Kingdom issues (After the bralani)

Longer IC post later, but for the other stuff:

Leonis wrote:

As soon as I locate the quesrionnaire I will post it. Anyone can feel free to read it. Shil do you have a copy?

I do. I'll pop it up later.

Rowan wrote:

OOC: Out of curiosity, what are the alignments of the other PCs and our main counselors? Everyone seems fairly Neutral, what 4e would call Unaligned, though I'm not sure about leanings towards law and chaos. I would say that Rowan is LN, with good tendencies. She has Good values, but would also be willing to do things that aren't strictly "good" for the greater good. She has mindbending abilities, for instance, and wanted to just summarily execute Grigori, before Grabthar had the idea of making him go back to town to explain everything that he had been doing, before banishing him.

I generally see the PCs (other than Luna, who's got a bit more Chaos) as all somewhere on Neutral, with mild leanings in other directions, but not enough to move them away appreciably from N. I've put up their alignments and those of their NPC councilors in the "NPCs Encountered" thread.

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OOC2: Shil, could you post a master list of NPCs somewhere, so I can keep them straight?

The "NPCs Encountered" thread has a list of them all. I updated it today, so I think it's got almost everyone.

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And post a list of all the buildings we have in Lakeside and Olegton.

The "Kingdom Development" thread has them, as well as everything which has been done to develop the kingdom each month.

Leonis wrote:

Also, if you buy a scroll let Leonis scribe it first. Then he can cast the spell for you, multiple times if desired. Probably some arcane trap spell with your pet, and you being allowed to pass.

Rowan will have to cast it, because by the rules as written there's no way for the caster to give "permission" to enter to anyone else. Only the caster can bypass it freely.

Rowan wrote:

Leonis wrote:

Also, if you buy a scroll let Leonis scribe it first. Then he can cast the spell for you, multiple times if desired. Probably some arcane trap spell with your pet, and you being allowed to pass.

Rowan will have to cast it, because by the rules as written there's no way for the caster to give "permission" to enter to anyone else. Only the caster can bypass it freely.

Really? I thought the ward spells could specify those who could pass. Or provide a password...will your familiar be able to pass? He is not the caster

Leonis wrote:

Really? I thought the ward spells could specify those who could pass. Or provide a password...will your familiar be able to pass? He is not the caster

Most ward spells do, but Hold Portal doesn't. It's not clear about the familiar - that's why I asked Shil - but the familiar has the "deliver touch spell" ability, and I'm hoping that if the fox delivers it then he'll count as the caster for the spell's purposes.

The fox-flap thing is just fine, as is Vulpingetorix benefiting from an Arcane Lock.

And one more piece of info before I make a long post later:

Rowan wrote:

OOC: Was Varnhold the kingdom that sent Grigori? If so, she'll say the demagogue comment above with a slight pause and a subtle smile.

No. Drelev is the one from which Grigori came. The four new kingdoms are stacked from north to south (across Aundair's western border). In order, from north to south, they are:

1 - Pitax. Ruled by Castruccio Irovetti.
2 - Drelev. Ruled by Hannis Drelev.
3 - Khatovar. Ruled by the PCs.
4 - Varnhold. Ruled by Magra Varn.

So your land has Aundair to its east, Varnhold to the south, the deeper parts of the Eldeen Reaches to the west, and Drelev to the north.

Avi suggested I add a forum for off-topic stuff, so I've done so.

Back to Helas:

Leonis wrote:

Without thinking of the messages it would send, "I did not participate in either of those wars. I was but a mere child, and depending on when, I was either a slave, a street urchin, or a felon. All of the stories, including the fey & the dinosaur are true."

Leonis beams brightly and recants some of the story with the Bralani, focusing on the fight but not the post fight events.

Helas cocks a curious eyebrow, though it's unclear whether it's at Leonis' comments about his childhood or about the statement that the stories are all true. When he does expand on the stories, both eyebrows rise and then Helas throws back her head and laughs. "Hah! I wouldn't have believed those stories if you hadn't backed them up. I guess I don't have to ask how accomplished all of you are in battle."

Rowan wrote:

Rowan smiles warmly at Helas' first comment. After her and Leonis' words, Rowan adds, "I'm glad to hear your concern for your citizens. We take duty and responsibility seriously here. We're had some troubles here, growing pains, from raiders to outside demagogues trying to stir up trouble, but we've always sought to resolve the problems fairly.

"That's good to hear. Your people do seem quite happy, from what I saw of them." She rubs her face thoughtfully and says, "We haven't had any of those issues with fey creatures, and haven't even seen that many, actually. There's a lake near Varnhold town where you get a lot of them, but only the really small kind. No," she chuckles, "Dinosaur-riders!"

