
Twilightrose |

Annalisa - aye, aware of that and just have had a busy day at work so haven't had time to update.
It's cool, I'm not trying to rush :) Just wanted to make sure you were aware since you have the combat tracker up but there wasn't anything for us to attack thus far.

Rikka the Dðcincel |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Rikka, what say you about the whole leader conundrum?
But since you asked, here's what I think.
First, this leadership issue would work itself out organically over time. Among a group of reasonable players, competent leaders tend to rise to the top through consistently good tactical choices and strong ideas. Personally, I don't see a good game-based need for a full-court press to establish a hierarchy at this moment. And given the short time we've played together, no one is standing out as an obvious front-runner in my mind.
Second, we'll need a leader whose style is in keeping with the 'approach' of the Black House team. I'd love to have some clarification from VoV on his expectations for how the Black House should play. I'm seeing a schism in approaches that could become a rift/source of tension if we don't get on the same page. I think we are all approaching the game from the perspective that this is a bloody-handed team that has few compunctions about killing anything that gets in our way. However, HOW we do that seems to vary. Some of us are going for the "rush in and slay it" mentality and others are going more with a Special Forces "let's be cautious in how we approach so we can definitively gut this sucker". So my question for Mark is - do you have some expectations in how you see this game playing out? Are you looking for bloodthirsty Vikings that go a little thin on tactical brilliance or is a gang of relentless killers who pack hunt and bring overwhelming firepower to bear more what you had in mind?
If this comes down to an arbitrary vote and you are asking me to choose based on what I've seen so far, here is my short list in no particular order:
Katherson is a reasonable choice but - as he pointed out from an In-Game perspective - he is too much of an unknown character in the story at the moment. But he could 'rise to the top' over time even if we have another leader short-term.
Analissa is also a decent In-Game choice as the elected 'guide' from the village and their de facto representative. Also, her approach splits the difference between headstrong and cautious.
Klo - whether he wants the job or not :) - is another solid choice in my opinion. He has both offensive and defensive capabilities and his approach also splits the difference between headstrong and cautious.
Finally, all three players seem personable and open which I think is important. There are two sets of relationships going on in any game - Character-to-Character and Player-to-Player. Good 'in game' leaders have to deftly handle both. That last point may be a bit of a 'meta' consideration but I think it is valid.

DM - Voice of the Voiceless |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Then made the DM fail his Stealth check as well :P
I have no expectation of how the Black House will play, apart from a fervent hope that all will have fun doing it. The charge and cleave or spec ops or whichever way will all be able to be supported within the AP and have a different experience in various encounters.
I'm also not going to weigh in on who should or shouldn't be in the alpha position as that's predominately a player decision more than anything. I would note that it doesn't necessarily need to be one person for all encounters, you could have different people take the 'lead' in different types of settings.

Twilightrose |

Excellent responses, Rikka. DM VoV thanks for the feedback. I don't want to press anyone, and I don't want anyone feeling uncomfortable, I just figured if we got it out of the way then there would be less issues later. Ultimately, I don't care who ends up as "leader" I just want some level of group cohesion.

Elghund |

In calm and dulcet tones, with whalse songs and yoga music in the background
Its almost saddening that the other party entirely made up of Smurfs and Tinkerbells is grimmer and darker than we are, and it's hurting my feelings.
At this point the encounter scenarios haven't favoured any sort of Spec Ops type resolution, and if anything, they have been straight up toe to toe affairs. In each case we have had superior numbers and battle is quickly won by bringing maximum force to bear in as short a period of time - hammer meets anvil. It will be nice to actually get to use Elghunds Stealth and eventually 'Favoured terrains' to be all Spec Ops ninja, and I suspect going forward our methodology will probably be the Fighters sallying forth as Elghund and 'companion' come in from the flanks. I think we weill always be an overt pack of killers, and there is no spec ops required as we will always bring enough oomph to simply crush our foes.
I take the point about organic leadership, but there is a disconnect in that I think when we saw it was all black house and we are surrounded by hard men of the North, we took that at face value and did what cold men of the North do, and that is be grimm gritty and determined, and hack our foes to death; at the same time we had an issue where apparently not all the players are on the same message, and unfortunately they chose to clue us in well after the fact and after the bodies had hit the snow. In fairness, I pushed that event to bring the matter to a head, because there is no 'Organic' when it comes to murderous killers, there is only the explicit, and this means that until someone takes the yoke of responsibility then the likes of Skane and Elghund are probably going to continue to stack the bodies high, as if we are all equals, then their decisions are equally valid.
Now no one is syaing you have to claim the warband as your own, but perhaps taking the time to put some IN GAME posts up where you shape the groups actions, other than have a yell at the Orc for basically doing his job, then that would go a long way. Thats about as organic as you are going to get, because other than Skane, Elghund wouldn't follow any of you out of even morbid curiosity - he's seen no stones yet. We're VIKINGS, not cub scouts :P

