GM Omelas' Hangman's Noose (Inactive)

Game Master panegyric

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Round #1
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Killian giggles at Talienda's comment. "I most definitely am not, little girl. Will your friends be alright without help? They did look very efficient with that skeleton thing!"

Just as he finishes speaking, the sound of Mylok's gun fills the air. In all his bravado, the gunslinger indeed forgot that the strategies for racking up points in carnival games are somewhat useless against animated corpses. His shot hits the zombie on its ear, which would have earned him a hundred points back home but, sadly, doesn't seem to be particularly helpful in severing the dark energy that powers the undead abomination.

With Rissi's exhortation in background, the zombies start moving. The first two, drawn by the sound of Mylok's guns, grab rocks from the ground and hurl them at the gunslinger. One hits him on the head with a comical thud.

The last zombie is instead attracted by Talib's approach. As the inquisitor prepares an attack with his falchion, the creature extends its arms, grabs him and pushes, driving Talib's face straight against the iron bars. He bangs the sword against the grates without hitting the zombie.

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Round #2
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Everyone's up.

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Summary
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Mylok hits green zombie for 2 B/S dmg.
Green zombie hits Mylok for 3 B dmg.
Cyan zombie hits Talib for 7 B dmg.

OUCH.

The inquisitor shakes his head, spattering droplets of blood from his hair. With his ears still ringing from the impact, he stubbornly renews his attack. As there is little room for wide swings, Talib switches his grip so that one of his palms is resting on the pommel, and points the blade point-first at the enemy. He steps back and then lunges forward, thrusting the front edge of the falchion to draw a line along the corpse's rotten neck, and then quickly withdraws it in a sawing motion to deepen the cut.

Falchion Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14
Falchion Damage: 2d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1, 2) + 4 + 1 = 8

I might need to tag out soon-ish...

Yeah, talk about a ringer. :D

Talienda winces as she hears the clang of bars and the thump of rock on skull.

"I hope so. I don't have my dagger anymore and I'm out of the zappy stuff," she says with an apologetic tone.

Delaying still.

Misfire turns his attention to the undead currently pummeling the door with the inquisitor’s face. Ok, how’s about we actually help a bit more? he says to himself.

Mylok spins the pistol around, tosses it over his shoulder, and catches it behind his back in the opposite hand. He drops some powder and a bullet into the barrel and takes aim on the cyan zombie.

”Pretty sure Anubis is looking for you, bud!”

Rissi watches the melee and shrugs at Talienda's words. "My weapons are pretty useless against these. But do we need to face them? The cells appear locked. If we back away...."

That said, Inspire Courage will last this round and the next. And the +1 applies to hit and damage for weapon attacks.

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Round #2
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"Well, I'm sure that your friends will take care of this in no time!" Killian says at the same time as Talib's thrust crushes the zombie's collarbone and Mylok's shot lodges inside the creature's eyeball. It falls back, immobile.

The other two undead continue chucking rocks at the gunslinger, both projectiles going wide off the mark.

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Round #3
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Everyone's up.

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Summary
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Mylok hits cyan zombie for 8 B/S dmg.
Talib hits cyan zombie for 8 B/S dmg.
Cyan zombie is destroyed.

Talib reaches out to try the door, ready to fall back.

If it's locked/stuck, I'll move out of the area. If not, I'll ready another attack.

Falchion Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12
Falchion Damage: 2d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 + 1 = 11

That kill restores the lost grit point.

Mylok smirks and repeats his gun spin. This time adding a bit of flair when dropping the gunpowder into the gun. He takes aim and fires at his original target.

"It sounds like it," she says before taking the opportunity to see what the man knows.

"Do you know Ms. Patrissa well," she asks.

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Round #3
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Taken aback, Krillian stops watching the battle and looks at Talienda. "Oh! Well, not very much, actually. Why do you ask?"

Talib discovers the door seem to be either locked or rusted enough that it cannot be opened without more effort than he has the time for now, then takes a step back whilst Mylok brings down another zombie. The remaining creature continues chucking stones at the gunslinger, but once again the projectile goes wide.

