I am posting this to all of my games, so apologies if you see this multiple times:
Unfortunately, I have some bad news.
A combination of work-related stuff has lead to me having to take some time off from the forums. I am, in all honesty, going to need to be gone for several months, as I am going to be travelling for extended periods of time (weeks or more) and I'll likely not have good access to the internet.
As I am not someone who would want to have you all sit and wait for me here, I am going to be withdrawing/closing all of my open forum games.
I want to thank everyone who I have had the pleasure to game with over the last couple of years here, as I have immensely enjoyed my time on the forums, and hopefully, once my work stabilizes, I will be able to rejoin the community.
Thank you again for your time and energy, and I am sorry that I won't be able to keep things moving forward in any of the games that I am running.
Jun stops the others from leaving and says "Before we go any further, I think we should have a discussion about setting up some safehouses. While I believe that this place is secure for now, nothing lasts forever, and I think that we should each look at getting a hideaway set up that the others do not know about. Also, I am looking into getting us a new base of operations, but I wanted to put that idea into everyone's head: that we're, to use a nautical term, in the wind. Our only advantage right now is each other and that our enemies do not know who we are. Once we become a problem for them, we'll need to have contingencies in place to move our operation."
"As for our next moves, I think we should each be thinking of a password that we can share with a single person in the group; that way, we can avoid imposters. I would also like each of you to come up with a good idea for a place that we can leave messages for each other in case we can't meet in person, and we'll share those at our next meeting. As for our investigations, I'd like each of us to continue gathering what information we can, so that we can hopefully have more leads for next time."
With that, Jun burns his timeline in the fireplace and prepares his plans.
He then collects as much of the documentation as he can, and puts it into his satchel.
Week 3:
Jun returns to the warehouse and tries to find anyone from Diamond Imports, with his satchel full of paperwork.
If there is no one there, he will try to find his former boss and leave her a message that he has some of the paperwork from the warehouse that he managed to save.
Assuming that he can get his job (or something like it) back, Jun will actually keep his head down during the day, and at night will find someone to train him in the art of using thieve's tools.
So there is an option in the PHB for spending some time to learn Languages and Tools. I would like to learn proficiency in Thieve's Tools. With that being said, my rolls this week are going to be an Investigation to find my employer's location, and another investigation and a deception as well to find and lie my way into the local thieve's guild and get training there. Jun doesn't know about Quint's membership yet, or he would have just talked to him =)
GM:
Jun will also get a box wagon and pair of horses together. He'll specifically look for an older wagon and older horses, so that he can better blend into the background much like a 5 year old sedan in today's world. Jun will stock it with a two week supply of food, as well as camping supplies for 10 (bedrolls, backpacks, dark cloaks, waterskins, and flint and steel).
Jun's goal is to be able to leave the city at a moment's notice.
Let me know how much money this is going to cost me and I'll spend it.
"Forgive me, I may have misspoken: I think that the better way to describe it would be a goal. This group of people - by the way, does anyone have a handy name for them that we can use? - have a goal in mind, and it likely involves this ancient Elven figure."
Who is probably not inspired by Ghengis Khan at all.
"But it's neither here nor there. What's important is that these people have an agenda they are willing to destroy nations for, and that is someone that you do not tangle with lightly. Unfortunately, they are not leaving us with much of a choice."
When Hack speaks up, Jun thinks about his suggestion for a moment, then says "He is a known quantity, and someone that we can interrogate easily, but he'll probably only know who his boss is. I think it might be a better idea to watch him and see how he operates first. I'm curious to his reaction to the events of this evening."
Still more to come - including Jun's ideas for what to do from here!
"Okay, I think I have enough of an idea of what is going on to make a timeline, which should give us at least an idea of what our enemies, who need a name, by the way, have been up to."
Jun pulls several pieces of paper out of his notebook and lays them on the table in a specific order, showing a written timeline.
"So roughly a year ago, based on what I have been able to piece together, our foes began to move. I don't know the inciting event yet, but it had to be a trigger of some import to the people involved in this conspiracy, which includes most of the races and nations in the world, and involves people that have something to do with an Ancient Elven legend that no one appears to know anything about - which is a contradiction, but I digress; I can't say for sure what their exact first moves were, but I do know that this group is massive; they have people involved in the Elven Nation, the Dwarven Nation, and the Republic, as well as the Arcane Order. As an aside, I can't even begin to imagine how they're communicating with each other, except through the stuff that is being shipped to many places, including your...."
Jun quickly turns and stares intently at Luna. "I need to know everything there is to know about this monastery, including who founded it, and where they get their support from, but we'll set that aside for now."
