[PFS] Your Song of the Sea Witch (Inactive)

Game Master Yours is mined

♫ I –– don’t want to know your name
‘Cos you don’t look the same
The way you did before … ♫

~ Sweet

No doubt as kitsune you know Minkaen names in modern times generally consist of a family name (surname), followed by a given name, in that order.

For those of you with more than one name, is that the case? Or have you adapted your name to follow Avistani traditions?

;)

Of course, some of you may prefer me to address you by your family name + a respectful Minkaen honorific eg: Valsin-san

Ikari's full name is a translation of "endless rage"; Ikari translates as "anger" or "rage". (Ikari pseudo rage-cycles via pre-emptive channeling.)

But Ikari's family background is complicated (as the rest of the skulk know). He was raised by kitsune vagabond tricksters in Tian Xia, but rebelled against their interpretation of Daikitsu's teaching, seeing her as a goddess representing just rewards for hard work and effort on behalf of the community, especially in the context of agriculture (she is a grain goddess).

Ikari fled to live with the jinin elves for a period of 9 years, until he felt the calling to travel that led him to the Pathfinders and ultimately the clergy of Daikitsu (with guidance from Sensei Hiiragi).

So, Ikari or Ikari-san is fine, and Hiiragi is allowed to call him Student ;)

Gakusei!

Hiiragi's player is actually learning Japanese! I'd say どういたしまして but we've met a few times before!

Anyway, that's an excellent question; Hiiragi is a country bumpkin who took a new name when she became a shrine maiden, and never had a "family name" to speak of. "Hiiragi" actually translates to "holly" (or a very similar plant, at least). Naturally, this means I missed my opportunity for a kitsune druid :P She joined the Pathfinder Society to spread the faith through Avistan (since it's a lot less common outside of Tian Xia).

As a side note, after Onna's death and revival at the hands of a glebrezu a few scenarios ago, the two are dating! The whole story is very heartwarming and I've cry-yelled it into the ears of all my friends who would listen.

Speaking of which-- more on that soon...

"Hai, Sensei. Gakusei."

<bows deeply to hide his blushes at forgetting his Tien>

I don't suppose I could borrow the Gameplay thread for a moment before we start, GM? ;)

Kenta's name is definitely not traditionally from Tien, other than the meaning of his given name.

His given name (Kenta) means "Healthy, Strong, Thick or Big". As you get to know him you'll realize the 'thick' aspect is a bit on the snout, at least considering his mental capabilities.

He was born into a long line of Chelaxian slaves and recently (a couple years now maybe?) was liberated by pathfinders. This explains why he doesn't naturally know Tien.

Profession: Coachman + MW Tool: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 = 10

I don't suppose I could borrow the Gameplay thread for a moment before we start, GM? ;)

Yeah, goforit!

Ah, so Kenta was raised in Avistan amongst Avistanis -- cool, cool. [/makes notes]

Technically, Onna's name is Sionnach (shun-ukh), meaning fox, and Brummagen, meaning counterfeit. Her parents moved to Brevoy before she was born, explaining her fair skin and Gaelic name. Her parents may (or may not) have been operatives within the government and trained their little girl to be resourceful. Then they went missing (and are presumed dead). She was trained to be a spy. Get into places, steal identities and information, and sew a little discord.

She came to the Pathfinder Society for some 'on the job' training to improve her skills, and they look for a new place to call home. As luck would have it, Onna fell in with this skulk of foxes and could not be happier.

*holding breath*

Day Job (Perform{ACT}): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26

I may use a reroll if there is one available at the end.

Ah, I did wonder about Onna’s name. Thank-you, bro. Makes perfect sense.

I am ready to rumble, but I think it sensible to wait for North America’s Monday, to allow time for player migration, levelling and pre-gameplay.

In the meantime, here are the ground rules, which are designed for fairness and consistency.

