Subject: Test

Sent 9/2/2004 at 9:26 AM

Subject: Testing?

Just want to make sure the cowgame list is working again. Did we miss any emails? Anyone send out something that never arrived back to them? It seems like the game was just gaining momentum and then died off again.

Holn and Elotai were chatting, Erk and Buchek were chatting and returning to town. Erk was making the rounds of healing. Is Buchek going to go chat with Holn, since they're buddies? Is Kayla going to come over and join the talking? Is anyone going to question the three prisoners that are now neatly tied up?

If your character is done, and just wants to go to sleep, that's cool, too. I can write up the night and we can finally progress to the SECOND DAY of the campaign. :) For those of you who have some claim to leadership of the party or roles as guides (that goes for Erk, Holn, Telwyn and Buchek), give me some idea of what you plan on doing come morning? What are the plans for the start of the expedition beyond Caro?

Hopefully now that fall is rapidly approaching, we can get this game rolling semi-regularly.

Subject: Re: Testing?

Buchek ambles over to where Holn is tending one of the wounded soldiers and squats down next to his friend. "He was there Holn, there before my eyes, and it was all I could do to force Nauhata to connect with him once. One time! He pauses for a moment, tracing his finger along the intricate designs that cover the axe's blades. "Do you...do you think that our ancestors could have taken his side? Could they have? He is a brother killer! And yet, if not that, what explains Nauhata's reluctance to take his life?"

After this conversation is over, Buchek approaches the prisoners. He scans their faces, seeing if he recognizes any of them. How he interacts with them will depend on whether or not he does.

Subject: Growl

cowgame hates me and has eaten up my emails.

Kayla kept playing on the bench and went through a long memory-recall of an event in her life. I don't have a saved copy of it.

I'll send out whatever I can later this weekend for her, unless mike has a copy from a bounce somehow. She doesn't go out of her way to talk to anyone else. She's just reminiscing.

-clara

Subject: Test

I think Raja (Elotai) told me he sent something out to the list, but I haven't gotten anything. Also Clara (Kayla) said she'd send something over the weekend, and I never got anything.

Is the list working for anyone else? Or at all?

Subject: Re: Test

Nope, not working.

Oh, wait. I gues it is....

Subject: Test

This is a test of the Segreda game mailing list on my server.

Raja

Subject: Re: Test

Okay, this looks like it works! Awesome! Not only did Elotai save the party's collective ass, but he appears to have saved the entire game. Rock on, Raja. And you don't even have to play a dead wizard in this game. :)

Alright, now that we're up and moving, if anyone has emails they tried to send still stuck in their "sent mail" folders, this would be a great time to send those along. Don't worry about the order - I think we can sort them out.

Subject: Re: Testing?

Has this turn been received by everybody? Better safe than sorry.

Noemon [email address removed] wrote:Buchek ambles over to where Holn is tending one of the wounded soldiers and squats down next to his friend. "He was there Holn, there before my eyes, and it was all I could do to force Nauhata to connect with him once. One time! He pauses for a moment, tracing his finger along the intricate designs that cover the axe's blades. "Do you...do you think that our ancestors could have taken his side? Could they have? He is a brother killer! And yet, if not that, what explains Nauhata's reluctance to take his life?"

After this conversation is over, Buchek approaches the prisoners. He scans their faces, seeing if he recognizes any of them. How he interacts with them will depend on whether or not he does.

Subject: Re: Testing?

This is the last substantive message I sent to the list:

On 8/31/04 8:08 PM, "Raja [last name removed]" [email address removed] wrote:

> "Bermid? He's directing traffic, keeping everything organized. He found the
> leader in himself somewhere, it looks like."
>
> Elotai pauses. "Why? Well..." he sighs. "It may take some time to explain.
> Here, sit and watch these prisoners with me." The elf squats down about ten
> feet from the bound raiders, and begins drawing idly on the dirt with a
> stick. He thinks about how best to explain this to Holn, but then, figuring
> that the human is both a wizard and from the eastern tribes, settles on
> blunt honesty:
>
> "As I said at the inn, I have... dreams. Sometimes they come when I am not
> asleep. This has been happening for five decades now, and gradually they
> have grown focused on the far east. I have tried many remedies, but none
> have worked... permanently." Elotai frowns, but carries on. "In fact, I have
> seen some of you in my dreams. The dwarf, the wolf..." he trails off. "Some
> of the things I have forseen have come to pass, others have not but may
> still. I just know that if I wish to be rid of this curse, I must go east,
> and I must go with this group, if it will have me."

