Background

So you studied and learned culture, history, famous people, oral traditions, religions, music. That makes you highly educated and under the right tutelage. You are noble and high born. An elf. You desire to speak multiple languages. Practical training in being criminal and a spy of information. Ok, all that makes you a bard who pulls all this off with subtle deception, persuasion and intimidation. You're pretty much a snob. I like it. I give you history and religion proficiency, noble heritage, and a spy information network connection.

Now how does that fit? In Maztican society, there are only four professions: artisan, warrior, priest, rogue. All the magic comes from the gods and everyone has magic. It is a high magic world, but everyone wields it through a personal relationship with the gods. As high born, you may have gotten this background training as a Paladin, though it sounds like you were ruling priest caste. What is your relationship with your father? He may be the king/priest and you are the youngest child in revolt. Rogues don't get this kind of education. Artisans go to trade/magic school, which sounds like a lot of fun, but you are above such things.

As an elf, I give you two choices. Sea or Jungle. A society of Shark Knights and Teoatl sea magic, or a society of Green Knights and Yahca one tree magic. Watil and Nula, the animal and plant gods are present in both, Azul the rain god rules the sea, but Zaltec and Qotal, the war and peace gods, fight over the jungle. A blue skinner would normally be a sea elf, but I can fudge that. Aquaman or Tarzan?

Big question. Why are you adventuring?

Given those choices, Tarzan for sure. I greatly prefer trees. Adventuring out of boredom of the life I grew up in and out of rebellion towards that life. Though I'd hardly admit it, privately there is a natural thirst for knowledge and experiencing new things. New people to persuade, challenge and sharpen one's skills, and a vanity of feeling I can. Plus, enriching one's self my way, not taking an inheritance.

Your true name is Tototl, though you prefer your traveling name Jacob Vane. You come from the lowland jungles at the southern end of the House of Tesca. These lands are so fierce, no Nexalan has every dared to invade. An alien race once brought fixed winged, flying temples to the jungle and hunted the mind flayers that ruled these environs until the jungle became inhabitable once more by the green folk elves and the tabaxi. Watil took this opportunity to grant the most intelligent of the green people with Yahca magic and told them to protect the One Tree of Maztica. This was the great Kapok tree, which became sacred to the people, and they believe the weave of magic flowed through its veins. The elves built their cities in the canopy of these giants. Your father is the latest in the line of shaman kings in the One Tree and he leads the Green Knights who hold the borders and keep the tabaxi at bay. Your people worship Qotal the Feathered Dragon as well as Watil and Nulu of the beasts and plants. The artisans of One Tree grow an abundance of food in the food forests and weave protective magic all around your civilization. On occasion, traders in their great long canoes came from Matal in Far Payit to trade, but now they come in winged houses that sail on Yahca built keels and with Eha blessed clothe. The wild halflings of Far Payit have also been given the secrets of the Yahca, the One Tree. They tell of metal clad men from Faerun who conquer and pillage, and the gods have been giving out more and more magic to combat these invaders. You have sought out relatives in Kolan, distant green folk settlers, north on the western coast in the city state of Baya to seek out what they know of this threat and how the gods are protecting the great cities of Payit and Nexal to the north from this invasion from over the Trackless sea. You could rely on your spies for gathering these state secrets, but you want the adventure yourself. How do you prepare for this journey and how do you go?

My thoughts are to drift into town, find a tavern, negotiate room and board in exchange for nightly entertainment, while seeking out a fawn-eyed servant girl of a wealthy master; however, I'm not sure my starting point or surrounding cities.

From your home in the Chulpallelel Jungle you can go straight north through the sands of House of Tesca to the oasis of Tukan and then down the trade routes to Baya. You can traverse the snow capped mountain ranges that divide the continent. You can follow the western coast to the Kolan inlet and into Baya. Or you could even try your hand at sailing.

I’m sure a tavern would be a nice end to that journey, if they even exist in a native land such as religious Kolan. There will be hard alcohol though and Mazticans do open their homes to travelers. Something I’m sure awaits you there.

But how do you choose to get there?

I attempt to find passage on a ship to Baya, failing that, I walk.

You don’t tell anyone that you are leaving. Let your father find out in his own way. Your spies have told you that the coastal towns in Kolan are buzzing with unsubstantiated rumors about a force attacking the Capitol of Nexal to the North. The details are different from every source. Even the scryers cannot see clearly. Perhaps it is best that you go yourself after all.

Making your way west to the coast to get a ship, you make your way stealthily through the jungle undergrowth. The canopy’s far above you, perhaps 200 feet, but you hear the cacophony of birds and monkeys. Despite the racket, you perceive a form ahead about 80’ through a narrow trail and in a low branch of a tree. A cat crouched, sniffing the humid air and watching the environs, but not yet you in your Elven cloak. Specifically it is a tabaxi warrior dressing with its claws a fresh kill, perhaps humanoid.

First, I scan around to see if this warrior appears to be a solo hunter or part of a pack. If solo, I have a dagger at the ready, just in case I need to throw it. I'm prepared, if necessary, to case a minor illusion. At this stage of the journey, I'd prefer to avoid conflict. I would like a slightly closer look at the humanoid victim, just in case I notice something of value that may be worth the risk.

You slip up quietly in elven boots, but the brush of palms and primordial vines swipe at you in their ancient way, making more noise than you would like. You roll a 26 sheath skill check against his perception and move forward.

Standing only 60 feet from the cat like creature, you see in his claws a Nexal warrior from the Capitol in traditional jaguar skin armor. It is a Jaguar Knight! The Nexal have never wandered so far south beyond their armies, not much more than hunting distance from their main forces. What desperation persuaded him to attempt these jungles? It was risky and he paid that price with his life.

The jaguar skin that made up the armor and headpiece was slashed by the same type of cat like claws that adorned the paladin. His Machihualt club with obsidian blades rested in the muddy ground without blood on it. The tabaxi had surprised him. You see the pendants of the Nexal's tribe and regimen identifications hanging from his partially decapitated neck. Meanwhile the tabaxi is busy skinning both jaguar and human skin from the meat.

Since I am still in the jungle where I was raised, I must be familiar with the tabaxi, even though I know they, too, tend to be reclusive. Hand on a concealed dagger, just in case. I step slightly closer and say "Now there's a fine catch, fresh meet and a nice coat to boot."

"Hssss!" was the answer. The Tabaxi looks up from her meal and spies you, her quick feline reactions snapping her into attention. She is very tall and incredibly slender, her entire frame being nothing much more than a sinuous muscle wrapped tightly in soft brown and black fur.

The face is unmistakably catlike, but she moves her rough tongue over her jowl and speaks to you. "Well, well, if it isn't a little prince-ling that appears lost in my domain." She drapes the carcass over the tree limb and steps aside from the bloody mess to crouch nearer to you.

"Did you fall from your father's canopy home? Did you hurt yourself and need help?" She licks her long claws that she extends from her front pads, her rear claws digging into the bark of the limb.

"Do you not know that your pluma is no good here. The jungle is for hishna, the claw and tooth. You should learn your laws of the jungle, little kitten."

I smile and say "So fortunate it is then that I've stumbled upon such a talented, and quite lovely, teacher. Surely pluma will not be needed today. I'm not hungry for flesh, nor foolish enough to risk tooth or claw for it.

Watching her graceful movies, but attempting to keep a non-nonchalant look upon my face, still wearing my most charming smile.
"Should speaking the truth to be relegated to flattery? I would like to think better of myself, but perhaps you confuse me with my father." I don't react to her approach other than to casually cross my arms, more to show my hands hold no weapons.
"The armor is long beyond use, and would mark a man too clearly. Such trinkets can be found aplenty in my father's house" no sense in denying my identity. "a house it would appear to be the opposite direction of my path. Still, one can always find uses for such things. Haggling can sometimes prove to be a stimulating as flirting, so what did you have in mind?"

Information?

