Search Posts
Hi guys, I'm terribly sorry to have to do this. A lot of time has been taken up recently due to personal matters and whilst I have attempted to keep up with it over the past several weeks, I genuinely believe that I'm not able to continue posting to keep the game going at a somewhat reasonable pace. I've decided to stop this game for now so I can sort out these matters. My sincere apologies to all of you. I wish you all the very best. Regards
The goblin looked like it almost jumped out of its skin, having been scared from behind. It turns around just in time to narrowly dodge Kyras’ Falchion. The goblin, realising that it cannot get out of this situation alive drops its dogslicers and gets on its knees looking as though he’s begging for mercy… “S'no! Bm'uk'! O tu'd 'uu vokrd u sun'...” Inside, the other goblins can be heard shouting something very similar. Moments later the sound of metal clanging to the ground can be heard and the other two goblins in the room kneel to the ground, pleading for mercy as well. Janiven looks towards Kyras and Ankara who are standing opposite her and asks “Looks like they’ve given up – they probably realise we’re too much to handle. What should we do?” The goblin at the front turns its head wildly between members of the party, realising that its fate would be decided in the next few seconds.
Round 2
“R'o kuok, u moddm' r'mb!? 'rud un' ouu tuok?” Having seen Kyras early, the other goblin was prepared to see the Falchion come hurtling down towards it, jumping to its left at the last second as the blade came down, which sliced nothing but air. Seeing the blade miss it, the goblin blows a raspberry at Kyras, taunting him for missing it. Her first attack missing, Janiven focuses once again to attack the goblin who is now somewhat distracted between guarding himself against Janiven and looking at his friends who have disappeared back into the lair. Seizing the moment, Janiven strikes and hits, managing to stab it into its flesh. Another scream echos through the sewer walls as Janiven withdraws the blood-stained dagger, and the goblin looks down at its mangy flesh where the dagger pierced it moments ago in horror. The blow from Marcellius follows soon after, knocking the goblin out. Malcom, seeing the other goblin fall moves towards the one that Kyras attacked, throwing a punch at it whilst it is distracted. The punch connects and bruises the goblin, who grunts out in pain from the monk's punch. Patrum runs around the corner of the pool in an attempt to find where the other goblins have retreated to. Spotting them, he withdraws his crossbow and loads up a bolt, getting ready to fire his crossbow.
Janiven attacking goblin
Malcom attackin goblin
Round 3 Initiative and other information
Malcom steps behind Janiven, wary of his surroundings and ready to back up anyone who might need assistance. Alarmed at the fact that Ankara and Kyras closed in quickly behind him, the goblin didn’t think twice about drawing his broken dogslicers, slashing one of them wildly at Ankara who manages to evade the attacks easily. The other goblins also draw out their dual dogslicers quite clumsily, waiting to get a piece of the action. Each of them wear a wide grin, as though they expect this battle to be easy for them. Their expression suddenly turns to fear as Kyras and Ankara both strike at the attacking goblin. That goblin lets out a bloodcurdling scream as it staggers to the ground, bleeding. The other goblins stare wide-eyed at their fallen comrade, realising the situation they've gotten themselves into. Seeing her moment of opportunity, Janiven moves forward and strikes the next goblin. That blow however missed the goblin, who is now alert at the situation after seeing his friend fall so easily. Patrum hangs back from the rear, stepping behind Malcom to cast acid splash at the goblin with a bruise on its forehead (the one standing to the right of the goblin that Janiven attempted to hit). The dart hits and splashes into the goblin's face. It writhes in pain, cursing in Goblin at Patrum for firing an acid dart at it. "Tus ouu kdubot 'owunt! Having waded into the sewage, the water manages to seep into an open wound and Marcellius begins to feel slightly uneasy. The goblin manages to avoid Marcellius who attempted to swing at the goblin with some trouble.
Janiven attacking goblin
Patrum casting acid splash
Number of days for onset period of Filth Fever for Marcellius
Morosino moves back a little towards Sevegny, realising that he’ll only get in the way if he attempts anything. Janiven looks towards Marcellius, wondering if he is joking about being diplomatic with the goblins. In a chuckling tone, she whispers to Marcellius. “Diplomacy, with goblins!? Surely you know that goblins can’t keep any promises they make… they’ll do anything to get themselves out of trouble. That’s all they’ll do…” As Ankara and Kyras charge towards the grey-skinned goblins, they turn around, startled to see a Barbarian and Fighter rushing to them. One of them, with a somewhat large bump on his forehead points towards Ankara and Kyras shouting, “Uddug! Gomm dr's u'!”
Round 1 Initiative
Dice roll for Patrum's initiative
Janiven risks peeking out of the corner to see what the commotion is about. Looking out, she whispers what she sees to the party. “Goblins… two of them. We should be able to take them out without a problem. Both of them are holding dogslicers, two of them. They’re fighting with each other over something and seem distracted. I think one of them might’ve injured themselves running into the wall… attacking the other goblin.” As she says this the sound of a door slamming open can be heard and more high-pitched shrieks can be heard as goblins scream over the top of each other. “'rud dr' r'mm ok kuok u? K'd pug o r'n'... u'!” Janiven frowns as she hears the voices. “Another three!?… well that shouldn’t make things that much tougher should it?” Her lips curl into a smile as she looks towards Morosino. “Morosino, hand me that dagger. You hang back here. Is everyone else ready to take them out?” Morosino nervously hands the dagger to Janiven. Wielding it expertly, she gets ready to strike the goblins at a moment’s notice.
Janiven looks back towards the group, eyeing the bag containing the adorned rings and gold pieces. “We better make haste. It’s nice that we have some additional gold, but it’s worthless down here. Let’s continue on our way down this corridor.”
