War for the Crown

Game Master PJP

Please check in here and tell me a little about yourself so I know who we have playing.

Born within the rich Tanessen family in Kintargo, Valeria has lived a privileged life, with the best education money can afford. Military contractors and suppliers by trade, her family had frequent dealings with generals, noble patriarchs, church authorities and government delegates. Such politics and affairs of trade were endured with relative patience, but her true passion was fully discovered when her parents brought her to the opera the first time. Recognizing her affinity with the arts, her parents finally stopped trying to involve her in affairs of trade, logistics and combat, and used their influence to secure the best teachers to foster her talent.

Her years at the Kintargo Opera House saw her flourish, and she made several minor parts in which she gained some acclaim. One of her most precious season was when she served as the understudy of Shensen, the famous half-elf performer adored by Kintargan citizens. She learned each line by heart, delighted to be in the presence of such an icon! Along the years, and perhaps in no small part due to the influence of Shensen, it was also there that she opened her eyes to the realities of the world at large. No longer confined by the sheltered life of the Tanessen Estate, she saw the real struggle and pain brought about by poverty and injustice, and quickly realized that life in Cheliax was a one-sided affair for the ruling elite. Some of the most talented singers and actresses at the Opera House often came from humble beginnings, and thus never got the big break they deserved. In the last few months, Valeria voiced her concerns about this unethical selection process, and she has been made aware that if it wasn't for her family name, such talk would see her thrown out of the prestigious institution.

Her parents, while proud of her, have attempted to bring her back to reason and tried to explain that speaking out like this would only bring shame upon the family and attract the wrong kind of attention from either the Church of Asmodeus or House Thrune, both of which have extensive contracts with the Tanessen. After one soirée at the Tanessen Estate where her father was entertaining guests, including two generals and one admiral, she drank too much, and during one of her singing performance, changed some of the lyrics on the spot to denounce the cruelty of the Cheliax Empire and its 'relentless war machine.' Her father, furious, came down on her like a lion and slapped her so hard she fell unconscious. She woke up the next morning in the servant's quarters, her bags had been packed, and a maid gave her a note, in which her father indicated that she should strive to complete her studies somewhere else, far far away. "You are no longer welcome at the Tanessen Estate until such time when we will inform you that you are worthy of the family's trust again. This document is legally binding. Signed, Count Geoff Tanessen." Wanting to get as far away as possible from Cheliax, Valeria, hearing that Oppara had many theatres rivaling or better than those found in Magnimar and Korvosa, decided to try her luck getting stage time there. After sending letters to many institutions in Oppara requesting an audition and not hearing back, she took it upon herself to travel there and meet the leaders of those institutions in person, trusting her force of will and charming influence will get her what she wants. It was not until after her arrival in Oppara that she met Martella Lotheed while sitting in a café. Since then, it seems that luck has been on her side and introductions to many operas, theaters and universities are finally being scheduled!

Valeria is also related to House Karthis via her mother, but she has kept silent about her lineage since her arrival in Oppara. She has requested Lady Martella to remain quiet and discreet on this subject, for Valeria sees many similarities between the Karthis family and her own, most notably their blind devotion to the concept of Imperialism and an over-dependence on military contracts.

In the last few months, Valeria has joined Princess Eutropia's cause and assists Lady Martella whenever possible. Shortly after the Exaltation Massacre in Oppara, Valeria joined a band of skilled adventurers, assembled under the leadership of Lady Martella. Their current assignment is to revitalize the County of Merrat, Princess Eutropia's ancestral land. They have befriended the noble elite there, and fixed up the countryside's infrastructure. The people are now on their side, but the main obstacle remains: deposing Count Bartleby, who is still holed up in the Palace of Birdsong, and returning county leadership to Eutropia!

Looks like we have 3 players.

I will spend some time reading the gameplay from the original, but can anyone give me a summary of where you are at?

