? Saturday November 27th, 2004 7:42:14 AM
Brrrrr! It's cold in here!
CDM Jerry Monday December 6th, 2004 11:48:05 AM
Come on in folks and begin exploring the various dice rolling mechanisms, etc. Talk in and out of character. Justin will start a new scene when the game begins.
::waving at Drew the mysterious poster before me::
(Yep I can tell who posts)
Bohdi Nackle d20=20 d20=19 d20+3=21 Monday December 6th, 2004 5:36:51 PM
ooc: well, for continuity purposes and just for experimentation, I re-post here what I created for fun as Bohdi's first IC post on e-mail, with some dice rolls thrown in for good measure (damn! wasting good rolls!).
Bohdi shuffled around the empty village nervously, sucking in gulps of cold air and batting his sides with his arms for warmth. He was typically the first to amble off to his hunched skins-and-furs wigwam on the edge of the village, quick to fill the air about the smoke-hole with a cloud of acrid alchemist's vapors as he pored over the cooking fires, tubes, and bowls within. But with the village so strangely quiet today--bereft even of the omnipresent sounds of old crones gossiping over cookfires, or sled dogs barking challenges at one another from their pens--Bohdi felt strangely uneasy. His raven, Squork, flapped and hopped along with him, uttering low caws and quorks as it went.
Shivering from the cold reflexively, Bohdi tread his way carefully along the ice and snow paths between the village's structures, making his way toward the village center. The large fire pit and sacred totem of Domi stood as quiet and empty as the rest of the village. Bohdi turned slowly, his eyes tracing the circle of huts that nestled here among the ice-capped peaks. The sun glared down from the icy blue sky, glinting off of the glaciers and ice flows that permeated the terrain. Bohdi's breath steamed in front of him as he searched, vainly, for signs of life. Only Squork's own beady gaze met his. He regarded the bird disgustedly.
"Well, where did they all bloody go, anyway?" Bohdi muttered. "Could have least left a note. Wait, what am I saying--silly barbarians can't write. Well, a mutton chop, then, anyway, or a bleedin' grunt in the tent-flap: 'Og go hunting, catch'um big aurochs,' or something. How about that?"
The bird said nothing, but merely returned the gnome's gaze. It cocked its head to one side with curiousity and squorked. It hopped forward. "Corn?" it cawed in a raucous voice, hopefully.
"No, no bloody corn, nor anything else to eat, unless the bleedin' hunters come back," the gnome snapped peevishly. He squinted through the glare off of the ice and snow at the trails once more for signs of movement--although what he hoped to see, he couldn't venture to guess--then, with a heavy sigh, adjusted his furs and began tromping back toward his tent. "Well, might as well use the time. They'll all come back with some big snowbeast and will be wanting my help to season the blasted thing. As if all the magic in the world could make their blasted cooking taste better. Come on," he called back to the bird.
The raven stood in the middle of the village for a moment, then flew up to the top of the totem of Domi. Its keen eyes scanned the horizons as it twisted its neck around and about. It looked down on the diminutive form of the gnome, who was shuffling and sniffing his way back to the tent on far side of the village. Other than the gnome, only the icy winds off of the peaks moved in the village. The bird cocked its head downward to stare at the totem image of Domi.
"Empty village trouble," the raven said raspily to the figure of Domi. "Trouble bad for Domi. Domi protect village?" The totem did not answer. "Domi protect Squork?" The totem remained silent.
The bird trotted nervously in a circle on the totem's head, lifting one foot after another. "Bohdi protect Squork," the bird said after a moment. "Bohdi feed Squork. Squork go with Bohdi!" Quorking loudly, the bird took off with a heavy flutter of black wings and flapped its way after the retreating form of its master.
(Spot = natural 20, forgot to include +2, to notice everyone gone from the village; Search = 19 to not find anyone FORT check = 21 to notice it's cold and have sense enough to go back inside)
Drew (ooc obviously) Monday December 6th, 2004 5:45:49 PM
"sorry Jerry....." Drew runs into the corner and sits with his nose touching the wall. "I'll be better next time..." Okay, I am stoked! i will be in here to look around tomorrow some time as my major project for the semster will be done tonight!!!!!! Look for Nauthiz'Ull as he will be saving your arse out in the cold....
