Seeing as how everyone's character is almost 100% set, I'm going to open up the Chapter One IC thread momentarily.

Initially, I had the party divided between those in Tyr and those at the Oasis. You're free to split up as you see fit, but I think for the inciting incident I wanted everyone together.

Feel free to use this thread to PC hivemind and oocly coordinate/nail down any specifics.

Thanks for playing!

As far as rolls and spending points, in Gumshoe you're supposed to declare how many general points you want to spend on a roll before doing so, I'm not going to be super strict about that just for ease of play by post. You can always ask how difficult an action looks and I'll let you know before you attempt anything. General abilities refresh every in-game day, generally.

Your investigative abilities you want to be slightly more conservative with, they'll only refresh at the start of Chapter 2. Feel free to spend a point whenever you think you need to, if it's information or an effect you would have gotten anyways it'll be refunded.

Sounds good to me! Also, description and some known backstory is up!

100 posts, woo hoo! ^_^

Oh, your backstory information is so much more useful than Tova's.  But the picture of Tova was made via AI, by me, so I'm pretty pleased with it.

I'm just waiting on everyone to get one initial post in the IC thread before moving the plot along!

Going to be traveling some Friday-Sunday, will try to keep up posting but might be slow. Sorry to have this come up so quickly to the start.

Super busy today, sorry. Will post tomorrow afternoon.

If it's not clear, the caravan has made it to the Oasis and all except Ida are present there.

Should I presume Tova can enter the tent, or is the Sarjent keeping it private?  If so, Tova will make conversation with Roland, too.  Or wait for Cassilda.

Party at Dante's tent!

I'm gonna say that since we PCs are special you can enter the tent should you find yourselves there.

“You are cordially invited for afternoon tea, to be followed by a planning session. Casual dress. RSVP regrets only. XOXO Dante”

Party Tent at night.

In reply to Tova Dan Yarblek (msg # 13):

Tova's tent is the Party Tent, I presume.

@Roland Rock: What do you think? Are Renzo and Roland, as aspirants for advancement, allies or rivals or some of each as circumstances dictate?

I think allies would probably make more sense. Roland would see Renzo as someone with way more potential than himself to climb the social ladder, so he'd want to build a good relationship with him while there is some rapport due to their similar conditions. Roland couldn't occupy the same position as Renzo in the family anyway, so climbing together seems best than stepping on each other.

In reply to Roland Rock (msg # 16):

Good thinking.

Busy at work of late, will update tonight or tomorrow!

In reply to Gamemaster (msg # 18):

No rush, boss.

Sorry for being slow. Need to sort out if it's worth trying to find the secret observer and how.

In reply to Ida-Tyr (msg # 20):

Feel free to make any investigate spends!

In reply to Ida-Tyr (msg # 20):

Remember, an Investigative spend doesn't mean you can't find clues with that ability. A spend reduces your pool, not your score.

Sorry this week got away from me- I need to set a number of dots of Investigative abilities to spend right? And specify which one?

In reply to Ida-Tyr (msg # 23):

The character creation tool at http://monstar.co.nz/matt/sotsgen/ is truly wonderful, that should get you sorted in no time.

The week got away from me as well, what with the bad winter weather. I work with the homeless and disadvantaged in New York City, and was in crisis mode trying to get clients into shelter. No one dies on my watch.

Also, I did not want to run roughshod over our august Gamemaster's worldbuilding and mystery structure. I know far too much mythology and tend to ad-lib a ton of stuff when I should be waiting for clues, and I very nearly had Cassilda deliver a long monologue about what is essentially ancient Mesopotamian cosmology before reining myself in. What a delightfully amazing investigative ability, Forgotten Lore!

I'm fine with player collab on the setting, even better if you spend a point to do so :)

So if I am right to get more info need to spend some investigative ability points.

Does spending 1 point in Spirit Sight for Ida-Tyr to get more information on the observing spirits/creatures/natural anomaly make sense?

What sort of narration do you want for that GM?

Laughed so hard at Renzo’s reaction to Cassilda’s touch. Exactly the response I was looking for. There are times when I wish I had chosen more twisted Sphere combinations. Imagine if she had Flesh, Decay, and Worship instead of Demonology, Ghosts/Spirits, and Necromancy.

Correct!

Any narration as you see fit. The rules say that Spirit Sight allows one to peer into the edges of the spirit world, discover areas of corruption, and discover hauntings. It's possible to look too closely and take morale damage as well.

If you truly wanted to show off your sorcerous chops, you could also spend corruption, although that's even more dangerous.

Your call!

My vision of Adath's potential unravelling? A combination of the baddies' fates from Raiders Of The Lost Ark, The Last Crusade, and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Always trust the Indiana Jones franchise for wholesome gruesome. ^_^

Oh my!

I haven't seen Crystal Skull, but I imagine it involves head melting of some kind?

Sorry to be slow- hope to catch up tomorrow.

In reply to Ida-Tyr (msg # 32):

No problemo, I'm on vacation this week so will be slow to update.

@Cassilda Are you making any corruption, sorcery, or intimidate spends in your thaumic play there?

I'll spend a point of Sorcery.

Traveling through late Sunday and then right back to work early Monday, sorry to be slow.

In reply to Cassilda, la Bella Donna (msg # 35):

So I believe with Sorcery spends, it's a die roll to attack health or morale (threshold of 3 in this case), I'd need to go back to the book though. Corruption spends enhance the effect.

Also sorry for not much activity, I've been sick this past week eek.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:03, Sun 19 Mar 2023.

It's been that kind of month. I was pretty sick a week ago.

22:45, Today: Cassilda, la Bella Donna rolled 6 using 1d6+1 with rolls of 5.  Sorcery Vs. 3. Definitely a hit.
22:51, Today: Cassilda, la Bella Donna rolled 5 using 1d6+1 with rolls of 4.  Sorcery Damage.

I delayed, and things got away from me.  I had been meaning to do a Sway before this to demoralize Adath.  But I'll sit back and let things play out.

How is everyone doing? Busy week here in NYC.

Yeah, I can imagine.  Life is normal-busy for me.  Have a large family and just did two spring breaks in a row, so we're mostly on recovery now.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm anxious to see how Cassilda's sorcery resolves.

Sorry sorry sorry, busy week at work for me, I'm going to update ASAP.

These things happen, boss. No trouble.

Updated the IC thread, the game's not dead! She lives!

Huzzah!

It's alive!

Yay! I get to be deliciously malicious still! ^_^

Happy 200th post!

Guess we're done here after all.

Best wishes, All.

In reply to Renzo DiBellacqua (msg # 50):

So it would appear. Alas. See you in the funny pages.

How is your Dune game going?

We are in the early stages of House Creation, having just voted on primary domain. A third of my players have been dismissed for inactivity, roughly par for your typical play-by-post game.

GM: If you look in here again, please remove me from this game. Thanks and best wishes.

Bummer.  This was a good group, and by far one of the most literate I've played with in a while.

Would anyone be interested in joining a new Swords Of The Serpentine game? I'd continue this one, but don't really know what exactly the GM had in mind.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:23, Mon 08 May 2023.

I would be interested.  But I don't know that I would use Tova.  I personally dislike speaking about oneself in the third person.  Which probably tells you something, but I'm not 100% clear what it says.

I would be interested.