Hey.  Just so you don't think I've forgotten about this game.  I'm waiting on my ad in the Players Wanted forum to come up for bumping.  I'd like to bump it again and see if a couple more players show up.  If not, I'm good with two players and we can move on.  So give me a few more days.  Feel free to talk it up here though.

In fact, I have a conversation I'd like to see take place.  As a player, what would you like to see in the game?  For example, you might want to see a really cool magical sword in the game somewhere or perhaps you want the characters to fight a dragon at some point.  I know this might seem a bit odd but I think the game is more likely to be fun if we are up front about what would be exciting for us.  I'm even going to throw my 2 cents in.  I'm a player too, after all.  Also, it doesn't have to be fictional stuff that you want.  It could be that you want something like "Player driven plots" which is one of my wants.

Anywho, have at it.

Hi there, I am cool with just two players. I would like to see some political involvement with the local lords wanting to take a crack at becoming a regnant. I do not see Tannen as being one of the blooded so getting a domain for himself is not likely at all since it would require a tighmaervil weapon and that would attract the attention of the Gorgon...and no one wants that.

I would like to see some military action take place as well and maybe some service with the elf since she is a noble and doing her favours should earn him rewards. Though, elves hate humans and that may not end well.

Hello there, I am glad to be in the game and looking forward in adventuring in the world.

I would surely like to see a few Mage Duels in my time, find magical artifacts and even get lucky to have a exotic familiar when I'm strong enough to have one.

Learning about the land will be one of my main goals and the people as well.  Seeing that I lived more of a shelter life.  Just getting out is an adventure but surely the things that I will come across will open my eyes and to meet others that are magical in nature to help spread and share spells.

Will you be opening up Character Sheets so we can start working on characters?

Not quite yet.  I've got one other player in the application process and there's one more thing to do before statting up characters.  I wouldn't worry about it though.  My experience is that it takes very little time (even for first time players) to stat up a character.

I changed my mind.  It doesn't hurt to stat up your character now.  You can always modify it before we start if you decide to change something.  I've opened up the character sheets.  You should be able to get in there and fiddle around.  Feel free to ask questions if you have them.

Just wondering are we getting Backgrounds, so it can add to skills and Talents?

Yup.  There are only a couple of backgrounds there.  If you want something else, let's talk about it and add it.  I just went with the standard dwarf, elf, halfling but took away the negative Talents for them.  Then I gave the Human background some skill/Talents to make things more even.  We can modify or add whatever we want.

I like simple so I will go with what we have there.

I should be done with my character sheet.

Please have a look at her and let me know if there is anything needed.

Hey gang! I'm glad to be on board. I'll work up a char sheet as soon as I can. I'm looking forward to this game a lot.  I've had this system sitting in my computer for over a year and have never gotten to play it, so this will be a learning experience for me as well.

Welcome to the band! I think my sheet is complete as well.

Yes Welcome aboard Jorgus.  I look forward in traveling with my two Human buddies.

I'm not seeing a character sheet opened up for me. I'm getting close I think to having something worked up.

Sorry about that.  I've made all the character sheet editable now.  The last player has been added.

Sorry guys, I'll be traveling this weekend. I may not be available.

Worked on my character sheet a bit.  I had a few ideas to bounce off you, I'll try to get to it tomorrow evening.

I added my character interactions to one each of the other characters' background stories.  I hope that's what you had in mind.  I gotta say, that's a pretty cool idea, I've never done that before. Let me know if I need to change anything.

Will be adding my sheet tonight.

Also, what temporal relation are our stories to each other?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:27, Sun 09 June 2013.

Just wondering, is there a starting date? or are we waiting till all make that final adjustment to two story plots.

Also, are we doing a third adjustment, opening a conjoined story excerpt?

I'm waiting on the final adjustments to everyone's novels.  There won't be another adjustment after that.  I typically don't bother trying to artificially get the party together.  I let everyone come together or drift apart as they want and as the story dictates.  I'm not going to kill anyone just because they separated so the rule "Always stick together" doesn't apply here.

I would like to discuss 1 more thing.  We can get started before everyone responds to this but I think it is important.

