Author Topic: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]  (Read 26015 times)

Offline Stratovarius

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Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« on: July 04, 2017, 09:48:43 PM »
Since I've not run this adventure before (and am attempting not to spoil it by looking ahead), what's the reason for all of us to get together? And what's the starting area look like? Are we in an inn? :P

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2017, 10:32:45 PM »
Inns are for losers. Let's be in a tapestry store.
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2017, 12:35:32 AM »
For one reason or another, you find yourselves within Sumberton, the city of bridges (or the city of ale, depending on who you ask). The Valley of Obelisks, while peaceful, always has work of some sort or another. Sumberton, sitting on the Marrilach River in the middle of the valley, is a center of local trade. Trade routes from Kovakk to the north and Liir-Hra to the east meet in Sumberton, from which goods are shipped downriver to the Sivar Lowlands, Elsir Vale, and beyond the kingdom of Marrilach. It can be hard not to want a piece of those riches, and there is no shortage of scurrilous individuals seeking a share of the profit at blade point. A good sword hand is always in demand to keep not-so-good men honest and secure the coin in the purse it belongs to. A skilled hunter can make a solid living from the bounties posted on brigands and pirates, assuming he can catch more criminals than arrows.

For those that seek a little more excitement than the boredom of escorting caravans and river barges, the valley's wildlife can always keep life interesting. The Marrilach River's banks are filled with farmland, orchards, and pastures out to twenty miles. But the further one goes from the river, the wilder the land and its inhabitants get. Pick a forest, or a canyon, or a mountain range, and you'll find all of the adventure you could want as it swoops down on you with sharpened claws. There's always one outlying village or another that needs a hand with monsters expanding their hunting grounds onto their doorsteps, and they always ask for aid in Sumberton. Even if the royal army can't or won't lend assistance, there's always someone brave enough, greedy enough, or dumb enough to try.

And so you find yourselves (alone or together) approached by a young messenger wearing the insignia of the Chicane Guild, one of Sumberton's largest guilds of river merchants. His master is looking for hired hands to complete a task of some danger. You seem a capable sort to the youth's allegedly well-trained eye, and he assures you that you will be well paid for your efforts. You doubt he is quite as skilled at appraisal as he makes himself out to be, but the promise of good payment does match the guild's reputation. If you are interested, he tells you, head to the Chicane Guild offices, just south of Sumberton Keep on the east bank of the river, and ask for Vintra Marktunsel. It's first come, first served, so be sure to arrive promptly. Before you can ask any more questions, the messenger dashes off, disappearing into the crowd, likely seeking out your competition for the very job offer you just received.

You make your way over to the Chicane Guildhouse, pausing momentarily to admire the fine tapestries being unloaded from a wagon around the building's side. At your request, a clerk glances at your peace bonded weapons before directing you to wait outside master Marktunsel's offices on the third floor. There, you spy a motley collection of sellswords and adventurers waiting with you in the hall. A hard-faced human man looks you up and down, evaluating your every motion, as his obvious subordinate fidgets uncomfortably, uncertain as to what he should be doing. Another man mills about, his confidence plainly written on his face and etched into his sharp grin, while a wispy dragon coils and scrambles up and down him. A fourth individual, features concealed beneath a face plate, idly fidgets with a piece of Dwegsho technosorcery. The aasimar sitting calmly next to him, however, radiates a regal sense of ease. The last of your ersatz group is difficult to describe, on account of me knowing only FireInTheSky's class, and I've already done the hidden features thing with Nanshork's character. As you wait, conversations break out among yourselves, and before you know it you are being called in to meet your soon-to-be employer.

The office is well appointed in the local halfling style, filled with masterful woodcrafts and warm colors. A large window provides a stunning view across the Marrilach. The large room focuses your attention on the female halfling sitting behind the desk in front of you, guiding you to the realization that you speak with someone of importance, a mover and shaker in the world that is Sumberton. This is Vintra Marktunsel, senior guildmaster of the Chicane River Merchants Guild. She looks each and every one of you in the eye as you file into the room, and wastes no time as soon as you have settled yourselves.

"Two days ago, goblin and hobgoblin bandits raided a Chicane Guild caravan carrying fruit and spices to Sumberton. The spices in particular are key to us meeting a quota set by our business partners in the southern cities. We need them back. My guild is willing to pay you 50 gold for this recovery operation for each complete crate you can retrieve, with a 200 gold bonus for retrieving eight of the crates and another 100 for all ten," she says. "The Chicane Guild isn't the first merchant company to be raided by these bandits, but it will be the last. If you can see to it that their operations are disrupted, permanently, we can offer you an additional 200 gold for your services."

Vintra looks at you, awaiting your response with a master negotiator's patience. The ball, it seems, is in your court.



The opening will be along those lines, modified, of course, in accordance with the actual characters you wind up playing and anything else that might come up. You can start off separate or together or whatever you want. Also, that's intentional introduce-yourself-to-the-party time in the middle there.

Anything else I can help with to get your character development flowing?

Inns are for losers. Let's be in a tapestry store.

