Admin, OOC, and Launch Discussion

J, by reset on HD's, are you essentially granting us a full blown long rest, essentially a 4 to 5 hour version?

You know, that was a gourmet meal from Maeriks... I'm all for it, in the spirit of Dark Thrones, especially since it will help move the narrative along. Could just write it off as Gourmand via CB cuts down on needed time for long rest. You know, something like that.

As far as Rutcranna's plan:

Remember Zaituc telling us not to trust the lying witch. However, in this case, I think we're in a situation where we at least go along for now. She knows the lay of the land, the denizens, and where to go specifically. If we have to... 'cut ties' with her at some point, so be it. In sum, I think our best move is exactly what she laid out. Keep in mind that we can't know for certain her motivations, or her affections/attachments to Sorcha. For all we know, Rutcranna could be simply trying to take back position from Fingol as part of being on team Glaaki. Hell, Rutcranna could be trying to relocate Sorcha for Glaaki.

Still, she's our best lead right now, so I'm for going along with Rutcranna's plan. I'm sure Maeriks/CB will go with her as well, given the familial relationship he seems to have with Rutcranna.

Maeriks slams, Thorn stabs. It will be glorious.

I'm good with that. I want to be a bit loose on this to just keep the ball rolling and give a head-nod to a rare opportunity of laying down a Gourmand expertise meal, at a great time, at a great place.

One time circumstance adjustment: Long Rest effects gathered in shortened time because of specialized Gourmand application and setting benefits.

Maeriks will be all in with Rutcranna's plan as he has no reason to not trust her. Maybe that will change when it turns out she want's to become an elder god and disrupt the natural fabric of spacetime.

But I, Mr. Brewer, think that there is some significant misdirection she is putting the group through. I do believe she wants to retrieve her daughter and her interests align with the group there, but I doubt it is all about motherly love as she implies. The lady is hundreds of years old, right? Why doesn't she have entire villages of children running around? It certainly wouldn't be for lack of suitors. You all will also have to figure out how to separate Rutcranna from her daughter once you free her. If nothing changes with Maeriks' relationship with Rutcranna at that time, then he is going to support Rutcranna and protect the daughter. PVP!

I am also wondering why The Deep Ones are now aligned with Glaaki and emerging from their long isolation. What changed? What can the group do to revert that change? It seems that Glaaki would stagnate again without the support of The Deep Ones.

Teleportation and healing via the Gray Flesh Trees (That is what we should call them) is going to be a major advantage for the Glaakieiou and we'll need to learn how to handle them. I think that seeking out and destroying those trees regularly will help to reduce the mobility and options afforded to Glaakieiou that are out to kill us. We need to learn how to efficiently and safely destroy these trees. Also, how close to another tree does one need to be for it to be "in the network" - can we cut down trees in the middle to create a dead zone where the Glaakieiou must pass on foot before getting back on the network? Is the tree weakened after healing an injured Glaakieiou? Can we just light a fire and burn the fucking things? (Time to stock up on lamp oil...)

It seems we are set up for some asymmetric warfare. Disrupting the Gray Flesh Tree network may be a viable option to occupy and distract the Glaakieiou. Maybe even a way we could draw them out in small numbers that we can ambush.

@Ez, thanks for keeping the journal updated.

Who knows, CB... depending on how things work out, we might come to the resolution that we're not separating Rutcranna from her daughter. We'll see. As I see it now though, we've still got a job we're contracted to do, which is a big deal.

Also... I think the idea of doing damage to the Gray Flesh Tree network would be worthwhile, if it wasn't for the press of time. In this circumstance, I think we take advantage of the ruse, get to the objective asap, and get out. Raid style. I think we leave it (the network) alone on the way to our objective, and on the way out. Stealth and guerilla warfare.

My concern is that since the Gray Flesh Trees are a network, any disruption to them might be detected, and located, since the purpose of the network is a triangulation of sorts. Rutcranna didn't mention that the Gray Trees serve as listening posts or detection systems, but taking them out could call attention, perhaps simply by Glaaki et al recognizing that a 'station' is down, offline. Attached to that idea is the fact that I don't think we have time to do any significant damage to the GTN on the way to our objective of finding Sorcha.

In sum, attacking the GTN on the way will slow us down, and potentially serve as a 'ping' for Glaaki and friends to discern our location in some way.

Let's keep it simple. Find the girl, as quickly and quietly as possible. Once we have completed that objective, we can make a decision on the next step from there, and the factors involved in that decision should hopefully be clearer. Hell, perhaps Rutcranna willingly accompanies Sorcha back to Zaituc.

Lots of variables, but one thing is for sure: we don't want to be in the Glaaki Grey Tree neighborhood when they figure out that the assault on Nahrooma was a hoax.

My absolute pleasure CB. I relish the idea of being able to look back on our story.