Ah, of course. Perhaps we may strike a deal. I happened to come into possession of an item of some power that, where it to be found out I have it, the former owner would be quite irate. You take the meat and my trinket, I take all found upon this poor soul.

"You've been so clever as to discern my true identity; therefore, you must also know my father is oft woo'd by shamans, priests and users of magic all attempting to become a favorite in the eyes of the king. One such wizard, whom I first took to be a charlatan, proved to be quite adept at charming common objects. To prove his worth to the king, he did enchant the seemingly commonplace gem." With a bit of sleight of hand I (at least attempt) to make the tiger's eye appear out of mid air.
"Arrows and sling stones have a way of always missing the possessor of this enchanted eye stone. Being as it was a gift to protect the king, my rash decision that I may need it's protection moreso than my dear father, has began to weigh upon my mind. Better to be rid of it than chance being found to be thief from one's own blood."

Give me a slight of hand check [d20 + mod] and a deception check.

Btw. I don’t know if you are communicating with James on these, but I find hilarious I just asked for three rolls from him at exactly this moment...

No, I was going to ask him if he'd gotten setup and forgot. I will. You want me to roll my own dice here or do you do it? Or is there an online function?

Roll however you want. This platform does have dice tools, there are other programs or grab a die. It doesn’t matter. When you do something like a performance trick to impress and maybe gain some advantage, or do a fat lie like that to gain at a risk, that’s a skill that you need a skill check against some difficult number I determine. You can go ahead and tell me what the d20 is and your modifier for a particular skill you are using from your character sheet I was asking for you to make the roll for fun here. If you don’t I certainly can do it. I don’t want you to think I am arbitrarily deciding how the risk/return outcome of your slight of hand and deception turns out. This is the game part. For example, your deception mod is +3 and your slight of hand is +4. I roll for you and add your mods. You get an 8 for your flashy trick which I had set as an easy 10 difficulty class. You failed to reach 10, so you fail. You fumble the tiger eye magical appearance trick. For the risk, I give her a +5 on her check against the lie. I roll for her reaction and she snickers, not being impressed with your magic. You do not gain any bonus or advantage on the deception you then attempt. I roll a d20 and add you mod for the lie itself. That luckily is 21, very high. Her intelligence check with herMod and the bonus from her suspicion comes to 18. You win. She is deceived.

I know the reason for the roles and how the mods work, I was just asking about the mechanics of this PBP game since you can't see what what I role. I am hopelessly honest about these things, but not everyone would be, so perhaps it's best if you do the roles, as I believe we all trust you and you have nothing to gain other than keeping your players engaged in the game. If it's easier or more fun for you to have us roll, that's cool, too, as I haven't broken out my box of dice in years and I admit from a ocd standpoint, I've always been fascinated with those multi sided dice. Plus they have always represented being in the know for the D&D crowd.
No worries, your roles are fine, other than my 15 DEX and +4 slight of hand is for shit when the DM roles a 4.

I carefully pass the tiger eye to the lady and accept the jewelry. Can I tell if there is anything else I may be interested in around the body or the area?
"A pleasure doing business with you."

I'd like to secure a bunk or room for the night and find a private place to examine what my tiger eye ruse has bought me.

The villagers welcome you well enough and the three mastiffs rush out to sniff you over. With their approval, they offer you fresh fish and fermented honey to drink and a straw tick in the longhouse to bunk down on, for 1gp. You settle in before the hard working fishermen and examine your prizes. A voice tells you that ,"the tabaxi would have killed you. Worse case, she would have dragged your dead body back to your father for him to resurrect you and then punish you." You Have dealt with this before, so you think, "you know, your grandfather heard voices. He is still locked away in the caves and tended by the acolytes of Yahca." You turn back To the pendants. One is certainly the Knight’s identification. He was a full knight, attached to the royal house. The second is an emissary pass to your father’s court. It seems to have a hollow spot but you can’t see a latch. The third is a jade piece with a Maztica glyph and nothing else.

I’ve closed the game to applications. We have five players on board. Finishing up back stories...

I know James is playing. Anyone else I know?

Nope.

I'll carefully discard the knight's ID, as I'm thinking it would not be good to be caught with that. I don't need a pass, so I'll see if there is a way to force into it to determine if something is in side. If I can't get into it, I'll pocket the emissary pass until I can find a way to figure out how to detect magic or a way to open it. Is the glyph something I recognize as being commonly worn?

The jade pendant from the Jaguar Knight

Your perception check to see a way failed to find anything. Your history check on how common the glyph is was successful enough to know that it is not at all common. Your religious check was good enough to know it is in the format of a glyph that describes a god. Your history check as to something you recognize was pretty low, but you do know the glyph has something to do with "even-ness" or "entropy"

?

Guess you will have to settle for the fermented honey for drink. It tastes something like mead you have had in the court brought by far flung merchants. It is missing the hops flavor that it so rare. The feeling of being away from the finer things isn't made up by the beauty of the fisherman's simple life. You talk to the folk, but all the canoes are bound for the fishing lanes early in the morning. They don't normally see big ships on this coast. There is not passage through and the capes are too far away, for the main trading vessels to come from Matel or from the newer Aumian port of Helmsport far in the north of Payit in the opposite sea from here. They did mention seeing old Teoalis rowing around the pearl islands off coast. He will probably come by tomorrow to barter. Perhaps you can negotiate passage with him.

Sure enough in the morning, the village is empty and you watch a sea worn man pull in a great canoe with an outrigger lined with the fur of a giant black bear. You take him at first for a fisherman, but he has wavey hair even when the wind does not blow. His scowl is like a shark's smile. His clothes are ragged, but stitched together with great care and skill. He walks with a measured step up the loghouse looking at the fire to warm his hands in the hot humid morning light.

I need access to the Google Drive to see this "The jade pendant from the Jaguar Knight". I sent request

Sorry, try this jade pendant from jaguar knight

That worked

but it didn't help you much, lol, yet.

"Most agreeable. Ultimately to Baya, but as far north as you'll take me."

"For passage all the way to Bala, my songs are yours, as often and as many as you desire," I say with a slight flurish. Then more tentatively: "Gold, I'm afraid runs in short supply." A soft sigh, then hopefully: "Surely there are other uses you may have for me that would satisfy your need to make such a journey worth your while. . ."

I’m going to have to fade to black on that one, lol

I don't know how many GP I have in the game.

I believe you started with 25.

The dndbeyond isn’t working for me. It might work great for y’all as players because it does the calculations and manages spells well with lots of access to reference info. However, I need easy access so I’m going to migrate to your character sheets which I can even edit.

Do you use your action to Dodge to give him disadvantage on the shot, or do you Cast a spell? You have the initiative on him.

Dodge, I'm not convinced he's firing at me.

You rolled a 13 for insight, but it doesn't matter. You are correct, but you barely had time to see the fish scaled humanoid wielding a scimitar above its head. Teoalis's shot misses in the wind at such close range, practically melee. He pulls out a wicked looking piece of coral. The fishman attacks you with your bare AC and hits for 5 pts damage. "By Azul's Teeth! There are two more on the bow!" You see two more crawl from the storm onto the front of the canoe.

With only 9 HP, that's a pretty rough hit. Falling back I cast a firebolt cantrip at the fishman closest to me. That's a 1d10 +4 Hit/DC. I'll have to trust the storm waters to protect the boat from flames. If he lights up, I kick him overboard.

You rolled a 19 to hit! but only a 5 for damage (yes I know, you rolled a 1) The fishman reels back from the direct hit to his face, but came out with only gills singed.

Your turn at battle is up before you have a chance to do a second attack with your boot.

Being first level sucks. Luckily its Teoalis's turn and he drops the useless crossbow and fires eldritch energy out of his hands with two bolts going to the fishman on top of you, blasting him out of the canoe.

The other two continue to advance once they are on top of the canoe.

The boot attack was in my mind to do in case the fishman caught fire. (My understanding of firebolts is they are bolts and not balls, so if I am correct and there is a direct path to the two fishmen that doesn't have Teoalis between us, I cast another at one of them). I'm a bard, not a fighter, firebolts at will from a distance are my kind of "get away from me fish breath" kinda weapon.

