The Father of Waters

Game Master Fighting Chicken

OK, forgot that Oios wanted to hold a meeting. We'll tackle that first.

Damn, Imix is brutal.

Been busy in work/life recently. Istiel will join this meeting.

I'm pretty sure Texikuk ditched the meeting and sent Naira in her stead.

That was Tetchuix (engineer) that sent Naira, Texikuk is present.

I'm going to talk BP into introducing an npc named Oiox so things can get really confusing.

Been really busy lately, no time for posting... thankfully, Istiel doesn't have much to say/do at the meeting.

So.... in happier news. We're expecting our second child this Friday so I'm probably not going to be posting anything substantial for a while after!

Congratulations Oios!

And congratulations to your child- with luck, they won't have formed any permanent memories until four years from now.

That is happy news. Congrats, Oios to you and your family. I'll keep things moving in your stead and keep us in the loop as to how things are going!

I try not to bring politics into this board, and I'm not interested in starting up a discussion / argument, so I'll just say this: I'm having a little motivation troubles today, with everything, this game included. May need a couple of days to get my mojo back.

No problem BP. I've been lacking oopmh myself lately. When the mojo is flowing, we'll be here to bask in it.

Edit:

I just realized- Happy 1 year anniversary everyone! You are all the finest rolplayers I have ever played with.

Wow - so much all at once...

Oios - congratulations!

GMBP - This is an amazing game. If you need some time, take it. Get back that mojo!

Istiel - happy anniversary to you too! In addition to being an amazing game, we are fortunate to have a great group as well. How lucky are we :)

Congratulations on the new spawn Oios, and everyone take all the time you need. Things will be alright just take a deep breath. We will get through this.

That we will.

So, I have an idea. It isn't honorable or glorious, but it might be smart, which I think we'll need to win this one without heavy losses.

So if they are in the fog, hiding outside our walls, they can't see out as we can't see in.

I want to learn their numbers, and I have plan. I move close, likely in my own fog perhaps with many others joining me. Then, by lowering the precipitation levels, I remove all the fog in the area, a 560' radius around me. We get a quick count of their numbers, maybe launch a surprise assault while they aren't suspecting, then retreat in a fog back inside our walls.

With a bit of rest to recover our spell slots, they might still be somewhat recovering from our rogue vortex while we are all healed up.

It's a good idea, but I think while we might do some damage, this enemy is essentially unbeatable with our resources.

Oh, no way we can win, that is certain. We need to leave Shadeholme, it is just a matter of planning and timing. Even if we staved off their forces, I am certain they'd have reinforcements down the line.

Doing damage is the least important part, I want to get an idea for their numbers, see what they are up to, see the extent of what the vortex did. RAW, a scout can't get that information with that fog in the way.

Truly beautiful posts everyone. This is like out of a novel. Sorry I've had trouble keeping up lately.

Naira- our scouting adventure begins on this page if you haven't already read it.

Sorry for being snappy but Oios is feeling especially grumpy.

Edit: Reading it over again I can see Oios didn't understand the 'victory condition' part and just repeated what Naira said.

If you need some time, take it. Get back that mojo!

Istiel - happy anniversary to you too! In addition to being an amazing game, we are fortunate to have a great group as well. How lucky are we :)

No worries, I'm not going anywhere, and today was better than yesterday. Yesterday I felt like I had a really bad hangover, with none of the fun the night before.

I got really lucky getting my "first ballot" players*, and reached out to you all for a reason. Thanks for playing along!

I'm traveling for work tomorrow, so may or may not get a post up before this weekend. But really, I'm just as inclined to sit on the sidelines and let you all hash the meeting out - really nice posts, everyone.

*Naira's player would've been on my first ballot as well, had I known her player then.

Oh, I know you've scouted, but Naira is so out of the loop of the situation ;)

Partially making an early leave of absence as I know my ability to post in the next few days will be limited.

Feels like we're scolding Naira. Sorry - we all went through a "Maybe there is still hope" phase. We come down hard on that now. Hope gets people killed.

For the record, I like how dark the game is. This seems like an apocalyptic event.

Oh don't feel bad, I'd be mad if you all rolled with the plan which boils down to "suicide mission just to learn how many of them there are."

She listens to the continual back and forth with unchanging expression, propped up against the wall, until Naira makes to leave. Her arms swing down and she moves forward to follow the engineer out. "Do not go there alone. I will accompany you.

Girls night out!

Girls night out!

Ha it is! Nothing like going out to the corrupted pool for drinks and .... Aromas.

I forgot to say it, but me (and Istiel) are for going south into the wilderness, like Imix just suggested.

I have a plan!

