Out of Character discussion:

Gall dang… I did not expect you all to still be here.

Figured you’d all said enough was enough by now.

Things are okay. Our daughter that wrestles has had a lot of anger issues, and we had to find the right means for her to work with that positively. That was a big fight, as she resisted a lot towards any movement that would require her to open up. That was a lot of work.

Wife and I are working on things because I wasn’t really brought up to be open about my pain, and she definitely was and now we had to find a way to start working on one person that needs to speak their pain all the time and one that internalizes it and guards it with a giant wall of stone, and figuring out how to find a medium where she says her pain when she needs and I’m not just a goddamn golem in response, which has been work for both of us through therapy, but we were told this would be an issue.

Winter is now here in Montana, and as far as weather goes with my job as a Recovery Technician doing body removals, work comes way more in abundance when the seasons get darker and colder. So work removing bodies has been unfortunately busy. The money’s good for financing my angry daughter’s wrestling endeavors around the country (she has a few good colleges hunting for her), but I’d gladly give up the income, and find a different means to finance her, if it meant the people I remove from places would have found a way to find help. Winter though…. And someone has to do the job, and I’m told I’m good at it despite the circumstances regarding the similarity of them and my own.

I’m just really surprised you're all still here. I was sure you’d all have boned out by now…

Try a jump back into?

Of course we're still here! From our end, we have a DM who made it clear he was having personal life struggles and explained that a particular month would be hardest. You communicated this to us, and didn't just vanish.

On a more personal note, several of those issues are not yours alone. Western culture still doesn't teach men how to emote, and that leads to all sorts of unhealthy coping mechanisms and emotional constipation. I hope the therapy is helping you and yours! And I hope you don't feel alone in this.

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I'm always ready to jump back in, but I also recall you saying that this coming weekend and early next week would be a particularly hard time, so I don't mind waiting either.

I agree with Cowleyc, my family is very very much like yours. I don't show pain, my wife wears her heart on her sleeve, and my daughter is a very angry teen who can't express even the most basic of emotions in a healthy way. Maybe that's the perfect recipe for a DND addict? Who knows, at any rate I'm ready for whatever whenever with this crew.

Absolutely still here. I’m mindful of how difficult this year has been for you. I’m actually fine with whatever you decide for the game. If you just want this place to be a forum for you to get stuff off your chest, I’m totally fine with that, too. Dont feel like you need to get back to us.

Ok, so if we can kill off Rannos and Gremag and take over their store, we get all the XP for looting... right?

😂

And the DM just revealed that the store finances the Church. So we also get the XP on that loot too!

Does anyone remember in which chapter the event in which one of us overheard the shopkeepers talking to the man at arms while sneaking around behind the shop took place? I thought it was Gilly who overheard...

It was Gilly. I'll find it for you and post it here when I make my post this evening.

Actually, both Gilly and sort of Eltrezar, in Part 6.

Thank you for that! Now that we've heard the Man-at-arms speak would Gilly be able to connect it to the deep baritone she overheard in her espionage? Asking for a friend... Lol

Don't forget that Luban heard him speak and understood him... Right before getting shot with an arrow, thus ending his adventuring career.

Yeah, I think Gilly would have recognized his voice.

Well, so much for a good first round of combat! Half of the party is mashed potatoes at this point.

I think our goose might be cooked on this one, folks! I hope everyone had a pleasant enough Christmas. I know it can be a difficult time of year for a lot of people! I hope our DM is coping as best they can! I’ve been thinking about you! You might see this one day!

I’ll keep Gilly and Ora on the books for a while, and can rejoin the game, if it takes back off again.

I'll hang tough till summer, gods know I don't need to free up space for more games since I'm drowning in them already ;)

I predict a couple more weeks and we'll hear from our excellent DM. Happy New Year to the lot of ya!

I'm also going to hop out, but I'll be happy to rejoin if/when that fun fungi returns! Spring cleaning is all I'm doing... a few months early.

Farewell stalwart fellows, the dwarves will always be here should the occasion to return arise.