For those that have not played with me as GM before, if you have played with GMs like GM Doom ‘n Gloom or GM supervillan, I doubt there'll be any surprises ;)

⚔ Please make it obvious what buffs you have active and what your AC is.

⚔ Miss is always low if a miss chance applies. For example, if there is a 50% miss chance on a melee attack, a result of 1-50 on d100 is a miss.

⚔ I roll group initiative and track character actions. Unless you state you are waiting for another to act, I will adjudicate those actions in the order they were posted.

⚔ You may delay to a later position in the initiative sequence, as usual.

⚔ If I make a mistake in the current combat round, please let me know and I will try to make it right.

⚔ I generally prefer PCs to roll their own saving throws and Attacks of Opportunity (AoO). However …

⚔ I like a relatively fast-paced scenario. I find when a game loses momentum, the fun is quickly sucked out of it.

As such, if you do not post an action within 24 hours from when I invite you to post, I reserve the right to take actions for your character.

⚔ If at all possible, please let me know if something comes up that prevents you from posting.

Questions? Just let me know here or via PM.

Just a reminder to please complete the sign-in sheet >>Here<<

I have also added a Marching Order slide to the Sea Witch slide-show, which is also located in my Header.

You probably DON’T want me filling out the marching order for you ;)

I thiiiiiink Onna and I are done hogging the Gameplay thread, unless Onna has any surprises up her sleeve :P

The woman pulling jewelry out of the ground is asking if I have surprises? No, not at the moment.

Thank you for the indulgence YiM, it is appreciated.

Late to the party, but posting anyways about Itami's name!

His name means "pain," as far as Google Translate's understanding of Japanese is concerned. He has learned what it means to be a Kitsune due to the others. Before then, he was raised in Nidal where he was an agent for the state (in his Kitsune form). Tl;Dr, he had a crisis of faith and is now a fugitive from the Nidalese state. He still sort of worships Zon Kuthon.

We’ll make a Daikitsun out of you yet, Itami!

Unless Kenta gets to you first...

Hah! Kenta is definitely not the kind of worshipper to be looking to convert anyone. He can barely keep his own shiz together.

I’ve got his stuff updated to level four on the google doc, I’m just waiting for a few moments to finish up downtime purchases.

Thank you for the indulgence YiM, it is appreciated.

Takes me back to the night I popped the q

She: Far out, you’ve been quiet and boring tonight!
He: That’s because I’ve been brooding on a question I want to ask you.
She: …

And welcome, Itami-san! Bad guys having a crisis of faith … it’s a wonder that doesn’t happen more often.

I have found surprisingly little info on Lady Taramyth – like literally two lines in Chronicle of the Righteous + Bestiary 2. Not even a favored weapon is mentioned.

Am I missing a source, Kenta?

♨

For fun, I have decided to provide Faction Missions for Sea Witch.

I ♡ factions, and these provide background info on a number of topics covered in the scenario from the unique perspective of each faction head.

Please note: THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO COMPLETE YOUR FACTION MISSION TO RECEIVE FULL REWARDS FOR THE SCENARIO.

Any questions, just let me know.

Nope, that’s about it. It’s mainly just a bit of background flavor. There are very few fox related deities. When growing up he was always told by his mother she watched over fox folk, occasionally granting a blessing to her faithful. He attributes the luck of his freedom at least in part to her and is just trying to pay it forward as long as he has the ability to do so.

His “code” is slightly more expanded upon on his profile.

I just wanted to say, what a wonderful little bit of writing there you two. That was enjoyable to read and as our GM mentioned, it also took me back to the day I asked my wife to join me in this thing called life.

I didn't have the guts to put a ring in dirt for a slow reveal, but it was still memorable.

My wife proposed to me... by accident!

She had the ring and everything, and I was writing stuff on her back and having her guess, and then we switched places.

She wrote "Will you marry me?", not knowing that I am a championship back-writing-guesser.

