Hey all, I appreciate all the participation in this campaign so far, but I'm going to have to let it go.
This type of game just isn't suited for forum roleplaying.
My apologies, thank you all for your time.
Search Posts
Yeah, it's looking kinda' bad for Paizo's servers. I'll do a big post for everyone tomorrow, thanks for your patience!
Giving Ragnar a little longer to post.
Hey all, just to clarify, I prefer my players to pre-roll in PbP settings when outside of combat to keep the flow brief. It makes it easy for me to look at your list of rolls, in order, to see if you fail a Will save and then tell you the results in my post instead of asking you to roll, waiting for you to roll and then posting the result. It's one post, instead of three. So if you'd like to take a look at something, just OOCly say, or make it clear in your post, that your character wants to check out something, and I'll tell you what happens in my next post. It's just easier this way. I should've made this clear a lot earlier, so I apologize for the confusion. So with that said, can everyone do me a favor in here and shoot me 10 d20 rolls to tide us over for awhile? If you're not a fan of this way of doing things, it's best to bow out now. This isn't the game for you. :)
--
--
-- The frigid winds do not relent after dark, it is horrendously cold. If the party does not find shelter or fire soon, not even their furs will keep hypothermia and frostbite at bay.
The wind whipping and howling against the trees to the right and left of the party make it difficult to keep conversation, as if individual gusts of shivering air were snatching the words away as soon as they passed their owner's lips. Scent is also hampered with such high wind, causing the invisible motes that both ratling and animal alike tracked with their noses to be fleeting and evasive, as unpredictable as the blizzard itself. It was almost impossible to follow any scent reliably. Jaiyo sniffs at Kal's pack and immediately begins to move to the edge of Adrians light before stopping cold in his tracks, the wolf seeming unlike a statue. Lissa joins him towards the front of the circle of light, and while she takes a further step than the dog, she too treads no further than the circle of light. They both begin to whimper, retreating slowly back towards their masters. Both Daisy and Hrimfaxi seem uncomfortable, scuffing the snow with their hooves. Daisy lets out a squeal, like a steer being branded. A howl erupts in the distance, or is it just the wind? --
-- Gimpy, you wander a bit further from the cone of light, aided by your dark vision. And just as you catch the faint whiff of your catalyst bottles, you see something at the corner of your vision. A tree, perhaps? But you didn't pass a tree on the northroad until reaching the Bitterwoods. Something tall and shrouded by both the snow and the high winds stands just at the edge of your vision. You feel a distinct sense of dread in your gut, a primordial twisting of your innards that is hard coded into your kind. You have the instincts of a prey animal, and your instincts are telling you to flee. It's staring at you.
Sorry, the whole thing. 25 percent chance. :(
I didn't specify it anywhere, but I also didn't think I needed too. Still a powerful wind to blow 25 pounds of food away. Powerful enough to throw a man from his saddle and do lethal damage.
What do you mea by my trail rations being gone? Kal'Tos has 25 person days worth spread in multiple places in his pack. I don't see any mention in the thread or your profile of them being in multiple locations in Kal's pack, so I assumed they were in a bag of some sort. Being thrown during the blast of wind opened up your pack and scattered your rations, which were carried away by the wind. Better than your axe being lost, right? (That's what the percentile was for.)