Subject: Here's poor Kayla

(copy of what I sent to cowgame on Tuesday)

(I apologize for the lateness of the re-release of Kayla's thoughts. This one is different from the original email. On the upshot, I had a good weekend.)

Kayla sits on the bench, watching the last of the clean-up efforts. She is playing a slow melody, and has been for the last candlemark or so. It feels good to settle into something so routine. After all, she could be sitting in front of the Silver Knuckle at home, playing a bit of a ballad as the night air sweeps through her home town.

But instead, she watches the townsmen bring burned pieces of wood into the center of town, to await a larger effort to bring the charred mess out of town in the morning.

Kayla sits, letting her mind wander into the past. She had been afraid, tonight. Combat was something she never came across as a roof walker, or even as a minstrel. While she was taught basic street fighting as a necessity, she was good about staying away from bringing those necessities to the fore.

Kayla had never been as anxious as she had been tonight. Years ago, just a few moons after she had begun roof walking, she had had her first real scare as a thief. Kayla is about to settle into the memory when a very loud batch of wood was tossed into the pile. Her mind jerks her back into the present, and she reprimands herself for letting her mind drift.

After this song, she will find her room and go to sleep if no one comes up to her.

Subject: Re: Test

Check one, two. One. One. Two. One, one, check, test, one.

Check.

Subject: Re: Test

I got this. I'm replying to both the list and to you personally Matt, so you should receive two copies if everything is working properly.

Subject: Update

Apologies in advance to those of you who get this message multiple times.

I'd update my Hatrack thread, but it seems I'm unable to log in. "We have no one registered by that name." Have I been banned?

In any case. Sa'id being out of it is fine, Ty. If he does become less discombobulated, I'd like him to use Scorching Ray on that ranger. Matt, Elotai is interested in continuing his chat with Holn but we can do that retroactively so I don't bog your game down.

Finally, for those unfortunate souls in MY game, finalize your purchases/hiring, update your character sheets with your new net worth, and beyond that wait at least eighteen hours for me to arrive in Christchurch (four more hours here in LAX, which was shut down earlier today, and then thirteen hours on the plane to Auckland, and then a short hop to Christchurch). Possibly eight more hours after that for me to sleep.

On the guard front, the consensus seems to be a small number of high-quality guards; after some investigation and negotiation, you are able to hire up to three mercenary soldiers from the town's guard for 4 sp per day apiece. (In game terms, these guys are levels 2-3). Dimuz will make a contribution toward this as well; he has provisioned the wagon already and now gives Art a purse containing an undisclosed amount for unforseen emergencies and so forth (Jake, we'll discuss that further later on). These funds can be used to subsidize your guard salaries (since you're looking at up to 12 sp per day for two weeks).

I was going to post a travelogue on my Hatrack thread, but I guess I'll wait to see if this strange ban-like thing is still in effect when I get to NZ. I'm keeping a journal of sorts. On a related note, we flew over the Grand Canyon today (BOS-LAX) and the pilot banked the plane a few times so we could get a good look. It's amazing!

I love planes. :) :) :)

Raja

Subject: Test

I want to make sure that this list is running smoothly and that I haven't missed any messages. What are we waiting on?

Raja

Subject: Re: Test

Beats the hell out of me. :)

On sakeriver it seemed as though there was some chatter about Buchek and Erk talking with the captives, but nothing has happened on the list. There was also some joking about my using Elotai to kill Holn's cat. But, really, not a thing has happened, without any emails sent last week.

