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Sorry. Summer = I'm busy (and was away for a bit); my hurt wrist = painful to type much; character = lends himself to bigger posts. Sorry! I'm trying to get back on the wagon, but it's difficult when my scheduled times coincided "nicely" with, say, Paizo being shut down, thunderstorms, or internet outages. :/
Cool. I do like some oversight, as it's easy for me to get distracted while doing something and make a mistake, but I can definitely understand the hesitation to do so. No worries or pressure from me on that score. One thing I tried to do was list all of my abilities that was "this ability, when used" under and indented a bit. So, for example, when I have "spellcasting" I have something like: "Spellcasting"
... etc., or when I have Performance, I go, Performance
... just to show that the latter abilities modify the former. Would you like me to put up a "level-by-level" build I have for Norman somewhere at the bottom behind a spoiler, so you can get a vague idea of what he can do as he levels, or would you prefer for that not to be there? Really, I'm mostly here to help you out: just let me know!
Just as an update: I've done most of my homework for my character. I need to apply "final touches" (which, to most people, means "actually do stuff about them") to the feats (which I've chosen, just not written out), the traits (seemingly unchosen... hm...), and the gear (formatting ahooooyyyyy~!). My background is currently a "show, don't tell" kind of thing (and really friggin' long as a result), though my physical appearance is mercifully short. I'm planning on altering the upper part of my sheet as I finalize the lower part. I took a few liberties with the style in the spoilers below, as nothing specific was mentioned, as well as my spells per day/known as those were really confusing (for me) to find and identify in just straight columns. This will help me navigate my sheet a tad better. I left several notes within my skill set, because, frankly, my skills work so differently, I don't think either I or the GM could figure it out otherwise, though I removed most of the "point+bonus+otherthing" type stuff. (I like it, but I understand why others might not.) I have my old stuff saved in a word document. Let me know if there are any errors! Thanks for the game, MMII_GM!
So, uh, just out of curiosity... do you happen to know fourteen different languages that Norman should know...? Purely a hypothetical, of course... >.> EDIT: Also, my class abilities were integrated into a single list. I no longer have an easy way of separating them "by class", as it were. At present, I'm going to list them all in order - if you need or want me to separate them more, that's fine, it'll just take me longer and I'll do it later. That okay? EDIT 2: Also, also, you listed a few basic bardic abilities my archetype lost or replaced. I removed them for right now, but let me know if I'm supposed to put them back into play for some reason.
You don't ask for much! ;P But, I'll be glad to- It would help if people would take some time to organize their profiles, particularly Norman. ... hey! :P (:D) It's "organized"! ... for a very eccentric and specific use of the word "organized"... >.> (Working on it.) EDIT: just as an fyi, it looks like (based off my results, and re-examining the page) the "/i" commands for spells are incorrect. I think you put "[i/]" instead. Just as a heads up! :D
My father-in-law died and so I'll be out of town for the funeral. I know it's a bit late, and I'm glad to hear of his life, but I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Peace and blessings to you and your family during this time.
Upon Reading all the articles: - People to Investigate: the various unnamed folks who discovered some of the bodies, the daughter of the Bishop, the news reporter(s) (each article, if different; as well as the "it's only mundane" newspaper), the two watchmen with Master Ludwig, the Biggleswade office (and the accuracy of their reports), the "Sugarloaf" prostitute (Malinda O'Neele), Ms. Boatwright's neighbors (noted surprise: nothing was stolen from her home...). - Errors in reporting: if the High Priest's wife witnessed the murder, why did someone else discover the body?
Rawk, rawk ohn!
Daught, I say. :D
The same. :D
The same! :D
Norman smiles in his 'inebriation' and claps, taps, and bounces along to the excellent song and oratory, and cheers softly when Qat and Izzy bring things to a crescendo! When Izzy asks Einar about the jar, he smiles a bit dazedly, lips closed, and looks wide-eyed at the man, blinking.
It's noticeable that he's fiddling with a dagger, though really only to try and use its heavy handle to tap out a beat with the drummer Einar.
... it isn't very good, though. The man is definitely a bit tipsy. Looking at Einar, he grins inebriated and slurs, "N'h, n' h'rd f'l'ns, 't 'll, g'y!"
DC 36:
... otherwise, you're pretty sure that the murderous drums rattled him. Looking and nodding widely at first Qat, then Lady Kalindra, he adds, "M' n'ts! B'st f'sh'rm'n 'r'nd h'r'!" he thumbs at himself.
Sorry to see you go, Ruskov! Take care, and great gaming! (I loved your character concept... good luck!)
