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“I don't think Sonia's death was an accident,” explains Celyse, warming her hands at the fire. It's late, and an unseasonable chill has set in around the manor. If nothing else, it reflects her mood. “Foul play?” asks Tymothi. Even with her back turned, Celyse can all but hear the steward's eyebrow arch. “Based on what?” “Something Sonia told me herself,” replies Celyse. She turns and looks over the small office where Tymothi manages the countess's affairs. She crosses the distance to him and shares what she knows in a quiet voice. He listens, asking no questions until she is done. “Who else have you told?” he asks. “Just you.” “I see. I shall discuss this with the countess in the morning. For now, I think it best to keep this quiet. Phillip, especially, doesn't need these thoughts gnawing at him with his sister's death so fresh.” “Yes, I think you're right,” sighs Celyse as she departs. “Perhaps my fears are groundless,” she muses to herself. “In any case, I've already left my letter with the town clerk to be sent with the morning's post.” She returns to her bedroom, jumping at every shadow cast by the statues in the gallery and every sound that could be a muffled footfall. “You're imagining things,” she whispers. The nearest statue tips and falls toward her...  Welcome to Let's Play Legacy of Dragonholt! Thanks! Uh... what is it? Legacy of Dragonholt is a one to six player narrative adventure by Fantasy Flight Games, a relatively new release. Set in the Runebound setting, the game is essentially a Dungeon-Master-free D&D experience where you and your party work your way through a pre-written story adventure through following the guidebooks and making decisions, somewhat like a choose-your-own-adventure book. It tells the story of the village of Dragonholt and the misfortunes that befall it that can only be put right by a band of scrappy heroes. Aside from colourful characters and a mound of setting details though, the game also involves over two hundred story variables, a large village and map to explore, six quest books, time tracking and a skill and health system for managing your party's progress through the game. It's pretty much a whole computer RPG written out on paper, and I loved playing through it. I loved it so much, in fact, that now I'd liked you to join me in Let's Playing it! For this Let's Play, I am going to ask for six hero ideas submitted by you, the reader (see further down for details). Once we have our party, I will work our way through the game books, referring some decisions to the thread for everybody to vote on (and layering in a bit of our party's own story as we go, naturally). I'll play the game mostly straight, presenting the text and decisions and other game materials as appropriate while hiding some of the behind-the-scenes management like ticking story variable boxes. I'll also make a couple of minor tweaks, mostly to show off more side dialogue, but the core gameplay stuff should remain intact – if we screw up an encounter or run out of time to do something, we've missed it. Okay, that sounds fun! How do I submit a hero?  Like I said, I'll need six heroes, so send me a PM or post in this thread with a name, race/subrace and class, along with any appearance, background and personality details you want as well. I'll take it from there, though all readers are invited to join in on discussing the story and voting on decisions. I'll try to take the first six heroes I get though I do reserve the right to pick for sake of party balance or to filter out any questionable submissions – no pop culture references, please (Heronius Napalm the # is still acceptable). The game doesn't really feature character portraits, though feel free to attach one if you want (personally I like the Pillars of Eternity ones, though technically they don't include Orcs or Gnomes and you kind of have to squint to turn Orlans into Catfolk. Still, maybe it'll save the trouble of uploading a separate image). First, pick your Race. as well as your sub-race. The main effect, aside from some story options, is two of the skills you pick have to come from your racial list. Human: You know these, because you are one (probably). Divided into the Baronial humans, classically medieval folks of castles and farmlands, and the Free Cities humans, more cosmopolitan and commerce-focused. Dwarf: Short, stout and proud, respected warriors and crafters. The Dunwarr dwarves are the stoic and isolated traditionalists of the mountains, while the Forge dwarves come from a city integrated with humanity and are more open and involved. Elf: Tall, graceful and wise. The Latari elves are particularly aloof and magical, following their ancient rituals and customs apart from everyone else, while the Dawnsmoor elves are an active elven contingent in the Free Cities providing guidance to the “younger races”. Gnome: Small and jovial, renowned for their hospitality. The Burrow gnomes live quiet and pastoral lives out of the way of big events, while the Wanderer gnomes travel in caravans from town to town. Orc: Strong and warlike, orcs have a history of conflict with the other races until necessity forced them to work together, and tensions remain. Tribal orcs still live according to their nomadic customs, while Stone-Dweller orcs have