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Welcome to our game. Our game, because it's yours as much as mine. I've been getting prepared for awhile, and now I need you to get ready.
Please let me know when you are done the following actions:
* Read the Google doc linked under my DM Jubal profile. It has two sets of information:
1. Data of your character are there. Please verify yours and fellow players
2. Common information that every character knows of the setting.
* Read your spoilers. I've got more details in there for you and your characters. These are ideas for us to develop together. Need your feedback. After our discussion, please finalize your character and backstories.
* Read the opening. I want to start the game ready to explore a Haunted House. If your characters have just met they've over an hour walking side by side to chit chat. Please let me know if you have any questions. Again, this is my suggestion and am completely open.
Dilapidated and long abandoned, the house presents an unwholesome appearance. Those hardy souls who have infrequently sought entry (pursuing rumors of a secret hoard of alchemical gold) all returned with naught save grim tales of decaying chambers presided over by monstrous perils. Indeed, such is the reputation of the house that the fields around it, though prime agricultural land, remain untended and rank with weeds.
Last week, Manistrad Copperlocks who is the leader of the newly established mining operation in Saltmarsh reached the end of her patience with the stories of the haunted house which sat overlooking her supply line from the mine to Saltmarsh. She called a town council meeting to determine ownership and salvage rights. Then, she started to assemble a team around her kin, Tarn Copperlocks who she assigned to lead.
Eda Oweland, the current senior member of the town council, nominated Drusilla Orizorwyn. Eliander Fireborn, the burly captain of the Saltmarsh town guard, nominated Badger the Rover, an officer of the town guard. Gallen Primewater sponsored Blacklock, a local tough. Anders Solmor, the youngest person ever to be elected to the council, nominated Argyri Katrakis. Mithrandir Sylvenel just showed when they were leaving and joined them; Ferrin Kastilar suggested him to join.
You've never spoken to Gallen Primewater, but you know who he is. Kreb Shenker gave you the invitation and told you to go. Kreb made it sound like Gallen wanted local who could take of themselves and who wasn't part of the guard.
More description:
8. Empty Net. Partially supported by stilts driven into the harbor waters, this rickety tavern is purportedly a haven for smugglers, mercenaries, assassins and even pirates. The owner, Kreb Shenker (male human), takes coin from anyone and asks no questions. Troublemakers are thrown out the door, over the railing, and into the reeking harbor. This is the best place for a rowdy night of drinking and brawling. The town guard comes here only if called.
A couple of years ago when goblins emerged from the Dreadwood to raid the area, you distracted them long enough for the militia to prepare an ambush that sent them fleeing back to the forest. The captain of the guard, Eliander Fireborn, has given you a commission as an officer of the town guard.
More details of a key NPC ally:
Eliander (male human) fought in the royal army of Keoland, where he earned a name driving the wild things of the Dreadwood away from the settled lands. Eliander suffered a tremendous injury to his leg in a battle against an owlbear and now walks upon a finely carved wooden peg. Despite his injury and advancing age, the burly captain of the Saltmarsh town guard remains an imposing figure. Eliander is a local celebrity thanks to his facility with languages, and he is often called upon by the town's various organizations to assist with translations. He is fully literate in Common, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Elvish, and Halfling; he can also speak and understand Orc and Draconic.
Personality Traits. Caution guides Eliander's thoughts and his every action. Slow and steady wins the day, as he likes to say.
Ideal. Eliander is a faithful servant of the crown. The law must be obeyed, as faithful service and iron discipline are the surest ways to maintain peace and order.
Bond. Once he gives his word, Eliander keeps it to the death. Honor is his life, and treachery earns his wrath.
Flaw. Eliander is stubborn to a fault. Once he sets his mind to a belief or a course of action, little can dissuade him.
More details of key locations:
4. Eliander's House. Tucked at the edge of town and overlooking the sea, Eliander's home provides him with a relaxing sanctuary away from the bustle of Saltmarsh. Eliander maintains the largest library in town; during his days of military service, he made a hobby of collecting rare books. If you need information on the history of Saltmarsh, you might find it in Eliander's archives.