Normal damage. You got body slammed by nature. :)
The riding crop in Grunyar's hand looks to be a common sort, unadorned with any fanciful patterning in the leather that many southern styles had. It is a simple tool for 'encouraging' a horse to keep up the pace. Once shown to Jaiyo, the wolf sniffs and pauses for a few moments before loping forward towards whomever currently holds the pocketwatch, nosing at it a few times before then moving to Daisy, sniffing at her as well. He returns to Grunyar with the look on his face he always had when completing a task. Those big, cerulean eyes practically saying: 'I followed the scent, owner, may I have a reward?'. -- The first few hours of the trek are slow going and, for most of the party, fairly miserable. Noses are numbed if not covered and the bodies underneath the layers and layers of furs and leathers become slick with sweat. There is a silence to the White when passing Lake Tarsus, the high winds that whipped and wailed while in the town of Lores are eerily quiet in these flatlands. Only the occasional outcropping of rock or abandoned cabin offer anything for the wind to screech against, and the frozen surface of the lake seems to span out infinitely like a giant pane of glass. Another hour passes, or perhaps two? There is no sun in the sky to tell time, nor are there any shadows cast from it's light. Only the gray, frigid nothingness that surrounds the party. -- It is mere minutes before full darkness before the party makes it to the very edge of the bitterwoods with the first trees forming to both the right and left of the group, as they were walking into some sort of gaping maw. Suddenly and without warning, a gust of wind pounds at the snowbound adventurers with enough might to topple one of the great old oaks within the heart of the Bitterwoods. It is not unlike being tackled, a sheer wall of force that careens forth! -Ragnar, you're able to keep yourself mounted for the first few moments of the windblast, but Hrimfaxi, taken by surprise from the sudden shock of force reers back and sends you hurdling into the snow! Take:
Your quiver of bolts comes free, 10 of your shots scattering off into the darkness, carried by the wind scores of feet in every direction. -Adrien, something in your bones tells you that the wind is coming, and you quickly brace yourself against the onslaught. Beside you, Lissa doesn't seem to brace at all, calmly padding forward as if it were a gentle breeze. -Grunyar, your stocky frame saves you from a tumble, but Jaiyo is suddenly whipped up by the wind and is sent reeling, taking:
-Pip, it is not a good day to be small and lightweight. You are hurdled off your paws and are sent a good twenty feet back, thumping hard into the snow. You take:
You rise and collect yourself...but notice yourself lighter. Your Alchemist Kit has been claimed by the White. You may not make any more extracts unless using someone else's kit. -Gimpy, like your distant relative, you are easily swept up by the wind and sail through the air, nearly careening into Pip on your way down. Take:
You rise and find the vials of catalyst for making more bombs have flown out of your pack or have shattered from the fall. You may not make any more bombs until you find herbs to craft into more catalyst. -Kal, unlike your brother, you took a shallow step when the wind came calling and have flown off your feet, falling on your side with a cruel thunk. Take:
Your trail rations are gone, scattered into the White. -Daisy, as stubborn as she is, is not faltered by the wind. -- You all stand at the mouth of the Bitterwoods, wind screeching and trees bursting from the snow and accumulating ice on their branches. It is colder than in the day and the snowfall has not relented.
Anyone who is putting gear on Daisy, please make a post in this thread, or in your next post in gameplay, telling me what you have in her saddle bags? Thank you. :)
Giving Ragnar til' this evening and then I'll make another post, fella's.
The percentile roll is not for hunger. :)
Paxton would be caught off guard by the question, having been pre-occupied with counting the handful of silver the ratling had given him over and over. "Mh? Oh, thaht stabol roight thehr." The half-wit pointed at the stall closest to the door. It looked recently swept, and the broom was laying next to it's door. Jaiyo glances up at Grunyar before understanding the command, loping into the stall to begin sniffing about. After a half a minute, the wolf let out a shrill bark and return to his master with something in his mouth, dropping it in front of Grunyar obediently. A riding crop. -- If someone takes the time to search through Daisy's saddle-bags before loading her up with gear, they will find: 1 ripped blanket, torn on one end by three cuts.
-- As soon as one steps foot (or footpaw) outside of Lores they are struck by a bone-chilling wind. It is as if another body of equal weight and strength was pushing against them as if to block their way. It takes physical effort to walk at a steady pace. The mountains surrounding Lores can no longer be seen, hidden by the White as the snow falls at a shockingly swift pace. Daisy whinnies and struggles slightly against whomever has her reigns, and Hrimfaxi pauses for a few long seconds before letting out a disgrunted noise past his nostrils. Jaiyo also seems to wilt at the cold, but presses forward silently beside Grunyar. Lissa seems un-phased, perhaps even at home in the shivering snow. A five hour walk will lead the party just to edge of the Bitterwoods to the northeast via the Northroad, past the frozen Lake Tarsus, if no stops are taken. Do you proceed? -- ALL THOSE WHO TOOK TIME TO EAT ARE SATIATED.
--
Can I get 5 d20 rolls for Jaiyo, Lissa and Hrimfaxi as well? Thanks guys.
