Coldforged · Legacy archive
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
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[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#81Okay, I did not manage to post the beginning of the first chapter, but I have sent nearly all the private messages. Only Maggot remain and I am half done with his message, so it seems likely that tomorrow will be the day.
Additionally I talked to EchoMirage this evening and he told me that he thought the prologue was too much on track. I can certainly see what he meant, though I argued that you did have some choice. In retrospect I realize that those choices might not have been all that obvious to you and that the game thus ended up a bit too much on track, even for a prologue meant only as introduction and for setting the stage. In failing to provide you with enough information so you all could know how you could have acted otherwise, I did a poor GMs job. I apologize for that and I have taken the complaint to heart.
Now, as I have mentioned earlier, the first chapter will begin entirely free. The Chapter will be called Ûr-Keldon, after the city near the summit, though I do not, by any means, require your characters to go there.
Now your tattoos all have a Commandment attributed to them, so there are some things that you will have to suffer. But the game will never be on track like that again... It was meant as introduction and setting the stage (which is now indeed duly set). If anyone wishes to withdraw from the game as a consequence of this, I will not hold that against them.
As for your tattoos:
I have told some of you, and others not, that you may custom design your tattoos as long as the general guidelines are followed. You may let the tattoos look like anything between beatiful and complementing artworks in contrast to your skin, up to dirty rags sewn tight to your body. That is up to you and what your imagination can make out of it and what you wish for them to be. I also mass manufactured those description, so if you rephrase them and add your own eloquent speech to them, that is entirely fine and even encouraged. They only need to retain the general idea, the number of attributes (+curses and commandments and contingencies) and their name. Go make some tattoos that you are happy with.
Update: All the private messages have been sent. -
Hunthar Burletz
#82For your reading pleasure.
-----------------
Name: Hunthar Burletz
Race: Human
Age: 22 seasons
Sex: Male
Description: Hunthar is built like the blacksmith he is. His arms are quite bigger than most men’s, due to his long hours in the forge hammering away at iron and steel, yet his heart and willpower are even bigger. His eyes have seen many things, some good, some bad, yet they take in both like the glaciers they resemble. Perhaps because of his association with and channeling of spirits, or perhaps of his genetics, Hunthars hair refuses to be tamed by even the harshest of methods, steadfastly staying unruly brown.
His preferred clothing is typically loose, though if he’s in the forge he’ll stick to either no shirt at all, or a tight set of clothes, to prevent the chance of an accidental fire or the ruining of comfortable clothes, all too much of a rarity for his liking. In his rare leisure time he likes to read and smoke his pipe, though much of his free time is spent in the forge which he loves.
His equipment is quite plain thanks to his time as a mercenary; his sword is sharp yet it looks deciently used (2 draw spells channeled with it, 3 left), and his studded leather is well worn, having seen many fights and battles. He also carries a pair of knives on him for when his sword is of no use.
The Hunter: The result of being bound within the Covenant, Hunthar was marked with a tattoo of the Hunter constellation. His chest is now "star-crossed" with the tattoo depicting a hunter aiming his arrow right at the person in front of Hunthar. What might these lines that connect the stars entail?
History: In the sinful city of Terben, a lowly boy from a poor family was apprenticed off to a decient blacksmith to learn the common trade. He was an apt learner, and slowly over the years of his apprenticeship he grew in both stature and skill with the hammer. Many times the Master would be asked to forge something, only to pass off (unknowingly to the customer) the request to his skillful apprentice. Such was his work that none ever noticed how the Master seemed to have an output more than that of other smithies his size. Amazingly, this young man who was so good with a hammer was also honest and kind to those he met, no matter who they were or where they met, and this trait was the exact reason he has come to where he is today.
He happened to be out delivering a sword to a customer for the Master when he bumped into an old man. Apologizing profusely, he ran onward with his task, telling the man that he would return shortly after his task was finished. To that end, the boy finished his task and went back along the route taken before, where he again met the old man. The pair stopped and talked for a while, the old man slowly coaxing the young man out of his shell of discomfort from running the elder one down in his haste. Eventually they parted ways, and the boy thought nothing of it. The old man however, began to set the wheels in motion for gaining himself an apprentice for his ancient art. He watched the boy for roughly a year until he reached his majority, then approached him after his apprenticeship was done and he had his own smithy.