If Imix can successfully burn through all his fancy new spell points animating objects, He should be able to animate a bunch of flying crocodiles *cough* dragons* *cough*.
He can then take SOME of the village to the wilderness - those who would slow the group down - and use that as a distraction so the rest of the (healthy) inhabitants can make a break for Te-Moak.
We know the barbarians are fact, ruthless, and march through the night. Old, young and lame won't make it. Plus, healthy people tend to be heavier.

If this plan annoys the GM please tell me GMBP!

Yes, inspired by this @ 1:20 from my childhood.

No annoyance here. I've never heard of that cartoon before. I would totally have dug that one.

I have a plan!

Man, who needs detect evil when you have a plan like that. Pitching the idea will certainly be easier without Naira there, is how I'll put it ;) I can't ever say she'd be for sacrificing children, yet alone anyone at all, without major hesitations. Plus, one of the younglings called me pretty.

Sacrificing the...
No, no, I expect only the children will live.
Imix (and the other PCs) would be on the giant flying crocodiles.

Though I admit, if Wild Magic stays on course, it'll kill us all.

Naira, you'll not get any information that night, but with the right rolls you may get some Gozran 22. I'll pick up there, but feel free to continue the conversation with Istiel. Very nice.

Nature, planes, are the appropriate rolls here.

Shadeholme's population

There are 200 villagers.

There's 5 PCs and the following "named" NPCs, that if they fit into a team, I've noted in () next to the entry:

Telowo
Bellet
Texikuk
Issy
Hamfatten
Chukix

That leaves 189 villagers, including:

Tetchuix (engineer)
Apachan (engineer)
Telia (engineer)

Utzi (soldier)
Antuk (soldier)
Aktuk (soldier)
Scree (soldier)
The Rheumy (soldier)
Sarre (soldier)
Utzi (soldier)
Suuha (soldier)
Hamfatten's 5 apprentices (soldier)

Helgya (acolyte)

Helaya (craftspeople: hunter)
Lijart (craftspeople: hunter)

Cogsward (craftspeople: farmer)

Fulton (craftspeople: weaponsmith)

Korya (craftspeople: fisher)

Jalya (laborer)
Paola (laborer)
Nando (laborer)
Ogwe (laborer)

Imix's 5 pupils (non-combatants)

Soldiers: 11 teams (5 pp each)

Shadeholme has 5 teams of soldiers, and Bellet has 5 teams of soldiers, Hamfatten has one team. That leaves 134 villagers.

Engineers: 1 team (3 pp)

131 villagers

Acolyte: 1 team (1 pp)

130 villagers

Hunters: 2 teams (3 pp ea)

124 villagers

Farmers: 2 teams (3 pp ea)

118 villagers

Fishers: 1 team (3 pp ea)

115 villagers

Bureaucrats 1 team (5 pp ea)

100 villagers

Laborers (5 teams)

75 villagers

...

That leaves 75 people that have little skills; they are children, the infirm, the mentally scarred, the elderly.

Added my rolls to my post as I had the editing window still up. Assume I return in the morning then to resume my investigation proper (if a story event does not interrupt).

EDIT: On the below (but you may miss it), can I have an estimated breakdown of the number of children, elderly, and either mentally/physically disabled within those 75?

^ Correct! I'll get a post up tonight or tomorrow about the investigation. Our posts flew by each other. There's info about SH's population above your post, in case you missed it.

Important Rules about Goods and Food

Rather than make an exact accounting of every single supply in Shadeholme, we're going to be using the downtime rules, with all those supplies represented as abstracted "goods".

Shadeholme has: 300 goods.

These goods can be exchanged, per the downtime rules, at a 2:1 ratio, for labor, magic, and influence (in other words, you're giving someone some wood, for example, for their help building a barn).

Technically, these are Shadeholme's goods, which you can steward for the public good. If you abuse it or make silly decisions, people will be mad.

Some NPCs also have capital and/or teams, which they can use as they see fit.

----------

If you run, you can take the goods with you, within the confines you've got described below, but you'll also have to take food.

Food is an abstract unit. One villager will consume 1 food per day.

One villager can carry 1 good OR 10 food. Handcarts can carry 5 goods OR 50 food (let's devote carts to carrying either goods or food, so as not to get too complicated). Handcarts will only be usable on roads or well-kept paths (so, if you're going into the mountains, for example, you won't be able to bring handcarts).

There are also keelboats. Boats can only go on rivers/lakes. Boats can carry 50 people OR 5 sailors and 45 goods OR 5 sailors and 450 food. You don't know how many boats, if any, are at the boat landing.