The stench of the sewers, whilst awful moments ago felt like a fresh of breath air compared to the smells the party are enduring now. The sewage smell down this section of the sewers intensifies and the water, if at all possible seems murkier here. Morosino, looking sick to the stomach drags his shirt around his face in an attempt to cover the awful stench that floats around here, whilst Janiven puts her free hand around the bottom half of her face, covering both mouth and nose to prevent herself from breathing in the sewage. Janiven suddenly stops as the group is about to turn a corner. Holding her free hand up she whispers in a hushed tone. “Shhh… wait… do any of you hear that?” A loud shriek can be heard as Janiven finishes her sentence, the voice not quite human. “Otoud! Koss' drud... od'k so'. u'! Koss' u'!!!” A loud thump can be heard around the bend, as if something, or someone had just smashed into a wall.
Janiven replies to Marcellius' comments about the skeleton. "It is very strange indeed. It's very unusual that skeletons would be down here in the sewers. Skeletons and necromancy... no doubt there's evil afoot down here in the sewers that no one knows about." - Perception check for Malcom Sevegny, Patrum, Marcellius and Malcom:
Seeing the dice fall on the five, Janiven nods her head and follows behind Ankara. Alright everybody. Let’s make a move. May Calistria guide us safely. With that said, she begins to follow Ankara down the passage. Morosino, realising that the party is about to make a move, stands up suddenly, looking panic-stricken. He clumsily runs towards Janiven, waving Ankara’s dagger a bit wildly as he moves towards her direction, crying out, "Wait up!"
This path leads to a four way intersection, planks dropped carefully around the intersection to allow for easy crossing between the sewer channels. Beyond this intersection lies a wooden door on the right hand side of the sewer wall, perhaps leading to a small side room. Janiven sighs with relief as she points towards the wall opposite the door – a sword symbol is clearly scribbled on the sewer door pointing forward. Thank Calistria! There’s our sword symbol. Let us make haste and be on our way. A heavy sigh of relief comes out of Morosino as he realises that the group is heading in the right direction.
Janiven turns to Kyras, nodding her head. “I’ve marked every single intersection and the last sword symbol pointed here, so I’m pretty certain this is the right spot.” She pauses to look around the walls for a moment to make sure she hasn’t missed an obvious location before continuing to speak in a relatively calm voice. “Look, we’ve got three choices – the worst that can happen is that we can’t find the symbol at the next intersection of one of these paths. If that happens then we can make our way back here and try another path. And if that path doesn’t have a sword symbol at the next intersection either then it must be the third and final one.” Turning her gaze towards the party, Janiven looks as though she’s submitted to the fact that the symbol won’t be found any time soon. “Well, no use standing here. Obviously it won’t help. It’s not like the sword symbol will suddenly appear like magic on the wall, showing us the correct way to go. Anyone want to pick a direction to go?”
Round 3
Hiding behind the group, Morosino is obviously shaken from the animated skeletons that just attacked. Janiven lets go of the boy, whispering gently to him to be brave. She withdraws the lit sunrod, searching for any signs of the sword symbol that will lead the group to the safe haven. “Where are you?” Having circulated the area several times, she begins to panic and grow in frustration. Moments later, she turns to the party, her eyes clearly showing panic and fear. “We’re lost! I can’t find it anywhere. It must’ve been washed away by the sewage waters!” Morosino’s eyes grow wide open in fear upon hearing this, as though he can’t believe what Janiven just said. “W...Wh...What do you mean!? We just came from that junction over there several minutes ago! It clearly pointed in this direction and now there’s no symbol!?” Morosino holds his head in his hands, shaking his head as though he can’t believe the predicament the group is in. “Please tell me I’m in a dream. What do we do now?”
Round 2 Sevegny’s wave of positive energy damages the skeletons. One of the skeletons submits to the positive energy as it crumbles into dust, whilst the other two manage to withstand its full blast. For one skeleton however, managing to withstand the blast did nothing as Kyras’ falchion manages to strike it down effortlessly. The remaining skeleton swings its broken scimitar at Marcellius, managing to cut the paladin quite deeply. Patrum’s acid dart misses the skeleton. Much like the previous dart, this one smashes into the sewer wall, dissipating upon impact. Roll Results:
Round 3 Initiative and status
Post actions for round 3
Round 1
Sevegny’s attempt to turn the skeletons seemed futile. The release of divine energy, whilst potent had absolutely no affect on these unusually resilient skeletons. Rushing by to aid Ankara, Marcellius swings to strike the skeleton. The blow connected with the skeleton’s leather armour rendering his attack ineffective. Meanwhile, Kyras, Malcom and Patrum rush along to assist their comrades in combat. The acid arrow that Patrum fired missed its target horribly, splashing against the wall and dissipating upon collision. One of the skeletons mindlessly wonders forward. Together with the skeleton that attacked Ankara earlier, the two manage to strike and wound the barbarian further. Meanwhile, the third skeleton attacks Marcellius. The aim was poor and Marcellius was able to avoid the attack easily. You hear several screams from Morosino as the battle against the skeletons progresses. The boy cowers in Janiven’s arms, obviously scared having never seen skeletons up close before. Rules, discussion and other matters:
Roll Results:
AoO roll against Ankara - 1d20 = 17 Damage roll against Ankara - 1d6 = 2 Sevegny’s initiative roll - 1d20 + 2 = 18 Skeleton's saving throws against DC 13 Turn undead - 1d20 + 2 for each = 22, 20 & 14 Skeleton at H5 attacking Ankara - 1d20 = 13, 1d6 = 5 Skeleton at G4 attacking Marcellius - 1d20 = 3, 1d6 = 6 Skeleton at H4 randomly selecting and attacking Ankara - 1d20 = 12, 1d6 = 3 Round 2 Initiative and status
Post actions for the 2nd round.
Having been caught up in the rush, all that the group had heard from the young noble was how disgusting the smell was and how he would have to go to his tailor about replacing his clothes that now smelled like sewage. So caught up was the noble in his wardrobe that he didn't really notice the danger until Janiven's scream and run to take cover behind him. Looking around in surprise, Malcom does his best to move forward a bit to check out what all the commotion was about while he shifts his grip on his cane to get more leverage for swinging.
