Mal posted but we havent seen Trillium yet. It is still the holiday season though.
Search Posts
Prologue:
Jack stands at the edge of the banquet hall, vibrant green orbs that were his eyes scanning everything and everyone who entered his view. An elaborate dance carried itself out before him, patterns of introductions and boasts and little nods and gestures that refected a complex social pecking order he had little interest in. He had signed up to explore a wilderness, but the comforting wilderness of the woods where you might merely be devoured by wolves. This was a different wilderness, a chaos of pageantry where the wolves circled but their attack would be no merciful breaking of the neck, but part of plottings and mating dances and resource gatherings all intertwined and impossible to disentangle. Jack understood he did not understand the dance he watched well, unlike the broad shouldered bald human who stood next to him, whose painfully loud proclamations of his relationship to Lord Thus and Such and investments in that mining company indicated he was trying to participate in the dance and stumbling mightily. None of his peers would hear him boast, so he tormented Jack with an endless rambling stream of incomprehensible inanity. Jack struggled for reasons he couldn't name to find a way to move away from him, fearing upsetting some deeper imbalance in the scene. But his own sharp eyes brought him an escape, though coming with a sting of panic, an electric shiver down the back of his neck. Something moving behind a statue, then a curtain, near the person identified as their host, Jamandi Aldori. "Excuse me," Jack muttered to the bald man, gripping his arm briefly in some terse form of farewell. He dived across the room, just barely avoiding tripping a servant carrying a tray laden with goblets. Sliding past guests and Aldori herself, he grabbed a curtain--to find a slender woman hiding behind. At first he thought even child or half long, but no merely petite and old enough to know what she was doing. She reacted swiftly -- stomping on Jack's foot -- and fleeing before many people had even seen the interchange between the two. A guard obstructed Jack's view of where the woman went, though he wasn't sure if the guard had seen and was following. He shook his pained foot, and then stumbled as he nearly kicked the nearest person to him in doing so: Zsofia, to whom he muttered an apology."She... She stomped my foot. Did you see her?"
Jack has not spoken much to the group yet but had, at least made it clear he should take point to stay alert. So he glared, not for the first time, at Mal for pushing up to the front, and quietly urged Rocco to move ahead with a clock of the tongue. The bay gelding issued a recalcitrant whinny, apparently liking walking next to someone else for once. He was summoning a question to Mal, perhaps to ask him at least to take watch while he was moving ahead of the group, when Zsofia had called their attention from behind them. He replied, bluntly, perhaps, but simply out of a direct curiosity: "Yes. But I do not know what it means. To us. Out here." Was she expecting special treatment? Or was she taking this elsewhere?
Hello Gem! Also I'm imagining a cart on the trail for some reason but I don't know if we would have a cart. I've got a horse and saddlebags but would anybody be interested in going in on a horse and cart for hauling stuff around? I got the impression that maybe we're tagging along with a vague group of NPCs who might be making some deliveries to Oleg's, or just passing by that way en route to somewhere else? For now, I've plunked Tsia down on said shadowy wagon, because she would, and she's really not an animal person herself. :) Lanterns swing from the wagon’s posts... There is definitely a wagon in the scene. As for having a cart once we begin exploring the Stolen Lands, there are benefits to that but it will also limit exploration--harder to ford rovers, explore caverns, etc.
Sorry for double posting: starting Monday I will be involved in Christmas stuff for the week and will be slow, if I post at all. Happy holidays everyone!
