When we're intentionally keeping something from each other can we post it under spoilers?
Sounds good to me.
]I just assumed she was hiding from the potential people in the tents, not from us.
I think you're right and it was meant for other possible threats out there, not the PC's ( may have misread things myself, but it did take me over an hour to craft that response on the main board and I did have a long day at work and was kind of fried so I may have got a bit confused).
At this point I'm assuming she was searching the tents while you guys talked to the slaves so she wasn't privy to that conversation, though you could fill her in later, if you'd like.
However, as the Zadjite tent is probably the only one you didn't have the chance to search then it's probable that Ala would likely go look there first, so it should be relatively easy to discover her without any issue in-game.
Since Tairin was not involved/included in any rp with PCs, I had her move to the Zadjite tent in particular to investigate it more closely. She was using stealth not to be noticed by any remaining enemy and generally she prefers moving more discreetly/quietly when searching ... it's part of her characterisation. It is in no way meant to imply any PvP action or that I/she was intentionally keeping anything from the other PCs.
The reason I used a spoiler now is because she's the only PC in the Zadjite tent at present and it keeps the game thread clean and less confusing with the slaves talking to the other PCs.
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It's cool - it's pretty much my bad.
I was pretty exhausted after work and I honestly didn't realize what was going on when I was writing the responses. When I got to Tairin's post at the bottom I realized that she was using it primarily for Stealth/Habit in case their were any more hidden NPC's - but since I had spent so long writing the entire post prior to it and didn't want to ret-con things I figured I'd just use the lack of Perception Check to explain things "in-game".
To clarify - sometimes I DO prefer things to be kept separate for story purposes. So, for example, when Samir approached Ala to attack the Zadjites I had a strong hunch that some players might oppose the action that Samir had come up with (to be honest, even Ala wasn't too keen on it via how he built his character), so that was done between separate players, but for a reason (though any player who may oppose it would likely be able to do it later via RP and I was eager to see how that went, too).
Also, part of the reason I also allow (and sometimes encourage) separate posts to some of you guys is to encourage more interaction/RP/Story. I mean, I enjoy running the game, but I also really enjoy reading what YOU guys write - it's like we're all contributing to a collaborative story, so I like to read what your characters do because it's fun for me as a reader :)
With that in mind, I often give "Translations" in Spoilers specifically because I'm curious to see how a player elects to Translate something. For those of you who saw/read Fellowship of the Ring there was a carving on the doors of Moria/Khazad-dum which was in Elvish and - if spoken aloud - would allow the speaker to magically open the door.
The movie made it like it was a "Riddle" - but the book implied that the original text was "Speak Friend and Enter" - but there was point where Tolkien had indicated (he loved languages and part of his passion with Lord of the Rings was creating whole new languages for the world he made) was that sometimes there were subtleties to translating - so the line could be read "Speak Friend" - but the Elvish word "Speak" could also be translated as "Say" or "Say the Word" (which is pretty much what Speak means) - so if Gandalf had read aloud "Say the Word" instead of "Speak" the answer would be obvious.
Anyway, that's a whole lot of aside.
My main issue is that I wasn't trying to instigate any tension between you guys, I was just trying to come up with a way to make sure I didn't have to ret-con quite a bit of writing by simply indicating that the two things were happening at the same time.
Sorry again for the confusion and I hope things are cool.
As an aside, as a reader I'm curious to see how the following proceeds via story:
1. Paten seems to be giving commands with ease when dealing with these recently freed slaves; likely this is a result of his background and training in Yar-Ammon - however, based on the text it seems that Ala seemed a bit uncomfortable with it and I'm curious to know how it goes via Social RP.
2. Tairin has some similar background/training to Paten - however, she is being more secretive/stealthy in general - what prompts her style? That is; she is clearly not acting like some pampered princess who could have easily had Bjeorn search the tents, or requested that he aid her (he is her bodyguard). Instead, she elected to behave with more stealth then a stereotypical noble's daughter might; what mysteries is she hiding? We have already seen her cast spells and hint at the use of poison; yet her full range of power has not been disclosed - who is she really? What mysteries is she hiding, and why?
3. Bjeorn is a barbarian northman - he is surrounded by a hodgepodge of southern folk with strange cultures and customs, yet he seems to be relaxed and almost ambivalent around them all - what allows him to keep his cool and poise so easily? Is he committed to ideals of Fate and merely accepts these actions as part of Destiny, or is he masking his true emotions for some mysterious purpose?
