Lady Firedove's page

Also, ContrivanceCougar, I claimed this pic first...

*Cat Fight!*

LOL :)

Hi, all! Thanks for the birthday wishes. Yes, I still exist, just haven't been on the forums in quite a while. Also, Happy Birthday, Captain Y! 'Tis a good day. Except that I still can't download my new Starfinder PDF on my iPad even though I have GoodReader. Not sure what's up with that. Anyway, warm greetings to those of you I remember fondly and cheerful greetings to those of you I haven't met yet. Have fun with the riddles and aliases and shades of grey. Peace! :)

@Klara re. Classes:
I often play casters, but not always.
Currently I'm playing a vigilante, fighter, & druid trio of PC characters.
I fairly recently played an inquisitor & alchemist pair of characters.
I've solo PC played a paladin dragonslayer, a psion shapeshifter, an archaeologist bard, a bard/rogue gestalt, a sorceress/monk succabus, and several others, if I recall correctly.
Good times! :)

A few more points:

If you're playing a one PC game, give the PC a 25pt buy or higher ability score spread, with no stat below 10... For a standard AP or module, in a party of one, you have to handle all the key roles yourself. You can't afford a dump stat. (...another reason extra skill points are invaluable...)

Magic like charm, suggestion, invisibility, etc. can also be used to bypass combats.

Most of the time we play standard fantasy adventure stories. Sometimes we play science fiction adventure stories. However, when our four-year-old son is involved, we play Bolt puppy adventures, or Cars car races, or Mario/Bowser/Princess Peach stories. Very few dice rolls or combats are involved. Recently, Mario taught Bad Bowser how to be Nice Bowser, and he joined Mario and Princess Peach on a picnic with cupcakes. RPGing can stretch across generations in delightful ways. :)

@Sage re. Dice Substitution Method: Great minds... :)

That is an interesting perspective on the game. I can certainly see how it would influence the design decisions-combats would be a lot more one-sided, for one.

What sort of stories do you usually tell? Since there is only one PC, I imagine they would be quite different from the ones seen in Adventure Paths and such.

Not as different as you might think. About half the time we run adventure paths or modules, and the other half we invent original stories. About 3/4 of the time Tac is GM, and about 1/4 of the time I am (usually during the summer when I have more prep time).

When we run preprinted APs or modules, Tac as GM might cut a few enemies or entire combats, but more often he gives my character (or characters if I run more than one) additional abilities (feats, skill points, spells per day, etc.) to help make the challenges surmountable. Also, I often like to make characters big on diplomacy and/or bluff who can talk their way out of what would otherwise be combat situations. And, yes, we do a lot of talking in character. Sometimes entire enthralling game sessions pass with nothing but talking in character. It's fun! :)

Tac says he just posted in this thread, so he probably ninja'd me on several points.
I'll stop there.

When playing in the car, whichever of us is not driving, whether GM or player, usually keeps the folder of character sheets, maps, and other pertinent info handy, though we do tend to memorize our most commonly used modifiers so we don't have to check them too often.
As for combat, even when we play at home, we don't generally use a tactical map. That's just us. For me, the story, characters, and conversations are the most interesting parts of gameplay, so we try to speed up combat, whether at home or on the car. It helps to have an experienced and fair GM who can clearly communicate, improvise, guesstimate, and wing it a bit, and a player or players who are willing to trust the GM and accept his or her rulings as to what is or is not possible.
So, for example, when my character is traveling in the forest, Tac might ask for a d20 roll for my perception check, and we get a number based on the system I described in my previous post, then add my modifier. Based on the result, Tac will decide whether I notice the two Bugbears hiding in the bushes, ready to atttack me. If I do, we roll initiative. If not, they get a surprise round to attack, then we roll initiative. Either way, when it's my turn, I just ask Tac how far away they are from me, he makes up a distance, and I choose my action accordingly.
Whoever is not driving keeps track of hp damage on both PC and enemies.
It works well for us. :)

