Lio has scissors! But is not running. What a great way to spend 5sp. :) Sorry I'm not around as much as the rest of you guys. Assume my character is doing her assigned job and being her usual loner self. Feel free to approach if you want to interact, I promise to only be surly in character.
I do wonder if there is a better avatar picture for a caravan. I just don't have the patience to look through all the pages of images. Anyone know of a better one than this?
Define "better." I did look through them all within the past week, and I can't remember a specific one with horses and wagons. Although there is a cartoony elephant (see my main profile pic).
...but I'm not sure that's better.
I did find one that was a target, but I don't know if that shows the proper esprit de corps.
(Incidentally, all of my gnomes are voting for Pickles, Spoons, and Fire. They don't get a vote, alas.)
I kind of like this one. It shows a box. Caravans carry boxes.
Q.E.D., literally
let's not talk about boxes. i don't think we know each other well enough for that sort of thing ;)
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(Incidentally, all of my gnomes are voting for Pickles, Spoons, and Fire. They don't get a vote, alas.)
It's safe to assume I have one vote in for every name I suggested. And since Kalimac chose the name as the default, that's a Schroedinger's vote at the least. And Melinda encouraged multiple posting to lock the name in, so clearly there's just a tidal wave of hypothetical momentum behind the name!
I kind of like this one. It shows a box. Caravans carry boxes.
Q.E.D., literally
It's why I picked it. It fits. It would be nice if we could upload images rather than just picking from a predefined assortment. I was hoping to use a stagecoach or something. Oh Well.
You know you're deeply into one of Kyradaemon's games when you dream about it, and in the dream you post to it. Then when you wake up you frantically rush to edit your dream post because you said something wrong in it, or at least not quite right. Then you realize that it was a dream post, and you can go back to sleep.
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You know you're deeply into one of Kyradaemon's games when you dream about it, and in the dream you post to it. Then when you wake up you frantically rush to edit your dream post because you said something wrong in it, or at least not quite right. Then you realize that it was a dream post, and you can go back to sleep.
You know you're deeply into one of Kyrademon's games when you stay up an extra hour on a worknight just to work on the character sheet and finish one thread of posts, then set the alarm early so you have a chance to post quickly before heading off to work. Rather than, you know, catching up on the missed sleep.
So, currently, the only momentum, such as it is, appears to be behind Pickles, Spoons, and Fire.
If anyone wants to vote for or make a case for another name, now would be the time ...
(I dream about you guys, too. But my psychiatrist assures me that it is not in a creepy way, not like those other dreams.)
Congrats... You have switched me back to my college sleep schedule of 5 hours a night. :) (and waking up before the alarm)
I'm also sleeping less now than just two weeks ago, even just to keep up with the story and posting the odd one-liner... :P
You guys use IPA to talk about phonology, that is so cool. :) For the record, I also pronounce Hrunndalf with an aspirated alveolar trill at the beginning. I'm assuming that goes for Rhost too...? It seems to be the most fashionable initial sound these days. ;)
Eh, you fashionable kids today with your aspirated alveolar trills. In my day we used a velarized voiceless aspirated dental affricated click and we were thankful to get it! On Sundays, sometimes we could afford a prenasalized voiced dental/alveolar plosive, but only when the potato crop was good.
At times like this, I'm glad that the language of my native land sounds JUST like how it is spelled.... (Even if I can't bloody well speak it, at least I can sound right when reading it.)
Insomnia has been killing me lately, but it's only half the fault of the game.
Eh, you fashionable kids today with your aspirated alveolar trills. In my day we used a velarized voiceless aspirated dental affricated click and we were thankful to get it! On Sundays, sometimes we could afford a prenasalized voiced dental/alveolar plosive, but only when the potato crop was good.
The latter is rather trivial, but I'm not sure I can pull off an affricated dental click, unless you just mean a velarized voiceless aspirated dental affricated ejective. ;)
@ Mel, what's your natlang, then?
Hawaiian. As makes sense for someone from Hawaii. :)
You guys use IPA to talk about phonology, that is so cool. :)
Simply a remnant of a misspent youth taking linguistics classes.
My sleep schedule hasn't changed, but that's largely 'cause I'm able to sneak in posting and reading during work, unlike some people. My boss doesn't care what I'm doing at my desk, as long as I'm producing results. So I'm getting about as much sleep as before.
The quality and tenor of my dreams, however....
Hawaiian. As makes sense for someone from Hawaii. :)
So long as you can keep your vowels straight. I always got them mixed up when I tried to pronounce.
