Tofa's page

Just please set me to inactive (or the game to inactive) so I can slowly let the memory fade, rather than seeing it everytime I get bored. :) See you around!

Sorry, haven't been myself lately. Still not. Working on motivation.

Tofa thinks for a moment, then pushes off of the wall, "I will try to get them to deliver me to your home." she says low as she moves out into the open, she heads for the giants.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was going to be lost forever. My host Shareeva was leading us back to the surface for some fresh air, and I stopped to look at some of your spirit lights. The next moment, they were gone. I thought I was going in the proper direction, but it appears I took a very wrong turn. I don't suppose you could show me back.. Or out..?"

Parley or DR:Cha: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 5) + 1 = 8

Baelgrin, showing his trust in these two, as far as Tofa can understand, in their wily games... leads Tofa towards leading them in the proper direction.

She takes the discarded weapons of her allies as she goes, knowing that they may well need them, now that they've been bidden as free reign as they can expect. Tofa had watched the others leave for as long as the lighting and line of sight had allowed, which may or may not have been enough... if it were, she would direct the small group towards it, even as she passed. She recognized that they were being 'shown out' as it were, and thus allowed herself to be lead, even as she gestured.

She's still looking to Baelgrin. The situation is far too tenuous, and while she believes it is truly in the best interest of her friends to lead their hosts to them... Baelgrin has had a great deal more opportunity to play these games during his lifetime. All it will take is a nod from him, and he can tell it, for her to streak off, leading the way, as best she can, hopeful that the others can pick up the trail once they reach the caverns.

"I do not know. A member of the crowd told them that he'd spotted the hunter during his morning rounds... I don't know whether he said deeper or outside. I believe he stated only tunnels." she says with a frown, brow furrowed. "I didn't leave your home for obvious reasons. Perhaps I could point out which direction he lead them..." she trailed off, looking between Baelgrin and the woman, uncertain of how exactly to proceed. She had only ever played host, not been hosted... so she wasn't entirely aware of the games one could play on the other side... only what was expected of the host and by the host.

Tofa's most recent relevation, and the fact that it couldn't be resolved leaves her appearing somewhat... caged. "And the hunter, apparently, sought her out in the night, though we didn't notice them vanishing until this morning." Tofa says, arm in a guarded position rubbing her forearm, where the strange miasma seems to be acting as an armor of sorts. "I fear they may be in danger of some sort, yet you have all been great hosts..." she states, trailing off as she allows bits of her anxiety to creep out.

She nods. "The priest went along with him, and many of the townsfolk who went to the moot will likely have told the same stories... Wait. If the people cannot be trusted, does this not mean that they are likely endangered by the story reaching the moot?" as Baelgrin's eyes narrow, Tofa's widen.

Tofa bows to Baelgrin's wisdom in this. He is, after all, the Skald, and old friends with these people that are their hosts. "If that is what you wish." she nods acknowledgement, even as she sighs. "But what of those that have already left?" she says, as she waits for the door to swing open, still leaning against the wall. "Perhaps they desired fresh air..? Or do you think the truth is better?"

"Honor would be moot were there definitive danger. I'd be required along with my host to defend this place... once they'd ran off, however..." she frowns. "I think that constitutes a rock and a hard place. My honor says I cannot abandon them in time of need... but likewise, I cannot leave this place. So I suppose I would be deciding between honor and dishonor either way.." she sighs. "but it would be an easy choice to help my allies over my host. If we are lucky, your friends will come with us, when we tell them the truth... but it is complicated, no?"

"And yet, She said, voice still laced with venom, "They still uphold the honor of hospitality more adamantly than our allies, or even the priest." she was still on the ground, slumped, but looked up to him, eyes full of an appeal.

"Bid our hosts to free me from my side of hospitality, or cause them to encroach upon there's, and I will gladly leave with you." She acknowledges, rising, and showing that it wasn't just annoyance, but also a plea for help to the bard that made her speak as she did before. "I cannot leave without sacrificing my honor until it is done."

"The girl ran off. The hunter ran off with his dog... the Father chased the girl." Tofa informed Baelgrin as he came through the door, unprompted, from her position on the floor. "Think you can salvage that..?" she lofted a brow.

Realizing that the dog in question did not belong to the hunter... never occurred to Tofa. Or me, at the time. XD

Tofa watches as the others opt to follow the trail, closing the door to drop line of sight, before slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor, exhaling with a heavy sigh. "Damnable honor. It can't be helped that the girl ran off and the hunter and his dog are having to track her down. If she hadn't decided to choose now of all times to go wild, there wouldn't be a question of what is right and what is good." She crossed her arms across her chest, and closed her eyes, and started to count, under her breath.

