God Save the King II (IC)

[jmbrown]

Monday July 1st, three days after returning to Stuttgard, and a warm breeze from the south reminds the denizens of the mostly mountainous city that summer is just beginning. Lady Lydia's two month leave period is enacted and with pockets full of gold the compound is completely empty for most of the day.

-Amir and Amad frequent a tavern populated mostly by foreign nationals. It's a fine establishment but patrons are cold to any human of obvious Cyprian physique. Other races are welcome, especially dwarves.

-Teobald takes a part time job as a guide and ranger for tourists in the hilly forested area surrounding the city. Hiking is a popular attraction and a particular mountain offers a wondrous view of the city built into the walls of a ravine.

-Steps-Lightly and Alastair run underground street fighting competitions. Steps overseas them while Alastair uses his charisma to advertise.

-Bangers enjoys himself breeding horses for powerful lords. Nash works on magical items with Lennon who spends his free time in court trying to convince the state not to destroy Hargreaves' confiscated possessions.

Most of the city's citizens are preparing for the upcoming Summer Harvest Festival the first week of August. With the nation's civil war weakening the economic infrastructure, layman and noble alike look forward to taking their minds off the mounting death toll outside the city walls. The festival features dozens of competitions from lordly jousting to mighty caber tossing (a popular sport among dwarves).

In other news, the unrest among goblinoid slaves has broken down into a full insurrection. The influence of the Red Claw, a militant faction of goblinoid "freedom fighters" has yet to gain prominence although the royal courts have deemed them traitors and terrorists with a 3gp bounty for their ears which they clip to symbolize their freedom.

[lostsole31]

Roland de Molay

[Re-iterating the royal color of purple for Roland. Also, DM, I need to know the status of Roland and his side-quest.]

Either Roland is pursuing his quest, at the exclusion of all else ... which actually means he doesn't exclude terribly much, what with making sure to pay appropriate homage to his religion, his house, his countrymen, the organization he currently serves (TFH), etc. ... but still focuses on his quest, and most of these things should only serve to encourage and strengthen his ardent desire to succeed, not hinder him.

Otherwise, Roland is going to enter the lordly jousting competition, if able. While there are terrible wrongs in the country, he understands that sometimes the best place to battle those wrongs is in stirring the hearts and minds of the local populace with inspiring deeds of puissance and bravery.

Bjórn the Agreeable

[Re-iterating the cheerful color of Dark Orange for Bjórn.]

Bjórn's time is spent - be it in libraries, talking to sages or wilderness types, or making a 'field trip' - as his research takes him. He is trying to learn more about the giant acorn the centaur gave him. However, his god doesn't want obsessed scholars, but a cheerful man who engages himself in the world with the knowledge he learns - to spread joy and cheer as able. So, Bjórn invariably will witness the spectacle in Stuttgart.

[jmbrown]

Roland's procession will be held at the end of August one day after the jousting tournament. There's less than 30 days before the competition.

Bjorn's only lead on the acorn is the dryad who only says "The acorn symbolizes strength and growth. From a tiny, hard shell emerges a powerful oak. Keep it with you and it'll grow as you do."

[lostsole31]

Is Roland "off camera" until then with his quest?

Bjórn the Agreeable

If they aren't too bothered by me, Bjórn would like to approach Alastair and help with recruiting advertisement for the underground fight club.

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Bjórn is doing this for the following reasons:

• Wants to observe non-school style combat, the way it really is worked by those honestly fighting. Now that he has adventured a little, while he hopes not to be in combat he understands it is an inevitability so he wants to see different types of fighters at work. [BAB increase.]
• Bjórn really needs to learn how to take a hit better, and watching those who do it well and shrug it off might give him some pointers. [HP & Fortitude save increases.]
• An underground fight club would expose him to all manners of rumors and knowledge of the goings on locally and abroad. [Lore and K: Local increase.]
• There invariably will be those sponsors and such who come from the upper echelons. It would be good to become more able at recognizing them, who they interact with, and how to best deal with them. [K: N&R increase.]
• Alastair's keen interactions with others will help Bjórn in his own. [Bluff, Diplomacy, and various interaction synergy bonus increases.]
• Finally, it may not be on the right side of the law, but people love pit fights. Determine what it is about violence that gives folks - even good folk - such joy. This will help him understand some of the less savory aspects of joy in his journey with his religion.

Other than that, Bjórn stands ready to serve Lady Lydia and TFH as requested.

[lostsole31]

Roland *bumps* his sword against his shield.

[lostsole31]

Bjorn *bumps* his head against a low-hanging branch.

jmbrown, are we dead in the water? Is this project officially scrapped?

