I am good with jumping right in! And a big welcome to our new player!
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Kytes does his best to put up a respectable face, but the beating he took and so suddenly being the focus of intention for such an important person conspire to make his lack of ease quite obvious. After shaking the Vice Admiral's hand and quietly introducing himself, Kytes returns to his seat. Those thugs almost had the better of him, and he could feel several welts beginning to form, but his friends were safe and his bravery -no, everyone's bravery- had earned them the praise of a position of high authority. Reflecting on this, Kytes sat up a bit straighter than usual as his spirits lifted. He responds to Liamae's declaration with good humor: "I didn't think we'd have to start fighting for our meals until tomorrow!" After that, he eats quietly, unaware that he is now smiling quite broadly.
Kytes shakes his head sharply in an attempt to focus himself. He'd taken a couple good lumps, and he knew another solid hit would put him out as quick as a torch thrown in a lake. But he had to protect his friends: each strike that landed on him was a strike spared his allies. It also seemed the tide was beginning to turn in their favor. With a steely determined look in his eye, he takes another swing at the thug in front of him.
Yiiiiiiiikes these rolls. Lets hope my most recent is indicative of a sea change...
Taking advantage of the red-caped noble's assistance, but hoping to end this without anyone skewered on the end of a blade, Kytes delivers a swift punch in an effort to knock the thug unconscious.
Sorry I've been bad about posting! Coming off my vacation the other game I was in died and it kind of knocked me out of the swing of hitting the site daily. Going to try and be a bit more frosty going forward, and also maybe get into another game to help keep me in the habit.
Kytes pauses for a brief moment to take stock. He was pretty sure the flying furniture was his friends' doing. He was un-enthused that they had struck first, though it wasn't a significant violation of honor as Thom's violent intent was made abundantly clear. He was also quite impressed at his new companion's talents! Magic was beyond him, but he was at least glad they could protect themselves. Hoping to end things before it became an all-out brawl, Kytes opts for restraint. He approaches Thom from his flank and reaches towards the halfling with his powerful arms:
Kytes' face scrunched in concern as the other halfling approached Roger. The young half-orc was certain he was missing something about the situation, but Roger was clearly uncomfortable. Standing up form his seat, Kytes stood alongside Roger and affected the best casual smile he could. "Hey Roger, is everything all right?" He gestures to the accusatory halfling, "Old friend of yours?"
Kytes is eager to socialize but, fearing he may give off the wrong impression or appear loutish, he takes a few minutes to remove his armor and dust himself off a bit. He leaves his gear up in the room, and joins the rest of the group downstairs. Recalling the free meal, he eagerly orders whatever is on offer.
Kytes blinks at his halfling companion. "But Roger, you'd get that fish smell all over their nice beds."
Hi hi still here, sorry. Having a little more trouble getting a chance to post than I expected. Secretly really hoping we somehow get into a bar brawl in the *fancy* place, because that just makes it funnier. (Kytes isn't hoping this, of course. He is a good boy.)
Of all the many instances Kytes felt out of place through the course of the day, The Golden Barnacle took the cake. Kytes wasn't the sharpest sickle in the shed, but he was certain he'd never have made it through the front door with Liamae and her coin. He was glad to be acquainted with someone so adept at moving through a world so foreign to him. Noticing Iagon was quite alert, he quietly inquires: "Is there something I'm missing? You seem worried."
Hey folks! My job's gonna be busier than usual for the next two days and after that I'm going on a short trip. I won't be without internet per se, but there may be times where I don't have the ability to check the site at my leisure. I'll do my best to keep it at a post a day, but response time may be slow and posts may be brief and/or not my most creative. Just a heads up!
Completely at the mercy of the more worldly party members to select a place for the night, Kytes agrees to Liamae's suggestion with an appreciative smile. Silently, though, he hoped he had the gold to afford lodgings in an establishment in line with her tastes!
As the situation de-escalates, Kytes calls Eir out of the scuffle with the sea birds. The situation all moved a bit too fast for Kytes, but Liamae seemed to have succeeded in dousing the fisherman's inebriated rage, to the young paladin's relief. When Liamae suggests they continue on their way, Kytes nods enthusiastically.
Same here! Hope everything's okay with him. Kytes would hate to lose the first other half-orc he's had a chance to get to know. And apologies for missing the last couple of days myself. The firewall at work got fussy about the site for a few days (probably because of the update?) and I've had very little time where I am both at home and awake.