12. Hoolwatch tower. This 60-foot-tall tower was the first defensive building of Saltmarsh, and it still serves as an armory and lookout as well as the official base of the town guard. Eliander spends most of his time here in his duties as commander of the guard. He sometimes has need for adventurers, and at such times he posts jobs on a board hanging by the tower's entrance.
3. The Wicker Goat. Bearing the dubious honor of being the oldest tavern in town, the Wicker Goat is owned by Lankus Kurrid (male human), a retired officer of the Keoish army who caters to the dwarven miners and town guard. The two-story building has sleeping quarters for rent on the upper floor, usually sufficient to accommodate the slow stream of travelers making their way through Saltmarsh on the way to somewhere else.
More details of a key NPC ally:
Manistrad Copperlocks is the leader of the newly established mining operation in Saltmarsh is an iron-willed dwarven woman named Manistrad (female dwarf). She runs the mining outfit from a small office near the edge of town. Manistrad is a competent leader, as well as a savvy miner with a knack for pulling off impossible jobs. She's convinced that the veins of gold found in the cliffs near Saltmarsh are indicative of more valuable stones deeper in the rock. She was once a fearsome warrior, and she's not above delivering a few well-placed blows to ensure her orders are followed. Manistrad occupies an awkward place on the council. She was placed in her position by royal decree; the crown decided that if Saltmarsh is to support a mining operation, the miners would need a political voice. A more diplomatic figure might have smoothed over the tension, but Manistrad has little patience and sees the rest of the council, save for Eliander, as rustic dullards.
Personality Traits. Manistrad is a woman of few words. She is curt and quick, yet she gives every person who comes before the council a fair accounting. She's nobody's fool.
Ideal. Curiosity and hard work mark everything Manistrad does. Once she is interested in a topic, she is relentless in learning about it. Obstacles don't slow her down.
Bond. Manistrad is intensely loyal to her kinfolk and the mining operation her clan seeks to establish here. Threats to the livelihood of the dwarves earn her wrath.
Flaw. Manistrad has little patience; she tends to push for quick results over a more measured approach.
More details of key locations:
3. The Wicker Goat. Bearing the dubious honor of being the oldest tavern in town, the Wicker Goat is owned by Lankus Kurrid (male human), a retired officer of the Keoish army who caters to the dwarven miners and town guard. The two-story building has sleeping quarters for rent on the upper floor, usually sufficient to accommodate the slow stream of travelers making their way through Saltmarsh on the way to somewhere else.
5. Mining Company Headquarters. Once a mansion owned by a local noble family, this building was purchased by the crown and serves as the dwarven mining company's headquarters in Saltmarsh. Manistrad Copperlocks stays here when she must do business in town; otherwise, several dwarf clerks work here during the day, logging deliveries at the docks to be transported to the mine and arranging for the processed ore to be loaded on trade ships bound for distant ports. Rumors abound of a vault hidden beneath the building. In the cellar, the dwarves have dug a chamber in the earth that is sealed with a heavy iron door and a fine lock.
More details of a key NPC ally:
Eda Oweland (female human) is the current senior member of the town council, as well as the owner of three large fishing boats. She has lived in Saltmarsh all her life and has been elected to the council three times. She is a gruff, pragmatic woman whose graying hair is cut short and whose face bears the marks of a life lived outdoors. Eda is keenly interested in expanding Saltmarsh's fishing industry, her sights set on a wild section of the coast where she hopes to build a new dock. She is suspicious of the dwarves' mining enterprise and doubts it will amount to much.
Personality Traits. Eda swears like a sailor when she is frustrated or angry, and the folk in town who support her appreciate her willingness to stick up for them. Despite her temper, she respects those who keep their cool. Anyone who stands up to her wins her respect. Those who try to flatter her earn her contempt.
