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Salted Sands (A Caves of Qud-Inspired Cultivation Quest)

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So, I feel like there's definitely a lot more to do, but I'm not sure what. So here's the basics of a plan covering the obvious stuff:

[X] Plan Do The Obvious
-[X] Try and figure out why Kell responded to Giden the way he did, then discuss that with Karter and apologize for it.
--[X] If it seems viable maybe try and make friends with Giden
-[X] See what the Eldermost has for us in the way of Ka-related help, and attempt to become a cultivator
-[X] Prepare to tell our siblings the truth about what happened and help them to cope as best we can...we'll try and use our new empathy skills to break the news as gently as we can
-[X] Likewise prepare for their physical needs, setting up to have them stay with us if needed and so on.
-[X] Continue working as a guard for Melka
--[X] Try and make friends with our fellow guards
-[X] XP Purchases
--[X] +1 Movement Stat, +1 Perception Stat, +1 Unarmed Stat, +1 Stealth Skill, +1 Empathy Skill (8 xp)

Subject to changes, additions, or me abandoning it for someone else's better plan depending on circumstances.

EDIT: Added some attempts to be friendlier.
 
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I'm gonna project and say Kell was weird to Giden out of wing envy.
EDIT:
I think we should put some money/time/xp towards preparing to take care of our siblings' material needs. Food, clothing, beds etc. Even if our aunt doesn't kick them out I'd like to be able to take them in
 
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Orbmorb said:
EDIT:
I think we should put some money/time/xp towards preparing to take care of our siblings' material needs. Food, clothing, beds etc. Even if our aunt doesn't kick them out I'd like to be able to take them in
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That's a solid point, I'll add getting set up to take care of them materially to the plan. I dunno what more there is to do beyond that, though. Well, the Empathy skill might also help, but that's already in the plan.
 
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Eater said:
The response to Giden was strange and uncomfortable… I think it's worth discussing regardless.

First off, can I just say, Hello~, quite a handsome friend our cousin has!

So this strikes me as one of two possibly interrelated things. It might be that Kell is some measure of attracted to Giden and doesn't know how to process this, freezing up and being extra awkward. Alternatively, the concept of manliness is central to Kell's religion. The need to 'be a proper man' has been a consistent driving force for him, so being confronted by someone who is exuding such a physically imposing/effortless example of masculinity might be causing some envy. It could also be some combination thereof?
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Oh huh. That's a good take on it. I was reading it more as jealousy, some guy shows up out of nowhere and Kell's only friend seems to like him even more than him.
 
DeadmanwalkingXI said:
That's a solid point, I'll add getting set up to take care of them materially to the plan. I dunno what more there is to do beyond that, though. Well, the Empathy skill might also help, but that's already in the plan.
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Cooking as a crafting skill maybe? depends what the restaurant scene is like in Melka, and if IF wants to deal with recurring expenses like maintenance and food
 
CedeTheBees said:
Oh huh. That's a good take on it. I was reading it more as jealousy, some guy shows up out of nowhere and Kell's only friend seems to like him even more than him.
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That's a good point, I hadn't been thinking of it in terms of the relationship with Kell, mostly because that's a family bond, but Kell has had the entire rest of his family ripped away, so the fear of further abandonment/solitude must be strong…
 
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Just as ka can be used to punch a hole clean through someone's skull, it can be used to make it so you never have to in the first place.

The War in the Shadows—or, as certain retirees call it, 'the great big knife-off'—is a war officially unofficially fought between just about every sketchy government agency, shadow assassin clan, and any other sneaky-stabby group under the sun.

Every notable individual worth their salt is going to have contacts in the shadows—though often those contacts are gained unwillingly. Some may even have their own game running on the sidelines.

Suffice to say, the Baron has eyes.
 
Eater said:
That's a good point, I hadn't been thinking of it in terms of the relationship with Kell, mostly because that's a family bond, but Kell has had the entire rest of his family ripped away, so the fear of further abandonment/solitude must be strong…
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This is the read I had; Karter is the only person Kell interacts with after losing all of his family for the most part. He's isolated in a pretty major way and Karter is his only link to humanity and personal relationships. Speaking as someone who has been in a less extreme form of isolation, you can grow dependent and possessive of people pretty easily.

