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Probably.

0 (0%)

I would love to see it again!

9 (56.3%)

I might post occassionally if it's up again.

4 (25%)

I don't care much either way.

1 (6.3%)

Kill it with fire!

2 (12.5%)

Total Members Voted: 16

[tryrar]

3 Billhook-men
Armed with weapons of decent quality, armor is fur/iron composite.

What are Billhook men (yes, I know that billhooks are like sickles for trees, that doesn't quite explain what these troops do.) And is fur armor as primitive as it sounds (maybe the metalsmithig tech in the setting is low?)

There are also billhook-polearms designed for war, used against armored opponents.

Mlamah is talking about these:

[Mlamlah]

3 Billhook-men
Armed with weapons of decent quality, armor is fur/iron composite.

What are Billhook men (yes, I know that billhooks are like sickles for trees, that doesn't quite explain what these troops do.) And is fur armor as primitive as it sounds (maybe the metalsmithig tech in the setting is low?)

There are also billhook-polearms designed for war, used against armored opponents.

Mlamah is talking about these:

Much like that yes, kind of a halfway point between spears and halberds. Oh, and the fur on the armor is intended primarily for warmth rather than protection. It's unseasonable along the coastline, but the armor is quite sturdy, while still allowing movement, though they could definitely be equipped better.
The tech in the setting is all over the place, these particular men come from a small northern country with little wealth or organization. Analysse however, tends toward steel weapons and armor, in some instances technological progress has been slow because magic sometimes stunts the advancement of ideas. (Gunpowder? Why use something so dangerous and unreliable when fire magic is readily available?)

[Mlamlah]

I umm, meant to modify that post, not quote it. I am sorry ><

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Edit: although, when i come to think of it, i changed this post fast enough it is likely no one will know what i am talking about, and i will just feel incredibly silly.

[Mlamlah]

Most of your last days in the city are spent arranging for your packing and for affairs to be run in your absence. You give each of your partners a small amount of money to further the business as they see fit, but insist that any expenditures be carefully recorded.
You purchase salted meat, pickled vegetables and dried fruit to help feed everyone on the journey, along with a cart, draft horses and feed. For yourself and Barick you buy two riding horses, you're not an experienced rider but you've been shown how it's done before, and there is no way you're going to walk should the carriage lose a wheel or some such. You're well aware that traveling such a dictance will be very strenuous, so you bring as many creature comforts(including a book or three) as reasonable, along with some valuables to serve as gifts when you get to Adalbert, Barick reminds you that bringing too many valuables would be unwise given the neccecarry travel route, so you make sure that it isn't quite enough to advertise wealth.

On the morning you are destined to leave Eric comes to you proudly bearing a leather breastplate and a shortsword, both are of fine quality. "No way am i letting my little brother head out to the eastern borderlands without some decent protection, it's rough out there, i would go with you if i could." You had not thought to bring armor, or any weapon more than your dagger. You had been quite proud of the selection of sturdy travelling clothes you had selected, and the lapse in your judgement proves a blow to your pride. You thank him, and he helps you strap both on. As you prepare to join with the entourage he slaps you on the back and wishes you luck, though you feel there is a certain sadness behind his smile.

You find yourself amused when Barick meets you outside, holding a short-sword as if to give it to you. He raises an eyebrow at the sword at your side, and instead straps his own on. You notice he has added a leather shield and a hatchet to his veritable armory, he tells you that he intends to affix some of his weapons to his saddle.

You join with the entourage, and find yourself greeted with a number of last minute gifts. Your father has provided your horse with fine quilted barding, which you find covers another layer of studded leather. Your mother has provided you with a squire a year older than you, with his own horse, you don't recognize him and he's overeager to serve you but you suppose those both will soon be rectified. A number of courtiers give you all sorts of impractical gifts that you have sent back to your quarters, but one count's son gives you a magical rod that glows brightly upon command, which you decide to bring.
Once the wishes of luck and goodbyes are done with you spend a moment to ensure everything is in order, you give a nod of acknowledgement to Sir Evansons squire, who beams at you brightly. Sir Evanson has brought two carts worth of supplies of his own, along with 30 of his "best soldiers", twenty footmen armed with sword and shield and dressed in mail shirts, and ten crossbowmen all in studded leather, with sabers at their sides. Your sister is in the carriage along with her handmaiden, who you are given to understand has some talent in the healing arts. The Silver Moon is ready, and has even brought some horses. One to ride for Verack, the other two as pack horses. Everything seems in order, so you give the acknowledgement of readiness.

