… travel. Across the vastness of the galaxies, they are taken...
Somewhere... very far away...
Each of our ‘heroes’ awakens to the sensation of something damp and viscous covering their entire body... so deep is it, that their faces are covered too. The sharp pain of the two thin tubes inserted into their nostrils and some kind of a pipe down their throat provides a sudden jolt to their senses... A harsh light shrines through the transparent window that is merely inches from their faces... and now, feeling around, they realise they have been standing in some form of organic cylinder... no more than two feet in diameter, the sense of claustrophobia starts to become overwhelming...
...as their senses return, each of the occupants of the cylinders realises that the fluid is starting to drain...
Male Monkey Goblin Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist) 4 |Trickster 1| HP 6/35 | AC 17, Touch 12, FF 16 (19/12/18 w/ Mutagen) | CMD 18 | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init. +3 | Perception +7, Climb +16
Blekk awoke with a jolt. He'd knocked himself out multiple times in the past and was becoming a pro at coming to his senses quickly. This be new...is Blekk dead? Didn't think heaven would be so...wet. As his vision cleared, his eyes widened as he realized just where he was. This must be a Circle People circle! Blekk made it! With a grin forming around the tube shoved down his throat, he looked down at himself as best he could, trying to ascertain just what the Circle People had done to his body.
Okay, so legs not tentacles...arms not wings. Body seems...normal. Something on shoulder, that's new. Did...did they do nothing else to Blekk? Why not? Why they no make Blekk ugly? WHY THEY NO MAKE ME UGLY?!
Blekk thrashes around in anger, before realizing that the fluid is starting to drain from his tank. He stops moving, eyes narrowing. They think they can get away with not making Blekk ugly? Blekk gonna tear them apart. Once Blekk finds his claw-growing drink.
Solie slowly woke up and tried to find a tissue. She apparently was having a bad booger day. Her fingers did not, of course, find tissue but rather something seeming to be closing her in. And she was wet. That didn't make sense either. Solie had stopped wetting the bed at least 5 years ago.
Solie started pounding her fists on the glass as the liquid drained away.
That was Palomia's first hazy, sleep-filled thought.
If any of those goblins peed on me I swear I'll...
Suddenly she realizes that things are crammed into her nose and throat. Her eyes open wide with surprise and then close again, the sudden light painful. As the fog quickly clears from her brain she panics as she realizes that she's encased in a small, fluid-filled space and begins pounding and flailing in an attempt to escape.
Globlob blinks himself to bleary wakefulness, yawning around the tube shoved down his throat. This is hardly the first time he has awoken after falling asleep in the middle of eating. One hand lifts to bat at the haunch of meat that dangles from his mouth as his eyes adjust to the... Tube? Those red eyes squint against the blinding light after a long night of darkness.
He gnaws at the tube shoved down his throat, frowning thoughtfully through the glop. If he can see much of anything past the light, he intends to. Especially when the glop gradually starts to drain and he finds himself able to start bashing his fists against the glass.
For the moment, how he got here is the last thing he is worried about. Better to fret over where here is and where his friends are.
As the viscous liquid drains from around their faces, each of the trapped occupants is able to see clearly that the window in front of them is hinged... it takes little effort, even though their muscles seem weak and uncertain to push the window - some four feet high within each cylinder - open - the remaining fluid crashes out of the container covering the floor beyond with a slick gunk.
Ten similar cylinders greet the eyes of those stumbling out of their inexplicable restng place, all arranged along the room's four, stone walls to form an irregular octagon. Each one appears to be constructed of a thick, durable, organic material except for the transparent doors which - apart from two - have swung open from the front. Fibrous roots snake down from the 15-foot ceiling overhead, attaching to the top of these cylinders, and a metal plate bolted above them illuminates the room... somewhere, a continuous high-pitched wailing sounds.
There is one door from the room, oddly bereft of hinges or handles, in the northern wall yet that is of little immediate concern... Stumbling from the cylinders on the eastern wall, four dog-like humanoids - shorter than a gnoll should normally be and with notably larger teeth - start aggressively barking at each other...
