Discussion thread open.
Let's talk about the characters background and connections.
Alrighty, mostly done and ready to playtest! A few minor background bits left, but the bulk of it is there, as are all the crunchy bits.
Are we going to run this test with just three of us then, Maddok, Marcusic, and Thomas?
Yes, for now unless Gruskorb or Mal chimes in here.
Since there is a large population base (by the current standards) there is a healthy pool for new pcs.
Chime.
I'll run my character background and profile through here tomorrow. At present, I'm seeing a cleric, skald, and mageknight (which is on the beefier side if I recall). Given this is a playtest, I think giving it a go in its purest form - an incanter - would be a revealing venue to try and also fit well with the party. Though it's a create-a-mage, I'm going to have a tough time staying away from my weather-fetish, so that will probably be the specialty.
DM, regarding the light and dark spheres, do you have any special considerations of how they should/shouldn't work given the importance of level of illumination in the world with the change (yet to happen as it might be)?
Looks to be a great time to be had!
Just so I'm clear: We've been underground this entire time so we're unaware of the catastrophe that's affected the rest of the world, right?
Hey Gruskorb. I don't think there will be any change to the Light and Dark spheres from the quick re-read that I made this morning. I think an enchanter would be a perfect fit and good chance to see how another type of caster fares with SoP.
Regarding your character, have you been traveling with he group since Haemil, did they pick you up part way to Eastgate or were you also trapped in Eastgate? If the latter, you may very well have met them over the past few days as they coped with the stress of the tunnel collapse. Either way, I'd you all to be familiar with each other.
@Maddok -
Yes, you were inside Eastgate with the Shaping occurred and therefore were protected from being sucked into the vortex. Rumors would certainly be floating regarding what occurred outside of the mountain, but none of you would have seen it yet. You would have heard rumors that the sun was gone and an eternal night has set in; that many people are missing; that dark monsters are roaming the darkened lands; that Kiravor has returned to destroy the world; that Gaeruhn has returned and swallowed the sun again; that all the gods have abandoned the world; that time has come to an end; and many others.
As one of the first people through the re-opened Dragon Road, you would have not heard about the massive barrage of undead at the Dragon Gate, which, FYI, has diminished over time. The dwarves use of alchemist's fire has been very effective against the undead.
Being from Haemil, what would be available to Marcusic in the way of bonus languages?
Haemil is a very eclectic community, so just about any language you would want to learn would be fine... elvish, gnome, dwarven (although it would be a slight different dialect), planar languages, celestial, giant, draconic. Other monster races would be an issue. Abyssal and infernal would need a good reason as speaking them would raise a big issue
I've decided on Sylvan. Makes for an interesting choice, I think.
Are we going at all with the expedition idea from Marcusic's backstory? I'd like to know one or way or the other before making reference to it in play.
Are we waiting for Gruskorb to create a character or something else?
Sorry, it's been a busy day at work. I'll get a post up now.
Busy day for me was well. Think I got a couple ooc posts in the other campaign but nothing here. Sorry.
Chime.
Long story short, Denenor is a bright elf with an affinity for art and nature. He has developed a small reputation for aiding the growth of crops with exceptional quality. He was traveling to a new stead to assist in the production of a new season when the Shaping tossed a wrench into things and he was stopped in Eastgate. When I complete writing the mostly-finished background to my standards, I'll post the spoiler in the profile and make a note of it here.
Mechanically, I believe I've done the math on the spheres correctly, though I've not decided how to format the profile yet to account for the various talents & their intersections. Especially after reading the weather sphere in detail, there's a lot of interdependencies to notate.
@Thomas: I think you can take the Cantrips feats (link in my feats) as a bonus feat, replacing your sphere cleric orisons. It's a pretty nifty feat actually, does just about everything that cantrips/orisons can do, at-will and (presumably) in line with whatever casting tradition you have. Which means Marcusic does his by clutching a metal weapon and belting out martial music, which is hilarious to think about for piddly magical tasks outside of combat.
More generally, on the subject of bonus feats, I'm pretty sure that those listed in the Bright Tower character creation section are available to us; I asked about them for Garidan and Marcusic, and Valjoen replied that they weren't yet available in that (Garidan's) Talanor campaign.
They wouldn't add much--more like nothing, really--to Thomas, but Denenor and Maddock would certainly get value from them.
This play test campaign can use all the posted rules except the bonded items.
@Denenor - Reviewed your character sheet. I'm still learning this too, so I may be incorrect. Truk'tosh maybe be able to clarify.