The initial departure is more a parade than travel, ever aware of appearances you ride at the head beside Sir Evanson and Barick, you wave and smile at the crowds assembled to cheer your departure, and they are enthralled by your charisma, you can't help but bask in the attention. Directly behind you are Sir Evansons men, they put on a show of marching much as a parade guard would, and Ritalia in her carriage behind them waves delicately at the cheering crowds. Contrasting it all, your mercenaries bring up the rear, and even they get caught up in the celebrating, playing up their barbarian appearance to excite the crowd. After leaving through the city gates the entire party seems energized and eager for the journey, and you have a feeling that all will be well.

...

The next two weeks are filled with awful luck. Torrential rain slows travel and makes everyone miserable for a time, it is a blessing you are still on paved roads and can spend many of your nights in inns. The few nights that must be camped roadside are some of the most miserable of your life, the mercanary mage must expend constant effort to keep fires going, and a lot of time is lost by everyone trying to keep equipment free of rust. Cloaks and tents fail to keep rain out, and everyone lives through the days thoroughly soaked. Barack is in short temper, and when he catches a pair of boys attempting to steal some equipment he comes close to cutting off their hands, but you stop him from doing so. A day later the light-rod falls out of your cart and is snapped in the cart-wheel, it's become entirely useless. Relations between your men and Sir Evanson's sour, small petty disputes arise on occassion, and it is all very frustrating.

The rain abates and becomes less frequent, but misery still hangs over the party, and you share their bad mood. Riding has made you very sore, and merely being away from the comforts of the palace seems a terrible hardship to both you and Ritalia, nevermind the mediocre food, poor company and bad weather. You spend much of your time in the carriage with Ritalia, bemoaning the poor fortune, though it raises both of your spirits to be able to bemoan together.

...

The road is no longer paved, and you are behind schedule, but at least the weather is lovely. Barick no longer seems so on edge, and he insists you spar with him and your new squire at least occasionally. The boy Elwer seems frightened by Barick, but sparring with him definitely seems more even, he's a little better than you, but not ridiculously so as with Barick. Ritalia seems to enjoy watching you spar.

You come upon a nameless hamlet, even on the map it is simply dubbed "Unimportant Hamlet". You leave the majority of the party outside of the town as you ride in with Barick and Sir Evanson. The people within seem dangerously thin, and you have never seen such poverty, such misery. Hovels are in disrepair, people look on at you without enthusiasm and even the children have an aura of dejected misery. An old man and a youth are the only ones to greet you, both bowing slightly. The old man speaks, "Milords i am afraid that we cannot offer you much in the way of welcome, but we must beg of your aid. A group of men came from the east and demanded tribute, we told them we give tribute only to the crown and tried to resist, but they butchered all who took up arms, and took everything we had. We are starving, and still they demand we till our fields and give what we grow to them! They kill anyone who tries to leave to ask for aid, and present us with their heads." The old man begins to weep, and the boy asks if you will help them.

The three of you leave to confer. Barick is the first to speak, "We must help these people, we cannot allow them to be raped and pillaged any longer."
Evanson interjects, "No, i agree that wild-men this far west is disturbing, but our mission is more important, we go to the next town and tell them to send for aid."
Barick snarls, "By that time it will be too late. They likely already know we are here, you really want them to be able to leave and do the same to your own countrymen somewhere else?."
Evanson turns to you in anger, "Keep your dog on a leash boy, lest i put him down."


What will you do?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Very interesting rolls. If anyone has any input or requests on how to improve the flow of the game let me know. Trying to get a feel for what you guys would like to see.

[NRDL]

Wow, didn't expect Barick Stone-face to be sympathetic to the plight of the common man.  Yeah, let's help them, if we win, prestige ahoy.  And show others that our guy is capable.

