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Just stopping by to say hello since I remember this game and it was really fun. Probably the most tabletop-like experience on PbP. My industry picked up dramatically a while back and it is still kinda busy, but we're getting to a slower part of the year. Don't think I can come back and play, but I wanted to see what was going on. :)
Yeah, I have been struggling to get back to this, but since I post primarily from work and we're in over our heads right now, this is getting ridiculous. Every time I try to post I'm distracted! I think I would definitely want to return to this in the future when things slow down, it's just that right now, I can barely get anything worthwhile in.
Klaus will crouch in the large bush 70 feet away.
Knowing he can assault the owlbear from a distance, Klaus looks for a convenient copse of trees, or a bush, or a rock or something he can hide behind and move just a bit and be in full view of the mine's entryway.
"This is the nest of an owlbear. The droppings are like those in the fortress cage, and the combination of tufts of feathers and bones are a dead giveaway." Klaus grins in the dark at Torq. "Indeed we cannot. However, this is not the ideal place to ambush an owlbear, with our backs against the cave wall. We can lay an ambush at the mouth of the cavern, where we will be able to maneuver better."
Klaus nods once Torq does his thing. He dismounts, orders his horse to stay put even after tying it down, and then follows the group into the cavern. "Let me see this nest..."
Klaus remains outside, astride his horse with his arms crossed, waiting for the spooks to declare passage into the mine is clear.
"Prospecting the gold mine is more important for the future of this area. But what exactly does an old hermit need our help with?"
I am here. Work, where I usually post from, has been a real pain, but I think things are slowing down. This is the first morning I've had where things weren't flying across my desk every minute.
After just ten minutes of following the kobolds, Klaus is already irritated. In Draconic, he talks to them, the hissing, clipped language making him sound angrier than he really is. "Tell me where you're taking us. We can probably get there faster on our own."
"If by cake you mean vodka, then yes." After gathering a basket's worth, he follows after the others following after the kobolds.
Anyone watching Klaus would notice that he nibbles on the tuber, lifts his eyebrows, and then nibbles again, taking a larger bite. He chews. He swallows. And he smiles, looking somewhat pleased. Maybe with himself, or something else, it is hard to tell. He then starts plucking others from the ground until he has a good stock, but not so many that he'll obliterate the wild patch from continuing to grow.
Klaus stays quiet through most of the proceedings, unconcerned with the kobolds plucking free range onions. It is not until they have left with their baskets that Klaus comes forward and yanks one of the vegetables out of the ground, looking at it, sniffing it, and taking a nibble from it. Raw.
Klaus mounts his horse and hies it to move about forty feet away before turning around and looking back to see Selena's moment of apparent prophecy. "My sentiments exactly. A gold mine needs to be prospected before we lose the opportunity."
He nods to Tomas. "Good, then we shall head that way whenever you are prepared. I am ready to go today, and to begin by surveying the area around Oleg's, then heading south."
The first thing Klaus does after waking up, suffering through his morning constitutional, and finding some raw bacon and dough to gnosh is shout, "Oleg!" in the manner one shouts for a servant. But he immediately regrets doing so, as the rush of blood causes his head to pound in an unpleasant way. Hangovers he was unaccustomed to, for the magician usually only suffered cottonmouth after a night of drinking. The fact that his head was pounding spoke volumes about his excesses, and the realization of his excesses caused him to reflect upon the need for those excesses. This was the first time he had truly been in the battlefield since the northern borders. It was both exhilarating and exhausting, but he would be damned if he would ever admit to the latter. So he seeks Oleg out himself and, upon finding him, gives Tomas a convenient excuse to go and see Krazok... Oleg:
And thus much of Klaus' morning is spent talking business with Oleg, regarding their treasure haul. He shows him the list he had been working out, assessing the value of the goods, and waits for Oleg's response as to whether his assessments are still correct considering current market value. Oleg may resist, but Klaus tries to foist upon him a contract for his merchant services, one that is a very standard contract with the exception that it has liability clauses that hold Oleg responsible for up to 90% of the value of their goods should he fail to deliver. If Oleg haggles, Klaus is prepared to haggle in return, remaining respectable but firm about his wishes:
to haggle over the specific pricing of the goods.
