Brookside GM's page

It's been great playing with you all and thanks for your closing words. This all means a lot. It's so much more meaningful when the story actually gets to end instead of just freezing in an ambiguous limbo forever.

I love the symmetry between the first and final posts, Mel.

On the topic of recruitment, it would have been great to have had all three of you right from the outset! It was a funny campaign that started out as a oneshot for PCs with 5 levels of NPC classes. I believe Mel was an Expert? They successfully defended Brookside against an orc raid, found out the Elves were behind it for nefarious geopolitical reasons, and then decided what to do about it. Most of the players were content leaving it as the one-shot they signed up for so their characters went back to their "normal lives" in Brookside (e.g., Vors whom you were just staying with). Mel and Perrin decided to go do something about the treachery of the Elves, with adventurer class levels now, and it's history from there.

I should also mention that I am retiring from PBP on Paizo.com. It's been a great on here but over the years my PBP community has come to live on Discord, which has certain technical advantages. Please feel free to PM me for my casual email address if you want to stay in touch, are ever looking for a game on Discord, want to meet up at a con, etc. I will probably check Paizo a bit for the next couple days as we wrap up chatting then I will fade.

Thanks so much, Tinalles. That means a lot, especially coming from an excellent RPGer like yourself. You've been the beating heart of the player side of the table as we've had our normal, PBP share of player turnover.

Kaz and Hal, thanks so much for coming in partway through and committing to this experience. Your characters have been so unique and critical to the formation of the story and world. Whole parts of the world exist just because your characters made them make sense.

After your early breakfast, you say farewell to Vors and his family. He grips Hal's and Kazador's hands warmly, offers his hand to Rally for a sniff, and enfolds Mel in a firm hug. "Have a safe trip. I suppose if you run into any bandits or wolves on the road, it'll be terrible news for them." He chuckles a bit as his wife plies you all with provisions for your trip. You depart his home as the sun is still rising...

That's fine! A lot of the pacing considerations of PBP revolve around long-term sustainability so we don't really need to worry about that now.

You retire into your beds, thinking of what the future holds for each of you. Your rest is well-earned so you fall asleep quickly. But first, you consider next steps.

Ultimate or penultimate epilogue post from each of you about what you plan to do in the future before you fall asleep.

Love it!

Indeed Hal does find several suspicious magical auras. Unholy water and incense that were used in casting Commune with some evil entity as well as very difficult to identify gloves. Eventually, Hal determines that they assist the wearer in performing surgeries, particularly delicate ones, but have an odd enchantment curse of some sort, altering the wearer's memory if used long enough. Based on the timeline, Hal determines Perrin had not used the gloves for quite enough time for the curse to alter his memories according to whatever program is contained within the gloves.

Oh interesting! I'm curious as to why you guys were PMing about his house. Planning RP or something I assume.

The village of Brookside was too raw and tense after the Battle of Brookside to have a normal wake. But months later now, the community is ready to grieve more freely. The mead, ale, and beer flows alongside the tears, tragic songs are sung, and hard hugs are exchanged frequently. Of course, not everyone knew Perrin well or was attached to him. But the people have plenty to grieve. Further, the news of the successful diplomatic summit in Helm lifts the pall of oncoming war, deepening the village's emotional release as they finally get to feel like they can return to their normal lives.

Yes Avoron was quite engaged with this campaign as well as a gestalt oneshot I was running on here at the time then suddenly ghosted both as well as everything else on paizo.com. I hope he's ok. I did have one time when somebody ghosted a campaign then a stranger came to the discussion thread and said they had died rather suddenly of an infection and were notifying people. I have no reason to think they were lying as they weren't taking up a collection for cards or anything. It's a crazy world and I hope you are all ok!

Hal proves quite the raconteur and entertains Vors' family well over the course of the meal and evening! Passing the time together helps assuage the pain of Perrin's death a little and you all head off to sleep for the evening.

Dawn rises on a cool, misty morning in Brookside with the sounds of the songbirds and the river babbling past.

Perrin's mother weeps at the tale of her son's heroism and nods, agreeing with the Pharasmin ceremony. "He always was a good boy, trying to help everyone he met. When he was just three years old, he gave his lunch to a stray dog. Pharasma will send him to a quiet rest, I pray."