The elder gave the lad an offer to learn an ancient art, thanks to his showing the aptitude and strength of will for it over a long period of observance. Obviously the young man accepted, and he was taught the spells of Draw Magic, though his training was at best incomplete due to later events. What the old man failed to mention to his new student was that not only did his student have the willpower and focus to become a Sword-Magi, but he fit the entire bill of being a proper user of the art, namely being honest, having good common sense, and having a good heart. Of course, these traits certainly didn't stop him from being reported to the Morals Office when his magic skills were discovered, but thanks to his honesty and general support from the common folk who lived nearby, he and an old friend who had come to visit were able to escape ahead of the mass of soldiers coming to take them away.
While on the run from the HexenJaegers, the man was unable to find any sort of work within his field of study, namely, being a blacksmith. Luckily for him, his friend offered him the option of joining his mercenary band and getting paid to put his special skills to good use. The man accepted, and his name was henceforth changed to what it is now, Hunthar Burletz. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#83*sigh*
Inspiration failed me and the words did not flow as I wanted them to. I must get up early tomorrow and thus I am unable to post the first chapter today.
You are not allowed to post before I have received all your customized, fully finished characters with complete background anyhow (the background was meant only for Alec and Maggot), so I anticipate there should be little trouble.
I am tired of breaking promises, so lets just say that it should be posted sometime real soon. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#84The game has begun!
The dream revealed your first ability, which is the first ability of the primary tattoo (the constellation tattoo).
This ability is:
Spiritual Bonding (You can perceive what those you have bonded with perceive)
You have thus far bonded with your personal Harbinger Bird and can thus view through its eyes. You can even communicate emphatically with your Harbinger Bird which is now your familiar so to speak.
Additionally you can bond with those you love, places you love and so on. Bonding takes a long time, so don't except to say "I love this place and bond with it".
You can perceive what those you are bonded with perceive through dreams and meditation.
You will also learn of an individual ability per private message -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#85Oh, one more thing:
This time the game will be concentrated on what YOU guys are doing, except when you use your Spiritual Bonding ability of course, and it will be completely free, except for the commandments, of which you have learnt nothing. -
Solstara
#86She was born a daughter of the Eastern tribes,the wandering nomads of the Eastern Desert,a mysterious people seen as primitive and cruel savages by the civilized world who had nothing but contempt and loathing for what they saw as the pagan and barbaric customs of the dessert people.
Into such a society was born beautiful Solsatra,the lovely,lissome brown tressed daughter of the vagrant people of the sands. Blessed with such beauty,yet cursed by the ancient taboos of her people. Her fate was such that her lush beauty would be her very undoing,as it would be for all those who would welcome such a dazzling,exquisite creature into their hearts. She was ''Ushati''. It means cursed in the tongue of the Eastern tribes,or doomed. And such she was,born as she was with the tiny crescent shaped birth mark in the small of her back. It was the mark of a woman endowed with great physical perfection that would bring her misery and grief,as it would anyone else who allowed her to enter their lives,put on her by the Goddess so that all would recognize her for who she truly was. An unfortunate child indeed.
I myself was there that day when she was bought before the wizened shaman of the tribe,still a minute bundle of flesh and squeals. But even then,it was clear to everyone that she would grow up to,so well formed was she,with her deep,soulful eyes and shimmering hair that brings to one's mind the stark mesmerizing beauty of the dessert sands.
It is still fresh in my mind,even after all these years,the memory of the shaman with his garish assortment of painted bone amulets clanging discordantly as he his rough hands over her,checking every inch of her body for a defect of any kind. Just when it seemed that all was well with the child,he begun to shake his head,his brown eyes filled with sadness for the loss of such a lovely child. It was all the sign that the crowd assembled around him,needed to see. The child would have no place in the tribe. The shaman with a simple movement of his head,had seen to that. In conveying his disappointment,he had told the people that she would bring the tribe ill luck if raised by them and would thus have to go as soon as possible. The incriminating birth mark he subsequently exposed to everyone gathered around was almost an afterthought,a unecessary verification for people who would never question any decison he made. The child would be sold off once she was old enough to live without her parents. I could not help but think at that moment,that the people had done a great wrong in discarding such a beautiful child over something as innocuous as a birth mark. Foolish yes,but such was her beauty that I felt it was a thing to be cherished and held dear,rather than be condemned to some harsh fate by a bunch of superstitious people.
So it was,that on her twelfth birthday she was sold to a merchant from a neighboring tribe, a man famous for selecting the most lovely children of the tribes to be his slaves. A truly shrewd man,he got Solstra off the hands of her only too relieved tribe for the paltry price of a camel and an amphorae of date wine. Yes,quite the sly miser he was.
