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No worries, can wait. This said, Antonio was the last person to post in gameplay so it didn't seem like he was missing... Anyway I'll await a signal to pop in the gameplay thread. Hi BD! Good to see you. :) Yeah, I was thinking maybe he heard about the expedition going out in general and went to patrol the roads to assist. Maybe he's even checked in at Oleg's before but is out on watch and returns to meet y'all there.
Hello! I am DQ and the GM has invited me to join you! I look forward to playing with you. :) This is Jack and he doesn't like bandits. Looks like you're at Oleg's and see mention of bandit trouble, so perhaps he has heard of the same trouble and has shown up to help? Any other thoughts/advice/preferences on how he might meet y'all?
This is DeathQuaker with my submission, Jack Ciarathan. He's set up largely as an archer ranger but can switch hit (with weapon finesse) as needed and should supplement the group skill-wise fairly well. His archetype doesn't allow for animal companions, so his horse that he gets from his campaign trait is just a horse and will remain one. Right now the horse's main purpose is carrying some of Jack's stuff since he isn't very strong. ;) Jack was in a Kingmaker game long ago and he (and I, using mapping software) served as the party's cartographer, hence the mapmaking kit in his pack. Of course if I got into the game, but someone else is serving that role or wants to, that's no issue. I have a good track record for posting regularly. I am not afraid of expressing my opinion but try to do so respectfully and not to be a pain in the ass. I enjoy being in collaborative engaged group of RPers.
I hear you, Bein. I think I will officially withdraw for now as well--much longer and the game will be archived into the "inactive" shelf anyway. I think it would be hard to gather momentum and I too have a lot of projects upcoming. This has always been a very good group to play with.... maybe down the line we can regroup for either this adventure or a new one (maybe a shorter module to see how that goes).
Yikes! Get plenty of rest! I've had just one bruised rib and that was pretty damn painful, I can't imagine how 9 broken ones must feel!
Guys, last in-game post was October 16. I believe we're waiting on a GM answer to whether a spell would be available in this world -- and otherwise, I think Bein and I were ready for patrol. It's hard for me to keep my character in my head with these long gaps. Hymenopterix is clearly preoccupied with other things right now, and I think Finn is still recovering. Would it be better for us to declare an official hiatus so people can have a guilt-free break and come back in a month or two to see where this game stands?
"I think so. Although there could be other matters we are unaware of. Patrolling with Bein could reveal other factors. If Xarafine or her superior who is here has some means of communicating with animals, that would be a great blessing."
"If you lead a patrol in the woods, let me go with you, so I can track. Xarafine also wanted the thylacine studied. In fact, I should check to see the 'accommodations' for her are adequate."
Welcome back, Hymenopterix. I hope everything's okay.
"Many wild creatures once mated part ways. Seeing a dam and cub does not mean there is a sire nearby--and I did not see signs of one. "We could search the area to be sure. These humans definitely were attacked by this creature though... those claw marks would have to come from something like that. As for why they were left? It is hard to say. I am not sure about these creatures, but I know wolves will attack other predators in their territory and leave their corpses--to show other predators they are not welcome and what will happen should they encounter each other. It could be they were not hungry but rather felt encroached upon or attacked. For that matter, it's possible the humans attacked first."
Oh my gosh, I am glad you are okay and recovering! And am SO glad you were wearing a helmet, I see so many bicyclists who don't.... Hope you continue to heal up. Hymen seems to have had some kind of emergency as well, so I hope everything is okay with him.
After checking the bodies, Jack will check on the menagerie being built for the creatures. Then he'll probably get to his duties--talk to the people etc.
Good luck and take care.
Jack nods. "Let's see the people before they are buried."
"I think that is a good idea, you're right, we should have checked the bodies first."
