@Henri: My guess would probably be either in Abbhen City or the City of Iron, but not inbetween. Cel would hear of a place with Pirate in the name and immediately stay clear of a place like that even if it's not pirate filled. He would want to be out of the wilds unless he had someone who could handle themselves, so he would stick to cities for sure. Small towns along the way wouldn't likely have enough to sate his curiosity either.
Hi all,
Here are some comments on backgrounds in more or less the same order as before.
@Xizoh:
Here's a question I've been wondering: how does one pronounce Xizoh?
His background is spot on in terms of the mentality of the place and time. I agree he would be a great foil and companion to Cel; a calm, kind, and gentle soul.
For the record, Xizoh would have to come north through the pass - it's pretty much impossible to cross the mountains otherwise. He could probably do this with minimal contact with people if he really wanted to and was willing to camp alone (maybe not a great idea).
Just to make sure - when you say he is headed to the healer/apothecary to see if he is needed: did he travel to Southtown explicitly to help with the missing soldiers? Or was he passing through to Altiendel for some other reason and happened to check in?
@Cel:
Cel is going to be a really interesting character in this arc, and very fun to have around I think. Fun, lighthearted, curious, and skittish.
A few questions:
Is he curious enough to ask Henri to try firing one of her guns even though he knows it will scare him?
Is his curiosity powerful enough to keep him observing for a long time with great patience? Or does he get bored or distracted easily and wander away?
From what you say about avoiding Pirate's Port and avoiding the wilds, what is his drive to go searching for soldiers in the mountains? Does he feel that much safer with a party (and does this make him any less skittish)?
Also, Pirate's Port does indeed have pirates =D
@Cel and Henri: The City of Iron would have word of the search in Southtown, and probably some rumors as well. Probably no further south though. It'd also be a very interesting place to poke around, as well as pick up some metalworking in the form of gunsmithing if Henri were so inclined.
@Henri:
I really like the noble elf who becomes a barroom brawler. She comes across as very human (figuratively speaking) and likable. Chaotic neutral is sometimes tricky in a party, but I can definitely see her forming close bonds with party members and sticking with the task at hand throughout this arc.
I love the Kingsnake Company. You really nailed the brutal chaos I had in mind for Pirate's Port.
99% gang members dying implies to me she was the only one to survive the assault (unless there were more than 100 gang members total, but that's a pretty big gang). Does the rival criminal enterprise know she survived? Does she have some kind of mark on her for capture or death?
Where is the Lonely Swine geographically (ish)? Near Novadena, or farther south toward Abbhen?
City guard isn't as much of a thing in Altiendel as it is in Abbhen, being more centralized. Winfried probably joined the military, and might have been stationed in Novadena, but might have taken a tour elsewhere.
I notice the chance that she will be recognized in Southtown is above zero. Does she plan to give a false name?
(If you want to answer any of this in a PM, feel free.)
@Alaina
You already know this, but I like everything about her backstory. It paints Alaina's personality and drive very well, lays out her motivation, and also does really well illustrating some of the aspects of Abbhen City.
Alaina will be the hardest to entice to stick around with the party, having come to Southtown with another priority goal in mind. But I'm pretty confident she will be convinced. I also think there's potential for her to grow pretty fond of this bunch.
@Dulae
I imagining Dulae will fulfill everyone's need to slap someone on the back and say, "Lighten up".
She reminds me a lot of Shepard Book in some ways - out on an adventure and still taking advantage of opportunities to spread the good word of Altien.
It's interesting that's she's so dedicated to the Altiendel military she's using this adventure to try to get back in earlier than her injury would've allowed. (Arrow to the knee? Sorry if I missed exactly what the injury was somewhere.)
This might be important: Does she still have an associate status with the military while she's meant to be recovering? Or is she out and unaffliated? (I could see either, depending on what happened, what she advocated for, and perhaps who her contacts are.)
She's also the only resident Altiendel citizen, and the only one traveling from the north. Interesting. (She's going to get a really flowery description of the view of Southtown from the north all to herself, because I wrote it before I realized that.)
@All
I think this party is wonderful. There's a well-balanced mix of personalities that I think will interact in interesting (but not antagonistic) ways.
You're also well balanced in terms of skills, experience, and combat abilities.
