Once again, posting in all my games: Baby boy was born yesterday afternoon! 7 lbs 4 ozs. Mom and baby are doing fine, but won't be ready to come home until tomorrow. Thanks for all the well wishes!
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Posting in all my games: my wife will be induced sometime tomorrow if she has not gone into labor by herself by then. Second kid, kinda know roughly what to expect, but I will probably be a bit silent for a few days after that starts. Bot me as needed.
So I did send our GM another email today. I am at work atm so I can't check it, but we will see if he responds. If not it was fun playing with you all while it lasted.
Welcome back, Florian. Sorry to hear about your troubles. My recommendation would be to post your character's action, that way we can get rolling again if GM Taliesin shows up again. Hopefully he is doing ok.
Well, knocking on wood but it seems to have passed us with not too much damage. We got a decent amount of rain and the winds caused us to lose power for about 5 or 6 hours (not too bad restoral times under the circumstances) but we are back up and running again now. Thanks for the well wishes.
Still nothing yet. Also Dorian is approaching my way, estimated to be coming through tomorrow. Should not be an issue, I am not in a major flood zone, but if I am suddenly quiet for a bit that is possibly why.
No response yet to either message. Hope that he and Florian are ok.
So I pm'ed and sent an email to our GM. Haven't seen a response yet (but that might be due to not having access to my personal email at work) but hopefully it will get things moving. Hopefully everything is going ok with him and Florian.
Don't look at me... he would kill me if I tried to do his voice... ;)
Any word from Florian? Sounded like he was thinking of webbing some of the merfolk or somesuch...
No worries on the map... can do imaginationland.
<Time to get to work, sis.> Drawing his blade as he mentally says this to her, he points it at the lead mer-creature. "How dare you interfere with the free exchange of goods!" He yells at them, focusing his power. Two bolts of energy fly forth from his free hand, sailing into the Triton's leader.
"Begone, lest you face our wrath and that of the Talingardian Navy!"
Glad on both accounts! Meant to ask this in post, would the others have any sort of bonus on their checks given I succeeded one and pointed it out? Not that it would make a difference, seemingly, so far... but for the others like Florian and Heverly?
As they sail further along the coast, Brice happens to be toward the aft when he spots what appears to be a pod of dolphins trailing behind. "Look, Fontaine," he calls to his daughter, pointing to the sea mammals, "see the dolphins? Most sailors I have met believe that to be a good omen, though we would have to ask our captain if that is true."
Sorry to hear your troubles (both of you) and hope that things go better soon!
Aiden gives little Fontaine a comforting hug with one arm. "Don't worry, little one. Grown up stuff can be confusing at times. Just keep keep calm and stay close to me or Mama if something like that happens again." He smiles, but coughs again. Charmaine and Genevieve or Perception 25:
"Good work. The captain seems to see you as weak. It is good that our 'guests' did not spoil that much." Tussling her hair, he goes to cargo and ensures it wasn't disturbed by the recent escapade.
So THIS was the inspiration for that voice. Rest in peace, John...
Brice smiles at Florian, then coughs. As has been common up until now, a message is whispered into his ears. Florian or DC 25 perception:
"Sound like wot now, gov'nah?" Dropping his hands, he speaks a bit louder. "I find it distasteful to affect that voice, but it makes those in power a bit less likely to think I have anything to hide. A trick that the street merchants sometimes use in haggling, to their benefit."
Brice smiles and takes the papers back deferentially, waving to the soldiers as they sail off like a kid at his first parade. As they finally leave range of sight, he stops and straightens up his posture a bit, spitting over the side. <How do those merchants do that for long? Ah well, their time will come soon enough sis.> He coldly nods to the captain. "You are welcome. Now, get us to our destination. Without further annoyances, please." He turns and gives Genevieve a quick kiss on the cheek. "Well done, wife. Quick thinking with the documents... we could probably get through Balentyne itself with them."
