I'm still interested. I don't mind a slower game either. I've got a lot on my plate so I'd probably fall behind if we were posting daily. But GMKK, if you need to be putting your time and energy elsewhere, or the game is more than you feel you can take on at this time, it is alright to close it. Decide what's best for you rather than worrying a lot about what we prefer.
It occurs to Fenna that Aoinse is exactly the person to ask about a couple of lingering questions regarding the temple from before. Namely she'd like to know more about the room that they believe to provide power to the temple. Could there be a way of restoring power without being electrocuted and/or slaughtered by elementals. Even if Aoinse doesn't know anything herself, there may be manuals for construction and making repairs she knows of somewhere. There is also what is possibly a lower, flooded level of the temple. What is down there? Fenna decides to hold those questions for the present though. She does worry a little about Aoinse possibly becoming too determined to put the temple back to right, even at great risk. It's best to wait and feel out the construct more fully before bringing those subjects up. Fenna stays with Aoinse behind Sosche.
Sounds good to me. Thanks Sven!
Piret doesn't hang around to engage further with Harter, grabbing her stuff and walking out of the fort while he's still talking.
Ro tries to play one of her favorite games, 'find Talene a husband' with Talene. This was her purpose for searching for newcomers to town. Normally Talene will protest (to Ro's minimal enjoyment) but then sometimes be cajoled into talking to some guy after being prepped on seduction by Ro (to Ro's maximum enjoyment). But, Talene seems to be in a funk and won't engage this time. By the time they leave the Rusty Dragon, Ro is falling into a crabby mood herself. Enough so she even forgets to go looking for Rynshinn's clothing stall before going home.
Prax feels like she has punched into a vat of cold molasses when she hears Divo's response. Her verbal assault hits and penetrates, but the softness that allows it to sink in also saps away any real effect. There's nothing solid to connect with. All she she says in return is "Well... You better." The idiot little grin on Divo's face keeps her anger fed though. Prax turns about and quickly walks away to find something else to do. Prax is perhaps less concerned about Divo's past than she was initially though. He might actually be the naive simpleton he seems to be, a do-gooder who somehow didn't learn from his experiences and wise up. Such people can occasionally be found in the Korvosan Guard, about as rare as hen's teeth.
Fenna tells Aoinse essentially the same things as Sosche, but she takes a different tack, making her explanation more concise, perhaps more poetic, and ideally more hopeful. "Yes, rocks fell as you remember. Fiery and of all sizes from stones to great boulders. Azlant's lands were broken by it. This place is now on an island among many other islands in the ocean. Many died, but those who survived traveled to the lands east of here, where they settled and rebuilt. We are their descendants. We have come back to see the places where our ancestors came from so we may better understand them." Fenna figures everything she says is truthful in a metaphorical sense at the very least. Taldans often have a little Azlanti blood. But besides that, Taldor was founded through Aroden's civilizational efforts and initiatives. Andoran shares that same legacy as a place that was once part of Taldor. Azlanti, language, music, art, and so forth lives on as well. She dodges Aoinse's inquiry about Amazen. She's heard the name, but wouldn't be able to say anything more about the subject. And she remembers the single-mindedness of a couple of similar constructs fron their own island. Best to stay away from religion as long as possible lest they get stuck there for a long long time.
This Bethana seems spicier than usual so I'm going to go in a different direction than the predictable cosy grandma ideas. She's a high caliber actor for such a small role, but Frances McDormand .
While we're kind of on the subject. If anyone might be interested in learning more about the Medieval period or earlier, there are three good podcasts I could recommend. Books are harder because they tend to be comparatively narrow in their subject focus, less bang for your buck you could say. Also, I'm just not current on publications anymore. I like podcasts because I can listen to them while doing otherwise boring things like driving and household chores. Anyway: The Ancients This podcast is one of several a UK business or service, don't really know what it is exactly, named History Hits puts out. It focuses on per-medieval subjects. It gestures toward worldwide coverage, but mostly the content is the standard Europe - Southwestern Asia (Middle East) - North Africa areas. It's well done and all the people have all the right credentials, but it tends to be BBC-style dry to listen to. It's probably better to pick and choose episodes on topics that really interest you rather than a straight-through listen. Gone Medieval Also a History Hits production. It covers the Medieval period, mostly in Europe. Of equal quality as The Ancients, but not as dry to listen to. One of the hosts, Dr Eleanor Janega, is much more fun to listen to. Weird Medieval Guys This one is my favorite of the three. The hosts Olivia and Aran are silly, funny, and super-nerdy but do a good job with the history. Aran is the historian; he might still be in grad school. Olivia is a statistician or something similar. Hard to say because mostly they talk about trips to the pub and other non-work things. Aran talks about travel a lot. Olivia is really into fiber arts. It's a newer show so not nearly as many episodes. The most entertaining of the three by a long shot and you still get to learn quite a lot about the Medieval period.
Just a couple of quick things. It's probably not worth it in terms of the game to get too deep in the weeds about these subjects.
I'm not sure a chaotic evil society is possible in real world terms. Take for example the movie Escape from New York, or for that matter any number of movies, etc. that have tried (often not very seriously to be sure) to represent something like a chaotic evil society or place. If you avoid rubbernecking at the wild dystopian veneer of it, nothing about it works on any practical level. It's almost always a "the food runs out and everyone starves" scenario. Lawful evil is a completely different story.
So, I'm more familiar with Mediterranean piracy during the Roman period than banditry, but I'm willing to bet there are some common denominators across the two. Piracy is more or less banditry in different terrain after all. The first thing is it's very hard to be a pirate/bandit without some infrastructural backing. There needs to be somewhere to repair ships, sell loot, winter over, etc. These places are usually going to be outside the reach of your victims, and you don't pirate your safe havens. Those are the places where pirates can access the materials and services they need to keep going, and also where they have families, friends, etc. While I know less about it, I'd say banditry follows the same general principles. Serious banditry is taking place at the borders or fringes of territory that is more fully under the control of the victims. They're essentially raiders who can bandit in places then retreat out of reach because of fuzzy borders, mountainous, etc. terrain, protection of a neighboring state and so forth. They doin't bandit the places they retreat to. A group of bandits operating in hostile territory 100% of the time, while observing no restrictions on who they target isn't going to last long. What would even be the point? What could you do with the stuff you're taking? There's no friendly place you can go to buy or sell, much less anything else. You're right in pointing out it's hard to see how the Stag Lord recruits. He's set up as this sort of bandit leader, but it's not very workable in reality. There is one way to bandit in hostile territory. This is the "Robin Hood" style, where some of the hostile territory is secretly friendly territory. Class warfare, etc. etc. There is a reciprocal relationship with those who are abused by authority, etc. etc. Banditry/piracy is only sustainable beyond the short term if there's somewhere accessible where the bandits/pirates aren't bandits/pirates but instead relatives, warriors, heroes, or something else good.