Looks like there's an age range of 20-26 (where 126 elf years is just past the 110 adulthood mark, so more or less thereabouts). That may also help you all get on better and bond more quickly.
Before I run away with glowing about how fond of the party I am, I should mention I won't be ready to start the game for another 1.5 days - probably when you wake up on Wednesday. (I'd thought you all would take a bit longer, apologies.)
So, please continue brainstorming how you're going to get there and with whom. I'll also ask that you describe your appearance in your first post, so you can be thinking about that too.
If you have something you would like me to know that the rest of the party may not need to be aware of, now would be a good time to send it my way in a PM. (I have some material from Alaina and Dulae - thanks.) For example, Henri's acquaintances may be a good candidate for this if she doesn't intend to lay low.
@Cel:
Cel is going to be a really interesting character in this arc, and very fun to have around I think. Fun, lighthearted, curious, and skittish.
A few questions:
Is he curious enough to ask Henri to try firing one of her guns even though he knows it will scare him?
Is his curiosity powerful enough to keep him observing for a long time with great patience? Or does he get bored or distracted easily and wander away?
From what you say about avoiding Pirate's Port and avoiding the wilds, what is his drive to go searching for soldiers in the mountains? Does he feel that much safer with a party (and does this make him any less skittish)?
Also, Pirate's Port does indeed have pirates =D
@Cel and Henri: The City of Iron would have word of the search in Southtown, and probably some rumors as well. Probably no further south though. It'd also be a very interesting place to poke around, as well as pick up some metalworking in the form of gunsmithing if Henri were so inclined.
He's definitely okay with the gun firing if he can see it and knows it's coming. I hate to say it, but the house cat really is the perfect description for him. Find something he's curious about, and any quick and/or loud reaction and he'll jump for a second, then IMMEDIATELY take two more steps toward it.
As for the patience bit. He's certainly distractable, but if there's something he's trying to figure out he's unlikely to leave it until he has his answer. Most likely spying if it's not someone he recognizes as "friend." The curiosity is like a dog with a bone. At the moment, he hears about these soldiers (per the background for this campaign), and he MUST investigate it. He'll see it to completion and any other things where spying would be necessary. He won't bolt until he's caught, and then it's just bolting to safety for a moment until he can safely go back and investigate again.
And yes, is VERY much related to the safety of a party. He's not okay with being alone around murderous things when he doesn't have someone bigger and stronger to scoot behind. The wilds and pirates are both unpredictable. Things worth investigating, but not when he's alone. Once he's met Henri and eventually others, he'll go just about anywhere.
So, City of Iron it is! Henri, my guess would be a meeting accidentally at some tavern? Thoughts?
@Cel: That all sounds great, thank you.
@All: One more thing for you: I'd like you to try out this test combat map.
You are currently each represented by a circle with your first initial on it. Please try to move your marker somewhere else (anywhere is fine, as long as it's not the same square) and also try to change the color and customize it as you like.
This probably won't be a map we will use - just for practice.
Let me know if you have any trouble accessing it or otherwise!
Worked for me.
Thanks Alaina.
I should also mention that comments on and suggestions for a party map of this style are welcome.
@Cel City of iron sounds great! And a bar is the most likely place they would meet - for some instant trust, if she saw someone picking on a kinda scaredy guy (I mean, a kinda meek guy sounds like a probable first impression) shed step up to help out (partly to help, partly to get a decent fight going).
@GM I will send some stuff over pm but the stuff I can just post here would be: the lonely swine I was imagining to be still in Altiendel but pretty close to the border.
I was trying to portray a pretty low-ranking lawman with Winfrieds career path, so like a private (or equivalent) would be appropriate, I think.
Also the map worked for me as well!
Yep, no issue moving the C around.
And yes, meek and twitchy. Surprisingly resiliant though!
Some wrap-up notes:
Starting this campaign will be a little cognitive dissonance season-wise if you’re like me and in the northern hemisphere. The arc will start about this time of year, but in a southern hemisphere that’s late autumn instead of late spring.
If you don’t post for a couple days, I intend to bot your character. If you let me know in advance, then you forgo a 5% chance of returning to an update that says "{Your_character_name} is now on fire." (They'll be fine. Probably. But in all seriousness, I would appreciate a heads up.)
There will certainly be some days I may not be able to post (for example, June 15-18 will probably be light on updates from me). But we’ll figure it out.