Oh that's super cool, I kind of wish we had done that before we started roleplaying basically "Whatever we felt like." Still having fun, though. :) I kind of like the combination of them. It makes it feel more organic somehow... kind of like combining them - created by choice, and created by chance - just sort of feels more natural. :D Like how Izzy is both Norman's enemy (in the past), but also met him on a pilgrimage/caravan/journey of some kind. Are those related? Different? What? How? Especially since both of us have stayed in (me) or around (her) London the whole time. The fact that we all have different, double, or triple lives also makes strange combinations more feasible. I'd suggest we take whatever is generated (if others wish to do so as well) with a grain of salt, and kind of pair away to match 'canon' and each others' roles as much as possible, creating an interesting an organic story that fits much better than something random and feels more organic than something overly-planned.
... ... ... ... sure, why not? % List:
01–05 Family or close as family—close friends, close/distant relatives, relatives by marriage/adoption
06–10 Friend of a friend 11–15 Tavern buddies 16–20 Hunting companions 21–25 Business associates, current or former 26–30 Contractor and employer 31–35 Former allies 36–40 Former enemies 41–45 Friendly competitors 46–50 Romantic competitors, current or former 51–55 Know each other by reputation only 56–60 Former inmates (prison, asylum, or captivity) or former inmate and captor 61–65 Criminal connections 66–70 Servants or apprentices to the same master 71–75 Met on a pilgrimage, caravan, or journey 76–80 Veterans of a skirmish or war 81–85 Follow (or followed) the same faith or cult 86–90 Best friends 91–95 Gaming or gambling associates 96–100 From the same hometown or region
Einar Connection to Norman: Former enemies.
Lady K Connection to Norman: Follow(ed) same faith or cult
Izzy Connection to Norman: Met on a pilgrimage, caravan, or journey
Qat Connection to Norman: Former allies
Rae Connection to Norman: Business associates, current or former
Ruskov Connection to Norman: Contractor or employer
Vir Connection to Norman: Business associate, current or former
Hm. Interesting indeed.
I made a pretty severe formatting error (and a writing one) in this Norm post. Might not be a good idea to continue that style in the future, if I'm prone to that sort of thing. Here's the corrected post.
EDIT: Weird, the "smaller" tag seems to work incorrectly when put in quotes. Oh, well. EDIT 2: Rae, and DC 39 Sense Motive:
Norman looks at Izzy, pulling a strange face*. * Sense Motive DC 15:
It's a kind of "Really. Really?" questioning look, not entirely sure if she's serious or simply "trolling" him (to use the parlance). * Sense Motive DC 30:
He seems annoyed that yet another alias is becoming known to this woman. He opens his mouth, looking at Izzy, when the entrance of another arresting entity saves him, however briefly, from having to respond.
He grimaces at the entrance, and then the approach of the woman. "'Lady' Kalendia aka 'Honey' the noblewoman at the heart of that disaster, working to shake off her ruined reputation and regain the rights of her family." he mutters quickly and silently to himself, sizing her up as she approaches. "Awful. Lots of interaction... regrettably. Extremely skilled. So, Universe, anyone else you want to throw in, today?" After Izzy's brief words at her, he adds (seemingly not noticing the elf's words), "Ev'n'n' M'lay-dee." the thick accent comes back with force, as he nods, tipping a hand - one not currently holding a cup, much to his surprise - in her general direction, starring wide-eyed. "'S a play-zure!" he slurs slightly inebriated.
Dice is nice:
"Uh, er..." says Norm, looking at the paper in front of him. "Thank you." he blinks. There's a certain amount of confusion or perhaps incredulity, or both. He looks back and forth at the others. 'Hm...' he says.:
Rae: talking about at him. Sigh.