This happened fairly often in some places, usually where central authority and power was weak. For example, a bandit leader becoming a noble wasn't ever too likely in England, but it did happen in the Holy Roman Empire. If a bandit leader found a power vacuum where nobody else could or would step in, it was fairly easy to offer a title in exchange for not banditing anymore. It was a good deal for both sides. The bandit leader gets legitimacy, prestige, and tax income. The authority offering the title get safe roads, a vassal who now has certain obligations to them, and they didn't have to spend money (which they may not have without a loan) or call in a favor from someone else to send troops to deal with the problem. This would also typically come with some sort of "your past transgressions are forgiven" clause. Nobles could also become bandits, again if central power was weak. Generally though, a bandit noble, like in the HRE would target travelers rather than the locals. Sometimes this was literal banditry with possessions taken and people held for ransom. Often it was charging illegal tolls to travel through their lands. Banditing your own peasants just erodes your tax base. Bandit nobles could be a real problem sometimes. See Raynald of Châtillon as an extreme example.
Piret leaves it to the others to make the decisions. She has a lot to process. The battle happened shockingly fast. She can't believe it all happened so quickly. She came through it all completely unscathed, which surprises her. She also killed someone. It's plenty to think over for the time being.
Nah, if Oshii and Ro have met each other at the Rusty Dragon I bet they got along great. Ro is fantastic with people, oodles of charm. If Oshii were to start something though, it would be verbal only. Ro is a lover, not a fighter. I don't know what you might have heard, but Ro doesn't have any problems. It's the people with authority; they're the ones with problems.
I did read the whole thing but to save space... Thanks! Yeah, with some more digging around those seem to be the differences. Mostly athletics covers things I don't expect Ro will be doing. But climbing, swimming, and jumping aren't always things you get to choose to do or not. Trained brings athletics to only +3 which isn't great. But it's better than +0. Besides crafting seems to require tools and materials that will be expensive for a while to come. Training it now wouldn't mean using it now. I'll stick with Athletics.
My two cents incoming... First, anything is possible more or less. That said, if I remember correctly Cougar Creek should be about an easy day's walk south of Sandpoint. That's pretty close, and the area isn't by canon really known for giants. Mostly giants are found in the east on the Storval Plateau, or in the mountainous areas. If it were me, the easiest place to put a little hamlet that could see a giant attack would be the mushfens, east of Magnimar. Those would be marsh giants of course, but they're legit giants. Again if I recall correctly, Magnimar is about 3 or 4 days travel from Sandpoint. Not too far really if you're looking to be from the general area. If you prefer a drier version of giant, the Malgorian Mountains are northeast of Sandpoint across Ember Lake. There could be some giants there. It would also be easy to drop a settlement there since it's an area without lots of other stuff all around.
Wait. You can just use a LINK to PB2e like that? I didn't realize... Yup. If you go to the menu drop down and find the "export" category, one of the options is "share copy of character" it will give you the sharable link. It might cure the missing Natural Ambition problem. My shared character sheet has it on there.
@Storyteller Shadow: Ha! It's been a while since I've seen that face. Seems I'm a few inches ahead of you with 2e so here are a couple of things I've found very useful for character creation. There are lots of class and other guides here: Pathfinder 2e Guide to the Guides I use this site for character building. It saves lots of switching back and forth and page flipping trying to keep everything straight: Pathbuilder The free archetype rules provide a second set of "feat slots" starting at 2nd level. Those are used for taking abilities for the archetype you choose. There are both class and non-class archetypes. So Talene could take Cleric as a class and then add a class archetype like Fighter and pick up some Fighter class abilities through the archetype. Non-class archetypes work the same way but they tend to focus on a non-class thing like Loremaster or Acrobat. They work the same but give abilities that may or may not come from other classes. It's a sort of semi-gestalt I guess you could say. But you don't take the better of either class, you only take the available choices for the archetypes at each level when you get an archetype slot. The class guides help a lot because they almost always discuss good and bad class-archetype pairings. Also a note on Pathbuilder. The free archetype option is turned off by default. You can add it by going to Menu -> Character Options -> Use Free Archetype Character Rules, which is down in Advanced Options.
"I don't know Sergei. He mentioned encountering me in Borovia. But he doesn't write specifically about everyone who received a letter this way. He may have. He also may have figured some of us in some other way without actually seeing a double of them. I would need to check to see if there is a date for the journal entry to say before or after in my case. As well as I remember it's been about 3 years since I first met the Doctor, and I believe most of the journal entries on this subject are more recent than 3 years old. So offhand, he met me first. That makes sense because if he hadn't yet met me how would he know the Teofila Boritsi he came across was a double of me? Also, either way it doesn't account for both the Doctor and Hean Boritsi to independently identify me with the Boritsi family." Teofila is somewhat surprised by Sterling's grouchiness. She doesn't think of him as a man of action, so she would have thought he would be more receptive than most to sitting around while she talked. Also, she thinks his first complaint, framed as a statement, is a bit obtuse for him since she'd already covered that ground, perhaps not well enough it seems. His second point about his name is even more obtuse. Teofila wonders if he's being this way on purpose. "I'm only using planar travel as an analogy Sterling. The Doctor doesn't ever say that is what's happening to him. He's in Borovia in a dream. He doesn't describe a physical transportation to somewhere else. I think what he means is his body is still here and asleep while is mind or soul, or essence is away in Borovia. Maybe it is something more like astral travel? From his descriptions though he seems to mean the dream is real enough for him to interact with this place as if both he and it are physically present. The term he used was 'dreamland'. It's not really an area I can speak on expertly." "Also, and again, the link or connection between us and the named families isn't necessarily a lineal or blood connection. The nature of the connection isn't clear. It could be there is actually, literally two of me, mirror images or twins, or clones. One of me exists here, while the other one of me exists there. It is never explained, only given as a thing that is true." "There is one more aspect of the many coincidences and improbabilities I want to bring up. All eight of the criminals whose names correspond with those of the Borovian families were not only the most notorious and evil criminals of their time. They were of the same time, all here together roughly a single generation. Doesn't that seem strange? What are the odds that all of these criminals would be born into that particular little slice of time?" Well, what if they were not a coincidence? What if they were not from here at all? If the Doctor could travel from here to Brovia, could the inhabitants of Borovia also travel here? Maybe a group of them did, members of all the Borovian families, at that time. Maybe by a different means allowing physical travel, or maybe possessing bodies after they arrived." "I'm speculating of course. But it is strange. It has made me wonder if the reason Doctor Van Richten called. us all here together because he suspected or knew more of Borovia's inhabitants would be coming and would have to be stopped."
