hapcelion
The Abyss gazed back
- Location
- n/a
I'll admit, i'm curious as to what's going on there in this quest, but I think a little adventurer on pirate retribution may be warranted in this case.
Orc Quest; or, A Critical Examination of Agency Through in Interactive Fiction (Warcraft)
- Thread starter FractiousDay
- Start date
- Fantasy
- Location
- United Kingdom
You do get xp for doing stuff, not just training. Unless you have a really high quality teacher you might even get more experience from going out and doing stuff by saying for example 'hey leave that one i want to duel him'. Taking command of the mission to Tirasgarde, taking your trainee trolls and Vark along would get you leadership, tactics and weapon experience and perhaps more. You'd also be able to get some better gear like armour or guns. Currently you simply aren't interested in all the guns the raiders brought to the village as you aren't inclined to try new things. Vark comparably intentionally went out and stole some armour, and probably has been messing about with gunpowder.
Also you wouldn't be swimming to Echo Isles, you'd be going there on a canoe with the troll expedition, and doing stuff they needed which probably would be hunting, artefact gathering and fighting. Also Gadrin did request your help there so if you ignore that, as mentioned, it'll have an effect on the honourbound trait.
The situation has resulted due to the various bad rolls, the main things you'd be focusing on, as per canon, are the centaur, Tirasgarde and Echo Isles.
At this point in the timeline, around Classic, almost all the various conflict is canonically the old gods and their minions messing about, but that statement is of relatively little use to you. Similarly, many parties already have reasons to fight and so didn't need, or at least didn't need much prodding from the old gods.
The troll bandits are outdated canon, and the naval foes are from the rolls.
So far you know:
- Ships have exchanged cannonfire off the coast, implying there are two parties fighting.
- Factions which might be fighting and who use cannon armed ships in the region include: Steamwheel cartel goblins out of Rachet, Kul Tiran remnants, Theramore, Alliance, independent traders, pirates
- You only saw humans attacking (though this doesn't mean there wasn't other species you didn't see)
- The enemy were lightly armed and armoured, indicating sailors not for example naval infantry such as Kul Tiras would have
- The enemy had gunpowder weaponry
- You believe the raiders were searching for something in the village
- The raiders have raided before
- The raiders burned the village after, implying they regard you with great hostility, rather than only minor hostility
- You are being hunted by something, which may or may not be relevant to the situation
As a general note, I'm happy to answer questions about what exactly particular things would involve. For example, 'what are Vark's plans for the Tirasgarde mission, what is the opposition', that sort of thing.
Asking stuff also refreshes this thread to the top of the boards which means more people will see it.
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Acquisition, Loss and Utility of Traits
- Location
- United Kingdom
Happy New Year all, may it be better than the last!
I imagine everyone's been busy with the festivities so I'm leaving the voting open on the next update for a few more days. I thought I'd take this opportunity to better explain the mechanical and narrative effects of traits, which should also bump the thread which is a happy bonus.
All About Traits
I dislike many elements of the traditional, specifically the ck2, type quest. One of these is the effective schizophrenia of characters who are directed by a crowd of people, the questers. I tend to find this leads to the motives and history of the character being irrelevant and decreases the weight of the narrative. For example, if the characters has the trait 'hates orcs' and has a history of negative encounters by orcs, the questers can still choose not to tackle the orcs if they don't feel like it at the time.
That's the 'positive' side, in that I think for narrative purposes the traits of a character should direct the actions to a limited extent. You also have the negative side where I don't think all actions should be available to a character if they don't have the correct traits. For example, usually if you wanted something in real life you'd have to buy it, and therefore work to acquire currency. Generally people don't think 'I'll steal it' or go rob people for it. That's because you're socially acclimatised to a working culture and theft or raiding isn't something you'd ordinarily consider. Sometimes in quests I find it frustrating that a character who otherwise is a warrior but not much else will suddenly decide they want to adopt a mercantile outlook.
In this quest you're an orc. While the Warcraft orcs aren't exactly the same as other orcs in other franchises they follow the broad archetype of raiding barbarians. You exist in a tribal society with a barter economy, operating on a collective honour culture of social debt and obligation, with the overlaid nebulous desire for 'strength' present in all areas. There are some modifications to this general culture such as specific clans or political factions, but broadly speaking the character is unable to engage in mercantile, indirect or underhand methods due to their socialisation.
This system is not immutable. Gul'dan disrupted it with demonic magic, changing the definition of strength. Thrall failed to disrupt it and Garrosh succeeded in doing so, both in different ways.
The Traits system of this quest modifies the main character's general socialisation, allowing or preventing certain actions to give or remove agency, thus exploring the theme of the quest.
Your 'default' traits
As I've mentioned elsewhere, you're an orc, meaning you're socialised to be reasonably honourable, to obey clan chief and warchief, to support the community, to fight openly and to value physical strength first. By default you won't have options that go outside this because the character simply wouldn't think to do so. For example, you don't really understand money because you're from a primitive communalist society which doesn't use currency. Similarly, you simply wouldn't consider underhand actions to be an acceptable.
This has both narrative and mechanical effects. For example, currently you have four obligations, some more direct than others:
How you acquire and lose traits in this system
I don't intend to railroad the quest. While you'll be obliged to carry out certain actions and will likely be exiled if you keep disobeying superiors, that may be a consequence you're willing to accept. Similarly, in cases of ambiguity in orders or conflicts of obligations the questers, and through your decisions the MC, can make decisions and retain agency. You can go against your traits, but if you do you might lose them with various consequences. This might be some sort of abstraction, like a -10 to all rolls because you're depressed, consider how Saurfang became suicidal during BfA because his worldview had broken down. Alternatively, this might be narrative, with you being unable to connect with the Elements till you've gotten yourself sorted out.
At the end of each arc there'll be a chance for self-reflection and to acquire or lose traits. For example, if you consistently examined new things, talked to strangers and learnt about them, and tried adopting new methods of warfare or similar, you'd probably be given the opportunity to acquire the 'Curious' trait. Similarly, if you frequently engaged in mercantile activity, spoke to merchants or associated with them, or were involved in the purchase or sale of goods then you'd be offered 'Mercantile' as a trait. These would have direct effects, for example having the 'Curious' trait would instantly give you some basic knowledge about an area, current events, and similar things, whereas if you weren't a curious person you just wouldn't be interested. 'Mercantile' would give you an understanding of supply and demand, and enable you to hunt out some mercantile opportunities which again if you didn't have it you just wouldn't be interested in.
On the other hand, if you spent an arc disobeying orders, not helping the community, sitting on your own doing your own things then you'd lose traits like 'Honourbound'. You may think 'that's fine, that will give us more agency', which yes it would, but it would also mean you get a reputation as an honourless coward and if you kept doing it be subject to outlawry and exile. This reputation doesn't mean everyone will instantly magically know who you are, but it might mean that people have heard of a young orc with a fiery sword and therefore refuse service or hospitality to anyone matching that description, and maybe even attack you if they consider your actions objectionable enough. As mentioned losing significant traits like Honourbound will have greater effects on the character's psyche than losing a trait like Mercantile would.
A current example
To put some of this into immediate perspective on the actions you have at the moment, you're currently hanging out with the trolls. They have a few specialities that they wouldn't mind teaching in general, like some alchemy or stealth stuff, but they wouldn't want to teach you their voodoo stuff because its a cultural secret. Currently you look around you and might identify something like stealth as something to learn, but you wouldn't think to even try to learn voodoo. You also have the Flamebender's Tome, and because you already own it and its a Burning Blade artefact, you're already interested in it. Comparably, if you encountered a paladin you wouldn't really be interested in the Light currently, and only after several encounters might you start thinking about it to counter it.
There's also a load of blackpowder weapons from the attack previously, but you don't currently have any option to examine these because you just aren't curious enough about them or their use. You think of them as a human weapon which is therefore irrelevant to you, an orcish warrior.
You also don't have any actions to try and see who the attackers were, possibly search through their belongings, see if the Trolls are planning on interrogating one of the attackers' spirits or similar, again because you're just not interested, as far as you're concerned that's for the elders to concern themselves with, not for you to investigate yourself.
In this manner a write-in might symbolise the MC independently considering something. I'm happy for you to use write-ins which is why I give the option, but I may reject them if they're too out of character.
Caveats
There are a few caveats to this system, partly because social interactions and culture are complex, partly because I'm still considering it as a system and how best I can use it to explore the themes of agency.
For one thing, desperation and necessity will always be able to disrupt things. Generally your character will remain self-interested and therefore will be able to break through the limits of traits in desperate situations. If the only way to defeat X enemy is through underhand means you would be able to so.
