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I'm alive but not looking forward to another 3-6 months of isolation. My state just went back into full lockdown because people can't control themselves.
Not sure honestly. It sounds like the GM was going to resolve some scouting and then we're supposed to be in Que-Kiri.
Hearing Kali's report, Maddok lumbers inexorably forward. "No more lizardmans. We smashed 'em good."
After tapping the delicate instrument with a huge meaty digit, Maddok points. "That way."
The minotaur nods sagely at Peri's instruction, only starting to feel the enormous weight piled up on his hulking shoulders.
Maddok nods in understanding. He gently puts the dragon-man back on the ground.
Trusting Peregrine's judgement in the situation, Maddok disrobes the prisoner. He gives the garment a good firm shake before handing it off to Bander.
Maddok grabs the last seeker from the shoulder. "No more fight!" the angry bulls snorts. "You lose."
Recognizing the sudden shift to violence, the affable minotaur quickly becomes all business. He steps in to protect his charge's flank. The first attacker foolish enough to threaten the ogre finds themselves on the end of Maddok's deadly horns.
Maddok grunts in confirmation and slouches slightly to give Peregrine access to the open spot on his harness where the pack was tied previously. He seems to hardly recognize the added weight.
Maddok lumbers along with the others, watching the cloaking figures curiously.
Moving as little as possible, Maddok tries to spot who/what is moving in the night.
Maddok helps himself to the offered potatoes and enjoys them noisily. "Mmm. Cold 'tatoes. Still good."
Sounds good to me.
Maddok stares up into the darkening sky for several long seconds blinking. Seemingly finding what he was looking for, the minotaur snorts in approval. He quickly and deftly sets to work staging a shelter alongside the shack his companions were looking for entry to. He carefully angles a large stretch of oiled canvas to deflect the worst of the weather coming from the southwest. "Maddok stand guard outside. Tiny house doesn't have good view", the bull warns indicating the shack.
For now, Maddok has been intentionally pretty passive. I'm chocking that up to learned behavior - people tend to be less anxious around him when he's largely staying put. He wouldn't go out of his way to offer up his woodsman skills but presumably seeing him skillfully aid Kali one would surmise that he knows what he's doing.
"OoooooOOoo", Maddok moos in marvel as he's otherwise speechless at the display. Once the initial surprise fades, the minotaur examines Slam's hand closely. "Healing magic!"
The bit about throwing a copper at Kalisuel was probably crossing the line if Kalisuel's player wasn't on board with it. Like I said, assuming this is a case of crossed communication wires and we'd like to move past this as smoothly as possible, I'd suggest we call a mulligan. Find a point in the conversation where things were at least civil and pick up from there. Personally, I was enjoying everyone's character foibles. Thalasi is a haughty and arrogant. Peregrine is opinionated and proud. Kalisuel is insecure and anxious. The issue in a collaborative game like this is when your character's quirk starts infringing on other people's ability to have fun in playing their own character.
Things look to have escalated pretty quickly in a situation where I thought everyone was having a good time. Assuming we want to move past this, I would suggest we call a mulligan.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I can hide it with some help form Maddok and Slam," she says as she catches Peri's question. "Maddok will help", the minotaur offers as he looks for a patch of thicket near the water the hide the vessel.
Maddok continues to row silently.
When asked for a vow of confidentiality, Maddok only nods vigorously. He lacked the speech to speak his heart. "Why do the gods speak to Slam?" the minotaur asks after Slam's finished his tale. "Maddok doesn't hear them."
His hooves knock on its deck as Maddok climbs aboard the vessel. Na'shok follows in his companion's stead..
Maddok works to make himself as small as possible, a difficult feat, in hopes that the group won't look to him for guidance. Minotaurs were renowned as talented sailors across the face of Ansalon. Separation from his people at a young age had left him without the opportunity to learn those skills. The fact that he could hardly tell the difference between a bowline and clove hitch was a failing that the big bull was painfully self-conscious about.
