Curse of the Crimson Throne

Game Master Whack-a-Rogue

Ril's face wrinkles in disgust at the realization about some of the meat. "And yet, it's my people that are viewed as barbaric," she says with a sigh. "Can silver wash away that smell of death, Torsten?"

Ril looks at her wrist, with the silver bracelet Zohruk had given her not long after they'd arrived in Korvosa. When she'd asked where he'd gotten it, Zoh had been elusive. How many times, she wondered, had it changed hands the way of this ring, by force?

Assume some reasonable amount of time to have done a thorough search, then hit the stairs (I can't tell, are those up or down?).

”Gold can.” Torsten replied. ”Gold cures everything. How else would lawmen turn towards this?” He waved a hand at the meat. ”Pay someone enough and they’ll justify anything.”

After a thorough search, you take the stairs to the second floor. You quickly pass through what appears to be a break room and find yourselves in a large office. A single large desk stands in the eastern part of the room, transformed into a makeshift bed by a bedroll and several blankets and pillows. A chamber pot sits under it. To the west sit a table and three chairs; several papers lie strewn over the table's surface. One of these papers is pinned to the tabletop by an exquisite silver dagger.

A MAN wearing Korvosan Guard livery and armor stands in front of an open window, spear in hand. He seems to be internally debating the merits of fighting and fleeing.

Yhrrilka lowers her sword as she sees the man at the window. "Verik Vancaskerkin," she says in a calm voice. "Before you do something rash, please take a moment to hear us out?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

”Aye. Especially after we went to so much effort in not killing yer boyos even when they tried to knife us.”

Maca stands away from the man, not really thrilled to taste his spear. She's not willing to harm him, at least not yet, so she tries to help her comrades convincing him. "Listen, lad, we've reduced easily your four friends out there, all at once. You don't want to be fight us, and we're only asking for a talk. You win, we win, everybody goes home tonight without dying." She doesn't keep an eye on him, anyway, in case he snaps. "You're a smart one, I know, so I'm sure you know what's good for everyone."

Verik keeps his spear leveled at you. "Talk, talk, talk. That's all everyone does. And when I decide to actually do something to help people? The Guard sends some hired thugs (no offense) to attack me and the others I've convinced to join me. You're probably here to tell me to 'trust the system' and turn myself in 'for the greater good.' And kill me when I refuse. But the pigs and cows we take feed dozens of hungry citizens every day. Tell me, how is what we're doing harming anyone?"

Yhrrilka is a little incredulous. "How is it harming anyone? Ask that of the people whose parts are hanging on hooks downstairs. What did they do wrong, Verik? How did they deserve that?"

”Aye.” Torsten concurred, though much more calmly. His opinion on the humanity of man was low enough to not be surprised in the slightest. ”Look, yer old boss sent us. To get ye *before* a bounty gets posted. She still thinks she can help ye. It’s why yer boyos still be alive. I don’t rightly care why she believes in ye. I don’t rightly care what excuses ye tell yerself. This is just a job and I’m gonna get paid. So, what’s it gonna be? If ye make us kill ye we’re nay hanging, and if ye run these ‘ere lassies will make sure it won’t be for long.” As he said this he raised his fists in a way to suggest that they were all the weapons he needed.

Diplomacy? Intimidate? Add 2 if diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Counter punch to trip him if he moves within 5ft

Verik's jaw drops. "People hanging on hooks?!? What in Calistria's name are you talking about? We help people by providing free beef, ham, and sausages. Our problem is with the corrupt government, not innocent commonfolk."

To anticipate your next action
Sense Motive M/T/Y: 3d20 ⇒ (5, 18, 9) = 32
None of you sense any attempt at deception.

"Ham and sausages?" Macaria can't believe her ears. "Ehh.. Can you show us?"

"Some of that meat hanging downstairs," Yhrrilka says, clearly getting a little annoyed at this man, "Let's just say that when it was separated from its previous owner, no one needed a druid to understand the cries for mercy, okay? Now either you knew about this, or you had far too much trust in your men. Either way, when this is all done, you should come with us to get this straightened out."

Verik drops his spear. He looks devastated. "I ... I had no idea. I've been focused on spreading the word about what we're doing and trying to recruit more guardsmen. I left the running of the shop to my men. Clearly that was a mistake. I feel like such a hypocrite. If you can promise a fair trial, I'll come quietly."

