Thar Shaddin

Availability: Please ask before posting.

Posting Speed: Pretty frequent. As often as daily, no longer than three days except under special circumstances (vacation, family emergency, etc.)

Characters Involved: Julen, Sir Karsimir a.k.a. Railtus Anstrun, Lylessa Uluki, Arlechina Quinn, and many, many, NPCs. Belatucadrus is currently active in a sub-thread. (Early posts include Aranel and Finner, who are no longer active. Asiona Peterson and Angatdan have each made an appearance but are not currently part of the continuing plot.)

Location: Home base is the Industrial District, moving elsewhere from time to time.

The first thread in the storyline is Musical Illusions: http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?t=689

Currently active threads in this plotline:

Final Preparations http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1712 (Industrial District)
The Blade's Edge http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1731 (Downtown and Business District)
Casualties http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1742 (Industrial District)
Pest Control http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1739 (Downtown and Business District)
The Pest http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1750 (Historic Ruins)
Uncivilized http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1727 (In the Village)
Moonlighting http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1629 (Downtown and Business District)

Summary:

The Basics:

This plotline is about do-gooders doing good. The group has set up a military base where refugees from the shanty town have sought shelter and are being helped. More do-gooding of both a military and civilian nature is planned.

The Story So Far:
Julen, a farmer from Shim with a talent for music and magical illusions, is living in Marn, where he meets up with an Elf named Aranel and later a young nobleman newly arrived to the city who has the blood of angels in him, Railtus Anstrun (who will become Karsimir.) Railtus hires Julen; Aranel disappears during the night.

Railtus and Julen arrive at House Anstrun and meet Mavelle, the attractive daughter of the family, and her unpleasant brother Phelan. Julen and Phelan get in an argument over Julen's wife Rosemary, and a scuffle breaks out. Railtus prevents Phelan from hurting Julen, and enters into courtship of Mavelle.

Julen and Railtus do some training, then a blimp appears in the sky. The pilot, Finner, has an apprentice, Ramas, who has been wounded. Railtus heals the boy while Julen produces magical illusions to comfort him.

The two men train for another week, then find out mercenaries have invaded Shim and are threatening Rosemary. Railtus and Julen fight off the mercenaries, and Rosemary also kills one of them. After the fighting Railtus and Julen leave for Marn again. They are joined by an Orc named Krarug. Railtus tells Krarug to call him Karsimir, and Julen does the same.

Julen hands out bread in the shanty town, and gives a speech offering people shelter and work. People are skeptical of his offer, but a young prostitute named Kaydee speaks up for him. Meanwhile, Karsimir goes to the Fighters' Guild and finds several warriors to join his cause, one of whom has been injured by deserters.

The next morning on patrol, some of the warriors come upon a young woman who looks like a demon, carrying a baby. Concerned, they bring her back to the base, but it turns out that the baby is the girl's brother, and her family has come to Marn after being attacked by bandits in the forest. The girl's parents, Uluki (a fairy healer) and Rollick (a human warrior,) are found, and the family comes to live at Lightsword Hall.

Refugees also trickle in from the shanty town seeking refugee. This continues as the following events described are going on. When they arrive they are fed, healed, given a place to stay, and taught useful skills.

Julen receives word that Kaydee has been taken hostage by crime boss Dominic Snyde, but when he goes to rescue her he learns a trap has been set for him. He fights well but is outnumbered and gets beaten up, then is dumped in the street with Kaydee, who is also badly injured.

Upon hearing Julen is missing, Karsimir goes looking for him, fighting a hag and then, with Asiona, summoning an angel to ask for help, then Karsimir battles the demon bound to Asiona. Meanwhile, Uluki and some of the Lightswords, and two other warriors they've met on the way, find Julen and Kaydee in the shanty town. Uluki heals their injuries and they return to the base, along with several other prostitutes who want to escape Snyde.