"Our serious issues have been almost exclusively with the Nomen centaurs. They're a little wild, but incredibly good fighters, potentially the best light cavalry," she chuckles, "If you know what I mean, that I've seen. If they had more magic, they could actually challenge the Knights Arcane, I think. They do just about no arcane magic. Mostly druidic or priestly. And surprisingly good tactics. But after a couple of tough battles we managed to get a truce out of them. We don't encroach on their lands and they don't try to burn our settlements. Problem is that they don't have a central authority among their tribes, so some of them might cause trouble later, especially as we expand later, but so far so good." Helas' tone is a little regretful as she concludes.

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"I too fought in the Wars. Were you at the battle of Daskara's Gate?" Rowan adds, referring to a massive battle against Thrane shortly before the end of the Last War.

"No," Helas shakes her head, "But I heard a lot about it. And was actually pretty close to the main conflict. We, the Varnling Host that is, were actually one of the mercenary groups involved in the raid that cut the Thranish supply lines before the battle."

Leonis wrote:

"I am sure we will one day be able to afford that, but not today. Besides, Grabthar prefers to do that kind of work himself. With Deneith gaurds he would get bored" Leonis listens about the border patrols and military agreement, "I think having coordination between border patrols would be great. We can either help retrieve the felons, or allow a contigent to cross. This would all depend on current situations and resources. With regards to a mutual defensee pact, I would be up for that, but we may need to wait for a bit...our army is not so grand at this point. We are shoring up our defenses in these months, ever since the attack from the fey and the dinosaur. But I like the idea of a defense pact.."

Rowan wrote:

"A pact of mutual defense does sound like a good idea, considering our fledgling status." Rowan says, with a subtle emphasis on the word 'defense.' Rowan is very wary about signing a general treaty of military aid, she'll explain later to the PCs and counselors in private. "We don't know these people, or what they're like, or how they rule their kingdom. We don't want to get involved in their politics if they start antagonizing their neighbors or start wars of aggression."

Helas is evidently pleased at what she hears about a defense pact, and doesn't seem particularly disappointed if Khatovar doesn't actually make a promise of mutual military aid. "Honestly," she says, "I don't blame you for being a little careful about that. If it makes you feel any better, we don't exactly have an army either."

Youma coughs softly at this point, causing Helas to give her a sharp look, which is followed by a chuckle. "Youma," she says, looking back at the rulers of Khatovar, "Thinks I share too much. But I appreciate your honesty, so I think it's only fair to respond in kind. Right, Youma?" The gnome simply smiles faintly and in a noncommittal fashion.

(OOC: Moving on...)

Helas stays in Lakeshore for five days while the various details for the treaties and trade agreements between Khatovar and Varnhold are hammered out and the documents are created, signed and exchanged. Then she takes her leave, thanking her hosts for their hospitality and inviting them to visit Varnhold whenever they wish.


OOC: Since Rowan expressed a concern about it, here's a bit more info. Considering their positioning it's unlikely that Varnhold will start bothering their neighbors or seek to expand. They have the deeper Eldeen Reaches to their west, where the great forests stretch and the truly dangerous creatures (as well as the druids dwell). To their east is Aundair and to their south is Breland, both of which are far too powerful to bother. In fact, if they did want to expand in some direction beyond their territory, the only real option would be to move north into Khatovar. Helas does reveal that they haven't explored all of their territory yet, so that should keep them busy for a while.

Let me know if there's anything else you think of setting up or dealing with as part of the negotiations, which we'll then presume you cover before Helas leaves.

Other then small talk Leonis has nothing else. During their stay Leonis will arrange for someone to show them around the town and make the stay hospitable.

Leonis wrote:

Grinning, "Why Elga, I am hurt. When it comes to such matters I always strive for the best decision for out community. Now that doesn't mean I won't bed the half-elf, I mean come on look at her rack" Leonis stops as he gets smacked on the head "ouch!" Rubbing his head, "I think it would be appropriate to put the students in a barracks type housing, and create two seperate rooms in there for two apprentices, one for me and one for you? I think we want to make sure all students get to know each other and learn to be a team. Once they graduate to a certain rank they can attain their own housing. In the future we should require tuition but for now we can offer no charge but the student must agree for terms of service post graduation." If Elga agrees Leonis suggests they save some money to build a barracks housing attached to the tower. "In the mean time Iveni can stay here and we can ask some of the town if they wouldn't mind providing room and board, which the students can pay for. How does that sound to you? Oh and the half elf can stay with me if she wants"

The mage tower was actually constructed with rooms to be able to support a number of people (it's a pretty expensive structure, after all), so there's space for the students without having to build anything new or calling on other people in town. Elga agrees that having Iveni stay near Leonis is a good idea.

As for the half-elf, Elga snorts and says, "You really want the apprentices here thinking that they can get special treatment by having sex with you? Doesn't matter if it's true or not - you know they will. People in town already think that's true." She snorts again. "Of course, they're mostly idiots, but you're the one who wants to be ruling them, so..."

Rowan wrote:

Rowan is very noncommittal. Without blatantly saying it, she lets Lily know that these decisions are made jointly by the rulers, with the advise of their council, not by her. She also insinuates that the government of Khatovar prefers direct and open discussion, not backroom deals. Rowan doesn't say these things critically, and flirts back appropriately, but isn't giving anything away either.

