Those Who Walk in Blood (Inactive)

Game Master Stalwart

In order: Yes, Yes, No.

That is, Yes, feel free to RP to your hearts content as you visit the armory, stock up, and plan your next assassination.

(Quick spoiler: the queen will want to be presented with the head of Kalepopolis, so that might be an ideal time to strike. If you decide to go another route, let me know so I can work up some other opportunities.)

Yes, Eris, you can up your gear as well. Given your selections, I'll try to seed your little side storyline with those items that you can pick up along the way, rather than take up the time for you to go shopping.

No, Alenaya, I'm not going to be that restrictive. We can always say that you've had some concoctions bubbling in the background that are just now coming into their full potency. (Especially since I'm handling treasure very loosely, and there's very little need to buy anything. So whenever you've got the WBL to afford a particular poison, you can add it to your inventory.)

In that case: POISON FOR EVERYONE!!!

What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?

@Stal: May I switch my +1 Light Wooden Shield for a +1 Darkwood Buckler? I didn't know the latter existed until Setsu and pals stumbled upon one in Runelords. The buckler is infinitely preferable because it makes switching to a two-handed grip much easier without sacrificing defense.

Sure. You can always trade items in.

Ok, so I'm making 2 doses of Tears of Death. Also buying a Hat of Disguise...hehehe.

Also, I'm brewing everyone in the group (except me) a Potion of Gaseous Form, just in case we need to make a slick escape at some point.

I think computer is fixed. So relieved, am levelling.

Updated GM, selected the extra use of the ability Mind Reader because thats pretty unique =]

Did not include stats / bonuses yet from a Charisma headband upgrade / Robes of Arcane Heritage, will add them if I pick them up.

Apologies DM I typo'd 'my' instead of 'your' plan. Just a heads up, because I figured she will react badly if she read it as is.

Lilith is all leveled up. Now I just need to think about gear.

Level 7 Shopping List:

+1 Light Wooden Shield ---> +1 Darkwood Buckler
+1 Keen Scythe
Weapon Cord x10

That's all.

Okay, that happened a lot faster than I expected...

Aaand, there's something huge that I neglected when I brought in the new players Lilith and Alenaya: I don't think we ever mentioned the Red Hand as a optional language to take.

In a nutshell, at the outset of this game, we created a secret language of hand-signals called Red Hand. It's a nice little bit of world-building that the party has used from time to time. Unfortunately, I don't think it's come up since Alenaya and Lilith joined us until now.

I'm not going to penalize the newcomers for not taking it since it's my fault to not bring it up during character creation (unless I did at some point during our PMs and they deliberately chose not to take it -- it is an option, after all). So I'm going to let them both choose to rework a skill point or swap out a language if they want to add that as one of their languages.

HOWEVER, I'm also really puzzled about how Eris is going to pull such a complicated message off secretly (while hugging Jon-Wyn and maybe Kage) using Red Hand. So further elaboration on Eris's part would be appreciated.

-- Also Eris, your Silver Tongue ability does not work to pass secret messages. That's a different function of the Bluff skill.

Good catch about Silver Tongue

Also as clarification, she isn't really hugging Jon-Wyn / Sa'Kage, its a verbal excuse to have them stop closer and then she starts signing. The "step closer" isn't really essential to her Red Hand, but it allows a sudden response a lot quicker. Like, I can Red Hand, and Vernai and "Eris" can try and decipher it, but its not /questionable/ that shes doing a Red Hand, when its in response to a Red Hand from Sa'Kage (which was seen). Unless either of the two people the message isn't directed at beat my bluff check, "Yanmei" could just be informing Sa'Kage as to what happened since last seeing each other.

Jon didn't actually get closer to Yanmei to find out what she wanted. This is just his response to having an outsider infiltrate their sanctum.
He'd have gone after 'Yanmei' as a traitor but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt because she is red mantis.

I'm just waiting to see what changes if any are made to the actions in the gameplay thread before posting.

I was waiting to see if Alenaya and Lilith want to make an adjustment to their characters so they could understand Red Hand. Otherwise, there's no way they could interpret Eris's message.

I'll give it to this evening, and if I don't hear from them, I'll go ahead and assume they don't want to make a change and move this thing forward.

I'll change Undercommon to Red Hand. Seems more fitting.

I'll switch out Giant with Red Hand. Also seems more fitting.

Today is my last day off before a stretch at work. If I am slowing things down during that time, feel free to DMPC my actions.

@Alenaya: will do.

