Warden's in Wonderland (Inactive)

Game Master Kazmanaught

I'm still here and having fun.

Still here and good to go!

Welcome back! Sorry Marge that I didn't get a reply to you, busy week

As another college student (though in not-so-sunny northern California myself) in the midst of the housing search up until earlier today I also got a bit pulled away by the stress of that.

Excited to see where you’ll take us to next!

I’m similarly curious about which bit of Ohio, having spent a portion of my summers growing up at my grandparents house within spitting distance of the University of Cincinnatti.

Oberlin actually, so near Cleveland. I'm from Massachusetts originally, so its a bit of a drive to go home. I was lucky enough to get a rather large merit based scholarship, (it's been 4 years and I still don't really know why) otherwise I'd be going to UMass Amherst.

I'm not musically gifted at all really, so I have very little to do with the conservatory students. I'm a soft science guy through and through :)

What about you Lionel? Which school are you at?

I'm at Cal Poly Humboldt, formerly known as Humboldt State University. Really gorgeous up there, and a great spot for my major (forestry).

The moral dilemma was if he should give back Median's name too

There is more to the Sprite's intentions than just bringing you to the ball, but it does not seem malicious.

Did anyone give him Median's first name? Angus introduced her as 'Mission Leader' and 'Senior Warden' Lady Zeroux."

No... he gave back my last name, but didn't really want to.

Heavy storms last night, we've got no power or internet so posting on my phone. Hopefully it will be up and running soon, bot me as needed.

Will be traveling tomorrow, back to Mass for a bit, so posts may be slightly delayed.

I'm going to be busy tomorrow so posting slightly ahead of where we are. No rush to move on, but if we do move on there's the important bit I need to get in for Margarett. She doesn't trust Pine to be benign.

Some of the old stories of the fey have them treating kisses as favors owed, but Margarett doesn't have a good way to tell the others that. Similarly, arriving as guests could be anything from acknowledging pine as the head of our little group, to quite a bit worse, or better.

Assuming that Pine runs out of exposition and the next scene is the ball, Margarett is going to try and get some of the party to arrive independently or as her guests, and hedge against potential fey tricks.

Similarly, offering the companions that may have indebted themselves to pine the chance to indebt themselves to someone human as well. If Cash/Lionel take or decline the trinket, feel free to fluff it as a reasonable tiny animal figurine or bit of jewelry that suits your character. Margarett has some generic "wardrobe/jewelry" budget so whatever you like works.

Neat scene!

Sorry about the delay in posting, we didn't get our power back until yesterday afternoon. I was reading the posts, but didn't see a good spot to jump in. I'll get something up today.

Still with us Lionel? I promise a chance to use those impressive combat stats real soon!

Let me know if anyone OOC is bothered by Marg hedging here, and I'll be more the company girl, but from her pov we're being really really foolish. Sorry the post took some time to get right.

Not bothered out of character at all. Just worried in character.

We'll see if either of us have to pay for our differing opinions.

In character, Cash thinks you're doing the wrong thing but is intrigued so won't speak up. Out of character, I think you're the only one making the right play

Yep, still here, just had a busy spell of things lately.

Hope things are going well Lionel! Thank you everyone for bearing with me as well.

I don't want to spring rules changes on anyone. I should have put this in the recruitment, but I forgot, so now it goes to a vote. A simple majority will suffice, and anyone has the option to hard veto.

Variant aid another: Currently the DC to hit for skill checks is DC 10, and you add +2. This means that past a certain point, expertise no longer adds to ability to aid. Considering that several of you already will get a 10 at your chosen skill, and you are still quite low level, I'd like to remedy this. I propose that an aid another check of 10 only gives +1, but for every 5 points that it exceeds 10 by, it adds another +1. For instance a result of 15-19 gives +2, 20-24 gives +3, and so on.

Not entirely sure how this would impact aid another to hit or to AC, might just go with rules as written there.

