mildly_competent

You are correct that Gaius will finish off the Air Elemental with his first attack. :) As I tally things up real quick, I actually think that Justiel's last attack would finish the Air Elemental. Many of Aberian's attacks hit because his greater invisibility from one of his mythic abilities that I took the liberty of using for him means that the Air Elemental is denied its Dex mod to AC, and he gets additional +2 bonus to his attacks. Looking at the map, the rules are getting slightly difficult to think through (e.g. Gaius is enlarged, and I'm not sure how that interacts with him riding Justiel at the moment-- but he also failed his Reflex save so maybe he was pulled out of his saddle and is flying? Or maybe the saddle kept him in... or...) But if he is still on Justiel, enlarged or not, a 5ft step would put him in range to attack the water elemental. For simplicity's sake, I'm happy to apply as many attacks on the water elemental as Gaius has to give. Alternatively, I can assume a move action towards the Fire elemental to attack it, instead, as you like.

That is okay with me if it's okay with bubs.

Gemma Talok | AC: 13 (I'm just nimble) | HP: 8/8 | HD: 1/1 | Speed: 25ft | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 9, Insight: 9, Investigation: 10 Languages: Common, Halfling, Dwarven Spell Slots: L1: 2/2 Krone's appearance surprises Gemma slightly. "Well, fancy seeing you here, love," the little one purrs. "I imagine that there was plenty of work to be had protecting transports along the way? Or did you walk all the way out here just to see me?" Fuma was an interesting fellow-- so silent. Not a wasted word. Just like Gemma. Gemma definitely didn't waste words, and only said exactly what was necessary. It's just that so very much was necessary, sometimes. The tall man's intense stare and winking certainly captured their interest. There must be much going on underneath that still surface. "Glad to play for you-- but I've not heard the sounds of the Black Lion Tribe.. Uthgardt, right? I'll have to hear them one day." "Gleaming Gemma? That's clever. I like it," they respond to Mareen's suggestion. They don't outright claim the name, but seem to give their assent. Krone's assertion that she would be joining the performance doesn't dissuade Gemma any. "I'm sure our impromptu trio can amuse the crowd for a little while, anyway. It's us or the cold, and I think we're a bit more appealing." Sanguinus' story of the hunt for the rust monsters passes through Gemma's head but doesn't prompt much-- they had always been about their city life, and were woefully unprepared for the wilder world of monsters, combat, and new kinds of danger. Nine Hells, the only time they had even really heard of a rust monster had been some abstract concept of one ruining a shipment of gold bars that were to be melted down in the shop. They did their best not to dwell on the comments. What mattered now was now. Hot stew. Warm walls. New friends. OOC

I was going to try to get another post in today, but the day has been pretty rough-- will attempt to reclaim some time tomorrow morning and get another post in. Loving everyone's characters so far. :)