If T is in the way, I draw my rapier.

You retreat to the stern of the boat before they are upon you and may take opportunity attack from your retreat. Once there, you lean out upon the outrigger You hurl a mote of fire in the storm that singes in the rain as it strikes one of the fishmen for 9 damage!

Meanwhile the storm is getting worse. The canoe rides to the top of a wave and falls back in. Everyone rolls for DEX saves. 19, 7, 3, 20. You hang onto the canoe, but both Teoalis and one of the fishmen fall into the sea. Teoalis uses his turn to dash back toward you but he can't climb back on. The ingured fishmen tries to climb aboard but fails. The other one is still on the boat with you and charges the length of the boat and attacks and misses.

I stab at the heart with my rapier.

You repost his attack and stab with death as your aim. He stands there with your Elven steel in what should be his heart, the rain washing away his green blood. He stands and lifts his clawed club. You can't focus as there are three fishmen climbing the other end of the canoe instead of the one injured one. Teoalis reaches for your calf and mutters an arcane word in a language you do not understand. Your rapier slips from your grasp as webs grow in between your fingers and the air grows hot and thin. Your gills flap but no oxygen come in. He pulls you in and you taste the sea water like you have never tasted sweet water before. You see the powerful muscles and prominent dorsal fin of Teoalis and you follow him down, down, down away from those nasty nasty fishmen, ugly ugly fishmen. You keep swimming so as to feel the oxygen. You smell the blood from above, but you do not let the craze overtake you. You must follow the other shark, your friend.

Didn't see that coming. Great twist

All day I've been refreshing the screen for the next entry, lol. I was working, as I'm sure you were, but I'd refresh, work, refresh.

Try being a DM who thinks he can run five back stories at once lol

Jacob just before the attack

Jacob after

Sigh

?

It is not as desperate as you originally thought. Somehow, magically, your sword and pack that was near you transformed with you. The only thing that is truly missing is the leather armor and cloak that you traded for the oil skin. The boat is lost as is Teoalis's trident which he misses.

?

!

"Some day, my ship will come in . . ."
I clean my weapons, dry my clothes and ask "Is, by chance this oil skin enchanted or blessed with powers?"

"So it would seem. What shall we do to pass the time. I could sing for you. Unless there is some way we can turn to sharks again and swim up the coast"

I know the lands around Chulpallelel Jungle, and the protectors of the One Tree. I know of the dangers of the jungle, and the taxabi.
I know there are rumours of men clad in metal causing trouble, but I do not know if these are true. I knew little of the sea until my crash course with you.

The wild halflings of Far Payit tell of metal clad men from Faerun who come from over the Trackless sea, and conquer and pillage in Maztica. It is said the gods have been giving out more and more magic to combat these invaders.I have kin around Baya who say the gods are protecting Payit and Nexal in the north from this invasion. This is the true reason I need to get to Baya. Forgive me for not trusting you enough before to be truthful.

Not sure, I guess I just flounder around trying to keep my head above water and not loose anything and try to get their attention

Keep treading! The ship is almost there!

ok

After cleaning and eating, I sit and sing softly. Just light hearted songs.

It was a bit hard to sleep having never been on a sailing ship before. It seemed there was a noise for everything. The bells constantly sounded and rung in the time and rhythm of watches. The dinner was a rousing affair of drunken pirates singing and joking that drowned out your music, followed by the obvious sounds of sex and laughter. It all but rattled your royal sensibilities, yet they seemed like happy folk celebrating some victory.

"I do appear to be the only bard aboard, or at least the only one in obvious need of rescue."

"All the same, given the choice of staying in this cell, or leaving with you, I am most asuredly the bard Mother Uhti has sent you for."

I follow her. "One grows tired of repeating tales to kindred who know them by heart, or entertaining the birds of the air and monkeys in the trees. Leaving the forest for the opportunities of the city is not such a mystery for a wandering spirit. One may ask, what business are you leading me to?"

As for stealth, an elf can tend to walk unseen when he wants, and an Dex of 15 should help that. I did have an Elven Cloak in my pack if that didn't disappear. I also could cast a disguise self if deemed necessary.
At some point soon, I need to find, steal or buy some weapons and armor or my character isn't going to last long.

It is still easy enough to find the central square in the dark before dawn, even if it by hearing the play of water where an aqueduct drops ice melt mountain water into various cascading basins. As you near, you see the dead body of a noble in the street, killed with a long sword. His leather armor still in decent shape. On his belt is his purse and rapier still.

As you reach the end of the street that empties into the square, you hear the sounds of hoops and howlers, as well as the clank of metal, and the sound of a very young girl crying in fear. Getting to the edge of the dim lit square, torches on the perimeter and the growing dawn approaching, your eyes confirm what you have heard. Five soldiers in plate mail and drawn long swords are pushing around a girl of perhaps 10 years old, who is carrying on her head a large pottery that she has filled at the fountain, the water spilling as she moves back and forth to avoid the men's swords set out to trip her in jest. You hear one of the men yell out in broken Maztica common, "Dance for us squaw!" You can see no one else is in the square and all the shop doors are closed. They are 80 feet from you and are at the center of the square.

You're doing great

You're doing great

At our age, we've all been through so much, a loving, or at least a friendly ear to listen is a comfort.

Btw, I wasn't angry about losing my gear, I just used that to express my personality a bit, and have a little fun. It was sweet of her to give it back.

1 concern is rolling real time for you. Should someone suffer a death blow of hp, neither James nor me want to have to start a new character. I know the game has risks, just saying.

So I just found out in 5e the higher the AC the more one is protected. When I last played, in the Dark Ages, the lower the AC the better. Which is why I complained about having 13 instead of 11. So with Leather Armor having a 11, and my shirt having +1 (and my Dexterity modifier for light armor added, is that another +4?) what is my AC?

I think I forgot to narrate her giving your gear back at the ship. You can imagine it to be difficult to run both subforums with the dialogue between you two. She's a damn good role player and she covered my mistake.

You should ask the Kon in game "how" he died. Its a fine story. It's hard to die in 5e, though possible. Going below 0, takes you to 0 and then you make death saving throws. Storm has gone unconscious twice alone in a cave. Ask him about his adventures and how he survived that.

No worries. I try to keep the characters intact and moving along in the story. Characters die only when they've done something so egregious that I can't build story around it.

In 5e, you can only use one AC formula. Leather Armor is 11 + your DEX mod of 3. Normally armors do not stack. you have to pick and choose how to calculate AC. Mage Armor spell doesn't add to existing armor. It is its own formula. The shirt is a magical item and an acceptable modifier, to any armor so your AC is 15. A hit has to meet that. A hit of 15 or higher strikes you. Plate mail is 18 without modifiers. I loved Storm's and your reactions, lol.

Irrelevant lol.

I cast a cure wounds near the fountain. What is 5e rules on being able to cast again?

Read something about spell slots, that I can cast as many in a day as I have slots. I only cast one spell today (the shout and firebolts are cantrips), so I should be able to cast up to 5, right? Or are there other rules in play in Maztica?

at second level,

5 is the number of non-cantrip spells you know and can put on sheet (level one spells)
3 is the number of spell slots or the number of spells you can cast before a long rest.

nothing special about Maztica right now.

Dont forget ... this is a bonus action so you can do this and an action each turn

Bardic Inspiration

You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a Bonus Action on Your Turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, Attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls The D20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th Level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Did everyone but me have a romantic back story? Maybe I should have waited for a woman with a boat, LOL.