Kup (ooc) sums it up so far ... Tuesday December 7th, 2004 12:28:14 PM
Here's who we have and a little about what we (I) know about them. Just feel free to edit, embellish, or alter what you wish:
-- A witch (name TBD), twin sister to Nauthiz'Ull, orphaned young and adopted by another family in the village; serves an (as yet unknown) mentor somewhere near the village (Lynn)
-- A cleric (Chris)
-- A fighter named Aiden. Originally a raider from Twin Tusks, Aiden was captured and brought to heel by an Ice Peak warrior, who ultimately died in turn. (Paul)
-- A fighterish-rogue (name TBD), who relies on wits and quickness rather than brute force to accomplish his means; tends to stay above the fray of village rivalries (Lenn)
-- A ranger named Nauthiz'Ull, twin brother to the witch PC, and thus also orphaned and adopted. Nauthiz'Ull has previously saved the life of the hapless gnome Bohdi Nackle; in the village's eyes (and to Bohdi's undying irritation), Bohdi now belongs to Nauthiz'Ull.
-- A druid (name TBD) (Shannon)
-- A gnome illusionist named Bohdi Nackle. Born of Zarnan City, Bohdi was sent into exile, thinly disguised as a "goodwill" mission, to Ice Peak village. A fish out of water in the barbarian village, the bookish Bohdi was commanded to become a part of the village, which he does so grudgingly (Kup)
Lynn Tuesday December 7th, 2004 3:56:01 PM
Well, the witch has a name now.
I took a page from Drew's naming scheme.
I'd like to introduce Frigg'Isa. Her name comes from Frigg, the Mother Goddess. There are several spellings of her name and this is the one I liked best. Isa is the Norse rune for ice. I thought it quite apropos.
I'll let you guys know a bit more about her later. I still have a few bugs to work out.
Daniel- The character sheet might actually get done tonight. Hubby played hooky from work today and is spending lots of time with the little one. Which, in turn, is giving me lots of time to work on Frigg'Isa.
Garrett Jax d8+8=15 3d4(2+2+4)+5=13 d20=11 d20+4=12 Tuesday December 7th, 2004 4:48:23 PM
Garrett steps out of his home after spending the morning praying for success in the upcoming manhood test. After stepping out, he shakes off the cold that quickly assaults the senses. Looking around, he begins to wonder where everyone is and thinks perhaps he had forgotten something. A slight feeling of relief sinks in as he spots Bohdi nearby. "Good morning my friend" he calls out to Bohdi as he approaches, the chinking of metal resonating from under his clerical robes. "Are you ready? our time approaches soon. "Have you seen the others? I would have expected them to be around at this wonderful time". His hand instinctively moving to the holy symbol of Domi, hung around his neck, as if to offer a quick prayer.
Drew Wednesday December 8th, 2004 1:01:49 AM ALL HAIL FRIG'ISA! YA MY SIS HAS A NAME! Okies, my character sheet will be complete tomorrow when I get home from work. DanK- for starting cash do we get the gold listiing for our package, i.e.2d4gp or for what making a character at our level would have aquired? Also can we spend this on what we wish or is it like our savings so far?
Bohdi Nackle d20+2=18 d20+4=22 Wednesday December 8th, 2004 10:40:26 AM
Bohdi spun at the sound of his voice (Spot = 18). He regarded the approaching form of the young acolyte of Domi skeptically.
"'Good' morning?" he echoed querulously. "'Cold' morning. 'Frigid' morning. 'Freezing-appendages-never-meant-to-be-exposed' morning. But I suppose that makes it a 'typical' morning around here, really, so I guess you'd have to call it a 'good' morning. Can't well imagine what a 'poor' morning would look like."
The gnome hacked and coughed at the chill air. His raven circled down to land on his shoulder; nearly as big again as the gnome himself, the bird was strangely outsized while perched there. The bird cocked its head at Garrett. "Corn?" it squawked. The gnome brushed its head away with an absentminded back of his hand.
