[Fun and Games] RPG RPG #2

[zuhrovet]

Ankat gathers all of the Prisons & Pangolins players, and any interested observers, to begin the first game session.

"Each of you has chosen to leave the city, in search of treasure, renown, or a moderately impressive death. You have made your way to a small, dull village at the edge of a big, scary wilderness. You find yourself at a big communal table in a dirty inn. The sign outside was the White Rat. That's definitely auspicious. Tell us who your character is, what they look like, and how they react to the other travelers!"

[A note on mechanics: Sasha and Remi are naturally inclined to bicker about the rules of Prisons & Pangolins. This does not mean that you, as a meta-player, need to know what the rules are. In fact, it doesn't even mean that rules exist! This process is still free-form and consensus-driven, and dice only matter inasmuch as some of us like writing descriptions of very pretty imaginary dice.

You are welcome, of course, to have your character wander by and observe without making a character for them.
If you want to introduce a sudden Zehun or something instead, by all means, go for it: we're not being precise about time or continuity.]

Comments

[zuhrovet]

"That is very pretty, but I'm not sure if it's useful," Sasha says on Arxan's behalf. "Arxan's from the mountains to the south. It's been about ten thousand years since an eruption, but they're still active volcanoes. She tells Kaistlin she's interested in ruins and treasure."

[Sasha and I have different philosophies of role-playing, but apparently the same drive to follow the plot.]

[yhlee]

"Lanterns usually work better," Remi says for Kaistlin, "but it does have occasional applications in signaling in dark situations. Kaistlin is interested in wealth redistribution, but only with his fair share, of course."

[Oh dear God. I think this is socialist not!Raistlin.]

[zuhrovet]

"Huh, I bet we could work out something fun with mirrors," Sasha says. "Arxan tithes to her clan. They are basically good, if moralistic, so she's lucky. Has Kaistlin heard anything about treasure nearby?"

[yhlee]

"Kaistlin did hear some rumors in town from traders and fruit-sellers and the like," Remi says obligingly. "Something about ancient artifacts, beautifully wrought objets d'art, and possibly even inscriptions of interest to historians or magic-users."

[slybrarian]

"Spark has been told of a dragon and its hoard somewhere to the north, which may be related or may be something else entirely. Regrettably the person telling him was color-blind and unable to specify the shade or even shininess of the dragon," Alaric adds in. "Given that we are level one and I'm not sure our combined hit points reach double-digits, we should probably put that down under 'things to do later'. Assuming there even is a dragon and it's not some sort of trick."

[yhlee]

Remi raises his voice so that Ankat can hear. "Excuse me," he says, "is what our characters know about the chromatism of dragons likely to be at all accurate? Or do we have hilariously misguided notions about dragons and alignment, assuming you're using the Devious Dragons supplement as well?"

on the nature of dragons

[zuhrovet]

Ankat shrugs. "Metallic dragons like being flattered and having handsome minions, and other sorts of dragons like being feared and having terrifying minions. If you want to match that up to good and evil, well, I guess everyone likes a good fairy tale. Maybe more to the purpose, you've heard some rumors about an abandoned meditation center near this village."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[yhlee]

Remi grins wryly. "Flattery, huh? I'll have to keep that in mind. Although really, there's nothing wrong with being feared by the right people. Hypothetically speaking. Anyway, is this meditation center devoted to one of the Known Gods, or is that currently a mystery?"

Re: on the nature of dragons

[zuhrovet]

"Good question!" Ankat says. "You're not a bard--do you have some other relevant skill? If not, you'll have to ask one of the locals."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[yhlee]

"No, nothing of the sort, I'm afraid," Remi says. He's probably figured out that trying to rules-lawyer Ankat is a losing game. "Kaistlin turns to Spark and Arxan and excuses himself, then casts his eyes around for a friendly-looking local to ask. Since Kaistlin doesn't have high charisma, he's going to settle for offering to buy someone a drink in exchange for information."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[zuhrovet]

Ankat says, "You notice another adventurer talking to a man who seems very friendly! You also notice a woman near the hearth who's been nursing her drink like she's trying to make it last."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[yhlee]

