The Campaign Builder's Guild

When I don't know whether to post something in the new crunch or setting thread, I revert back to the original Stream-of-consiousness disaster thread.  

Sue me.

Some (semi-)interesting updates.
(if you feel an urge to comment, the discussion thread is here...celtricia discussion thread

As I say far to often (yes, grandpa, you tell us this every time...) this is an old setting.  But an intersting dynamic is that while I jealously guarded access to rule changing earlier in the campaign, after the first decade I began to view the rules as belonging to the players as well, so instead of me chaning things from an autocratic position, all rule changes became group decisions.
Flash forward another fifteen years, and as we speak, my PC's are actively involved with the PB wiki.  For those who do not have their stuff web-based, I have to say that the collaboration side of the coin is great.  I've given contributor level access to all the players (and I review all changes at night).  They are not changing data, but adding their side of stories and reorganizing a lot (and asking for a lot of stuff from me, which is a little bit of a pain, but also a good kick in my ass).   For those of you who have spent time on the Celtrician Wiki, you'll probably find it cleaner now.  

Mistonian PC's just got caught by an Ograk Dragonrider from the Giantclan Silverworth that has been hunting for them.  Why does this bear mentioning?  Because you DON'T FIGHTdragons in Celtricia.  The rule systems make it very difficult to fight things that can swallow you whole.  The msitonians are my older current group, i think 12-13 years of playing time, maybe a bit more (i'm using the inexact science of counting back wives and girlfrineds to figure this out...) and they have faced one very small, very young dragon before.  The Igabrians never have.  This is a 7th rank dragon ridden by an 8th rank Ograk dragonrider.  
All black dragons are earth dragons, so this one has tons of earth magic and resistance.  7th rank means that most of his primary used skills are that level. So he's probably 7th level spirit casting, 6th level earth, and 3rd level in 2-3 three other spell types.  Black dragons have 44 base Hp with 9-20 per level, so with 7 levels in HP, thats 102+44=146 hp...and the Pc's are mainly 3 base + 2-5 per level, so the highest PC HP total is 38.  Getting through a Dragon's protection is also very difficult in Guildschool rules...I think they have 75 max protection, so they can protect up to 75 points of damage, they average 20 points of protection, and their minumum protection is 11 points.  
The Ograk Dragonrider will be nothing to sneeze over, either, being 8th rank.  He'll have 12 HP base +3-6 per level (48 Hp on average), with 8th level Spirit, 7th level Animist spell points, 3-4th level in a couple (one of which will probably be mentalist spell points, as many animst spells need a mentalist component) and 1-2 levels in a couple other spell types, and he is armed with a Demi-lune of Control.[note=Demi-lune of Control] +19%hit/+2 damage after divider, -2 spirit, -2 animist Lizard tonge 2/day, Blassings of Snake and Spider 2/day[/note]
The long run of Grak Dung, Questioner of the Collegium Tortoris, and his band might be over.  Just as they seem to be getting some clue that something must be out of whack to allow for so many undead running around the Underthrone of Wizern.  Also, just a hawaak (the 8 day week) before the long wait for the armor made out of the White dragon they fought months ago to be ready for Sir Drono Biddlebee, hobyt former peasant of the Turniper's farming commune.  The injustice of it all.

The update on the Igbarians is that they are actually becoming solvent...which is good because they don't seem to remember that their very substantial yearly dues on their table in the Grounds of Dismissal trading house is coming up.  Other than that, they remain clueless.  (do I sound a little frustrated?)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

and why do I bother going over the technical details?  Firstly because a few people have commented heavily on them, so I thought it might be nice to see what happens at the upper levels.  Beeblebrox especially has wondered how the numbers play out.

[blockquote=lv]The update on the Igbarians is that they are actually becoming solvent...which is good because they don't seem to remember that their very substantial yearly dues on their table in the Grounds of Dismissal trading house is coming up. Other than that, they remain clueless. (do I sound a little frustrated?)[/blockquote]
IGBAR SESSION TONIGHT.
Dunsak, Tokush 20, 895 in the Reckoning of Nebler.  mid morning, just after 10th hour.
Goals for the evening...

Make sure the players hear tell of some undead 'just stopping moving around' and 'falling motionless suddenly' right around late 10th hour the night before.  The group defeated the Anginarian Wight, Wren the White, and took her ring the night before, the ring that was made by Keaxiol Antroo, the awakened Vampyre lord.  I'll have to be specific, like telling them Padwyck and Harack Don Fadan (a hobyt and klaxik pair of High Constables from the Unicorn gaurds, the information gatthering arm of the Houses of the Unicorn.  Both are members of Corobar's Iron Way.) were investigating a nursery whose windows were all dark.  Inside, they found blood everywhere, and went towards the sound of crying children...only to find over twenty white, blood-covered zombic children weeping softly in their dormitory, in miserable un-life, with a body of a hobyt nurse hung from an iron wire from the ceiling.  Then, at the same time, 6 of the zombic children just de-animated.  Hopefully, the group will figure out this happened the same time they took the ring from Wren, and finally get a clue...

If the group goes to the Steel Libram Sages, Pacae Laetsos, the Hobyt Master sage will be there, and that is the only place the Anginarian ring can be identified, and that will take a hawaak (8 day week).