adopted more of the static customs of their new allies. Catfolk: A dextrous and wily people, rarely seen by the other races. The Hyrrinx live amongst themselves in hidden villages, occasionally striking out into the larger world. Nevertheless, a few Half-Catfolk have resulted, awkwardly caught between both cultures. Your Class, like your race, has an attached list of class skills you have to pick two skills from. Alchemist: A potion-mixer, who can use their concoctions to heal, fight, and other interesting effects. Bard: A subtle magical musician, known for being personable, dextrous and clever. Brawler: A rough and tumble thug. Knight: A trained warrior and minor noble. Sage: A learned scholar, perhaps in the arcane, runic magic, theology and so on. Thief: A pick-pocketing rogue. Wildlander: A wilderness explorer and survivalist. Next are the Skills. I'll handle picking skills to ensure a balanced party, which involves choosing between five and eight of the game's 25 skills. Each character must have two skills each from their racial and class lists (duplicates count, so if both your class and race list streetwise as a skill then picking that will satisfy one requirement for both), but every additional skill you pick above five will cost you two stamina off your maximum stamina of 14. Stamina functions like your health, and can be chipped away by actions (usually skill failures of some kind). If reduced to zero stamina a hero has one of their skills disabled and regains one stamina. In this way you can't be killed outright by stamina loss, but without the right skills making headway in the game is almost impossible. Stamina can be recovered in a variety of ways (healing potions, sleep) and you typically recover one disabled skill a night – which makes charging ahead once you're low on stamina very dangerous. One last note - absolutely  NO SPOILERS. That includes alternative decision outcomes and the whole like (speculating about what might have happened or what might yet happen is fine, but outright reading it off is not). The game's entirely story-driven, and you guys voting on what to do will be the check on me having already played it once.So send in those character submissions and we'll get this show on the road! Chapter Links (To be updated as we go) Dolash fucked around with this message at 23:44 on May 5, 2018 |
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Active Trackers Peace: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] War: [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Heroism: [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Academic Study: [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Combat Training: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] Physical Training: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] Social Practice: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] Spiritual Meditation: [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Fame: 7 Gold: 540 Party Status NOTE: The “active” marker refers to who is currently available to take actions during quests, and is refreshed for all party members after every party member has taken an action. Actions during the village scenes and some quest actions do not exhaust activation status.  (INACTIVE) Name: Minar Race: Baronial Human Class: Wildlander Stamina: 14/14 Skills: Deception, Survival, Archery, Willpower, Stealth, Craftsmanship. Items: XP: 3  (ACTIVE) Name: Urist Race: Dunwarr Dwarf Class: Alchemist Stamina: 12/12 Skills: Alchemy, Craftsmanship, History, Endurance, Empathy, Reasoning, Runes, Awareness Items: XP: 2  (ACTIVE) Name: Aria Race: Free City Human Class: Bard Stamina: 14/14 Skills: Performance, Empathy, Archery, Athletics, Streetwise, Awareness. Items: XP: 3  (ACTIVE) Name: Athtar Ravaberos Race: Latari Elf Class: Knight Stamina: 16/16 Skills: Dueling, Military, Agility, Willpower, Persuasion, Awareness. Items: XP: 2  (INACTIVE) Name: URK McFURK Race: Stone-Dweller Orc Class: Sage Stamina: 8/10 Skills: Arcana, Runes, Athletics, Persuasion, Survival, Devotion, History, Brawling, Craftsmanship Items: XP: 2  (ACTIVE) Name: Deepmind Race: Hyrrinx Class: Thief Stamina: 12/12 Skills: Agility, Awareness, Streetwise, Stealth, Brawling, Thievery, Deception, Performance, Persuasion. Items: XP: 1 Party Inventory  3x  2x  3x      Special Items   Sonia's Journal     
Dolash fucked around with this message at 08:36 on Jul 19, 2018 |
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Mar 30, 2018 00:08
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I may have overestimated the number of posters with PMs, so I'll relinquish some editorial control and open up character submissions to posting in the thread also (you can still PM one if you want)
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Mar 30, 2018 01:45
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For a second, I thought it was a CRPG. I'll post a character here (mostly because I don't have PMs.) Minar is a baronial human Wildlander who... look, let's be frank. Minar loving hates this small town. He needs to get the hell out of here and get somewhere better. Some place where anything is happening.
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Mar 30, 2018 02:52
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That's one! Five more to go.