The next day Uluki agrees to help a group of nomads get rid of evil spirits. It turns out the spirits are tainted and diseased, so she heals them, and returns the next day. While she is gone, the previously mentioned deserters return and attack the base, but the defenders prevail.

The angel who was summoned, Amaranda, comes to Uluki's daughter Dash in a dream and says that Karsimir needs to be healed from damage done to his soul when he saved Ramas. Using Dash's body first and later manifesting on her own, Amaranda does this and then accepts Karsimir as a knight in her service because of his many good deeds.

Lord Barmitheon Panterras hires Arlechina Quinn, an actress, spy, and con artist, to infiltrate the base and spy on Uluki and Rollick. She does so successfully in the guise of a refugee. Panterras's daughter Kira, who has been the subject of cruel magical experiments by her father, escapes with Quinn's help and also makes her way to the base.

Mavelle and Karsimir end their courtship, leaving him hot and single. (Julen remains hot and married, but Kaydee wants him bad.)

Quinn, in another guise, asks Uluki and Rollick to go to Panterras's house, claiming the old man is ill and wants to see Rollick. They argue over several things, including Uluki, who Panterras hates. The confrontation becomes violent when Panterras threatens Uluki and Rollick's daughters, Panterras escapes, and the Lightsword group raids his lab and finds the evidence of what he did to Kira. Meanwhile Panterras asks Quinn to kill Kira. She agrees to do so, but returns to the base instead to formulate a plan with Uluki and Rollick to off Panterras and save Kira. (Panterras and his evil colleague Hornwood then make some other plot detours, including attending a meeting of The Skull and the Hand-- see the thread of the same name.)

Karsimir, Julen, and the Lightswords stage a raid against Snyde, including his headquarters and one of his brothels, freeing the women held captive there. Most of Snyde's henchmen are killed, and he takes heavy financial losses, crippling his criminal empire and forcing him to lie low. More refugees arrive at the compound, some of whom dislike and confront Uluki because she is Fae, but Karsimir diffuses the situation.

Quinn, Julen, Rollick, Uluki, and Dash lay an ambush for Panterras, with Julen performing an illusion of Panterras's daughter being killed. It is instead Panterras who dies.

Following the battle with Panterras, Karsimir and Quinn speak, discover they may have a spark, and come to an arrangement that her sellsword friends will go after Snyde. Rosemary and Julen reconcile, but later that night Kaydee approaches Julen and begs him to love her. Julen is very uncomfortable and leaves, and goes to find Uluki so Uluki can comfort Kaydee.

The next day Rollick is attacked and his body is invaded by the goddess Angatdan, who is seeking information about the god who formerly possessed him. Anga manages to trigger a flashback in his mind but the information she gains is useless to her. Rollick is badly injured during her assault, and she leaves him to die, but Uluki saves him by magic. Several refugees witness this, including two who are hostile to the couple. Karsimir confronts one of them, Vernon, about his threats, but fearing for their lives if they're reported to the authorities, Uluki and Rollick decide their family must leave Marn.

Karsimir and the Lightswords make preparations and plan strategies for the battle they will fight against a group of mercenaries and various other frightening creatures in and near the village of Shim. Little do they know Belatucadrus, the vampire guardian of Shim, has already been disposing of the mercenaries in gruesome ways.

Quinn and her sellswords find disturbing evidence written in blood left by their foe, Oglar, as they pursue Snyde in the shanty town.

New refugees arrive at the compound from the shanty town, non-humans this time, including goblins, a half-goblin, a centaur, two half-trolls, a half-orc, two elves, a half-elf, and a single human.

While Rollick, Dash, Zee, Vorakh, and Doeni are shopping downtown, Dash and Zee are abducted by a band of mercenary warriors, assisted by Delphina, a fairy-hater from the compound. Rollick trades himself for the two hostages. The sellswords cut off his hand and drag him off, then Delphina stabs Dash. Doeni and Vorakh find the two girls (but not Rollick) and bring them back to the compound to be healed, then Uluki and a larger rescue party go to save Rollick, and are able to bring him back.

