Group/Character Planning

Just spitballing but maybe he tomb is actually built in a way that accentuates the flood land? The land was claimed for the temple because it was the best land available to architecturally feature the temple that ends up being a partially submerged structure during the floods and a beautiful silty beach in the dry season. Maybe an phenomenon occurred at the consecration of the temple that was directly prior to the floods not occurring. This leads the lay people in thinking that the temple is to blame and the priests are not sure (or maybe they are sure it's not and this is just a fools errand to ply the people into thinking something is being done.) I don't know. I'm open to other ideas.

Maybe the voices of the disappeared workers told Adom to something suitably cryptic like "find us ere the lifespring runs dry" or something.

If none of the other priests can get anything, but he can, perhaps they're forced to rely on him.

Maybe we're simply (mostly) expendable? Presumably this is a major crisis, so there's multiple parties pouring out their resources to figuring out what's going on separately. We could be one of several groups trying to determine what went wrong. Bonus points if whoever can figure out a solution can blame the other parties and gain additional political clout by smearing everyone else.

I love the idea of the seasonally flooded tomb. What if the workers were down in the lowest level removing water that had seeped in instead of it being a cave in? They're bailing out water in preparation for sealing that level, when they're all just suddenly gone, and that chamber is bone dry. And it could coincide with some rite being performed above ground. Something like a fairly routine ritual that suffered a horrible omen in the middle of it?

Great ideas, all. I love the temple situated to be partially underwater during the flood season. And the dedication rite being assumed responsible for the lack of floods.

It sounds like you, Origamisamurai, may have volunteered to lead this "quest" because of the voice you heard. Of course, they had to send someone and you said, "I'll go!" and then you picked or had the rest of the group volunteer to go with you. Does that sound good to everyone?

For the tomb/structure itself, maybe it's for a priest of the crocodile god. It fits the theme of being submerged most of the time. Perhaps my character might have been chosen to oversee it because of some political connection. I'd hinted that his father might be a scholar who deals with some rare or unsavory scrolls (the hinted at origin of Adom's abilities). Perhaps the priest who would normally have overseen the project found a... reason... to be generous (read blackmail or some sort of quid pro quo on his father's part) and bring Adom onto the project.

Sure. kobold, we just need to figure out why you'd actually want to come along. Maybe there's something the elves know in their folklore about ridding the land of the filth of man in the time of famine or something? That could be a nice little counter goal that underlies their interactions.

Wardomo, did you pick a Stock? I haven't burned your character yet because I didn't know which stock you want to play.

WarDomo, how would you feel about having your character witnessing some sort of extra preparations or magic Adom was doing before the ritual proper? It may not have actually been the thing to cause what happened, but maybe Adom believes it did.

Something like Adom tries to set things up so there will be some dramatic good omen that appears during the ceremony. WarDomo, your guy sees it but doesn't say anything. When everything goes to crap during the actual ritual, Adom and your guy both realize that what he was doing before may have been a part of what happened. Maybe your guy doesn't let on about what he saw right away, since he's got a good enough excuse to want to help anyway.

Shark_Bone, does that work for you? It doesn't have to have anything to do with anything, but it's possible it does.

EDIT: I should be getting the book tomorrow, so I will probably have a first draft thrown together by tomorrow night assuming the USPS estimate is accurate.

That works for me.

It's fun to see how my initial hook has been taken, twisted, washed, rinsed and is now something that everyone is going to care about.

And, let me know if you have any questions with Lifepaths. I found it pretty confusing the first couple times I went through it.

Anybody heard from Phantasmoron? I know the first time I joined a game a had a devil of a time finding the link to the forum.

Perhaps not only am I a displaced farmer but this land in particular, that which the tomb is built upon, is my family plot that I have secret knowledge of.

The plot thickens... :)

Oh, I thought that was what you were originally saying. Glad we're on the same page, now. :D

I haven't. No PMs either. I'll leave them in game for awhile and hopefully they'll participate.

I assumed I was human. Don't see a need to change that. That's what Stock is right?

Love the sunken tomb, and I like the idea of witnessing Adon performing the rite gone awry and not saying anything. That's the real reason I approached you.

Everyone probably assumed this, but I pretty much go where Adom does Especially when it comes to this tomb.

I'll have to practice being a bit of a bastard for this character. I usually play big softies, but I'm looking forward to somebody that has a darker side.

You don't necessarily have to be a bastard. You could have had the best of intentions and you're trying to make it right. Or you could be a total bastard :)

I see him as somebody who isn't going to let other people stand in his way. By the time we meet him for this adventure, he's already killed a teenage rival in cold blood. I picture him being willing to kiss ass, lie through his teeth, and be warmer and friendlier than anyone you will ever meet, until you are unwilling to give him what he wants. He wants to build a legacy for himself and his family, and he's already jumped up in caste by the very nature of his priesthood. But he wants more. I'd like to think his grandparents or great grandparents were artisans or even merchants. So his whole life has been shaping him to want more and more for himself and his heirs, whatever the cost.

Or, ya know, a bastard.

I think I was speaking generally at first (all elves were displaced by the god queen but knew the land around the Nile housed secrets) and am now am speaking specifically (this is the land of my mother's mothers and the bones of my family are buried beneath the ground). Either way, in the first case the party could have hired any Fremen guide to get to Arrakeen, in the second they've tracked down Paul Atreides (though he's more of an adopted Fremen).

So your new name is Muad'dib?

The spice must flow.