Elghund |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I actually thought it might help by going all Smurf as people wouldn't read the post and get upset thinking I was being cranky as opposed to just conversational :)
Some days you just need to be able to have a chat nicely even if the content COULD come across as snark when it was really mean to be smurf.

Kló |

Its almost saddening that the other party entirely made up of Smurfs and Tinkerbells is grimmer and darker than we are, and it's hurting my feelings.
Then you may need to put your big boy pants on. ;p
At this point the encounter scenarios haven't favoured any sort of Spec Ops type resolution, and if anything, they have been straight up toe to toe affairs. In each case we have had superior numbers and battle is quickly won by bringing maximum force to bear in as short a period of time - hammer meets anvil.
True, as you'd expect from our crew. With the exception of the only fight anyone's had any issue with… the elk fight. And no one had an issue with how we resolved the fight (our tactics after blades and horns were bared were solid… team HULK smashed quite well), but with what happened before the fight even began.
And let me say first that I had no intention of trying to cut a deal with the fae… as both of us have pointed out (in and out of character), that's likely to be a losing strategy. There was likely information to be gained, however. And given we're in enemy territory with unknown opposition and numbers, squeezing some of that out of the little dude (over said roasting fire), might have improved our situation.
at the same time we had an issue where apparently not all the players are on the same message, and unfortunately they chose to clue us in well after the fact and after the bodies had hit the snow. In fairness, I pushed that event to bring the matter to a head,
I can't speak for Annalisa (though context clues alone – given that she did try to open with a dialogue with the talking elk – should tell you that yes, there were clues that not all of us were on the same page. You just ignored them), but I didn't have a chance to react before the whole elk/Elghund thing happened. Had I been able to post in the midst of that, I would have taken actions to indicate that I thought an attempt to get some info was smart.
I get why you pushed it to a head (from an in-character standpoint), just as I hope you understand why Kló was frustrated. He even delivered his thoughts in a less confrontational manner afterwards. Elghund argued back, and Kló lost it. He's quiet in general, but he's still a hot-headed Northman.
because there is no 'Organic' when it comes to murderous killers,
Yes there is. It doesn't look like your traditional social hierarchy creation, but it's there none-the-less.
there is only the explicit, and this means that until someone takes the yoke of responsibility then the likes of Skane and Elghund are probably going to continue to stack the bodies high, as if we are all equals, then their decisions are equally valid.
Cool. I can dig this. You want someone to step up. I get it. Consider the message received and being acted upon.
Now no one is syaing you have to claim the warband as your own,
Too late. Twice now Kló has seen what encounters are going to be like if the more black-handed of us are left to run un-checked. He wants to see this thing through, and he doesn't want to die in the process. :)
but perhaps taking the time to put some IN GAME posts up where you shape the groups actions, other than have a yell at the Orc for basically doing his job, then that would go a long way.
Well, there have been. Some of which have been ignored. But they'll be more explicit, but you'll have to have patience for a player who's not in your time zone and has some fairly regimented times he can get on and post. (I have other responsibilities which limit my online time)
Thats about as organic as you are going to get, because other than Skane, Elghund wouldn't follow any of you out of even morbid curiosity - he's seen no stones yet. We're VIKINGS, not cub scouts :P
This is one of my bigger frustrations with your comments so far. Where is this lack of stones that separates the rest of us (or, more accurately Kló) from you and Skane. Or are you equating anything less than rushing in thoughtlessly, weapon raised to be "without stones"?
in every fight so far everyone has contributed well. Moreover, people haven't been 'playing it safe' in combat. We've been rushing in and destroying stuff. Hell, there's a good chance Elghund would be dead had Kló not rushed in on the fae in the elk incident.
I'm genuinely interested to know where I'm showing any lack of 'stones' so far.
TL;DR = I want to destroy sh!t, too, in a shower of warm blood and to the tune of our own blood-thirsty war cries. I also want to take even a moment to consider situations that are obviously traps of some sort instead of rushing right into the middle of them.
And I'm more than happy to step up… consider it happening.