Lily, clearly nowhere near as diplomatic as Rowan, attempts to hide her disappointment at the response, but does a poor job of it. At the end of the dinner, she says she'd like to do this again, but Rowan has the impression that it's just a polite comment.

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Secretly, Rowan feels a bit used, though she's good enough of a diplomat to hide it and keep good relations with Lily Tesker. She was hoping for a enjoyable private dinner, maybe more if it went well, not yet more damn politics.

OOC: Alas, when you're ruling a kingdom, everyone wants a piece of you. And not always in the manner Leonis wants

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After dinner, Rowan will go over to the mage's tower, to see how things are going with Leonis' new students. She'll flirt with the two sorcerers too. Does the half-elf seem... interested?

The students all seem at least slightly surprised and quite pleased to have the other major arcanist in the kingdom checking on them. Both of the sorcerers are, at least initially, even more surprised at having Rowan flirt with them, but both of them respond in kind. The human sorcerer actually responds more so than the half-elf, but at the moment Rowan gets the impression that they are both interested, though she'd have to catch them in a less public setting to be utterly certain. As Lily underlined for her, she's also not certain whether that has anything to do with her position or not.

Rowan wrote:

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Rowan says, "I'm not used to having a fox around. Maybe I can install a little burrow door for you into my apartments, so you can come and go freely."

"Yes!" Vulpingetorix almost twirls in place with excitement, just catching himself before all dignity is lost. "That would be very ... acceptable."

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OOC: Would it possible to create something like a cat flap for the fox? Something that he could get through, but that a halfling or gnome couldn't. Rowan would prefer it to be an actual tunnel, so he can feel that her apartments are his burrow. Are there any magical ways to ward it against every creature but him? Maybe an Arcane Lock spell. It's a touch spell, so Vulpingetorix could deliver the spell and then be able to bypass it freely. If that would work, Rowan will buy a scroll of it. To make it surreptitious, the door could be disguised as one of the tiles in the hallway floor. The arcane lock holds it in place strongly, so it actually supports weight like a tile when stepped upon by others. But Vulpingetorix can open and close it freely, opening it with his nose and closing it behind him with his tail, to enter Rowan's apartment through a small u-shaped tunnel under her wall.

OOC: Yup. All doable. But just remember, you can't complain if you find a gnome with a reduce person spell in there too.

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"I won't embarrass you by calling a servant." Rowan uses prestidigitation, and mage hand if necessary, to clean the flower pot. "I know a spell that can turn you into a human for a few minutes, if you're interested in trying out opposable thumbs."

Vulpingetorix's muzzle evinces what probably passes for mild disgust among foxes, but after a few moments, he says slowly, "That sounds a little ... odd, but I'm willing to try it." Hastily, he adds, "Just not right now."

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"Yes, that's a good analogy. And when I tried to enter the family burrow when I was young, he wouldn't let me in. He said that I had no place being there, and to not try again."

"So no, I don't like him. But he's still my father, you know? In some sick way I want him to tell me he approves of me, and say that it was all just a big misunderstanding." Rowan pauses. "It doesn't help that, if the rumors are true, he has a bunch of other bastards scattered across the countryside."

"It's complicated. I hate him, but I also respect him. He's been an asshole to me and my family, but he's also one of the most accomplished wizards in Aundair, and he's a brilliant general."

From Vulpingetorix's expression and tone, some of the elements that Rowan mentions don't quite translate properly for his vulpine attitude, even with the fact that his bond with her gives him access to human language and ideas. But once she is done, he growls loyally and says, "Well, that's just not fair! Give me the word and I'll rip his leg off. If that's fine by you, of course."

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Rowan will tell the other PCs about Darro ir'Lain, but not immediately. That night she'll get drunk again, but privately, with a couple bottles of wine in her own apartments. The next morning, with a glass or two of the leftover wine to help her hangover (and courage), she'll tell the other PCs everything.

I'm presuming you don't share that with anyone else besides the PCs. Right?

Admin wrote:

As for the half-elf, Elga snorts and says, "You really want the apprentices here thinking that they can get special treatment by having sex with you? Doesn't matter if it's true or not - you know they will. People in town already think that's true." She snorts again. "Of course, they're mostly idiots, but you're the one who wants to be ruling them, so..."

Sighing like a 13 year old who did not get what he wants, "I guess you are right..." Leonis sighs, "Let's have the student's stay here in the meantime. If we ever get to the point where space is an issue we can expand to include barracks style living, allowing the senior students to stay here and the initiates to reside there. I would like to leave some rooms for special guests, obviously you and me. Obviously we can figure out either tuition or terms of service for post graduation, and hope that students who graduate would want to be part of the community for the long haul"

Admin wrote:

OOC: Alas, when you're ruling a kingdom, everyone wants a piece of you. And not always in the manner Leonis wants

That's why I keep Leonis' needs simple. Rowan just needs a lesson from Leonis that feeling used is not a bad thing as long as she is prepared for it

Admin wrote:

After dinner, Rowan will go over to the mage's tower, to see how things are going with Leonis' new students. She'll flirt with the two sorcerers too. Does the half-elf seem... interested?