4. Red is a follower of "The Old Ones" and uses sorcery that is powerful and (to many) blasphemous - her power comes from a mysterious talisman that functions as her "Familiar"; a being not unlike the "Red Lady" from Game of Thrones in many ways - yet now she seems more interested in drinking and finding some young men to dally with. Is she a woman who has seen beyond death and has decided that while she lives she should indulge in her lusts and passions? Yet if so, where will that hunger lead her? Or perhaps she is someone who is seeking a "lover" that she can seduce to her whim and then sacrifice to her dark and nameless gods?
5. Ala is a man who seems like a casual sell-sword and mercenary; content to travel the world in search of adventure and reward. Yet beneath that cavalier outlook is a man who hints at something more - several times he has indicated his frustration with the current employer, yet beneath his devil-may-care attitude is a quality of honor that prevents him from breaking a deal, even with a rouge such as Yetara. Further; the battle with drunken Zadjites has clearly bothered his conscience - it would be one thing to have slain these men in clean battle - but to come on them unawares and slay them like assassins in the night has troubled him on some level; what sort of man is Ala, then? Will we discover that beneath his gruff exterior is the heart of an honorable man, willing to fight for the lives of unknown slaves simply because he cannot tolerate injustice?
6. Samir and Farrokh - clearly a couple of freed-slaves who have some quirks and are just eager to help the group. Nothing mysterious or hidden with them at all... or IS there... ;)
To clarify - all of the above are things I've wondered via how you guys RP your characters. It doesn't count stuff I know via your backtories; also, your characters will likely evolve as the game goes on to become different.
My point in making those above examples is to suggest that - I might be wrong in my guesses - but I'm genuinely curious to see how you guys RP the story out and your characters.
That being the case; I hope my enthusiasm to get you guys RPing with each other and in general doesn't seem too much, but you've excited my curiosity and I'm eager to see where you all take it.
Okay, that said, I have some Campaign posts to respond to....
I will play out what Tairin's learned in the tent in just a little while. I'm just waiting on one bit of info/rp from the GM before I can undertake it.
It seems currently Bjoern is in the tent with Tairin and Ala'lhys and Samir are also moving into the tent to join them.
And Dain GM, nice and interesting perceptions/observations of everyone in the main party. :)
Ala'lhys, I hope you manage to get some decent sleep/rest.
I will write up a proper post tomorrow, too tired now.
In case anyone is interested, it appears there is a historical mongol campaign in the works.
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Items found in Zadjite tent for easy reference:
- Both warm and cold weather clothing as well as four finely crafted studded-leather mail.
In chests:
- 5 similarly sized balls of poppy sap/laudanum balls
- Portable alchemist lab
- Chest to hold coins: Mostly empty but does still house 2 stacks of 50 gold coins – 2 stacks of 50 silver coins and 1 stack of 50 bronze coins, as well as 7 gold coins, 12 silver coins and 21 copper coins.
- 4 MW Survival Kits
- MW Healers Kit
- Two MW braided whips
- A spice chest: Holding various spices – while not overly valuable, there some really tasty seasoning; nothing too exotic – the full price for the “Spice Rack” would be roughly 10 GP – valuable for some spices, but not exactly a big investment).
- Packets of dried tea – unlike the Khazistani coffee which is produced in abundance in these desert climes, the tea seems unique, though it is similar to one that was served in Mei-Mei’s bath house.
- 6 week old, female, black furred, green-eyed kitten
4. Red is a follower of "The Old Ones" and uses sorcery that is powerful and (to many) blasphemous - her power comes from a mysterious talisman that functions as her "Familiar"; a being not unlike the "Red Lady" from Game of Thrones in many ways - yet now she seems more interested in drinking and finding some young men to dally with. Is she a woman who has seen beyond death and has decided that while she lives she should indulge in her lusts and passions? Yet if so, where will that hunger lead her? Or perhaps she is someone who is seeking a "lover" that she can seduce to her whim and then sacrifice to her dark and nameless gods?
This is a quote from the people of Zoth-
"KHADIS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE RED SPHINX:
As with all towns of Yar-Ammon, Khadis has one god who
is its patron and revered above all others. In Khadis, this is the
hyena-god. Its idol, a colossal faceless sphinx, towers above the
streets of Khadis. It is said to be older than humanity, and to
guard soul-blasting secrets. Some also whisper about half-men
slinking in from the desert during moonless nights and
howling in worship of the Red Sphinx."
