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830 posts. Alias of The Morphling.


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So, roll call - who's still around? Justimar and Zasz are still here, who else is still checking this thread?


Apparently I was wrong. *sigh* I hate to keep doing this to you guys. My schedule was so full of free time when I started this game, and it's been rough in recent months.

Still refusing to give up on this, even if it takes a while to get it rolling again.


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Just popping in to reassure everyone I am still alive. Just got over a bad cold and now I am caring for my boyfriend who caught it from me, but my work schedule is evening out and I am finally... finally on the verge of having a reasonable schedule once more.


An inquisitor - a tiefling, but rather than part-devil/part-human, he is part-lizardfolk. We're working out the details - I'll have him post here at some point and communicate with you all.

I suspect there are some details he would prefer to keep to himself, given the nature of the character.


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I am fortunately in a fledgling Carrion Crown game in person - our first session is later this month. :)

I've been working with our new applicant - Justimar recommended him and he's coming up with a new character for the game. I'm excited to see what he comes up with.


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Justimar of House Leroung wrote:

I did check real quick on the WotR game to make sure you didn't quit, don't give me a heart attack GM ;)

Real life can be an ordeal, I am struggling myself as I am starting a new job right now (just finished day three). Still we'll overcome if only with time.

No, I would sooner quit my job than quit our WotR or my Kingmaker. I have a relationship with my characters in those games that will stay with me for my entire life. They're safe from the PbP culling, and games I run, I consider sacred responsibilities. This one's not going anywhere.

This past weekend, my apartment complex revealed to me that they interpreted my comment that I was "considering moving" to a larger apartment in the same complex to mean "let's rent out their apartment and assume they're gonna move." So with less than 3 days' notice I needed to be out the door and moved into a new place.

Thankfully it was a place I actually wanted to go, and was sharing a parking lot with my old place, buf I was not prepared and only with the help of 3 friends and a long weekend were we able to extricate our belongings from the old place and into the new.

It's been pretty wild. I'll have reliable internet, a place to actually type on a keyboard again, and the time to revive this game very soon. Thanks for your patience.

Oh, and I may have a player in mind who will be joining you all very shortly. :)


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It's been a hell of a week. I had to quit two of my ongoing PbPs this week (including a Hell's Vengeance where I was a player), but I am sticking with this one for the long haul. Apologies for the long delay, I'll have us moving again soon when things slow down for me.


"By all means," Rohalendi replies. "Thank you for your time, and I appreciate your openness. Have a good afternoon." She heads back off in the direction of her residence and place of business, leaving you to your last destination - the Jail and the attached Sheriff's Office.

I'll get that post up soon.


Justimar of House Leroung wrote:
Amatsu Mi wrote:
I am moving so I will probably not be able to post this week, sorry!

Take care and hope it goes well!

@GM, I am sure I asked this before, but a few searches around I couldn't find any information or records of me asking. What was the date of the first day of the adventure?

I'll see if I can conjure up a definite date for you. :)


I suspect the specifics of the decree are kept intentionally vague so that a clever and distinguished nobleman (such as the Archbaron, or an enterprising young summoner of some kind) can twist the wording to suit his own ends.

Twisting is very easy when one holds all the power. :) To answer your question, the decree does not specify, and Justimar would recognize the ambiguity for what it is - an excuse to change things up whenever it suits the Archbaron to do so, without technically breaking his word.

As far as overseeing or overtaking the notary, probably not an option. You'll likely meet with him personally at some point, but he's very loyal to the Archbaron, and the Archbaron finds him useful. However, you might not need to do much. When you (shortly) find yourself directly in the Archbaron's favor, his toadies (like the notary) will find themselves working either for or with you.


Rohalendi looks down the bridge of her nose at Arruk with a deadpan expression as he answers. "I appreciate knowing the process to be followed," she replies dryly. "One last question and I'll leave you to return to your duties," she says. "I see that visitors will be required to receive a writ of passage from the notary. Since the notary is within the town limits, how should travelers stopped at the gates proceed to apply for such a writ?"