They have befriended the noble elite there, and fixed up the countryside's infrastructure. The people are now on their side, but the main obstacle remains: deposing Count Bartleby, who is still holed up in the Palace of Birdsong, and returning county leadership to Eutropia!

We're up to Book 2, Part 3 (taking down Count Bartleby).

Thanks - I’ve spent the day reading the last 6 months of posts and I think we can go ahead and start. If others don’t chime in for a week or so, we can consider recruiting one more. If you want.

There's a gentleman online who has been inquiring, so I sent him the link for this thread along with the character creation rules.

Character Creation Guidelines: (this is what we used at level 1, except the revised level and wealth figures)

- Level: 6
- Wealth: 16,000gp
- Classes: Core, APG, ACG allowed. No Occult. Can use unchained for Barb, Monk, Rogue, Summoner.
- Race: Standard races or Aasimer would be preferred. If you want to play something unusual I may allow it based on background. Keep in mind Taldor is very human-centric and generally looks down on other races, except Aasimer.
- HP: Max at 1st, half + 1 + con bonus after
- Attributes: 20 Point Buy, no stat below 8 before racial adjustments
- Traits: 2, 1 must be campaign trait.
- Drawback: 1 drawback is allowed for 1 additional trait. Be sure to incorporate your drawback in your character. WARNING: I will do my best to make sure your drawback does come into play at some point if you do take one.
- Background skills will be in use.
- No 3rd Party content (including the no feat tax rules)

Ah I forgot I need to also dot the discussion thread, what a fool I am!

Hello GM Fuzzfoot, we appreciate you taking on this endeavor. I believe Sveng's profile is very descriptive of who he is (and is a character I am rather proud of), but to put it in a nutshell:

Sveng was born to a Chelaxian noble house that was upended when house Thrune took control, and his family fled to Taldor to start a new life under a new name. But Sveng's parentage had the better of him and he continued a life of scheming and politics, eventually becoming a rather morally flexible follower of Norgorber (definitely focused on the "Reaper of Reputation" aspect). He sees his following of Norgorber as more a partnership rather than outright worship, a give and take, following the principle that Norgorber helps those who help themselves.

Sveng is conniving and scheming and manipulative and flattering and diplomatic and deceptive, and has a mind for greatness and legacy. He sees the most likely role for himself as the "power behind the throne" or "the silent advisor" or "the black glove" kind of role, lurking in the shadow of power without truly exposing himself to direct public scrutiny.

Also I will note that Sveng's build is operating under some house rules, which are all detailed in the last 2 spoilers within his alias. Let me know if you have any concerns with that.

As for our current timeline, I believe we were just approaching some kind of building in the middle of a swamp/marsh, possibly expecting some combat.

I'm not exactly sure what we achieved or not in Book 2, Part 2, hence my suggestion to start at level 6 in Book 2, Part 3. However if Sveng and the others prefer to complete some of the encounters of Book 2, Part 2, I'm fine with it as well. Just keep in mind that I GM WftC for another group and we are at the end of Book 3, so I'll stay nice and quiet during some of the events in Book 2. :)

Addendum: if we're finishing/revisiting Book2Part2, we're still level 5 (new players to use 10,500gp gear); however if we start with Book2Part3, we should upgrade to level 6, and new players should use 16,000gp to build their characters. Cheers, Val.

Hello! GM Dak was running two different War for the Crown games before his absence, so my character in Dak's game has been adrift as much as you all. Valeria was kind enough to invite me to join this game because I'm told you could use a wizard! I've also had the added benefit of playing through the same content the rest of you have and in roughly the same way, so I will basically understand what has happened. (Though we can assume Bimble did not travel with you up until this point.)

I still hold out faint hope that Dak will return someday, so I made a very similar character to play in this game, updating wealth to 10,500gp. Background has my character concept. Bimble is a very old gnome and a writer of satire and propaganda. He is also able to Craft Wondrous Item and Craft Arms and Armor for those who may have a desire for such crafting.