Hi, Klara. Wife of Tacticslion here.
I haven't been on these boards for a while (busy life!) but Tac is driving and we wanted to answer your question.
Want to play your favorite RPG in the car where dice are impractical?
Try our dice-less RPG system!
It might seem confusing or complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's simple and fun!
It requires the player(s) to trust the GM ... but that should be true anyway.
For whatever needs rolling, whether PC, NPC, or enemy, the GM says "Give me a d20" (or d6 or whatever) as the GM simultaneously mentally picks a number 1-20 (or 1-6 or whatever), let's say, for example, the number three.
The player chooses a number out loud from 1-20 (or 1-6 or whatever), let's say
"Six!"
The GM then adds three and six to get a total of nine for that d20 roll.
Easy, right? And random because neither player nor GM knows what number the other will pick.
Now, wait, you may say, what happens if the numbers total more than twenty?
Simple. It 'wraps around.'
For example, say the GM asks for a d20 and thinks of the number ten. Then the player chooses the number thirteen. The total is twenty-three, which is the same as a dice roll of three.
Is that clear?
We have various tricks for simplifying gameplay for car rides, but that's probably the most significant.
Game on! :)

Whoa! I just saw this in my e-mail. I almost missed it since this is such a crazy-busy time of year for us Florida teachers who have just started up our classes again and are trying to get everything going well. With the RPGSS schedule shift and the short notice, I doubt I'll be able to enter this year. I don't have much extra head space right now. However, I love the contest, I love seeing all the familiar friendly avatars posting here, I like most of the contest rule changes, and I'm looking forward to cheering everyone on when I have the time. I encourage anyone who's uncertain to give it a try. Go, RPGSS! :)

Just prowling through to say hi. :)

Please make four rolls for me in this order, when you have a chance:
Craft
Profession
Charisma/Diplomacy
Perception
These will be for starting the Exotic Delights weekend, which I will describe soon.
Feel free to add some character description/interaction for the preparation, but don't move on to the Evening with guests yet.
Thanks!

No problem!

So, have you guys/gals seen Kobold Cleaver's glourious, incredibly entertaining new thread about Making the messageboards less not-good and ceasing to do the same topics incessantly?

Now I have! Thanks! :)

FYI for the curious:
Tac is fine, just busy.
His wrist, although not perfect, is much better,
and he's been enjoying some extended Birthday celebrations. :)

Hey! There will be no PeP (Player eating Player) in this game!

The new game posts are up! Game on! :)

"My Lords and Ladies, I present to you, the finest chefs in the land, and the artisans behind our most comforting feast today!"

After public introductions and much applause, you return to the Kitchen, where Lord Schmultzfeather soon meets you in what seems to be becoming a Thursday-night tradition. He nods at Chef Sali, then addresses your group.

"Most lovely. Well done all around. I felt right at home, in the best possible way.
As for the best meal, I am awarding the bonus prize this week to Chefs Tessara, Vincent, Bahram, and Mimi. Delicious meal. Especially that cheesy bread bowl. Most tasty, I must say!"

He nods in appreciation at the winning team, then sweeps his gaze around the entire group.

"I hope you will continue to keep up the good work! I look forward to your exotic delights next week. Impress me!"

And, with a grin, he leaves the Kitchen.

The fancy guests sparkle and shine, hardly a 'comfort food' sort of crowd. The excitement is palpable. There are both repeat guests from last week and new faces, as the guest list is no longer limited to couples. Lovely ladies and noble gentlemen eagerly sample your food and proclaim it delightful. By the time orders start coming in, there is a fairly even split of guests ordering each team's meal. Everyone works to keep the food coming out at the right temperature and at the right time. All flows fairly well.

Toward the end of the first evening, you make your appearance to be thanked by Lord Schmultzfeather in front of the guests in the restaurant. No one faints this time!