This, the Hyena-God of Khadis, or the Red Sphinx, is the deity from whom Red received revelations in the desert near Khadis. And those revelations probably include some of the soul blasting secrets mentioned above. This is what the "knows" in She Who Knows refers to.
Red is a prophet motivated primarily to serve her god and spread his worship. To that end she will do most anything. She was forced to flee Yar-Ammon by circumstances. Since the worship of the beast gods is illegal in Yar-Ammon and Red was involved in ... a couple of incidents that lead to her leaving the country she hasn't told anyone about this.
The structure of the campaign hasn't given her much opportunity to spread her religion.
As the prophet of a forbidden, inhuman god, Red considers social conventions concerning sex or anything else wholly inapplicable to her. Red also thinks that people worrying about her soul because she uses magic as rather comical.
Red's toyboys are in danger of nothing worse than being driven to exhaustion. Red was distressed when Alia was killed. And she has no intention of sacrificing anyone, not unless she receives further divine revelations to do so anyway.
It is worth noting Red has done nothing to mark her as more cruel or violent than the rest of the group. Not in game anyway. Ala'lhys and Samir have, and Bjoern may be.
This, the Hyena-God of Khadis, or the Red Sphinx, is the deity from whom Red received revelations in the desert near Khadis. And those revelations probably include some of the soul blasting secrets mentioned above. This is what the "knows" in She Who Knows refers to.
Humanity has always clothed the supernatural in garb that is familiar to the eyes of men; in this case the folk of Yar-Ammon, as the folk of Egypt, have clothed their beings of power in the bodies of men, for they know no body that is more like their own - and the head of an animal, for such beasts bespeak a power and strength that eclipses man on many levels - and as the Egyptians believed the brain had no value to the ka, or soul, and was summarily removed during mummification, they were said to have placed little value in the wit and wisdom of a thing because of its head; rather, they felt the heart was more important. But I digress...
Specifically, while it may be that She Who Knows has definite beliefs and opinions on the gods of her people, and that She Who Know's own values are completely in-line with the beliefs of her people as specified by the book; the book does not indicate the knowledge of the people about the Supernatural is accurate; instead, quite the opposite.
That is; what people think of the gods/supernatural is likely to be inaccurate - that people have made up myth and rules and customs to explain forces of power far beyond their understanding or true control.
In some cases these practices are successful in urging the source of that power to be used in a way that is consistent with achieving the goals that they as humans happen to desire - in other cases they are not successful.
In short; while the book outlines how the people treat their gods it is generally a good idea to remember that "gods" do things that are not often expected or understood; and that to put too much trust in such beings may not be the wisest of choices...
But then again; it may be completely fine :)
Red also thinks that people worrying about her soul because she uses magic as rather comical.
You're free to think it is comical, of course, but I'm not sure that I would think people who are afraid of something which grants Taint points are that far off in their assumptions that it is something to fear.
Magic comes from somewhere; and that somewhere is not a scientific, meta-magic energy that is tapped to gain power; nor is it a neutral presence that is taken and claimed through specific words and rituals.
Magic is a power that comes from forces that are ancient and unknown; it is portioned out from beings of power - some call them gods, others call them demons, others call them creatures from beyond the realms of men. Your specific power comes from your Familiar, because you are a Witch - however, in your case your Familiar is not a living creature, it is an ancient and mysterious talisman that you carry.
While typically having a living Familiar grants powers which can be utilized in combat, a Familiar can also be seen as a double-edged sword in that the Familiar is an independent being that can be killed in combat and allow the Witch to lose that power until they find another.
You negated that concern with the Archetype you chose. Your Archetype cannot be killed, and because it is not alive it is far easier to hide from the superstitious.
Those are the bonuses of such an Archetype.
But there is another side to it which I've considered since you chose it.
Specifically; unlike a normal Familiar who has weaknesses that allow it to die, yours is an artifact which whispers powers to you for you to study and claim for your own. But the whispers still come from somewhere, a point I have not forgotten.
It seems to me that when the whispers become more intent and pervasive then they have up to now - when they cease to become mere whispers but become a voice, when it becomes something more than the sweet cloying urging to utilize the power and the intensity is raised to something far more potent and demanding - then it may be that She Who Knows will find the superstitions of man to be less comical and instead far more apt... but I suppose we'll find out together how that plays out ;)
Finally, while I did pose some thoughts or conjecture I had about everyone's character above, those were just guesses and hunches on my part - they certainly weren't meant to be how to play your character. I was kind of hoping to see how you all choose to play your character out In-Game as our story continues :)
Specifically, while it may be that She Who Knows has definite beliefs and opinions on the gods of her people, and that She Who Know's own values are completely in-line with the beliefs of her people as specified by the book; the book does not indicate the knowledge of the people about the Supernatural is accurate; instead, quite the opposite.