In general, think about the actions you choose in various plans. If you have particular questions such as 'what are the trait effects of this choice' then I'm happy to weigh in.
I imagine everyone's been busy with the festivities so I'm leaving the voting open on the next update for a few more days. I thought I'd take this opportunity to better explain the mechanical and narrative effects of traits, which should also bump the thread which is a happy bonus.
All About Traits
I dislike many elements of the traditional, specifically the ck2, type quest. One of these is the effective schizophrenia of characters who are directed by a crowd of people, the questers. I tend to find this leads to the motives and history of the character being irrelevant and decreases the weight of the narrative. For example, if the characters has the trait 'hates orcs' and has a history of negative encounters by orcs, the questers can still choose not to tackle the orcs if they don't feel like it at the time.
That's the 'positive' side, in that I think for narrative purposes the traits of a character should direct the actions to a limited extent. You also have the negative side where I don't think all actions should be available to a character if they don't have the correct traits. For example, usually if you wanted something in real life you'd have to buy it, and therefore work to acquire currency. Generally people don't think 'I'll steal it' or go rob people for it. That's because you're socially acclimatised to a working culture and theft or raiding isn't something you'd ordinarily consider. Sometimes in quests I find it frustrating that a character who otherwise is a warrior but not much else will suddenly decide they want to adopt a mercantile outlook.
In this quest you're an orc. While the Warcraft orcs aren't exactly the same as other orcs in other franchises they follow the broad archetype of raiding barbarians. You exist in a tribal society with a barter economy, operating on a collective honour culture of social debt and obligation, with the overlaid nebulous desire for 'strength' present in all areas. There are some modifications to this general culture such as specific clans or political factions, but broadly speaking the character is unable to engage in mercantile, indirect or underhand methods due to their socialisation.
This system is not immutable. Gul'dan disrupted it with demonic magic, changing the definition of strength. Thrall failed to disrupt it and Garrosh succeeded in doing so, both in different ways.
The Traits system of this quest modifies the main character's general socialisation, allowing or preventing certain actions to give or remove agency, thus exploring the theme of the quest.
Your 'default' traits
As I've mentioned elsewhere, you're an orc, meaning you're socialised to be reasonably honourable, to obey clan chief and warchief, to support the community, to fight openly and to value physical strength first. By default you won't have options that go outside this because the character simply wouldn't think to do so. For example, you don't really understand money because you're from a primitive communalist society which doesn't use currency. Similarly, you simply wouldn't consider underhand actions to be an acceptable.
This has both narrative and mechanical effects. For example, currently you have four obligations, some more direct than others:
- Follow Gadrin's suggestion to go to Echo Isles
- Assist Vark with his patrols
- Deliver your reports to the relevant people in Razor Hill
- Return to your father and clan
How you acquire and lose traits in this system
I don't intend to railroad the quest. While you'll be obliged to carry out certain actions and will likely be exiled if you keep disobeying superiors, that may be a consequence you're willing to accept. Similarly, in cases of ambiguity in orders or conflicts of obligations the questers, and through your decisions the MC, can make decisions and retain agency. You can go against your traits, but if you do you might lose them with various consequences. This might be some sort of abstraction, like a -10 to all rolls because you're depressed, consider how Saurfang became suicidal during BfA because his worldview had broken down. Alternatively, this might be narrative, with you being unable to connect with the Elements till you've gotten yourself sorted out.
At the end of each arc there'll be a chance for self-reflection and to acquire or lose traits. For example, if you consistently examined new things, talked to strangers and learnt about them, and tried adopting new methods of warfare or similar, you'd probably be given the opportunity to acquire the 'Curious' trait. Similarly, if you frequently engaged in mercantile activity, spoke to merchants or associated with them, or were involved in the purchase or sale of goods then you'd be offered 'Mercantile' as a trait. These would have direct effects, for example having the 'Curious' trait would instantly give you some basic knowledge about an area, current events, and similar things, whereas if you weren't a curious person you just wouldn't be interested. 'Mercantile' would give you an understanding of supply and demand, and enable you to hunt out some mercantile opportunities which again if you didn't have it you just wouldn't be interested in.
On the other hand, if you spent an arc disobeying orders, not helping the community, sitting on your own doing your own things then you'd lose traits like 'Honourbound'. You may think 'that's fine, that will give us more agency', which yes it would, but it would also mean you get a reputation as an honourless coward and if you kept doing it be subject to outlawry and exile. This reputation doesn't mean everyone will instantly magically know who you are, but it might mean that people have heard of a young orc with a fiery sword and therefore refuse service or hospitality to anyone matching that description, and maybe even attack you if they consider your actions objectionable enough. As mentioned losing significant traits like Honourbound will have greater effects on the character's psyche than losing a trait like Mercantile would.
A current example
To put some of this into immediate perspective on the actions you have at the moment, you're currently hanging out with the trolls. They have a few specialities that they wouldn't mind teaching in general, like some alchemy or stealth stuff, but they wouldn't want to teach you their voodoo stuff because its a cultural secret. Currently you look around you and might identify something like stealth as something to learn, but you wouldn't think to even try to learn voodoo. You also have the Flamebender's Tome, and because you already own it and its a Burning Blade artefact, you're already interested in it. Comparably, if you encountered a paladin you wouldn't really be interested in the Light currently, and only after several encounters might you start thinking about it to counter it.
There's also a load of blackpowder weapons from the attack previously, but you don't currently have any option to examine these because you just aren't curious enough about them or their use. You think of them as a human weapon which is therefore irrelevant to you, an orcish warrior.
You also don't have any actions to try and see who the attackers were, possibly search through their belongings, see if the Trolls are planning on interrogating one of the attackers' spirits or similar, again because you're just not interested, as far as you're concerned that's for the elders to concern themselves with, not for you to investigate yourself.
In this manner a write-in might symbolise the MC independently considering something. I'm happy for you to use write-ins which is why I give the option, but I may reject them if they're too out of character.
Caveats
There are a few caveats to this system, partly because social interactions and culture are complex, partly because I'm still considering it as a system and how best I can use it to explore the themes of agency.
For one thing, desperation and necessity will always be able to disrupt things. Generally your character will remain self-interested and therefore will be able to break through the limits of traits in desperate situations. If the only way to defeat X enemy is through underhand means you would be able to so.
In general, think about the actions you choose in various plans. If you have particular questions such as 'what are the trait effects of this choice' then I'm happy to weigh in.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, I think we need:
- Stealth. It synergizes very well with the decision to scout out the threats around here, and it can be useful in the future. Sneakin' up on meetings of demon followers, etc.
- With our new stealth skills, we can Scout Tirasgarde Keep. Don't you get the feeling that Vark is going to bite off more than he can chew? And besides, directing his efforts would be wise: is it really necessary to attack big patrols, or only those that truly arrive close enough to threaten Sen'jin?
- We should know Survival, that can be useful every single time we are in hostile territory. If we land on the Echo Islands later on, we should be able to watch the hostile inhabitants from the jungle, instead of having to beg them to give us food XD.
- Meditating to improve precognition makes us even better at stealth, being able to perceive threats before they arrive! And crucially, it may help us when the evil entity catches up with us. All of this stealth training should make us able to evade it for now. Later in the quest, we will be strong enough to take it head on.
- The bandit Vok'fon. Let's help the village, and gain political training while we do so. As a good duelist and honourableman orc, we have good chances of getting Vok'fon back into the village.
- The split was political in nature: what is the relation between the Horde and Sen'jin? What was the issue that Vok'fon saw? It will be useful to socialize with important people to be informed of it. We can be a diplomat and mediator between the village Elders and Vok'fon, and possibly bring issues to the Horde for discussion. And if the village Elders get used to listening to us we can steer them towards good decisions
[X] Plan Longstrider: Best ranger, and diplomat
-[X] Stealth: The Darkspear are known for their Shadow Hunters and are well versed in stealth. See one of their practitioners out and learn from them.
-[X] Scout Tirasgarde Keep, the humans have been patrolling recently and they might see Sen'jin's weakness as a chance to attack! Furthermore, Vark has requested your help in taking some of their larger patrols and you feel honourbound to assist a fellow warrior
-[X] Survival: From jungle to island, and from island to coast the Darkspear know how to survive in the wild.
-[X] Meditate and try to strengthen your precognitive abilities
-[X] Search for the bandit Vok'fon. You can think of several ways of dealing with this bandit, for example by simply duelling him as you're quite a strong duellist. However, given he's reputed to be honourable perhaps you could simply persuade him to re-join the village given its current need?
-[X] Socialise with high status individuals and perhaps learn the strategic direction of the village, as well as news from the wider world that they're aware of.