Giving the Captain a knowing nod that he hopes is equal parts understanding, grateful, and deferential, Aiden smiles as he hands over the requested paperwork. "Too right, too right guv'nah. Can't be too careless just cause most folks are honest, wot wot. Here be the manifest and orderer, guv." He leans in closer, as if he is an old woman sharing juicy gossip with one of her neighbors. "Seems that Cap'n Mott up in Balentyne needs more gear. We, bein' such patriotic blokes, 'ere more'n happy to bring 'em what he be needen. Can't be haven that bloody lot north of the wall given hell to our heroes, eh? Keep'en the wall supplied be a right honor, guv'nah, a right honor." He beams a smile up at the man as he looks over the papers. <Be ready... now is the moment of truth.>
<I know, I know... just can't be too eager... mustn't appear un-merchant like...> Smiling a greasy smile and adopting a hunch as if he had spent years bending over a forge, Aiden approaches the Captain. "Well met, guv'nah. I ain't bein' the Cap'n, mind, but I reckon that, as the orderer of this luv'ley cruise to the north, I am. May I ask why ye be stoppen the lawful transit o' me goods?" He looks somewhere below the man's face as he addresses him, not making eye contact, as if conscious of the difference in class status. <Just like they used to do with us. Remember his name for me... we shall have him groveling before the end once we have power again.>
<I know, I know... and I will adopt that slight accent they had in the markets. Still, if they don't buy this be ready. I bet their boat doesn't float when burned.> Smiling at his 'child', he tossels her hair while Genevieve works. "Naught to fret, sunshine. Mama just has to make sure that our documents are in order and we will be on our way." He coughs a bit as he says this, though. Charmaine or DC 25 perception in the vicinity:
"If they don't buy this, be ready to knife them. We might need to accelerate the timetable on the captain in that event though, so stay patient."
Looking up to his wife, he gives her a smile and takes the documents from her. "These should do nicely, love. Perhaps you should take Fontaine and Sylvia behind the privacy curtain. No sense in these... good customs-men... being distracted by your beauty."
Glaring back at the captain, Brice says to him, "You wanted our protection. You are getting it. You will show gratitude for it." Turning back to Genevieve, he smiles at her in a way that almost screams "Isn't it so hard to find good help these days?" "Darling, how could you have forgotten Lord Thomas Havelyn, Lord of Aldencross and commander of Balentyne? Or his lovely master of arms, Captain Franz Mott of Balentyne? From the few orders we have had from them, I remember having both signatures on purchase requests. The one from Mott making the requisition and laying out what was needed, the one from Lord Havelyn approving the purchase and authorizing payment for the equipment."
Kill la Kill? Personally, I found it to be enjoyable... but it is over the top ludicrous ... and it progressively gets more so... then it suddenly amps what was over 11 by a factor of 12. Best way to see is to watch it I suppose. Here is the opening scene of episode one... Link
Heh... somehow, when I think of your character Charmaine, this theme comes to mind....
During their voyage, "Aiden" mostly keeps to himself when not doting on his "wife" or "child". After the first night's... meal... he start taking to saying "prayers" over his food and his fellows. Little did the captain or his crew know that he was using this as an excuse to alter the flavor of the briny fish to something more... palatable. Throughout the way up, however, Brice constantly acts like he has a cough, covering his mouth and muffling sounds. If the captain asks him, he waves it off as the sea aires not agreeing with him. His companions, however, know the truth. Each time he "coughs" one of them hears observations he has on the crew and their surroundings.
I am... been a busy week for me though.
Brice laughs, good-naturedly, at Kargeld's remarks. "My dear fellow, I have promised that you will make it safely up, and so you shall. My brother and I," he gestures to Florian, "have yet to lose a shipment under our watch. Our families will not get in your way unless you bother them." His tone is friendly enough, but there is an implicit threat as to what might happen if someone is unfortunate enough to get in their way. Turning to Genevieve and Fontaine, he smiles taking his daughter's hand. "Come, child. Papa promised you would get to sail this season, and so you shall." Winking to them both, he shoulders his pack and begins heading down the wharf behind the captain.
That is a surprisingly reasonable request. I say surprising because it is surprising that I didn't think to do that on my own...
