For the record, Teyran's loyalties lie with whoever he thinks can unite and rule Brevoy. For the moment that is the Surtovas, though he wasn't overly impressed with how Natala composed herself during the crisis. If the Rogarvias happen to appear, things might get complicated. His loyalty would then be with the Rogarvias, since they managed to keep the country together for two hundred years, he figures they must have been doing something right.
Oh, Teyran & 'Tad' are going to have some fun conversations, I can tell that already.
Oops, sorry about that. Will keep that in mind for the future...
Thanks.
I am going to start enforcing the spoiler rule when the party is not together to avoid confusion. Thank you in advance.
Thadeuzs and Morley are not part of the group yet. I am working on a large post for the meeting which introductions them into the party.
Grendolynn, you can delete that last post you made.
Bah, missed my window. Sorry! Just ignore that OOC post everyone.
Just letting everyone know that I'm gonna be on vacation from the 27th-6th. I'll have access to the internet, but I probably won't have much posting time. Feel free to DMPC me as needed to move things along.
Am I to sign as well, or am I just a guard at this point?
I'm back from vacation now. A bit backed up at work though so it my posting may be absent or erratic over the next couple of days as I also try to catch up on all the posts of the games I'm in.
Antha, Teyran asked you about a home security system.
Incase you missed it, Bingo talked to the party a few posts back.
Sorry that I haven't posted. I have been helping out my former employer by covering for them while they are short-staffed and it has been interfering with my ability to post. I am going to try to get posts done today before I go into work, but if I don't we will be returning to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.
No pressure. Pacing is important, but can't let it burn you out or interfere with R/L (especially important issues like family/money)... Now, you said your bowling league... :)
On the subject of posting, I will likely be less able to post regularly for the next week or so. I should still be posting at least once or twice a day, but that will be the most.
Apparently I pushed myself to much this last week. I got sick so that is what I have been doing all evening. Will post tomorrow sometime in my feverish stupor. I sleep now.
"Sleep is a weapon." - Jason Bourne
It seems there might be some confusion as to the party actions. Ok. Maybe it's just me.
It looks like there are a couple of different groups going in to parlay (Grp 1: Tad, Erostil, Arasmes; Grp 2: Valeska, Grendolyn and Teyran). Poor Antha and Morley.
Anyhow, what exactly is the plan? One group goes to parlay while the other gets into a position to surprise attack should the talking go south? Or one group goes to parlay while the other moves into some position where we can attack at range for the same reasons?
Grp 1: Tad, Erostil, Arasmes, Antha and Morley 60' back from the gates.
Grp 2: Valeska, Grendolynn and Teyran at the gates.
If things go south Grp 2 will retreat to Grp 1 while Grp 1 advances and provides support.
At least that's how I understand it.
You are squishy, however your actions are your own. Feel free to join us, doesn't matter to me. It might be better to switch you and Teyran.
Antha is the squishiest... HP 6. Without a great AC. Erostil isn't being ignored, he's got good stealth for getting into position and hopefully some range.
Grendolynn is correct with respect to the two groups' makeup. Also, why you weren't in the first group.
The parley group is meant to be small, non-threatening... they'd already seen Grendolynn. Also, it brings some strong melee people within deadly range. Teyran is less effective from range, because he's only carrying a greatsword AND because his "paladin" attitude of honor, non-ambush, non-range, etc... This places him strategically.
Basically, it's all a ruse... it's not meant to be a diplomatic detachment. It's an advanced guard. Or special forces establishing a foothold.
If we were parleying with nobles, merchants, etc... Yes, Erostil would have been right up front!
If you're not up for it DM, I'd be happy to make a map and throw it up in an editable format. Just need to know the dimensions of the courtyard. If you've got it under control that's cool too. :)
Who else is hoping the leader is flat-footed, having dismissed the party of 3 as a non-issue?
Since Kressle is going to be the next roadblock on our path to power, I suggest we start working on ideas on how to take her down.
Teyran would never suggest it, but I kinda want to use this guy as bait for an ambush. Actually, Teyran would have an idea of how to use the guy. His plan would be to take out the patrols in secret, and then march this guy into camp alone, and demand that Kressle prove her worth by fighting him in single combat. The rest of the group would be waiting with ranged weapons to keep Kressle's men in line.
I'll grant you, it's not a good plan (mostly because I don't think it would work), but it's the plan Teyran would come up with, mostly because he's a lot of this and a little of this.
My plan would be to draw her into a trap. Someone ask him how he makes contact with Kressle when he needs to. Does he have to go to her?
Is anyone else concerned that our current plan is apparently to ride at full speed to attack a camp that we know is defended (though we don't know how well defended) in hopes of outrunning the people that fled from the keep?
Tad will start worrying about that plan once he has decided whether or not it is worth trying to discus matters with the others. Or rather, with whom it is worth trying to discuss matters.
That said, well, that sort of 'plan' has always worked for him before. Of course he has flat out said that he isn't a strategist.
Fortune favors the bold? :)
What is more disconcerting is that hardly anyone can Ride (trained) as we try to cover much distance. Dudes, this wasn't gonna be a dungeon crawl... and we all knew it.
In game disagreement is fine, bandying about the family name is fine, advising (imparting wisdom) to the younger is fine, etc... it's all good as long as we're all enjoying.
I try to keep my posts open ended... hope she hasn't been overbearing.
I have to admit that in character I was pretty incensed by what Tad was doing to Erostil, the whole ear grabbing etc. It infuriated not only the character, but the player also. Honestly, whilst he wasn't ignoring anyone, the discussing matters such as the attack on the camp is long outside his purview, his knowledge is that of lore and the like, and as best as I can tell, what you are planning is a military matter, not something that he knew much about.