Leonis asks Helga to make sure students do not flirt with other leadership. To help ensure no special favors or someone thinking they can usurp authority while training (and if Leonis can't get any, neither can Rowan)

To Rowan, "Would you like for us to handle the situation with your birth father and have you not in the room?"

Admin wrote:

The students all seem at least slightly surprised and quite pleased to have the other major arcanist in the kingdom checking on them. Both of the sorcerers are, at least initially, even more surprised at having Rowan flirt with them, but both of them respond in kind. The human sorcerer actually responds more so than the half-elf, but at the moment Rowan gets the impression that they are both interested, though she'd have to catch them in a less public setting to be utterly certain. As Lily underlined for her, she's also not certain whether that has anything to do with her position or not.

Damnit! Rowan will apologize to Elga later. Not in the presence of Leonis. "I want to apologize for being so... forward with the students. I've been having a really bad week. I don't know what's gotten into me!"

This sort of situation is why she was so pleased about having dinner with Lily Tesker. As a relatively wealthy landowner they'd be close to social equals, so they wouldn't have any complications from power dynamics or politics. Or that's what she thought, anyway.

Rowan will continue to get to know the students, but will tone down the flirting. It's odd for her being in this position of authority, because she's used to just being "one of the troops", or a lowly assistant among officers. And the other spellcasters are almost the same age as her.

She does want to build a sense of group membership and comraderie among the spellcasters. So if Leonis is the lecherous schoolteacher who sits all the pretty girls in the front row, Rowan will be the drill sergeant. She's going to drill them on spellcasting tactics, and run combat simulations to improve their concentration skills and help them learn to be functional under the influence of adrenalin.

At some point she'll try to get them to train together with the militia she (and an arms instructor - Akiros?) has been training. She wants the town to be able to protect itself while she's away. She also wants the archers to spend a few hours a week training other townsfolk in the militia to fire bows. After the attack on the town last month, I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't mind spending a few hours a week learning how to defend the city. She will, however, emphasize the importance of assessing the dangerousness of the opposition, and not trying to engage a foe that hopelessly outmaches them when there are other options.

Admin wrote:

"Yes!" Vulpingetorix almost twirls in place with excitement, just catching himself before all dignity is lost. "That would be very ... acceptable."

"I'm pleased that that would be acceptable," Rowan says, trying to hide her amusement.

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OOC: Yup. All doable. But just remember, you can't complain if you find a gnome with a reduce person spell in there too.

I did think of that, you know. But the way I figure it, anyone able to get through a tiny u-shaped tunnel with an Arcane lock on it would also be able to save himself the trouble and just pick the lock on her door.

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Vulpingetorix's muzzle evinces what probably passes for mild disgust among foxes, but after a few moments, he says slowly, "That sounds a little ... odd, but I'm willing to try it." Hastily, he adds, "Just not right now."

I understand. I'm not sure how I'd take to having four legs, or fur all over my body.

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From Vulpingetorix's expression and tone, some of the elements that Rowan mentions don't quite translate properly for his vulpine attitude, even with the fact that his bond with her gives him access to human language and ideas. But once she is done, he growls loyally and says, "Well, that's just not fair! Give me the word and I'll rip his leg off. If that's fine by you, of course."

Rowan is okay that he doesn't fully understand. Mostly she's just happy to have a confidant she can talk to openly.

"No, don't attack him. That would only make things worse."

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I'm presuming you don't share that with anyone else besides the PCs. Right?

Right. And she'll ask them to keep it in confidence too.

Leonis wrote:

To Rowan, "Would you like for us to handle the situation with your birth father and have you not in the room?"

"No. That would just make things more complicated. I'm sure he knows I'm here. I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the reasons why he was sent as Aundair's emissary."

She smiles wolfishly.

"So I'll just have to learn to hold my temper and not order Vulpingetorix to rip his throad out. Simple!"

After thinking for a second, she adds, "You do recall the rumors that the ruler of Drelev was also Darro's son, right? He's the one who sent us Grigori. So maybe daddy's visiting him on the same trip too."

If Rowan asks Leonis about teaching (becomming a professor) then Leonis will gladly accept the offer, "Just remember, Elga is the head mistriss here and calls the shots. I've been instructed to not bed the female population, so that probably applies to you too..including the males in your case" Leonis smiles, "I am sure we will eventually have some code of conduct...argh, all these rules, doing adult shit suck." Looking at Rowan, from the chest up, "How do you deal with being old?"