Close enough for you?
« Last Edit: July 05, 2017, 01:04:47 AM by Garryl »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2017, 01:07:15 AM »
My character isn't going to be able to be started until tomorrow after work because I have to look at my old sheet and the new one I made for the temporary boards and see if I want to move any of the changes/guesses back to the sheet on this board before I can start work.

I'm just like that.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2017, 07:04:06 AM »
I suppose a guild house is a step up from an inn. At least they pay you there.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2017, 05:25:54 PM »
It looks like I'm going to have four knowledge skills because I don't have much else to do with my skill points.

Are there any knowledges we need?

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2017, 05:48:08 PM »
Based on the campaign description, I'm going to assume Local, The Planes, Nature, and Religion, just to cover most of the monster bases.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2017, 11:31:52 AM »
Garryl, where are healing surges posted on this board?  I can only find them on the other board.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2017, 11:41:18 AM »
Going to assume with +2 base fort and +2 Con, I get 4 healing surges?

Offline Garryl

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2017, 12:21:51 PM »
Garryl, where are healing surges posted on this board?  I can only find them on the other board.

I only finished them on the storm shelter board. I had a mostly complete version in 1001 ideas, but it's gone through some changes since then. I'll let you know when I move it over here.

Going to assume with +2 base fort and +2 Con, I get 4 healing surges?

Correct.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2017, 01:26:56 PM »
Updated char sheet.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2017, 09:17:12 AM »
Can we get a Campaign Setting Info thread in here (currently it would just be a repost of your info from the interest check thread, I think)? Everything in one place is good :D

EDIT: Setting questions!

1. How much of the history of the Valley of Obelisks (i.e., the stuff here) do we know?

2. How does the "multiple star systems" stuff interact with the Planes? It seems like the backstory of the Valley of Obelisks implies a Great Wheel-style cosmology, but multiple star systems implies something else, maybe? Unless you're talking about Spelljammer stuff?

3. What races/monsters/etc. are native to Solak, and what came from Irim Dwegsho? Does it matter anymore? Or are the settlers/survivors a separate culture?
« Last Edit: July 07, 2017, 09:23:43 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2017, 10:51:20 AM »
Can we get a Campaign Setting Info thread in here (currently it would just be a repost of your info from the interest check thread, I think)? Everything in one place is good :D

EDIT: Setting questions!

1. How much of the history of the Valley of Obelisks (i.e., the stuff here) do we know?

You would know, or be able to know with a little research, most everything on that site.
  • A Short History: Most of Slaughtergarde's history is forgotten or muddled. It's been a long, long time since Mutton Lamb (wait, that doesn't *hic* sound right... Ah, *hic* whatever) tried to invade, and the history has just been lost over the centuries and millenia. If you're a native of the valley, you might have heard one of the many variants of the story as a child. If you're not, you might still have heard it from a fellow traveller over a campfire, or in a bar from a tipsy patron. The Luminous Order and few of the more sagacious individuals and groups in the valley have more accurate records, similar to what's on the site, but even they are missing actually detailed information.
  • Player Maps: Public information.
  • Races and Classes of the valley: Public information.
  • The Luminous Order: The Luminous Order is a public organization. Nothing about them on the site is hidden information, although if you're a newcomer to the valley you might only have just heard of them.
  • The Ebon Cabal: The Ebon Cabal, on the other hand, is significantly more mysterious. They keep a low profile and are fairly insular. Anything you may have heard about them is likely to be rumor, conjecture, or fanciful storytelling, rather than actual fact. If you were to actually, deeply investigate the cabal, you'd have to trawl through a lot of bad or misinformation, but you could eventually piece together most of what the site has.
Quote
2. How does the "multiple star systems" stuff interact with the Planes? It seems like the backstory of the Valley of Obelisks implies a Great Wheel-style cosmology, but multiple star systems implies something else, maybe? Unless you're talking about Spelljammer stuff?

The material plane is a whole universe, not just a single planet. The standard Great Wheel cosmology applies for the most part, although the outer planes start to change as one goes further and further from Solak. A few star systems out, and some of the outer planes seem to disappear or be inaccessible, while others that are unheard of on Solak "come into view", so to speak. One species that arrived with the Irim Dwegsho-in-exile was even native to a world whose elemental planes were of gravity, electromagnetism, strong, and weak.

Quote
3. What races/monsters/etc. are native to Solak, and what came from Irim Dwegsho? Does it matter anymore? Or are the settlers/survivors a separate culture?

Most of your standard D&D fantasy fare is native to Solak. Antares and Arnos are much more limited, but Anshar's got almost everything somewhere. The Dwegsho exiles only brought a little of their fauna with them; it's mostly just the sentient alien races.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2017, 11:02:48 AM »
1. How much of the history of the Valley of Obelisks (i.e., the stuff here) do we know?