So Heverly is going by Genevieve, and Brice is going by Aiden. Is anyone else going by an alias? I assume we would know it by now, hence asking here. ;)
Brice, oddly enough, holds Genevieve's look for the duration, smiling amicably enough. <Anything would be better than that, dear sister.> He mentally thinks to the blade in his most calming voice. <Besides, the family that slays together....> "Indeed, my darling sun blossom, this will be a grand time. Do make sure that our darling angel doesn't get caught getting into the knives again... so hard to explain when people's pets come up missing." He gives both of his "girls" a laugh.
<Don't let it go to our heads, eh? Our father and brother are 'leaders' and look what good it does them with their lack of vision.> Brice looks over the captain, and then his boat and crew. "Primitive, but effective. Provided you take no needless risks on the trip up, then yes. You have my honor that you will be protected on the journey up." And not one moment more....
Think we are coming along so far... Florian has been busy I think, so his input is (I think) the only we need outright.
Brice thinks about this for a moment, then nods. "Perhaps it would be best for me to be the craftsman side of the business, with dearest Genevieve as my wife and darling Charmaine as our beloved daughter. Florian could be my brother, who happens also be the salesman side of the family business, and you, Silarsha, being his wife and the model for our wares. After all, we must have someone to demonstrate our blades, and," the ex-noble's words practically drip with sarcasm, "'If it is easy enough for a common housewife to use, than you, good ser, should have no problems at all!'" Brice bursts out laughing as he finishes the supposed sales pitch, both at the irony of it and the hilarity of Silarsha being a 'common' housewife. The laughter fades and he continues. "In all seriousness, it would provide a passable justification for your being armed. You are, after all, only demonstrating how comfortable it is to carry our wares and how easy they can be to draw and whatnot. As for the soon to be dead captain, I would say that we should hear what he thinks we are before telling him anything. If we can get away with him believing the lie that our weapons are 'useless' in our hands it might be a better advantage over him in the long run."
... Maybe have him as my apprentice? "Now Grum... you hit the metal... no no, the hot metal... no, not with your hand, with your hammer."
Hahahaha... though, I also could see Charmaine riding an undead pirate like a mount... Will post in the main thread after I get to work.
Heh, no worries. Separate metagame topic: Do you think that Florian could later raise the captain and his crew from the dead? I am thinking we kill the crew, bury the boat with the bodies, then later raise them all and have our own undead crewed boat to ferry us/unleash terror along the coastline. (insert evil laugh here)
Brice nods. "Fair enough, my dear, fair enough. Just let me know prior to the fun starting what your opinion is. Now, I hate to cut this short but I need to go prepare my spells for tomorrow. Busy day and all." Giving her a half bow, Brice returns to his room where he instructs the thralls that he is not to be disturbed by anyone for the next hour, after which time they are to come in and collect his clothes for washing as per usual, as well as to pack his traveling equipment into his backpack.
Brice rises and gets dressed, picking up his pack of equipment, his spellbook, and his sword. He meets Silarsha and has a thrall bring him a light breakfast snack. "I will play whatever part you need me to. This collar allows me to change forms as need be... merchant is just what I have been practicing."
Brice nods eagerly, and is about to continue before he notices the relative lack of interest from his fellow diners. "I would prefer to leave it in a good enough condition that we are not having to find a new one when we want her again, but we will have time to discuss this once the ship is ours I think. I just thought that you might appreciate having your own ship once more... the start of your own fleet perhaps... once we had time to retrieve it once more."
As they are leaving, the dining room, Brice takes Silarsha aside. "I did not want to bore everyone at the table, but my thought is that we could bury the ship on the shoreline, leave an innocuous marker, then come and dig it back up when we needed her again. My main concern is the masts... to bury the ship with them would likely risk their snapping and would require us to bury her deep to prevent their sticking up like some grizzly hand of a corpse. Try to observe whether or not it is possible to remove the mast quickly while we are onboard. I would hate to damage it, but absolute worst case we might have to."
