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Psshh. Only 30 applications. Surprised Kintargo GM is even bothering to respond at this point. Clearly no one is interested. @Ghorza: Forgot to say earlier, I like the idea of an axe (or pick, as it may be) wielding dwarf swashbucker. Certainly a unique idea :P
This had been a great game =) Love everyone's characters and our lovely DM is amazing. This is the second game I've seen reach the one year mark without losing a player. Average of 10.2 posts a day between gameplay and discussion in our first year.
What a shaaaaame. Str TWF fighter would be insaaaaaaane.
Sounds good to me. I've added 850 GP to my golds.
Week 5 Action 1: Recruit Outlaws Team (Sneaks)
Week 5 Action 2: Fushi Sisters scout out Fantasmagorium
Week 5 Action 3 (Bonus Action): Recruit Supporters
So watta we wanna do for the Rebellion Phase? 1: Recruit Aisling's clients. What were these going to be, Sneaks?
Also, everyone OK with selling everything on the sell list? Decent amount of gold there.
Alexius: "Ah, Wonderful! Meridian! My most trusted advisor!" Alexius exclaims, limping towards his cousin, tugging his companion along. "Give this to mother when you see her." The once-famed duelist commands, shoving the parchment into Merixian's arms, followed swiftly by a jingling pouch of gold with which to pay for the renovations. "I have great... plans!... for the future!"
Alexius Vashnarstill shouts in a commanding voice fitting for a man of his social stature as he stumbles through the front door of the Vashnarstill manor, one arm wrapped around the waist of a giggly half-elf woman with wine-colored hair, a rolled up parchment tucked under the other. "Mother! I need... expansion!" Alexius raises the parchment containing the draft for an addon to his cottage over his head, his companion struggling to keep the wobbly nobleman from pulling both of them to the ground. "Mother!"
Alexius: "OLD people, like yourself." Alexius says in exasperation. "Compile a list of our oldest and most loyal customers". Alexius recites in a tone mocking his mothers voice.
Alexius: "Un-be-liev-a-ble!" Alexius exclaims in shock and horror when he sees the archival room. He hobbles over to a box set on the floor and kicks it with his good leg. "HOW can uncle Sendi say there's no room for my above-ground wine cellar when he can dedicate an entire room to old paper?! No wonder the other families laugh at us. I never beheld such lopsided priorities." With his cane, Alexius knocks the lid off of one of the shelved boxes and glances at the contents. "I dunno." He finally says in response to Dula. "People who've been customers for more than a century." Anyone old enough to remember the Silver Ravens.
Alexius: Alexius sniffs and looks away from the mean lady. It would not do for a Vashnarstill to stoop to the level of name calling and threats that the common folk so often fall back on. "Miss Dolly, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here, if you could please just be a little more professional, I will be out of here in no time." Alexius says in a moment of unusual but not unheard of self-awareness. "Mother wishes me to compile a list of some of our oldest - literally - customers. Something about a 'customer appreciation' event. 'Appreciation'?! Is a ship not sinking to the depths not appreciation enough?!"
Alexius: Alexius looks down imperially at the woman. "Are you Dullie? Answer swiftly! I am on urgent business for my mother and I need to find the archivist." The lord grits his teeth and casts a sidelong glance in the general direction of his mother's office. "Apparently the good work I do for this family outside these bland walls is not enough and I am to be some kind of... paperwork-doer on this day." He seethes venomously under his breath.
Alexius: Alexius stands quietly and does his best not to die of boredom while his old, boring family members and their old, boring associates talk of things that do not matter. Oh dear! The southeastern dock crane will be out of operation for two weeks while it's repaired! Whatever will we do!? Since uncle Sendi would dismiss his bid for access to the long-term records out of hand, he would have to wait for the archivist to, at the very least, not be surrounded by people who outrank Alexius.
Alexius: Alexius quietly attempts to let himself into the meeting Sendi is having. He is too exhausted to pick fights with everyone in the manor today, especially uncle Sendi, but if he can listen in to the meeting he could glean some idea as to what the upper echelons of the family are working on. He does not have any interest in the families' affairs, but knowing about major projects and developments in the wider noble community can help himself and the Raven avoid parts of Kintargo that are going to be more heavily trafficked by the wealth elite and, more importantly, their bodyguards.
