[OOC] Death & Taxes

I get that PvP doesn't necessarily mean PCs attacking PCs, and even just acting against each other's "interest"... or goals, is maybe the better word in this case? Is PvP.

So if me trying to even indirectly stop the sacrifice is too much, I understand.

Could we just flip 2 Story Points, no roll, Bruv gets zapped with a paralyze, and we can move on? It would probably logically mean the end of Bruv being in the group afterward, but I could roll up a new PC for the Return of the Jedi?

:P

Anyway, I have no ill will here no matter what happens, I think it's a nice dramatic peak, and I enjoy the rp and moral dilemma.

Hildar would have dropped the Mask yeah.

I'm as equally happy for Hildar to take Bruv down and then retire him afterwards if you wanted to carry on with him in the group - it largely depends I think on where the rest of the party is sitting over this. If they are on 'team Bruv' then we can play it as Hildar forcing matters and then going his own way, if they are on 'team Hildar' then we can go the other way.

I also have no bad feelings about this, am enjoying the dilemma immensely :)

Full disclosure, I had been contemplating (hadn't decided yet) leaving the campaign after this adventure was concluded anyway, if it wasn't the envisioned end of things (which it sounds like Bob is open to either keeping going or letting this be the end?). Mainly because I have rpg ADHD and am always looking at something new and shiny. But also I have been wanting to run a game, and have had less and less time to do it. And cutting back on the games I'm playing in would help me feel better about being able to run a game again... And this one has been awesome, and I feel like I would be ending it on a high note if this was the end (which may also factor into my inflexibility here).

So, this could also be an easy out for me in that regard.

LOL. Yes, feel free to have were-Nekurr flip a coin. Roll a 1d2. :)
The game's been going for nearly two years now, right? That's pretty venerable for PbP, even if we're only concluding our second adventure. So, yeah, I was going to put it to the group if you wanted to do a third adventure. If we did, it would definitely be the capstone. The idea for Adventure 3 would be to put you in a situation where you have to mind your Ps and Qs (under investigation by the baron? Investigating corruption in the nobility? Who knows). But it would give you all the chance to put right any collateral damage you cause in this adventure.

Case #3 would hopefully be more streamlined, as well. I admit I made some mistakes with this adventure—tacking on that whole first session that was basically travel, having the mayor show up in the house instead of one of his lieutenants, maybe other stuff. So I would hope Adventure 3 would be wrapped in a "session" or two tops.

But I'm not offended if folks are ready to end the campaign here, either. I have an idea for another game I want to run, and you'd all be invited for that one.

So, yeah: Happy to do one more (shorter) adventure to wrap things up in a bow, but if this is the campaign ender, let her rip! :)

I wonder if Tronus will take the opportunity to "accidentally" teach Nekurr one or two lessons :D

---

Yeah I think we can build tension while waiting for the two to explain themselves.

In metagaming terms, we can even just drop a random NPCs finishing the ritual. This way things are done Hildar's way but Bruv is not guilty because he could have not stoped it (this time). Though act 3 will be much more interesting if evil mage Hildar did kill everyone and was on his way to lichdom... just saying :D

I mean, we really need to come to an OOC solution if that's how we're gonna decide this, because Bruv is about to start blasting cultists so that they cannot do the ritual, and Nekurr or Hildar would have to do it themselves if it's to be done.

Did any of them clear the area, Bob, after Bruv's "processing" and warning? How many are around still, and at what range are they to Bruv? Also, can/would I still be able to target any of them as a group?

Addendum, I would also view playing this out IC to be agreeable. As mentioned, I won't be using attacks that cause Wounds or Strain against any PCs. And I am fine with other PCs attacking Bruv with any force they seem necessary, to prevent/stop his actions.

I'm playing this very open handed and meta because I don't want anyone coming away upset. So if any other single person (including GM) doesn't want any PVP we need to come to an OOC agreement before IC talk and actions continue.

Nekurr really doesn't care much. He thinks evil is bad, but he trust the elf. So he is just waiting to see is someone grabs the witch and the naughty boatman.

I'll post more later, but I wanted to clarify that you are actually letting these folks go? I assumed you'd want to restrain them so that you can reveal their identities to the "good" villagers later. (If it's not clear, these folks have been operating in secrecy. The other villagers—including the Galbernost family and the gnome healer Erfan Eswyse—are entirely in the dark about what's been going on in secrecy every year.)

So I don't know that Bruv needs to bust any heads. These folks are docile and cooperative. They're trying to convince you to let them kill the witch, but they won't do so if they think you'll attack them for doing so (even only one of you).

Well, that's what the processing was for, I described in my first post after the combat ceased that he unmasked people and made note of the identities of people we knew, and the descriptions of the people we didn't know. But he/we have no real way to restrain them. And I also describes how, after processing, he was shoving people away, and urging them to return to their homes.

At the time, Bruv was just trying to ensure the situation remained de-escalated by clearing the area, because getting the trouble makers to leave is how law enforcement stops mobs from trouble making.

But if none of them would leave the area, cuz they are still hoping to complete the sacrifice, then ok.

However at this point now, Bruv doesn't care how docile they are, if the spectre of completing the sacrifice remains, he now wants them out of the equation by any means necessary, and is gonna start putting any cultists to sleep who still remain.

OK, I misunderstood. Gotcha. Let's say that Bruv is able to put the remaining Night Creepers to sleep if he wishes; call it 6 strain. Beyond that, it sounds like Nekurr wants to question Zymph and/or Anzila about things.

Does this sound about right? I can post a narrative post about all this and kind of give you a gist of what the ferryman and Anzila say. Then we can make a final decision about whether to kill the witch or risk the rest of the village dying.

Sounds fine. Bruv isn't gonna stand there blasting cultists after Nekurr and/or Hildar head to the house, but he'll at least begin the Ensleepening while Tronus and Hildar debate.

Sounds like a good motivation to bullyintimidate her: speak or the elf will feed you to the bad crow, raise the mayor's corpse and casting hideous laughter on it:D

Ahah I know😂 not really intimidating, just looking like a cursed were thing since it’s on the topic of evilness

I suppose this is a barrier spell... how would this roll look like?

I think I may need to revise Hildars Motivation after this, he's developed beyond what I put down when I built the character.

Also, completely forgot about the Predict power in the EPG but this seems like a perfect time to use it.

I wonder if the founding member of the family wasn't called Genghis Wayland Khan 🤔

LOL. Y'all got the story from the pageant. The contestants recited the story of the founding of the town, the blight and near destruction of the place, then the ancestor going off into the swamp and coming back with a newfound understanding of how to worship Aris. You killed the mayor before you could determine whether he actually understood that it was not really Aris, but rather Harridan. The other cultists don't seem to realize that it's not Aris. The new information is that this pact was a family-heredity pact that seems to have been tied to the Wayland bloodline.

Yeah, that's the interesting part - would it just be direct descendants or any one who carries a bit of "Wayland Prime"'s blood who would be affected by the backlash? A small village like this, I would imagine most people could trace their lineage back to a common ancestor after a certain point......

Gain advantage against that something or have the starts talking with hildar after all (some helpful information about what's coming) ?

Maybe we can open the cage first and just move the person?