He was also a filthy swine,uncouth and grossly ugly A hideously corpulent man,he would attempt to introduce his young slaves to the pleasures of the flesh before they were ready,ignoring their terrified screams as he thrust his filthy manhood deep into them. And this was the kind of villain to whom the reins of Solsatra's fate had been handed over. Sweet Solsatara in the hands of this greedy jackal of a man. An ugly thought that makes me shudder with loathing every time I think of it.
The first thing he did upon bringing her back to his encampment was to promptly get his filthy paws on her and attempt to rape lovely Solstara,true to form. And so he would have,had it not been for the desperate strength and determination her terrified revulsion of this monster lent her. Struggling and sobbing wildly,she gouged his left eye out,leaving the socket a bloody gaping hole. As he reeled backwards,clutching the gruesome mess and howling in abject agony like a jackal in dreadful pain,she dashed out of the camp right under the astonished noses of his guards who had been jolted into a frenzy of shocked anxiety by the pained screams emanating from the tent of their master. While they hastened to his aid,still lost as to what could have escaped their vigilant guard to harm him,she raced into the dusty,windswept embrace of the dessert,running to escape the horror she had just left behind,her legs never ceasing their frantic flight for freedom until they finally succumbed from exhaustion and collapsed beneath her. Left there to fend through the night for herself,she wouldn't have survived for an hour. The dessert is a dangerous place for one who strays away from the safety of the tribal encampment. Water is scarce and a person drained of all his strength by thirst and dehydration,soon finds himself easy prey for the ravenous jackals that wander the desert on an endless search for what meager nourishment they can scrounge from the wretched things that share their unyielding home. Fortunately for her,none other than the famed merchant Uber-Al-Jadin and his caravan himself happened to be passing through that very vicinity as she lay huddled in a frightened ball,cowed by the alien sounds of this uninhabited strech of the dessert and it's complete absence of humanity. From afar,one his guards espied her with his keen vision and scurried to alert his master that there was a lost traveller facing certain doom in the sands of the dessert. Slightly puzzled as to why anyone would have been so foolish as to cross the dessert without the safety of a caravan ordered a couple of his guards to fetch her. A couple of moments later,she was brought before the camel he straddled,afraid and fearful of what would befall her next. And Al Jadin was immediately aware of who she was and what her purpose in this Gods forsaken spot of dessert was:An escaped slave on the run from some no doubt callous master who had panicked her into feeling with his heavy handed brutality. A fool no doubt. It was crystal clear to his well practiced eyes that the girl would soon flower into a dazzling beauty,one worthy of gracing any lord's harem. Good for him that her erstwhile master had forced her into running with his impatient urges to take her before she was ready. And this it was that Solstara came to enter the service of the great merchant. This turning point in her life I witnessed too,from my secluded vantage point behind a couple of desolate rocks,far beyond the limited seeing gaze of Jadin's minions. It was in that moment,seeing her hauntingly beautiful visage tremble in fear of what was to come,that feelings strange and foreign to one of my kind were awakened,emotions that left me for the first time in my long existence,confused and alone. And the knowledge that I would in all likelihood,never see her again,wounded me more deeply than I could have ever imagined possible. It was with painful anguish that I watched silently as the caravan made it's slow ponderous way out of the dessert,taking her away from my gaze forever.
What happened to her following their departure from my dessert,I did not see for myself. But from what I was able to glean from others of my kind,I learnt that all manner of evil and debased injustices befell sweet Solstara. Depraved and bestial in the extreme,they still make me quiver with rage as I dwell upon those vicious ogres who defiled the sacred temple of her body. That these scum crawling from the sewers of humanity should do her such grievous harm,leaves me wrathful and eager to avenge the many wrongs done to her. But I get ahead of myself. Let me tell you,oh faithful listener,of how she came to meet that fiend in human form,Marcus-El-Keddeth,may he suffer eternal torment in the dark realms of the Daemons for all the evil he has inflicted upon the gentle soul who never did him any harm.
It was with the intention of Jalid that he sell his exquisite prize for a premium price to one of his associates based in the proud city of Hadron,a man supplying pleasure slaves to the harems of the most distinguished lords and princes of that city. A man by the name of Cyrus,he was more than happy to purchase away from the aged merchant for the lavish price of a hundred gold crescents. She was a much appreciated appreciated addition to ranks of the comely women that had given him a formidable reputation among the thriving slave merchants of that city. He was excellent at what he did,careful to see to it that no undue stress or pressure was placed on his girls to cajole them into being ready for their future destinies as bed slaves before they were ready. No,he was no dessert savage to force himself on them like a bull in rut. Instead,he assigned some of his own pleasure slaves to guide the newly arrived girls in the sensual art of pleasuring men. Under their gentle and patient guidance,Solastra like the others,learned to overcome her initial revulsion and take to her new role in life with eager acceptance.
