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Hi, guys! I'm afraid I can't join in the fun at present, but I may be able to do so in a few weeks, depending on various circumstances and the grace of our illustrious GM Sunset. I thought I'd post with my likely character alias, though, for comparison sake. In the meantime, enjoy the game!
EDIT: If it works out for me to join in in the near future, Tacticslion may also be joining with this character.
Hello?
At the feast, Mina's fears got the better of her, and she chose not to show off her spell casting abilities. Mina is happy to ride with the others, and, being something of a linguist herself, works at learning the common tongue here.
In typical Mina fashion, she is completely oblivious as she rides, not noticing the rock slide until it is almost upon her. She tries to shield herself and/or move out of the way, probably casting mage armor on herself if it seems like that could be helpful.
Greetings, all!
Thanks! I'm now in another hospital with an even better neonatal facility.... We might be having our tiny little baby much sooner than expected! (I'm 32 weeks along, but just discovered to be preeclamptic.) Prayers and positive thoughts appreciated. :)
Also, Mina would let Athene say something about Mina being a spellcaster if she wants to.
Re-posting previous rolls for this conversation... Charisma: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 to be friendly
Intelligence: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15 to pick up some general knowledge about things
Wisdom: 1d20 ⇒ 14 to get a sense of things in general
............. It would probably take a while for Mina to understand the concept that they're on a whole new planet. When she finally does, I imagine she'd be pretty dumbstruck. She would ask Athene if these people have any magical or mechanical ways of traveling to other planets. She would hesitate to show them the vial, but would agree if Athene was pretty certain they should. She would be kind of spooked by Staveon's sudden freak-out, and would say,
She would try to get the names of these five people straight, which is proving harder than it should. Diorn is the only half-elf, right? Mary is the one-eyed blonde braids, and Ingolf is her husband who rode with us, right? What is the other blonde twin named, and what is her husband named? Then she would try to clarify with Athene,
She would try to help Athene explain how magic works to them, and would ask Athene if she thinks they should know that Mina can use magic.
Whoa! Suddenly there's lots to read and respond to...
Ouch! Heal up. :(
"Cool. Thanks. Good to know. And, sure, I'd be game to learn two more languages."
More side convo with Athene around the time of the tub: "Hey, Athene, do you know if these guys have mages or spell-casters of any sort? Like, is that a normal thing here? They obviously have magic items that came from somewhere, but they also have half-elves that came from somewhere, and apparently it wasn't elves, so I don't want to assume. Do you have any really subtle way of inquiring? Cuz, you know, I don't want to be burned at the stake or something if I let them see me cast a spell."
Hey, all! FYI I'm starting a PBP under my GM Angelina alias. If you're interested in playing a celestial-blooded character with a higher calling, check it out here.
Oops, right, sorry, Pavo! Not sure when I started thinking of your character as a halfling. I used to know you were human. I blame the months-long gameplay hiatus.
We can see it, DM. :) Do we just play as if Pavo is with us but stays pretty quiet? Or did Staveon have some weird drunk hallucination about a halfling rogue traveling with us?
Safe travels, Athene! See you here once you're rested up! :)
When Staveon returns from his streaking/attempted-animal-grooming, obviously flustered, and bangs his leg on the side of the tub as he hops back in, Mina just rolls her eyes. Mina makes sure to scrub the stuff she hung onto as directed. She doesn't want to spread pestilence or disease. She's also glad to slip into the subtle ranger-style clothing. In a forested area like this, not only would it help them blend in against enemy attack, but it would also provide more protection against tree branch or brush scrapes than her usual less-covering attire. Once they are seated at the table in the house, she tries again to figure out which group the blonde-braid women and their men are connected to. Are they Rangers? Bear Killers? Protection Association? McKenzies? Can she tell by what they're wearing?
Mina happily accepts a foot rub from Staveon, and would rub...
Then, she would happily accept a shoulder rub from Therin if he offers one, while she rubs Staveon's shoulders.
Meanwhile, she would probably say,
Mina rode along with the others throughout the day, appreciating seeing new places, detecting magic at lots of things that probably weren't magical, occasionally prestidigitating herself and her known allies (but not the new strangers), and generally enjoying the calm countryside ride in the sun. She occasionally listened in to Athene and Diorn's conversation, trying to learn the Elvish, but mostly it was way beyond her. Even when Athene explained the whole history of the place and the different groups in Mina's own language, she got a bit confused. "Wait, so... Mike and Kelly are Bear Killer people, Frederick is a Protection Association person, Diorn is a Ranger person, and the kilt people are McKenzie people? And...everyone is more or less allies now, but sometimes uneasy allies? Is that right? And, what about Ms. Blonde-Braids and Mr. Crooked Nose here? Who are they with?" When they arrived at Diorn's manner house and were led to the bath house, Mina grinned.