1) I believe you should have 4 feats. You should have 2 feats from characters levels 1 & 3 and 2 feats from incanter level 1 & 2. Since it appears you did not take a specialization, you did not lose any bonus feats.
2) You should have 9 talents.
- 2 talents for gaining the casting class feature
- 5 talents for 3 levels of Incanter.
- 2 talents for 2x Extra Talent feats
3) You spent 15 talents. It costs 1 talent to get the base sphere, then you can buy talents from that sphere.
- 1 talent for Light Sphere
- 1 talent for Lasting Light
- 1 talent for Ranged Light
- 1 talent for Nature (Earth) Sphere
- 1 talent for Expanded Geomancing (Water)
- 1 talent for Forge Earth
- 1 talent for Warp Sphere
- 1 talent for Distant Teleport
- 1 talent for Extradimensional Storage
- 1 talent for Weather Sphere
- 1 talent for Greater Size
- 1 talent for Lengthen Weather
- 1 talent for Rain Lord
- 1 talent for Severe Weather
- 1 talent for Wind Lord
4) I'd like you to select a Casting Tradition.
Please correct me if I'm misunderstanding.
That all looks good GM. Is it possible he picked up a bunch of drawbacks and they're not noted in the character sheet?
My sheet was indeed incomplete as it was written. However, I did take one of the incanter specializations (page 86) to exchange a series of feats for the ability to channel energy. My understanding of feats:
#1 at clvl 1 (Improved Initiative)
#2 at incanter lv1 1 (exchanged)
#3 at incanter lvl 2 (Extra Talent)
#4 at clvl 3 (Extra Talent)
The non-weather talents were mostly ones I was planning for later. I meant to remove them to my planning document. The accurate (and updated as of a few minutes from now) list of spheres/talents is:
- 1 talent for Nature (Earth) Sphere
- 1 talent for Forge Earth
- 1 talent for Warp Sphere
- 1 talent for Weather Sphere
- 1 talent for Greater Size
- 1 talent for Lengthen Weather
- 1 talent for Rain Lord
- 1 talent for Severe Weather
- 1 talent for Wind Lord
Regarding casting tradition, the samples don't quite have what I feel would fit Denenor (though monastic could be reflavored to be close), so I'd like to - with your permission, of course - create a theme for him.
The wanderlust of the unanchored bright elves combined with the curiosity of Denenor would lend themselves well to Wild Magic. Both Maddok and Thomas can attest I have no qualms letting the DM be in charge of that roulette wheel; you could use the rod of wonder table as suggested, the primal magic events, or something else you feel appropriate for the setting. Perchance, a platypus might even be propogated! In addition to being a farmer, Denenor is an artist (though not the best) and admires creativity and virtuosity.
It would feel strange for me to not incorporate somatic & verbal casting "drawbacks" (x2 for somatic in this case as Denenor is more arcane-flavored in execution, albeit divine for inspiration) for something other than a superhero/creature made of magic, so I would like to append those. Lastly, I believe a focus on the weather sphere readily lends itself to the magical signs "drawback", whereby eddies of wind would flow around Denenor during use of magic, perhaps with small shifts of temperature/moisture if he's actually using something from that sphere.
That's 5 total. I would also like to counterweight that somewhat with the Easy Focus boon; since much of Denenor's history revolves around sustaining rain for crops, it is rather baked-in with his vocation. If I understand correctly then, 4 drawbacks yields an additional 1 spell point, +1 per 1.5 levels in the class (2, 3, 5, 6 ...) as per page 156. If approved, let's call the package Ether Eker.
These things don't feel like drawbacks (though I understand the label mechanically) so much as flavor. I'd have trouble wanting to make a mage that didn't have at least a few.
Great ideas for a new casting tradition! I'm good with your proposed drawbacks and boon. Depending on how the play test goes, I'll include it as a permitted casting tradition in the character creation rules. So, your spell pool points should be increased +2 to a total of 9, correct?
As for the background, looks good. Going through Eastgate only leads you to the Vale of Talanor. So, that would be your end destination. I could see it plausible that a resident of the Vale had requested your presence to aid with a farm there. Land is at a premium and growing crops in abundance would be highly valued. I would imagine if you came from the western side of the continent, it would be further south on the map. Probably down near Axteil or Wynstil.
With regards to casting traditions, Marcusic's eventual shield training will give him proficiency in bashes along with the other benefits. Would his (steel) rider's shield then count as a metal weapon for the purposes of galvanized?