It seems like the group could use someone who can stab things. My prior game included a swashbuckler who I would suggest be considered.

Hi, Bimble -

We haven't heard from everyone yet, but given the length of time that passed, it is possible we won't. So welcome to the group.

Can you give me the link to the other game? I don't mind extending the invitation to merge the groups and see who we have. (I have actually rescued a number of failed APs, and in many cases merged two groups with much success.)

As far as picking up, I have a pretty good idea of where you are at now, and actually there is a fair amount of book 2 remaining. It looks like you are currently at the pumphouse, so we can pick up there.

The goal for book 2 is to get the town back on its feet and drum up some loyalty. Book 3 is an assault on a rather major power, so you need to have some people behind you to make a successful bid for power. In that regards, you have created a marketplace, and now are trying to get the pumphouse operational. You started with 8000 gold, spent 2000 on the marketplace (which drops the rest of the costs by 10%). Then Dame Crabbe is contributing labor and funds equivalent to another 5000. So you have 11,000 in "town funds" to work with. The list of potential improvements still includes:

Civic Improvements, Basic (1,000 gp): Repairing potholes, leveling the streets, repainting buildings, and patching roofs all help improve the quality of life and attract new visitors. The PCs gain 1 Loyalty Point.
Civic Improvements, Advanced (4,000 gp): Investing more money allows Stachys to renovate its waste systems, build new walkways, and construct new buildings. The PCs gain 3 Loyalty Points.
Farms, Basic (1,000 gp): Basic improvements include repairing irrigation, pulling stumps, and marking outlying roads. The PCs gain 1 Loyalty Point.
Farms, Advanced (4,000 gp): With more cash, the community can acquire hardier seed, fertilizer, and even magical renewal for the soil. The PCs gain 3 Loyalty Points.
Festivals (2,000 gp each): Festivals to mark special occasions and holidays are an easy way to win support and impress the neighbors, but PCs can't hold more than one festival every 2 weeks. A festival raises the town's opinion of the PCs to indifferent if it has fallen to unfriendly. Inviting a noble to visit during a festival grants the PCs a +2 circumstance bonus on checks to influence that noble during the visit. If the PCs hold at least three festivals, they gain 1 Loyalty Point.
Gold Canyon Bridge (3,000 gp): Rebuilding the bridge over Gold Canyon allows PCs to travel more quickly to Jabris, Moost, and New Towne, and encourages new trade. The PCs gain 1 Loyalty Point.
Market, Basic (2,000 gp): By paving the village square, coordinating with local artisans and neighboring farms, and hiring a few messengers, the PCs can establish a weekly market to attract more wealth. This improvement helps Stachys become more self-sufficient, reducing the base cost of all future improvements by 10%.
Market, Advanced (2,000 gp): Lending some money to establish a new, permanent store in town helps bring new products and luxuries into the community. Completing this improvement grants Stachys the prosperous settlement quality.
Mill (1,000 gp): The windmill just outside of town broke down in a storm 20 years ago, and no local has the knowledge or money to fix it. With some small investments in repairing the mill, farmers will no longer need to cart their wheat to Pensaris and back. The PCs gain 1 Loyalty Point.
Pump (1,000 gp*): Special. You'll have to venture out to the pump house a few miles away to determine what's wrong with it before you can repair it.
Public House (5,000 gp): Onora's original tavern is little more than an oversized home with a dirt floor. Constructing a true public house provides Stachys with a public gathering space as well as room for brewing. This investment automatically improves Onora Piscum's attitude toward the PCs by one step. This new pub may also attract adventurers. The PCs gain 2 Loyalty Points.
Statue (1,000 gp): Once the PCs have invested at least 10,000 gp into town improvements, they can erect a statue in town square, honoring the local culture, the local nobility, or themselves. If they choose to honor the local culture, they gain 1 Loyalty Point. If they choose to honor the local nobility, they gain a +1 equipment bonus on Diplomacy checks to influence nobles of the county. If they choose to honor themselves, the statue becomes a minor tourist attraction, increasing the town's base value by 10%.
Temple, Basic (4,000 gp): Stachys has a small shrine to Abadar, Erastil, Iomedae, and Shelyn, and with expensive construction this can be transformed into a small temple to any one of these gods. This improvement grants the PCs access to the healing services of a 1st-level cleric while in town, free of charge. The PCs gain 2 Loyalty Points.
Temple, Advanced (10,000 gp): With a sanctified altar, expanded library, and charitable infrastructure, Stachys develops one of the nicest temples in the region, providing free education, food, and shelter for locals. This provides the PCs with free access to the spellcasting abilities of a 3rd-level cleric while in town and increases the community spellcasting level by 1 as more experienced clerics visit from neighboring communities. The PCs gain 2 Loyalty Points.

