Orlin San Trayne's page

I would like to apologize for my delays in posting - my home table recently started a new campaign, and of my current PbP campaigns, I've been having the most trouble getting into this one. I have tried to give it a shot, but unfortunately, I do not think this style of game is for me. As such, I will be withdrawing from this game - all the best wishes to those who remain. Thank you for having me in your game, and my apologies for leaving on such short notice.

Orlin draws back the arrow he had at the ready, firing into the melee at one of the goblins.

+1 Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Orlin follows behind the rest of the group, silently nocking an arrow to his bowstring.

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Orlin spends most of his watch doing maintenance on his bow - polishing its wooden surface, checking the bowstring for fraying, et cetera - with a routine air, keeping an eye on the woods around him as he goes through the steps of cleaning his weapon, done so often they are almost as much a reflex as breathing.

Orlin listens with concern as the others cast strange spells and make dire predictions for the future. At Goldmoon's words, however, he nods gratefully. "I can't pretend to know about all these fancy scholar-folk things, but the path to Haven I do know." The large mountain man seems uncomfortable with the talk of Darken Wood, grimacing before speaking. "Aye, it... might get us there sooner, but it's terrible bad luck to even name that place. Truth told, I'd feel safer takin' the old coach road 'round south a ways, but if that map says so... I just can't shake the feelin' that scrap 'a paper's a trap, for our bodies and souls."

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

As the scaled hand emerges from beneath the robes and Reuben casts his spell, Orlin's bushy eyebrows shoot up in shock, and he nocks an arrow to his bow. "Look, I've no wish to bash ya up the head, but if'n ya don't stay back... that ain't no normal hand, and I've no wish to deal with lepers or summat - go on your way. Now."

As the robed Seekers approach, Orlin glances warily at them, one hand falling to the quiver of arrows beneath his cloak. "Fair tidings, travelers. Plenty of bandits on the road - best to keep wary. We're bound for the city of Haven, to find passage to the Northlands." Hederick in Solace set those goblins onto our trail when he saw this staff - best to keep our comings and goings hidden.

Orlin raises his eyebrows as the others introduce themselves. "Well, I ain't got so much a fancy story like you all - born in Estwilde, I was, raised among the mountain barbarians." He draws his sword from its place at his hip, holding it up to show the royal crest emblazoned on its crossguard. "Me ol' dad was part'a the Nordmaar Royal Guard, but they kicked'im out to the mountains when his king got hisself killed. Some priest'a the Old Gods saved me many years ago - now I'm wanderin', seekin' that priest's god."

I'm all but certain this is a scam, as are friends with more financial expertise I've talked to - my advice to you would be to contact WotC through official channels, not ones provided by your business partners, and verify if this offer is legitimate, which I am all but certain it is not. On the other end, you could also ask to speak to the Dragonlance writers personally, whether over the phone or in-person - don't just take the word of some random person online. Don't pay any advance legal fees or any such similar costs - this is almost certainly a form of scam, and if you pay the upfront costs, they'll probably disappear with your money.

If you've already given them your information, you need to call your financial institution and cancel the credit cards/accounts you gave them access to.

To be perfectly honest, I don't think WotC would be giving up rights to their intellectual property so easily. They just came out with a splatbook for Dragonlance - I think it's still their most heavily advertised campaign setting - and 3.5 is one of their more popular systems, so they get massive royalties from any sale of out-of-print supplements.

If this is in fact a real deal in the works, I would advise you, GM, to be very cautious going forward - I'm all but certain your deal with WotC does not mean what you think it does. Even giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming this is real, you're still dealing with the same lawyers who tried to rewrite the OGL, and they have compelling reasons not to sell you either Dragonlance or D&D3.5E. No offense to you, but I'm fairly sure you're being taken advantage of.

Orlin continues on towards Solace, trying to guide the steps of the others through the dense forest. "Watch out for that there plant - causes itchin' everywhere it brushes, it does. We go on long enough, that one there has a root you can boil. Chewin' on the trees would be more appetizin', but it's better'n starvin', for certain." He shakes his head. "That's for if things go bad, though - we'll get goods in Haven with any luck."

As the group walks, Orlin hums quietly to himself, an old hunters' song that fades in and out of the forest's background noise - birds calling, insects buzzing, and so on. "Not too much farther to Haven - if we go by night, we might find some inn before it's too late to rest." He glares at Goldmoon. "Now, no blabbin' about the staff, Xak Tsaroth, or anything else that'll get us chased out ahead of a mob, y'hear me?"

I guess I'm a little confused about our current situation. Have the goblins actively spotted us, or are they just suspicious and moving in our direction? I've seen arguments going for both the Stealth-user and the Perception-user in a tied opposed roll like this. Is combat about to start? Is there a map, or is this theater of the mind?