For that matter, if I spiked his armor or shield, would that count?
Related question, would spiking the rider's armor or shield need a smith from Haemil?
I've been think about the casting traditions. I'm thinking of Thomas primarily as a channeler. His gifts don't track down complex spells or invocations. Besides for magical signs (I can imagine the smell of cherry blossoms and other Teysura related stuff) are there anything for someone whose skill is that he is a conduit of a certain kind of power?
Divine Casting would the obvious default, but you could modify that a bit to better suit, as I did with Song-Wielder by adding Galvanized to make a proper war-singer skald.
Hmm, based on the backstory for Thomas, I'd say Verbal Casting and Focused Casting as the base, with those serving to properly focus your thoughts as you wield Teysura's gifts. Add Emotional Casting to that--because Thomas feels very much like he'd be invested in his magic like that--and then instead of Magical Signs, maybe Center of Power?
For sphere-specific drawbacks? Light, maybe Nyctophobic Casting or Touch of Light. Life is a toss-up, though Sympathetic or Unnatural Remedy--in that Thomas' healing maybe establishes a level of connection that is unpleasantly familiar and personal while being used--could be choices.
If you want some boons for those non-sphere drawbacks, instead of just straight bonus SP, Draw Magic and Overwhelming Power seem appropriate.
With regards to casting traditions, Marcusic's eventual shield training will give him proficiency in bashes along with the other benefits. Would his (steel) rider's shield then count as a metal weapon for the purposes of galvanized?
Yes.
For that matter, if I spiked his armor or shield, would that count?
Yes, both armor and shields that are spiked are counted as martial weapons. So, I'd say yes.
Related question, would spiking the rider's armor or shield need a smith from Haemil?
And yes.
You're 3 for 3.
Woo-ho-... waitaminute... one of those is a bad answer, why am I cheering?
Fortunately, I have a bit of cash left over. Could I throw in some spikes right now?
I've been think about the casting traditions. I'm thinking of Thomas primarily as a channeler. His gifts don't track down complex spells or invocations. Besides for magical signs (I can imagine the smell of cherry blossoms and other Teysura related stuff) are there anything for someone whose skill is that he is a conduit of a certain kind of power?
I think verbal casting would be good... i.e. calling out Teysura's name to invoker her power. Prepared casting is also a good rp option in that you're forced to split your pool points between light and life everyday. I have another idea for you but I'd like to see if it plays out through the adventure.
As Marcusic said, Focused casting could work too. That is a concept I think we could explore during the adventure. Emotion and Center of Power are drawbacks that I hadn't seen... I haven't read much beyond the core materials of SoP, but looking at them I think they could work too.
I think I'll go with Focus Casting, Magical Signs, and Verbal Casting.
I think I'll go with Focus Casting, Magical Signs, and Verbal Casting.
Don't forget your sphere-specific drawbacks as well, you've got to chose one for each sphere.
No, I don't. That's a life style choice.
I'm only using the Spheres wiki for reference, so the books may say otherwise, but:
Drawbacks
Drawbacks come in one of two forms: general and sphere-specific. General drawbacks must be selected as soon as the caster gains her first level in any spellcasting class. Sphere-Specific Drawbacks must be chosen as soon as the caster gains the drawback’s prerequisite sphere.
I'll admit that I may be missing or reading something wrong here, but otherwise it does seem clear enough; take a sphere, take a drawback when you do so.
You don't have to take drawbacks. However, if you do, you must select them at the tie you get the spell casting ability or take the sphere for the first time.
That is, you don't unless the GM says you do... or you want the spell pool points.
Ah, I see! Well, I took mine and I'll stick with them. But nice to know that I won't have to take a drawback then for my next spell sphere.
Looking at the list of effects that cantrips covers and doing a little googling, cantrip effects similar to detect magic, resistance and guidance are conspicuously absent. This isn’t accidental. The cantrip feat doesn’t grant you effects that have a mechanical effect, other than the minor damage ones.
Okay, regarding the specifics of the cantrip feat.
I felt the feat's limited description of what it is capable of was more to keep it open to creativity (thus the closing bit about GM discretion deciding additional effects) instead of limiting it by specifically saying it does the effects from groups 'A', 'B', and 'C', but not 'D' (and then 'D' has some crossover with the first three, so why is it excluded, etc., etc.)
