Admin, OOC, and Launch Discussion

Inspiration?

Sorry, fellas. Crazy work day. Couldn’t game. Will try tomorrow but might be afternoon.

J-Slump

Hey guys! J pinged me and reminded me that DT was a thing. I had some rough times with the family a while back and stopped gaming for a while. I should've at least hopped on here and let you all know that I was going to be AFK for a while. Sorry about that! I've got a lot of catch up to do, can someone give me a quick update so I can hop in without first having to read a hundred pages of text? I'll eventually get all caught up...

Yo, CB. Glad you are back on. No apologies necessary. Families are like hurricanes sometimes Ha!- best wishes on weathering through the storm.
But on a lighter note, I definitely wanted to see if you can get Maeriks back in the scenes. There couldn't be a better time than this week (in RL). Slight problem short term is I've been a slack DM and can't get writing time to wrap up this transition.
But I will solve it soon with a few posts. Story will be going to a next Act. What it is depends on PC choice, but it should be pretty big I predict and a good moment to (finally) unify the party on a specific path.
Maeriks can so easily plug back in, completely believable and a simple explanation that he was just hanging out enjoying the new city and doing some work with the cool crew, especially the expert kitchen staff, of local benefactor Magistrate Balanser.

Don't stress about catching up; it will be easy. We can get a summary going, there is the new At-A-Glance reference that may help, and there will be some reset and review soon I think when everyone gets together for next direction upcoming.

Gotta break now. More time later.

J

Sick today, crawling back in bed. Will try to post tomorrow!

Get better Len.

Welcome back CB! Kray's been missing Maeriks' cooking!

Quick summary is that PC's, old and new, went to the palace party. Old PCs with plans to scope the place out for the Side Door Key into the Red Bastion. Some drugged out poet recital brain washing was going on in the latter part of the feast. Party is split in two, both groups trying to escape the lower levels of the palace.

When in doubt, split the party.

I predict tomorrow a day of info download, some revelation, surely some questions, some answered/ some not.

After that, PCs will need to digest, weigh out, judge, and decide direction.

I think we will launch on Next Act of the story probably on Thursday/Friday. Heading into the weekend onto a mission-type stance that will continue into full action next week and beyond.

But of course you guys might monkey wrench all that, propose something I haven't thought of yet, and I'm 100% game for that as well.

I'm hoping that all PCs, including Maeriks, are in on this next stage. We may get onto a line of the story where it will be difficult if not impossible to have characters drop in and out. So it will be one of those "valve checkpoints" where we will do a team gut check and roster call before we jump out of the plane.

Like Shawn Michaels, I'm ready to kick this...

I still have about 20 more pages to read to get caught up, I've just read the bookends (pg 24, where I left off, and the last five pages of episode 2... you guys take too long to put a lousy golem down. Where is Maeriks when you need him?).

Has much time passed between entering the city and the events of the night? Any ideas on what Maeriks might have been doing during the downtime?

Feel better soon, Len!

Welcome back, CB!

CB,

I put up some Timeline Notes on the At-A-Glance board. Tried to organize a way to review sequence of events so far. Check it out.

So you can see that it is not really a great deal of time in the city. Pretty much your group has spent four nights here, working into the fifth day since arrival.

I think the explanation of Maeriks' absence can be pretty mundane, or you have option to detail it up for something more complex.

I pictured Maeriks being enamored with the incredible market of the city as well as his access to luxurious kitchen and dining at Magistrate Balanser's compound. I think the servant Amit may have followed Maeriks around a good bit, because Maeriks was the only one of Amit's new employers who stayed around. The others left in different directions, and Kray/Thorn usually took Gibon with them during the days. So during cruise control on your time away, I was thinking of Maeriks integrating with the kitchen and serving staff as they managed all sorts of shopping and prep work for the Dres Moshe feast that was coming up before the observance of Shuvael. And all the while Maeriks had an attendant and pal in Amit who is a guy who can't speak a common language but will carry anything you ask and will give it a best shot at following any order given if you provide an example run-through of what labor you are talking about.

Kind of left it at that in your absence, but that was just a default idea. Of course now it is up to you. I'm game for talking through whatever your preferences are and framing up a retcon as necessary.

I’m trying to get caught up today it’s been a busy week/end...

Thanks, Ox. Also heard from X. He's been been exceptionally slammed at work but is predicted to catch up soon and get on the game schedj.

How is everyone else on imminent full action launch?
CB, you good?

I will try to cover some last few responses tonight. Also will hear any steering input from you guys, aiming to incorporate it into some Cursed Palace Raid release point either tonight or early tomorrow if you guys are ret to go.

Maeriks being drawn into the city's markets and kitchens is a great explanation. He kitchens and markets on this scale aren't something he's ever thought of, so it totally works that the would get lost in that for a little while.

I'm still reading through the post backlog and your summary. The number of names has me in a daze, but I'm getting through it. How do you manage? Whew...

Yep.

Players' Club,

I'm pressing Ep 2 to the launch of the raid on the Cursed Palace.

If there was anything left to be done, updated, RP'd, talked about before that, don't hesitate to send it in.

We can do many things in flashback and just say they were covered in the time between the conspiracy meeting at the tea shop and the final approach to the palace.

I just did not want to stall out any longer with prep work sweating the small stuff.

Chime in if the pace is too fast. I want to get on a roll of action-interaction, but don't want to lose people either.

Nobody outside of the people at the planning table and those needed to execute the plan needs to know we're doing this raid. That includes Gibon and Amit. Less chance for us to be found out this way.

Got it. Action Team roster only.

This is a very good point! Ivor took one because he likes weapons but to be honest he's only ever gonnatouch that knife if his main weapons become impractical or are taken out of play.

Ox,

Not 100% sure if I'm interpreting this line of thought to conclusion correctly or not but....
is this an offer for Bryn to accept one of the White Cast Iron Pike knives from Ivor?
:)