Serengeti.



Lion ears and tail.



Sounds good to me. I think one of the Bonds I proposed to Gania would work for Harlin as well:

Perhaps she had showed him a secret rite of the Land, or

She had tasted his blood and him hers. They are bound by it.

I'm picturing some sort of great, arcane machine, reminiscent of the cube from hellraiser and any iteration of "ancient alien" tech as the source of the tapestry. When it was unearthed, it was already millenia old, so much so that the oldest civilizations in the world are still trying to puzzle out where it came from. In addition to geography, it's probably at the heart of its own set of ruins that make controlling the area difficult on its own, further complicating any one nation's attempts at controlling it. The thread that makes up the tapestry is incredibly rich and beautiful, but nobody has tried to sever any of it for a few hundred years. Stories still circulate about the disasters that befell the last group to attempt it. Few have even thought to question from whence the thread comes . . .

Uri, I actually like the idea that you know a secret about Brynn, whether she trusted you with it or not.

Anyway, I'm seeing two rough groups forming, which actually look quite well balanced.

Group 1:

Atalanta (Druid)
Harlin (Ranger)
Gania (Barbarian)
Istvan (Arcane Duelist)
Tweesa (Cleric)

Group 2:

Brynn (Fighter)
Tobias (Paladin)
Sierpinski (Wizard)
Lydia (Immolator)
Uri (Bard)

Both groups have a couple of meaty frontline warriors. Both have some people who can provide support, and both have a couple who can either fill multiple roles, have specialty skills, or the ability to provide ranged/covering fire (sometimes literally). I don't know how hard and fast we'll be treating these groups, but these seem to me like a good place to start, at least. I tried to keep in mind potential bonds people had already brought up, but there's room to shuffle some things around. Thoughts?

Brynn ninja'd my post. I was about to suggest groups, and we came up with the exact same lists! I also like that idea for the tapestry.

---

Going off of which bonds and synergies seem to be forming between characters, I am considering these for groups. Assuming everyone is still here when we start, of course. I figured knowing who is in which groups could help people focus on who to form connections with. It is fine if everyone from both groups has met at least once before though. Perhaps at an event just before both groups ventured into the tapestry?

Group 1
Istvan Vanoson    - human arcane duelist of Emberstorm tribe
Twessa Dumdellin  - gnome cleric of the dragon god Sagrae
Gania Flamekeeper - human barbarian with fiery traits of the Emberstorm tribe
Atalanta          - human druid of the plains
Harlin Greenarrow - elven ranger of the plains

Group 2
Lydia Smokestone  - human immolator jeweler
Uri               - human bard, hippy dippy
Tobias Hiller     - human farmer/paladin of the hearth goddess Ajanna
Brynn Rhunsdottir - human fighter and veteran mercenary
Sierpinski        - human wizard with low-offense magics

Groups look great. Although I definitely won't mind Gania running into Lydia at some point.
Machine weaving the tapestry is great take.

Here are suggested bonds for me:

Twessa is puny and foolish, but amusing to me.
Harlin’s ways are strange and confusing.
Atalanta is always getting into trouble—I must protect them from themselves.
Istvan shares my hunger for glory; the earth will tremble at our passing!

Istvan, how did a desert nomad train as an arcane duelist? Any thoughts/wishes for his and Gania's relationship? Friendly, competitive, hero&sidekick?


Harlin, if I might suggest: Going that Twessa doesn't understand the life in the wild, and that Gania doesn't respect nature. And he might have had guided Istvan.

Maybe Isvan traveled the world before to learn his dueling skill and had met Harlin. He returned (together with Twessa) to the desert, only to find Gania going nuclear and staring a search of her own.
In the meantime (or before) Harlin and Atalanta met and started working together. The two groups ran into each other and realized their common goal to get to the tapestry.

Makes sense to me. For my Bonds, perhaps:

Twessa smells more like prey than a hunter.

The spirits spoke to me of a great danger that follows Istvan.

I have showed Harlin a secret rite of the Land.

Gania has tasted my blood and I theirs. We are bound by it.

Oh no, everyone in my group hates civilization! But...that just means its a greater challenge to convert them! Aha! :)

@Lydia - People from Twessa's township hidden in The Frozen North infrequently travel south with gemstones for sale, and Twessa herself travelled south in the company of those traders. Maybe Twessa knows Lydia for that reason, and further the Smokestones have a generations-long trading relationship with the Dumdellins?

@Harlin - The `no respect' thing might be a tricky fit, as Twessa is more ignorant than disrespectful. She's fine on home ice, spearing fish and avoiding polar bears and harvesting edible moss, lichen and fungi, but she doesn't know what a lion is. I guess its up to Harlin to decide if thats `no respect'.

Alternatively, `I have guided Twessa before and they owe me for it' could be a good one for the same reasons...maybe Twessa was entirely lost in some foreign territory and Harlin helped lead her back to a road/to town. It'd certainly help me explain how a servant of Sagrae ended up with the wilder crowd. Up to you, really! :D

@Gania - Puny+Foolish+Amusing works from my perspective! Twessa is a world class dunce in many areas the rest of her fivesome would have learned as children.