My philosophy (kinda pretentious I know) on role-playing games is that everything works better and is more fun if folks are upfront and honest about what they want to see in the game.  That include both meta-gaming stuff and stuff in the fiction itself.  After all, if you really want to see your character fight hordes of goblinoids and slaughter them by the dozens, you stand a much better chance of getting that if you actually say that to me explicitly.  Otherwise I might do nothing but send undead, dragons and human brigands at you with nary a goblin or orc in sight.  Not because I'm an asshat but because I just didn't know.  So, I want to talk about stuff you want to see (or not see) in the game.  In the spirit of this, I'm going to start.  I'm a player too.  My role might be GM but I'm doing this for fun just like everyone else.

1.)  I want to see player-driven plots.  In other words I don't want to come up with detailed storylines all on my own and then have to hook the players into it.  I want players to generate their own stories.  I'll be happy to plop down opposition and thow in plot twists but I don't want to have to generate some sort of motivation for the player characters.  That's what I want the players to do for themselves.

2.)  Intrigue...  political, romantic and/or mystical.  I want some.  I'm going to try to throw some in the game.  Duh, right?  This is Birthright.

3.)  I want to see a new kingdom get established.  Don't care if the PC's are the leaders but I want them to be instrumental.

4.)  Someone needs to kill an awnsheghlien!  That'd be cool.

Now everyone else can toss their hat in the ring too.  What do you want?  Be honest.  Maybe not every single thing will make it in the game but I will certainly shoot for adding as much as possible and your fellow players can try to help out as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:05, Mon 10 June 2013.

Heh. I guess I must be the only one of us that didn't know that until just now.  I'm totally unfamiliar with the setting, but I'll catch on quickly.  I have to get to bed, but I'll post what you are asking for and some campaign ideas and finish my char sheet tomorrow night.

This is exactly the kind of game I was looking for!  This is my same philosophy of what makes great gaming experiences, when it isn't just a players vs gm/dm/lm mentality.  The story is the most important concept.  I'm stoked!  This way there is true motivation for character development and role-playing.

I've got some reading to do on the setting, but any obvious things I should know, please speak up!

1) I would like to see a slowly building plot which orients on a political intrigue with someone seizing part of the giant downs for Anuire. It could being with a military push which fails and the PCs are recruited to politically attack from within.

2) I would like to see a forbidden romance develop in the arena. Could be between the PC or a PC and an NPC or just two NPCs, something the PCs are asked to help hide or foster.

3) I would prefer the primary enemies to be human and goblinoid.

4) I would love to see a bloodsilver weapon be discovered. That would being minions of the Gorgon sniffing around. I do not want to fight the Gorgon btw...That would be bad.

Did I miss something? Am I supposed to add a phrase to the books of the other players which adds me to their story?

Tannen, yes, you are supposed to do that.  Everyone is supposed to do that.  You only need to add yourself to 2 other stories.  Not all of them or even every other character.

ah ok, thanks...I Completely missed it someplace. I Will get on that today.

Ok, so being totally new to this setting, I feel a little unprepared to put down much about plots and intrigues, although that's probably one of the main building blocks of my character.  I will list a few things and I suppose I can always add/modify at a later time.

1) I also like player-driven plots that cross and intertwine in cool ways. I will do my best to originate and develop some threads for my character that would be easy for the rest of you to snag onto if you wish.

2) I would like to see my character turn into the mideval version of Jason Bourne or James Bond. A resourceful, insanely trained and focused individual who somehow beats the odds and completes his mission if it is humanly possible to do so.  From what I've read so far of the setting, this should work well.

3) I would like to have the characters become unique and powerful, not immortal or untouchable, but truly epic (over the long haul of course). This will require some very good role playing so that it's not over-done.

4) The discovery of lost history, artifacts, weapons and magic, whether it be accidental or a quest, could be a lot of fun, and once discovered, trying to keep it out of the "wrong" hands will be a whole new challenge as well. The flip of this would be fun to play also, where something was discovered elsewhere, or our enemies are looking for something and our characters need to get their hands on it for some reason... (Think Indiana Jones)

I'm sure as I get more familiar with the setting I'll come up with lots more ideas. Thank you for running your game this way.  Not only does it help you (GM) out, but it helps us players out because we know motivations and interactions with each other that are important.

Looking forward!