It was in here that she met that monster in human shape,Marcus-El-Keddeth. Of course,he was not the famous and fantastically cruel conquerer of Keddeth back then,but simply Marcus,envoy of Silmar,and the most seductive lover there was. By all accounts,in those days,he was a poet,one famous for his gentle and romantic soul. A man of great compassion,he was known for never ill-treating or abusing his pleasure slaves or even those that did the menial work on his estates. No surprise then,that most said it was not an exaggeration to call him the fantasy of every woman in the city,from the lowliest scullery maid to the wife of the most powerful official.
He was also the good friend of the slave merchant Cyprus and would often pay the latter frequent visits during the days he was freed from his duties. They wile away hours,sipping the excellent red wine the city was famed for and having conversations about matters varying from politics to poetry. Occasionally,Marcus would also couple with one of Cyprus's pleasure slaves,a service for which the merchant would never charge him.for the very though of treating his dear friend like an ordinary client distressed him.
It so happened that on one of the days that Marcus chose to visit his friend,the aged merchant was away on some pressing matter of business. Before leaving,he had instructed Solsatar to welcome any visitors at the gates and do everything possible to make them feel at ease. And thus s it was that the first thing to greet Marcus upon arriving at the imposing iron gates of the manse of Cyprus,was the luscious Solstara in all her lush,unveiled beauty bearing a tray of refreshments. And in that moment,it was as if all the world has vanished from existence,so lost was he in her beauty. Never before had he seen a flower of such exquisite beauty,even in this city known for the lovely slave women that were it's chief exports. The poet in him must have screamed then,for an ode to Solstara's beauty for such was it,that only a man with a stone for a heart would have found himself unmoved by it .
She for her part,was entranced by the expression of adoring love in his face. It was nothing like the vile lust she had seen in the eyes of her first master or even the cool appraisal of Cyprus. No,here was a man whom she could hold in her arms and be glad of it. He would love her. And so he did. For a time.. But I get ahead of myself.
This then,dear listener,was the beginning of their infatuation with each other. Marcus soon took to visiting Cyprus's house with the sole purpose of seeing her spending precious moments with her that ended all too quickly. And she for her part would delight in the florid poems of love and eternal devotion that he dedicated to her,experiencing for the first time in her life,true love and affection from a man. And as her fondness for him swelled,so too did the agony of waiting for his arrival. Such it it with those of mortal kind when the spirit of love assails them. It is a powerful,potent force that overshadows everything else by viture of it's sheer strength as I too have learnt for myself. But I digress.
Eventually,there came a moment when love burned so strongly in Marcus's heart that he finally lost all patience with the hurried visits he had to pay her. One day,when the fire of love was especially strong,he burst into Cyprus's mansion when the merchant was poring through his accounts and found himself demanding that the merchant sell Solstara to him. Taken aback by the ardour in his young friend,he complied quickly transferring Solstar to the ownership of Marcus for the princely sum of forty gold crescents.
They were happy together,with each new day being a miracle for Marcus. Simply seeing the unblemished visage of Solsatara resting against his shoulder as he awoke was enough to send him climbing to new heights of passion and zeal for the object of his love.
Those were happy times for Solstara. But they were not to last. There came a time when Marcus was called upon to serve as the envoy of Simar to the city of Keddeth. It was a journey he had to undertake and it was not one on which she could accompany him. The odd people of keddeth ad nothing but contempt for a man who insisted on dragging his concubine with hin wherever he went. And given the position he was about to occupy,it would not do to have him be a laughing stock in the eyes of the very people whose respect and trust he had to command. And so he left a distraught Solstara behind,vowing to never forget her,regardless of how many leagues that lay between them. For she was his beloved and thus would always remain in his heart.
It was not a promise he would not keep. When he returned form his two year stint,it was as if he had died and been someone else,a stranger reared in the brutal customs of the barbarous and depraved people of Keddeth. And it soon became clear to Solsatara that this new Marcus was a perfect ogre,the very incarnation of her worst fears. Where had once cherished and loved her,he now treated her like a common whore,bidding her sleep with the lowliest mercanaries in his service,making it clear to her that she was to use all her charms to extract the most important secrets they harboured. And when those awful sessions were over,he would always be waiting at the doorway like some over grown vulture that fed on her misery,taking perverse pleasure in to wounding her feelings most grievously with his harsh insults and taunts,with ''whore'' and ''slut'' being among the most common of them.