Very excellent summary post GM. That gives me a great deal of confidence in your ability to pick up this game.

Might I suggest putting that information in the Campaign Info tab for ease of reference?

Hey GM Fuzzfoot, here’s the thread of the other game:
https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivjx5/gameplay&page=last

Only issue I see is that of the three remaining active players, one is an oracle, another is a bard. Not a problem for me though.

That is why I was selective in my invitation so far. We already have a bard (yours truly) and Sveng is... ahem... a divine caster.

Bimble is a wizard (we didn't have one of those) and Eregos is our melee specialist.

That's four of us. I'm not sure if Piri (our previous archer) will follow. Assuming us four are it right now, we could use an additional melee or archer type, or even better, a switch hitter, in order to capitalize on Valeria's inspire courage (at +2/+2 right now) and heroism spells...

Fair enough. Since the other group did not post a need for rescue, I won't offer an invitation to them at this time. It does seem, however, that they are at almost exactly the same point.

I think it is interesting that Binble is also a pact wizard (so was Sydney).

I suggest we proceed with Bimble joining the team - just like sometimes a TV series replaces an actor and hopes you don't notice.

That gives a party of 4 which is comfortable. If Piri or Toby appears, they can just pick right back up. After a week or so, if we think we want to recruit another, we will first offer a spot to the others that can stranded in Bimble's game.

I'm not a pact wizard, I thought about making a change but undid it. Just straight wizard. Profile updated. I'll also just go back to my preexisting gear rather than ratcheting up to 10,500.

Bimble has the Flagbearer feat for another +1/+1 to anyone who is combat capable.

I suggest we proceed with Bimble joining the team - just like sometimes a TV series replaces an actor and hopes you don't notice.

The question is, will Brimble be our Real Pietro or Fake Pietro? LOL!

In all seriousness, Martella probably have dozens of other agents across Taldor, so this AP is very well done this way, kinda like the Pathfinder Society has agents everywhere that can shore up each other's missions...

That gives a party of 4 which is comfortable. If Piri or Toby appears, they can just pick right back up. After a week or so, if we think we want to recruit another, we will first offer a spot to the others that can stranded in Bimble's game.

I've been PM'ing Toby all along: he's out, as in completely OUT. He wants nothing to do with Pathfinder and his plate is full of other stuff. Piri is not answering his PMs and has probably moved away from these boards (WftC Table 1 was the only reason he frequented the Paizo boards, and he was an occasional poster, still learning how to play the game I think).

If you want to extend an invite to one of Brimble's old table, I'd say you could do so now.

Brimble: who would you recommend as the most engaged martial type at your old table? (one who posted frequently and played nice with others?)

Thanks for the info, Valeria. Is there a story behind Toby's stance? Not that it matters - just curious.

I checked on posts from both Piri and Brimble's team. I agree - Piri has had no post for a while. Two of Brimble's players are still very active, and both seem to be fine players, so I reached out to each (the bard and the swashbuckler) to see if they are interested.