The Sheering family, an old Igbaraian Human Family, which has been prominent since back when Trabler was the Northern Argussian marches (Lowell Sheering was actually the third Baron of the Northern Argusian Marches back in 418 RON) has some members of the family allied with the secret sect of Vernidale the Serpent Queen.  The Igbarians have already been mucking about in the old Sheering tomb, where the sect of the Serpent-Queen and Vigor Sheering, a powerful artificer have been lairing.  Vigor has used some forensic and scrying magic to figure out that it was the PC's in the tomb, and he will put some very subtle pressure on them.  He'll send some tax people after them, hire some itinerant bards to defame them, etc.  Vigor wears one of the remaining 2 Anginarian rings that are animating/allowing spreading animation of all the undead in the area.

A little detail, but the Klaxik gate sargeant that made their life difficult on the way back in last time has to visibly be seen to be humiliated.  Kiko, the hobyt thief that is actually a member of the Karin Machination (the 'business end' of the Eye of Igbar) paid off Terrible Billy to have his life made miserable.  Very important to keep life moving along in the Town of Igbar.

The Pedchel school/orphanage opens on Dunsak, 2/22/895.  This is opened by Punic Delvings, a middle aged human from the ruined Delvings isles.  It is a combination trade school and orphanage.  No one knows that Punic was once the master thief of David's Delvings on the delving's isle, and he is establishing a cover for his trading activities in town.

On Scaliak, 2/23/895, Madrak's Day of Deliverance is held.  The Church of the Living Earth will be packed, as the Amristians will help celebrate the bringing of plants and growing things to the 'Waking Dream' that is Celtricia.  They have invited the clergy and followers of Woerter, the Hosting God, for the first time.  (Woerter's shrine was just upgraded to fully recognized temple status recently).  Can't have a celebratation without the God of Bashes...

The Dire Tones Bardic guild is holding a verse competition (basically a politcal rally for the Castellots in town, the folk who feel like the rest of the Stenronian Alliance is using Trabler as a shield) at Hostem's house of Hospitality on Scaliak, 2/22/895, at later 9th hour.

Not that its that big a deal, but I thought it was in the GM modality, so I'll post it.  
The post before this was a pre-game notes post, this is the  after-action report.
post here if there are any comments
[note=Long term plots]
Anyone who has followed any part of the Celtrician threads knows that I work with a lot of long-term plots.  But having the PC's finally get some kind of a grip on what has been causing the undead plague in Igbar is so DAMN satisfying.  They ahve a lot to do, but this is one of those first major steps for the New Legion.[/note]

[blockquote=LV]Make sure the players hear tell of some undead 'just stopping moving around' and 'falling motionless suddenly' right around late 10th hour the night before. The group defeated the Anginarian Wight, Wren the White, and took her ring the night before, the ring that was made by Keaxiol Antroo, the awakened Vampyre lord. I'll have to be specific, like telling them Padwyck and Harack Don Fadan (a hobyt and klaxik pair of High Constables from the Unicorn guards, the information gatthering arm of the Houses of the Unicorn. Both are members of Corobar's Iron Way.) were investigating a nursery whose windows were all dark. Inside, they found blood everywhere, and went towards the sound of crying children...only to find over twenty white, blood-covered zombic children weeping softly in their dormitory, in miserable un-life, with a body of a hobyt nurse hung from an iron wire from the ceiling. Then, at the same time, 6 of the zombic children just de-animated. Hopefully, the group will figure out this happened the same time they took the ring from Wren, and finally get a clue...[/blockquote]
Well, the New Legion was stopped right in the middle of the Unicorn Vex (the Royal Way) by Padwyck and Harack Don Fadan, in broad daylight.  They told the orphanage story in spooky, detail focusing on the dead nurses body hung above the crying zombified children.  It made for a good story, but they didn't make the connection yet that it happened right after late 10th hour.
But when they went back to the sunken boneyard, and I had one of the BoneKnight Leutenants tell the story that he and 2 others were destroying a group of skeletal legionaires and a very clever ghoul in the central fountain court of the Boneyard the night before, when suddenly, six of the eighteen leiogionaires collapsed like their strings had been cut.
The PC's just brainstormed then.  It finally occurred to them that it was about the same time that they destroyed Wren the White , and her ring became masterless, that about a third of the undead in the area were clipped.  
They even figured out that it probably meant that there were 2 more rings out there, and the PC's decided to back into the Sheering family tomb, that they had done some exploration in a hawaak before.

And when they got there, they found the door to a tomb they had been in before and cleaned out some areas of was locked from the inside....

spell book

S&M was slightly disturbed by the Vermin Puppet same of a spell.  Here it is as it appears in the rules.
 [ic=Vermin Puppet]
Spell Name Vermin Puppet

Major Sphere Necromantic

Spell Source

Initiative 5

Range 10 feet

Duration 10 sec/plev

Save none

Save effect none

Spell Success 20

Area of effect 1creature

Counter life

Spirit cost 3

Earth cost 0

Water cost 0

Fire cost 0

Air cost 0

Life cost 0

Death cost 0

Law cost 0

Chaos cost 0

Restorative cost 0

Necromantic cost 2

Mentalist cost 0

Artificer cost 0

Animist cost 0

Total cost 5

Description
Through use of this spell the caster can animate one creature that had a hit point total of
1 in life. The animated creature (which is usually a mouse or other very small
animal) must remain within 10 feet of the caster or it will fall lifeless. A virtual
puppet, the creature's actions are entirely up to the caster, but it's movement is so
slow and weak as to preclude it's use in combat.  It will have a movement of 6" maximum.