Ha! Neither Codewook nor Law had any romance whatsoever. Kon got laid twice because he tried to fuck every female in the story but that’s not romance. Kili definitely had romance because she set it up as a character flaw. That puts you in the majority of no romance. I am sorry that was an issue. It was a jest to throw Kon’s women both at him, but he didn’t seem to react and even more wants to get Huatzi alone again. Ah well, my humor falls flat while I had my birthday. The main story was trying to play out despite this humorous side joke. My apologies again. I really do want this to be about heroes but sex appears to rear its ugly head, and this time it’s my own fault. You have requested romance but I don’t know how to make that kind of sexual connection with you and I am possessive about the only available single. It not in my nature to act in love when I’m not. We could invite another player in for you but how exactly do we advertise that or insure that single would serve the purpose. I am in a quandary of how to help in this regard.

Antehoe made the comment about being so hot she had to cross and uncross her legs. Knowing she was the RL married lady, I wondered if a full orgy was about to bust out, LOL. Teasing, but there have been some double entendre flying around, which I love.

I think my comment about romance last night was, when I flirted with the cat lady, I didn't know if you wanted to play a more adult RP or the old prudish ways of our youth. But I figured after the campaigns you'd be leading over the last year or so, you'd be ready for more mature fare. The male boatman threw me a bit, but I figure it's RP, and let's see how that goes. Now I have to wonder had he been a she....
Still, we have time for all of that.

So, I have to ask, I know you played M/F with Kon. Have you really played a lesbian encounter? That would be interesting to say the least.

Unless I've missed something, I'm clueless on the direction of the party. Everyone seems to have had interactions with gods and oracles and finding eggs and maps and stopping vamps. All I could see in my back story was the song Teo sang had the name of that goddess in it and seemed to be what Storm was mumbling. I know my kin heard rumors of some metal clad men. I have, of course, purposely hidden my noble birth, and playing coy, but should I know more or have some secret quest? Or have some guidance?
I'm not being contrary, just clueless, lol, sorry.

You are totally forgetting the Jaguar Knights medallions, both the jade glyph and the locked message medallion

1

2

3

4

Whose knocking at my door?

both the jade glyph and the locked message medallion. you threw away the id medallion, which unbeknownst to you held important info too. oh well

Sorry, using this forum to test img posts, but Storm came up with a solution. As for the toss away, that's part of players deciding the flow of the game, right!? If I had kept it and you had me rousted and caught with it, I'd have been in a fix. Makes it more real when players make choices, for good or ill. Keeps the DM on his toes, too.
I'm enjoying our game, and more engaged now that it's all making sense. Too much has happened since finding the medallions, and we are all gathering our feet under us and trying to make this occasional post format work.
I hope you approve of my reveal. Jacob is quite different than me, which makes it so much fun to play him.

I use flicker account. works the same.

test

You rush upstairs and see all the crew and heroes staring at an ape in blue silk robes. You see yourself listening to the conversation. Quickly you rejoin yourself and catch up on what’s been said.

Not sure how long one minute is, but I have one min of concentration to fire the ballista at Big Ugly, then do the ship crash magic.

shit, wrong forum

sorry for all the planning. Just learning this world, and stormy wants to be boss. No worries, I am loving playing DnD again, and playing with you. I'd even be open to side adventures if you're up to it. I know it's taxing keeping the party on track and you are doing WAY better than I would be.

I know you are a visual artist. I found some beautiful, and some erotic, Elven art. Nothing you couldn't find on your own, but I once discovered with another friend that sharing is not only a joy, but a desire in a way. Makes it hotter in some way. But only if both enjoy the art, the eroticism, and the sharing.
That's a long way to go to ask if you'd like a shared Dropbox between only you and I where we could drop art, pictures, perhaps even stories that interest, entice, or even just titillate us?

Lol. One minute means ten 6-second rounds. That’s a lot. We haven’t gone three rounds of battle yet.

Concentration means that if you are hit and fail a CON save at DC 10, or cast another spell with concentration, or break your own concentration, then The spell ends.

Thomas, It is great to reconnect our friendship here. Doing so was the only reason I suggested doing a PBP of the world I had created with my kids in the first place. Maybe we could get a couple other friends too I said. Please though, I am not interested in the eroticism or side adventures. I know that makes me a hypocrite since I do so with a stranger but that’s just how I am wired. I am fast making friends with Kilikina, sharing all the kinds of things you wish to share with me, but for me it’s love and I needs boobs as part of the equation. ;) please don’t be upset with me. I am loving our main forum experience and am stretching myself to play the females characters With you as well. I had a lot of fun throwing Elena at you. But it isn’t erotic for me, though it might be for you.

As a serious note, I do love Kilikina more than I could have imagined. I need to love someone in my life and it is wonderful to find such a kindred spirit. To top it off, she is so hot that I could never hit that. We have progressed enough that we are making a personal connection beyond our game role playing. She’s sweet and saucy, beautiful and fragile. And she is sensitive to my feelings, which had been so tortured during my Lisa phase. We keep the erotic to the role playing, but still share our lives and selfies like a young couple dating. I insist on saying I love yous, but I don’t know what that really means to her. I am in love. I am in heaven, though I also know the realities of our situations.

I understand the heart ache and loneliness you have felt because we have both gone through it a hundred times together. I do hope you find that love, my friend.

No worries for me. BTW, I didn't realize you and Kit had taken it to RL. Natural concern and curiosity aside, I have never asked you how badly your wife is sick or the cause, because I figured if you wanted to reveal that you would do so. But I am too curious not to ask this: since you know Ante and Code in RL, and teach their kids. I assume they know your family there. How do they react to you having an online romance?

Oh, and so you know, for all the way I framed it as sharing erotic art, it was basically just a way to share boob pics with a buddy. With Tony, it would be "check out them knockers!" But with you my brain shifts (into what I'm am glad to say is my more natural state), its more, share the beautiful boob pic and say "I enjoy how the light accentuates the delicate curves, a the way her pointed pink nipples offset the alabaster skin of her plump breasts."
Then again, you did move to Toad Suck, so maybe it's tits n' beer now. ;)

When I said boobs needed to be involved, I meant attached to something, lol. I was never much for porn. I was a life drawer in Art School. Lots of history of art classes with the teacher slapping her pointer stick on David’s penis. I consider the body an art form. I especially like the female body. Go figure that. But again, I don’t look for a connection or sensuality through it. I find that through love of the person. I never had sex unless I wanted the person. Remember in Atlanta when were traveling the east coast and we stopped to visit Ashley? She and I had dated for a year but she wouldn’t ever say that there was something between us. That night she made a pass at getting me into her bed. As much as I loved the aggressive move, I had to stop her and ask her about us. She couldn’t say that it was anything more than sex and I left to leave and sleep in Barbara’s apartment. I was amazed you never asked about that night. I have had several of these situations occur and each time I broke my own heart telling the girl no. That’s how you get to be 26, a virgin, disillusioned, and vulnerable to marrying a bitch like Lisa. The Paladin finally gave up. I know, that makes me a freak among freaks.

The most amazing part about that story is that Duke is that 20 year old Rodney. I made him vulnerable to Kit’s back story ideas. I gave him a pretty face to abuse and trick to get what she wanted. To exercise her character and build back story depth. Instead we played at falling in love, including sleeping together without sex and then making out and then finally a clear third date type situation where it was clear there should be sex. We exchanged some dialogue and action. But then I stopped that action at its most feverish point and gave her my ultimatum that had destroyed that Rodney so many many times. I know it was just online, but It was real. She could have wiggled out, even gotten the sex, and she would have continued as the Kitsune that she intended. It would have been great. She would have been a powerful player with that attitude. But she didn’t. She recognized the flaw that she had written into her character. The flaw of falling in love rather than just being the trickster. She choose to be deep and multifaceted. Contradictory. Real. Loved. She told me that despite everything in her character and background, she loved me. I was crying when I read her response. I married her that night.

As for Ante, she was the friend holding my hand as I went through Christi’s breakdown. She has tried to find a legal/medical solution for it but the problem is too slippery Constitutionally. Still, I would not flaunt the problem to her. But she understands and therefore Code will not mention it.

I wouldn’t say RL. There are plenty of identity security measures in place for both of us. I don’t want to take those down for both of ours sake. Talk walls. Safe place. It’s unfortunately my life.