Skäne Ingvârssonn |

I'll not sully Skane's black repute with the frivolities of the smurf...
Ahhh skitt there goes that...
I'm finding the chat regards the Black House dynamics very interesting and would echo Shifyy's point regarding Elghund's evolution into a ninja-special ops hunter-killer is one I'd be glad to see.
Skane for his part is build on taking a licking then giving a kicking... with his shield abilities and high AC coupled with Rage ability at higher levels means he's nicely postioned for that very purpose.
Ultimately the group will evolve and leaders will naturally lead... Skane could happily fufill that role but it wouldn't be pretty lol. Our common aim will give us a degree of cohesion going forward, but it will take a strong leader/chief to make characters such as Skane/Elghund or even Klo come to heel... The nature of the group is unharmonic, we will be pretty disparate in their views and methods, but I for one will enjoy interplay within the group that encounters like the Elk and beyond will bring (and as long as we have fun with that then all is good nei?)
As for heedlessly springing traps I'd just played the situation as a Northman growing frustrated with chasing a flighty "foe on the wind"... He craves the shield wall and to see an enemies eyes as their soul blinks from them. As a result the snowman bore the brunt and so did Skane (wasn't a blind decision, but rather an "in-character" one)
Will he be more cautious - aye possibly... once we have prisoners they will be "encouraged" to do the pathfinding or end up as skull cups :)

Annalísa Finnrsdóttir |


Hilde Alfborne |

Fey
I think I came off more harshly yesterday than I intended. It was late and I was tired. All I wanted to say was that Hilde wanted to discuss things before we went to the lodge and killed everyone. This discussion absolutely needs to be in character, I was simply afraid that if I didn't show at least some of my hand that everyone might post before I had a chance. I didn't really mean more than that.

The Halfhand |

What, did you think the Halfhand would just say "I'm sorry, I'll try not to hurt your feelings anymore?" :P The GM specifically placed the fey-phobic halfhand into a group of fey for a reason. It's not gonna resolve itself quite -that- easily.
I'd also like to stress that I've got no real OOC feelings towards the matter. The Fey have had some bad luck with dice. But to the Halfhand it looks like they're not pulling their weight. That's all.

DM - Voice of the Voiceless |

1) Hilde gets some IC backup from Olaf and Kelgar - and Halfhand is either ostracised or subsumes back into line on threat of rejection by the mortals. (preferred outcome)
2) MSCampbell is tired of being the only one to give some flexibility on the issue and the PbP becomes un-fun for her and she decides to withdraw. (I would absolutely hate for this to happen... as I selected Hilde as a core person and the group fell into place around her)
3) Caerb and Bastagar side with Hilde, and the mortals side with each other... and the party splits down the middle. (Possible but rocky... and even could be the catalyst for change if the fey end up rescuing the mortals).
4) SurplusRaine has a strong view of Halfhand and doesn't want to diminish that design and decides to withdraw. (I would hate for this to happen too - as Halfhand was also a core for the fae group)
In any regard - lets keep the comments to the IC and in character.
Lastly, I'll be on a four day vacation starting at 11:55 tonight - disappearing down to Perth for a few days to do the familial visitation thing. Highly likely I'll be delayed in posting during that period.