But worst by far,was a certain pastime he had picked up in the company of Keddeth's sorcerers. It involved the summoning of incubi,dark beings of lust from the realm of spirits that my kind have always loathed as twisted daimons. Now incubi,you understand,are much like those of my own race in the sense that they too possess no true bodies. But that is where the similarities end. For unlike us,they seek to possess humans and through the senses of their captives,revel in the pleasures of the flesh,an experience barred to all creatures of the flesh. Any mortal who offers to facilitate this desperate urge of theirs,will be given the reward of being privy to some of the fell knowledge that they otherwise hold and guard zealously.
And Marcus was hungry for their secrets. To this end,he summoned them to great orgies held in their honor,inviting those fell things to take possession of his pleasure slaves. And driven man by the monstrous things stirring in them,they would indulge in the most debased of acts. To these summoning sessions was Solstara compelled to attend against her will. There she was thrown to the incubi possesed pleasure slaves like a piece of meant to starving dogs. Repeatedly violated,she was only able to watch in helpless terror as Marcus's visage leered at her around the corner of her vision like some hideous gargoyle,promising her that sometime soon,she too would soon enjoy the pleasures of feeling the incubi's dark fetishes.
But even these fiendish sesions weren't sufficient to appease Marcus's growing appetite for the secrets of the incubi. Only in the fabled Great Temple of Nodar,a feared land that lay to the south of Silmar,would he get to speak with the most powerful of them with the aid of the demon worshipping priests that dwelled there. And this time Solstara would come along. She would make a nice gift for the incubi.
But for once,fortune was not on Solstara's side and his caravan was ambushed by the savage people of the hill rage that lay between Silmar and Nodar. The ferocity of their attack sowed terror and panic among the ranks of Marcus's minions. Amdist all this confusion,Solstara chose to escape into the wilderness,choosing to brave the unknown dangers of wilderness,rather than suffer the awful fate Marcus had decreed for her. So I gleaned from others of my kind that witnessed these events.
But she need not fear anything now,for I am come. I will shelter and shield her from cruel race of mortals who have done her so much harm. I will be there to watch over her and save her from the dangerous denizens of the hills,even if it means leaving the desert where I have resided long since before men first begun to reckon time,greatly diminishing my powers in the process. For she is destined to be mine,sweet,beautiful Solstara..
Total stat points: 7.
Physique: 2 (Weak) (1 base + 1 point dedicated from the 7 point stat total)
Appearance and Divine Favour: 5 (Very Pretty ) (1 base + 4 point dedicated from the 7 point stat total)
Agility: 3 (Normal) (1 base + 2 point dedicated from the 7 point stat total)
(Physique=1)+(Appearance=4)+(Agility=2) => Total 7/7 points.
……………….
Total skill points
Melee (Best with Dagger): 3 (Normal) (1 base + 2 points dedicated from the 7 point skill total)
Ranged: 2 (Poor) (1 base + 1 points dedicated from the 7 point skill total)
Paired Athletics and Massage:6(Master)(1 base + 5 points freely given by GM)
Disguise / Make up: 5(Excellent)(1 base + 4 dedicated from the 7 point skill total)
((Melee=2) + (Ranged =1) + (Paired Athletics=Free) + (Disguise / Make Up=4) => Total 7/7 points -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#87A quick note on the tattoos:
Your tattoos hurt like hell and will do so for some weeks to come. Please keep that in mind. The nature of the magic ensures that you are not restricted in any way, but you will still hurt.
So do not fear any penalties.
One more thing: Those tattoos who have pain specified as a trait will hurt for ever and ever. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#88Okay I have gotten more requests to join the game. This is fine with me but I think the magician quota is used up now.
Quick Summary:
Warriors:
Dietrich........... Player Inactive
Domunsoka:.... Player Inactive
1/2 Hunthar........... Active
Magicians and Similar:
Sharee............ Active
Flare............... Active
1/2 Hunthar.....Active
Thieves and Other:
Solstra............ Active
The magic-user quota has thus been reached. Another magician and no front line fighters will be the death of you. I promise.
Additionally: Players joining now will NOT get tattoos. The tattoos have been given and must be flayed from the corpses of the characters to be useful for others. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#89The game is proceeding slowly at the moment. This is because we await Maggot's post (and his character). Once Maggot has posted, I will continue the game, regardless of possible newcomers and absent CaptainPenguins.
The show must go on! -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#90Heh. Half of me is the only frontliner for the moment...aside from our thief...but those tend to not do upfront combat much. This could end up with me having to use my tattoo or Draw Spells just to keep the group alive.