This is a very basic spell learned by those versed in Necomancy.  Through the use of this spell, the caster catches some of the energy from the Well of Death to animate the skeletal remains, but none of it's actual dream-soul, so there is no psyche or part of the originsl creature taken from the Well of Death.

Truly, a fun spell to terrify your little sister with...

[/ic]

[blockquote=ME]They even figured out that it probably meant that there were 2 more rings out there, and the PC's decided to back into the Sheering family tomb, that they had done some exploration in a hawaak before.

And when they got there, they found the door to a tomb they had been in before and cleaned out some areas of was locked from the inside....[/blockquote]

The New Legion also asked the Bone Knights, all adorned in their white, skeletal inspired armor, who were watching the gates if anyone else had been in or out.  
The only other person had been Vested Arcana Vigor Sheering, to vist his family tomb.  No one remembered him coming out...

The New Legion said little, but Father Eodl, Kiko, and Bard Cucino confered and were concerned that their earlier foray into the Sheering family Mausoleum might have been discovered, and since there was evidence they found last time of inhabitation and use, as well as old connections to the the Cult of Vernidale the Serpent Queen.
[note=Differing Aspects]The second largest church In Igabr is the Church of Vernidale the Green Mother.  But there are many different religions and faiths(human interpretations) intertwined with the different dieties.  In Igbar's Church of the Green Mother, many of the tenets of the Serpent Queen cult are antithetical, and so are heretical.  Unknown to much of the local worshippers, there is a large Cult of the Serpent Queen hidden in the local Church, and the Sheering family has been central in this.  Vigor Sheering is a top member.[/note]
On the top, pretomb level, the New Legion had already uncovered an old Fresco of Vernidale in her Aspect of the Serpent Queen.
On the level underneath, they found more evidence, in the form of another Chimera, chained in a room with fresh meat and water.  The New Legion tried to be tactically savvy, attacking on 2 sides.  They suffered many wounds, but Squire Tusnus'  huge flail, Kiko's arrows, and a Cirial rolling a chaos ball on top of it finally did the guardian beastie in.  The group took major damage (Bard Cucino took damage, as we say, like it is his job...).

Eodl was busy in the healing modality. He used Apprentice cure and Apprentice Heal scrolls on Tusnus, Cucino, and George, since scolls are a lesser drain on the cating ability.  However, those lessser spells can only be cast once per Hawaak on a person, so he used some brother's Cure and some Merrig leaf to try to complete the healing.  Bard Pharren and Bard Cucino confirmed that if they left to recoup, whoever was coming down here and using this place would certainly takwe further action, so the New Legion wanted to find out as much as possible while here.

The explored a few more areas, but mainly were following some footprints they found, until they found a 5' wide staircase down.  Tghe air coming from below was danker, and had more moisture.  The ceiling was damp, but the Omwo~ and Hobyts could see dim light coming from below.

A third of the way down, Kiko detected a step that had none of the natural indentationand less marks than the rest, and detected it had some movement in it.  The group avoided that one.  When the reached the bottom, they found the floors were a very dark brown flagstone, as weere the ceilings, while the walls were all of a dark, formerly expensive blackwood panelling, with Irin Flowers carved facing the different cardinal points carved along the top and the bottom of the panelling.  It was obvious that this was very old, perhaps older than the mausoleum above.  
Kino and George, who lead the exploring, found thenmselves in an arched 5' corridor,  There is guttering torchlight coming from the north, and what looks like a dingy metal door some 20' to the south.

And tonight the gang continues.  Fastak, in the month of Tokush 19th, 895.
 

keep up the beautiful work.

Just some Random notes that don't belong in any of the other Celtricia threads.

I am going to give a mixed warning for those of you who are thinking of allowing your players to work on your sites.  They will leave some traps.  I just found the page for the Miston players had undergone a name change to, "The Long, Slow Torture of Miston".    I aslo recently found most references to myself changed to, "Player Slayer", or just,"Slayer".  On one page, I was now referred to as the 'Ender of All Joy'.

Since there are questions going on about the various ages of settings, I need to point out that the age of the setting is somewhat less important compared to the longevity of the Players.  Despite some who have come and gone, many of the core players have never stopped playing once they started.  Some of them are from the very beginning.
Having an old setting is merely a function of being old and stubborn.  Having an old setting that keeps old players engaged and adds new players means you might actually be doing something right. ;)  

With great power comes great responsibility.
Or, at least for me, PLayer success breeds more people leaning on the PC's.  Celtricia ia a very low-power world, but the Mistonians are about to cross into their 13th year of that particular group, so they have money and a good track record on their side, including a central role in ending the 4 year occupation of the Giantclan Silverworth.  Miston, while growing, is still a town of barely 4k people, and the PC's can't be back in town to nurse their wounds for more than an hour before the consuls or some guild leaders are banging down their doors.  Some choice issues of late...