In addition, he places the orders made by his partymates with Oleg to retrieve in Restov and return to them, as well as 2 letters to deliver in Restov: one to LaLouch's family that he had written previously, and the other to the Swordlord who had granted his contracted, informing them of the Stag Lord's death. The letter apologizes for not sending the Stag Lord's head back to the swordlord as proof, citing the lack of a priest to preserve it from death's rot as the reason. Akiros:
Although the Stag Lord's former lieutenant had turned away what Klaus had marked as his share of the profits, Klaus takes the time to approach him while he is gathering his tools to help to fix the place up.
"You may have asked yourself, Akiros, why I have placed any faith in you thus far. Under threat of hostility, you turned upon your former employer and joined our mission to apprehend him. Why then should I not expect you to do the same to us? It is because I suspect you had your own motivations for turning upon him, and I have deep admiration for a man who is so certain of his individual beliefs that he would betray allegiances. Even when I am the one who is betrayed, I continue to admire the traitor even after I have spilled his blood." Klaus' tone and the words themselves may seem incongruous to Akiros, for though his words sound threatening, he speaks in an otherwise friendly way, as though such threats were not actually directed at Akiros but to anyone who would dare to cross him. "If you will accept the offer, I am willing to continue to present one quarter of the share I had marked for you if you will accompany Oleg's caravan on its way to Restov to sell our goods. You served under the preeminent bandit lord of the Stolen Lands, and as such I have faith that you more than anyone would know the signs of an ambush or any danger presented to our haul. And I have already seen that you possess the strength and the skill to defend it." He looks down at the tools the man is gathering to help fix the Trading Post. "It is merely an offer, though. You are free to do as you wish, even if that wish is to remain here as a guard and a mason." Krazok:
After getting Akiros' answer, Klaus exits the Trading Post to find the dragonkin. He is sure to approach from the front during the dragonkin's training, rather than from behind, lest Krazok's blade be turned upon him in the heat of practice.
In Draconic, he says, "You are long away from your people. I know this is by your choice. Your company is welcome until you feel it is time to return to them, and is valued even after. I suspect the lords to the north may soon grant authorities over this land to new conquerors. I wish you to know that I will fight to see that such responsibilities are in hands that will honor your tribe, and not the hands of puppet princes whom may give your clan just reason for slaughter." With that, Klaus' piece is said. Unlike certain others, the wizard holds a respect for the dragonkin, acknowledging some inherent honorific in the creature. Perhaps nothing more than his great power as a warrior and a leader. Most of the others he avoids unless they approach him; Svetlana is just a glorified house frau to him at the present time, Kesten is otherwise occupied for the day, Tali and Thorictal and others he barely knows, and Selena he has no desire to be anywhere within thirty feet of. And so he comes to lunch! I would like to venture and take care of the tree if we're staying.. The gold mine can wait till another day.. Thoughts?" "Thank you for the draught earlier, Torq. It did indeed clear my head after a night of overindulgence. How you managed to awake in such pristine condition, Tomas, I cannot comprehend," he says to the man, apparently having no idea he wasn't partaking and instead seems convinced he holds his liquor better than anyone. "And I have thought of our destination, Torq. Before we go to this tree, we must first see Tomas' relation. Your uncle, I believe it was. And we shall begin our survey of the surroundings lands as we do so. When we have concluded our business with him, we will head to find the tree, continuing to survey the land along the way." Klaus unfolds the map of the Stolen Lands at the table. "Can you indicate where upon this map he resides?"
Fizzy is a pothead now.
Sometime during Torq's midnight calisthenics, a groggy Klaus stirs from his stupor and flings a random bolt of force up into the air over the area where he hears the sound. He shouts, "Keep your groaning to yourself, I'm trying to sleep, gods damnit!" but it comes out more like, "Haura gar yyyrru slesh..." before he crumples back into sleep.
Klaus offers no resistance to being tucked in tonight. He drank Tomas' share and so is very much pacified.
Klaus is entirely personable at the moment, sprawled in the cup of a broken catapult, mouth wide open, snoring the snore of the drunk and disorderly.
I feel like a drunk Klaus just set Fizz up for one of the most awesome practical jokes ever.
Unlike Tomas, Klaus remains dedicated to drinking. Perhaps as a matter of principle. In fact, the wizard gets very deep into his cups and continues to talk of conquests. None of them involved women, and if the subject is brought up, he gets a bit surly and moves it back to blood and guts and violence. Abruptly, he gets up and stumbles out of the dining hall into the night air, sniffing and wiping his face on his sleeve. He unhooks the scepter from his belt and looks very much like he is going on patrol, and just starts staggering around Oleg's until he finally walks up onto the ramparts and sits in the ejection cup of one of the catapults and stares up into the sky, wondering at how long it would take him to conquer each one.