Well done. XD You can escort him back to Cressida Kroft at your leisure for the full reward. You can also keep his MW longspear if you're so inclined.

"Greater men than you have been brought low because they were unable to admit they had done wrong," Yhrrilka advises Verik. "We will bring you back to the Citadel, and you will receive a fair trial."

"Thanks to the Burning Mother," she says to no one in particular. This had been very unlike the fight with Lamm, which had been so personal, the fighting had been almost satisfying. Here, what violence had been wrought felt pointless and regrettable. May we have peaceful days ahead, the woman thought to herself.

"We will bring all of you, of course" Macaria points out.

Torsten happily escorted Verick back. He took the time, though, to find a wheelbarrow to carry the unconscious men. It seemed like a better idea than doing it by hand.

"We will bring all of you, of course."

"Naturally," Ril concedes.

The one guy you left alive ran off. Verik has no idea where he might have gone, but since he was rather seriously injured, he may be looking for a healer.

Commander Kroft is pleased with your success - and that it was completed nonlethally and mostly nonviolently. She gladly pays each of you the promised 100gp. "I don't have any other jobs for you at the moment but will likely have need of you again in the future. You're welcome to stay here in the meantime. If you have quarters of your own, please let me know how to contact you."

You have 2-3 days of downtime before the plot continues. If there's anything you'd like to do during this time, let me know. The city's tense but relatively safe ... as long as you stay out of the wrong places. XD

Yhrrilka looks slightly embarrassed as she admits, "Torsten and I are currently at in-betweens, a fire claimed his shop a couple of days ago."

She pulls Macaria and Torsten aside to speak privately. "What do you think, would a short stay here be a mistake? Macaria, you were so kind to let us stay with your caravan but I got the feeling no one was interested in letting that happen again. I don't know if we'll have any luck out there," she nods toward a window. "But maybe just for a few days, give us a chance to find something. What do you two think?"

Torsten shook his head. "I'd happily stay with ye." He said to Macaria. "But I believe that there's work to do. If ye need me, I'll be at Zellara's. I've got...plans." He said with a smile. "Yer both welcome to join me. Gonna bring the place back to life. I could use a business partner or two to make a new shop."

----

Torsten was becoming a happy dwarf once more. He had gold now. Enough gold to invest in his business! It would take time though. The dwarf spent the following two days slowly converting Zellara's home into a new shop. He decided to name it Zellara's Mark in memory of her. For she had marked his life as surely as his ink had marked any of his clients. He hoped that she would approve. The days went by, with him scavenging in the burnt out ruin of his old home and shop for materials and supplies. Because why spend coin where it wasn't needed? It was slow going, but it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. Because the grudge was settled, and the memory of Lamm's death warmed his heart.

It was while going through his old home that he found a white satin glove with no visible seams. He smiled as he dug it out of the soot and ash. It belonged to his mother, and he recognized the nearly invisible runes upon it. It could easily turned inside-out to wear on a left or right hand, a testament to her skill. He slipped it on and raised his hand to marvel at the craftsmanship. He knew that, despite it's feel and appearance, the glove itself was far more durable than even steel. That, and for those who knew how to use it, it could be downright dangerous. She had made such gloves as a self-defense tool for nobles who wanted to feel safe without looking like they were armed. A slap to the face that left an acid-lined hand-mark truly made a lasting statement. He took it as a sign that despite the turmoil of the city, that everything was going to be alright. All it would take was some hard work and determination. Then he would have his shop back, and could go back to perfecting his craft and making a name for himself.

Torsten shook his head. "I'd happily stay with ye." He said to Macaria. "But I believe that there's work to do. If ye need me, I'll be at Zellara's. I've got...plans." He said with a smile. "Yer both welcome to join me. Gonna bring the place back to life. I could use a business partner or two to make a new shop."

Ril nods approvingly. Mock-scolding Torsten, she says, "If you'd tried doing this without me, you'd have been up to that knobby head of yours in trouble, Mister!"

She then turns to Macaria. "Can you be talked into staying?"

"Ehhh..." There's too many things going on, and Macaria needs to reconsider what does she want to happen in house life and what not.