When we were in Atlanta, I was about a year into being a thin person who found for the first time in his life that women could be attracted to him. The fat kid who had many female friends, started to have real dates. And, unwittingly, became very full of himself, and selfish. In hindsight I see that, but I had no idea at the time. To be honest, even now I don't fault that, because after the years of feeling ostracized, I finally was a part of something I'd never experienced. So if I was oblivious to the issues of others around me, forgive me. I do recall her having some goth singer boyfriend who was not treating her the way she wanted, and I made some smart ass comments about him that made her laugh (even then there was some Jacob in me).
Back in those early 90's, when I had the long curly hair, a woman named Chantel was my hair dresser. She was gorgeous. Small frame, big eyes, long black hair, incredible ass, rather flat, but had the most outgoing, dynamic fun personality I've known. She was also openly bi and I later found out she subscribed to Playboy and could literally careless who knew. I was coming out of the Bible belt small town, to what was me a big city (I laugh at that now) and she was amazing, but married. She thought I was a brilliant guitarist and asked me to teach her husband, which I did. He was dumb as dirt but a nice guy. He was a carpenter, well built and they looked right for each other. Her sister was gorgeous, too, and we dated a while, had a lot of fun, but they were big drinkers and smokers and like to sit in bars for hours, and I got bored.
Flash ahead to y2K. Chantel and Mike got divorced, and she moved in with some friend of theres who turned out to be a big time druggie. I was coaching T-Ball, and her son was on my team. He lived with his dad who would tell me she was not doing well. One day, she drove her Bronco to my house and said she had no place to go. Which wasn't true, her dad had a big ranch south of town, but she didn't want to run home to mama, but wanted out of the drug world. I was, she said (and it's no doubt true) the only decent man she knew other than her dad). So she moved in. We had a lot of fun and it became physical. Love for me. For her, most likely she just enjoyed being cared for by someone who loved her.
I admit her fascination with beautiful women was fun to watch. You said you've RP'd lesbian scenes, so you know some of the thrill. I'm not sure how erotic you found that, but imaging coming home from work and finding your girlfriend (or at least live-in lover) in bed with one of the best looking women you've ever seen. Through Chantel, I had more wild times, met more wild people and did more wild things than I ever did before. I was still in decent shape. Not as thin as the early 90's but not bad, so I found it reasonable she was really into me. I was in love.
Then the paranoia started. She started telling me of men following her and taking pictures of her. Due to her drug life past, it sounded credible. Then the stories were of the men taking pictures of her in lingerie and putting them in magazines without her permission. Many wild tales like that. One night, after talking for hours and hours, I finally got her to show me the magazines. Through tears she showed me a Victoria's Secret catalog. When I pointed out those women were not her, she said they put different faces on them, but it's her. She was convinced and very upset.
Then started the days she slept all day. I'd get up, go to work, she'd be in bed. I'd get home, she'd still be in bed. I'd get her up, give her a shower, get her dressed, we'd eat supper. She'd sit beside me while I watched TV, but she would just stair at the screen. She had no idea what was going on. I'd engage her in conversation and she'd say it was good, or she was having fun, but she wasn't. Then like magic, one day she's fine. She's driving her car to the store, shopping, making dinner. Then one Saturday, she goes out parting, I had no idea were she was. She comes in late like it's no big deal. We talk it out. Then we are good again, for a while. Then the sleeping again, then the out of it. Then I realize, she's on drugs again, but it's way more than that.
I take her to her sister, then her dad. They put her in the hospital and she's diagnosed with schizophrenia. Once released, she moved back in with her parents and has never been the same person. All that life, and dynamic fun personality was gone. She barely remembers anyone.
After that, I stayed to myself, got really fat, you introduced me to SL, where I found a life were I could connect with people mentally without the prejudice of seeing how huge I had become. I made a lot of connections, some you know of, and others I still chat with to this day, from around the world. But eventually, I got bored. I may log in once in a blue moon to catch up with a few folks. Then 8 years ago, I lost a ton of weight, and am a new person. I'm a happier person. I fell great physically and emotionally. There is a lot of Jacob in me, in that I joke, tease and don't take much seriously. But that trauma of those years still haunts me some.
I can't imagine if we had gotten married.
I am sure whatever you are dealing with is worse, it has to be. So you have my friendship, and my support.

And there you have summed up my story with Ashley. I never found out about the Goth singer BF. Lol. Perhaps that decision was a good one for me. All for the part that she still has part of my heart that I gave her. I have lots of me scattered around.

I feel like a terrible friend. I didn’t know anything about Chantel, unless she is your story about adopting someone. I’m so sorry. With Christi, it wasn’t drugs and drinking. It was dancing and kids. I feel so fucking wholesome next to your story lol. But marriage and raising kids are a part of my life now, just without the wife or loving support. It’s a trap that I have tried to silver line.

You were coming up to see me in Arkansas four or so years ago with a friend (gf?) but never did. What was that about?

Oh, I didn't do the drinking or the drugs, I tried to be her refuge away from them. I would never say I wanted wholesome, but there were times that had I found the right woman who loved me, I believe I'd have been a great dad. I coached t-ball, taught Sunday School for youth, lead a youth drama team (were I got to write all the plays) and played guitar in a band for the youth group for 11 years. So I got my fill of surrogate parent, but didn't have to pay for them, lol. I was proud that the activities minister once told me that in all his years running that program (and he was very old) I was the only coach parents would request having their kids put on my team. Most were ones that had older ones who had been before.

Anyway, as for the wild times with Chantel, yes, that was a bit of a rock star life that I once thought I wanted. Here issue wasn't the drugs though, it was mental. Of course, there is a thought that the drugs altered her mind, which is probably true.

Is Christie coherent? I mean, can you two at least share conversation?

Oh, and that friend that I was going to come see you with has been part of my heart for many years. It's a long tale, and one I will trust you with, but I'll email you soon. She's special in many ways, and frustrating as hell in others. We still talk, and who knows what the future will hold, as we have a connection like no other.

Oh, she is coherent. Thank goodness she still teaches the kids and does the shopping online. But when I talk to her, which is little, she is liable to go off with strange ideas gathered from her imaginary friends. She lost touch with reality and would see things, hear voices, fear the world or its continued existence. I like it when she was divining that we would get $30 million in $3 dollar bills. I guess it is a delusional disorder, the hardest one to diagnose as she can fake normal well. She prided herself that she could do that early in her childhood when the parents tried to help her. Her sister is in denial. Her mother is a crazy homeless lady in Houston. I'm afraid part of it is hereditary. I'm trying to prepare Izzy and the boys for this possibility.

Her health is poor. She is overweight and has shaved her head because of sensibilities. She sleeps most of time in a freezer called our bedroom and I sleep with the kids. Though our food is so pure and supplemented and the kids and I are rarely sick, she has flu symptoms most of the time. I feed her and change the sheets and checkout dvd from the library. She makes it to the bathroom to bathe. And that's it.

I'm sorry to hear of that. It sounds like something snapped. Where there any signs before, or did it just come on recently?

I do feel for you even more that I did, my friend. And I understand Ante's understanding better. Mental issues are so hard to deal with for loved ones.

Willie Nelson wrote this song in the early 60's. Every time she takes a new boyfriend, I sing it thinking of him. So far there have been 5, and she come back each time after the first 4. She's with 5 now. Yeah, I know, it says more about me than her, but the times she's here are pretty spectacular, and it's not like I have a lot else going on in the romance department.

Pay no mind to her
She only wants to play
She's not for you
She's not for you

And I'm the only one
Who would let her act this way
She's not for you
She's not for you

So she told you she found
Heaven in your eyes
Well I think it only fair
To warn you
Sometimes she lies

But it's your heart
I can't tell you
What to do
But she's not for you
She's not for you

She just looks for
Greener pastures now and then
And when she grows tired
She knows Old Faithful
Will just take her back again

So just leave her here
I'm used to feeling blue
She's not for you
She's not for you

Why is the main thread locked?