That is; what people think of the gods/supernatural is likely to be inaccurate - that people have made up myth and rules and customs to explain forces of power far beyond their understanding or true control.
In some cases these practices are successful in urging the source of that power to be used in a way that is consistent with achieving the goals that they as humans happen to desire - in other cases they are not successful.
In short; while the book outlines how the people treat their gods it is generally a good idea to remember that "gods" do things that are not often expected or understood; and that to put too much trust in such beings may not be the wisest of choices...
With one important exception, see below, all you say is entirely accurate in the opinion of me the player. Indeed, I would go further, the gods of Zoth seem to owe a lot to Lovecraft, and as such placing trust in them is indeed unwise. If not totally insane.
But Red the character, she was chosen to be the recipient of direct revelations by the Hyena God and anointed as the Hyena God's prophet. Her trust in the truth of the Hyena God's revelations is absolute, as is her loyalty to the deity. Likewise Red views her witch magic as a blessing from her god, like a normal pathfinder cleric does. She is at least right that it is doing her no harm.
Now the exception-
"while it may be that She Who Knows has definite beliefs and opinions on the gods of her people, and that She Who Know's own values are completely in-line with the beliefs of her people as specified by the book; the book does not indicate the knowledge of the people about the Supernatural is accurate; instead, quite the opposite."
The Guide to Zoth says that worship of the beast gods is forbidden. Red's views about religious matters are as revealed to her by the Hyena God, which is probably very like that believed by the God's cult. And Red is on the run from the authorities in Yar Ammon after murdering some people slightly in a dispute within the cult.
So Red's beliefs are not all in line with her people's, and on religious matters could hardly be less so.
Just to get it out there: I love the amount of thought put into the regular posts in both the gameplay and discussion threads of this campaign. :) Some truly interesting takes on the characters. It's one reason I sometimes leave posting, as I don't want to risk half-baked efforts.
I wrote a few notes on Patenemheb's background in his profile, but have more alluded than elaborated further in the threads. Perhaps the near future will be a good time for our scholar to share more details of his past deeds and future plans with his companions!
On a more material note, I am already mulling over his reaction to the haul of pharmaceuticals.
Re the conversation about the slaves - Tairin was searching the tent when Paten was talking to the slaves.
Okay, Tairin isn't looking to start a fight, but she will speak her mind on the matter as she can't fathom why the slaves would be asked to come along and why anyone would think Yetara would go along with such a plan. Being our group killed an entire guard camp, and Tairin's working on little sleep, she really isn't of the mind to speak calmly or care what happens to the slaves now that they're free.
If the group is going to cast a vote on whether to bring along the freed slaves and dancing girl, Tairin will vote no on the matter.
One majorly addicted, abused dancing girl could be a lot of trouble. Especially with the amount of opiate balls we just discovered. Still no on the dancing girl. :p
I agree that an addict would be trouble.
Though booting her out in the middle of a desert seems a little harsh.
Not that Red is expressing her views at present. She is occupied fostering better relations with the freed slaves.
Not harsh. She's been looked after and will be given gear, rations and a camel. She can travel with the other slaves, so she won't be alone in the desert.
Let's hope Red doesn't catch anything from those negotiations. :p
Hey, what part of Ala'Ihys Defender personality doesn't that fit... Ok, maybe it leans a little to 'co-dependant'
This is what I am The Advocate (INFJ). Not sure what Tairin would be. I better find out. ;)
Addendum: I think Tairin leans more toward The Entertainer (ESFP). So that would make Ala'lhys and Tairin opposites. Oh no! ;)
Quick Questions before I move things forward -
1. What is consensus regarding what you do with the found people?
2. What is the consensus regarding what you do with the found loot?
When I know more about what the group decides I will move things forward formally, right now it seems like you're considering options but I'm not sure what you'd like to do with everything specifically.
As soon as I see what the group plans on doing with those two questions I'll move things forward formally.
Any gear/wealth we have found and not claimed by any in party has been moved (by Ala'lhys, Samir and Bjoern) to a wagon for transportation in game as per Tairin's instruction. I'm not certain what is in the other tents, but I remember rolls were made to search them at end of combat. I'm not sure if the results of those rolls were given.