Ooc: hehe leacherous school teacher...more like boy in heat lol

Discussing the concerns of Darro, "Well if you are ok with talking with him then I am ok with it. In all honesty though, I doubt the queen sent him because of his relations to you...I doubt she knows. Either he was sent because it is his job, or he volunteered because he wants to meet you." Pausing and reflecting on his own life "You should, if given the chance, meet with him." Pressing the case, "You have no idea what I know. You have no idea what I would give to know my parents, even if they had a sordid past. Take a chance, at worst you will hate him, which you already do, at best you may have a new positive in your life"

Leonis wrote:

Other then small talk Leonis has nothing else. During their stay Leonis will arrange for someone to show them around the town and make the stay hospitable.

Helas is quite appreciative about the accommodations and mentions that you do seem to be doing better for yourselves than her people and kingdom are.

Leonis wrote:

Sighing like a 13 year old who did not get what he wants, "I guess you are right..." Leonis sighs, "Let's have the student's stay here in the meantime. If we ever get to the point where space is an issue we can expand to include barracks style living, allowing the senior students to stay here and the initiates to reside there. I would like to leave some rooms for special guests, obviously you and me. Obviously we can figure out either tuition or terms of service for post graduation, and hope that students who graduate would want to be part of the community for the long haul"

Sounds good. Elga will be using the students for working on minor magic items for trade and for improvement of the various settlements, so they'll be more than paying for their keep already.

Admin wrote:

Leonis asks Helga to make sure students do not flirt with other leadership. To help ensure no special favors or someone thinking they can usurp authority while training (and if Leonis can't get any, neither can Rowan)

Elga, unsurprisingly, is very happy to do so.

Rowan wrote:

Damnit! Rowan will apologize to Elga later. Not in the presence of Leonis. "I want to apologize for being so... forward with the students. I've been having a really bad week. I don't know what's gotten into me!"

Elga brushes it off. "That's not a problem. You should see Leonis sometimes!"

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This sort of situation is why she was so pleased about having dinner with Lily Tesker. As a relatively wealthy landowner they'd be close to social equals, so they wouldn't have any complications from power dynamics or politics. Or that's what she thought, anyway.

Rowan will continue to get to know the students, but will tone down the flirting. It's odd for her being in this position of authority, because she's used to just being "one of the troops", or a lowly assistant among officers. And the other spellcasters are almost the same age as her.

Sounds good. On the plus side, Rowan's already figured out something that will basically be a factor from this point on (and already was, though she hadn't noticed it quite as much), namely the realities of being one of the most powerful people, politically and otherwise, in the kingdom. It's virtually impossible that someone who's aware of that won't have their behavior and attitude to her affected in some way, whether they want to or not. With great power comes ... well, some downsides.

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She does want to build a sense of group membership and comraderie among the spellcasters. So if Leonis is the lecherous schoolteacher who sits all the pretty girls in the front row, Rowan will be the drill sergeant. She's going to drill them on spellcasting tactics, and run combat simulations to improve their concentration skills and help them learn to be functional under the influence of adrenalin.

At some point she'll try to get them to train together with the militia she (and an arms instructor - Akiros?) has been training. She wants the town to be able to protect itself while she's away. She also wants the archers to spend a few hours a week training other townsfolk in the militia to fire bows. After the attack on the town last month, I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't mind spending a few hours a week learning how to defend the city. She will, however, emphasize the importance of assessing the dangerousness of the opposition, and not trying to engage a foe that hopelessly outmaches them when there are other options.

Sounds good. We'll say this is one of the primary things that Rowan's staying busy with over the next few weeks. Both Kesten and Akiros are quite pleased about that and since neither is a spellcaster, will work closely with her to work out the capabilities and benefits of having their guards or militia work with spellcaster support. They'll also discuss the possibility of having a small troop of spellcasters among the militia/army and a few as specialist members of for the town guard, but that's for later, when the kingdom has a large enough cadre of spellcasters to use.

Leonis wrote:

To Rowan, "Would you like for us to handle the situation with your birth father and have you not in the room?"

Rowan wrote:

"No. That would just make things more complicated. I'm sure he knows I'm here. I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the reasons why he was sent as Aundair's emissary."

She smiles wolfishly.

"So I'll just have to learn to hold my temper and not order Vulpingetorix to rip his throad out. Simple!"

After thinking for a second, she adds, "You do recall the rumors that the ruler of Drelev was also Darro's son, right? He's the one who sent us Grigori. So maybe daddy's visiting him on the same trip too."

Leonis wrote:

Discussing the concerns of Darro, "Well if you are ok with talking with him then I am ok with it. In all honesty though, I doubt the queen sent him because of his relations to you...I doubt she knows. Either he was sent because it is his job, or he volunteered because he wants to meet you." Pausing and reflecting on his own life "You should, if given the chance, meet with him." Pressing the case, "You have no idea what I know. You have no idea what I would give to know my parents, even if they had a sordid past. Take a chance, at worst you will hate him, which you already do, at best you may have a new positive in your life"

OOC: Nice. I won't say what, but I see you guys noticed a couple of elements/possibilities in the visit that I was wondering if you would. I'm curious to see how this works out and what ramifications it has - for the kingdom and your PCs individually.