There are also canoes. Canoes can only go on rivers/lakes BUT they can be portaged, by 2 villagers carrying nothing else (no food or goods). Canoes can carry 5 people OR 5 goods OR 50 food. Canoes can be towed behind other canoes or boats. Towed canoes will slow the movement of both craft to 1/2.

Going against current will also slow movement of any watercraft by half.

You don't know how many canoes there are, but Naira came in one, so there's that.

Oh man.

I'll have to do some thinking about all this.

I'm exhausted right now, but I will try to post in the gameplay thread tomorrow (so I can show off Istiel's amazing conversation skills).

I also need to whip up a post about Istiel unlocking her ki.

"Down land away from the empire and to the lake at the edge of the world."

Is that the lake at the top of the map from the wiki or some other location off map?

Was that lake corrupted?

The great glacial lake to the north is corrupted (well, some of it, and some of the surrounding area, the rumors you've heard say), but I believe that Imix is speaking to what is said to lie to the south.

You know that there is a blighted area, and then the rumors are that there is fertile land and a great lake.

I don't think Istiel can help with Naira's research here, but she can certainly prevent her from getting killed by something.

Will have to think about our situation more in depth later, but I'm going to go ahead and propose we do a scouting mission to see if there are any keelboats at the docks? It's not like the frozen would just sit by and let us load them up, but they're an excellent form of transportation that should be considered.

Yeah - working off

To the south the mountains turn to foothills and there is a precipitous 1000 foot cliff-face that Takayan engineers say indicate a great cataclysm in the land's past. The Father of Waters spills over the side of this cliff-face, creating a spectacular set of falls that descend the full thousand feet into the hills and valleys below. This land is marshy, as The Father of Waters is dispersed and diluted in power by the hillocks, which rise above the bogs and fens, stretches of dry land surrounded by stagnant water filled with biting flies... and worse. This is the land of the beastlings, perhaps distant relatives to the Takayan skinwalkers, malformed and mutated creatures that eek out desperate lives in the valley below the Cataclysm Cliff. The valley below the cliff-face is known to be blighted - the flora and fauna is corrupted and the waters fouled and undrinkable.

and

And to the south, past the blighted valley, it is said the Father of Waters forms again and flows into a fertile delta ending in a craggy coastline. This coastline leads down into another large and deep lake, with all manners of eldritch horror dwelling in the deeps, the teeth of ancient ones rising from the water to ensnare the poor and misfortunate who end up at the southern end of the world...

Alright - so a Large Quadruped Animated Object can carry about 1500lbs. If Imix can get ten of them, there'd be 15,000lbs.
Adult humans weight about 130-220lbs? Say 200lbs average with clothes. That would be 75 humans. Kids weigh a lot less - it could probably do 150 kids. Either way, he *can't* do 200 people.
Potentially there's some extra benefit here, as whatever the objects are made of might be salvageable at the end.

Wherever we're running to, these could make a big difference. My reading is Imix can sustain the spell while he's being carried till he drops from exhaustion. That'd buy us one day. At most 24 hours.
That's normally 16 miles. If he can pull a triple shift (basically sustaining until exhaustion renders him unconscious) Imix might be able to do 45 miles. My rough eye is that that is enough to get us over the cliff - but not to the sea.

We know the barbarians will chase us, and we know they will just keep going.

TRAVEL METHODS

BOATS
advantage: can just keep going through the night.
disadvantage: must follow river, not enough boats for everyone. (Looking at the river, seems like the major river goes to the cliff - GMBP can you confirm?)

LAND
advantage: everyone can go together
disadvantage: travel at the slowest non-carried speed, so almost certainly 20ft. Barbarians travel faster, and for more hours per day.

AIR
advantage: straight line travel. Cannot be intercepted.
disadvantage: can't take everyone.

SPLITTING UP
Anything other than land, we need to split up. Can go to the same location, or different. If those in the land part can be the fastest, highest stamina people, they might be able to keep ahead of the Flame for a while. I don't see how people with heavy encumbrance and toddlers are going to do that.

Imix would like a decision at this meeting about where we're going. The plan was to go through the tunnel out into the forest, but there's a decent chance the Flame now knows about that.

We seem to have gone off target. If we're going to go through the tunnel and try to run through the woods, there's no point in getting boats.

We know the canals have guards (Naira encountered them) so we'd need to make for the river if we get boats.

I'm starting to think boating to the cliff is the way to go - but it means we're probably not coming back. We're committing to the goal of getting to the 'promised land' beyond the Beastlings.

Happy to work this out IC, but I'd prefer to get a direction OOC where everyone has a voice.

I think OOC is important for decisions like this. I'm hoping you all will make heavy use of the discussion tab. I'll get Gozran 23 up today at lunch.