Jack responds as they help tie up and drug the animals. "No, you make a good point, Bein. All I saw was her scat, containing a bit of bone and cloth... she could have found the remains and eaten them. And I think you are right, Xarafine, I understand we cannot move them all. These particular creatures are, at least, rare, I think. And studying them may do us some good." "I think what this teaches us more is we must observe carefully how we change the environment if we settle the land. If we chase away too much prey, predators will come after us. If we chase away too many predators, deer and other plant-eaters will devour our fields and are newly planted orchards. We have to be careful to strike a balance. Not to mention, I presumed we had chased away the prey.... Bein's point brings up another possibility: maybe something else did. Although I think the need for us to remain observant stands."
Jack almost goes, then considers. "Maybe you should go. As general, the men will follow your command more easily. You may have to explain less than I would. And if I shout orders as part of my job, it undermines my role to listen. We can move the dam near the cave entrance and I can keep an eye on both mother and cub at the same time." If Bein agrees, they can move the animal to the entrance, and Jack sits stealthily in the brush keeping an eye on things while Bein returns.
"I see. It is probably best to kill her swiftly... or we could try to knock out the cub and try to move them both while unconscious to a region far from the settlement. I don't know if we could do that easily. I feel they only attacked humans because the settlement has chased other prey out of the area. I do not know if the cub is old enough to hunt let alone to attack humans. It growled at me, but was more than eager to just take what scraps it could get." He shakes his head. "I am sure you think me soft-hearted. But I struggle to desire to kill a creature committing only the sin of survival--when I myself am neither threatened nor hungry. Still, these are dangerous creatures. If you feel it is best to kill them now, I will stand by your decision."
"I fear at least the dam has eaten a person--there is cloth in the scat, at least. It may be due to new settlements encroaching on its territory--which has chased away its regular prey, but we did kill a creature preying upon humans. What do you think we do about the cub?"
Jack throws a few more pieces of jerky on the ground, then looks around, without making too much noise or threatening movements. He looks at any animal scat he sees and for other signs as well of the creatures having fought or eaten humans.
When he is finished, he backs out of the cave slowly and returns to Bein. "There is a single cub, and signs of no others. I calmed the cub a bit with food, but could not coax it near--though it might be possible if time was taken. I don't know if it will survive if we leave it, but in retrospect, I don't know if bringing it with us will be wise. I also looked for signs of whether they had attacked humans, and..."
Jack, keeping a good distance between himself and the cub, throws the first piece of jerky toward it and then pulls out another. He does his best to tap into his training, focusing on the cub.
Jack looks at the silently watching creature. Taking out a piece of jerky from his pack, he holds it out and starts cooing to it gently. Without imminent danger, he hopes he has time to communicate with the animal. He's not sure what they'd do with it, but he'd rather not have to kill it as well unless necessary.
Good luck with the dental stuff!
Thanks guys, for understanding. I am back but now catching up with post vacation stuff. Will post as soon as I can. Hopefully tonight.
Jack decides there is little to do but stop it before it kills them. He drops his bow and advances while drawing his sword, flanking the beast with Being and thrusting his sword at the creature. (((Please roll for me. )))
I can still only access intermittently through tomorrow. Turns out I only have access via my phone, so coding is awkward... If you coulf please roll dice for me I would appreciate it. I gave permission to bot me so it is not rude to do so. In fact I am frustrated you (collectively) did not respect my request and are instead holding up the game to wait for me when I specifically asked you not to. It makes me feel like I am not free to take a break without being inadvertently responsible for holding up the game. This probably sounds harsher than I intend but the WiFi keeps cutting out and I don't feel like I have time to edit.I apologize as I do not mean to sound hurtful.
Tomorrow I am going away to a conference through Sunday. While I don't expect to be entirely without Internet, I am going to be on the move and access will probably will be intermittent at least. Please bot me as needed.
Jack shifts to dodge and completes his move by stepping further away from the beast's claws. He nocks and arrow and fires. "I am sorry, I know you are just protecting your home. But we must protect ourselves!"