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Round #4
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Just as the undead threat seems to become minimal, hands and then a half-decomposed elven corpse climbs out of the ground in front of Sinésiel.

Everyone's up, new enemy joined combat.

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Summary
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Mylok hits green zombie for 11 B/S dmg.
Green zombie is destroyed.
Yellow zombie enter the battle.

Seeing the new threat, Rissi backs away, out of the room. "Seems our presence is causing the buried to claw their way out. We should leave and bar the door!"

Sense Motive on Killian: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Bluff to pass this off casually: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

"Oh, um, n-no reason," Talienda says, looking a little like she got caught with her hand reaching for the cookie jar.

Talienda gets ready to shut the door when the others come running through.

Talib spins around, attempting to slash at the newly risen zombie.

Falchion Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Falchion Damage: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 = 10

Sorry for the short-form posts. I don't have much prose in me for these horrible rolls. :P

When the new corpse scrambles from the ground, Mylok glances around at the room.

Getting awfully cramped. Maybe Chatterbox was right, he thinks.

Misfire pulls his rapier from its sheath and thrust the blade toward the elven undead.

Confirmation: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13
Crit damage P: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

I will be surprised if that confirms.

Honestly, I don't know what's going with the dice. Mine have been punishing me non-stop for the past two weeks.

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Round #4
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As soon as the creature rises from the ground, Talib, Talienda and Mylok shower it with stabs and slashes. Though the inquisitor's blade fails to strike anything but air, the half-elf and the gunslinger manage to destroy the creature as it prepares to jump on them. The remaining zombie trapped behind bars is still throwing stones at whoever it sees first, but once again misses.

Killian nods and smiles at Talienda, either not realising or not wanting to prod at the true reason behind her questions.

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Round #5
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Two new corpses crawl out of the earth across the bars.

Everyone's up, new enemies joined combat.

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Summary
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Mylok hits green zombie for 7 P dmg.
Sinésiel hits green zombie for 7 S dmg.

"Even if you are drunk, I don't understand how you manage to be so cheerful in the face of all this," Talienda says.

Intimidate (Trying to provoke a reaction): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

"Fall back!" shouts Talib, waving towards the door. "This is useless, there could be dozens of them buried here!"

I suggest we retreat into the hallway, shut the door, and wait for a couple minutes to see if they can follow.

Waiting back here for the rest of you.

For the sake of simplicity I will just assume everyone is fine with the plan and that everything goes along more or less as expected.

The group retreats to the corridor under a hail of stones which fail to cause any lasting damage but are quite painful nevertheless. The bombardment continues for a few minutes before the zombies either give up or become once again dormant.

The corridor seems as quiet as before, though anyone can see a certain, unexpected tension between Killian and Talienda.

With the zombie threat behind him, Talib exhales slowly—though he does not show any other signs of relief. He looks from Killian to Talienda and back.

"What is this about?" he asks bluntly.

Mylok follows the others out into the hall and slips the rapier back into its leather sheath. He reloads the pistol and turns to face the others.

"You know, I was just starting to have some fun wh-" Talib's question cuts Misfire short. And the gunslinger nearly walks into the inquisitor's back.

"I know I was a little preoccupied but I don't see any cause to be speaking to Duchess like that."

"Ride? This isn't a game," Talienda snaps. Her patience for the selfish, nihilistic worldviews she'd seen among most of the jurors having run out. "And stop treating me like I'm a child that knows nothing of the world beyond the Petals district. I am sick of you and people like you assuming that you can look down on me just because I lived a sheltered life! I am not a moron as you and just about every other juror I have gotten to know seems to assume!"

Talienda stands, looking up at the man in defiance, daring him to say another word.

Killian turns his face from Talienda, shrugs and starts walking to the main hall. "Whatever, dude."

Talib raises an eyebrow and shakes his head at the drunk's back. "Ignore him."

Looking over his wounds, inquisitor chugs the potion found on Malgrim's body. He tucks away the empty bottle, more out of habit than anything else—there is no one here to blame him for littering, after all. After he feels sufficiently healthy, he heads in the opposite direction from Killian. He stops to listen at the interrogation room door, waiting for the rest of the group to catch up.

