Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

If the culture permits women to wear bikinis without being stoned, there will be a word for "bikini." It probably won't originate from some fashion designer who decides to name it after an ocean atoll whose chief import is saturation nuclear bombing, but it'll exist, and it'll translate.

There are always words for women's fashion.

OOC, MORE SERIOUSLY:

I need a bit of time to think this one over before saying much of anything IC, and I'd kind of like to see what some of the other players say.

Larric has no legal status, no real leverage aside from his own persuasiveness- he isn't even licensed to practice magic, although I get the feeling that if it weren't for all the endless shit happening, someone was hinting at something involving him and Verone that might actually have mattered.

(Side complaint: I get that we're on the floor of a trouble factory, but there comes a point where it's impossible to do character development because every time two PCs try to interact, they get interrupted. It's not that bad here, yet, but I do feel this is something of a problem)

Larric's personal opinion is that if it were practical to do so, it would be well worth-while to find out who did it. If they're someone too highly placed or too powerful, either above or beneath the law... well, then make a note of it and avenge the dead later, if and when it becomes possible.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Side complaint noted and...well, the in character solution is to let some things be someone else's problem. You can't do everything, can't be everywhere, and it's been a hell of a couple of days- your characters need to let somebody else do some of the hard work.

The problem is that this stuff is happening- you're on a moving background- and yes, you will get hopelessly sidetracked if you go with every thing that comes up, and run around trying to do so much that you end up achieving nothing.

for an IC example, look at the Sherriff- he's snowed under and failing to cope, he hasn't been able to treat at least some of the chaos as information rather than problems to be overcome. He needs help, but try too hard to help him and you'll end up in the same state. (And I really want to get to a couple of the big things that are about to happen.) Don't pick up every hook.

Currently- well, as hard as the cruelty of it is to ignore, as the knight Tamarin was talking to pointed out, something like it was likely to happen. Some indirect blow at the Treasurer, through his family.

[Feralgnoll]

OOC: Rohal has no status. He is a vagabond who happened to follow the group around after the opening events. He can only function as an assistant to someone with some political clout. But will be happy to sniff out and wolf-rage on whoever did this. (since he still believes its a real child).

IC: After the plant's quizzical look at him, Rohal looks quizzically at the plant, with a typical doglike head tilt.

[Simon_Jester]

OOC: Um, it WAS a real child. The treasurer's grandson really was murdered and chopped to bits by someone who pretty much got away clean. We have only the vaguest notion who did it, more like a cloud of unaimed suspicion.

And I assume Rohal is doing all this 'outside,' in whatever place the party has re-convened to discuss matters?

MORE OOC: I'm going to wait a while longer before expressing Larric's further opinions

[Feralgnoll]

OOC: well man I must have been tired reading through the posts. I thought Dirt had discovered it was a fake?

[Kaelan]

There was a time difference between the bodies death and our intruders entry. Given the state of the corpse there is a chance that someone took the boy and left a decoy. If we can gather the bits dirt can try to put the body back together again so we can confirm the I.D. Unless somebody else has a faster way of finding this out - magical or other?

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Rohal's nose can do a good job of telling; the scent of the parents and the, well, finding something that isn't overwhelmed by blood to get the scent of the child is the hard part; but it does match. What of his face can be found and arranged matches, the smell of the room matches.

The intruder...hm. Expected magic and prepared against it, but the more Rohal tries to find, the more isn't there- and the more obvious it gets that there was little impulsive about this, it was well planned and prepared. They cleared up after themselves, and probably left a false trail along the way.

The confusing part is that the ivy growing on the walls thinks the sun was already up when someone climbed in to do the deed, but the natural assumption- and the heat left in the body- is that it was done by night.

Somebody faked something, so the basic guess is that you're looking for someone good at faking it, who cares more about politics than people, who has or can hire talent.

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

Yeah, that's where Larric was going with this too...

OOC: well man I must have been tired reading through the posts. I thought Dirt had discovered it was a fake?

OOC:

The 'fake-ness' is like this: the body was torn up and blood scattered widely, to suggest that the boy was killed by a ferocious monster that (I'm inferring a bit here) basically tore him limb from limb. Or possibly a deranged and very strong man. Come to think of it, it looks disturbingly like someone else's idea of how a werewolf might have done it, except that nothing got eaten.

However, Dirt, who is relatively familiar with murders and the dynamics of tearing things limb from limb (!)... Dirt thinks that the boy was instead killed relatively quickly, say with a sword to the heart or something (?), then chopped up and had blood scattered about the room to create a false impression of what the death was like.

So the corpse is real, but the murder scene itself is in some respect staged.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

'There's another point to doing something so ugly.' Tamarin points out. 'To convince everyone to stop thinking about it. No, you know what I'm getting at- if this was a straightforward killing, it would be straightforwardly thought about, and the guilty tracked down and punished- rightly, but- again, straightforwardly.

