For discussion, obviously.

In reply to Windfall (msg # 1):

So, any specific ideas for the world,like, gods,magic, politics?

Let me think about it! The original game was just a one-shot, like I said. So, there wasn't a lot of lore and background. It was a quick game that we played over the course of one evening. We were using Pathfinder, so those were our base rules. The city where Oliandra lived was kind of slap-dashed together and I never really got to know anything much about the noble that was killed.

Maybe that's where I should start. Who was this noble and why would anyone want them dead? What was so important about him or his family?

Yeah, that would be a good start.I will dig up a map of a big city.

I've got an idea rolling around in my head, but it's not fully formed, yet.

I'm thinking that the noble who was killed was ready to move into an alliance with someone that would've posed a political threat to [killer.] If the alliance happened, then the two allied houses would've been able to squeeze [killer's house] out of [position of power.]

Heck, maybe all three houses are corrupt? Maybe they all have ties to an underground/black market/etc.

Ohhh! Maybe [victim] was having a change of heart about [underground stuff?] [Victim] was smart enough to not voice these doubts out loud, but messed up somewhere and [killer] found out. So, [killer] decides to take out the threat while redirecting blame to a scapegoat.

All good ideas :-)

I'll see what I can think up about geography and maybe some factions, later. Headed out to a Father's Day lunch with the dads in my life, today.

Hope you have fun. Slow myself thanks to being slightly sick from the Covid jab.

Thanks! Sorry you're feeling bad from the jab. My son just got his second dose, today. We'll see how he feels, tomorrow. Just about everyone I know who had side effects got them the day after. (I was lucky. Nothing but a sore arm and bit of tiredness.)

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Faction ideas (I am absolutely horrible with names. So, I'm just tossing out concepts, for now.)

Wild Magic Keepers: An area of the land has been torn asunder by an ancient, magical catastrophe. This group is dedicated to studying it and keeping any effects from spreading to other areas.

Merchant clerics: A group of merchant clerics have set up trade network across the land. Governs much of the money that flows between large cities. Gives out lots of loans. Winds up with a lot of debtors working for them when they can't pay them back.

Stone singers: Druid/bards that have discovered the Music of Life. Use their music to manipulate nature, but not in a detrimental way. Often travel and heal broken lands. Much more sociable than your average druid and happy to share beneficial knowledge.

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Geographical ideas (same as above. Concepts without names)

Treetop city: Area was poisoned by curse of some kind. Locals took to the trees and use magic to keep the entire city elevated above the canopy. Not an elf city that lives in harmony with the trees. This is a big, honking 'should crush everything if not for magic' type of city.

Victory city: Large city whose main deity worshiped is Victory. City motto is 'victory at all costs.' Not militaristic, though. Economic victory. Corrupt to the core. Assassinations are par for the course in moving up the ladder. Looks like a shining, vibrant city until you start peeling away all the lies.

So, I added the City of Castran. need to place it on the map still.

This is where you could have started out. Castran is a wannabe-capital for the Kingdom of Eil west of the Skoni Sea, which ended up as a provincial capital instead and is still sour over it. Every house in power blames everyone else for failing the goal, when in fact Castran was just too far removed from the kingdom's center, and despite growing rapidly from a small hold, unable to compare with the really big cities. Mismanagement and denial are other problems. Officially, there are no slums, while in truth, the officials simply do not count anything outside the city walls as part of the city proper. They also ignore the poor people living among the better-to-do. Most other cities,while facing the same or worse issues,at least accept their failures to some extend, even when making excuses for them. Thus, Castran is also known as the City of False Virtues. A moniker better not uttered aloud in Castran itself. Corruption is more of a lifestyle than a crime here,too.

Does this work?

That sounds perfect! I wasn't sure whether to focus on her home city, too much, since I didn't know where she would start out. If it was long enough after her ordeal, she could be quite a ways away, by the time we pick up her story.

Yep, but eventually she might go back there.

I added a political map, will work on it later.

Very true! I think she'd probably try to avoid the place, considering. But, it's always possible that friends or family could be a cause for her to return.

Oliandra doesn't know much outside of Castran. She lived her whole life there. She's heard rumors and tales from travelers, but she's largely ignorant of other places. So, she wouldn't have a destination in mind when she fled the city. All she knows is that staying is a death sentence and getting anyone to believe a single, poor healer will be nearly impossible. She has neither the kinds of friends nor the power to leverage in her favor.

It's possible that she has friends within the local thieves guild, though. She was never one to judge. If you showed up on her doorstep, she healed you. So, I imagine that she saved a few thieves in her time. In fact, I would say that that is the reason that she was able to get out of the city. Those she has interacted with and know her well would know something wasn't right and try to help her. Thus, they got her out safely.

Ok,so let's start from there. I kind of see her on a ship right now, if that makessense to you, on some sort of mission she has accepted to make some money. What's happened between now and before we can find out little by little.

That sounds perfect! She could've easily gotten a job as a ship's healer. Maybe a crew has gone out to hunt some sea beast. She's not expected to help them with the actual fight, but she is there to tend to injuries.

Or, heck... she could just be the ship's healer for a normal, merchant ship. Folks do get sick and injured on the job, even if they aren't hunting anything. Maybe their usual healer had to leave, was injured, or died and they needed a replacement.

I'm good with either scenario!

I'll hopefully star the story tonight. Lots of work in the garden at the moment so I am a bit slow.

Ship map added. Oliandra is on the second deck in the room with the two bunkbeds.

Yeah! We're under way! I'll get a post up, tonight. :)

How do you want to handle diagnosis, here? I'm afraid I'm not a doctor in real life, so I'm just making it all up on the fly. Should I just run with something or do you want to do a roll or tell me what Oliandra thinks the issue might be?

Any time you are unsure you can roll a d6.

I rolled a 3. Smack in the middle!

Hey! Just a heads up that I am going to be traveling over the weekend. I'm leaving tomorrow. So, I probably won't be around to post until Sunday. (Trying to post from the phone is too annoying to even try. Stupid, tiny screen and keyboard.)

Yeah no problem:-)

Blargh. Feeling really bad, today, and having a hard time focusing. I'm in that weird place where I want to post because it's getting interesting. (Also, I love Chubbo!) But, I can't quite brain today. Hopefully, I'll feel better, soon.

No problem. It is not like anyone else is waiting on us :-)Big advantage of solo gaming.

So, question: I am not all that familiar with the way casks are constructed. Would there be a way to remove the top of the cask to open it without dumping out all the rum that is left? I'm imaging it as a barrel sitting on a flat end with a metal ring holding the slats together.

Yeah it would not be too hard with some tools.

Computer died completely,and my housemate has a working deadline coming up so I can hardly use his computer right now. We are trying to raise money fora new one but that may take a bit. Thanks to corona and Brexit my mate hardly got any commissions in the last few years.

But I will check in whenever I can.

No worries! I completely understand. Like you've said, it's just the two of us, so there's no rush for anything. And, I won't worry if it goes awhile between posts.

I actually lost track of time, this AM, playing Rift with my son. I need to go put dishes in to wash before I get started working, otherwise I'm not going to have any pans to make lunch with. I'll post something a bit later, myself!