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Hey all. Some IRL changes for me mean I'm struggling really hard to keep up with all the games I've committed to over the past few months/years and I just don't think I have enough bandwidth, or will again in the near future. I've struggled with this decision but I think I'm going to have to bow out of this campaign. Thank you so very much for including me, and I hope you all go on to have a great time.
Going to be pretty quiet over the next few days, the weather is supposed to be unpleasant all weekend and the furniture still needs to get moved over to the new house. I should be able to check/post regularly again on Tuesday. I'll try to keep up between now and then but can't make any promises. Thanks for your patience!
Reilarri steps up next to Sven. "Indeed, we've not interest in playing games. Blood has been spilt already--we have come to help avert more. If your king won't see us it may well mean war. Please be reasonable."
"Big roots, and his mother's blessings? Sounds like the setup to a bad joke!" Reilarri grumbles once the group has withdrawn a reasonable distance from the fey revelers. "They have already drawn blood, a refusal to treat with us doesn't bode well. And you'd have a devil of a time trying to convince me those bugbears weren't present at their invitation. I am beginning to fear there is no peace to be won here."
"I know a clan of beekeepers back in Kraggodan. Good folk, and the bees aren't so bad either--just louder than you'd expect." Realizing she's letting herself become distracted, Reilarri takes a breath and mentally prepares herself for fey tomfoolery, or even violence. "I'll announce us." Stepping up next to Gov, the dwarf raps the iron cap of her longhammer on the floor and calls out in a voice that is polite but pitched to cut through the ambient chatter. "Our apologies for the interruption, Fair Folk, but we seek an audience with the Rose King."
"I think it no coincidence that we are ambushed in the fey's territory, seconds after meeting a pair of them no less. If they were here unmolested it's because they fey folk wanted them to be." Reilarri scowls in the direction the Fair Folk went, but follows. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Reilarri hits the dirt with a grunt as the air is forced from her lungs, but quickly scrambles to her feet and levels an accusing finger at the bugbear's apparent leader. "We will not be deterred by any ambush--no blade or spell or trick will turn us aside! Føler smiebrannen styrke deg!"
So I just saw the that Reilarri's turn marker has been removed, I would still like to take my normal actions after Stayven has gone, please. I'm hoping he will also cut Reilarri down.
"Sven! Sven! Don't forget me!"
"Nice of everything unpleasant in the vale to all gather in one little patch of woods, I suppose," Reilarri glances down at the trap, but decides to ignore it. "Send them to whatever gods they prefer, lads and lasses!" the dwarf bellows.
So why not clarify that there's no means of simply walking around the snares and giving us a chance to address that? Insisting that we plant our feet in the traps--and it seems like you agree that we're aware of them--feels like a 'gotcha' rather than a reasonable interpretation of what our characters would do with the information available to them. Last time you were here, Gov noticed a snare made of rose vines on the path to the center of the circle. You notice this time there are several snares instead of just one. Three are scattered about the grounds in front of the entrance, and you can see at least two on the path going into the hedge-ring's center. I think "scattered about the grounds" implies there is space between them, which in turn implies we could move around or otherwise bypass them. Reilarri didn't make the DC herself but Cyla RP'd pointing them out to us when she made the Perception check. There wasn't even a roll to jump or otherwise avoid the snares made on our behalf, we were just declared to step right into them. I'm less concerned about this specific trap than I am that this is establishing that the consequence for "you didn't specifically say X" is that the worst outcome occurs, simply by fiat. That's not a playstyle I find fun or engaging.
I would like to politely but strenuously object to the idea that the snares were forgotten. Once the traps are spotted, I don't think it's reasonable to require that we specify that we step around them.
Reilarri sighs, trying not to show the sinking feeling she has in her stomach about how this will go. "Well we've initiated contact, so we must see this through. Be wary, I have heard that fey moods can shift in an instant." The dwarven officer follows the sprite deeper into the grove.
"Det er ikke oppmuntrende for utsiktene til fred.
Dwarven: Reilarri eyes the fey's back skeptically. "That is...not encouraging for the prospects of peace. Is this 'King of Roses' known to you?"
Pleased at the strong start but with stories of fey and their mercurial moods in the back of her mind, Reilarri bows to the fey. "It would be an honor, of course. Please lead the way, Lady...?"
After carefully scanning her surroundings, Reilarri shrugs. "If you say so," she acknowledges Gov and Cyla's warnings. "They're probably the resident fey, if they they be, so perhaps we should say hello before the shooting starts?" Putting away her longhammer and holding her hand up--palm out, to show it's empty--Reilarri calls to the sky and the rose hedges. "We are sorry if we alarmed you, but we are not here to seek battle! We wish to parlay, and to understand why the road crew was attacked. Again, we have no wish for violence, you have my word! My name is Reilarri Graelkyir, called Silversong by some...will you speak with us?"