Understanding the explanations provided by the group, Janiven nods her head. She is still clearly upset at the loss of the tavern yet she understands the reasons for Ankara suddenly burning the tavern. She looks towards Marcellius, explaining how she prepared for the meeting. “You aren’t the first group that I’ve organised such a meeting for. Like previous meetings this one took some time to organise. The messengers that I asked to recruit you earlier this morning are also members of the group. We’ve only been in existence for a short time but we’re growing fast. It is somewhat surprising to see so many like minded people willing to join us. With the group growing so fast, we needed a new space – our safe haven. Anyway, we better get moving. We’ve got some ground to cover and the faster we cover it, the better.” Turning back to the sword symbol Janiven and Morosino turn left and lead the group through the maze of sewers. At each junction a sword symbol can be found clearly pointing the way towards the supposed safe haven and the group followed the symbols without difficulty. Having travelled through the sewers for some time, the party adjust to the awful smell of the sewers. Suddenly, Janiven sticks her hand out, telling the group to stop. Morosino, looking horrified manages to stifle a scream and heads to the back of the group as quickly as possible. Janiven whispers to the group pointing her finger towards the front trying to describe what she sees. “What the!? Skeletons… how did they get here!?” She attempts to move to the back of the group as quickly as possible to ensure the light doesn’t give away the group’s position. Unfortunately, the skeletons turn towards the group’s direction and saw the group. The red lights replacing their eye sockets gleam with glee as they slowly and mindlessly make their way towards the group.
Initiative Rolls
“The tavern!!!” Janiven cries out as she is ushered through the trapdoor by Ankara. She gives Ankara a cold stare as the group makes their way through down to the sewers. “Was it really necessary to burn the tavern down!?” Janiven heads towards the front of the group, grumbling something unintelligible as she heads to the front of the group with Morosino. At the end of the rough hewn passage is a wooden door. She opens it and a rancid smell blasts into the tunnel, enough to make one’s stomach churn. “Quickly, through this door. We can bar this door on the other side.” Janiven pushes a concealed rock aside located near the entrance to the sewers. A small hollow is revealed that houses a crate of vials and a golden rod. She sighs in relief as she sees them. “Thank goodness they’re still here. I’ve stashed these healing potions here a few weeks ago in case an emergency occurred like now. Here, take the vials. We can’t afford to stop in case the Hellknights decide to follow us after they take care of the fire. We need every second!” Janiven hands three vials to each member of the group. The vial contains a small amount of a bluish liquid. She takes the small golden rod, striking it against the wall. The rod begins to glow, reflecting light off the walls of the narrow sewer tunnels and door. She heads to the end of the tunnel where the sewerage branches off into several directions, pointing the tip of the glowing rod at a swordlike symbol pointing to the left. “We scouted the sewers previously to find out how to reach our safe house from the tavern. See how the sword points to the left? That indicates we should go in that direction. We should look for these markers as we make our way through the sewers. They will always point the way to the safehouse. We’ve marked every intersection in case people needed to find their way to our safehouse via the sewers. Keep an eye out. Some of them are well hidden.” She looks towards the group and at Morosino who nods his head. “Alright, everyone ready? We don’t have much time so we best make our way there now.” Janiven glances at the group waiting for responses to see whether everyone is ok.
Thanks for the support everyone. I know I've been a bit spotty with posting at times and I apologise for that. We should be coming to a point in the story where some action occurs soon so the real fun will begin then. One of the things I love about PbPs is that it allows for greater roleplaying, which is why I wanted a slightly longer introduction. As you mentioned Set it allows you to get into the character and develop some sort of personality, making it more interesting. I must admit though Ankara's actions are going to give the party a big fright! Janiven will most certainly be upset at you attempting to burn the tavern down once she realises what you might be planning to do, although that will definitely delay the Hellknights :)
Janiven hisses at Ankara, not certain of what he is up to. "What are you doing!? We have to get moving. That table won’t hold them for long.”
Janiven looks towards the party, quickly responding to the current situation. “There’s no use reasoning with the Hellknights. As Kyras explained, even if we said it was a quiet party, we would have to explain why Morosino ran here. Knowing what he might be involved in it’ll be impossible to get out of the situation either way. They are also ruthless and will kill anyone that they suspect are rebels without question. That is their nature. I’m sorry everybody. I was expecting to be finished up any moment. This is an unexpected turn of events and...” A loud pounding on the door can be heard and a booming voice behind the tavern’s front door yelling. “Open the door and give yourselves up! There is no escape! We have the place surrounded. If you give yourselves up we will consider letting you live!” The pounding continues as Janiven whispers, “Everyone, over here behind the bar, quickly! We have little time before they break the door down. Morosino, help me out with the trapdoor!” Morosino and Janiven quickly move towards the back of the bar. The two of them grunt with effort as they lift a cleverly disguised trapdoor in the floor open. Having lifted the trapdoor open, Janiven says breathlessly, “This is the best chance we’ve got of losing them. The shaft here leads to the sewers underneath Westcrown. From there we should be able to lose them. Morosino, go and open the doors down there leading to the sewer. Everybody else, follow him. I’ll be at the back and attempt to delay them as much as possible! Hurry, we don’t have much time!” The pounding is more furious now and the voices behind the tavern’s front door angrier. Without hesitation, Morosino heads down through the trapdoor. “This is your last chance! If you do not open the door, we will break it down and strike everyone down without hesitation! Open the door, now!”