Thursday afternoon arrives. Your carefully crafted comfort food meals are laid out before Chef Sali in the Kitchen, and consist of the following:

Comfort Food by Chefs Tessara, Vincent, Bahram, and Mimi
1 - Spinach and Mushroom Puff
2 - Creamy Macaroni and Cheese in Sourdough Bread Bowl
3 - Beef Pot Roast with Earthy Vegetables

Comfort Food by Chefs Kehlysch, Phillip, Ashley, and Dinte
1 - Stewed Hare with Root Vegetables and Herbed Dumplings
2 - Deep-Fried Catfish with Corn-on-the-Cob and Spiced Butter
3 - Apple Cream Custard Pie
All served with either Sweet Tea or Unsweet Tea (guest's choice) to drink.

Several of your fellow chefs seem to be holding their breaths in anticipation as a stoic-looking Chef Sali tastes each dish. Her eyes widen a bit, then close, as she takes more bites of the Mac-in-Bowl than of any other dish, but there is still no comment. Finally, she sips some water and wipes her mouth precisely with a napkin, then stands.

"Well done. These meals should please our guests."

She looks over at Bahram and Tessara.

"Chef Bahram, Chef Tessara, a dish of bread and cheesy pasta would not normally be what I consider 'my kind of food' ... but you have crafted a surprisingly addictive dish. I'm impressed."

She turns to Kehlysch.

"Chef Kehlysch, I have an idea for a way to improve the tenderness of your catfish dish, if you will allow me to assist you as you prepare."

She glances around the Kitchen.

"Alright, it's time for final preparations, including the small tasting samples of each course to inform the guests' menu choices. Chef Tessara and Chef Dinte, if you are each willing, I would suggest that you two be the ones handing out the samples of your respective team's meals before dinner in the grand entry hall, and talking up your team's menu selections. Chef Ashley, you can do your usual tea ceremonies thing, if you'd like. Let's go!"

Everyone snaps into action and the evening begins...

Sorry, guys! Family stuff. Nothing bad.
More game soon!

To clarify:
Ashley thought he posted in gameplay yesterday. I said it wasn't there.
It probably got previewed but never submitted.
He got frustrated and posted angry faces in discussion.
Then he reposted in gameplay.
Interestingly enough, the perfect 20 he was upset about losing for his Profession check reappeared.
My suspicion is that since the rolls never posted yesterday, they got reused today.
Anyway, he's not reposting the fluff part of his post that got lost now. Maybe later.

You may all resume with the previously scheduled paranoid speculation. Carry on. ;)

The first half of that first sentence is unlikely...

Also, Sister Az, I think several party characters specifically don't trust those Church leaders who may be involved in or influenced by Kingdom politics, since you're searching for a mastermind mass murderer who stands to benefit from a possible Kingdom heir being killed. It's different from simply not trusting any Church folk. Even Arabeth, who IS Church folk, would rather be staying somewhere more independent. :)

You make your ingredient requests, and all are accepted.

Now, each person, please make a Craft check, followed by a Profession check, and then a Charisma (or Diplomacy) check.
These are for the Comfort Food feasts. (I'll have you roll the Exotic Delights checks later.)
The craft is for your specific food construction. The profession is for how you generally handle yourself in the Kitchen. The charisma is for conducting yourself personably with your fellow chefs and in the brief public appearances.
The chef who makes the highest Charisma (or Diplomacy) check for each team will also be called upon to be the person offering the guests the meal samples in the grand entry hall before the meal each night this week in order to sway them toward choosing that team's menu.
Also, feel free to describe a bit of how things likely go for your character this week, based on the three checks you make.

So, does this look correct for Team KelPhilAshDin?

Comfort Food by Chefs Kehlysch, Phillip, Ashley, and Dinte
1 - Stewed Hare with Root Vegetables and Herbed Dumplings
2 - Deep-Fried Catfish with Corn-on-the-Cob and Spiced Butter
3 - Apple Cream Custard Pie
...all served with either Sweet Tea or Unsweet Tea (guest's choice) to drink...