Interpreting Diorn's gesture and following Athene and Staveon's lead, Mina stripped, rolling her clothing (freshly prestidigitated) into her satchel, and putting her boots, belt, satchel and rapier into a bucket, but, being ever over-protective of her stuff, carrying the bucket right next to the tub and setting it on a stool so it could stay within arm's reach. She grinned, slipping into the warm scented water, and letting herself slide completely under for a couple minutes, before surfacing with a smile. "Aaaaaah. Yes. These people definitely know how to treat guests. I think I'm going to like it here." When Staveon remembers his donkeys, she has a short conversation with him and is happy to chat a bit with anyone else as well. When the rangers come to try to take their things away, she would definitely try to stop them. She wouldn't draw a weapon or anything, but she would verbally and physically, if necessary, try to hang onto her satchel/bandoleer especially. (If they insist on taking her rapier and daggers, she would grudgingly allow this, but the satchel/bandoleer isn't going anywhere without her.) After more enjoying the bath and chit chit, when Diorn comes to fetch them, Mina would climb out of the bath reluctantly, but having thoroughly enjoyed herself. She would slip into whatever clothes were brought for them , put her bandoleer/satchel back on over it, and follow the group into the manor house. When they get to the room with the people and dining table, Mina would check this place and these people for magic , nod and smile pleasantly, and take a seat as indicated, curious about what's to come. to be friendly
to pick up some general knowledge about things
to get a sense of things in general
Hey, all. I'm in. :)
So ... DM? You still around?
Mina smiles and nods graciously at the three riders.
Yes. That. Exactly. I wholeheartedly agree, and have been saying this for years. Welcome back. :)
Sweet!
Mina nods at Pavo in agreement, "Yeah. He needs a drink."
Actually, Mina speaks Draconic, Aquan, Hallit and Varisian, but not Elvish, so it's all Athene here!
Thanks, DM.
Mina stands, smiles, and nods, respectful but friendly, at each of the new arrivals, amused at being the show-and-tell training exhibit for the little bear warriors.
So, GM, Staveon reminded me that we each get to start with two traits. I looked them over and chose these two, although I'd like your feedback: Eye for Plunder (+1 Perception, +1 Appraise, extra 50gp worth of trade goods)
They both fit her story-wise, as a treasure-hunter and orphan.
The bonus to perception, appraise, and bluff could kick in now, or you could, at your option, apply it to my recent rolls, if it would help. My main question is this:
EDIT: Pavo, maybe you should draw some stick figures on their wedding card. ;)
Still LOLing here ... :D
If she has the time while seated, and if she is handed paper and a writing implement by one of the guards or by someone in her own group, Mina would attempt to draw the following: On one side of the paper, across the top, she would draw three faces: a basic circle with two oval and dot eyes and a line smile (labeled "human), a slightly more elongated face shape with big pointy ears, shaded-in oval eyes, and a smaller line smile (labeled "elf"), and a medium-round face with smaller-than-elf-but-still-quite-pointy ears, human-like oval-and-dot eyes, and a medium-wide smile (labeled "half-elf, half-human"). She would point to herself and the human face and Mike and the human face and say,
Then, she would divide the rest of the page into little boxes, like a comic strip.
In the second box, she draws the two figures much closer together, their stick arms curved around each other, the tiny stick connecting them. In the third box, she draws the two figures standing next to each other again, only this time the elf stick figure has a big round belly. In the fourth box, she draws the two figures standing next to each other again, back to normal-looking, but with a very short half-elf stick figure standing between them. In the last box, she draws the three figures again, except now the half-elf is the same height as the other two. "Half-elf, half-human!" Mina proclaims triumphantly, pointing to the middle stick figure in the final picture. She looks around, quite proud of herself, to see if the others followed. to craft a comprehensible stick figure sequence
Mina laughs heartily, enjoying Athene's refreshing ... naïveté? Not quite naïveté, but a refreshing perspective nonetheless. The idea of Athene as an elven tourist to human lands has been intriguing and amusing Mina all along.
Mina nods in a friendly manner at Frederick and Kelly to thank them for accepting the trade. Mina points to Mike and inquires with a smile, "Sinjoro Urso Mike Havel?"
The coins Mina offered were:
When Frederic inquires, Mina points out and names the symbols,
Mina points to Kelly's bear symbol, and then to Kelly herself. "Urso?"
To Athene, when she fails to get the heredity thing across with her simple genealogy chart, Mina suggests amusedly, "You might need to make your drawings more pornographic to get the point across!"