Ideal. If anyone in town needs help, Eda is the first to volunteer. She believes community binds people together and allows them to ride out the fiercest storm.
Bond. Saltmarsh is Eda's home. She would protect it to her dying breath and wants its people to prosper.
Flaw. Eda is suspicious of outsiders, and she is too quick to trust those familiar to her.
More details of key locations:
13. The Snapping Line. This popular inn and tavern is built from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Its decor is predictably nautical in theme, and its sleeping rooms are plain but comfortable renditions of a ship's cabins. The smell of fish has never been scrubbed from its walls, and those who stay the night find their belongings steeped in the scent, which lasts for several days. Sailors and fishers gather here to trade stories and drink into the night. The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist (female human), who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also makes a spirit from lobster meat and potatoes called claw wine; it is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. Hanna employs several former dockhands to keep peace in her bar.
More details of key locations:
21. Mariners' Guildhall. The mariners' guild serves all the towns along the coast, providing a bunk and a meal for sailors passing through. Sea captains in search of a crew stop here, as do others seeking news from afar. The guildhall is an excellent place to discuss seafaring, as well as the various threats to navigation along the coast.
13. The Snapping Line. This popular inn and tavern is built from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Its decor is predictably nautical in theme, and its sleeping rooms are plain but comfortable renditions of a ship's cabins. The smell of fish has never been scrubbed from its walls, and those who stay the night find their belongings steeped in the scent, which lasts for several days. Sailors and fishers gather here to trade stories and drink into the night. The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist (female human), who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also makes a spirit from lobster meat and potatoes called claw wine; it is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. Hanna employs several former dockhands to keep peace in her bar.
More details of key locations:
29. Sea Grove of Obad-Hai. Open to the air and set in a grove outside town, the sea-grove is a gathering place for seagulls, sailors, and swamp folk, as well as an information market for traders and trappers. Ferrin Kastilar (male halfling druid), a somewhat melancholy individual of middle years, tends the shrine with his bullfrog companion, Lorys. Ferrin always keeps an eye out for rumors of aberrations in the wild. He also has contacts with the elves of the Dreadwood, and they send word to him if a monster escapes that forest and heads in the direction of Saltmarsh. If news of an aberration reaches him, he hires adventurers to stalk and kill the creature.
Sweet! I'm really looking forward to this.
I'm on my phone now, and out tomorrow snowshoeing, but I'll get my profile up to date and read the materials tonight or on Monday.
Good to meet y'all!
Glad to be here! Character info looks good, will be giving the background and campaign info reading done soon.
Looks great!
Glad to be here.
Sounds like a great time to be had! I hope we all have alot of fun.
And catch us some big fish!!!
Also DM Jubal can we now elaborate more on backgrounds? If it's alright?
Also DM Jubal can we now elaborate more on backgrounds? If it's alright?
Yes, of course. What do you have in mind?
* "You’ve been escorting supply wagons moving to and from Saltmarsh. What is your exact relationship with Manistrad?"
- Before finding the ring, Tarn was but one of the many miners of Clan Copperlocks. He was known to be strong, durable, honest and loyal to the Clan. All traits which I'm sure would have endeared him to Manistrad, as he was the kind of dwarf who didn't need to be watched. You knew that he would do the right thing.
- That said, his personality is far different from her's. Manistrad is a woman of few words, who is curt and quick. Tarn is the kind of dwarf who has a ready smile and who gladly shares and listens to tales, especially over a flagon or six. She is also very curious, while Tarn is...well...intelligence 8. He can read and write, but he avoids both whenever he can help it. While Tarn would have held her in very high respect (both as a leader and a miner), and I would think that it would be mutual to some degree, I don't see them being friends, or even close on a personal level.
- All that said, after finding his ring, Tarn would have gone to her to request being moved out of the mines and to the wagons, so that he could escort them. He is trained in fighting, as are nearly all mountain dwarves, but he is no soldier, so I'm sure that the request would have surprised her. But even with his sudden desire for adventure, he remains intensely loyal to his Clan.