Janiven nods her head, seemingly approving of the responses she just heard. “Thank you each of you. I know...” Her words are cut short by a sudden knocking on the front tavern door. Janiven’s head snaps towards the direction of the door, alarmed by the sudden sound. The knocking becomes more frantic as she approaches the door, tavern key in one hand. A muffled male voice can be heard on the other side of the door, sounding quite distressed. “Janiven! You in there!? It’s me Morosino. Let me in! Quickly!!! Hurry!” Janiven quickly unlocks the door upon hearing who it is. Managing a few short steps into the tavern, a terribly ruffled young teenage male human collapses by the door. Gasping for breath, he manages to utter out a few words. “Dottari... Arael... captured... Hellknights coming!” Janiven quickly closes and relocks the door as she heard the words uttered out of the boy’s mouth. Looking somewhat confused, Janiven asks the young man to explain what is happening. “Morosino, calm down. What happened? What do you mean Arael has been captured? Start from the beginning.” Morosino takes a few seconds to calm and compose himself. He manages to sit himself in a cross-legged position on the tavern floor, he looks at Janiven, ignoring everyone else and spurts out, “The Dottari have nabbed Arael and the Hellknights are trying to get custody of him! There’s a bunch of Hellknights on their way here now! I only just made it here; they’ve already surrounded us!” Hearing what Morosino just said the sound of clanking armour can be heard outside, with it growing louder every passing second. “Here already!?” Janiven exclaims. For anyone that decides to peek out a window to see what's happening:
Turning to Malcom, Janiven nods her head and replies, “That’s understandable. I let my messengers know beforehand to expect anything as it is of course a sudden and unexpected invitation. I’ll pass the apology along to her.” She then looks toward Marcellius, frowning slightly. “Unfortunately I haven’t brought much else and the kitchen’s cupboards are bare. I apologise for that.” Janiven takes a quick glance out the window. Shrugging, she grabs a large piece of the roast chicken, plonking it on a plate and eating it. After taking a few bites, she steals another glance out the window. Walking to the front door of the tavern, she looks down the streets. She takes a long sigh, closing the front door and locking it. Janiven then walks over to the windows, drawing the blinds down, darkening the tavern’s atmosphere immediately. She begins to explain her actions in a calm manner, “Do not be alarmed, I’m not holding you hostage here. The reason why I’m locking the front door and drawing the blinds down is because I don’t want anyone to intrude upon this meeting. This meeting will finish in an hour, giving all of us plenty of time to return home before the sun sets and the shadow beasts are set upon us.” She turns to face the party, taking a deep breath before she speaks with great passion, “Thank you once again for making it here on such short notice. I know we are meeting under very unusual circumstances but I have chosen each of you for a single reason. Each of you like me have suffered whether we realise it or not. I’ve lived in Westcrown all my life and I love this city, but I know as you do that despite its peace and prosperity, Westcrown continues to suffer. We should not have to fear for our lives every night, yet every night fear is right at our doorsteps! Yes we have been safe from war and famine, yes our businesses have prospered, but the safety and prosperity has been bought with coinage and prayers to Hell. Other lands live free from tyranny, and other governments definitely don’t let monsters take the streets of its city at night. Westcrown was once such a place and I know that it wants to be such a place again. Westcrown isn’t only its buildings, its canals, docks and history – it is also her people – friends, neighbours, mothers and fathers, siblings and cousins, our sons and daughters! With a small group of supporters and dedicated brothers and sisters, we can earn the trust and admiration of Westcrown’s people. A Westcrown free of the shadowy beasts stalking our streets is one step closer to a Westcrown free of the devil that is the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune!” Janiven looks at the group, waiting for the reaction her speech had to everyone.
That's ok. Conflict at times can make for interesting situations although of course it's preferable if a fight didn't initiate between party members. Thanks for the support everyone. I know I've been a bit spotty with posting at times and I apologise for that. We should be coming to a point in the story where some action occurs soon so the real fun will begin then. Cheers
“No need to worry. The nobleman is here for the meeting just like the rest of you.” Janiven stands up and motions for Malcom to sit in the chair she was in earlier welcoming him. “I’m glad you could make it. I was beginning to get worried that my messenger gave you the wrong directions. We’re still waiting for someone to arrive but in the meantime, why don’t I serve dinner? By the way…” Looking at Malcom, she extends an open arm pointing to the ale. “Feel free to help yourself to the ale if you’re thirsty.” Janiven walks to the back room once more this time producing a tray with plates and a spectacular roast chicken, plonking it on the table beside the ale. “Alright, dinner is served! Who’s up for roast chicken?”
The woman’s voice can be heard from the back room of the tavern. “Sorry. This is all I have in the kitchen at the moment for drinks.” She comes out holding a tray. Sitting on the tray is a jug full of ale and a number of empty mugs, which she sets on a table next to the group. Seeing Sevegny, she smiles realising that another has arrived, nodding her head in Sevegny’s direction. “Glad you can make it here! Hope you don’t mind the ale. It’s the only drink I’ve got around here at this time unfortunately.” She looks around to see if anyone else has arrived, pouring the ale into the mugs whilst talking. “We’re still waiting on a couple of people to arrive and the roast chicken will take some time before it’s ready to be served. Did any of you want a drink to pass some time whilst we wait for them?” Saying that, she takes a mug to try the ale out, setting it down after taking a sip from the mug. “Hrm, not great but hopefully it’s ok for everyone. Nobody minds the ale being a little warm do they?” She pulls a chair to sit down and join the group in conversation leaving the ale free for anyone to take as they please. “I’m sorry I haven’t taken the opportunity to introduce myself properly. It’s been a hectic day and I would’ve personally introduced myself to each of you earlier today if I had the time to. As you can see though the tavern is in quite a state of disrepair and I thought it’d be a good idea to spruce up the place a bit before you all arrived to make it a little more homely. That’s why I sent others out to invite you here. I presume most of you know this already. I hope the messengers told you that my name is Janiven, but if not, now you know! I’m glad that you’re all able to make it. I realise it’s a bit of an awkward meeting and I’m sure you have a lot of questions but I would rather wait until everyone is here before we begin.” Janiven takes a look around the tavern before continuing. “So I presume everybody found this place without a problem? Nothing problematic occurring before arriving here I hope?”
The woman nods as each of you enter the tavern, a little surprised at seeing Patrum as she did not see him when she looked down the streets. However, she smiles immediately upon recognising him. The tavern itself is dimly lit with the only source of light being the afternoon sun streaming in from the window. Dusty benches and tables take up the majority of the floor space of the tavern. At the back of the tavern is the bar. “You’re all a little early. We’re still waiting on several to arrive before we begin the meeting. Hang on a moment; let me grab some food and drinks from the kitchen. Feel free to sit anywhere in the tavern and talk to each other.” With that said she smiles and heads to a door at the back of the tavern, opening it and disappearing into the room. The smell of roast chicken wafts into the tavern.