Ruling out uses because they have a certain type of mechanical effect turns the feat into "prestidigitation + 1d3 damage." If that, or a specific combination of minor spells, was all that the feat's writers wanted it to do, I think they would have called it out as such. Further, any sphere-adapted class that then trades their Vancian cantrips/orisons for the feat--as either an option or a firm requirement, according to the table rules--very much loses by the trade. I understand that not all such trades work out equally, of course, but they shouldn't be slanted so heavily either. It also means every single sphere caster does the same set of things, no exceptions, with their cantrips (which, I feel, violates the spirit behind the concept of the system).
Finally, in forbidding these minor effects, I'm pretty sure you're canning a few things that aren't reproduced by existing sphere effects, meaning they're no longer available at all; I'd have to actually dig through and compare the spheres to the cantrip/orison lists to be utterly certain.
Mind you, I did seek clarification on this with my own googling efforts, but found effectively none, not even on the official forums (which are woefully inactive for such a well-regarded product). That was why I added the ooc, bolded caveat to that section.
So, with all of my arguments laid out for your consideration, I'm wondering if your up to negotiating specifics of the feat. My opening position--because I'm greedy, and because I believe that I have no right to be disappointed when I don't get what I didn't ask for to begin with--is that the feat:
- reproduces all cantrips/orisons, or generates effects functionally indistinguishable from them;
- follows the restrictions imposed by any existing casting tradition the user may have.
I accept that the first point may be a bit much even for your generous nature to let pass, so I'm willing to drop to reproducing cantrips, or even further to reproducing skald cantrips.
I think the Feat does what it says. Those other effects are now based on the spheres. Womp. Womp.
I think the Feat does what it says. Those other effects are now based on the spheres. Womp. Womp.
But, by that reasoning, it shouldn't be generating light or damage either, because there are sphere effects that do that. And then, why even bother adding any lines about the GM determining additional effects?
Edit: Lo, and the playtest does already serve its stated purpose, rofl!
Because there is a list of things that it provides, reasonably one could imagine that they put in thought to it. (ie these are things everyone could access, etc.).
The GM is allowed to change things because he, in this case, likely she in others, is not in a straightjacket. However, the GM granting extended access is a far cry from a character presuming extended access until challenged. :-p
We know that sphere casting is weaker, out the gate. I feel the main question is whether it is still useful and fun despite this diminishment. My suspicion is that it is a do nothing system of hyper specialization. I hope to be proven wrong.
And of course there are some niche things like literally summoning a volcano or casting light over miles, that are much harder, or impossible, with the traditional magic system. Those things seem cool, but they are also much higher level.
I'm with you on the hyper specialized part, no argument there at all. However, I don't feel it makes Marcusic weaker, per se. I mean, I'll have to play more to be sure, obviously, but I don't feel that the war sphere and its granted talents was actually a diminishment compared to standard skald spells.
Now the warleader martial sphere, on the other hand, that one I'm not too sure on. Feats are precious after all, and what I've got right now feels very much like that VLC system, which I rather dislike the looks of. But, sure as death and ignorance, if Valjoen approves Spheres for future campaigns, someone will go with a hybrid build like Marcusic is trying, and our GM will need to know how that works out. That's actually why I picked skald, and the hybrid build on top of it, not everyone will go with a pure sphere class, or a simple sphere adaptation either. Always gonna be that one player who decides to be different for reasons, lol...
(I'm pretty sure, in considering my varied characters and their builds, that I am, in fact, that one player for Valjoen and a couple of other GMs right now :p.)
I can't find any "official" information/opinion from the Drop Dead Studios but this thread has some interesting thoughts on the matter. I've linked a particular opinion that falls in line with me or my thinking at this time.
They made detect magic the core ability of the Divine Sphere, which tells me they intended to remove it from the cantrip category. With that in mind, I start thinking about what else they would have removed and why in this system.
If guidance or resistance type effects were available with the cantrip feat, it would be more powerful 9or at least a longer lasting buff) than a 20th level cleric casting bless, for example. The cleric uses a 1st level spell slot to get +1 to attack, damage and saves for 20 minutes while a 1st level sphere caster using your technique to mimic guidance without spending any pool points to get +1 attack, +1 saves and +1 skill checks for 1 hour. That doesn't compute. Granted, you need to keep concentrating and singing but it seems wrong.
My reason to give sphere casters the cantrip feat was to give them the ability to use prestidigitation, mage hand, open/close, drench, arcane mark, flare, etc. These are great little tools that don't really affect battles but are great roleplaying fun and can really give depth to the characters.
