The Fifth Mendevian Crusade: Reclaim the Worldwound

Game Master Brian Minhinnick

@Rosa @Viorel

Do we want to see if anyone else hops in, or should we call it good and head out the next day with 3 of us and see how we fare? I don't get the impression there are many other folks in coming down the pike immediately, looking over at the Recruitment thread. Assume Cinderfang sticks around for some more discussion.

But before the night is through...

@DM Jelani - Cinderfang will take Sun-Eater out to hunt. It's also an opportunity to scout out the area. He shifts into an eagle form, and keeps an eye on the dino while he hunts for food. I'll assume it's no big deal and nothing interesting happens unless you tell me otherwise. If I get anything interesting from the view, cool. He's not hard core scouting yet, just getting a sense of the local geography, and maybe an area to start tomorrow.

Crissor's feet feel like lead weights but he follows Jin anyway. "I believe the Asomedeian's presence is clearly pointing out the desperation here...it's taking a lot of my desire to confront her, and her patrons. But... he growls and tightens the grip on his bow. "If the masters of this Fort deem it neccessary I guess we have no choice...but out there...I hope I don't regret walking away this time."

"Some food and sleep might do us all well, as far as transport goes, I prefer walking, so as not to miss anything in our forays." The gnoll smiles as he listens to his two new friends on the matters of the arcane. "It'll be quite alright I can be quite...I feel like I'm going to need some quiet time to myself as well." Crissor gives a prayer for guidance from Erastil, before getting some sleep to be ready for the early morning.

-later-
After drinks and there talk of the grup Rosa bids her fellows a good night and heads outside side where a very large water tank has been made into a hot tub. As two of the serving boys wait she stands still a wile as her Armor comes alive and unpeels itself from her, it seems to have rooted its self to the ground as she steps our a a slowly swaying throng of lond bladed throns.

"Do you have that dead sheep I asked for?"

"yes" says one of the boys pointing at a sack.

Rosa pick it up and holds it above what was her Armor
the dead sheep falls out and is pulled by the throns into the center of the mass. The sounds of bones crunching can be hured. She walks over to the tub and with one set gets in, siting down in the hot water.

"Now thats better, I always feel cold here, no matter how hard I try."
one of the boys looks close to see what has become of the sheep.

"I would not do that If I was you, best run and get my room ready, Ill sleep on the floor just move the beds to the side."

She tosses one some gold coin.

"And when you come back bring wine and some more fire wood"

To the other she says.

"This is more like it, to be in such a place, surounded order and rule of law, this is how the world should be, yes they could of couse not be so soft but that dos not matter, the demons outside will sink us all of we dos not make a stand boy."

she puts down her hand and pulls up her sword holding it point shywould.
She says nothing as she looks at it, the Gaurds in the battlemenst walk there rots and the sound of the late Drinker in the inn.

Rosa closes her eyes and rests.

Rosa closes her eyes and rests.

Holy crap, what sort of crazy evil b1+@h did I just ally with? You get a cookie for making my jaw genuinely drop! Well played, friend, well played!

Hmm, perhaps the study will have to wait a day or two then. We could use the keeps library,but since I acquired my ring and have so little need for sleep I have become something of a night owl. Generally I study in the wee hours of the morning when the night is quietest. I favor evocation as well, Shocking Grasp and Frostbite been my 2 favorite spells, though sadly Shocking Grasp is not useful against Demons. Illusion I get most use out of for dodging swords. I am actually developing my fighting style around NOT being hit.

At the barracks common room, Jin sits and discusses marching orders and a few tactics he can offer.
It would suggest Rogarson, if he is of a mind and myself to be the lead pair. The dwarf would have the best hunter's skills and I can be fairly stealthy and am pretty good at spotting things. Now I have a confession to make. Not only am I a Magus, I am also a Hexcrafter. Basically I have a few gifts from a Patron beyond my spells. Peitry may have heard of them.
But I have the power to simply Will creatures to fall asleep. I can only target a foe once with it and it won't work on mindless or undead creatures but it is Marvellous for quietly taking out weak minded foes straight away. I can also curse enemies to lower their resistance to Magic, their ability to avoid blows or make their attacks less accurate. I can fly for a few minutes everyday as well. My point is these offensive abilities have a range of thirty feat, thus my preference for being up with Rogarson. So if we are better served, sometimes I will curse our foes to make them easier for you all to kill, rather than wasting my limited spells. The evil eye is particularly good for ensuring a spell will succeed Peitry so I you are going to cast a devastating spell you want to guarantee succeeds, let me curse them first.