This is largely what I was talking about when I was asking for more descriptive text - as-is, all we're given is one-sentence replies to our actions, which doesn't really help us understand what's going on. I understand wanting the actions of the PCs to drive the story, but (at least in my mind) the GM should also be providing stability and framework for the adventure - there's a difference between letting the party make informed decisions given adequate information and throwing them in the ocean without a life preserver.

At the moment, however, my vote is to use Sleet Storm and try to run - combat really doesn't serve a purpose at the moment, and it would be better to try and evade our pursuers and reach Haven. Sleet Storm should cover our escape, and if you center it on the goblins chasing us, they won't know which direction we go.

Reuben’s about as stealthy as a kobold with a machine gun.

More like a hyperactive kobold with an energy drink and an air horn, with that roll... Well, dice fall as they may. Looks like we'll be killing some goblins after all...

At the goblins' cry, Orlin's head snaps around to face the front of the inn, and the towering mountain man begins to move into the undergrowth, motioning for the others to follow. "Softly now, and we might miss 'em. Best to head for Haven, like the others are sayin' - for the past year, I've sold my wares to a fur trader in the Grand Market, and young Azlik might help us hide if we pay 'im enough." He glares at Goldmoon. "B'sides, someone started talking about Xak Tsaroth in broad daylight - they won't expect us t' double back t' Haven for supplies. On top 'a that, that fat fool Hederick's prob'ly in league with 'em, from how it sounded - the Seekers won't know what to do if we walk into their fortress."

Stealth (ACP, Favored Terrain): 1d20 + 11 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 11 - 3 + 2 = 17

Using Guide ability to give the rest of the party a +2 to Perception, Stealth, initiative checks, as well as the ability to move without leaving tracks.

Orlin looks up, grinning, as Reuben slowly levitates down to the ground. "'Ey, skully! Yer th' last one - let's scarper already!" At Torgar's suggestion of horses, Orlin shakes his head vehemently. "No horses - I can move without disturbin' th' forest, help you lot as well, but it's better to go on foot. They'll never find us this way."

The massive ranger follows Mariel and the two Plainsmen, an arrow nocked to the string of his bow as his eyes sweep the forest for enemies. "Right, step close - once th' others get here, we can scarper."

Orlin has the Terrain Bond ability, which allows him and his allies to avoid leaving a trail when traveling in a favored terrain, which for him is forests.

Orlin curses and unslings the bow from his back, ushering Goldmoon and Riverwind towards the back of the tavern. "Damn fightin' men! Curse th' lot for a bag 'a fools!" He glances towards the back rooms, nodding to the two Que-Shu tribesmen as they follow him. "If we can get to th' ground, I can blend into th' woods, help you do th' same. We'll be halfway to th' old ruins before they know what's goin' on."

At the miraculous act of magic, Orlin's eyes widen. "Such magic is..." He glances askance at the High Theocrat where he sits by the fire. "...Likely best suited for another place." He nods to Tika as she brings out another flagon of ale for the group. "Lass, is there somewhere we might keep talkin' without so many ears?"

GM, I'm a little unclear on how we're supposed to be advancing the plotline here. Are we supposed to take this staff to Xak Tsaroth? Is the High Theocrat going to say something about the slandering of the Seeker religion? Is a Cylon Basestar about to appear in the skies over Solace? I'm a little unsure on how the plot advances from here. Far be it from me to overly criticize your playstyle, but from where I sit, a little more descriptive text would be appreciated.

JediJon, I think there's something wrong with your profile - your listed stats don't match up with what you have on your character sheet. Again, I think it would be easier to just make an alias for this character, but it's ultimately up to you.

Knowledge (Geography): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

At the mention of Xak Tsaroth, Orlin scowls and spits. "A cursed place, Xak Tsaroth. I went there once, I did - when I was lookin' for th' Old Gods. Barely escaped with m' life. Many years ago, it was... I might still remember th' way, though." He shakes his head. "Then again, might not. Lots 'a years been since then, and I'm not skully like the scholar here - slip my mind, these things."

At Reuben's words, Orlin stares at the mage for a moment, his eyes narrowing... before breaking out into a booming laugh, clapping the wizard on the back with teeth-rattling intensity. "Had ye there for a minute, yeah? Yer an all right sort, Skully!"

As the two newcomers enter the inn, he waves them over, grinning. "Welcome, friends, ta th' Inn 'a th' Last Home!" He gives the two barbarians an appraising look. "What brings ye to these parts? Any news from th' Northlands?" He raises his eyebrows. "From Estwilde, any chance? Speak 'ee Lor-Tai?"

JediJon, you should probably make an alias for your character - most people do when they enter a campaign, to help keep all the character information separate.