So, I'll let anyone create any minor magical effects with the Cantrip feat provided they give me a good in character description, but I don't think it works to grant long lasting bonuses... I'd might even permit you to sing a little song and pat Maddok on the back for a +1 bonus right before he tried a skill check or right before he made an attack.
1) If a given cantrip-level effect is already assigned to a specific sphere, then by all means, forbid its duplication using the feat.
2) Fair enough point, the obvious solution to which would be using the default duration of the emulated effect; in this case, resistance's 1-minute duration. Could also use rounds/minutes per caster level, duration of concentration--which I'm pretty sure is limited to one effect at a time, so the only way to buff multiple stats or allies at once sould be effect does that from the start--and don't forget that Marcusic can't be quiet doing this either, no stealth buffs before fight from him.
3) If you're worried about people getting nuts with cantrips, aside from the stuff mentioned above, restrict them to effects from whatever list of 0-level spells they traded (if they had a such a trade to make) for the feat--for sphere versions of classes--or a list of their and your mutual choosing for pure sphere classes?
4) Well, I think I gave a decent enough IC delivery for the save bonus. Just shorten the duration to whatever you feel reasonable, maybe even instantaneous so it's only good for a single check, and away we go?
Okay, here is my offer. I've thought about this a bunch since last night.
Given his build and focus on bolstering allies through his song, Marcusic can impart a bonus similar to resistance for a single d20 roll to each ally. The effect can last while Marcusic maintains concentration via his song, but the ally only gets the bonus to a single roll during the duration. The ally must be within close range of Marcusic at the time they use the bonus. The bonus cannot be increase beyond +1 by any other talent, feat, trait, etc. If you want the bonus to last beyond the concentration, you must spend 1 magic pool point and the ally has 1 minute per skald level of Marcusic to use the bonus.
This gives you the flavor of singing to your allies to encourage them through the ordeal, but not more powerful than the old resistance spell.
Anything beyond this seems closer to a class ability (inspire courage or raging song) or to the basic magic of a new sphere.
Deal, I'll note it.
Clarifications:
1) For this ability, an ally will be anyone covered by his Squadron Commander feat (or feats that have it as a prerequisite), or anyone covered by his ranging song?
2) It functions as a sphere ability in that Garidan needs to be armed, make Perform check, and has to sing aloud to use it?
3) Bonus type would be circumstance?
4) Magic pool point = spell point, right?
5) Would this be a Marcusic-specific expansion of/addition to cantrips, or something entirely separate? (Need to know where in his sheet it should go, Campaign Boons or Sphere Casting.)
6) Close range is 25 feet + 5 feet/2 caster levels, right?
1) Raging song since SC isn't affecting this spell
2) Yes
3) Sure
3) Yes
4) Marcusic specific for now.
5) Yes
1) Okay, that is an important distinction to make note of, as Squadron Commander's definition of allies is a much smaller number than that of raging song.
5) Alrighty, under sphere casting it goes!
I am sure your intentions were not malicious, Marcusic, but just so you know: my character can do two things -- make light and heal people. Your last series of posts served only to diminish and belittle what small contributions Thomas can make. It's also bad advice tactically for two reasons:
1. Thomas having a light up already means that he can do what he did to ward off the undead with one action instead of two.
2. Since there are only four of us, and we are riding two abreast, there is no middle of the formation where Thomas can ride protected. It's actually better to have a martial character in both rows in case of an assault from the rear. (Remember, you may pass through an ally's square unimpeded so Thomas isn't in your way for the purpose of melee.) Having Thomas in the first row also helps keep the undead from boxing us in with the aforementioned Repelling Light, though if we needed to charge through a line, clearly you should go in front.
Alternatively, you are perhaps trying to signal that Marcusic is unpleasant and a bit of a bully, which is a fine enough roleplaying choice. If one that caught me unaware.
Now, if you were intentionally trying to belittle what my character can do for oog reasons, then I can only ask: why you would do that and if there is anything we should be discussing privately?
I'll preface everything else here by saying I didn't intend jack or s+!$.
I'm getting slammed today; snow fall shut down schools, so sister came over with her shrieking spawn to amuse them at uncle's expense and fraying patience. I got stuff that needs prepping for cooking, or watching while cooking, on top of cleaning up. I got three games all running events that are all "grind early and grind hard, or f$%~ off and don't bother"--and rewards that I very much want, so the former choice is how I'm going--and somewhere in there, I'm squirting posts out as best I can with a barebones pass for legibility and relevance to whatever got posted between that and my previous post.