You would know, or be able to know with a little research, most everything on that site.
  • A Short History: Most of Slaughtergarde's history is forgotten or muddled. It's been a long, long time since Mutton Lamb (wait, that doesn't *hic* sound right... Ah, *hic* whatever) tried to invade, and the history has just been lost over the centuries and millenia. If you're a native of the valley, you might have heard one of the many variants of the story as a child. If you're not, you might still have heard it from a fellow traveller over a campfire, or in a bar from a tipsy patron. The Luminous Order and few of the more sagacious individuals and groups in the valley have more accurate records, similar to what's on the site, but even they are missing actually detailed information.
  • Player Maps: Public information.
  • Races and Classes of the valley: Public information.
  • The Luminous Order: The Luminous Order is a public organization. Nothing about them on the site is hidden information, although if you're a newcomer to the valley you might only have just heard of them.
  • The Ebon Cabal: The Ebon Cabal, on the other hand, is significantly more mysterious. They keep a low profile and are fairly insular. Anything you may have heard about them is likely to be rumor, conjecture, or fanciful storytelling, rather than actual fact. If you were to actually, deeply investigate the cabal, you'd have to trawl through a lot of bad or misinformation, but you could eventually piece together most of what the site has.
Awesome, this is very helpful.

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Quote
2. How does the "multiple star systems" stuff interact with the Planes? It seems like the backstory of the Valley of Obelisks implies a Great Wheel-style cosmology, but multiple star systems implies something else, maybe? Unless you're talking about Spelljammer stuff?

The material plane is a whole universe, not just a single planet. The standard Great Wheel cosmology applies for the most part, although the outer planes start to change as one goes further and further from Solak. A few star systems out, and some of the outer planes seem to disappear or be inaccessible, while others that are unheard of on Solak "come into view", so to speak. One species that arrived with the Irim Dwegsho-in-exile was even native to a world whose elemental planes were of gravity, electromagnetism, strong, and weak.
Ooh that sounds awesome. Okie dokes.

Quote
Quote
3. What races/monsters/etc. are native to Solak, and what came from Irim Dwegsho? Does it matter anymore? Or are the settlers/survivors a separate culture?

Most of your standard D&D fantasy fare is native to Solak. Antares and Arnos are much more limited, but Anshar's got almost everything somewhere. The Dwegsho exiles only brought a little of their fauna with them; it's mostly just the sentient alien races.
Ah ok. This probably won't be relevant to my character background, but I'm curious how much people are aware of the Dwegsho exile culture. Is it widely known that there are aliens walking around?

EDIT: And is it ok if I make up locations & setting material for my backstory? I'm guessing it is, but I wanted to verify :D
« Last Edit: July 07, 2017, 11:25:00 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline Nanshork

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2017, 11:24:19 AM »
How do you want to do my character?  Am I actually technological?  Am I from another planet?  (I haven't looked at any of the setting stuff yet.)

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #15 on: July 07, 2017, 11:25:42 AM »
How do you want to do my character?  Am I actually technological?  Am I from another planet?  (I haven't looked at any of the setting stuff yet.)
In the Info Dump thread, check out the section Irim Dwegsho-in-exile.
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #16 on: July 07, 2017, 11:49:13 AM »
3. What races/monsters/etc. are native to Solak, and what came from Irim Dwegsho? Does it matter anymore? Or are the settlers/survivors a separate culture?

Most of your standard D&D fantasy fare is native to Solak. Antares and Arnos are much more limited, but Anshar's got almost everything somewhere. The Dwegsho exiles only brought a little of their fauna with them; it's mostly just the sentient alien races.
Ah ok. This probably won't be relevant to my character background, but I'm curious how much people are aware of the Dwegsho exile culture. Is it widely known that there are aliens walking around?

Yes, but it doesn't matter as much in Anshar. The more isolationist cultures (and individuals) distrust everything that isn't them, and the more worldly are used to others being different. A few valleys over, the primary sentient species is a fungus that looks the one growing under your barn (not to be confused with the other sentient fungus another few valleys over that looks like a giant mushroom). Every few decades, someone stumbles across a new valley filled with living magic or something equally alien. In short, the Irimites' "otherness" doesn't really register as different from the "otherness" of everybody else.

How do you want to do my character?  Am I actually technological?  Am I from another planet?  (I haven't looked at any of the setting stuff yet.)

What Sirpercival said. The Irim Dwegsho-in-exile is this section of the setting's resident source of sci-fi (not the only one on the planet, but the only one relevant to this campaign). Unless you want to refluff PoC to magic like in Magipunk, you'll probably either be from there or have gotten the technology from them.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #17 on: July 07, 2017, 12:02:20 PM »
Irim Dwegsho-in-exile works!  I can actually make a backstory out of that.  :p

Edit: Will the Computer Use skill be used or should I skip it?

Offline Garryl

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #18 on: July 07, 2017, 12:11:11 PM »
Computer Use exists, but will not come up in this campaign except for the parts where it directly interacts with PoC mechanics, like identifying active modules. Even then, that's probably only going to be your character using the system, so you can safely skip it if you want to save the skill points.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Mutterings Beyond The Gate [OOC]
« Reply #19 on: July 07, 2017, 12:40:35 PM »
That's what I figured, thanks.