Alright, I'll stop inflicting very long and mostly internalized posts on y'all now. I had some extra time and figured it couldn't hurt to throw up a bunch of stuff to see if it might be useful for others for posting.
When the evening is over, Trillium has a hard time settling into sleep. It's been a very good day, lot's of things to remember and think about. Tomorrow will probably bring a confrontation with a gang of bandits, a thrilling prospect. It isn't unusual for Trillium to have trouble sleeping. She has some methods she has found to help herself relax and become drowsy. She has found one of the surest ways to induce sleep is putting her brain to work on something difficult. This particular night she decides to try working some more on the operetta she has been trying to write for a few months now. It's been a struggle for Trillium in a number of ways. She's made some concessions as a result. The project is the largest she has ever taken on. Even an operetta is a major piece of work compared to anything she worked on while at the Kith. So, it isn't necessarily an operetta anymore, depending on who one asks. Trillium came to terms quickly with some realities facing her in Restov. The appetite for opera in the strict sense isn't robust in Brevoy compared to Taldor or other lands in the south where the tradition is very long. Restov also lacks venues for such large performances, at least it does within her price range. So, now her project occupies a gray area between operetta and musical. Trillium is even considering the inclusion of spoken lines in a few places. Logistics and scale are not the worst issues for her though. Trillium is wrestling with what perspective she wants to take on the central subject, which is her mother, or more precisely her mother before she took an almost 24 year career hiatus to give birth to and raise Trillium. How she presents Lenorilla (who obviously won't be named Lenorilla in the work) creates the core around which everything else will revolve. Originally there were two main characters "The Courtesan" and "The Aristocrat". But, after some initial stabs at plot structure, she decided she couldn't maintain dramatic tension between just two characters long enough without undue and unappreciated by the audience repetition. She then introduced "The Lover" into the mix, and eventually added "The Wife" as well. Going to four prominent characters also solved another problem. A chorus would be cumbersome within the confines of the setting. It would also be expensive to hire so many more singers, and probably cramp the stage. Trillium believes she can spread most of the work a chorus would do between "The Lover" and "The Wife". Anyway, the first thing Trillium must do is write the first solos to be performed by each of the four principle characters. She has only "The Aristocrat"'s lyrics tentatively finalized so far. As she leans against the wall with a blanket over her, Trillium flips to it in her journal/workbook and gives it another read through. The Aristocrat's Introduction:
So you quote "love" unquote me
'Cause I don't believe you
You tell me I'm not not-cute
And I don't believe you
You tell me of what once was
But I don't believe you
I had a dream and you were in it
You may sing me "They Were You"
So I don't believe you
You may use your charm to stun
Well, I don't believe you
So you're brilliant, gorgeous, and
But I don't believe you
*Song Lyrics by Magnetic Fields
Trillium is still satisfied for now. She still thinks the broken rhyme in the song's bridge is an amusing touch. She flips through a few pages to the one she's really struggling with, the first solo for "The Courtesan". After the overture, which she will not write (another expense since Trillium doesn't compose. She will have to pay someone unless she can find a talented friend to bring on board), "The Courtesan" will sing first. Everything rests upon getting the opening number right. It positions the central character within the story, establishes the character's fundamental thoughts and feelings, and begins to build the world the other characters will be introduced into subsequently. Trillium reads through what she has so far. The Courtesan's Introduction:
Sit Good dog Stay Bad dog Down Roll over Well here's a good man and a pretty young girl
It's the good times that we share
Well it's been a long slow collision
So I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer
Sometimes we talk over dinner like old friends
To the good times that we shared and the bad times that we'll have
Well it's been a long slow collision,
So I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer
I need some fine wine
Sit Good times, bad times
Sit *Song Lyrics by The Cardigans
Trillium wrestles with the lyrics line by line for a while. First there is the arrangement or words. She's happy with the very unconventional beginning. It feels dramatic but obscured of meaning until the first verse at least is completed. It should give the opening some shock value, enough to immediately grab the audience's attention. It the last third or so of the lyrics where she becomes discontented.It feels weaker than the opening. She strikes one line, but otherwise can't crack into a way to change it for the better. Trillium also perseverates over the tone of the character she is constructing. She has competing feelings about "who" "The Courtesan" is or should be. Of course the initial spark is Lenorilla. But this is an imagining of Trillium's about who her mother was before she was born. It's not a very generous imagining either. For example, Trillium knows perfectly well her mother is very sparing with her alcohol intake. She drilled this into Trillium as well. She always told Trillium to never forget she would almost always probably be the least powerful person in any room except perhaps the servants, but never ever underestimate the power servants can have over their masters. Too much alcohol begets mistakes. Mistakes can damage a career. Potentially they can be lethal. So, of course Trillium is indulging in artistic license. Besides, Lenorilla absolutely HATES this project, even though Trillium has assured her that she will not be identifiable. But Trillium is still quite mad at her mother so she doesn't care if the character is a big fat raised middle finger to Lenorilla. Even when she isn't mad at her mother, Trillium has shown herself to be increasing stiff-necked about things. On the other hand, Trillium is committed to a "no true villains" concept for the piece. She wants to bring something modern to Restov's stage. Nuanced plots without easily drawn conclusions for the audience aren't exactly bleeding edge theater at The Kith, but she hasn't yet seen anything in Brevoy of the kind since she's been back. She thinks she can go a little hard on "The Courtesan" and a little soft on "The Aristocrat" initially. She does have revelations and positional shifts for the characters planned, unfolding as the plot proceeds and more is revealed. If she could get her mother to the theater to see it, there is also another subtle theme within the work that Lenorilla might find. Lenorilla does see subtle things, at least when she wants or needs to. Is the frustrated courtesan who drinks too much actually Lenorilla at all? Perhaps it is the Trillium of the future who follows the career path for which she has been so carefully cultivated? Trillium is self-aware enough to understand she can't help projecting her reservations and concerns about following her mother's path. It was good for her mother; Trillium doesn't doubt it. But she wonders if maybe she just isn't built like her mother. Trillium plays around with a couple more possible line changes but discards them eventually. By that point her plan has worked. She's drowsy. She blows out the candle and sleeps.