- Stealth. It synergizes very well with the decision to scout out the threats around here, and it can be useful in the future. Sneakin' up on meetings of demon followers, etc.
- With our new stealth skills, we can Scout Tirasgarde Keep. Don't you get the feeling that Vark is going to bite off more than he can chew? And besides, directing his efforts would be wise: is it really necessary to attack big patrols, or only those that truly arrive close enough to threaten Sen'jin?
- We should know Survival, that can be useful every single time we are in hostile territory. If we land on the Echo Islands later on, we should be able to watch the hostile inhabitants from the jungle, instead of having to beg them to give us food XD.
- Meditating to improve precognition makes us even better at stealth, being able to perceive threats before they arrive! And crucially, it may help us when the evil entity catches up with us. All of this stealth training should make us able to evade it for now. Later in the quest, we will be strong enough to take it head on.
- The bandit Vok'fon. Let's help the village, and gain political training while we do so. As a good duelist and honourable
- The split was political in nature: what is the relation between the Horde and Sen'jin? What was the issue that Vok'fon saw? It will be useful to socialize with important people to be informed of it. We can be a diplomat and mediator between the village Elders and Vok'fon, and possibly bring issues to the Horde for discussion. And if the village Elders get used to listening to us we can steer them towards good decisions
[X] Plan Longstrider: Best ranger, and diplomat
-[X] Stealth: The Darkspear are known for their Shadow Hunters and are well versed in stealth. See one of their practitioners out and learn from them.
-[X] Scout Tirasgarde Keep, the humans have been patrolling recently and they might see Sen'jin's weakness as a chance to attack! Furthermore, Vark has requested your help in taking some of their larger patrols and you feel honourbound to assist a fellow warrior
-[X] Survival: From jungle to island, and from island to coast the Darkspear know how to survive in the wild.
-[X] Meditate and try to strengthen your precognitive abilities
-[X] Search for the bandit Vok'fon. You can think of several ways of dealing with this bandit, for example by simply duelling him as you're quite a strong duellist. However, given he's reputed to be honourable perhaps you could simply persuade him to re-join the village given its current need?
-[X] Socialise with high status individuals and perhaps learn the strategic direction of the village, as well as news from the wider world that they're aware of.
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- Location
- United Kingdom
Good points in general, and I specifically like how you've integrated some reasoning there, so if this vote wins that'll certainly be included in the narrative.
Currently he's ambushed a few patrols, easily killing small groups because Vark is massive and powerful and the Kul Tirans don't have their usual advantages such as gunpowder. Subsequently Vark has stolen their armour, making him even more dangerous.
The Kul Tirans are aware someone is killing and looting their patrols, but they don't know who it is and as such they've stepped up their patrols.
Tirasgarde Keep is situated near the coast and has a small dock and various other buildings inside a stone wall. Further beyond the keep there are various watchtowers and guard posts. It's unlikely that Vark is planning to attack the keep directly, so maybe he's planning to attack larger patrols or one of the watch towers.
Standard orcs vs humans
On two more points...
The relation between the Darkspear and Horde isn't particularly well defined. There aren't any treaties or written agreements that define the terms, its merely the friendly association between two tribal, formerly nomadic peoples.
If you're socialising with the high status people they're not going to take advice from an orc recently out of training. You simply don't have the gravitas or knowledge. They may however pose some hypothetical questions to you as a high status orc, such as 'how would the horde support us in X scenario', 'what are the policies in terms of Y situation'.
Vark, for reasons you don't currently know, has decided to fight the humans. You might think its because he's from the Warsong clan, who are a historically militant and combative clan.
Currently he's ambushed a few patrols, easily killing small groups because Vark is massive and powerful and the Kul Tirans don't have their usual advantages such as gunpowder. Subsequently Vark has stolen their armour, making him even more dangerous.
The Kul Tirans are aware someone is killing and looting their patrols, but they don't know who it is and as such they've stepped up their patrols.
Tirasgarde Keep is situated near the coast and has a small dock and various other buildings inside a stone wall. Further beyond the keep there are various watchtowers and guard posts. It's unlikely that Vark is planning to attack the keep directly, so maybe he's planning to attack larger patrols or one of the watch towers.
Standard orcs vs humans
The expedition will have some hunters who's specific job will be feeding everyone. You'll probably get specific duties if you were to go with them, probably directly relating to combat given your skills. In general though learning survival stuff from trolls, some of the best survivalists, will be useful.
Because of your scholarship competency you know the following regarding the issue, and liaising with higher status people, like just going and asking Vornal why his son is being a bandit, could improve your understanding.
- In earlier eras trolls lived in small nomadic tribes, ruled by shadowhunters. The Zandalari trolls settled, centralised and developed more complex society. They subsequently came to rule over most other troll tribes, one of them being the Gurubashi. The Gurubashi in turn has several sub tribes, one of them being the Darkspear.
- Comparing the two, the Zandalari have a king, a cabinet, a caste system and developed priesthood with multiple loa being worshipped. The Darkspear mainly worship the snake loa, and have a chief and his advisors.
- When the Darkspear joined the Horde they gave up various traditions, particularly some of the darker magic they used.
On two more points...
The relation between the Darkspear and Horde isn't particularly well defined. There aren't any treaties or written agreements that define the terms, its merely the friendly association between two tribal, formerly nomadic peoples.
If you're socialising with the high status people they're not going to take advice from an orc recently out of training. You simply don't have the gravitas or knowledge. They may however pose some hypothetical questions to you as a high status orc, such as 'how would the horde support us in X scenario', 'what are the policies in terms of Y situation'.
Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
The Horde actually feels... different from the alliance. They feel like their own thing here with their own way of doing things rather than inhuman alliance.
I like it.
I like it.
- Location
- United Kingdom
I think the problem is in how information is portrayed in game. There's a lot of specific information in quest text and so on, but the game punishes reading because of the immense grind required to get higher levels. Similarly, as with many game publishers, there's rarely an overall narrative indicating what's going on. The quest text is usually 'I've been offended by this tribe, they must be destroyed, go kill 10 of them'.
- Location
- Texas
[X] Provide for our Hosts
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Location
- Missouri
Plan: Aggressive Aid
[X] Echo Isles Expedition: The Darkspear had planned a large expedition to the Echo Isles for various purposes, and Master Gadrin suggested you join it. Scouts report that the ship that attacked the village headed in that direction, perhaps they've moored there to repair? However, is it really such a good idea to be out on the water in a Troll war canoe when you know there's a hostile cannon-armed warship about?
[X] Scout Tirasgarde Keep, the humans have been patrolling recently and they might see Sen'jin's weakness as a chance to attack! Furthermore, Vark has requested your help in taking some of their larger patrols and you feel honourbound to assist a fellow warrior.
[X] Search for the bandit Vok'fon. You can think of several ways of dealing with this bandit, for example by simply duelling him as you're quite a strong duellist. However, given he's reputed to be honourable perhaps you could simply persuade him to re-join the village given its current need?
[X] Socialise with the outsiders of the village, including your travelling companions, and the few other races in the village.
[X] Meditate and try to strengthen your precognitive abilities
[X] Further investigate the Flamebender's Tome, a book detailing some of the magical traditions of your clan.
The idea is providing aid with settling down the big problems that are abounding in the area as well as getting some ideas on how to improve our tiny magical abilities meager as they are.
Edited: Right, fixing.
[X] Echo Isles Expedition: The Darkspear had planned a large expedition to the Echo Isles for various purposes, and Master Gadrin suggested you join it. Scouts report that the ship that attacked the village headed in that direction, perhaps they've moored there to repair? However, is it really such a good idea to be out on the water in a Troll war canoe when you know there's a hostile cannon-armed warship about?
[X] Scout Tirasgarde Keep, the humans have been patrolling recently and they might see Sen'jin's weakness as a chance to attack! Furthermore, Vark has requested your help in taking some of their larger patrols and you feel honourbound to assist a fellow warrior.
[X] Search for the bandit Vok'fon. You can think of several ways of dealing with this bandit, for example by simply duelling him as you're quite a strong duellist. However, given he's reputed to be honourable perhaps you could simply persuade him to re-join the village given its current need?
[X] Socialise with the outsiders of the village, including your travelling companions, and the few other races in the village.
[X] Meditate and try to strengthen your precognitive abilities
[X] Further investigate the Flamebender's Tome, a book detailing some of the magical traditions of your clan.
The idea is providing aid with settling down the big problems that are abounding in the area as well as getting some ideas on how to improve our tiny magical abilities meager as they are.
Edited: Right, fixing.
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- Location
- United Kingdom
You aren't enough of a scholar for more than 1 research action currently, so you may want to swap one out for something else.
Enthusiast#117
This is not the Profile you are looking for
- Location
- United States
[X] Plan More Training and Halping!