Just a heads-up but I'm having some trouble with my laptop's battery so I'm taking it to get a new one on Monday. The guy at the shop guestimated it could take anywhere from a couple of hours to a day or two. I should still be able to update the games but it'll be slower. I'll keep you all posted!
"My apologies, Gov, I claimed a tent for myself without thinking of my comrades in arms. Here, go ahead and take this one--I'll requisition one once we're back at the fort." Eyeing the afternoon sun with annoyance, the dwarf shakes her head. "Good thing we didn't investigate the hedge rings last night, hm? We might get a whole hour of daylight to look at them today!"
I have no objections to the watch schedule except to note that 14hours is a long time. GM what are your thoughts on a character getting less than exactly 8 hours of sleep? If Reilarri only sleeps for, say, 6 hours is she immediately fatigued and bereft of spells? If not, moving the watch shifts to 3hrs instead of 4hrs would cut it down to an 11hr rest instead of over half a day.
Claiming one of the tents, Reilarri sits in it alone as she slowly chews a dinner of hard-tack and jerky, thinking about those rings of roses and the dried splashes of blood a few feet from where she sits. "I'll take first watch--I'd rather not have to don my armor again in the dead of the night."
Reilarri sighs and shakes her head, exasperated. "This really isn't necessary, we're already here! What exactly do you expect to be different tomorrow?" She doesn't remain behind in the fairy-ring of rose hedges, instead marching alongside the others without speaking.
Hey all, I'm sure many of you are in a similar situation, but my posting rate is going to be very low from Thursday through Sunday. Should be back to normal starting on Monday though!
We've still got most of our resources, Reilarri wants to continue investigating (d) and if needed march back to the camp (a)
"Oh, it's lovely!" Reilarri exclaims softly when she sees the hedge-rings. "This has 'sacred site' written all over it, but do any of you know what it means?"
Reilarri's attention has been pulled from the forest back to this strange elf, and she's been studying Cyla for the last few heartbeats, expressionless. "Can it wait, Gov? Night has fallen and we are in an unfriendly territory--though I daresay we just made it a good deal safer. We should take the heads in to Sir Tolgreth as proof of the kill, but otherwise we should press on."
"That's quite the serpent you have there, Gov," Reilarri gives the Juniper and its new prize a wary berth and instead turns to see if their battle had drawn the attention of any other local denizens. "Are we okay to continue?"
"Be strong of heart, friends! The wild places of the world hold no fear for us, be the enemy fey or beast or dragon! To battle!" Reilarri spins her bannered longhammer above her head as she turns and advances upon the chimera.
"Spread out, if that dragon head can spit acid we don't want to be clustered together!" Reilarri strafes right to follow her own advice, whispering a prayer to the dwarven gods for protection.
"I don't see it, whatever it is. It doesn't seem like there's anything we can do but keep a careful lookout and press on. With luck it's just curious rather than hostile."
Reilarri pauses, her eyes sweeping the camp and noting the tiny arrows, the bloodstains, and the scattered signs of a vicious ambush. "There's wisdom in what you say, Gov. I've known humans, dwarves, and and elves both righteous and despicable. No reason for it not to be the same with others. Unfortunately it does not appear that the gentler class of fey dwells nearby. If you can follow their trail lead on, while we still have the light."
Frowning at the half-orc for a moment, Reilarri shrugs and extends her hand. "If Sir Tolgrith vouches for you, that's enough for me. Reilarri of Clan Graelkyir out of Kraggodan. Can you track a fey?"
"Well there's no point in standing around guessing. Let's take a look at the worksite, there may be clues that Sir Tolgrith's people overlooked."
"Little and less," Reilarri admits to the elf. "Stories say they live in the forests, have a proclivity towards pranks, and can swing from mirth to wrath in the blink of an eye. But stories say all kinds of things, and it may not be fey in any case. 'Small arrows' isn't entirely compelling."
"No sense in wasting daylight then. Let's get a handle on what's going on then. Any chance I could requisition a pony?" Regardless of the answer Reilarri gives an acknowledging nod, snaps a smart salute to Sir Tolgrith, turns on her heel, and marches out the door.
Sounds good, thank you for the explainer!