The continuing to talk to the bandit was Erostil being overly focused on trying to get what information he could out of the bandit before the bandit is either strung up or otherwise. Hence now blowing one of my two decent spells a day to speed up the process. If you have the information he can get, then you might make it out alive so that he can make a bigger and better story without getting any of you killed.
Since we are confirming character actions are not the same as player actions. As I pointed out in my OOC comments, Erostil's responses to Tad's questions were entirely OOC. As far as Tad was concerned, Erostil was the one who started the rudeness. Particularly since the reason he wanted everyone to come over was to tell those of you who were trying to question Happs, what he had already figured out about Happs without Happs overhearing it.
Finally, well, yes, Tad is a thug. His response to matters is almost universally physical first, unless he has figured out a non-physical response will work best. So, grabbing the ear & pulling.
Is anyone else concerned that our current plan is apparently to ride at full speed to attack a camp that we know is defended (though we don't know how well defended) in hopes of outrunning the people that fled from the keep?
No... half speed. I'm not sure what the plan is, I just figure I'll go see if I could pick up a trail to be proactive and provide an "out" for Tad to avoid escalation.
But I do think it is a good idea to try to catch as many of them as we can, now that we know they aren't just squatters and about the bandit camp.
Fortune favors the bold? :)
What is more disconcerting is that hardly anyone can Ride (trained) as we try to cover much distance. Dudes, this wasn't gonna be a dungeon crawl... and we all knew it.
we can ride, it doesn't have to be trained to use, we just aren't cavalry.
Also, fighting on horseback in a forest is a bad idea. you actually wind up being at a disadvantage to combatants on foot. Especially if they have numbers & command of the terrain on you.Our best use of the horses is to cover ground quickly, then dismount when we get close & fight on foot.
Agreed. Also, horses cover terrain faster RAW... overland movement. We don't need to catch them, just beat them there.
Two days ride, by the river... can't be that hard to be found (us being found). I'm sure we have a map, at least a geographical one.
We can stop traveling full speed when we get close. Grendolynn can find evidence of them (as we approach)... and we can be cautious from there.
Someone could just ask him how many others are in Kressle's camp. I like the idea of sending in Antha and Valeska to draw them out. "oh woe is we, two defenseless ladies lost in the forest!"
Either way, if we let the escapees get there before us, the camp will only be better defended.
We asked, he just said, more than his band. Didn't know exact numbers.
I was somewhat annoyed myself at Tad's actions on Erostil. Not as far as the in-character reasoning since, as was said, Erostil never responded to the request to gather. It was the grabbing the ear and dragging him over. No rolls, no chance to react. You effectively took control of another player's character. That's generally considered bad form.
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Regarding the plan, some of this I mentioned ic & ooc in my game post:
1) At least an hour has passed. It takes an hour after someone is unconscious but stable before they can roll to wake up. Failure means another hour. Even without that, we did spend time securing the keep.
2) Light or heavy horses carrying the weight of a person in armor is 28 miles (as compared to 24 miles for a person on foot with move of 30). Yes, this means that we might get ahead of them by about 6-7 hours, except:
3) We don't know the exact location of the camp (do we even have a map of the area?) nor even the terrain and environs, yet the bandits do. This means they would likely gain a few more hours (if not more) as we flounder around trying to be in a position somewhere close to the camp and or a regular trail of theirs to set up some kind of ambush.
4) I like the plan to bait the hook, but having two 'damsels in distress' all alone looks suspicious, throw in a warrior type (or make sure Valeska is suited up and looking dangerous).
Not too dangerous, but yes... The bodyguard to the Queen of Tian!
Now let's not be too harsh, in a similar situation Tad can do that to Valeska. It's improv. I could have fun with it. It's part of getting to know each other. I wouldn't expect it to be constant or happen in combat rounds.
I'd rather we not make the game overly sterile. It was creative and took liberties, sure.
:)
Will post later tonight been a hectic end to the week.
By the way, in the interest of being useful to the group at a range of greater than five feet, will I be able to get my hands on a heavy crossbow and bolts before we head out?
My name is Valeska Talanova and I APPROVE this message!
I was somewhat annoyed myself at Tad's actions on Erostil. Not as far as the in-character reasoning since, as was said, Erostil never responded to the request to gather. It was the grabbing the ear and dragging him over. No rolls, no chance to react. You effectively took control of another player's character. That's generally considered bad form.
I considered that. The main reason I didn't start making rolls was in fact to emphasise this was not an initiation of combat on Tad's part.
Also, have you ever had someone grab you by the ear & drag you somewhere? It is effective because it is such a shock, but as soon as the person in question recovers from their WTH moment, it is actually easy to get away if the other person isn't going for actual bodily harm.As demonstrated by Erostil as soon as he posted.
Btw... I updated everyone's experience points as well. Vale, Tad, and Morley got 200 XP while everyone from the beginning is sitting at 375.
Cool!
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Happs' Loot
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Alchemist's Fire (2)
Leather Armor x4
Dagger
Composite Longbow (+2 STR)
Longbow x5
120 arrows
12 days of trail rations
125 gp
And 1 silver Stag Lord amulet.
Oleg will pick over anything the party doesn't want for 'credit' offering 50% of the value of the lot along with offering a 20% discount on purchases from the expedition stores (barring items that he has to send to Restov for). If the party would rather sell them to him then he will pay gold for them but retracts the 20% offer.