For planning purposes: Anniversary this weekend
Big Production Babay Shower for son #2 and his wife the next weekend.
The following week Son #1 is visiting for the first time since COVID 19 flared up...

AND I am trying to work on a story continuation ... so for now it's just going to be local stuff around each of your homes.
For the Main story... assume Baron de Montange is causing issues and it is not safe for a merchant caravan to travel the road.
Sir Quintus seems to have the best of the engagements and the Count is supporting him, but a direct assault on the Baron is not in the cards for now. The little battles are wearing him down, as he is losing men he cannot replace. Quintus has let it be known that those whosurrender will be treated well if they swear loyalty to the Duke and live up to it. They will be moved away from the area ... De Montange has threatened all sorts of retribution should he catch anyone trying to do that, which is not helping his cause.

Congrats on the homefront!
I hope all goes perfectly and you (all) have a wonderful time! Nice to hear  :)

***
Yes, storylines, yes, all of that's fine, TY!

In reply to Baron Kenyan Worley (msg # 687):

All the best with the family issues. Mustafa will be busy with local issues while this happens, building up local training and numbers of bows and crossbows, as well as managing the local economy as best he can, while looking after his wife and new child.

I am just not coming up with anything interesting...  would you (both) be interested in playing / returning to Steam Punk?

Bluedwarf has been there, but I lost a key player and couldn't keep that game going. Rather than redo Kennebrew farm, this will be slightly different and will presume Kennebrew farm has not (yet) occured.  However we can use it as a starting location with changes, so Bluedwarf won't know everything.  ;-)

This would be the beginning, again-

You are all FBI agents. 4 years of college and a few years of experience. 150 points. There is NO MAGIC in this game. This is not a cops and robbers game … well it does have that too… some.

For various reason’s you have irritated your managers and have been transferred to the Special Investigations Division. It is considered a career killer and has many crude takes on the S.I.D acronym … you get all the half-baked stupid investigations about the aliens’ people have seen and the Sasquatch in the woods near by stuff to investigate. Most other agent’s smirk when you say where you work, some get down right rude. You get no respect; generally the FBI seems to hope you’ll quit and go elsewhere, mean while, your boss has called you in on a Saturday Morning and given you a task.

Steam Punk isn't so interesting for me TBH

***
Ideas for Catheran:
a) There's still the setting up trade with elves (and having to negotiate with orcs) storyline. Lots could develop here.
    e.g. orcs want something done (opportunity for a dungeon delve advanture, maybe to elminate some creature or find/recover an item or area)
    e.g. orcs want an agrrement (socio political adventure, might be with humans, or maybe the baron we've just upset has an item holy, or of other great significance, to the orcs)
    e.g. and similar things with the elves, possibly to get something fixed, which requires an outing to see/negotiate wth gnomes..
b) The baron could be planning insurgency, orchestrated but another noble.
c) At the other end of the duke's realm a reletive of someone already dealt with/disposed of, is raising insurrection (or maybe calling for a crusade). it may be complicated by being in another, but ajoining, country and we can travel there as individuals but may not take a military force as that may be seen as an act of war
d) Whoever the Duke responds to (the king?) needs something doing that requires "brave and competant individuals"..
e) Something trouble develops in Amelaia's lands. Perhaps her ex-husband's family turn up and make claims of foul play or have legal documents of entitlement/a will with whatever level of validity/dubiousness.
f) Something similar to #e may occur in Mustaf's lands.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:38, Tue 02 May 2023.

A lot of good ideas there... maybe we should swap places and you GM  ;-)   OK, OK,  I'll see what I can do.

I'm a rubbish GM I think, a bit lacking in empathy

In reply to Baron Kenyan Worley (msg # 690):

Mustafa dealt with his previous lord with prejudice...

But there could also be some of the previous lords make a deal with a necromancer. I was half expecting that already...not everything has to be resolved with a diplomacy roll or two!

In reply to Mustafa Zephyr (msg # 693):

Completely agree!
A non-army, (PC level) martial encounter or two might be fun.

In reply to Mustafa Zephyr (msg # 693):

Necromany is magic... there is none here.

In reply to Finger of Fate (msg # 695):

That we know of... maybe it is Alchemy? Or a disease that others have learnt to manipulate?

If undead aren't a thing, then the appearance of just one of them could be a big thing.
Not a disease though, as that would sooner or later end the world. No magic = no curse.
Perhaps alchemy, akin to ancient egyptian mummification.
Perhaps one escaped from the (possible dungeon-like) lair of some naughty alchemist (read "non-magical necromancer").
That could make an interesting change of pace/flavour for the campaign without committing it to continuing to be so flavoured.
It may also address the subtext to Mustafa's comment about "not everything has to be resolved with a diplomacy roll or two!"

There is Alchemy here ... I chose to not call it magic, regardless of what it is, so everyone wouldn't be trying to wangle a magic userout of the GM.

A part of the Problem is both characters have become rather powerful, with lands to run.  I can't reasonably have them galivanting all over the place.  They need to manage their lands, which has been dumped on their spouses for a good bit already.

Still thinking... be afraid.

You could consider compounding the issues.. Perhaps the orcs need something sorting and that is the "alchemical-necromancer" as a sub-plot

In reply to Baron Kenyan Worley (msg # 699):

Plenty of leaders, even good ones, have assigned capable underlings to run the country. In fact, the best leaders always answer to a higher authority...

Roughly how much time has passed?
e.g. how old is Mustafa's offspring?
Any signs of family development for Kenyan?

Mustafa's child is some 10 months old ...

Your efforts were succesful and your have a 6 week old heir...


Trade with the Frog lickers is going on and has returned more of the unique herbs  than has been seen in some years. In fact the merchants are concerne that maybe they have been a bit too succesful.

Need a stylist if I have 6 week old hair

In reply to Baron Kenyan Worley (msg # 703):

Likely so... although I did spell it Heir...

For five months Kenyan slips into a routine centered around regular visits to their landed knights. Then, as Amelia's bump grows, the tours become less frequent as he assumes more of the house hold duties.

In reply to Baron Kenyan Worley (msg # 705):

Ten months old...is there a second on the way?

In reply to Mustafa Zephyr (msg # 706):

Nursing almost always prevents pregnancy. Bottles do not exist, although wet nurses are in some demand.

In reply to Finger of Fate (msg # 707):

Lol, I have known a few pregnant nursing mothers, but Mustafa is happy to play with that!

In reply to Mustafa Zephyr (msg # 708):

Yes, but it is uncommon, as nursing is supposed to adjust hormones some to prevent Pregnancy.
Your wife likely can explain it far better than I can.

In reply to Finger of Fate (msg # 709):

Lol, ok.