Time is of the offing. Or off the ofing, I have no clue. Point is, apologies for the delay in the update, and we're back on track now. Huzzah! It looks like the gang may or may not have its hands full with the corpse hauling, ritual stuff, and potentially shady bits of shadiness among the NPCs, but here we are. OOH! And a bona fide reference to Act One. Best of luck to us all.
Doing my usual thing now, remind about questions, concerns, die rolls, if I missed something, etc., just give me a tag in our Discord and we'll figure something out. Thanks again!
Hello again, all. I have kept the pace a little slower than anticipated as we don't have our group fully back to the Coach House as of yet, the body hasn't been worked on yet, and we're otherwise still tying up loose ends/not quite wrapped up yet from the evening. I will note that this looks like the first time the characters are taking a more active interest in the building series of events. I guess that having an NPC turned into a gross bone and skin puppet can do that.
SO ANYWAY... Yeah, keep doing what you're doing, but realize that we're under a growing blizzard. Thought it need not be said, this might affect tomorrow's Tea with the Mosswaters. Best of luck, and as always, get with me in the Discord for all of your spiffiest questions, for rulings, and for die rolls. Huzzah!
Hello again, everyone. It looks like the group is finally safe(?) and sound behind the darkened walls of their temporary abode for the winter. Many things revealed and many new questions on the proverbial table. Owing to the ongoing IC conversations and swapping of ideas, I'm just going to let the ball keep rolling. Please let me know if you need me to table it with a quick and simple "you exchage information" bit and just have you work it out OOC, that we may move on OR let us remain and address newer business before retiring for the evening. Also, with these new bits of information to digest and the increasingly inclement weather, the nature of your accommodations for the night may or may not require a fresh perspective. Or a little effort. Either way, you all know the drill - get with me in our Discord for questions, die rolls, or if I forgot to address something in the IC (as happens sometimes). Thanks a bunch for being a part of this little mystery adventure, and Huzzah. As Huzzahs may be appropriate, situationally.
Yeah, you got me. This was a bit of a filler, and I was obviously hungry when I posted it. But here's the deal: It looks like we're about to wrap up the structured events of the event, so to speak, and prepare for the long rest we're all probably needing in one way or another. To this end, handle what you need to, prepare yourself for what may or may not follow, and enjoy the lovingly(?) prepared meal by your not suspicious at all hostess, Lizbeth L'Rose. If you have to wrap stuff up, wrap it up in the next post or two (if you would, please) and if you intend to reveal anything, let's get to revealing. If you don't, then by all means keep it mum. I'm good either way.
Once again, questions, help, die rolls, etc., get with me in our Discord. Huzzah!
Hello again. You'll notice that, the ambience descriptors aside, this is primarily the reactions of our resident NPC tag-along, Lizbeth. This is because it looks like the party has a direction they're going, and I don't want to interrupt or cut the IC flow short if the party needs to continue conversations. That said, unless random encounter dice roll on top of each other (which can happen), I've got nothing else in the way of big events planned. If you want to keep it going, cool deal. If you want to move the particulars into the Discord and cut to wrapping up for the night, we can do that this cycle.
Once again, do be in touch via Discord for die rolls and the like, and best of luck with the upcoming. Also remember, the way to the bedrooms upstairs requires one to step outside. Gotta love these rural architecture plans.
Alrighty then, here we are, coming to a close of the evening. Let's get things wrapped up as best we're able in this posting cycle as I have a ton of nifty, if potentially lethal, events just waiting for the next few in-game days and/or weeks. It looks like there's still an amount of planning and/or conversation left in the meantime. Feel free to collab if you need to. And don't worry, the random encounter rolls didn't do too much this time around.
Unless I'm lying. I do that sometimes.
Standard stuff applies for questions, die rolls etc.; let me know in our Discord and I'll do what I can to resolve stuff in a manner that might, if we're lucky, even be considered timely! Huzzah!
And here we are again. I don't really have anything to add from the last time, but we do appear to be in a bit of a holding pattern and I'm anxious to move things along, so... divvy up what you need to, work with whatever paranoia strikes at the moment, and let's close out the day. Work out what you need to in the Discord OOC, and by all means, keep those (almost) conspiracy theories a'coming. Who knows? Maybe a couple of them will prove to be accurate.
Per usual, come to me with questions/rulings/die rolls, and may the odds be ever... yeah, that.