Reilarri would be delighted to have more LG around, especially if they're an archer. I haven't actually looked at the statblock but Erastil, longbow etc etc
Reilarri has been intently studying the map while the discussion rages around her, marking distances and landmarks in her mind. "There were no survivors from the work crew? No one we could question about events before the attack? Such ruthless violence may suggest that some sacred taboo of the locals may have been violated--or mayhaps not. Either way the sooner we're begun the better. Are there any other inhabitants of note in the vale?"
"We are a few hours closer from the last time you asked, Sven." the other dwarf replies with only a touch of annoyance. Dressed in gleaming, well-tended armor and carrying a banner atop a tall polearm, Reilarr--former captain of the Silversong company and current mercenary--marches a few steps ahead of Sven. Her dark black hair is ornately braided with six glittering silver rings, and her green eyes are bright and sharp. "Shouldn't be long now, I think we're in the Vale proper at least. Then we can debrief with Sir Tolgrith and hopefully wash away to grime from the road."
Here to inspire you all to ever-greater deeds of heroism!
Thanks for the stat help, Sven! I'm struggling a little bit to get out of my "big six" habits from non-ABP gaming
Background & Personality:
Born and raised in the Sky Citadel of Kraggodan, Reilarri was brought up on stories of her people’s strong stands for justice and order in the world—most famously their participation in the righteous battles of the Shining Crusade. Determined to further that noble history, Reilarri joined the citadel defense force and quickly made a name for herself as a skilled tactical and field commander. Accepting a commission to fight in the Worldwound, she accompanied a crusader battalion to Mendev during the final crusade—even earning a battlefield promotion to company captain after the previous captain perish in combat with demons. It was during this time that she forged ties to the Church of Iomedae that she still maintains to the present day. When the crusade ended and the Worldwound was sealed, many crusaders returned home, but a band of idealistic and ambitious Iomedaeans approached Reilarri with a proposal: a revolution to topple the infernal-backed House Thrune of Cheliax…a Glorious Reclamation. Eager to see the cause of righteousness furthered in the Inner Sea, Reilarri accepted and received command of a company of Toragdan and Iomedaean soldiers. At first things seemed to be doing well—her company captured a Chelish border fort in the northeastern Menador Mountains (near the border with Molthune) and repelled a Chelish counterassault in order to establish and protect a supply line for the Glorious Reclamation’s siege of Citadel Dinyar. But House Thrune is not so easily toppled, and Reilarri’s company found themselves cut off from the main body of the Reclamation’s forces after champions of House Thrune broke the siege at Citadel Dinyar and shattered the paladins stationed there. Knowing that Chelish troops were headed her way, Reilarri withdrew in good order and snuck her company north through the Backar Forest, hoping to return and rejoin the Reclamation later. Alas, it was not to be—word reached Reilarri and her troops that Chelish forces had retaken Westcrown and slain Lord Marshal Alexeara Cansellarion. Heartbroken by the Reclamation’s defeat, Reilarri released her soldiers to return home and brooded for months. In time, word reached the dwarven soldier of a job opening; to make mountain pass known as the Bloodsworn Vale safe and place it firmly in the control of the city-state Korvosa. Intrigued and hoping for a chance to strike a small blow against Cheliax, Reilarri donned her armor and took up her banner and began the journey to Bloodsworn Vale.
Reilarri propitiates all the dwarven gods except Droskar, but with a particular focus on Torag in His aspect as a defender of community and justice. Angradd and Folgritt are also close to her heart. Reilarri believes that people are basically good and decent if you let them be. She also believes that the rule of law is what protects the weak from the strong in a just/functioning society. Born & raised in Kraggodan, the spoiler above details her adventuring history but the simple answer is that she just walked there, looking for a rebound after the Glorious Reclamation was broken in Cheliax. Reilarri is a professional soldier, the basics would have been taught to her in the Sky Citadel's military academies but then honed during her deployments in Mendev and then Cheliax. Reilarri was raised on the hearth-songs of the Kraggodan dwarves, especially their legends about the Shining Crusade. That desire to be one of the soldiers of light, someone who puts their body and soul on the line to make the world a little bit better, is what defines her. "We tell stories of heroes to remind ourselves that we, too, can do great things."
Okay, stats are completed, I may fiddle around at the margins but this is the finished core concept. I see the GM has been asking questions about the characters, should I wait on those as prompts or just launch full steam into background/history/personality?
The statblock isn't yet completed (Battle Heralds have a lot of abilities) but it's coming along. In addition to buffing with Banner/Inspire Courage/Tactician she is a decent party face and can hold her own in melee. Her channel is very limited but should at least keep anyone from dying!
I think we would miss a cleric if anyone got curse (Blindness/Deafness can be a career ender) but some UMD and a few scrolls can make up that difference as well. |