That's the plot thus far.

While all this has been going on people were talking and interacting and leading their lives, so whenever a character isn't mentioned in the summary, that's what they're doing.

The characters are pretty much going to continue to be do-gooders, as they have been so far. That's the outlook for the continuing plotline.

Other Notes:

There is a more complete summary, about three IC days behind, here: http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1139
The main differences between the two versions are overall level of detail and inclusiveness (the version in this thread has quite a bit left out,) and that the summary in this thread hits only plot events and pretty much ignores character interactions-- which are at least as important in the story we're actually writing. I highly recommend reading the more detailed version if you're interested in this storyline and can't get through all the posts. Threads included in the extensive history of this plotline have links in the summary.

Long term involvement in this plot is more suitable for good or relatively not-bad characters, not evil ones.

I decided I should re-post this from the other thread so it doesn't get overlooked...

So... posted, obviously.

If needed I can post once more before my trip (turns out I'm leaving Monday evening instead of Monday morning as I'd thought,) but we can see how it goes.

In my absence, feel free to move things along or wrap up the scene. I have some aftermathy-type things I want to write with Rollick and Uluki and Kira, but otherwise I think they've done their thing for this adventure. Rollick has given his opinion on what should happen next, and will stick to that unless there are any objections. Once Uluki has healed him (and herself) they'll be ready to finish up the arrangements and head home, and they can deal with disposing of the body unless one of you two specifically wants to be involved in that.

It's been fun, guys! Yay!

I will be back on April 1st. May or may not be able to post that day, but definitely by the 2nd. See you when I get back!

Awesome summary, Lyl! Very clear and easy to read, while including all the crucial plot points. Well done!

There's only one thing I'd add. Under "Charcters Involved" you mention all the PCs who have been in the storyline, except Finner. Not that it matters a whole lot, since he was only around briefly, and isn't ever going to be active again. But if you wanted to include everybody...

Have a great trip! We'll miss you!

Awesome summary, Lyl! Very clear and easy to read, while including all the crucial plot points. Well done!

Thanks. I left a lot out, so I would hope (recommend? insist?) someone joining our thread read your more complete one, but this should at least give the very newest people some idea what's going on plot-wise, although not so much relationship-wise.

I realize my summary is kind of long even as it is, but I think someone who couldn't handle reading through it would probably totally get their asses kicked by our actual posts, which are sometimes as much text and always significantly more stylistically complex. So I'm not too worried.

There's only one thing I'd add. Under "Charcters Involved" you mention all the PCs who have been in the storyline, except Finner. Not that it matters a whole lot, since he was only around briefly, and isn't ever going to be active again. But if you wanted to include everybody...

My stupidity thought Finner was an NPC. Obviously I didn't check. Thanks for pointing that out; I have added him.

Have a great trip! We'll miss you!

I'll miss you guys too! See you soon! (I have an hour or so before I need to leave for the airport, so you may see me lurking about still.)

FYI guys, the Grand Audit has not been deleted but moved to the Lightswords NPC sub-forum.

http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic ... 742#p10742

Let me know if I have done too much at once and I'll cut the end out.

And I know Aorle probably tempted fate by inviting the refugees to speak of their dreams. Aorle is completely unaware of this of course.

PS:

One option, if needed (read: I am immensely enjoying chatting with Rosemary) is that Aorle can come to you with a small search party. Ever since the ambush by Snyde anyone leaving the compound is expected to say where they are going and how long they expect be - so we know where and when to begin a search.

Option B, we could have some nomads nearby, concealed as snipers but failing to get a clear shot on Panterras - They came to Marn to protect Uluki from Panterras, so would not want to be left behind for this fight. They can go fetch Shiny One.

I am more than happy to continue with my current scene, since I am enjoying it immensely, just don't feel we can't bring me in if you both really want to.

You're asking me if you tried to squeeze too much in at the end? Me, the queen of squeezing way too much stuff into posts?

