Age of Ice and Blood: A Pathfinder System Heroic Fantasy Quest
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
-
- Tags
- pathfinder open voting
- Location
- Argentina
And Steel is unknown
Fine, Dragonslayers it is! We need to buy a banner
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
The Argent Band? Membership could be denoted by a silver signet ring with the Verley Coat of Arms in it.
The Wandering Companions?
The Windblown? Yeah, not exactly original, but it's fitting for more than one reason.
Silver Spurs?
Verleymen?
The House of Verley?
The Wandering Companions?
The Windblown? Yeah, not exactly original, but it's fitting for more than one reason.
Silver Spurs?
Verleymen?
The House of Verley?
- Location
- Germany
Banner of Truth, for our Verley motto?
The Company of Saint George is both Traditional for a Norman Merc Company, and a good call back to already being dragon slayers.
And it gives a cultural point for new hires to bond over. They ask about the name, they get told myths of home. Keeps the men connected to where they came from, while also being mysterious and exotic to the locals.
Also as a side benefit to offer along with potentially paying a potion of all income in terms of spoil sharing to the men-at-arms would be serving as a quasi-bank/financial advisor for our men. Roland is a Lordling, as thus part of his job description is helping others become vassal lordlings. He was made independent by seeming act of God, so he only has his own skills to offer his men in terms of learning how to lead men themselves.
This is basically what is happening in some small part with Tom here. He has been a leal servant, and a good second-in-command. As he has been getting trained to be a PC class, why not follow along to help him get some bigger responsibilities. Obviously rolling for and keeping track of our underlings actually using money would be a bookkeeping pain, but it could be a side modifier DP could occasionally increase that is used to roll for Random Events during travel or something to have happen upon arrival/whenever they need inspiration to write.
Along with the Encounter Roll, something like a Company Luck Score. Even a good roll would be something small like a single point increase to an arms-man (or if ever there becomes a base, something there?) . Story wise that could be something like a Spearman finding a nice bit of armor they didn't have before and could only afford via saving/scrimping, etc.
Just an idea for hopefully low bookkeeping cost/ high storytelling inspiration payoff.
Oh also a merc company name. Thats the most important part. I'll underline that part to be slightly annoying, but also for TL;DR purposes.
And it gives a cultural point for new hires to bond over. They ask about the name, they get told myths of home. Keeps the men connected to where they came from, while also being mysterious and exotic to the locals.
Also as a side benefit to offer along with potentially paying a potion of all income in terms of spoil sharing to the men-at-arms would be serving as a quasi-bank/financial advisor for our men. Roland is a Lordling, as thus part of his job description is helping others become vassal lordlings. He was made independent by seeming act of God, so he only has his own skills to offer his men in terms of learning how to lead men themselves.
This is basically what is happening in some small part with Tom here. He has been a leal servant, and a good second-in-command. As he has been getting trained to be a PC class, why not follow along to help him get some bigger responsibilities. Obviously rolling for and keeping track of our underlings actually using money would be a bookkeeping pain, but it could be a side modifier DP could occasionally increase that is used to roll for Random Events during travel or something to have happen upon arrival/whenever they need inspiration to write.
Along with the Encounter Roll, something like a Company Luck Score. Even a good roll would be something small like a single point increase to an arms-man (or if ever there becomes a base, something there?) . Story wise that could be something like a Spearman finding a nice bit of armor they didn't have before and could only afford via saving/scrimping, etc.
Just an idea for hopefully low bookkeeping cost/ high storytelling inspiration payoff.
Oh also a merc company name. Thats the most important part. I'll underline that part to be slightly annoying, but also for TL;DR purposes.
A luck bonus is an interesting idea for a arc reward, I would probably make it conditional though, like +1% Luck while at sea, or +2% Luck in urban encounters something like that. Also you would need to get a divine blessing from some place for that though.
Marcella's Company.
1. It's a brand, there is nothing named "Marcella" in the world besides the ship, and that's is not problem, because
2. We are with Antonio for life, we vowed so:
3. And it's actually good to be associated with the ship, more name recognition for us and for Antonio, double brand penetration or how it's called.
4. It's non-descript, doesn't give away anything, which is very good, it's better to be underestimated, and it's better if the general public knows as little as possible of our specifics, including our past and roots.
1. It's a brand, there is nothing named "Marcella" in the world besides the ship, and that's is not problem, because
2. We are with Antonio for life, we vowed so:
3. And it's actually good to be associated with the ship, more name recognition for us and for Antonio, double brand penetration or how it's called.
4. It's non-descript, doesn't give away anything, which is very good, it's better to be underestimated, and it's better if the general public knows as little as possible of our specifics, including our past and roots.
