Industrygothica's "Those Left Behind" [OOC]
- Thread starter industrygothica
- Start date
Scotley
Hero
Rogash spent a considerable amount of time in taverns and before finding his new friends and a taste for revenge against the 'man in the white plumed hat' and by extension Duran--he was in the process of drinking himself into an early grave.
If my memory serves we had reason to believe that Duran and company were having trouble in the sewers with some part of their own operation. Correct me if I'm wrong IG. That and curiosity about the mysterious noises were his motivations for getting involved. Interest in Vardi and the Alchemist came later for him. However, I believe we did establish that he knew Vardi and would be interested in helping her and Loddie out.
After encountering some nasty traps, outsiders and chaos beasts down there he feels some need to find out what is going on.
Anyway, I'll make some revelations in the IC thread now.
If my memory serves we had reason to believe that Duran and company were having trouble in the sewers with some part of their own operation. Correct me if I'm wrong IG. That and curiosity about the mysterious noises were his motivations for getting involved. Interest in Vardi and the Alchemist came later for him. However, I believe we did establish that he knew Vardi and would be interested in helping her and Loddie out.
After encountering some nasty traps, outsiders and chaos beasts down there he feels some need to find out what is going on.
Anyway, I'll make some revelations in the IC thread now.
industrygothica
Adventurer
Sounds about right.
A question of alignment
Pardon the babbling. This is probably more character-navel-gazing than I should do, but Talashia's comment to Shai actually got me thinking, in that I'm not sure the way Shai's evolved is quite in line with his alignment (Chaotic Neutral). In a purely academic sense, he should probably be the most selfish character in the party (I think he's the only Non-Good character in the current roster). Which isn't exactly how I've been writing him of late.
My initial conception of him was as a fairly simple-minded, bull-in-a-china-shop type. Good natured enough, but mostly interested in having fun "squishing" things.
I think that probably started shifting when player exits OOC lead to character deaths IC, I guess. Somewhere along the way he seems to have gained a more developed sense of empathy/sympathy (though, in keeping with who he is, I think it's simple-minded, as well).
It all feels quite natural to me, and it's one of the things I rather love about this game, that its inhabitants seem to have a life of their own. It does occur to me, however, that these days Shai's probably closer to Neutral Good than Chaotic Neutral. He's far less likely to make chaotic choices (though his social awkwardness may cause unintentional chaos), especially with any strong personalities around to sway him, and that afore-mentioned sympathy means he's, well, torn up by things like the plight of a man and his daughter even though he's never met them.
I don't think this really has much effect on the character or the game mechanically (no one's throwing around Protection from Chaos spells that I've noticed), but I was considering making the change official on Shai's character sheet? Some of the stuff I had in mind to transition / introduce his wildshaping actually might be useful for marking this change, as well.
So, probably not worth the philosophizing, but there it is. Thoughts?
jason
Pardon the babbling. This is probably more character-navel-gazing than I should do, but Talashia's comment to Shai actually got me thinking, in that I'm not sure the way Shai's evolved is quite in line with his alignment (Chaotic Neutral). In a purely academic sense, he should probably be the most selfish character in the party (I think he's the only Non-Good character in the current roster). Which isn't exactly how I've been writing him of late.
My initial conception of him was as a fairly simple-minded, bull-in-a-china-shop type. Good natured enough, but mostly interested in having fun "squishing" things.
I think that probably started shifting when player exits OOC lead to character deaths IC, I guess. Somewhere along the way he seems to have gained a more developed sense of empathy/sympathy (though, in keeping with who he is, I think it's simple-minded, as well).
It all feels quite natural to me, and it's one of the things I rather love about this game, that its inhabitants seem to have a life of their own. It does occur to me, however, that these days Shai's probably closer to Neutral Good than Chaotic Neutral. He's far less likely to make chaotic choices (though his social awkwardness may cause unintentional chaos), especially with any strong personalities around to sway him, and that afore-mentioned sympathy means he's, well, torn up by things like the plight of a man and his daughter even though he's never met them.
I don't think this really has much effect on the character or the game mechanically (no one's throwing around Protection from Chaos spells that I've noticed), but I was considering making the change official on Shai's character sheet? Some of the stuff I had in mind to transition / introduce his wildshaping actually might be useful for marking this change, as well.
So, probably not worth the philosophizing, but there it is. Thoughts?
jason
I don't have a problem with it. I mean, it's not really my biz...but as you put it, the character has been developing organically from events around him. That sounds like the -right- reason to change alignment to me. 
And it may be important, cuz we'll probably start using Protection from Chaos and Magic Circle vs Chaos shortly.
Talashia is chaotic mainly due to her disdain of authority (aside from her own)...she's not really random or disorganized beyond the norm. I still think of her as 'basically' good, though I'd definitely give her a neutral 'slant' on things.
And it may be important, cuz we'll probably start using Protection from Chaos and Magic Circle vs Chaos shortly.
Talashia is chaotic mainly due to her disdain of authority (aside from her own)...she's not really random or disorganized beyond the norm. I still think of her as 'basically' good, though I'd definitely give her a neutral 'slant' on things.
Leif
Adventurer
Hey, jkason, when Uulark called Shai 'good,' he didn't mean in alignment terms, he meant that he's a GOOD QUALITY person. Regardless of Shai's growing sympathies with the people we've run across who've suffered horrible losses, I think that Shayuri is right in saying that "Chaotic" doesn't necessarily mean "unorganized" or "random" but just means that you have a problem with authority. Still, a change like you suggest could also be called for, I suppose. Really, it all comes down to you: What do YOU want to do? I think you're doing a fine job of playing Shai as CN. Maybe a "weepy" CN, but still CN.
