Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

[Panzersharkcat]

(OOC: No, I finished with finals a few weeks ago. DeVry is weird, though. Semester system divided into two sessions. Results in 48 week school years but relatively more relaxed semesters. Anyway, I've just been busy finalizing things for my Fallout 3 mod and trying to build up a story to post in User Fiction.)

"I agree. If we take the high ground, we can better spot things. I don't recommend splitting up unless we have a way of maintaining communications."

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Right- good enough to be getting on with. The Orhan Hills are a shade on the mountainous side- you'd be pushing it to get up the nearest of the four main peaks and down again before nightfall.

The near side of the badlands, maybe, you'd be camping half way up a hillside and it can get bloody cold if you get it wrong. There are enough of the group with decent survival skills (Tamarin incidentally has excellent theoretical but little practical knowledge, clearly been told how to do it by someone who gave good advice, but has little experience putting it into practise) to mitigate that, though;

it's not a sharp divide, the badlands end where there's enough soil to cover the bare rock but the underlying geology is still wildly rough and irregular, that tails off onto the downs you're on to start with.

There are a lot of one two and three mile valleys in the badlands, lines of sight are not long, and hilltops are about as good as you're going to get. Moving forward- a few people about, none heading your way; traces of a trail though, that oddly seems to come and go in a way that has nothing to do with rock and dust- the magic of the fortress hiding it's tracks, probably.

It's Alfred who nearly falls off the hill you scramble up- we're talking about three and a half thousand feet here, it's not small- trusting his weight to what turned out to be rotten rock, although he rolls with it and manages to get out of the slide before it turns into a full- blown rock fall.

There are a couple of other nasty moments- most of them having to do with the horses and their weight, and Larric's mule stubbornly refusing to walk down a narrow path until pointy objects were waved at it- and then trying to get him killed on a cliff side later on.

Dirt's sheer weight causes problems, although more of 'have to find another way round' than 'whoops, aieeee'; it's not fast progress, and there's only about an hour of light left when you get to the top of the hill.

Three things of interest to be seen. No, you're not staring straight at it- it's not that obvious. One, there are holes in the ground- peg and stake holes and a firepit- that suggest this place has been used as an OP, and recently at that.

There are sharp rocks on the side of a valley ahead and to the east, where the rock has been blasted heavily- fractures and craters not yet weathered, and the residual tang of potent magic. Part of the battle must have been there. Any dead and wounded and anything left behind has probably been scavenged long since, but that much sign remains.

You're also not alone. Not nearby, perhaps a mile away on the lower slopes, almost a shoulder, of the hill you're on; moving into the badlands, not directly towards you, with mediocre camouflage but exaggeratedly carefully- their very desire not to be seen gives them away, and makes it likely that they're used to hiding from sound rather than sight. Probably svartalfven, then.

[Panzersharkcat]

Kneeling down, he says, "Rohal, can you identify them?"

(OOC: Are binoculars around? I imagine at least spyglasses are around, not that we packed any.)

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

That's the odd thing; for the party as a whole, stealth skills generally crap, perceptive raw abilities if not skills excellent. Very few people are not going to see you coming, but you're almost certainly going to see them too.

They are not quite downwind of you- moving up the eastern side of the hill- but between them Rohal, Dirt and Larric manage to guess that the two that move most easily over the landcape are the real thing, and they have some faint magic glimmers about them that indicate they're quite well kitted out too; the four others about the same size are probably human slaves, armed- janissaries- and the six smaller ones are pack goblins, porters and bearers.

No sign that they're aware of you. By nightfall the perceptive advantage will move from you to them, though. What's the plan?

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

For Larric at least, that double-detection is thematically very appropriate.

IC:

Larric turns to Sir Alfred- in this sort of situation, he defers more than usual to him, this is military and therefore knightly, but he has something to say anyhow. "Six serfs, six warriors, two of them elves... I doubt they're here to fight us, but I wouldn't want them creeping up on me in the dark. Should we hail them? Try to talk to them, but from somewhere that gives us a decent chance in a fight, before the light goes?"

[Feralgnoll]

Rohal tries to smell if they are the same as the elves he encountered with the giant bolt thrower lizards.

[Kaelan]

"Svartalfven talk with you on metal spike. Spike first, talk second."

Dirt looks at the party. The odds look to be slightly in our favour, but then again that all depends on the two elves.

"Better look strong. Svartalfven talk first if think fight hurt more. Pick one to be boss of group. He talk."

Dirt will then take in the immediate area. Where would be the best place, with minimum amount of cover for an attacker. If need be he can move rocks and scrub for our advantage. Also, can he recognise any of the approaching party. If not personally at least by clan or reputation.

[Simon_Jester]

"Better look strong. Svartalfven talk first if think fight hurt more. Pick one to be boss of group. He talk."