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Mar 30, 2018 08:47
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It seems like there might not be a lot of interest in this LP. Aside from not getting enough party members to fill out the group, the format would require enough readers to keep voting on decisions, or else it'll just be me rewriting a CYOA on my own. Has anyone else gotten this far and is interested in seeing this Let's Play? If so, please don't hesitate to post a character.
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Mar 30, 2018 16:57
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Dunno. How about a Timothy Leary-esque Dunwar Dorf Alchemist named Urist?
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Mar 30, 2018 17:32
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After a premature closing and then some complications relating to work and health issues during April, I've decided now's a good time to take a second whack at making this Let's Play happen! I've fixed a few issues I had the first time around so hopefully things will go smoothly now. Post or PM me your character concepts and once the party's up to strength we'll get going!
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May 6, 2018 01:02
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So we just pick a class, race and sub-race, that's it? Ok. Aria is a Free City human bard, the daughter of a rich merchant, with a passion for music and performing and a desire to travel the world and get her name out there in order to kickstart a career as an entertainer.
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May 6, 2018 01:27
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Athtar Ravaberos a Latari Elf Knight, an elf who disregards the magical covenant and has a thirst for a nobler cause, when he declares he wishes to wield a sword and protect the innocent he is cast out of his homeland and he sets upon his quest to become the greatest knight of the realm
ArknknuckleRpg fucked around with this message at 01:49 on May 6, 2018 |
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May 6, 2018 01:43
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URK MCFURK (pronounced by yelling) is Stone-Dweller Orc Sage versed in the INCREDIBLE MYSTERIES OF EXPOSITION (shared loudly).
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May 6, 2018 02:55
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This seems like a really cool concept of a game. Deepmind, the Hyrrnyx Thief. a literal cat burglar! After growing up mostly in hiding, it was a pretty natural transition to a career mostly in the shadows. Quiet, but trustworthy (?)...as thieves go anyways.
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May 6, 2018 03:34
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And that's six! I'll have the characters' details up on the second post shortly, and the first update up not long after that. Thank you all!
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May 6, 2018 03:39
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In the Free City of Nerekhall, in one of the quarters never completely rebuilt after the devastation unleashed by Gargan Mirklace, squats a rough pub by the name of Spirit's Rest. The name may be fair, but the roof sits low, the air is thick with pipe-smoke, and flickering candles barely illuminate the muttering drunkards within. The Ironbound guards of the city give the place a wide berth, though trouble rarely spills out into the street – the Spirit's Rest attracts a quieter, more sullen sort of crowd. So it is on a night like tonight, where three young adventurers saunter through the open door and peer into the dimness for the man they sought. “He's not here,” mutters the Dwarf woman, looking away in irritation. “Your informant wasted our time.” “My information's rock solid!” snaps back the Gnomish man to her side. “He must've got wind of us somehow. Too much snooping around this morning!” The Dwarf is about to reply when their third companion, a tall Orc woman, raises a hand. She points to a dark corner booth, where a shadow slightly darker than the rest shifts. A match is struck, revealing a gloved hand, which lights a candle set in the middle of the table and illuminating a trio of open seats. “You think your contact talked?” whispers the Dwarf, her hand on a dagger at her hip. The Gnome shrugs uneasily, but after a moment of waiting, the Orc crosses the tavern floor (ducking the low ceiling as she does) and takes a seat. Her companions reluctantly follow. “So, you wanted to hear my story?” an old man's voice growls from within the darkened booth. The three adventurers don't answer, but gradually lean closer to hear. “Seems fair, you've come far enough for it. Only, it's not just about me...”  On a quiet day, along an unassuming stretch of road in Western Terrinoth, there sits an unassuming wooden bench left just to one side. From the small rise, it commands a respectable view of Eventide forest for any weary traveler that might choose to rest a moment. As the rising sound of footfalls suggests, such travelers are fast approaching.  First over the rise is a woman in fair traveler's clothes, a sturdy walking stick in hand and a fiddle poking just out of her pack. She shades one hand against the sun, sighting the forest ahead, and smiles broadly. With a wave over her shoulder to beckon her companions on, she skips down the trail.  Following close behind is a sullen man in dark, weather-beaten clothing. He bears a hunter's bow and quiver, along with knives and camp equipment that speak of a life outdoors. Despite this, the sight of the forest provokes only a sour look as he hurries to keep up.  "Aria! Minar! Hold on!" Next up, huffing and puffing as he covers the rise, comes an older Dwarvish man. He takes a moment to catch his breath and tug frustratedly at his intricate beard braids. Fumbling with his many pouches and pockets, the Dwarf eventually retrieves a vial of something clear and blue. Downing the contents in one gulp, he seems to perk up, and continues in his younger friends' wake.  The next to appear is a wiry Orc woman. Her wrappings are a mix of traditional Orc styles and human materials, and her pack is festooned with a mix of bone fetishes, books, exotic materials and oddities. Her sharp features twist into a grin and she barks a laugh, watching the Dwarf below her scramble.  She's passed on one side by a short figure bound up in a thick traveling cloak.They might not have merited a second look, except for the furry tail that occasionally flicks around her booted feet. Pausing just a moment, the figure lets her hood fall back to reveal a hairy, cat-like face with large, inquisitive eyes. She takes in the view from the top of the rise impassively, sparing no comment before joining the Orc woman in descending the trail.  Lastly appears a tall elf, his long hair catching the wind as he crests the rise. He's dressed in chainmail armor of decidedly human make and carries a longsword typical of knights in the Baronies, but a few touches - a threadbare neckpiece tucked into his collar, an unmatched leather bracer of fine elven construction - speak to his Latari heritage. Athtar the Elf slumps down on the wooden bench, stretching his legs. The party has been traveling for nearly a week now toward a small village called Dragonholt. This journey is at the request of Celyse, a former adventuring companion and friend, who has since found her calling as a tutor to the children of Countess Regina Fairfax, Lady of Dragonholt. He takes a moment to reread the letter. He is uncertain why Celyse has summoned the party to Dragonholt. Her letter is strange, speaking only of a vague threat that requires his assistance. And although he is sure the letter was written in her hand, the message contains several details that he finds uncharacteristic of the elf he adventured with in the past. He had never known Celyse to drink dwarven wine, and he would swear she always wore a green cloak. It is not unthinkable that her preferences have changed over the years, but something about the way the message is written makes him feel there is more to the letter than is obvious. Athtar had always known Celyse to be excessively proper in her speaking. She must have been in a panic while writing to have produced so many spelling errors. Even more alarming is the brief note on the back of the letter, "Please refer to my first letter". He had not received any word from Celyse before this one. Could she have sent another letter that was intercepted as she had feared? Regardless of the vagueness of her request, Athtar and his companions owe Celyse at least this much after that business in Nerekhall. Not to mention (as Deepmind had quickly pointed out), as the tutor in the employ of a countess, she may be in a position to reward them handsomely for any assistance they can render. “Excuse me, is this road the fastest way to Dragonholt?” Athtar looks up from the letter to see Mariam, a gnome merchant the party's been traveling with, talking to another traveler and pointing down a path toward a forbidding-looking forest. “Aye. If you're going to Dragonholt, you'll have to go through Eventide Forest. Ain't no way around it. About a day's travel straight through.” Mariam thanks the traveler, and he continues on his way in the direction opposite the forest. Athtar folds the letter and stows it away before standing. It won't do to rest for too long. He slings his baggage over his shoulder and prepares to resume his travels. Mariam turns to face the party. “Well, what are we waiting for? If that's the road to Dragonholt, let's be off.” Mariam has been traveling with the group for some three days now. Like the party, she is traveling to Dragonholt, and, as she put it when they met, “the more the merrier.” “We should proceed with caution,” calls Braxton from behind the group. The orc woman hefts Mariam's bag off the ground where the gnome had left it and drops it into Mariam's open arms. “Rumor has it there are bandits who make camp in those woods. We should watch our backs as we pass through.” Since meeting Mariam and the orc knight-errant, the party has found Braxton to be the more cautious of the pair by a wide margin. As far as they can tell, Mariam has hired Braxton for protection, but at times the orc seems to dote on the gnome more than a bodyguard would. Athtar nods in agreement at Braxton's comment, turning to the rest of the party and noting no objections. With a last fleeting glance at the crossroads signpost, they follow after the energetic gnome, who has already started off toward Eventide Forest. Decision: First to one vote wins.  A) “Let's make some headway before we lose the light.” B) “What else have you heard about these bandits?” C) “Stick close, Mariam. It's dangerous to get separated.”(NOTE: A core mechanic of Legacy of Dragonholt is making decisions. Whenever we make a decision, it must be performed by one of the currently “active” party members, who are then set to “inactive”. Once every party member has been activated, the whole party refreshes, so it's sometimes sensible to be careful with who you exhaust in case a character with crucial skills will be inactive when the opportunity to use them comes up. While in the village between quests making decisions does not cause characters to become inactive. For simplicity's sake, I'll pick which characters will perform which actions if chosen from the current active party.) Dolash fucked around with this message at 06:24 on May 8, 2018 |
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May 6, 2018 05:34
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Dolash posted:
Ohhhhhh. I suspected something like that! The plot thickens! Let's go with B, information is always good.