I'm, quite honestly and very much in contravention to my usual standards, skimming everyone else's posts; just enough to, as I said, to make sure my posts are somewhat involved with what's happening. So I'm surely missing specific details, I know it. And by the time I have a moment free to actually spend on fully reading those details--and there's no way at all to predict or schedule when those happen--it's usually too late to edit my posts to account for them.
1) Does Marcusic actually know what Thomas' lights do? Or does he just know that the half-elf lights up from time to time? He's probably seen Thomas healing after that Dragon Road mess, but that's likely the extent of what he's seen.
If you're referring to thing with the ioun torch thing, again, Thomas made no mention of his light warding undead away, only that he could light the way. Marcusic would have issue with his unarmored protectee taking point for any but the most dire reasons, so he managed a solution for that particular problem. Probably could have explained it better, or with more interaction, but was short on time.
2) The formation should have been established before we got underway. I'm not happy in the least that you didn't think to even ask, IC or OOC, if anyone had suggestions before setting us off in your role as party lead. (And no, I don't begrudge you that role either, I think you'll be good at it.)
So, there was no mention of how we were riding at all; two-by-by, in a straight line, a staggered line, who was where in relation to everyone else, nothing. So I went with the basics, which says the guys with no armor to speak of ride behind the meatshield who hopefully springs ambushes and eats the first attacks, while the next capable melee combatant in the party guards the rear, and so. I had intended to bring this up OOC in my post.
Irrelevant, as my post ended up coming through after Valjoen starts us off in round 1 and you post almost instantly after. So, I had to scramble to get a combat round in while I had some time free to actually do, and formation details fell to the wayside.
And, posted separately because it shouldn't be lost in the other stuff.
We've been gaming along together now for the better part of two years. If I have, by word or action, indicated that I'm the sort of player to rip into someone else's character in that time, whether ingame or out, I'd very much like you to point it out me. Stuff like doesn't stay unnoticed for very long, even at the level of distance afforded by PbP, so why would you think I'd suddenly do it now, and with no prior warning if it was an IC thing?
(Yes, Pazeek was a bit of a c*&~ for interaction, but I also clearly noted at the start of that whole thing what he was doing and why, just to avoid the very issue you're raising now.)
I was referring to the ioun torch thing in specific and Marcusic's aggressive and belittling demeanor in general
Again, the issue for me is whether Marcusic was being a jerk and it was intentional, whether the entire thing was thoughtlessness, or whether you oog were having problems with me oog. From your last post it seems that the answer is some combination of that last two. And I wanted to sort both out.
So from my perspective -- in game -- Marcusic just told a priest of a goddess of light that a burnt out hunk of enchanted stone was an equivalent replacement for literal divine light. It's hard from an in world perspective not to see that as blasphemous and insulting. Thomas being a guy in a warrior/honor based culture performing a traditionally feminine role is used to being insulted. And, I'm oog happy to role-play out the situation. Some amount of in party conflict is good for the story as long as there are no hard feelings.
Now I want to address your unhappiness about the leadership thing.
First, it was not my intention to step on anybody's toes. When we were all first talking it seemed like your character wanted to be part of some mercenary group that just happened to be here when everybody else arrived. I thought mercenaries are cool but not for my pacifist priest idea. Then Feral started g-chatting with me about my character's backstory. When I told him what I was thinking, he was like "cool, so he is going to go shack up with his boyfriend; he probably needs an escort." I was all sure "i'll write that in." That was it. At this point, I was not assuming any authority -- narratively thinking -- over anybody who hadn't bought in.
Later on it seemed that you were abandoning your mercenary company idea and linking your story to ours. By that time, my back story had been posted for about a week. I assumed that you had read it and wanted in.
Now, I want to apologize for two things. First, for assuming you had read what I had written without asking if you had to make sure you knew what you were buying into. Second, and, perhaps more importantly, for not asking you specific questions while I was brewing -- even if our back stories never linked up. It was an error of omission. I talk with Feral all the time. I could have been more thoughtful.
If you want to clarify your backstory so you didn't journey with us from Haemil after being hired by Thomas' mother. That's cool with me. I have 5000 gp and nothing I want to spend it on. I could hire some hirelings to fill out Thomas' company. (I'm still bummed that Feral got our bonded items for this game nixed. He is a monster. :-p) This would do nothing for any in game angst about Thomas' privilege, but that can be good story. It could help mollify your oog unhappiness.
In any case, I will need clarity from you before I can respond to your previous in game posts further.