At the Adventurers' Table: Chapter Eighteen

[Psychie]

I am more waiting to see the results of Sherwood's and Jaydude's detection efforts, and just didn't want to not put any post up at all.

 

[Purr]

Psychie O.K.! Given what Oreleth is capable of, I had to ask. =)

Captain Hesperus

He willed his dragon-blessed eyes to take in the scene, looking over each of the villagers one at a time, even as he moved himself in support of his fellow Wanderers.

Is there something specific you'd like Otiorin to be doing? Put another way, are you declaring any particular action for Otiorin?

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Psychie O.K.! Given what Oreleth is capable of, I had to ask. =)

Captain Hesperus

Is there something specific you'd like Otiorin to be doing? Put another way, are you declaring any particular action for Otiorin?

Yes please, activating Dragon-Sight to observe the villagers.

Captain Hesperus

 

[Purr]

Yes please, activating Dragon-Sight to observe the villagers.

Captain Hesperus

That's what I thought, but I needed the declaration to be sure. Thanks, you! =)

 

[Purr]

Whew! That's enough writing for one night! =)

 

[Purr]

Tomorrow, Broadsword! =)

 

[Kaerri]

Somewhere in another part of Averlund, never far from Highwind, that Paladin of Thor, God of Thunder, feels a strange pang of envy, but he knows not why. Still, he grins. Someone special to him is up to no good!

And who could that be? =)

No idea...

 

[Psychie]

Purr , trying to make a Lore: Monster roll (+8) to identify the maker's of the prints, and a Nature roll (+4) to get an estimate on the number of beings we are looking at.

 

[Purr]

"Holy Boccob! What has happened here? Nitwit, you told us that there was a problem in your village, but you never indicated it was this bad. I've never seen anything like this before!"

Luna looks troubled. "Well, I can say for certain that there is no magic in use here besides what is working from us. It is not a spell cast upon them."

Sherwood

Is Luna going to address the concerns of Nitwit and his gang? From the look of this most-recent post, she appears not to be? Just want to know Luna's intentions here. =)

 

[Purr]

Purr , trying to make a Lore: Monster roll (+8) to identify the maker's of the prints, and a Nature roll (+4) to get an estimate on the number of beings we are looking at.

Psychie I have the results of the white-and-green steel d20 you prefer and I'll share those in my next post! =)

As you very likely know, Skills do not accumulate (from the way you declared Oreleth's intentions, I'm not 100% sure, so I felt it was good to add this just in case). One roll is required for Monster Lore and another for Nature. I have rolled both. =)

 

[Purr]

Otiorin Taletreader

“Aye,”, Oti spoke up at last, “there is no magic at work here, save what we have brought. These poor people have been compelled to strict obedience by overwhelming fear and threat. Look at this place, what used to be a town. No structure still stands, no item of property remains intact. These Kobolds were overwhelmed by a force so great they could never resist and their every possession was destroyed. Thereafter, perhaps after a few ‘object lessons’, they were put within this circle and likely told if they dared raise so much as a head toward the edge of the ring, they would suffer the same fate as their home. Creatures of true evil did this.”

The Half-elf shuddered as of ice water had been dumped on his head and his hands slowly closed around the hilts of his thornblades.
“I shall end the lives of the ones who enact this atrocity.”

Oh snap! It's really on now! =)

 

[Purr]

Sherwood

Is Luna going to address the concerns of Nitwit and his gang? From the look of this most-recent post, she appears not to be? Just want to know Luna's intentions here. =)

Sherwood Just making you aware. If things stay as they are and Luna does not respond (in Luna's last post, she gave only the results of her cantrip), you can expect a confused and negative reaction from Nitwit and his small gang who now have good reason to believe their saviors (that's you all) have lost some faith in them. Try to see things from their end if you haven't already - faith is all they have left, folks. Faith and the Wayward Wanderers.

Given that the Kobolds of the Silver Sun gang that you've had on the Wayward Wagon see you as their tribe's one and only hope, their morale has taken a very serious blow at the discovery of their tribe's latest plight. Luna's words are seen as accusation (not her fault; it's their background) by the already-shaken kobolds who are likely terrified because they know you can up and fly away at any moment. Some kobolds expect you to. Remember, the kobolds don't know you as well as you know yourselves. They have just been hit with a double-whammy - the discovery of this horrible thing that has happened to their already downtrodden families and friends and now the sudden possibility that the Wayward Wanderers (at least one of them) might be angry with them for something they feel they didn't do (withhold information from heroes who need it).

To say the kobolds are at their worst is a reasonable statement but this situation can be healed, even strengthened.

Plus, in a different roleplaying challenge, Powerpaw (who is quite sensitive to the team's image) sees Luna as possibly having made things worse between the Wayward Wanderers and the kobold tribe. In his mind, "Luna might be making us look bad." For him, given his gladiatorial arenas (never make your side look bad; make them look great for the crowd), that's a potentially serious problem. This might cause tension between the well-meaning wizardess and the Felane brawler - a conflict tiny Sparkle would be wise to stay out of.

Do any fellow Wayward Wanderers have any ideas or solutions that might stop these conflicts before they happen? Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Silanon (Yes, good Sil, your vote counts too even if Aldrin is not yet in play!). =)

Once we cover this, I'll get to the other factors in this tension-filled scene (many of which are still very much behind my Dungeon Master screen where they belong) and I will post again. Questions?