Returning to his timeline, Jun says "I don't think, however, that the group is monolithic, however; if I had to guess, I'd say that they don't have a plan, but likely more something like a prophesy that they're trying to make come true. My reasoning is two-fold: first, the sheer number of people that this will take to work is too large to be all under the direct supervision of a single figure, and two, they are doing multiple disparate things at once; hidden magical experiements, destabilizing trade in the Republic, forcing the Dwarves to only deal with the shipping company they directly control, which is staffed almost exclusively with Half-Elves."
Jun continues to pace as he says "The one thing that I'm not sure of is who attacked the warehouse this evening, and how they fit into the bigger picture. Are they an enemy of the cult, a faction within the cult, or something else? Does anyone have anything to share about them?"
Jun has more, but I want to give you guys a chance to jump in and react to what he's said so far.
Jun shakes his head to clear his thoughts, then says "Well, since we're here, let's not skip what we learned this week in the excitement of this evening's events. Set aside anything that happened last night, and let's share news before deciding on what to do from here."
As has become customary now, Jun begins pacing as he speaks
"For my part, I learned that Diamond Imports was indeed shipping rice to your monastery, Luna, and parcels to other places as well. I did my best to tract them, but what is of import is that the manifest was marked with the symbol of our cult. I never had a chance to actually inspect the goods, but I remember where a few of the shipments were going, which are leads that we can add to our growing list."
Jun the stops pacing and turns to the group, saying
"Once everyone has shared what they discovered this week, I believe I have enough information to start putting together a timeline of events."
"I agree that we should leave. No sense explaining the situation to those who will likely not care to hear our explanation. We have as much information as I could collect, so let us go and examine it."
As the group leaves, Jun pauses for a moment, then turns back and picks up one of the holy symbols.
This could come in handy. he thought as he then hurried to join his companions.
Not having time to waste trying to pick locks, a skill he realizes that he now needs to learn, Jun hoists the chest and flees the office. Once down the stairs, he will say "My friend, is this fool really all that stands in your way? Cut it down like the dog he is so that we can be on our way!"
Bardic Inspiration for Hack
Turning to the other man, Jun says "And you, you shame your ancestors with that blade technique. Your father turns his eyes away from your shoddy footwork and haphazard stance!"
Using my new ability, Cutting Words, as a reaction, to reduce his attack roll by1d6 ⇒ 2.
Jun pauses for a moment: while it is good that his ruse has worked so far, the smoke means that he is now on a timetable, so he decides to stop shoving documents into the satchel - the free satchel - he reminds himself with a silent chuckle, and instead does his best to think like a cultist would.
If I had important paperwork that I needed to keep on site, but didn't want anyone to find, where would I hide it? he thought to himself as he stopped and really took a look at the office he was in.
Investigation seems like the most reasonable skill for this:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Sorry about the delay on my part. The moves are over (finally) and I hope I never have to do that again.
Nikesha, you have my best wishes as well.
I'll get reading through the posts I missed, but it's gonna take me a bit between this one and another one (that was really busy while I was gone!), so I'll likely post something tomorrow. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know I'm back. If you need to continue to bot me, feel free Mended. I'll totally understand.
Posting this to all my games, so sorry if you see it multiple times:
This week both my office and I personally are going to be moving. It's been crazy busy and I am not going to be able to post until Monday at the earliest. Please bot me if I am in your game, and if you are in a game I am running, I will get a post up as soon as possible.
Jun moves into the building, looking around like he's looking for something. When he gets inside, he sees the guards and begins giving orders to go and help contain the fire.
Deception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
If any of the guards decide to stay back, Jun will say:[/oc]
"Go you idiots! Guarding an empty building does no one any good! It will be your a$$ if we lose any of that cargo!"
[ooc]If he manages to get them all out of the building, Jun will make his way to the office and begin looking for the real ledger, not the one that would be offered to the authorities on demand.
This week, Jun spent his time first verifying that Diamond Imports is the trade company delivering rice to the Monastery; if it was not, he would need to know that too.
Once he had found out about the rice situation, Jun would then turn his attention to Diamond Imports: He would first find out anything he could easily obtain about their leadership, drawing upon his contacts in the merchant's guild to do so. Once he knew as much as he was going to, he would make his way to their Headquarters and inquire about employment.
Relevant Skills for this part seem to be Investigation, Deception (for both his lie about wanting to work for them, as well as a disguise that would let him pass as someone they would want as a shift supervisor or something along those lines) and Persuasion to get people talking and generally ingratiate himself into the company.