[jmbrown]

Did you check the OOC? We're halted until I get two more players. srgonzo has pm'd me with interest so I need one more person.

[lostsole31]

Send me the OOC thread again, please?

[jmbrown]

July is an eventful month for Alastair, Steps Lightly, and Bjorn. The fights prove popular and with the additional aid of Bjorn's wisdom they find perfect locations away from the prying eyes of the guard. By the end of August, Alastair rewards Bjorn with 100gp. "Your cut of the profits."

Using his earnings from the mission, Roland invests in a light warhorse with studded leather barding and a military saddle, lance, masterwork banded mail, masterwork heavy steel shield with his coat-of-arms, composite shortbow with a thick chord for a string, locking gauntlet, and various potions.

1st of August is the Harvest Festival. Admission is free with a fee for all entrants. The major competitions are:

-Jousting Tournament: 50gp entrance fee, prizes vary
Includes jousting helmet. Requires a horse, a medium martial weapon, a lance, and a dagger. Broken into three rounds.

Round 1: Tilting with a lance. The combatants attempt to unseat each other.

Round 2: Precision attacks. Using a dagger, the riders attempt to strike a flag attached to their opponent's mount (uses the mount's AC + size modifier).

Round 3: Gentlemanly duel. Using a medium sized martial weapon of the rider's choice, combatants strike each other until knock out or yield. This is a LETHAL battle. Combatants aren't encouraged to kill each other (no power attack or any ability that increases damage) but they're not expected to use non-lethal force.

Lords and Ladies Tournament: 10gp entrance fee. Grand prize is a mystery wondrous item.

Lords and Ladies is a game identical to chess. Each player has 5 minutes to defeat their opponent in a battle of critical thinking (opposing intelligence rolls).

Caber Toss: 5gp entrance fee. Prize varies.

Challengers toss large blocks of wood in three rounds; one round to determine distance, another round determines accuracy, and the last round determines raw strength.

Wrestling: 2gp entrance fee. Prize varies.

Challengers face off in 3 rounds of 30 seconds, no striking. Winner is determined by pinning for consecutive 3 rounds or by a point-based system where points are scored by each round a pin is made.

Drinking Competition: 1gp entrance fee. Prize is a Potion of Neutralize Poison (which you'll likely need) and a variable pot of money.

Challengers drink from a variety of local brews. Last one to remain conscious wins.

Archery Tournament: 50gp entrance fee. Prize is a magical bow.

Challengers face off in three rounds against increasingly difficult targets at a range of 200'.

Court Wizard Competition: 25gp entrance fee. Prize is a magic wand fully charged of 1st level decided by the winner. Registered court wizards only (registering as a court wizard costs known spell level times 100gp and must be updated at every spell level).

Challengers use prestidigitation to create magnificent effects to impress five judges. Judges rate based on creativity (wisdom), appearance (charisma), and technique (intelligence).

There's dozens of other competitions from basket weaving to pumpkin carving but they're not state sponsored and the prizes are of little value.

[lostsole31]

Bjórn the Agreeable

Bjórn thanks Alastair and Steps for teaching him a lot.

Of course, come time for the competition I enter to play in the Lords & Ladies Tournament. [Sheet updated for +100 gp - 10 gp for entrance fee.]

Since K:History is the skill which covers wartime strategy, can I use that skill to help me in the game? What about my Lore ability for famous games of old?

[jmbrown]

Bjórn the Agreeable

Bjórn thanks Alastair and Steps for teaching him a lot.

Of course, come time for the competition I enter to play in the Lords & Ladies Tournament. [Sheet updated for +100 gp - 10 gp for entrance fee.]

Since K:History is the skill which covers wartime strategy, can I use that skill to help me in the game? What about my Lore ability for famous games of old?

When the competition comes you can use lore and K: History to give you a competence bonus to your check.

[lostsole31]

Huzzah!!!!

[jmbrown]

Day 1, August 1st

The festival takes place in a basin 5 miles outside the city. Free barges carry commoners down the channel and a myriad of coaches and other travel services offer themselves for modest prices.

For those who saved their coin, the festival is a perfect time for shopping. All production has practically moved out of the city into the open field. Every craftsman, merchant, and peddler can be found and offer their wares with a 1d4+2% discount (roll individually for each item you're looking to purchase).

Lennon has set up a booth serving shaved ice with honey and other flavorings. It's a popular attraction despite the brisk autumn morning. Bangers runs one of the stables and a horse grooming service while Nash works on his metal craft.