Yes that lines up well with my plans, of which there are essentially zero left.

No problem.

You get to Brookside in a hurry and find the small village is buzzing with talk. A few people who had just moved to Brookside suddenly left, just a few hours after Perrin's death by your reckoning. The Reapers are in disarray and will need time to choose new leadership while they seem to have no reason to stay at Brookside. After all, Perrin was not the leader of the Reapers because of great personal loyalty that was paid to him.

Perrin's aging mother is his only surviving family member in Brookside. She mends clothes to barter for life necessities and Perrin has sent her enough money to live comfortably on for the rest of her life.

The main question now is how you want to approach Perrin's funeral. Who will be invited, what will they be told, etc?

We can assume Hal tucked the body somewhere safe. Magic Aura-ed Bag of holding up a tree in the woods or whatever.

Hal does find you at breakfast as you make plans for a funeral at Brookside, months after the last batch of funerals. This one will be quieter and much less attended as there is only one body and few in Brookside, or anywhere, know what Perrin has been doing.

You teleported scores of miles to the village of Brookside. You could leave the body in the woods and come back into the city of Helm if you like. So it's up to you whether you are in this scene. My preference leans toward involving more people in the current scene when possible.

The guards come in with spells readied and weapons drawn, a middle-aged wizard flying in and huffing "An explanation and a total surrender by you and your party, if you please!"

Hal returns the body to Brookside while Rally stays with Mel, looking around furtively. Very soon, there is a swarm of law enforcement as well as royal guards, or the Concordat's equivalent, all over the alley!

Do you guys stay and explain or sneak off before law enforcement comes?

Same!

Yes that counts for Blessed. Wow. I lost track that you had taken that feat. The story just worked out to fulfill it. I suppose mostly because the same Mel who chose to took that feat also tried to redeem Perrin, with some degree of success.

The afterlife in Golarion is messy but, in a totally made up fantasy afterlife, I feel like he would face some penance for all the wrongs he did but eventually be accepted into the upper planes for his good intentions and final acts in search of repentance.

Tough decisions you're giving me! If dice were involved here, I would blame the decision on them either way. But when it's just narrative, I had to think hard about what I prefer here.

Cyrus was a great character, indeed, and an important part of the story going where it ended up. Yes that sounds good about his funeral.

Perrin's body does not respond to treatment, his breathing and heartbeat growing weaker, until they cease altogether. It does not make sense from the physical wounds alone. But perhaps this is the end of Perrin's dealings and battle with Haagenti.

Rally the fox lies with her neck broken, beyond the aid of most healers, magical or mundane. But no one on the continent has combined healing magic with a deep knowledge of the body like Mel and she gets the broken vertebrae realigned and healed in time. The fox opens her eyes, rises to her feet, and noses Mel's palm in a friendly fashion.

Hal contains the energy and buys you a little bit more time! Perrin's eyes lock onto the halo over Mel's head as Kazador rushes back into position and bolsters his allies. Then Kazador attempts to draw closer to the rune but Perrin turns, half-distracted, to cast another spell on the dwarf. Just as he finishes gesturing, however, an orange blur leaps out from behind one of the crates in the alley and latches onto Perrin's hand! Perrin's all-black eyes flicker between the orange form and Melia's halo as he forgets to finish the spell...

...just long enough for Kazador's hammer to make contact! The energy built up in the rune blasts outward, severely damaging the wall and injuring those of you in the alley. Coughing as the dust clears and soldiers shout from many rooftops in the area, you stumble to your feet. You broke the positive feedback loop early enough that the wall held and those inside the guardhouse should be unharmed. Perrin lies on his back in the alley, black eyes staring unblinkingly upwards, motionless. Several feet away, a dead fox lies where the explosion flung her, neck clearly broken.

You follow Perrin through some sewer tunnels, up through a manhole, and into an alley behind the central guardhouse. Security around the building is very, very tight with fighters and wizards on every rooftop as the three heads of state are present in the guardhouse right now. So you all have to move very carefully through the area.