"Our main priority now is salvage," he says to the others. "We need every resource we can muster. Though we have a solid case, the suspect is not here, and Mord does not listen to reason. Barring some unseen development, we must prepare to fight off more undead, and possibly Mord himself..."

"...as hopeless as it is."

Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (7, 2) + 3 = 12
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Talienda shakes her head and follows Talib.

"What about the other jurors? There's still Patrissa and the Iomedaean, isn't there," she asks.

Rissi glances at the humans, almost shocked at Talienda's words. "You're right! Maybe we need to have all of the remaining jurors here. That might draw Mord out to confront them. Maybe if he gets a 'just trial' he'll finally accept the verdict!?!"

"So, we have to go s-searching through this whole place, again," Talienda asks. She's clearly afraid. The anger from earlier is gone, quenched by the prospect of having to go through this house of horrors all over again.

"Does anyone think we should be going after Killian? Hiding in a closet might not work twice for the man..." Mylok points over his shoulder with a half-hearted gesture and his words trail off.

"Oh, I think i took one too many rocks to the ol' cylinder. Anyone care to spare a healing tonic?"

Rissi glances at the humans, almost shocked at Talienda's words. "You're right! Maybe we need to have all of the remaining jurors here. That might draw Mord out to confront them. Maybe if he gets a 'just trial' he'll finally accept the verdict!?!"

"That is... a reasonable conclusion," says Talib, genuinely impressed with the ratfolk's thought process. "We can search the courtrooms, after we are done here. I would like to reunite with Sir Rekkart, if at all possible—trial or no. He might be the only juror who can help us in combat, if need be."

"Does anyone think we should be going after Killian? Hiding in a closet might not work twice for the man..." Mylok points over his shoulder with a half-hearted gesture and his words trail off.

Talib shrugs. "I offered him our protection, and he chose to leave. I am under no obligation to protect him from his own stupidity."

"I agree with Talib. The only decent people we've met beyond our own company has been Halgrak and Sir Rekkart, as far as I can tell," Talienda says sourly.

Her expression softens as she notices Mylock's state, though.

"Oh," she says as she moves next to him, "I think you're right. You're bleeding. Do you need to lie down? Do you feel woozy?"

Talib fails to hear anything inside the room and then nudges the door open, careful not to make any noise. Assuming you would open it once you were sure there wasn't anything suspicious with the door.

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8. "Interrogation" Room
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He is greeted Brutal machines to coax confessions from the accused fill this mournful room of cold stone, pain, and dark stains. A flaying rack rests in one corner, with an iron maiden against one wall; a restraining chair adorned with all manner of crushing vices and punishing screws sits like a throne at the chamber’s center. A rack on the wall bears rusted implements of persuasion: pulling tongs; pliers; eight-inch spikes; and an array of rusty needles, syringes, and scalpels.

Talienda shrinks back from the door. The sight of the implements of torture doused her spirit with a cold, petrifying fear. She clings tightly to Mylock's side, obviously afraid.

"I fear what Mord's spectre has prepared for us here," she stammers in a small, frightened voice.

Mylok grimaces, "I think I'll be alright. Just need a quick pick-me-up." He pops the stopper on one of the potions and downs the magical healing within.

The gunslinger, now used to Talienda at his side, peers over Talib's shoulder. Yeah, I wonder what's hiding in there for us, he thinks.

"Oh, we've come this far. We'll be fine, Duchess," Mylok says.

"I sure hope so," Talienda replies.

Seeing what is in the room Rissi freezes for a moment. "I thought this was a court house, not a torture chamber. That's disgusting!" That said she backs away, obviously nervous at the sight.

"Corporeal punishment is a crucial part of the judicial process," says the inquisitor, "however barbaric it may seem. Torture is completely inefficient as a form of interrogation, of course, but arguably an effective deterrent for certain offences."

Talib takes a few cautious steps into the room, staying close to the wall. Whatever he might think of the societal benefits of the torturer's arts, he is not too excited by the thought of being on the receiving end of the various sharp implements arrayed throughout the room.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Mainly looking out for danger, as well as for anything that could be useful to the group.

