Character and World Creation

I'm interested in the bandit camp, and in the storyline hinted at earlier in the game (I think it might have been when Rook was talking to his mates under Leesha's influence) that the bandits did what they did because they were under some terrible threat.

That's a great idea!

GM jots down some notes. :)

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Is there any speculation (in or out of character) what this 'threat' might be? Anyone should answer.

re another Pet, I am very happy with that! It also opens up the questions of how Oli and the Falcon will interact, which are interesting too. They're both hunting animals, and both able to scout, but I think Oli would generally be more vulnerable to a falcon than the other way around.

I'd generally like to work Oli into the game more (I've been forgetting about him on occasion), and would appreciate any other characters or NPCs interacting with him, as well as any prompts/questions/suggestions from the GM re what he's up to at different moments.

I've been wondering about this. Whatever it is, it was able to compel a decent-sized band to attack a reasonably well-guarded caravan, and at least a couple of them were afraid to turn back before Meht freaked them out.

Perhaps there is something or someone demanding a tribute the bandits can't otherwise afford to pay, but must if they want to avoid a bad fate. Perhaps people they love are held hostage? Perhaps there's one of those feared and shunned Wizards somewhere? Perhaps both?

Will try to do that.
How visible is he normally? I got the impression he was normally hidden away (in Meht's clothes?), but people may have seen more of him during the fight, so they will have reason to ask about him going forward.

You can also have him initiate things with other characters.

Always a good option. If there is time, follow up with the captain and the merchant, there is more there.
I will leave it up to the 'magic user' player if there is another wizard in play at this time.

Do we have two magic users though? Is magic still part of Cook's skills/background, as well as Nanoka's character? Or did it get dropped?

I believe Cook is an 'ex magic-user'... in more than one meaning of the word. :)
His ability to shut down magic makes a wizard foe attractive, but I am more concerned with our 'current magic user's' view on the topic.

Ah OK, understood.

Other wonderings, while we're discussing ideas:

- I wonder if whoever is behind it might have amassed a bit of treasure through these kind of tactics, and how a fallen noble and a thief might work together, or against one another (or both) to help relieve them of it
- does Bast have any foes? Rival faiths who don't approve of a party god?
Thanks! I'll try to do what you've suggested too.
When Meht reckons it's safe, he likes Oli to run around, but he keeps him close while he's sizing up a situation or unsure how safe it is (so, most of the time recently).

I would assume there is treasure to be gotten, and that it is coveted by all the PCs.

More successful results on the fight would have gotten you all more, and revealed more opportunities to get more. I feel a bit bad at how little reward you all got, but just surviving was something.

With WoDu I always have an idea of offering a 'One Thousand Silver!' quest for level ones, just to temp the players into taking on more than they can chew on the hope a whole level in one go.
Remind us in scenes if he is hidden or not. Those who know (of) Oli may engage with him anyway, but if he is out, there will be more opportunities.

Just to clarify, is that me?

Idea -- the "bandits" are a group of prisoners that escaped the Inquisitors. They were looking for food & transportation to continue their escape.

Yeah I like that! It could make sense of the tattoo, too, as a mark of faith. Perhaps they're heretics? If they were pagans or nature-worshippers of some kind, it'd make Meht's feelings towards them more complicated, too.

For a yes-and, combining with my earlier suggestion: they could be on the run from the Inquisition, in unfamiliar territory, and a local power-holder of some kind (warlord, wizard, bandit) has taken advantage of their vulnerability and pressed them into doing some of their dirty work. Then the tattoo could be either a mark of faith or a mark of bondage. And it'd explain the map, too - if they were experienced local bandits they'd hardly need a map to the best local spot to ambush caravans, would they?

No, not unless you think it also applies to you.

I meant Nanoka's noblewoman mage (who does not have a name yet?).

Could be.

This inquisition is suddenly coming into prominence. Will need to think about their status in the region, I think they may not be all that official, but still be powerful, this causes less problems later, down the line.

Could well be. Or just suspected by the Inq.
Bast would be 'pagan', making that not a bad thing. And 'heretics' has little meaning in a polytheistic system. But it could be something like this.
Indeed. We are just spit-balling ideas and talking about rumours.
Might do, but there is more to the map as well.

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With all this stuff, we will play to find out.

Sorry I was a bit busy and my character involves me having to come up with a lot of descriptions I noticed lol, I should have submitted now (her name is Alycine)

Regarding whether there should be another magic user in play, having an enemy one might serve as a barometer for how the party feels about the concept as a whole - ideally Alycine's secret would not be discovered by anyone else, so rather than trusting the party implicitly because they're the party she's probably going to wait and see if they would NARC on her before considering any sort of summoning at this moment.

No worries. That's the way it goes.
It does give Alycine something to compare to, and a view of how bad things can get. This implies she does not know, first-hand, about the negative reactions she is likely to get?
In order to make the game work: We know (OOC) that the party will be accepting (enough) of her magic. This includes those NPCs we adventure with long-term (most fellow guards, for now, and any who persist after the guard-guest).

So, do you think Alycine would be using this to test the waters, out in the 'real world'?
That means we will push the group to a place where she has to make a choice between keeping it 'safe and secret' or 'saving everyone, but revealing the awful truth'. Let us know (even adjusting as we play) how hard that will be pushed.

Secrets don't last long in a party that works together to overcome challenges.

That also works for me, happy to be rescued near a bandit camp, or found trying to sneak into it myself.
Perhaps the inquisition is members of a monotheistic religion, requiring people to only worship the almighty [insert god here] ? They might lack political backing and power in this region but be sent here to 'bring the light of [insert god here]' and basically destabilise the area. Could come from a neighbouring country...