Here's what I'd like to know to get things started.  I need to know where each of you would like to start.  The choices are Lemnjohen, Midjarna and Vjelthelma.  I'd also like to know what it is you are doing there.  If you have a preference for a starting scene, let me know that too.

Just to be clear.  You don't have to start out together.  Really.  I know some GM's punish players who separate the party.  I'm not one of those.  You can be pursuing your own agendas and it will be just fine.

PM

Tannen is currently in Lemnjohen. He has taken on with the Watch in the most dangerous area as that is where they send their new recruits. Sir Tannen is biding his time and keeping his skills sharp keeping the peace in the area. It seems to be the best place to be able to make a name for himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:42, Tue 18 June 2013.

Midjarna or Vjelthelma., whichever is best for you.  I'd like the potential to run into at least one other PC and see what happens.

Sorry everyone, crazy week for me. I was hoping to get put together tonite, but it ain't gonna happen.  I'll be back Wed. from my current assignment.

I would like to have interaction between characters as our story arcs cross too...

Just out of curiosity, why the private messages?  I'm not upset just a bit confused.  The messages didn't seem to have anything of a private nature to them.  To answer the question though...

Nobody really knows where Huralla makes her home.  She comes and goes as she pleases really.

I figured to put it into a PM so as to not influence the choice of the other players.

Ah... makes sense.  However, I'd rather we influence each other's decisions.  If you guys kibitz among yourselves and come up with 2 of you starting in one location doing this one thing and the other two in separate locations doing something else then that's great even if it wasn't what would have been the original decisions.  I'm very open and transparent in my playing style.  I think it just works better.

Starting Place: Vjelthelma

Objective: Got word that there was a hidden ruin city not too far away in the mountains and has lost Artifacts (Magical Items) that she could use to help her in her battle against the evil of the world.

Starting location: Vjelthelma

Jorgus has recently been tasked by his superiors with collecting information about geography, historic locations, ruins and places of interest, and the power players in the Giantdowns. As with all of his missions so far, this will not only be of benefit to the Order, but will provide valuable training for the young Initiate as well as begining to develop an alter-ego as a travelling cartographer.  He was told to seek out Kalla Hogby, the sister of the late Lord of Hogby. Her wanderings and magic are legendary. It is believed she frequents Vjelthelma and that this location may be the best place to begin his search.

I think I've bitten off a bit more than I'm capable of chewing at the moment.  I've got another game that has grown in players and scope quite a bit lately and given my real life schedule I need to put this game on hold.  I may recruit a co-DM to help me with the other game and take some of the weight off my shoulders.  Once I get a grip over there I would like to push on with this game.  If I don't pull back a little I'm pretty sure I'll screw up both games and I don't want that.

So, I apologize for this and understand if you don't want to be involved at all any more but I'm putting this game on hold for the time being.  I've been wanting to play the Giantdowns forever so don't think I've given up yet.

ok, will hold.

Frozen in time....

I'm not going anywhere either. *twiddle-twiddle* ;-)

Hey guys.  I think my other game is going to be all I can handle for the foreseeable future.  I can do one of two things.  I can either hand this game over to one of you if you want to keep it going or I can delete this game.  Just let me know.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop.  I have a major remodeling job in front of me for the next two months and then I will be moving my family into a new house. I'm slammed, and actually was kind of grateful that this game had stalled for the time being. However, I'm sad that it's stalling completely.

I am totally unfamiliar with the game setting, as well as the rules system, but the latter I think is easy enough and I would really like to try it out. I am willing to take over the game, or even better, migrate these same characters over to a setting I'm more familiar with. Those are just some options we can discuss a little before this game is deleted.

I have followed your other game and I am seriously impressed. You and your co-GMs are fantastic and the players you've recruited are excellent as well.

As for me, this fall I would be eager to pick up and try this out or move on to something else, but I like the characters we have here and the homework we've done so far and it would really be a shame for it to go to waste.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of these ideas or any of your own.

I understand. I really like the world and it is disappointing to not be able to play. I cannot take it over and run it though due to my own time issues. Good luck with your other games GM!

Thanks for the kind words, Jorgus.  I'm not planning on deleting the game any time soon.  We can discuss what to do with it for as long as necessary.  After all the game sitting here doesn't bother me.