Making a horror of it enrages everyone with any sense of humanity, makes it everybody's crime- we're all going to be tripping over each other, getting in each other's way, conspiracies, suspicions, false accusations- as if the castle needed to get any worse.

To cap it all, wrapping the horror up in a mystery as the killer has means no-one can escape being suspected, it turns into a weapon, an accusation to be used- I think you're right;' she adds to Andrea, 'this was a death for two, the poor lad and whoever catches the blame for it.'

'Which means,' Andrea says, 'we could get a good idea who's really behind it by watching who's stirring the pot.'


Just come in the main gate is a robed man, dark blue and sandy hair, a guildsman; Verone knows him. He's looking for somebody to tell something important to, but nobody's paying any attention to him.
[Yes, one damned thing after another. An external problem that could be a gracious exit from this mess, if you want- or you could just ignore him.]

[White Haven]

Anyone else, Verone may not have noticed, but as much attention as he's paying to the arcane in the immediate area, the arrival of a source of fresh power draws his eye. The Hat rotates, the plume swaying and bobbing in the air as the mage beneath it turns to face the--ah, him. A nod, the plume again making the simple gesture into an elaborate one, and he walks over, surreptitiously tuning the shield he's already set up to deaden sound once he's close enough to wrap it around the visitor and himself at the same time.

"The sort of day this has been, you've got more bad news. Tell me I'm wrong, it'd really be quite surprising."

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

It's Tesius Sihulam, one of the more senior members of the guild, about third or fourth down the pecking order; hasn't been seen around in a while, because one of his specialties is scrying. Bit of a seer, he was eyebitten when he tried to discern Calvern's lunatics approaching- they blinded him, and although his body recovered, his enthusiasm didn't. Recovered from that just in time to see the shape of the aftermath, and has spent most of the intervening time in a darkened room shivering.

'That's the problem with seeing the future.' he says, grumpily. 'You have to start in the present, and if what you find is bad news, and there's almost always some for somebody, you know by then how they're going to take it, and by the time you've finished blathering and dancing round it it's almost indistinguishable from charlatanry anyway...where was I? Oh yes. No, no, for once something good may be happening. Previous words borne in mind of course.

How do you see the future? I visualise it in song, and there is something there, now the crescendo is dying down there is an old note sounding again, the, well, I think it's the Baron. Baron deVerett's not dead.

Although there are some other notes in the harmony he's part of that I am not at all happy about, but still...

Oh, this business? I knew there was something dark due to happen to the family, they always did sound like a harp with half it's strings out of tune. Couldn't resolve finer than that. Being determined to escape destiny doesn't often work but it certainly does make a nonsense of trying to tell what you're escaping from. What a terrible way for it to happen, though.'

[Simon_Jester]

Hm. Verone tried to put a silencing spell on this conversation?

Larric's trying to listen, sans active use of magic at first. Can he hear anything?

OOC EDIT:

If you think it proper, this would actually be an interesting time to 'publicize' what's going on mechanically, since I imagine this would be a relatively straightforward case of an opposed skill check, and no one is really harmed by the outcome no matter what happens. I'm curious about what's going on under the hood of some of these things.

[Kaelan]

Verone tried to put a silencing spell on this conversation

hope it works, that conversation would hurt poor Dirt's head.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Mechanical issues first; look up Verone's most appropriate skill, which for this is probably air, and assess bonuses or penalties appropriate (lots of background noise, slight bonus.) Roll against it.

This generates a total, a number over or under the skill- a failure over and that's just a failure. In this case, a success but not a brilliant one. The margin of success acts as a modifier- anyone not already aware of the conversation has their Perception reduced by that margin when trying to tell something's going on;
anyone trying to eavesdrop would be directly opposed, trying to get further under their perception to tell what specifically being said than Verone got under his magic.

Actually, it may have been slightly counterproductive. So many people actively looking and trying to figure out what's going on, remember you are in a zone of paranoid suspicion at the moment, among the armed and aggrieved, and so many of them of the class that counts defying magic as one of their main duties; a silencing spell may be- is- more noticeable than just muttering quietly would have been.

Many do not notice; some do.

'What the hell's going on here? What is this, what are you hushing up?' Bellowed at the top of his voice- medium sized man but about the same across, knightly rank, out of armour but armed; deputy bailiff of some sort.

[Kaelan]

Spidey sense up and bracing up for combat, marking the area for foes and exits.
That done Dirt remains very still, alert, and quiet

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

[facepalm]

Dammit, Verone! Please remember, this is not the Harry Potterverse, and the Muggles are not entirely clueless...

Also, Dirt's making the brawny version of the same mistake. An obviously battleready ogre will be far more noticeable than an ogre who just looms quietly in the corner, and when among the sort of people who get called out to slay monsters, he attracts the attention of someone attempting to kneecap him on general principles...

IC:

Larric does nothing in particular, not least because while I'm sure he spotted the silencing spell (probably murmuring "interesting" and writing a few utterly indecipherable symbolic scribbles in his slate book for later), I still don't actually know whether he heard anything.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Larric did hear most of that; very lucky on the perception, the shifting air that prevented most people hearing seemed to have reflected it to him.