Talienda reaches down for Rissi's shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. She sighs. In some sense, she supposes Talib has the right of it, but her heart, her soul, can't help but be sickened by what she sees.

"Talib, I understand that this may deter some people, but is it worth it if we reduce ourselves to the level of monsters," she asks.

Talib's quick judgement immediately identifies three things that stand out as interesting: on the flailing rack there are three old shortspears; in the same rack a heavy flail that seems as brutal as it is nicely crafted; and, last, dried blood, blackened either due to the passage of time or some unholier sort of corruption, accumulates beneath and around the iron maiden, which, on second inspection, seems to have taken quite a battering in the past.

"Talib, I understand that this may deter some people, but is it worth it if we reduce ourselves to the level of monsters," she asks.

Talib gives the sorceress one of his inscrutable looks, finally nodding in concession. "Perhaps not. Ideally, we would not have to."

Talib's quick judgement immediately identifies three things that stand out as interesting: on the flailing rack there are three old shortspears; in the same rack a heavy flail that seems as brutal as it is nicely crafted; and, last, dried blood, blackened either due to the passage of time or some unholier sort of corruption, accumulates beneath and around the iron maiden, which, on second inspection, seems to have taken quite a battering in the past.

The inquisitor quickly indicates each point of interest to his companions, and then gestures for Mylok to keep a watchful eye on the iron maiden. He then approaches the weapons on the flailing rack with his falchion at the ready, cautiously skirting along the northern wall.

Needless to say, I'm trying to avoid any and all contact with the décor, if at all possible.

"Ideally Mord would have been a baker, a florist, or a craftsman, not a hangman," Talienda sighs, "because there would be no need for jails and hangmen."

She stays close to Mylok as he keeps an eye on the iron maiden.

Perception (Anything spooky?): 1d20 ⇒ 1

The moment Talib reaches the flailing rack, the iron maiden bursts open with and a dried corpse, with dozens of horrid puncture wounds from the maiden’s embrace riddling his face and body, is wrapped in rotting robes embroidered with a faded symbol of Sarenrae over his chainmail. Ragged blond hairs still cling to his emaciated skull as he lurches forward and opens his jaws.

At the same time, the restraining chair begins rock violently and its many straps flail wildly in the air, as if seeking to grasp anything that comes close to it.

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Initiative
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1. Rissi
2. Talib
3. Undead
4. Mylok
5. Sinésiel
6. Talienda

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Round #1
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Talienda is completely unaware of anything happening, suddenly spooked by the impression that something was hiding and observing her from the other end of the corridor.

Everyone's up. @Talib, I moved you to the flailing rack next to the iron maiden, which was in the opposite direction.

Red area indicates the chair and the reach of its leather straps.

Rissi glances up at the pretty sorceress when she feels Talienda's hand on her shoulder. This place had really been getting to her, and the sight of torture equipment....

She was about to add to Talib's reassurance when the room broke into chaos. Seeing the threat she calls out her battle chant again to strengthen the resolve of the group.

Bardic Performance/Inspire Courage. +1 competence bonus to hit, to weapon damage and morale bonus to saves vs Charm or Fear

Talienda looks down the corridor, trying to suss out what it was she had seen or felt, when mayhem breaks loose in the room Talib is in. She looks from the doorway to where she thought she has seen something and steels herself as she backs away to make room for the others that could fight.

I don't think I can aid another unless I'm in melee with the attack, right?

Talib moves in, his steps in rhythm with Rissi's chant. He opens with an overhead chop at the undead Sarenite's left clavicle.

Falchion Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 1 = 23 :)
Falchion Damage: 2d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1, 4) + 4 + 1 = 10
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9 :(

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Round #1
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The sarenite undead takes a step back in apparent pain before it starts laughing and gurgling, emanating a cloud of stench that makes even the iron-willed Talib coughing and retching.

The creature looks at Talib with an intelligent stare then grabs the inquisitor's sword arm and bites it. What strikes Talib first is not the pain from the wound, but the fact his whole body seizes almost immediately. He regains his movements -- this time.

Mylok and Sinésiel are up.

@Talienda: yes, you do need to be in melee range to aid another. You can always get creative, though.