Oh man Naira, enjoy your paper chromatography. My chemistry teachers went out of their way to make us suffer through doing an actual analysis using the method.

Now I use ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. >:3

Uh.... anyway.

Excellent summary, Imix. I really like the idea of animating objects and using them as mounts, but wouldn't they be better served as beasts of burden? Also, I don't think we would get the village to agree to go down the thousand-foot cliff and through the corrupted marsh... I'm sure our party could make it, but everyone else...?

Which brings me to another point, that I think we have all accepted, but I wanted to reiterate none the less. People are going to die. There is no perfect solution here. My original idea was to flee through the passage to the south and hide in the forests, setting up a temporary village there. But after looking at the transportation rules BP has given us, I don't think we could even survive long enough traveling through the wilderness to set up elsewhere. People would starve before we even got far enough away.

I'm still curious what deal is going to be offered to us- Dohmnall said we were going to be offered "comfort and a devil's deal." Maybe they will actually let us leave?

The fact the Frozen haven't attacked us in three days raises the question- how many of the Horde is actually out there still? They could have moved on to the Capital? How far WOULD they chase us?

In any case, I'm very unsure how to proceed here. (Making these decisions is stressful... I can barely be a pretend leader, I'm glad I'm not a real one)

Uh, if we're not fleeing on the day after the meeting, is there any chance Imix could launch something at the Frozen?

So to the south beyond the beast lands it is. How long until everyone is ready?

Is that what we're doing? I'm good with it, but I feel like we should have a majority.

I saw Istiel as voting against it.

Maybe this is a good time to just ask what people want to do, and go for a vote?

I think the options are
(A) Te-Moak
(B) The South
(C) Hide out in some random area
(D) stay here and fight.

Imix votes B, then A, then C, then D

Glad you ordered them like you did, Imix, as Naira would go A > B > C > D . Te-Moak is a huge preference as she lives there, but if the others lean in a direction, she'll follow. Think are best idea is to all agree on a location, then think and vote upon a plan to get there.

The paper chromatography was mostly thrown in there as a joke, but I also drew a major blank on what I should be doing outside of dice rolls, so I threw it in there for another thing to look at.

Oh yeah, people are going to die. Its just a matter if its a we choose who lives and who doesn't, or our numbers thin in a way reminiscent of Oregon Trail.

On using our goods, we could attempt to translate some of those to things like rowboats, right? Should be about 2.5 goods per Rowboat, and each of those holds 2-3 people and some equipment. We could conceivable raze Shadeholme and boat our way out.

Uh, if we're not fleeing on the day after the meeting, is there any chance Imix could launch something at the Frozen?

Launch away!

So to the south beyond the beast lands it is. How long until everyone is ready?

Let's say it will take two days to organize / pack everything if you decide to go somewhere.

On using our goods, we could attempt to translate some of those to things like rowboats, right? Should be about 2.5 goods per Rowboat, and each of those holds 2-3 people and some equipment. We could conceivable raze Shadeholme and boat our way out.

Absolutely! You could use them to craft. And things like canoes/rowboats/rafts could be built by laborer teams (keelboats, not so much). You can use the goods to build other things too. Just put the people to work on it.

Istiel votes C, D, A, B.

With how little we've seen of the Horde, I'm beginning to think they might have moved on to the capital? Gorilla warfare may be possible now. I'm not sure, perhaps another scouting mission is in order?

BP, do we have a count on how long our food stores will last? I forget if that's been answered.

Imix- Could Istiel (and everyone else wounded) get some healing over the next few days?

Drazan will spend free time scouting the surrounding land and will look for volunteers among the hunters and soldiers/guards/abled people that want to help. Scouting out openings in the hordes lines is a must no matter what anyone decides.

Otherwise, I didnt think we were placing all those options on the table. Drazan says fight, better to live free a day than a lifetime being subserviant or in fear. Though more time will buy more abled persons to fight for that freedom. Drazan is not going to priortize the options according to his preference, but will support whatever decision the leaders and people want to commit to.

Just to summarize Drazan is scouting, retraining barbarian to bloodrager, and then when retraining is complete he will assist in hunting to shore up food supplies.

Food stores haven't been answered yet. Tex got you the supplies, now she's working on the food (also, haven't decided how much slack I want in the rope).

re: retraining: We're going to not use all the rules from this section. You don't need someone with a class to retrain. You don't need to pay gold. But you do need to put in the time. So, 8 hours a day for 5 days to retrain from Barb to Bloodrager.

You could still scout around this block of time, in the morning or night, if need be.

So, Goz 23, Drazan is scouting, Naira and Istiel are working on the blight, what else?

Drazan, where are you scouting?

BACD
ABCD
CDAB

Really need Oios to break these ties.