@Atalanta - I'm fine with `Twessa smells like prey'. She totally does.

Here's what I'm thinking of for Bonds:

BONDS
Atalanta has insulted my deity; I do not trust them.
This seems inevitable to me, given Sagrae is a goddess of civilization. Is that OK with you?

Harlin Greenarrow is a good and faithful person; I trust them implicitly.
Tentatively picked in case Harlin favors the `I saved Twessa from sinking in quicksand/being eaten by a tiger/dying from heat exhaustion'

Gania Flamekeeper is in constant danger, I will keep them safe.
She's fighting a battle against the dragon spirit within! It would be a shame for her tale to end early.

I am working on converting _____________ to my faith.
This one could end up being Istvan, but I might leave it open for actual play.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:54, Tue 08 Jan 2019.

Atalanta, maybe switching Istvan and Gania in your bonds? Although, spirits might now something that we don't...

Twessa, I actually opted for Neutral, not Chaotic, so there's half a battle you won't have to fight.

Background-wise, I'm still debating on how to handle Gania's heritage. How's this sound to everyone:
Each generation in Emberstorm tribe, Flame twins are born. One is the keeper, who passes it on to the next generation. Other is the watcher, who guards the tribe. Gania's sister is the champion that is training with their aunt, the current Flamewatcher. Gania was prepared to bear the next pair of twins into the world.

She couldn't come to terms with it, and her connection with the fire within her was disrupted.
While the shaman sent her on the journey to repair the bond, she actually wants to sever it completely.

Atalanta, Twessa, feel free to put me in those bonds of yours.

I... don't really like bonds in DW (part of the problem is they sort of force the role-playing in directions I often don't like, another part is RPol attrition and disappearances happen and then one is often left holding the bag), but I sort of like those.

I like the following Arcane Duelist bonds:

X  broke up a fight I was involved in. I was probably going to lose, but they don’t need to know that part.

 X  and I are regular training partners.


The second one seems right for Gania...

Then there's this...

X seems like they would fold at the first sign of trouble. I don’t trust them.

I was thinking of Istvan and our wizard? Istvan might have a thing against non-weapon-based magic-users? Then it would be cool to prove Istvan wrong...?

ALSO I JUST HAD ANOTHER THOUGHT: GM wants us to write our PCs' words and thoughts in color. But there's 10 of us... maybe we should call dibs now?

Maybe say what color you want and I'll put it in the info thread so late-comers can see what's already taken?

Dibs on blue! (basic blue, not dark blue... Although if anyone else had their heart set on blue let me know and maybe you can talk me into dark blue?)

Green.

We're in two groups, so maybe there can be some overlap.
Either way, I'd go with Goldenrod

@Gania & @Istvan, a tricky part about that heritage is that it seems to say that if Gania dies, then she and her sister are the last Flame twins? Do you think that might make it so she's been warned to not get in fights or die or something? Or that Istvan is a sworn protector?

Or given I already put down Gania as an `I must protect her' Bond, maybe Twessa's had past contact with the Emberstorm tribe that saw them trick her into an oath, which as a Lawful cleric of a Lawful goddess she'd be stuck in. Maybe Istvan tricked Twessa into a contest she lost but had been confident of winning? How does that sound?

Also, dibs on Pink!

Edit: Or Istvan or Gania or another Emberstorm promised Twessa that they'd tell her a way to meet a dragon (very high on her motivations), and its by going into the Tapestry. She had to swear to help Gania for the information/invitation.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:55, Tue 08 Jan 2019.

Claiming darkgreen

For color I'll go with Red.

I still have 3 other bonds to fill out. I'm unsure who of my party will fit in each. Tobias hasn't traveled long, if he met any other player on his journey it would mean they recently just met.

Though I like the idea that maybe they met Tobias before his journey, when he was still only a farmer or even a garrison guard. Maybe they met while passing through his small hometown.

It'll help if we knew why each of us are seeking out the Tapestry.

Here are my bonds.

_____ has stood by me in battle and can be trusted completely.

I respect the beliefs of _____ but hope they will someday see the true way.

_____ is a brave soul, I have much to learn from them.

Ok, here's what I've got from others' posts. I took Tobias out for being in the other group, but left that one blank.

Atalanta is a friend of nature, so I will be their friend as well.
________ does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach them.
Gania has no respect for nature, so I have no respect for them.
I have guided Twessa before and they owe me for it.

Atalanta has shown Harlin a secret rite of the Land.
Harlin’s ways are strange and confusing to Gania.
Harlin Greenarrow is a good and faithful person; Twessa trusts them implicitly.

---

Works for me. Atalanta?

This definitely can be a problem. However, when we do an End of Session and resolve bonds, if you have a bond with someone who is no longer in the game, I still let you gain XP from the bond you had with them and allow you to replace it with a new one.

Also, everyone should keep in mind that you are not required to stick with the bonds on the character sheets. Feel free to make up your own if you have a different way you would like to be bonded to a character.