"Okay, so I think what we need to do next is, while Hack infiltrates the fighting pits, we investigate the cult (to try and find out it's goals, the faith it represents, and if possible the makeup of it's membership. Additionally, we need to investigate the Drow angle, which I know going in is going to be nigh impossible. I'm planning on tackling that one, since it's tangentically related to the area of investigation that I was planning anyway, which is going to be checking out Diamond Imports and the rice deliveries to the monastery, which I'm guessing will both point me in the same direction. Finally, we need to start an investigation of the Arcane Order, but that'll be trickier. Clearly, there is someone there with links to this cult, but sussing out a traitor mage with potential access to deception and illusion magic is a dangerous proposition. Let's take it slow and be careful everyone."
"Agreed Psalm. I think Hack has probably done the best out of us overall, but I think I'm starting to see the lay of the land, so to speak. Nikeisha, did you happen to find out anything about the Cult that the rogue senator was supposedly a member of, like who it worshipped, or what it's goals specifically were?"
"I think I'm seeing the start of a bigger picture come together, but we need more information before I'm willing to share my findings. If anyone is amiss as to what to investigate next, could you find out as much as you can about the specifics of the cult that the noble was a member of?"
"Highness, just because you fervently hope that something doesn't exist, and you spend your life being told by others that something doesn't exist, doesn't mean it's not real. If you are to lead your people one day, I would humbly submit that you dismiss nothing out of hand. You'll be less likely to miss something that way."
Turning back to Quint, Jun says "If I had to guess, I'd say that the rumors of Drow coorelate to stories I have heard that I mentioned about the half-elven trading company. I think that we should work together to see if they are related or not. We should also add Drow to the list of things to investigate."
"Okay, sounds like we have the offing of a plan; for this next week, I'll look into the company delivering rice to the monastery, Hack will infiltrate the fight promoter's group, and...Drow, did you say?" asks Jun when Quint brings them up. "In what context did Drow come up in your investigations?"
At the group's next meeting, Jun says "Well, I haven't had a lot of luck investigating the group's financing, but I did come across something weird: there is a shipping company shipping basically Dwarven ore and manufactured goods into the empire; what is odd is that this group is run almost entirely by people of mixed Elvish heritage."
"With that being said, I didn't expect to find much on first pass, but I do plan on taking a run at the company that is moving said goods, which has been around about a decade, and is named Diamond Imports."
When Luna shares her information about the rice, Jun says "Did you happen to hear which shipping company is contracted to deliver rice to this monastery? If not, I can try and find out."
"Finally, and I offer this mostly jokingly, but I discovered that this is a really good time to get into the mercantile trade. There are a few companies that are one to two moves away from tsumero - that is, an easy win - that we could "invest" in to effectively take over."
"Hrrmm… now that I say that, I think that might be something to go on my list as well."
While the others focused on various organizations that might or might-not be involved in this conspiracy, Jun fell back one of the things that made him such a hated competitor: he followed the money. Besides his former company, he started by making a list and asking around about various companies that transported people.
Clearly, Jun Thought, there were a large number of moving parts, and pinpointing who did the moving would tell him at least something about how this mysterious foe worked.
Note to self Jun wrote Give our opponent an easy name.
Once he had his list of companies, he started looking for any that had gone out of business or been purchased within the last year, as that would hopefully be the timeframe that the opposition was working in. If it was further out, there would be considerably less evidence.
As made sense, he even left his former company on the list as well, given that it met the criteria (although he was fairly sure that his brother wasn't interested in anything other than money, and self interest wouldn't allow him to ally himself with cults or secret societies).
Here are the skill checks that make sense to me. I see History as the scholar-type skill, which would cover looking at mercantile records; Deception will cover my interest by claiming to be looking at perhaps investing in or buying a company outright, and Investigation will help in turning the information I learn into useable leads:
Okay, so as Jun sees it, there are five things that we need to look at:
The senator who is guilty
Senator Akassa
The Hand of The Republic
The Arcane Order
The "Cult"
As for our plan of attack, I see our information gathering starting by listening to the rumor mills. We all have various contacts and run in different circles, so we can find out at least the basics.
From there, I see it as basically picking a target to start with: I think doing an indepth investigation on Akassa might be a good place to start, if nothing else to rule her out.
Barring that, I think our next group should be the Arcane Order. IF we can determine anything about how far they have been infiltrated, or better yet, how they were infiltrated, then I think that will go a long way towards giving us an idea of how our enemies operate.
For my part, I would like to try and locate/deal with the cult last, as I would like to know as much as we can about them before going to war with them.
Jun chuckles at Hack's joke, but appears to be waiting for the ascent of the others before continuing.