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May 6, 2018 11:09
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My vote would be B. Also maybe to include more people in the voting would a strawpoll be easier?? You can make it so that we can add comments to the strawpoll and we can discuss strategy and not clog up the thread, or if you want that thats cool too.
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May 6, 2018 11:15
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ArknknuckleRpg posted:My vote would be B. Also maybe to include more people in the voting would a strawpoll be easier?? You can make it so that we can add comments to the strawpoll and we can discuss strategy and not clog up the thread, or if you want that thats cool too. Politely disagree on the strawpoll idea. IMO discussions about strategy are a big part of the CYOA LP experience (obviously for readers but also for the LPer as he facepalms at Goon stupidity) and I think a strawpoll would lose a lot of that. That said, to include more people, instead of being "first to ___ votes", Dolash could instead just set a time-based deadline and then just count votes at that time.
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May 6, 2018 11:58
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MagusofStars posted:I would also have voted B because, duh more information! I can get behind that it was just a suggestion to make keeping track easier but I do agree it would probably take away from the experience
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May 6, 2018 12:24
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Yeah, go with B. We need to know more about what's going on.
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May 6, 2018 15:30
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(I'll set some time-based votes later for bigger choices, the "first to x" votes are mostly meant for quick decisions to keep the game moving - I'd have jumped straight into this next post last night, except I ended up going to bed before anyone voted. In the future I'll probably leave whatever last vote I reach before having to go do something else open until I return.) Braxton strides beside Aria, keeping an ever-watchful eye on her eager companion. "Not much. I've just heard from some travelers that a number of caravans have been ambushed while passing through. Valuable goods were taken, but the merchants and traders have been mostly unharmed." Aria's brow furrows in concern. "Mostly?" Braxton pats the hilt of her sword reassuringly. "Don't worry too much. Any bandits ahead will not find us such easy prey." Mark story point S1. (This choice has led to us marking a story variable. There's some 200 of these, and certain choices require certain variables to be marked. In the future I'll keep track of these off-screen, but it's good to know that bits of information you learn or people you meet might be important to giving us new choices in the future. Also note that Aria is now marked as Inactive on our party status tracker in my second post. That means that she cannot be chosen again to perform a decision action until everyone else in the party has had a turn.) Decision: First to one vote wins. A) “We should hurry along before it gets dark.” B) “Mariam, best you don't get too far ahead.”
Dolash fucked around with this message at 17:06 on May 6, 2018 |
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May 6, 2018 17:01
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Let’s be prudent. I don’t trust “Mostly”. B
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May 6, 2018 17:03
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So will each answer be picked? And In the order we pick them is what determines the outcome?