Unfortunately, I'm missing a bunch of emails because of the trip to the northwest and trips back and forth between this house and my parents'. So, aol has automatically saved my emails all over the place, which means they're not on this computer.

>From my best memory, we have the following:

Telwyn is helping the townspeople and bleeding, having been reduced to 8 HP.

Kayla has stopped playing and is doing something else which I can't remember (and I can't find the email - sorry, Clara, could you possibly clear up my memory on that?)

Holn has been chatting a bit with Elotai, and Buchek has just approached him to speak about Tossuc.

Elotai has been chatting with Holn while watching Bermid take organizational control of the outpost.

Erk has been doing his best with his limited healing ability to make folks more comfortable.

Heretofore, no one has made any effort to speak with the prisoners, or made any plans for the following morning. Those two things are really what I'm waiting for before we can move on. To put that in more perspective, you have three guys who may know why the outpost was attacked, who may have information about the settling party, who are just sitting in your lap. You are also leaving all remnants of civilization behind as soon as you cross the river into the grassland wilds - only Holn and Buchek would really be comfortable out there, and to some degree Telwyn.

Even so, though, this fight has been a distraction - it need not be a delay. You were set to leave the next morning anyway - has this changed your plans at all? What do the prisoners know? Is the town still under immediate threat? Are your services more needed here? What about your mission to save the settlers, whose trail is growing ever colder? And your own personal motivations?

Hopefully Monday we can get the game back underway.

Subject: Re: Test

Oh, right. Here in New Zealand it IS Monday. :P

Subject: Re: Testing?

OOC: Let's try this again!

Holn regards Buchek with sadness at the tortured soul. Revenge still consumed his mind, and Holn could not blame Buchek for his pain.

"We will catch him yet. His tricks are finite, and our determination infinite. We must press on into the Tall Grass. Come with me to find Bermid."

The pair move off to find the soldier.

Subject: Re: Aftermath

"I understand, Elotai. I too feel the need to travel with this band. It seems to be what my father had wanted me to do." Holn toes a prisoner, checking that his bonds are secure.

"He told me to find Lyssande in the Tall Grass. He said she was a powerful Druid, and would guide us through the wilds.

"I feel that you too, must join with this band. Your skills are incredible, we could use you. We must find Bermid. We must press on. Stay and watch the prisoners, I will find our leader, and confer with him."

Holn wonders what Elotai thinks of him, a lettered man in the wilderness, clothed like some barbarian Shaman. Holn smiles at this, and reflects on the irony that shapes his destiny.

Subject: Re: Testing

Buchek shakes himself from his reverie, stands, and follows after his friend.

Subject: Re: Test

Erk does what he can for the wounded. He is only a very minor priest for Clangeddin, and he has drawn heavily on his god's favor this day. He feels drained, and empty. His connection tenuous at best. He does what he can with his limited skill and the supplies in his kit, cursing the dependence he has developed on his own small connection with divine grace. When it weakens, he is left with little aid to offer.

The soldiers curse the grass peoples as he puts salve on their burns, or binds their cuts. They cast dark glances at Buchek when he walks by. The citizens just cry, and ask why the gods curse them. Erk does what he can to tend their spiritual, as well as their physical hurts.

When he has done what he can, he will make his way back to Bermid. "My lord captain, what have we learned from the prisoners?"

Subject: Re: Test

Just a check in from Clara and Mike, and I'll be set. Also, Raja, I managed to misplace the file that had Elotai's premonitions in it - could you perhaps send that list back to me? That'd be a help. Thanks.

Subject: Update

My last one simply had Kayla waiting around for any conversation then shuffling off to bed. So for all intents and purposes, she's fast asleep by now.

Muff.
-Clara

Subject: A Leader Among the Ruins

The fires have been extinguished, but a thick smoky haze hangs in the night air. There is no wind to cut the cloud, and its blackness chokes the lungs and makes the flickering lights of the torches fuzzy and indistinct.