"Not now," he muttered at the bird. Bohdi looked up at Garrett and stamped his feet to keep warm. "I haven't seen anyone else in the village this morning just yet. It's like they've all gone off somewhere--no doubt getting something ready for our 'Big Test.'" He wiggled his short fingers in the air in mock amazement. "What about you--has Domi given you any guidance on what we should expect? Maybe the big fellow has a holy sauna set up someplace out there where we can just camp out and drink ice wine for the next three days. As I recall, Domi was always fond of a good steam bath." (Knowledge religion, untrained = 22)
Drew Wednesday December 8th, 2004 12:54:25 PM
Justin and Dan- Should we be thinking of each taking a prefession skill to represent our role in the village? Just an idea that shows the communities dependance on one-another to survive. I have given Nauthiz'Ull a hunter proffesion already. Maybe Frigg'Isa could be a brewer or alchemist or whatever. Healer would be another along with anything that you can think of that helps slide an explination for your characters abilities. I for one like to progress my PCs based on what they have done. I have given my ranger alertness as his extra human feat due to him being that way, not because I want the bonuses (well not entirely) and he isn't jsut going to automatically get some feat that hasn't related to what he has been through...That's just me though, I look for his role in society to help determie the way he starts and will reflect on what he has been through for the way he will go.
Garrett Jax Wednesday December 8th, 2004 6:06:26 PM
"Things could always be worse Bohdi, we could be in the middle of a blizzard for our test. You could be up to your......(looking at Bohdi and saying with a friendly smile) over your head in snow."
"I for one look forward to the challenge, and although the sauna sounds nice I would be quite disappointed. But to each his own my friend."
Garrett Looks around for everyone again. "Well, I guess I can put another hour or two in on the forge, I'll see you later, I have a little more work to do." And then strolls off with a bit of a light spring in his step.
Justin Webber (DM) Game Wednesday December 8th, 2004 8:37:54 PM
You get the money listed under the character level, plus the starting package equipment only.
Welcome everyone to the board and I will be makign a scene and stuff to allow you all more role play and moreless a prelude to the beginning of the game. This will give you all a chance to role play being in the village and give you abit of a clue into the game and how it will work. Looking forward to role playing and gaming with all of you.
Just wanting to let everyone know that the sooner charactersheets get in the sooner we can start the game. I know this may be pushing it but we would like to have charactersheets in by Friday. If we can meet this goal then we can start Mon.
Bohdi Nackle d20=19 Thursday December 9th, 2004 9:55:27 AM
"Blizzard," Bohdi sniffed as Garrett departed. "Bloody well perfect, and just what we need--more snow."
"Snow, snow," Squork cawed.
"Be quiet, you," Bohdi scolded the raven. A look of concern crossed the gnome's face and he squinted at the skies, testing the air with his prominent gnomish nose (Survival, untrained = 19).
"Doesn't smell like snow," he said to himself. A shiver shook his small frame. Huddling his furs about him closer, he began stomping his way back across the village toward his tent.
"Just what we need, snow," he muttered as he went, his raven hopping along behind. "Probably got a pipeline direct to Domi on that one. 'More snow down here, please.' Bloody priests and their prayers. 'Oooh, yes, let's have more snow, please, I look forward to a challenge!' Bloody brilliant, that. Probably end up stuck in a snowbank someplace. Couldn't put in a prayer for something warm, oh, no. Snow--hmph!"
ooc: as a stylistic point, should we use present or past tense? I, for one, favor past--it just reads better.
CO DM Daniel K Thursday December 9th, 2004 3:13:51 PM
Drew and everyone else I suppose- Should we be thinking of each taking a prefession skill to represent our role in the village? Just an idea that shows the communities dependance on one-another to survive Up to you really. again as children with no real responcibilty expected of you from the village it is not necessary. That said however, given individual history's, a skill point here or there in the family biusiness would lend more creadance to your history. Your culmination of 1st level skills represents everything your character has worked at. If you don't have a rank it doesn't mean you CAN'T do it, just you probably have almost never tried. Knowledge skills do NOT fall into that category. Don't have a knowledge then you don't know anything considered above common knowledge. like its cold in ice vein and you live in Icepeak village.
Drew Thursday December 9th, 2004 3:32:44 PM
Excellent. well my afternoon is devoted tog etting my character sheet ready and reading some more info on Nordic myths and life. I will post anything that looks intersting or helpfull. I have put a point or two into profession;hunting to help relate him to the times spent with his dad that's why I ask. Where is everyone? Where did all of the ideas go?