Mina points to the lady on the coin and, on a hunch, asks, "Mathilda Arminger?" Looking at Frederic's small offering of 6 (exotic to her) silver pieces, Mina taps his pouch, then taps her earrings and bracelets, then shakes her head no. Mina taps her earrings and bracelets, and then holds up the pouch and makes her cupped hands grow much larger to indicate that he would need a much bigger sack of coins to buy them. However, she then holds up a single finger to indicate interest. She holds his 6 local silver pieces in one hand and pulls out 8 silver pieces of her own in her other hand. She moves her two hands back and forth between them to indicate a trade and shrugs hopefully, offering her palm with her 8 silver pieces to Frederic for his inspection. She figures, in terms of pure value, he's getting a better deal here, but she also figures it couldn't hurt to have some local currency handy.
Mina had not drawn any weapons, and peacefully follows the guards' implied instructions, sitting on a bench and returning their friendly smiles. She accepts a drink from Frederic's jug before passing it along, nodding graciously at him, and opens up the coin purse to check the amount he seems to be offering in exchange for her jewelry... When the sketch of the four-legged nasty critter is passed to Athene, and she calls it a wolf, Mina asks, "Are you sure he's not trying to draw those hunting dogs we almost faced back there?" Finally, when the name exchanges occur, Mina pays close attention, then points at each of them to confirm she got it right, saying, "Mike. Kelly. Frederic. Nice to meet you! I was afraid we might never see friendly faces again. I'm Mina. Mina." She touches her own chest when repeating her name to get the point across. She knows they won't understand the rest of it, but figures a friendly voice couldn't hurt. She then speaks to her allies, "Maybe we can make a series of sketches showing how we stepped into a magic portal or whatever and then got attacked by ghouls and dogs and such, and showing that we want to shake their hands and trade stuff with them and be peaceful. Anyone think they can manage drawing all that?" EDIT: Adding an appraise check for whatever's in Frederic's pouch...
If her attempts at languages and pantomime seem to produce no results, Mina would wait and see if perhaps she can pick up some meaning from the guards' speech, even if she doesn't know the language. She is definitely staying back and being non-threatening.
Mina stops at the guard's hand signal and words. She holds up her own empty hands in a non-threatening gesture, encouraging her companions to do the same. She would attempt to say "Hello! Do you understand me?"in Common, Aquan, Draconic, Varisian, and Hallit, pausing to let her companions interject similar attempts, if they wish.
If languages fail, she would use pantomime to gesture to the mules and her jewelry and pearls in an attempt to indicate that they're some kind of merchants.
Mina puts a calming hand on Staveon's shoulder as they walk. "I dunno, Staveon, but civilizations come and go, and whatever this was is not our problem. We've just got to deal with whoever's left now."
As the group starts to move North, back along the same path from which they came, Mina responds to Athene's comment on languages,
Ha. Apparently Mina is lost in thought about this new place and still not paying much attention to her immediate surroundings.
"Where in all the planes are we? Has anyone heard of anywhere like this? ... So, we're heading toward that castle to the North, right? Only sign of current civilization we've seen, what with the active cook-fire and all. ... Yeah, they could be hostile, but hopefully we can at least get some answers, and who knows, maybe they'll welcome us... Come on. We should be able to make it there well before sunset. Personally I'd rather not face those dog brutes in the dark. If Athene is right and they've been magically enhanced, they could have extraordinary senses of vision and smell, in addition to being stronger and smarter than usual. If we see them on the way, we can attack them, but I'd rather not just wait at this abandoned building all day!"
Realizing Therin needs more healing pretty badly, Mina uses another charge:
"I don't much like the idea of trying to find that pack of brutes in these mists, but I don't relish the idea of just holing up somewhere in this wasteland and waiting for them to possibly never return either..." With a sigh, Mina uses up a precious charge of her wand on Therin:
"If you're pretty sure they're gone for now, then let's keep moving South. Maybe we'll find a settlement. Blast this infernal fog! Mina focuses on the journey and tries to keep a sharper eye out while also mentally musing about the possibility of magically enhanced canines, and what they might be capable of.
Ha ha! My intimidation skills rule!
The now mage-armored Mina sighs in annoyance, hearing the encircling howls and scanning the surrounding mists, but unable to see much. "Great. A whole pack of them. And they obviously know right where we are. Maybe they'll just go away if we scare them off." Mina lets out what she hopes is a fearsome howl/roar, while sending her dancing lights to swirl out in a spiral towards the surrounding mists. In addition to hopefully frightening the dogs, perhaps her group will be better able to see the threat.
"Great! Just what we needed..."
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