To Find a King (updated 06/26)

[Mortepierre]

Hi!

First of all, Mortepierre, I must say congratulations on a job well done! You've really got me hooked to your SH. You have a truly refined writing style and it is really an enjoyable read, both for its rich storyline and for its excellent grammar and syntax. Storytelling truly is a gift, and it's not easy to do even if one has complete dominion of the language.

Hi and welcome to this SH!

Truly this is an auspicious week for me. Two new readers and my SH on page 1 for two days on a row!

Thank you for your compliments. That's exactly what new authors such as myself need to be motivated to 'keep up the good work'.

As to the story itself, it sounds like you have a very nice group of players who've done great role-playing. Our own group is very similar. Our DM also does a nice job of integrating character backstory elements into the main storyline. I find it greatly enhances the experience and I'm sure your players enjoy it as well.

I totally agree. Fact is, I can't stand a campaign where the PC don't have a background. I mean, they didn't just wake up one day and decided to become adventurers! We are the sum of our experiences. Our past guides us in our future choices. Thus, it's only logical that the characters we play should enjoy the same.. ah.. logical development.

I was especially thrilled by the use of the Book of the Righteous pantheon in your campaign. The BOTR is, in my opinion, probably the most useful RPG supplement I have ever bought. I am seriously considering starting a new campaign just to use this material.

Best.. rpg accessory.. EVER!

GRP really outdid themselves with that one. Perfect, logical, and so full of details! Once I read it, I knew I had to use it in my campaign. Actually, the most difficult part was to decide which story hook not to use!

Of course, due to one major secret (yes, the big C ), I had to forbid my players from coming within 10 ft. of it but it was worth it. Oh, and its companion volume (the Book of Fiends) is solid gold too.

As to the frustrating aspect of posting your story hour on this board, all I can say is I sympathize! My group tried it once (though Real Life concerns have largely kept us from updating lately) and we were also dismayed at how fast we were dropped back. My private theory is that some of those really popular threads with thousands of views and bumps *may* just be helped along by their own authors, using different login names... But I can't prove a thing.

Well.. can't help with that. If they do, I find it sad (either that they can't stand the competition or that their ego requires them to resort to such means). I would rather see my thread 'bumped' back to page 1 by new readers such as yourself.

If you don't mind me asking, could you post a link to your group's SH? Even if it hasn't been updated in a while, I would like to take a look at it.

In any case, please continue to update, I for one await your next post eagerly. I have to say that, as a long time avid reader of fantasy novels, nowadays the best work is to be found in messageboards like these, and not in bookstore shelves.

I couldn't agree more. Sep's work, for instance, is outstanding. I would buy a novel of his without a second thought. If I was an editor, I would visit these boards regularly to pick new authors on a daily basis.

I have to ask (and I certainly do not mean to pry). Where in western Europe are you guys? and just what IS your first language (French, I presume)?
I only ask because my own group is based in Puerto Rico (an island in the Caribbean Sea, in case some of you are wondering) and our first language is Spanish, and your group dynamic sounds near identical to our own. We even have our own short stories, character backgrounds and some of our group discussions in highly polished literary form, just like yours. And in English too! (It's just seems to be the official language of the genre).

Anyway, if you feel uncomfortable in anyway, you don't have to answer. I was just curious.

T'is no big secret. The answer is Belgium, the french-speaking part of it actually. So, yes, you presumed correctly

I wouldn't dare to jump to conclusions about the real influence of a group's country or language on the game. After all (and with apologies to our US friends), a common enough stereotype in Europe is that US gamers are mostly powergamers while europeans are role-players first and foremost. Having played (thanks to the RPGA) with gamers from both sides of the 'pond', I know nothing could be further from the truth but old ideas die hard it seems

That said, it's true we europeans have generally a rich tradition of storytelling. Besides, if we want to know what a real castle looks like, all we have to do is take a trip to the next town. The countryside is full of them!

 

[Eloy]

Well, thanks for your interest. Here's the link to the first part:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43340

And the second part:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=61058

Hope you enjoy!

This is updated up to session 11 of our game. We just finished playing session #23, but our official campaign records keeper is waaaay behind schedule Maybe this'll motivate him back into action.

We do have an additional series of short stories and interludes, based on posts at our group's messageboard, which I have collected. Unfortunately, they take place further on in the continuity. I hope we'll get to them soon.

Thanks,
Eloy

 

[Helfdan]

Excellent work!

This is updated up to session 11 of our game. We just finished playing session #23, but our official campaign records keeper is waaaay behind schedule

This from the guy who wrote only ONE journal entry... grrr

But seriously, Mortepierre, your story hour is excellent!! The descriptions, characterizations, pace, dialogue... excellent is the only descriptive term I can use.

I also like how you've brought the Book of the Righteous to life, and your character generation rules. Great way to start characters of different levels in the same party.

