The Carrion Crown (E7 goodness with House Rules frosting)

Game Master Helaman

Going to work on it this weekend.

Going to work on it this weekend.

Me three!

Screw it - anyone who gives me a journal entry when I need one gets a re-roll (expires after 1 week)

I'm probably too busy PBP wise to do a journal right now. Sorry, GM! I've been accumulating PBP games over the last few months and I've finally reached my limit.

Running five games and playing in ~12 keeps me posting for many hours straight each day as is. -sigh- I wish it wasn't so rude to drop out of the crappy ones so I could focus more on the good ones like this one :)

It's ok - I too am in 10+ games and hitting the outer limit. Let others post the journals.

I never considered Pevrin as a font of information before but in trying to bring the town of Ravensgrovand it's people to life, Pevrin sorta came to life too... Good investigation there folks.

Any comments or observations or issues?

Trust me, I'll get you to the 'fun' stuff but there are events in the making here as well as the overall theme of you getting to know Ravensgro and get some ideas about the place. Issues on Lorrimors death will become clearer shortly too. If some of you don't like the town? Then I am doing my job right :D - Its a fine line for me to walk - between you hating the people, loving a few allies on one hand and you wanting to burn down the whole place on the other.

So far the town has not all been bastards and there is a lot of RP potential, allowing you to turn some townsfolk into valuable allies.

Is it right to drop the whole idea of Lorrimors grave being dug up? Thats for your characters to answer and respond their own way. Again, be true to yourselves.

I think I need to update the Obsidian Portal site too. Both those books and the new NPCs.

I for one am loving it. Keep up the great work. I really like everyone's characters! Adding Elidal was genius. I hope Lament is working out. She is a weirdo, but wouldn't you be if you saw your mother and entire caravan brutally murdered by vampires? Emotionally, she is stuck in adolescence. I am trying to stay true to character with her (emotional outbursts, warm heart, childish comments, wanting to be liked/feelings hurt if rejected). She is an emotional wreck, but struggling to "grow up" in a cruel world all alone. The Professor was her only parental figure and now he is gone.

I am fine with the RP pace. I know we will get to combat soon enough. The kid we just met was superb!

Am hoping Gibbs just pushed ALL your buttons.

He and some other NPCs have been added to the Character section of the Obsidian Portal site.

Off the wiki page there is an item site as well as a section on Research and rumours... and Ravengro is just kicked off :)

If you've the time play around on the site.

So far, So good. I do think the Faire seems a rather jarring change of events and don't see Jaru participating at the moment. A stolen body is an affront to his religion and doubly so as it is the professor. That will be his sole focus until it is resolved.

Also the ghoulish names for the items at the bar played right into his big fear- ghouls. So "The Laughing Demon" won't likely be a place he wants to hang out though he might hire the kid as a guide in his off time.

Not sure how you feel about splitting the party up a little, but Jaru would be up for some private investigation at the church and maybe the professor's study if others want to do the Faire.

Hey, I'm having a great time! I'll admit that one of my few personal rules for playing in a tabletop game is "don't split the party" but that tends to hinder any sort of game where investigation is a thing since it doesn't make much sense for everyone to move as a group when they can split up and potentially cover a lot more ground in a shorter time. Not to mention at this point, we really don't have an in-character reason to fear splitting up in town (yet).

As I notice that I tend to do with my characters, I try to have a basic personality to start with but I like to flesh things out as we go by way of how they react to the events of the game and the other party members. Elidal has a bit of a snarky side as well as an odd sense of humor and considering the temperament of some of the others (PCs & NPCs alike), I think I'll have fun trying to balance her between being pragmatic and being considerate of people's feelings. Right now she's still trying to decide what she thinks of the other PCs beyond "the Professor trusted them so they can't be that bad" and "man, the Professor had some strange friends" :P

Yup all's good here as well. Enjoying it immensly. Trying to get Simeon's "voice" right, but it'll come together as we go along.

