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After a few minutes a feeble light appears around the frame of the stout timbers followed by a scraping as the bolt is withdrawn. Opening a crack a thin grey haired face thus out of the void. For an instant the face stares unseeingly into to the night. Then the gaze focuses and settles upon up you.
Obviously a little put off by the lack of response Agrippa stays silent for the rest of the trip. The wagon creaks and the tiles rattle as the cart climbs up the cut stone street of one of Constantinople’s hills until reaching the Domos/town house Papier had indicated. “Here you are.” Agrippa adds a tad glumly. The building seems dark but it is hard to say as it has no exterior windows as is the Roman norm. Its whitewashed facade and heavy green painted door presenting a completely anonymous mien to the outside world.
Looking wistful Agrippa adds “The Goths must be a test from god... I cannot see how they could have gained the upper hand against us if it where not for Valens wickedness.
“…And Marcellus visited, right under Basil’s nose wooing sweet Julia. Never did Basil the purveyor of spices become suspicious how Marcellus’s buttons would need to be reattached every other day. Funny that.”
Turning to you he asks. “Now what are your thoughts about Theodosius? Do you think he will make those Goths bend their knees to us?”
Patrick Spoiler: Great Patrick. That set up works perfectly for me. I am an owner of Collapse too! Along with Diamonds other book Guns, Germs and Steel and thoroughly enjoy reading both of them.
Rosey Spoiler: No problem with that idea. I had imagined that perhaps Modius, Hrothgar and yourself might have been lodging at the same inn and thus your acquaintance. But your suggestion works fine.
Taliesin Spoiler: Thanks Taliesin, that background is fine. More so then any other character because of his slave background I had a bit of trouble trying to place Rufinus within society. And I didn’t want to take any liberties with this past. But this fills the wholes in my knowledge just great.
“You seem in plenty of a rush and not very chatty. Haha I can't say that has ever afflicted me, some of my friends call me the mouth of the Mese.” The cart drive cheerily adds.
Modius Spoiler: The mans pocket are empty. Conspicuously so...
Sorry for not replying sooner. Yes your definitely right even thought there is no emperor on the throne in the east it is obvious Constantinople is a good place to be and its only going to get better. Sure your family can have a villa in Constantinople. Those are good observations both of these were tools much latter in the consolidation of power of European kings. Gunpowder developed out of a particularity of Chinese culture as a medicine of all things. I while it didn’t produce health benefits it wasn’t long before others uses for it where being imagined. But it was quite awhile before it was successfully developed into an affective weapon. I don’t think they would have had the time to successfully develop it had they discovered it. True paper but especial print would have really helped them in my humble opinion as long as it was monopolized by the state. As a medium to ease communication, thus propaganda and record keeping it could have been just the thing needed to bring the fractions together again and strife the corruption that had bleed them of their strength. Personally I think there are a lot of commonalities between china and Rome in the first place. Both had the best managerial and logistical skill of ancient times as their success illustrates. Even measured against today the stake up favourably, who is to say our society or nation state will survive 800 years.
An oxen cart stops beside you and a short bull doggish looking man calls out in a rustic accent to you. “Aye, having difficultly friends?” Giving a short nod to the unconscious man and a shy wink “I know it might be a bit of a gamble but if you were murders looking to pitch him into the horn I wouldn’t be thinking you’d be a traipsing as bold as a rutting boar down the Mese.” “Nople can be rough on people who don’t know her ways. If you don’t mine and old busy body asking, what happened to your pal?”
Night settles over Constantinople like the snuffing of a candle and the rain begins to taper.
Hey Kruelaid, I have no problem with you replacing inside connection with something that fits your character concept better. Patrick I don’t see why Paper/Papier’s family couldn’t have a residence in Constantinople. In the classical era great minds, intellectual freedom and patronage all seemed to come together in a few places in the world illustrating the timelessness of genius. I didn’t know that they had come to believe the Antikythera Mechanism was an astrological measuring device, last time I had read of it they believed it to be an ancient adding machine. Thanks kruelaid.
Miraculously but never the less assuredly the strangers colour begins to return and this breathing becomes soft and rhythmic once more. Unconscious he may be but the drujs of Ahriman shall not claim this one, at least not this day.
Applying pressure to the wound, the blood flow begins to abate. You have bought yourself time but the stranger still is slipping. He is still very wreak and growing cold, maybe all of his blood has been spent?
I am signing off for the night. Sorry that my time zone might not allow me to be preasent when the majority of you are active. Let me know what you are going to do. It can be flavourful just don’t assume the resolution of any action. Tomorrow I will response and let you know what is required, what happens and so on.
You all stand gathered around the fallen man. Dark curly hair lies slickly against the crown of his head. While his skin is of an olive complexion common to many of the warmer parts of the empire. His dark clothing are simple workman’s things: a grey cloak, a tunic tied with a rope belt and simple soft sold leather shoes. His breath comes in short jagged gasps and his chest wound gushes blood uninhibitedly. Even the untrained eye can tell he is not going to be long for this world unless he receives some urgent aid.
No you cannot. I probably should say it might not play out exactly as before either ;)
I have resumed posting on the thread Maybe to if I indication some non even local to leave things at either today or tomorrow where you could just roleplay among yourselves for a while after I sign off for the day how would that be received?
Would it help if we change to a one post per day model, where you start off each round, and we respond to you? Perhaps the bunch of us getting into character with multiple posts as we have, with no combat to complicate the timeline? We keep what we started, and move on after a break? What I am learning towards at the moment is posting in rounds. I will present a piece of the narrative then I will give you a chance for all of you to respond. Then I will respond to your actions followed by another post to advance things. Inside of combat the initiative system pretty much dictates the flow of things. This way neither you or I will get cut out of the loop during our down time, and allow for multiple posts during a day or whatever is the convenient pace for everyone. This is what I am going to try for the moment. I hope it works out alright for every one else.