The Worldwound. Afternoon, 23 Kuthona (12th month, Early Winter) DR 4713 %5Bhr%5D%5B%2Fhr%5D %5Bhr%5D%5B%2Fhr%5D Luohn is able to desperately hold his ground, casting a spell to speed the party and then moving out of the whirlwind's dangerous path. Sequoyah rages against the whirlwind, but to no effect. The raging, whipping tornado seems to melt open around his glaive and close again just as easily on the other side. Gaius mounts Justiel and shows what a Cavalier's training can do, jabbing at the wind and rending the Whirlwind itself with Radiance. Aberian calls on his Mythic Power to make himself invisible. Powered by the Arcanist's Haste, he fires several arrows from wherever he stands, and many of them strike true, though a couple are cast away by the hurricane-force winds. Surely, on any other creature, these would have buried themselves deep into vital organs. But elementals have no such weaknesses. The air Elemental whips around in its whirlwind form, flying through each of the party's spaces and threatening to pull them from the ground. The fire elemental turns to its nearest visible target and attempts to burn him to ash. The water elemental continues its attack on Gaius. OOC Aberian avoids catching fire. Aberian dealt an additional 26 damage on top of Gaius/Justiel's 36. Each of the party members except for the invisible Aberian are attacked by the Air Elemental sweeping through in its tornado form. They take: Sequoyah: 17; Luohn: 20; Gaius: 17; Justiel: 14 damage, and each must make a DC23 Reflex Save or be pulled into the whirlwind. If Justiel fails, Gaius flies with him. The Fire elemental attacks Sequoyah (succeeds on will save v Adoration with result 24). Only one attack hits, though-- 12 physical damage and 12 fire damage unless you have fire resistance that I missed. DC20 Reflex Save or catch fire. The water elemental attacks Gaius and only hits once, despite the chain mail instead of full plate. 14 damage. Objectives NOTE: The following isn't meant to be restrictive or exhaustive. It's only meant to help keep track of what's going on in the story during the loooooonnnnnggggg nature of Play-by-post. You may have other objectives you'd like to pursue, or you may decide that one or more of these objectives needs to be abandoned or modified. Let me know if you'd like me to change, add, or remove objectives. Determine the cause of Gaius' strange changes after being exposed to abyssal energies of the Vescavor Rift and his possession by Eustoyriax. [✓] Seek out and confront Vorimeraak about Gaius' condition. [✓] Close the Vescavor Rift you found previously. [And recover Umbra!][✓] Investigate Djavulslaktare Hall.[✓] Push to restore the temple of Sarenrae (iirc) that they found on their way to Drezen. Redeem someone involved in the construction of the Corruption Forge as part of the ritual to convert the forge. Track down the Spark of Shelyn. Slay a gosh darned dragon! What is going on with Aberian's Dreams? Nurah-- what do we do with that slippery bard? Jhoran Vhane-- is he still alive? Did he wind up getting some sleep? What do we do with him? Frost Giants Out of Time-- How can we support / exploit them? Arles Jhestander-- did he die? Aron-- let's keep that fella busy. Idle hands are the devil's demons' plaything! Chaleb-- How's our redeemed Cavalier doing? Leriel Marden-- did her spirit dissipate into the Ether or something? Character and Combat Info Party Information Character HP Effects Luohn 44/80 , 9 rounds. , 9 rounds. , 10 rounds. Gaius 96/132 , 9 rounds. , 9 rounds. , 10 rounds. Justiel 43/63 , 9 rounds. , 9 rounds. , 10 rounds. Sequoyah 77/118 , 9 rounds. , 9 rounds. , 10 rounds. Aberian 44/90 , 9 rounds. , 9 rounds. , 10 rounds. , 6 rounds. Enemy Information Enemy Location HP Other Info Fire elemental O12 ??/?? Water Elemental O3 ??/?? Air Elemental M8 61/123 Currently a Whirlwind Enemy Location HP Other Info

I'm going to try to post tonight, though I know that bubs has not found time to post yet. I think I've got the time and I know I have the motivation, so I want to seize it while it's there. If I could get us back to 2-3 GM posts/week, I would be pretty darned happy!

Great news! I was finally able to access the ogmw site, and I've been working on writing up summaries and getting npc blurbs written. IDK how often y'all use them, but I feel that, when I actually keep up with it, it can be really useful for me. And, if nothing else, it is a chance for me to get nostalgic. Y'all have put so much into such wonderful roleplay over so many years. I love going back and seeing your old posts as much as your new ones. I'm lucky as hell to be playing with you lot, and my only regret is that the last few years have been so rough that I slowed down quite a bit. Thanks for sticking with me, and being so darned awesome. :)

Dron Allriver Dron played no clear role in Chapter 1. TBW.

While my current WotR game takes precedence in all of my GMing ventures... I'm foolishly considering starting another game. And considering doing it as an AL game. I'm starting to poke through this forum and see what resources there are, as time allows. But I think that my big question is: What kind of bookkeeping to I have to do to register as an AL GM, if any?

Hm. So, I'm trying to get the Chronicles updated, and I'm noticing that the og myth weavers site... doesn't seem to be accessible? I guess I should re-join the discord server to see if there's any word on this.

Alright, I've posted! I want to say up front that I'm kind of playing around a bit with this character in a lot of ways. I don't want it to make the game less enjoyable for anyone. If the genderfluid aspect of the character starts to get confusing, I'm happy to default to they/them pronouns. And, as said in the main post, if the music selection breaks the tone too hard for anyone in a way that's not fun, I'm also happy to cool it there. You're stuck with the (attempted) unnerving body horror in their spellcasting, though. Non-negotiable.