Seriously, I thought the post was great. And yes, you're in for a real mixed bag when the refugees start talking about their dreams.

Those are good ideas for a potential Quinn/Aorle meeting. I'll leave it up to Quinn to decide if she wants to use either of them, as I'm fine either way. Until we hear from her, we can continue things with Rosemary.

Julen wrote:You're asking me if you tried to squeeze too much in at the end? Me, the queen of squeezing way too much stuff into posts?

I thought you might be worried about a coup d'etat.

Hopefully Rosemary can come to the rescue.

Railtus Anstrun wrote:I am more than happy to continue with my current scene, since I am enjoying it immensely, just don't feel we can't bring me in if you both really want to.

I would love for Quinn to finally meet this mysterious commander figure, but if you're enjoying your current engangement, I'm not going to drag you away uneccessarily. Meeting a knight would be a bonus at this point.

Oh, and Julen; I'm perfectly happy to wait for Lylessa to get back if you are. We can probably just assume Uluki and Rollick are a bit busy healing and having burnt faces etc. to talk right now if you want to have Julen respond and we can have some interaction till they get back.

What I'll probably do is start any other plot involvement with my shiny new NPC, and Quinn can take her time catching up with him.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I may not be able to post for the next few days. Due to events that are both random and chaotic, hubby and I have ended up as alternate delegates to our political party's county convention. Which means attending a variety of meetings, classes, and of course, the actual convention on Saturday. I'll try to squeeze in a post or two if I can, but I'm going to be wicked busy.

Plus the maitenance people have decided that today is the perfect day to tear up my ceiling...

Quinn -- Posted for Julen! If you want to, and get a chance to before Lyl gets back, feel free to post. We can chat.

Railtus -- Sorry for the delay! Will try to post for Rosemary today. Tomorrow, at the latest.

General Rant -- If anyone has ever wondered why the Democrats don't rule American politics, let me tell you. It's because they think that "participating in the process" means getting up at 5:00 AM, getting stuck in traffic, and waiting in line for two hours (while constantly being told that you're actually supposed to be in a completely different line). All for the "privilege" of spending another seven hours sitting on an uncomfortable metal bench, crowded into a poorly lit, poorly air-conditioned arena with 7,000 of your "closest friends", until you can finally cast your pre-determined vote, achieve the pre-determined result, and GO THE FUCK HOME!

Posted! I had Rosemary go ahead and respond to a few things Aorle said to her before they head over to the other women. But I don't think it's anything he needs to comment on, so we should be okay.

Also, I would just like to say that certain people (who shall remain nameless) had requests about what "dreams" the former prostitues should give voice to. So it's not all my fault.

I'm back! Still catching up on posts, but I just wanted to make one comment before things proceed much further...

One option, if needed (read: I am immensely enjoying chatting with Rosemary) is that Aorle can come to you with a small search party. Ever since the ambush by Snyde anyone leaving the compound is expected to say where they are going and how long they expect be - so we know where and when to begin a search.

Option B, we could have some nomads nearby, concealed as snipers but failing to get a clear shot on Panterras - They came to Marn to protect Uluki from Panterras, so would not want to be left behind for this fight. They can go fetch Shiny One.

I would prefer things not go that direction if possible.

The main reasons are practical: our characters haven't, as a group, been gone long enough that it would make sense for anyone to be worried (excluding transit time, our scene would only have taken a few minutes,) and since we've established that several people at the base are in on the plan, including at least one Lightsword, people do in fact know where our characters are if Aorle bothered to ask around. Presumably, though this was not written out, they would have explained to Merohl why they weren't bringing more people along (I assume he'd ask why and/or offer to go along,) so additional people showing up would be pretty deliberate sabotage of the plan and would endanger the participants-- something that doesn't seem very like either Aorle or the nomads.