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May 6, 2018 17:20
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The young gnome glances over her shoulder at Athtar with a raised eyebrow. "You're starting to sound like Braxton." She twirls to face him and walks backward down the road in front of the elf. "Despite my size, I'm quite capable of protecting myself, you know." Braxton chuckles warmly to herself. "I believe Sir Ravaberos is worried for you not because of your size, but because of your nature. Even though you can protect yourself, try not to worry us too much." As the party chatters, small trees begin to dot the terrain around them. Tall grass gives way to brush, and they soon find themselves at the edge of the forest. Time Passes. (I've added the time tracker for this adventure to the second post. Time trackers for each quest and for the adventure overall often play an important role, as many events are time sensitive. Dawdling can have real consequences!) As the party walks, they take the opportunity to become better acquainted with their fellow travelers. This next choice does not exhaust activation. First to one vote.  A) Ask Mariam what she plans to do in Dragonholt B) Ask Braxton what she plans to do in Dragonholt.Edit: ArknknuckleRpg posted:So will each answer be picked? And In the order we pick them is what determines the outcome? It varies a lot. In that last stretch, asking about bandits was more like an optional side-question before deciding which of the two main responses you wanted to make. Other times, conversations will loop back around to a "hub" where we can ask a variety of questions and then say when we're finished. Some choices, especially in battle, will be completely exclusionary and absolutely have a right or wrong answer - pick the wrong one and we'll take damage. Not every decision ends up "mattering" in the grand scheme of things, but they add some colour. Dolash fucked around with this message at 06:25 on May 8, 2018 |
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May 6, 2018 17:24
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A, usually merchants can give some better info in my experience
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May 6, 2018 17:27
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Falling in step with the gnomish merchant, Urist tugs distractedly at his beard braids while examining the vials hanging from her pack. "You seem heavily laden for a traveling alchemist. What exactly are you hoping to find in Dragonholt?" "I'm glad you asked!" bubbles Mariam. "I am going to set up the finest apothecary's shop that Dragonholt has ever seen. I'll brew potions and sell remedies and make lots of money." She nods, tossing a vial of pink liquid into the air, catching it, and balancing it on her finger for no particular reason. "My aunt can help me get started; she already runs the best inn in town, and she's a fantastic tailor too." Mariam flourishes her half-cape and brightly colored tunic. First to one vote. A) Ask Mariam what types of potions she brews. B) Ask Mariam about her family. C) Exchange brewing recipes with Mariam. D) Compliment Mariam's attire and inquire about its maker. E) Tell Mariam what you know of Dragonholt's markets. F) Educate Mariam on methods for barter and trade.
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May 6, 2018 17:44
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A. Might as well learn what she can offer us.
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May 6, 2018 17:57
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I would have picked A or C but since I already picked I wanted someone else to have a chance haha
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May 6, 2018 18:07
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Minar eyes the vial precariously balanced on Mariam's finger uneasily. "What, uh... what sort of potions do you make, anyway?" "Oh, all sorts." Mariam pulls out two glass bottles stoppered with wax. She flourishes the blue one. "This potion can cure a dozen diseases and keep wounds from being infected." She holds up a cloudy gray liquid in her other hand. "This one is bottled smoke; use it to choke out a hornet's nest, or signal for help, or maybe give yourself something to hide behind." She glances down at her bottles and purses her lips. "Or maybe I have that backward. Oh well." She slips the bottles back into a leather pack at her hip. "Right," Minar mutters, glancing warily at the pack. "I'm always looking for new recipes, but I already know enough to start my shop." She falls silent as she examines a shy-looking flower growing in the shadow of a mossy log. "Always looking for ingredients too!" The party continues down the road, and the sky overhead is soon obscured by the foliage of the forest canopy. Streams of sunlight dance around the group as a gentle breeze shakes the leafy ceiling. Mariam skips forward and spins through the shafts of light, smiling and laughing. "It would be best if you stayed close. Becoming lost in the woods is all too common for those not accustomed to traveling without the sun or moon to guide them." Despite Braxton's warning, she makes no additional effort to keep pace with the playful gnome, and sighs as her infectious enthusiasm pulls in Aria as well, who goes spinning off. "What about all of you?" asks Mariam. "What are you planning to do in Dragonholt?" Before Aria can answer, Mariam hunches over and crooks one finger like a sinister hook, putting a sneer into her voice. "Are you seeking vengeance on a terrible foe?" Just as quickly, she swoons, throwing one hand artfully over her forehead. "Or are you in search of love?" Mariam tumbles backward over a log with a squawk, earning a burst of laughter from Aria. The gnome grins up at her from a pile of sticks and leaves. "Or maybe it's just a chance encounter?" She continues to talk about everything and nothing before finally pausing for breath as the rest of the party catches up. A) Ask Mariam about Eventide forest. B) Ask Mariam how she met Braxton. C) Ask Mariam about gnomes.