Paxton considers the ratling's question for a few moments before his lips began to waggle once more. "I knew they wos merchants cause they had a cart, theyh toohk et up tooh th'castol. At least that's where it louked like they were going. No, they was full men, they was. They kept mostly to themselves I reckon, they was mighty tall and skinny. Like one'a them longweeds that grow out by Lake Tarsus." The stableboy looked down at the silver offered and gawked, taking it immediately. "Thank you rat man! Mule? Th'only mule in here is Daisee, which is the Sennieshawl's. Did eih say yooh could 'ave her? Oh! Oilright then, I'll saddle her ohp!" Paxton practically trots off to ready Daisy for the party, bringing her out shortly after with worn saddle and two large saddlebags on either side. She is ready to go.
"You lot be sayfe, ah put a few appols in Daisee's right saddolbag. She loves appols." Said the stableboy before retreating towards the warmth of the small stove he kept in the stable itself. -- The wind has picked up and the snowfall grows heavier. Five hours of daylight remain. The White beckons. --
Deleted my post, I'll repost it with any updates for Ragnar after he posts. And don't sweat it. :)
Waiting for Ragnar to have a say. :)
In this profile.Just don't bomb my wolf and we'll get along fine... HahaWhere are the stats for your wolf? Brain fart, you said that yesterday. Sorry! :P
Just don't bomb my wolf and we'll get along fine... Haha Where are the stats for your wolf?
Paxton looked down at Pip with a vacant expression before he quickly nodded. "Awh yeh, Sweedie Pouigh wus gohn when ah came into th'stabol this mornun, so I told the guards thas theh mare he toohk. I didun't find nothan missun' aside fhrum Sweedie Pouigh's saddol and a shovel from theh toohl shed." Paxton considered something for a moment. "I nevah met theh Half-man thaht everyone is angry at. I'm noht allowed tuh go within eye-shot of theh castol on because ah scare theh lil' Lord Calliphan." He shrugged. "Theh was two merchants came tuh town thuhree days agouh but they left South yestahdarday mornin'. One of'ehm only had one finger on his right hand, he did. At least he can steel scratch his nose." The boy laughs at his own jape, his slack jaw jostling loosely.
Pip would probably be able to deduce that Paxton makes enough money to feed himself per week, but not much more. It would probably take him 3 years of saving up to actually buy one of the horses in the stable.
I have a spell called Nature's Paths, makes it to where we travel cross-country as though on a path. Each casting lasts 8 hours on 3 creatures, but companions count. Hitting everyone with it will eat 3/4 of my slots, leaving my last one for a Keep Watch this afternoon.it depends on what the terrain is considered, if it is tundra a path won't help us, otherwise it will be about a 50% improvement which is probably worth it. The terrain/weather up to the Malar Pass has the current status: -High Winds/Heavy Snowfall: -4 to ranged combat, -4 to Perception Checks/ 20% concealment when 5+ feet away from a target. -Frozen Tundra (Trackless): x3/4 modifier. -Poor Visibility: x2 modifier -Difficult Terrain (Heavy Snow) x2 modifier (halved by snow shoes). So if I do my math correctly, the 6 or so hours to get to the Malar Pass (if terrain and weather were ideal) turns to a 22 hour trek. (Math might be wrong.) Nature's Path wouldn't affect that x3/4 modifier, as it's x3/4 no matter if you're trackless or on a road (the road has 3 feet of snow over it, anyway). So yes, Bowman is correct. :)
I'd also like to take a moment to say that I am very proud of you all. You are great, engaging roleplayers so far and I very much appreciate the great writing and characters you've made. Enjoy a bit of suitable music for this frigid setting. These both do a great job with fitting the mood and inspiring me as a write, hopefully they do the same. (Turn the second video on half-volume.)
Before it becomes relevant, I need some clarification on Animal Aspect. It says I activate it in 1 minute increments, but it also says I can change it as a swift action. There are 2 ways I can think of using this. 1) I use Animal Aspect for a couple rounds, then decide I need another one. I lose the rest of the minute and take a swift action to turn on another animal, or 2) I use Animal Aspect and can spend the action to change within my 1-minute increment as many times as I have swift actions, much like martial arts stances. Which one do you think works best, Khriox? I read it on the OGC as being a standard action to use Animal Aspect. Regardless, I would prefer if you choose one animal and stick with that for the full minute (10 rounds) before being able to switch to another one.