 

The subcommitee of defence is trying to rebuild the redoubt that was destroyed 4 years ago, but none of the two building guilds in town will help them.  It seems that one PC is building a tree-mansion and another one is sponsoring the building of a new Church of Inkmisa (the Green Bitch) and another PC is paying for the Collegium Arcana's new 'Fire Tower'. All this has totally maxed out all the ability to build right now.  The Committee is insensed.

Drono Biddlebee has donated heavily to the Church of the Autumn Harvest, Grak Dung and Amber Sweetwater support the local building of Inkisa's shrine, Xia Du Ping has donated heavily to the Church of the Night's Revenge (Darkling).  So the patriarch of the Church of the Lawful Triumverate (Nebler, Abradaxus, and Rakastra), the largest church in town, sends an aggrieved missive to them, complaining of their lack of support.  Since they did not respond (they were gone), he starts insinuating that maybe they are against the rule of law.

Not to mention the influx of cash that the military and the PC's has brought a 25% infaltion to the prices in the town from when they started.  Worse, only Xia and Grak have picked up the fact that some of the merchants in town 'see them coming', and charge the PC's exorbitant prices.

More notes from 'Player Slayer' (See last entry in this thread).
Postings of Celtricia that don't fit anywhere else just get shoved onto the end of the origininal thread here.  

Notes on the tech/philosophy side.---
One thing that my time on this site has done is to hone in some of the secondary themes of Celtricia, especially in the cradle area where the players do most of their playing.  I was online last night with Doglife and GrakDung (2 of the original PCs, from the early 80's) and we were discussing metals and the commonality, and the discussion turned to the level of development in Celtricia.  

Tech vs magic
We tend to look at technology as a barometer for development in a society.  As I explained to them, technolgy solves problems, and allows time to be spent in other ways.  So in a sustenence economy, where almost every minute is spent in survival, little time may be left for philosophy.  We notate subconsiously that the more technology increases efficiency, the farther along the educational, social, and political seem to travel with it.
So it is sometimes counter-intuitive when players see swords, metal armors, no gunpowders, no telescopes, no cannons or such, and try to place it in the same setting as advanced in reasoning, philosophy, and social thought as Celtricia.  Further, one would say there is a 'rationality' and 'liberality' in the thinking of the day, encouraged in the Collegium Arcana and the Steel Libram of Igbar, and this seeking for truth is encouraged even in many of the churches, as long as it does not actively come into conflict with doctrine.
 

Frequency distribution of Magic.
So technology replaces magic as a mechanism for developement.  This is from the magic page on the Celtrician Wiki, and it describes where we want to go with this in terms of the feel of game-play.
 [ic=From the Wiki]"Magic is a cornerstone of a fantasy world. Our nearly universal and eternal fascination with magic is part of the 'What If' that makes people play FRP games. Or, to put in other words, Magic is (for the most part) what makes it a Fantasy role playing game, and not merely an exercise in acting. The way magic works and feels and is used and has changed in Celtricia is completely idiosynchratic to the setting, as well as being completely central to it. History, real or imagined, is a series of events that are created by earlier events and which in turn influence later ones. Many intellectual, creative and philosophical movements are the result of people building on the work of others. Celtricia's early history was often one of survival, of very small settlements dotting a huge and wild world, where magic was in the hands of a tiny percentage of the population and the rest served them. It has been the last three thousand years where magic has become more formalized, and has allowed the acculturated world some measure of security. As the use of dweomercraft spread, magic and the creation of spells became geared to solve the problems of the day, as opposed to the great and powerful magic of the early OMwo~. The progress of magic is the story of the advance of civilization in Celricia, in the place of technology. It is in the subtleties of the daily existence where it helps with survival and labor. The Marcher breed of cows produce 8 gallons of milk a day, Tempersails use the power of the the House of Air that is No Longer to attract mindless elementals to aid their ships, Evercoal is charged with the power of the House of Fire that is No Longer to burn longer and hotter to allow the Cold North of Celtricia to be populated." [/ic]
Low level magics, in the form of artificed items, low level restorative healings, carbon-steel made in magiced forges, are avaialble, if expensive, in a city.  Similar to personal computers and automobiles.
Even Mid-level magics like the curings of disease, the enhanced sails of on a Tempership, actual magiced weaponry, Sacred Groves of Earth that enhance crops, charms to actuaslly enhance the appearance of the wearer...these things are far more rare, affordable normally only by governments or Trading Guilds.  Analogous in today's world to jet planes, yachts, Bugatti cars, scalar and vector parallel supercomputers, and maybe plastic surgery...though a good set of boobs can run as little as 10k these days. :cry:
Upper level magics are even more rare and legendary.  SO the frequency ditribution with commonality on one axis and power on the other has a big wide base, but gets narrow and skinny pretty quickly.

In Game...
As we learned in writing classes, create a mood and feeling by actions of characters, don't just tell the readers things. So one of the major foci of the game itself is to show this more clearly to players.  The bardic performances in Igbar are politically charged, with different venues espusing different beliefs, and I try to portray them as a combination of the French Salons of the Age of Enlightenment and a good blues bar.   Social beliefs, such as the Castellots of Igbar that belief Trabler is being used as a shield by other countries in the war with the Empire of Argus, or the TrueSummers that feel that churches hoard their healing power, are things I am trying to magnify in the games themselves.