Ankara, Kyras, Marcellius, Malcom & Patrum:
The woman turns around to look out the window, spotting and making eye contact with Marcellius. Smiling, she walks towards the tavern door and opens it. Opening the tavern door, she found herself a little surprised that Kyras and Ankara were standing not too far from the tavern entrance itself as she didn’t spot them earlier. “Well don’t just stand here. Come on in!” She makes a friendly gesture welcoming Kyras and Ankara inside. Looking at Marcellius standing there by himself, she beckons him into the tavern. “Don’t be a stranger. Come on in, you don’t want to be standing out here too long by yourself. You’ll look suspicious.” As she says this she looks around, checking to see what’s happening on the streets.
Sevegny: “I can’t say much more here, but there’s a meeting being held later this afternoon at a place called Vizio’s Tavern. A lady named Janiven will answer all your questions there and she can explain the situation much better. The tavern should be easy to find. It is the only run down place in the eastern areas of the Rego Scripa. Remember, Vizio’s Tavern.” The Halfling looks around her surroundings once more, aware of the fact that anyone could be listening in the conversation. “I had better get going. Perhaps I'll see you soon. May Iomedae find you well on this day.” With that said, the Halfling bows, waves and walks off, leaving Sevegny standing there by herself.
Ankara, Kyras & Marcellius:
The tavern was easy enough to find with the directions provided. The streets around the tavern are noticeably empty and as described, Vizio’s Tavern sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the buildings surrounding it - one in a state of disrepair. A notice hangs on a nail stuck in the closed door of the tavern with the words ‘Opening Soon’ inked in bold, black letters. Through the windows, a woman can be spotted making her way to the bar, making some minor repairs to a broken stool. Judging by the setting of the afternoon sun, the time of the meeting is almost at hand. Malcom:
Mathalen nods her head, understanding what Malcom has said. She hurries along to keep up with Malcom. “Of course. If you’re still willing to hear us out the meeting is being held at a place called Vizio’s Tavern. It’s in the eastern areas of the Rego Scripa and is being held late this afternoon. It won’t be too difficult to find as it is the only rundown tavern in the area. Knock on the door and the woman inside will let you in. Her name is Janiven. Don’t worry, she knows who you are.” Mathalen stops in her place as she yells out to Malcom from behind. “I have to get going. Perhaps I’ll see you again soon Malcom.” With that being said Mathalen walks back in the direction from which she and Malcom arrived from earlier, leaving Malcom to continue walking towards his destination alone. Patrum:
“The meeting is being held later this afternoon at Vizio’s Tavern. It isn’t too difficult to find as it is the only run down tavern in the eastern areas of the Rego Scripa. It is going to be run by a woman named Janiven who should be there at that time. Knock on the door when you arrive there.” Tarvi looks around the tavern once more before saying, “I better get going. I have to go back to my family’s jewellery store and help them out. Who knows, I might see you again soon Patrum. All the very best to you.” With that Tarvi stands up abruptly, smiling and waving to Patrum as she exits the tavern. Sevegny: The Halfling turns to face you once again, continuing to speak to Sevegny though in a much softer voice, “You look like a somewhat honest person and it doesn’t seem as though you like this city any more than I do, or what it is nowadays. Would you like to help make Westcrown a better place to live? I’m with a group of people that wish to make this city a better place for all to live. Would you be interested in hearing us out?” The Halfling looks at you expectantly waiting for an answer.
Ankara:
Kyras:
“Glad to hear you’re still willing to follow the cause through boy. People have dreams that never come to fruition because they have little willpower to go through with it.” He walks towards you and sits next to you. “The meeting will be held later this afternoon, just before tea by Janiven at a run-down tavern known as Vizio’s. Not sure if you’ve heard of it before. It is in the eastern area of the Rego Scripa, and is the only run-down tavern in the area if memory serves me correctly. Knock on the door, I let her know about you and she will gladly welcome you to the meeting. I would take you to the meeting myself but I fear the Dottari are still looking for me, and walking with you down these streets will only put you in danger.” He pauses for a moment as he contemplates whether he should say something else. “Kyras, is it ok if I lay low at your house for some time? I believe they are out searching the streets at the moment and I need some place to hide to make sure they don’t find me.” Marcellius:
A beaming smile appears across Sclavo’s face as he hears that you are willing to assist the group. Hearing this, he walks towards you till he’s beside you and begins whispering, “A group meeting is to be held later this afternoon, just before tea at a place named Vizio’s Tavern in the eastern area of the Rego Scripa. The meeting will be held by a lady named Janiven, a member of our group who also owns the run-down tavern. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find as it is the only run-down tavern within the area. Just knock on the door and she’ll let you in; she knows who you are.” He then turns once more towards the statue, looking for inspiration before saying, “I must be off for yet another day’s work. Life as a scribe never stops… I wish you well on this day Marcellius and I hope to see you soon.” With that, Sclavo waves farewell to you and heads off for his day’s work. Patrum:
“Tarvi. Tarvi’s my name,” she replies. “The group is a citizen’s watch of sorts. Our goal is to make Westcrown a better place to live for everybody. It’s a small group but we’re growing and constantly seeking out new members who have similar goals. We wondered if you were interested in joining such a group?” Tarvi looks at you expectantly, waiting for a response. Malcom:
Mathalen runs to catch up to you, walking beside you but keeping a bit of distance between the two of you. She looks around her surroundings before speaking up. “You probably know this already living here, but… Westcrown is not the city it used to be. I belong to a group that wishes to make Westcrown a better place for everyone to live in. A place without corrupt guards, where we can walk the streets safely at night. We would like you to join, if you’re willing to hear us out.” Sevegny: The halfling tilts her head the other way. “Hrm, it used to be a much better place… before the corrupt guards, the shadow beasts…it’s not a bad place to be, but…” Her words trail off as she looks at the surroundings, making sure that no one else is hearing before continuing. “Don’t you honestly wish that Westcrown is like the other cities? Brighter, safer without the corrupt guards running around doing as they please at times? I can’t honestly agree with you if you believe that this city is extremely beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice place, but… it could definitely be better.”