- Location
- United Kingdom
And bizarrely were tied again after several days voting. The voting will remain open for the moment as per the schedule, and also because we don't seem to have votes in from some of the people from earlier in the quest yet.
A point on plans, apart from longstrider, the other things plans don't be have much reasoning. As such I'll be using the mc's character and traits to decide how they go about doing things. An example of this would be the tirasgarde mission, where unless you indicate otherwise you'll just be following and assisting vark in whatever he has planned
A point on plans, apart from longstrider, the other things plans don't be have much reasoning. As such I'll be using the mc's character and traits to decide how they go about doing things. An example of this would be the tirasgarde mission, where unless you indicate otherwise you'll just be following and assisting vark in whatever he has planned
- Location
- United Kingdom
Voting Closed! Longstrider Wins!
Somewhat fewer votes that I might ordinarily like, but I've left the voting open for a few days and I don't intend to hold updates hostage to encourage voting.
In general though I would encourage you to vote and discuss plans. I have a tendency myself to lurk in quest threads and just read them rather than participating, but such participation does massively increase my interest in the story and is very helpful in keeping me writing.
The winning plan this time also had some excellent explanation of the plan itself, which is very necessary in this quest. As I've mentioned in previous posts if you don't include such reasoning the character will take actions based on their own traits, which may not be to your liking. As such to exert agency more I encourage explanations of your choices, as well as write ins if you want to add them.
I'll start rolling either in this post or tomorrow and then we'll have the next update relatively soon.
Also, I've been getting back into warcraft stuff more and decided to start a new fic. I had originally planned to start that a while ago but ended up starting this quest first. The new fic is going to be about the disruption time travel can cause and I'll link it here for interest. I'm planning on writing this fic when I want to write warcraft stuff but don't want to rush updates for this quest while voting is ongoing etc.
Winning plan:
Somewhat fewer votes that I might ordinarily like, but I've left the voting open for a few days and I don't intend to hold updates hostage to encourage voting.
In general though I would encourage you to vote and discuss plans. I have a tendency myself to lurk in quest threads and just read them rather than participating, but such participation does massively increase my interest in the story and is very helpful in keeping me writing.
The winning plan this time also had some excellent explanation of the plan itself, which is very necessary in this quest. As I've mentioned in previous posts if you don't include such reasoning the character will take actions based on their own traits, which may not be to your liking. As such to exert agency more I encourage explanations of your choices, as well as write ins if you want to add them.
I'll start rolling either in this post or tomorrow and then we'll have the next update relatively soon.
Also, I've been getting back into warcraft stuff more and decided to start a new fic. I had originally planned to start that a while ago but ended up starting this quest first. The new fic is going to be about the disruption time travel can cause and I'll link it here for interest. I'm planning on writing this fic when I want to write warcraft stuff but don't want to rush updates for this quest while voting is ongoing etc.
Winning plan:
- Location
- United Kingdom
I'm somewhat uncertain regarding what I should be using the different threadmarks for. It seems necessary to have a threadmark giving the different options, and then one discussing the results of the voting, but I might include a third set of 'results of successful vote'. Not really sure. Any ideas?
I also don't like that you have to post the post before editing it and throwing dice.
In any case, here are the rolls for the Durotar turn 3:
Training rolling for availability of teacher, knowledge, willingness to teach and your learning
Socialising rolling for socialising with different people
Missions rolling for intel, planning, opposition, result
Regional rolls for Echo Isles and Centaur
I'm throwing more dice so it directs the narrative, though there'll be modifications to the results based on various factors.
I also don't like that you have to post the post before editing it and throwing dice.
In any case, here are the rolls for the Durotar turn 3:
Training rolling for availability of teacher, knowledge, willingness to teach and your learning
Socialising rolling for socialising with different people
Missions rolling for intel, planning, opposition, result
Regional rolls for Echo Isles and Centaur
I'm throwing more dice so it directs the narrative, though there'll be modifications to the results based on various factors.
Last edited:
- Location
- United Kingdom
tbh he probably was anyway, but yes its a natural crit for your planning, the opposition was also 20 so he's not really opposed.
- Location
- Missouri
Neat those lower rolls are concerning though especially that 8 for the regional news. Pirate attack?
- Location
- United Kingdom
It's a roll for what's going on on Echo Isles, and the ship was last seen going there, so yea, might be bad.
Durotar 3 results
- Location
- United Kingdom
Still pretty pleased with the progress of this, though I continue to express some confusion about the logistics of when and what to threadmark. Oh well, I'm sure it'll sort itself out. I think for now I'll not threadmark the votes closing, or the roll posts, but will threadmark the results and the voting chapters. That way if people are reading it all in one go they won't need to be reading the posts which are only there to show the rolls.
Two reminders, firstly, I started a warcraft fic if you're interested.
Secondly, the winning vote this time had lots of explanation, this is encouraged as it'll allow you as the questers to better direct the quest. For example, the helping vark option would have been a pretty passive mission unless indicated otherwise, which it was.
On with the update:
You've now spent three months at Sen'jin village. The seasons have changed and you've learnt a lot and gotten to know the Darkspear Trolls much better than you did previously. You now have a decent knowledge of their customs, and some knowledge of Trollish customs in general. This doesn't modify your 'Basic Scholarship' skill but you can now as about specific things and I'll answer with the knowledge you have. For example, you now know that Hakkar is bad news rather than just one of the many loa.
Furthermore, due to living in the village for several months you now have a general knowledge of who everyone, including the prominent figures and their activities. You don't know specifics, but this is to represent hearing about things on the street. If you'd taken the 'Socialise with everyone' action you would have gained this knowledge earlier. This has minor narrative and mechanical effects.
In your second six weeks you dedicate your time to tackling the different threats around Sen'jin, as well as preparing to do so.
You were only wounded slightly in the attack on the village and your arm heals quickly and without complication.
While you're a good swordsman and have certain other skills, you aren't currently very experienced in the skills that would support you in other areas. Most notably, you consider that given your relatively small size compared with many of the threats you intend to tackle, you won't be able to rely on brute force alone as Vark tends to do, nor would you be able to triumph against several foes. As such you seek out training in stealth, the Darkspear are excellent hunters and ambushers and despite your initial failure to find a teacher for this, you rely on your knowledge of the village to track down one of the old hunters who you've spoken to.
Stealth training rolls
Availability of teacher = 4 (nullified by other factors)
Knowledge of teacher = 60
Willingness to teach = 97
Your learning = 59
The hunter greets you enthusiastically and once you mention you've been asked to join the expedition to Echo Isles he becomes even more interested in teaching you. You're a decent student and learn well from the old hunter.
"Da Zandalari tink Hethiss and Shirvallah be lesser Loa, tink dey be weak. Stalk like da tiger, strike like da snake, den dey see how weak you are mon."
You gain 'Basic Stealth', +1 to stealth rolls, and the ability to consider stealthier plans which you previously didn't have the training for.
You also seek out more knowledge on how to survive in the wilderness. You don't know exactly where you might be going in future, but the Echo Isles are a very different environment to the dusty crags and flats of Durotar and you want to be able to survive in hostile territory in future rather than be always tethered to a base.
Survival training rolls
Availability of teacher = 63
Knowledge of teacher = 76
Willingness to teach = 33
Your learning = 3 (mitigated by other factors)
The trolls are excellent survivalists with many of them being hunters experienced in dangerous places, and you don't have any difficulty finding knowledgeable trolls to learn from. Some are willing to teach you a little, but many are quite busy either repairing the village or with other duties. As such you don't learn nearly as much as you might have if your teachers had been more available, and really you just get passed around and sent between different trolls. You do pick up some skills though.
Basic Survival +30% to next level, reduced malus to any survival rolls on Echo Isles.
You decide to tackle the threats of Tirasgarde and the Kul Tiran remnants still patrolling the land, as well as trying to persuade the bandit Vok'fon to return to the village. You decide to tackle Tirasgarde first as Vark intends to head out for a week to ambush more patrols. Vark relies extensively on his physical might and while he isn't a brute, he generally hasn't seen the need to plan his excursions before. As such when you speak to him you learn he doesn't have much knowledge of the Kul Tirans other than the basics, nor does he have a particularly well developed plan, other than to attack them using a few tricks he's picked up. He was planning on using these tricks if you didn't agree to accompany him, but you still think a lone orc, no matter how large, wouldn't fare well against a dozen armed men. Furthermore, you consider yourself obliged to assist Vark as a fellow warrior.