Gather information.  Knowledge is power, we need to know from the villagers the approx. number, morale, fighting ability, etc, of the enemies.  Especially where they're coming from. 

[Gamerlord]

We need to help them.

As to the flow, i think the paragraphs jar sometimes, and they really show where the rollstook place. Maybe for travelling, use the previous rolls to influence the subsequent ones, maybe that will give it a better flow?

[WraithLord24]

Let's help and if Evanson dosen't like it point out that they could be a threat to the mission if they ambush us so lets get rid of them now.

[Gervassen]

Use our court skills to work upon Evanson's noble pride while not offending him.

"You're right, Sir Evanson, he goes too far to speak hotly to his betters this way. I have no love of uppity commoners such as him, and that is why we will mete out justice to these peasants that have taken to banditry. Barick, observe carefully as Sir Evanson and his men put down these vagrants who think merely having a weapon at their side makes them a warrior. Ancestry cannot lie, and we nobles are from the blood of true warriors!"

Then use scrying to discover their camp that night. Fall upon it.

Very interesting rolls. If anyone has any input or requests on how to improve the flow of the game let me know. Trying to get a feel for what you guys would like to see.

First, more summaries of our character. I have to go hunting two pages back to remember our strengths. And I use 50 posts a page.

Second, the rolls have too many ups and downs. May I suggest a 3d6 roll, where rolling 10 or 11 is "everything went okay in an unamazing way"? This will moderate extreme swings of luck while keeping them a possibility. A roll of 3 or 18 would be stunningly amazing for better or worse, maybe even death in appropriate scenarios. (It's only a 0.46% chance!)

As Gamerlord says, keep the previous role as the current state. If our businesses are wiped out with a 3, and we get a 10 next time without thinking of something creative in the meanwhile, that's "everything went normal" and normal would currently be really bad.

[Maldevious]

I realize I'm in the minority here, but let's not go charging off without getting some recon. How do we even know he isn't just luring our guards away to loot our caravan? They are desperate and starving.

I'd say we set up a camp (outside of the town), and have a local lead a few scouts to find out how large this force is. If it is something we can handle (without endangering our life our the princess'), then we can deal with it. If not, certainly there is a local lord or someone who should be taking care of this? We would know that, right?

[Remuthra]

I realize I'm in the minority here, but let's not go charging off without getting some recon. How do we even know he isn't just luring our guards away to loot our caravan? They are desperate and starving.

I'd say we set up a camp (outside of the town), and have a local lead a few scouts to find out how large this force is. If it is something we can handle (without endangering our life our the princess'), then we can deal with it. If not, certainly there is a local lord or someone who should be taking care of this? We would know that, right?

+1

[Gervassen]

Scrying is better than scouting, imo.

[Maldevious]

Oh yeah. Can we scry a place we haven't seen before based on a description? If so, let's use our magic.

[Mlamlah]

Second, the rolls have too many ups and downs. May I suggest a 3d6 roll, where rolling 10 or 11 is "everything went okay in an unamazing way"? This will moderate extreme swings of luck while keeping them a possibility. A roll of 3 or 18 would be stunningly amazing for better or worse, maybe even death in appropriate scenarios. (It's only a 0.46% chance!)

You make some very good points, i will definitely have to think about it. What i've been doing is incorporating a modifier based on previous rolls, but using a bellcurve system might change the significance of such a policy, so i will have to rethink that as well.

Will post shortly, along with an updated character sheet

[racnor]

Don't insult either of them, just tell them you wish to ascertain the seriousness of this threat and scry.
I think we can scry places we haven't seen, it's just harder the first time. We never got a bird's eye view of the city before. Maybe start by scrying upwards?

[King_of_the_weasels]

Help them, but remove any regalia that screams, "HEY I'M THE PRINCE! If you win you can ransom me for a fortune!"

If we win, then the people will love us, plus if we lose men, our leadership trait thing would be able to pick up a few more awed villagers.

If we lose well then we either die, or were captured, which could lead to some cool time skips of us being out of the country and thought dead, only to make a miraculous return, just as the new King Eric usurps the throne!  Or something.

Or we just fight cause it's the right thing to do.