Corellia's is short, with a bit of curves, and as is typical of a Erudian who reads indoors all day, fair-skinned. In stark contrast to this fairness is her raven-black hair, usually kept in a neat pony-tail or bun, with some loose bangs allowed to hang down and frame her face. It's been said that her full lips and high cheekbones give her a pouty, arrogant look. This isn't far from truth, as Cori can be quite pompous.
For clothing, Cori champions function over fashion, yet still believes in looking presentable. She mostly dons two consistent outfits: a simple two-colored robe (erudian blue and a greyish blue), with a wizard hat. This is for her day-to-day adventuring activities. At times, she's been known to opt for a hood instead of the hat. Her second outfit is for more formal, or social situations. A white and blue ornate top with simple white trousers and a parted skirt. For both options, she wears simple heeled leather boots.
Corellia, is first and foremost, a logician. Much like the citizens of her homeland, she places strong emphasis on logic, reasoning, information, truth-seeking, and the pursuit of knowledge. Perhaps one of her most trademark quirks is her thirst for knowledge. Simply put, Cori loves information. She seeks to know the who, what, when, where, why and how of anything that interests her, especially if there is compensation waiting for her upon solving the problem. Some would call her something of a "self-improvement junkie," always seeking to grow her intellect and test her mental meddle against all of life's challenges.
Like in all things, there is a bad aspect of Cori's personality. Chief among them is her lack of sy/empathy when it comes to problem solving. If you come to her with a complaint, she will expect you to be working on, or shortly come with a solution loaded in the chamber. She was raised to believe that any problem can be solved once analyzed and enough information is discovered. First, you analyze the facts, then come to a theory, test it, and come to a conclusion based on it. It goes without saying that this trait, while admirable, can lead to some dark places. Example? Well, she tends to think of races such as orcs, goblins and trolls as stupid, due to "large enough sample sizes denoting their intellectual capacity." In fact, most of her homeland has similar views on the different "manners of sentients" within the Realms.
In addition, she has difficulty accounting for emotions. This is not to say she is unaware they exist. She's studied enough about each race (including her own) to know they're very real. What she doesn't understand is how they can hop into the captain's chair and lead someone to make an irrational decision--even to their detriment. This is not to say she doesn't have emotions. She does. In fact, a sure-fire way to upset her is to behave irrationally, especially where it affects her. Example? If you're a gate guard, and she has a writ of passage to enter beyond that gate, and the guard refuses her entry based on reasons not related to the writ of passage, or a reasonable directive from a superior (being in a bad mood, to be specific), she will likely clash with the gate guard and try to reason with them. If that doesn't work, there is always magic. But she WILL make entry, because she was given permission to do so by someone above that guard, and there was no sufficient reason given to deny her passage.
As for her behavior in a party, she's no murderhobo, but she's not a warm, cuddly ally either. Much like how magic is a tool to her, her party-mates are also tools. Means to an end. This is not to say she will betray or sell them out, as that would be an inefficient decision with low cost-benefit yield. She will perform her duties to the best of her abilities, and where she is lacking, she will seek to improve and fill in the gaps before they threaten to sink her. But she will certainly treat her party-mates as tools that can aid her to accomplish a goal. Attachment is a distraction, after all.
Corellia comes from the Greater Republic of Erude. It was approximately two decades ago that she was born to a happily married couple who were part of the Magus Court (the group responsible for the research and development of arcane arts). As Magi, they were often away from home, leaving their only child with naught but their vast collection of books to entertain their daughter. This, of course, was of no issue to Cori, who learned to read rather early, even by Erudian standards. Among her first reads were books such as A Dissertation on Arcane Study, Magical Theory 08, and Requiem of a Magi--all significantly above her tender age group at the time. Her parents saw no issue. If she was entertained growing her own knowledge without needing much in the way of prompting, who were they to complain? They assigned for her a minder just in case -- one never knows -- and that was that.
Growing older, Cori went from reading about magical theory, to applying it. She took to it rather quickly, and with vigor. Her parents, still the ever-busy Magi, saw it fit to assign her a Magi of her own to introduce her first steps into the arcane properly and safely. A book is no subsitute for real application, after all. And so, daily, when she puts down her books she picked up a wand, or a staff (or sometimes a grimoire), and her appointed Magi, Lady Faleena, taught her how wizardly worked and how it was different from other forms of magic. Though Cori likely already knew, thanks to the immense library her family owned.
Erudian schools are not like the typical designs one thinks of, though can be nonetheless brutal than those of other countries. When the other kids thought she was too engrossed in study, too obsessed with the ink of a page, they simply paid her no mind. Not outright violence or bullying, mind you. That didn't stand in the Republic, but it was clear that the feeling was mutual when Cori would be sat under a tree, knees curled to her chest, book to her face while others sat next to her, waiting for their turn.