Bradigan peers at Grunyar with his beady eyes, cropped too close together for him to ever be handsome, perched atop that beak-like nose. "Hrm. I have offered your brother my beloved packmule Daisy, she may have a tent in her saddlebags. It has been quite some time since I have checked on her, being as I am not foolish enough to live outside the safety of the high walls of Lores." The hawkish Half-Elf then turned his gaze to Pip, scoffing. "How was I to know? I merely placed it in my pocket!" He says with irritation clear in his voice, arms folding once more. It reminds Pip of previously in the conversation, when he got more defensive about Sellano and his origins. He had loosened up once the topic shifted, but now he was wound tight as a clock once more. "Sellano was fond of the meads of the North, he said that southern spirits made his stomach turn, if I can remember correctly." Bradigan was about to address what Adrian said before he was approached and poked in the chest by the brusk Ragnar, causing him to flinch back and pull his arms closer as if expecting a strike. He did not reply, simply looking at the Northmen, remaining rat and the dwarves with unease and uncertainty. As they departed, the Half-Elf took out a small piece of paper and unfolded it, regarding what was written on it shortly before stuffing it back into his doublet and fleeing to the upper halls. -- As the party steps out into the courtyard of Lores Castle, the cold hits them like a blanket soaked in ice water. Snow falls heavily from above, a fresh coating of powder over the fountain that they had passed on their way in, the statue of a woman with birds perched on her fingers and shoulders, as if she were singing with them, is covered to the point of being unrecognizable.
As the party leaves the castle grounds and goes where they will, they will notice the peaks of the mountains looming in the distance in almost every direction, like tall sentinels watching them from above. Depending on the snowfall, however, the terrain goes from faint to unreadable due to the haze. "Allo', Mister Slootson. Oih cut thuh rottun bits out of ahn appohl and fed eht tooh Hrumfaxi." Said Paxton as he clutched the makeshift broom in his slender, claw-like fingers. On first glance it would not be unheard of to think Paxton was some sort of goblin, but alas, the poor boy was merely a human who had been kicked by a horse so hard in his youth that his jaw never healthed properly. His mouth is always agape, his jaw dented cruelly on his right side, as if stoved in by a knight's war mace. "Want eih untie'em fohr yeh, Mister Slootson?" He asked, seemingly amiable and pleasant, all things considered. -- The White is upon you, children of mountain, burrow and valley. It is noon, but the sun hides it's face from this forsaken place. You are all currently HUNGRY, THIRSTY, and RESTED. Six hours of light remain. --
Going to wait for Sidewinder2K to post before moving forward. :)
Going to hold off progressing out of the castle until everyone has had their say with Bradigan.
--
--
Bradigan regarded Adrian with a measured gaze for a few long moments before shaking his head. "The half-bastard was quartered in the room next to Calliphan's bedchamber, connected by a door. The whole upper floor is off limits by the Duke's decree, he wants no common-blood eyes to see the corpse of his Nephew, which still lays as it was found in his bed, awaiting the Apothecary. Going into Sellano's room would be impossible, I'm afraid. But..." The half-elf took out a small brass pocketwatch. "I found this laying on the floor outside of Calliphan's bedchamber this morning, I believe it belonged to Sellano. Perhaps your beast may take a whiff of it and catch his foul scent." There is a glint of optimism in Bradigan's eye. --
Don't sweat it. I once played a Rogue in a DnD 3.5 campaign and rolled a 1 for HP on my 5th, 6th and 7th level. That DM didn't do mulligans. I swore I'd never let a 1 be rolled for HP in my presence as DM ever since. :)
Go ahead and reroll that 1 for Adrian's health, pal. And no worries! Take your time.
Sellano pauses and swallows, looking down at the dwarf. His tight grip on his own chest loosens and he coughs, holding a hand to his pallid lips. "My apologies, Master Dwarf, and you as well Ratlings, the death of Lord Calliphan has the castle wound tighter than a clock, it is difficult to be courteous when also grieving for the young Dukeling. Tell the Stableboy Paxton he is to give you lot my personal packmule, Daisy, she resides at the back of the stable. I'm sorry, but that is all I can offer you." He moved to sit on the stairs leading up to the Duke's throne, running a hand through his short, feathery hair. "The Long Valley is a dead end, no man can scale The Cradle or any other mountain along it's edge and live. The half-man has cornered himself. It should be short work for wildermen like yourselves. You have my faith and trust."
Also, good morning all! Will it be possible for our human rangers/hunters to join us today?