This from the openning page on the Celtrician Wiki.  This is what I need to get across within the game.
[ic=From the Wiki]"To call Celtricia merely a 'medieval setting' would be inelegant.  The Countries of Trabler and the Bright Lands might be best compared to the Dutch Republic as it moved towards its zenith, with the strong local governments and the plutocratic emphasis. Although gunpowder has not been created yet since magic is so available, a fairly modern approach to trade, fully backed by insurance, speculation, guilds and even corporations makes the world go round. The Grey March may feature the public wearing of togas, but their enlightened republic, complete with seperate powers of elected Consuls and the Courts of Reason and freedom of religion and emphasis on the rights and responsibilites of the individual, has nothing to do with medieval Europe. So while technology as we view it on Earth is little advanced in Celtricia, magic has advanced far enough that culture, philosophy, communication, monetary policy and political science would be more analogous to our later Age of Enlightenment."[/ic]

SO this is a major, over-arching focus above the play of the game itself lately.  I am curious what other GM's think of the affect of magic on the socio-economic development of this setting, and how they see the same question affecting their settings.

Latest Igbar notes...
Straight from My DM notes...
Group has figured this ourt and acting together as group and Terrible Billy have been made aware that Kiko went alone to the Temple mof Lucky Ishma and did not reach it.,

Kiko captured after being knocked down to negative 5 and unconsious.  Terrors of the KNife were the group that took the bid, since they are actually in the employ of the Verndalians and many of them actually worship the serpent Queen.

 

[note]note--Harack DonFaddden has been taken by the undead as of 2/17, and has been made a Vampyre.[/note]

She has been brought back to stripped of possessions to a safe house on the Dockside (actually, an old Sheering Family House, which is a complete coincedence), then to another home of a Priest of VerdIDALE. The Safehouse for the Terrors of the knife will have 6 assassins in-house, all with the snake and branch sigil of Vernidale the serpent queen as a pin.  She is on the back of a wagon, slowly making it's way up the coastline on an old trail.

Vigor Sheering is not undead, but he is a necromantic artificer.  He has been snared by the Vampyre Kexiol Antroo (Anginar) and wears one of the the three rings of the Anginarian Necromancy.  This allows the Vampyre to exert some control, but also increases Vigor's power.  Since teh vampyre now has taken control of the Firehazer leaders, it is actually a a group of 4 gnolls, with a gartier and an enhanced ghoul leading 6 skeleton warrirs and 10 skeleton legionaires that were bodies in the Igbarian Boneyard but that are being brought to the Underdark to fill up his army.




So Kiko's unconsious naked body is on the back of this wagon, along with Bedenheld, a sage of the Steel Libram that spotted some activity in the sub basment that leads to the SL tomb in the Boneyard.  The Firehazers are now totally cowed by the Vampyre and his leutenants (the Dead Legion.  At 9:20, they are just loading Kiko into the wagon.

The Terrors of the Knife are under orders from Vigor Sheering.  The Local head is Jar Kel Mittentock, a klaxik assassin.  He will not be in the mansion, but ther will be 6 'Knives i theplace.  It has 3 stories, and a basement.  The dagger is on the third floor with the rest of Kiko's loot.  The leader, Groff yay Henlabel, is an Orcash  widebody with studded leather.  Terrors of the Knifes kiko page.

 

Last session, the pC's went to the Alternative School of Magic and Samria was persuaded by Cyriell to scry the location of a dagger of Kiko's that had recently been identified by Padaluscious.  Samria had to scry through Padaluscious to reach the dagger, and it showed like a beacon in the Scrying pool of Samria.  An old Mansion, deserted, in the oold wealthy area west of ther Unicorn Vex, off Sheafe ST, in between 2 other old mansions.  Though it was after 10th' hr, and though Cucino and Pharren hadto go on stage by 11pm,  Squire Tusnus, Bard Cucino, George the Mysteriarch, and Bard Pharren   ran the 5 minutes it took to get across the street from the Taerget, behind some hedges of a different estate.   The place had once been beautiful, a three story square mansion with rounded windows on the third floor.  And Cucino's Omwo~ eyes espied a guttering candle flame coming from a window on the right top story.  They held a muted discussion.  The sneaky types might be able to get behind the mansion in quesrtion, but Squire Tusnus would be too easliy spotted, with his shield and lamellar

[note]--Verkonen Vreeg has felt the Anginarian Necromancy reawakening, As the one who stopped Arbor from releasing it wholesale), and will sedn notes to the PC's, disguising who he is.  Mysterious notes.[/note]

So despite any attempt at common sense (at least by some standards), Squire Tusnus unlimbered his heavy Flail, and charged the front door, with everyone else right behind him.  He had to run up the flagstone walk, and up 2 sets of stone stairs to get to the double door.  The Squire of the Order of trade busted throguh the door, of course setting off 2 pilum traps on the side and a guilletine trap.  Brilliant work.  Squire T rolled a 06, 03, an 41 on his dodge/reflex CC rolls.  somehow dodging both pilum traps ands taking 1/2 damage from the blade slicing down, and alerting anyone who had not heard him break the door down in the first place.

Seriously.  This move might move some ranks in the 'dumbest entry into a secret hideout ' list.  Wow.