Kytes had seen enough of the city today that the Shipyards didn't exactly overwhelm him, but he did find himself somewhat entranced. This part of the city felt... He couldn't find the word, but he was thinking something akin to denser. He felt a certain kinship to the denizens of the Shipyards, despite it still being a world quite foreign to him. These were people of similar humble beginnings as he, just hailing for a different walk of life. The swearing fisherman snapped Kytes out of his reverie. "Oh no, Roger. You're soaked!" Iagon was already trying to calm the man, and Kytes had the inkling that was a job best left to a single person, lest the fisherman feel under attack. Instead he looks to Eir, indicating to her a desire to help the man by scaring off the gulls coming for his precious fish. With a screech, Eir joins the fracas, attempting to intimidate the the seabirds away from the easy meal.
Kytes finished the pepper he was snacking on. After a moment's consideration, he decides there's nothing wrong with indulging in a second. Plucking it off the bushel, he begins munching again. Despite not participating in whatever mysterious beverage Liamae had procured, he felt a strong sense of camaraderie. He appreciated Iagon's help from earlier, and everyone seemed to be getting along well. He continues snacking and beaming silently, happy to have found friends.
After paying, Kytes rejoins the group happily munching on a pepper.
Kytes politely refuses the glass offered to him with a raised palm. "I am sorry Lady Liamae, but The Inheritor requires that I keep a clear head for our journey tomorrow." He sort of stumbles around the unusually formal statement, but it is not insincere. Moments later, Eir returns from her hunting and resumes her perch on Kytes' shoulder.
Kytes approaches the cashier and patiently waits his turn, though anyone paying attention would notice him idly fidgeting with the peppers. Not that he'd ever admit he was feeling impatient to indulge in his snack.
Kytes' eyes are caught by the wreaths of fine peppers on display in one section of the market. He had a decent amount of food stashed away for the trip, but he still very much had an orcish palate and the peppers were too tempting a travel snack for the young paladin to pass on. He selects a particularly scrumptious-looking batch while the others go about their business.
Eir produces a series of irritable chirps, hopping back and forth on Kytes' shoulder. The young paladin responds with a wordless nod, and Eir lifts off into the air with a series of powerful flaps. Within moments she's circling high above, looking for a meal. "I'm pretty hungry, too. Eir can take care of herself, but we should find Roger and then find something to eat. We won't be much good on the road with empty stomachs."
As he finishes tidying the statue Kytes clasps Iagon's shoulder with a smile, silently thanking him. Then, attending to the medallion, he sets down his gear and begins to rearrange a few things. First he transfers the small amount of gold in his belt pouch to a pocket in his backpack. Next he opens the belt pouch out flat, then carefully -reverently, even- he picks the holy medallion up off the ground. Kytes gingerly uses the leather pouch to wipe away dirt or grime on the necklace before wrapping it in the pouch and tying it off. Finally, he places the wrapped item snugly within his backpack. When the process is completed, he finally looks up to notice the others arriving. His wide, sincere smile returns. "Hey everyone! Eir found me something important. Oh, and Iagon helped me clean up around here a bit. Sorry if we took too long."
Sorry folks! Just had my hands full a little more than usual. I'll work on getting a post up tonight!
Surprised and curious, Kytes investigates the metallic glint by tidying up the shrine in general. He clears away the weeds and other debris, and does his best to remove any dirt and grime from the statue.
As he approaches the ruined Abbey, Kytes' jog transitions into a reverent, careful walk. As he nears the stone archway the inexperienced Paladin wonders why his goddess' house is in such a shambles.
His pace picks up again slightly as he crosses the archway, motivated by his initial instinct to tidy up the stone incarnation of his deity. Realizing he was forgetting himself, he halts several feet from the statue, draws his sword, connects the point of it to the stone ground in front of him, kneels and grasps his holy symbol with his free hand. Position of deference assumed, he begins a low prayer to the Inheritor.
Kytes turns to Iagon with an earnest expression. "Eir is calling me somewhere, so I have to follow her. You can come come if you want, or tell the others I'll be back soon!" He hurries off after Eir at moderate hustle.
With a smile, Kytes places the token in Curtis' palm, then closes the man's hand over the token while while clasping in within his own hands. "It is Iomedae who sends me into the world to do Her work," he says in his usual friendly tone. Eir ruffles her feathers and produces a series of measured chirps, and in response Kytes becomes rather uncharacteristically more serious: "If you would thank Her, do not forget your honor, and do not forget to sacrifice for others when needed and able."
I'm also having a blast, tbh. Kytes is... a significant departure from the types of characters I usually play. I have to really sit and think about it when playing him. It's a challenge, but a refreshing one. I'm still ironing it out to a degree, hope he's coming across as at least somewhat consistent as a character!