Gemma Talok | AC: 13 (I'm just nimble) | HP: 8/8 | HD: 1/1 | Speed: 25ft | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 9, Insight: 9, Investigation: 10 Languages: Common, Halfling, Dwarven Spell Slots: L1: 2/2 Gemma works her way into the tavern out of the cold, her small frame covered in an absurdly thick bit of rags to keep safe from the bitter winter what little heat she can generate. She firmly closes the door behind her to ward off the cold, and visibly shivers as she slips out of the warming outfit. With a deep breath and a relieved sight, she smiles and looks about the tavern, quickly finding the group that she is meant to join. When Glenna Moonsmith offers Gemma the stew and meat, Gemma smiles up at the woman graciously. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a saint, sweet Glenna? Because if they haven't, then they should. And if they have, then they should say it twice." Gemma wastes no time in tasting the stuff, trying hard to savor the scent and each bite. Times have been hard since her expulsion from Hillsfar, and the kindness of Glenna has earned the dwarf a fierce ally in the halfling. Eventually, Gemma becomes vaguely aware of the conversation that the others are having, and decides to participate. Looking from face to face, she comments, without further context. "Mmmm. Stone, Silk, and... hmph-- copper," as she looks over Fuma, Mareen, and Sanguinus, respectively. "I'm Gemma. You can call me that, or Unko. Or really whatever strikes you as right, if it's in good spirit," she says. There is not a trace of irony in her statement, even with the emphasis she had put on "copper." And it suddenly dawns on her that she does recognize one of the party. "Why, you're that fabulous ballerina-- and more, if the stories are right. Wait, are you going to grace us with a performance? Or are we just lucky to be in the same tavern that you wandered into for a good meal?" If only Gemma had paid a modicum of attention, she might know the answers to her questions already. Alas, she has not. Fortunately, she's flighty and excited enough to have an arguably relevant suggestion anyway. "Oh, do you need a musical accompaniment? If you're up for the fun, I could liven up the performance..." OOC If Sass is willing to allow it, my intention is to use to produce , with the accompanied performance check. Gemma would give a justification that it was inspired by a bizarre music box she came across from a dwarven friend some time ago. However, if we think that it's too tonally inappropriate, I understand, and won't push the issue. :) Performance Minor Illusion

As if I wouldn't read every word Grego writes like I'm licking dew off a desert flower.

IT's actually only DC15 + Spell level! So you should be golden. :)

That's perfectly fine with me. :)

Mishka Strakeln HP: 10/10 | AC: 14 | Passive Perception: 13 Active Effects: NA Spells and Expendables Expendable Used Total Recharge Magical Tinkering 0 3 NA Comprehend Languages (no spell slot used) 0 1 Long Rest Entangle (no spell slot used) 0 1 Long Rest Spell Slots Lvl 1 0 2 Long Rest Prepared Spells: Level 1: Absorb Elements, Cure Wounds, Tasha's Caustic Brew, Comprehend Languages*, Entangle*. *Do not count against prepared spells, as they are granted by my Rune Shaper feat. Mishka is certainly a bit suspicious that Markus is now dead shortly after mentioning the string of murders to Dovis Tobergate. Someone also from Elturel. She tucks this bit of information away, but when the dwarf suggests that he might give Dovis some forewarning, Mishka shakes her head and both hands. "No, no-- please do not distrekt heem from hees duties. Wit all of de murders and crime, de last ting he needs is to be waitink around for us. We will find heem when de time is right." Truly, she just wanted to avoid a suspect from getting warning that a bunch of investigators were on his trail. If he was going to be helpful, he'd be just as helpful if surprised. If he was going to run... Mishka said little else, but did look wistfully in the direction of the doughnuts on their way. "I hef heard of dees tinks, and would like to learn to cook dem... meybe another day..." At the much more somber house of Bolnata, Misty is instead largely quiet, letting Io do the speaking. She had learned from bitter experience that the half-elf was better with words. Those half-orcs still wouldn't let Mishka back in to the tavern. But, once Bolnata had answered a few questions from Io and others, Misty did nudge her just a tad and whispered, "Dovis... Esk about Dovis Tobergate. Was he a good friend?" OOC

Thanks, y'all, for your patience! Of course as soon as I say "I'm gonna get a post up!" we finally get the work in our house completed and I can finally unpack the boxes we've been living out of for 6 months!