I only had one linguistics class in my misspent youth, but the professor introduced us to IPA with transliterated Will Cuppy, so I think on it fondly.
many years ago i took 2 semesters of Hawaiian, and i still don't speak it... although i too can pronounce it correctly. :P also, what's this linguistics you people speak of? it's like you're all educated or something. geesh, who gets an education nowadays? i thought everyone just watched reality television and played video games.
The latter is rather trivial, but I'm not sure I can pull off an affricated dental click, unless you just mean a velarized voiceless aspirated dental affricated ejective. ;)
Like I said, man, kids today. It's like nobody cares about Gciriku, ǂHõã, or ǃXóõ anymore.
So -- coming plan.
I intend to slightly adapt an encounter from the AP to start a combat on Monday night (my time), for the need-for-a-combat-pace while I'm on vacation reasons discussed earlier.
By the end of that combat, you all should be third level. So, if anyone has not yet made an attempt to gift or insult at least their trait NPC at second level, I would recommend an attempt be made in the next ~36 hours or so.
I will point out, if necessary, that right now you are in a town that would allow for a little Shopping. Crafting, whatever you have on hand, or starting a conversation are of course also options, depending.
By the end of that combat, you all should be third level.
I'm interested in spending a skill point in Linguistics to acquire another language (Elven maybe?), but it doesn't make much sense that I should have learned it in a single day. :P How do you handle these things? Older, mostly-forgotten language knowledge being refreshed by the recent exposure?
I'd also be happy to teach someone Terran so I'm not completely communication-less during combat, but I guess that would be even harder to justify. Who in the group would have taken Elemental Languages 101 in highschool? ;)
If you put a rank in Linguistics, you learn a language. Since that is the mechanic, as GM I do not *require* an explanation beyond "I woke up this morning and by the gods I could speak Elvish!"
If that seems ridiculous to you and you want to develop a sensible in-character explanation, naturally I would only encourage that. I might recommend you play it that, having put a rank in it, you are "learning Elvish" along the trip and therefore you are beginning to "get the gist" of Elvish conversation i.e. you are now allowed to click on the "Elvish" spoilers and decide for yourself how much of it your character "understood" at any given point.
The same approach might be taken by any character "new to Terran", although there is also a character or two who could legitimately claim that they had been "studying Terran for months" and only just now gotten the tricky knack of it. But again, they can also "wake up speaking Terran" if that is their desire.
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I'd also be happy to teach someone Terran so I'm not completely communication-less during combat, but I guess that would be even harder to justify. Who in the group would have taken Elemental Languages 101 in highschool? ;)
Hrithik's working on the elemental languages he doesn't have (at this point, be has Ignan for the language of Fire, Thassalonian for the language of Metal, Tien for the language of Wood, and Abyssal as one of the languages of Void), but I don't think he's anywhere remotely near acquiring Aquan, Auran, and Terran. He'd need to at least *hear* Hrunndalf in battle mode to begin serious study, ideally putting in some study after acquiring comprehend language.
There's a Mindchemist class feature that would let Hrithik plausibly gain several languages in one go, and serve as a passable excuse to burn a few ranks into Linguistics, but he wouldn't be able to use it til 4th level at the earliest, and quite possibly not til 6th.
So, for now, more blithering incompetence!
Me, I would have gone Fire = Ignan, Metal = Terran, Wood = Sylvan.
Why Thassalonian for Metal?
He'd need to at least *hear* Hrunndalf in battle mode to begin serious study, ideally putting in some study after acquiring comprehend language.
Hrunndalf does know the language outside of combat, too, so there would be no obstacles to some tutoring. Hrunndalf has also been meaning to acquire a smattering of Tien, which Hrithik could teach, so that would be a good way to pass the days...
Me, I would have gone Fire = Ignan, Metal = Terran, Wood = Sylvan.
Yeah, that would have been my guess as well.
Lio would be happy to teach elven, and to learn Terran, I believe I'd mentioned it before, but maybe that was in my head (these things happen, ask Ry) I was thinking I'd allocate the point in linguistics, but RP learning things a bit. It just hadn't come up in character yet. I was actually going to approach Hrunndalf in game and offer, since he seems interested in elven. If Hrithik still wants to learn too, there could be a little impromptu classroom whenever Lio drives, the other two could hang out on the wagon and practice their elven.
On the subject of drinking songs...
Es Gibt Kein Bier Auf Hawaii :
Meine Braut, sie heißt Marianne.
Wir sind seit zwölf Jahren verlobt.
Sie hätt mich so gern zum Manne
Und hat schon mit Klage gedroht.