Exotic Delights by Chefs Kehlysch, Phillip, Ashley, and Dinte
1 - Steak Tar-Tar
2 - Steamed Moray Eel with Caviar
3 - Chocolate Ricotta Stuffed Pear
...all served with Saki to drink...

Hee hee. Me, too.

Check out gameplay for your tentative team menus and please revise accordingly. :)

Ah, good stuff! Nice RP, guys!
I'll craft an appropriate response by The Lord Mayor as soon as I can ... This isn't over just yet ... but I'm headed out of town today, so my responses will likely be sporadic for the next week... Please feel free to add more in gameplay if desired. I'll get results of checks back when I post again.
Peace! :)

In general the Lord Mayor seems somewhat guarded. He clearly presents himself carefully, as authoritative, yet a bit weary. His facial expression only changes slightly throughout your exchange, his eyes narrowing just a tad at Shyness' comment, his head nodding at Poterol's address. Overall, he seems to like your group well enough, as unusual messengers go, but he does not seem to want to reveal his reactions to your news or anything else, other than grimly polite acceptance, the mark of a career politician. His true feelings on these matters, and the extent of his emotions, remain carefully protected at present. In response to Eli's query, his voice booms...

"Lord John Hawkthorne, whom you now believe to be dead, was an upstanding and charitable citizen of Resplendent. His death, if true, would be a terrible loss to our fine community."

The scribe continues to record the conversation.

Well, darn. I'm not sure how to word that more clearly. Sorry it's confusing!
Here's Chef Sali's original wording:

"For the purposes of the next two weeks, Chefs Tessara, Vincent, Bahram, and Mimi will work together as a team, and Chefs Kehlysch, Phillip, Ashley, and Dinte will do so as well. Each team will collaborate to prepare a single three-course meal for that week. There are no restrictions as to who contributes how much to each course, or what exactly each course contains, as long as all four of you on the team contribute something to the meal. When the guests arrive in the grand hall, they will taste samples of the two possible menus (one prepared by each team), and each guest will choose between them, selecting one of the two options for dinner. The team that creates the best three-course meal overall, in the opinion of Lord Schmultzfeather, will receive a bonus for the week."

So, between the four of you on the team, you are designing a three-course meal. You will all work together to make many copies of that three-course meal. It's up to the four of you to decide what is in each course and which chef works on what. For mechanical purposes, for the competitive aspect, I'll simply be having all four chefs roll a craft and totaling the results, with a bonus given for any natural twenties and a penalty for any natural ones, and a possible boost for especially creative/evocative descriptions of the food. Does that help explain it?

I'd rather not give specific examples, since I'd like to see what all of you come up with. Don't worry too much about which kind of food is which. If you have something in mind, take a guess as to which category it best fits in, and present it as either "Comfort Food" or "Exotic Delight," and it will most likely be received as such. It really doesn't matter if a particular guest happens to have eaten your specific dish before, as long as your dish is exquisitely prepared and presented. Don't worry. I'm NOT going to pounce on you if you happen to use an ingredient a noble might possibly consider too peasant-like, or something. If most of your team agrees that a particular food seems like a "Comfort Food" or seems like an "Exotic Delight," then most of the guests will probably agree. You can go with variations of what a British/French/German/American person might see as traditional comfort food today, and consider dishes from other continents (or perhaps even made from monsters...although they still need to taste good and be appealing to eat) as being exotic.

EDIT:
Phillip is on the right track in his post above. :)

And if you can't post tonight, that's fine, too. No rush!
Like I said in gameplay, you guys have at least a full week to discuss and plan your meals for these next two challenges with each other while I'm out of town for a week starting Monday.

I posted in gameplay, though I'm still working through the awesome and very thorough murder articles, while comparing them against what the GM said my character knew about the mentioned individuals in her gameplay post.