Kup, ooc Thursday December 9th, 2004 4:11:48 PM
Cross-posting this from the e-mail list:
How about this:
Each of the characters native to the village must, as of a necessity, have been taught certain basic survival skills and knowledge of the wilderness (how much they absorbed of this teaching, of course, depended on their own aptitudes and interest).
The chief ranger for the village, <b>de'jarl Wodin'Ull</b>, was responsible for teaching each of the village youth basic skills like snow-tracking, identifying poisonous and helpful plants, fire-starting, and the like ("de'jarl" is a ceremonial title, like "chief"). Those children identified and apprenticed to hunting parties received more extensive training in these arts. Because all of the village children were taught the basic skills all together, however, each of the party members who originate from the village (Garrett, Nauthiz'Ull, Frigg'Isa, the druid and the rogue) all attended these sessions together. They may each have memories of these events (although their recollections may vary widely!). Some might have been attentive (Nauthiz'Ull a likely candidate), some distracted (the rogue, perhaps), some selectively or totally disinterested.
These classes would have continued up to the time of the Rite of Passage--we don't have a name for this thing yet, do we? How about we call it <b>Ragnar'Isa, the Test of Ice</b>?--in the hopes of fostering survival (very few real cultures just leave their offspring to sink or swim).
DMs: Seeing as I just made that up (!), maybe we can translate that into something meaningful in game terms. I'd propose that PCs who are natives of Ice Peak village gain a +2 to Knowledge (Local) checks in the surrounding environs of Ice Peak as a result of this training, and a +1 to Survival checks in cold, mountainous terrain. It's just a little bonus for creating a genuinely campaign-specific character (my own character, Bohdi, would not benefit directly, not being a native of Ice Peak). What do you think?
I'll cross-post this to the Ice Vein board.
Drew Gerken <laicedlizard@yahoo.com> wrote: Okay everyone, we should keep this brainstorming going and get everything finalized.
what ideas does everyone have for how they know eachother?
Chris Jones (ooc) Thursday December 9th, 2004 5:00:58 PM
Garrett has placed some ranks into weapon smithing (in his background, his father is one of or the village blacksmith and he became quite interested in weaponry) He additionally has the heal skill which may or may not come in handy in the village.
CO DM Daniel K Thursday December 9th, 2004 9:13:20 PM So far the only ones going on the trial are Garret and Bohdi Nackle. I have NO other final sheets. Please try and get them in tomorrow or early into the weekend so we can begin.
As a standard during the campaign I would like to place the following:
italics are for thoughts Bold is for shouting or speaking with high authoritative tone
Drew Thursday December 9th, 2004 9:55:08 PM
DanK- I am finishing mine up tonight and tomorrow morning. School has been a huge burden and I have had some loose ends to tie up lately. I am sorry for the delay.
Drew Thursday December 9th, 2004 11:03:59 PM To Lynn- We need a last name or something to that nature!
Drew to DanK Friday December 10th, 2004 8:23:15 PM
Dan, is the new sheet that I sent you good enough to start the campaign with? I will have my background done a.s.a.p. but I have a pretty busy weekend so not quite sure when it will get done. Hopefully that is cool with you.
Drew Saturday December 11th, 2004 9:32:25 AM
I was just curious as to how everyone's PC was coming along... Lynn, I like the looks of Frigg'Isa!
Justin/Dan:What would you say to giving us all the cold-weather outfits as our starting outfits instead of lets say an explorer's outfit? Just seems to fit to me.
Kup Sunday December 12th, 2004 12:21:29 AM
Bohdi took the cold weather outfit at no charge. He'll bugger anyone who tries to take it from him ("cold enough out here, blast you").
Drew Sunday December 12th, 2004 9:14:12 PM
Kauthiz'Ull will take the outfit as well. He can dismiss the warmer clothes as the firs that he collected from his hunting training. First kill, grey wolf, tunic and the like
Bohdi Nackle Monday December 13th, 2004 1:21:05 PM
The wind whistled high around the door flap as Bohdi re-entered his wigwam. Inside, the flames of a dozen small cooking fires burning under an assortment of bronze bowls and small tubes warmed the fur-and-ox-bone tent, casting an orangish glow on the leathery walls. Bohdi shook the cold from his shoulders and flexed his gloved hands, hoping to restore warmth to his chilled extremities. His raven, Squork, rode in on the gnome's shoulders and ruffled its feathers noisily before hopping onto a low, crude, wooden perch to one side of the door flaps.