The little coin we found in the chest:
7 gp, 12 sp and 21 cp pieces (in the coin chest) is divided between the party, Tairin, Bjoern, Ala'lhys, Paten, Red, Samir, Caslav NPC and Farrokh NPC, as follows:
Tairin, Bjoern, Ala, Paten, Red, Samir and Cas all receive 1 gp and 2 cp. Farrohk gets 10 sp and 2 cp. This is to divide it fairly.
This leaves 2sp and 5cp in the bank (to be used how we decide, or given to the dancing girl if Ala so decides to help her).
---
Regarding the ex-slaves and dancing girl, Tairin is not interested in bringing them along in the caravan and feels they can make their own way - they can use the dead guards weapons and skins etc to aid themselves. (Patenemheb should have collected enough information from them by now and can share it with the group.) Personally, I, as a player, think we have enough long-term NPCs in play in our group and I'm really not interested in including more as it then seems to be more about the NPCs and not the PCs. (Our long-term NPCs are Caslav, Farrohk and Samir.) There's enough work for the GM to do with running the bad guys, let alone all the good guys, too. I think NPCs are great for info gathering along the adventure path and some aid, but not long-term involvement and not in abundance. Just my 2 cents.
A Money/ Loot Red searched one of the tents by herself.
She told Tairin she found something, 62 gold and other coin. The details are-
1. 62 Gold Coins
2. 84 Silver Coins
3. 86 Copper Coins.
All that goes into the parties kitty.
There was also "several scattered suits of armor that are laying on the floor as if the men had taken them off and put them aside to rest".
If we want to collect and sell the armour we will more detail from our GM.
B Former Slaves Red would like to keep the slaves around for a while. Me the player does not much care.
As for the dancing girl/ poppy addict, Red would like to talk to her to she what she knows and is like. We have only the description dancing girl/ poppy addict and haven't even heard a word from her, so it is a bit soon to judge.
In principle Red agrees with Tairin that the party does not need an addict to care for. However, if Ala decides he is going to kill her because he has decided that her life isn't worth living we will see some PC on PC conflict.
She told Tairin she found something, 62 gold and other coin. The details are-
1. 62 Gold Coins
2. 84 Silver Coins
3. 86 Copper Coins.
Okay, dividing that sum by 8 people, each person gets a further:
7gp, 10sp, 10cp.
The remainder, 6gp, 4sp, 6cp goes into the communal/party kitty for other uses/expenses.
Bjoern, you still with us? I think the rest of us have said what we think about the ex-slaves. What's your opinion on it? :)
I will post tomorrow. Apologies for holding things up.
Okay...
That being the case; this is what I've been reading:
1. The party has decided to leave the slaves to their own devices. Being that there are camels and horses to haul the wagon, tents and supplies for the 12 guards and 4 Zadjites, that means they freed slaves could easily take the camels/horses that belonged to the now dead slavers and ride wherever they like.
As they were minor priests from Zul-Bazzir they will take the camels/horses and tents the party has elected to leave behind and then they will head off west - if you wish to ride with them, they will not protest as there is strength in numbers.
One thing's for sure; at this point the camels, horses, tents, food/water for the now dead 16 men will be given to the ex-slaves - who will not travel with you to Zul-Bazzir, except by coincidence in that they will be traveling together to that spot and you will likely also be doing so.
Note on the freed slaves: These people were not slaves before the trip - they main guy is a minor priest to The Eternal Flame, the others are temple accolytes - they weren't slaves, they were on pilgrimage - that is why they were not roughed up by the Zadjites - it was assumed that minor nobles and priest types might make better "sport" via being broken to a new master.
But as they are free they do want to return to their former temple in Zul-Bazzir no matter what your company does.
2. There were some other items that the party noticed but I think may not have explained it properly -
- One chest has a portable alchemist lab.
One chest has slots and removable shelves to hold coin – it is now mostly empty; but you find 2 stacks of 50 gold coins – 2 stacks of 50 silver coins and 1 stack of 50 bronze coins, as well as 7 gold coins, 12 silver coins and 21 copper coins.
You also find 4 MW Survival Kits
MW Healers Kit
Two MW braided whips
A Chest with various spices – while not overly valuable it seems at least like something that a conesiour would enjoy to flavor their meal on long journey’s (so basically some really tasty seasoning; nothing too exotic – the full price for the “Spice Rack” would be roughly 10 GP – valuable for some spices, but not exactly a big investment).