Tofa will hold her ground, looking disgusted with the whole thing. She'll stay where she is until bidden to leave by her host... Or until she feels that her host has failed in their duties. Until one of the two occurs, she won't abandon the code she was raised by, that has been hammered into her mind by the dead themselves. She doesn't leave the door frame, even during Iorval's speech.

The bigger question... is whether she is disgusted with the others... Or herself.

Tofa stayed in the house, listening to the speach. She'd looked like she was going to say she wouldn't leave, but she looked like she had reservations.

"She's with the huntsman, Bryn. Calm. I do not believe that both could have been taken without a word, which means they would have gone together, yes? But... this is a call to action. And at the same time... I cannot betray my word. I cannot leave until I am bidden to do so, at my host's request." she frowned.

After the coughing fit, Tofa shudders, and clambers back down. Armor was armor... even if it made her a bit uncomfortable. "What in the three hells is wrong with this place.." she muttered as she returned to the group, and was met with a scowl. Had she spoken too loudly? She looked across the folks gathered nearby with a look as if a deer caught in headlights. "The... armor didn't come out the same. I... think the giant tainted it." she explains.

That puts her to 6 total. :)

Tofa rubs her head slightly, and then shakes it, trying to knock out the cobwebs. "I'll need to step outside for a moment, if I am to resummon my armor." she explains to the two. It had, in fact, been withered away by dawn, even though the sun hadn't touched her form. "It's definitely not safe to do so inside, and... sometimes not near others." she explains.

If they'll let her out of the house, and she can find a secluded spot, she'll conjure her armor, so she won't have to worry about surprises later. She won't leave sight of her hosts, however.

Spectral Armor: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 4) + 2 = 9 IF she can get far enough away from others without prying eyes, she'll let the effect out. IF she cannot, she'll wall the effect as she realizes it's going awry.

"Sunstone. Like Sala said with Danu's voice. That the person who did that to them stole the sun..." Tofa shook her head. That would be harder to view as a coincidence.

spout lore: 2d6 + 0 ⇒ (1, 5) + 0 = 6 not in Tofa's neck of the woods.

Tofa can't help but look perplexed that the Hunter would ask her what it was; she was the type to openly volunteer what she knew, after all. Then she laughed when he mentioned her messing with creepy things. Having grown up around it, and having been honored within her clan for being able to do it, Tofa hasn't ever seen it as creepy.

"No, no. I don't do anything creepy. I just have unusual traveling companions, and people to share epic meals with. Giving them a sparring partner on occasion is about as creepy as we get. The people I bring are full of the passions of lives long-ago-lived and lived well. Those... seem different. Distant. Cold. And I really don't like that they need to be covered for some reason. If anything, I'd say the two are closer to opposites. I summon the heart and soul, and leave the body to where it should clearly lie... these, though..." She shakes her head, "These deserve a proper burial. I am nearly certain that it would be impossible for me to pull these poor souls from whatever Hel being made into puppets has sent them to." She sighs. "All of that is assumption, based on the rules as I know them. My way may not be the only way into the heavens, but I certainly know that my way works."

Take this with a grain of salt, as I'm not the DM, but this is how I would run Discern Realities, specifically in regards to the in-character question:

The OOC thing is actually something you can just ask. 'Are there any domestic animals visible to me?' Discern realities isn't about seeing the big picture, like that. It's about interacting with something in particular. The thing you're poking and the like. Right now, your character is very likely focusing that discern on the moot below... and your way of interacting is very much 'visual' and maybe sound, depending. It's actually a really intuitive way to roll a lot of stuff in together, whether searching for traps, or eyeing up a ritual, or investigating a day old crime scene... even down to the verbage of 'how' you go about looking through it. :) Or at least that's how I interact with it. :)

Also 4 XP, also bumping Tofa up to 6.

Tofa jumps a little as Bryn begins to change... but it might well be too late to stop him. And there's certainly nothing she can do once he's gone. She sighs as he slips out through the chimney. "Well... he's the only one that could find out."

Tofa would wait until they were gone before sharing her fears, being polite until they did so. Tofa speaks candidly once they are gone, Feel free to not respond until folks are 'to this stage' "I have some... misgivings. While I appreciate the hospitality, I feel it is no coincidence that we found dead warriors from a local land carved to pieces nearby... especially given that they became Draugr shortly after we happened upon them. Couple that with finding them under a red flag, and this place having people called the Red Guard... and freely walking dead..." she shakes her head. "Do you think it's possible that a Jotun could be raised from the dead as man can? Is that what is happening here? Could this witch be -that- powerful?"