Of course Trillium owns a set of the yellow cross-gartered leggings. How could you possibly think otherwise?
Before, and especially during the meal, Trillium finds herself sort of falling in love with Svetlana. Svetlana is kind. She is clever without being snide or cutting (though in full disclosure Trillium does not pick up on Svetlana's derision during the stockings conversation). Svetlana is informal and warm. Trillium feels like she could lay her head in Svetlana's lap and fall asleep without a care in the world. Trillium isn't a hefty eater, and she hurries more than she normally would to finish as well. She excuses herself from the table and hurries off to the room where she dumped her luggage. With a quick change Trillium thinks she can settles a lot of lingering questions from dinner. When she returns to the Leveton residence, trillium is wearing a baggy white shirt gathered in at the waist by a wide leather belt. Below this she has on a pair of very short trousers of brocaded dark blue cloth, so short the legs stop a few inches above her knees. Underneath the shorts she is wearing silken hose, the suddenly terribly interesting to everyone yellow hose with black cross-garters. The garters' criss-crossing weaves up each of her legs from ankles to out of sight under the short trousers, creating a repeating diamond pattern. "These are what you've all been talking about" Trillium tells everyone while showing them off. "Now, one thing to keep in mind is these are not the usual kind of hose you'll see around in Restov. Mostly women are wearing the usual knee-high hose under a dress. Perhaps a dress that's a bit shorter so it's easier to see the hose. These are for horse riding, full leg length along with these short trousers for fuller and easier range of motion. It's a pairing that is really catching on among equestriennes in Taldor." Trillium's outfit is indeed very fashion forward. It's likely nobody at the table has ever seen anyone wearing such a getup before anywhere. As if anticipating the question of why she bothered to pack such an outfit, she explains. "I'm thinking I might ride horses more out here than I do in Restov. Also, for me, these hose carry a special meaning that only others in the know will recognize. These are colors showing my affinity for The Lady in the Room." When nobody seems to pick up on what she means, even with the help of her hint of a smirk expression, she clarifies. "Um, I mean the goddess Calistria... you know, The Lady in the Room, The Savored Sting... Wasps..." If Trillium's hose modeling doesn't receive unanimous acclaim or having to explain in some detail what she means before everyone clues in throws her off-balance at all, she doesn't show it. She joins everyone at the table again to chat until the meal is over. Afterward, Trillium helps Svetlana clear the table and clean up. When the chores are done, she to Svetlana it's time to take a look around finally. She links arms with the other woman and guides her out of the house to be shown around. After all, a deal is a deal, even if she had wanted to be shown around before all the meal stuff. Trillium doesn't say this part out loud of course, that would be very rude. The only hint of it that passes her lips is the "finally" she adds when declaring it's time. Throughout the tour of stables and guest sleeping rooms and midden pits, Trillium remains enthusiastic and complementary as before. The fort-like trading post is far from what she's used to. But the way Trillium sees it, if one wanted the wilderness to be just like home, why would one ever leave home to go to the wildnerness in the first place? She does have one suggestion for Svetlana though. "You know, there is one thing youu might want to think about adding here. A bath and sauna. They wouldn't take up much space at all. You have everything you would need for it right at hand too. Plenty of wood for a couple of small buildings not much bigger than sheds. Water and wood for the fires to heat the water. Stones for the sauna, and a ladle. That's it!" "I bet it would draw more people here. Because as things are now, is everyone just washing up in a creek or a river? That would be freezing cold right? Women around here would love it especially! Are there other women out here? There are, right? Have you ever had a session in a sauna? It is sooo relaxing and lovely! Sore muscles? Gone! Aches and pains? Gone! It really is one of the best treats a person can give themself. Why, I bet you would need to add more guest rooms to accommodate everyone, a good way to make some extra money." Later on, when the news of bandits probably coming the next day for a monthly shakedown breaks, Trillium is very cross to learn Oleg and Svetlana have had to put up with such galling treatment. "This will not stand! Tomorrow we fight! We'll teach them a harsh lesson and put an end to this!"
Hey everyone. Sorry for the long hiatus. 4th quarter 2025 was fairly awful, but things seem better now.
Fenna is a little embarrassed by all the praise being heaped on her. But, she accepts it with thanks and no other comment. If everyone was aware of how little she actually knows, and how much she uses what she what she knows to extrapolate into speculations, it might make them really nervous.
Sorry to steal some of your thunder Kayleigh. It's just such a bonkers amount of damage to do in a round. I went back and checked to see if I was doing something wrong with the build or bonuses. It turns out I did do something wrong. The +1/level damage from precise strike damage doesn't double on a critical hit. That means each crit did 9 hp less damage than I thought. I thought I'd done 104 damage between the two attacks and the riposte damage would have brought the total to 133. But the parry - riposte didn't trigger, and 18 less from the two attacks brings the damage down to 86 for the round. I guess that's not quite so crazy since I had to crit twice to get there. It's still the most damage I've ever done in a single round though.
Emi shifts to her left to get better lines of attack on the gnome. She continues to press him with a swift pair of rapier thrusts.