Regardless of Shai's growing sympathies with the people we've run across who've suffered horrible losses, I think that Shayuri is right in saying that "Chaotic" doesn't necessarily mean "unorganized" or "random" but just means that you have a problem with authority. Still, a change like you suggest could also be called for, I suppose. Really, it all comes down to you: What do YOU want to do? I think you're doing a fine job of playing Shai as CN. Maybe a "weepy" CN, but still CN.
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industrygothica
Adventurer
I think Shai has definitely evolved into a neutral good character. I enjoy reading his empathetic reactions to things. He just seems to feel more than the others.
On another note...
Where do you guys plan on going from here? Seems like there are about a million options at this point, and it'd be nice if I knew which you were taking so I could make sure I was prepared with maps and a loose plot line.
This post might also seem a little more relevant now. Especially the last excerpt.
On another note...
Where do you guys plan on going from here? Seems like there are about a million options at this point, and it'd be nice if I knew which you were taking so I could make sure I was prepared with maps and a loose plot line.
This post might also seem a little more relevant now. Especially the last excerpt.
Oh...ho...
I'd forgotten about that. I think she even mentioned it way back when, but then the whole spectacle of the summoning came up.
Well then! I'll say when she's doing Identify, she reads the journal again and puts that together. That links the barkeep plot nicely with the more important (in her mind) chaos beast plot.
Well done, sir!
I'd forgotten about that. I think she even mentioned it way back when, but then the whole spectacle of the summoning came up.
Well then! I'll say when she's doing Identify, she reads the journal again and puts that together. That links the barkeep plot nicely with the more important (in her mind) chaos beast plot.
Well done, sir!
Hooray! And thanks much. It's been a fun character / voice to try to develop.
On the subject of "where to now?" Shai's priorities are as follows:
1) Find the Inn (which I'm pretty sure we never named) that we stayed at when Talashia, Uulark, and Caerwyn joined. Talashia's point that Tanith may have left the nuts in safe-keeping could be valid. If she left them--or word of them--I'd think that would be the first logical place that she'd do so.
2) Try to track down Vardi, and probably that white-plumed hat fellow. The journal tells us Duran (and by implication Loddie) were in the sewers with the kobolds, but clearly they weren't with the kobolds when we encountered them (or, if they were, not in any form we'd be able to identify). White-plume might know / be persuaded to share what he knows about Duran's underground operation, which may give us a direction. And if Shai shows up and explicitly introduces himself as being from the party who went for the nuts, Vardi may be more inclined to open up, as well. If number 1 above panned out, either of them might be even more amenable to helping us.
3) The sewers, particularly the spot where we hit the larger number of kobolds, to look for clues on where Duran or Loddie may have gone.
4) The icky dead body trophy room. It's not obviously connected to Loddie or Duran, but as Shayuri mentions, Shai's preoccupation with the quest he got side-tracked from isn't necessarily going to be top billing for everyone else (and as I mentioned, he tends to bow to the majority and / or stronger personalities). Besides, the journal seems to have connected the alchemist's discovery with "the barkeep," which at least partially suggests that Loddie may have been somehow connected not just with Duran, but with the alchemist.
jason
On the subject of "where to now?" Shai's priorities are as follows:
1) Find the Inn (which I'm pretty sure we never named) that we stayed at when Talashia, Uulark, and Caerwyn joined. Talashia's point that Tanith may have left the nuts in safe-keeping could be valid. If she left them--or word of them--I'd think that would be the first logical place that she'd do so.
2) Try to track down Vardi, and probably that white-plumed hat fellow. The journal tells us Duran (and by implication Loddie) were in the sewers with the kobolds, but clearly they weren't with the kobolds when we encountered them (or, if they were, not in any form we'd be able to identify). White-plume might know / be persuaded to share what he knows about Duran's underground operation, which may give us a direction. And if Shai shows up and explicitly introduces himself as being from the party who went for the nuts, Vardi may be more inclined to open up, as well. If number 1 above panned out, either of them might be even more amenable to helping us.
3) The sewers, particularly the spot where we hit the larger number of kobolds, to look for clues on where Duran or Loddie may have gone.
4) The icky dead body trophy room. It's not obviously connected to Loddie or Duran, but as Shayuri mentions, Shai's preoccupation with the quest he got side-tracked from isn't necessarily going to be top billing for everyone else (and as I mentioned, he tends to bow to the majority and / or stronger personalities). Besides, the journal seems to have connected the alchemist's discovery with "the barkeep," which at least partially suggests that Loddie may have been somehow connected not just with Duran, but with the alchemist.
jason
Just two things.
One, remember too that the alchemist is linked to Duran, and in a negative way. He feared that Duran's presence in the sewers was a threat to his well being. But of course, Talashia doesn't really need the alchemist anymore. So she's now 'open' for other quests.
Two, as an aside, it made me spit up my carrots laughing to think I was part of 'the party that went for the nuts.'
Can that be our group title now?
"Talashia, of the Party That Goes For The Nuts." (^_^)
One, remember too that the alchemist is linked to Duran, and in a negative way. He feared that Duran's presence in the sewers was a threat to his well being. But of course, Talashia doesn't really need the alchemist anymore.
So she's now 'open' for other quests.Two, as an aside, it made me spit up my carrots laughing to think I was part of 'the party that went for the nuts.'
Can that be our group title now?
"Talashia, of the Party That Goes For The Nuts." (^_^)
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