Ankara:
“Oh it’ll definitely be better than hauling fish day in day out, I can guarantee that.” Larko looks over your shoulder, perhaps at the couple who talked about the shadow beasts, nodding in their direction. “As you might know, Westcrown ain’t the colourful city it used to be. So called shadow beasts roaming about at night, guards beating up on citizens without a word of warning at times… nothing has been right with this city ever since the death of Aroden. I’m with a group of people who are interested in making Westcrown a better place for all to live in.” Looking back at you, he continues to speak. “A lady named Janiven is interested to meet up with you. She would meet up with you, but she’s busy arranging the location and asked me to personally invite you to it if you're interested. The meeting will be held at a place named Vizio’s Tavern in the eastern areas of the Rego Scripa late this afternoon. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find as I believe it is the only rundown tavern in that area. Knock on the door around that time and she’ll let you in. Don’t worry about any sort of identification, she knows who you are.” Larko pauses for a moment, glancing around the docks in case somebody has listened in to the conversation. “Anyway, I’m going to head off and prepare for work. It’s nice to know that you’re interested. Perhaps I’ll see you around soon. Later.” With that, Larko gives a quick wave and heads off to the pier for the day’s work, leaving you alone.
Kyras:
Colin quickly steps into the house, obviously beaming. He quickly steps into the house and closes the front door before speaking to you. “It’s good to see you Kyras. I’ve been meaning to contact you, but the government has had their eye on me for some time now ever since I made contact with the freedom fighters. I had to lay low… to keep you away from danger.” He paces around the room for a bit, as though he’s trying to find the right words to say. “I’m sorry. I should’ve tried to find some other way to contact you. It’s just…” Colin stops pacing about as he trailed off mid sentence, trying to find a reason to explain why he hasn’t contacted you. He then turns to face you, shaking his head, unable to come up with a good reason as to why he suddenly disappeared. “Never mind, I’m sorry I disappeared like that without contacting you and I promise I won’t do it again.” “Anyway, I’ve told those freedom fighters about you Kyras. A lady named Janiven would like to meet up with you if you’re still interested. If you want to make Westcrown a better place to live then she is the best hope you have right now - her and the Freedom Fighters. So, are you interested in making Westcrown a better place for all? It’s been too long since she’s been under the rule of the House of Thrune.” Marcellius:
“I see…” Sclavo turns to look towards the statue of Aroden once more. Staring at it for some time, it looks as though Sclavo is contemplating whether or not he should say something. After a moment, he turns to you and begins to speak. “I am currently part of a group that is planning to make Westcrown a better place to live for everyone. We’re a small but growing group looking for more people to join our cause. Would you be interested in joining?” Patrum:
“Hey, watch it!” The woman cries out in surprise, somewhat shocked as you drag her to the corner table. This caught a couple of people's attention, including the bartender, who asks: “Hey what’s going on? Everything ok there?” The woman quickly addresses the bartender, trying to drive his attention away from the incident. “Uhm, nothing… I nearly tripped and asked him to be more careful that’s all,” she replies hastily. “Everything’s ok.” “Alright,” he says. The bartender goes back about his business and the patrons go back to their drinks. She then turns to Patrum, whispering furiously, but quietly enough so that only the two of them can hear. “The next time you grab me like that could you at least warn me before you pull my arms out of their sockets?” She glances around the tavern to make sure no one else is listening before continuing in a much softer tone. “Okay, let’s start from the beginning. Word from the grapevine is that you and a band of merchants arrived here a few months ago, yet you’re the only one out of that merchant group that remains. Word from the grapevine also says that you are seeking a group of people that are forming a resistance against the local government. Am I correct in saying that?”
Malcom:
She looks somewhat taken aback at your response and seems to be slightly flustered at your response. “Uhm, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… it’s just…” The woman looks at you like a little child that has just been scolded by an adult. “My name is Mathalen,” she blurts out. The woman stares towards the ground at her own feet, uncertain as to what to say next.
Very true, especially when you have dedicated a lot of time into creating the character. When it is tabletop D&D the problem doesn't normally arise because all the players are there together. Unfortunately to keep PbP games going without letting them go stale it is sometimes necessary to push a character forward when the player hasn't posted for some time. The other option is to replace the player although that shouldn't be done unless it is certain that the player is unable to continue posting to keep the game moving.
A tactics section for fights is a good idea and it would definitely help with understanding what a character does in combat. I don't mind roleplaying the character during fights and out of fights although I would prefer it if another player could roleplay the character in question. That being said though the game would definitely go a lot smoother if the DM takes over as the DM could advance the story whenever required with said character. We'll go with this path. For now, if everyone (when they have the time) could list some sort of basic tactical information for their character so I can assist with taking the character over during combat that'll be excellent. Example: Character normally stays in the back, avoiding melee combat and using their crossbow to attack enemies from a distance. When the characters aren't in combat I'll leave the roleplaying out and have them just tag along without saying anything, unless it is absolutely necessary. In terms of when I'll take control in combat, I believe that 3 days should be more than enough time to respond to a post. If the player cannot post by then I'll take temporary control of the character until they post again, whereby I'll relinquish control to the player.
That's ok. As I said we're trying to keep the posting rate to 2-3 posts a week at the moment so it is a somewhat slower pace relative to the other PbPs. That being said though I'm aiming to post in such a way that the story will continue advance forward a fair amount so that we don't get bogged down too long in conversations and spend a month or two without moving forward!