I doubt I have full insight into Toby's stance, but I do know that at least a small part of it was how unfriendly this module is to frontliner types. There are not a lot of frontliner builds that are also good socialites or skill monkeys. As Eregos has shown a well built vigilante manages to cover the role quite nicely, but I know that Toby had quite a lot of "Standing around and waiting for combat to happen" syndrome.

Although from Valeria's comment it seems that Toby has largely disengaged from the medium as a whole, which I have no insight into.

We have a discord of very strong and reliable PbP player's if we need to search for more numbers.

According to Toby, he is done with 1E and has gone fully into 2E and other RPGs.

Greetings, and thanks for the invite!

It looks like I've gamed with most of you before, with the exception of Eregos and the GM. I did a quick cataloguing of Capricia's gear and gold and came out to 7,132. If she's to bounce up to 10,500, the easiest solution would be to add a +1 to her falcata, armor, and buckler (I have enough gold in reserve that that won't put her over the 10,500 gp threshold).

Character-wise, she was a pirate-in-training in Little Oppara in the Shackles, sent on a mission to check on the Maxeme relations still in the motherland. Well, they'd been disgraced for piracy and pretty much eliminated, and Capricia was captured and sentenced to life as a galley rower. Martella saw something in the young woman and stepped in, pretty much buying her as a slave to be trained as one of her agents. Though Capricia was initially resentful, she's come to enjoy some of the cloak-and-dagger inherent in Taldan life, and her feelings toward Martella have thawed some.

As for the WftC subsystem, I think she was initially trying to be some sort of fighting hero, but then I tried to go the route of some sneaky role. (Obviously, I'll need to re-read those sections.)

Let's not update any gear at this point. You aren't yet done at level 5, and there is some gear that needs to be revisited for all. Once we know who the whole team is and what gear we have, I can start making adjustments.

Welcome aboard, Capricia!

Woohoo, welcome Capricia!

With Capricia joining, I will begin using my old alias, Bimble Ficklebopper, rather than Fickeblooper.

Woohoo, welcome Capricia!

With Capricia joining, I will begin using my old alias, Bimble Ficklebopper, rather than Fickeblooper.

Heh. I made a new alias for Capricia, still holding hope that GM Dak might return.

I also forgot to dot into the discussion thread!

Here's a bit about Eregos: Eregos Villarius was born to a mid-level noble family from the Tandak prefecture as the younger of two sons. Growing up, his father doted on his older brother, Marcus, who stood to inherit the majority of the estate, leaving Eregos to be raised primarily by his mother, nurses, and tutors. Eregos was jealous of his older brother’s clearly favored status, as his father rarely spent time with him. Eregos desperately tried to prove he was worthy of his father’s time, working hard at his studies. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he was nothing more than an average student, unlike his brother, who seemed to excel in his studies. Eregos excelled in only two areas: rhetoric and debate, and martial training.
Eregos had a gift for discussion, often laying out convincing arguments and speaking with distinction and poise. He hoped to use this skill to prove himself worthy of his father’s affection, but while he applauded Eregos’s linguistic talents, he spent no more time with him than he had previously. Eregos was disappointed. He’d hoped his father would see potential for something in him - perhaps even a place in the Senate. Instead, he was yet an afterthought. Desperate, he turned his attention to his martial training, seeking to prove to at least his father that his skill-at-arms made him just as worthy as his brother. As he grew, he became larger and more muscular than Marcus, in the image of his maternal grandfather. While this helped him in his martial training, it did not help him learn the proper way to use the signature Taldan weapon, the Falcata. He consistently relied on his strength to strike with the blade instead of finesse and agility. In the end, his efforts weren’t enough, and his father continued to all but ignore him.