...and then each of our heroes realises... they are naked beyond the cotton-like strips that are draped across their waists and chests, they are connected to their containers through the pipes in their noses and mouths and... they are unarmed...
So far Solie, Globlob, Palomia (w/o Relas) and Blekk have emerged.
Male Monkey Goblin Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist) 4 |Trickster 1| HP 6/35 | AC 17, Touch 12, FF 16 (19/12/18 w/ Mutagen) | CMD 18 | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init. +3 | Perception +7, Climb +16
Blekk emerges from his cylinder, ripping the tube from his throat and gagging slightly as he does so. "RIGHT! Where the people in charge be? Blekk is OUTRAGED, you had one job and Blekk is not ugly! BLEKK WANT TO SEE YOUR MANAGER!"
His tirade is interrupted as he sees the others emerge as well. "Oh! Goblin! And others! Hi, goblin! Me Blekk, who you? Wait, hold that thought. What those dog things? Think they the ones who bring us here?"
In her haste to exit her container Palomia staggers and nearly falls, catching herself by gripping the side. Coughing and splattering, she pulls the tubing from her nose and throat. "W-what the *cough* hell is this???" she gasps as she looks around as both familiar faces and new emerge from the other cylinders.
Male Goblin Fighter(Titan Fighter) 3, Champion 1 | HP [29/39] | AC 15, FF 14, T 11 | Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +1 | Init +1 | Darkvision 60', Perception +3, Bravery +2, Rage 6/day
As dreams of food and drink filtered through Biggun's mind, as well as dreams of defeating the largest enemies he'd ever seen, strange feelings assaulted his senses. When he felt something get shoved up his nose, and it wasn't his finger, he started thrashing while waking up. The feeling of some liquid flowing around him was the final catalyst to bring him to full consciousness. His eyes springing open, he was surprised to find himself in a strange class cage. And there wasn't even any little goblins in there with him to eat!
Finally, the liquid was drained and the cage was opened. Flopping onto the floor, he was quick to yank the tubes out of his nose and looked around. Biggun was mildly happy to see that the rest of his group was in this strange place as well. Standing up, he finally realized his predicament. "WHERE BIGGUN CHAIN?!" he yelled to everyone and no-one.
Stumbling from his tube much as any of the others, Globlob immediately wrenches the tubes from his mouth and nose. He takes a brief moment to gag and heave up what little remains in his stomach to mingle with the tide of gunk. Clutching his stomach, he sneers and bares his teeth across at the odd gnolls. Bright, bloody red eyes stare out from beneath--
"WHO TAKE MY HAT!?" Globlob roars the moment he realizes that his head is bare as his tiny hands clench into white-knuckled fists on nothing but air. "YOU GIVE HAT BACK! You fuzz faces. They take your things, too. We go get them back, together! You EAT any we find!"
Hopefully, his suggestion or demand will be answered with agreement, because a fight does not favor he and his friends.
Solie clambers out the door of the container and gives her head a shake. Once standing she sticks her arms out to either side and starts wriggling and jiggling and shaking in a silent protest to her discomfort. This is probably the only time in her life she's not made a sound.
Ravboom is notable by his absence, the still-closed cylinder between Solie and Bigun remaining ominously silent...
...as Globlob's enraged voice causes the dog-like creatures to turn their attention to the strangers climbing from the cylinders. The largest of them, its fur slick with fluid, barks at Globlob, "Kofff, Roff, Roff, Ghoak, Khoff? Koff, Roff, Roff, Ghoak, Khoff? Koff, Roff, Roff,Ghoak, Khof?!?!"
Looking around, Blekk sees nothing that could be secreting his gear... no pots, no cupboards, no sacks, nothing... the only features in the room seem to be the cylinders - and the increasingly agitated gnoll-creatures...
Male Goblin Fighter(Titan Fighter) 3, Champion 1 | HP [29/39] | AC 15, FF 14, T 11 | Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +1 | Init +1 | Darkvision 60', Perception +3, Bravery +2, Rage 6/day
Intimidate:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
"Be quiet, stupid mutts! Or or...Biggun hit you on nose!" Biggun yelled out, though the strangeness of his new surroundings were throwing him off more than he realized. "Wait til Biggun find chain, then show stupid mutts who better..."