As the years went on, she became rather elite within scholarly and wizardry circles, even going so far as to touch the steps of the Elite Collegiate. However, this happening would stop at those steps and go no further, for she was selected by Faleena, her assigned Magi, to attend a great wizard in his tower, an opportunity of a lifetime. It was in this very tower that her magical study grew, or exploded, as she would say. The great wizard who mentored her, encouraged her to incorporate wordly knowledge as well. Erude was not the only nation within the Realms, and they were big and needed to be seen. Perhaps she could even spread the Erudian way to other civilizations! Seeing this as a "right of passage," Corellia picked up her wands, staffs, and books and left her homeland, in search of greater knowledge and a few stories to tell once she returned home.
Nothing yet.
Likes
Libraries
Books
Cleanliness
Intelligence
Magic
Tea
Dislikes
Ignorance
Emotionality
Barbarism
Loudness (especially in libaries)
Damaged books
Littering
Hobbies
Reading
Writing
Philosophy
Arcana
History
Languages
Studying
Research
Problem Sluething
Her role will be dedicated caster, with utility (control, healing, etc).
Well, here we all are for IC post 1,000! I'd like to thank you for coming along on this journey with me, realizing of course that we're barely halfway through the planned material. Still, massive Huzzahs are in order! Thanks for being part of this adventure thusfar.
Now, on to business! The setting is covered with snow. It's hard to get around and you've got both an investigation to investigate AND your duties to dute. Is that a word? Probably not. Well, it is now! Long story short, you all have a busy day ahead of you, make no mistake, AND you're expecting company. If anyone remembers the details of that bit of planning, you get a gold star.
In any case, per our usual, for any questions, concerns, die roll requests, etc., please say hello in our Discord. And here's wishing for another fun and adventurous thousand IC posts. Thank you again.
Alright, not going to mince words with this one as I'm technically on someone else's time right now, so... DC 12 Perception check to notice Lizbeth getting uncomfortable (as she was trying poorly to hide it). Give consideration to what was planned for today and balance your responsibilities to those plans, your skills training, and the ongoing investigation.
Per usual, get with me in Discord about rolls, questions, etc, and have a spiffy day.
Going to get this out of the way real quick: The sneezing that Baronfjord is going through does not release him from the effects of the magic surge. He'll have to go through more arcane and/or divine methods to lose his luster, should he desire to. The good news is, the party has a caster capable of sorting that out, if that's what he wants.
Moving on - I kept Lizbeth's stuff reactionary, for the most part. There's plenty of stuff to act/react to for the party moving forward, and other NPCs are off NPCing elsewhere, and until a party member goes and experiences things outside of the breakfast table, there's little I have to explain. Also, you might notice that the new Update header only features a bit of snow in comparison to the massive amount discussed in the text. Be aware, the text is more accurate than the image. This will be a factor that affects a great number of things moving forward. The accumulated snowfall, I mean. Not the image. But anyway...
You all are still expected to at least check in with your mentors/training people in addition to moving on with your investigation. The more involved with your mentors/training you are, the more you get out of it at the end of the Act. In fact, please remind me in our Discord what your character is training for and who they're learning with. I'll look back into the story so far to update my existing notes. People who study get stuff. Go fig. Let me know how you're throwing yourself into your fancy learnin', if you would.
Per our usual, thanks for joining me in our collaborative storytelling dice-rolling adventure; if you have questions/concerns/die rolls needed, please let me know via Discord and I'll do my best to do my part.
In a strange twist of fate, I am apparently not grievously late with the update. I'd say that calls for a drink, but it's officially very early in the morning where I'm at and my Celt background really only takes me so far with those stereotypes. As such, here we are.
For your characters, throughout the course of the day, you will need to decide how you will spend your time - investigation is important, but so is working with the budding skill sets and dealing favorably(ish) with your mentors, as applicable. Naturally, inspiration can be found in the oddest of places, as can clues. No stone unturned, yadda yadda, and old things may be seen in a different light with your newer information. So please, get with me about the specifics you wish to do in the hour-to-hour of the game day and I will be more than happy to serve you up on a platter let you know what the interactions look like on the outset, as well as get the initial rolls handled.
Daxos Ironbow is a broad-shouldered dwarf wrapped in dark leathers and strapped with tools, pouches, and weapons. A crossbow rests across his back, a blade at his hip, and the faint smoke of a cigar often curls from his beard. His tattooed arms and worn gear tell of hard-lived years, while a slight limp hints at old scars. Sharp-eyed and ever-watchful, he carries himself with the air of a man who has survived too much to be taken lightly.