Then, tragedy struck. At the age of 14, his mother fell ill and died. Eregos was heartbroken at the loss, but the pain was made all the greater by the fact that his father decided Eregos should go to a private school away from home, as his father did not have time for his younger son. So, a mere week after his mother’s funeral, Eregos was sent away, to Oppara. Eregos was so angry. He’d tried so hard, done everything his father asked, to prove himself worthy of his father’s time, and instead, he found himself sent away from the family home, barely able to mourn his mother. It was in his anger that Eregos realized the truth - nothing he did mattered to his father. He was nothing but an afterthought. If that was how his father saw him, then it was fine - it meant he could do whatever he wanted.

Eregos arrived at the school in Oppara with a mission. He was going to enjoy himself, and who cared what his father thought about it. It started small - sneaking out at night, breaking curfew with a few friends, other second and third sons sent away from home. They began frequenting taverns, gambling halls, and brothels, spending money freely, laughing and showing up to classes half-asleep and yawning. They earned and then cultivated a reputation as carefree hedonists, men who did what they wanted, when they wanted. After all, they said, what did any of it matter? They were clearly afterthoughts to their families, and no one would care. Unbeknownst to them, someone did.

After 4 years, Eregos graduated the program and was to return home. As he prepared to do so, his father arrived, furious. Eregos’s reputation had reached home, and his father demanded to know if it was true. Deciding not to bother with a lie, Eregos replied that yes, it was true. His father demanded to know what had possessed him to sully the family name so, and Eregos laid everything out. He lit into his father for never spending time with him, for favoring Marcus over him, for sending him away with barely a chance to mourn his mother. They were both shouting by the time it was over. Eregos’s father called him a disappointment and a disgrace. Eregos called his father a washed-up, useless fool, and told him he was so concerned with appearances and his reputation that he’d probably never truly loved his wife. It was the final straw. Eregos’s father told him not to bother returning to the family seat, and that he was disowned, cast out of the family. Eregos said it was fine with him - it wasn’t like he had ever been treated like part of the family anyway.

Eregos remained in Oppara, but it didn’t take him long to learn that he wasn’t well-suited to life outside of the net that had supported him. With no truly marketable skills, he found his only way to make money being gambling. His friends stopped associating with him. Over the next three years, he gradually sold various valuables and finery for coin, relying on gambling and other games of chance to earn enough so he could desperately try and keep himself alive. In doing so, he found just how badly the commoner had it in Taldor compared to the nobility. The safety nets and advantages he had once enjoyed gone, he saw how hard-strapped they were, and how hard they worked for no reward as nobles like him spent money without consequence. He no longer looked down on them - now, he saw them as the true soul of Taldor.

Eventually, he learned the true reason his father had been so furious at him. His father had challenged Maxillar Pythareous, Taldor’s military commander, on some political matter, and won the day. In retaliation, Pythareous accused his family of engaging in demonic and hedonistic rituals and conspiring with enemies of the throne to overthrow the Grand Emperor. Preposterous accusations, all, but Eregos’s behavior in the capital was used as evidence of the hedonistic nature of the family. His father was now dead, supposedly killed in a riding accident, but Eregos knew, deep down, it was no accident.

Eregos was distraught. His actions had directly contributed to the rapid decline of his House. The Villarius name was worthless now - his brother, Marcus, was said to have sold the family estate to someone else, and was constantly shunned by those of high society. Eregos knew reaching out to his old friends would result in no response - they had likely stopped associating with him because of the charges Pythareous laid against his father. Eregos began to quietly hatch a foolish plan - find Pythareous, assassinate him, and then redeem his family name. He could reconcile with Marcus, and then the two of them would be able to rebuild.

But how could he accomplish this plan? He would never get close to Pythareous - his guards would make sure of that. But maybe someone else could. Eregos crafted himself an alternate identity - Hargus Kryn, a minor noble from near the World’s Edge Mountains. This identity would allow him to easily move about society, without the tarnish he’d given the family’s reputation. As Hargus Kryn, he could redeem the Viillarius family name, and then reveal his true identity to his brother, reconciling them. It meant forging patents of nobility, and sometimes bribing clerks to file forgeries in the right places, but he began to work his way back into society life. As he did so, he learned of Princess Eutropia and her cause. She seemed to have the best interests of Taldor’s citizens at heart - and as he’d learned over the past three years, it was about time someone did. His identity as Hargus Kryn allowed him to test the waters on some of her ideas, and quietly make his support known. With the Grand Day of Exaltation arriving, Hargus seeks a way to influence the upcoming Senate vote - although what could a noble from the fringes of Taldor truly hope to accomplish?