Sellano grunted and visibly grit his teeth at what Grunyar said, his folded arms tightening to the point that he nearly cracked a shortrib. "The Duke cannot offer you horseflesh to ride, Master Dwarf, because there is no horseflesh to mount. Sellano took a mount this morning and the guardsmen sent after him mounted the rest and took chase. If you are to find steeds to sally forth, you will need to look elsewhere than the Duke's stables. I have none of Sellano's personal items, but you're free to visit the stables, they are to your right as you leave Lores, you cannot miss them. I assure you, you'll find little more than horse pies and that half-wit stableboy Paxton there." Bradigan then turned his attention to Kal'Tos, straightening his back, a spark of anger burning in his sharp, predator's eyes. "The heir to Lores is dead, and you lot are mewling over horseflesh? Your honorable Duke is willing to make you lords and knights for the return of this half-man. Think a second moment before you quibble for scraps again, lest I tell the Duke you had not the moxie for the task. Now, have you any true inquiries? I must return to his Lordship and offer my condolences." --
How will we be handling animal companions' actions in this campaign? I'm fine with describing what I want my wolf to do and the GM making the appropriate rolls to see if he listens/does it. I'm OK playing him as a second PC, too, but that might make him too obedient. Give commands to him and I'll do rolls and such things.
-- Bradigan tongued over his teeth with his lips closed, regarding Pip for a few moments before folding his arms tightly. "Regarding brigands? I think it unlikely. Bandits are not unheard of in this region, but they are more of a problem the more south you travel. Men of ill honor seem to freeze faster than Loresians. I doubt you'll meet any highwaymen on the way." --
Most speak Common.
I went ahead and addressed some of the questions the characters had. For the three of you who have yet to post, don't take that as a fire lit under your butts. Take your time. I'm just stretching my GM legs a bit. :)
Bradigan frowned briefly, regarding the pair of ratlings with his hawklike eyes, his posture becoming more tense once Pip began to ask his questions. His thin neck undulated with a swallow as he began to address Gimpy first, lips puckered tightly. "I would not pay you in advance if you told me Sellano was in the next room, Ratling. Your capering about with that Baker may have earned your a reputation among the lowfolk in this town, but it has not earned you any boons from the Duke's coffers." Bradigan then turned to Pip, parting his thin, pale lips to speak. "Sellano...was a well-groomed type of half-man. The courtly type. We had his traitorous arse shipped up from...Shields-spar."
"He kept his hair in a knot atop his head, my reckoning is that he tried to use it to enhance his height. What a lark." He burst out in an amused chortle at the halfling's expense.
His attention moved then to Kal'Tos, peering up at one of the large vaulted windows to regard the noon sun, barely shining through the thick overcast. "Sellano had access to the Duke's library same as I, it isn't out of the question that he could have stole a map from there. He stole a horse, did he not? And perhaps leathers and furs to keep his wretched body warm. It would not surprise me if he did not take a vial of Calliphan's blood with him, just to say he had stolen it from the poor boy's throat. I cannot comment on his experience in the White, he could have researched survival techniques."
I'd prefer traits just to be for player characters. :) @ Pip: I think we'll do something a little looser, I'll likely post to people often with replies to their questions and for their rolls, instead of saving up for giant posts.
Feel free to post!
So the way i figure it Grunyar and I are brothers that live in a cabin a couple hours walk outside of town. We survive mostly off hunting and trapping, occasionally selling extra game in town for some coin. We also work as guides from time to time when people's need for a guide outweighs their dislike of the grim and dour brothers. We are most frequently guides for the local militia, which is fine as it provides some drinking money. I thought I was safe to drink while reading on this thread! Good job. :P
So the way i figure it Grunyar and I are brothers that live in a cabin a couple hours walk outside of town. We survive mostly off hunting and trapping, occasionally selling extra game in town for some coin. We also work as guides from time to time when people's need for a guide outweighs their dislike of the grim and dour brothers. We are most frequently guides for the local militia, which is fine as it provides some drinking money. You both likely had to temporarily move into town due to the blizzard, the walls provide better shelter. The high winds busted up your cabin and has been making trapping/hunting almost impossible. And then you're called in to see the Seneschal! Sound good?
Also please excuse the formatting issues with that first post, I've done PbP games before, but never on this website. It's going to need some getting used to.
Yup. Looks good.
I believe we're waiting for an O.K. from several players, but popping out a first post won't be an issue. Take your time. :)
Everything looks good, except I can't see your gear. :) EDIT: Nevermind! I saw the MystWeavers link! You're good to go, pal. :)
|