Qat: obviously noticing him and letting him know it, despite pretending to hide that she has. Einar: the pirate has seen him as well. Izzy: dang it. Vir: and they sent him over to call me out. Or, possibly, an idiot. Either way, too much attention to leave, especially with a murderer out... Norm lets out a long, defeated sigh*. Clearly, an off-night*. * DC 15 Sense Motive:
Welp. No use delaying the inevitable, and it'll turn out worse, at present, if I try. Normally better than this... Norm stands, tucking his new note - that he'd have to analyze for clues later - into his shirt pocket. He hands his ale to Vir, "F'r th' g'ft..." he mutters softly, to Sir Vir, as he walks over to the others, nodding at the bear-talking woman along the way - he places a coin, and notes, "Ale's good. 'f y' th'nk y' c'n b' 'sef'l, th're's 'n'th'r 'v'r th're." he says, slightly 'inebriated'*, but nodding to the table he's aimed for. * Perception or Sense Motive DC 24:
... has he... even had anything to drink since you got here? And he's definitely suggesting that Rusk
He arrives, pulls up an empty chair from an only partially-full table, turns the back to face the others*, and sits. [spoiler=* DC 15 Sense Motive]The better for daggers to enter the chair, if you lot turn rough... He hands his ale to Vir, "Marvelous performance, Lady Qat; well spotted." he says, softly, smirking slightly*. * DC 12 Sense Motive:
It's a pun. Well "spotted", because her name sounds like "cat", see, and some hunting cats have spots... "I have, obviously, heard the lot of you talking. I can speak with some certainty on three of you at this table, and thus hopefully allay some fears: Einar, Izzy, and Rae. Einar arrived far too late to be 'the' killer, though he might have killed since then, it's impossible to say for sure. Izzy and Rae, however... are... decidedly not." he says, evenly. "Unless you've been taking up more 'extracurricular' activities than I'm aware of, Rae?" he adds, softly, looking at her questioningly, with a soft smile. Rae, and DC 39 Sense Motive:
Knowledge (local) DC 1:
Totally average guy. Probably. Knowledge (local) DC 5:
Looks like a common human day-laborer relaxing in his favorite bar. Knowledge (local) DC 10:
Hm... what's-his-name... "Norman" probably? Yeah, something like that. Typical day-laborer, right? Knowledge (local) DC 15:
Oh, that's just Norman James Smith. He's a common day laborer, a decent worker, and a really not too notable. Just an average guy, though likable enough. Does different jobs at different times, and sometimes leaves for a while. Knowledge (local) DC 20:
Norman does a lot of odd jobs, pretty much whatever he can. He seems to get some money under him from work, then go on and disappear for a while. It's believed he's a bit of a migrant-worker-type, going for work in different places. Knowledge (local) DC 25:
There are rumors that Norman isn't exactly all he appears to be. When people pry - really pry - into his past, he just sort of... disappears. Where does he stay? "The west side". But where? "That way"... but if you follow it, you get to the end of the row with nothing to show for your efforts. And then get told that he lives on the "East side" instead.
And really, where does he disappear to when he "migrates" to other work? Though he claims to follow up on leads from locals, none of their relatives or friends have ever really seen him. And most damning of all... he's been seen once or twice entering a condemned building, only to have (in)famous folk with connections to sinister guilds and gangs later emerge. No, Norman is not normal at all.
Knowledge (local) DC 1:
Weird. The guy must have got red dye spilled on his hair when he was a kid. Knowledge (local) DC 5:
He looks like he's in disguise - probably a rogue laying low from the law. Knowledge (local) DC 10:
Definitely in disguise, though you've heard of a couple of people that match a similar description - not of Norman, but the man pretending to be him - associated with other names. Knowledge (local) DC 15:
The guy there is a known information broker. No one really knows his name, but supposedly he has lots of connections. He seems to have friends among the criminal element and the law; the upper crust, and the dregs; the famous, and infamous. He's occasionally sited after visiting famous or local individuals, though never for very long. Knowledge (local) DC 20:
The information broker has no "real" name, but certain folk call him "Noone Lhostsen". Though he has no real name, he supposedly has many aliases all around the city, and has even more connections. He is known to have friends among the criminal element and the law; the upper crust, and the dregs; the famous, and infamous; he has these friends only as his aliases, though. It's only a precious few he trusts enough to "know" the "real" him. He's occasionally sited after visiting famous or local individuals, though never for very long - it's believed that he may well be some of these. Knowledge (local) DC 25:
The man is an amnesiac who's been around for a long time - far too long. For decades, he's prowled the streets at night. He's known to never sleep, and never eat, except as a formality. Some of the most destitute consider him a patron saint, as he takes on all sorts of missions and adventures - unasked - for those who can't pay. "Noone Lhostsen" is the name they give to this mysterious "saint" who helps the poor.
The missions he takes are rarely terribly dangerous for one of his skill level, but he does so often and repeatedly, and has steadily increased in skill and daring over time. He has several aliases, some criminal, some famous, most innocuous. He uses these aliases to gather information and make networks of contacts throughout the city in that way. He always has a quiet and persuasive word to nudge people in certain directions, or assist them in making the decisions he thinks are the "right" ones. Knowledge (local) DC 30+: You learn details about individual aliases.
Several decades ago...:
Panting, the young man collapsed into the street.
- Fear. Pain. Terror. - He looked around wildly, frightened - no, terrified. But... terrified of what? he thinks. There were terrible things, awful things, out there in the dark. His eyes clearly penetrated the gloom, but only functioned so far. Where... where am I?, he wandered, in panic. Exhaustion, but not sleepiness. Terror, but unfocused and unnamed. Confusion, but clarity of thought. Aching, but not hungry. Who... who am I?, he thought, even as a new terror began creeping into this thoughts. It was gone. All of it. His past, his history, his life. It vanished, like so much vapor in a foggy night. His clothes were rags, and his He began running again. And he didn't stop until dawn. Around two decades ago:
He watched the burial, grieving, but not as much as he really should. Another friend dead. It was... becoming normal.