Definitely supportive of getting a CLW wand. Klaus' proposal, to make a long story short, is to set Oleg on liquidating all of our goods into cold hard cash and bringing back the things we want (and yes, Klaus needs the reagents or he can't do any crafting!) That will take some time, so he will send off two letters: one, regarding the death of the young nobleman that I already wrote, and two, a status report on the death of the Stag Lord. In the meantime, we get to work on exploration. First we head towards Tomas' uncle's place, then we go to the tree or the gold mine (Klaus prefers the gold mine because he wants to prospect it for use as an actual gold mine), then we just go to hexes and explore them.
That is why I did not sell our horses, gents. We could use the land speed to better explore!
That's right. And this is where the adventure starts to take up some time! GM, could you brief us on the details of exploring hexes in Kingmaker? It takes a certain amount of travel time between them, and a certain amount of time to "fully explore" the hex and thus get an XP reward for doing so.
Yes, Klaus will be crafting wondrous items.
Klaus pushes his ale mug in the direction of Tomas', if he has one, knocking them together. "If you remember the spot where it happened and we have chance to pass through there, remind us. It seems there is vengeance to be had," he offers, earnestly. He nods to Kesten's report about the Black Wraiths. "What landmarks were they seeking?" The gnome becomes again uncharacteristically sombre, making Klaus' toes tingle. "Leave glory to warlords. My reasons for battle are greater than even that. I abhor the plateau, and would sooner risk a plummet for the chance to ascend the mountain. And when I reach the summit, there is still the sky to conquer. And when the stars bleed through my fingers like pomegranate pulp, there must be untold heights to reach. There must. It is only through conflict that a magician focuses becomes greater; I assault mnemonics with the same unwavering force as I assault enemies in war. Infinite knowledge provides me with an infinite arsenal of weapons at my burning fingertips, and being unafraid to wield those weapons against those I deem deserving of it is the only way to focus my exultant will into the sharpest, finest wandpoint. Gnome, there are academies and cabals and whole cities of tomesniffers who have come before me, and they are content to bleed themselves out in gallons of ink on parchment. Through quill and pacifism they bit and bridle magic, but magic is a mustang I ride unsaddled, trampling any who would stand in my way!" The wizard is not angry, but excited, eager to make the gnome understand, if only through sheer exuberance. "Without conflict, I am worthless, gnome, and deserve nothing more than my birthright. And when even that is taken from you before you're born, what is there left to-" Suddenly, Klaus stops, realizing that in his excitement he is treading into territory too personal to get into. He may have already said too much. "-surely you must understand. Without song and dance, you cut a rather depressing little figure, you know. Conflict is my song and dance, whether I am victorious or defeated." That set aside, he nods to Tomas. "Where does this errand take us? To Restov in the northeast? If so, we may take word of the completed charter ourselves, along with the Stag Lord's helmet and our own goods. If not, then I will leave our goods in Oleg's hands and write to Restov in care of those who granted the charter." "Torq, you said there was an alchemist here. Before we depart for whichever destination, you should take to them the potions, vials, and darts we uncovered from the goblin."