Daxos is sharp-tongued and quick-witted, with an eye that misses little and a tongue that often cuts sharper than his blade. He keeps others at a careful distance, rarely granting trust without cause, and tends to treat most social exchanges like bargains to be weighed and measured. To him, every smile hides a motive, every favor has a price, and every word is worth testing for its true value. While not unkind, his guarded nature and calculating outlook make him difficult to read, though those who earn his respect find a steadfast ally who values loyalty above all else.
The Ironbow family were never smiths, warriors, or statesmen like so many of their kin. Their craft was in shadows. For generations they served as spies, informants, and scouts in the underkingdom, trading secrets like coin and thriving in the murky currents of intrigue. It was in this hidden world that Daxos was raised, taught not to swing a hammer or march in a shield wall, but to listen, observe, and move unseen.
As a youngling, Daxos clung tightly to the one truth he thought unshakable: family was stronger than the outside world. He believed that whatever games of deception or betrayal his kin played, the Ironbows themselves stood united. That belief shattered when ambition, greed, and fear fractured the bonds he held sacred. A string of double-crosses and ill-fated alliances left him marked as a liability, and when blame was needed, Daxos was the one cast out. The sentence was merciless: excommunication, not only from his bloodline but from the mountain realm itself. Stripped of his name’s protection and denied the stone halls of his birth, he became an exile with nothing but his wits, his scars, and a lingering bitterness.
In the years that followed, the skills once meant for quiet service in the underkingdom became his tools of survival. Daxos honed his craft as a thief and scout, weaving through cities and wilds alike, always watching, always listening. He learned to see every interaction as a bargain, every alliance as temporary, every smile as sharpened steel behind silk. Yet, beneath the hardened shell of the exile, there lingers the memory of the young dwarf who once believed in family. It is this faint ember of loyalty—buried deep but never extinguished—that drives him to guard what few bonds he dares to form, even as the rest of the world is kept at arm’s length. Now, however, that ember flickers against the cold wind of pursuit, for Daxos has recently fled from a job that went very wrong. The who, the what, the where, and the why are best left unspoken—but the shadows he once navigated so easily now hide enemies on his trail, and the road ahead is no longer just about survival, but escape.
Likes
The quiet corners of taverns where he can see everyone but no one sees him.
The bitter taste of strong dwarven whiskey and the burn of a half-decent cigar.
The feeling of a well-oiled crossbow string and the weight of a sharpened blade.
Gathering information others think is unimportant—he lives for the details.
The thrill of a gamble, not for the winnings, but for the chance to read people’s tells.
Dislikes
Being underestimated because of his stature.
The stench of betrayal, especially when it mirrors the wounds of his past.
Overly cheerful folk who try to "fix" him with good intentions.
Nobles who flaunt their wealth or boast of “honor,” having seen the rot beneath it.
Deep silence—he prefers the hum of life around him, something to observe, something to learn.
Hobbies
Carving small wooden figurines during downtime, though he pretends it’s just to pass the time.
Playing cards or dice games, usually to practice reading expressions more than to win coin.
Collecting odd trinkets from his travels—buttons, carved stones, bits of broken jewelry—that “might be useful someday.”
Eavesdropping for sport, even when he has nothing to gain.
The Weird Stuff
He talks to himself quietly when planning or sneaking, muttering strategies under his breath.
Keeps a piece of dwarven iron ore in his pocket, the last relic of his mountain home, though he’ll never admit it means anything.
Occasionally taps his foot three times before entering a room—an old superstition picked up in the underkingdom.
Has a peculiar habit of flipping a dagger end over end when he’s thinking, but never drops it.
Quotes
“Every deal has a dagger hiding in it. The trick is knowing where it’s pointed.”
“Trust is just another word for leverage.”
“Family’s a fine thing… until it isn’t.”
“Gold spends fast, but secrets? Secrets can buy you kingdoms.”
When annoyed: “Save your breath. You’ll need it when you choke on your own lies.”
Interesting Tidbits
Despite his cynicism, he always pays his debts on time, even the small ones—his word is iron once given.
He’s secretly terrified of deep water; too many years in the stone halls left him uneasy around vast, open spaces.
While he distrusts nearly everyone, he has a soft spot for street urchins and outcasts, seeing reflections of himself in them.
Keeps a running tally in his head of every “favor owed” and “favor given.” He never forgets a debt, no matter how small.