Cinderfang, flying over the keep sees the Bitter River and the city of Kenabres. Beyond the river to the west the Wound stretches like a great sore on the earth. The shattered land smokes in places, full of dead dry grass and blasted earth. Your keen bird eyes see the occasional creature or group of creatures moving far out on the plain, but they avoid the keep and it's difficult to make out what they are. Sun-Eater has no trouble running down a deer on the Mendev side of the border.

The hunting trip takes you a few miles away from the keep, but once you find the forest is over quickly. You can make it back to the keep just in time for them to close the gates for the night.

PS:For anyone wondering, Rosa's armor eating things is flavor only. Feel free to add similarly flavorful bits to your characters, long as they don't change any mechanics. I'm pretty flexible with fluff/flavor.

Yep GM is right its all fluff. Thanks for the cookie Cinderfang, Rosa has played in many games, PbP/PnP/Online and others, in every singel one she has been one scarry crazy evil b1+@h, just wait untill she asks your PC "Will you pay the price?" saying nothing for now :-)

O-kayy..... fly speed, don't fail me now...

comes out to sit next to jin hearing about his marching order and tactics tactics seem sound enough to me, I can put the hurt on so to speak but I excel at pushing people around and knocking them away from mi friends an such, see this is how I hold these gets up holding my shield in the main hand and the kukri in the off hand The shield dwarves tactics

Both groups now have separate *gameplay threads*.

As the second group arrives at the table:

Greetings, comrades, this good man proposed to sign a charter for our respective groups. I think, this is would be a nice opportunity to strengthen the pact between our group.

I think the following would be acceptable:

We, the signatories of this document pledge hereby the following:
- To share all that is found at our adventures to split equally between all members of the party. If two members want the same thing, they should bid for it and the price should be charged on the winners share.
- To support the party at their prowess
- Not to cheat members of the party.

In addition, we hereby pledge in unity with the signatories of the attached document:
- Not to actively hinder the other party
- To cooperate between hopefully be claimed territories in form of
- A non-aggression pact
- Aid in defense
- promotion of trade routes

Has someone of you any suggestions for improvement or supplementation?

"Only one thing. A stipulation that if anyone should brake these agreements any and all obligations are null and void in regards to that person. Perhaps some wording that mentions that if it was a groups decision that applies to the whole group even if the act was done by a single person."

I would be willing to sign such an agreement

That should keep the Asmodean and I out of conflict with each other
Do not be overconfident. There are none better at finding loopholes in a deal than Hells' minions

That would be than the following:

We, the signatories of this document pledge hereby the following:
- To share all that is found at our adventures to split equally between all members of the party. If two members want the same thing, they should bid for it and the price should be charged on the winners share.
- To support the party at their prowess
- Not to cheat members of the party.

In addition, we hereby pledge in unity with the signatories of the attached document:
- Not to actively hinder the other party
- To cooperate between hopefully be claimed territories in form of
- A non-aggression pact
- Aid in defense
- promotion of trade routes

If anyone or any group of the signatories should brake this agreement throught activity or agreement, all obligations resulting from this agreement will be null and void in regards to the acting persons.

"As long as my people will have free passage through their ancestral lands and access to artefacts and places depicting thier cultural history, I am amenable to an agreement."

looks up at the tieflings adement " An who be deciding if anything is yur cultural history? Yerself and no others? With that clause ye could claim anything in the whole place" looking around" and what do you mean by acsess? is seeing it once acsess? Is only having total control "access" looking around looking for support not wanting any part of this contract to be up for debate, in the slightest.

"My people are the remaining descendants of Sarkoris. All the Worldwound is our ancestral lands," Barek growls. He then takes a breath before adding, "I am not expecting the land and cities to be reclaimed in the name of the Sarkorians. Access to the places and artefacts means just that. The ability for my people to travel freely through the lands, examine the artefacts and learn about their history. Nothing more."

I think a free travel rule could be easily integrated. But we should first define what artefacts means. If it means buildings and monuments, then I'll be fine. If it means every object ever manufactured in Sarkoris, then my answer would be: No way!

"Free travel is acceptable as is access to items for study within reason, as long as any laws and dictates issued by the lord are followed. Claim of ownership on the other hand is out of the question solely based on heritage. I would agree to this be it signed by me or not, but if you desire it written down there needs to be certain definitions and limits plased on the contract." He notes on the topic.

Viorel then turns to Kenan. "As for the contract otherwise the wording is good and clear, I am satisfied with it and would place my mark on it with pleasure."

Crissor folds his arms accross his chest as he overlooks the contract. At least this will keep some adventurers honest. The gnoll decides to let his allies play politics, as he takes a quill pen and twirls it inbetween his fingers, as they iron things out.

"I can't sign that." Peitry near groans.

