GM Nightingale's page

Hey, all,

Really unfortunately, at the moment, I've started to have too much going on in my life to be able to continue GMing this game. Right now, I'm working two jobs. In the fall, I'll be back in school full-time.

I apologize to all of you guys for leaving and for slowly teetering off near the end. Thanks a lot for sticking in there. It has been a lot of fun!

Best of luck in all your endeavors!

-Nightingale

Oh my goodness! I just realized that I completely forgot to post this entire week. I am so sorry all. I'll be back to it for sure on Monday.

It surprised me that the party practically did nothing.

Totally! Also, Cordwin is doing a great job of pleasantly messing with him.

The old man just pretends to ignore Cordwin's second request, although though he continues to appear confused at his behavior.

Aside from your table chatting away, the room is mostly silently. All eyes are on Ameiko and the old man. They two of them continue to argue, then the old man yells a loud rebuttal: his ultimatum.
Ameiko, in the common tongue, albeit with a string of creative and shocking profanity, tells him to leaf her inn. Enraged, he tries to grab her by the hair and drag her from the tavern, but she dodges and brains him with her soupy ladle, spattering fish stock and potatoes all over his hair and outfit.

The old man sputters for a moment then finds his voice and utters, "You're as dead to me as your mother." He storms out.

Ameiko seems close to tears. Yet, as the old man leaves, she picks up her ladle, inspects it, pulls a hair out of the mess, and says, "I'll need a well-cleaned ladle now, since jackass stew is not on the menu." The resulting cheers from the room bring a smile back to her face.

Aldern replies not so quietly to René, "Well, I'll say, either you've been pounding them back without me noticing, you can't hold your liquor gods save you! I can barely make out what you're saying. As she is a women of such beauty and heroism, it would be a little queer to not be taken with Sabina. I hold myself to a motto: I should shy away from talking to a beautiful women, no matter what her station or attributes in comparison to mine. Life is too short for regret of having not done. Don't you think?"

The old man seems utterly pissed at being ignored, and is about to rear himself up to yell something unpleasant, when Cordwin cordially invites him to join their table. He stops, comically confused. He bursts out, "I have no time to sit with a band of vagrants."

The boar is about to be served when the door to the inn slams open and a surly visitor steps through and bellows something angrily in a foreign tongue above the ambient noise. All over, conversations trail off and people look to see who entered. The visitor is a middle-aged Tian man wroth with anger. Hearing no reply, he yells the same thing again and steps further into the inn. His eyes alight upon the heroes.

"Ahh!" he exclaims and begins in the common tongue now. "It's the so called "heroes" of Sandpoint. Take a good look! These are no heroes. During the raid, all they accomplished was endangering the townsfolk with their ill-advised antics." He spits the second syllable of the last word stressing the fricatives. "You all should have left that business to trained professionals, such as the city guard." His insult sinks in. At this point, Aldern, and those of you that have been drinking are a little drunk. Bethana drops a plate on the table and scampers away to the back.

Hey, guys, I'll be away today and tomorrow, so I'll post next on Monday. Have a good weekend!

"I commend you on your quick thinking, dwarf." Aldern says. "Let's call our hunt complete." He butchers the boar while it sleeps and the lays the carcass behind his horse and straps it down. You all head back the way you came, chatting amongst yourselves and with Aldern. You make it back to the Rusty Dragon in the afternoon, weary from your adventure, but excited to settle down for a fine, well-earned supper.

Aldern presents your catch to Ameiko who seems suitably impressed. She vows to smoke it up for a fine feast of a dinner. Pretty soon, the Rusty Dragon is awaft with the smell of smoked boar, being prepared in the back. The tavern is full of patrons. While Ameiko is cooking in the back, Bethana, the elderly halfling women takes orders and serves drinks. "Hold your horses, my lord! Food won't be ready for another 20 minutes at least," she exclaims to Aldern in a squeaky and frightened voice as he enthusiastically calls for more ale and some of their pork whenever it's "damn near ready."

Apologies for missing a post yesterday. I'll try to right one tonight.

Have a great time on vacation! I will be sure to bot you if need be.

Boar Will to avoid Sleep DC 12: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Boar Will to avoid reduce Evil Eye to one round DC 14: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Aldern frantically scrambles to pick up that lance that Aldern threw in his direction. He leaps up, grabs it, and braces it against the ground, only to his surprise to see the fearsome boar skidding to a halt, totally asleep.