That's happened a few times. I've unlocked it. I think someone hits the lock button on the top right. Probably me, lol

When I met her, she was gluten free to handle various physical symptoms. She had just recently started taking GABA to calm her mental fog and fear that had kept her in a 12 year relationship with a live in bf that was going no where. I was her first date and she and I realized that we didn't want to date any one else. We were perfect for each other. I made her gluten free valentine's cake and cooked for her since I knew how from my friends who had autistic kids. She was lively and intelligent and showed no signs of illness. Her mother was strange, but aren't they all. Well no, I loved Lisa's mom better than my own if that is possible.

The illness increased and her mind snapped right after Aslan was born, despite renewed efforts to purify our food for the kid's and her sake. She started consulting a Life coach who introduced her to New Age cosmology, and that rabbit trail lead to strange places and allowed her imaginary to explode. I learned a lot of tarot and Hebrew/Christian mysticism. I learned Hebrew and studied various pre-Diocine Council ideas. To me it was interesting. To her it was God talking through her. When she was doing battle with demonic forces, I finally tried to put a stop to it, and she admitted her mind was broken. But the next day she refused to get help and had patched her story and now keeps her delusions hidden from me, since she suspects me of putting her in a nut house.

We have reintroduced wheat into our diet and as long as we are careful the wheat berries we buy and grind, there seems to be no ill effects. Izzy has gone through many allergy tests to check for reactions.

I'm becoming an expert, lol.

I had not idea wheat could be tied to autism or mental issues. I can say I feel a lot better physically since I went low carb, which includes no Triskets (which I used to eat a big box a day) or bread. Of course, loosing 80lbs helped a lot, and exercising regularly helps more than anything (if i miss a few days I start to feel blah, but one walk perks me back up).

I have few regrets, but one regret is how long it took me to wake up and start studying physics again. I loved it in highschool, but circumstances and my own choices took me to the lost years of the 90's. Once I started reading, then studying, then devouring every book and lecture I could from Feynman, Suskkind, Greene, Einstien, Hawking, Witten, etc. My view on everything changed.
That's about the time I left church and my smile came back. I have no guilt, worry, or burden that all that dogma weighed my brain down with. The last 20 years have been my most productive for sure.
I do have Tourettes, as I am sure you remember my many tics. There is a lot of study that it is caused by an over production of dopamine in the brain, which is used in movement. That would explain my overwhelming 'need' to move. But it also is part of what makes chocolate and sex feel so good. So I credit that to my general good mood, my ability to quickly bounce back from depressing things, and probably my over active sex drive. The later of which, I have no guilt over since that dogma was expunged.

I am glad you are taking care of your kids. That much I do envy, having never had someone call me daddy. You are much better suited for it, and they couldn't ask for a better teacher. I LOVE that you started them reading the classics so early (I'd expect no less).

Our basis for for our diet is the book gut and psychology syndrome that makes a connection between the gut and the brain. We went through this nazi diet and came out quite different people. I never knew I could feel so healthy.

I've known my whole life eating fresh fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed and fried foods would make me healthier, but I didn't know it would make me feel so much better. It wouldn't have mattered though. Then I didn't have the discipline. Now I don't even have to have discipline, I'm actually happy eating well.

also the Western A Price Association, a wonderful group of people who use the GAP diet

Updated Character sheet. Added Notes to spells (copied from DnD Beyond), added my two 2nd level spells (I finally read Bard in the 5e Player's Handbook), and added my Abilities. By the way, Fey Ancestry I can't be put to Sleep, and have a bonus against Charm, but it didn't say what the bonus was.

awesome

Hurricane coming through tomorrow. Hopefully the power doesn't go out, but that may be a fool's hope. I can't seem to find the app for Android

I do not believe there is an app. I use the internet browser.

Kili said you gave us your stamp of approval. Such a wingman you are, though I know you were conversing for your own curiosity.

My apologies for not engaging in the forum last night. With the odd couple out, I gave my full attention to the kids and to Kili and loved my evening, even while she was talking to you at the same time, lol.

I was bored, she's the only one who responded to anything I typed. I started a dialog with Code the other day, too. I won't talk to her anymore outside of the public chat. Problem solved. Chatting with another player is not anywhere close to being as important to me as you are. I'm used to being alone. Life sucks, then I die. Maybe even from the wind blowing trees around my yard now.

Dude! It wasn't a problem for me. Life does suck, though, lol. Take the dodge action on those trees!! The oracle is talking in game. You can talk to her, too.

I typed that in the middle of a hurricane with while watching my garden being destroyed, my power out, and $200 in milk, cheese, meat and frozen vegetables that I bought Monday rot in my powerless fridge. A trained electrician and I don't have a generator.
I write this sitting in the dark. I have no romantic intentions towards the person who plays the character of Kit. I told you this. She's a ballroom dancer, I told her that is totally you and totally not me. She's into pop, rap and kpop, all of which make me want to vomit when I hear them. I'm into old rock, hard rock, Outlaw Country, football, loud guitars and super hero movies. I can't imagine her liking any of that. You're a gentleman, I don't own a tie, or know how to tie one, or care to ever learn. You're Lawful Good or at least Lawful Neutral. I'm Chaotic Neutral.
I started talking to her as part of the game and we conversed. I didn't realize you would be bothered by it. Then I saw the "Elves always go for the biggest heart in the room." Which was ironic because I believe I have the biggest heart physically and emotionally (vain of me, I know). Although the emotional one belongs hook, line and sinker to the one I love most in the world, who is currently living with another man (again), even though I get 10 to 20 texts from her a day and can't seem to ghost her or stop loving her. Welcome to my nightmare.

Was I enjoying talking with Kit? Yes. For one thing, she responded and engaged. She asked questions and answered mine and asked others, to which I answered. We conversed. I had asked if Kon, Duke, Kit and Jacob could do a side adventure together, since Tesh and Code were away. Instead I sat watching an old episode of Hill Street Blues and responding to the occasional message. I'd have been happy have been killing goblins and bantering the group. I chat with literally dozens of people online, some I've grown quite close with, only 3 know my personal info. It's easy for me to sit and be a faceless brain spewing out thoughts, or a gorgeous avatar to aid the illusion that I'm not happy with certain aspects of my RL.

Anyway, the goal of all this was for me and you to play D&D together. I got my bro in, you got your friends in. I suggested we find a format other than email, and Code found GamersPlane, and you found Kit, which changed the flow of what the game would have been otherwise. I think the comments Kon and Code made about predestined story was more in reaction to what seemed like us being taken into a story you and Kit were conducting and we were coming into it. Then it opened up and most all of us got to get involved and I've been enjoying it. I hope we continue to grow the game. But if ANY part of it is going to cause you to think of me differently, or me to think of you differently, then none of it is worth it to me.
You're the one person in the world I have felt I could tell anything to without worry of reprise or someone not understanding (which probably says a lot about my other friends, or lack thereof).
Sorry for rambling a bit, today has been a VERY SUCKY and TRYING day.

DUDE! dude! D$U^D*E

Nothing about you talking to Kili or Kit upset me. Never did. YOU ARE MY FRIEND ALWAYS.

And yes, sorry about Azul taking the story along Kit's backstory. Funny thing that. She started off as a potential villain in the story, but she couldn't do it, had too much romance and love in her heart, which I discovered very quickly. Her flaw became her strength, and all of a sudden she aligned exactly with the overarching story that I had for this campaign. It wasn't that I moved the story to Kit, she fell in line with the story that does involve love, loneliness, redemption, betrayal, reconciliation, all the really good parts of a high fantasy romantic epic. Thank goodness that you see that you are involved in the story too. Each player is part of it and controls it. The seed has always been a focus and fulcrum point in my story for each player. Thank you for expressing your desires here. I will reflect them in the story. That really is the point of the oracle and my DM style. Understand that I was doing a reflection for Kitsune as well. It is hard to reflect the character's desires unless they express them. The Goliath is determined to be the fall guy, and the Dwarf wants to do, do, do without much thinking. They are important characters, but they can't drive the story like that. I'm giving Kon a chance for devotion and loyalty. I am giving Storm a chance for salvation . What does Jacob want? You told Kit something in Elvish, but let me help, too. Tell the Oracle.

