Q'Barra: Into the Emerald Forest - Attempting to Revive!

[Harvey]

He has over the years in Q'barra done work here and there on occassion. But when not otherwise occupied, he likes to sit where he can see the harbour. He can watch it for hours, days even. Slowly, something (he thinks of it as curiousity) has grown in him, and of late, he has on occasion sought out the company of those he knows from the exodus. He says little. He helps out with whatever they are doing if needed. He leaves. But it seems that he lingers a little longer with each visit.

I am not really sure myself where this is going. Hopefully, through the course of the game however, he will ... develop.

Very cool. I like the idea of the lone warforged who simply stands and stares at the ocean. Maybe he stops by to visit Erin when he needs "routine maintenance" or repair, but not for "social visits". If he knows her from the exodus, then he would know her skills as an artificer.

 

[doghead]

Erin is the one I imagine he would have spent the most time with. While he can repair himself to some degree, he appreciates the craftmanship and attention to detail she brings to the work as an artificer. Or is it just the attention itself?

 

[Yeoman]

OK, so Erin and Xavier knew each other from the refugee exodus to Q'Barra. I'm sure they've helped each other along the way and remained in touch in Q'Barra. After Erin learned of her excoriation (am I still going with that Urko? You had mentioned the possibility of not using that part of the story, though I don't think I got a definitive "no" on it), she decided, after a small period of self-loathing, to work some jobs alongside her old Cyran allies. This could also include Xavier, possibly along some of his escort jobs. If Urko approves, I like the idea that Erin had a "base" (such that it is) that she would have used for her craft, but it is now abandond when her other Cyran refugee friends left. Yeoman, what do you think of this: these people were also Xavier's friends, and the reason for the other refugees leaving Cyre could tie in to the reason for Xavier's failed suicide attempt. One of the reasons Erin stayed might be to look after Xavier. It would fit into her personality history: she was very cold and aloof before Cyre's destruction, but the shock of the mourning has thrown her the other way so that now, out of guilt from before, she has developed an attachment to her former Cyran allies.

I like the idea of Erin and Xavier having been part of the same exodus, and them keeping in touch in Q'barra. I was thinking that Erin could be the person that Xavier is closest to, and that over time he has opened up a great deal to her; she knows about his scar and about the ring he wears around his neck. Given Xavier's personality, even though Erin is close to him, he still keeps her at arms length, which is much closer than he allows anyone else. I imagine him as being afraid of forming close bonds, but at the same time wanting desperately to be close to someone. Does that make sense?

Has it been decided how Sanae will fit in with Erin and Xavier? I have some ideas for Xavier and Sanae, but it will depend on Pebele and Sanae and Erin's story, too. It seems that Erin is going to be the catalyst of all the characters meeting, but we still need to work out how the other characters will meet each other.

 

[ByteRynn]

I'm really looking foward to this!

I like all of the ideas being thrown around here. Shar will likely feel like a bit of an outsider...the new guy in Newthrone. I would be fine with Shar coming into town shortly before the game starts. How would Dagrin react to seeing Shar again?

If Shar is in town longer, he could have easily been up for adventuring with some of the other PCs.

 

[doghead]

I haven't been able to catch up with all the backgrounds, but reading what Yeoman said above, (Xavier is Yeoman's character right?), I thought maybe 'he has no name' might find himself spending time with Xavier. They are both reserved. While Xavier is a tormented soul, and 'he has no name' is not, they both seem similar in a way, distanced from others by who they are.

thotd

 

[Yeoman]

I haven't been able to catch up with all the backgrounds, but reading what Yeoman said above, (Xavier is Yeoman's character right?), I thought maybe 'he has no name' might find himself spending time with Xavier. They are both reserved. While Xavier is a tormented soul, and 'he has no name' is not, they both seem similar in a way, distanced from others by who they are.

thotd

Yes, Xavier is my character. I think that you might be right about 'he has no name' and Xavier, Xavier would likely welcome the company of someone who wouldn't care to pry in to his past or his emotions, someone who would instead focus on common interests or ways to pass the time.

Also, I had thought about Xavier having a "debt" to pay to the Warforged, as they twice saved his life during the war; one at the expense of itself. It would work well for him to find a companion in another Warforged, one that would not be bound to him by duty.

They could have met thorugh Erin, or perhaps while both contemplated the sea?

 

[Urko]

I see everyone has checked in and your interconnections are developing nicely. I can't wait to get this campaign started! If I may summarize what you've got so far:

Xavier, Erin, and He Has No Name (or does he, Erin?) traveled together to Q'Barra with a group of Cyran refugees after the Mourning and still see each other from time to time.

Sanae came to Q'Barra with an expedition that she is the only survivor of and currently is at somewhat of a loss about what to do. Some event may have brought her and Erin (and possibly Xavier) together at some point.

Dargin and Sharaes share an unfortunate connection in their past. Dargin came to Q'Barra following his own private visions and Sharaes came to Q'Barra specifically to find Dargin. Dargin may have met the others, perhaps in the capacity of spiritual advisor, while Shar is a newcomer to town.