After two moments of complete silence, Aldern guffaws. "Well if that wasn't a thrilling moment! Now tell me, which one of you magicians is responsible for that little trick? You could have mentioned it before that you could charm the bloody beats asleep. Even though we had a bit of a jump, I'll certainly have a fine story to tell! Tylur, my friend, hope you're doing alright. I'm sure that you would have had him had he continued his charge. Well, someone finish the beast, and we'll bring it on back to the Rusty Dragon for a fine supper!"

Sorry. Out these past few days with a cold. I will be sure to post again tomorrow!

Thanks a lot for the heads up, Tylur.

René, I would definitely consider those effects narratively. I might ask for as skill check somewhere as well.

Aldern fumbles with his saddlebags, trying frantically to release his lance.

The boar grunts and charges rapidly in the direction of Tylur and Sabina. It is only a few yards away, ready to plow into Tylur on the ground.

Aldern releases his lance and hurls it in the direction of Tylur five feet away from him. "Catch!"

I will take Tylur's suggestion!'

The boar, just thirty feet away, stops and sniffs the air. It oinks and then turns in the party's direction, frozen.

Aldern instructs you all to dismount. You set out in search of boar tracks under his guidance. After about ten minutes of searching Sabrina steps through a patch of dirt right after Tylur. She glances down and sees signs of little hoofprints that he must have just missed. Aldern heartily congratulates her on her find. "A fine huntress in the making!" The lot of you follow the tracks swiftly on your horses for another score of minutes. Suddenly, Aldern declares that you must be close since the tracks are very fresh now. Suddenly, out of the brushes, an oblivious boar emerges.

I think that I would like to resolve this boar encounter without using the combat rules. Since the pace of PbP is so slow, I would rather we spent more time advancing the story. Any thoughts on a quick way to resolve the outcome of this boar hunt?

Aldern replies to Tylur's question, happy to speak more of his home city. "A good question! To anyone who lives in the city, this is obvious, but I can see why someone who has never travelled there would not know. Magnimar is defined by two colossal landmarks which predate modern civilization by thousands of years or more. The Irespan is an ancient Thassilonian ruin, the easternmost end of a giant bridge which has now crumbled into the sea. This enormous relic stretched from Magnimar's other most noticeable feature, the three-hundred-foot tall cliff which cuts the city in two known as the Seacleft. This is why Maginarimar is known as The City of Monuments; you can walk anywhere without leaving the line of sight of one of these things!." He pauses, then says, [b]"And in response to your other question, I would be glad to have you all sometime in the future! I have a large house, and I would be especially happy to accommodate any of you coming my way." Aldern says this with his gaze mostly focused on Sabina.

You all reach the edge of the forest. The Tickwood Forest is not intimidating. Under the noon sun, you are happy to spend some time in the shade. Aldern rides to the front of the group and addresses you. "Here is where the hunt begins. We can all keep an eye out for tracks or other signs of the recent passing of a wild boar. Try hard not to make too much noise. When we find our prey, remember to follow the procedure I explained previously. Be cautious, keep your heads on you, we should reemerge unscathed and with a fine catch to give to Ameiko to cook up for dinner. Onwards!"

Could I get a survival check from y'all? This will equate to a half an hour of searching for boar tracks.

Aldern Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

"Agreed, Tylur. Sabina, if you were interested, I have little doubt that the Sandpoint guard would hesitate to hire you," Aldern says. "Sandpoint so far has treated me well; it's one of the nicer little towns that I have known. I am sad to leave it behind soon, but I do say that I am glad at the same time to return to Magnimar. Have any of you thought about settling in the big city? The countryside is charming, but a place like Magnimar has more grandeur than anywhere else for many leagues."

As you chat and trot along the road, you see that the forest is only a few minutes' ride away.

Apologies, folks. I'm out traveling this week, so my not get a post off for a few days.

"Very sure, my friend!" Aldern responds to Tylur confidently. "I've heard tell that Tickwood Forest is full of them. To tell you the truth, we may be doing the forest's ecology a service by lowering the boars' numbers by one. I say we should be off then. Tickwood Forest is about a half-an-hour's ride across the devil's platter, not at all very far. But first, before I forget, I should distribute these."

Aldern hops down from his jet black steed and retrieves from the side of his saddle five lances. He hands one out to each of you and keeps on for himself. One of the lances is markedly shorter, which he hands to the dwarf. "Of course, you will need these for the hunt."