I am SOO SORRY about your darkness. I want to shine a light in there. Give you a taper of hope.

In the basin you see a jaguar knight draped over a tree bough with a tabaxi stripping its flesh. Over the tabaxi’s shoulder sneaks a green folk elf in cloak and boots In the jungle beyond. He stands and addresses the cat woman and they have a long conversation. In the end, she gives him three amulets for the price of a cheap Gemstone. As the elf handles the amulets, he pauses on the cylindrical metal ambassador’s phalactory with the access badge to the High Kings court at the Maztica Tree. He places his lips to the end of the pipe and places his fingers on the markings that are spaced like holes in a simple wooden whistle. Moving from one note to another in a c-chord. He blows in the pipe and it opens.

Since I no longer have the pass, I try different musical notes with the hollow amulet

LOL, I mentioned above I like hard rock, loud guitars and super hero movies. Then I got a message from Kit saying she likes Metallica, headbanging and asked if I like Marvel and DC movies. Maybe she runs Gamer's Plane and reads all messages?

You know? she's pulled that on me, too! I'd be saying something about another character and she would totally guess what I was going to say from his subforum. I immediately checked the permissions on the subforums. I believe she is an empath. She has to be an empath. I must like empaths.

And what do you want to do with your time at the Tree before the others arrive by foot?

I appreciate the opportunity to RP, and was RPing. Jacob was determined not to screw up this mission, or let the Tabaxi stop them. He hid his face to avoid her seeing him, knowing his deception would be an issue. Once His friends were in danger, he revealed himself and fought for them.
I expected her to be mad about the deception, but the roles and Tesh's charm was in our favor. I was confused about the surrouding Tabaxi, in terms of I didn't know if they were all charmed or just me. When you said she was waiting on me to persuade, after that speach I made, I walked towards home. I figured, if they tried to stop me, they would be stopping from the mission I just laid. Of course, them being enemies, I didn't know if that would matter to them, but it was worth a try. Had they stopped me, I'd have had to try to come up with something else. I was thinking of the horn of charming because when we heard it blow, we all had to make saving throws. I figured maybe I could get a lot of them. But the description on it only says one person. So I'm not sure how many it would charm, and blowing it without charming a lot of them would probably not have been smart.

I am sorry about Kit's dog, but didn't make the connection that you were letting her pet the cat people due to that. Other than losing my dad, grandmother and a close friend, losing my pets has been the most devastating thing in my life.

With religion, I'm actually working the story into a book, and oft thought of putting it out on a blog site just started, but I don't yet know if I want the responsibility of influencing others.
My journey is on-going and a series of thoughts and reasoning of things that didn't make sense to me. I couldn't reconcile a God of love, who'd sacrifice for the world with a God who would slaughter children on the Passover or cause a flood to kill every man, woman and child (and pets) other than one family.
I also wondered about people who lived their whole lives but never heard of Jesus. Baptist theology is that there is enough evidence in nature so man can recognize their is a God. I have no issue with that, but to make it fit with Christianity, one must accept Christ as God; therefore, believing in God is the same as believing in Christ. So that throws out the belief that one has to believe in the sacrifice on the cross to be 'saved.' Which led me to think of the whole idea of having to sacrifice life (be it a lamb, calf or Christ himself) to be forgiven of sin. What is sin? It's disobeying God. Think of your own children. If they disobey you, do you require them to kill a lamb to get back in your good graces? Does that sound silly? If they don't do it, would you throw them into an eternal lake of fire? Of course not, so why do we attribute such things go God? Of course, the hell concept is only new testament. Old testament is just separation from God for unbelievers. Which does sound more reasonable and much less cruel. But if part of the dogma doesn't hold up, then why cling to other parts? Which is the reason the church has been so adamant to teach the Bible is the word of God.
Studying physics and biology, it's not hard to see what appears to be work of a creator or intelligent force, but such a belief doesn't include dogma that causes others to judge, oppress, guilt-trip or kill other people in the name of their god.

You can read the game forum. Sis explains some of that.

I'm there

Please send me:
1. What I know about my father. The kind of person he is, what he believes in, what I know about him before Uhit showed up, and then point out any changes in his character I may notice when we talk, if we talk.

2. For a Prince growing up in all this, what direction would I have been led in? I'm rebelling but not sure what I'm rebelling against. I'm a skeptic as you said, but a completely ignorant one.

3. Kon, Kit and even Stormy had some experiences with these gods and goddesses, and even vampires, and have a direction they've set for their characters. I started out as a wayward Bard seeking fortune and adventure, but you wrote me up as this Prince of a realm I have no clue about. I left all that behind thinking it was to be my secret path, but it seemed the letter was your way to put me back on that path, so I followed it to where we are now and decided to play the Prince again. But now the path is leading either way and the party is going one way, but I'm going the other. If we split, so be it but I don't think that's what you had in mind.

4. If you're assuming I've read some history about Maztica, I haven't had time. Sorry, should I?

You can make up the details as you like but here are my thoughts. You and daddy are at odds. He wants to isolate and protect. You want to embrace and expand. I am giving you tough choices. They overlap some. They will divulge. I do hope you find a balance and stay with party, even if it is to keep an eye on them lol. They are going down the same paths but with different motivations. I feed those motivations that I saw in their back stories. I just wanted to give you something more to do than play music. I love the wandering bard but to overcome the bad image you got, I’m having to pull a few stops. Your role is as important as the others. You are the physical plane conflict that contrasts the divine play going on in background. Uhti’s revolution is somewhere in between. I need a Legolas who wants to adventure and bow and joke but who is also an heir to power. The conflict makes the story good rather than tripe and trope.

Guenavar is a Faerunian beauty who as a convert to Zaltec of Nexal, came to daddy as a mission to win him to worshipping Zaltec as well as Qotal. He would have nine of any of her. You however were enamored. She is now the High Priest of Zaltec in Nexal, or what is left. She is repeating your discussions of having a Green Folk rule the north from the throne of Nexal. With the armies in disarray and the refugees gone for Tukan, this is the ideal time to make a move and annex Nexal and protect the tree in the process.

Daddy is stern and commanding. Don’t let him intimidate you. He loves in his own way. His nobles protect him to protect themselves. Daddy himself is selfless. While Uhti enjoys a place of power here, daddy still rules. You have told me that. I accept it and will play the part. He does command a large army. He does have magic items at his disposal. You have already benefited from this treasure trove when you escaped. He also has griffins and dragons. He has divination wizards. He is a force to be reckoned with and not easily swayed. The Tabaxi are pests but nothing more. He has always expressed fear of both the mind flayers and the god hunters who hunt them. The green folk are peaceful and perform more pluma magic than any other magic, even yahca wood magic. It is a rich society well connected to nature. Idealistic and ideal. Something to protect at all costs. But the world is growing smaller with Faerun trying to conquer and the vampires being more open about their attacks and power plays. Azul is declaring war on them. You know all this from your spy network and your constant contact with agents of the king. You have not used your information as you should. Neither has Teth. You could find out a lot more by using your abilities and background. You have always searched for adventure and foreign information, whether political or oral traditions. You are your daddy’s spy, but there is so much more to you. Daddy holds you back. But no t for long.

None of this is in the Maztica canon. I have taken a fragment of myth and built a whole campaign around it. The game makers have left this world blank so I am making it my own. I do use the 5e conversion histories to build adventures but the over arching story is all ours.

Hahaha!

I do have experience with that, on more than one occasion and can tell you about both. Let me ask first, do you know her age, even roughly? There is a reason I ask.

late twenties, why? you have pigeon holes for behavior based on generation?