The Worldwound. Afternoon, 23 Kuthona (12th month, Early Winter) DR 4713 %5Bhr%5D%5B%2Fhr%5D %5Bhr%5D%5B%2Fhr%5D The party is too stunned at the absurdity of the situation to act-- a tornado of fire slipping into several elementals? This couldn't be random. But the thoughts take to much time and attention. The air elemental wastes no time, whipping immediately back in to a Whirlwind towering some 60 feet high, though its base is only as wide as a man is tall. It whips and whirls until Luohn is right in its center, the winds whipping rocks and dust about and casting debris all about the arcanist. Luohn feels his feet slipping from the ground... Aberian is barely pulling himself up off the ground when the fire Elemental is upon him, swinging its great arms. Its natural light burns away the shadows, robbing Aberian of his ever-present allies... as if the creature knows. Aberian does not have time to consider, as the foe swings twice at him, once catching the rogue and burning him badly. The rogue is barely able to dodge the second blow. Finally, the Water Elemental closes in on Gaius, whipping and screaming and slicing the wind with its arms, which alternately seem to be liquid and sometimes freeze to solid ice. The warrior weathers the first blow, but the second hits him hard across the face, and comes dangerously close to gravely wounding him. No matter. He'll give better than he gets. OOC Luohn takes 16 damage and must make a DC23 Reflex Save or fly into the whirlwind. Aberian takes a whopping 35 damage (23 Physical and 12 Fire) and must make a DC20 Reflex Save or catch fire! Gaius takes 15 physical damage-- the water elemental is at a stark disadvantage due to fighting on dry(ish) ground. Objectives NOTE: The following isn't meant to be restrictive or exhaustive. It's only meant to help keep track of what's going on in the story during the loooooonnnnnggggg nature of Play-by-post. You may have other objectives you'd like to pursue, or you may decide that one or more of these objectives needs to be abandoned or modified. Let me know if you'd like me to change, add, or remove objectives. Determine the cause of Gaius' strange changes after being exposed to abyssal energies of the Vescavor Rift and his possession by Eustoyriax. [✓] Seek out and confront Vorimeraak about Gaius' condition. [✓] Close the Vescavor Rift you found previously. [And recover Umbra!][✓] Investigate Djavulslaktare Hall.[✓] Push to restore the temple of Sarenrae (iirc) that they found on their way to Drezen. Redeem someone involved in the construction of the Corruption Forge as part of the ritual to convert the forge. Track down the Spark of Shelyn. Slay a gosh darned dragon! What is going on with Aberian's Dreams? Nurah-- what do we do with that slippery bard? Jhoran Vhane-- is he still alive? Did he wind up getting some sleep? What do we do with him? Frost Giants Out of Time-- How can we support / exploit them? Arles Jhestander-- did he die? Aron-- let's keep that fella busy. Idle hands are the devil's demons' plaything! Chaleb-- How's our redeemed Cavalier doing? Leriel Marden-- did her spirit dissipate into the Ether or something? Character and Combat Info Party Information Character HP Effects Luohn 80/80 , 1 minute. , 1 minute Gaius 132/132 , 1 minute. , 1 minute Justiel 63/63 , 1 minute. , 1 minute Sequoyah 118/118 , 1 minute. , 1 minute Aberian 44/90 , 1 minute. , 1 minute Enemy Information Enemy Location HP Other Info Fire elemental O12 ??/?? Water Elemental O3 ??/?? Air Elemental M8 ??/?? Currently a Whirlwind Enemy Location HP Other Info

I think that Aengoth maybe went to The Stop, to still try and take advantage of the trade route that goes through Yulash. And maybe Gemma goes there now and again as kind of a base of operations? And to continue making Jewelry in a half-assed apprenticeship.

We're gonna wind up with 4 sneaky deceptive, sneaky bastards, a he-man, and a cop. This is gonna be wild.

Alright, I know that we don't. have a post from bubs yet, but in the interest of keeping things moving I think that I will roll for him and try to get a post up tomorrow, time allowing.