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Summary
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Talib hits undead for 10 S dmg.
Undead hits for 5 P dmg.
Talib is sickened (-2 on attack, dmg, saves and skill checks) for 10 minutes.
Talib resists paralysis.

Seeing the creature take a hard hit from Talib, but then stay up and bite him.... Rissi steps forward readying and firing an arrow. "He needs help!"

To Hit: 1d20 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 - 4 = 4 But no help from me.... Except the Inspire Courage lasts for two more rounds.

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Round #1
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Mylok springs into action and fires his pistol at the creature, lodging a bullet in the creature's leg. He grimaces at the little damage this seems to have caused.

Sinésiel instead moves next to the door and readies an attack, ready to defend her companions with her life.

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Round #2
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Everyone's up again. For simplicity sake I will move the enemy to the bottom of the initiative so you are all grouped.

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Summary
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Mylok hits undead for 4 P/B dmg.
Undead: 14 total damage

Talienda starts looking for anything she can use to help Talib with. If she remembers where something might be, she'll start making her way towards it. Not smart, but she's starting to panic a bit.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Now that I've already f*cked myself rushing in, I should probably roll to identify this bastard...

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 5 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 3 - 2 = 8

Talib coughs, clearing his lungs just enough gasp out a few words:

"This body is a created image, a mere imitation of eternal perfection."

His subsequent attack goes wide, as his eyes water at the overwhelming reek of putrefaction.

Falchion Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 - 2 = 8
Falchion Damage: 2d4 + 4 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 4 + 1 - 2 = 8

Ugh, these rolls...

I'll use my swift action to active the purity judgement, in order to gain +1 sacred bonus on all saving throws. I'd rather not be paralyzed.

Great to hear, Tali.

Hi folks. I've had eye surgery on Tuesday. Recovery isn't going so well. It might be a few more days before I will be able to read up and post again. I'm sorry for the absence, please bot me as needed.

Hope things get better quickly, Yenet - sorry to hear about the complications.

Sorry to hear that, Yenet. Take all the time you need and thanks for letting us know.

Also, I forgot to reply to Talienda! Sorry! I'm really happy to hear things are looking a bit better now =)

A lot better actually. My grandmother is off the ventilator. :)

Good to hear! On the road to recovery then!

Fantastic news!

I'm going to be busy these next couple of days, so please bot me if needed.

That's brilliant, Talienda =)

Also, thanks for letting us know, Sekla. Talib, Rissi and Talienda, the choice of where to go (manor or bar) boils down to you, then.

Hi all, recovery is going better now. I'm to the point where I can read small bits again, with some effort. I'll get back into the game today or tomorrow, it'll provide good distraction.

Talienda, I'm really happy to hear that your grandmother is doing better.

Thanks all. She still has a ways to go, but she's talking again and I know my grandfather is happy to hear she's doing well.

Folks, I'm going to give Sekla a bit more time to respond to Talib's plan before moving us to the manor.

Also, regarding the plan itself: anyone can enter the place to watch and bet on matches, so that wouldn't be a problem. That said, the "competitors" are almost never trained fighters, being usually chosen amongst the most desperate and pitiful goblinoids in Absalom. Thus, Sekla might be a bit of a tough sell, clearly being a proficient warrior of some note (due to the Irorum). That said, it's not impossible to try and get her inside as a wrestler.

Sorry for my absence. I've been fighting a bout of depression and also trying to get back into drawing and 3-d modeling.

Anyway, I'm good with the plan, and I think I can come up with a way to sell it and cement Talienda's disguise. That said, Talienda is going to feel really bad about it.

Wasn't that the plan? Get the attention on us so the rest of the group can do what needs to be done?

Yes and no. First priority, we get in and position ourselves for the main distraction. Once we have the go-ahead from the Falcon, we'll need to arrange for a larger distraction and/or send reinforcements for the rescue (such as having Sekla wrestle, and Talib moving to help the Falcon as needed—I'm sure we can figure out something else if that doesn't pan out). All of your antics so far are drawing possible attention away from the Falcon, so no complaints there!