"Will you all shut it!?" Palo snaps, still agitated over her lack of clothing and gear. "I don't think they can understand us, but maybe I can figure out what they're wanting if I can focus!"
The gnoll-like creature stands as tall as it is able… just under five feet all told… and slowly advances towards the shouting Biggun. It’s teeth are bared as it’s muzzle curls in a cruel snarl… and it repeats itself once more, ”Koff… Roff… Rof… Ghoak… Khofff!!!”. The other ‘gnolls’ fall in behind their apparent leader… snarling and growling as they become ever more agitated…
Palomia - the creatures, who were confused as they stepped from their cylinders, are getting increasingly angry... and the focus of that anger is shifting on to the 'heroes'... they appear to be accusing Biggun of having done something.
"They're not happy. I think they think that this is Biggun's fault somehow," she hisses to the others. "Is Ravboom in that other tank? If he is, get him out and fast...I'll try to stall them!"
Somehow?
For a lack of any better ideas Palo holds up her hands, palms forward, and shakes her head rapidly. She then points to herself and the rest of her group's lack of gear, then to the 'gnolls' similar predicament and shrugs, looking confused.
The tank door suddenly crashes out, landing on the floor with a ringing noise. "Damn stupid gear mechanism, who the hell put Ravboom in tank with broken gears? Rav going to rip someone a new one."
He steps out of the tank, looking around in extreme annoyance. He focuses on the gnolls for a second, then shakes his hand. "Dogs too stupid to make gear things. Must be Gnomes or Humes." He glares at Palo. "Where stupid cat? Call up. Need find who do this, rip their gonds off, feed them to them. Ewww, naked Hume and Gnome, disgusting." Rav begins looking at the tubes and trying to rip enough guts out of them to assemble some weapons.
"Fine, but since they're getting angrier by the second they'll probably take it as a declaration of attack," Palo grumbles, nodding at the 'gnolls'. "Keep them away from me while I do this. And you're one to talk about other people looking disgusting..."
Unless anyone objects or something prevents it, Palo will begin her summoning ritual to call Relas.
Globlob cackles as everyone else starts to call Rav ugly, then settles for trying to calm the gnoll-looking creatures with interpretive dance. Or whatever the goblin equivalent of charades is. He does his best to pantomime that both groups were captured, trapped, and now freed. So they are in this together, whether they like it or not. Regardless of how they take it, the bard tries to interpose himself between Palomia and the gnolls while buying as much time as he can.
Not sure if you want a new roll for this or if I can just use my previous roll (of a 20 :D) for it.
Male Monkey Goblin Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist) 4 |Trickster 1| HP 6/35 | AC 17, Touch 12, FF 16 (19/12/18 w/ Mutagen) | CMD 18 | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init. +3 | Perception +7, Climb +16
Blekk looks incredulously at the gnome. "Where you think we find leaves? This look like jungle to you? Blekk don't like this anymore than you do, let me tell you."
"No mind her, brain no work right." He taps the side of his head as he pulls greasy hands out of the tube he was yanking bits out of. "Thinks she's a gobby." He tells the weird looking new goblin. "Glad Rav got out of tube before it make Rav look like you. Ick."
Solie scowls. She scowls at Ravboom, she scowls at the gnoll-dogs, she scowls at the thing she'd been kept in, then she scowled at everyone else except Biggun for good measure. She was not a morning person.
It is sadly somewhat inevitable that upon meeting a truly alien race for the first time, Biggun was going to threaten to hit it… and, as the situation deteriorates, the largest of the gnoll-like creatures finally looks like it will snap at the oversized goblin… just before Globlob, skipping and weaving with the strangest of stances, moves between the two of them – his interpretative dance somehow defusing the atmosphere for now. The gnoll-like creatures start coughing and barking with what, as Palomia listens for cues, must surely be some kind of laughter…
I’m taking Globlob’s natural 20 as moving the gnoll-creatures attitude favourably… plus interpretative dance is clearly the way in which all extraterrestrial contact should be made!!!
Standing erect once more – looming over Globlob, the largest of the creatures pats its chest and growls, ”Bah-Gra!!! Bah-Gra!!!”