For the TL:DR of my post above, Jun has some thoughts, but he wants to make sure that everyone is willing to continue and understands the implications of possibly going up against The Republic...or at least one of the powerbases in it. Not that he doesn't trust any of you, but what you don't know, you can't have tortured out of you.
Skimming off the top is a time-honored Rogue tradition. As long as it's because you are doing the split, I'm fine with it, and it doesn't get too out of hand. As for what to do with this money:
Standing, Jun says "Master Thjorvar, do you have a room where we can discuss this among ourselves?"This next part assumes that he provides us with such a room:
Jun begins to pace and talk, as he often does when attempting to talk through a problem.
"So, let us take the Senator's words at face value for now" Jun raises his hand and points at the place she kissed it for emphasis before continuing "Assuming that we are going to help with this situation, I see two major problems that we will need to deal with, and a third possible that might change the nature of the other two which I will cover last."
"First, it's clear that someone is executing a rather long-term plan to destabilize the Republic; either to remove it from the field, or to assume control. Those behind this plan are patient, well-financed, and intelligent; most assuredly not the sort of people one would want to tangle with, especially when the stakes are this high."
"The second issue as I see it is the issue that this group appears to have religious overtones. They are being referred to as a cult, which means that they would worship powers not approved by the Order of Faith. The word cult itself is rather incendiary, as it has connotations of secret meetings and evil men setting about evil deeds."
Stopping in his pacing, Jun turns to the group and says "I believe that we have two questions in front of us that we will need to answer, but the second will be contingent on the first."
"The first is: are we getting involved in this business?"
"I have my own position, but I want to get the rest of your opinions on the matter."
As Nikesha gives her position, Jun nods to her and says "You have a fine place to start, once we have settled my first question. What say the rest of you?"
While I am going to start by saying that I am fine with the game exactly as is, I think I might offer a dissenting opinion about magic items; specifically, I see them as being a lesser form of reward than a level.
So at about level 6ish in 5e, it starts to take more and more sessions to level. you can do a month of Sundays (so to speak) and still not get your level on.
Magic items are a good bridge for that time. Getting a magic item definitely feels like an upgrade for your character (especially in 5e, ironically enough) and can be a good nod to tide the PCs over until that sweet, sweet level up.
Also, there's an issue of economy in 5e, or to put it another way, I think most of us would agree that having something to spend our newfound riches on is better than nothing. After about level 3, there isn't anything that is worth spending money on in the game (by that point, you should have all the basic gear you'll need, in every flavor of the rainbow).
Given that most adventurers are, at least on the surface, in the game for the cashola, it doesn't make sense that they have a rather large sum of money with nothing to spend it on. I can say that I ended one 5e game around level 7 with no magic items and over 10k gp, with nothing to spend it on. That made GP feel that...well, nothing really, except weight to track on my character sheet.
Please note that I am not advocating a Magik Mart! in every town, but it might be a good idea to have (especially when we level later) something like an semi-often auction, where magic items CAN be purchased. It could even have it's own storylines involving any number of mysterious magical items, thefts, or anything else).
That way, we can feel like our money is a useful resource, and not just a number on a sheet.
......
Or not. I will again note that I am really enjoying the game, and hope to keep doing so for a while to come.
Nodding at the page, Jun will turn to the group and offer them the letter to read on their own.
At the question of shopping, Jun says "I can make letters of introduction should you wish, as I know representatives of merchant companies throughout the city, mainly because I have done business with them at one point or another, but also because I am a member in good standing of the merchant's guild. It should help you grease some wheels if you want to go to a more 'upscale' establishment."
"and for you, my friend Hack, I am certainly willing to float a loan; at a most reasonable interest rate, even!" says Jun, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He's probably joking.
Jun will comply and begin jotting down a note with a practiced hand. Once he has finished, he will blow on it gently to dry the ink, then roll it into the scroll tube and hand it back to the page, along with the borrowed writing supplies.
Message:
To her esteemed personage, Senator Akassa,
Greetings. My group and I have returned from the expedition that resulted from the call-to-arms and cry for aid that you rang out with such clarity and honest of emotion that even the sternest among us were moved to tears.
Should this missive find you at a time when you are indisposed, please reach us at your earliest convenience. We will be staying at the fateful lodgings where we first had the extreme pleasure of your company. Please seek us out at your first possible opportunity, as we are eager to share what we have learned.
Jun also moves forward with Nikeisha and Quint and says "I believe what my companion meant to say is that Senator Akassa is expecting us. If you can't let us in directly, perhaps you could send a runner to find her and give her a note?"