Brice nods thoughtfully, though the frown on his face shows this was unexpected. "I was meaning more the latter than the former. An unattended ship that is visible will be suspicious no matter what kind it looks like, as the Cardinal said. Making it less visible or disguised to appear to be something else entirely, however, is less likely to draw attention." Brice thinks a moment, then asks, "How hard would it be to remove the masts? And how long would it normally take to re-affix them if you had them?"
Brice nods, his expression a mask. "This is good to know, but as you pointed out: it is best not to be wasteful. Having a second ship later on might prove useful, even if it would take some time to ready it for use once more." Turning to Silarsha, he asks, "Raiders have ways of masking their boats when not in use, correct? I might be able to help bury it if nothing else, assuming we could ready it for such an... unusual... storage method."
Have a great vacation!
"I find it best to talk business before getting too full of alcohol and food." Brice smiles as he then proceeds to listen to their marching orders. At the end, he raises a glass. "To war." This time he drinks and does not smash the glass. "I do, however, have a question. Is it absolutely necessary to burn the boat to cinders? While I agree that loose ends and potential traitors in the ranks merit... effective, efficient and extreme response... the boat itself might prove useful, and one of our number," Brice inclines his head at Silarsha, "is familiar enough with boats that we might be able to use it later on." Brice smiles and takes a civilized bite of meat after dabbing it in the red wine sauce. "Of course, I would not be so arrogant or so stupid to disregard to do this if you deem it essential. I merely submit that it might not be and thus ask before we set out."
Looking Tiadora straight in the eye as she enters, Brice's characteristic arrogant smirk returns as he almost mockingly raises his new glass in a toasting gesture. <One day, my sister... one day.> The smile fades a bit as the barbed creature arrives.
So now the man can summon barbed devils, eh? I wonder who's souls are temporarily unguarded while he gallivants up here? Despite himself, the noble shivers a bit as creature rips into the thrall. At least she picked one of the males... probably to try to send me a message, no doubt... The blood burns his forehead more than most there on account of his ancestry, but he merely bares his sharklike teeth in a grimace until it passes. "So, my dear Cardinal, if I might inquire what mayhem we are being dispatched to perform on the morrow it would be beneficial. As much as dearest Tiadora might find amusement at it, I would rather not be arriving with spells prepared for burning the peasantry out of their homes when we are being called to mingle among them and gather information."
Brice gives Florian a smirk at his remark, as well as a small nod of respect. "Ah, I always forget that was your original calling in life. I might need to have you be... my salesman... or something. I am better about knowing the 'value' of things than most nobles, but not as instinctively as someone born to the buying and selling of...." Brice pauses, thinking and then asks, "What did your family sell, anyway?" Brice lets out a low whistle at Heverly's entrance, and uses magic to pull out her chair for her. "You look radiant, my dear, as always. May I pour you a glass of something refreshing?" He indicates to the bar with his free hand. At the toast, Brice smirks. He raises the glass, drinks the remaining contents, then smashes it against the ground away from the others after all have finished. Magically preparing himself another drink, his smirk breaks out into a devilish grin. "May that glass be reassembled and repaired by hand with no magic or heat before our enemies finish their suffering at our hands." The new glass comes to the ex-noble and he turns to Silarsha. "I know many languages, my strong friend... that is not among their number. Normally I have magic that could allow me to understand the literal meaning of your words, but I did not think to prepare it last night. I will simply have to learn it the old fashioned way, I suppose." After a moment or two, Brice magically serves himself several plates. each composed of various foods that went together, though his portion sizes on each were somewhat reserved. Throughout the course of the evening he "sets" each plate in front of himself as he finishes the previous "course", the dirty plate being whisked to the nearest thrall to be removed. "So... has our Patron given any indication of where or what we are to be doing? Such knowledge might help me best pick what spells to ready for the morrow."
Brice nods to both Florian - Nice to see his tastes in excess have not changed, - and Silarsha as they arrive. Waving toward the decanter of fortified wine, it levitates and pours a moderately sized glass. "Well, anyone still looking for me is likely to be thinking I would be... well, me," he smiles gesturing to himself with one hand, reaching out with the other. The now full glass floats gracefully to his outreached grasp. "Very few of my house even suspected that I can, in fact, do anything useful. Fewer would dream that I would try to pass myself off as a member of the ... lower classes. And none of them would believe that I could do what I claimed to be able to do in those boots." Brice smiles and takes a graceful sip. "Granted I have been posing as a half-elf until now, but I can modify that to fit whatever the situation requires."