 

[Sherwood]

To be honest, I'm not sure how you got to some of these conclusions about what I was posting. All I did was relate that there was not any active magic or curse that Luna could detect that was affecting them, making it clear that their depression was not in some way induced by sorcerous means. It was in no way meant to be an indictment on the kobolds them.

 

[Purr]

Sherwood Hey you! =)

These lines here are the crux of the matter.

Nitwit, you told us that there was a problem in your village, but you never indicated it was this bad. I've never seen anything like this before!"

It was in no way meant to be an indictment on the kobolds them.

Then they took it wrong (and so did I). Even one of your fellow players took it this way too. There is an easy fix with benefits to this though. =)

The kobolds are definitely oversensitive and used to having overseers, not friends. They're not used to civil discourse, but to begging.

What I think is taking place is really a difference in culture and perspective.

The biggest problem I have with play-by-post is that I can't see your faces, I can't see her or hear your tones, your expressions, body language, or the rest. 1,000 things get undelivered when it's only text. This would have never come up in tabletop. Tone is telling. =)

Powerpaw too comes from a different background. Gladiators are slaves. The kobolds are being treated like slaves. He has a link with him.

If it were anyone but Luna or a fellow Wayward Wanderer, ol' Fuzzy Goof would probably be right in their face. But he has faith in Luna and so he questions instead of doing what he might do with a stranger. While part of him doesn't know where she is coming from (because he's taking this the way the kobolds are), Powerpaw has more faith that Luna can fix this because she's good and she means well.

One easy fix for all this for Luna to tell Nitwit and his gang that they have misunderstood her and to more fully express what she means by her words. The kobolds are not like humans; they are unused to peace and understanding. A willingness to discuss that with them might come across far better than the masters' whips they are so long-used to. =)

And if anybody can turn this around to something really good, it is Luna. =)

 

[Purr]

She gave a nod of agreement to Kaerri's statement. "Those giants wrought harm upon those who would have called this forest their home. They have a lot to answer for."

jaydude After reading this, I have to say it again! =)

Ha ha!

 

[Sherwood]

Ok, that makes it a bit clearer. Thank you for straitening that out for me. I have posted IC, so hopefully I was able to fix my faux pas.

 

[Psychie]

Now, just to clarify for my blonde-ness, how many NPCs are we taking in with us, with the rest staying at the Wagon? I don't want to fudge my post IC.

I was thinking that we could use Mamapaw with us for healing magics and good to-hit power, leaving Bria behind to help the kobolds and Powerpaw to be a powerhouse guardian of the Wagon. Anyone have any other suggestions to offer up instead of this?

 

[jaydude]

jaydude After reading this, I have to say it again! =)

Ha ha!

Well, one of the Mielekkian code of honor's tenets is "Defend the forest and all that rightfully call it home".

 

[Sherwood]

I was thinking that we could use Mamapaw with us for healing magics and good to-hit power, leaving Bria behind to help the kobolds and Powerpaw to be a powerhouse guardian of the Wagon. Anyone have any other suggestions to offer up instead of this?

I see that mix working well for us. We have a lot of melee to-hit power with our characters, Oreleth and Arisa with the ranged ass-whoopin, and Luna with her magic. We can do this.

 

[Purr]

Ok, that makes it a bit clearer. Thank you for straitening that out for me. I have posted IC, so hopefully I was able to fix my faux pas.

Sherwood Sure! And thank you for being brave enough to ask! I know too many people that are going to brush things like this under the rug and hope it will disappear. Perhaps is uncomfortable, but I don't know about you, I feel wiser when taking it on straight ahead.

 

[Kaerri]

Do any fellow Wayward Wanderers have any ideas or solutions that might stop these conflicts before they happen?

Kaerri did say something to Luna at the time, but I suppose it got lost in everything else going on.

Kaerri spares a moment to shake her hooded head at the wizardess. "Come on, Luna, can't you see this is as much a surprise to him as to us? Obviously they didn't know it was this bad."

Now, just to clarify for my blonde-ness, how many NPCs are we taking in with us, with the rest staying at the Wagon? I don't want to fudge my post IC.

I was thinking that we could use Mamapaw with us for healing magics and good to-hit power, leaving Bria behind to help the kobolds and Powerpaw to be a powerhouse guardian of the Wagon. Anyone have any other suggestions to offer up instead of this?

That sounds like a great plan to me. There's Gori (Lady Beatrice's guardian) to back up Powerpaw, too, plus the mimics if things get especially hairy.

Also, I love that the phrase "fuzzy goof" is spreading.

 

[Purr]

Kaerri did say something to Luna at the time, but I suppose it got lost in everything else going on.

I caught that and I would be surprised if I'm the only one. =)

Also, I love that the phrase "fuzzy goof" is spreading.

Same! =)

 

[Purr]

@ (almost type "@ Gang" Heh!

Heya Gang!

Ahh, I woke up with a migraine this morning (took sumatriptan, ate, went right back to bed) and I took another about 10 minutes ago. For me to take two in one day is rare and I'm not sure why I'm typing this out in a public forum except to say that I love you guys and gals and I mean to post here when my brain allows.

Whew!

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

 

[Purr]

*laughs with care* And if Jaydude isn't the fastest person on RP Nation to respond to posts (via "Cookie-Like") then I don't know who is! =)

I can only imagine hyperfast bots on the Internet out there trying to measure up in their own response times on their websites and going, "Dang it! Can't any of us beat Jay's times?!" =)

 

[Sherwood]

I feel your migraine pain, and can sympathize. Feel better soon, my friend.