Daxos, many moons ago, was a scout and a spy for the underkingdom and as such he tends to earn his coin plying these same trades. As much as he tries not to, he isn’t opposed to slitting throats when the time comes or if the situation calls for a quick and decisive end to a problem.
And away we go... Hopefully, this update will be a little enlightening. A little. Whether it is or not, it will surely lead toward the wonderful spiffiness of something approaching enlightenment, just not in a Nirvana-esque sense of spiritual oneness that brings peace or understanding. To start, Kathryn will require a quick Perception check before she continues. Stuff is afoot that isn't obvious. Understanding starts with noticing. (Insert evil laugh here.)
I gave a 20% chance for a levelled priest to be in the Temple in Southmoor. Pull what conclusions you will from the update.
The update did not mention stuff in the Healer's home. This is because I passed out in front of my computer, said to hell with it, and I will update that part in Victoria's post. I wish it were for a more grandiose reason.
We will not be moving forward with one of the prospective players who submitted a CS a little while ago. Said potential player has been informed. However, it looks like we have another candidate. Thank you, @Archangel89, for getting something together for the OOC. I will continue our discussion via PMs, but to remind, we're running the 2014 5e version, and this is a cooperative game. We will run through specifics later, as it is very late and I have work in a couple hours. But! Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
Per usual, if anyone has questions, concerns, die rolls adjudicated, please be in contact through our Discord. Once again, thank you for taking part in my little experiment of an adventure.
You will notice the additional name added to the list this time. It's almost official, just a couple more things to iron over. That said, TO BUSINESS!
Starters, I need a Persuasion check for Kosara. No DC, just keep the roll open. You've got your NPC contact very nervous and I need to see how this smooths over or deteriorates as the conversation progresses. Right now you have a very jittery janitor on your hands. For the rest of you, situation is open and quite fluid. Remember that putting time into learning your trades/skills is important, but so is balancing this with the investigation.
Now, on to the new guy - the CS looks okay, go ahead and move it over to the CS tab. Please remove the "Header" section from it, though. That's not especially needed unless you're posting IC. Any non-stat or inventory edits may be made, with permission, up to the point of your first post. I intend to get him worked in with the next update. Your Rose River Vineyard contact will have some things to say and/or remind your character about before I attempt to put him in with the others, hopefully in a manner that isn't too stretched. When Daxos is in the CS tab and properly formatted, I will send you relevant information and get you in the Discord.
Per usual, everyone remind me if I missed something in the update and please be in touch through Discord for die rolls, questions, etc. Thanks again for being the stalwart group of adventuring misfits that, for some reason, has stuck around.
To kick this one off, let's give a quick round of applause for the official arrival of Daxos Ironbow into the adventure. Let's all give a great many Huzzahs and keep our fingers crossed that his robust corpse isn't chewed to pieces by the horrifying, gibbering undead. So... Huzzah! Alright, now to business: The way Daxos is set up, he has the option to return to the Vineyard with Urmdrus and do his thing there if he so chooses, or stick around town and handle what he needs to there. If a conveniently placed "accidental" meetup is to take place to get the interactive bell rolling, go ahead and arrange that in the Discord. Just a little metagaming is forgivable in this instance. Have fun with it.
Everybody else, let's do what we can to make the entrance nice and squishy for all parties concerned. That aside, it looks like things are progressing in individual directions that may or may not bear fruit, so do have at it. Let me know if you have questions, if I missed an issue in the update, or for the usual die rolls. Per usual, Discord is our friend. Thanks again, and/or in advance.
We're moving along to the next logical point, this being (for most of us) the location mentioned in posts as their intended locations. Just stepping inside of doors, at it turns out. I'm seeing a decent amount of interaction and I don't want to spoil it if it's ongoing, so... you do you. I have intentionally left Victoria headed in the direction of the Vineyard as soon as her horse manifests, so it is possible for the two others in Southmoor to catch sight of her on her way out, and she will be arriving at the Coach House shortly, on back of a really fast phantom horsey.
Per our usual, please get with me in our Discord with questions, rolls, etc., and do try not to plunge headlong into the wood chipper that is our upcoming situation here in sunny Avonshire. Huzzah! Best of luck uncovering the uncoverable.
Alright! Update is updated and I'm still technically on time! Huzzah for me! ...anyway, as I'm in the middle of a personal time crunch, I'll keep.this really brief. You all keep doing what you're doing. Message me in our Discord for die rolls, reactions, and the like, and I will follow up with them when I'm able.
Best of luck with your upcoming rolls. If the Dice Gods won't be helpful, let's at least hope that they'll be merciful.