Hope you enjoy our story hour. I believe one of our problems was how long each post was... people just don't have that much attention span any more

You'll soon see my character in that campaign has more than a passing resemblance to one of your characters... down to the name

Anyways, great job! I'll make sure to keep an eye on this SH

Helfdan

 

[Eloy]

Mortepierre:

I would be really interested in reading your changes to the BOTR Holy warrior classes (updated to 3.5). If you've done any writeups on the subject, please post them.

(And please don't tell me they're in French! I'd hate to have to dig up my old high-school Spanish/French dictionary... just how *do* you say 'hit point' in French??? )

Thanks,

Eloy

 

[Mortepierre]

But seriously, Mortepierre, your story hour is excellent!! The descriptions, characterizations, pace, dialogue... excellent is the only descriptive term I can use.

I also like how you've brought the Book of the Righteous to life, and your character generation rules. Great way to start characters of different levels in the same party.

Hope you enjoy our story hour. I believe one of our problems was how long each post was... people just don't have that much attention span any more

You'll soon see my character in that campaign has more than a passing resemblance to one of your characters... down to the name

Anyways, great job! I'll make sure to keep an eye on this SH

Helfdan

And yet another new reader!

Thanks for the compliments! (now, why do I get the feeling I said something similar recently.. )

I am currently reading Age of Blood - part I - and, so far, I am loving what I see. Can't wait to dig into part II. Well done!

 

[Mortepierre]

Mortepierre:

I would be really interested in reading your changes to the BOTR Holy warrior classes (updated to 3.5). If you've done any writeups on the subject, please post them.

(And please don't tell me they're in French! I'd hate to have to dig up my old high-school Spanish/French dictionary... just how *do* you say 'hit point' in French??? )

Thanks,

Eloy

No, they're not in French. No worry on that account. Actually, all my campaign files are fully in English. I have quite a few DM pals around the world and we exchange campaign info and ideas on a regular basis, so doing it all in English from the start helps (else I would lose days translating it all).

Hmm, since it's formatted text, I don't think copy/paste to the board would work. I'll try attaching the file directly (my very first attempt! ) and we'll see what happens.

Luckily for me, the material was OGL to begin with, so no copyright problem.

EDIT: "hit points" translate into "points de vie" in French

 

[Mortepierre]

Well, I'll be! It worked. Seems technology isn't so bad compared to magic after all

A fair warning:
I am aware GRP updated the Unholy Warrior to 3.5E in the Book of Fiends but I didn't like their version as it is different from the way the paladin is handled in 3.5E. My own version was done before the BoF was published and I used only the PHB and the BotR as material to re-design it.

So far, it has worked rather well in my campaign, both for PC and NPC.

 

[Helfdan]

Good job on the conversion. Makes one want to play one of them Holy warrior types....

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Hi Mortepierre,

Just enquiring when a fresh update will be due. Your writing and the story you tell is too good to have on hold for too long.

By the way, for people, fresh to this Story Hour who are looking to partake in a good read, please go back to:
Prelude - part 4: Pain and Remembrance
There was something about this piece of writing that really made me go wow! I would put it up there with any update submitted to the Story Hour forums thus far - sharing the highest position with some wonderful moments from Sep's, Piratecat's and Destan's. For those who like to read and I mean really read a story hour, do yourself a favour, go back to the start and commence reading.

Anyway, look forward to more and an update soon... pretty please!

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Mortepierre]

Hi Mortepierre,

Just enquiring when a fresh update will be due. Your writing and the story you tell is too good to have on hold for too long.

As someone once said.. Patience Highlander!

Seriously, the update is almost ready. 'Almost' because after finishing it, I reread myself and wasn't satisfied at all with the result. I guess I am my worst critic :\

The extra delay is due to a totally unrelated problem. Long story short, the wife of one of my friends (and players) just died from liver cancer and we've been spending as much time as possible with him to.. well, 'cheer him up' (as unlikely as it is to work).

Before you ask, no, it's not one of the players behind the PCs of this SH. I happen to DM two campaigns. One set in Drachenhold, and one in Greyhawk. The player I am talking about belongs to the latter team.

So, I wasn't exactly in the proper mood to work on my SH. Sorry about that

Anyway, l can promise an update before the end of April and I swear it will close Chapter 1. I am as impatient as you all seem to be to move to the next chapter

By the way, for people, fresh to this Story Hour who are looking to partake in a good read, please go back to:
Prelude - part 4: Pain and Remembrance
There was something about this piece of writing that really made me go wow! I would put it up there with any update submitted to the Story Hour forums thus far - sharing the highest position with some wonderful moments from Sep's, Piratecat's and Destan's. For those who like to read and I mean really read a story hour, do yourself a favour, go back to the start and commence reading.

Why, thank you!

Personally, my favorite is Prelude - part 3 but I guess that's because I have a soft spot for unlikely heroes.

Though I can take credit for the writing, I have to - once more - praise Kalveig's player for the background on which Pain and Remembrance was based. As I stated before, he is a great role-player with a vivid imagination.

EDIT: to make the long wait more bearable, I have included Drachenhold's map in the Rogues Gallery