My own suggestions/observations/interjections:
My idea for the opening hook was that each of you is responding to a somewhat vague advertisement in the Adder Bay Times, so it's ok if not all of you have met before as long as there are at least some connections. In particular, I'm really taken with the desperation of Sanae's plight - that she is stuck far from home without money or friends. What else would drive a proud Paladin of the Silver Flame to mercenary work? Feel free to continue figuring on connections if you want, but I think this works fine.

The only modification I would like to make to Erin's background is that, as far as she has been able to determine, her excoriation was not part of a universal exiling of all Cyre members (which would be a pretty risky move on Merrix's part). She seems to have been singled out, for reasons that are unknown to her (do I smell future plot hook?). Which is a pretty good reason to be hurt and angry...

Xavier, Erin, and He Has No Name seem nicely intertwined - well done.

I'll be very curious to see how Dargin and Sharaes interact. Have they run into each other already or will the job interview be the first time they've seen each other since the tragedy in Dargin's village? The latter could add a lot of interesting tension to the adventure's beginning.

That leaves the question of how Dargin and Shar (or, more likely, just Dargin if Shar has only recently arrived) fit in. One suggestion: Dargin is kind of out there - maybe he's often seen wandering the streets talking to his invisible grandfather or delivering sermons to passersby. He could be of those colorful street characters that everyone in a community recognizes, even if they don't know him personally (we've had a number of them in my real life town). That kind of impression could also put an interesting spin on the initial meeting with the others.

As I said, these are only my suggestions, not commandments. Let's mull over and finalize the connections for another day or so and then I'll start the in character thread.

 

[Harvey]

Xavier, Erin, and He Has No Name (or does he, Erin?) traveled together to Q'Barra with a group of Cyran refugees after the Mourning and still see each other from time to time.

I for one, as a player, love the fact that He Has No Name has no name I don't think Erin would suggest one, but would encourage him to come up with a name when the time is right. As a player, I would love for his name to come out thru the PbP as part of his evolution.

The only modification I would like to make to Erin's background is that, as far as she has been able to determine, her excoriation was not part of a universal exiling of all Cyre members (which would be a pretty risky move on Merrix's part). She seems to have been singled out, for reasons that are unknown to her (do I smell future plot hook?). Which is a pretty good reason to be hurt and angry...

Ah, I like this even better! I'm a big fan of having secrets in a PC's life that even the PC doesn't know about... it lends itself to nice character twists. Erin's fate (or should I say history) is in your hands, Urko...

And I like the idea of a certain degree of friendship (is that even the right word?) between Erin, Xavier, and He Has No Name. Though, for clarification, Xavier would definitely be aware of Erin's excoriation... because I can see this really gnawing away at Erin. She may or may not have told He Has No Name... she would probably not have mentioned it to him simply because she knew he would not understand it, but she might have mentioned it in passing. She doesn't really keep it a secret... she's sort of indignant about it.

I must say, I'm really liking how this party is pulling together. Yeoman, you mentioned earlier about thoughts on how Sanae and Xavier fit together... could this be a way to draw Sanae into the first adventure, or shall we simply let the newspaper article do the job

 

[doghead]

I for one, as a player, love the fact that He Has No Name has no name I don't think Erin would suggest one, but would encourage him to come up with a name when the time is right. As a player, I would love for his name to come out thru the PbP as part of his evolution.

I'm happy with this. I even venture to say that Erin suspects that 'he has no name' plays up his failure to understand the need for a name, as if it was some form of private joke. 'he has no name' would, of course, give you that blank 'I do not understand what you are talking about' look he does, given his expressionless features, quite well.

... I'm a big fan of having secrets in a PC's life that even the PC doesn't know about... it lends itself to nice character twists. ...

Seconded.

... Though, for clarification, Xavier would definitely be aware of Erin's excoriation... because I can see this really gnawing away at Erin. She may or may not have told He Has No Name... she would probably not have mentioned it to him simply because she knew he would not understand it, but she might have mentioned it in passing. She doesn't really keep it a secret... she's sort of indignant about it.

Erin would be right here. 'he has no name' would really have difficulty grasping what this means. He has never belonged to anything, so would have no way of knowing how it hurts to be excluded.

I wonder if would be more interesting if Sharaes has not, at this point, mentioned his reason for coming to Q'Barra. It seems not unreasonable to think Sharaes would wish to test the waters before confessing his purpose.

I once played a character that had taken an oath to protect another character, but the other character was not aware of it. It was fun for me, and I was working towards the point where the penny would drop for the other character. I suspect that that would have been a interesting scene. Unfortunately the game didn't go on that long.

thotd.

 

[ValenarJaeldira]

I would be more than happy if Dagrin didn't recognize Sharaes, (Valenar do wear ceremonial masks afterall) and Sharaes waited to see if Dagrin has a problem or not.

It might also be cool if the long ago ancestors of Dagrin and Sharaes interacted...if Dargin's "Grandfather" shows up in the stories of Shar's patron ancestor. That's all behind-the scenes DM stuff though. I'll just shut up and play.