Twigs |

The dice gods have struck poor SurplusRaine back in our Six Trials of Lazarod auditions in our CoT game. I think the Halfhand's ungodly luck with that crossbow is the universe balancing himself out.
Also I had a post in the wings that said much the same as the Halfhand, so I've got to rewrite my response. Serves me right for waiting. :P
I'm not much of a poet and I don't think my audience is used to working out the riddles that most kennings seem to be.
I think breaking up the posts/
In such a manner/Would serve to make/
The meaning plainer.
I find myself editing Bastagars (admittedly fewer) rhymes into this kind of format, and it also helps to put emphasis on the kennings that you do use (I've personally been using them more and more sparingly as the game goes on). I tend to reserve rhymes for speaking with Hilde (but I've also used them to mock the Halfhand, so there you go.) I'm only speaking in verse when it seems appropriate, and it's fitting that Bastagar would do so less than Hilde, one of a much purer strain of fairie.)
Nor do I think anyone's being inflexible thus far. Hilde requested we talk about it in-character, and we're doing so, along with promises for further development. Our band has only spent a day together, and the only things the others have to judge our character is not slitting their throats in the night. These things take time...
Regardless, enjoy being back in the motherland, Voice! I'm sure there'll be plenty of activity over the next few days whether you can post or no.

DM - Voice of the Voiceless |

Here and here.
At the moment, Hilde stands alone as the bastion of goodness and light within the party - IC none of the characters have spoken in her defence or suggested that they are her friend and confidant in the world. As a player it can be very draining (sucking the fun out of the hobby) to log online to post and know that you seem at cross-purposes with the party. Posts become a chore rather than a pleasure.
As I said - if we can get some IC responses to the current exchange of words that may give both Hilde the player and character some needed moral support... or it may reinforce that MPCampbell doesn't want to be the odd one out because it's no fun to her as a player.
Does that make a bit more sense?

Kelgar Frostbeard |

Hey! Kelgar's been doing plenty of good! :)
First off, I'll have to admit I actually really like it when a party isn't all lovey-dovey and I'm actually jealous that you guys have the opportunity for this kind of banter. If we didn't already have all this possibility for dramatic roleplay, I'd definitely consider having Kelgar be a more severe dwarf and less of the fatherly sort.
I will say, if we played this all completely in character - Hilde has to pull out of a rough spot - something completely compounded by some bad combat rolls.
In the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, Ulfen women are generally regarded as peers of the men. However, Halfhand is actually from Cheliax, and there's three of us who are demi-humans. Olaf, in character, is probably expecting equal "combat output" from Hilde to truly consider her a peer of a true Ulfen warrioress.
I have no doubt that Hilde will break out of her rolling funk soon enough (the odds are in her favor). With some pivotal contributions in combat, she'll earn the respect of all the men about her. It just hasn't happened yet, and the dice are the ones most to blame.
Kelgar's a wise dwarf, he knows Hilde's time will come when the dice gods will it, and then she'll have more respect from the more-difficult-to-impress members of the group. He can't jump to her side right now though and continue to carry the same level of respect with the Halfhand and Olaf. Especially now that there's a big shining beacon light focused at the "issues". Halfhand's basically saying we brought a pretty girl along because she's attractive and rhymes. Once we see the power of the smiting of evil, things will change.
OOC, I'm all for proving that bastard Halfhand wrong. I'll gladly prioritize getting in some flanks with Hilde on the next set of bad guys so we can set his ass straight.
Yet, as long as the jerk's rolling so damned well with his crossbow, and Hilde's hits with her longsword are far and few between, it's a more uphill battle to prove him wrong.
I hope this helps. I truly am more excited about checking on this PbP because you guys have created characters that have this interesting roleplay challenge ahead. I hope MPCampbell can get passionate about Hilde building up a sort of side-quest to prove to the world that the "good" fey are a force to be respected and reckoned with - and welcomes the fact the Halfhand exists not unlike an NPC with which to tackle the challenge.
I'd love for her to pull Kelgar aside and ask him about this. Unfortunately we share no languages that the Halfhand doesn't. :)