When I started screaming "YESYESYESYESYESYESYES" she had no choice but to pull out a ring :D (and then complained that she had planned on doing it For Real in a "more romantic" way but TOO LATE, THE RING IS MINE)

Lifted the benediction from here :)

I proposed to my wife quite traditionally. Took her to a very fancy restaurant for her birthday, and went down on one knee just before dessert :D

oh nice!!

Looks like it's for furry roleplay rather than necessarily being any traditional invocation of Inari but I'm very happy to roleplay

can I just say I am LIVING hearing everyone's proposal stories?

As to my proposal...

I convinced her I forgot our anniversary, telling her to go hang with her friends after work. She came home to candles, a trail of rose petals leading to me (in a heart made of rose petals), on bended knee, wearing a suit, and holding a ring box that lit up.

I went from Zero to Hero pretty quick.

Oooooh, that lit-up ring box is a nice touch.

Since she proposed to me first, my own proposal was kind of weak in comparison and neither of us remembers when or how it happened because it was Just Kind Of Expected, but it was nice at the time???

(Our actual wedding is MUCH more of a story!)

oh nice!!

Looks like it's for furry roleplay rather than necessarily being any traditional invocation of Inari but I'm very happy to roleplay

can I just say I am LIVING hearing everyone's proposal stories?

I just googled "Inari prayer" - it's not a site I've seen before :o

Mine was intentionally very simple. My wife does not like busy places and would be terrified of being proposed to in a public setting. So I set up a nice little picnic in a little bit of a secret location of significance to us.

I remember abject terror that she would see the ring box since I had no better place to keep it than my jeans pocket and I could feel it just... sitting there as obvious as anything.

So we get there, I get everything set up and we are just enjoying the nice day. Well, she is, I'm a nervous wreck. I finally rallied my guts and dropped to a knee next to her and proposed. She said a very quick yes and the rest is history.

It is interesting to note she claims she never even looked at the ring until later, so I guess I got her nicely caught up in the emotion.

_________________________

We wanted a fall wedding and it was currently fall so her mom (who helped coordinate/cater the wedding) wanted us to get married the next month. We ended up just putting the breaks on that plan and waited till the next year so we could actually plan what we wanted. It all worked out very nicely. Our wedding was literally just a big fun party (as planned) for everyone we invited. We did the traditional things, but weren't focused on them that much. We mainly just wanted everyone to have a good time.

The single best comment about our wedding was passed on to us from one of her relatives. They said, "I've been to four weddings and a funeral this year. And until this wedding, the funeral was the most fun I've had."

Awwwww!!!

So, Wife and I had been engaged for like 3-4 years by the time we actually got married. 2016 had Happened and we basically went, "We don't know if this marriage will still be legal in 4 years but just in case, let's do it NOW." Finances had kinda-sorta come together, and we invited a bunch of family for a wedding in December with only like a one-month notice. About eleven people showed up, which ain't bad!

The actual day was us going to the local Ulta to get our hair done in matching dresses (mine a nice lavender, hers ruby red, both our hair dyed to match!!!) and then driving across the state to have a little ceremony officiated by a friend in a gazebo.

But it had been raining all day, so we were a little concerned. When we finally got to the venue, the instant we put the car in park, the sun came out and the rain slowed to a trickle.

Do you know what Japan calls it when it's still raining but the sun is out?

A fox wedding.

Y'ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Anyway, it was a nice little ceremony, we exchanged vows, I accidentally said "I do!!" way too soon, and then we took a pine cone and spread its little branchy thingies to the wind in what we have dubbed The Pine Cone Ceremony.

...And then we went to Olive Garden.

That is a gorgeous story!

I’m still cackling that I got a Fox Wedding, tbh. I didn’t know that was a thing until years later.

My wife proposed to me! Sunset on a beautiful/iconic hill at our university. It was cute and there was a lot of crying!