So maybe putting a Grease spell in the middle of the ring? :)
Or Talienda could use put an illusion (Silent Image) of something interesting?

Oh, I know! Ghost dogs! That'll make for a fun distraction.

Hi folks -- some bad news, I'm afraid. I sprained my wrist over the weekend, so I think I will take a couple of days off from posting. I can actually type without much pain, but it seems more reasonable to stay on the safe side and avoid using that hand for non-essential things for a bit. Sorry!

Oh no! Hope you get well soon! I know that has to hurt!

Agree. Take care of yourself and come back when you're ready. We'll be here.

Feel better!

Ouch! Take care, and indeed take is easy for a while...

Hi folks! Apologies for the long wait. It took a bit more than I expected, what with my work being mostly typing things and me being stupid enough to put my body weight on the wrong arm twice, but it's starting to feel better now. I'll have a post up tomorrow!

Yay! I'm glad you're feeling better.

Great news! Watching for the next post!

Great news!

That's good to hear, Omelas!

Woo! That's great to hear!

@Sekla: So, before we get to that point in the operation, what's your final say on distraction via wrestling?

She'd rather not do it. Would if ordered point blank, but... she's very proud, and just met you guys, so...

Totally understandable! I just wanted to make sure.

BTW, I owe a couple of you some PM replies. I'll promise I'll get to it this weekend -- limiting computer usage for a week created a bit of a backlog.

Apologies for the slow going on the main hall. I didn't expect you to split the party again so soon, but hopefully this post and the next one will give a few hooks to build on.

Thanks.

Also, sorry for the slow posting on my part. I've been in not a bad place neccessarily, but not a good one recently. I've dropped from most of my games because of it. I'm hoping you'll bear with me for a bit as I try to recharge mentally.

Sorry guys, I'll try to pick up the pace as well. Been quite busy, and the heatwave here doesn't help for my energy to sit behind my computer in the evening. :/

@Talienda: no worries, take your time and let us know if you need a full break, ok?

@Falcon: I can feel my brain melting in real time. Apparently Friday we'll be back to the mid-20s, at least.

sorry all, won't be able to post today, will resolve your actions tomorrow morning.

Okie dokie. Take care of yourself. :)

Hello folks — sorry again, but I’m currently a bit overwhelmed with work and it’s been hard to find the time and energy to GM properly. I was sort of managing with the lower post rate of the past couple of weeks, but now, between looming deadlines and almost certain combat, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up.

I know it’s short notice, but I think it’s best if I take a short break until at least one of my current assignments is finished, which should be the first week of september. I’ll keep you updated, though.

Sorry again!

Totally understand here. Take care of what you need to. I’ll be here when you get back.

Understood. I'll be here when you return.

Take care!

Take care, we'll be here...

Hi folks! I’m afraid I have some bad news. As I mentioned before, I had a recent influx of work-related stuff and was hoping things would get a bit calmer in september. It turns out that won’t be the case and I’m looking down at some intense weeks in the near future.

I’m not sure I can GM whilst things are like this. As much as I enjoy it, it’s hard work doing all the planning and etc and I know it will become a chore if I don’t have enough time and energy to do it properly.

I’d be inclined to say we go on a prolonged break, but the fact I can’t give you a precise date makes it feel…well, less of a break and more of a black hole of uncertainty. So, as much as I hate it, it might make more sense to declare the campaign inactive so you feel free to join other games.

When things have settled on my end and I feel ready to pick up GMing once again, I could contact you and see who’s still around.

I’m really sorry — we’ve only just started this new chapter, even got more people involved and suddenly I’m backing out. Planning things in 2020 seems to be an exercise in futility.

Best of luck with all the work, GM! And thanks for giving me a shot at some of the quality rp you guys had going. Was fun while it lasted :)

Understand fully. Real life is always more important than a game, even a really interesting one like this.

If you do come back, I will probably be here ready and waiting.

Thanks for letting us know up front, rather than just disappearing without a word. I hope we get to play together in the future!

I can't really add anything to what the others have said beyond letting you know that I understand and I'll be more than happy to pick this back up when you have your freetime back.

Thanks for the understanding, everyone, and for the nice times.