I also have a second alias I will be using for my Vigilante Identity - Hargus Kryn.

Eregos is also not hyper optimized for dealing damage.

Bimble Ficklebopper wrote:

Woohoo, welcome Capricia!

With Capricia joining, I will begin using my old alias, Bimble Ficklebopper, rather than Fickeblooper.

Heh. I made a new alias for Capricia, still holding hope that GM Dak might return.

Oh you did? I missed that. Well, sure, I'll do the new alias then!

We're definitely going to have to work on getting used to each others' abilities. Bimble, could you list the Flagbearer feat benefits in your stat line under the tag line so it's easily referenced?

Done. The effect is always on as long as Bimble is holding his flag and you are within 30 feet, pretty straightforward. The flag is attached to his quarterstaff that alternates as Bimble's walking stick.

And which flag are you using? Keep in mind that you were supposed to be not drawing attention to Eutropia - at least not yet!

For that matter, if anyone isn't really clear on the mission here, your initial directive was this:

Betony colors. At least one of us is supposed to be part of the family as I understand it.

Does Eutropia have a flag yet? She's nominally Stavian, so how that'd work is unclear. In my other game, I invented a Eutropia flag in the basement of the Senate--there's a point in the underground searching when we run across a bunch of flags and Bimble repurposes one of them.

Got it!

If it matters, for reference estate papers were made out to Valeria, referring her as the second cousin, once removed, of the late Lady Allis Betony implying Valeria's great-grandfather was grandfather to Allis...

Sure.

So, I see Valeria has both then Envoy Ring and the crossbow. I don't think anyone remaining in the game has Koriana's Blade. I also saw that Ereos has asked if it could be reimagined as a falcata. While the previous GM said no, I actually think it makes more sense as one, so I am going to make it so. Unfortunately, both Eregos and Capricia have invested in using this kind of blade, so you will have to decide who gets it.

Falcata makes sense as an ancestral blade of Taldor yes! :)

(and frankly, since it's an artifact that lasts for the whole campaign, kinda makes sense that it would reshape itself to whatever fits the main swordsman the best, or grant a free 'vision induced' retraining for the weapon focus/spec feats... :P )

I have knowledge of other items that may come in later due to my GMing of another table, so I'll stay silent, but I think both Eregos and Capricia will be well-served in the end...

PS: yes Valeria has been carrying the ring and crossbow (our previous archer used a bow and no one really needed a crossbow) - I think our previous GM handwaved the 'only one artifact per person can grow in power' part (I did the same in my campaign as it makes no sense... I see these as being empowered by the whole party not just the carrier...) If someone wants the crossbow I don't mind transferring it to another PC though. Valeria will just buy her own ranged weapon or wand at some point, if that's the case.

Eregos should get the falcata. I'm the newcomer, plus, as a piratey outsider, not as invested in its powers.

So question--should the newcomers assume we have been brought in to provide support? That strikes me as easier than pretending we've been in your game all along.

Also, our other thread had a party bag of holding kicking around, mind if I take that?

Hi, I'm John, playing the character Sara.

The GM messaged me and invited me to join as well. Which I am VERY VERY VERY happy about. I liked the story, all the chances to create that the influencing checks allowed for, and the players of course. :) (Hi Bimble and Capricia)

Sara is a bard as well, but she's a wit so can use her performance to do damage so she won't get in Valeria's way. And she can always move over into a new class as we progress.

I need to read to catch up on where you are at and the discussions. But wanted to thank you for having me!