- So in short? He's not her friend, nor is he the best and the brightest dwarf around. But he is loyal, has integrity, and has shown a desire for getting out there to swing an axe. Three qualities which make him a good pick for her. Because any other dwarf she could send who would be 'better' than Tarn would grumble at such a task, while he goes happily.
* Lankus Kurrid
- On the other hand, I would picture Tarn being friends with Lankus. Given that Tarn is about as friendly as a dwarf can be (Cha14), pays his tab, and doesn't brawl unless seriously provoked, he is in many ways the best kind of clientele.
- That, and Tarn loves good stories (especially war stories). Meaning that he would be genuinely interested in listening to Lankus, which I would think would endear him to the man.
Just more on her family and homeland ? You know just incase other High Elves show up.
And maybe a bit more background with my in town connections as I have been here in Salt marsh for almost 40 years
Actually, I meant blood relationship. How closely related are the two Copperlocks?
You selected Primordial language, which doesn't exist. I suggested Aquan in the Google doc. But another option is Lendorian Elven. I don't know if there will be any Lendorian Elves in the game, but there's long, mysterious history of them in the setting.
Will do. As for how related they are, well, they're in the same clan. So how related they are can be anything we want, as clans are just groups of people who believe that they share common descent from the founding member. I think that it would help the story for them to have a closer relation. Maybe second cousin once removed. Enough to say that there are real blood ties (especially by dwarven standards) but not enough to say that they really know each other.
Are you ready to be the nominal leader of the team? Manistrad has high expectations for you.
Cha14
Int8
Wis8
Yes, he's ready to be the nominal leader of the team. Whether he's actually a good choice for that role? Well, that remains to be seen.
Also changed profile picture. Realized that the one first chosen had an eye patch. That and for a Cha14 dwarf who will eventually take Cha increases, the picture was a bit too rough.
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Tarn got decidedly more handsome. As dwarves go. LOL
She could still be from Lendor but has forgotten the language due to her trauma. Maybe she vaguely remembers her childhood and homeland, Saltmarsh are her only concrete memories!
Though she has hints of her past she is happier as a Fisherman in Salt marsh.
Players, please put your backstories in your profile, behind spoilers. When I see opportunities to connect to your backstory, I'll need to be reminded of your character's stories.
If not Lendorian, you could Google High Elves in Greyhawk and develop where you and your master were from. Our game is set in 576 CY.
Hello, thank you for inviting me! :)
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Is there a connection between Kreb and Gellan that Blacklock is aware of?
That's the ignorant part... ;D
Background Updated. I'll have to do my appearance another day as she does have some scars and stuff from her incident. Also gave a few extra bits for ya @DM Jubal hopefully you can work with them.
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@Blacklock Drusilla has been in town for Forty Years.
OK Folks. I want to start as soon as possible.
Need you to confirm the first three actions above are done. Once they are done, please do what Blacklock and Drusilla are doing and connect your characters if you can.
If you cannot your characters. you'll have an hour and a half of chit chat to reveal what you want to reveal. The point is please confirm what each other player character knows about your character, whether a little or a lot. It will provide the baseline for the relationship to start in Gameplay.
@Mithrandir, I need you to confirm if you're alright with my introduction of your character. Sort of like Ally Sheedy's character in the Breakfast Club who just shows up. It's the biggest story loose end that I have at the moment.
How quickly can we start in front of the Haunted House?
cheers
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Dotted, questions answered, backstory in profile, ready to go.