I don't think anyone has a trait to boost their aid another ability, but if you do, like helpful halfling, just add the bonus that you'd normally get to your variant result.

This work with everyone? Remember a single veto is enough to kill the motion. If everyone abstains, I will just put it through though.

Hope everyone is still enjoying themselves!

Yep, still having a good time.

I'm Ok with however you want to do aid, as long as it's consistent.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber, but I've always been enamored with his depiction of what he called "hellriding."

Gosh, haven't thought about the 'Amber' series in over 40 years. It was one of my high school friends favorite series, man did he love Corwin. I remember him telling me about 'Courts of Chaos' my senior year, I read the first book (Maybe the second?) before I moved for college. Man, what did they call it? Walking the Pattern?

Let me know if anyone OOC is bothered by Marg hedging here, and I'll be more the company girl, but from her pov we're being really really foolish. Sorry the post took some time to get right.

Margarett steps into the wood... the last thought just as the trees close around her...

It appears she's headed out alone If this isn't your intent Margarett let us know.

GM Kaz Angus as the LTC if he was going with her, but he didn't answer. Is anyone else intent on going with her? I'll wait a little to see if there any posts/answers and post later.

I left it a bit vague on purpose, to better let Kaz decide how it works out. Margaret intends to attend the ball as herself, not as a servant of the sleeping wood, but she certainly had many thoughts beyond just the court so if it serves Kaz’s purpose she and whoever accompanies her could appear elsewhere. She’s worried for Angus/Median/Chantal, intent on her cousin (however many removed) the queen, and her duties to the empire as both a warden and viscountess, and lastly worried about Oberon and the puck. I’ll be fine with however Kaz wants to continue, altogether or arriving separately or even attending different courts for a bit assuming we eventually reunite.

I’m very familiar with zelazny, and if all of his stuff you’ve read is amber go back for lord of light. The recent revival of amber by the new guy isn’t the same, imo. It’s a shame, because the premise of intentionally walking the multiverse is interesting.

Thanks for the answer Margarett, I'll wait a little to see if the LTC is going with her. I don't love splitting the party, but I don't think Angus would let her go alone. I'll wait a little for Kaz, but will get a post up before I go to bed, one way or the other.

Yes, walking the Pattern! There were so many interesting ideas in those stories. I'm sure now that I've pointed out that I was "inspired" by Amber it will become much more obvious that I'm ripping off paying homage to it in my worldbuilding.

Post up for Margarett!

I'm on mobile and tomorrow is the wife's birthday, feel free to roll stuff to keep up momentum!

Any chance feywild travel counts as a charm or compulsion effect?

I'm afraid not, sorry.

Just realized I used Margarett's actual name in my post, when my character had already determined that she wasn't going to do things like that... darn. Need to be more careful. Although she was responding to Angus who had used it as well, so I guess the damage (if any) was already done.

Honestly the name slips are great and it's fine. Posted, not entirely happy with it but don't want to hold things up.

The urge to have Marg wait for Angus to introduce her was there, but again don't want to delay the rest from posting or kaz from getting back to Cash's timely warning about food.

I can't decide if it's better if we're actually avoiding all sorts of nonsense by taking the myths literally or if we're just being ridiculous and the locals are like "oh wow, they won't eat because they think we're going to enchant all 10,000 muffins to change their size." Either way, someone else's turn for spotlight, I'll try to keep Marg's posts tidy for the next few. Perhaps Ranveer or Lionel? Don't think we've had much from them as central to a scene.

LOL, I was waiting for Margarett to post and to see what their reaction was. I figured worse case I'd mention he was invited by pine and he was accompanied by margarett.

I'm sorry if Angus keeps introducing folks. From folklore and 'the name of the wind' I get names are important. But we've not given 'whole' names or 'true' names. GM Kaz I'd like to know if you see a difference between the two.

If were going with whole names, does it include titles and do I have to tell you what his middle name is, or can I just keep sayin' nope that's not it.