"Ravboom!" Ravboom says, thumping his own chest in response. "Stupid Solie!" He points at Sollie. "Brain Dead Biggun!" He points at Biggun. "Poor Palo!" He points to Palo. "Gabby Globlob." He throws a loose gear in Glob's general direction. "Blechy Blekk." He motions toward Blekk with a shudder.
CG Male Beast Eidolon 1 HP: 20/20 | AC: 18 | F: +8, R: +7, W: +6 | Perc: +4 | Stealth: +7 | Speed: 25 ft. | Senses: Dark Vision, Low-Light Vision, Scent 30 ft. (Imprecise) | Active Conditions:
As Relas' form shimmers and solidifies into being, the eidolon blinks as he takes in the bizarre surroundings and happenings. "Ummm...Palo? Where are we today? And who are these guys?" he asks hesitantly, nodding at both the dog-creatures and the ugly new goblin.
"Relas, meet Ickyface the Drooler." He waves at Bekk. "Ickyface, meet Nervous Relas."
He then waves at the Gnolls. "Relas, this is Dogbreath and the Mange. Dogbreath and the Mange, this is Nervous Relas. Please keep all rocking chairs away from him."
Male Monkey Goblin Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist) 4 |Trickster 1| HP 6/35 | AC 17, Touch 12, FF 16 (19/12/18 w/ Mutagen) | CMD 18 | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init. +3 | Perception +7, Climb +16
"Wha...Ickyface the Drooler? We coming back to that one later. First though..." Blekk regards Relas curiously. "Are you...are you a bear? Blekk heard about them, but didn't realize they could just appear like that. Humie bring you here? Or you just stopping by randomly? This group getting interesting...bears and gnomes who think they're goblins...also, why Biggun no getting smaller? Been tryin to make myself big too, but can only make it last a few minutes before I shrink again."
"Biggun try to get in bed with swamp witch. Swamp witch curse him stay big like dumb longshank rest of life, never be able to find Gobby girl." Ravboom then gives a mighty jerk and pulls some tubes out of the container he was in, sending ooze spraying all over Relas. "Duck Furball!"
CG Male Beast Eidolon 1 HP: 20/20 | AC: 18 | F: +8, R: +7, W: +6 | Perc: +4 | Stealth: +7 | Speed: 25 ft. | Senses: Dark Vision, Low-Light Vision, Scent 30 ft. (Imprecise) | Active Conditions:
Relays regards the strange new goblin with interest. "Well, I'm Palo's companion. She can call on me and I do my best to keep her and her friends safe!" He gives the summoner the side-eye. "And I try to keep her on the right path! She's a good person, just needs a little push from time to time," he whispers.
"And Biggun is just...big. I think he's always like tha-eeeww!" he adds with a squeal as strange ooze splatters on him.
Male Monkey Goblin Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist) 4 |Trickster 1| HP 6/35 | AC 17, Touch 12, FF 16 (19/12/18 w/ Mutagen) | CMD 18 | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init. +3 | Perception +7, Climb +16
"Huh. When Blekk finds his stuff, might need to take samples. Would love to be big like that all the time. Or maybe just find swamp witch, try and get cursed by her too."
Perhaps slightly fortunately, the gnoll-like creatures barely register the presence of Relas as the eidolon phases into existence near Palomia… when Ravboom identifies each of the party, they nod in some form of affirmation and, in return, each one beats their chest and announces themselves as ”Bha-Gra!!!”
Slightly bemused at the antics of the group, the gnoll-like creatures simply watch as Ravboom pulls pipes and panels from his cylinder… and jump back as the gunk drains on to the floor. Eventually, it seems that they lose interest and move to a huddle near the cylinders that they clambered from…
A detailed exploration of the room fails to find any of the missing equipment… no Biggun chain, no BoomRav, no clothes… but it does, eventually focus on the strange glowing green disk in the wall next to the door in the northern wall of the chamber… the door itself appears to be devoid of handles or hinges.
"Well, there's that crisis averted - at least for now," Palo mutters as the gnoll-like creatures move away, apparently content to leave them be. "Let's hurry and find our stuff before they changed their minds. With any luck we'll find their stuff too." When a search of the room fails to turn up any of their missing gear, the summoner turns her attention to the disk in the wall.