Per the spell, it has to be worded in such a way to sound reasonable. There's a couple things there: worded and sounds reasonable. There's a verbal component -- the actual suggestion. I need to see what you say. Then, it has to be something that someone would agree to do. It can't do them obvious harm. Agreeing to be bound is really borderline, since it makes them so vulnerable. I'd say the target would really have to feel safe for that type of suggestion to work. So hypothetically if all the Mantises were to back off, but Vimanda knows she's still in the lion's den, I doubt it would work. But back at the Arkona manor? Probably, depending on how the suggestion is worded. Does that help?

Yeah it does. Suggestion is hard to adjudicate (for instance, I played RoW where something uses suggestion to move PC's under a monster tree with skulls around it) but I now understand why (in this situation), asking her to bind herself wouldn't work.

Suitable Suggestion?

"Why don't you tell us everything you know about the Queen and your brother. You know, all the secret little things that are not common knowledge?"

Yes, a suggestion like that would work. I don't know what sort of game effect it would have crunch-wise, but she'd spill her guts for certain.

Might as well go with that then. I cannot think of an alternative suggestion that is going to influence combat, that isn't going to count "as suicidal". Anything that gives us an advantage in combat, would disadvantage her, and therefore invalid under the suggestion rules since she would believe that it would unduly harm her.

Well, your earlier suggestion that she show her true form ended up wasting her action by spending it to shift back. I felt that was relatively useful, since she didn't get to attack or cast a spell.

Why does she need to shift back though?

Well, she looked like you, and then you shifted to look like you as well, so there was some possibility of confusion. Shifting her to her own likeness will avoid that, at least.

Ehh I guess, but her disguise was rumbled anyway (one of the only reasons I switched my suggestion), and even though my form changed, I kept 'Yanmei's' outfit so I think we are ok

You could try to have her waste her action grandstanding. She seems the sort who likes to hear herself talk and would be naturally inclined to take the time to tell us of her superiority.

Hopefully she does that while under my current suggestion, but I cannot "suggest" that she grandstands / spends all her time talking unfortunately- because if its me directly asking her to waste an action - then its putting her in harms way. If she grandstands, she has to choose to do it herself I think, as a byproduct of whatever suggestion I give.

Not necessarily. I'm not talking about letting down her guard. Only not using her action to attack us.

Shes attacking us as a means of self preservation. Asking her not to defend herself (and she probably is going to struggle fleeing with us surrounding her) probably puts her in harm.

Suggesting that she waste her turn on an ineffective action may be harmful in the long run, but it's not a "let yourself be executed" level of harmful. So, having her spend an action changing forms, grandstanding, or something else that hinders her is allowed -- if it's worded in such a way to sound reasonable.

Is that clearer?

Hmm so something like

"Darling, why don't you stop and tell us about all those little secrets you have been hiding, I know how you like to show how clever you are. I'd be so impressed.

Subtle enough for her to waste her action talking?

Hey! Is that sarcasm I detect?

But yes, that'll do nicely. :)

How much healing you need so I can mark of the charges?

I begin a work stretch tomorrow lasting until Wednesday. If my posting slows, that is why. If I am slowing things down, DMPC me as necessary.

Everyone,

My mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly today. I'm sorry for the delay leading up to now, but I probably won't be able to resume the game until a few days from now. Feel free to plot and plan while I'm away.

My condolences. Take your time.

@Stalwart I'm sorry to hear that. I lot my Father this year to cancer. We knew it was coming, but it was gut wrenching when it finally happened. Also it's amazing how much paperwork there is when somebody dies, literally the last thing you want to have to deal with :(

Wife is being induced into labor in the morning. Will post as best I can in the coming firestorm of activity, but if I am slowing things down DMPC me.

Baby Alenaya born 8:27 AM, 8 lbs 11 ounces, 22 inches long!

Congratulations! Hopefully you'll get some sleep over the next six months or so.

Not much to add here from Alenaya. On board with the original plan, and have given everyone their escape potions and brewed my poisons.

Holiday weekend has been all kinds of busy. Hoping to get something up tomorrow or the day after.

My wife looked at me funny when I laughed after reading that latest mind reading. Somebodys besotted!

Maaaaybe just a little.

I'm going to wait to see what happens to the glitter dust before posting Kage's actions. We do have our mantis helms which can help us see invisible if needed but that's going to take at least a move action.

I''m last so I'll probably wait before assuming actions =]

I can't update the map this morning, but hopefully my descriptions of the NPC's actions are clear enough that you have an idea where they've repositioned.

I should actually be placed further north. I flew behind the leftmost statue by the Queen's throne (the one against the northern wall).