That said, I think we should avoid any combat...Just to save Hunthar and Hans the stress. Quick, summon up an undead army! -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#91I've been trapped by Real Life and jobs and such evil monsters.
See you in three days. -
Roack
#92Minutes ago, I was informed of my acceptence into Coldforged, my character is as follows. However, keep in mind He's not very open, and most of his background is with held, but it's there.
Roack (No known surname)
Roack stands slightly over six feet in height and holds a malnourished, neglected look about him. He could easily be described as a lady killer, when clean, though considering his hygenic habits mostly involve haparzadly splashing in water when he finds it and crudely cutting his hair (which would be a tawny brown if not caked with dirt blood and grass) he's one of the least atractive men in the company.
Roack keeps to himself, limiting his social interaction to staring at the people he finds interesting (Domunsoka in particular.) He works for a low percentage of the pay, and he supplies most of his equipment. Underneath the grey cloak he recently purchased for the mountain climb, Roack wears a Leather jerkin studded with brass rivets.
His weapon of choice, a rapier of high quality that he obsessively cleans, has brass inlaid into the blade, and an ornate and curving handle that appears alien against it's crude, half-finished scabbard, as well as the man himself.
Most enigmatic is the pendant he wears, a golden, immaculately groomed, pendant of the dreamers symbol, one he takes off while sleeping and protects viciously. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#93So what are we waiting for? Hunthar, Flare and Sharee has gotten a question while we wait for Solstara and Domunsoka to awaken. Roack will join at a later stage.
It is perfectly okay for you to ignore Hans, for you might be in a state of shock, like he is. In his shock he hasn't noticed that Sharee is wailing nor anything else, that might be your case too. He sees you and talks to you, but he really isn't, if you catch my drift.
This game is on the road now. Players are allowed some tarrying, but once they have begun, they have indeed begun. Let the posting commence. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#94There's quite a fair bit of reading I need to do first,AG. I'm still playing catch up here. But I promise I'll post something by the end of the day. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#95Great Maggot!
Folks, please notice that Maggot has fully posted his character, Solstara, on the previous page. http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=35235#35235 -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#96Terribly sorry AG, was waiting for the Capn to get his stuff together, and then post...but alrighty. I'll toss something up sometime in the near future. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#97Do I post my remade character here?
He's quite a touch different now that he has bits of the Divine Thing in him (by the way, the terms "Divine Thing" and "Divine Beast" are awesome). -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#98Yes, I think your character description is so different that it does indeed fit here now. As a matter of fact, everyone may opt to post a "new appearance" update, should they wish to do so. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#99As you all can see from my last Coldforged post, I have fast forwarded the time some, to a point in time where calm has descended upon the mercenaries. This will enable us to keep a focus on game events and the game to progress.
Anybody who wished to further act out the great drama, may create a scene journal for that purpose.
~AG -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#100Y'know what's a funny name?
Sternflucht. *snicker* -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#101Aye, I agree
Some are just plain unlucky with their given names and/or surnames. :twisted: -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#102Wow, ain't no love for Solstara, is there? :D
Anyway, how are we to move on now? I sense that we may become bogged down in conversation if we let this continue. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#103If you let this continue, Hans will eat your livers for dinner. It is all up to Hans really. He tried once, with a kind voice, and now he has tried to talk to you the hard way.
Anyone wishing to test him even more should be aware that they might suffer rather nasty consequences. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#104Well, for the sake of democracy, please lemme know if you dislike Hans being used in such a manner.
I fully agree with CaptainPenguin that the story needs to be pushed further, but for that to happen you NEED to agree on what to do.
Any concerns and such should be voiced... Now ;). -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#105Nah, Hans seems to fit the role used perfectly. He IS, after all, a commander used to whipping rowdy mercenaries into line. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#106I always get the logic part :)
It is the emotions and ego of the players I am thinking about. ;)
Screw logic (or better yet, find an alternate route) if people ain't having fun. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#107I know it is my turn to wrap up the part where you journey from A to B. Alot of work interfering, but I will try to post as soon as humanly possible. -
Direction decided
#108Okay the vote has been finished:
Hans: "Well, I am also in favour of moving towards the Captain and our employer"
Solstra: 'It will be as my Lord Hans wills. Your wish is my command'
Domunsoka: "Domunsoka's fleshy new throat twitched disturbingly, and a long black tongue dropped out of it's maw like a stream of blood.
Taking a tentative step, it hissed and snarled, gesturing with it's wooden arm in a direction as if suggesting that they travel that way."