You find packets of dried tea – unlike the Khazistani coffee which is produced in abundance in these desert climes, the tea seems unique, though it is similar to one that was served in Mei-Mei’s bath house.
None of these things (except the MW Whip) was claimed.
This much in a land that is grown and cultivated and sold could be worth roughly 400 Gold Pieces per ball – however; if it is in a place that is rare/illegal it could be worth more than 10 times that (roughly 4,000 GP per ball). Each ball could produce 40 doses of laudanum if cultivated properly.
In a normal market that could net out roughly 10 GP per dose – an illegal market? Possibly 100 a dose…However, you don’t know how rare it may be in the city you’re headed to.
At this time I've just returned from worked another 15 hour shift - I've been working 13-14 hour shifts all week and am somewhat tired and am not quite myself; I apologize if this post has any confusion laced within it.
At this time I assumed that when I asked for details regarding what you found that the party was going to discuss the items that I had summed up above.
Quick Aside on Dancing Girl: I'm not really suggesting taking a bunch more NPC's with you as much as try to get information from them - the Dancing Girl may be an option when she wakes up/sobers up and you guys have some follow-up questions for her.
That being the case, I'm going to fast-forward things soon, however, it's late - I've read what you guys decided to keep and I'll have something on the main page tomorrow but I'm just very, very tired and the thing with my heart is not doing me good either.
Sorry for the delay; but something will be up tomorrow.
1. The party has decided to leave the slaves to their own devices. Being that there are camels and horses to haul the wagon, tents and supplies for the 12 guards and 4 Zadjites, that means they freed slaves could easily take the camels/horses that belonged to the now dead slavers and ride wherever they like.As they were minor priests from Zul-Bazzir they will take the camels/horses and tents the party has elected to leave behind and then they will head off west - if you wish to ride with them, they will not protest as there is strength in numbers.
One thing's for sure; at this point the camels, horses, tents, food/water for the now dead 16 men will be given to the ex-slaves - who will not travel with you to Zul-Bazzir, except by coincidence in that they will be traveling together to that spot and you will likely also be doing so.
How many ex-slaves are there?
For my part I want to leave them enough mounts and gear so they will be OK.
But I think any left over, particularly mounts which are quite valuable, we can appropriate. I think Ala was saying something similar.
@Dain: I hope that you are feeling more well by now. And cheers for the overview.
@All: Patenemheb had notions of floating the idea to Yetara of allowing the minor priests to accompany us. However, on reflection, he is now thinking that perhaps Yetara would wish them ill. He does seem hostile to other faiths after all. And OOC, that is a lot of NPCs when we have several already.
I did that quiz, attempting to adapt the questions for a noble scholar and physician. Patenemheb is very much an architect.
He will attempt to attend to the dancing girl. And no one had told him of the sheer quantity of drugs...
Tairin already appraised the opiate balls. I haven’t played it out because the group wasn’t together.
The chests with the balls have already been put on the wagon and Ala’lhys and the dancing girl are sleeping outside. No one’s in the tent anymore, Paten. Tairin spoke to you after it was all done.
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With all the goings on on the main game thread, it will be confusing to play it out now.
This is the appraising Tairin did on the opiate balls,
It depends on how rare the drug is. This much in a land that is grown and cultivated and sold could be worth roughly 400 Gold Pieces per ball – however; if it is in a place that is rare/illegal it could be worth more than 10 times that (roughly 4,000 GP per ball). Each ball could produce 40 doses of laudanum if cultivated properly.
In a normal market that could net out roughly 10 GP per dose – an illegal market? Possibly 100 a dose. However, you don’t know how rare it may be in the city you’re headed to.
May I make a suggestion, Dain GM? Perhaps we can retire Caslav's character for the time being ... and if his player ever comes back to the game, then he can be taken out of retirement and inserted in the game somewhere at that point. (We don't have to wait until we reach Zul-Bazzir, as Cas could ride off to accomplish other things right now. Perhaps he can accompany these ex-slaves/priest and entourage as a guard for them.) It saves the hassle of you having to run the Caslav NPC (and he being included when you're working out the monster CRs for a fight) when your time could be put into other things. The magic dagger (Dagger of Ikhtanabu Xul (+1 undead bane dagger)) that Caslav carries can be given to Ala'lhys to use for the foreseeable future for he's been using it in combat already. I'd rather not see the dagger retired along with Caslav. Thanks.
Apologies for the delay in posting - wasn't feeling well today.
Thank you for the well-wishes, Paten - I really appreciate that.