Raising his arms defensively before Barek can reply he continues. "Look. I get what you want, really, I do, and I don't mean to offer you, or your people any disrespect, but you can forget me signing any such wavers as allowing a whole tribe of people free roam of lands and unsupervised access to artifacts which might fall under any theoretical domain under my protection as granted by Mendev for my efforts in these lands."

"I'll sign a treaty of non-aggression, declarations of trust and a trade agreement right here and now, but any issues regarding lands and artifacts will have to be dealt with and assessed on a case by case basis. Sorry."

Edit; "And besides. What about the things we recover and sell off? How do you propose to handle that? You got the gold to buy 'em all?"

"So I kill the dragon and the ones who were picking their bums get a share of the loot? Maybe it's the dwarf in me, but that seems a touch generous. First right of refusal on stuff we'll sell or perhaps a trade, but that's about all I would be willing to agree with."

"I am no judge or expert on law, but my understanding is that the expression our adventures, excludes that kind of incident falling under the contract. And I would assume our group will be traveling together while in Worldwound so such incidents should not happen." He commentts to Torin.

"Perhaps a compromise of the tribe being allowed the chance of first buy at market value of anything we sell or set time of study at earliest reasonable convenience. I would myself prefer to handle these things on case by case as Peitry said, I agree with the spirit of what you suggest Barek and like I said would be willing to work with it signed or not, but the wording used is not acceptable."

After a bit of thought Crissor huffs, and hopes to diffuse any aggressions. "Prehaps if study is all your after that could agreeable, but ownership and..." the gnoll pauses to think. "...responsiblity falls on the finder and owner of such artefacts." He then nods to Peitry "Otherwise I'm in full agreement with Peitry here."

Rosa smiles as they talk, then she places huge 200 page contact on the table.

"You could always sign my contract if you like, it covers every thing, if not then i would like added to yoursa simply point, that all that sign pleage to not be in leage with any form of demon kind or have any form of contact other than to kill them on detection, also the fredome of religan on all lands"

The elderly cleric interrupts the two group's discussions. "Allow me to clarify. This magic functions in a very specific way. First of all, I can only write a magical contract with six signatories. Any kind of alliance between your groups will have to be handled amongst yourselves. I'll be happy to witness any treaty, and seal it for you but there will be no magic involved unless you supply it." He pauses to let that sink in. "As for the six man contracts they must be of limited scope to be effective, they will only be in effect for as long as the six of you are out in the Wound together. Soon as you come back over the river, the compulsion will vanish. The contract must be stated in very specific rules. Here's an example..." he says fishing a signed and sealed paper out from a chest behind him.

"Failure to comply will cause gradually increasing weakness in the offender." He finishes.

It's basically a modified Geas spell. You guys can write up some über complex multifaceted alliance paper, but there's not gonna be anyone but yourselves to enforce it. There's no government out there.

Waiting to see what is decided knowing he wants to just fight and gain ground. Sirhan sees an elderly cleric approach. And listens to what he has to say. "Sir if you can write us up a simple contract like this one on the table I would gladly sign it, so we may get our quest on its way." then Sirhan looks at all present and says "for what we must do, and the cause it is for do we really need something more complex than this." he gestures to the simple contract."does any on disagree with what this says and does."

Diplomacy 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

i am away I will have wifi a few times a day and will check the thread

"How very simple, well if you add in the line about not being in leage with the Demons ill sign, as for any into group agreement it would have to state that all the Faiths of Hell be alowed in all lands for me to sign"

She looks over at the other groups,

"We shall see who comes back"

At the last bit Jin pipes up, What we are getting into is a charter for laws to freed lands. That is not possible till the place is cleared. Let's keep to the simple contract to give proper aid to our own group as the cleric has stated. The finer details, He looks at the Asmodean as he speaks the last part, Will have to be sorted, AFTER, some territory is actually gained and a title awarded.

When Rosa mentions the bit about the demons the cleric chimes in again, "Being in league with the demons would fall under harm through action or inaction in the case of this magic. Since the groups stated purpose it to reconquer lands from the demons, any aid provided to them would be harmful to the other signatories."

Then I think that the contract for our group will be:

We, the signatories of this document pledge hereby the following:
- To share all that is found at our adventures to split equally between all members of the party. If two members want the same thing, they should bid for it and the price should be charged on the winners share.
- To support the party at their prowess
- To not through deliberate action or inaction harm on another.

"Certainly, I'll prepare it immediately." He sets about writing and in short order sets a paper out to one side of the table.

"I removed the second clause, as it's too vague for the purposes of this magic. Is this sufficient?" he asks, showing the paper to Jin and Kenan's group.

Rosa looks at the bald scribe

"Arrrr... Thats what I like to see, every contract signed is an act of homage to the lord of contacts, Asmodeus, how thrilled you must be in that act."