"Let's see... I could try to talk your staying with the caravan for a pair of days, though there's nothing guaranteed. I will stay myself with them, though, at least for now; there are things I'm expected to do." Even though she feels her life is going to be away from the caravan from now on, she wants the transition to be as smooth as possible.

She plans on staying alert to the Queen's compromise of facilitating an orphanage, and she wants to be involved in that as much as her duties - her new duties - allow her. She'll need some days to inform herself about the project, find a future place to stay - and there Ril's offer might come up handy - and becoming used to the town again. Oh, yes, and acquire some equipment for her next assignment.

I'll see to have a bit list ready. Also, Macaria will keep a percentage of the money away for "urgent expenses" on something she feels she can contribute to the orphans' cause.

Torsten/Yhrrilka: If you'd like to convert Zellara's house to a tattoo parlor, it'll cost 480gp to get the necessary permits and supplies. It will then be considered an Artisan's Workshop (counts as MW tools when tattooing inside) with an attached Office and Lavatory.

Macaria: Queen Ileosa has yet to announce anything regarding a new orphanage, but your research does turn up some related information. As it turns out, there are already several orphanages of various quality in the city. Korvosa's Mercy (North Point; G4 on the map) is the largest and has a long-standing association with the military. Scrapper Hall (Midland; G7 on the map) is run in a highly-regimented fashion what pushes the limits of legality. Riverside House (Midland; G8 on the map) was one of Korvosa's oldest buildings ... until it burned to the ground during the initial riots. Dawnflower House (Midland; G11 on the map) is the only orphanage that's run by actual clerics. Little House (East Shore; G12 on the map) is the smallest and newest orphanage and focuses predominantly on nonhuman orphans.

Rumors
- "Been more sightings of river ghosts lately; you know, the little blue spirits that sneak around in the alleys and abduct drunks or others foolish enough to sleep on the streets!"

- "Food's growing scarce fast in the city. Hope the queen gets things under control soon. I've heard the butcher in North Point that was handing out free meat got shut down for failing a health inspection. Hope it opens back up soon."

Torsten, that sounds reasonable to me! Mithral bucklers can wait! :)

Very reasonable! As business partners, 240 each? He’s fine with paying whatever, as there are no urgent expenses on his part. Heck, if it was 1k he’d pay it now

With the information she's gathered and the rumours they've heard, Macaria decides to pay a visit to the Dawnflower House and have some words with the clerics there, ask if they have room and inquire about the other orphan houses.

If Macaria lets us know of her intent, Ril would be interested in going. The name heavily implies they're Sarenites, and Yhrrilka is curious, she wants to get a look at a human interpretation of her faith.

Macaria is now than happy to have Ril accompany her.

And Torsten, I didn't explicitly say so yet, but sure, split it even-Steven.

Macaria/Yhrrilka
The Dawnflower House is a medium-sized structure on the south side of Pillar Hill. The children are clean and reasonably well-behaved, but the orphanage is very full. There are only a handful of beds left. In regards to care, the children rise with the dawn and participate in prayers to Sarenrae. There's also a brief homily - typically regarding practicing patience and finding common ground with those you have disagreements with. Once a month or so, the elderly owner of Pestico's Dolls and Toys (located just a block or two away) comes by to donate some unsold merchandise.

Torsten
While making a supply run, you find yourself in the middle of a riot. A mob of people wielding shovels, chair-legs, and other club-like implements surround a beardless young nobleman. One of the laborers (a burly woman with greasy hair) is yelling at him, "Betcha never worked an honest day's wage in our life, eh, Queen's Man? M'brother had his arm crushed by a barrel on the docks when he was younger than you. Never raised a mug of ale with that wrist again. Wanna know what it feels like?" An image of your Harrow card flashes in your mind. The Avalanche: the unavoidable panic and destruction that arises from a disaster.

Remember how I mentioned the Harrow cards were important? XD Torsten gains +2 to DEX-based checks, +1 AC, and one of the following (reroll a single DEX-based check or +10ft speed) for the duration of this encounter.

As she and Macaria tour the orphanage, Ril takes it all in, noting things to herself. I'd be doing more self defense training, but I suppose if you do too much of that sort of thing, the Crown starts getting nervous that you're creating a cadre of crusading zealots.

