Thar Shaddin

I won't stop posting. You won't need to tell me that twice. XD

And yeah, that would leave us with just a short half hour or so. We'll try for the weekend, if that works for everyone... but saterday will be tricky for me. I've got a very confusing day then. Like Morveya, I hope to have more info by Friday.

Tomorrow not the best for myself, either, as it winds out.

Sunday -- can probably manage, if you two want to suggest a time.

If not -- I'm happy with the way the solo posts are working.

Hope you are both enjoying your saturday -- crazy or no!

Popping in to pose a question to you both:

In my next, Morveya will begin considering the use of her scrying power to find out exactly what has happened.

Since she is unlicensed in magic use, (though registered) legally she cannot use it. But waged against that are personal and moral feelings, desire to protect Shim's people, etc. (Also, she is on occasion almost compelled to look -- with some compulsing physical and emotional phenomena if she is unwilling. I have thought a bit about going there, too.)

How she does or doesn't approach it will be the matter of some further posts.

What I need to know is - do we need or want her to learn anything? Scrying conveniently fails whenever it might be a plot wrecker, or a distraction from other things. Also, there is the complication of requiring water to do so (at least a barrel's worth - a kettle or such won't cut it), as well as the guards' presence and feelings about it.

I'm not clear if we are actually planning any brush with Vanyusha and his cannibalizing company. Or if this was just a means to bring us together, and shortly we'll leave it all behind.

Quite open to whatever. But wanted your thoughts on this.

EDIT: I am assuming this would likely mean informing Alex about what she can do, and prevailing on his sense of the right thing vs. the legality of it. Drifel might well back her on that -- whose feelings might carry some weight with Alex? There is also Lurus - and how his and Alex's feelings on this might differ, and complications thereof. Not to mention any input from Kitan.

In any case, I think the RP of it might be very interesting, even if the final verdict is "you cast a spell, you go to jail."

We'd have to get Kitan to distract Lurus or something in the meantime. And there isn't any sufficent body of water nearby Drifel's place, so unless she can scry in ale we'd have to leave. <.<
Then again, he'd probably know a nearby pond or something.

As to success, I'm pretty sure Alex means to follow up on the leads we've got in a seperate storyline later. We shouldn't be crossing paths with Van and Syr anytime soon, as far as I'm aware. Which may be good, because your power page stipulates that she needs familiarity with the target to scry it: in this case, she has none whatsoever.

I suppose I can't be sure, but I suspect his character's reaction would be "stop the murderer, worry about magic later"

Alternatively, it would be pretty interesting if, way later, when we were crossing the Ofriyu she saw the murder scene. Either as it happens or its present state. Especially considering how she is both nervous about gore and this ability. Also especially since we'd be just outside the city, with a bunch of puradyne guards.

Kitan is more or less right, "stop the murderer, worry about magic later" would be Alex's gut reaction. The same way most cops nowadays would be more than willing to overlook some other minor to moderate offense if it meant putting a murderer down.

An interesting course of events could be Morveya desiring to scry and either trying only to initially fail before trekking to the scene of the crime... or just informing Alexandros that she possesses this ability, needs to see the grave, and then proceeding from there.

I suspect Lurus' and Alex's conflict following Morveya's help would be fun to play out. Especially if we managed to work in Lurus' distaste for Kitan as it competes with Alex's vow to protect the foxboy.

Morveya might manage to detect a hint of where Vanyusha is - but I'd avoid taking our characters directly to them at the moment. I think Alex too would prefer not to bring Kitan and Morveya into a potentially dangerous situation anyway.

I'll post tonight, if I get back in time to. Otherwise I'll make it a priority tomorrow as soon as I finish up with work.

Actually, Morveya's power description states that familiarity aids her chances. Not that it is a requisite.

I did have this one idea that she might be overwhelmed with the need to look, bolt for her horse like a madwoman, and force the rest to pursue. After a chase, at the banks of the Ofriyu, she'd throw herself down, and have the vision.

As she was just glimpsing Vanyusha, the real thing would come up from behind her. And some sort of very impactful encounter would ensue, as the rest arrived.

Of course, that thought was without consulting his player at all, and I acknowledge there are probably some plot or logic holes there too.

Kitan's idea is a good one, having it occur during the crossing. And Alex's as well. But that doesn't have to be either. Will play it by ear, see what makes sense as we move along. Meanwhile, I'll make use of the possibility as some grist for RP.

I hope it was obvious enough what Kitan was doing there. I can edit for clairity, or re-write it entirely, if you want me to, I just figured I should get something posted. I'm sure I will regret posting while I am this tired later.

Basically, his "plan" was
1. Convince Alex to turn around by acting interested in something behind the guardsman
2. Jump over Alex
3. The noise causes Alex to turn back, only to find Kitan not in sight, above his head.
4. As Alex stares at an amused Dwarf, land on the opposite side of Alex
5. Act awesome (he failed at this step)

Not at all. I love Kitan's spontaneous, literally "bouncing off the walls" antics!

That post where he got annoyed with the horse (and shot it a baleful look) had me laughing out loud!