As for the Einherjar... Tofa figures he won't start anything unless others start with him... more likely, he'll seek out the deeper caves.

Ah, but is she World-shaping? That's my question. It depends on how people define things. I think Tofa would more consider it repaying a debt, and -next- time it's acting as a hero. :P

"I believe we'll be resting for the night. Try not to cause too much of a ruckus." she said, as first one chain, then the other twisted and snapped without a sound, freeing the mountain.

I do not feel that Tofa fulfilled her Nature of Gallant; she hasn't done anything significant in the way of making the world a better place. While we defeated the Draugr, they will awaken once more (and if the priest is correct... will hunt us). She wound up trapped on a Jotun, and really only managed to help save the midwife.

As for bonds, I only ever settled on two.

Baelgrin knows a great deal about heroes, but does not see them when they arrive on his doorstep. One of us outsiders will have to show him, if he is to see.

and

Signy believes others hold her at arm's length, when in reality, she is the one who wards them away. I will try to show her that she isn't as dangerous to her allies as she believes.

I'm not sure if Baelgrin's is complete, though I'm pretty sure we can consider the Signy one a failure :p

Would anyone like to work on bonds that make sense?

In keeping with keeping people-names simple, Asger; lit. Spear of the Gods. Likely, she pulls from a large 'pool' and that may well be from her ancestors. She tends to try to only use them when there are things they would enjoy doing afoot... that was more of a panic-summon. But not a failed one, nonetheless! She definitely would -not- say something like that in front of their host. It's dishonorable enough to mention it, probably, much moreso to say it in front of the person who invited you into their home. She'd be much more likely to say it once they were going deeper, if the people weren't around for it. If she were to say it in front of him, she would -certainly- phrase it better.

Tofa nods to Brynjolvar, given what Tofa's ally had suggested.

-------------

Later: "I would certainly agree to that. I have some... misgivings. While I appreciate the hospitality, I feel it is no coincidence that we found dead warriors from a local land carved to pieces nearby... especially given that they became Draugr shortly after we happened upon them. Couple that with finding them under a red flag, and this place having people called the Red Guard... and freely walking dead..." she shakes her head. "Do you think it's possible that a Jotun could be raised from the dead as man can? Is that what is happening here? Could this witch be -that- powerful?"

"Strange. So I take it he'll stay longer than dawn?" She frowns after a moment, seeming to possibly stumble upon something. "Would you like to go ahead and head home, or stick around til dawn, just in case?" she asks the Einherjar. "Either way, I'd like to investigate the deeper caves... if the rest of you aren't completely against it."

Once they have time alone, without open ears, she has a concern to address. :)

"The dead? How would you know whether they would go further in or not, willingly?" Tofa asks, curiously. To her knowledge... she was the only person who could command the dead at all. And then it was more polite asking, lest she anger them before their time to go. She looked to her spectre tilting her head at an unvoiced question. If he could discern it, she's asking if he feels any need not to go deeper.

All three of those names remind me of writers, for what it's worth.

So... an astrolabe? Also, looks like our shammy has vanished.

Tofa wasn't much for watching the stars, so she didn't really glean anything from the gears ans spheres. Likewise for the glass orbs. They were both pretty, but she had other things on her mind.

"What do you know of the Jotun?" She asks their host. "Why has it awakened? How can we bring it to a stop? Or can we even do so to your knowledge? Every day that it moves is going to deal more damage to the world as we still know it."

"Who is Luanith, Baelgrin, and who are the members of this... Red Guard..? What are they?" As for what she does, she'll start by helping Jorael into furs that aren't soaking wet and cold. Afterwords, she'll move to examine the shield the man was working with, especially since the Einherjar seems interested... then she'll move to comfort Sala if she still appears upset.

"I would love to secure final rites for those involved... there were many, not all of which were ours." Tofa acknowledges. She looks to the others. Tofa would have more to say, but I don't wanna keep robbing the spotlight!

Tofa finishes climbing, quickly, to free the others from dangling from a rope... when the whole thing is jerking. "We did not bring them up with us, no... I think they're being buried as we speak." she sighs. "Sprites?" Tofa wasn't familiar with the word.

Letting however the wolves respond wash away like whispers in the wind, Tofa begins to climb the rope, meaning that she would crest first, and speak quickly.

"Hold your weapon." she says between pants from working her way up the face, "We are travelers along the Gullet," she had to swallow down that particular irony, "And we are seeking refuge from this... upheaval. We request hospitality, and bring more wood to stoke your flames. We bear a Skald, a Priest of Hospitality, a Shaman, a Midwife, two nobles of Landstardt and a Shade of Honorable Death within our numbers. I, myself, am the Scion of Himminholl. Will you share your fire with us, or shall we share ours with you?"