<Hah... she might be stealthy and small, but I think the Ulfen woman would be more likely to keep us from getting skewered by the friends of Mitra brigade... still, we should be much better prepared to bring true knowledge and civility to our unwashed masses.> Brice finally gets out of the bath, his thralls there to dry and cloth him. Wearing much the same clothes as he did when he arrived (complete with the fur cape... but not the gloves) and again carrying his sword and his spellbook, Brice heads into the feast. Seeing Charmaine (as well as her ogre butler) Brice gives the halfling a warm smile. "A pleasant evening to you, my dear. I figured I would get one more night as myself before I have to embrace my inner arms merchant for a while." He smiles at his own joke and sits close enough to her to have conversation if she chose to, but far enough away that she would not feel obliged to do so. Looking toward the ogre, Brice rolls his eyes but not in an unfriendly or malicious way. "I see your companion is polishing up slowly but surely like old brass candlesticks." Nodding to Grumblejack, the former noble smiles politely, and then proceeds to focus back on Charmaine while they awaited the others to arrive.
Brice claps appreciatively at the singing of Silarsha and the dancing of Heverly. Taking them to the nearest outdoor courtyard, Brice concentrates and points somewhere visible to them but not likely to be seen very far away. Suddenly three magical rockets go forth from his hands within moments of each other. The rockets streak toward the ground he is pointing to, flipping and weaving through whatever brushes or other obstacles bar their path. Finally, they cheerfully explode in bright colorful showers of sparks and flashes, one after the other. Panting a bit from the concentration, Brice smiles. "New spell... just learned... yesterday. Normally used for... festivals and the like. Can do damage though, if aimed right. Long range too, to get skyborne normally." Brice composes himself and leads the others back inside to enjoy the rest of the evening.
That is pretty much what Brice did for his. I figured that he could reasonably learn about 3 spells every 2 weeks, so I took a 10 on the checks made considering he was taking that extra time to decipher, understand, and copy them. Besides, I also figure that Brice and Florian were probably giving each other the benefit of the "Aid other" action through their montaged spell conversations when things got tricky.
Brice laughs a bit a the way the superior fighter is completely taken in by the illusion. And this, my dear, is why I kept our sparring sessions to only physical combat. I know I can probably best you with aid of my magic... consider that my ace in the hole in case we every cross blades seriously. No... the only way I would get better with wielding my sister was to face you without relying on magical tricks. Carefully holding the Ulfen woman's hand, he guides it along where the axe blade remains, being careful to only guide it along the unsharpened portions. "This is why the heft and balance did not change. While the spell makes it look, and to some degree feel, like a different weapon, it does not actually make it into another one. If I had to do this for you, and we had to fight, you would need to treat this as if it was an axe still... for it very much is. Hence my not changing it into a greatsword. The magic would allow such a deception, but the illusion would be given away when you suddenly grabbed it by the 'blade' safely."
Brice nods, pleased both that his skills had improved and that he had been able to direct his companions to victory. "Well done, all. Whatever our mission is I think we should be ready for it." Heading to his room to ready himself, he has his three thralls (the same three who have been serving him since he arrived three months ago) prepare his clothing and a bath for the evening entertainment. He also sets aside his spellbook so that he can go over it. I will need to ask for details tonight on where we are going. It wouldn't do to prepare spells for combat when infiltration is required... or vice-versa. Setting his sword down he sends a thought to it as he does. <We are finally getting to go outside amongst our people again. Ready to begin implementing our second attempt at revenge in earnest, sis?>
Heh... don't worry about it Charmaine. That said, if you (or anyone else) wants to start setting aside funds to buy materials for subsequent crafting projects of weapons Brice wouldn't say no to the idea. Eventually I will getting the feats required for crafting magic items, so keep that in mind. ;)
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