BTW, when Leonis says, "You should, if given the chance, meet with him," he means for Rowan to meet with Darro privately, right?

Leonis wrote:

If Rowan asks Leonis about teaching (becomming a professor) then Leonis will gladly accept the offer, "Just remember, Elga is the head mistriss here and calls the shots. I've been instructed to not bed the female population, so that probably applies to you too..including the males in your case" Leonis smiles, "I am sure we will eventually have some code of conduct...argh, all these rules, doing adult shit suck." Looking at Rowan, from the chest up, "How do you deal with being old?"

I wonder what Rowan's answer to that is

Besides the issue with the hill giant (which we'll play out when we meet up), there's one thing that happens before Darro ir'Lain's arrival - the departure of your delegation to Drelev.

It's going to be led by the halfling Jubilost Narthropple, who functions as your diplomat/liaison to foreign countries, but are you sending anyone else from the NPC leaders with her? If you do want to do so, you'd know that the best options are Svetlana (councilor), Akiros (warden) and/or Kesten (marshal). Especially since their tasks can be covered by others for the period while they're gone, while positions such as Treasurer (Oleg) or Magister (Elga) are harder to fill.

Presumably you're giving her a decent escort too. I'll say that you can spend 1-3 BP on the trip (unless you really want to spend more), with the larger the number the lower the chance of something bad happening to her on the way there or back. How much do you want to spend?

Also, what exactly do you want Jubilost to find out and/or negotiate with Drelev? The same sorts of things that Helas did for Varnhold (trade agreements, border patrols, a non-aggression pact, the potential for aiding in defense)? Something else? How much authority are you giving her to decide things as your representative.

Let me know. You'll find out the results of her trip after we handle Darro's visit, but I'll be planning some stuff based on your info.

With regards to Rowan and Darro yes I meant privately...outside of the normal meetings.

I am ok with including Svetlana and spending 3bp.

Have jubi find out the standard information and let us know how the town is s looking. What are they doing better or worse. If we can learn from there mistakes then that is good.

As for authority, Jubi will be able to confirm the agreements with some leeway (10% difference for negotiating) but to ensure we also make a win in the process.
I am not sure on what else to give in terms of power...obviously not to reveal secrets or military knowledge. Maybe we can provide jubi with two scrolls of sending if he can use them? Or eventually craft a two way messaging device. Do we yave one of those?

Admin wrote:

"Our serious issues have been almost exclusively with the Nomen centaurs. They're a little wild, but incredibly good fighters, potentially the best light cavalry," she chuckles, "If you know what I mean, that I've seen. If they had more magic, they could actually challenge the Knights Arcane, I think. They do just about no arcane magic. Mostly druidic or priestly. And surprisingly good tactics. But after a couple of tough battles we managed to get a truce out of them. We don't encroach on their lands and they don't try to burn our settlements. Problem is that they don't have a central authority among their tribes, so some of them might cause trouble later, especially as we expand later, but so far so good." Helas' tone is a little regretful as she concludes.

"We've tried to deal with nonhumanoid raiders by bringing them into the kingdom, making them allies."

OOC: Due to what Shil explained about Varnhold, Rowan is feeling a bit more generous and trusting.

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"No," Helas shakes her head, "But I heard a lot about it. And was actually pretty close to the main conflict. We, the Varnling Host that is, were actually one of the mercenary groups involved in the raid that cut the Thranish supply lines before the battle."

"Well I'm glad you were, then. The battle might have gone differently if Thrane had been able to resupply after the first or second day."

Leonis wrote:

If Rowan asks Leonis about teaching (becomming a professor) then Leonis will gladly accept the offer, "Just remember, Elga is the head mistriss here and calls the shots. I've been instructed to not bed the female population, so that probably applies to you too..including the males in your case" Leonis smiles, "I am sure we will eventually have some code of conduct...argh, all these rules, doing adult shit suck." Looking at Rowan, from the chest up, "How do you deal with being old?"

Rowan glares at Leonis, until he feels uncomfortable and changes the topic.

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Discussing the concerns of Darro, "Well if you are ok with talking with him then I am ok with it. In all honesty though, I doubt the queen sent him because of his relations to you...I doubt she knows. Either he was sent because it is his job, or he volunteered because he wants to meet you." Pausing and reflecting on his own life "You should, if given the chance, meet with him." Pressing the case, "You have no idea what I know. You have no idea what I would give to know my parents, even if they had a sordid past. Take a chance, at worst you will hate him, which you already do, at best you may have a new positive in your life"

"It's the Queen's job to know these sorts of things. And Darro is the second most powerful man in the empire, not an errand boy." Rowan shrugs. "Maybe you're right. It just seems like a bit too much of a coincidence."

"I'll meet with him in private, though I wouldn't expect any great revalations or opera-style grand reconciliations with a big dance number in the third act. With his past record, he'd probably just try to bed me."