You all take off at a brisk pace across the plains. "Since, I presume, most of you are new to the sport of hunting boar, I shall explain the general gist of the strategy. Once we have tracked and located a wild boar, we must enrage it so it charges into one of our lances, which has already been braced against the ground. There is little more thrilling to me than standing stalwart in the face of a charging boar only to have it stop a few feet short of me, impaled on my lance." Aldern sighs, perhaps reminiscing on past hunts. "Back in Magnimar, growing up as the heir to a noble house, it was only natural that I was trained in the gently sport of hunting from a young age. I have enjoyed the thrill of the hunt for many years..." He changes subjects abruptly. "But I want to hear more about you, my saviors."

Aldern moves to ride beside Sabrina. "My lady, would you care to recount how it is that you became such a fearsome warrior? Where do you hail from, and what are your aspirations for your future?" He stops, ready to listen intently to her response.

"Let us be off to the stables then," Aldern announces.

You finish up your breakfasts and walk across town to The Gobin Squash stables, an establishment run by no one else but Daviron Hosk. Inside, the walls are covered with grisly goblin trophies. Dogslicers lie on display alongside a great collection of goblin ears. A large mat of parchment is covered in names such as "Rat Biter" and "Urga."

Daviron sternly greets Aldern, the talk and haggle for a few minutes. Aldern, to Hosks lack of amusement, makes a good many quips about the "charming decoration," although doesn't hesitate to take the opportunity to curse gobin-kind and recount the story of how he was just about killed yesterday by a horde of them. Daviron spits strongly on a collection of goblin. In the order of a few minutes, Aldern has purchased each of you a suitable mount. Cordwin, being a tad smaller, is given a pony to ride.

Aldern says, "My gift to you. May they serve you well for many years. If you are having trouble naming any of your beasts, Daviron has a useful poster of horse naming ideas on the wall." He points to the parchment covered in the names of deceased goblins. Aldern laughs, and Daviron scoffs. "I should also mention that I good friend of mine shall be joining us as well on the hunt. He's a warrior by the name of Tylur. He'll meet up with us before we leave town."

I just recruited Tylur Thorn to fill Paldak's position. He is a friend of Aldern Foxglove and will be joining you all on the boar hunt.

I would like to announce that I am selecting Tylur Thorn for the position! You can head over to the gameplay thread here.

We can start with the assumption that you are a friend of Aldern Foxglove's whom he also invited on his boar hunt. You played a fair part fighting alongside the guard during the goblin attack, so Ameiko and Belor Hemlock are already aware of your existence and fighting abilities.

Foxglove is delighted. "I can assure you, a boar hunt should be no danger for the likes of any of your prowesses. The day is still fairly young. If we leave in haste, we should be back not too long after nightfall, I imagine. I don't imagine that you all have horses? If you do not, I am more than happy to remedy that."

Alexei and Paldak bid themselves out, stopping only a moment to say farewell to Ameiko.

Thanks a lot for all of the submissions! I will make my pick tomorrow morning.

"Glad to hear that the two of you are interested," he says "What does the lady say to my proposal?"

Got a sturdy fighter in mind for you. Question though.

Will you be allowing use of stamina feat, and splat books like weapon masters handbook and/or melee tactics toolbox?

Boss Zog, I do not think that I am allowing material so far from the core material. I'm not familiar with much outside of the core rulebook and the APG.

Hello!

Is prior knowledge of the AP grounds for exclusion? In my case, I am currently running it for my own group, and have grown quite familiar with it as a result. I do consider myself quite good at separating what I know from my character's knowledge, but I would understand if you are uncomfortable with having me in the group.

That being said, I have a few concepts floating around in my head and should be able to have one posted before your deadline.

Knowledge of the AP is definitely not grounds for exclusion, as long as you feel comfortable separating character knowledge from your own.

For all those of you who were interested in playing but were not selected, we just lost another player, and I have opened another recruitment thread here. We are looking for a replacement for our half-orc barbarian.

Just posted another recruitment thread for Paldak's replacement.

The party spends the next few hours kicking back after the traumatizing events of the day. You help yourself to food and drink from the Rusty Dragon's kitchen, and get to know each other a little better by sharing stories. Fighting side by side has definitely started to forge a bond between you. You sleep like rocks in your beds.

On the morrow, after rising well after the sunrise, the three of you descend to find Alexei and Paldak at a table eyeing a map. When you join them, they explain that the two of them will be heading out momentarily to journey up north. Alexei has family business of some kind to attend to, and he needed a "capable ruffian" to keep him safe on his journey. Paldak decided that you couldn't pass up on the opportunity for work and the opportunity to see more of the world outside of Varisia.

Aldern Foxglove opens the door to the in and walks inside. A big smile on his face, he is obviously invigored by the energy of the morning. He sees the party and strides over to their table.