As you enter the alley, a rune begins to glow on the wall of the guardhouse. At first, it glows a faint red, then more brightly orange, then brighter still yellow. Hal and Perrin quickly figure out that there is some sort of magical, positive feedback loop building rapidly toward an explosion. The best way to break the feedback loop will be literally with a hammer strike from Kazador.

However, as Kazador moves forward, Perrin's eyes turn entirely black and he teleports Kazador backwards away from the target...

This is a narrative-only epilogue so you can describe your general reactions, RP, and the kinds of things you would try to do.

The voice pauses then speaks, faltering "Well... Haagenti would be acting through mortal agents if he blew up the guardhouse... I didn't understand the magic I was doing at the time but..."

Perrin shares his role in marking the central guardhouse, months ago. Any who wish may read the spoilers between myself and Perrin starting from my post on Oct 15, 2018, 02:20 pm depicting a dream that Perrin receives.

Perrin sighs. "It turns out my divination gave some misleading information. Haagenti's "communication" sometimes takes on forceful means. But in any case, believe me when I say that I am confident that Haagenti's plan to detonate the guardhouse is no bluff."

The voice of unseen Perrin replies "Well Haagenti gave me some key information that let me take over their power structure. They still do some crimes but they do a lot more good than they would without me." To Mel's question, he replies "Well... yes... but really it will save lives if I kill them. Haagenti is going to blow up the entire guardhouse if I don't. But don't worry, all three successions have been lined up just perfectly and I will be even more capable of ensuring peace on the continent. Like I said, Mel, this will save lives."

Perrin's voice echoes back in reply "There are some people in the guardhouse I need to kill. It's unfortunate but it will prevent more from dying. And yes, I have taken over the Reaps. Good thing, too. I am having them keep an eye on Brookside so it doesn't get attacked again."

You race after the figure and turn the corner, seeing no one, but hear Perrin's voice reply from somewhere in this corridor "Mel? You're alive? That's great! But can we catch up later? I have lives to save."

You wait around in the hideout for the rest of the day but see no sign of its occupant. In fact, you stake out the place for days but still cannot find them. Finally, the day of the summit has come and the central guardhouse is packed with security as three heads of state convene to represent the Concordat, Iustia, and Helm at the diplomatic even of the century.

You decide to keep investigating the sewers, given your partial lead, and finally spot a cloaked figure just ahead of you, turning around a corner in the sewers and heading closer to the guardhouse. Your eyes are barely sharp enough to recognize the silhoette of a plague doctor mask at this distance and lighting.

Mel and Kaz each note that some of the magical components have an inscription of a stone on them. Looking closely, the book-learned identify it as depicting the Philosopher's Stone and thus being an unholy symbol of Haagenti.

You spend the night at a reputable inn and then search the sewers the next day for Perrin. After searching for stinky hours, near the central guardhouse, Hal-the-ever-paranoid finds some exploding runes guarding a small section of sewer. Inside that section of sewer, there are some magical components and food stockpiled. It's unclear what they are for but you seem to be on the trail of... something...

I agree completely with Grumbaki. In general, Mind Blank is an annoyingly written spell but this case is sufficiently clear, imo.

Sounds awesome. I love me some good axe throwing.

How did the house guest feel about PC death? Some people like how real it can make the game feel, others hate it.

Bump for Mel in case there was a lost notification.

You ruminate on what these doings could mean and Mel gets some quiet time to cast her spell. She hears rumors of a pale-haired human man with boyish features, matching Perrin's description, seen near several different entrances to the sewers near the central guardhouse.

Kaz please do share your spoiler info too when you get a chance. I understand that right now you're trying not to interrupt Hal.

Hal and Kaz, care to share and we'll proceed?

You spend a few more weeks together, mulling dreams and your futures, before pulling into the port of Helm. When you arrive, you see the port is bustling and full of gossip!

Step 1: What business do you want to conduct your first day in port? Reminder since it has been a while, you can refer to the Big Maps link at the top of this page to see the world map. The Bishopric of Helm is the most neutral sovereign state on the continent, where the campaign started, and its head of state, the Bishop, is friendly to the party.

Step 2: That evening.

After your first day in Port conducting business, you meet up for dinner together at a fine tavern, the Briar Rose.

Thanks, guys! I have really appreciated playing with you all and crafting a story together. That's what it's really about. And you players have made it worthwhile.