So, anyways, the 3 guys and the meat shield with armor in front of them find themselves in an old foyer area, with a few pieces of furniture, Black Ironwood door to the right and left, both hanging open, a curved grand staircase in front and to the right of the staircase, and a corridor next to the staircase, in front of the characters.    Bard Pharren and Squire Tusnus went to the stair, while George the Mysteriarch and Bard Cucino went to the door on the left.

[note]Note--George "Canuck" and Cucino are both armorless, in the Guildschool system.  They both have very high Hitpoints, in the mid twenties (which is very high in Guildschool), but damage is so high with a dividing die...Cucino's guild eschews armor as somewhat cowardly, but Mysteriarchs, whilst prefering lighter armor, ]NORMALLY wear SOME armor.  Idiot. [/note]

 

Anyways,  'George the Claw' and Cucino find themselves in a dining room, with huge windows to the left and in front of them,  a HessleVern huge table in front of them, 2 gorgeus darkwood sideboards, but all the silver gone.  The curtains are in rags.  Another Black Ironwood door to to the right.  As They go through the door, they hear the sounds of conflict on the stairs, as Small crossbow bolts are shot at Pharren and Tusnus from above them as they cautiously mounted the wide, sweeping staircase.  

"Chell, Amigal!!!", roars the Squire, as he charges up the staircase.  George and Cucino coninue their exploration of the first level, finding 2 empty closets, and a kitchen which showed some use.  They also found a dooe leading out back, and 2 doors leading to the right.

Meanwhile, The Squire and Bard Pharren are engaged in a battle up the stairs with 2 cloaked figures, wielding gladius' and wearing half masks.  But no matter.  George and Cucino zip ionto the second door to the right, and find themselves in a corridor, with 2 more Black Ironwood doors.

LIST OF CURRENT GUILD ORGANIZATIONS OF IGBAR
Divided roughly into terms other gamers might (or might not) understand.  All of these are playable in Igbar.


Archer

Bowyers of Ceminiar -- Martial order of the Ceminiarians

Calling Shot -- Quasi-military group; official martial order

 
Bard

Bertrand's Bard School -- Drummer warriors; very loud and annoying to others; proud.

The Frigid Song -- Warrior Bards from the frozen north

Breath of Truth--Small bardic hall allied with the Church of Belial

Dire Tones-Sage/bards, heavily into chanting.

 

Fighter

Terrors of the Knife -- Assassin/Fighters of Vernidale.  As much Assassins as protectors.

Kulranik Swords -- Professional caravan guards, versed in travel and the sword

Hadjel Bonded mercanaries-Teque Guild of Travel's merchants, allied with the Platform of Trade and the Armor of Trade.

 

Kensai/Bard

Martial School of Song -- the "Archers are pansies" guild

 

Martial Arts

Brightblue Limbs -- Martial artists from Xamdu hold, local branch of the Grey March School.

Green Dragon Clan -- Draconian and sly

Mysteriarchs of Lathe-Igbar -- Commando-monks from Gwynell

 

Ranger

The Hunters of the Shade -- Verbren's hunters, trackers non-pariel

Cobranic School -- Snake Rangers of the Serpent Queen

 
Ranger/Druid

Defenders of the Land -- of Madrak/Vernidale.

 

Samurai

Blue turtles -- The honorable enemy of the Red Circle

Unicorn Swords -- Female-oriented school of spear users

Corobar's Iron Way -- By-the Book keepers of peace and bonded warriors to nobility.

 

Warrior

Caleb's Tactical -- Specialized vs humanoids, in small and large scale

Lance and Slay -- How to kill on the open plains, great individual horse and bow skills

Order of Stenron -- The largest military order in the North

Order of the White Paladin -- Wear white and like it!  Heavily Armored warriors who are used to being outnumbered...and winning.

The Armor of Trade -- The Knights of the PLatform of Trade, the Church of Trade.

Toffler's Defenders -- Marines for the Navy

Trabler Scarlet Pilums -- Military School of Trabler, heavy into cavalry

Tristonian knights -- The knights of John of Triston, Neblerian

Bone Knights of Orcus -- Recently invited to town

Alchemical

The Green Flame -- Fire mages, and the eye's alchemical branch

Vasko's Brew -- The blackstripe's poison makers

 
Mage

Alternative School of Magic  --Independent, Irreverent, and in money trouble

Collegium Arcana-Igbar -- The huge, multi national consortium

Red Witches -- Just Outside of Town, blood magic

Shell of Defense -- Igbar militia mages.

Fireblades -- Fire alchemists

The Tower -- Water mages

 
Sage

The Steel Libram-igbar--Ancient seat of learning

Greta's words--Language based school, Much Astrikon knowledge

 
 
Assassin

Collegium Tortoris -- old and tiny (and weird)

Holders of the Straight Way -- Belial's Assassins, Ritualistic

Jocien's Knives -- The Blackstripes' warrior arm,

Karin Machinations -- The strong arm of the Eye.

Gotta love the girls of the Karin Machination...
 

Thieves

Blackstripes -- Helipolian

Padisha of Pilfering -- independent, real thieves, not political

The Bully Boys -- The dock's underside.

The Eye -- Kasarack's boys, major multinational

 

Churches

Church of Weaves, Igbar -- Bamik, weaver god, many Hobbits

Church of Belial the True and Clear -- Belialist believee in Order, and in getting what they deserve.