Trillium quickly comes to sense their, or at least her, point of egress at the trading post is probably Svetlana. In any case Trillium doesn't have anything meaningful to contribute to conversations about bandits. Besides, Trillium has become aware over time that it is better to avoid spending any time with a man, or giving him attention if he has a wife, fiancee, or other woman for that matter in his company until she has gotten the woman to warm to her first. It's like a peace offering or non-aggression pact. Trillium thinks there is something about her personality that leads other women to hate her unless she is careful about such things. She gives Oleg a polite greeting when they meet, but otherwise Trillium doesn't have anything to say until Svetlana arrives. "Ah! You must be Svetlana right?" Trillium hurries over to give Svetlana a quick hug and a kiss on both cheeks as best she can while maneuvering around the tray of bread the other woman is holding. "Thank you so much for having us here and for your hospitality! My name is Trillium. We have come from Restov to help with your bandit problem." Trillium takes the tray of bread from Svetlana. "Here, let me help you. Where would you like me to put this?" "This place is perfectly lovely! So cosy! I love it! Do you think you could spare a few minutes to show me around? I'll help you get supper on the table afterward if you like." Trillium's complements aren't empty flattery. She does find the little fort/trading post very enchanting. The cold, crisp air with a bit of snow on the ground has been beautiful to experience, especially all the huge snow-dusted trees. To arrive in such a warm and hearty place of shelter now is as perfect a pairing as blue cheese and an aged, fortified wine from Sophra Prefecture in Taldor. The setting invokes all the magical and bizarre tales of the fey she has heard ever since her childhood. Trillium feels a kind of magic in the wildness all around and it is exciting.
Marbyn rolls on up to see what is going on with Bethana along with everyone else. She doesn't ask what's bothering her because that being done once already is enough.
Prologue:
Trillium has an absolutely delightful time at Jamandi Aldori's little party. She finds the attendees to be far less uniform in every way that could be mentioned than she had expected. Even a very handsome Swordlord tends to be rather single-minded in interests, and drearily serious about them in her experience. Not that she doesn't have some friends among the younger crowd of them. A favor from one of those friends is how she got into the party after all. But, she is excited to discover a minority of Swordlords among the guests. Trillium is in a burgundy red gown, expertly tailored for her, and with the addition of her short-cropped blackish-brown hair, she is impossible to miss. She seems to be everywhere and chatting with everyone throughout the evening, tireless in her loquacious and upbeat sociableness. While her conversations are airy and light, and designed to make her conversational partners feel clever, or good-looking, or important, or whatever Trillium suspects they will respond to best, she does have an agenda she is working on. Since she is already locked in as a member of the upcoming expedition, there is no suspense or uncertainty for her in that area. She can move on to the next thing, making sure to meet as many people as possible and guaranteeing they find her both memorable and delightful. Trillium needs to overcome an inherent handicap, she will be leaving Restov for some unspecified period of time after the present gathering. With the passing of time, the people she meets tonight may forget who she is. Now, it will help when the expedition returns from... that place they're going to over by the River Kingdoms having achieved so much to the admiration of all Restov. But Trillium doesn't want to have to reintroduce herself then merely as one of the expeditions members. She wants to be the member of the expedition everyone left behind is thinking about and rooting for starting from the day of her departure. The reason Trillium wants this isn't (at least in the main) vanity. Instead, it is the people here at this party she expects to need as she begins her project afterward. They may have the money to back her, and/or the knowledge to advance her when she sets out to crack the mystery of the vanishing of the Rogarvians. Trillium feels she may already be making progress on her project. As she circulates, Trillium hears a mention of the family here and there in quiet conversations among the guests. She does not follow up to ask questions of any of the people who mention the subject. Instead she mentally tags them to be of special interest for later. She makes a point of meeting them all for a chat, but tonight is about good feelings and no discomfort. She will bring up the subject with them after returning to Restov famous and far more financially solvent.
Trillium began the journey to Oleg's Trading Post in... um, The Stolen Lands (she is now positive that is what the place is called) with high hopes regarding her new traveling friends. She has to admit though that she had hoped to be spending time with a more gregarious group of people. She supposes they all seem nice enough but they don't talk much. When nobody wanted to chat, she tried filling the oppressive silence with a little music. But one of them, Zsófia, who is a Surtovan or maybe connected to the Surtovans in some way (she's either not sure or can't remember, but she doesn't remember which of those) made her stop. That really dampened the first morning on the road. Trillium already knows she's barely past learner level with the lute, but it isn't HER fault if Zsófia has a drinking problem, and now nobody gets any music. And come to think of it, isn't it strange to have a Surtovan along on an expedition sponsored by the Aldori Swordlords? They're supposed to hate each other. It occurs to Trillium that maybe Zsófia is some sort of renegade countess or something like that, who has turned her back on her family for some set of wrongs and is now seeking revenge against her kin. That could be why she seems grumpy. It might explain her drinking problem as well. Trillium decides she must try to find out more about the aristocrat. Maybe with some excavation she'll find some really interesting things going on with Zsófia. There are two elves along for the expedition, which seemed comforting at first. But it turns out they are nothing like her mother at all. Jack is always up front leading, or scouting for things. Also he doesn't have much to say and when he does it's a single sentence or maybe two, very serious. The other one, who is named Silver Dawn, which is such a pretty name, is kind of intimidating. She's an ice elf, and it turns out they'e kind of weird based on a sample of one. She always rides on the wagon while everyone else mostly walks unless they have a horse. Silver Dawn also doesn't say much, but unlike Jack it isn't like she's dour. It's more like she's day-dreaming. When she does talk it's about fabrics and cloth and dying a lot. That's not a bad thing; maybe Silver Dawn could make her a dress later on. Trillium did have to pck lighter than she preferred, so more clothing options would be really nice. Then there is a fey... something named Ta Bayang. She will have to ask what exactly when the time seems right. She hopes she'll get an understandable answer (and of course not offend them because there are endless stories about how bad it can be to offend the fey). Often the things Ta Bayang says only seem to partially align with what is being talked about or what is happening at the time. All in all terribly interesting. There is one human, a peasant from where they're heading to who looks rather