At this point I'm going to sum this up: you all read what's there via the Discussion Page - that's what was found by everyone - it's all been shared and discussed completely by everyone In-Game.
I'll add on to it by saying there was an additional 20 camels - 4 for the Zadjites; 12 for the guards; 4 for the wagon - the wagon also held the dancing girl and enough food for twenty men and 20 beasts for the next week.
Paten: Your checks about the drugs will not indicate the value of the market you're going to - but logic suggests that if it was purchased recently in Zul-Bazzir that it is not likely to be illegal, so selling it back may not be as valuable as it would be in Zadj - but you could probably net out 400 per ball in Zul-Bazzir, but that's still a good amount.
At this point I'm just going to do the following;
1. The freed slaves are on the wagon and camels and have elected to travel back to Zul-Bazzir; they each claim a camel - your company agrees and can have the rest.
2. The wagon is used to haul the extra tents and supplies - those are claimed by the slaves to sleep in, but you're welcome to keep them if you want.
3. The dancing girl is stable, just drugged - when she awakens she'll likely have to be weaned off the drug, this may take time - at which point she'll go through withdrawal - but she should be fine when she reaches Zul-Bazzir.
4. Formally the only items claimed so far are the small amount of gold coins mentioned above, albeit not all of them; plus the one MW Whip and the black kitten - the party elected not too keep anything else from the "Loot List" and instead just put it in the wagon.
5. The party all goes to sleep (except for Red and Samir - both of whom enjoy the company of the freed slaves via celebrating for a time). In the morning they awake and following Tairin's earlier suggestion everything that is found is now gathered together and everyone is ready to set off for Zul-Bazzir.
6. Cas informs the party that he will stay with the former slaves/priest sorts at Zul-Bazzir once the party arrives.
Meanwhile, Yetara does not care if the people are going the same way he is headed so long as he does not need to pay them; actually, when he finds out who the man is, he spends time discussing things privately with the man about issues in Zul-Bazzir very intently.
During the journey you all reach level 4.
The party reaches the gates of Zul-Bazzir.
@Tairin: That's what I get for posting while tired. Cheers for the quoting.
@Dain: Bar 'under the weather', that all sounds good, And level 4! I'll almost certainly stick with scholar. Though never enough skill points for everything I'd like.
I'd also like to know the fate of Caslav's dagger.
@Dain: Any thoughts on my earlier queries about spells?
@All: Any thoughts on scholar secrets?
Bringing it up before I finalise Patenemheb's level 4. Which will likely be Monday or Tuesday.
No worries, Paten. It can happen. :)
I’ll level Tairin to 4 tomorrow.
Is Bjoern still with us? It’s been a week since he last posted here.
I think it should be fine to look under that spoiler, Ala’lhys.
Several things -
1. Regarding the dagger: Right now it's in Cas's possession as he may come back (more on that below). If we know he won't come back, I can arrange a means for the dagger to be passed on to one of the players - but he indicated it would not be until mid-August so I'll give him a little bit longer before deciding. If he doesn't return, then I can return the dagger to the group.
2. I should let you guys know, while I don't often do "Campaign Books" when I game, when I do use them I tend to deviate from them as the players play to keep things unique (and also because I find I like creative writing rather than simply playing from the book). An example of this can be found on the following link, in which I ran a Kingmaker Campaign Game for a while (we barely got into Book 2 of 6) - but if you check out the link, you'll see the deviation - Link -
I mention this because - as the game develops - players may notice that there are some deviations from the Campaign Book and I don't want players to feel surprised if they notice this.
3. Social RP Direction: the last combat you had was meant to be a way to get into a rough and tumble fight that was meant involve some stealth and sneaking about that evolved into a big brawl that would then evolve into getting the much deserved treasure before you reached a major city (as well being a "gateway" to leveling up.
I actually based the fight from a scene from the modern remake of the Conan character (this one starred Jason Mamoa - it had some good moments; the trailer can be found - Link -.
In the scene in question, Conan and a friend ride over a ridge and see a bay filled with slavers and a slave ship. Conan decides that he will ride down and attack the slavers as he intends to kill them all, alone if necessary, his friend seems surprised at the brash and foolhardy decision and asks why he would risk it and Conan shrugs and responds - "No man should live in chains" - and then rides off.
Here's the end of that clip - Here -
To be clear, in the books there were many in chains and Conan does not free them or even try to typically (honestly there would be too many to free and he did have his own concerns) but I liked that scene and decided that would be the catalyst to instigate a challenging combat that led to a good portion of treasure and celebrating.