"I see," she replies, her expression neutral. "What of taverns? Are customers gathering to eat and drink considered to be engaging in the natural course of business and can congregate in larger numbers without fear of arrest?"


Adding to the notice post attracts the attention of several locals, who soon gather to read the decree. One of the first to approach is a rather severe woman who Amatsu recognizes as Doctor Gerya Rohalendi, another medical practitioner in the town. While several of the townsfolk with her—about 10 or so—immediately get upset and start complaining about the injustice of a curfew and being treated like prisoners, Doctor Rohalendi keeps her head.

She calmly follows the group, and asks several questions about the decree and its specifics. "Pardon me. I would like to know some more about Archbaron Fex's proclamations. Will those who break curfew to see to a medical emergency be arrested? Half of Longacre is related—what does "family" mean in this context? Is group gathering at the tavern assisting the establishment in "the natural course of its business?" How can those from outside town obtain a writ of passage if they're not allowed in to visit the notary?" She asks her questions earnestly and without any emotional response to the answers, leaving time between her queries to allow you to respond.

Easier to put all the questions together for the purposes of PbP, but she asks them normally in conversation, letting you reply to each.


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I will begin the search for a candidate (or two) worthy of my excellent crew of players. :)


A fifteen-foot-tall wooden post, scarred by nails and plastered with faded pronouncements, rises from a bed of posies in the church square. A verdigris-stained copper archer swivels atop a squeaky weather vane at the post's summit.

Local news, business listings, and past decrees of lesser importance cover the post. Those who peruse the papers here and find at least five decrees by Archbaron Fex imposing new or raising existing taxes on local businesses.

Amatsu remembers hearing that the archer atop the post is a depiction of Alisa the Bandit Buster, who slew a bandit lord named Kalisboro who once preyed upon the town from the depths of the Whisperwood.


On an unrelated note I think we may need to begin talking about replacing Vance. We love the character but we need him to be able to contribute a lot more often.


I'll do that one next! Might be too busy to get it up before Monday but we'll see if I am awake enough at the hotel after a convention day. :)


Bolouisa's eyes glaze over as Amatsu's spell ensnares her mind. "Oh, close the gate? Dent and I have been keepin' the gate open 'cept for nights and holidays for all eighteen years we've been mindin' it. You're really sure this is for the best?" she looks over the list of decrees. "Some of these seem pretty harsh, but... If you say so." She smiles absently. She takes the needle from Amatsu. "Dent's back has been botherin' him of late... I'll see if this helps. Thanks so kindly, ma'am." She heads inside the structure of the gate's squat support towers to the mechanism for cranking the gate shut. She hesitates for a moment, but the spell withstands her apprehension.

The loud rumble as the gears turn and the gate slides shut draws Denton from the house. "Bo? Bo! What's goin' on out here? Why's the gate closed?" he asks.

"Oh it's no trouble, dear. Look, these folks are here from the Archbaron. We've got to close the gate for now, just for a little while while this talk of rebellion dies down."

Denton's expression reveals his confusion. "But this..." he says, beginning to read the proclamation. "Bo, you can't be serious. This isn't right!"

Bo shushes him. "We'll talk about this later," she says, turning to hammer the proclamation onto the gate. "No need to waste more of these fine folks' time. Y'all have a nice day," she says.

Denton glares at you as you leave, but doesn't move to stop anyone or interfere with the proclamation. Once you're out of earshot you can see him engage in an argument with Bo in the distance.


That is even creepier. Sorry it's been so long without a post - I am moving soon and have been super busy - and this weekend I am at a convention. I'll get this moving along again soon.


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Welp, bucket list checked off. Never been actively afraid of a player character before. Amatsu, what the heck is on that needle?

Girl, you scary.

Sidenote: I have to think about how to play this one out. She did fail the will save, btw. :) I'll work out the interaction between her and Denton in my head and make a post soon.