Sharee: "Well, gentlemen - we might actually want to catch up with our dear employer"
Flare: "I agree, Sharee. Marcus isn't going to get the satisfaction of finding whatever he's after. I'd love to help prevent him from getting it."
Hunthar: "In the sake of fairness and democracy, as well as not getting my face torn off by our lovely hybrid here, I cast my vote in Domunsoka's direction. I guess that leaves the vote to...whom?"
The result is: Up the mountain. Hans vote decide ties, but in this case there were 4 for up the mountain and 2 for Domunsoka's proposal.
Up the mountain wins.
One delicate issue has arisen: You will meet Roack soon. But I have NO DESIRE to play out that scene in its entirity. It would be really boring. So I cut to the chase and sum up some of what he has said, and the shock as he meets you and all that will be briefly explained. If anyone consider me a heinous bastard for doing so, they can create a scene journal for the purpose of that conversation. -
Dirty Laundry Time!
#109Houston we have several problems!
Okay, I have not posted in a couple of days, and the reason is that I have had to cope with alot of private messages concerning several different things. I want a solution to these issues, though, so I am going to state a few things.
1. I am the GM. It is as simple as that. Your advice and concern is appreciated and I have the utmost respect for your abilities, but please do not dictate how I should do my thing, even if you normally do things entirely different.
2. Be civil. OOC Sarcasm and derogatory comments will get you nowhere. I am a tolerant person, but constant complaining and bad behaviour is not going to make me see things from your perspective. I am trying to create a cool and fun game for all here and I will NOT tolerate being mocked and harassed.
3. Try to search for positive solutions. Everyone can be difficult, it is really easy, and I am sure I could have invented a thousand reasons for killing y'all a thousand times. It would, however, NOT be any fun, nor create a positive atmosphere.
4. Talk together. Let this game be a fun experience and try to help each other out with nice gameplay.
5. Whenever I play Hans, Craeth or any other NPC, I am telling the story from their perspective. If Hans is thinking he is "superior" to any of you, it is because he THINKS himself to be so, and NOT because he actually is. Hans can be an overinflated airbag at times. Additionally: if Hans favours anyone, it is NOT because the GM favour anyone, but because HANS does. This is roleplaying guys... We act/play different roles.
-------------------------------------
Concerning the GEASES:
I have been talking to a player about a solution to an intraparty disagreement. Two characters do not get along and the mood is getting murderous. I had a solution, but that solution was not to everyones taste. I have several solutions, but the fundamentals of the first solution WILL NOT change, however much you may hate it.
The fundament of the first solution is the Geases.
Now, as you all now, there are geases and curses in the Tattoos. Let us explore the nature of a Geas:
A geas (also geis), has two interpretations in Irish mythology and folklore. First, it is considered some kind of bond that people or even gods can be placed under; later, it took the aspect of a taboo or prohibition. A geas can also be compared with a curse. If someone placed under a geas breaks it, the infractor will suffer dishonour or even death.
In Coldforged a Geas is a magical obligation which the Geased individual has to fulfill. Failure to do so results in pain, dishonour, death and disfigurement, depending on the severity and nature of the Geas broken. (Other effects might also exist, but for the sake of gameplay, I will not reveal those)
A curse is also negatively aspected and, in the case of the tattoos, is a side effect and a balancing piece of magic to counteract the vast positive effects of the Tattoos. (re: the Newtonic Magic principle). The older a tattoo becomes, the more it is changed and balanced by the flow of essence. This is why your primary, new, tattoo has no cursed effects.
Now I must, unfortunately, reveal one aspect of the tattoos which you do not yet know. Please do not act upon this piece of meta knowledge.
As one possible solution to the intraparty problem I simply said: Go ahead and do it. This is because the first commandment / geas ("Thou shalt be as one") has connected your spirits and hinders you all from actually harming each other or even splitting up. This I consider a logical piece of magic, since the ones that placed your tattoos upon you are unlikely to let their hard placed magic tools just go on and kill each other or not do your appointed task... Is it really that hard to understand? Do you think they simply tattooed you for the fun of it? Nay, the reality is that you are enslaved now, bound to someone elses will.
You can cope with this in either way you want: You can whine and complaint or quit the game or make my life hell, or you can say: Fine, I am a roleplayer and, dammit, I am going to find a solution to this. That is what Coldforged is all about: Fledgling heroes put in a difficult situation, and the tale about their rise to the task and how they eventually ascend above and beyond the call of duty, to true hero-dom.