The major competitions on day 1 are the preliminaries for jousting, drinking, and archery. Roland and Lady Lydia pay their entrance fee for the jousting and bid the group (everyone in the compound, even the goblin servants, showed up) farewell. Teobald has entered both the archery and drinking matches (the drinking competition is smartly held as the last event) and Steps Lightly and Alastair have also entered the archery contest.

34 people enter the jousting competition but only 24 can officially compete. The preliminaries involve making three passes against three targets of variable size. Competitors score points based on the dummies they strike and the bottom 10 competitors are removed.

Lady Lydia displays excellent form and power, cleanly cutting down two moderate dummies and then a hard dummy in all three passes. Roland takes his first two passes on the easiest dummy then strikes down the toughest one. A "mystery" competitor, entered as the 'Blue Baron,' effortlessly destroys the toughest dummy in all three passes.

"Well," Lady Lydia says afterward "We have tough competition this year." Roland barely squeaks into the competition as the 19th best score in his division. "Just getting warmed up, that's all." He balks that Algus Weems, his bitter rival, scored 13th. The troublesome lad is decked out in a black breastplate with armor spikes. "You better win this, Roland. You and me, in a "gentleman's" duel."

At the end of the day, Teobald, Steps Lightly, and Alastair make it passed the preliminaries for their respective competitions.

[lostsole31]

Bjórn the Agreeable

Bjórn is too caught up enjoying himself to try to make money. He spends 4 gp and 3 sp (a lot!) total on odd foods, trinkets, games of skill and chance, and other fun knickknacks. He does go to support his liege and Roland in the joust and goes by the archery competition ... but otherwise he doesn't like to stay in one place too long. He makes sure to wish each of his teammates well.

[lostsole31]

It's crowded at the fair, and Bjorn finds himself getting *bump*ed into by a lot of folks. He guards his coinpurse well (he only went out with 20 gp in the first place).

[lostsole31]

Bjórn *bumps* into an old acquaintance from his homeland, and talks ... likely for another whole month.

[jmbrown]

On the morning of the second day in August, Lady Lydia awakens everyone an hour before breakfast and has them assembled into the war room. She gives no explanation and seems highly perturbed. The only people remaining in the mansion at the time are Bjorn, Roland, Aerie, Shane, Aeron, and Jicardum; Alastair, Steps-Lightly, Teobald, Amir, and Amad are absent.

"I assembled you this morning because we have a prospective new member. He's traveled several hundred miles from Dumonte seeking the arcane advice of our Lennon. Lennon has agreed to help him in exchange for his services."

Lady Lydia opens the door "Caine, please enter and introduce yourself."

[Gorgondantess]

A tall, muscular, broad-shouldered half elf walks in the room. He wears a rust coat over a torn, silvery chain shirt, and ostentatiously large black boots. A heavy claymore is strapped over his shoulder. He was obviously once very attractive, and though he is still young, a hard life has diminished his looks- largely by merit of scarring.
His dull green eyes glisten with flecks of black, and shoulder length ashen hair falls over a black headband. He smirks at the lady, arms crossed. His voice is rough, but his tone is amiable. "Well, I think you've made all the introductions there are to say."

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Sorry, sorry, I got distracted.

[lostsole31]

[Not posting because Bjórn is not a prime mover ... yet, he is in a room full of older, more experienced folks that overshadow him.]

[Galileo]

My apologies for not posting sooner, but every time I came here I had a brain malfunction and completely forgot about this. This is more commonly known as "business as normal" in relation to me.

Anyway, Aerie still likes the colourSienna. Want me to redescribe her, considering I forgot to even mention her race in the first description?

[lostsole31]

@InsaneAlien

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Yes, please. I don't have the old link, and it's been awhile anyway. That, and we have a new player.

[jmbrown]

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Yes, Aerie can introduce herself. Bjorn too if he wishes.

Lady Lydia gives a cold glare to Caine. "Yes, well. I see we're off to a good start. I will introduce you to the other members of The Father's Heralds lest they wish to speak for themselves."

Roland: Large, hulking man who carries himself with an air of importance. He bows his head while placing his fist over his heart.

Aeron: A moody looking, black haired youth with sullen eyes and a gaunt face. He calls himself a scholar of life and death.

Shane: Tall, lithe man with toned muscles and keen eyes. He introduces himself as a tactician and battle caster.

Jicardum: A completely plain looking bald man with thin lips and a flat nose. His appearance is nondescript but small features like his eye color and skin hue shift slightly as if his body is consciously aware of its own appearance.

"This is only half my enlisted men. I've enacted a two month leave period but if you're looking to join you'll meet them eventually. Once you're settled, Caine, I can offer you your contract and then we'll discuss the business you've brought me."