And, Alex, thanks for the setting detail some post back. I'd been reluctant to fill in anything myself, but felt we were sort of lacking on that. I am supposing real world experience in the conservation corps helps with sort of thing. The touch with the bird was nice too.

For the insatiably curious - I am thinking a "zyme lizard" is a small, fast reptile, with a pinching and painful bite, as well as an accurate and smelly spit-ball capability. Remark or elaborate in story as you will, if at all inclined.

Or let it slide. Many, many, worse things lurking in the darksome woods...

(maybe even some lawyers)

EDIT: Oh, and on the topic of herbs -- I think alot of craft goes into the pre-preparation, both sort of art and science. There are subtleties to it that make it more complex than just "boil some leaves."

That plus some of them are not common plants, is why there's not a common cure for hangover (or other things) sold all over the place.

And specifically, it is the hangover effects she is attempting to treat. The alcoholism is entirely another (far more complex) matter.

Though, Morveya is going to try and make at least a little headway.

Whew. Okay, that's good to hear. <.<

And I think my favorite dwarf just kinda shut down any attempts at curing his alcoholism outright. Come back soon, play again!

I figured I should get us moving again, if that's alright.
Side note- Alex's enlightened reaction to Kitan's agility might help Morveya overcome her unease sharing her powers with the guards, but you probably already got that.

In other news, you two don't have to follow Kitan's advice not to talk to Drifel if you don't think your characters would. Drifel might crack in a one-on-one conversation but he won't be telling anyone anything with Kitan around. Your chars may or may not realize that.

Well, "outright" was never a possibility. Any condition like that takes time that, obviously, Morveya can't give right now. At most, she had hoped to move Drifel in the direction of starting to work on it. Admitting he had a problem, and wanted help for it.

But, she went in knowing it's a charged subject to bring up with a stranger. The responses are completely in character. I thought it might give you opportunity to give us (well, myself & the readers - I think Alex already knows some) a bit of Drifel's background, if desired.

But we do in fact have other things awaiting us...

Okay, yeah. "Outright" was bad word choice on my part. D'oh.

Drifel is literally my other character. To know his background, all anyone would need to do is look him up. I should link to Drifel in Kitan's page somehow, now that I think about it. I'mma gonna go and do that.

EDIT: Well, character sheets get locked but I threw a link under my profile. Should help clear up Drifel's past for people who play with Kitan.

Oh no problem! I just didn't want you two to think I'm claiming any miraculous powers for Morveya. I realize this is more modest than D&D.

I mean, I don't even have a prestige class.

That's right! You told me Drifel was another character back when we first starting talking about this, I think.

I am very intrigued with what his story is, after this.

Question --

That thread in the village is the Family Ties "Prologue", as it says.

We've got a pretty long prologue with 30 posts now - and maybe a good end for it. (or something further, if anyone wants to add)

Do you guys want to pick up with a "Family Ties" (no prologue) thread in the Woods, for the next portion?

Not big deal to me. But it seems sort of appropriate, so decided to suggest.

While it would make sense to start a new thread, I don't know about the woods. The Ofriyu runs right next to the city, so if we continue to follow the main road we shouldn't see the river until we are within spitting distance of Marn. I guess it could double back somewhere, if we needed it to. And I don't think there is anything else we need to do in the woods? I guess Kitan still hasn't asked about the letter in detail, so we do need to get that done. He could ask in the city or the woods, whichever works for us. He's not above exploiting sympathy to learn things either, so that's probably where I'd take that.

Are we going to stop by Alex's family before Morveya's? He mentioned he had some ideas for that- we should probably get them on the table now. Either way though, we'd be spending most of our time in the residential or downtown sections of the city unless we spend way more time than I expect (which is entirely possible, I admit) in the woods.

I guess I ultimately would be okay with anything A rather wordy way to say so, if I do say so myself. XD

Side note- Nice post Morveya! Powerful stuff, in fact I'm pretty sure Drifel is bawling on the other side of the door right now.

Aw, poor papa! And thanks. I'm glad it came off that way. I was trying to be impactful. Drifel's preceding response was very emotional, and sad. I wanted to sort of meet it with something that acknowledged that. But without getting too wordy, or trying to perpetuate the conversation.

Yes, I was thinking there is some more character dialog that needs to take place, prior to making Marn.

Morveya is for sure going to tell Alex about her scrying talent. It's actually more an in character thing, than any necessity for that to go anywhere. As I mentioned earlier, I believe. From her stance, it would just be wrong to not offer the possibility.

More can certainly be learned from Morveya about the letter. Albeit, there are some (rather important) elements she doesn't know, at this stage. And will only learn in person.

If nothing else, after asking his father to speak of something personal, she'd feel like a hypocrite in declining to do the same.

Alex's family first is fine with me. If he wants to do that.

I'd sort of had it in mind we'd have some encounter in the woods -- but not for any truly specific purpose. It was just my thought -- perhaps because I am not planning any "action" sorts of sequences in the initial portion of the Marn story. It will be a bit before there is anything like that.

Well, probably! All sorts of people and things can come crawling out of the woodwork of that city. Alex's duties and situations as a guard might bring us some encounters, if we want them.

That's my .02 bishani.