I can see the theatre map, but I can't move my character, probably because I'm on an iPad. I don't mind saying stuff like, "I move five squares to the right, and one square up," and having someone else move me, though.

FYI I will be out of town for a week starting Monday and probably won't be able to post much during that time, but please do consider me part of the game. :)

Murder! Murder! So far...
We met at the Mended Drum and discussed finding the killer.

Qat invited us to meet at the City Pantheon Theatre the following morning to plan.
The theatre is located on Portugal Street, just south of Lincoln Inn Fields.
We followed Qat's instructions to gain entry, and are now gathered onstage, pouring over newspaper articles related to the recent murders.

Qat tells us a bit about her murdered friend, and asks,
"Suggestions as to how we can identify and stop the Black Fog Killer?"

Norman shares some version of the following thoughts:

Izzy murmurs in response, still scanning the various articles.

"Hmmm. I don't know. But, who to interview first...?"

Vincent and Bahram, please comment briefly on your character's activities on the two days off before posting your responses to this new challenge. Anyone else who wishes to add more to their off-day descriptions may do so as well. Thanks!

On Wednesday morning, the eight of you report to the Kitchen for your second week of work. A new tool, helpful for your particular specialty, rests on your workstation. Chef Sali paces before you.

"Alright, Chefs, we have our themes and guidelines for the next two weeks.
Listen up:
This week the theme is "Comfort Food."
The idea is to serve common, traditional, home-style dishes that happen to be uncommonly delicious.
Next week the theme is "Exotic Delights."
The idea is to serve foreign-themed delicacies the guests have probably never tasted before.
You can plan for both weeks now, since it may take a bit longer for any exotic ingredients you order to arrive."

Chef Sali purses her lips and gestures first at the half of you on her right, and then the half of you on her left.

"For the purposes of the next two weeks, Chefs Tessara, Vincent, Bahram, and Mimi will work together as a team, and Chefs Kehlysch, Phillip, Ashley, and Dinte will do so as well. Each team will collaborate to prepare a single three-course meal for that week. There are no restrictions as to who contributes how much to each course, or what exactly each course contains, as long as all four of you on the team contribute something to the meal. When the guests arrive in the grand hall, they will taste samples of the two possible menus (one prepared by each team), and each guest will choose between them, selecting one of the two options for dinner. The team that creates the best three-course meal overall, in the opinion of Lord Schmultzfeather, will receive a bonus for the week."

Chef Sali scans the lot of you.

"As usual, I will be taste-testing your dishes before opening night each week. It is now Wednesday morning. I will taste-test your "Comfort Food" tomorrow at 4pm. You may send out any special ingredient orders for this week or next week today at noon. Opening weekend was a success. We expect that success to increase each week, and it's up to you. Impress us!"

Alright, guys, don't roll any checks yet, but discuss and plan with your team mates to design a three-course "Comfort Food" meal and a three-course "Exotic Delights" meal. You will have about a week of real-life-time to discuss and plan the meals with your team mates before you are asked to make the checks to craft them. (I will be out of town for a week starting Monday, and might not be able to post too much in that time.) As for what's traditional/home-style, probably Western-European-type dishes, and maybe British or even possibly American dishes. As for what's exotic, probably most anything else! You can use either real-world or Golarion-type terms/locations to get your ideas across to your teammates. The campaign setting is only Golarion-ish, and is left purposely vague and malleable. Assume you can obtain whatever ingredients you would like, no matter the distance. Lord Schmultzfeather is willing to pay for magic transport, if necessary. Enjoy!

Game on! :)

Another game post is up! :)

Aeryth and Chap wait outside in the still-bustling plaza in the dim twilight with the cart and mounts. (and Rex?)

Poterol, Cernan, Eli, Shyness, Marius, and Arabeth (and Sister Azmaria?) bypass the massive columned main entrance of the Hall of Justice and head to the specific side door described by the Pope.