Kytes is confounded for a moment by the couple's plight. Much like the patchwork cart repair, his assistance suddenly felt, at best, like a short-term solution to their problems. Considering the only real economic power he possessed at the moment, he fishes the wooden token out of his pouch and presents it to Curtis and Miriam: "Would this help?"
Kytes flushes at the woman's assumption Iagon is his squire. "Oh no, ma'am. Iagon and I are working together. If anything, I hope to learn a lot from him!" Flustered, the young warrior returns his focus to the cart. "Your husband is right, ma'am. The axle pin snapped. That's not really something most folks carry around with 'em." Kytes smiles sheepishly, "'Less you're a wainwright, of course." He rummages around in his pack and pulls out his mess kit. He removes a thin wooden spoon from the leather cord -to the eye, it looked to be close enough to the right size- and begins trying to work it into the pinhole. "If this works, it should get you far enough to make your delivery, ma'am. You'll still need to get it properly repaired later, though."
Hopefully that 17 was a high enough roll for my folksy wisdom to be of use!
Hoping to break the tension, Kytes drops to a crouch to take a look at the cart and see what can be done.
Kytes places the retrieved keg down near the cart. The couple arguing made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if they were really mad at each other, or just taking out frustrations over the broken conveyance.
Kytes is right on Iagon's heels, and as Iagon stops to speak to them the young holy warrior continues past down the lane. "I got 'em!" he calls back to Iagon and the couple. When he reaches the first keg, he hoists it up and begins carrying it back to the cart.
Kytes smiles and voices his agreement, "Eir here's got the eyes of a... well, of a hawk! She'll spot and warn me of any trouble that might come our way. Hopefully, we can find something to spend my token on."
Kytes thanks the dwarven shopkeep as he and Roger exit. He carefully tucks the decorated feathers into his belt pouch. "He was awfully nice, wasn't he Roger? I wasn't really sure what to think about these tokens," the young man muses. "But it seems like the Marquis' favor really does go a long way here. It's a bit intimidating to be working for someone so important." Eir ruffles her feathers and makes some low chirping sounds. "Oh, not that I doubt you for a moment," Kytes reassures as he pats Eir on the head. "I know that if you led me here, this is where we need to be."
Kytes gazes reverently at the brooch. Such a personal token was a tremendous gift indeed, even in exchange for a powerful favor. The rookie paladin surmised that for such a possession to find its way to Roger must certainly mean the halfling had a greater destiny in store for him, much like Kytes himself. Still somewhat uncomfortable with such fine items changing hands, but not wanting to be rude, Kytes turned his attention to the collection of decorated feathers. "I do like these," he stated with a mix of social uncertainty and genuine excitement. He smiles at Eir, resting sleepily on his shoulder: "They remind me of my friend."
The dwarven shopkeeper's inquiry snaps Kytes out of his reverie. "Oh, I wouldn't even know where to start looking, Sir," the young man responds with a hint of an excited stammer. "Perhaps you'd have some suggestions? We're helping the Marquis with some work in the Verduran forest." When Roger lays his token of favor on the counter, Kytes quickly moves to retrieve his. "I have one, too. If it's worth anything to you, I would be happy to trade."
Kytes leaves the talking to Roger and ambles over to the various displays, scanning the large variety of trinkets and implements. He directs a sense of confusion and wonder to his avian companion. "There's so much... stuff! Eir, I can't imagine how anyone shops here. How does anyone need this many hats?" the half-orc wonders aloud, his questions rooted in bewilderment rather than criticism or judgement.
Kytes was caught off-guard by Roger's appeal to the young half-orc's apparent expertise. He was struck by a sense of embarrassment as his understanding of swordplay and weaponry was -at best- self-taught and most accurately described as "inspired". "Oh, ah, sorry sir... Roger, I mean. I don't know if I'm the best to ask. My weapon was, uh...," Kytes unconsciously reaches a hand up to lightly pet Eir as he searches for words. "Given to me, a gift" he concludes. His mind scrambling to establish himself as a useful member of the group, the boy quickly follows up with: "But if you had somethin' you wanted in mind, I could take a look at it for you. Check the weight on it and such. I've been around enough farm tools to know when a thing's been put together well enough."
Kytes, is it ok for me to play Eir every now and then? I wouldn’t normally for a familiar or animal companion, but considering he is your divine emissary, I figure he might help you along your path a bit. Oh, absolutely! No problem at all. I think that the Chosen One's Emissary, more than almost any other companion creature, has that pretty solidly baked into the intent. I appreciate the consideration of the ask, though!