I'll do my best to be at least semi-active in here, too, rauhric! It's nice to have the fun and camaraderie of an OOC thread, whether that's on discord or on site. :) I like Fuma! How is it pronounced? Like "Fyu-mah" or more like "Foo-mah" or something else?

RE-fluffed spell descriptions. Cantrips: Mage Hand: Gemma / Unko's hand stretches hideously at the wrist, becoming thin and malleable as their hand moves further away. The hand itself retains its shape, connected to her by an elastic band of skin and muscle, until he returns it to themself. Chill Touch: Gemma / Unko's eyes flash with multicolored, crystalline luminescence, and her target feels a sudden cold chill over their body. The foe soon finds that several bits of their internal organs and skin are momentarily turning into fine shards of gemstones and back to organic material, tearing them apart bit by bit, and hindering any healing that might be done. Minor Illusion: As the spell, but images that Gemma produces tend to be shinier and lustrous, while images that Unko produces tend to be darker and dustier than one would expect. Thaumaturgy: Situational, but whenever possible the effect is produced by some unnatural bodily effect. E.g. a booming voice results from Unko's throat bulging out like a frog's. Level 1: Cure Wounds: Gemma peels off a hunk of her own flesh, and it becomes a malleable putty-like substance that oozes into the wounds of the target. Often accompanied by Gemma saying something like "That patch of skin looks so much prettier now" or "I didn't give you permission to bleed." Chaos Bolt: Gemma / Unko apparently pulls out one of their teeth, (which is crystalline if Gemma pulls it, and more of an opaque stone if Unko does), and hurls it at a foe. The bolt explodes into the damage type selected with a burst of color or dust. Disguise Self: No major change, but the change itself may often be described as unnatural extensions of limbs or body parts as they apparently reform themself.

Gemma Talok | AC: 13 (I'm just nimble) | HP: 8/8 | HD: 1/1 | Speed: 25ft | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 9, Insight: 9, Investigation: 10 Languages: Common, Halfling, Dwarven Spell Slots: L1: 2/2