I think we might find value in using some of this action time to socialize with more people and try to make more friends, or at least allies. It's harder with our cost of emotions, but putting all our socialization on Karter's back seems long term unhealthy.

Maybe we should try to befriend the Gunslinger who was by our side during the fight. They seemed chill enough and have seen us in action, and it'd give us someone to talk guns with, a common ground.
 
KittyEmpress said:
This is the read I had; Karter is the only person Kell interacts with after losing all of his family for the most part. He's isolated in a pretty major way and Karter is his only link to humanity and personal relationships. Speaking as someone who has been in a less extreme form of isolation, you can grow dependent and possessive of people pretty easily.

I think we might find value in using some of this action time to socialize with more people and try to make more friends, or at least allies. It's harder with our cost of emotions, but putting all our socialization on Karter's back seems long term unhealthy.

Maybe we should try to befriend the Gunslinger who was by our side during the fight. They seemed chill enough and have seen us in action, and it'd give us someone to talk guns with, a common ground.
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That's a good point! I definitely agree, branching out is something we should definitely do. When our siblings wake at the end of the month we'll need to spend more time telling care of them as well, which could compound the issue. It would be good to have at least one other friendship before then. I concur that the shelled gunslinger and other folks among the town guard are a good place to start.

Speaking of taking care of our siblings, Rattle is 12. Is this old enough to be trusted to take care of Itta on his own while we and Karter are out and about, @I.F. Ister ? Is there school or daycare that they will be going to, and if so is it public or something we need to pay for?

Edit: maybe trying to make friends with Giden directly would be a good idea as well?
 
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Fair point, but IF did say our current schedule is a bit full...I'll see what I can do about adding socializing to the existing actions...we can definitely hang out with other guards while guarding at the very least. Maybe make friends with Giden if we can arrange it?
 
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KittyEmpress said:
Maybe we should try to befriend the Gunslinger who was by our side during the fight. They seemed chill enough and have seen us in action, and it'd give us someone to talk guns with, a common ground.
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I will mention that the Melkan isn't a gunslinger. He's just one of the Melkan Militia and has no explicit interest in firearms.
Eater said:
Speaking of taking care of our siblings, Rattle is 12. Is this old enough to be trusted to take care of Itta on his own while we and Karter are out and about, @I.F. Ister ? Is there school or daycare that they will be going to, and if so is it public or something we need to pay for?
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Rattle is a child, not an adult. He cannot be trusted to care for himself, let alone others.

At least, that's how the culture of Surran and, to a similar extent, Melka feel about the matter.

The Eldermost does run a neutral 'school-daycare-orphanage' thing that isn't affiliated with any of the mist-shamans. His thing doesn't cost anything, at least monetary. There is a general understanding that, should the Eldermost do something for you, you do something for him. Not necessarily anything major, mind you, more along the lines of what your skills are. A roofer might fix a leak at no charge, likewise with a mason working on the foundations. Things like that.

You could also try to convince Karo to watch over them, should you be so inclined. If Karo doesn't sound particularly attractive, you could also try one of the other mist-shamans, though that does come with the understanding that you would support that mist-shaman in whatever endevours they have going on.
DeadmanwalkingXI said:
Fair point, but IF did say our current schedule is a bit full...I'll see what I can do about adding socializing to the existing actions...we can definitely hang out with other guards while guarding at the very least. Maybe make friends with Giden if we can arrange it?
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Specifically, what makes a plan full or not is in how well it is narratively structured. If a plan's actions are all related to each other, it becomes significantly easier for me to work it all into a cohesive narrative, which, in turn, makes it a more enjoyable read for all of you.

Furthermore, I am prepared to give out bonus xp for good plans.
Eater said:
Edit: maybe trying to make friends with Giden directly would be a good idea as well?
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To get ahead of anything, I will say that Giden, even if you make friends with him, is not currently eligible as a companion.
 
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