haggard. Trillium supposes peasants tend to look very haggard in general though. It must surely be a very rough life. So far Trillium likes Malylev the most. He seems really nice and he's not a downer, quite cheerful in fact despite his terrible lot in life. It was on the second day of travel when things really turned around for Trillium. At a stop, when she wouldn't slow things down for everyone else, she headed off the road to some bushes for a pee. If anyone was tracking time, Trillium was gone a little longer than they would expect. When she came back, Trillium was cradling a small rabbit, clearly not yet fully grown, in her arms. She is thrilled. But some nearby family probably went hungrier that day than they would have otherwise. "I found this poor little bunny all caught up by one of its legs in a cord! It was stuck! Look at its leg." The rabbit had indeed been struggling to get free, so much so the snared leg has a cut in on it where the cord had been. Trillium immediately names the bunny 'Wiggles', declares it her pet, and vows to nurse it back to health. Wiggles seems to take to Trillium very well, though it might be in shock and terrified. Either way, it does not struggle or try to escape at all. Soon enough Trillium has cleaned and bandaged the leg, and devise a bag that allows her to carry Wiggles nestled in by her stomach as she walks. Wiggles continues to keep Trillium occupied as the journey continues. If any of her traveling companions had been annoyed by her attempts to start conversations to allay her own boredom, they are certainly pleased as Wiggles takes up her time. She feeds the bunny, looks for food to feed Wiggles, talks to Wiggles, and manages Wiggles's recovery. In fact, when Zsófia finally works herself up to informing everyone about the things she's been hesitant to tell them, Trillium is walking along holding Wiggles up so she and the rabbit can look at each other eye-to-eye because Trillium believes this will help them bond. Trillium doesn't hear all that much of what Zsófia says due to her diverted attention, and is unsure afterward if it was something good or bad. She doesn't care for politics anyway and what Zsófia had been saying sounded kind of political. It's so very boring. She does feel she should say something supportive to Zsófia though. Trillium thinks it must have been very brave of Zsófia to tell them, and that should be acknowledged. While remaining practically nose-to-nose with her bunny, Trillium tries for something appropriate but general since she can't pin down whether congratulations or condolences are due. "I'm sure it will all go wonderfully for you Zsófia. Don't worry. I haven't known you for long, but I believe you're the kind of person who can handle anything well."
Prax watches Yagrin's bad end play out with a hint of a satisfied smile. "Fed you to the sharks after all motherf~&~er" she says under her breath. When there's nothing more to see, she cuts the young man loose from the post and helps him along, bringing him with them. It would probably be better to check his injuries first, but Prax isn't sure how long it might take for the mob to return if they remember leaving their original victim behind.
Prax had been riding herd on the kids with Divo, keeping them together and moving, until the group arrived at the current crisis. As the attention of the mob turns toward them and Yagrin makes it worse, she slips away from her own group and melts into the crowd, making her way through it toward the man they have tied to the lamp post. She then turns to start making her way forward through the mob to get closer to the confrontation. When she's in place near the front, she creates a counter-narrative. Prax thrusts her arm out pointing an accusatory finger at Yagrin. "Hey! Wait a minute! That guy is lying! The one they have tied up! I've seen him around and HE works for Gaedren Lamm! Grab him! He's the one who needs a good beating! Or worse!
Hi Everyone, I've crawled across the 2025 finish line. I'm past the H.R.1 Bill fallout, the SNAP shutdown, the string of fall to winter holidays, and a nasty cold that turned into an inner ear infection. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but I work for the Oregon Department of Human Resources. While fall does tend to be busy, this one was crazy with all the extra disruption. I'm back now, very sorry for my long absence and very appreciative of your patience.
Vigny with Helgarval:
Nothing about Helgarval's reply makes Vigny feel any less agitated. In fact the celestial only gets her goat even more. With some difficulty she swallows the urge to get nasty right back at the helmet by reminding herself maybe there is an opening somehow somewhere to shift his attitude toward something more tolerable to be around. "The reason I introduced you to Spivey is you both serve Desna. I figured you would have common ground with each other. After all you were both chosen, or accepted, or however that sort of things works by the same god." Vigny then slyly pauses, as if a thought she's already had has just come to her. "Hm, Desna wanted you both... Even with your differences. Surely that must mean they find value in you both right? So, if you're saying Spivey isn't worth even the time to talk to civilly, aren't you rejecting Desna's judgement about her? Maybe you should trust Desna to know best in the matter?" "I just know that we met Spivey well before you and she's helped us a lot along the way. Your strengths might not be her strengths, but that also means you two don't share the same weaknesses. The way I see it, I'd rather have you both around exactly because you're both good at different things. That's actually what strength really is." "Anyway that's my two coppers tossed in." Rather than answering Helgarval's question, she asks the helmet one right back. "What do you think this mission is? And what do you think its higher purpose is?" Vigny with Sandru: When Sandru admits he reserved the entire restaurant just for the two of them by calling in a favor, Vigny is ready to take him to bed right that instant. But she doesn't say much while Sandru and Derry bicker-banter over the lunch's details aside from smiling 'thank you's to Derry when they seem appropriate. After Derry has gone back to the kitchen, Vigny leans in a little closer across the table toward Sandru. "Thank you. I was nervous about other people being here. I've never been to a place this lovely before, and there are quite a few things on the table I have no idea how to use. I'm going to need some guidance to get through this without looking like a total fool." Vigny had been poking at the various extra utensils laid out on the table, but as she says the last bit she slides her hand farther across the table to rest it on Sandru's hand. She quickly moves on to another subject so the location of her hand doesn't become the next conversation piece. "Derry and Dunn seem very nice, funny too. They're not much like other dwarves I've met. How do you know them?"
On her second day of tailing the group Vencarlo had brought up a few times, Emi begins to wonder if she's barking up the wrong tree. She's seen a fair amount of activity, but she hasn't been able to apply any logic or overarching theme to what they may be doing that seems to make sense to her. This though... if the elf they picked up was weird, this is downright crackers. Nobody in their right mind would be doing what they're doing. She figures maybe it's time to intervene for their own good. She steps out of the doorframe she's been occupying and cat-paws her way over in their direction. She's not looking to pounce on them by surprise, that could get ugly if they're feeling jumpy. She just wants to be close enough so when she hails them she can do it in a low voice that won't attract attention.