"Good morning, chaps! I trust you all slept well? I've been up and about for a while in the town and I heard tell that there is a prime opportunity to hunt boar in the Tickwood Forest not far from here. Would you care to join me on a hunt? I imagine that it would be a great way for us to take our minds off of the recent trouble as well as get to know each a little better. What do you say?"

Alexei lets him know that he and Paldak were planning on departing momentarily, so they would not be able to join him.

Paldak pipes in not so subtly, "I do remember you saying that you would reward us?"

Aldern replies, "I'm disappointed to hear that you will be leaving so soon, but I wish you the best of luck. Of course, you are more than welcome to come visit me at my home in Magnimar if you ever pass through. Of course, I am still more than happy to reward you. I owe you my life." From his pouch he counts out some stacks of hold and hands a pile to Alexei and Paldak each. He asks again, "What do the rest of you think about joining me on a thrilling hunt?"

Hello, all!

In our Rise of the Runelords game, a second player just dropped in these past few weeks. The player who dropped was a half-orc barbarian, so I am looking for a character to fill his role as a tank and front-line fighter. The other characters in the group are a human witch, a human oracle, and a dwarf bard (archaeologist). Everyone is still at 1st level.

A note would be that I will be much more likely to pick an application if its background is interesting, ties in well with the campaign setting (Varisia and the town of Sandpoint), and shows good roleplaying ability.

Players should read the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide for information about the immediate setting and coming up with characters that tie in well. The guidebook Varisa Birthplace of Legends also has a lot to offer in the way of information and ideas for characters and backstories, although this resource is completely optional.

In this game, I am putting a heavy emphasis on roleplaying and exploring the setting and personal story arcs than on just bashing through the AP. This means that the pace might be more relaxed, but I think more fun, in depth, and rewarding.

I would like to maintain a posting requirement of at least one substantial post per day, although maybe not as heavily on the weekends. It completely fine if you need to not post for a stretch of time, but as long as you can be communicative about your availability.

Here is the current campaign thread.

Can't wait to read your applications. I'll make a decision on Saturday sometime if there is enough of a pool to choose from at that point Good luck!

Sorry about the long absence. I was far away from home working.

It has been a pleasure having you, Paldak. Good luck with your job and in all your parenting endeavors. Farewell.

I will put up another recruitment for a replacement for Paldak shortly.

Do you ya'll want to skip ahead to the day? We could just speed through the fact that you all socialized and got to know each other better before bed.

You all make your way back to the Rusty Dragon. On the road towards the south, bodies still litter the roads here and there. Folks who had been hiding during the fight start to emerge to see that the fighting has passed. The people of Sandpoint although jarred are more sad than frightened. The Swallowtail festival marked the a new beginning for the town after a long period of turmoil, and the goblin raid had quickly destroyed this short respite from tragedy.

The Rusty Dragon still stands strong. Inside, the great room is mostly deserted. It seems that most current patrons have left, or are spending their time in solitude. Ameiko bids pardons herself and makes her leave to her chambers for the evening. She lets René know before she retires, "The first room to the left of the stairs is open, so please take it. Fighting by your side has been an honor. I bid you goodnight." She is clearly more perceptive of René's effort in the fighting than he had taken her to be.

Aldern announces loud enough for everyone to hear. "As a well alive man, I think that I deserve a drink, and then a long sleep." He goes behind the bar and helps himself to an ale, bids you all a good evening and a promise that he shall meet you again and fully reward you for saving his life, and heads upstairs to his room.

Sorry about that! I do really like Chagindir as well. Your post said that you would get something up yesterday, so I made the decision to go right ahead and pick anyway. Good luck next time!

The sheriff seems utterly unmoved by Cordwin's joke and jovial attitude. "Thank you for the offer," he replies a little stiffly. "I will let you know if there is anything you can do. For the moment, I think that the guard has the situation handled. If you will kindly excuse me, I need to need to continue working." He starts to walk away.

Just recruited Rene Treize, a human witch, from the recruitment thread. We will wait for him to join us in the gameplay thread.

Thanks a lot for the submissions! I have gone through all of your submissions and have decided to go with Rene Treize. Welcome aboard! You are welcome to join us in the gameplay thread. Also, do not worry about the campaign traits. You found the exact same list from the players guide.

We will assume that Rene has been in Sandpoint since the start of the festival. You took part in the fighting, staying close to the southern side of town, fighting alongside Ameiko and Daviron Hosk. Afterwards, you find yourself back in the town square in front of the cathedral. The sheriff makes his speech, but then a party of adventurers approaches and starts to converse with him.