Larric looks at Alfred. The alchemist looks a little worried, but he's still looking at Alfred.

[Panzersharkcat]

"Start preparing camp and ready what defenses you can. I want to hail them. I don't doubt that they will spot us soon and if they are hostile, I want to be ready for them."

(OOC: Not entirely sure how to address them.)

[Kaelan]

"Be full of self. Svartalfven always think self first. Also will think you are lesser creature."

Whilst helping prep the camp he will also add to alfred

"Dirt will let you know if they say word to attack. Will not speak in their tongue unless you ask. Can make this good for us, what word Dirt say for attack?"

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Starting with an earlier query; binoculars- can't think of a sensible reason why not, although only the earliest type with simple optics. Spyglass would probably be better. Almost all imported- there should be craftsmen capable of grinding lenses in Auvaine, but on a cottage industry scale.


They're not the same ones; they don't smell as if they come from the same area at all, in fact, the other lot were all fire and heat- and they moved more adroitly by a long way, there were more of them and although some probably were legally inferior humans, they fought like a pack- covering and supporting each other, organised and aggressive.

This group are all slightly wary of each other, and despite the dryness of the land here, they smell of rotten architecture, of damp, dust and mould. They are in fact from the same cavern system that Dirt emerged from, putting them quite a way from home- and inferring that the other lot weren't.

There are four main houses, all with one core clan and many minor and subclans, and recently they have managed to hold a rough balance of terror based on four M's; Machines- the ruling house, 'Rvileythra, specialises in the construction of Gholems, many with some military function;
the second house, 'Kvrestleyn's main gig is Minions- they are the controllers of the slave trade, using inferior races to do their work for them,
Maniacs- the third house, 'Xulphrevll, is the most inward focused and indvidualistic, producing the best warrior- heroes, mages, priests, assassins and so forth;
the fourth house, 'Ylvarkhun, does Mushrooms- they are the main food- breeders and farmers, and have a logistic hold- they also do lethal experimental things like Fifi.

Naturally, it's not as neat as that. It was carved up thus by a previous generation, and the current generation are chafing- everybody trying to undermine everyone else's monopoly, with some success, things too far gone for any arbitration to be cleanly enforceable, everybody really with a little bit of everything but not enough to break free- without an unholy mess, which is clearly coming.

There's definitely someone from House 'Kvrestleyn down there, minions just don't get let out on their own, and the interesting bit is if the second dark elf is from the same house or not; if this is a properly sanctioned excursion, if they're supposed to be here and this is all official, it'll be somebody from another house- and there may be backup. If they're from the same house, they're moonlighting- same style, same colours. Both House 'Kvrestleyn. Hmm.

[Simon_Jester]

IC:

Before we start setting up camp: "Where do we pitch the tents, milord?"

OOC:

As resident combination tactician/survival expert, it really does make sense for Alfred to pick a spot where we can camp that's defensible, rather than for us to just plunk down wherever we happened to be standing.

Also, now I have the image of the giant ogre leading the counter-charge against the enemy yelling "PETUNIAS!" or something similarly absurd. Whatever the warning-word is.

Also, I'm pretty sure Verone speaks svartalfven; as I recall in ECR's campaigns the two cultures are considered similar enough that one Culture skill covers both of them. So we do have someone other than the ogre who can understand them, or speak to them in their own tongue if none of them speak (or admit to speaking) Kuquanese.

[Panzersharkcat]

(OOC: Where is there a good spot? This is a question for ECR. We're already on top of a hill so they'll probably have trouble climbing up to us and we could probably shoot or magic at them.)

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

What I was thinking was, well- the point is that Sir Alfred would use his skills to find a good spot, rather than us just plunking down wherever. It would also appear that Dirt is trying to help prepare defenses. Obviously, since ECR has a picture of the terrain (if not an actual map) and we don't, knowing where that spot is is out of our hands.

IC:

Larric will stick to pitching in with the tents and clearing an area for a fire, things that are simple and don't require much cluefulness.

[Panzersharkcat]

(OOC: Yeah. I'd move to a better spot if I had a map but since I don't, I'm just going to take the top of a hill as our spot for camp.)

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

Put this way. If I were DMing in this context, I'd let the good tactician-character try and pick a spot based on information he has (the lay of the land) that the player doesn't. Let's leave it up to ECR and not worry about it too much.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

On the culture thing, I can't remember where I said that, and it doesn't make sense on the face of it anyway- it may have been a fudge to help a group in a situation where they didn't have the skills to cover it all. The two races are much more alike than either would ever willingly admit to, but that still isn't all that much- the languages have a little in common, svartalfven sounding much like the very archaic and formal elven that it branched off from. A couple of points better than default, yes, that makes sense. Full value, no.