As they tour, at some point she surreptitiously asks her companion, "I'm not sure what you were looking for here, but are you seeing it?"

As the tour finishes (and assuming Macaria has no strong objections), Yhrrilka will tell whoever gave the tour, "Speaking for myself, I think you're doing a fine job here. If there is anything my friends and I can do to help, we'd certainly love to."

At that, Ril pauses, then suddenly gets the idea face. "The business we are opening, once we've got things up and running, maybe I could see if any of your girls could work as an assistant?" She catches herself, That is the sort of thing I should talk to Torsten about, probably. "If our partner agrees."

Maca takes mental notes of what she's witnessing, maybe as a base for a future project... But her original intention was a different one. She smiles at their guide widely. "As you might probably know, Gadren Lamm is out of business. That means a lot of rascals running free around town, and we're wondering how much room for them there is."

She's surprised - and glad - to hear Ril's proposal. Maybe she'd need to find something as well, who knows, take a pair of kids as apprentices... But she can't find much she can teach them, sadly.

Keeping his head down Torsten hurried past the crowd. It wasn't his problem and he had work to do. It was as his father always said: "Problems are cheaper than nails, and you can't trust ones made by humans." As he got to the point where his back was to the mob he stopped with a 'tsk.' He could just imagine the look on Ril's face if she found out that he had left a man to mob justice. And Macaria...he didn't know her all that well, but he did know that an orphanage of all things was her passion. That spoke of a pure heart and he was certain that she too would be a disappointed in him. Shaking his head he made himself turn around, having successfully shamed himself into action.

Influence: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

"Oi!" Torsten said in a voice that sounded like two stones being rubbed together. "What's this then?" He inquired as he walked towards the crowd. "What're ye lot doing to this 'ere man?"

"Remember how I mentioned the Harrow cards were important? XD Torsten gains +2 to DEX-based checks, +1 AC, and one of the following (reroll a single DEX-based check or +10ft speed) for the duration of this encounter." Can I choose later or do I need to choose now?

Macaria/Yhrrilka
The cleric shakes her head sadly at Macaria's question. "We only have two or three beds available, I'm afraid. And the Riverside House burned down - such a pity. They were always good to the kids. Any of Lamm's former flock will likely end up at Scrapper Hall - or elect to stay on the street. Korvosa's Mercy can definitely accommodate a fair few, but it's so far from here that I can't see anyone managing the trip. A sad state of affairs." She does perk up a little at Yhrrilka's suggestion. "It's so good of you to offer - provided the business is legitimate, of course. Learning a trade would greatly increase our children's chances of success in life."

Torsten
You can choose later, but once you've decided, it can't be changed.
Well, you've managed to draw the crowd's attention. "He's one a them noble types. Spends all day up in his ivory tower not givin' a damn about common folk like us. Just like that foreign usurper wot just stole the throne from ol' Eodred. Takin' our hard-earned gold and not even bothering to give us the time of day! Time fer a little payback is wot I say!"

Influence diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

”Can’t say that rightly makes any sense.” Torsten said, very loudly. ”Correct me if I’m wrong, but nobility is just a fancy guild, isn’t it? Guilds, where they exist, control a certain trade, or set and maintain craft standards. And ye enter guilds by being born into it, or becoming an apprentice. And nobility is just another guild. Regulating their craft, which is the running of this city. Now, this boyo is a member of his guild. But that doesn’t mean much for what ye’re accusing him of.”

He was getting into the swing of things now, waving his hands as he talked, and using his rather substantial broadness of size and volume of voice to keep their attention. ”And what ye’re all doing is getting involved in guild business. Business we don’t know anything about! The King is dead, Pharasma watch him, but do any of ye know what this boy’s role in that is? The Queen has taken over. Was he involved? Now, I’m a craftsman. Some of ye here may even have me tattoos. But if a mob formed and tried to beat me because some richer and more well known tattooist fooked things up, why, that’d be right unfair! And this foppish boyo is nay different.” In this talking he made his way to the center of the group to stand beside the nobleman. He slapped the man on the back and said ”What say we let the lad say something himself, then? Ye be foreign born, lad, or were ye born and raised here like all of us?”