Dirt's being visibly non- threatening; Fifi's sticking her head up from behind the shield wondering what's going on. (Reminds me- she wouldn't have tried to eat the body, not that she'd necessarily have said no, but she could tell he wasn't ripe yet.) Getting a fair bit of attention especially from those who weren't in the hall when the group came back from meeting the Countess, and didn't know about him.

Fortunately, he will never be able to pass unnoticed in a crowd; and you are not without friends. Detrick has so far been conspicuous by his absence- because his getting involved could only be political, and he's determined to deal with the external threat, and not be drawn into this, leave it to the sherriff. Too much to ignore this time; he and some of his retinue are emerging from the keep.

'Tesius, I thought you were still resting- if you're fit again we could use you. Markus, what are you yelling about?'

'It was a spell of silence, I felt it go up- and they have an ogre, it was them, the outsiders hired to do it; must have been.' Fortunately, he's not massively persuasive- but it is on the face of it believable. People start thinking about it.

'Unwise, if it was. I suppose you have a good explanation?' he says to Verone.

[Kaelan]

Dirt will quietly tell Fifi to hide, best not antagonise the humans with a flesh eating plant.

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

How, exactly, does a potted plant hide?

IC:

Larric very visibly bristles at the accusation that he had any damn thing to do with it, but holds his tongue for the moment, because Sir Detrick is speaking and asked Verone a point blank question.

[Feralgnoll]

OOC what does the man smell like?

IC: Rohal gives a few quick sniffs of the air to try to analyze the newcomer, and back away from the limelight letting his social superiors take the lead, and give a bit of a buffer if his secret is outed by this man.

[White Haven]

With a quiet sigh, Verone turned to face the accusatory stares with a sweeping gesture that accomodated the entire room. "Right now, assuming that we're avoiding snap, emotional judgments, the suspect pool is absolutely huge, and quite possibly includes much of this room until you've been ruled out." He singled out the first man to shout with a pointing finger, "You there. You protested secrecy. What if, perchance, one of your rivals was involved, and heard something crucial to the case, something that informed him we were closing in on him. Would you prefer he be able to escape, knowing that the noose was closing? Or would you prefer that he remain in blissful ignorance, assuming that we knew nothing to implicate him."

[Panzersharkcat]

Fortunately for that man, Verone stepped in to speak because Alfred was damn near ready to tear him a new one for suggesting he'd murder a child. He may not mind killing in battle but to pick on somebody like that would be disgraceful.

[Kaelan]

OOC

Fifi 'hides' by keeping still and acting like a 'normal' plant with her mouth shut.
Also, dirt's not reaching for weapon's and the like. Just getting ready in case it kicks off.

[Simon_Jester]

"A spell, yes, but... whatever Tanner did, it can't have been as quiet as all that, I heard most of it- didn't the rest of you?" He looks around at the nearest bystanders, seeming honestly befuddled if none of them step forward. "And-" he's visibly controlling his temper as he turns to the undersheriff- "Sir, I must ask, how a great clomping fifty-stone* giant made it through the hall, up the stairs, and to poor master Owell's chamber without being stopped, or at least seen? Surely the guards have eyes to see, and ears to hear. I-" deep breath "I mean no offense, milord, I'm sorry, but you're after the wrong men."

(This is clearly a social skill check- if it doesn't work, and I've got any rerolls in reserve aside from that very last do-or-die roll, I think this would be a good time to use one...)

*He's probably overestimating Dirt's weight, but not by that much if the great brute's to scale... Basically, Dirt strikes me as about as stealthy as a rockslide.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Markus smells like a round man, as broad as he is tall, strong but not fast, and quite overweight; but more importantly, like someone taking counsel of his fears. At a guess, he wants the world to go away and leave him alone. Knows that he can't, is quite willing to lash out.

In the backgound, you spot dame D'Avariel talking to the bailiff and one of the undersherriffs- she looks over towards this and seems very underwhelmed; starts making her way over.

Verone would be better advised to tone down the 'you, there'; in fact, Tamarin says as much; 'He is a belted knight.'

Andrea is less reverent- she knows him too well to be complimentary- says 'Very belted, considering how much it would take to go all the way round him.' Which also fails to help.

Markus splutters a little then thinks of something sensible to say; 'Are you suggesting that the law should proceed in secret? That everyone with something to hide should casually go around doing so? Secrecy, Sir, is the prerogative and shield of the criminal, not of the honest man.'

Then Larric's explanation happens, because it's the best and most sensible place to put it. It stops things kicking off, at least right now. Let's face it, it's fairly obviously true. Fifi's on her best behaviour, trying to look cute and innocent (lure the prey in...) and that helps a little too.

'So what were you being secretive and silent about then?' Markus accuses, and there are more than a few prepared to go along with him that far- even if it wasn't the party, you're clearly up to something.