Cearb |

I like the dynamic of the group and hope this is just a chance for good RP. In my mind Cearb dotes on Hilde...perhaps I need that to come out more in his posts, but he would do anything for her.
As to alignment, I hope that spelled out his philosophy a bit...Chaotic Nature (Forest). He sees himself a servant of the Forest and by extension a servant of Hilde's. And where he recognizes the true goodness in her, he imagines there are things that need doing that she should not sully herself with, that is what servant as are for. If he goes too far in her presence she nearly need remind him of her displeasure and he would correct his behavior. She can be important for him in this regard, having grown up a wild child, he lacks certain boundaries in regards to what might be proper or 'good' as he just tends to do what he thinks is right, typically with a heavy hand. So I like her taking a stand and addressing that men are not to be all killed all the time. And yeah, some sucky dice rolls have left me feeling less than heroic so far, so I appreciate Hilde sticking up for him.
Ok off to bed.

Hilde Alfborne |

Slaugh Sidhe:
I haven't headed over to the gameplay forum yet and I want to get my thoughts down, as a player, before jumping in to the "in character" confrontation.
My Personal Feelings
I do not have a problem with moderate levels of party conflict. I do not have problems with trying to outdo each other or not trusting each other. I do not like what I feel is abuse, which is what I've felt here. Oddly enough, that it's not directed at me doesn't seem to matter. I find myself wanting to yell, "STOP!" for Twigs and Cearb. I am probably over-sensitive in that regard, but then, I am trying to be a doctor and that's how we are supposed to be, so maybe it's okay.
I do not want to leave this game and am very happy with all of the players. I can see myself leaving if some of the players get their feelings hurt, or if the abuse continues further than I can stomach it. I like heroic action, including tv level violence. I do however need the real world ugliness of child abuse, rape, drug addiction, racial hatred and pointless suffering to stay where it is, away from me. I know what you're saying, "We haven't raped any children?!" I know that 8), I'm just throwing out examples of things I can't stomach. I prefer the Grimli/Legolas level of racial dislike, but I know that I am patsy in that regard.
The Rules
The rules regarding paladins and traveling with evil party members are very clear. They are not so black and white as to say that the paladin only has a problem once the corner is actually turned - but I can hear my entire last DnD group howling in my mind in protest over what happened with the bandits. Yes, that may have been the best thing to do, with careful deliberation and concern about what is Right. That was not the spirit in which it was done however, and when it comes to moral issues, motive is more important than outcome.
Hilde will throw up red flags over evil actions but will not leave the group over them as long as I am comfortable in the game as a player. But then, I haven't threatened to leave the group right now, so I don't see that as the issue.
Voice is the one that will decide when you've turned that corner and when he does, one standard action will tell Hilde. At that point, at least one of us is leaving, according to the rules.
I'd rather not go there.
I'm headed over to the gameplay forum now to see what the hubub is all about. I worked very hard on Hilde's post, so even if you disagree with her sentiments, I hope you at least like the writing. 8)
@Twigs
As to my rhymes being confused, there have been a few where I've used a kenning that was taken literally rather than allegorically. I don't want to take the time to go look them up right now and they haven't been many.
I spent about two hours on that post as it was really hard. Unfortunately, I just don't have the kind of time where I can make posts like that, and then follow it up with a rhymed post clearing up a mistranslated kenning. Honestly, I thought it better to just cheat. 8(

Twigs |

Oh, brilliant! Yeah that's actually a huge improvement. Two great posts, and while I dont think a fire this close to the cabin is wise, I wouldnt want to go ahead and go against two such long, well-thought out posts to the contrary. Hell, we just had a pyre about a mile over yonder. If they havent investigated yet... I'm probably worrying too much, huh? If only I was this cautious in our home game. We'd probably have say, exactly one less dukedom now being ruled by a troll right now.
And it's really awesome that PbP allows things like this. Verse, rhyme, songs and the like. I had a character speak in (the closest I was willing to get) to proper Elvish for the better part of a year and a half in a second darkness game. That little window of time really lets you give twice the performance you could otherwise.