"Family can be wonderful, Leonis. Don't take my fucked up relationship with Darro ir'Lain as an example. I was lucky that I had my mother and adoptive father. I can't imagine growing up without a family. I had two big brothers, a twin, and a little sister. The only times I was alone was when I climbed into the hayloft or hid in the shrine!"

OOC: I'm really curious what sort of reaction Leonis is going to have to the "twin" comment. Rowan hasn't talked about her family much before.

Admin wrote:

Sounds good. On the plus side, Rowan's already figured out something that will basically be a factor from this point on (and already was, though she hadn't noticed it quite as much), namely the realities of being one of the most powerful people, politically and otherwise, in the kingdom. It's virtually impossible that someone who's aware of that won't have their behavior and attitude to her affected in some way, whether they want to or not. With great power comes ... well, some downsides.

Have I mentioned how much Rowan hates politics sometimes? She is, at heart, a soldier. She wants to deal with problems directly, not with insinuations and diplomatic dancing around.

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Sounds good. We'll say this is one of the primary things that Rowan's staying busy with over the next few weeks. Both Kesten and Akiros are quite pleased about that and since neither is a spellcaster, will work closely with her to work out the capabilities and benefits of having their guards or militia work with spellcaster support. They'll also discuss the possibility of having a small troop of spellcasters among the militia/army and a few as specialist members of for the town guard, but that's for later, when the kingdom has a large enough cadre of spellcasters to use.

That's a good idea. Though it's probably better to distribute the spellcasters rather than concentrating them in a single troop. One of the advantages they have in Pathfinder is that they can cast Sending at will. And a well-placed spell can create a significant advantage for a troop of soldiers to exploit.

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OOC: Nice. I won't say what, but I see you guys noticed a couple of elements/possibilities in the visit that I was wondering if you would. I'm curious to see how this works out and what ramifications it has - for the kingdom and your PCs individually.

Oh goody.

Rowan wrote:

"We've tried to deal with nonhumanoid raiders by bringing them into the kingdom, making them allies."

Helas chuckles and shakes her head. "We tried that. Let's just say the Nomen weren't interested in joining us! Come to Varnhold sometime and I'll introduce you to them and you can try a little persuasion. Just bring armor."

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OOC: Due to what Shil explained about Varnhold, Rowan is feeling a bit more generous and trusting.

OOC: That will in no way ever come back to bite you in the ass.

Leonis wrote:

I am ok with including Svetlana and spending 3bp.

Have jubi find out the standard information and let us know how the town is s looking. What are they doing better or worse. If we can learn from there mistakes then that is good.

As for authority, Jubi will be able to confirm the agreements with some leeway (10% difference for negotiating) but to ensure we also make a win in the process.

Sounds good.

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I am not sure on what else to give in terms of power...obviously not to reveal secrets or military knowledge. Maybe we can provide jubi with two scrolls of sending if he can use them?

Jubi's female. She can use scrolls of Sending via Use Magic Device.

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Or eventually craft a two way messaging device. Do we yave one of those?

At this point, I'm not allowing those, and if I do they'll be much more expensive than the Magic Item Compendium one. It doesn't quite fit with the setting (where things like those viewing devices you found on the fey or the troll are relatively unique, and where House Sivis monopolizes long-range communication).

Rowan wrote:

"It's the Queen's job to know these sorts of things. And Darro is the second most powerful man in the empire, not an errand boy." Rowan shrugs. "Maybe you're right. It just seems like a bit too much of a coincidence."

"I'll meet with him in private, though I wouldn't expect any great revalations or opera-style grand reconciliations with a big dance number in the third act. With his past record, he'd probably just try to bed me."

OOC: Goes off to make some notes ...

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OOC: I'm really curious what sort of reaction Leonis is going to have to the "twin" comment. Rowan hasn't talked about her family much before.

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Have I mentioned how much Rowan hates politics sometimes? She is, at heart, a soldier. She wants to deal with problems directly, not with insinuations and diplomatic dancing around.

Ah, you're going love some of the stuff that will probably happen to you.

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That's a good idea. Though it's probably better to distribute the spellcasters rather than concentrating them in a single troop. One of the advantages they have in Pathfinder is that they can cast Sending at will. And a well-placed spell can create a significant advantage for a troop of soldiers to exploit.

Did you mean Message instead of Sending?

Admin wrote:

Helas chuckles and shakes her head. "We tried that. Let's just say the Nomen weren't interested in joining us! Come to Varnhold sometime and I'll introduce you to them and you can try a little persuasion. Just bring armor."

Rowan smiles. "I have heard that Centaurs are fiercely proud and freedom-loving. Maybe you need to thoroughly trounce them before they'll treat you as equals and consider a partnership."

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[Quote=Rowan]OOC: Due to what Shil explained about Varnhold, Rowan is feeling a bit more generous and trusting.

OOC: That will in no way ever come back to bite you in the ass. [/quote]
OOC: I didn't say that Rowan was giving any concessions. She's just not expecting an immediate backstab. Besides, we may want to conquer Varnhold later, if we need the territory.