My wedding was fairytale stuff. Huge, centuries-old church, and a chateau reception. My wife is one of three sisters and she was first to get married, so her Dad pushed the boat out :o

As to my proposal... I went from Zero to Hero pretty quick.

You dog! ;)

Hafta say I am impressed with everyone pre-buying an engagement ring.

NO WAY my wife wouldn't have wanted to choose her own.

I have a VTT game with some folks from Canada now, eh?

I will update once that is done and I've had some lunch ;)

My wife and I had a talk about gemstones and rings so I would have a very educated guess. I had an idea to go non-diamond as well, so needed to confirm that with her too. Ended up with a very nice sapphire on white gold that she loved and still loves.

I have soooooo many opinions about diamonds, but the shortest is "get the stone that's right for you!"

I have no idea where my wife got my ring, but it's amethyst with a triquetra on either side-- so when it came time for me to propose, I had to ask her to get the same ring wherever she got mine but with a ruby. Matching riiiiiings :D

Whenever she has to do something and leaves her ring with me to take care of, I always put it on the same finger as mine and yell "DOUBLEWIFE ACTIVATE"

I was able to find a place that let me 'design' my wife's engagement ring (specify the mount, the stone and the materials). Apart from making it one size too big, it was perfect :)

I knew two things: Princess Cut and my budget!

Also, I've been meaning to ask: are these faction quests your own invention, or is there a file somewhere I should be grabbing to step up my GM game?

Before Season 5 (when they were abolished) completing Faction Missions got you your second Prestige Point in every scenario.

So there are faction missions for all legal factions (at the time) at the back of every Season 0-4 PFS scenario.

IMO, most of them are kinda ‘meh’ but a few of them are LEGENDARY. I quite liked them, and thought they added an additional ‘faction-based’ dimension to the game session, so I like to include them even though they have no mechanical/reward effect on the game.

I do customize the slides, using different backgrounds, pics, language, font and emojis, because of positive feedback from players, and also because I enjoy doing it :)

Love what you've done with Quenly, GM

I’m glad!

He’s such an interesting character that I’ve been itching to try voicing. But have been waiting for the right occasion ;)

Hiiragi remembers that weapon smuggling guy in the desert and hmms, but doesn’t raise an actual objection.

Hmmm...

I don't recall him murdering anyone in that mission. Fighting in self-defense definitely, but the end of it they actually captured the villain and turned him over to authorities.

Now, that said, Kenta has certainly had his share of consistency issues so please don't go digging too deep anywhere else. :P

That was just the closest I could think of for us as a group going through a whole murder investigation to a trial (...by combat). I couldn't remember if we'd killed him in the process or not, so I gambled :D

Lol, nice!

Fitting for a fox to take a gamble, well played.

I SCREAMED OMG

THIS FOX FAMILY

YOU GUYYYYYYYSSSSS

I figured Ikari would be your best man, Tosh my bachlorette party maid of honor and Kenta would preside over the ceremony. And of course the patriarch would give one of us away.

I figured Ikari would officiate-- given he's actual clergy :P though he might want to brush up on his Shelyn, too...

I initially thought of Ikari for that too, but then realized between the pair, he is definitely more of a BFF to his sensei than Kenta is.

Just my observation is all. I'm sure this thing will come together beautifully. I almost want to find a way to play in the Blakros Matrimony and see if we can steal their wedding venue.

Just my observation is all. I'm sure this thing will come together beautifully. I almost want to find a way to play in the Blakros Matrimony and see if we can steal their wedding venue.

Oh I love that. I don’t know anything about the scenario, but just stealing someone else’s wedding... brilliant :D

Kenta is best suited for driving the carriage to and from the venue. Beyond that, anything done will be his first time even witnessing a proper wedding (if that is to be the case).

However, he will put maximum effort into learning how to do anything he is requested to do and it will likely be at least adequate*.

*Unless he is asked to be the official wedding juggler. That just won't end well.

I think Ikari would like to officiate :)