Once she's within the zone for a stage whisper, Emi calls out to the blonde woman who's still down on the ground. "PSST! PSST! Hey! Are you really thinking about going in there? Do you know who's place that is?" Emi keeps walking forward slowly, she has no weapon out and consciously makes that apparent by keep her hands visible and carried out slightly away from her body. "I really don't think it's a great idea. It'll be the kind of trouble you won't shake easily, if you get out of there at all."
Trillium is my submission for the campaign. She's an Aasimar (Musetouched) Bard (Studious Librarian), but by all appearances she's a Half-Elf. She's a Restov native. Campaign Advancement and Choices: Trillium is meant to be linked to "The Secret Plot". She thinks the mystery of House Rogarvia's disappearance is solvable, and she aims to be the one who cracks it. Trillium doesn't think the key to the solution lies in the Stolen Lands, but she needs to raise money for her grand project and she thinks the Stolen Lands expedition might make her the money she needs. Kind of a 'side quest ends up taking one closer to one's destination than the road you planned to take would have' situation. Trillium's campaign trait is The Snoop. It's actually is a campaign trait but for Tyrant's Grasp. It's not a super great trait but I like what it does in its weird niche way. Besides, the name alone sells it for Trillium. She's exactly what it says on the tin. Diplomat is the best Kingdom role for Trillium. Spymaster could also work, Magister as well if there's nobody better suited for it. Ruler is a match due to the Charisma component, but Trillium doesn't have those kind of ambitions. It sounds like an awfully big responsibility, which she thinks would be a real headache. I plan on going Bard all the way except for a possible 1 level dip into something martial if Trillium is needed to help out in combat. Swashbuckler works best because it would function spending only one feat. The idea is quick and cheap dex to damage. Since Bard is 3/4 BAB I'm not concerned about the lack of attacks of opportunity, etc. opportune parry and riposte wouldn't be very reliable absent the full BAB and other Swash bonuses. Not using it isn't a big deal. If Trillium isn't needed for combat, a 1 level dip into Lore Oracle is good. If there's another character who will be a great encyclopedia type, I might not dip at all. It all just depends on party composition, and Trill getting chosen of course. My apologies for the Backstory's length. Hopefully it trends more toward amazing than slop. :p It became so long because I needed to cover two characters, Trill and her mom. The first sentence of it even reads: "To understand Trillium one must first know about her mother, a forlorn elf named Lenorilla Anstarza."
Yeah, November was a real train wreck work-wise, especially with a big holiday right behind the SNAP idiocy. But it's over now. I'm very sorry for my long absence but I think things are more or less back to normal now.
Still around! I didn't expect the site to be back yesterday so I didn't check. I was looking in at the Facebook announcements now and then and the last I saw was that there would be a status update on Monday.
Not really disagreeing, but Piret is a "knowledge is power" kind of person who isn't going to rush into something blindly if she has alternatives for knowing more first. I'd say she's no leader, but she's a planner. Harter's or Meridith's countervailing habits might give her an ulcer.
Hey! Sarma here left Ridonport holding the champion title in javelin throwing, the mile run, and long jump! She held the title in wrestling for one year and probably could have kept it if weight classes existed! That's some big stuff! :p
I'm submitting Veda, a Half-Elf Wind Mystery Oracle with the Cyclopean Seer Archetype. Veda will be competent enough as a ship crew member, but I'm angling her toward engaging with the cyclopean and Ghol-Gan related parts of the campaign. She has the Ancient Explorer trait, and of course her archetype. She speaks Cyclopean, etc. I suppose for ship's crew positions surgeon is possible. Sailmaker could make sense for a wind oracle too. I believe the build is complete now, but I'll need to recheck to see if I've missed anything. I'm still working on background and gear.
I may be slow to post for the next week or so. I work for the Oregon Department of Human Services and we're right on the edge of a catastrophe if SNAP benefits aren't issued for November. We've been all hands on deck and overtime trying to figure out contingencies to cover the potential losses however we can. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does there are some very rough days coming.
I may be slow to post for the next week or so. I work for the Oregon Department of Human Services and we're right on the edge of a catastrophe if SNAP benefits aren't issued for November. We've been all hands on deck and overtime trying to figure out contingencies to cover the potential losses however we can. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does there are some very rough days coming.
When noises awaken Piret, she doesn't immediately comprehend what they are. It's only as they grow closer and intensify that she realizes what she's hearing are the sounds of combat. She dresses quickly and grabs her spear for protection, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to rush out into the hallway. She can't understand why there would be fighting, or figure out who might be engaged in it. She spends a few minutes by the door of her room, cracking it open occasionally to try seeing something that offer some hints about what is happening. Eventually Piret is rewarded, seeing several people she recognizes from the earlier parts of the evening moving down the hall together. Piret joins them, deciding safety in numbers is the best move. As she hears about masked assassins everywhere, then sees the messy reality of the attack, Piret can't figure out what the purpose of it could possibly be. But there is very little time to think it over. Soon enough her little group has made it to the to the main hall and the core of the fighting. Piret quickly finds herself grateful to have Harter and Sven present. She has no experience with human versus human (and much less giant) combat. The worst Piret has ever had to deal with was stubborn wolves after sheep, and she had dogs with her the couple of times teh wolves wouldn't give way when faced with fire, dogs, and her spear. While Piret is saucer-eyed, pale, and sweaty, she forms up as ordered and charges in with the rest. If joining the fight counts for a great deal, Piret acquits herself well. She isn't in the vanguard, but her spear is long enough to be in the mix anyway. The spear she uses is an odd one. Behind its leaf-shaped head, several other steel "branches" are attached in various places all around the ford third or so of the shaft. These extra extensions also have triangular blades along them, giving the weapon an appearance similar to an untrimmed pole. Piret only manages to lightly wound a couple of foes, but the bushy spear proves it's value by taking up extra space at the front. By moving it around she gives extra cover for Harter, Sven, and Meridith. At least Piret keeps her wits about her in the fire, noise, and confusion until the end. Afterward, when Tartuccio levels his accusation against Harter, Piret adds her voice to the others vouching for Harter. She doesn't know what the gnome is up to, but she has a bad feeling about him.