Rolls for Tirasgarde mission
Intel = 30
Vark explains that Tirasgarde Keep is situated on a small hill north of you, near to the east shore of Durotar. The keep is surrounded by smaller buildings which support it such as an armoury, as well as a well built stone wall. Within eyesight of the tallest tower of the keep there are several stone watchtowers in every direction. Each watchtower is surrounded by a wooden palisade and has a beacon on top which can be used to summon aid from the keep. Vark remarks that the patrols he's fought in the past haven't been particularly well armed, but that armoured knights on horseback as well as riflemen will ride out and reinforce any tower that's attacked.
Planning = 59
Base roll 46
+1 from Basic Leadership
+2 from Tactics
+10 for available equipment
Vark planned to attack one of the watchtowers with several gunpowder bombs he'd acquired from the raiders you faced previously, as well as a couple of crossbows he'd taken off one of the Kul Tirans. He'd been confident that in close quarters he'd be able to take the tower, but he'd been concerned that if his estimations of the enemy force were inaccurate he'd be overcome by their numbers, or delayed long enough for reinforcements to reach the tower.
"I have a better idea." you say after you hear his plan.
While the initial elements of Vark's plan are sound, there are several areas you can see ways to improve.
You approach one watchtower by cover of night, coming close to the palisade. The wall is roughly square, set around the base of the hill the watchtower sits on.
Approach = 72
Base roll 66
Tactics +2
Warsight +3
Stealth +1
You both climb over the palisade quite easily and you rely on your Sight to tell you when to move. You don't see the watchers above on the tower but the Spirit of the Wilds is in all things and you lead Vark from shadow to shadow till you reach the base of the tower. Then you take one of Vark's crossbows, as well as a slim rope you'd gotten from one of the fishermen in the village. The shot of the crossbow launches a quarrel with the rope attached over one corner of the tower, leaving the two ends of the rope hanging down. Vark takes one and with his strength and your smaller frame easily hauls you up the tower. Vark will begin his attack while you'll kill anyone who tries to reach the top of the tower to light the beacon, then make your way downward with some of Vark's bombs, hitting the garrison of the tower from above and below.
First round = 109 vs Enemy opposition = 67 (87-20 for surprise)
Base role 93
Tactics +2
Warsight +3
Battle Fury +5
Weapon handling +3
Stealth +1
Vark starts making noise below and you hear the dull thunks of his axe as he goes about his grisly work while you watch from above. He kills three men, shooting one with his crossbow and the other two with the axe, but then they raise the alarm, men shouting from within the tower and several rushing out weapons drawn. You hear footsteps on the ladder and as soon as the Kul Tiran's head comes through the hatch you're ready, striking him with one of the logs from the beacon. You decide not to use your sword in case the fire from its magic alerts any of the other towers. Two more men fall in the same way and you leave three bodies beside the beacon before taking the torch the last one brought up and lighting the fuses on the crude bombs Vark made up. They're barely more than sacks filled with gunpowder and rocks but the first bomb stuns the soldiers readying themselves below you allowing you to slay the half dozen men in the room who were still getting their armour on. You stand among the corpses, Baneshadow's sword burning in your hand and look around you, then as you hear shouts from below you throw another of the bombs down the stairs to the next level, charging down as soon as the explosion sends a cloud of dust up through the tower.
Second round = 78 vs Enemy opposition = 77 (87-10 for surprise)
Base role 67
Warsight +3
Battle Fury +5
Weapon handling +3
What meets you below is the hardest fight in your short life, and it nearly ends that life.
You take the steps three at a time, barrelling into one figure who looms out of the smoke at the bottom of the stairs and swiping wildly at him as you pass. You manage to turn the swipe into a tackle and roll away quickly, only your Sight stopping your head from being separated from your body as a sword swipes through the smoke at you. Eyes stinging you rely on your Sight again, burning sword swinging in the tower as you parry two more strikes. You counterattack but are completely unprepared for your your blade to bite and stick in one of your opponents as you finally realise that unlike the men above you now face three knights, fully armoured with mail and plate.
As the smoke clears you see them fully, the anchor of Kul Tiras emblazoned on their tunics and see that one of their number lies dead, on the floor. You hear thumping from the tower's door, but the wood is thick and bound with iron. One of the knights looks at the door and back to you, opens the visor of his helm and spits at your feet. You hear a muffled order from him before all three launch themselves at you.
Hold out! = 75 vs Enemy opposition = 87
Base role 64
Warsight +3
Battle Fury +5
Weapon handling +3
You fight. You fight for your life, fiery sword swinging in the confines of the tower. The knights seem utterly unconcerned by your magical weapon, using their shields to almost nullify it, one allowing your sword to pass through the rim of his shield and get stuck in the wood before he drops the ruined mess of wood and strikes you in the face with his sword's pommel stunning you, the others closing in. You manage to take one's leg with a quick strike of your sword where his armour is thin and he goes down screaming, then you feel a flash from your Sight and dodge just fast enough not to be skewered by the sword of their leader just as you'd skewered boars when hunting. The thumping at the door continues, Vark bellowing on the outside and the wood begins to splinter, but just as you see his mighty axe break through your vision fills with the metal boss of a knight's shield and you reel back, bouncing off the wall, his sword thrusting into your belly.
Only the fury of your people keeps you conscious. The fire in your blood, perhaps the demonic rage of the Pitlord Mannoroth, or perhaps the ancient resilience of your people, you don't know, but with the last of your strength you surge to your feet, blood pouring from your wound, sword swinging, the knight's head flying across the room.
The last knight hesitates as the death of their leader, hesitates a moment too long for with a final bellow Vark charges through the door, its tangled wreckage knocking the last knight down. Vark sees the scene and immediately grabs you, slinging you over his shoulder and fleeing the watchtower, your blood running down his shoulder as he runs without stopping back to the village.
Result = 97
You have no memory of the days that follow, but you're told you hovered between life and death for a time before the colour returned to you skin. The trolls tended you, expending significant effort to heal your wounds, but you were severely injured and it will take time to recover. Vark comes regularly to sit by your beside and brings you food and you learn from him the results of your raid. Apart from your injury you you were remarkably successful, and it seems the Kul Tirans have entirely retreated from their watchtowers and patrols, concentrating all their garrison within Tirasgarde Keep. However, you were unable to recover anything such as enemy documents or equipment from the raid due to the rapidity of your retreat, and barely managed to keep hold of your sword. Vark has also used up all the gunpowder bombs he had.
As you lie in bed or walk about a little carefully you reflect on your experience. You believe you fought well, but you simply couldn't overcome the knights, they were at least as well trained as you and had better equipment. You were strong in the attack, but you had little defence, and little ability to fight outside of your swordwork. Vark's bombs had been effective, but you also need armour and perhaps magic. You learnt far more from your frantic fight in the tower than you usually do on the training ground.
Warsight +25% to next level
Battle Fury +25% to next level
Advanced Weapon Competency +25% to next level
Tactics +15% to next level
Basic Leadership +5% to next level
Stealth +10% to next level
Due to your experience you now have options to specifically investigate the areas of weakness you've identified.
74+7 for Spirit affinity= 81
While you recover you continue your meditation. You reflect on the ways your Sight had presented itself in the past, as well as during your battle with the Kul Tirans, and you also spend some time leafing through your Flamebender's Tome reading about 'Flameseers', divinators of the Burning Blade. Using a few of the techniques you read about you manage to slip into a deep trance where you witness your clearest vision yet.
You find yourself walking through a misty jungle, your flaming sword in your hand, you battle several trolls, easily slaying them due to their shuffling movement and clumsy attacks and you assume your vision-self is fighting some of the hexxed slaves of Zalazane, the Darkspear traitor who controls the Echo Isles. You finally reach the edge of the jungle and look out at a ship, certainly the ship that had attacked the village last month. It appears damaged still, listing to one side slightly, but you also see strange energies weaving through the rigging and sails, as if the ship was animated by strange powers. The sailors and the captain have the same dead-eyed look the trolls you've fought did.
Warsight +5% to next level
Socialising rolls
21, 20, 85
You'd planned to seek out Vok'fon the bandit after your mission to Tirasgarde, and had tried to catch the attention of a few of the higher status trolls to learn more about him. However, many are busy with the repairs to the village and organising various things, and you find even less success after your injury confines you to your bed. It's only after Master Vornal, presently the leader of the village while Master Gadrin is injured comes to visit you to check your own injury that you manage to spend time with any of the elders as Vornal sends several to tend to you in thanks for your mission against the Kul Tirans. On a few occasions the elders ask your opinion on matters involving the orcs and you answer as best you can considering your relatively little political knowledge. You are however the heir of a clan, so you know a little of what they want to know, and in turn they answer a few of your questions.
When Vornal returns one day you manage to speak to him regarding his son Vok'fon and learn more about the bandit. Furthermore, you relate the vision you'd experienced to Vornal who only scowls.
