Wilderlands Game

[Chaosmark]

I'm finishing up Ren and I'll toss out a post tomorrow evening. Huzzah!

[Wulfhere]

Some Commonplace Knowledge About Targnol

The seat of the provincial Shah, Targnol is a small city of some 11,000 inhabitants.  Most folk living there are olive-skinned humans of Common Viridian descent, but Tharbrian humans and the demi-human races are not uncommon.  Most of the town’s folk make a meager living from the sea, working as fishermen or boat builders, or manning the innumerable small merchant vessels that ply the waters of the Trident Gulf.  Only a few blessed souls live in the stone mansions of the nobility. 

The province’s ruler is Shah Abdu Inslar, once a famed warrior.  The Shah’s reputation for ruthless cunning is legendary, though he is generally seen as a fair (if not kindhearted) ruler.  He commands General Giolan, leader of the Emperor’s military might in the province. 

At the center of the town sits an ancient temple of gleaming black marble.  A doddering, time-withered mystic is said to sit in the dust before its gates, croaking cryptic warnings to those who would enter.

Local folktales speak of a dreaded Archmage who periodically visits the town, driving a chariot drawn by gleaming blue bulls.  Some have claimed to have studied magic at the side of this mysterious figure, but more speak of the writhing, tormented statues his magic has left littering the streets, commoners or town watch who dared to cross the mercurial mage.

Goblins and hobgoblins are commonly encountered as slaves, but seldom linger in the area if freed. Such slaves are forced to wear iron collars.

[Gossamer]

How common are cat-people? And is it considered normal for dwarfs of this World to live in a desert? Is Theramind from Viridistan?

[Wulfhere]

Cat people are rare and seretive enough that many villagers have never seen one.  Foresters and folks who haunt the wilds are much more likely to have encountered such folk in the depths of the wilderness. 

This being a larger trade town, catfolk are not unheard of.  They prefer not to settle in human towns, instead visiting for some time and then returning to their own kind.  Catfolk trade the pelts of rare animals and ornate works of pottery for glass and metal goods their nomadic tribes can seldom produce for themselves.  Some come to human lands seeking magical lore or other skills,  forcing them to remain among humans for lengthy periods.  Such folk typically establish small "tribes" of their folk in locations in a town or village hidden from human intrusion, favoring high places (from which they often remove the stairs, keeping clumsier races away).

[Chaosmark]

Ren

Character Sheet

Description
Ren is covered in very short fur, a mixture of red with black streaks running through it. The tips of her ears and tail are black. She stands above-average height for a feline of her ancestry, but is definitely shorter than human standard. Her standard attire (in human areas) is rather plain, and would look skimpy on a human female, but for one of the catfolk it fits perfectly: a bare-midriff top and a skirt that ends just above the knee.

On her back is a sword, plain save for a single decoration: a trio of feathers attached to the hilt with a plain cord.

History
Catfolk do not often exclude one of their own, but occasionally one decides to voluntarily leave. One such feline was Ren. Though a capable hunter, an accident on her third and final trial for admission to the ranks of the official clan hunters left her an outcast in all but name among her own clan. Unable to use her skills to aid her own clan, now she has taken her leave of home and hearth to make a new life elsewhere.

[Gossamer]

Ren
On her back is a short sword, plain save for a single decoration: a trio of feathers attached to the hilt with a plain cord.

Your CS says longsword.

[Chaosmark]

Your CS says longsword.

Thanks for that catch. I wrote that description after a long day, so my brain was slightly muddled.

[Gossamer]

Verity is NOT sitting in the common room. And if he was sitting there, he would NOT resemble an elf/half-elf at this time. I put in a summary in my post, since so far THREE people seem to have overlooked this fact. 

[Shadoweagle]

Ah, whoops, my bad. I've had some ridiculously full on days recently and have only managed to glance over this game - I just wanted to get a post out so the game kept going; it was posted on my phone at 1am in the morning while tending to a screaming child :p
Please disregard all mention of spotting an elf in my post! :p ill fix it Uup after work

[Wulfhere]

There's apparently an elf in the inn's common room, but he's not Verity.

He's Enaits ("Elf not appearing in this story"), a traveling merchant and relentless vendor of "authentic elf-made" souveniers...

"I bought this amazing vial:  It hold light from the Elves' favorite star!"

"Hmm.  Looks like water to me."

[Shadoweagle]

I love that guy! I'm gonna work him into my posts somehow from now on!

[Chaosmark]

Apologies for the silence. My interwebs was down until I got home today. A post shall be coming Soon(tm)!

[Gossamer]

There's apparently an elf in the inn's common room, but he's not Verity.