You knock and speak the specific passwords given to you by Pope Gregory. Upon entry, you hand the sun-stamped scroll from the Pope and your letter of recommendation from Lord Mayor Vertin of Vigilant over to be given to Lord Mayor Lincoln of Resplendent. You are asked to wait in a simple room with wooden benches for a reply.

:)
In the words of Chef Sali to Chef Bahram,
"You've made it!"

In response to Tessara's question,

"Yes, of course. You may use the Kitchen here as much as desired on your days off for your own personal use and to hone your craft, just as long as it doesn't interfere with restaurant business and you clean up any mess you make."

Chef Sali would indeed be found meditating and stretching in the restaurant each morning at dawn. She would accept tea and continue to train Ashley in proper breath control.

Ashley, you may purchase whatever your wages and leftover starting gold might allow.

You each found 100gp in your pouches, and Dinte and Ashley found an extra 20gp in theirs. Feel free to spend or save.

I'm hoping to get a comment from Bahram and Vincent about how they spend their two days off before we resume with the next challenge.

Everyone, feel free to have more conversation or give more description of your character's actions.

With Mimi's high survival check and her knowledge of nature, the camping/foraging/fishing trip likely goes well. Kelysch, you may want to add a survival check of your own, and maybe a swim and/ or perception check.

Let's see how dangerous the critters you run into on the camping trip are ... You probably want this number low, or at least not above 80%...
Forrest Critter Danger: 1d100 ⇒ 68

Okay, Mimi and Kelysch, over the course of both days, you cross paths with some fish, squirrels, bunnies, and a herd of deer, but nothing really ferocious. Feel free to embellish the details as desired.

EDIT:
Phillip, if you want to suggest a reasonable extract or formula and a fair means of obtaining such a thing, I'm open to the possibility.

You each earned 100gp this week.
Dinte and Ashley each earned an extra 20gp.
Feel free to spend or save.

Which particular gaming sessions or moments stand out in your mind as some of the most fun, and why?

"Well done. We've made it through opening week. You can be proud of yourselves."

Chef Sali sets a sack on the counter and pulls out eight small velvet coin pouches, which she tosses precisely to each of you. You notice your initials embroidered on the pouch in gold thread, and your generous weekly wage inside. Ashley's and Dinte's pouches are slightly more full than the others.

"Everyone is being asked to return next week. If any of you are not planning to return to work Wednesday morning, for whatever reason, please let me know tonight."

She looks around at the eight of you.

"You are now free to do as you would like, remaining at the tower, or not, until we meet again in the Kitchen Wednesday morning. Get some rest and enjoy yourselves."

Please post your character's general plans/actions over the next two days off, as well as any desired character conversation with any of your fellow chefs.

Just as Bahram steps toward the Kitchen's exit, Lord Schmultzfeather himself opens the door, looking concerned.

"What, what, now. Is the young lady alright?"

Since it's been a while, I'm reminding you of this quote from a previous post about the Pope:
"He carries two scrolls sealed with a prominent golden wax sun stamp, which he hands to you. He gives you precise directions to the Hall of Justice and the Command Center, including which doors to knock on and exactly what to say to obtain entrance and audience with the Lord Mayor and the General."
Those of you who were there would know this.

Chef Sali, upon hearing of Tessara's collapse, glances helplessly at Ashley, and then back at Tessara.

"What? You, too?"

She swears softly under her breath...

Heal check to make sure Tessara's alright: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Chef Sali steps over to examine and support Tessara.

To Recap: The Pope wrote two letters for you to deliver to the General and the Lord Mayor for him. While you go to deliver the letters, he will be going to speak to the Queen to share the news of Lord Hawkthorne's death, which seemed to shake him quite a bit. After you deliver his letters to the Lord Mayor and the General, your group can choose to return to the Cathedral to spend the night, or can seek lodging elsewhere. Either way, the Pope is interested in meeting with you again sometime soon and sharing updates on your mutual investigations into this fiendish activity.