"Dere be dark powers at work on de Echo Isles... Dark powers..."
Basic Leadership +5% to next level
Basic Scholarship +5% to next level
Echo Isles roll = 8
Your vision, as well as the discussion you'd had with the elders including Vornal indicate to you that Zalazane has hexxed the remaining crew of the ship that raided you. It is likely that Zalazane now has control of an ocean-going, cannon armed warship, though a damaged one with a reduced crew.
Kolkar Crag roll = 89
You also learn from the elders that the centaur have almost entirely retreated back into the Kolkar Crag.
Vok'fon mission
Intel = 93
Base roll 91
Basic Persuasion +1
Basic Scholarship +1
Finally, after healing a little more you feel strong enough to walk into the hills where you've learnt Vok'fon keeps his camp. You spent time speaking with Master Vornal about his son, as well as many of the other trolls in the village and you have an excellent idea of Vok'fon's motivations and the specifics of his disagreement with the main body of the Darkspear.
Planning = 102
Base roll 100 (natural crit)
Basic Persuasion +1
Basic Scholarship +1
Vok'fon disagrees with the changes that have been made to Darkspear culture since their inclusion into the Horde and feels that the abandonment of ancient traditions has weakened the tribe. You learn many of the witch-doctors who didn't join Zalazane have sympathies toward Vok'fon. The bandit also seems to want the Darkspear to abandon their more primitive way of life and emulate the more powerful and centralised Troll tribes. You initially considered this a contradiction, but with your knowledge of troll culture you realise Vok'fon follows an older model of troll culture, rather than the specific form of organisation the Darkspear currently follow. You make your plan to persuade him accordingly, and you bring your sword. You don't have any likelihood of beating the troll in a duel as you'd considered before due to your injury, but in this case you think it'll actually help you.
Enemy opposition = 20
When you reach the bandit camp you find much greater force than you'd heard about, or rather, you'd heard Vok'fon had most of the raptor riders with him as well as many warriors, but you hadn't really anticipated how fearsome fifty reptiles with claws like daggers could look. The bandits occupied one of the many ravines of Durotar and their raptors flanked you as you were led to their leader, the trolls looking down at you with distain.
Vok'fon reclines on furs at the end of the ravine, almost holding court among his warriors. Beside him meat roasts, you suspect centaur given there are few animals the shape of the meat on the spit. You're grateful Vok'fon doesn't offer you any. Perhaps the bandits have been responsible for the lack of activity out of Kolkar Crag?
"Speak ya words mon." Vok'fon says as you sit down, "I know me fada be sendin' ya."
You breathe slowly, and begin your oration. You'd considered what you were going to say carefully, relying on your experience of trolls, their history and policies to form your argument.
"The Darkspear are weak, driven from home to home, driven out of Stranglethorn, out of Echo Isles, almost out of Sen'jin by the attack I'm sure you know about. Your people teeter on a knife edge, clinging to a bare strand on a hostile continent."
The Trolls reaction is hardly welcoming, but Vok'fon remains still.
"Who do you look to for assistance? Who aids you? We do, we the Horde, we the Orcs. This wound," you touch the bandages around your stomach, "I took defending Sen'jin against the humans. No one else will, no one else will while allowing you to maintain your traditions. You know your history better than a stranger of another race does, the Gurubashi extracted tribute from you, and if you look to Zuldazar and the Zandalari they'll treat you as they do every other troll tribe, slaves to the City of Gold. You know you can't stand on your own, and even if you could to what end? We are strong together. Orcs have no interest interfering in your practices, we don't within our own clans, with my own containing most of the warlocks of the Horde. We don't trouble the Tauren or insist they give up their druidism, and while we find some of your customs offensive they remain your customs, troll customs."
You don't think Vok'fon would have kept raiding, knowing as he likely did about the attack on Sen'jin and the present weakness of the village, just as you were sure he wouldn't attack you with your injury so obvious, but you were trying to get him to join the Darkspear again, not to simply remain passive.
"Myself and two other orcs were sent here a few months ago to learn from our allies and we have done so. We've fought alongside the Darkspear, spilled blood alongside the Darkspear. There is a sore need for you in the village now, many remain wounded and there remains much work to repair after the attack, Master Gadrin is injured and your father leads while he recovers. Speak with him, lead not only your warriors but your people!"
Result = 72
Vok'fon proves as honourable as his reputation suggested and allows you to rest the night, giving you hospitality and even having his witch-doctor redress your injury before returning to the village. A few days later he rides in on his raptor, straight to the elders' hut to speak with his father. You aren't privy to the conversation they have, but several days after that Vok'fon's band come down from the hills and set up camp outside the village. After you manage to open your stitches a few days before they're due to be taken out it's Master Vornal himself who comes to tend to you. He doesn't mention your visit to Vok'fon, but when he leaves he nods deeply to you, too deeply to be accidental. You suspect this won't be the end of the disagreement between Vok'fon and the Darkspear, but for the moment at least the situation is resolved, and Vok'fon's warriors will defend the village for the foreseeable future.
You gain the thanks and approval of the Darkspear tribe, to be quantified at some later date. This largely erases your debt to the tribe for healing you and saving your life. You particularly gain the thanks of Master Vornal and you could seek him out in future for specific things.
Due to your planning and execution of a strategy involving scholarship and persuasion rather than simply fighting you also make progress on your skills:
Basic Persuasion > Persuasion: You've learned to understand the other person's perspective and target your persuasion better and you can now rely on a range of persuasive methods in attempting to win over other parties without violence.
Basic Scholarship +10% to next level
Skill updates, added to the character sheet:
Basic Survival +30% to next level, reduced malus to any survival rolls on Echo Isles.
You gain 'Basic Stealth': You've learned the basics of quiet movement and stealthy action from the Trolls of Sen'jin. +1 to stealth rolls, and the ability to consider stealthier plans which you previously didn't have the training for. +10% to next level
Warsight +30% to next level
Battle Fury +20% to next level
Advanced Weapon Competency +25% to next level
Tactics +15% to next level
Basic Leadership +10% to next level
Basic Scholarship +15% to next level
Basic Persuasion > Persuasion: You've learned to understand the other person's perspective and target your persuasion better and you can now rely on a range of persuasive methods in attempting to win over other parties without violence.
As ever, reactions and questions encouraged.
Two reminders, firstly, I started a warcraft fic if you're interested.
Secondly, the winning vote this time had lots of explanation, this is encouraged as it'll allow you as the questers to better direct the quest. For example, the helping vark option would have been a pretty passive mission unless indicated otherwise, which it was.
On with the update:
You've now spent three months at Sen'jin village. The seasons have changed and you've learnt a lot and gotten to know the Darkspear Trolls much better than you did previously. You now have a decent knowledge of their customs, and some knowledge of Trollish customs in general. This doesn't modify your 'Basic Scholarship' skill but you can now as about specific things and I'll answer with the knowledge you have. For example, you now know that Hakkar is bad news rather than just one of the many loa.
Furthermore, due to living in the village for several months you now have a general knowledge of who everyone, including the prominent figures and their activities. You don't know specifics, but this is to represent hearing about things on the street. If you'd taken the 'Socialise with everyone' action you would have gained this knowledge earlier. This has minor narrative and mechanical effects.
In your second six weeks you dedicate your time to tackling the different threats around Sen'jin, as well as preparing to do so.
You were only wounded slightly in the attack on the village and your arm heals quickly and without complication.
While you're a good swordsman and have certain other skills, you aren't currently very experienced in the skills that would support you in other areas. Most notably, you consider that given your relatively small size compared with many of the threats you intend to tackle, you won't be able to rely on brute force alone as Vark tends to do, nor would you be able to triumph against several foes. As such you seek out training in stealth, the Darkspear are excellent hunters and ambushers and despite your initial failure to find a teacher for this, you rely on your knowledge of the village to track down one of the old hunters who you've spoken to.
Stealth training rolls
Availability of teacher = 4 (nullified by other factors)
Knowledge of teacher = 60
Willingness to teach = 97
Your learning = 59
The hunter greets you enthusiastically and once you mention you've been asked to join the expedition to Echo Isles he becomes even more interested in teaching you. You're a decent student and learn well from the old hunter.
"Da Zandalari tink Hethiss and Shirvallah be lesser Loa, tink dey be weak. Stalk like da tiger, strike like da snake, den dey see how weak you are mon."
You gain 'Basic Stealth', +1 to stealth rolls, and the ability to consider stealthier plans which you previously didn't have the training for.
You also seek out more knowledge on how to survive in the wilderness. You don't know exactly where you might be going in future, but the Echo Isles are a very different environment to the dusty crags and flats of Durotar and you want to be able to survive in hostile territory in future rather than be always tethered to a base.