At the cleric's comment, Ril barely manages to suppress a facial expression indicating this was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. "Of course it's legitimate, don't be smeshnoy. It is a tattoo parlor. Well, it was, and will be again; we are rebuilding after a fire. In addition, I also do fortune telling services."

"However, we have not yet reopened. When we have, and Torsten and I have seen what we need from the shop, we'll know what we need from a girl. So this idea, we'll have to come back to another day."

She sighs and shrugs. "I only wish we could do more."

How on the world am I going to convince Torsten of this idea, she thinks to herself.

Hey, you wanted to know why I'd stay in Korvosa after Lamm was dealt with. :D

Macaria nods while the man is explaining. "I see, yes..." She´ll have to deal with it, and see that the Queen's Orphan House be built as soon as possible.

"Is there any of them that you wouldn't trust a kid with?" she suddenly asks, trying to be forewarned and not drive one of the kids into an even harder life than it had before.

Torsten
The noble stammers for several seconds before clearing his throat and shakily responding. "I'm Amin Jalento ... of House Jalento. From Old Korvosa - at the foot of Garrison Hill, to be exact." The crowd grumbles at that, but some of their fire seems to have gone out. He might be noble, but he isn't one of the wealthy ones. Garrison Hill's surrounded by slums and is fighting a losing battle against destitution and obscurity.

Macaria/Yhrrilka
"Scrapper Hall," one of the minor acolytes pipes up. "They're practically slaves over there!" (it's basically the workhouse from Oliver Twist)

Torsten nodded along. "Garrison Hill?" He asked, to himself. Then, abit louder he said "Makes us neighbors then. Had a shop in Old Korvsa meself, before it burnt down. Eh...Bridgefront." He finished with a weak smile. "But, building a new shop! And everyone here should come once it be built up. Get yerself a tattoo like these!" He finished, holding up a heavily tattooed arm and flexing it at the crowd. "Zellara's Mark! That be the name. Keep an eye out for it, aye?" Then to the crowd he said "Anyway, we all done here? Or we just gonna wait for Chokers to come like some unruly children?"

Maca nods and thanks them man, leaving and thinking about the response during her way back. "Ril, we must make sure none of the kids end up there. What's more, we should try to send them an inspection." She starts thinking that maybe working for the Queen could grant them some influence in that matter.

"Ril, we must make sure none of the kids end up there. What's more, we should try to send them an inspection."

Ril nods at Macaria's idea. "True, I just worry that if we do something to get them shut down, we'll put even more kids on the streets. You saw how tight the Dawnflower House was. Ugh, I wish more problems could be solved by setting them on fire." Ril frowns and gives a dejected shake of her head.

Torsten
Your words and demeanor seem to have defused the crowd's ire. They slowly disperse - with some looking slightly embarrassed. As you well know, it's easy to get caught up in a wave of strong emotion and end up doing things you'll later regret. Your actions may have saved Amin Jalento's life. He gives you a grateful nod before making a quick escape. An underwhelming result, but perhaps it will pay dividends later....

Whenever everyone's ready to continue, head back to Cressida Kroft. She has another job to offer you. XD

As Yhrrilka and Torsten work to get Zellara's Mark ready to open, it becomes increasingly clear that the young woman is more than a little preoccupied with something. At first, any efforts to ask her about it are gently turned aside. I've got to figure the right way to say this, she thinks.

Finally, she speaks. "Torsten, I need a moment of your time. I have something I must talk to you about."

The following is a condensed, much more coherent version of what Ril actually says. When you read this to yourself, imagine a ton more pauses, a whole bunch of "No wait," followed by restarting the whole sentence, all that sort of good stuff. Yhrrilka is very fidgety while she's saying all this; at one point, she starts playing with the end of her braid, twirling it around her fingers. When she catches herself doing that, Ril gets a little embarrassed that she's acting like a silly roshka girl, and lets go of her hair as if she suddenly realized she was holding a live viper. After that, she seems to be actively wrestling with her hands to keep them down and prevent any further fidgeting.

"Torsten, so now we will have a business in Korvosa. And yet, a business should not just be in a place, but for a place, no? It should be a good thing, and as we are good people, that should be easy to achieve. I admit, I’m not quite sure of the ins and outs of these things, but where I grew up in Belkzen, my chief, she took me under her wing after a fashion, made a point of seeing that I was good with a blade, and that I nurtured my talents with the arcane arts. And so that Mark should be too. Shouldn’t it?" As she comes up for air, Ril thinks to herself, That may not have been exactly that right way I was looking for.