Longacre's western gate looks almost as if some great giant picked up the stone gate from a rugged frontier fort and dropped it across the road leading into town. A set of weathered wooden doors stands open in the fortified stone. The Castle Gate, as Longacre's western gate is popularly called, might present a hindrance to invaders were it situated in a wall. As it is, the gate is merely a mossy stone tower connected to a short stone span that interrupts the aged, chest-high wooden fence surrounding the town. For most of Longacre's residents, the gate is a symbol of their town's grit and determination, but for the town's honorary gatekeepers, managing it is a solemn charge.

These gatekeepers, Bolouisia and Denton Gramel, live in a house close to the gate and rarely let the mossy pile of rocks out of their sight. Bo and Dent note everyone who passes through, greeting every neighbor, commenting on every loaded cart, and questioning newcomers as though they were guards at the imperial palace. For the most part, though, the couple is content to watch people come and go, and keep on alert for danger coming down the road.

Bo is seated in a sturdy and well-weathered wooden chair beside the gate, lounging and smoking a pipe as she maintains her vigil.


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I really wish we could get more posts from Vance. I know you're checking up on us occasionally, but we've had quite a large number of scenes where Vance was just completely not involved.

We all love your character and we want more of him! Is it an issue of being too busy, or is it something we all can help with?

On a similar note I appreciate you all understanding that sometimes it's difficult for me to get gameplay posts up quickly. That has a lot to do with my perfectionism - if I am unsure of what an NPC will do and I'm mulling it over, I tend to put off posting anything until I can get my mind around the scene a little better. I think our pace is a comfortable one - it's nice to be able to have a lull in posting and have the game pick right back up when I get us to the next milestone.


I have Horror Adventures now and I think there is a LOT of possible content for an evil party like you all. In particular the corruptions ARE really cool, as long as you houserule away the "if you fail 3 will saves you become an NPC" angle.

If you all see anything in that book you'd like to retrain into, let me know and we can work it out. There'll be plenty of options in Cheliax to become tainted with dark power...


Roger that. :)


Represent that Chaotic Evil angle, girl!

Great work, guys. That was awesome. What's the next stop?


Caggan, beset on all sides by the dangerous-looking band, looks for a moment like he's going to try to stop the imposing half-orc. But with a glance across the counter at his terrified patrons, his shoulders slump. He glares at Arruk as the ex-logger affixes the decree prominently in place, boiling over with anger, but does not move to stop him.

When Arruk demands his shirt, he bellows in indignation but remembers his customers. Stripping off the heavy, sweaty linen garment, he balls it up and tosses it on the counter in front of Justimar.

"Now get out of my tavern," he barks, eyes narrowed. "You did your work."


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Very well done. :) The sticking point here was that Caggan wasn't going to hang it for you - but he's not going to tear the thing down and he wasn't going to escalate this to violence unless you did first.

Good resolution. :)


Just so you know, the jacket is gonna be fine after a little washing from Vivendi. ;) But he still disrespected his betters by being so careless with his messy spoon...

I am eager to see you do either course of action. This is your show - this Adventure Path, and especially this first book, is very open-ended and up to the players. You're definitely viewing it properly too - the morale of those in Longacre, whether emboldened by a small victory over the Archbaron's agents, or roused to rebellious anger because of tyrranical enforcement, affects how things proceed from here.


Of course, Devil's Advocate here - it's not like anyone is going to be able to stop you. I want to be clear that I am not opposed to any course of action here. If you want to make good on your threat - go for it. Just wanted to clarify that Caggan is legally in the clear on this one.

It's up to you four, as the new power in Longacre, how much weight that law really carries anymore.


I have to say, the three of you have put on a masterful display of intimidation here, and I almost wish it would have worked out a little easier. Caggan is a remarkably tough nut to crack and he knows his rights. He is, technically, in the right here. You can't legally force him to hang it inside his business, and you are on his private property.