Aldern curiously listens to the dwarf's story. "Every settlement has its legends. I am sure that it would provide a fascinating line of research. You should not feel bad, most people who are not familiar with Svar met Olyth do not understand the title even if they speak Elven. Met is an archaism that means something like he who hails from. Svar is a name and Olyth is a place, although likely mythical. It's the story of a young bard in the early years of this land. Of course, as my savior, you are welcome in my home anytime! I would be pleased to have you visit."

The small crowd turns to see the approaching party. From atop the stage, Sheriff Hemlock replies loudly back in a gruff voice. He is obviously still stressed. "It seems as though the town has been cleared, and there should be no need of such dire action." He steps down and walks to meet them. "I say, you are a fearsome lot. I greatly commend and thank you for your significant role in the town's defense today. We were blessed to have your aid."

Just posted a recruitment thread for a new player. Let me know if you guys really like any of the applications.

Hey, folks!

A player in our Rise of the Runelords game just dropped so I am looking for a replacement player. The player who dropped was a human sorcerer, so I am looking for a character to fill his role as an arcane caster. The other characters in the group are a half-orc barbarian, a human oracle, and a dwarf bard (archaeologist). Everyone is still at 1st level.

A note would be that I will be much more likely to pick an application if its background is interesting, ties in well with the campaign setting (Varisia and the town of Sandpoint), and shows good roleplaying ability.

Players should read the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide for information about the immediate setting and coming up with characters that tie in well. The guidebook Varisa Birthplace of Legends also has a lot to offer in the way of information and ideas for characters and backstories, although this resource is completely optional.

In this game, I am putting a heavy emphasis on roleplaying and exploring the setting and personal story arcs than on just bashing through the AP. This means that the pace might be more relaxed, but I think more fun, in depth, and rewarding.

I would like to maintain a posting requirement of at least one substantial post per day, although maybe not as heavily on the weekends. It completely fine if you need to not post for a stretch of time, but as long as you can be communicative about your availability.

Here is the current campaign thread.

I look forward to reading your submissions!

Starting to feel better. I'll post again today or tomorrow.

Alexei,

Thanks a lot for dropping out considerately. I definitely understand your reasoning and respect your decision. It's been lovely playing with you for a short time. I will soon get on finding a replacement.

The best in all of your endeavors!

Thanks!

Sorry, guys. Totally wiped out with a cold. I hope to be posting again as soon as possible, but may not be able to until I have more brainpower.

Aldern replies cordially as they skulk back through the town towards the cathedral. "My good dwarf, Magnimar, by my measures is one of the grandest beacons of high civilization in this part of the world.As a nobleman, I occupy myself with managing my family's estate, mixing with the rest of the high class as social functions, and conducting research projects of my own interest. Recently, I have been studying Laryth's Svar met Olyth in its original Elven. If you are not familiar, it is one of the great epic poems of ages past. So tell me, Cordwin, where do you hail from? And how long have you been in this business of goblin slaying?"

The Cathedral comes into view without you happening upon any more foes. in the courtyard, several guards and militant villagers including Daviron Hosk, the drunkard from the night before, and Ameiko are gathered listening to Sheriff Belor Hemlock talk. You catch, "...have a few of the buggers in custody now, but so far none have talked. We still have no idea how they managed to get in past the walls. Now the danger has passed, we should assess the damage that has been done to our beautiful town and the people of Sandpoint. On the morrow we will hopefully rehold the consecration ceremony."

Heads up guys. I am heading off to an event this weekend so I won't be posting on Friday or Monday.

By listening closely and surveying the immediate area, none of you can detect any more immediate danger. The streets are mostly deserted, save except save for the occasional guardsman running past. Most of the non-fighting townsfolk have probably hidden in their houses. The smell of smoke is on the air, but there does not seem to any large fire anywhere. Where there were previously sounds of fighting everywhere, the town feels empty by comparison.

Aldern, a little taken aback by Alexei's bluntness replies, "Well, how about we all tip toe cautiously back into town and make sure that that the danger has passed? I, myself, am sure that I will stick alongside you for the time being. Strength in numbers being the principle." He walks to the side of a dead goblin and hefts one of the crude dogslicers from the ground, sheathing his dirk.

No problem! Feel better soon...

A pleasure to meet you all. I am Aldern Foxglove, a gentleman hailing from the great metropolis of Magnimar. He politely returns the dwarf's bow. It would seem that I am in your debt. If you would like, I invite you to visit me sometime soon at the Rusty Dragon where I am currently staying. Then perhaps we can find some way in which I can reward you for your bold heroics.