Gemma Talok | Sorcerex Divine | Unko Talok Character Sheet: Pronouns: Any Background: Ruined Race: Halfling (Lightfoot) Class: Sorcerer (Divine Soul) Adventure Log: Working on it, darling Faction: Don't try to tie me down. Description: Gemma typically has tousled brown hair that reaches to the bottom of their ears or a bit further. That is perhaps the most reliable thing about their appearance, and even it can change from day to day. They employ heavy use of makeup-- and a touch of magic now and then-- to alter their appearance daily, or even within a single day, to best match the needs of the moment or their specific mood. There are some themes though. Unko and Gemma like to show their freckles, and have a slight preference for green hues. They appreciate the inherent magic of stones and crystals, so enjoy adorning themselves with them when they can. They often wear platform shoes or heels when attempting to blend in with the city, passing themself off as a teenage human. Personality: Unko is childlike and childish, a self-styled star, a starchild, and utterly self-assured whether or not they're right. Life is too short to waste time pondering instead of living, and it's far too short to live it according to someone else's rules. They appreciate beautiful things, and they find beauty in change-- so their view of what is beautiful may sometimes be horrifying to others. They're far too flighty a being to be tied for too long to one particular organization, but that whimsical approach has a charm all its own, when it's not utterly overbearing. To succinctly sum them up: Gemma is a lot. They don't too often object to whatever people call them-- we all wear many masks-- but they have a keen sense of when they're being derided, and they'll give as good as they get. Past is Prologue: Gemma sat at the end of the table, her chin resting in her hand as she grinned and thrummed her fingers back and forth on her cheek. Now and then the shackle around her hand would shift, causing the thin chain it was attached to to rattle against the table. The Red Plume on the other side of the table glowered at her. "So, your name is Unko Talok?" "As you like, love," Gemma purred in response. The fascist gave a flourish of the quill as he marked down the information, rolling his eyes and shuffling through some papers, pulling out a record or two. "Direct. Answers." The man spat in response. "It's crap like this why we're getting rid of your kind. Make this easy for both of us, Unko. Maybe you'll get out of it better off. Go join some demi-human-city, where folk are more like you... Now... you're apprenticed to Aengoth the Jeweler, correct?" He nearly spat the name of the elf, who was, officially, a jeweler. But anyone who could see past their own nose knew that actually carving rough stones into jewelry was the least lucrative of Aengoth's endeavors. Gemma's smile widened, along with her eyes. "Oh, sweetie-- no one is like me. I spend time with Aengoth, yes. He shows me such beautiful things, and I learn to carve, to shape, and to show beautiful things to others, for a price." A silence filled the room after Gemma's response. The fascist has quite rightly seen that the halfling couldn't bear the long discomfort of silence in chains. She shifted uncomfortably, and began to hum, then in a moment of boredom began to cast a little spell. As the hand movements and incantation continued, the Red Plume began making some more marks on his paper. "Spell... cast... er..." he muttered as he wrote. Unko's spell came to an end, and his eyes narrowed across the table, showing his disgust with the man more openly now. "You can't just get rid of us, you know. Hells, half the time you idiots will mistake an human for an elf, and a pretty half-orc for a human." Unko's voice had a gruffer, deeper aspect to it now. The Red Plume paused momentarily, a bit surprised by the change in tone, but kept on moving, writing, apparently aloof and above whatever this demi-human was on about. "You think you can always tell, but you can't. Perception is reality, love. You think you know what you're looking at. But you've no idea how often it's wrong. How many times some teenager was arrested because the guard thought they were arresting my friend Eoin." The fascist smiled cruelly as he wrote one last bit of information on the record, sweeping his quill across it with a flourish. The man put down the quill and stood, towering over Unko from across the table. "Unko Talok, as you've just admitted to being an associate with a known criminal, and framed innocent human children for your crimes, I am authorized to expel you from Hillsfar, with prejudice." The man wasted no tiem in striding across the room towards Unko. "W-- what are you talking about, you sinewy giant?" Unko asked, suddenly confused. The red plume closed the gap in two strides and backhanded the shackled Unko across the face, sending the halfling sprawling. "Shut your goddamned mouth, you demi-human newcoin battlebud. If I had my way, I'd crush that tiny head under my boot." Unko tried to muster a response, but was immediately backhanded again. "A month from now, I'd be authorized to execute you just for being here. You were going to be given the chance to leave tonight with whatever you could have carried. But seeing as you're a disgusting, demi-human criminal, you'll be leaving, and the city will be taking possession of any and all of your ill-gotten gains." Unko began putting it together, realizing what was really happening. For a moment, the Sorcerex had little to say. They were going to take everything. Every coin, every carefully-cut gem. The beautiful sapphire dice set that Aengoth had gifted Gemma. All of it. She processed all of this as the man continued to talk-- Gemma didn't hear a single word of it. Not as she was Bodily dragged by her arm tot he gate, not as she passed by the long line of her fellow halflings, elves, dwarves, and others... not until the man grabbed her my the shoulders, his enormous hands nearly wrapping all the way around her then torso. The fascist said something low and growling as Gemma started to come back into herself. His breath stank. His narrow eyes would be pretty if they weren't so dark. Without thinking, she said, "You'd be prettier if I replaced your eyes with rubies, you know..." The red plume threw her out of the city, and she crashed into a line of dwarves trying to arrange their goods for the coming trail. "You ever show your little idiot face in this city again, and you'd better remember that Markus threw you on your ass, and he'll be the one to kill you, little shit." As Gemma was lifted carefully up by the annoyed dwarves, all her mind started to swirl around one thought. Not where she would go, or how she would survive, or where her friends where... No. You're not the boss of me... Downtime: Yes, Unko would like to participate in Downtime. He will specifically be apprenticing as a Jeweler (i.e. earning proficiency training with Jeweler's Tools). When available wealth does not allow it, Gemma will instead be Performing as a Tavern Entertainer (Illusions) / Actrix to earn cash. Where Do We Go From Here?: This is difficult for me to answer at the moment, and I think I prefer that we play for a bit first, and then decide. I might generally favor an adventure that ties in in some way to a specific character, if we get that far. e.g. We have one character who is explicitly tied to the Raven Queen, so an ALG legal adventure that ties to that might be good. Another character is tied to the Uthgardt, so an adventure that ties with them could be fun. In general, I might lean slightly towards one-off adventures than a large campaign.