Desperately, she looks at Torsten. "You understand what I’m trying to say, right?"

Torsten listened, intently, and with evidence confusion. He scratched his head and finally said "So...if I'm gettin' this right...we should...hmm...teach people how to fight an' use magic? That sounds like a whole different kind of business to me than inkin' tattoos."

Cressida Kroft isn't alone in her office this time. A HANDSOME MAN rises and offers a courtly bow as you enter.
Rocky the Rock: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Yhrrilka: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"As much as I would enjoy continuing the conversation, I fear we just don't have time." She sits down and motions for you to do the same. Vencarlo makes a show of offering (Macaria or Yhrrilka, your choice) his chair. Cressida: "Vencarlo has learned something that could degrade into sanctions, embargoes, or even war against Cheliax if we don't act now. This problem is a man named Darvayne Gios Amprei, and ambassador from Cheliax whose disdain for Korvosa is well documented, though he's taken great pleasure in what our city has to offer. Even before this recent unrest, this man was ready to recommend to his government a sanction on trade, or perhaps even an embargo. Vencarlo has learned through his own considerable sources that Ambassador Amprei's actual goals are to undermine Korvosa's economy to the point where he can buy up large portions of the city from desperate shareholders. He plans to establish himself in a position of power here before advising the end of the sanctions with his allies in Cheliax. We can't let his bias or personal plans hurt Korvosa. Yet neither can we take drastic action - not only would killing him be wrong, but it'd simply martyr him in Cheliax's eyes."

Vencarlo takes over. "Fortunately, the ambassador has his foibles. I've learned that he's been making fairly-regular visits to Eel's End."
Rocky the Rock: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Yhrrilka: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Missing the Mark

Ril seems upset and disappointed that Torsten hasn't gotten her point. "No, that's not it at all! It's clear you don't understand. That's it, I'll just have to interview for the girl myself."

The young woman stops suddenly at that. Well sure, that's exactly how you tell him, she thinks to herself. IF YOU ARE A COMPLETE CRAZY LADY.

Seeming to have caught herself, Ril sits down for a moment, breathes deeply, and starts again. "The other day, when Macaria and I went to Dawnflower House, I told the priests that, if our shop did well, I'd like one of the girls there to work for us. I just came up with the idea on the spot, and it came out of my mouth before I could stop it."

"I shouldn't have done that without talking to you. I'm sorry; I'll try not to do that again." Yhrrilka pauses for a moment, frowning in thought. "I think what was really upsetting me wasn't that I did that without talking to you, but that I'm now doing things, without having him to talk to." She pauses briefly, letting Zohruk's name hang unspoken for a moment before continuing. "I never thought I'd walk through this world without him, but since it seems I've got to, I'm thankful that the fates sent me friends like you and Macaria to walk with me."

She looks at Torsten and smiles, relieved but a bit worn out from the tension she's been carrying. "If we get this assistant, you will probably want to have a secret code word with her, and if I get like this again, she can slip something into my tea, to calm me down a little." She pauses for a moment, then adds, "Or a lot."

[spoiler=Missing the Mark]

Torsten listened, dumbfounded, but as Ril came back his expression slowly changed. At length, he said with a slight smile. "Well, ye didn't hit me. So yer less crazy than me folks." The smile faded as he continued. "I understand. It's hard losin' someone." The awkward silent made him move topics, quickly. "So...hired help, eh? So long as she doesn't expect to get paid until the shop is up and running, I suppose it'll work out. We can go over the details of it after we've eaten, aye?" He couldn't find it in himself to get angry, but there were questions of running the shop that had him on edge. And part of it was that he didn't trust strangers around his money or supplies, especially when they were poor enough to have reason to steal. But that was a problem to be dealt with later.

Present

Torsten listened, trying to process what was being asked of them. He wasn't fully sure, and he wasn't willing to open his mouth just yet. It was as his father always said "Better to keep your moth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Plus the girls seemed to be quite smart, so worst come to worst he figured that they'd figure it all out and save him the embarrassment.