The few customers seated in the tavern react with fear at the well-armed group and especially at the display of magic, but the barkeep speaks up as his face twists into a mask of hatred. "Oh yeah, you're gonna play it like that then? Tryin' ter kick out my customers and corner me wit no witnesses? Well how 'bout this. Yer right. This is private property. My property. An' I'm kickin yer sorry asses out. We're breakin' no laws in here - yer the ones who made this gatherin' inter a group o' more than six! There's a nice big fencepost out front where ye can hang yer notice out front where all the folk are gonna see it. Now, scram. I'm bein' civil, ye do the same, 'agents of the archbaron.'"


I am deciding on Caggan's next move, as this likely has pretty severe ramifications for him and for the course of events in the next few days depending on what he does here. :)

It is fun responding to your group's way of handling these events. Every group is different and all the Longacre encounters are very open-ended and can be approached in multiple ways.


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"Spoiled? Git away from there!" he shouts as he turns, shooing Amatsu away from his prized chili. "What'd you put in my... Eurgh!" he recoils as the stench of days-old rot assails his nostrils. "Y-you did somethin' to my chili! Git out, you little wretch!" He turns around as Justimar dons his sash and Arruk rises to his feet. He opens his mouth to speak but the pair cut him off. His face settles into a seething anger as Arruk and Justimar threaten him. "You can hang yer own notice wherever ya want but not in my business. Gods know the Baron don't even want me ter have one at all! Git out and don't come back, yer not welcome here. There's plenty of posts outside to put that piece of trash." He sweeps Justimar's gold coins off the bar with his hand, and the glittering coins clatter to the floor, leaving the decree on the polished countertop.


"Well sure! Let's have a look here," he says, unfurling the paper to look at it. It seems the man can read after all, as he squints to make out the words. His jaw drops at first, then quickly clenches as his face begins to redden in anger as he makes it down the page. Stammering noises come from his mouth. "Now what in the... Dagummit... Why that little..." he manages to utter before slamming his meaty fist down on the bar (still carrying the spoon, as bits of chili splatter across Justimar's fine clothes). "Just how in the hell does that brainless bastard think I can run a business with a 'gathering restriction?' You take this piece of garbage right back to that trumped-up baron and get it revised, I'm not having it! And if he needs a place to post this one, you can tell 'im to post it right up 'is arse!"


"Why that'd be mighty generous indeed, M'lawd... Sir!" he corrects himself with a guffaw. "What's this notice? Let me go fetch a stool sturdy enough for me to reach all the way up there!" he says, chuckling as he retrieves a stool that seems specially constructed for the enormous man, whose prodigious bulk comes from height as well as girth.

Amatsu recognizes one young woman from the sermon the day before - an athletic type who looks like she'd handle herself well in a scuffle. She looks relaxed and unconfrontational now, though, and isn't carrying any weaponry.

One of Caggan's serving maids busies herself cleaning the small stage set up opposite the bar, and an elderly couple chat at a table near the tavern's large front window.


At the Last Stand Tavern, all is as it should be as the group approaches. Justimar, heading inside to retrieve his belongings, is greeted by Bolgart Caggan, the establishment's portly and rather sloppy proprietor. "Welcome back m'lawd!" the man bellows, his mouth full of what appears to be chili from a pot he's in the process of cooking. As usual his use of 'milord' seems affected rather than genuine. "Pull up a stool, lunch is almos' ready!" he says, waving a spoonful of the spicy dish around sloppily. There are only a few other customers in the tavern's common room at this morning hour, and they give Justimar casual nods in greeting.


Sounds good! Recently I have had much less access to the Internet while at work so it's been difficult to make a post. I'll get the next one up soon.


Is there a consensus where you would like to go first?

And yeah, there is no way anyone could recognize Amatsu's new pet from her appearance in life.


In the tub, Amatsu finds a number of old, tarnished Chelish army medals. Properly cleaned, these could perhaps fetch a good price from a collector, or might provide a clue to the identity of the person the phantasm was in life.

Knowledge (Nobility or History), DC 15:
Given the body's location and the number of medals, it's likely that the remains here are the body of matron Kallasta Moragatalli, a noblewoman who fought for King Gaspodar in her youth. She was the owner of the Ash House when it was Moragatalli Manor - when it suspiciously "caught fire" suddenly one night in the aftermath of House Thrune's victory in the Chelish Civil War. House Moragatalli, now bereft of its wealth and titles, was known to have opposed Thrune's rise to power.


