Chapter 11: Q&A / Discussions

[Ken]

HAHAHAHA!! ;D ;D Well, that was a nice surprise. Welcome back!

[Brian]

Hi, Mike. Welcome back!

[Dave W.]

Yeah! Good to... ummmm... read you again Mike!

[Mike]

Thank you, gentlemen. Good to be back!

[Dave B.]

Welcome back, Mike! We can never have enough elves.

[Darren]

Just for everyone's (except Jeff) edification, you will notice that Kal did not promise to deliver the Eye to Deneith. He only said that if it is within HIS power to do so, he will. The choice, of course, may not be up to him.....

[Ken]

Belarin appreciates the delicate wordplay.

[Jeff]

Logging into Dice Roller:

ashlock.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gameplay&action=display&thread=178

[Darren]

Duh. Thanks.

[Brian]

Good luck with this one, Darren. I can see the tightrope on which you are balancing getting thinner and thinner the more you head out there.

But kudos for you for some ballsy roleplaying.

[Jeff]

Although, Kal's not really bluffing, except for the fact that Nerrin and Redoubt aren't Belarin and Adamant's real names.

Well...and the map talk.

[Darren]

Well, there IS a map, and Kal DID see it. Everything that he said happened did actually happen. It just happened to be a bluff back THEN. ;D

[Jeff]

Well, it's all Bluff. Kal is speaking half truths. The intent is to deceive. That's how it goes.

"As a matter of fact, my lord, I have a contact...an associate...who claims to have a map that shows the location of the Eye, or at least gives considerable clues to its whereabouts."

[Darren]

I defer to your judgment, of course. I was just being a pain in the ass. It's what I do.

[Darren]

"Perhaps we should rejoin Kalarian, then. Our next move may rely on his diplomatic skills." Syrdan winces slightly. "I did say we know the way to the Black Freighter, yes?

Nice to have you back, Mike.

[Darren]

Now that our individual missions seem to be winding down, it's time to figure out what we're doing next.

Kal would like to look into this Onyx Fountain lead he was given after his encounter with the dragon. Other than that, I'm not sure what else we need to do before the gala.

Jeff, what time is it right now?

[Ken]

Sept 14, 2012 8:23:01 GMT -4 Jeff said:

I've been so fried from work recently, I have that tickle in the back of my head that there is something we need appraised but can't make it past the tickle phase.

Just a tip.

Thanks, Jeff. I've followed up on that. OK, folks, friendly reminders:

-- The scroll was written by a Cyran refugee, Reesan, to her brother Marlek and explained some stuff about the contents of the chest.
-- Adamant has kept the scroll.
-- The tooth went to the Blue Fins to fulfill their mysterious prophecy and to satisfy their demands for our safe passage.

Afterward, Sem helped us figure out what the other items were:

-- Streko has the die.
-- Shorak has the invisibility and accuracy potions; Condign has the cold dragon breath potion.
-- Adamant has the magical whetstone.
-- We gave the chalk to Starg.

That leaves only... the small, darkwood box that requires a password to be opened, and it contains something very special. In the letter, Ressan describes it as important to her brother (he specifically requested it), and "my servants think it's a Cannith toy, though I don't think 'toy' is appropriate."

With no possibly idea what the password could be, Belarin and Shorak agreed to put the matter aside for further consideration. And, uh, real time being different than game time, we promptly forgot about it!

Which brings us to now.

[Jeff]

Jeff, what time is it right now?

The day has only just begun. Late morning, I'd say.

[Mike]

The way I see it, after we meet up we can:

• Go check out the Onyx Fountain
  
• Go look for the White Raven at the Black Freighter
  
• Follow up on whatever the kobold decides to spill - maybe he works for someone important (?)
  
• Or get ready for the gala.
  

I don't think we can accomplish all of the first three points, but doing one of them prior to the gala would seem prudent. Syrdan's all for going to the Black Freighter, but I personally don't have a preference. (I'm kind of curious to see what the kobold has to say, myself ...)

[Darren]

Yeah, I'd say one of the first two, and if we have time, we can check out the other one.

Or we split the party, again, but I know how much Jeff loves that.

[Jeff]

Heh. Splitting the party just means the day's events will take three months instead of one.

[Brian]

I'm good with anything. Though I have to admit to a certain amount of curiosity regarding the tiefling that (I think) Streko saw earlier.

[Darren]

Jeff, it's not our fault you give us so many interesting leads to pursue! And if we don't get through them in one day of game-time, sometimes we, y'know, get kidnapped before we can pursue them further.

[Jeff]

Because I try not to run a linear game, please do bear in mind: not all leads and hooks have to be pursued. With the Onyx Fountain, for example, remember the circumstances of that lead. Kal pushed the dragon in desperation for some definitive answer. The dragon has given him one but it comes with a warning. Don't treat Dark Echelon like a video game where you just want to see every outcome that the game designers came up with.

That said, if it's in your character's heart—not necessarily yours—to follow a course, then by all means.

By the way, that was a very warlordy post you just made. Nicely done. Thinking like a strategist.

[Brian]

Jeff:

By the way, that was a very warlordy post you just made. Nicely done. Thinking like a strategist.

I think I'm the only one playing a warlord, so I'm assuming you meant me. If so: thank you! If not:

[Mike]

I agree with Jeff. Really nice post, Brian.

[Brian]

Thanks, Mike.

[Jeff]

Yep, I totally missed including your name, as intended. Sorry.

[Dave W.]

[not complaining here btw... ]

I'm still not sure if I'm at the same point in time as the rest of the group... It seems like they've only spent a few minutes. I'm guessing the artificer-ing (?) takes a while (hours?). And Adamant will wait (and pay for) a sprucing up for Spindrift if he desires.

Anyway, Adamant's plan is to see Spindrift back to the ship and then head back to the rooms. Of course that could be circumvented if he were to run into people. So far as I can tell, he missed entirely Syrdan's re-appearance.

[Ken]

I'm not in favor of splitting the party again so soon. Not only would it take longer to resolve, but we don't know what kind of reception we'll encounter at the Black Freighter. Krez is no fool; even if we go in the daytime, he likely will have forewarned any allies of our possible arrival. Certainly, he had to be fairly sure that we'd make port before the Patriot.

I'd recommend a recon with "Nerrin" and one or two others, perhaps Shorak and Adamant as they weren't in the forefront of combat with Krez as much as the others and so any descriptions of them might not be as detailed. (And besides, don't most non-warforged think that all 'forged look alike? Sorry, Dave.) The newly helmed Condign might be a good choice, too. Just tossing out ideas for consideration...