CG Male Beast Eidolon 1 HP: 20/20 | AC: 18 | F: +8, R: +7, W: +6 | Perc: +4 | Stealth: +7 | Speed: 25 ft. | Senses: Dark Vision, Low-Light Vision, Scent 30 ft. (Imprecise) | Active Conditions:
"Ugh," Relas shivers as Solie splatters more ooze on his face, apparently testing to see if it's some sort of sauce. "Were all of you in those things with that goop?? No wonder Palo looked grumpier than usual when she called me this time."
Blekk tries to examine the disk too. "Yep, all of us in goop. Not together though, that would be weird. Stop distracting me please, bear. Looking at shiny green thing."
Rav shakes his head. "This stuff no look magic, no sparks when break, no tingle... Palo should look to check, but Ravboom no think magic, or mostly no magic. More like really really well made clockwork."
He moves over to the door, running his finger along the edges, and then closely examines the glowing green circle.
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Ravboom waits for Blekk to tap it, then pushes in closer. "Maybe it turn..." He tentatively tries to turn the green circle by pressing on it with both palms and pushing with his palms, trying to rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise. "Maybe gear disk..."
Male Gnome Spiritualist 3 | HP 30/30 | AC 18 TO 14 FF 15 | F +6 R +4 W +3 (+2 v ill/fear/despair) | CMD 12 | Init +3 | Perc +4 DV LLV | Channel 3/3 | Et Hope 1/1 | Heal Hand 3/3 | Heal Satc 10/10
Acro +14, Bluff, Deplo, P (Noise): +4, Climb +9, DD, Escape Artist, Slight of Hand +8, K (Geo), Per, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +12
HP 10/10. AC 17, T 15, FF 13. Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2, Initiative +4, Perception +6, Acrobatics +14, Climb +24, Stealth +12
Alrightie! Lets get this moving shall we?
As for our backgrounds, one idea I have had that stuck with me is if we were all a part of Solies cult in some fashion or other. When this disaster/sickness/whatever struck the local shaman foisted the blame and responsibility onto Solie, who then had to gather up a few of her followers and set off to fix the problem.
I would be up for being the cults scout or "victim finder" who goes around looking for things that need to be set on fire ^-^
All, note that one of the key elements that makes the prelude adventure work is a lack of knowledge of the village that you will be exploring... and probably not knowing - in advance - that something is up... We can work around it but, if you could work those conceits into your story, it would make your GM's job easier...
Male Goblin Fighter(Titan Fighter) 3, Champion 1 | HP [29/39] | AC 15, FF 14, T 11 | Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +1 | Init +1 | Darkvision 60', Perception +3, Bravery +2, Rage 6/day
Biggun Walker reporting for duty! In my backstory, I said that I was out of the village when everything went down, though I said I was alone. If anybody else is from the village like me, I can easily say that you went along with me.
Ravboom not be from stinky gobby village, Ravboom not be from village, not know it, not have to play at not knowing when explore. :)
We should get our stories straight. Ravboom works best if he's not had any experience with goblins before, given his background. Maybe he could be traveling with Relas and Palomia (Note the order of importance! Rleas is obviously the smarter of the two!).
Maybe Solie and the rest of the goblins could be looking for new converts to Solie's cult? The two groups could meet up in the village for the first time? Rav & Palomia & Relas heard a rumor about the village, and Relas insisted they see if they could help it out?
Maybe he could be traveling with Relas and Palomia (Note the order of importance! Relas is obviously the smarter of the two!).
Palomia would probably feel similarly about Relas and Ravboom ;)
I do like the idea of Relas insisting that Palo and Rav check out a rumor; although I'm sure any good-aligned eidolon would do this, agathion eidolons are noted as working to bring their summoner to greater enlightenment and such, so Relas would totally be for trying to do something to help. Clearly, he never heard about that incident in Sandpoint some time back...