The Halfhand |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I do not like what I feel is abuse, which is what I've felt here. Oddly enough, that it's not directed at me doesn't seem to matter. I find myself wanting to yell, "STOP!" for Twigs and Cearb.
You do realize it goes both ways? Bastagar and Caerb have been insulting and threatening him from day one. Most of the Halfhand's supposed abuse is just him muttering "Can't trust fairies" to himself over and over. The Halfhand's actually probably taken more direct abuse than anyone else in the party.
But that's okay. Because characters like Bastagar and the Halfhand were made to be insulted. They're made to be scorned and slapped around a bit. We want to be hated and reviled, at least at the very beginning. It's part of who the characters are. And it's part of their growth as well. Why else would we make the twisted, filth-caked, half-mad creatures that we did?
Nobody's feelings are getting hurt. We're just having a bit of back-and-forth banter, exchanging light jabs. The gimli/legolas relationship is something that we work towards over the course of the game. It's something we achieve through shared experience over time, not something that is immediately apparent.
On bandits
Yes, that may have been the best thing to do, with careful deliberation and concern about what is Right. That was not the spirit in which it was done however, and when it comes to moral issues, motive is more important than outcome.
Ah, see, that's where you're wrong. Let's take a look...
"A man does not die a slow death. Winter will not claim another victim." The Halfhand spits the word 'winter' like a curse through gritted teeth. He stands over the corpse for a moment, his matted hair hanging in strands across his face, expression blank and cold as the icy snow.
The Halfhand knows the suffering the elements can bring firsthand. He wasn't going to let these men die a slow death in the snow, claimed by hypothermia or picked apart by wolves. What he did, he did out of mercy. He took no joy in killing them. What he did wasn't a good-aligned act, but it certainly wasn't evil.
I wish this was the issue you'd raised in-character, so I'd have had a chance to explain it there, rather than pulling up the issue that the clearly-insane wild man doesn't show any respect for the gremlin-like creatures that look like they crawled out of his worst nightmares.
It's way too early to be having the trust-issue talk. We don't even have a common enemy or goal to work towards yet. I'm loving the stories and posts coming out, but really they should have been told at a time that it was important for us to need to trust each other, like before we confront a formidable foe or embark on a big quest. They don't need to be said just to rescue one lady. It feels like we're forcing an issue into light that we don't need to deal with yet, at a moment that isn't dramatically appropriate.

Cearb |

I agree it is a little early to expect a completely gelled team, but I think Cearb's point is that there is more out here that will force us closer. If half hand and others resist that, all the better earning their respect . I think some good examples of insulting team members have been given, I really like the Balders Gate reference. I have been running on a wolverine/cyclops reference in my head, they will do everything to win the mission and not get the other killed, but they will rub in any little slip up to prove a one up kind of thing
And in the last post, I am bumping up Cearb as servant to the princess mentality. But despite its threatening tone, I am smiling the whole time thinking half hand is such a great bastard, perhaps as much as Stephen donaldson's white gold wielded - people help and serve him everywhere he goes and he resents them all he he thinks he is not worthy of such attention.
Last words....having fun

Hilde Alfborne |

** spoiler omitted **...
I am no doubt being overly sensitive. I will do my best to roll with everything. I felt the issue became pushed over the bandits and my impression that is was wrongly done.
The bit with the Halfhand and the gnomes has not reached the point where I am willing to force anyone's hand. You assured me previously that it was all in character and nobody's feelings were being hurt. I believed you then and still do.
I wanted to head off walking into that cabin and killing everyone before I got to post otherwise. That is why I stopped play.
I will try to thicken my skin so everyone can have fun. I do not want to dominate the group or stop anyone from being who they want to be.

Hilde Alfborne |

I had a character speak in (the closest I was willing to get) to proper Elvish for the better part of a year and a half in a second darkness game. That little window of time really lets you give twice the performance you could otherwise.
My idea for the rhyming came from my LARP days when a friend played an unseelie character. For one weekend a month, from Friday night to Sunday morning, he only spoke in rhyming couplets. I have no idea how he managed that in real time.
That, on top of freakishly twisted horns, rags for clothing and a torturous shuffling limp made it the most disturbing performance I've ever encountered and he kept it up month after month.
I wanted to be just a tiny little bit as cool as that.