Elidal, forgive Simeon if he hasn't actually spoken to you directly yet, he's a bit strange around women, especially competent confident women.

Helaman, could you give me the current date, need it for Simeon's journal entry

@Simeon - I'd noticed that OOC but with everything else going on she hasn't picked up on it IC yet. We'll have fun with it once she decides to try to speak to him directly ;)

23th of Calistril, 4714

I'll add this date to the top and keep it updated.

Any thoughts on the info over on the obsidian portal site?

the portal site is great. and I have a wiki now : )

You like Jaru's pic?

You like Jaru's pic?

Is that the Mummy? OK, but I was thinking more Yul Brynner

Since we are doing real life pictures: LamentPicture

Believe it or not that IS a real life pic but will make the upgrade.

Yeah, on Jaru thats the mummy as I wanted the black robes.

My avatar image is the Mage Sniper from the NPC codex, but the rest of the picture in the book doesn't really match Baradlon.

I can't really find a good RL pic for him.

I tried finding some cosplay drow but you've white skin and not dark skin so... it doesn't work.

So Baradlon and Elidal for judging (I'll swing you by the monument on the way back to the Laughing Demon. Its not on the way but its what Pervin directed you to as he was leaving so it makes sense), Jaru for a stop by the Pharasm Temple. Lament and Simeon?

That encounter gave you a lot to work with and saved a lot of drudgery on your own parts. I've updated the Obsidian Portal site under 'Research and Rumours' off the wiki. It has a fair whack of information that I didn't post earlier that would have been shared in the tour chit chat. I didn't plan on it happening that was but it played well. Hopefully Pervin didn't come off as a money grubber as much as the kid who had his own paper run and mowed lawns on weekends.

There is additional depth to be found in some locations so don't take this as a full reveal of the town.

Simeon agreed to participate in the judging earlier.

Excited for the tour, "This is going to be fun! Just like judging tomorrow!"

Just call Lament Paula Abdul, the judging fool!

okies.

Ok - done a fair whack of posting and there is more to follow. Anyone feeling left behind or left out?

The 'Senior Acolyte' - I'm leaving this person a bit vague. Deliberately so. He/She represents a backup character in case of PC death and the player wanting to continue.

The character can be a cleric, an inquisitor, war priest or even a Paladin (will make an exception here but also have very very definite rules around what archetype template is used for it). At a stretch, and because you get a knowledge free at character generation, it could be a 'lay minister' type position and another class (non arcane) chosen readily enough though Barbarian isn't a good fit here.

There are also as yet other unmet 'potential' characters that I'll introduce you to later though they will just as vague as they interact with you... and I'm not adverse to having another of Lorrimors friends running late either.

^I like the idea of sprinkling in potential replacement characters if one of the current ones meets a sad fate. It also helps in that they'll already have some groundwork in place for writing up a background.

On a totally different topic, I gotta say that Father Grimburrow is awesome.

Thanks - trying to give you guys NPCs that don't feel like cardboard cutouts. I am also trying to bring the village to life but I don't think I've done as good a job there. Will think on that some. Maybe more colour and description of sight and smells.

I've changed the date to the 22nd from the 23rd. This makes it the equivilent of Saturday. Sunday is the religious day (we'll have everyone stay in town for that) and leave Moonday - Monday morning for their farms.

I'll try to track dates and times for you enough so that you can predict the ebb and flow of village life.

Day General Purpose
Moonday Work, religion [night]
Toilday Work
Wealday Work
Oathday Work, pacts signed, oaths sworn
Fireday Work
Starday Work
Sunday Rest, religion

Yer doing a bang up job Helaman.

Tally Ho!

Obsidian Portal updated.

Research and rumours as well as some snippets on Lorrimor and Grimburrow.

Will leave some time for another few hrs of RP posting then move it along.

I'd say Ghoroven is probably desperate to talk to someone that isn't local for a change so I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard for Simeon (since they'd have the most to talk about) or anyone else to find time to chat with him, depending on what's happening in-game at any given time.