Hi all, The thread for the campaign is up now and can be found here. You can now begin posting. In terms of OOC and IC discussion, try to keep OOC stuff in this thread. I currently intend to keep the posting rate at 2 - 3 times a week as originally mentioned, which I believe is a reasonable rate for all (including myself). A quick question to everyone - when there is an absence in posting (i.e. someone has not posted for some time), how would you like to handle it? My suggestion is for someone else in the group to create a sub character that essentially posts for the player until the player is able to make a post again. Is this ok with everyone? If anyone else has another suggestion feel free to put it up. Thank you everybody for waiting. Let's try to make this a great campaign :) Cheers
The year 4606 AR saw the fall of Aroden, god of humanity, innovation and history. None felt the effects of his death more than the city of Westcrown, who swore their worship to the god of humanity at the time. It was only a matter of years before the church of Aroden followed the fate of its god. The Arodennama, a plaza with a towering statue of the god was left abandoned, and Cheliax had found itself embroiled in a civil war, stripping Westcrown of its very soul. Thirty years later, the House of Thrune took the opportunity to seize control of Cheliax. In doing so, it destroyed Westcrown further by moving the capital and royal court of Cheliax north to the city of Egorian, emptying Westcrown of its affluence and prestige. Whilst it is still a vibrant place to visit, Westcrown is a shadow of its former glory and is now a playground for vultures eager to pick the royal carcass. Today is the 18th day of Arodus, 4709 AR. What appears to be yet another ordinary day for a select few in Westcrown will soon prove to be anything but ordinary, as the choices these few make will forever change the future of Westcrown. Ankara:
The morning rays shine upon the docks as people begin another day of work. Fishermen haul their daily catches in, getting ready to carry it to the market whilst the Dottari, the Chelish city Guard walk by the docks to ensure no trouble is being caused around the area. You hear a male voice behind you loudly whisper. “Hey, did you hear about what happened to Rohor?” A female voice replies sadly. “Yes I did. Heard he was torn by them Shadow Beasts. Poor guy. He didn’t make it back in time last night. Such a nice man as well. I hope his family is ok. Have they heard the news about their son yet?” As you listen in on their conversation, you notice a somewhat colourfully dressed man walk towards you extending his hand in greeting. He appears to be of Garundi heritage, with broad shoulders and dark coloured skin. “Hello,” he says in a somewhat gruff voice. The man looks at you as though sizing you up before continuing. “My name is Larko. I was wondering whether you had a moment to talk. I've got an offer that you might be interested in, if you're willing to hear me out.” Kyras:
The sun's rays pour in through the window of your bedroom, brightening its dark corners up as another day dawns. Looking about your bedroom, you spot your trusty Falchion, Kukri and crossbow leaning on the wall opposite your bed, and an unopened flask lying below the table in your room. Moments later, you hear frantic knocking at the front door of your house, and an urgent male voice shouting, “Hey anybody home!? Kyras, you there? It’s me, Colin, your uncle!”
Marcellius:
The morning rays reflect off the now derelict and the statue of Aroden bathing the imposing statue in a soft and warm light. Taking in the view of the glowing statue, you notice a man that appears to be of Garundi heritage walk towards the statue. He stares at the statue for some time, as though waiting for something to happen to it. Moments later he speaks in a soft, yet firm voice. “Magnificent statue isn’t it? It’s unfortunate that Westcrown has abandoned Aroden and left him here like so.” The man sighs, shaking his head. He then turns his full attention towards you before continuing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. I am Sclavo, a scribe for one of Westcrown’s courts. I come here now and then to draw inspiration from Aroden when I need to in times of need. I’ve seen you here on some of my visits yet I’ve never had the opportunity to talk with you. What about yourself? What are you doing here?”
Patrus:
You are currently in one of Westcrown’s lesser known taverns. The tavern itself is quite empty early this morning, save for the bartender and a couple of patrons drowning out their worries with some Wiscrani ale. Looking around the tavern you spot a young attractive woman entering the quiet establishment. She glances around the place quickly. Spotting you, she smiles as she approaches you. “Ah, found you. How are you doing this fine day?” She asks. Before you have a chance to respond, the woman glances around the tavern nervously, making sure nobody is hearing the conversation. She then lowers her head down towards your ears, whispering to you. “I heard you are looking for a group of people that are seeking to resist the government. Am I correct in saying that? If so, I might be able to help you.” Malcom:
Westcrown, also known as the city of Twilight - Having lived here as a noble, you certainly understand the way of life in the most magnificent empire in the world. Westcrown is a city whose very people form pacts with devils to enable the betterment of their own lives. Whilst it is the way of life in the City of Twilight, you know it is an extremely dangerous venture. Standing amongst the streets of Westcrown, you notice a thin, wiry Chelish female looking at you. Having spotted you, she cautiously makes her way towards you to introduce herself. “Hi there, how are you doing today?” She inquires. As she mentions this you hear two Hellknights walking by laughing cruelly. Behind them, they are dragging a beaten, half-naked, unconscious tiefling along the ground. The Chelish female pauses as the Hellknights walk by. As soon as they are out of hearing range, she leans forward, whispering to you. “I have a question to ask you. Would you be interested in hearing me out if I told you that we might be able to make Westcrown a better place to live?”
Sevegny: Westcrown, the city of Twilight. Having walked along the streets of Westcrown for some time now, you notice something very different and somewhat wrong about this city. The curfews that occur just after sunset; guardsmen beating up on people whilst their friends walk by them on the street trying not to notice them; Parents hushing their children as they ask why their neighbours are taken away by the guard. You realise something needs to be done to change the city, and it needs to be done now. Walking amongst the streets of Westcrown, you are met by a young female Halfling. The Halfling bounds towards you with enthusiasm, taking the opportunity to introduce herself. “Hi there. How’re you doing today?” The Halfling turns her head sideways, looking at you as though she is trying to read your mind. “You seem a little lost around here. Are you new to Westcrown? Pretty different city from the rest of them isn’t it? Did you need any help?”