Missing the Mark

Yhrrilka brightens considerably when she sees that Torsten isn't just dismissing the idea out of hand. "No, of course, not until we're up and running. The better to see what kind of help we need, da?"

"I really do appreciate your understanding on this, Torsten. This is important to me. My chief, she would often say to me, 'Hacking up evil isn't all there is to being good.' Then she'd grin and say, 'It's just the part that's the most fun!' Hah!" Her mood brightens considerably as they grab some lunch. "Whatever comes, we will figure it out, together."

Present

Yhrrilka notes with some interest their introduction to Orisini; if Macaria doesn't take the proffered chair, she will.

As she hears of the schemes this ambassador has in store, Ril asks, "Is the plan to blackmail him, then? Will his Chelish masters not care for their man in Korvosa being a regular customer of the King of Spiders?"

Even having spent many years away, the game of the Eel's End had reach Macaria to an extent. "Honestly, I doubt they care if this Amprei has something to back him up. These people usually have many cards up their sleeves, and he can probably blackmail back all those who try to blackmail him. Proof of his influence is that he'll be able to talk his country into embargoing us."

She looks around, a bit flushed. "Well, that was only my opinion and I don't understand politics. What do you want us to do?"

Cressida gives a nod to Macaria and Yhrrilka. "Ambassador Amprei is a man of many foibles, it's true, but his vices tend to be higher-end. Eel's End doesn't fit what we know of his tastes. I suspect there's something more going on that might be useful as ... leverage." She falls quiet, looking uncomfortable.

Vencarlo speaks up. "What Cressida's trying to avoid saying is that she wants you to talk to the King of Spiders and find out if he knows anything. He'd never let a member of the Guard into Eel's End, but you're a different case. I brought some coin so you can bribe him for whatever he's got, and you're welcome to keep whatever's left."

Cressida speaks up quietly. "I know this is a moral gray area, but I think it'll be worth it. The King of Spiders is a blight on our city, but he keeps his business entirely confined to Eel's End and seems content to stay there. Pays his vice taxes on time, too, so everything's technically legal. I'd love to put him out of business, but as crime lords go, he's the least of my worries."

I've been running a "Curse of the Crimson Throne" campaign for *checks date* exactly two years now. It's been a great time thus far, but about a month ago, one of the players disappeared. To keep things moving, we're sent the character off on a solo quest (in case the player comes back) and are now looking to bring in a new PC. If anyone's interested in throwing their hat into the ring, now's a great time. XD

There is something you should know, though. I run a very extensive homebrew ruleset that modifies a large portion of the game. Elephant in the Room, Spheres, psychological maneuvers, innate bonuses, etc. Honestly, there's way too much to put in a post. I have a website where all the details can be found, but that's not needed right at the moment. After all, this recruitment is for an existing, long-running campaign, so mechanics are the least-important part of a character submission right now.

If you haven't been scared off, yet, we're looking for a Level 10 gestalt character. Due to where we are in the campaign, it makes the most sense for the character to be a Shoanti. In regards to party composition, we have a Dwarf Brawler/Incanter who's focused on pulverizing people with his bare hands and being practically unkillable. The missing player is a Half-Orc Fighter/Urban Ranger//Sorcerer who's focused on feinting, fire, and divination.
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If you're interested, tell me a bit about yourself. Don't worry about anything mechanical right now; in my experience, player dynamics make or break a campaign, so we're going to focus on that instead of character submissions. Besides, it's not fair to make people spend a bunch of time making a 10th-level gestalt character in a homebrew system if we're only looking to select one person. Feel free to browse the Gameplay and Discussion threads to get a feel for our style. In addition to the Batman motif that permeates the campaign, there've also been general themes of "working through past hurts for the greater good" and "finding my purpose."

Curious, very curious...

Hi again, YBD! I'm a longtime member of the boards, and I was lucky enough to play with you in your all-goblin Rise of the Runelords campaign for as long as it lasted. I'm a computer programmer by day and a swashbuckling vigilante volunteer community theatre actor by night. For me, the allure of roleplaying games is developing a character that is effective for the party but also fun for everyone to interact with, sort of like participating in an improvisational exercise. I fondly remember your house rules system, which is a really nice combination of several different third-party systems. Let me know if you think I might be a good fit to step into your group!