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Tarn frowned as he watched the two humans brutalize each other's face. He usually didn't go to the Empty Net, but a friend has insisted that he go there together for the 'fight night'. It was a human tavern with human tastes. It was often said by his fellow miners that the beer at the Empty Nest was naught but piss water, because humans couldn't taste the difference. While the beer was certainly weak, that wasn't what the issue was. He winced as that human, what was his name? Blacklock. Yes, Blacklock. He winced as he saw the human get grabbed by the neck and clocked right upside the head. His companion cheered, for money had been wagered on the victorious human. Tarn, though, frowned. He had nothing against brawling, for if he did then it would make him a hypocrite of the highest order. But wagering money on these fights? It felt cowardly to him. Taking pleasure from watching others get hurt while sitting around in safety, all the while drinking weak piss water. He truly wished that he was back at the Wicker Goat, where he belonged. Friendly bearded faces, good stories and strong ale. Laughter should come from a good story, not from watching a human drowning in debt eat his own teeth.
He took a sip from his beer, despite not really enjoying it. He smiled politely as his friend elbowed him in the ribs, saying something about 'eggshell fists.' But his mind was elsewhere. It was towards the caravans, and the open road. He didn't know why he had the urge to travel and to seek adventure, not when he had spent his entire life happily digging away beneath the ground. The dwarf absentmindedly rubbed his ring, the one he had found while excavating a tunnel. He hoped that something would happen soon, to take him away from this.
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I am loving these sorta introductions. I will try and type one up!!!
@Blacklock I like it. Helps her Calm story have validity
@DM: I think that should be fine, it makes sense for him to vibe with another druid. Why would Ferrin have recommended the mission? Would it be possible to tie in with Mithrandir's hook related to the standing stones?
BTW I'm confused about the RPing in the Discussion thread lol. Also what exactly does it mean to dot?
@Blacklock: I'm confused, I'm definitely not an ex-pirate!
No, it doesn't have anything to do with the Standing Stones. Why? Do you know something? Then, Mithrandir shares his visions of the Standing Stones.
Good? Need more? If yes, what?
OK Folks. I want to start as soon as possible.
Need you to confirm the first three actions above are done. Once they are done, please do what Blacklock and Drusilla are doing and connect your characters if you can.
If you cannot your characters. you'll have an hour and a half of chit chat to reveal what you want to reveal. The point is please confirm what each other player character knows about your character, whether a little or a lot. It will provide the baseline for the relationship to start in Gameplay.
How quickly can we start in front of the Haunted House?
cheers
I have read the Doc, my spoiler and the opening. I was avoiding other player's spoilers did you want us to read them?
Badger is a ranger and known to roam the swamps and wild. It sounds like stories about a forest hermit like Mithrandir would come up. A druid and ranger might run into each other at the Sea Grove of Obad-Hai.
@Blacklock how old are you? That would influence Badger's response.
Tarn is a shape shifter. First he was a grizzly dwarf with a braid. Then he was a handsome stately dwarf. Now he's a mix of both lighter hair again but a bit rougher around the edges. LOL
OK, I'm back from snowshoeing. Had a blast and ready to dive in here.
Jubal,
1) Do I know why Anders Solmar nominated me?
2) Thanks for the info about those two locations.
3) Argyri's desire to become a hero came from reading (or at least hearing) some kind of pulpy action/heroic stories. I used the term Penny Dreadfuls, but if there's something else/more specific that makes sense, let me know. Just a fluff detail, but one that I could see coming up in conversation.
4) Three actions: done...and I'll have my profile up to date by EOD!
Everyone: Argyri has been around all her life (20 years), much of that being raised by pirates, but also just bopping about town. If you think you might know a half-elf who has spent a bunch of her time as a kid on sailing ships (some of which happened to be pirate ships) just let me know. The other possible connection is as fans of the same penny dreadfuls / heroic stories.
Blacklock, knowing Rummy sounds great.
@DM: Sounds good then! Also I’ve reviewed all the material so I’m ready to go.
@Blacklock cool.
@DM Jubal is the Empty Net a seedy dive, that gets rowdy or a known front for outlaws and bad guys.
Who knows what motivates young bachelor nobles? How many ways have people hit on your character? ;D
@Badger. The description of the Empty Net is in the Saltmarsh doc. It was an inadvertent pop quiz.