Probably also not in the spirit of things, but is woodcraft close enough to a craft that artisan's tools could work? I think most mundane tools are only about a gp each, aren't they? Oooh, maybe a set could double for the stuff one would need for a range of loggersports, or whatever they call them. That's what I was asking: if I can use the 5 gp pricing for a generic (set of) tool(s) and call it a hatchet (and/or, as you mention it, other woodcutting tools of reasonable size and quality). :) 5 gp is also 1 gp cheaper than a handaxe, which is the balanced-to-be-used-as-a-weapon version of the same type of item. So it felt appropriate. The 1 gp for a generic tool works for screwdrivers and carpenter's hammers (smaller and not bladed). If we had been allowed to buy wondrous items with our 900 gp allowance I just would have bought a traveler's anytool and be done with any and all tool needs, but that wasn't an option. Warbles off-key in a Pythoness sort of way: "He's a lumberjack and he's OK!" :) I see what you did there. ;)
Probably also not in the spirit of things, but is woodcraft close enough to a craft that artisan's tools could work? I think most mundane tools are only about a gp each, aren't they? Oooh, maybe a set could double for the stuff one would need for a range of loggersports, or whatever they call them. Warbles off-key in a Pythoness sort of way: "He's a lumberjack and he's OK!" :) That's what I was asking: if I can use the 5 gp pricing for a generic (set of) tool(s) and call it a hatchet (and/or, as you mention it, other woodcutting tools of reasonable size and quality). :)
Great idea, but I doubt that'll fly for 5 gp. ;)
I would love either way to hear Zsofia's official pitch to the party to pull is together tho. :)I'm game, but it might make sense if she waits until we're on the road first anyway, so she doesn't have to include the Swordlords in her pitch meeting. (Well, at least not directly.) Sounds good! Speaking of equipment: GM I've got about 5 gp left of spending money. I think that's the suggested cost for a generic tool. Could I use that to buy a hatchet for chopping firewood? I don't see a specific cost for one. A weapon-grade handaxe is 6 gp and I'm not looking for something balanced to use as a weapon. We may never need it, but I feel like Jack would kit himself up to be able to run a camp and I forgot stuff for getting firewood. PS: Updated Jack's HeroForge portrait to include his horse. I don't know how long an ordinary horse is going to last in this adventure, but he looks like a noble steed at least. :) (Unless he isn't just an ordinary horse, but that's not a decision I'm going to make. It's not a class feature anyway!)
I was curious if the AP officially started that way, but it doesn't make a difference to me where we start. Jack's reaction to unfamiliar terrain (a noble's party) would be amusing but there's plenty to do on the road. I would love either way to hear Zsofia's official pitch to the party to pull is together tho. :)
Hurley? You still with us?
Does Kingmaker the AP start in the same way as the video game version? Banquet that turns to chaos? I've been in two (ended prematurely) versions of Kingmaker and in both the settings were changed and started differently. I'm in another version but joined the party later than at the beginning (and that character is dead currently, so her adventures may be short lived).
Yeah at this point I feel like I would establish more character work RPing with the party IC. If you're not easy to fully start, GM, could we talk amongst ourselves IC?
I imagine all that will get sorted quite quickly as our characters get to know one another - maybe Jack is the one to put things together and bring Tsia’s actual name to light for the group? He might or might not gain insight into her many names, but you might be assuming a lot about an elf who goes by the name "Jack." ;) He had another name once and never brings it up, so ... Jack also ran away from his Kyonin-bound kin quite young so his knowledge of elf lore would be pretty spotty. He may have never even heard of the snowcasters. So Tsia's going to be something of a mystery for him. In a way that hopefully creates some openings for conversation eventually. @Trillium sounds good. If I haven't spoken to other characters (Zsofia, Ta Bayang) I'm not ignoring you, just still taking everything in!
So if Zsofia is the de facto leader of this ragtag bunch of wildcards, she might have had a say in who is on her "team", right? I think she certainly would have leapt at the idea of hiring Jack and Malylev, for their experience with the area and their wilderness skills in general. She is painfully aware of what a "fish out of water" she is outside of Restov. I don't think she'd know what to think of Ta Bayang, Tsia, and Trillium (the three Ts!). They certainly have useful abilities for a budding new kingdom, and I think their personalities would really appeal to her. She would think she can get along with them, and would hope that she can learn more about their different agendas as they learn more about hers. Perhaps Jack and Mal arrive and Zsofia hears of them and seeks to hire them, then the others fill in as we encounter them--whether because they are helpful or to keep them from getting themselves into trouble (per my comment to Trillium). ;)
Lots to ponder but a couple quick things: @Malylev: Jack's been in his village in Brevoy for a decade or four (he's lost track) but IIRC Bokken (he's the herbalist hermit, right?) is old enough Jack could have come across him in his travels. Perhaps he occasionally goes to check on him and trade for potions. So certainly perhaps he's run into Mal and discussed the opportunity to join an expedition together. @Trillium: With what you say about her boldly striding forth into foolishness, I could see this sparking a protective instinct in Jack who might offer to watch your back. Not in a weird hovery way, but just an oof, this girl needs all the help she can get. Would that make sense? Other stuff: I think Jack is a lover of stories. He might not pay attention to a lot of politics and history but knows local folk tales and the like. People's history. He's got no skill points in lore or knowledge local so it's not going to be coherent or super immediately useful stuff but I might try to come up with some tales he's fond of (which may or may not be accurate) that could feed into some of the world events. If that makes sense.