Male Gnome Spiritualist 3 | HP 30/30 | AC 18 TO 14 FF 15 | F +6 R +4 W +3 (+2 v ill/fear/despair) | CMD 12 | Init +3 | Perc +4 DV LLV | Channel 3/3 | Et Hope 1/1 | Heal Hand 3/3 | Heal Satc 10/10
I will do shortly - I normally like to open Gameplay with a scene-setting post so it would be good if you folks could work out more about your back stories... It looks like Ravboom and Palomia have been travelling independently of the others... How will you meet? And, is everyone else going to be part of the same tribe? And either exiled or undertaking a quest associated with your crazy gnome's beliefs?
We don't have enough information about the game start to say how we met up. Originally you were going to have us meet up in a tavern in the other game... so not sure how to handle that. GM should probably fiat it in the first post, or make suggestions.
Also, you might want to go ahead and add Relas to the status at the top, like you did Nike, he'll be around a lot.
Yeah, not sure ‘meeting in a tavern’ is going to work well for this particular crew!!! Unless you all happen to be burning down said tavern…
So, my suggestion to get you facing in the right direction towards the adventure is:
Biggun, Kaloora and Sparky – along with Solie – have been exiled from their village for reasons which I am happy for the players to decide… Solie has heard that a nearby tribe has the same beliefs as her and thinks they should head over there to get new converts – somewhere along the journey to this village (I am going to suggest it will be the Breakbag tribe of the Mushfens in Varisia), they come across Palomia and Ravboom… exactly how they meet, I am fine with you folks stating and I will start the adventure with the group a few miles east of the Breakbags…
…does that work for folks?
Palomia – what will Relas’ starting HP be? As per Ravboom’s suggestion, I will put them in the campaign header so I can track HP / conditions.
What have we heard about this tribe? Ravboom and Palomia that is? They are in need of help? They are going to attack a local village? They have found something worth money?
Then maybe Rav and Palomia heard the goblins found something valuable, and are trying to see if they can make some money, using Rav's being a goblin as a way in the door to act as middle men? The goblins won't get a good price for whatever they found, but Palomia can. Kind of a 'win win' thing? Palomia?
Sounds good to me! Palo isn't necessarily greedy, but money can buy a lot of nice things...
Relas has 11 HPs!
Although I made a joke earlier about Rav's intelligence, if you plan to play him more or less the same as you did in our great train adventure from way back, I think he and Palo will be able to get along as well as can be expected as the game opens. She likes people that take a sensible approach to things, hehe.
*edit* Not sure if everyone here knows the dot-and-delete trick, but once Gameplay is open you can make a post and then immediately delete it. This pops the campaign onto your campaigns list without cluttering up the actual thread with filler posts.
Folks, just a note about weekend posting - sometimes I will, sometimes I won't... it just depends on what is going on at home (and with a 7yo and a 3yo, there normally is something exciting happening!!!) So, I tend to have the same expectations of my players - if you can post / want to post, that's great ...otherwise, no big issues. The story may move on a little... It may not. One thing that won't happen though, I will not GMPC or delay anybody in combat just cause they don't post over weekends...
Acro +14, Bluff, Deplo, P (Noise): +4, Climb +9, DD, Escape Artist, Slight of Hand +8, K (Geo), Per, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +12
HP 10/10. AC 17, T 15, FF 13. Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2, Initiative +4, Perception +6, Acrobatics +14, Climb +24, Stealth +12
Palomia Kasic wrote:
*edit* Not sure if everyone here knows the dot-and-delete trick, but once Gameplay is open you can make a post and then immediately delete it. This pops the campaign onto your campaigns list without cluttering up the actual thread with filler posts.
Somehow I have been on these forums for years and never heard or thought about that trick :p
So, traveling with Biggun and Kaloora while under the watchful eye of Solie because we have been exiled from our tribe for following the teachings of Solie and so we are on our wayto the Breakbag tribe for a new home/converts? Sounds good :)
Hey Biggun and Kaloora, how do you want to interact with each other? A bit of bickering? Rivalry? Bestest buds? I plan on treating Solie with reverance and awe :)
Just for fun, I've put up a map showing the location where I propose your adventure starts off... the predominantly marshy backwaters of southern Varisia - the Mushfens.
Chat amongst yourselves - I will get your first Gameplay post up this weekend...