I agree. What are some peoples's reasons for seeking out the tapestry? Are you merely aiding someone else who has reasons for entering? Do you have reasons of your own? Someone tell me, which group currently has control of the tapestry, and what is the reason they are sending groups of adventurers into it? Do you know what happened to the last group who entered?

Tobias - You are looking for your brother. Do you think he may have entered the tapestry to find riches to support your family?

Twessa - You seek to see a dragon. Have you heard that there is one within?

Gania - You seek to sever your connection with your inner flame (if I understand correctly). Is there a reason you believe entering the tapestry will help you achieve that goal?

Makes sense to me. Atalanta's general reaction to religion is "The Land is the oldest deity" etc etc, anyways. Also, regarding Twessa smelling more like a prey than a hunter, I can't help but imagine what she'd say when she first heard Twessa's name...

"Wait, your last name actually is dumpling?"



That certainly works for me, although I think it makes sense for Atalanta and Gania to have had altercations before Gania decided to keep her out of even more trouble.



Both works for me as well.

Oh yay, okay, great idea!



I may do this for my 4th bond...




Okay, then, let's pin this down, and I'll record them all for you in the info thread, DM. I think I'm just going along to help Gania.

EDIT: uh, but that could make this thread a little busy... I encourage you all to just message me with your reason for entering the tapestry
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Tue 08 Jan 2019.

Looks like aqua is still open, so I'll take that.

Brynn - I like your idea.  Up to you if you shared the secret voluntarily or not, but be aware that if I think you're holding back I may try to weasel more info out of you :)



I could take this one, if you disagree with my naive insistence on fostering peace among hostile groups

Thank you. I really appreciate the record keeping you have been doing. It takes a big weight off of my shoulders.

Whereas it's just the sort of thing I like, so I don't mind keeping track at all! I've done it in a couple of other games before now where the group is building its own world.

Let me know if there are any other sets of details/info you would like me to keep track of!

If we aren't locked to the Bounds described in the playbooks, we can write new ones or modify current ones for Tobias. Some bonds described in his playbook feel fitting for a paladin more zealous and valorous than he is.

Brynn’s misguided views endangers their very soul.
  [I'll keep this one as we agreed before. I only changed 'behavior' to 'views']

I respect the beliefs of Uri but hope they will someday see the true way.
  [This will work. Even Tobias will have limits to helping every creature he comes across. Sometimes there will be those he deems unworthy of help/redemption.]

Magic is entirely new and foreign to me, because Sierpinski knows much more than I do, I have much to learn from them.
  [I like the idea that magic is common enough that people like Tobias would know about it, and heard various tales regarding it. Many contradictory and amazing tales. Now that Tobias was blessed with magic of his own, he would look to someone like Seirpinski for some sort of guidance. Ignorant that his divine magic is different to Sierpinski's arcane magic.]

---

EDIT:

On Uri's end, I could take this bond of his.

This is not my first adventure with Tobias.
  [You could have traveled through my hometown before. I like the thought of Uri visiting my town's tavern and having a few drinks with Tobias. Ending with some drunken shenanigans that got them in minor trouble. As breif of an adventure it was, it was still an adventure for them nonetheless. The Hiller Apple Orchard makes the best Cider this side of the western hills.]

EDIT 2: I actually misread your post Uri, I changed my response to match what you wrote.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:30, Tue 08 Jan 2019.

I'll take purple.

I was thinking, perhaps Lydia (or her family) are helping to finance our group's journey into the tapestry. Brynn was hired to lead/insure her safety (I am sworn to protect Lydia). Then, a ragtag group of people with their own interests in the dungeon forms together. Tobias certainly has his own goal, and Uri could be brought along with him.

Brynn certainly won't claim her own motivations for seeking the tapestry. It's just a job, after all. She certainly seems drawn to it, though . . .

Coral for me please!



I think this works absolutely great. My thoughts is that she is old enough to desire he own means in the tapestry, so while she's using family money to bankroll the expedition Lydia is doing it herself.

---

As for bonds I was thinking these could be interesting:

Uri has felt the hellish touch of fire, now they know my strength.
[My thought behind this being that perhaps she has heard rumors of my family's powers, or has seen one of my more rough and tumble brothers brandish flame during a bar fight.]

I will teach Tobias Hiller the true meaning of sacrifice.
[I feel that she sees a god of hearth and home as a deity to coddle the weak masses. Fire in her eyes had lead her family to where it is now, and they have given up much to reach their privileged and powerful status.]

Sierpinski has felt the burn of my cutting comments.
[To her, her power is something of an absolute. Her force of will, and burning ancestor has conditioned her to respect shows of force. As a low-offence wizard I think she would view you more as a magician than an actual arcanist.]

Friendly. Pals. Peers... Though I suspect she may be a bit more assertive and him a bit more laid-back...




I'm fine with all that


EDIT: everyone who hasn't done so be sure to message me about why you want to enter the Tapestry... and your color if you are one of the few who hasn't already done so...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Wed 09 Jan 2019.