Hopefully it doesn't seem (too?) biased. I've been wrestling with writing it from Kray's point of view or a more objective one... it's more fun to write it from Kray's pov, more story like, like some 1800's/very early 1900's archaeologist's long lost journal was found in the jungle. And, even though I'm writing it from his pov, I'm doing my best to make sure it remains at least somewhat objective, and that everyone's characters are part of the narrative.

Interestingly, it's easier to write from Kray's perspective as well, rather than trying to formally sum our adventures up, proper writing format and all. You know, just put down Kray's thoughts as any of us would in a journal of our own.

Some of it though... is just easier to drop from an objective fact point perspective (like J's info dumps, which are a great way to advance the story, excellent plot tool, like editing in a movie).

Anyway, glad it's appreciated. It's all part of enjoying the hell out of Dark Thrones.

I would happily watch the Netflix special, Maeriks.

Ha! I laughed out loud when I read this! So true.

Flashback scenes of Rigin (Phantom) bullying Maeriks as a kid, and you wish big middle-school aged Maeriks would just slam the fuck out of little punk Rigin. Rigin's asshole dad Felin drinking, laughing and prodding his kid on to pick on the local slow oaf kid.

Maybe Maeriks had a girl that he liked, but she turned into a teenage slut like all of the rest of the Bat Hannoc girls, and just wanted to get banged by all of the cool warrior youths who came back loaded up with loot after summer raids against the gold pressers.

Slevin always rolling around in his cart, barking orders and insults to Maeriks, knocking his shins with clubs - audience is appalled by the redneck cripple's constant mistreatment of the strongest, most helpful guy left in the camp.

CB, you have ended up with a ready-made viewer base.

Hahaha holy shit you guys are hilarious

You know, now that you mention it, I vaguely remember hearing something months ago, in another game, where someone told me that using OOC in Notes is problematic.

Might even be why I stopped using OOC and switched to just using 'blue' for OOC comms. Or maybe I switched simply because blue is easier to read than OOC text anyway (darker so it has more contrast). Either way, OOC text within Notes might be exactly what the problem is.

Yo, Player's Club. I just posted up a wrap up of the hanging-out-at-the-cabin scene. I'm leaving it at that for the night and tomorrow morning.

Feel free to post up about anything else you wanted to have gotten done during the abbreviated Long Rest. I'm all ears to hear more about the interchanges that happened, any questions anyone had during the flex time, anything that the group should address before launch.

So to be clear, we can sift back through the hours at the cabin as you guys see fit through tonight (Tues) and early tomorrow (Wed). Ideally I want to shift to full action tomorrow evening on the boards to see what happens on the transport plan to Goatswood.

Please take some time to get characters and stats squared away again. If you haven't already, publish out rolls for HD recovery if you are doing that. Record current HPs. Make updates on any equipment as necessary. Mark ammo levels. Check to see if you lost anything, gained anything. There is some opportunity to pick up some odds and ends at Rutcranna's place - not much on weapons and armor, but tools and supplies there is a fair amount. Think about what you would and would not have from here on out. Keep it all in the gritty depressing realism that we all love to drink like bad medicine.

You're on a swamp island, in the dark, about to get out on two small boats, crossing an opaque black lake full of alligators, to reach an even darker and scarier swamp forest.
Plus maybe monsters are chasing you.
So plan accordingly.

Cool stuff going on right now. Solid idea exchange swirling around on the boards, so start thinking of what you do as you change from theory and planning to execution. I'm on the edge of my seat anticipating the next scenes.

Check, good to go.

Also J, that sweet long rest you granted us means we're all back to max hp, fully locked and loaded, and we didn't need to spend any hit dice on rest.

Somehow I'm guessing we'll need the benefits of that long rest where we're going.

I can fill you in on that, J - Nothing. It was perfectly safe, everyone arrived together, completely undetected, and without any unexpected losses.

Glad CB took a short trip to the future to bring back the good news. Nicely done btw, CB. Since we're at Goatswood now, just as the sun is rising...

Haha. you might be surprised, maybe we can roll with that...

Hey, has anyone heard anything out of Jabes? I think last I heard from him was last week. Wondering if he is ok, and wondering if Ivor is turning into a zombie.

Jabes, do you copy?

Jabes posted in the Dungeon World game I'm running on the 5th. Any special cake events happening lately?

Still here, guys. Ivor's the quiet sort, but I have been meaning to post more of his tortured internal monologue. Just haven't quite collected my thoughts. J PM'd me some great stuff to work with so I should be posting again soon.

Man... J, you need to get some funding or something to make this into a fucking movie. My character is dead and I'm enjoying every second of this.

Cool, Ox. Bro, can you get us the movie deal?
We start billing all this shit out to a client in Hollywood.
We all make bank.
Hold a live Players' Club session of Dark Thrones Ep. 12 in 2020... in Vegas!
Champagne and hot bitches everywhere.