Alexius: "Moooootheeeeerrrr!" Alexius whines, slouching down in his chair. "I just don't understand why everyone here is so mean to me. I am a vital pillar of the Vashnarstill legacy! All I need is three-hundred platinum coins and I will cement our place in history!" Alexius stands, groaning loud and long with pain. Leaning heavily on his cane, he continues. "I will go talk to this "Dula" character - no doubt a Thrune spy here to steal our clients - and inform him I have your permission to enter the royal archives. Thank you for your assistance in these trying times, mother." With an exaggerated bow, Alexius excuses himself from the office, hobbling noisily away. A few moments later he returns, poking his head through the doorway. "Say, where is Dullie?" After receiving his answer, he leaves. If he could not gain lawful entry to the archives, he could just break in. As he limps away, he feels an uncharacteristic -for Alexius - pang of sorrow. Poor Lady Elaida.
Unless you object, I'll continue Alexius solo mission in spoilers and move the Raven forward with the rest of the group. Posts up soon.
He keeps a lot of the prostitutes and brewers in town employed. Stimulates the economy or whatever.
Alexius: Poor Lady Elaida. That is what everyone said. Poor Lady Elaida. One son who showed so much promise. One son to fulfill her branch of the families' military obligations and bring honor to her and her husband. Alexius Vashnarstill: a brilliant tactical mind and as clever with words as he was with swords. But no more. An assassin with a cursed blade took her sons military career and alcohol took his mind. She did her best to help her son adapt to his new life, tried to groom him in to a respectable politician, to show him that a soldier was not the only thing he could ever be, but Alexius was only interested in numbing the pain and the shame. Nowadays, her greatest hopes for her son are that he does not draw too much untoward attention to the family via his drunken, womanizing antics. The fact that Alexius is at this moment awake before noon is a moderate shock to the poor woman. "Mother!" Alexius shouts as he storms into his mothers office, slapping his cane down across the top of the noble lady's desk with the combined sounds of wood-on-wood and parchments being unceremoniously flattened. He drops heavily into a seat across from his mother, not bothering to take off his tall hat. "Mother. Four things." The failed son says as he leans forward towards his mother holding up four fingers. "First: You look very tired. Second: I need gold for reasons best not expounded upon. Third... I... Hmm." The young man scratches his chin with gloved fingers, leaning back in his seat and looking pensively towards the ceiling as if trying to recall something. "Three things! "First: You look very tired. Really, it's embarrassing. Second: I need gold for reasons best not expounded upon. Third: Where are the long-term records for the shipyard kept? I have a sudden thirst for knowledge!" He could make up a more Alexius-sounding reason for seeking the documents, but a business did not stand the test of centuries by lax oversight. Claims that he suspected suppliers had been fleecing them or a shipyard on the other side of the globe was stealing their techniques or technology, while fitting claims for Alexius, would bring far too much attention down on him, assuming his claims were not dismissed outright. Better it be just another obsession Alexius Vashnarstill had developed out of nowhere. An obsession he would forget about in a fortnight. His mother would likely assume anything he said was a lie, anyways.
"MOTHER!" Alexius bellows as he barges through the front door to the Vashnarstill manor around breakfast time, slamming his cane against the wall with a loud crack. "Mother! I need... gold! I met a woman in the markets who said she could turn me to stone. THINK! Mother! What I could accomplish with the unending life of solid stone!" He continues to shout as he hobbles through the absurdly large house. Singling out a passing servant, Alexius pokes her in the chest with his cane. "You! Peasant! Begin researching ways to defeat erosion; it will be my only weakness." He orders, moving on before she can respond. "MOTHER!"
Alexius: Alexius cries out in shock, falling backwards and sending his cane flying through the air to land with a clatter somewhere behind him. "H-how dare you!" He stammers, crawling away from the hostile structure as quickly as his bad leg allows. One sufficiently out of crossbow range, he attempts to stand, falls, and finally finds his feet. Hobbling over to where his cane landed, he collects it from the street and turns to face the old church, raising the cane over his head and brandishing it towards the invisible speaker. "My uncle will hear of this! Your days are numbered, you uncouth ruffian!" He turns and angrily limps away, snapping at any on the street who do not clear way for him quickly enough.