As applicants in the room begin to lay out positions and opinions about the expeditions, and in some cases lobby for leadership roles, Piret decides she might as well be transparent about her lack of interest in such things. "I'm here because I want to conduct a regional study the the Stolen Lands. I would like to survey and map the area, and catalogue its flora and fauna. There may be forms of life there that are at this time otherwise unknown." "I'm not looking for land or title, just knowledge. Therefore, I have no interest in leadership of either of the expedition's groups." "I would like to make a suggestion though. Working from the assumption we can all agree we would prefer competent leadership by a person or persons who will have our best interests in mind, it seems early to make any decisions. We have barely met one another." "If we can agree leadership is a product of abilities and skills applied to managing people in order to achieve goals within an ethical framework, I don't think anything anyone can say here at this time matters." "Instead of choosing a leader now so we have one for better or worse, we should watch for leadership to emerge as we go forward, when we can recognize it for what it is. A good leader will lead even without being predesignated to do so."
Piret is CG but really she's more cG. NG with chaotic leanings would be just about as accurate.
Just in case anyone cares, since you'll only see Piret's name written, its pronunciation isn't very intuitive from its spelling. It's "Peer-et" no accented syllable. It occurred to me it could also seem like "Pie-rat" or "Pee-ret" or maybe even other things. It's an old Estonian name. Anyway, like I said it doesn't matter since nobody will ever be saying it. But now you know.
Piret takes what the Kobold tells her with a concerned expression. "Áno, naučil som sa ten jazyk v škole. Obávam sa, že vám neviem povedať, koľko ľudí a iných vysokých ľudí pozná dračiu reč, ale pochybujem, že ich je veľa. Ľudia, ktorí sa tu zhromaždili, pravdepodobne nie sú priemerní." "Odovzdám ďalej vašu správu o vzťahu koboldov k drakom a nie k jašterom. Je dôležité, aby pochopili rozdiel." Draconic:
"Yes I do, I learned the language in school. I'm afraid I can't tell you how many humans and other tall folk know draconic, but I doubt the numbers are large. Probably the people gathered here are not average." "I will pass on your message about kobolds' relationship to dragons rather than lizards. It is important they understand the difference."
Looking up from the kobold, Piret relays his protest. "He is unhappy with being described as a lizard when he should instead be described as a dragon." "He is correct. While not all of the best taxonomies agree on the precise relationship between kobolds and dragons, they do agree that dragons are not reptiles, and that kobolds are related to dragons, not reptiles."
Marbyn enjoys herself well enough during the evening. Because she is enjoying herself, Marbyn delays mentioning anything about the itchiness in the back of her brain. It's a collection of thoughts that she can't put to rest. As she ruminates on them more here and there through the evening, she becomes convinced. But, she's really bored of the round and round of the who's and why's of the attack and the goblins, which they've thankfully put to rest for a while. At the very end of the evening, as the very last thing she does before she makes for the door of the tavern, Marbyn lays out the flaw she sees in what they seem to have settled on the the time being. "You know, I don't think it's the bugbear who's organized the goblins. Maybe he could organize them, but I don't think he could plan the attack. Partially I don't think so because he doesn't seem the type to be on top." "He might force himself into controlling one tribe, but he can only be in one place at a time. Intimidation wouldn't be enough to stitch all the tribes together. To get them all aligned and keep them that way would take clever talk and manipulation. That doesn't seem to fit what we know of bugbears." "But that's not even the big problem. Whoever planned the attack not only united the goblins, they planned an attack that requires good knowledge of the town. What would be happening when on just the right day for it. Where exactly things are. Distances in town, where to enter unseen, and how to get out unseen with the very old corpse of a priest who couldn't have mattered an iota to goblins and bugbears." "We're looking for someone, or maybe more than one person, of a race that can move about freely in Sandpoint and get to know it at the very least. More likely I think, we're looking for someone who lives in town." "Anyway, good night and see you tomorrow."
Vigny reels from getting her bell well and truly rang. Oh yeah, that hurt... she thinks blearily. She opens her mouth to spit out the blood she tastes and a shocking amount pours out of both her mouth and her nose, which probably isn't a great sign regarding her current state. F~%+ing Sandru hasn't even taken me to dinner yet. Vigny suspects she's in a one and done situation now. One more chance and then she's done for. She quick casts, which turns her skin the dull gray that's starting to become a familiar complexion for her. Then she raises her sword and takes that one more shot at the rock creature.
Prax isn't up and about until well after mid-morning. The time between sunrise and noon is the worse of the whole day in her opinion. She doesn't have any particular place to be so she loiters slowly down the street, just sort of watching the people and activity around her. Having not eaten since sometime yesterday afternoon, Prax begins to feel hungry after a while. She stops by the table where a woman is selling hand pies and asks for two, one with chicken and some vegetables inside, the other filled with blackberries. It's when she fishes into the purse on her belt that she feels a piece of paper that shouldn't be in there. Prax is quite careful about where she puts things she carries since she knows the tricks for taking the things that other, less careful people carry around. She shifts the paper to the hand holding the pies and pays the woman before moving down a few feet for some privacy. She stuffs about half of the savory pie in her mouth and lays the rest on a window sill while she unfolds the paper, which now bears some greasy spots. What she reads makes her very uneasy. She supposes she wasn't adequately careful when asking around about Lamm. Prax has never mentioned holding any ill will toward the man, or suggested to anyone she had designs for him. Whoever placed the note on her was very, very good as well. Her purse was shifted to her front where it's extremely hard to get a hand into without her notice. So a good read on her plus excellent finger work. It hardly occurs to her at all that the offer of some sort of help is genuine. Maybe something got back to Lamm, which would be bad. Prax had really been counting on total surprise, when she got around to doing something that is. It could also be one of the local gangs looking to draft her. Independent operators like her aren't well tolerated most places around the city. Prax has never been tempted to join up with anyone because she never liked the dangerous dues those new, and thus low on the pole, have to pay before they're really in. She also never liked the idea of taking orders. Staying free means no big scores, nothing better than just getting by on the crumbs, and no reputation. Prax has always played by those rules in exchange for going mostly unnoticed. Whoever might be screwing with her, Prax figures it's better to know who it is, which will hopefully tell her why, than ignoring the whole thing and remaining blind until it might be too late. She starts on her way to the address given immediately. There's plenty of time to get to the place well before sunset and stake it out for a few hours. Once Prax has seen who might be coming and going and what kinds of activities she can suss out, she can decide what to do when she's expected there.
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