Sister Azmaria, Arabeth, Eli, and Shyness, now bearing two letters with papal seals, head out of the Cathedral and rejoin the others (Chap, Marius, Aeryth, Cernan, and Poterol) waiting with the mounts and cart in the courtyard.

Feel free to discuss what has happened and clarify where you're headed next.

Game on! :)

Game post is up! I will be aiming for at least one post each day for the next while, though I fully understand if not everyone can do that.

As for leaving you in a more RP-friendly spot when I need to take a break from the game, I understand the request and will definitely try! This past time was just a case of too much crazy life coming on too quickly, and I didn't want to entirely skip over the opening night crowd's reaction to your banquet or the introduction of Lord Schmultzfeather as an NPC.

Game on! :)

The moment arrives for your public appearance after dinner, and the eight of you, cleaned-up and ready, step out into the restaurant. The now-dark windows only add more emphasis to the interior finery of the guests and furnishings surrounding you. Everything glows in the light of at least a hundred candles. A musician with a lute standing over to the side still strums softly. Lord Schmultzfeather, dressed even more opulently than when you first met him, is standing on the little corner stage, speaking to the assembled guests, and he grins broadly when you appear.

"And here they are now, the Fixers of the Feast, the Cultivators of the Culinary, the finest chefs to be found anywhere!"

The guests applaud sincerely. Lord Schmultzfeather gestures for each of you to step forward in front of the stage as he mentions your name to the guests.

"Your roasted chicken & wild rice soup and musethrush-shaped honey bun was courtesy of Chef Vincent and Chef Tessara."

"Your cheesy stuffed shell with tomato sauce and tomato & herb salad was courtesy of Chef Bahram and Chef Mimi."

"Your spicy steak & crisp vegetable marinade mixture and chalice of steamed oysters in honey brandy butter sauce was courtesy of Chef Phillip and Chef Kehlysch."

"Finally, your mild dark ale with cream foam and swan-shaped ice cream in crested pastry bowl drizzled with fudge and topped with chocolate-dipped strawberry pair was courtesy of Chef Ashley and Chef Dinte."

The applause, which has continued softly throughout Lord Schmultzfeather's introductions, rises to a crescendo after the description of the final course. One particularly well-dressed patron springs to his feet to give a standing ovation, and the rest of the guests quickly follow suite.

The nervous excitement, the heady sensation, the enthusiastic applause, the two dozen grinning faces ... It's just too much for Tessara, who suddenly collapses into a faint. A collective gasp arises from the small crowd, but fortunately Mimi and Bahram are quick to catch the falling elven woman. Bahram quickly addresses the room, improvising a line about Tessara having absorbed the love and emotion in the air and thanking the guests for their patronage. Meanwhile, Mimi slaps Tessara's face, and her eyes snap open into a sudden, terrified consciousness. Lord Schmultzfeather leans down over Tessara from his position on the low stage behind her.

"My goodness, my dear, are you quite alright?"

Hi, all! It's been a crazy week, but the family is more-or-less healthy, grades are in, and tomorrow is my last day at the school to wrap things up before break. I hope to be continuing our story tomorrow, and I hope you'll all be continuing the journey. Thanks for hanging in there with me! :)

Hi! Two weeks, as promised, and I'm back on the boards! It's been a crazy two weeks, but the family is more-or-less healthy, grades are in, and tomorrow is my last day at the school to wrap things up before break. I hope to be continuing our story tomorrow, and I hope you'll all be rejoining the journey. Thanks for hanging in there with me! :)

There's Tacticslion, Strategytiger, Gambitbear, Leeroyjenkinsbat, Schemesnake, and...Tacticslioness, technically.

And I'm a technicality ... why?

*Big Cat Challenge, Go!*

So... Based on reading this thread, but NOT reading TL's spoilers, I'm guessing my dragon-slayer character will soon be fighting ... um... Elephant Dragons, maybe? LOL
Interesting. :)