"Ah! Don't breath on me!" The arrogant noble scolds the woman, waving a hand in front of his face as if to dissipate her.
Alexius Vashnarstill limps down an icy street on the eastern side of the Temple District. The lazy noble is shockingly early and in a worse mood than usual. Making his way across icy cobblestone with his cane certainly isn't helping. After hobbling from the northern end of the district to the southern end and half way back again, muttering angrily to himself the entire time, he finally approaches a woman who looks to be a member the clergy and may be more familiar with the district than he is. "You! Peasant! I require aid!" He limps angrily after the woman, nearly crashing to the road when his cane slips on a patch of ice. Regaining his feet, he snaps "Why can't your god or whatever do something about this ice?!" His mood immediately shifts to a more pleasant one and he continues without waiting for the priests response. "I met an amazing tiefling woman near here yesterday. She did the most amazing thing with her tail and..." The noble smiles and lets out a happy sigh, his gaze drifting off towards something in the distance as he recalls the pleasant memory. "Anyways!" He snaps again, his thoughts brought back to the present. "She stole my coinpurse and I need it back. She told me she lived with her sisters or something - one of them is named Jill I think... I don't care - around here in an old church or something. If you assist me in retrieving my belonging I will consider donating to your doomsday cult or whatever. Say, where can I get a strong drink around here." His rambling finished, he stares expectantly at the woman.
There are various vigilante talents that are related to hideouts so we’re getting a hideout one way or another.
Random question: How do you guys feel about random encounters? There's a couple lists for them in the AP, but I'm considering not using them, or only using them minimally. Any thoughts? Missed this question. I'm fine with random encounters as long as they aren't so common that they bog down the flow of the game. Combat encounter after combat encounter after combat encounter in a single in-game day can be fatiguing, I find. You've been a great DM so far, so I trust in your ability to find a good balance =)
I can if GM wants to add a link to an editable document to the top.
I think the extended site outage going into a three day weekend (in the US anyways) threw off a lot of peoples posting equilibrium. Did to me.
I think Alexius is maybe 24 ish. For the record, I did not call him the Raven to make it confusing. I initially made him for another campaign that was also a gestalt campaign, and he was a Vigilante/Alchemist. Alchemist >>> Plague Doctor isn’t a big leap.
Alexius’ build is kind of slow to get off the ground, especially with the Noble Scion Feat taking up a feat slot. I predict a high AC, high damage build...eventually. I like our composition. We got a witch: the best debuffing class in the game. A cleric: like the third strongest class in the game. A bard: makes everyone better. The sword-devil ranger gets basically smite evil but against any target, so Nyxra should be really good at taking down bosses. And everyone invested in social skills, so we can talk our way out of problems =) I been wanting to play a Vigilante since forever and I’ve wanted to try a Shielded Gauntlet Style build for a while, so I’m super happy. And I really like the characters everyone has brought.
Everyone shun Aisling.
"Of course!" Alexius all but shouts in response to the barons compliments. "We Vashnarstill's are natural leaders. The best in the city - nay! The world!" The lord inspects his sword, surreptitiously using the cloak of a random passerby to clean the weapon, then sheathing it into the base of the cane, twisting the locking mechanism back into place. Anger flowed through him, but not because of the combat. Heated passions did not help one inside the dueling arena. He could face ten men the caliber of Thrune's lackeys and not so much as break a sweat. He knew Thrune's rule would come to this sooner or later. Open hostilities against the people were well established in the families' portfolio. Part of him had always hoped the government of the city could turn over a new leaf without violence, but he knew that was always a false dream. Those in power would do anything they could to hold on to it. He had to get away from these new friends. The violence from Thrune would go on for the rest of the day at least, and Alexius was not the man to deal with it. The duelist leans against the stone face of the building, letting out a pained sigh and rubbing the cursed injury on his left leg. "I think I twisted something back there. Not in the melee, of course. Stepped on a fish in the fountain, maybe. Regardless, I have things to attend to that do not involve ducking a dictators cronies." His eyes finally fall on Vantine and the red stain spread across her chest. So she was injured. I'm sorry. He disguises the guilt that creeps across his face with a pain-filled wince before standing, cane in hand. "Valantine, my dear! Whenever did you find the time to dye your outfit?" His eyes linger on her healed wound -or maybe her breasts- for a long time. "Come to my cabin on the Vashnarstill estate whenever you finish... whatever it is you do after you survive an assassination attempt! I'll have the maids draw you a bath and take your clothing to be cleaned and mended. As for the rest of you... well, some of you rather do stand out." He glances at the elf. "The CVT or whatever they call themselves will be looking for you. You did make fools of them. Well, I made fools of them. You all will be guilty by proximity. Do not fret! I will send assistance to you in the form of... assistance!"