This is my last campaign on Paizo as I really just play on Discord now. I know Kaz has tried discord and doesn't like it so I hope to see you around somewhere, sometime.

Yes, it's good to have Mel Elden back!

Viscount Turick bids you all a fond farewell, loading several barrels of his favorite salted pork and a cask of his favorite mead onto the Siren to help in your preparations. Count Aral takes the items from Mel in trust and nods somberly, understanding the cost of this war of intrigue.

Soon the Siren is fitted out and you sail around the continent for several weeks with an oddly favorable breeze. The motion of the boat rocks you to sleep each night.

Great! Update post incoming.

Sounds fine to me, if Kaz and Hal are on board (pun intended).

You did it, guys! Capturing the Duke without a massive fight with his guards was critical and then you said the right things, with the right supporting rolls, to finish the job. Go ahead and RP a little ending for your character. PC-PC interaction is fine too, of course.

That said, I do have a little, narrative-only epilogue in mind. It wraps up a few plot threads, particularly those relating to the very early days of the campaign. There will be a little bit for everyone, at a minimum, but certainly more for Mel since she has been here the whole campaign (or as soon as she replaced her killed PC, that is). So the options here are to narrate a final end for your PC now or to narrate a smaller end and then participate in the epilogue. There will be no rolling or detailed tracking of mechanics in the epilogue. Mostly me just narrating a few scenes and you guys RPing a small, key number of reactions or choices.

The next day, all of Bannerhold is astir with gossip and wild rumors, including one that a giant dwarf grappled the treacherous Duke Beaumont in one hand and threw him bodily into the royal dungeon. Perhaps more importantly, word spreads that a courier was dispatched to the Concordat with a request for a diplomatic summit.

You rest in Bannerhold briefly, collecting your belongings and wrapping up your residence in the townhouse. Just before you leave, you hear criers in the street reading a royal proclamation guaranteeing protections for non-humans in Iustia.

What are you each doing after the conference in Bannerhold and then where do you wish to go? Also, see discussion.

The Duke is bustled off by several, particularly elite-looking guards sporting a mixture of armor, holy symbols, robes, and staffs depending on the individual. He protests the entire time but to no avail.

You are all escorted back out of the palace and reunited with your possessions by guards who are clearly working to keep their composure and hold the gossip of the decade until later. As you walk out in the fine front courtyard of the palace, a familiar tall, graying figure catches up with you near a fountain.

The King listens closely as you each speak, giving a small nod of acknowledgement to Kazador then turning to Count Aral and Viscount Turick for confirmation. They both confirm, speaking highly of how you have proved yourselves as investigators in matters of extreme sensitivity.

When the king turns to Beaumont, the Duke sits straighter in his ornate chair, takes a deep breath, and begins "Your grace, I fear I must report crimes of the utmost treason. These so-called investigators broke into my home, assaulted myself and my staff, kidnapped me from the grounds of my own home, and kept me bound and unconscious for an indeterminate period. Such crimes against any member of your council must be considered to high treason."

The Duke looks extraordinarily surprised and narrows his eyes at you "Assassins! Kidnappers! Treason! Guard, arrest them!" The king's guard is un-surprised by this outburst and calm the Duke, a captain responding "Have no fear, my Grace. The King has sworn to sort this matter out himself in a private court session. Any guilty parties will answer to royal justice soon enough." The Duke takes a deep breath and composes himself with supreme confidence written across his face, nodding and rising to walk with ramrod posture.

The guards take all of your weapons and detectably magic items then lead you into a large, wood-paneled room with a long table. Four men and women wearing gray cloaks stand behind the young man seated at the head of the table. He wears an exquisitely tailored purple robe and a thin circlet of gold on his head. Blue eyes pierce you all as you enter the room and are shown to seats. You see that Count Aral is already seated in the room. Viscount Turick and Duke Beaumont are shown to seats while you are shown where to stand.

Wonderful summary, Mel. Take a hero point for encapsulating this journey so well.

I will add that, yes, Kazador was the closest thing to an adventurer before the campaign. But he was a very broken man with little to no purpose. So he was close to being a commoner in terms of morale vs. grand challenges, if not in ability.