During the day I'll spend my time out in the woods playing the part of my disguise: hunting/trapping the local animals. I'll come to town to trade what I catch, or trade directly with the farmers to scout prime targets.
- I'll make camps in the woods on days I don't return to town
- Walk for a few hours after nightfall to the target farm
- Climb a high tree or precipice, shapeshift and glide in to attack
- Kill a number of livestock, retreat, climb a tree, glide away then shapeshift back and put as much distance between myself and the farmhouse as possible
- Sleep most of the next day, possibly in town
- Repeat
If there's good target, possibly light a farm house on fire before retreating, or if I catch an unarmed person out and about perhaps attack them as well. If they flee, let them live to spread the tale of the vicious dragon. Try to spread the targets around the surrounding lands to avoid capture.
If others are interested, we can bait the initial patrol and make an example out of them, but I wouldn't attack them alone since I may look and act like a dragon, but my defenses are far inferior to a true dragon. If we do attack the patrol, we should leave no survivors if they see any of my companions.
Zyx will help where she can... disguised as an eyewitness using her Bluff skills with locals (but never with any official patrols). Best to let locals spread the rumors to the authorities.
Is anyone doing anything, or should I move forward? If the latter, how far do you want me to advance the timeline?
I think advancing just a few days would be fine. ^^ See where we're at and how the fort is reacting and all.
Oh, this should be exciting.
Frankly, I'm just glad someone's doing something. XD
This is why I generally recommend pushing forward with a plot, even if that reduces player input on what to do. XD It just seems to work better in PbP games.
Sandboxes are hard. Sandboxes are extra hard on PbP.
Very true. The issue in this case is nobody's really acting on any of the hooks I've thrown out. There's a TON of stuff to do (that's why you were given an entire month), but the only thing that's seemed to interest you is the "poison the stew" bit.
Not gonna lie - part of it may be the slow pace of PbP makes it REALLY EASY to forget hooks. XD May I suggest writing up a summary of things we've uncovered and that can be done?
"Have you ever been to Balentyne's choir hall? Amazing! The priests are such beautiful singers, and sometimes the stone saints that adorn the place join in the chorus. Such a miracle!"
"Mad Martin is a strange one! He tends the rookery in the Watchtower. They say he never leaves except for necessities. He talks to the birds like people has named every one!""Lord Thomas Havelyn is the most honorable and capable commander that Balentyne has ever had. If he can't keep the Watch Wall working, then no one can!"
An elderly villager affectionately referred to as 'Mama' Giuseppe is almost done collecting the ingredients she needs for her famous beef stew. She's clearly one of the town icons - no doubt due to her friendliness and weekly tradition of delivering a giant pot of good homecooked food to the Watchtower to add a little variety to their meals. It's very evident that Aldencross and Watchtower Balentyne have an almost familiar relationship with each other.
"There's a pack of Dwarves in town led by a grumpy short fellow named Barnabus Eisenbauch. They're here to fix up the watchtower - or so I've heard. A hard working fellow ... just don't try to challenge him to a drinking contest. He'll drink you under the table every time!"
- "Those dwarves are a thieving lot! I heard one of them was caught picking a man's pocket."
- "Did you hear about prisoners escaping from Brandescar? Were they ever caught?"
- "Do you know how the 'Lord's Dalliance' got its name? It was once a brothel! I hear there used to be a secret passage to the basement that allowed the Lord of the Watchtower to sneak in here and have a good time. Of course, it must have been sealed up years ago."
"Lord Havelyn is a good soul but so grim and gloomy. For so great a lord to be unhappy, he must be guilty about something."
- "Balentyne's magister, that creepy Tacitus, has been spending a lot of time working on something in his tower! I don't know what it is, but it's said that something unnatural was recovered from the north."
- "They say the bugbears are massing up north. I wonder what they're up to? Well, it doesn't matter! We'll be ready for 'em! You'd think the shaggy walking carpets would have learned by now that the Watch Wall is unbreakable!"
As it turns out, Erick's becoming popular among the crotchety old-timers - although this sentiment isn't echoed by anyone else.
- "Soldiers today! A worthless, shiftless lot! Balentyne is in total disarray. Soldiers today are too lazy - not like in my day."- "I've heard that Father Donnagin was sent here after the church demoted him from bishop. He got into some sort of trouble - serious trouble, I wager, to be banished to the Watch Wall."
- "Have you seen Kaitlyn Mott? She's the most beautiful woman in town! How did an ugly lump of a man like Captain Franz Mott bag a looker like her? And how does he keep her, that's what I want to know!"
- "I hear something's been attacking farms, and Captain Varning's patrol found dragon tracks! I bet they King's dragon hunters come. How do you get a job like that?"
Aldencross Info
- Most of the local food comes from farmsteads south of town. Wheat fields, apple orchards, vegetable patches, and pasture for sheep and cattle are everywhere.- Unlike other places, the forests surrounding Aldencross aren't owned by local lords. This means that even the poorest of peasants can freely hunt both fowl and deer. As a result, venison is frequently on the town's menu.
- The village reeve is a man named Dominik Vallison. He owns both the general store and the mill, owns a large estate in town, and is a lover of education and culture.
- Aldencross' local church is a small building that was rebuilt only 20yrs ago after a fire. The chaplain (Father Donnagin) also manages Balentyne's spiritual affairs, so he's rarely in town. As a result, the chapel is run by a humble man named Brother Justin of Travismere.
- Surprisingly, Aldencross has a small magic shop. 'The Illuminated Scroll' is run by a middle-aged wizard who's old friends with Balentyne's battlemage.
- One of the town's newest shops is 'Master Caldwin's Cauldron' - an alchemist shop. Teryth Caldwin (the owner) is a recent arrival who's regarded as a talented (but odd) healer.
- There's great excitement in Aldencross. William Marcus Marlow and his famous Merrie Men have come to town! The Bard of Barrington and his troupe will be performing "The Fall of Amberlyn" in two days time.
Not everything is true, but quite a bit of it's worth looking into.
Celestine can look for the secret passage. o wo
*Encourages everyone else to pick one or two to pursue*
As a reminder, Marvin's already located the secret passage. That's where Erick's stormed off to. You also know that the alchemist goes off into the woods most nights.
Aaaaaaaah. XD
In that case, I kind of want to investigate whatever the Magister found. o wo Celestine might be able to smooth-talk her way into "helping" with it.
That will require getting into Balentyne's tower (Tacitus is essentially a shut-in), but it's definitely possible via at least two methods.
Also, I'd like to apologize to Erick for Celestine's opinion of him. XD As a player, I'm highly amused by all of it.
I'd be interested in checking out the choir and the theatre troupe. Simply attending their performance might turn up further leads, or perhaps give me an idea.