The total value of the goods we'd be selling is 16,308gp and 8sp. I assume we are splitting that 7 ways? That's a share for Tomas, Fizz, Torq, Klaus, Selena, Akiros, and Krazok. If that's how we split it, that's 2329gp and 8sp for each person, except for Klaus, who will take a 2sp spillover for his bookwork for an even 2330gp. :)
Klaus spends a good amount of time during the unloading and during the dinner talking with Guard Captain Kesten, at first about how things have been at Oleg's, whether they had the pleasure of meeting the Black Wraiths when they passed through, and then about any old war stories. Those listening to their conversation overhear Klaus spinning a yarn after a couple of headrich ales. "Deniable assets," the wizard crooks a finger. "Work as a soldier and you get a meager stipend and have to play by the rules. Become a deniable asset, and you get paid handsomely and make up your own rules, but you're hellbound if things go tits up. Me and a man from Restov named Grigor led a band of mercs over the Irrisen border during the ninety day peace. Sure, they may have been in deliberations, but the commanders on our side weren't idiots. They knew it was a stalling tactic for the Irrisens to resupply, and as soon as they had their arms again they'd call it all off with some midnight raid or however. Well, a certain commander who shall go unnamed wanted to cross the border and find their raider camp, the one set up to break the truce, but his hands were tied by the rules of engagement." Klaus wipes his mouth on a sleeve and grins. "Not so for us. We found them hiding out on a pine forested peninsula on Lake Veruca. It was winter, so the lake was frozen over. We crossed in the dead of night and, on the first night, Grigor went in and spoiled their food with the application of a little magic. On the second night, I went in and set fire to their tents. Hungry and sleepless, they nonetheless maintained their position, sending out a group to scrounge up supplies from a main camp. We waylaid them, killed two, interrogated one, confirmed their actions and then went back on a third night. This time, we hit them from a ranged position until they followed us out onto the ice I'd already weakened with a little tenacity," he says, quaffing heavily of the mug with one hand while little sparks of electricity dance between the fingers of his other hand. "Just as they were giving chance, I turned, planted my feet, and by Kostchtchie's twisted legs, slid backwards no less than fifteen feet across the ice, propelled by the fire shooting from my fingers. The same fire that melted the ice. With a crack," he says, accenting the sound by banging his fist on the dinner table, "the ice split like a traitor's skull. You could hear their drowning screams all the way across to the edge of the lake. The snow had just fallen and everything else was so...quiet." His reminiscence is encroached by a strange memory that he does not elaborate upon, but then looks up between Kesten and Tomas. "How about you? Tomas, surely these past few weeks aren't the first time you've put that sword to use on another...."
"Klaus. In case you've forgotten," the dour magician offers Kesten a warrior's shake after dismounting. "And yes, we're the only chartered group worth a salt, it seems. The Stag Lord is dead. We are here to barter the spoils of our conquest, but if Oleg is unable or unwilling to barter, we will have to do our business in Restov. But that is a matter to be decided after we eat. Would you care to join us, Captain, or must you remain on duty?"
Klaus compares the silver succubus to the belt with the succubus motif that he found in the Stag Lord's fort to see if there are any obvious similarities. Otherwise, since nothing is magical, he hops on his horse, rallies the caravan back on its way to Oleg's, and then turns over the baubles in his hands to get a better idea of their market value.
I think we'll have some at Oleg's, once we get a resolution from our actions thus far and then have to come up with a new plan!
"What would a goblin be doing with all of these things?" he asks, then gives Selena a nod of thanks for her efforts, and is then sure to put some distance between them. "Surely they aren't his. Probably some grubby little camp follower, picking things off the dead...hm..."
"Very good. Until we meet again." Klaus nods briskly and then walks towards the head of the cart, looking out into the field where he had seen Selena and he waits for her to return, preparing himself to say something clever like, look what the cat dragged in...
A crestfallen Klaus lowers his hailing hand as the assumed leader of the Black Wraiths betrays his badassitude to coddle the gnome. No bridges will be burnt today, however. "Whether or not I have work for you will depend upon the response I receive from a benefactor in Restov. I should know within a week's time. It is possible scouting will be necessary, as the entire greenbelt region may need to be adequately mapped. I worry this may be below your paygrade, however. Would it be possible for you to meet me in Oleg's Trading Post one week from today?"
"Mercenaries!" Klaus calls, focusing his attention upon them when he sees that Selena has taken care of the snake in the grass. He hops down onto the ground and shuffles his fur robes so that they create a higher mane around his wild-haired head. "Are your services currently employed, or are you looking for work?"
Klaus is largely ignoring the party since Fizz has them engaged in conversation. His eyes are trained on the grassy fields around the road for the lone stalker the lizard mentioned. And perhaps his encounter with Selena.
"I would be surprised if they haven't already seen us out here on the open grassland," Klaus observes, concluding the distinct possibility that they are bandits attracted by the size of their haul. "If they have already spotted us and worked out an attack plan, one of us approaching them alone could be dangerous. Gnome. Torq. You each have good eyes. Take a superior position atop the cart and see if you can spot an ambush waiting for us. Men hiding in the tall grass. Mayhaps they are harmless, but mayhaps they are not. We are laden with goods, after all." Again, perhaps because of the owlbear incident, Klaus brings himself to give Tomas' leadership acknowledgement. "A silent and invisible approach to see whether or not the men are armed or if there is a trap set up for us on the road would be helpful, yes." In the meantime, Klaus slows then halts the horses carrying the cart forward, and makes as though he is checking the wheels and the inventory to buy some time before they cross paths with the other group.