Remi says, "Kaistlin only needs to eavesdrop on the other adventurer and the friendly man for a few moments to realize that any interruption would probably be, ah, cockblocking, and he'd rather not antagonize either unnecessarily. He makes his way to the woman near the hearth, says rather forthrightly that he could use some information, and offers to buy her a drink." Remi peruses his inventory. "Assuming he can afford a drink in this place."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[zuhrovet]

"You never know, the men might be willing to share," Ankat says, drily. "Anyway, the ale here is inexpensive, and you can certainly afford a couple of drinks." He fiddles with his tablet for a moment and adds, "The woman's got a broad mouth and wrinkles around her eyes from too much sun. She grins and asks whether you're looking to buy land."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[yhlee]

Remi blinks. "Kaistlin asks what kind of land she's selling, and how the drainage and soil quality are. And if it's any good for raising geese."

Re: on the nature of dragons

[zuhrovet]

Ankat, who has seen a couple of documentaries about Jedao, looks suspiciously at Remi for a moment, then shrugs. "The woman says, 'Oh, I'm not personally selling, unless you can talk my sibs into giving up their shares too. There just isn't a lot around here except land. And the odd ghost story, I suppose.'"

Re: on the nature of dragons

[yhlee]

As an OOC aside, Remi says, "I used to have a friend who talked a lot about goose husbandry." IC, he says, "Kaistlin asks, 'Tell me about the ghost stories? I hadn't realized there were ghosts in this area...I thought ghosts were superstition.'"

Re: on the nature of dragons

[zuhrovet]

[The uncertain nature of time here is rather alarming.]

"Nobody ever stopped telling a story just because it was superstition!" Sasha observes.

On the farmer's behalf, Ankat says, "You know there used to be a meditation center, in the wetlands nearby? The people there were killed, in some skirmish or other, and the land's too boggy to grow anything useful, so it was basically abandoned. But on nights when none of the moons are up, you can see red lights going back and forth across the causeway. Like pilgrims' lanterns, but there aren't any pilgrims, at least not any living ones."

Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[yhlee]

"Well, we can't let ghosts menace people, even over wetlands that no one is using," Remi says for Kaistlin. "Besides, I'm interested in studying the phenomenon. Who knows? Perhaps there's a more rational explanation."

[Oh God, now I'm having Scooby Doo vibes...]

Re: Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[zuhrovet]

"It had better not be an actual ghost," Sasha says. "We're only first level. Ask her how we get to the meditation center."

Re: Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[yhlee]

"Good call," Remi says for Kaistlin. "Kaistlin turns to the woman and nods hintingly at the drink he's already bought her. 'I don't suppose the stories say how to get there, or that you could draw us a map?' he asks."

Re: Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[zuhrovet]

Ankat smiles. "The woman tells you there are sinkholes and snakes, and the streams tend to change paths after every winter's rains, but she can give you a general idea. She takes a few twigs from the collection of kindling, a kerchief from her pocket, and a couple of pebbles, and lays out something approximating a map. There are lots of references to the land of farmers you don't know, but you gather that the meditation center is a three- or four-hour walk, roughly to the north and east, and that the surrounding land is fairly flat."

Re: Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[yhlee]

Remi looks intrigued. "Can I assume I have something to note down this map with, or do I have to bargain with someone for paper and ink and pen? Kaistlin thanks the woman for the information."

Re: Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[zuhrovet]

"You made a wizard and you didn't put materials for recording new spells on your character sheet?" Sasha asks. "Seriously?"

Ankat raises his eyebrows. "I believe we can assume Kaistlin has pen and paper."

Re: Scooby Dooby Doooooooo

[yhlee]

Remi shrugs. "My old GM always said you could assume your character had reasonable things in his inventory. Although his definition of 'reasonable' usually included a rifle, a handgun, grenades, and a sword for good measure, to say nothing of MREs. And I always had to do his math for him.--Anyway, Kaistlin notes down the map."

[zuhrovet]

Sasha turns her character sheet so Alaric can see it. Her hit points are definitely two-digit.