Church of Change (Jubilex of Chaos) -- Very social, and Chaotic

Church of Direction -- Arlieng the guide,many sages worship here, contains a Shrine to Oblimet

Platform Of Trade (Ogleic) -- The Trade God, the scales, Mercantile church

Church of Fortune (Ishma) -- Goddess of thieves and the hopeful, lucky Ishma

Church of The Living Earth (Madrak the Mighty) -- Huge, solid and Popular

Church of the Green Mother, Igbar  (Vernidale) -- Vernidale, the Green Mother Druidic and neutral

Church of the Autumn Harvest (Amrist) -- very small, Seasons, harvest,From the North

Church of The Hunt (Verbren) -- The warrior arm of nature

Church of the Lawful Triumverate -- Nebler the Defender, Rakastra the judge, Abradaxus the Harsh--very popular

Messianic Church of the Theocracy of Nebler -- Nebler the Shield Many transplants worship here

Church of the Wild Hunt (Geryon) -- Chaotic and wild, The mighty lawlessness of The woods and fields

Church of Hosting (Woerter)- -- Host, and hospitality. The Meeting god

 

Shrines

Shrine of Amerer -- very small, neutral mages and bureaucrats

The Shrine of the Whole (Kiminus) -- Very small, God of Heroes and fools, of the whole person.

Shrine of the Sailor's Rest-Travelers and the weather.

 


 

Builders

Jerian Fine Homes--Second generation designers and builders of homes.  Specialize in Building in the NighTiche area.  Under the Sceding Tree.

 
Cooking

Tolmar's Bakery -- 3rd generation, amazing cakes

Bamik's Soups -- Children of the Weave eat here often

Hostem's Hospitality -- The huge and famous 4th generation restaraunt.

Fen Tan Teas and Grappa--Harou school of Wastrian food

Saru Butcher's Hall--Meat men of Igbar.

 

Government

Ministry of the Unicorn -- School of government

 

Painting

Goodeval Art school -- From the Stenron branch

Mosaics by Rentan --frescoes, mosaics,and other lifestyle artworks.

Tara Jeercourt-small school that does hisory of art and teaches the Stenron method.

 

Sailing

Igbar sails! -- Sailing school, youth navy

Sheering Family Yacht Club -- Upper crust wealthy yachters

 

Smith

Collishaw's Ironmongery -- Great place to learn how to mend armor

Terviks Metalworks-Fine metalworking found in the best homes.

 

Social

House of Twazinia -- Harou hospitality school, old orbic version

Parshan House of Chance -- learn how to lose money like a pro

The Grounds of Dismissal -- Banneti's Coffee House

 

Trade

Wello House of Adornment -- learn the value of everything!

Winfire Trading Consortium --  Old Trading guild, very Large.  Trabler Aptor came from this guild.

Sceding Tree -- Traders of commodities, one of the largest

Bren Fashions--Guild of many clothiers.  Works under the Vissipee.

Teque Guild of Travelers -- Guild Clan specializing in inns, wagons, land travel

Vissipee Trading Guild- Large trading guild, financially strong.

Pen-Wiggle Traders-moneychangers and lenders

Bank of Stenron-2 branches of the multinational bank.

Sarku Weavers of Bamik--Blessed rug makers, under the Winfires.

I want to be a part of the Karin Machinations....


Also, I like that Tolmar's Bakery is known for "amazing cakes."   Who builds and sells the musical instruments in Igbar?

Quote from: IshmaylI want to be a part of the Karin Machinations....


Also, I like that Tolmar's Bakery is known for "amazing cakes."   Who builds and sells the musical instruments in Igbar?

That is actually a picture of my wife, who runs Kiko from the Karin Machination.  

The cakes thing may seem silly, but we play a very in-depth game.  I realized how different when Nomadic the Compleatist was asking about progress, and I mentioned our pacing.  The Igabrians New Legion have competed 14 sessions, and are almost finished their 5th day of in-game playing.  The guys are very into who makes what and who knows who.  

There are 2 people selling instruments in Igbar, but surprisingly for a town with som much bardic influence, they order most of gther stuff from Orbi and the Grey March.  All bardic guilds teach the manufacture of their stock-in-trade items, but there is no major instrument making industry or guild in Igbar.  
SOmeone should do that, man.  

Igbarian session started at eleventh hour, or 11:01pm on Tokush 21

Just an amazing Igbar session last night.  had everything.
First part of the night dealt with the PC's in the Sweet Retreat Bardic Tavern.
faking drunkenness, throwing money around, sending drinks to a group of underage Hobyt chick groupies (Courtney and Brandi and their dockside/gothic gang) supposedly from Squire Tusnus, Bard Pharren and Bard Cucino performing together (they are PC's from rival guilds, the Frigid Song and the Martial School of song) and BOTH making their bardic skill roll and their instrument performance rolls...Buying Onnian Fire Brandy...Shouting out to Squire Tusnus from the Main center stage in the  Sweet Retreat...causing a ruckus.  They had also been sent a note saying that 2 members of the Bone Knights had perished in the Boneyard the night before, so they sang about that.

Bard Cucino noticed troubador bard Paterno from his guild (and his immediate superior) speaking to Teque Manus, skald of the Frigid song, out in the crowd.