@DragonParadox, apologies for repeating questions, but just in case you missed:
1. Given new levels and skill ranks, can Inge and Zaia re-examine dead dragon egg, sheet of gold and everything they remember of Willowbrook and see if they can draw any new conclusions? If they can, they of course should use Tears to Wine for +2, Inge's Guidance for +1 and Fortune Hex for advantage. If Tears to Wine are enough to give Esha another attempt, she should do it too, also with Guidance and Fortune Hex of course.
If they can, it may be more appropriate to do it when we return to Willowbrook, but with the big talk coming up, they could also attempt it right before the talk.
2. Is there enough time during journey to Apuku for Esha to attempt training with Roland for +2 Will save for 1 round as a swift action ability, if she delays her spellbook studies partially or fully?
1. Given new levels and skill ranks, can Inge and Zaia re-examine dead dragon egg, sheet of gold and everything they remember of Willowbrook and see if they can draw any new conclusions? If they can, they of course should use Tears to Wine for +2, Inge's Guidance for +1 and Fortune Hex for advantage. If Tears to Wine are enough to give Esha another attempt, she should do it too, also with Guidance and Fortune Hex of course.
If they can, it may be more appropriate to do it when we return to Willowbrook, but with the big talk coming up, they could also attempt it right before the talk.
2. Is there enough time during journey to Apuku for Esha to attempt training with Roland for +2 Will save for 1 round as a swift action ability, if she delays her spellbook studies partially or fully?
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
This or something like this is also good, though for branding it should definitely include "Marcella".
Sorry I missed that
- Yes, they can all give another shot at examination
- Yes, you would have the time to try to get that, I'll keep it in mind for the next time you vote on on board actions
- Location
- Argentina
I have to resist making Spess Marins jokes
It's slightly better, given that they are elders at 12 years, they seem to live to about 15+ years.
So a year would probably be like 6-7% of their life, which is still much of course.
On the other hand, as the example of Roland, Antonio and Zaia has shown, good company can somewhat compensate for being away from home, and if they choose to travel with us, knowing what it is first hand or by tales of the ones who did it, I don't think there's much to be sorry for.
One solution for total elimination of being away from home is to establish colony of the otter-kin on Marcella, with their whole families living on her and earning their keep by their telepathy, for translation and any other uses, and for helping maintain Marcella and other ships by examining and servicing their underwater portions, otters can hold breath for several minutes with absolutely no trouble.
Though I don't know if Marcella would have enough spare place for tens of otter-kin and if they would actually want it.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
A small number of Otter-kin probably wouldn't take up much space. It shouldn't be a lot of trouble to add a habitat/living space for them somewhere out of the way, or which wouldn't seriously impinge upon Marcella's cargo capacity. The service they could provide would far outweigh the effort it would take to make them comfortable, assuming more than a handful are willing to travel with us.
It'll be a long while off, but if Esha or Inge ever gain the ability to cast the Carry Companion spell, we will be able to repurpose a lot of the space currently dedicated to transporting our horses. Alternatively, establishing a real base of operations, hopefully a secure compound in Orinilu or a nearby prosperous and stable city, where we can safely house some of the horses without fear of local assholes killing them (looking at you, Apuku...), we won't need to drag them all around with us on our travels.
Given that otters are tinny, about 1/16th smaller than a human I actually think a colony could actually be managed, though the food bill for that many would not scale as neatly, because smaller mammals take up more food relative to their body mass
Anyway, I do need more votes guys, given that the next update's contents has already been voted on I can already start writing, but I do need a vote settled before I post.
Anyway, I do need more votes guys, given that the next update's contents has already been voted on I can already start writing, but I do need a vote settled before I post.
Won't need the name for a while, we need votes on Tom's and men-at-arms' pay.
[X] For now, each of our regular armsmen will receive 1% of our profits, while Tom will receive 2%, for a total share of 15% being distributed to our men.
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- Location
- ?????????
[X] For now, each of our regular armsmen will receive 1% of our profits, while Tom will receive 2%, for a total share of 15% being distributed to our men.
@DragonParadox, we have 7 unanimous votes, the vote looks decided.
Vote closed.
Arc 9 Post 3: The Perils of Insight
The Perils of Insight
Fourteenth Day of Ashinu-hamba (Ashinu Descendant) 1348 A. L. (After Landfall)
It is harder to find Inge than you had thought it would be, and when you slip your head into her cabin you notice her bed has not slept in, either that or she is a far neater child than you were at her age. That would hardly be the most uncommon thing about her, you think, bemused. In the end you find the girl down in the hold, not keeping company with Silver as she had done over a few past mornings when the sky was clear enough to spare her from the deck, but beside the corpse of the great beast, the dragon, looking down into its great unseeing eyes... not all that far down. Looking at her like this you notice with a start that the the skull of the thing alone is about half as long as she is tall. And you had asked her to fight that thing...