Die Hochzeit wär längst schon gewesen,
Wenn die Hochzeitsreise nicht wär,
Denn sie will nach Hawaii, sie will nach Hawaii
Und das fällt mir so unsagbar schwer.
[Refrain:]
Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii,
Es gibt kein Bier.
Drum fahr ich nicht nach Hawaii,
Drum bleib' ich hier.
Es ist so heiß auf Hawaii,
Kein kühler Fleck,
Und nur vom Hula Hula
Geht der Durst nicht weg.
Ja, wenn sie mit nach Pilsen führe,
Dann wären wir längst schon ein Paar.
Doch all meine Bitten und Schwüre
Verschmähte sie Jahr um Jahr.
Sie singt Tag und Nacht neue Lieder
Von den Palmen am blauen Meer,
Denn sie will nach Hawaii,
Ja, sie will nach Hawaii,
Und das fällt mir so unsagbar schwer.
[Refrain.]
One more point, probably redundant, but since I didn't see it mentioned (sorry if repetitive and already discussed somewhere) what are the in character sleeping arrangements? Generally speaking, I assume the ladies stay in one wagon and the gentlemen in the other?
Let's see... By the handy dandy Pickle character sheet:
Boys:
- Sandru
- Bevelek
- Vankor
- Attatoq
- Alaric
- Hrithik
- Hrunndalf
- Kalimac
- Rhost
- Tollin (kinda)
Girls:
- Ameiko
- Koya
- Shalelu
- Reta
- Lio
- Melinda
- Myriana
So... one covered wagon for girls, one for boys, fortune-teller's wagon for girls, and the supply wagons for boys?
sounds good :)
Es Gibt Kein Bier Auf Hawaii
Kona Brewing Company begging to differ!
Hm, I could use me a growler of Coco Loco every now and then.
Actually, since Melinda is fifteen, Alaric should get a white, windowless caravan to sleep in.
The NPC's are ... perplexed by the notion of going boy/boy girl/girl, but they're willing to mostly accept it if that's what the rest of you want, with the exception that Koya insists on having Sandru in her wagon to wash her feet in the mornings. That might make it (not counting Tollin who, after all, is not there yet):
1) Reta, Shalelu, Myriana, Liothonae, Melinda, Ameiko
2) Koya, Sandru
3) Bevelek, Vankor
4) Kalimac, Attatoq, Rhost, Hrunndalf, Hrithik, Alaric
Which, the NPC's point out, has the advantage of leaving a free wagon open.
Actually, since Melinda is fifteen, Alaric should get a white, windowless caravan to sleep in.
you have no one to blame but yourself :P
Es Gibt Kein Bier Auf HawaiiKona Brewing Company begging to differ!
Hm, I could use me a growler of Coco Loco every now and then.
on the subject of locally brewed beer, it was a sad day when brew moon closed :( now there's some other restaurant up there... unless they're gone too, i never go to Ward anymore now that Borders is gone.. ::sniff:: well, except to get sushi. but that hardly counts ;) i've never had the Kona beer, but then, i'm really not a beer drinker. unless you count hefeweizen.
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Me, I would have gone Fire = Ignan, Metal = Terran, Wood = Sylvan.
Why Thassalonian for Metal?
Absurdly long story. If arcane arcana bores anyone to tears, skip the long version! :)
Short version: it's from an adaptation of an alchemical 7 elements to 7 (or 9) directions to 7 virtues thing I made up for another character in a completely different campaign, which maps Metal to West (Thassalion) and Wood to East (Tian).
Around the Inner Sea, where he started, everything was the usual occidental Air - Earth - Fire - Water quartet, and the language matchups were straightforward for those and the elemental planes:
- Air = Auran
- Earth = Terran
- Fire = Ignan
- Water = Aquan
So by the time Hrithik was adding elements from other traditions, Terran was already claimed by a more appropriate element.
Eventually, Hrithik got around to the oriental Quincunx of five elements, with a "center" Earth ringed by northern Water, eastern Wood, southern Fire, and western Metal. And then there were fruity monk ideas about an element of Tao or Void, which is it's own opposite but is aligned to every other element. Hrithik's synthesis solution is to imagine that the Quincunx arrangement of oriental scholarship is "accurate" but incomplete, and is what the proper 7-element spread looks like if you are looking down at a three-dimensional element arrangment with (translucent) Air being directionally "up", (non-present) Void being both directionally "center" and "both otherworldly peripheries", and Earth being directionally "down".
(Basically, one looks "through" Air and Void to "see" Earth in the "center" of the Quincunx arrangement.)
That solves the basic elemental directionality puzzle, but it doesn't yet address the planes and languages to associate with the three new Elements.