This website does not combine well with power outages.
And who but the law would loose arrows into a crowd? Alexius thinks bitterly as an arrow meant for him is absorbed by someone else, hopefully a CCG goon. Limping towards the edge of the square, he can see the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel as innocent people leave the confines of the area and scatter in a hundred directions.
”Lady Talbot!” Alexius greets the lady as he is reunited with her. ”What brings you to this thrilling riot on this glorious day?” He asks the Imodian as he casually knocks away the clumsy attacks of the devil-worshipers. ”I killed a man not five moments ago. Amazing how a day can develop if you give it a chance!” He glances over his shoulder to the fleeing sorceress. Vantine continues to evade him despite the efforts he made to catch her. I hope she’s not hurt. ”I have a party to get to, however, and there are several young women waiting there for me that will be devastated if I show up in an already exhausted state. I take my leave - though I would not deny you the honor of escorting me to safety.” The pompous lord disengages from “the law”. Instead of moving directly towards the closest exit from the square, he limps an odd path around a wide bench, as if to taunt the attackers. The Talbot woman was the best armed and armored person in the square and Alexius was not too concerned with her ability to defend herself, but he stops near enough to her that he could limp back into stabbing distance if need be. There are many nobles in Kintargo he would gladly leave to die; Lady Talbot was not one of them.
Man, I thought this would be harder, but the CCG and the dottari are rolling pretty poorly. Plus you guys are being sensible and fighting defensively.
”On second thought, I shall give you, coward, a mark to remember me by!” Alexius shouts. He pushes the head of his cane down into his scabbard with one hand, twisting it and unlocking the head. From the ‘cane’, he draws a short, pointed sword, the raven’s beak handle of the cane acting as the impromptu handle. In the same smooth motion, he takes up the empty sheath with his off-hand, using it to deflect the enemies counter-attacks. The sword cane is by no means a weapon of war, but more than one lowlife who thought the disabled noble easy prey had found it was more than adequate in his hands.
Can’t hit a man standing still. Truly the paragons of Cheliax have shown up today. Against multiple foes, Alexius might try and lead them into an alley or between market carts to face them one at a time, but he has no doubt he could slay these three blackguards where they stood. No form. No technique. No stance. Count yourselves lucky that there are others here I am responsible for. Alexius gives a dismissive wave of his hand as the attacks of the usurpers come nowhere near his stationary form. ”Gentlemen, I must take my leave! I would not sully my blade with your lowborn blood. Remember this as the day you were... adjacent to the Mongoose!” He gives an exaggerated bow, even doffing his top hat, then skirts around the edge of the fountain, searching for the one he had drawn in to all this danger.
”Valantina, my dear, wherever have you gone? To my side, little bird!” Alexius calls, still seemingly unaware of the danger. He had accepted long ago that people, innocent people, were going to die if Kintargo were to be rid of devils and slavers. He accepted that fact, but did not like it. Vantine, however, was at the protest because of Alexius, and he did claim responsibility for her. He recoils in disgust as one of the thugs nears him in its attempt to attack the Imodean. ”Stay away from me, brute, lest you bring down the ire of my uncle upon your head!”
You mean you don't go around assuming that enemies might jump out at you from every corner and hedge? That’s why the Raven isn’t here... I do think the story is more interesting when the PC’s act like actual human beans and not video game characters.