Here is a summary of travel to Southtown from your responses:
From the south, through the pass:
- Alaina
- Cel and Henri
- Xizoh
From the north: Dulae, who will also arrive the afternoon of the same day.
We'll jump right in - I'll describe what you see, you'll describe how your character appears and what they do. It'll be a little chaotic at first with four perspectives, but I'm hoping the party will converge pretty quickly.
If you are ready to get started, then reply with an 'Aye!' (or a more practical 'Ready', if you prefer). If you're not quite ready that is okay - feel free to keep discussing.
Aye! I believe I am ready and willing!
If Cel doesn't have his own horse, he can feel free to ride on the back of Sally with Henri. Don't get too frisky, though ;P
Also I realized Henri didn't have any ride or handle animal so I spread out her skill ranks a liiiitle more. She's probably had a few horses over the years, but Sally was the first one she bought herself.
Ah, very good Henri. I probably should have noticed that.
Aye! I'll be walking in. Not much cause to ride a horse in the city when everything I need is within walking distance. Beside, a good walk keeps the blood pumping.
Yep willing, and there's no way Cel is on a horse on his own. Animals are unpredictable! He'll trust a more experienced rider (or experienced as far as he knows). Also, out of complete coincidence in the two characters I submitted to this PbP, Cel happens to be about as asexual as Amathelah was. Being an overly curious spaz is a pretty consuming lifestyle! Courting and the like just doesn't even enter his mind, let alone physical friskiness. That's not to say he hasn't seen things when he spied and lingered too long, but again, it's curiosity that made him linger not predatory peeping. I can certainly see him getting in trouble for that at some point, though!
Aye aye, lets get this ship sailing
The battle map all good for me. I personally sound his name out Z-oh, which seems phonetically weird now that I actually think about it. He checked into the healer/apothecary because he just wanted to do some good. He's actually not expecting any sort of fighting, just keeping people healthy and fixing up wounded soldiers. ;D Also, don't underestimate the camping potential of a giant magic snake.
@Xixi doesn't it go away when you go to sleep/unconscious? Or do you just not know that and think that you're surrounded by a bodyguard snake but you're just really lucky that nothing eats you?
@Henri, @Xixi (I like this nickname): If the summoner is unconscious, asleep, or killed, his eidolon is immediately banished [PRD].
Doesn't mean you can't take other precautions - you're not really in trouble if you can wake up an spend a minute on a ritual. Fire would keep most animals away (but maybe attract trouble of other kinds).
I'm all ready to go!
(Apologies to the thread for not posting - I had talked to Mikkel in meatspace about what I was doing and forgot to post it!)
@Dulae: Indeed, we should make sure we post any out-of-forum communication (even though it makes me seem omniscient). =D
Looks like everybody’s locked and loaded. Here we go! You can expect a first post in Gameplay by the time you wake up.
Yeesh that intro post got away from me, sorry if it's too long >_> I will avoid the five-paragraph essay in the future. On the other hand yaaaay we're in business, now!
@All: Your posts are awesome! I am loving it.
Heads up that tomorrow’s an early day for me with a working lunch, so in all likelihood you won’t hear much from me until 5pm Pacific or later (read: one GM post per point-of-view for tomorrow, most likely).
Apologies, but, it’s for science. (Science!) Plus it’s probably more representative of what I’ll be able to keep up with in the long term. (Today was really fun, but whoa.)
I expect to have a lot of time to post this weekend.
(@Henri: For the record, if you have five paragraphs worth of things to say, then I am a fan. (And I would argue that yes, indeed you did.))
Cool beans! Today I basically refreshed it every 5 minutes or so, it's been a loooong time since I've done a pbp but man am I excited. Can't wait to get the party formed in-game and mash all of our gooey, messy roleplay bits all over each other. Also, this is a very creepy town. Or at least, it lives in a creepy spot.
I'm all for the larger posts too, gives me something to read! I've been in 3 PbP's for a while now, but they are so incredibly infrequent with the posts. I will also be able to post throughout the weekend too.
By the way, in case anyone is refreshing every 5 minutes (=D), describing the military headquarters is going to take me awhile.
So, check back in maybe an hour or two? After that things should come pretty quickly.
(And yes. Poor Southtown, it's not your fault you're creepy.)
Okay, all caught up!