[lostsole31]

Bjórn the Agreeable

Bjórn is a youth of barely 16 winters, whose very thin and wan beard of no real length if soft fuzz. He is small (5'6"), though his frame is of middle stockiness (despite not really filling it out well). His hair (and peach fuzz) are a red-orange, and his eyes are a big, ever-so-faintly angled, golden-brown that catches the light sometimes to flash. He could grow into being a handsome man, but still possesses the gawkiness of youth. But it also appears that he will never make good warrior stock. In fact, looking at him Caine probably thinks that if it ever came to blows, this boy would yield his life too easily.

His clothing is of excellent make, though not foppishly tailored. Underneath the upper part of the chest you can spy a chain shirt ... but this chain shirt is old and rusted and appears in danger of falling apart at any minute. It is likely this armor is several times older than himself without the benefit of being either masterwork or magical. He walks around with a quarterstaff, and a sling at his side. Also at his neck is a pendant of broadly smiling man's face, a face that matches the boy's enthusiastic smile.

He doesn't try to run up to meet the new warrior, but rather waits until he is approached (if at all). "Hello, Caine. I am Bjórn, though many call me Bjórn the Agreeable. I'm the resident bookworm. There's not many fields about which I don't know at least a little something, though some of our fellows are better or more focused in one or two fields than myself."

It is now apparent that Bjórn is of Northman's blood, though it is comical to see such a short Northman. He shares the stockiness of build, but not the flesh upon those broad shoulders, of his ancestors. His grip is not pathetic for a boy, but pathetic for a man or an adventurer.

[Galileo]

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Again, very sorry about forgetting. I was on holiday, then a lot of my time was spent fixing what'd happened to my RL campaign in my absence.

Aerie

One glance at Aerie, and it is simple to tell what she loves. She is a human woodsman, trained in launching volleys of arrows at her opponents and fading away into the safety of the trees. This is evident in the leaves caught in her long, brown hair; the many tears from briars in her worn tunic, so inexpertly repaired she must have patched them herself; the mud caked onto her boots and leggings. She stands little taller than Bjorn, but is almost a decade older than he.

Unlike Bjorn, Aerie does rush up to Caine at the first opportunity to shake his hand. "Hi there, I'm Aerie. Anything you want to know about stealth or countering it, ask me."

[Gorgondantess]

Caine nods to Lydia, shrugging.
He quirks an eyebrow at Bjórn. "And why, pray tell, do they call you that? I suppose you seem an agreeable enough fellow, but are all your other traits so dull that it must be brought to the fore?"
His question, however, is interrupted by Aerie. "Well, I most certainly shall..."
He brushes off his glove after shaking her hand, looking over the woman warily. While he's obviously no stranger to travel and woodsmanship, Caine is a city dweller at heart: he likes his women pretty, coy, and above all else, clean. None of which fit the person before him, though maybe the first criteria might be evident if he could knock off a few inches of the dirt and grime on her.

[lostsole31]

Bjórn the Agreeable

Bjórn shrugs, noncommittally. "Perhaps," he says, "or perhaps it is an unfortunate advertisement referring to my affect on a predator's palate. I didn't choose the moniker myself; it's just what people have called me, sir. My name is Bjórn Tyrfingrsson.

"But in the spirit of my name, choose for yourself what it means to you."

[Gorgondantess]

Caine crosses his arms, and nods in approval.

[jmbrown]

After the brief introductions, Lady Lydia asks Caine to take a seat. "Normally I would use this time to discuss business, however, there's still a month's time of leave left. There's much to discuss in a month's time particularly the news Caine brings me and recent events. To put it simply, issues both pressing and urgent require me to split my manning. Half of you will be stationed at one of the vassal states. Steps-lightly would snidely call this "spying" but our numbers have grown too large and I wish to expand."

"But let's leave business in this room. Aerie, if you haven't there's still time to enter the archery competition. Caine, I'm not certain what your skills are but you could reasonably excel in the drinking or wrestling competitions. Bjorn, the Lords and Ladies preliminaries begin today and the first day of the joust for me and Roland as well. Dismissed."

[lostsole31]

Bjórn the Agreeable

"Joy to all," Bjórn says, "and wish me the same."

Bjórn heads out to the Lords and Ladies tournament, fully knowing that he is likely to be the only pretentious, NON-lord/lady there so young and so incapably dressed (despite currently dressing in his best).

[Galileo]

Aerie decides to follow Lydia's advice and enter the archery competition. If there's time before/after she also visits the Lords and Ladies tournament. Despite being terrible at it herself, she appreciates the quickness of wit needed to play.

jmbrown:

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Did you get my pm?