Sirhan, signs the contract

You didn't understand our intentions. We are willimg to sign the second part of my proposal with your group. But the cleric can't make such a document for us. As it looks, our signature and an handshake must suffice

Signs the groups contract " I agree we should wait to flush out details of a large alliance agreement after we get some land, to make alliances about, how about a general agreement for now so the two groups dont opose each other while we scour the land from deamons looks at the asmodean I think we ALL can agree to that

Agreed. We are not lords and ladies yet. Save such contractsfor when we have such power.Right now we hunt.

"I believe that should suffice. Asuming we will e succesfull let's leave a message at here at the keep to arrange a meeting or discuss the matter by magic or letters, depending on the situation."

Kenan signs the groups contract.

I'm fine with each option either we forge now a rough alliance or we will handle a more elaborate alliance when we hopefully founded our settlements.

Peitry frowns at the next proffered agreement as well. "Hang on, hang on. Somthing doesn't sit right..." he mutters as he mulls it over.

Braking it over in his mind Peitry tries to remember anything he knows about enhcantments from the compulsion subschool, too bad he had totaly neglected the school during his studies, he just had an inate dislike for it. But handicaped as he was with the school of enchantment he was still sure of one thing; the contract was broken.

"Look, the last clause is broken as well when you change it from Kenan's suggestion. Say that a situation arises that puts two party members at risk and one must choose wich too help. That would be a breach of contract. Another situation where the entire group is at risk, what then? What if the only way to save another member is too lay down your own life? Not everyone is a paladin. What if the situation is well in hand by the martial party members and me blowing out spell would be wasting resourses? How wuld that end up? I'm sorry, I still can't sign that unless you can convince me that I'm mistaken or those situations will never arrise. I think you should let 'To not through deliberate action or inaction harm one another' stand as is. Then I'll sign."

Sorry if I'm beeing nit-picky, I tried to come up with a better suggestion but I'm drawing a blank as my wording all seems to come out harsher. I love that we're signing this thing btw, I just don't whant to recieve the blunt end of the spell for something I have no control over.

Fair enough

You're right, Peitry, I did somehow read over this modification.

The exact wording would be the following:

We, the signatories of this document hereby pledge the following:

- To share all that is found in the Worldwound equally between all members of the party. If two signatories want the same object or land, they will bid for it and the price will be removed from the winner's share of liquid assets (ie. Coins or Gems).

- To not through deliberate action or inaction harm one another or allow one another to be harmed.

Signed this 8th day of Arodus AR 4712,

Seems that the second clause would still hamper a wizard is he chose to hold back a spell to conserve resources, as his "inaction" in not casting would cause harm, but would be for the total better if the situation could be handled by sword or shield

Should I add the term "severely harmed" to seperate from getting hit by a weapon from finding eternal rest?

Rosa picks up a plank sheet and writes on it the following.

We, the signatories of this document hereby Agree to the following
for the duration of one trip out into the world wound:

- To share all that is found by the group on this one trip in the Worldwound equally, That is between all living members of the party. If two living signatories want the same object or land, they will bid for it and the price will be removed from the winner's share of liquid assets (ie. Coins or Gems):

- To act with due diligence towards the safe and successful completion of the one trip into the world wound.

- To be helpful to each other in all instances until signatories obligation to this contract be annulled or trip be compleated:

- Name In full:

- Date

She hands the contact to the scribe.

"Six copys please"

She looks at the other groups fumbling of points of law as one would look at a child playing with building blocks.

The cleric chimes in "As I said, it's not like you'll be struck down by holy fire if you violate the contract. It will simply weaken you over time, if you resume following its edicts the weakness will vanish. However I am happy to add the word severely for you."

I'm gonna be the one enforcing it as DM, don't worry so much. I won't be an ass about it, withholding a spell would be fine if it would otherwise be a waste of resources. Standing there and doing nothing for an entire combat would start the countdown.

"To not through deliberate action or inaction harm one another or allow one another to be harmed" Crissor looks over at the Asomedeus cleric, realizing her scorn, and wanting to best her in this, if he couldn't remove her evil from this place. "Then let us try this then..."To do no deliberate harm to an ally, or take no action in the mutual defense of a said ally, with all reason and expectation." Crissor smiled a toothy grin. "This way it's an agreement that we do all we can to assist one another. But puts no impossible demands on the table. A person knows in thier honest heart if they did all they could."

I believe the Paladin has nailed it.

Rosa says sweetly to her group as they seem to have found and end to there play time

"You know our lord Asomedeus would be so pleased at seeing ones such as they putting such hard work into there contract. Its nice to see the world run logical and lawful lines is it now, pleasing to one's soul one could say?"

Okay, so we'll go with this for group 2.

Edited:

This should be Group 1's