The other issue is more general: I really, really don't want to establish the precedent that my characters can't leave the base for even a short time no matter how many people know where they're going, without Aorle (or someone else at the base) worrying about them and chasing after them. I'm going to need a bit more room than that to do independent things, or it'll seriously interfere with my ability to write plots-- since it means I have to either make sure Aorle is occupied before I start anything or that you want to be part of it. I just need a little more flexibility, so I don't want to get in the habit of that happening. (Unless IC Aorle doesn't trust Uluki and Rollick, of course, and feels they need his supervision, which is a different matter and should probably be handled IC.)

That said...

I am more than happy to continue with my current scene, since I am enjoying it immensely, just don't feel we can't bring me in if you both really want to.

Aorle meeting Quinn would be fun, so I don't want to squash that. Maybe Quinn could come back to the base with Julen, Uluki, and Rollick, and meet Aorle there? That way we don't have to find an excuse to get him into our scene, and a new scene can start more smoothly when people are ready. That would also eliminate Julen and Uluki having to just stand there awkwardly while Aorle and Quinn talk. I know at least I have stuff to do back at the base, and Julen has some women who urgently need talking to.

In any case, I'm exhausted from travel so no post from me tonight, but I'll definitely jump back in tomorrow and get my characters caught up-- including Rollick answering the direct question he was asked. Yay for being back!

Oh, by the way...

The old thread has been moved to PC, that way it's not lost but also not cluttering this forum.

Thanks!

For my purposes, it doesn't have to stay there forever. I will go through and save the important bits, because we don't need all of it. My main concern with the "just save what you need" thing was that OOC Plot Discussion purge came out of the blue to me (I'm sure others were aware of it, but I'm kind of in my own little world) the day before I was scheduled to go on a major international trip, and I just didn't have time to go through it on such short notice and it seemed like it was either do it right then or lose it forever-- so naturally I came down in favour of keeping it. If you can just give me a couple days of me actually being here, you don't have to leave it up any longer for my sake, unless other people need it.

One long comment.

I think you misunderstood my suggestion, but I agree none of that is needed right now.

Alright, sorry about that. I think the "search party" thing threw me, as it seemed extremely premature at this point-- I would guess that Uluki and Rollick have been gone for maybe 20-30 minutes tops (the others longer, of course, but Uluki and Rollick knew where Julen was) and they wouldn't be expected back yet, so searching for them like we did for Julen in the shanty town would be a little odd unless they weren't allowed and/or trusted to leave at all... I just didn't see a reason to believe a search was warranted.

If instead we're talking about others simply arriving as backup, I would assume that Uluki and Rollick would have explained that they were trying to set Panterras at ease and ambush him, so having extra people show up in the middle of things would mean Panterras is either going to 1.) leave/teleport, deciding the fight can't be won with those numbers (he only stayed to be killed because he thought he had the upper hand because he figured he could incapacitate Rollick,) or 2.) get mad at the "betrayal" and start blasting people randomly, particularly focusing on Uluki and Dash. Neither of which would be a very pleasant turn of events-- plus the plan was established pretty much completely IC and can't be changed now without lots of editing of old posts, so we can't really pretend it was intended all along to have extra backup.

Not that it actually really matters, since we're not needing to go that way. Just trying to explain what confused me about your idea, since obviously I'm still not getting it. But you don't need to waste time explaining further since we don't need to do it.

In other news, I read the posts in our plot in the airport, but now I am caught up on everyone else's plots, yay!

EDIT: Thanks for waiting on the burning Panterras thing, because Rollick is actually going to have to nix it. If you'll check out my first Panterras post (http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1331) it's established that he doesn't actually have his own house, he rents the ground floor flat in a building that presumably has at least one more flat above. Based on that, there's no way Rollick can OK burning a building where someone else also lives, and even if the upstairs is currently vacant, they'd be pretty much financially ruining the landlord who doesn't share any of the blame.

That sucks because it's a really good idea and I kind of wish I'd been vaguer about where Panterras lived, but Rollick will make a counter suggestion that they could use an abandoned house for the same purpose, since I do think it would work well.