Having disentangled himself from a hanging garland of drying herbs, Maddok makes an effort to assist Peregrine in carrying whatever supplies she had prepared. In addition to the assumed violence, he demonstrates experience with lugging heavy things around for others. When she dons her red garment, Maddok cocks his head in surprise. Between the display with the lights and the red cloak it was clear there's more to the woman than meet the eye. "Red wizard", the bull rumbles in understanding. "Make hobgoblins go away? Boom!"
"Iida'atan" she says with firm purpose, and light springs from the wick of a candle kept at the door for the purpose; magelight, pure and unwavering, lighting up the crowded room and casting monstrous shadows on the walls. "Try not to crush the furniture," she asks, working her way through the others towards her bedroom. "Let me get packed ..." **CRASH** goes an urn knocked off a shelf by Maddok's horns. "Sorry..."
"Hey, Maddok," she asks as she shrugs off her pack and holds both it and the sack she carries out for him, "do you think you can carry this without slowing down?" The muscles of Maddok's massive arm flexes as he tests the weight of the heavily laden pack. In the minotaur's hand, the burden is no worse than a child's coin purse. "Maddok can help carry Kali's bag", the bull rumbles happily. After affixing the bag to his leather harness, he easily keeps pace with the rest of the group.
I think we're waiting for something to happen externally.
Maddok stops eating when Toede and his cronies enter the Last Home. It wasn't because they made him anxious but because the reaction from the other patrons made him anxious. Hobgoblins could be cruel but they were typically cowards. He doubted they would come to a busy place like this looking for a fight. Bander getting slapped prompts him to act. The feet of his groaning chair scrape loudly across the otherwise near-silent tavern floor as the bull climbs to his hooves. "It not nice to hit people like that", the hulking minotaur warns. No, there are just six of them. A few have their purses out for the taking. The leader is Toede, pronounced "toady".
I'm around. Much like Maddok, I'm taking it slow unless there's a reason to chime in.
I appreciate the comparison Bander! Green Mile is one of my favorite Stephen King movie adaptations. With Maddok I'm going for a MCU Ragnarok-timeline Hulk. Due to his very limited vocabulary he doesn't speak much and is largely motivated by his base desires. He's simple but high-functioning and that simplicity grants him a certain kind of innocence. He's nott a helpless idiot. Na'shok is the Rocket Raccoon to his Groot (in fact, I imagine him sounding like Bradley Cooper). He's cunning and maybe a little bit cruel if the situation called for it. He's willing to take advantage of people in the interest of himself and his buddy.
Was Caramon a knight or just a strong talented warrior? I'm imagining Maddok might be a good fit for that role in the story.
"Good Taytoes!" Maddok chimes in with several of the spiced spuds clutched in his enormous paw. "Very good." The huge bull minotaur gestures with his horns at the chair opposite himself. "Sit. Eat."
Maddok doesn't react as many of the other do when the armored ogre enters the Last Home. The circumstances of his own life had left the bull with a different set of prejudices. From the few times he'd had to tangle with one, he knew they were occasionally mean and always very strong. But, from his experience, groups of men on the road were much more likely to be bandits than a lone ogre seeking shelter in a warm tavern.
Kalisuel: Maddok and Na'shok have been in Solace for a few hours and were spending that time looking for work. They stopped at the Last Home to spend the night before giving it another shot the following morning. I'm good with the idea that tonight (the current IC scenario) was their first time meeting Kali.
Did you have something else in mind?
The huge bull pauses thoughtfully to consider Bander's series of run-on questions. "Nash is very smart warg. Warg talk good", he replies sagely with a nod at his lupine friend. His tone suggests that the answer was obvious. The kender apparently satisfied with his answer, Maddok goes back to his meal. He generally enjoyed spending time near kender. There was less yelling when they were around and he admired their courage. Quietly, he contemplates where their boundless courage comes from.
Are magical abilities hampered at this point in the story or just explicit spellcasting? For example, Maddok's animal focus ability is supernatural. A lot of the monk's abilities are supernatural as well. I don't recall if nature magic falls into the camp of divine magic or if it's its own thing in the Dragonlance universe. Do rangers and druids have access to spellcasting? I'm just asking for context. I'm happy with Maddok as he is either way.
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