Unfortunately my plan backfired and it almost was a TPK :(
I don't want that sort of thing to happen again; with that in mind, I'd like to hear a little feedback via where you'd like the "feel" of the story to go in the future (I'm happy to be flexible - I'm here to make a world we want to play in, I don't want to shoehorn you guys into a world that you don't feel comfortable RPing in).
So far I've heard from Ala on the subject, but I'd like other feedback as well.
If you're uncomfortable with such naked brutality, or what would be in Real Life (basically) open murder for the purposes of theft/amusement I will definitely keep that in mind for the future and scale that back in an appropriate "In-Game" way so it doesn't feel as cold blooded or ruthless.
Again, this is the chance to let me know what you're interested in; I'm open to options but I want to make sure you all have a good experience so feedback helps.
4. Note on Languages: There is no "Common Language" in this world. The start of the game Susrahite was basically "Common" as you started in Susrah. But as the game goes on and you get further from Susrah you'll be interacting with NPC's that don't always speak your language. Taking new languages can be helpful.
It should be noted that literacy is not garunteed with speaking new languages; and that you will need to have at least come in contact with people speaking a language you wish to take, as well as studying documents of a language you wish to read/write in before you're able to take those languages - they can't simply be taken from the book when you level, even if you have the skill points; you need to encounter them In-Game first.
5. Concerning RP: The game involves social interaction with NPC's and PC's as well. Talking to each other, interacting with each other are important to the story. With that in mind, when I did recruitment I reminded players my primary condition for playing was frequent posting. Specifically; one post a day (barring weekends and holidays, though posting then was totally cool) and if you're going to be AFK for a few days, drop a line on Discussion Thread so we know what's up.
At this point I don't know what is happening regarding Bjeorn because I have not heard from; but I wish I had.
Even if all he wanted to do was take a willing freed slave to spend time with at least I'd know what was up; but so far - nothing.
With that in mind I need to know if you guys think we need a new player; specifically someone good at melee fighting. Should I put something up on Recruitment for that purpose?
Let me know what you think on that, and the idea of posting/interacting. Given that you have just arrived at a new town it seems like a good place to introduce a new character, if necessary.
Bjeorn - if you're reading this, please know I'm open to having you play if you're interested, but only if you're interested.
Okay; that's pretty much it.
Please let me know if you have any follow-up questions, thoughts and ideas especially as you're leveling up.
Also, I will think about your earlier questions regarding new ways to do healing and have something up on those soon.
My preference is for murky morality in this campaign. But I'm not opposed to bright heroics or outright murder if verisimilitude is maintained.
And hopefully Cas and Bjeorn will chime in soon.
I think we should follow the Conan type template. Murky morality if that is the word.
Red objected to Samir and Ala starting the last fight. Partly as not needed, more because it was started w/o telling the rest of us, putting us at added risk.
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Tairin personally has a shifting scale of morality - some things she keeps to a strict moral code and other things not so much or she's pretty nonchalant about it. So, I'm fine with the murky morality line in this campaign.
As to the fight that just came to be, initially it seemed that the scheme concocted by Samir and Ala'lhys was a "side-scheme/quest" in game - to free the slaves and maybe hurt some Zadjite along the way. (Side quests aren't always a bad thing, if they work out, and keep active players happy as they're doing something when other players are not posting on the board.) However, poor rolls meant it didn't pan out that way and it turned into a full scale combat/massacre which drew the rest of us into the fray - basically on the backfoot. I think if side quests/missions are to be taken on in future, they're done so in circumstances where there isn't 15 or more trained combat types around (that is, the threat ratio isn't so high compared to the participants involved in the side quest) -- and that if the mission does go side way (due to poor rolling) that it doesn't negatively impact the greater company of PCs.
Personally, I don't think we need a new player at this point in game. I think most roles are covered by the remaining five PCs and GMNPC on a consistent basis. If we do feel we need another player in the future (because we lose another player, for eg)- then I ask we get a character in that balances out (and complements) the team in the skills we do not have in play. It makes no sense to keep doubling/tripling up on certain skills and having other skills lacking/missing.
As to the dagger, Cas NPC can always lend the dagger to the party as the party found it and allowed him to use it and then he can go his own way with the religious ex-slaves. If his player ever comes back into the game (which personally it doesn't look that way as he has a full game plate from what I've seen of his campaigns) then the dagger can go back to Cas upon his return to the party. It seems a waste to not have it until late August just in case Cas' player decides to rejoin the game.