Ready to go: Tarn, Blacklock, Badger, Argyri, Mithrandir
Drusilla? ETA?
I'm done and ready to go
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Ok team. We’re ready. I’m stuck at the moment with kids home schooling and work tonight, but I want to post the opening asap, probably tonight Eastern Time.
Cheers
Yeah apparently My post last night saying I was ready didn't go through.
Realized that protection from good and evil has a material component, and Tarn doesn't have any materials. So I just changed it to Hellish Rebuke. It fits the theme, so far, of his spells being protective in nature. Armor of Agathys gives bonus HP (and does damage if hit) and Hellish Rebuke lets him nuke someone if hit. At lvl 1 doing 2d10 damage can be quite fatal.
I should cast Mage Armor
@Tarn. You could buy an arcane focus
@Drusilla. Please describe casting your Mage Armor in Gameplay and specify in
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@Blacklock so seeing your age I would imagine that Badger came on a fight you were in on the street. You did pretty well till the numbers turned on you. He chased off your opponents.
The gnome rounded the corner toward the alley. Just in time to see a teen ager fighting off three surly ruffians, fishermen by the smell. The kid drove in on one of the men with a leap leading with his knee. The man's jaw crunched together with the blow. As the kid came down he dropped with one arm wrapping around the mans neck pulling him forward and down toward the muddy street the fisher man's head hit the mud with a thud. He wasn't going to trouble the kid. But his friends closed in on the kid and brought him up with one holding his arms so the other could pummel him. "Well now, I guar-an-tee I taint never see a toddler fight three net jacks to a bloody mess."
The two men looked toward the gnome who held up a badge at the end of a leather braided cord. The two men entered a simultaneous tirade of curses and recounting the story of a kid who mouthed off and then started a fight with ole Bel who was in the mud groaning. The gnome walked toward them further. The kid punch drunk at this point looked around at two bad options. The men still in their appeal for the kid to be arrested and the number of witnesses, their many friends from the 'Snapping Line' who would vouch for them. They crown of their argument, "You should arrest him."
The last line hung in the air but was followed by the man on the right doubled over and let out an "oof." He let go of the kid who then pulled free of the other man and shuffled behind the gnome too dazed to run or make sense of things. The gnome spoke slow in that thick accent, "I taint that kind of gerd." He moved the doubled over man who stepped gingerly still hunched over between himself and the other man who made like he was going to throttle the gnome now. "Ah-at, I got me dagger up tight next to yer friend's danglers." On cue the doubled over man called out to take the gnome seriously. The gnome instructed, "Now pick yer bloody mess of a friend out of the mud a'fore he drowns. Make nice and this one keeps his jewels and I don't fine ya both out of your shore money." The man listened to his hunched over friend and picked up ole Bel from the mud. "Now I trust grown boys like yerselfs can make your way with out any of them cookie selling girls causing you any trouble." With assurances in place the gnome retracted his dagger.
The gnome turned to face the kid face swollen. The kid was conscious but listing. "By the Wildwanderer kid. Let's get ya cleaned up. Ya got heart." The gnome moved to where he could help the kid walk. "Funny thing about heart. Show me a fighter whose all heart, I'll show you man eager fer @$$-whooping." The gnome walked the kid back toward where the kid said was home. "Ya got someone lookin' after you boy. Yer brave, judging from those lads you can hit. You taint gonna be what 15 forever. A few years on ya and you'd be working off yer fine for the next week probably on those lad's fishing boat lucky if they don't use you fer chum. Perhaps you should find a spot where you can fight folks and you don't get more grief fer it." About that time an elderly halfling woman came out wondering what Badger had done to the boy and the two argued back and fourth till they got him inside and the halfling lady started looking after the kid's wounds.
Over the next few months Badger checked on the kid from time to time but learned that rather than take Badger up on the idea of fighting for a good cause the kid had taken to back room fighting.