Okay, noting a lot of folks post when I'm asleep. Hope that doesn't make me look inattentive. :) Jack has three personal interests in joining an expedition:
The last is going to be the most immediately relevant to what he'll want to do from the start. He doesn't care much about politics; a lot of strutting and posturing that all just changes in mere couple of decades anyway. It might even be IC for him to forget what faction he's working for; it's all a means to a better end for him. He is (was once) a skilled caravan scout and why he'd join folks is obvious: he has skills useful to them. Perhaps one of you recruit him or encourage him to join your particular group?
Hi everyone! Very glad to be here! The Google doc was good, if a bit overwhelming with the level of info. I think it could be formatted more simply; as long as you use headers it can auto-create a navigation menu. GM when you are ready, could you mind attaching a gameplay thread? Even if we're not ready to start we can post in it and then delete that post; it will still register us as players and that way we can see the game in our campaign tab.
Jack simply frowns, all too serious. "He hit you? Then he is no good teacher." ========== Good luck everyone! (I won't bore you further with RP banter.) PS: I *just* noticed a typo which I just corrected on my character sheet. (Literally changed one word.) I don't know how I missed it the other 2,000 times I looked over my sheet.
Jack's mouth jerks in a closed, lopsided smile. He lifts his own bow, beautifully carved and shaped over literal decades. "I hope," he says softly, "We can do better than 'decent.'"
This is the final submission for Jack.
Jack Ciarathan, elf slayer Oh, that’s an awkward “ancestry – class” tag combination: “Well, I never!” Tsia exclaims. ;) Jack prefers to call himself a "scout." Just one that's very good at sneakily shooting things. :) BTW put his plot-relevant backstory into his character sheet, but if the cool thing to do is share it in thread: gist is his best friend may have been kidnapped (or something) by the Fellnight Queen decades ago, and his only advice he's received has been from an invisible benefactor to "find Briar." Problem is he doesn't know who or what that is. But hearing about hollowborn and shadowbenighted places popping up he feels like it's a good idea to help explore the River Kingdoms.
Yeah, I knew the site was down, but I see people have been posting since Monday but I couldn't get on for some reason. Probably just a cache thing. :) Anyway, Jack is updated, with a fixed microstatblock, new and improved tied-into-plot backstory, and a bit more gear.
For some reason I couldn't get to the site until today. I am planning on updating Jack's background to better work in some overarching plot elements and will do so by tomorrow.
PS: for the sake of fairness, I should also note I am also IN another Kingmaker PBP here on the boards. I figure the style and focus are different enough it's not going to be an issue for me especially as the characters are quite different ... but if it were a matter of recruiting folks not currently playing that AP, I can understand passing over my submission.
This is DeathQuaker with Jack Ciarathan, Elf Sniper Slayer 1. I've not fully finished buying his gear and it may be subject to change, but I figure I'd post what I had so far, especially as I wanted to check in about a few items:
I wrote the core of his backstory for another application, with early Kingmaker rather than later, deeper plots, in mind. Jack just wants to help people with what he's good at and he hates bandits, so he'd have an especial drive to deal with the Stag Lord. (Come to think of it, while I have him signing up for the expedition proper, he could also just show up wanting to teach the Stag Lord a lesson.) I am open, but feel wary about assuming, to tying him into deeper plots. Could be Rocco the Horse is actually a fey. He may have encountered fey in his travels. He may know a little of the legend of Nyrissa and feels sympathy; having lost ones he's loved, he feels a little like his heart has been torn out too. I can codify this in his application if it makes sense... and/or if I am picked, I am well aware of how characters evolve once they are actually in play, and such things can emerge organically.
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!
|