No problem JZ, good to see you. I've had a look at your character sheet and noticed a couple of things. If you could look over them: I believe your AC gets reduced from 17 to 16 because of encumberance - i.e. because you're carrying a heavy load your max dexterity bonus is +1 hence the reduction by 1. You have one bonus spell slot that you haven't filled up yet due to your high wisdom. That is you get 2+1 at level 1 for level 1 spells. You also have two additional skill points that you haven't spent yet (or one depending on your choice). One is from the favoured class bonus whilst the other is because you are a human. Also, you've calculated your remaining gold to be 15.2 gp, although I've calculated it to be 29.95 so there's a bit of a difference. Not sure why though and I've double checked this. If you could just check it again to confirm that'll be good. Last thing that I noticed, you don't have a holy symbol for your cleric, which might be useful especially if you want to channel energy :) Ok I believe other than that all characters are fine. I am writing it up and it is taking longer than expected, although I should be able to make it by the start date. Meanwhile, I will attempt to keep in contact with everyone here, so if you have any questions feel free to contact me on this thread or by email. Thanks all
In terms of actually using these cards in game, what does everybody else think? I haven't tried it so I can't comment how well / doesn't well it works. True, it could end up taking a bit longer as well if we rolled criticals and fumbles which isn't what we want because it's already lengthy enough being a PbP. So we'll scrap the idea of critical hits and fumble decks as it'll get a bit messy. As for having mine and Ankara's intro together or seperate, I'm rather ambiguous. I'll keep them separate then as both of you have written lead-ins that I can use and we're a little uncertain as to what the two are up to in the morning. I've had a look at the character sheets posted and made some comments for each of you to have a look at. If you could check up on those points and get back to me asap that will be great. Marcellius
Kyras
Patrum
Also, I've calculated gold to be 1 gp less than what you have (i.e. I got 5 gp instead of 6 gp). I've double-checked and got 5 each time. Can you double check whether it's 5 or 6 gp? I recall you said that your wizard is wearing a masterwork amulet (arcane bond). If you could include that item in your equipment list that'll be good. I presume that you are remaining a conjurer, with forbidden schools being necromancy and illusionist? Also, could you please list the spells in your spellbook and your currently prepared spells? Thanks. Ankara
Also, you have an additional skill point that I don't believe you've spent yet. You've spent 4 from what I can see (Intimidate, Perecption, Survival and Swim), yet you have five (4 - 1 int mod. + 1 racial + 1 favoured). And I believe you have 1 less GP than you should have because you spent it on the travellers outfit perhaps, which you start off with for free. Malcom
You can also select a second trait from the traits PDF web enhancement on the Paizo website here. If you wish to select a second trait from another source let me know and I'll check it out and get back to you on it. If possible can you keep a record of how much gold you have on your character sheet? I know you haven't spent much although it's easier for me if you had a gold amount that I could track. You also have a free outfit that you haven't chosen yet on the equipment list. I believe that is all there is to do for the character sheets. Once we've got the character sheets finalised and I've finished typing up certain parts of the story I'll be ready and we should be good to go. Cheers
I haven't used it before, although looking at the samples posted online my first impressions are it's interesting. It definitely helps flavour wise and I might just get a set of critical hit and critical fumble for the purposes of flavour text even if we decide not to use it. In terms of actually using these cards in game, what does everybody else think? I haven't tried it so I can't comment how well / doesn't well it works. I'm not one against trying new things and this could improve the flavour of the game as well as give some interesting variety to critical hits and fumbles. If someone would rather not use it though then we'll stick to the standard rules. The tricky thing will be handling drawing cards online in a PbP. If we do decide to use them the best way would perhaps be for me to draw the results of the cards on critical hits and fumbles and apply the result from it. Thoughts on critical hits and fumbles everyone? Note that I'm going to also use critical fumble decks if people are agreeing to use critical hits >:) Is it ok to use the Militant Merchant trait for Echoes of Taldor? It is a dwarf specific trait that gives a +1 to perception checks to determine surprise, and makes perception a class skill. Patrum, yes, that trait is ok if you wish to use it. Kyras and Ankara - Just a question I thought I'd ask - Did the two of you want to start together at the beginning of the adventure path or remain separate? I don't mind catering for either possibility. It's just something I thought I'd put out as another option if you guys wanted to do that since the characters know each other. A quick question on one very important thing that I did forget when I emailed everyone. It was on the back of my mind and somehow I forgot it (I knew I'd forget something). Combat takes an extremely long time to resolve via PbP. In terms of actions in combat, is everyone ok with posting their actions in advance every round from when I post the new round and then I'll resolve it based on initiative order? That way, we don't have to wait to post and battles can be resolved quicker? If somebody's action ends up being a bit messy because for example the target is no longer alive then I'll allow actions to be redone. I believe this is how it's generally done in PbPs. Again thoughts are appreciated. Okay and now a quick update on where we're at... I have had a very brief opportunity to glance through characters sheets at work. I'll get to finalising them by the weekend (Sunday is the likely date at this stage due to my hectic weekend of endless events). I'll also need a bit of time to write up the beginning of the story although I have already begun this to some extent. I should be able to complete it so we can start at the planned date. We're just waiting on JZ's cleric to be posted as well. Apart from that I believe we're ready. Now I'm going to head off to sleep and wake up later today to work my butt off on getting the story ready and being swept by the chaotice events that are coming this weekend. Night all :)
Wellard, I can understand your concerns about possibly compromising your computer if you hand out your email address. I agree it could be uncomfortable to hand out even an alternate email, hence my change below to all those interested joining in when I require someone to step in. If I do require a replacement to step in I'll post in this thread (or create another) calling out for those that are interested to then post a concept in this thread based on what the party requires. From there I'll select the one that I believe to be the best. This will hopefully allow more people who were previously uncomfortable emailing to post in the thread without concern. I am always on the lookout for people who are interested in joining and don't want to limit the number of people because I require an email, which is why I decided on the change. For now we have enough players, although once I require someone to step in I'll notify via this thread asap. Cheers
Hi all, Just a quick update, I have sent out an email regarding character creation rules and other administrative stuff. A bit lengthy and apologies for that. I've also set up a discussion thread where we can discuss characters, rules and other stuff here. For those that are still interested, note that I've increased the party size from four to six, and that whilst all spots are likely to be filled (still awaiting confirmation from another), I'm still looking in case people drop out, so please don't hesitate to continue emailing me if you're interested, even though the positions might be filled as I will contact my list first before the boards if somebody drops out. Regards |