”Assassins! Usurpers!” Alexius shouts as the vermin reveal themselves. Attacking clergy last week, and now the citizens in broad daylight? Signing your own death warrant, Thrune. He hops up onto the edge of the fountain to give him a little more height and a better vantage on the chaos. Need to get these people out of here. ”Quickly quickly, little peasants. Make for the river, then disperse along the shoreline. Mind the smaller races! Do not worry for my safety, you pathetic wretches, for I am Alexius Vashnarstill the Mongoose! These thugs cannot threaten me!” He points and gestures with his cane, trying to organize the panicking masses.
You can never have enough skill points Alexius has a paltry 6 class + 1 human + 1 FCB + 1 Int + 2 background and I still barely got more than half the skills I wanted =(
I think them second rolls are an editing error.
Alexius makes a show of shaking his bitten hand for any onlookers but frankly his hands were too numb to feel anything. The leather gloves he wore brought little in the way of insulation but they were fashionable and did not restrict his hands if he needed to use the sword hidden in his cane. His advance rebuked, he suppresses a smile. As classist as he outwardly appeared, he preferred the company of those who were unwilling to submit to a man purely because of who his father is. —— ”The only thing outdated here is you, old man!” Alexius adds to the cacophony of calls. It was unlikely his shout of protest would carry more than a few meters from his position at the central fountain but, as the largest shipwrights in town, the people would expect a Vashnarstill to be infuriated by this proclamation from the insurgent leader. You think cutting the purses of the people will help your cause, old man? Captains were kings on their vessels. They would not suffer such an indignation and would take their business and their gold elsewhere. And with their gold goes the loyalty of the noble houses.
We seem to be a very charming but not-so-perceptive lot. Hopefully devils and their worshipers are suckers for silver tongues and not ones to use guile or trickery to advance their means. That’s how devils work, right? *Nervous laughter*
”There you are!” Alexius shouts, wrapping his left arm around Vantine’s waist and leaning against her to take some weight off of his bad leg. His costume offered some protection from the cold, but not much, and the warmth of her was comforting. ”We can leave soon, but I have a feeling things are juuust about to get good. Some of those scrawnier Thrune goons look like they’re about to pass out from the cold. Wouldn’t that be a sight?” Despite a feeling of something being off with the continually growing crowd, Alexius can’t identify anything specifically threatening. Maybe everything’s going to be alright? No answer from Thrune is about the best we could hope for. A coward hiding in his room. He lets his hand slide down to Vantine’s backside and gives a playful squeeze, leaning close and murmuring ”Once these jesters have made fools of themselves for all Kintargo to see, we can go. Maybe your friend can help me warm you up before we get to the party.”
Maybe we’ve been a little too effective.[/ooc] Alexius thinks as the crowd thickens and stirs, people jostling him instead of keeping their usual out-of-cane-reach distance. [i]There are far too many people here. He makes for the fountain at the center of the square. If nothing else, it represented stable ground in the increasingly turbulent square.
”Hmph. Well. Easier than I thought.” Alexius murmurs under his breath as the crowd quickly turns to a more unified mass. He allows the young women working up the crowd to take the spotlight and slinks off into the masses. Talbot I can understand. I wonder what angle this mwangi elf is working? ”Well, that’s my civic duty done. Wherever did my grey-eyed escort bounce off to?” He says loudly, as if to excuse himself. Taller than most, he glances out across the sea of heads at the dottari assembled on the opera house steps to gauge their reactions. Being tall had its uses, but combined with the utterly ridiculous hat he wore, he knew he would stand out in the crowd, though the people of Kintargo had gotten used to him showing up to fan the flames of anything remotely interesting happening within limping distance.
Good lord. Gameplay (13 new posts). I hate being busy at the start of a new campaign =( Got a pretty good roll in the gameplay thread, though!