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May 6, 2018 18:17
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A
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May 6, 2018 18:21
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Deepmind sidles up to Mariam so quietly that when she speaks, the gnome almost loses her balance again. "I'm not familiar with the Eventide, just the rumors." She scans the treeline either side of the trail with obvious unease. "I've heard all sorts of stories about Eventide Forest," Mariam concurs. "I've even heard that there is a secret kingdom somewhere in the treetops, where elves and fairies dance in the starlight hidden from the eyes of gnomes." Deepmind gives her a flat look, but she shrugs and looks up at the mossy tree branches. "I don't believe half of it, though. I think it's a big, dark forest, and people are scared of anything they don't know anything about." "Also there's the bandits," says Braxton from behind them. "Bandits I can handle," Deepmind murmurs, mostly to herself. Eventide Forest is an intimidating landmark, and she could see why Braxton was concerned. Within an hour of entering the forest, the thin, young trees give way to ancient, gnarled guardians. The light, leafy canopy transforms into an oppressive shroud that cloaks the road in darkness, even during the most sunny of days. Time passes. In the darkness of Eventide Forest, a chilling stillness reigns, and even bird songs are drowned out by silence. The party continues onward, Mariam's usual banter quieted by her new mood, one part fascination and one part fear. Braxton and Athtar keep an ever-vigilant eye on the surroundings, their hands resting on the pommels of their swords. The group soon comes to a stop when it catches up to Mariam. She is glancing down what appears to be a small game trail that branches away from the main road. Up head, a number of fallen trees are blocking the path. An old crossroads signpost marks the split, but the wood is too rotted and the writing is indecipherable. "What do we do now?" asks Mariam. "It doesn't seem like Lady Regina has been alerted yet." Braxton strains to look over the fallen trees. "We could clear the road ourselves or send word to Lady Regina once we reach Dragonholt." "We could try this trail," offers Mariam. "Maybe it connects to the main road on the other side." A) Scout along the game trail and report back. B) Climb over the trees and continue on the main road. C) Clear the road of debris before continuing.
Dolash fucked around with this message at 06:26 on May 8, 2018 |
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May 6, 2018 18:44
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C. If we're able to clear the path, we should do so to help other travelers.
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May 6, 2018 19:16
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"It wouldn't do leave this mess for the next batch of travelers to come along," sniffs Urist. He gestures broadly at the logs. "A few chips of wood is nothing to the big stone blocks I had to haul back home, we'll have this cleared in a trice." The rest of the party shares a few doubting glances, but no one protests. Braxton produces an axe from her baggage, and the group sets to work clearing the trees from the road. Breaking each tree down into pieces small enough to move isn't complicated, but it is tiring. Shoulders burn from swinging the axe, and backs ache from dragging the enormous tree limbs off to the side. Mariam busies herself with the smaller branches. When only larger boughs remain, she "helps" by singing "a gnomish working song" that seems to include invented verses mocking the party, Braxton, herself, gnomes in general, Eventide Forest, and any other subject that catches her fancy. Two time passes Everyone loses one stamina. Anyone without Endurance loses two additional stamina (As mentioned before, stamina is like our party members' health. We can recover it overnight, or from potions, or meals, or a variety of other sources. Sometimes having the right skills will protect party members from losing stamina, as it does here for Urist. If we run out, we'll start having skills disabled, which can cascade to further failures and more damage - watch out for that!) At length, Urist and Braxton roll the last and largest of the tree trunks to rest against the side of the road, then collapse atop it for a brief rest. All done. "Good work!" says Mariam, offering each of them a drink of water from a tin cup. "We should mention this in Dragonholt; it'll really help me get my business of the ground if people know I helped clear the road." Braxton glances at Urist over her drink but says nothing. The Dwarf just chuckles, tipping the contents of a cloudy brown vial into his cup before downing it. After following the winding road for what feels like hours, Minar voices the fear that the party's traveling in circles. Just as he was about to suggest turning back, Mariam calls out from beyond the next bend, "There's a clearing up here!" As they round the bend, the group sees Mariam staring up at a single massive tree that stands alone in the center of a clearing some twenty paces across. Although the great oak's canopy is just as thick as anywhere else in the forest, its branches reach well above the tops of the surrounding trees, affording a view of the sky at the edges of the clearing. "It's already night! No wonder I feel so tired," Mariam mutters with a large yawn. Sure enough, when they look up, the party sees stars sparkling brightly in the vast emptiness of the night sky. Athtar smiles, noting how brilliant they seem so far from the torchlight of the city. At the edges of the clearing, several paths cut through the dense trees, leading away from the great oak in different directions. Only a few seem well traveled, but none are marked by signs. Braxton, too, has noticed the myriad options for further travel. "We should get our bearings before making camp for the night." Mariam rolls her eyes at Braxton's suggestion. "We can use the sun as our guide in the morning. I'm going to sleep." With that, she takes out a bedroll and makes camp at the base of the great oak. Most of the party follows suit, but Urk hesitates, her curiosity piqued. A) [Devotion] Determine your heading by observing the starsB) [Persuasion] Convince Mariam to read the stars before she sleepsC) [Athletics] Climb the great oak to look for a landmarkD) Leave the navigation to Braxton and turn in for the night.(I'm going to brunch now, so feel free to chew on this one or speculate about what you want until I get back!)