Charisma: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 2) + 1 = 9 I'm not sure whether this is a defy danger, or a Parley, or what. But it seems appropriate to make a charisma check in conjunction with entering this place; likewise, she has already made an offer she believes will be accepted, given that the chill of the outside exists even here. Likewise, mentioning Baelgrin first, followed by the priest is a calculated choice, it allows Baelgrin to work his magic upon meeting, and sets up to remind them of the god of hospitality in one fell swoop. :P.

Tofa would likely either be in the very front, or in the very back. If someone would prefer one of those positions, then she'd take the other; as a high-con she's better able to take a surprise hit; especially with her control in place.

"What of the pack?" Tofa asks, regarding the fact that wolves are likely not designed for rope climbing.

Tofa gives him a simple nod, then goes back to heading towards the caves, which she now knows is attached to the neck of the creature. Good to know.

Tofa looked over her shoulder to Bryn. "So... where do your clothes go when you do that?"

"Figure out how to break it." she shrugs with the shoulder not supporting Jorael. "It was put to sleep by the gods, we either put it back to sleep, or we kill it. You said yourself the gods did it to protect us. So... if we don't do something, it will, right? We can't just let it run rampant, can we?" Again, while Tofa seemed to fear death... given her unique position, she was not at all opposed to dying gloriously; she -knew- where she'd go if she died gloriously.

Tofa worked to support Jorael as she followed after. She certainly couldn't hold her up, but she could steady her for hours. She hurried after as she spoke. "Wait, Baelgrin. Leaving the giant may not be in our best interests just now! While I agree we should bury the dead... the avalanches have surely done that. But what do we gain from falling beneathe such a creature? Would it not be better to wait until it needs to rest to leave, that we may avoid being crushed by its wrath... or even, possibly, by its ignorance? We can also be assured there will be no way to fight him once we reach the ground, should he take notice of us!

"A time for heroes, clearly." She looks over her shoulder with a smirk as she continues to pull the midwife up, with the aid of the Einherjar. She wasn't quite sure of how she was managing to haul her up. Was it the Einherjar doing the majority of the work? Or was it her heart thrum-thrumming in her ears? She was so close to the edge, one totter could toss her off. Would that be an ignoble death? Best not to think on it. Just keep hauling rope.

Tofa nodded her thanks to the sturdy Einherjar, proferring him an actual smile... then begins the work of hauling up Jorael. "No promises."

Definitely. I can't imagine throwing away a 10 strength roll (when that's my bad stat!) that I got for free :P

Tofa began to help Bryn to quickly unravel the rope. Is it knotted, or simply a coil, Bael? Then she sets her legs wide apart, as she wraps part of the rope around her arm several times, to lend her support in whatever he decides to do with it. Aid: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11

I don't think Tofa would have a rope. While it's standard adventuring gear, Tofa is far from a standard adventurer. If no one else steps forward, I suppose the letter of the game is that adventurer's gear says 'yes' but... :)

"We need to at least get to safety. While I'm not at all okay with letting a giant run rampant on the countryside, there is little for us to do at the moment." She moves around quickly, looking about, before nodding. "The ice and snow have slid away, but most of the dirt and stone remains. That means that the caves and shelters that were dug in should still be there. There are also likely quite a few lines of rope for us to use if we need to traverse the thing. So we should move for the city, unless someone has another idea. Like a way to get our companions out of the giant's path... Does anyone have rope? I would love to repay the midwife's kindness." she frowns.

I'll leave it to Bael to scream about the fact that no magic short of the gods could possibly compel such a mountainous creature :p

Then we'll replace the last question with that. :)

Awesome! Maybe just knowledge is enough to steer her towards what to look for. Do you have a question you feel is more pertinent than the ones I asked?

"That does nothing for those on the... ground. They're going to die if we don't do something close to immediately. What do you know of vulnerabilities? Large, small, stone, or flesh, all that moves has a heart and mind. If we cut it out, it will fall, no?"

discern: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 3) = 9 What should I be on the lookout for?. With aid, expand that to 'what is useful or valuable' followed by 'what is not as it appears'. Unless the helper has a better idea for a question!

Tofa begins to move about, now that she understands the scale a bit better. She needs to better understand what is responsible, beyond 'magic' that allows this thing to move... let alone reason. Understanding what makes it tick will give them an advantage in bringing it down... before it brings down a city. She figures that being tiny by comparison gives them certain advantages here. And if she dies, it isn't going to be because this thing decided to lie down and take a nap.