Klaus speaks with no one, however, and it soon becomes apparent he is keeping a great distance between himself and Selena.
Klaus keeps a close eye on the stability of the cart as they cross the river.
While Fizzwiddle explains, Klaus frowns while looking down at the front of his robe. Numerous pastry crumbs are littered thereon. He brushes them off with a sweep of his knobbed fingers but is otherwise silent for the gnome's story. When the gnome is leaving the tent, all he says is, "Thank you for the cake." Half an hour later, the wizard's tent is packed and tossed hazardously onto the cart. He mounts his horse and is ready to roll out.
Klaus remains in the brooding dark of his tent the following morning, apparently in no rush to get moving, which is unusual. There's no answer to Fizzwiddle's query, but when he looks through the flap, Klaus is looking at him, expecting him to enter. A book lies spine up in his lap. "Speak."
Half an hour later, Klaus returns and announces, "We will be unable to cross the bridge in the morning. It would take weeks of manual labor to construct a bridge capable of sustaining the weight of our cart, let alone a single horse. In the morning, we must head further west until we find a better place to cross." Then he puts up his tent and lights a single candle, closing and pinning the flap. He does everything but hammer a DO NOT DISTURB sign outside the tent, and probably only because he doesn't have one.
They are! I see the party dynamic in most situations a little bit like they do it in Dragon Age. There is a stronger purpose or sense of mutual respect that binds the group together and ensures that for the most part they don't kill each other, but it doesn't mean they don't voice their own opinions or have some significant differences of opinion. I usually play the rational, diplomatic bard and I must say it is a pleasure being the chaotic and undiplomatic ego-driven wizard. :)
"Had she no control over it, gnome, she would have told me so when I first questioned her about this. We have already had our sit down and talk sensibly moment that you were not privy to, and here the situation yet again repeats itself. You are asking me to do the same thing twice and to simply let myself be deceived into trusting her again." He is quieted a bit more when Fizzwiddle talks about threats and harm. "Never did I threaten you harm. In spite of your inability to acknowledge my personal space and your love of confections that borders on dangerous obsession, you have..." The wizard's breathing suddenly becomes quick, like a sudden onset of a panic attack, but he fights it back and continues. "...you are a...decent, well-meaning individual who would not deserve it. I simply said that I would hold you responsible. And I do not even know what that means yet, but it would not mean bringing you to harm." With the bard talking him down, the wizard's anger goes from red to black, and is now a smouldering mess. His voice darkens noticeably. "And my temper is born out of the perfectly natural response to someone attempting to take your free will and crush it like I crushed that damned flower this morning. And the realization that even had I fallen for her trickery, she would not have given me an ounce of the satisfaction she forced me to crave in the first place is, as they say, icing on the cake. A metaphor I think you'll find pertinent. And the fact that she stands there in silence letting you fight her battles for her simply makes me wonder just how deep she has dug her claws into you." No sooner does that accusation come out that it occurs to Klaus that things could get out of hand and he puts an end to his tirade. "Very well, gnome. No more rhetoric. If this argument continues I fear it will run the risk of generating bad blood that will not heal, and we cannot afford to have that between us. I see there can be no blame at all assigned to her, oh no, and in the future I should just be expected to be perfectly fine with being manipulated. I am going to look at the bridge to make sure it is something we can get this cart across safely and find any weak points that I can mend with my magic." Face flushed with heat, he turns and leaves the company before things get any worse, refusing stubbornly to ask for any help or to waste more of his time trying to rationalize with Selena through his own mistrust and anger.
"Rulership is for despots and I have no designs on such unless necessary. But fine, challenge accepted. Consider this an open warning. You are standing in as her defender. Give me your word that she will never do this to me again. If you cannot do so, you send her the message that you do not trust her. If instead you do trust her and can make this promise, and she ignores it and tries to manipulate me again, then I shall hold you responsible. Well, gnome, what will it be? Are you willing to put your honor on the line for her?
"And I counter with why does she not sit down and speak to us asking for a lay if she is so hard up for affection? Those very same who are ensorcelled even now would likely have said yes, if asked with the same kindness you preach that I should take. Why do your expectations not apply to her conduct as well?" Much of the outrage is gone now, leaving Klaus sounding more like a court prosecutor than an angry mob of one.
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