I'm seeing a niche market here for a Paizo app that would send an alert when there's a new post in certain threads. (I don't suppose any of you are app developers?)
My work schedule tomorrow is more flexible than is was today, and I expect to have much of the long weekend free.
Man, that app would save my ctrl+R key some wear and tear.
Also, all characters are exempt from the small chance of being set on fire when I don't post a reply until nearly midnight Eastern time. (That's on me...)
(Speaking of which: hey wow, Thaago apparently went to bed before me today. Good job! Daylight is good for you.)
@Alaina: Technically I should have also had you roll diplomacy earlier, but given the expectation value and standard dev, your charisma, and a circumstance/delivery bonus, it wouldn't have mattered much given the check. For the future.
Man, the bar feels like a James Bond movie, with everyone guesses each other and watching. I should grab some popcorn.
We all have to go find our own dark corners and just stare at each other. We must find a five-cornered tavern!
You guys are great.
@Alaina - time hop time!
In my arrival scheme Alaina (and Dulae) had arrived enough ahead of the others that they could conduct their business before nightfall.
It's now about late afternoon for Alaina, and my original intent was to have her arrive at the Wolf and Bear *before* Henri and Cel. (The innkeeper says all the rooms are full - one of those has been rented to Alaina in that math.)
So, I see three options:
1) We play out Alaina renting a room, then skip to Alaina coming down from said room to see what all the commotion was about.
2) We play out Alaina renting a room, and Alaina gives zero f#$%s about the commotion and meets the party tomorrow.
3) Alaina walks through a wormhole to the inn, losing a couple hours, and enters now.
Any of these will work and all will get the party to the same place tomorrow. Do you have a preference?
I didn't know there was a commotion. I haven't been reading the spoilers.
So option 1.
Ah, apologies for the hint then. Easy enough. Thanks!
Sorry about that, I'll watch for it in the future. Ignore that part of my post.
No worries!
Team tavern: don't feel a meta need to kill time until Dulae arrives (not that I am thinking that you are).
Speaking of which, I expect/hope that soon we'll have the whole group on the brink of the next day in game.
@Alaina @Henri: I didn't realize that backstory interaction was cannon, but... =D
Well it just got confirmed
I mean if its cool with the gm
Cool with me! I'm loving this.
It should be noted that Henri is entering a drunk state - despite a bar-crawling past, she is really bad at holding her alcohol. I have a whole ranking system based on how many drinks she's had. 1 drink is visibly buzzed and very handsy. At 2 she starts getting very, extremely emotional. 'Even more', you ask? Well we'll have to see if that happens.
Question for Henri and Alaina: Are you making any effort to keep Laurett from overhearing? (Or Cel or Xizoh, but I assume not.)
I'm also really enjoying the bar antics :D. Hopefully I will be arriving 'soon'.
Henri is probably not at this point, she's kind of engrossed in the conversation. She hasn't really spoken about herself, as of yet, so she hasn't cared to keep it secret.
Not really. Tavern owners always get the scoop, sooner or later.
Noted. Thanks!
Wow, miss a day, and you miss a ton! I don't really have a ton of time to read through everything. How about a retcon where Cel didn't want to wait for the tavern to clear out to go to bed, and he instead went to sleep in the stables buried under his warm cloths and hay and thus missed all of the conversation?
Indeed, we're moving along at a pretty quick clip, although I wouldn't expect us to sustain it during a work week.
The relevant comment for Cel is one by Henri toward the beginning of the conversation:
---
Henri picks up her drink and coat and sidles on down the bar at a seat next to Cel. "Hey there, windy kid." She smiles and pokes him before taking a swig of ale, continuing with "Looks like you've been keeping some secrets from me." Henri leans back in her chair and let's out a small chuckle.
"I hope those guys weren't giving you too hard of a time. I tell you what, I woulda jumped in if you needed me. That's a free service," she slips a little bit, but catches herself, giggling - it seems like the alchohol might be hitting her now, and she's slightly buzzed. "I'd do it for anyone, I don't like bullies, they're rude and mean..." She drifts off for a moment in thought.
---
I'd like Cel to address this. If he wants to go to sleep immediately afterward, that's fine by me, and if he wants to be just listening otherwise, that is also fine by me. (Yes, he would be welcome in the stables, although everyone but Rik will think that's a bit odd.)