"How are you doing?" you ask a little awkwardly, unsure of how you would even start the conversation. If she were another knight, a man-at-arms in your service, you would at least have some notion of what to say, but how does one ask a child sworn to death not to risk her own life? Can you even do so when that very courage had saved others from doom under the cold sea not even two days past? "Do you..." You cut yourself off and willfully plaster a smile on your face. "I do not suppose it has been talkative."
"No, not it, but I remembered... something of dragons. I dreamed it last night and I thought I might notice something that I had missed," Inge replies, sounding faint and far away.
"And did you?" you ask intrigued in spite of yourself. The scant moments of seeing the beast alive and fighting, filled with terror of your own life and the life of those around you, had been filled with wonder just the same, easy enough to see why she would dream of it without any visitation.
"The dragons were gods once, or as gods, when the world was young and green, but not with the touch of Ashinu, when the waters churned from the sky, but not by the will of Elnu," her voice grows more urgent as she speaks, as though she is answering not you but some hidden compulsion, some deeper need. "They ruled in the Days before Days, before the ice of Ikomi came over them. I saw the world when there were no mortal eyes to see it in my dream... but if there are no mortal eyes who am I?"
At the last Inge sounds unlike herself, words echoing strangely off the walls of the hull and the talisman of mind ward bristles like a beast waking from slumber.
When you shake her she shivers head to toe as one pulled from freezing waters, blinks up at you first in shock and fear, then with dawning recognition and relief. "Thank you... I, er, know how to butcher a dragon to get the choice bits out, the blood and the stomach, the gall and the musk, to flay the skin with knives of ice. I've got to... I've got to tell Zaia so he can write it down."
She sounds more like herself now, but still almost feverish. You do not let her go...
"I have to tell him now or I might forget and then we will have to trust the Eashda from Orinilu to carve it up and they don't know anything."
"...Wait here," you say carefully.
***
"There is something strange happening..." you say to Esha as soon as you are through the door, barely waiting for a reply before recounting what you had seen and heard down in the hold. Another time you might have been embarrassed that you are barging in on her in the middle of her work, but not when it comes to Inge's safety.
"That is not as odd as you might think," she sighs. "As priests become closer to their gods they grow stranger, like a vine climbing the branches of a great tree, only they can never make it to the top lest they burn in light beyond moral understanding. She will get used to it... although it might be better to keep her from acting out on whatever she saw for a bit, just to be on the safe side and not reinforce incompatible insight."
"What's a Rashda?" you ask, that had been the only word you had not understood of all the ones Inge had used.
"I have never heard it in my life," she replies. After a moment's silence, eyes closed and brow furrowing in thought, she adds. "Say that again."
"Rashda," you say with mounting unease.
"The word tastes... old, not like any word that is spoken by living men under the sun, literally it is candle-lighter, but the light 'da' isn't anything physical it is magic, and the fact that you are using it to light a candle and not a blaze, it would be something like 'dabbler in the arcane'. Inge or whatever she spoke called the wizards of Orinilu petty and powerless, which one supposes they would be to anyone who has even seen a glimpse of the days when dragons ruled."
No doubt all of this is fascinating, but your thoughts are still on one thing. "What about Inge?"
"Well it depends if she thinks she can take dictating a guide to dragon butchery at once, or if she wants to rest first," the sorceress replies.
Unsurprisingly Inge does not want to rest, she wants to help Zaia expand his knowledge base so that you can carve the dragon's corpse up when you are back on shore.
What do you do?
[] Let Inge recount her dream lore at once (Zaia writes a book that when consulted allows an alchemist to act as though they possess Dragoncrafting at the cost of taking twice as long as with the feat ???)
[] Advise Inge to rest (40% chance the lore will be lost by the time she has recovered fully; should this happen Inge will still have a better idea that most how to tell if any mage you find in Orinilu actually knows what to do with a dragon corpse)
OOC: Well on the one hand she rolled a nat 20 on the re-roll for arcana to tell you more about the dragon, on the other hand it was her re-roll and delving into old perilous things so it comes with a risk and a choice. Inge will listen to Roland without the need for a roll if you tell her to take it easy so do not worry about that.
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- Location
- Bear Island
[X] Let Inge recount her dream lore at once (Zaia writes a book that when consulted allows and alchimist to act as though they possesses Dragoncrafting at the cost of taking twice as long as with the feat ???)