He listened for quiet in his own mind... but didn't find it. Even in this time, his fears began kicking up, haunting him. He hadn't had a dream in almost fifteen years. They were terrifying. He'd never quite understood what people meant by "good dreams" - he'd never experienced such things himself. Gremlin - not his birth name, but that meant little - was no one important - not really, at least, not according to the normal standards of the city. He died from a fever. A common fever. That he got after being viciously stabbed for all five coppers he had to his name. The young-looking man's eyes narrowed with cold fury. No one would ever look for Gremlin's killer. Gremlin was too "unimportant" and, a much worse sin, too poor. No one stood for justice for these people. No more. He'd made his contacts. As "Aaron" and "Jacques", he'd made quite a few underground contacts. He could talk to a few of his more underground contacts. Justice would be done. And perhaps, if he convinced people the Coppers were heroes, the 'Yard might actually become heroes. Over a decade ago: "Iquo" smiled to himself. Ah, so the thief reveals himself at last. he thinks. "Oh, yes, sir, very much so for to the funnies!" he forced a laugh - it was obvious that it wasn't sincere, but it looked like the falseness came from a lack of understanding instead of bile toward the story-teller.
"Iquo" was a new alias - an oddly-accented "foreigner" with a weird stories and plenty of reasons to be invited to parties as a result. The human stain he was currently laughing with was none other than "Master" Terigold Ryebank. Cretin. Thief. He'd been a thorn in the side of the poor for years, giving them seemingly "good" loan rates, but hiding the truth in the subclauses. Most people didn't care - after all, if it's only poor people, they're not important - but what most people thought didn't matter. He needed to help. Ryebank was arrogant, stupid, and, like most such greedy fools, impatient. All that needed to happen was a little patience to wait until he made a stupid mistake and crossed someone he shouldn't have. While Ryebank had tried to pin it on some poverty-srticken schlub, the poor man's innocence was proven by "Logan, Independent Detective" earlier this afternoon (though Ryebank, naturally, was unaware of this), and now, under the laughing, psychophantic behavior of "Iquo", the weak-willed Ryebank had slowly become ever-more-intoxicated, until coaxed to share his own "funny stories"... a funny story that just implicated him in the robbery of a very wealthy merchant indeed. As the shock rippled through the nearby party-goers, the hostess took the hand of the foreign "Iquo" trying to explain, "Oh, no, no, dear, it's not funny at all. That's a serious crime!" As "Iquo", of course, he pretended to have a language barrier and thus be slow to understand. "Oh! Oh, my!" he said, pretending to catch on, at last, "Oh, that is bad!" he says. He gives his best hurt and confused look at Ryebank, who was sputtering failed excuses. The law quickly came and dragged the terrified man away. His poverty stricken victims could rest easy, as the robbery - and subsequent fraud - means that all of his contracts will be under review, and thus, legally, all of his victims will be compensated. Such a simple trick - getting an idiotic fool to drunkenly confess a crime at little too loudly - and so very effective at making the world a better place. He had to do that, you see. If he didn't... if he didn't... than who was he?
A man - totally normal, entirely average, and entirely unnoteworthy sits at a table by himself. He seems absorbed into his own thoughts, and his own ale. Dice, dice, baby!:
- arrived about four days ago, but definitely after the killing; came through a presumed portal on a raider ship; not the murderer, but a killer -
Having arrived much earlier, he's been quietly nursing his ale, un-bothered by Old Isaac or Anna, and simply absorbed into his own world. Sense Motive DC 21:
He is carefully observing everything and everyone. Watching the events unfold, he listens to the rambling of a self-obsessed warrior, the self-indulgent sorrow of a grieving friend, the strange presence of the peg-legged sailor. He arches an eyebrow at the bear, but otherwise seems unconcerned. He takes special note of Rae, as she travels the bar. The only real change expression he makes is when the elf, Izzy, bursts into the bar. There is a moment when he seems... concerned, before he returns to normal. Sense Motive DC 21:
The reaction to her presence is similar to, Oh, poop. He knows her.
As he continues to watch, it becomes clear that the actress is a clever one, vanishing entirely even from his own gaze. He watches as the conversation continues, wondering if, perhaps, he should take a more direct hand. Usually he stays out of these sorts of things, but this murderer... while he's not usually a champion of the wealthy, the city itself was in the grip of terror from the highest to the lowest. Perhaps it was time for him to come out of the shadows. Perception DC 28: His brown hair is a sham, as are his brown eyes. You can see the tell-tell glint of gold behind cleverly hidden irises; his hair has an almost preternatural hue of auburn beneath the brown powder used to conceal it.
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