The loss of freedom and forcing someone to do somthing is a theme in many heroic sagas and fantasy litterature. Now your characters have been enslaved, in a way, and you MAY break free from that, but that is for another day and clever investigation and turning the tables upon those who marred you thus. It will NEVER be up to a dice roll to see if you "resist the magic". That is an awful piece of DnD heritage which I loathe.
Now you know the nature of the game. You have been wronged and are forced to do someone elses bidding. This is your tale and I sincerely hope you see the possibilities in that. I sure do!
What are your thoughts on this subject?
Anybody want to leave the game as a result of this?
~AG
(Who likes all of his players, but has to set some ground rules. I hope ALL of you guys remain, even though I had to put on my nazi-GM trenchcoat. ) -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#110*laughs slightly and smirks* Well, considering we're all (relatively) good RPers here, I think we not only can handle such restrictions, but we should try to, if for no other reason than to increase our skills at roleplaying. So often when RPing you have no real restrictions on certain things; this is a learning experience for dealing with restrictions.
Secondly, we DID all agree when we chose to continue that we'd accept the tattoos and the problems that come with them. This includes not just the powers given, but those restrictions too. My thought is: deal with it. If nothing else, later on we can figure out some way to make the effects null, or something else of that nature. But truly I think that if we are good RPers and really try, we can adapt to the restrictions to the point of merging with those restrictions. They're just another "disadvantage" as we might consider it, much as Domunsoka was unable to speak, how some players might have phobias, ect. They're challenges to be overcome, not to be annoyed at.
Anyway, end of my ramble. =P Now, to my questions.
If/when we try to "Not be as one" and attack each other, will say, Hunthar's sword be magically stopped from splitting Hans' head? Will he just be unable to draw the sword to attack with that intent, e.g. his body won't respond until he gives up the purpose? Will he be magically barred from touching Hans with the weapon by a forcefield of sorts, or will Hans be unaffected by the attack that connects? *tilts his head* Specifics as to how such things would be RPed.
Yet another thought as to that: perhaps if one harms another with the tattoos, the pain/damage they caused is returned to them threefold? That'd be an obvious and effective deterent to harming each other.
And finally, on a completely different note, I'd like to see how the two females would have such a fight. I'm looking forward to it, since it's bound to happen without the characters being informed of the geas. ^^ Cruel, ain't I? -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#111The first question I cannot answer. That would ruin too much, but you will have to wait and see.
And, indeed, when the females fight, you will learn the answer to the first question. I got an interesting idea from Manfred, actually... (Thank you manfred :twisted:) -
Last word on nazi-GM rant
#112Clarification:
I am not targetting anyone in particular here. I experienced some rough times on the chat today, with a person I consider a friend and a splendid person. Still we had a rough conversation today and it did not end well as I had to leave when we were in mid-battle.
That event did drain me of my energy and I made the previous post to set some ground rules. It was not my intention to scare or offend anyone, just to state that you must abide by my rule as a GM and to explain the nature of the geases, because those were the focus of our ferocious debate.
~AG -
Scene Journals and Interludes revisited
#113Last time I gonna say this, from now on just know that you can, at any time:
If any of you wanted to describe what you spoke to, for instance, Roack about, create a scene journal.
If any of you wanted to enter that cave, request an Interlude.
I will not stop the gameplay for such locations which can be voluntarily be entered. If YOU want to explore such areas, Interludes will be created for those purposes. -
Mutilation notes
#114Well, I sure post if none else do. This time it is about your mutilated mercs:
With clothes on, only the hands of Sharee, the face of Solstra and ... Well... Domunsoka, obviously, should be immediately noticeable as "changed". With time only Solstra and Domunsoka will draw attention.
Let the game commence! -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#115Considering Sharee is an elf, she'll probably continue to draw attention, tatoo or not. -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#116For the love of the light! I check before school, see two new posts, and plan on posting when I get home, no big deal. I get on now afterwards, and there're so many new posts it takes me ten minutes to read all of them!
Good light people! *rushes off to post* -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#117Well, I reckoned that there was only so much you could do while you were out of the camp, so I used yesterday and today to advance the story into the centre of camp.
Wanna get this party going y'know :) -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#118Hey, I'm back, just so you know. -
Note concerning Roack:
#119As I said: Irath's podgy fingers (ie the rings are probably stuck on them) are locked in rigor mortis (Muscle rigidity after death).
That means Roack probably has to struggle for some time, before he finally realizes that the only way for the rings to come off is by dismembering the hands and fingers piece by piece.
Dirty work in store for Roack.
Might I suggest that Roack change his description to mirror this reality? -
[Coldforged] Shadows of War
#120No prob, he's got a rapier for a reason