Oh, almost forgot to mention...

This close up, Amatsu spots a glint of shiny metal in the "muddy" substance in the tub - which she now identifies as badly burned, liquified human remains.


The creature moans at Amatsu's touch. Its flesh, soft and malleable as wax, writhes with pent-up malice. It leaves a silvery residue on Amatsu's palm. The being seems to lack true sentience, being a creature of hatred and misery given flesh. Amatsu knows her magic will be able to redirect that hatred wherever she wants.

I think I'll leave some of the details of her capabilities a mystery, but what you do know is she seems to be able to move without touching the ground, and was at least partially capable of passing physically through the solid porcelain of the bathtub. When she tried to attack Amatsu, it looked like she was attempting a slam attack.


It's delightful. And this is a spectacular catch, mechanically speaking, as it is a one hit-die undead with the advanced template.

That encounter was worth 150 XP each, bringing your total to 985 out of 2,000.


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The phantasmal creature shudders, its forward lurch halted as if by an invisible leash. It tries again, lunging toward Amatsu but held back by some invisible restraint. Its mournful wail rises to a hate-filled shriek at the woman's face, a single sound of pent-up hatred and impotent rage... but it does not move further to attack.

It slowly recedes, half-sinking down into the bath, its torso and horrific face bubbling and melting as it looks up at the Tien woman. It seems to lock gazes with the horrific puppet she carries, waiting.

Combat is over. Amatsu has a new friend.


The extraplanar bird dove into the amorphous creature with a savage fury, its bite and one of its talons ripping its gooey 'flesh' apart. Arruk's elbow strike was strong enough to shatter a man's skull, but the force of the blow is massively blunted by the being's fluid nature, leaving it mostly unscathed. Badly damaged, it still looms over Amatsu.

Eagle hit with two attacks, Arruk's attack missed due to natural armor. Amatsu is up.


And we're back in the thick of combat. :)


Amatsu moves to inspect the tub, while Vance looks around the foul-smelling bath chamber. As his offhand comment about hearing 'phantoms' hangs in the air, an unearthly wail emanates from the tub, as a vaguely humanoid form with horrifically melted features bursts forth from it. Distorted, drooping holes form the creature's eyes and mouth, like a human face crudely formed of melting wax. It immediately lunges at Amatsu.

Initiative (Creature): 1d20 ⇒ 3
Initiative (Arruk): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Initiative (Amatsu): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Initiative (Justimar): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Initiative (Vance): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

...but its assault is slow, so each of you reacts quicker. All four of you are up in whatever order you like.

None of you seem to have the knowledge skills necessary to identify this creature.


I assume all four of you will be present for this.

Assuming Arruk can convince Vance to help, it takes about an hour to clear a path through the collapsed upper hall. The hall leads to a musty chamber beyond, choked with ivy. Old ash streaks the tiled walls of what was once a lavish bath chamber, while broken mosaic chips and fallen timbers cover the floor with sharp scree. Opposite the door, a porcelain tub filled with stagnant water hunches beneath a crescent-shaped mirror distorted by intense heat.

If you inspect closer:
The bath is choked with wreckage from the fallen floor above. The tub appears to be filled with a thick, muddy substance, and clearly has not been suitable for bathing in years.

A Heal check can identify the substance in the bath.


I'm settling into my new schedule, so I should be good. Turns out I get paid to play with my phone between phone calls in this new job, so I should be plenty available.

Justimar could have returned to the Ash House to check in with the others, if you want to get involved in Arruk's investigation.


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So who's still around? I think we have plenty of opportunity for people to get posting again. I'd like to get this moving once more.


The splashing only goes on for a short while before falling silent. After a few minutes of silence, Arruk realizes it's not going to start back up again and heads back down to get some rest.

Some new developments will come the next day, but in the meantime you have enough time to investigate the upper floor and clear the debris as a group. You can go ahead and fill the others in.

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