Hi, my main goal as a player is to generate laughs, I think I am reasonably good at it, and to tell a cooperative story.

As far as I am concerned, Pathfinder is easily broken so breaking it isnt interesting, my character are however "effective" in their chose role.
I tend to veer towards chaotic characters, and rarely miss a competition for a trashtalk/insult contest or a rapbattle.

Given the campaign themes, my immidiate idea was a Skinwalker Spellwarrior/Fractured mind. In his Batman mode he summons his "Phantom Robin", and extends his fangs. In his normal mode, he is a totally harmless engineer/librarian (Skalds have bardic knowledge, he wont neccessarily go into crafting, but I would like to flavor his weapon song as like, possibly tech gizmos).

Oh, eriktd is a really fun player to play with, we are both in a number of games and it has been a blast :).

Oh, eriktd is a really fun player to play with, we are both in a number of games and it has been a blast :).

Aw, thanks Mightypion! I love your characters. We haven't gotten to play together as much as I should like to!

Howdy, everyone. I'm just doing a quick check-in while I wait to hear back from our existing player.

Hey there YBD! I'm a bit of a newer player on these forums, only having been active for a year or two. I'm a college student, so sometimes things get a bit... hectic/busy for a while, but I always bounce back with an enthusiasm for RPGs! A few of the pbp games I'm in went dead recently, so I'm looking for some new ones to join.

PF was my first RPG back in 2012, and I've done a lot of experimentation into other systems since then! I also made my own (highly flawed) RPG system that will probably never see the light of day, but was a fun exercise. But enough about background fluff, that's mostly filler to let you know that I love learning new systems. What's important is playstyle!

To me, RPG's are a cooperative story where everyone should have a chance to shine. People should celebrate each others victories, and mourn losses, instead of jockeying for dominance. (at least out of game, in game that can be more of a grey area depending on the group) A good character has strengths and weaknesses, and a really good character will make the other party members seem all the more cool/powerful/important. There's a reason bard is my favorite class; it makes everyone else even better at what they were already doing.

What's important is that everyone is having fun. I will admit that I am something of a "power gamer" in that I like my PC's to be excellent at something, but I have no qualms with them being piss-poor at something else. I can also be a bit long winded, although sometimes that's a benefit in a pbp setting. Of note is I've never played CotCR before, so I'll need to read through the posts to get caught up.

Give me a PM if you think I might be a good fit for your group! Or if you don't think I'd be a good fit, I'd also love a PM. The sense of suspense I always get from applying to a game gets to me something awful! Or anyone can send me a PM in general, I also like the endorphin rush of getting mail.

Plenty of well known names here, belonging to excellent players and fun people to game with. I’d like to thank everyone here for throwing a hat in the ring. This recruitment thread has names, which if taken together, would guarantee an entire group of quality players.

Ninja'd by Grumbaki, will leave be while waiving at Grumbaki.

Howdy, everyone. I'm just doing a quick check-in while I wait to hear back from our existing player.

I trust all is well with your other player. Sorry to see Yhrrilka go, she helped me set up my Rogues style in YBD's S&S game. Feinting with an arm cannon is a blast

I was waffling initially on applying, but it feels like several of my games are dead or dying. Grumbaki knows of which I speak. So I'll have room to commit to another game. To fulfill the "Tell me about yourself" I copied-and-pasted the info from where I applied to your 'Skull and Shackles' game.

I don't know a lot about CotCT, but I do know the 'Players' are presently hanging out with the Shoanti. As I've explained in other recruitments, if I'm starting in a game at a higher levels, I like to play Characters I have a history with.

Back in 17 I played Usawoti as a Shoanti gestalt, ranger/oracle in a very odd one off. We ended up playing over a year and never got to the AP we were setting up for. I would play Usawoti as the same character but would change the fluff and crunch to match where we're at in the game and to suit YBD's system.

After a lot of thought, we've decided to select ... Robert Henry! Both Grumbaki and I have gamed with him before, and he's familiar with the homebrew, so that'll help character creation go smoothly. Hop into the Discussion thread, and we'll get started.
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As Grumbaki posted, there's an entire group of quality players present in this thread. As such, I've decided to take the rest of you and start a new campaign! Head on over HERE to find out more. XD
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Recruitment is now closed.

This is awesome! Thanks for having us!