Survival training rolls
Availability of teacher = 63
Knowledge of teacher = 76
Willingness to teach = 33
Your learning = 3 (mitigated by other factors)
The trolls are excellent survivalists with many of them being hunters experienced in dangerous places, and you don't have any difficulty finding knowledgeable trolls to learn from. Some are willing to teach you a little, but many are quite busy either repairing the village or with other duties. As such you don't learn nearly as much as you might have if your teachers had been more available, and really you just get passed around and sent between different trolls. You do pick up some skills though.
Basic Survival +30% to next level, reduced malus to any survival rolls on Echo Isles.
You decide to tackle the threats of Tirasgarde and the Kul Tiran remnants still patrolling the land, as well as trying to persuade the bandit Vok'fon to return to the village. You decide to tackle Tirasgarde first as Vark intends to head out for a week to ambush more patrols. Vark relies extensively on his physical might and while he isn't a brute, he generally hasn't seen the need to plan his excursions before. As such when you speak to him you learn he doesn't have much knowledge of the Kul Tirans other than the basics, nor does he have a particularly well developed plan, other than to attack them using a few tricks he's picked up. He was planning on using these tricks if you didn't agree to accompany him, but you still think a lone orc, no matter how large, wouldn't fare well against a dozen armed men. Furthermore, you consider yourself obliged to assist Vark as a fellow warrior.
Rolls for Tirasgarde mission
Intel = 30
Vark explains that Tirasgarde Keep is situated on a small hill north of you, near to the east shore of Durotar. The keep is surrounded by smaller buildings which support it such as an armoury, as well as a well built stone wall. Within eyesight of the tallest tower of the keep there are several stone watchtowers in every direction. Each watchtower is surrounded by a wooden palisade and has a beacon on top which can be used to summon aid from the keep. Vark remarks that the patrols he's fought in the past haven't been particularly well armed, but that armoured knights on horseback as well as riflemen will ride out and reinforce any tower that's attacked.
Planning = 59
Base roll 46
+1 from Basic Leadership
+2 from Tactics
+10 for available equipment
Vark planned to attack one of the watchtowers with several gunpowder bombs he'd acquired from the raiders you faced previously, as well as a couple of crossbows he'd taken off one of the Kul Tirans. He'd been confident that in close quarters he'd be able to take the tower, but he'd been concerned that if his estimations of the enemy force were inaccurate he'd be overcome by their numbers, or delayed long enough for reinforcements to reach the tower.
"I have a better idea." you say after you hear his plan.
While the initial elements of Vark's plan are sound, there are several areas you can see ways to improve.
You approach one watchtower by cover of night, coming close to the palisade. The wall is roughly square, set around the base of the hill the watchtower sits on.
Approach = 72
Base roll 66
Tactics +2
Warsight +3
Stealth +1
You both climb over the palisade quite easily and you rely on your Sight to tell you when to move. You don't see the watchers above on the tower but the Spirit of the Wilds is in all things and you lead Vark from shadow to shadow till you reach the base of the tower. Then you take one of Vark's crossbows, as well as a slim rope you'd gotten from one of the fishermen in the village. The shot of the crossbow launches a quarrel with the rope attached over one corner of the tower, leaving the two ends of the rope hanging down. Vark takes one and with his strength and your smaller frame easily hauls you up the tower. Vark will begin his attack while you'll kill anyone who tries to reach the top of the tower to light the beacon, then make your way downward with some of Vark's bombs, hitting the garrison of the tower from above and below.
First round = 109 vs Enemy opposition = 67 (87-20 for surprise)
Base role 93
Tactics +2
Warsight +3
Battle Fury +5
Weapon handling +3
Stealth +1
Vark starts making noise below and you hear the dull thunks of his axe as he goes about his grisly work while you watch from above. He kills three men, shooting one with his crossbow and the other two with the axe, but then they raise the alarm, men shouting from within the tower and several rushing out weapons drawn. You hear footsteps on the ladder and as soon as the Kul Tiran's head comes through the hatch you're ready, striking him with one of the logs from the beacon. You decide not to use your sword in case the fire from its magic alerts any of the other towers. Two more men fall in the same way and you leave three bodies beside the beacon before taking the torch the last one brought up and lighting the fuses on the crude bombs Vark made up. They're barely more than sacks filled with gunpowder and rocks but the first bomb stuns the soldiers readying themselves below you allowing you to slay the half dozen men in the room who were still getting their armour on. You stand among the corpses, Baneshadow's sword burning in your hand and look around you, then as you hear shouts from below you throw another of the bombs down the stairs to the next level, charging down as soon as the explosion sends a cloud of dust up through the tower.
Second round = 78 vs Enemy opposition = 77 (87-10 for surprise)
Base role 67
Warsight +3
Battle Fury +5
Weapon handling +3
What meets you below is the hardest fight in your short life, and it nearly ends that life.
You take the steps three at a time, barrelling into one figure who looms out of the smoke at the bottom of the stairs and swiping wildly at him as you pass. You manage to turn the swipe into a tackle and roll away quickly, only your Sight stopping your head from being separated from your body as a sword swipes through the smoke at you. Eyes stinging you rely on your Sight again, burning sword swinging in the tower as you parry two more strikes. You counterattack but are completely unprepared for your your blade to bite and stick in one of your opponents as you finally realise that unlike the men above you now face three knights, fully armoured with mail and plate.
As the smoke clears you see them fully, the anchor of Kul Tiras emblazoned on their tunics and see that one of their number lies dead, on the floor. You hear thumping from the tower's door, but the wood is thick and bound with iron. One of the knights looks at the door and back to you, opens the visor of his helm and spits at your feet. You hear a muffled order from him before all three launch themselves at you.
Hold out! = 75 vs Enemy opposition = 87
Base role 64
Warsight +3
Battle Fury +5
Weapon handling +3
You fight. You fight for your life, fiery sword swinging in the confines of the tower. The knights seem utterly unconcerned by your magical weapon, using their shields to almost nullify it, one allowing your sword to pass through the rim of his shield and get stuck in the wood before he drops the ruined mess of wood and strikes you in the face with his sword's pommel stunning you, the others closing in. You manage to take one's leg with a quick strike of your sword where his armour is thin and he goes down screaming, then you feel a flash from your Sight and dodge just fast enough not to be skewered by the sword of their leader just as you'd skewered boars when hunting. The thumping at the door continues, Vark bellowing on the outside and the wood begins to splinter, but just as you see his mighty axe break through your vision fills with the metal boss of a knight's shield and you reel back, bouncing off the wall, his sword thrusting into your belly.
Only the fury of your people keeps you conscious. The fire in your blood, perhaps the demonic rage of the Pitlord Mannoroth, or perhaps the ancient resilience of your people, you don't know, but with the last of your strength you surge to your feet, blood pouring from your wound, sword swinging, the knight's head flying across the room.
The last knight hesitates as the death of their leader, hesitates a moment too long for with a final bellow Vark charges through the door, its tangled wreckage knocking the last knight down. Vark sees the scene and immediately grabs you, slinging you over his shoulder and fleeing the watchtower, your blood running down his shoulder as he runs without stopping back to the village.
Result = 97
You have no memory of the days that follow, but you're told you hovered between life and death for a time before the colour returned to you skin. The trolls tended you, expending significant effort to heal your wounds, but you were severely injured and it will take time to recover. Vark comes regularly to sit by your beside and brings you food and you learn from him the results of your raid. Apart from your injury you you were remarkably successful, and it seems the Kul Tirans have entirely retreated from their watchtowers and patrols, concentrating all their garrison within Tirasgarde Keep. However, you were unable to recover anything such as enemy documents or equipment from the raid due to the rapidity of your retreat, and barely managed to keep hold of your sword. Vark has also used up all the gunpowder bombs he had.
As you lie in bed or walk about a little carefully you reflect on your experience. You believe you fought well, but you simply couldn't overcome the knights, they were at least as well trained as you and had better equipment. You were strong in the attack, but you had little defence, and little ability to fight outside of your swordwork. Vark's bombs had been effective, but you also need armour and perhaps magic. You learnt far more from your frantic fight in the tower than you usually do on the training ground.
Warsight +25% to next level
Battle Fury +25% to next level
Advanced Weapon Competency +25% to next level
Tactics +15% to next level
Basic Leadership +5% to next level
Stealth +10% to next level
Due to your experience you now have options to specifically investigate the areas of weakness you've identified.
- You are injured and receive a significant malus to physical rolls in the near future. This malus will reduce over time as your recovery progresses. Actions for next turn are reduced by 2 for the next update, and 1 for the update after.