Alexius bangs his cane on the brazier several more times, once again sending sparks into the air. ”Good people of Kintargo!” He shouts in a commanding, noble voice. Need to unify some of these people into a single front. He continues his shouting and banging until he has attracted enough attention. ”Ahem.” He clears his throat. ”These past weeks will go down in history as some of the most unjust in the history of... history! The oppression we have faced is unlike any before faced by... anyone! Think of it! No tea after sunset?! Who gave Thrune the right to dictate what I, uh, WE consume in our own free time!? Think, peasants, ! If they take our casual evening tea from us, what other minutiae of our lives will they seek to control? No coffee before noon, perhaps? There is a lovely barista here... somewhere.” He gestures in the vague direction of the Talbot. ”Uhm. One of these strumpets over here. Think of how her life would be effected if coffee was banned! I say NO! Let Thrune take our tongues and they will take... our teeth!” He hoped some semblance of his message made it through. Alexius was not known for his coherent rants, but then again, he never expected he would be trying to incite revolution.
Lord Alexius Vashnarstill does not try to keep up with the strange woman he had spent the night with. Indeed, he gladly let her put distance between the two of them. He had been faking a limp for years but today there was no need for such pageantry. On the so-called Night of Ashes one week past, the Raven had - among other things - fallen off of a three-story apartment building, crashing through a terracotta awning and landing on some poor urchin trying to hide from the chaos caused by the Thrune agents. The strangely alluring Vantine had commented on the impressive collection of bruises he had gained that night. Pushed down a flight of stairs by Thrune thugs, he had told her. He may as well have been a useless, crippled old man for all the good he was that night. Alexius stops, hooking his cane over the crook of one arm and rubbing his leather-gloved hands together, then turning the collar of his long coat up to block out some of the wind. It is cold today, and the thin layer of mail under his outer silk tunic was not helping to warm him. It weighed heavily on his shoulders and pulled the warmth from his body. It would be little use without proper padding underneath it, but protests against totalitarian governments did not infrequently turn to violence. He begins moving again, loudly slamming his cane into the ground with each step. The crowds of people readily jump out of his way as they hear him near; many of them had no doubt fallen afoul of the young lord’s temper and retributive strikes for not clearing a way for him quickly enough. He continues through the crowd till he comes upon a relatively unpopulated brazier. He strolls up to it and raps it smartly on its side multiple times with his cane, sending a shower of sparks into the grey skies, and shouts ”Free the tea! Free the tea!” I hate tea. Alexius glances across the convenient fire at the young woman, one he recognizes. ”Lady Talbot.” he says in a casual tone. Good. Talbot. One of the good ones. And she has a real weapon. He returns his cane, which held a small sword hidden within, to the crook of his arm and holds his hands over the fire, scanning the crowd while trying to look disinterested. ”What brings you to this dismal place on this dismal day in this dismal month? Who protests in the middle of winter anyways? Free the tea!”
Heya Crisischild! I remember you from way back when we were in a brief Savage Tide campaign together. Your Bard Elaina was absolutely hilarious. I played the alchemist who could barely work up the nerve to talk to people. Nice! Elaina and Mimi’s friendship was just starting to blossom when that game ended! Alexius is a self centered jerk just like Elaina, so you should be used to him already. I thought about submitting Elaina for this, she’s such a fun character to play, but this seems like the perfect Vigilante campaign. As for the Alexius/Raven separation: I’d like to try it, but I realize how unrealistic and tedious it can be. I mean, HAS anyone ever seen Bob Ross and Superman in the same room at the same time?
I’m a fan of lawful alignments, myself. Alexius rebels for the sake of rebelling, not because he actually believes in anything. At least that’s what he claims. So he wouldn’t have a problem being seen with Imoedeans. The Vashnarstill’s don’t seem to be super upper class nobility, looks like they’re not particularly popular in Kintargo and don’t support Thrune. I think they’re primarily based overseas so they’re kind of foreigners. He’s at the protest to protest the government, but not, like, really protest the government. He’s just angry about the curfews, he doesn’t actually want anything to change for anyone else but himself. Alexius is going to the protest as himself. He has a sword cane because of his “limp” but he was a renowned duelist, so it wouldn’t be out of character for him to be able to defend himself if things get dicey even though he’s supposedly disabled. The Raven would probably draw a lot of attention... @Kintargo DM What are your thoughts on wearing a chain shirt under clothing without being too obvious? Celestial Armor says it can be worn under clothing, and it’s based on medium armor. I’m not a fan of rocking around town in armor if there’s no reason to be. Kinda destroys the visuals in my mind. Will post more at lunch.
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