Jun followed along with the others, not really bothering to take the lead: there would be time enough for that later. Right now, he was relying on the scouts in the group to dictate the path.
As he travelled, however, he was clearly contemplating the events of the day, and the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Empire.
Okay, I got a post in of my downtime and Jun's newfound ability with words.
Here are the benefits of my levelling (also, going to be my last Bard level for a while):
+6 HP
Expertise: Going to take Persuasion and Deception, as they seem to be the skills he uses the most; especially given how well he rolled during the contentious fake zombie apocalypes.
Going to swap out Bane for Suggestion; also taking Enhance Ability.
I gained a 1st and two 2nd level spell slots.
Bardic College: Lore (I was going to take College of Swords, but I think his near death experience, coupled with his focus on more scholarly exploits (plus the extra skill training doesn't hurt), ultimately makes more sense for me to take Lore.
I see this as something of a turning point for Jun, and he'll likely start relying more on his magic and less on his blade as time goes by.
College of Lore benefits:
Training in Athletics, Acrobatics, and Investigation
Cutting Words: can use Bardic Inspiration to lower enemy attack rolls, ability checks, or damage rolls as a reaction.
Jun spent the rest of the journey in his bunk when not performing his duties. He had done his Giri, his duty, after all, by not retreating from the enemy, but he still felt as if he had let down those he travelled with.
His near death would have meant that those under his protection would have likely perished as well.
It was during this contemplative period that an...idea took hold in his mind. He was writing in his journal, trying to get a narrative together of exactly what had transpired, when the words just seemed to flow through his pen.
Losing track of time, when breakfast came the next morning, he realized that he had finished the account.
Pausing to eat, when he returned, he read through his account...
and discovered that it was incredibly precise. He was reminded of things that he had thought or felt at the time, thoughts that had receded into the mists of time.
over the next few days, Jun continued to write.
While he had been well educated, and obviously did a fair amount of writing when running his business, never had he written with such veracity before. His words seemed to leap off the page...and reminded him of things that he had learned long ago, like half-remembered songs or fragments of lore.
So it was that when the ship docked and the group headed out into the capital, he had a half-full journal of stories, and renewed memories of skills long thought lost.
Jun is actually lifted off the ground momentarily by the bite of the creature, such is it's power; Jun, however doesn't fall. Instead, he mocks the beast, attempting to overwhelm it's mind with his taunts.
Vicious Mockery (DC 14 Wisdom Save) or take:1d4 ⇒ 1Psychic damage and have disadvantage on his next attack.
I will fall back, once the other two are down. Jun's goal is to keep it distracted long enough for the group to finish the other two, so as to not let it attack the crew.
Jun staggers under the sheer power of the creature's bite, yet even though he can feel his life's blood ebb from his body, he stands firm, as his father would expect nothing less.
Spinning his blade in an arc, Jun resolves to hold the line or die in the attempt. He chooses to heal himself first, however, hoping to buy time for the others to join him.
Other than spending 5 GP to get a small cask of brandy for the captain of their ship, Jun is not really spending any money, since he's trying to save up enough to woo the hand of a woman. I updated his money on his character sheet to the correct amount (86 gp), which includes the 83 gp we were paid for our heroism.
Jun is also carrying 35 gp in trade goods (Tindaran Silks, currently).
Jun was nothing if not a consumate businessman, and by the time he had returned to the group with an explanation that he couldn't find a place to rent a wagon, he was unceremoniously told in no uncertain terms that the plan was not taking place.
He had often relied on his ability to read people to close deals, and looking around, it was clear that there was to be no discussion on the issue. Sighing internally, Jun didn't say anything, but instead just nodded. While the group waited for the ship, Jun did a bit of shopping: again, he purchased a small cask of brandy for the captain, and when presented with the ship's captain, offered to share it with him.
The first few nights of the trip, Jun and the Captain spoke of trade routes and distant ports. Jun knew, of course, that most honest merchant captains talked to each other, and spending a little money up front was worth it on the back end, for word of mouth, if nothing else.
Jun was up early, as he tended to sleep less than most Humans, although more than even the youngest and most tired of Elves.
Thus it was that he found himself on board when the rest of the group came staggering out to join him for first watch.
As the creatures leapt from the water onto the deck, Jun reacted.
Seeing his allies handle the two creatures to the rear of the ship, Jun moves to the forecastle to engage the creature there, drawing his Katana as he goes.
Jun also called out his support for Nikeisha, reminding her of her great power. That's Bardic Inspiration for you, Nikeisha, which lets you add 1d6 to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw once in the next 10 minutes.