- Kul Tiran presence in Durotar concentrated in Tirasgarde Keep for the moment.
- Honour demands you repay Vark and the trolls for saving you life.
74+7 for Spirit affinity= 81
While you recover you continue your meditation. You reflect on the ways your Sight had presented itself in the past, as well as during your battle with the Kul Tirans, and you also spend some time leafing through your Flamebender's Tome reading about 'Flameseers', divinators of the Burning Blade. Using a few of the techniques you read about you manage to slip into a deep trance where you witness your clearest vision yet.
You find yourself walking through a misty jungle, your flaming sword in your hand, you battle several trolls, easily slaying them due to their shuffling movement and clumsy attacks and you assume your vision-self is fighting some of the hexxed slaves of Zalazane, the Darkspear traitor who controls the Echo Isles. You finally reach the edge of the jungle and look out at a ship, certainly the ship that had attacked the village last month. It appears damaged still, listing to one side slightly, but you also see strange energies weaving through the rigging and sails, as if the ship was animated by strange powers. The sailors and the captain have the same dead-eyed look the trolls you've fought did.
Warsight +5% to next level
Socialising rolls
21, 20, 85
You'd planned to seek out Vok'fon the bandit after your mission to Tirasgarde, and had tried to catch the attention of a few of the higher status trolls to learn more about him. However, many are busy with the repairs to the village and organising various things, and you find even less success after your injury confines you to your bed. It's only after Master Vornal, presently the leader of the village while Master Gadrin is injured comes to visit you to check your own injury that you manage to spend time with any of the elders as Vornal sends several to tend to you in thanks for your mission against the Kul Tirans. On a few occasions the elders ask your opinion on matters involving the orcs and you answer as best you can considering your relatively little political knowledge. You are however the heir of a clan, so you know a little of what they want to know, and in turn they answer a few of your questions.
When Vornal returns one day you manage to speak to him regarding his son Vok'fon and learn more about the bandit. Furthermore, you relate the vision you'd experienced to Vornal who only scowls.
"Dere be dark powers at work on de Echo Isles... Dark powers..."
Basic Leadership +5% to next level
Basic Scholarship +5% to next level
Echo Isles roll = 8
Your vision, as well as the discussion you'd had with the elders including Vornal indicate to you that Zalazane has hexxed the remaining crew of the ship that raided you. It is likely that Zalazane now has control of an ocean-going, cannon armed warship, though a damaged one with a reduced crew.
Kolkar Crag roll = 89
You also learn from the elders that the centaur have almost entirely retreated back into the Kolkar Crag.
Vok'fon mission
Intel = 93
Base roll 91
Basic Persuasion +1
Basic Scholarship +1
Finally, after healing a little more you feel strong enough to walk into the hills where you've learnt Vok'fon keeps his camp. You spent time speaking with Master Vornal about his son, as well as many of the other trolls in the village and you have an excellent idea of Vok'fon's motivations and the specifics of his disagreement with the main body of the Darkspear.
Planning = 102
Base roll 100 (natural crit)
Basic Persuasion +1
Basic Scholarship +1
Vok'fon disagrees with the changes that have been made to Darkspear culture since their inclusion into the Horde and feels that the abandonment of ancient traditions has weakened the tribe. You learn many of the witch-doctors who didn't join Zalazane have sympathies toward Vok'fon. The bandit also seems to want the Darkspear to abandon their more primitive way of life and emulate the more powerful and centralised Troll tribes. You initially considered this a contradiction, but with your knowledge of troll culture you realise Vok'fon follows an older model of troll culture, rather than the specific form of organisation the Darkspear currently follow. You make your plan to persuade him accordingly, and you bring your sword. You don't have any likelihood of beating the troll in a duel as you'd considered before due to your injury, but in this case you think it'll actually help you.
Enemy opposition = 20
When you reach the bandit camp you find much greater force than you'd heard about, or rather, you'd heard Vok'fon had most of the raptor riders with him as well as many warriors, but you hadn't really anticipated how fearsome fifty reptiles with claws like daggers could look. The bandits occupied one of the many ravines of Durotar and their raptors flanked you as you were led to their leader, the trolls looking down at you with distain.
Vok'fon reclines on furs at the end of the ravine, almost holding court among his warriors. Beside him meat roasts, you suspect centaur given there are few animals the shape of the meat on the spit. You're grateful Vok'fon doesn't offer you any. Perhaps the bandits have been responsible for the lack of activity out of Kolkar Crag?
"Speak ya words mon." Vok'fon says as you sit down, "I know me fada be sendin' ya."
You breathe slowly, and begin your oration. You'd considered what you were going to say carefully, relying on your experience of trolls, their history and policies to form your argument.
"The Darkspear are weak, driven from home to home, driven out of Stranglethorn, out of Echo Isles, almost out of Sen'jin by the attack I'm sure you know about. Your people teeter on a knife edge, clinging to a bare strand on a hostile continent."
The Trolls reaction is hardly welcoming, but Vok'fon remains still.
"Who do you look to for assistance? Who aids you? We do, we the Horde, we the Orcs. This wound," you touch the bandages around your stomach, "I took defending Sen'jin against the humans. No one else will, no one else will while allowing you to maintain your traditions. You know your history better than a stranger of another race does, the Gurubashi extracted tribute from you, and if you look to Zuldazar and the Zandalari they'll treat you as they do every other troll tribe, slaves to the City of Gold. You know you can't stand on your own, and even if you could to what end? We are strong together. Orcs have no interest interfering in your practices, we don't within our own clans, with my own containing most of the warlocks of the Horde. We don't trouble the Tauren or insist they give up their druidism, and while we find some of your customs offensive they remain your customs, troll customs."
You don't think Vok'fon would have kept raiding, knowing as he likely did about the attack on Sen'jin and the present weakness of the village, just as you were sure he wouldn't attack you with your injury so obvious, but you were trying to get him to join the Darkspear again, not to simply remain passive.
"Myself and two other orcs were sent here a few months ago to learn from our allies and we have done so. We've fought alongside the Darkspear, spilled blood alongside the Darkspear. There is a sore need for you in the village now, many remain wounded and there remains much work to repair after the attack, Master Gadrin is injured and your father leads while he recovers. Speak with him, lead not only your warriors but your people!"
Result = 72
Vok'fon proves as honourable as his reputation suggested and allows you to rest the night, giving you hospitality and even having his witch-doctor redress your injury before returning to the village. A few days later he rides in on his raptor, straight to the elders' hut to speak with his father. You aren't privy to the conversation they have, but several days after that Vok'fon's band come down from the hills and set up camp outside the village. After you manage to open your stitches a few days before they're due to be taken out it's Master Vornal himself who comes to tend to you. He doesn't mention your visit to Vok'fon, but when he leaves he nods deeply to you, too deeply to be accidental. You suspect this won't be the end of the disagreement between Vok'fon and the Darkspear, but for the moment at least the situation is resolved, and Vok'fon's warriors will defend the village for the foreseeable future.
You gain the thanks and approval of the Darkspear tribe, to be quantified at some later date. This largely erases your debt to the tribe for healing you and saving your life. You particularly gain the thanks of Master Vornal and you could seek him out in future for specific things.
Due to your planning and execution of a strategy involving scholarship and persuasion rather than simply fighting you also make progress on your skills:
Basic Persuasion > Persuasion: You've learned to understand the other person's perspective and target your persuasion better and you can now rely on a range of persuasive methods in attempting to win over other parties without violence.
Basic Scholarship +10% to next level
Skill updates, added to the character sheet:
Basic Survival +30% to next level, reduced malus to any survival rolls on Echo Isles.
You gain 'Basic Stealth': You've learned the basics of quiet movement and stealthy action from the Trolls of Sen'jin. +1 to stealth rolls, and the ability to consider stealthier plans which you previously didn't have the training for. +10% to next level
Warsight +30% to next level
Battle Fury +20% to next level
Advanced Weapon Competency +25% to next level
Tactics +15% to next level
Basic Leadership +10% to next level
Basic Scholarship +15% to next level
Basic Persuasion > Persuasion: You've learned to understand the other person's perspective and target your persuasion better and you can now rely on a range of persuasive methods in attempting to win over other parties without violence.
As ever, reactions and questions encouraged.
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Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
We really are an Orc Samurai arent we?
- Location
- United Kingdom
Thematically the honour culture of the orcs is more alike to that of Arabia than Japan, but canonically blizzard has leant heavily, and rather crudely imo into the samurai imagery, such as the shashimono back banner for the Burning Blade and blademasters in general.
Now samurai are famous and stuff but keep in mind theyre mainly famously for dying heroically for meaningless reasons, see the 47 Ronin etc. Maybe not the archetype to emulate.