Keeping his bow in one hand, knowing the thyalacine is aware of them both, Jack steps out slowly, holding one hand out (but it is never far from his quiver). He speaks softly, focusing as best he can on tone of voice rather than words. "We know you are protecting your cub... we do not have to fight." As he speaks he backs up slowly, but locking eyes with the creature, trying to convey non-hostility and the intention to part without a scrap.
Remember Jack has below average Charisma (9). :) In his mind he is being matter of fact, and not intending offense, but he is not good at being tactful. I do not intend offense, certainly, but I play Jack as a bit unintentionally terse as a reflection of his low Charisma score. My apologies if his douchiness is annoying, I can always adjust.
"I would not offer if I didn't think I could."
"All due respect Bein, perhaps I should stay--I am quieter and less likely to alert it."
Jack slowly backs up, hoping to stay unspotted. He whispers to Bein, "It's a thylacine, if I remember the stories right... but I never thought they got so big... Do we take it on or report?" He remains alert in case the creature sniffs them out and decides to pounce, drawing his bow and ready to fire if it attacks.
Jack edges over to Bein and whispers in his ear. "I hear a pup but not its dam. But it is not behaving like a normal wolf... and it is very large. We may be facing something very dangerous... but I think we should investigate further." Jack slowly and quietly approaches the rocks.
Feel better!
Kneeling over the now-faded tracks, Jack freezes as he hears something. Pointing down to the crag in the rocks, Jack looks at Bein and cups his ear, indicating he should listen. In case Bein still can't hear, he mouths the word "pup." But a pup would not leave so large a track... he thinks to himself. It must be a mother... He frowns. I can understand a dam wanting to feed a hungry pup risking invading a farm to take the pigs... but it would probably avoid attacking people--dangerous prey, and dangerous moreso to its pup--unless it felt threatened... I wonder if the people 'attacked' were farmers trying to drive it away... or if there is an even larger pack, wolves are much braver then, but we found the trail of only one animal, and I hear only one yipping... Jack observes the area. Wolves would certainly attack livestock as easy prey, he did not doubt that, but attacking humans to feed seldom happened unless they were desperate or angry. He tries to assess two things: whether there is a notable absence of other prey in the area that would drive the wolf to attack people, and whether his assessment of the wolf behavior is correct, or if it would perhaps more randomly assault people on the road.
Bein--yes, using Survival untrained means you can only track if the DC is 10 or lower. And I know you didn't ask me, but if you're thinking of multiclassing, bear in mind Arundel can't advance in HD whenever you take another class (although I've seen GMs allow companion advancement if both classes have animal companions and you just choose to keep the one companion--for example, if you took a level of druid and chose animal companion for nature's bond, but then chose to just advance Arundel). I'm sure you've already considered it, but something to bear in mind--especially as Arundel has actually been very useful in this campaign, but if he loses advancement that will be less so as we get higher level. I'd also bear in mind you're the only full BAB character in the party at the moment, as the other two of us who have martial classes dipped into d8 classes. By all means do what's fun for you, just my 2 cents.
Jack nods with a smile, and if he sees a trail, he follows it.
Looks great.
Thanks. I was just wondering if since it is harder to get magic items if it did anything else. That's fine. :) I'm good with the castle for building.
Question to Hymen about the Shrine -- since one of the main benefits of the shrine is access to magic items, is this still the case in your low magic world or does it provide some other benefit (besides not ticking off the Church of the Nine)?
Let me go with you, Bein, I would like to see the sites of the attacks and see if I can track whatever did them."
Agreed! What's an MBoO?
Jack just nods shyly, overwhelmed by the young girl's gregariousness, but agreeing with Bein. "If she would like." He looks to the others. "First, I should do rounds at the keep, see if there is anything the new settlers are concerned about."
"A drake, I think. Or a wyvern. We learned in the caravan to take shelter when we saw such a thing. Fortunately we were not in plain sight when it passed over. We will have to be careful... hopefully its nest is not too close to the watch, or the livestock may become prey."
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