He's Enaits ("Elf not appearing in this story"), a traveling merchant and relentless vendor of "authentic elf-made" souveniers...

Tss. I have a feeling this Enaits will be appearing a lot, judging from how it's been going so far.

[Shadoweagle]

Okay, im gonna roll some dice on my phone app, but im just gonna call the order of my rolls before I do it:

Roll 1: Heal for the major wound (15dc)
Roll 2: Heal for the other wound (15dc)
Roll 3: knowledge nature check for the bulb hands consumed
Roll 4 (only if rolls 1 or 2 fail): Bluff check to explain away why Exeta buggered  up!

[Shadoweagle]

19
8
4
13

okay! I'll try and make my post if its quiet today, but might not get it done for a while since its Saturday morning at the cafe!

[Gossamer]

Hmm, phone app? I'm using my irl Dice, courtesy of WOTC. First time I made any checks today, worked out so well I'm afraid y'all will get suspiscious.

[Shadoweagle]

I don't have any real dice and when im on my phone I can't use the rolling feature in the full chat :p
so I've downloaded an app called 'wardice' which lets me roll different dice.


Also, I think everyone's pretty honest here. By tweaking the results, you cheat yourself as much as anyone else from having a proper game anyway, I reckon.

If you're very worried about it you can go into full chat and type /roll 1d20
then you can copy that result along with the timestamp it gives you.

[Wulfhere]

I'm not worried about it.  When I'm running a tabletop game, I don't need to check everyone's dice (Just my daughter's, which sometimes seem somewhat less than random...).  I don't see any reason to be different online.  If anyone is so wrapped up in their character's fate that they can't stand failing or dying, just let me know.  We can discuss the matter and come to a mutual agreement about our gaming expectations. 

Myself, I prefer some honest randomness in my sessions.  If everything is pre-planned and story-based, that takes too much of the edge off. Games are more exciting when none of us (including the GM) know which way everything will turn out.

[Gossamer]

If you're very worried about it you can go into full chat and type /roll 1d20
then you can copy that result along with the timestamp it gives you.

I don't like the chat roller, I'd prefere not to use it, it seems to be seeded badly(or at least that's what I've been told). As long as it's okay with you guys.

I think I did a booboo on the disguise roll though, I read later that the results should be unknown to the player, so I guess the DM should be making those(tell me if I should change it, or leave it in). Are there any other rolls that the DM should make for the player? Perception checks, stealth, disable device, etc? How do you wanna play it, Wulf?

[Wulfhere]

Good point: I'll generally roll Perception and Sense Motives.  When appropriate, I will sometimes assume that characters "Take 10" on a skill (following standard procedure to produce predictable results).  With Perception, that means that when not pressed for time, they will casually scan the area before giving attention to details that catch their interest (A "take 10" followed by a Perception roll).

People can also "Take 20", methodically trying every possibility.  This is typical for attempts at picking locks without time pressure or when searching an area for a secret door when you know exactly where it is.

[Wulfhere]

Someone asked about elves in the area...

Elves in the Targnol Port Region
While elves and the elven-blooded aren’t uncommon in Targnol, they are seldom considered “locals”.  At one time, the Thistledown Forest held a powerful court of the sylvan elves, but these folk were annihilated centuries ago in a conflict with the forces of Viridistan.  Since that date, most sylvan elves have avoided the region, believing it powerfully accursed. 

Elves still found in the area tend to come from two separate elvish cultures:  Altani Elves and Feral Elves.  Often interbred with the primitive tribesmen of the Altanian Peninsula, the Altani typically have ruddy skin and tawny hair.  These elves generally hold the “decadence” of imperial culture in contempt, eschewing human-made items and maintaining their own mysterious philosophies and religions. 

Feral Elves dwell in the hidden depths of forests and jungles.  These sinister headhunters are notorious for their murderous vendettas and cannibalism.  They seldom indulge these dark behaviors while traveling in civilized lands, but many folk would sooner wrestle a half-giant or anger a goblin-blooded swerting than court the wrath of these bloodthirsty fae-kin.

[Gossamer]

So Verity grew up in a city that must have despised elves then....Ohohoho, Juicy! 

[Gossamer]

May I just suggest that if a player doesn't respond to a required post within say...5 Days or so, then the DM gets to adjudicate how that player's character will act. With the exception that a majority of the players are on vacation or something like that.

Just to avoid bottlenecks. What say you? (Silence also counts as consent).

[valadaar]

I'm good with this.

[Shadoweagle]

Agreed.

Also, I think Wulf mistook Exeta for Verity in his post, unless I missed something :p