As the occupants of the portico suddenly realise what is happening there is an eruption of pointing and silent whispers. As innocuously as possible people being slipping away, their aversion to the rain suddenly forgotten.
I acknowledge the considerable investment in the characterizing your characters and their interactions so I have decided that tomorrow I am going to pick things up right after this post :
Rufinus has taken off his poncho to lay under the wounded man. He is bare-chested now. His back is a riot of scars. Unless you would prefer to continue where the thread actually ends. As things had diverged into two distinctive directions
Yes I guess I just expected play to be like it is under Kobold Cleaver in the pbp that I am a character in. No, you guy have an amazingly fertile imaginations. To the point you could run yourselves without Dm involvement at all. I am going to hold off until the weekend before I start posting on the campaign thread again. And I think I will use the model Taliesin suggested as well, at least for the time being.
Like Taliesin, I've only just started pbp, so it's all new to me. It was a lot of fun and just as a side note, made me go and read a lot more about Roman/Persian history than I'd done for a while. Which is good. See - rpgs broaden the mind. I am really am glad to have been partly the catalyst for that :) On a side note this whole campaign is an out growth of my discontent that the Caesar/Augustus and to a lesser extent Nero era is the only one which has even been amply covered.
Fear not, I have returned. I am going to give this another try. If you all are still willing. I have a story and I do want to tell. I do think there is merit in what Taliesin suggests. A different posting scheme would work better for me. I think part of the problem was that I left you without and defined introduction to one another and it was natural for you want to create a relationship between your characters in play.
I have thought things over. And I think that it is best that I drop the Empire in evening. It has turned out to be a much more demanding endeavour then I had originally imagined. I have been out of the loop for a while having not Dm since 2ed. between researching rules, the campaign backdrop, composing my entries and my daily to living obligations I don’t seem to have enough time to adequately keep abreast with the posts and provide the experience you deserve. I really appreciate the fullness of attention that you folks here have given the campaign and the creativities of characters and role-playing. My sincerest apologies.
Yes I can seen what your saying. Just give a moment to think things over
As you rush towards the fallen figure a savage snarl erupts from the threshold of the alley. A dirty man in a tattered smock materializes from the gloom. A crimson pugio/dagger clenched in his fist like a beast with but a single claw. He has been watching your approach with intently.
“I concur with you Ateus. there are many lights to which to see Victors desertion. But he will never see trial, if in fact he is still alive. For I believe him to be dead. Executed in secret, for as long as he is missing tempers will simmer for sure, but they will never boil.” The senator finishes. "Any more questions?"
Rufinus, Hrothgar and Modius Spoiler:
There seems little rhyme or reason of the gather just a chaotic assemble. Intentional or not you cannot say. Isat Spoiler:
The gather doesn’t seem staged, just an impromptu meeting of people. The ambiance is one of pleasure as the weather has thrown together unlikely pairs of people. Unexpected opportunities have flourished in such fertile soil.
Most are excited to have such a high authority present and are eager not to relinquish their opportunity to procure juicy conversation for later dinner parties. While your presence has been accepted, many a whispered comment and harsh you has been cast towards your barbarian friends. .
The young Nubian languid smile dissolves as you shadow falls over him. Startledy he climbs to his feet, leaving whatever idyllic thoughts that had occupied him behind. Searching earth coloured eyes bore in to you. “Are you one of dem, or one of me?” Sourly, his tongue running roughly over the words.
I am open the pbp thread. Good luck all of you and I hope you enjoy.
The dark sky ominously rumbles as its continual tears fall on the uncertain populous below. Two years previously the unimaginable happened Valens Augustus fell vaingloriously upon the fields of Adrianople to rabble, that a strong Roman sneeze should have scattered to the four winds. Now Theodoseous the younger, a man who has never known Constantinople, commands the armies of the east. Will he be enough to extinguish the fire that burns in the gothic heart and tame their unbridled souls, or will he follow Valens to the land of his ancestors? Where will his allegiances lay in matters of faith? For in this land every creed has felt the oppression of the state. These and others questions hung heavy in the mind of the men of Constantinople. The world had turned upside down; long and far ranging will be its repercussions. But a for few, their only thoughts for the moment are where to escape the rain…. Constantinople, the Kalendes of Aprilis, in the year of our lord Iesous Christos 380 ad In the shadowy portico of the Basilica of the Holy Apostles had gathered a collection of beings, fruit that only a city such as Constantinople could have bore.
All had gathered to escape the rain and wait for the storm to break; a storm that had transformed the Mese from road to a silvery stream as the over burdened storm drains struggled to keep up with the torrent.
I still need to know what kind of point buy we use. Please see my post above. I would like to get the stats out of the way. Sorry Taliesin, I missed your post regarding the point buy. And I didn’t mean to imply there was a rush. I wouldn’t start with out you.
Do humans get an extra 4 skill points starting? Or since we're all humans is this rule gone? I am kinda fuzzy on 3.5, I thought I had 22 points, but if that doesn't hold I will rejigger my stat scores. Perhaps you were thinking fighters had a base of 4 skill points rather then 2.
Do humans get an extra 4 skill points starting? Or since we're all humans is this rule gone? I am kinda fuzzy on 3.5, I thought I had 22 points, but if that doesn't hold I will rejigger my stat scores. base 2 +1 int bonus=3, 3x4=12, 12+4human bonus=16, 16 + non adept Pupil of the learned +2=18 points. I believe this is correct.
Everything seems to be coming together quite nicely. All things being equal we will open up to actually play tomorrow.
Story awards for both Modius and Hrothgar the Red.
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