Yay Sara! Welcome! Agree two bards can work together, and once you get to Dirge of Doom and Inspire Greatness, there's even more compatibility.

Well, now that half of us are coming from each thread, I wonder if we really should pretend we knew each other all along.

:) I am very happy to be here. Truly though, Valeria, I have no desire to step on anyones toes. Sara can go down something else from here on in, without a worry. Oh also HI Sveng! Didn't notice that was you at first.

Also since I didn't say it here (or at least not loudly enough). THANK YOU GM FUZZFOOT!

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I have to reread the player's guide, but she was going down the stealth/disguise path of the roles since our oracle was doing the diplomacy route.

Hero lab says she is at ~7533 gear value. I think the only thing she had from looting was the hairy hat of disguise, which she, unfortunately, put on in the dungeon. I am pretty sure she stabbed Bimble because of it. <sorry again>

Sara is a commoner, born of a waitress and a famous baker (massive flirt, prolific baby maker). Like a lot of her half-siblings, she started work at his bakery when she was of age. She drew the attention of Lady Lotheed because of her gatherings of like-minded people she led to provide better housing and education for all.

Sara is a flirt, outspoken and intelligent, and loves to needle her foes (mostly with words, cause she is not great with her rapier and has fallen several times in battle, but antagonize is lovely)

Hiya Sara!

Welcome, Sara.

I'll take the blade, if it's reimagined as a falcata. Just tell me what the stats are on it right now.

Koriana’s Blade is a +2 defending falcata. It’s strangely curved, betraying its origins, and has five gemstones in its pommel. Four are broken, but the white gem in the center is intact. Once per day, the wielder can trigger this gemstone as an immediate action to absorb and negate all darts targeting her from a magic missile spell. When the wielder transfers at least 1 point of the weapon’s enhancement bonus to her AC using the defending special ability, she also chooses one creature other than herself within 10 feet to gain a +1 bonus to AC until the wielder’s next turn. This bonus is always +1, regardless of how much of the weapon’s bonus the wielder transfers to her AC.

In our next downtime, Valeria can do some bardic knowledge research on this blade, if Eregos cares for its history and legend.

@GM Fuzzfoot - Valeria's various knowledge bonuses are as follows:

Knowledge (arcana) 8
Knowledge (dungeoneering) 8
Knowledge (engineering) 8
Knowledge (geography) 8
Knowledge (history) 8
Knowledge (local) 9
Knowledge (nature) 8
Knowledge (nobility) 14
Knowledge (planes) 8
Knowledge (religion) 8
Linguistics 11
Lore (famous singers) 8
Lore (fashion) 8
Lore (military commanders) 8

Okay, stats updated.

Valeria, that would be excellent, thank you.

Should I or Capricia be doing anything at the moment? Join in as reinforcements, act like we were here all the time, wait for a bit please, or other options that don't occur to me at the moment.

At the very least I'd dot the Gameplay thread so you can get notifications. I can't speak for GM Fuzzfoot but it feels like Bimble did it on his own and the GM was receptive to his imagination. :)

Following in Bimble's footsteps sounds like an excellent way to go. I am being pulled in the garden to help my wife with planting, so I'll do so in a bit when I am free again.

I just picked up from Valeria's post and ran with it. If GM Fuzzfoot wants to take charge, I defer to him entirely. My current thinking (which changes by the minute) is we should assume the two groups don't know each other, since we really don't OOC. So the history of what has happened can be something like this.
-Martella had (at least) two groups of agents in the Senate. Me, Sara, and Capricia were one such group, you all were another. Both groups were eager to influence allies for the vote and did so, both did the teleport thing, both found different ways to escape. You guys rescued Martella in particular after escaping.
-Martella sends you guys to retake the Palace of Birdsong. She decides you need reinforcements and send our group. We meet you and continue from there. Piri appears to be dead (though perhaps we don't find the body? A fake death is a fun way to enable further subterfuge). Toby is recalled by Martella for other plots.