You've got a choice of three spots really- the vantage point is the best for seeing from, but is exposed to weather and has little if any physical cover or advantage, apart from that they have to come up hill. It's windy, too- maybe this might not be too bad? You have the advantage of the wind being with you for bowshot, at least.

Further along the ridge of the hill to windward, there's a nest of broken rock where it looks like what would have once been a higher point was smashed- or quarried- away; half dug foundations for a watchtower, maybe? On a narrow spur, only really approachable one at a time, and good cover from bowshot and weather- not great seeing though and too small to really pitch up. Good fighting position, bad camp.

Closer to them, that's the problem with it, a sort of low tilted ridge, a razorback in the ground just above a relatively flat space, on the shoulder in the lee of the hill- might be where they are making for. Not too bad for a campsite out of the wind, flat enough to do battle on if you feel confident, poor lines of sight except down the hill though.

[Panzersharkcat]

He spots all three locations and decides on the razorback. An acceptable compromise between his need to see things and the need for cover.

(OOC: Don't exactly want to repeat this, but in smaller scale.)

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

No-one dissenting, down to that razorback ridge; Tamarin suggests the archers and casters remain behind the crest line of it for the shelter it gives, and leave the baggage and horses there in the relatively sheltered dip between the side of the hill behind you and the sharper ridge of rock, pointy people- Alfred, herself, Dirt, Rohal, her two foot soldiers foreard to talk to them- unlikely as it seems- leaving the two yeoman archers, Larric and Verone in cover able to zap and loose in support.

I think the plan was to get their attention? Call out to them? They do actually notice the group- it's one of the human janissaries in fact, who points at you and draws their attention.

They don't react well. One shouts at the goblins, they point at the other humans, point up the hill- all done with sign language despite the fact that you can clearly see them- and start moving towards you in extended line, humans scrambling and svartalfven bounding up the slope. They don't look like they want to be peaceful.

[Simon_Jester]

Larric readies his crossbow. Once that's done, he scribbles a bit in the dirt- a tried-and-true runic figure he's used for a cathode before, as preparation for one of his usual lightning arrows. Elves don't much seem to like those. He waits for actual combat to begin- either Dirt shouting "PETUNIA!" Alfred yelling a lot, or the svartalfven party doing something clearly murderous as opposed to clearly hostile. Such as trying to close into melee range with Alfred, Tamarin, and the others, cutting them off from the covering party's support.

If a fight breaks out, he'll shoot that lightning arrow at one of the dark elves, while he's still got a clear shot.

Meanwhile, he's looking for something to duck behind while he reloads and readies another bolt- the ridgeline, or a good-sized rock on the back side of the crest.

[Feralgnoll]

Rohal moves forward with Alfred and Dirt, but behind them a few paces. He will move to skirmish and harass their rear.

[Feralgnoll]

OOC

(OOC: No, I finished with finals a few weeks ago. DeVry is weird, though. Semester system divided into two sessions. Results in 48 week school years but relatively more relaxed semesters.

Davis's Quarter System is just as weird. Luckily I'm only taking one "real" class. So I'm finally out of the endless midterm cycle.

[Kaelan]

Once in position dirt will ready his crossbow and mark a human target, waiting Alfred's command to loose. Fifi is currently save behind the shield.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

I'm not convinced that's actually a very safe position for Fifi; apart from anything else, she's curious and does keep peeking over the rim of it- there are far healthier ways to take cuttings- and the shield itself isn't indestructible, something like Alfred's hammer in fact could do a lot of damage to it. Unlikely anything a dark elf could condescend to fight with would, admittedly.

They are armed and approach with weapons out and ready; one dark elf with a rapier and whip, the other with a broad curve- bladed sword and a peculiar thing that looks something like a metal folding fan, used as a small shield or to slice. Dust- coloured hooded cloaks which they all six shed, revealing the svartalfven armoured in complicated lacquered and resin- impregnated leather and silk, and with a suspiciously large amount of chains looped casually about their person.

The four humans are dressed in much lower quality versions of the same, all of them half masked, one with what looks like a halberd head mounded directly on a handgrip and a shortsword, one with a trident, one with a short spear and an axe, the last with a scythe.

'Oh, look, rodents with clothes.' One of the dark elves says to the other, not realising you can hear. Then addresses you in svartalfven; 'Surface dwellers, consider yourselves fortunate; we have come to extract you from your hovels and give you usefulness and meaning in the service of the greater race. Submit and acquire purpose.'

Is there any verbal response necessary, or is it clobberin' time?

[Simon_Jester]

At the first signal (he doesn't understand Svartalfven, but will probably understand character reactions) Larric shoots the dark elf that's carrying the whip.

Verone probably can speak Svartalfven a little; he might shoot earlier than that.