*edit* I'm a little confused with the latest game update; do you mean that only Lament and Baradlon notice the oddities with the food or that they notice -and- the rest of us can roll to see if we notice as well?

FRAU BLUCHER?!
HASENPFEFFER?!

and I wouldn't touch that stroganoff. just saying...

LOL - glad someone caught both of those!

I'm holding off on the Harrowstone bit Jaru. Just bear with me on me dragging my feet on that... rp as you will on the lead up but its all about the timing on horror.

I read this on another post. I don't think it applies to us and it was posted about another game but that said? I thought it was note worthy.

Many GMs who really go the extra mile, building props, elaborate storylines etc. struggle with rail-roading PCs. They have such an elaborate story, that it becomes the GMs story, not the PCs story and players resent this, and will often act out as a result. Now, these same characteristics; love of storytelling, elaborate extras and intricate plots can be huge strengths in a GM, but only when they remember that the story isn't theirs, it is the PCs story.

If you guys feel that this is not your story or I am running a railway too much, straight up let me know - I want this to be fun. If you feel like you are stuck on a GM rail line let me know asap.

Tally Ho?

If you guys feel that this is not your story or I am running a railway too much, straight up let me know - I want this to be fun. If you feel like you are stuck on a GM rail line let me know asap.

As I said earlier, you're doing great.

It's OUR story!

There's always going to be a certain amoutn of railroading, especially in an AP. So we as players have to "play along", so to speak. I can't all of a sudden have Simeon want to journey to Orsirion , completely de-railiing the point of the AP.

Plus, I like trains :)

Oof, apologies for the delayed posting; ended up crashing after work last night and had to spend today running errands ;_;

And I'm having a great time! Simeon is right that anyone running an AP is going to have to do a little prodding from time to time to get the PCs going in the right direction. In my experience, a good GM points in the general direction of the plot but largely leaves it up to the PCs on how they want to reach the destination :)

FYI - this little crisis is NOT part of the adventure but what is does give you is a bunch of local involvement, a chance to gain (or lose) trust with the locals and allows me to do some roll out and foreshadowing of things to come. Definitely a few of you have picked up on the theme of 'fear of the mob', which also rolls on into chapter 2 and while you could EASILY beat any 5 of these people in a fight, as a mob they're still something to be feared. Hopefully this will help with sensitivity to 'local issues' and respect for local authority / convention but still not dilute your awesomeness as PC's.

You guys did well so far and you didn't lose any trust (so far) for the current situation with the Faire. I put in a few social pits for you to dodge but you have played smart and subtle.

Skill challenge time. Be prepared for details... I'm still in the trenches at work for another 2 days but I'll do my best to keep things at the same pace.

entering my peak 'in the s&@+' zone. Will be flaky for the next 24 hrs. I did call out I'd be iffy for the next 72 hours about 2 days ago - that said this game has priority over every other that I am involved in so I will do the best I can.

We are good. No hurry!! Take a day if you need it. We will be here.

yup, no hurry!

no worries. I don't know if it's tax time or what, but lots of folks seem pretty busy lately.

^I know that my last few days off were unusually busy; must be the positive change in the weather inspiring people to stir around more.

Are there any journal entries for following?

Prelogue: The tavern encounter and travel
Day one: Funeral

Don't do day 2 just yet.

If not thats fine.

Are there any journal entries for following?

Prelogue: The tavern encounter and travel
Day one: Funeral

Don't do day 2 just yet.

If not thats fine.

Thanks for the reminder.

Nicely done, Simeon. As for the "solid head on his shoulders" well, Jaru hasn't done too well on the sanity checks so far. we shall see how long that lasts... ; )

GM Helaman wrote:

Are there any journal entries for following?

Prelogue: The tavern encounter and travel
Day one: Funeral

Don't do day 2 just yet.

If not thats fine.

Thanks for the reminder.

** spoiler omitted **...

From now until 20th of April you get a re-roll to be used at your discretion. Nice. I hope we can keep these going.