If were going with 'true names' does each of us get to determine what that is?

There's your given name, your true name, and your chosen name. Fey only have the last two. But since people spend so much of their lives answering to something that isn't their true name, it still has some power over them, albeit to a much lesser degree.

You can certainly keep saying that that's not his middle name :) It may not be quite as effective as you might hope, as parts of names still have parts of power.

As far as true names go, I've never quite liked using actual words to describe true names, it seems... less impactful than it should. Feel free to write a little something about what you think your true name might contain, but since it's supposed to capture the entire essence of a person, and people are so very complicated, simple words just don't seem enough to capture the full nuance.

Perhaps Ranveer or Lionel? Don't think we've had much from them as central to a scene.

Ranveer is no diplomat, so the ball is an unlikely spotlight event for him. Not to say he'll be a background character, but actions not words are more his forte.

That's alright, once Angus get's in the party, Ranveer can come stand by him. We'll show the fey our white clothing...

Viscountess Margarett Erskine wrote:

Perhaps Ranveer or Lionel? Don't think we've had much from them as central to a scene.

Ranveer is no diplomat, so the ball is an unlikely spotlight event for him. Not to say he'll be a background character, but actions not words are more his forte.

So be bad at it. We won’t judge. Having your character outside their comfort zone being themselves can be a lot of fun to write even if the mechanics say your bad at it.

Good news bad news time. Good news is I'm going to Europe for a few weeks with a college friend! Bad news is that I will have sporadic internet access, no laptop, and will be quite busy. Part of the reason they've been so slow recently was trip preperation, but now we're actually going. Rest assured, I'll do my best to post as much as I can, but I totally get if anyone wants to bow out. I'll be back in Ohio by the end of July/early August at the latest. Thank you everyone for your patience!

Have fun and be sure to see the architecture and gardens/parks wherever you go. Walk as much as you can stand to.

Have tons of fun! Happy to stick around until you’re back.

Same, enjoy Europe! Sorry posting's been slow here, weird week at work

She then waits, and when Angus asks the time she looks over, surprised at the skip.

I don't know that it will matter in the effect of things, but Angus did ask about the time BEFORE her speech.

Hi everyone! I had a wonderful trip, although it was far more tiring than I had expected! I've finally recovered, and I'm back to posting on the forums! I'd like to apologize for my prolonged absence so shortly after my other prolonged absence, but I'm back for a while now, and I got some good inspiration from being across the pond for a while. Who's still around?

Well, I've lost a little weight, so I'm trying not to see myself as 'round' so much as 'frumpy' but I'm still about.

Reporting for duty!

Still here! I’ve just finished up a camping trip, but I’ve nothing else to report.

I'm still here. :)

Oh my god, sorry I disappeared this last week, life went haywire but just I'm catching up to it now.

Hey GM Kaz, first of all, thanks for attempting to run the game. It was fun dusting Angus off and remembering why I built him.

I know your posting in, and starting in, other games, so it seems you've moved on from this one. Which is fine, I realize running a game is much more effort than playing in one, or several for that matter.

As a favor, would you mind moving the game to inactive, it would help clean up my, and everyone else's, que a bit.

Folks it was a fun time while it lasted. I hope to play with you all in the future. Again, GM Kaz, thanks for giving it a go.

Echoing Angus - didn't realise GM Kaz was back but had left this game alone.

Enjoyed the interaction and very unique group of creative characters, if you could move us to inactive that would be appreciated.

Cheers all

Let me just start by saying that I really appreciate the lack of vitriol Robert. I kept meaning to come back, but every time I sat down to write a post, it just wouldn't come. I'm not sure if I'm cut out for PbP GMing. Thank you to everyone for the fantastic characters that you all made, and the time and energy you put into the game. If in the future I dust this off, I'll keep you all in mind.

Best of luck in your other games, and I hope to see all of you around the forums. Once again, the failure was completely on my end.

==
Kazmanaught