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May 6, 2018 19:50
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Hopefully our good deed doesn’t come back to bite us later haha
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May 6, 2018 20:12
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So ultimately, this game is a CYOA with limitations based on the skills the PCs have? This looks like an interesting concept.  ArknknuckleRpg posted:Hopefully our good deed doesn’t come back to bite us later haha I suspect it was intentionally placed by the bandits, and we avoided an encounter with them. Also, what the hell, I'll vote A. It'll at least provide a second check if something screws up.
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May 6, 2018 21:44
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A URK TELL YOU ABOUT PRETTY STARS
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May 6, 2018 23:32
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Urk gazes up at the stars, walking a slow circle around the great tree in the clearing's center to get a better view. She takes her bearings from the constellations and finds Latariana's Star. She is now confident she knows which way to go to reach Dragonholt. As she makes her way back to the campfire, she feels something small strike the top of her head. It's a small wooden statuette. She looks up at the branches of the great oak and notices a number of small pages and other trinkets tied to branches or resting on tree limbs. The party gains the wooden trinket (item B)  (Items like this go beyond our usual assumed equipment, like bows or boots. They also come with a card that explains what they do. Item cards will be tracked on the second post, along with who's currently carrying them, although items can be passed freely between characters as needed.) She returns to the campfire and brandishes the trinket to the group. "URK FOUND SPIRIT OMEN!" Minar sits up from where he lies against the oak and squints at the small object. "Is that a... wooden badger?" "SPIRIT BADGER," Urk insists. She passes the badger to Mariam for her inspection as Braxton peeks over her shoulder. "What do you make of it?" asks Braxton. "I'm not sure," says Mariam. "I think this was carved by a human or an orc; too rough to be made by an elf." Behind her, Aria turned to arch an eyebrow at Athtar, who gave her an amused smile in return. "Probably just some harmless local custom." Mariam tosses the trinket back to Urk, who stows it gingerly with her other odds and ends. Minar assists Braxton in gathering some kindling and starting a small campire a few paces from the great oak. While they work, they can hear Mariam humming softly to herself. The party rolls out their bedrolls to relax. Although they are tired, a brief chat around the campfire is not an unwelcome event. First to one vote. This decision will not exhaust activation for that character. A) Ask Braxton what she plans to do in Dragonholt. B) Go straight to sleep
Dolash fucked around with this message at 06:27 on May 8, 2018 |
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May 7, 2018 00:37
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I would say B since we lost that stamina from cutting the trees
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May 7, 2018 12:48
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ArknknuckleRpg posted:I would say B since we lost that stamina from cutting the trees It sounds like we get stamina back either way. Edit: Derp. Never mind, this doesn't use up an action. Still want to vote A for story though. 
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May 7, 2018 13:03
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(I did say first to one, but since there's one each with some seeming uncertainty I'll break the tie for A this time) "You seem a capable knight, Dame Braxton." Athtar inclines his head respectfully at the Orc. "Once we reach Dragonholt, will you be staying on long?" Braxon smiles gently, nodding her head in Mariam's direction. "I will continue to protect our friend Mariam for as long as she requires my services. As you may have noticed, looking after her does not leave me much time for anything else." "I resemble that remark!" calls Mariam. "After that, I am not certan. I was not certain what to do with myself before meeting Mariam, either. I suppose I will travel to a larger city and try to find employment." "Skip Nerekhall," offers Deepmind, to low chuckles from her companions. First to one vote. A) Ask Braxton about her past adventures. B) Ask Braxton about how she met Mariam. C) [Performance]Tell Braxton about your past adventures. D) [History]Ask Braxton which lord she served. E) [Military]Ask Braxton about her military training. F) [Thievery]Show Braxton how to foil sleight of hand.
Dolash fucked around with this message at 06:28 on May 8, 2018 |
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May 7, 2018 15:38
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 02:24 |
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This isn’t a vote but I kindof want to hear of our past adventures, any input from anyone else?
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May 7, 2018 15:46
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