If you go up to the My Account button at the top right of the page, the third section down on the left should allow you to view and manage your aliases. If you make a new alias for this character, it should allow you to consolidate the information for your character, put his statblock in an accessible spot, etc.

At a table near Mariel, a thickly built hill of a man quietly signals for Tika to refill his ale mug, nodding gratefully at the barmaid as she pours in a generous helping of Otik's second-finest drink. "Thank 'ee, lass." Taking a long sip from his mug, the man gets to his feet - his rough clothes mark him as one of the Estwilde mountain barbarians, from far to the north, and his boots are stained with the soil of a dozen lands. His cloak is worn but sturdily made, and with its wearer standing at almost six and a half feet, its hood nearly brushes the ceiling.

From behind an impressive beard that takes up the majority of his face, two blue eyes gaze out at the world with mirth and no small degree of intellect, and he clears his throat before speaking in a rumbling bass, his words almost incomprehensible through a thick Estwilde accent. "Now, I'm no scholar-folk like ye Seekers, but if ye drop summat on th' road, do ye look ahead or behind ta pick it up? Seekin's all well an' good, but ye got yer heads screwed on back ta front, lookin' the wrong way. Ye say 'salt o' th' earth' like it's summat bad, but when Ishtar fell, it was th' snooty city-folk up there in their towers who fell all the way down, and th' common folk who watched. Most folk don't care about yer 'grand future' - they want ta know when to harvest, when th' frost will come. For th' big questions, they look behind, not ahead. I been up an' down the continent, looking backwards 'stead a forwards, and this 'un's got the right of it." He nods appreciatively towards Reuben, raising his eyebrows and tapping his temple knowingly. "'S good. Skully in th' head."

The towering man turns his gaze to Mariel, crossing his arms and scowling. "And ye should know better, ye should! Yer ol' Granddad was one of the good sort 'o Solamnics, me Da used ta say. Had faith in th' gods. Ne'er scarpered down the narrow path when th' storm clouds came. Ne'er would 'a looked ahead 'stead 'a behind."

As the talk turns to wizards of any robe, however, the burly man traces a warding sigil in the air, muttering to himself. "Wizards! Some are decent enough, but the rest are trouble, the lot of 'em - black-robes more'n most! Always want ta see what's under every stone, never stop ta think it might be a snake." He glances up at Reuben, suspicious. "'Ey, Skully! Ye scholar-be - yer one 'a them troublemakin' sort?"

Ready to set out into the world of Krynn!

JediJon, the link you gave doesn't work. Perhaps you forgot to make it accessible for other people? Alternatively, maybe you could put your character's information in an alias - most people do so anyway when they join a campaign.

Also, the GM stated that there was room for one more character earlier, then that slot was filled - it's up to him whether you're accepted at all.

Mariel, Nordmaar and Solamnia are historical allies, and Orlin's father was once a member of the Nordmaar Royal Guard before being exiled to Estwilde - he could have been a friend of Mariel's grandfather. Perhaps when the Uth Kaldar family holdings fell, they hid for a time in the elder San Trayne's trading post before making the journey south?

If everyone else wants to do it this way, I would be willing to - if the GM wants a less dense shared background, however, perhaps Orlin helped set Augier's broken leg after one of his more dangerous escapades, or maybe Torgar used his knowledge of natural remedies to create a salve for Reuben's burns.

To be perfectly frank, it's not what I would have picked, but if it's what everyone else wants, I won't let my personal preferences get in the way.

Just wanted to check with the GM - Orlin is a divine spellcaster, so would he be locked off from his spells until Xak Tsaroth like a cleric, or is he fine?

The link is here, for anyone who's interested.

Greetings to all. I'll be playing Orlin San Trayne, the mountain man from Estwilde. He's definitely not from the vicinity of Solace, but many years ago, a priest of Habbakuk sacrificed his life for Orlin's - since then, he has sought out any trace of the Old Gods, in hopes of finding a power he can put his faith in, which has brought him to the area.

I think Mokmurian did submit a character, he is Orlin San Trayne.

I probably should have made it more clear, but this is indeed Mokmurian's submission. Thanks for the clarification, Reuben!

Any word on when the game will be starting?

Orlin San Trayne wrote:

I think I have the fluff mostly done for San Trayne. I may add more if time allows, but what I have now should serve.

Great backstory!

Thanks! I'll try and expand it if I have the time - I quite like what you have with your narrative backstory, and I may make something similar.

I think I have the fluff mostly done for San Trayne. I may add more if time allows, but what I have now should serve.

I have the crunch for my ranger in the profile here. I'll work on the fluff tomorrow. At the moment, I planned to make him an Estwilde mountain man turned wanderer, but if that doesn't fit with the campaign, I'd be happy to change it.