Palo is originally from Cassomir, so she'll also be quite a ways from home. However, given that she and Relas tend to hire themselves out to various caravans traveling the roads, it's not out of the realm of possibility for her to have made her way to Varisia or any number of places. They could have met Rav in any of the ways that you suggested:
(1) On the same mutual job. Though the pair can and will provide protection to traveling caravans, Palo also does odd work as a scribe and as an interpreter.
(2) On the road. It's certainly possible that maybe Rav helped them out against some wild beasts or bandits and they decided to travel on together; safety in numbers and all that!
(3) In a bar. This would've been interesting; perhaps Rav was curious about Relas or perhaps Relas was curious about Rav's strange metal contraption?
Rav doesn't have his gun yet (He's got some parts that will one day be a gun, when he dips into full blown gunslinger next level). For now, he's using a bow and arrow. :)
However, it's possible they worked together on a caravan? Relas and Palomia might have found the goblin that bathed (after cursing) and wore clothes and armor to be odd.
A busy weekend... but, I said I would... here's a Gameplay Post to get you going!!! I have taken the liberty of starting the two groups 'Palomia and Ravboom' and 'Solie's devoted' as not knowing each other so, just for fun, I'm dumping you into arriving at the route towards the Breakbag tribe at the same time...
Male Gnome Spiritualist 3 | HP 30/30 | AC 18 TO 14 FF 15 | F +6 R +4 W +3 (+2 v ill/fear/despair) | CMD 12 | Init +3 | Perc +4 DV LLV | Channel 3/3 | Et Hope 1/1 | Heal Hand 3/3 | Heal Satc 10/10
Palomia - not that there's anything bad in that hut... Oh no, definitely not... But, how do you want me to roll Relas' initiative? Own initiative count or just act when Palomia acts? I'm happy either way... I suspect it's easier (and probably more aligned with the rules) if it's own Palomia's count?
That will work for me Zed; the GM for the previous campaign she was in rolled separate initiatives for them but I'm more than happy to have them go at the same time, especially if that makes it easier for everyone :)
Before this game, they were in an Iron Gods game that ended at roughly the end of the first book (I think) due to the GM moving back to the States and becoming much busier IRL. This makes the third, and hopefully last, game that Palo has gotten into hehe.
...I hope that's not an invitation for me to do awful things to the poor woman!!! Although, there are still no guarantees that your party members might not end up chewing her bones!!!
The only game that I am a player in is an Iron Gods which, I think, is coming to the end of Book 1. There seems to be the normal curse of AP's ending at (or before) Book 1 with Iron Gods - although GM Demonmoose has managed to race as far forwards as Book 3 I think... With multiple groups...
No, it's more a comment on the fact that you've been running all of your other games (the two ES tables, WotRF, Shattered Star) for a year or more so you're in it for the long haul if at all possible! So hopefully no more game-searching for Palo.
*edit* The first game I played her in was a homebrew of mdt's design. The world and premise were really cool! But I discovered that I as a player don't do well with really sandboxy games, so I eventually bowed out. Nothing on mdt as a GM, I just learned something about myself and the sorts of games that I like is all :)
Folks, I'm hoping to get you a map soon... the Brokebag village and it's inhabitants are adapted from the original adventure (hopefully it feels goblin-y enough so far) but the map in the module is too much of a human habitation to use as a proxy for the Brokebag... I think I will probably end up drawing you folks something so next week will be the earliest that I can get something up for you... In the meantime, hopefully you're not at the point where you desparateky need a map to keep track...
I'm also fine to work without maps for awhile until you can get something wrangled together; most of my characters don't rely a great deal on positioning anyway.
*edit* Maybe I'm just easily amused but I love everything that comes out of Solie's mouth XD
This may seem like a silly concern, but let me know if Relas is ever taking up too much of the spotlight or anything like that. It's difficult to find that good balance between Relas being (to some degree) his own self with his own thoughts and opinions on things but without it coming across as though I'm playing two PCs to everyone else's one, if that makes any sense.
Folks... I am travelling with work through until Friday night (off to France for a conference) with uncertain prospects for internet. Apologies if your GM goes quiet for a while!!!