Kytes was wholly unsure what he should be doing. It was easy enough to follow the group at first -once they'd settled on a destination, though this being Kytes' first time in a city it was all the same to him- but now they were splitting up and heading towards different buildings. He sheepishly glanced over to Eir perched on his shoulder. He felt embarrassed to turn to someone so important for such simple direction, but he was at a loss. Eir proved no help, however: she was busy preening and he sensed no instruction from her. Realizing he'd soon be alone and standing in the middle of the city road, Kytes uncharacteristically trusts to chance and follows Roger into The Reliquary Boutique.
To say Kytes was overwhelmed would require the invention of a new word, because "understatement" simply would not suffice. He'd barely had time to adjust to the constant sensory input of Cassomir (a city! a proper city!) and now he'd been handed a small fortune before his first day of work even began! A station at a trading post seemed like sensible enough work - the kind of place where his specialty, lifting and carrying, would certainly be in demand - and Eir had indicated it was the correct path for him, but he could still scarcely believe an important man like the Marquis would actually see much use in him. Maybe it was the armor? People seemed to treat him differently ever since he started wearing it. Perhaps they could sense how much it meant to him - the farmers who'd raised him had scraped together every copper they had to buy it for him, after all. Once out on the lawn, Kytes slowly observed each of his new compatriots. He tended to get along with people well, but often had to take his time in getting the lay of the land in a social situation: people just seemed to talk so fast! He'd seen plenty of humans and even a few halflings on the farms he grew up on -he liked halflings, they were always so friendly!- but he'd never seen an elf before. She was as tall as he was! Elven men must be giants, he surmised. And lastly there was the other half-orc. He'd never met another half-orc before, and he was at a loss for how to approach the situation. Kytes finally caught up to the conversation just as everyone seemed ready to head out. They were debating what to do with the payment they'd just received - before a single drop of sweat had been shed! "Maybe...," He began quietly. He felt Eir's feathers ruffle the side of his face, and a sense of forcefulness moved from his companion into Kytes' own mind. "Maybe we could see if there are any others that need work? Eir and I saw lots of folks looking for work on the streets when we came into town. We've been paid so much, more than any of us could possibly need. We could pass it along to others, hire some extra help?" Then, as if a thought caught up to him. "Oh, this is Eir," he gestures to the Cooper's hawk perched on his shoulder. "She's my friend," he continues with a big smile.
Dooot doodle-doo!
Aha! I am here. Apologies. Meatspace got... real wild for a few days there. I also got scolded for trying to just post "Dot!", so I'll try something a little different.
Ah! Excited! Thrilled to be picked! I'll be sure to put the finishing touches on Kytes ASAP. Kytes has a somewhat small skill set, mostly related to manual labor. But! He's got a decent Sense Motive, which is always nice to have lots of. Also, he's a rather dab hand at wrangling beasts and horsemanship, which might come up in a frontiersy setting like this. Combat-wise, he's a pretty boilerplate sword-n'-board melee guy. Not much in the way of fancy moves, though the Step Up chain should help keep him in the enemy's face. Once he gains a few levels, he'll be able to provide party combat buffs, granting morale or divine bonuses to things like attack rolls, AC, and saving throws. He's traded away his spells, though, so he'll be a little less versatile. I agree that we're maybe a scoche weak on healing. I've still got my Lay on Hands (and can use it at range thanks to bird-pal!), but I'll have fewer Mercies than normal and at a later level. That plus no spells means I won't be as good of a condition healer as a typical Paladin. Also, Lay On Hands is mostly good for emergency spot-healing to keep people up in a fight. For patching up after a nasty fight, we might want one of our first major purchases to be a Cure Light Wounds wand for Roger to toss in his backpack.
This is RamzaBeoulve's character: Kytes, the Half-Orc Chosen One/Warrior of The Holy Light Paladin. Basically, hayseed paladin that can't for the life of him figure out why Iomedae picked him for anything, but has gone all in on it anyways. The abilities of Warrior of The Holy Light, plus going into Iomedae's Divine Fighting Technique makes him into a combat buffer at the cost of his spells and a couple of his mercies. Also he's got a cute hawk buddy who can provide useful scouting at early levels and deliver his Lay on Hands for him: whoohoo, FedEx healing! Character angle is, despite not being the sharpest (and very aware of it), he manages to inspire/lead by just being a really good dude. A sweet cinnamon roll too good for this world, but, like, he will also not hesitate to formally introduce evil to his sword. Crunch is done except for his familiar's stats, which got eaten by a website error and I was too frustrated to re-type tonight. And the background is about 75% done. I did this thing I do that I hate where I come up with what should be a very simple background and I end up writing a novel. :P (No, seriously, I drive myself up a wall with that.) That will all get topped off and I'l post the "interview" portion in the next couple days, but there's enough there for it to be pretty clear what the character is so you could start looking at it and let me know if anything doesn't work for you. |