I also threw in that 2 members with 'basic detect' saw Harack Don Fadan, but the rest of the group did not.  They did not get suspicious, although the truth of the matter is he is now an uncomphyre, a creature of the Vampyre that is living in the sub basement of the Steel Libram.
[spoiler=and the company was great] One player had his wife, had 5 players in all, went through 5 bottle of wine (including a 2003 montefalco and a 1990 chateau de beaucastle)wife made huge vat of sirloin chili...yummy [/spoiler]
Also, Kiko found a note in her hand around 11 pm.  Strange enough.  It said, "Who would have known the import of the tome that held vertical Wormsdala's "Visions' and Kalaka's "Shores of Vicoria"?
A mystery!!!  (More later)

Same Igbarian Session

Kiko, being a sneaky type, is pissed off that someone is sneaky enough to place a note in her hands.  [spoiler=The Hope]she and the rest of the group do not know there is an ancient force that recognizes the undead surge in the area for what it is.  There are 3 agents of "the Ambretton Hope" in Igbar.  Certio In Vivo placed the note there.[/spoiler]

The group spoke about it after having more fire brandy (Kiko only pretended to drink it).  

Cyriel went back to his new room in the Alternative School with 2 brethren from the guild [spoiler=cougar]and found Samria in his bed. [/spoiler]  The rest of the group went up to the apartments on the top floor of the Sweet Retreat that Kiko rented (Pharren and George checked the windows and roof).  This after midnight, around second hour.

The next morning, a brisk as can be Tokush 22nd, Cyriel goes out to buy a book case (that he can start his Comforts of Home, Beacon on).  The rest of the group listen to Bard Pharren and Bard Cucino try to work out data on the notes.  George was the one that points out that 'the tome that held vertical' is probably the book between the other two.  Pharren has heard of Wormsdala, the sage, and he tells the rest of the group that it would be a library with old, rare books that might have that book.  Both Bards have heard of ancient Vicoria, the coastal empire that flowered in the days of the Bard. The whole gang also wants to get back to the Boneyard (during the daylight, if at all possible) to see what they can do for the Bone knights, who suffered the loss of 2 of their members a few nights before.  But they decide to swing by the Alternative School to get Cyriel, then to go to the Steel Libram to check with the sages there.

Cyriel is in the midst of the Street of Carvings by ninth hour.  He went through three stores, bargaining and name dropping as he went [spoiler=namedropper] his scoial CC is pretty high, and hsi basic social skill is also decent...[/spoiler]...(and unaware of the gnome with small doubles arbelest getting a bead on him from across the street...).  But a few minutes later, the whole rest of the New Legion shows up, and starts telling him to hurry up.  He still bargained for a while, but

Still more of the same Igbarian Session!
(might be playing the next one before I finish the notes!)
Not to mention using the origtinal thread...

So by 10th hour, Cyriel has bought his couch, and he casts his first Comforts of Home, Beacon spell.  This takes a minute of time, and then the whole gang walks out, and goes across the street down to the Unicorn Vex, and take a left to the Steel Libram.  They enter the grounds, and the huge, brass-domed structure, through the wide, shallow steps.  There, they are met by two rather pathetic hired guards, who are there due to the many murders in the Steel Libram in the last few months.
[spoiler=The Steel Libram]
Old grey Brick Building, next to trees.  Metal, bronze dome.  Repository of much knowledge, and is used by a few of the more learned schools.  Top level rounded, has hidden Attic space, and has a total of 4 levels above ground.  Level one is basic info, available to all.  Level 2 is a living space, and classrooms.  Level 3 is lesser spell work and a scriptorium.  There are also 2 levels below, the first being the Major spell work, and the bottom being the resting place of Og Antit Astioper.

Built in 488 RON, the Steel Library originally came as a branch of the Library of the Orb.  The first keeper was Aslow Ostombar.  The second keeper was secretly from the Collegium Arcana, Og Antit Antioper, but the son of the first Keeper and a few of the younger members found him out and imprisoned him in the lowest level.  This was Alim Vic Ostombar.  He and his group took the name Seeker of the Unknown, and many books of knowledge of that time period bear that name.  He died in 525RON.

The current Keeper is Pacae Letsos, a Klaxik Sage.  He feels beleagured on all sides.  His school currently has 24 members, with a healthy 13 being students.  His head of scrolls is Vesaart ol Emptos, a gnomic sage.  


The adventure.
There are many components to the Steel Library adventures.  There are 6 dead members recently.  There are awful moaning sounds some nights.  There are missing books.  There are locked doors, and the locked attic.  Some of it will be attached to some of the churches, some to the older families in town. There is much that leads from one area to another.    When the players first go to the library, they will find Klamk Vax Istrebuk running the main level.  He is relatively spastic dwarf, and will tire the players with his nature.  He will tell them where to go, but it will be obvious from the first that the place is behind in upkeep, and will be increasingly clear that some things are at best misplaced, and at worst missing.  The players will constantly find things out of place.  

The New Legion, since they are coming in way after this started, is coing into a later version, after there have already been a lot of issues.[/spoiler]

Cyriel, as a member of the Alt. School of magic, and Pharren, as a member of the Frigid Song, both have priveleges in the huge Library.  The Steel Libram has been recently siding with these two groups.