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At this point, I'm not allowing those, and if I do they'll be much more expensive than the Magic Item Compendium one. It doesn't quite fit with the setting (where things like those viewing devices you found on the fey or the troll are relatively unique, and where House Sivis monopolizes long-range communication).

That would make sense. When we get a few more levels, we can use teleport for communication, or schedule regular times for giving reports orally in private, which we can scry on.

Rowan wrote:

OOC: Goes off to make some notes ...

That would be just lovely. Rowan's not nearly screwed up enough about it already.

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Did you mean Message instead of Sending?

You mean we don't have spellcaster that can cast Sending at will yet?

Admin wrote:

At this point, I'm not allowing those, and if I do they'll be much more expensive than the Magic Item Compendium one. It doesn't quite fit with the setting (where things like those viewing devices you found on the fey or the troll are relatively unique, and where House Sivis monopolizes long-range communication).

I am fine with that, but what are the values of these items? Doesn't that kind of make it rare (in D&D, hell in life, something is only as rare as you can afford it. e.g. Mithril is supposed to be this super rare item, but really it's do you have the gold for it). So if this item were 1000 gold (not sure how much it costs) thats a lot of gold which most people never ever see that kind of money in a lifetime let alone all at once.' Besides we will have that kind of long range communication as soon as i can cast the spells

Also, this is Eberron - is the magic setting rare? Even for pathfinder, i didn't get the impression that magic is that rare.

Rowan wrote:

Rowan smiles. "I have heard that Centaurs are fiercely proud and freedom-loving. Maybe you need to thoroughly trounce them before they'll treat you as equals and consider a partnership."

Helas chuckles and says, "Good idea. So, can we go over that mutual military aid idea again?" The smile fades a little and she says, "More seriously, I think you might be right and it'll come to that. I'd rather it didn't, since I don't want to lose any of our people--and the centaurs, whom I respect--in such battles. After the Last War ...," she shrugs and doesn't complete the sentence.

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OOC: I didn't say that Rowan was giving any concessions. She's just not expecting an immediate backstab. Besides, we may want to conquer Varnhold later, if we need the territory.

Aha! Rowan's already thinking like a politician.

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That would make sense. When we get a few more levels, we can use teleport for communication, or schedule regular times for giving reports orally in private, which we can scry on.

Sounds good, but on reconsideration I think I'll allow some long-distance communication items (see below).

Leonis wrote:

I am fine with that, but what are the values of these items?

The MIC one that showed up in the Guardian Angels campaign was 6000 gp.

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Doesn't that kind of make it rare (in D&D, hell in life, something is only as rare as you can afford it. e.g. Mithril is supposed to be this super rare item, but really it's do you have the gold for it). So if this item were 1000 gold (not sure how much it costs) thats a lot of gold which most people never ever see that kind of money in a lifetime let alone all at once.' Besides we will have that kind of long range communication as soon as i can cast the spells

No arguments there. I was thinking of it more from the flavor angle of things.

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Also, this is Eberron - is the magic setting rare? Even for pathfinder, i didn't get the impression that magic is that rare

Eberron's always been wide-magic rather than low or high magic, i.e. there's a large amount of low-powered magic readily available, with some high-powered magic available on a much rarer basis. Pathfinder basically works off the standard 3e system for magic availability, which is pretty high magic.

Anyway, considering the above, I figure I'll allow the communication item (Farspeaking Amulet) from the MIC, if your PCs want to obtain one. It does cost 6000 gp, as I mentioned, but I'll say that if you spend an extra BP equipping Jubilost and Svetlana for the diplomatic mission, that'll cover for the Farspeaking Amulet.

Admin wrote:

Anyway, considering the above, I figure I'll allow the communication item (Farspeaking Amulet) from the MIC, if your PCs want to obtain one. It does cost 6000 gp, as I mentioned, but I'll say that if you spend an extra BP equipping Jubilost and Svetlana for the diplomatic mission, that'll cover for the Farspeaking Amulet.

We'll be dealing with the Darro ir'Lain visit and the results of the mission to Drelev while playing this Sunday. Just one question - are you spending the extra BP to equip Jubi and Svetlana with the Farspeaking Amulet as noted above?

Admin wrote:

Admin wrote:

Anyway, considering the above, I figure I'll allow the communication item (Farspeaking Amulet) from the MIC, if your PCs want to obtain one. It does cost 6000 gp, as I mentioned, but I'll say that if you spend an extra BP equipping Jubilost and Svetlana for the diplomatic mission, that'll cover for the Farspeaking Amulet.

We'll be dealing with the Darro ir'Lain visit and the results of the mission to Drelev while playing this Sunday. Just one question - are you spending the extra BP to equip Jubi and Svetlana with the Farspeaking Amulet as noted above?

I am ok with this but would like others to chime in. It would also be useful/when they are in town./they can contact us on emergency if the town is harrassed and needs us