- Hrithik associates Void with the Material Plane and all Outer Planes simulaneously, and the "most ideal" languages therein: Abyssal and Celestial as a 4th-dimensional opposed dyad (outermost planes: abyss-ward vs. heaven-ward, both of which are Void and the axis of which is at right angles to all three of the other elemental axes ... don't ask), and Draconic (central material)
- Hrithik associates Wood (and the Eastern direction) with the Positive Energy Plane, spirit, and life-force
- Inversely, Hrithik associates Metal (and the Western direction) with the Negative Energy Plane, undead beings, and death.
Problem: there are no "negative/positive energy plane" languages.
So, to solve the problem of the missing languages, Hrithik realized that any death-life elemental axis would have to be rooted in the physical world, and he looked for appropriate West-East paired-opposites in the Material. (While Sylvan could work for Wood, it doesn't have an opposed counterpart in the Pathfinder Planes, which have no Shadowfell among them ... given the scattershot nature of the Fae, who definitely include elemental beings among themselves, Sylvan works, for Hrithik, as one of the infinite ideals of "center" Void, and could replace Draconic for those so inclined.)
Ultimately, looking at the Quincunx again solved the problem. On the Material world, one can easily find a diametrically opposed pair of empires at the furthest terrestrial extremes, one the epitome of dead metal ruins and undying arcane power in the West, the other the epitome of living wooden construction and the divine spirit forces of the East. Thassalion and Tian. Ergo: Thassalonian and Tien.
Appendices:
- Given that there would be 9 languages, with 8 long-necked extremes arrayed 4-dimensionally around a central Draconic, this "elemental nine-headed dragon" would all be tied into the myths of the Io Cycle if Hrithik were ever to write his "dream formulary" ... never let it be said that the dude doesn't create impossible projects for himself.
- All of this is how Hrithik has become the aspiring poster child for eagerly throwing a ridiculous gob of feats and class abilities and skill points into a deep, dark well to ultimately acquire a whole bunch of almost completely useless languages, rather than something practical, like, say, Elven. Or Skald. (The fact that this campaign may find a way to make Tien have some kind of utility is a complete accident, and the fact that Terran and Thassalonian have cool talk-to-other-PCs angles is utter happenstance ... nobody tell Hrithik.)
Short version: it's from an adaptation of an alchemical 7 elements to 7 (or 9) directions to 7 virtues thing I made up for another character in a completely different campaign, which maps Metal to West (Thassalion) and Wood to East (Tian).
I think Captain Róberts would be spinning in his grave to see what you've done with his belief system.
Kalimac will be interested in learning Elven, since he's picked up a new pack member and feels in would be polite and personable to speak her language. Terran he wants to learn, but mostly for tactical reasons. So I guess there's another PC going to pick up Linguistics.
I think Azlanti would be better for west, since the Azlanti empire was further east than the Thassillion empire and they were both in existence at the same ending point, but that it a personal distinction. :)
By the way, are you ever going to respond to Mel in character? Please?
Kalimac will be interested in learning Elven, since he's picked up a new pack member and feels in would be polite and personable to speak her language. Terran he wants to learn, but mostly for tactical reasons. So I guess there's another PC going to pick up Linguistics.
Yeah. Alaric feels like he needs to learn Goblin for obvious reasons.
You want to be able to understand Mel when she swears at you?
Kidding.
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On the Azlanti front, it's more that Thassilon is the last remaining remnant still around. Its ruins are still absolutely everywhere in the West today. It's still a "thing" and a "place" in the modern world, where Azlant is a memory and a waterway.
Also, Thassalion was all over the creepy death EEEEEEEEEVIL (to balance all the wholesome spirits of order thing in Tian) in a way that the Azlanti weren't quite ... Azlant just got a space rock dropped on it by foul fish-fiends. (Big waves! Big waves! Har har har!)
By the way, are you ever going to respond to Mel in character? Please?
I'm trying! I'm trying!
(Seriously, work and travel has been ridonkulous. And there's been a lot of OOC stuff to go over with Ry. I seriously have barely been able to manage to fire Ry quick emails about in-town purchases these past two days, let alone any of the three outstanding threads that were going, and forget any of the boys-club / girls-club stuff.)
*Just* managed a short reply to Lio. *Promise* I'm working on it! :)
Kalimac will be interested in learning Elven, since he's picked up a new pack member and feels in would be polite and personable to speak her language. Terran he wants to learn, but mostly for tactical reasons. So I guess there's another PC going to pick up Linguistics.
Awww thanks :) but i can't pick up halfling until at least 5th level... i have so many things to learn... and only a few skill points. darn druids. :/