Yes, and for good reason. I'll respond later. I can't do this and follow the game. Plus I'm doing some work on the side that I brought home or I'd still be at the office.

When I was just over 30, I met a woman online who was just over 20. We chatted a lot, and got to the point were we exchanged phone numbers. Stupid thing to do now, but back then it wasn’t uncommon to give out a number. Of course, that was the days of long distance charges, so we racked a massive phone bill for each of us. We talked every day and night for about 3 months. We exchanged many pictures (trusting the person in the pic was the person who we were talking with) and claimed to have fallen in love. I was lonely, and my life had taken a big change (this was near the time I was questioning a lot that would lead to me leaving the ministries I’d been a part of, and one I started (but we’ve already discussed my primary reason for that).
She had had one boyfriend in her life. She was pretty to me, but was not going to turn a lot of heads from guys who only looked for beauty. As long as we were talking on the phone, or sharing chats and pics online, we were each other’s everything. We both longed for love. We both felt the need to have someone love us, need us, want us. We who were unwanted, found someone to want us.
She was going to university, so I flew to her, met her at the airport with her cousin, and we were both happy to learn we looked like our pictures. We embraced, and I went to hold her hand, but it was awkward. You’ve met someone online and then met them in person, so you know once they are flesh and blood in your "real life" it’s different. Still, the more we talked and shared, that voice we had come used to brough is familiarity again, and we were good.
The thing is, I think she hadn’t anticipated what it would be like introducing her family and friends to her much older boyfriend. She felt awkward by that. It was one thing to have a private love affair, but this was very private. She also wasn’t ready for questions about why me, and what were my motivations. Her family was worried I had swayed her, or was just out for sex.
So I insisted upon meeting her parents. Which, for my part and her parents part went well. They talked to me long enough to come to the realization I am a good person and had good intentions, which was/is true. She on the other hand, wasn’t mature enough to handle me being so responsible about it. Now there is a big difference in early 20’s and late 20’s. So your experience would probably be different, but be warned, the May/December part can sound romantic, but in real life can be unexpected. Its one of those things 29/56 sounds like a distinguished boyfriend. 46/76 sounds like visit Papaw at the home.
She’s starting out in life. Finishing school, living with her parents, helping with the aging mom. You are very smart, interesting, very engaging, and have the time to be very attentive. You fill that need in her life now. Fill it and enjoy it. Just guard your heart. Her long term plans/dreams/desires for the next 40 years may be different than yours. But you know all that.
No, and older lady, who is lonely, that’s a different story. If they can find someone to live out their remaining years with, that’s much less of a heartbreak waiting to happen, and perhaps, beautiful.
I had something good with Vivian, who was a year older than me, but when people have kids, the kids come first (as it should be). Relationships, especially budding, long-distance relationships like we had were secondary. No one wants to be second in the heart of their mate, even when they think they are cool with it.
Still, enjoy what you have. Embrace the distraction. You are both adults, you can make you own path. But you are my dear friend, and when your heart breaks, mine does a bit, too. Be smart.

Wow. I had not expected that kind of answer. Your stories have grown wise over the years. I remember you telling me about the 20 year old a long time ago. You were boastful and humorous, nonchalant. We have changed, as have our stories.

I know the walls that trap me, and I know the fears and heartbreaks that Kili has currently but those will fade. She will find true love, and I have told her up front that I know this and will be heartbroken when it happens even while I will be so happy for her. I live in the present, though I cannot help to fantasize what could have been had I met her in better circumstances. She says she does not believe in multiple lives, and I agree with her, but to think that our souls could meet over and over in all the permutations of time, it would be worth it to wait for that uncanny alignment of stars that meant we could be together. Alas, I know the truth. Still the truth now is that I'm in love. I know the feeling and I want to keep it as long as I can.

Anyone who judges someone by the thoughts, deeds or musings of youth has an agenda, probably one born by skeletons in their closet. We grow, we mature, we reflect, we learn. At least most of us do. That 20 year old is now a 40 year old. She's been a Facebook friend for 10 or 11 year or so. She left me, met a young man in the gym, and got married. He joined the US Air Force, became a pilot and is now a Lt. Col. They have lived in Germany (twice), Greece, Spain, Hawaii and a few places around the US. They have two girls who are their mom's world.
Had she stayed with me, I won't say she wouldn't be happy, but wow, I'm actually jealous of her life, lol.

Online romances are valid. I went off a bit on Claudia a few weeks ago. And, while all the things I said she did were true, the quiet times we shared together, and the tears we shed over life events were all real. We had some really deep conversations and she helped me get through some difficult times. Even Pyro was great because she boosted my ego quite a bit. For some reason she was obsessed with me, even after finding out I was a far cry from looking like my avatar.
Fatima and I are friends to this day. She meet an avatar she fell in love with, took it to RL and they are married to this day. We are FB friends, and I see posts of their travels and gardens and get to share some vicariously through their lives. So it does happen.

Vivian and I had a real chance, but it is what it is, or was.

I do remember how thrilled you were when you met your current wife, and I am sad for what have to deal with now, so trust me, I applaud any escape you can find. In truth, if we all admit it, for all of us (except the Code and Tesh), this game is an escape. A chance to be someone else and flourish in a new world. I loved playing Jacob as carefree, because I'd like to be carefree. He's since taken on the realities of life, even in my second one here. Such is life, but we play the cards we are delt, and pine away for those Aces, Kings and Queens that always seem to be dealt to the fortunate few who were born with attractive faces, bodies and talents.

You may be wrong in one regard. I invited Code and Rubia to the game for similar reasons. They have just gone through a traumatic phase in their own life, having spent years with a challenged young boy that they adopted from distant relatives. They changed their entire lives, churches, schooling, and careers for this child to give him all the love that they could. Despite being incredible parents with two challenging kids of their own, they finally decided that they could not help the adopted child and ended up giving him back recently to the state as a ward. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and this broken their hearts. They have an incredible amount of time now without that child, and I knew they could use an escape as well. The tide rises for all boats.

How is Pyro Gasparini by the way? Still married to the hunk she ? I do miss her. She was a great partner for Diamond City. And did Fatima married her English island investor or someone else? I only met the English guy once to set the prim permissions on my last rental with them, and then I closed my account the next day. I never kept up with anyone. I lost track of Lyric, my last girlfriend. SO funny to be both named Lyric and then meet someone else on our island also named Lyric. Ah the days, lol.

Yeah, Christi. Dude.

I haven't talked to Pyro in a few years. I suppose she's still with Jason. She was wild, but I think it was covering up a lot of insecurity and catholic guilt. Funny how someone so outgoing can be so insecure. It shows in that need to always have affirmation and be in contact with someone. One guy is at work, contact another. That one gets busy, contact another.

Did you know that I met Pyro in Dallas once? She flew in just to say hi. Some friends and I went out club dancing with her, she used my phone to talk to my then SL girlfriend, and then my friend and I shanghaied the waiter she was flirting with and took both of them back to my friends house where I was staying. That way they could have the guest room while my friend and I could talk in peace, lol. She didn't strike me as insecure AT ALL. She was as much her avatar as you can imagine.

Yes, I remember you did that. She and I used to skype quite a bit. I don't mean insecure as in shy. I mean a lot of her IN YOUR FACE DARING and man hunting is a way to... Let me put it this way, no one told more fat jokes in school than me. Humor and a loud over the top personality was my shield. I could hide uncertainty, insecurity and pain through humor. Pyro uses what she has.

By the way, you gave me the Ring of Mind Shielding on my D&D Beyond character, but took a way others I'd had added to it, lol. So I figured if I was going to pilfer something for myself, it should be something you already approved.

How’s your schedule looking again? Sunday or Monday forum night? It doesn’t look like we have a group for tonight besides some side play.

Tomorrow evening and Monday are fairly open. Been a lot of work and family stuff yesterday and today, and a bit more tomorrow afternoon. I'll check in the morning

We are in Nexel where I sent the Elven guard and where Guenavar is at? I need to go check on the guard and get a private meeting with her.