Inside, the tent was strewn with all manner of bizarre apparatus, as if the innards of a musk ox had been exploded and stretched about the room. Long, winding tubes fashioned from intenstines and sewn with ox-gut connected crude metal flasks and beakers of varied description. Liquids of varying color and thickness bubbled and gurgled in brass bowls suspended over the small cooking fires. A pile of parchment scrolls crowded into one corner, while in another--sprawled across a gnome-sized cot--lay an oversized leather tome with mystic symbols, left open to a page half-filled with eldritch runes and notes scribbled in a small, meticulous handwriting. Those with a familiarity with the Gnomish alphabet might be able to discern the handwriting; but it would take an understanding of Draconic, and years of arcane study, to decipher the runes that dotted the page. On a scroll of parchment, splayed sideways across the heavy book, lay a half-written letter in Gnomish with the caption, "To Pitchen and the Arcane Elders of Zarnan: Bohdi's Pernicious Shade, an Advanced Illusion of Practical Use." Next to it, an inkpot and quill dangled perilously close to the edge of the cot.
Bohdi stamped the snow off of his boots on a piece of sod and moved to inspect the boiling pots, sniffing appraisingly at the liquids within. "Half done, half done, all of it only half done," he grumbled. "Just when I was making progress, too, and now we have to go off on this blasted test."
"Test, test," Squork echoed from his perch, nodding along with his master.
"But do they care about any of this?" Bohdi tossed at the bird rhetorically. He gestured to indicate the intricate array of bowls and tubes. "Do they care about my research? No, they do not. Off on this barbarian rite of bloody passage, and bugger all to my work! It'll take months to get back to where I was, and all of this work, for naught."
"Naught, naught," the bird agreed.
Bohdi returned to his olfactory examinations. "Took me long enough to cobble all of this together in the first place," he continued. "Working under primitive conditions like this, without a decent alchemist's laboratory for leagues in any direction. You'd think that Pitchen and the rest would show a bit of bloody gratitude! Why, I shouldn't have to do this here--I should be in the bleedin' City Center!"
"Center," Squork cawed. The bird favored the gnome with a beady eye.
Bohdi lowered his head and pouted. "It was just that one accident, after all. How was I to know that the alchemist's fire would combine with the shadow energy? Well, no one else knew that would happen, I can tell you that for a certainty. Not even Pitchen himself could have expected that. So why did they all have to blame little old me? The damage wasn't all that bad."
"Bad, bad." The bird cocked its head questioningly.
"Well, all right then. There was the lab that was destroyed ... and the Center's wall. But it was all a big misunderstanding! Quite an overreaction to send me all the way out here. 'Go and learn something about the world, Bohdi,' they said. 'Learn to appreciate how the real world works.' Like I couldn't learn that back in the Illusionist's Tower! And worse--to have to suffer through this 'test'! What do they expect me to do, anyway--wrestle with a dire bear?"
The bird cawed and chortled, sounding suspiciously like laughter. Bohdi squinted balefully at the raven.
"Don't laugh. You're coming too, you know. If I'm to end up as an icicle somewhere, it'll be your black feathers stuck in the deep freeze right next to me. So come on and help me finish this up. I think we have just enough of the Widow's Wort and snow thistle to carry off the adhesive." Bohdi stirred one pot, thick with a black, tarry substance, and held the spoon up to his nose.
"Just enough, just enough," the raven squawked and rocked from one foot to the other. The gnome nodded and pursed his lips approvingly.
"Yes, it just might be enough at that," he allowed. Stirring the concoction more vigorously, Bohdi reached for another flask and began to pour. "If I do have to go on this blasted trek, I mean to go prepared." The black potion bubbled and hissed as it oozed viscously into the second flask, filling the tent with a stinking, purple smoke as it went. Without, a mushroom cloud of smoke and vapors blossomed from from the smoke hole at the top of the bowed tent, accompanied by the cackle of the gnome and his raven's raucous echoes.
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