Holn, Buchek and Elotai seek out Bermid among the cots set up in the inn, to no avail, though they do see the prone form of Kayla huddled defensively, with an arm tightly wrapped around her fiddle case. The halfling must have been exhausted, but the three wonder at her self-imposed isolation. None remember her being involved with the fight at all, once they left the tower. Had she simply slunk off into the shadows? Or hid somewhere in fear? Her reluctance to talk to the party begs many questions, but the trio is more intent on finding Bermid.

In the inn, they come upon Telwyn, doing what he can to keep the mass of people organized and settled. He has had some experience sleeping in cramped quarters, and some of his habits have provided some of the sleepers comfort and peace of mind. He had been watching Bermid direct the relief effort, but had not seen him in some time. The three become four as the ranger joins the search for the young soldier.

Asking around, they find that he has gone with two men to inspect the damage to the tower, and reunite with Erk, who is heading in the same direction. The townspeople all seemed impressed with Bermid and thankful for his leadership and kind words, though most are too much in shock to recall even minutes before. The wailing of the mourning women has dulled to shuddering sobs, and the men have fallen to drink to drown their sorrows and toast the memories of fallen comrades.

Two torches bob gingerly alongside the tower in the dark and smoky gloom, and the form of Bermid and the two guards takes shape in the dimness. The young soldier has a spear, which he is using to poke and prod at the loose stones in the tower's foundation. As he presses, larger chunks of stone jar loose, and cracks begin to form in the mortar.

"...salvage the stone to rebuild. I believe some dwarven stonesmiths are in Segreda for the festival that we can convince to stay around and begin work immediately. If..." He stops as he notices the party approaching.

?My lord captain, what have we learned from the prisoners?? Erk's deference is not lost on Bermid, but he does not shy away from it.

"Nothing as of yet, good dwarf. We have been surveying the damage." He motions to the ruin of the tower. "It seems the barbarians have wounded us deeply, but there is much here that can be saved and reused for a new tower. The upper walls are intact; it is only the foundation which is destroyed. A skilled mason can use the undamaged portions to refortify without needing to start from scratch, I believe. I plan to send a runner to Segreda in the morning to ask for the aid of your stonemasons."

Bermid has fallen so easily into the role of leader that Erk has a hard time believing this was the same man who was practically dumbstruck only hours earlier. Elotai recalls then that Dohn, the commander of the outpost, had been in the inn before the fight began.

"What of Dohn, Bermid? Where is he?"

Silence fills the air for a moment before Bermid responds. "Dohn fell to the raiders in the courtyard. He had led a small unit in an attempt to flank the main raiding party, but they did not count on the barbarians' numbers..." There is sorrow in his voice, but also conviction. "Leadership of the outpost has fallen to me, as the next highest ranked officer."

The tone of his voice is strong, but still somewhat hesitant. It is as if he is play-acting a general - it is a convincing performance, but still a facade.

Again silence hangs between the party, and a moment passes when no one wishes to speak. Erk breaks the silence.

"May he be granted good journey by the grace of Clangeddin, having fallen in valiant combat defending his people." He bows his head for another silent moment before continuing. "There was great wrong done tonight, but there are also those who may be able to provide us information on the attackers - and possibly on the settling party we seek."

He pauses, taking into account Bermid's current status.

"If no one has yet questioned the prisoners, I beg leave to do so. Our mission and charter was to find the settlers, and these raiders may hold some clue to finding them."

Bermid sighs, the weight of his responsibility seeming to press harder upon his shoulders.

"Please, friend. The formalities are unnecessary. If you would question the prisoners, you would be doing us a great service. I don't want any of the guards interrogating them for fear of more bloodshed as they settle scores, and my... duties do not permit me the time to do so at the moment."

"I place the prisoners into your custody and care, good dwarf. See that they are not harmed."

Subject: Re: A Leader Among the Ruins

The expedition now without a leader, the halfling missing, exhaustion sets in. Holn's young frame was now world-weary, but the pressing question of the future lay in the Tall Grass. The expedition must continue.

"We must plan to leave as soon as we are able. We must press on after the survivors, for I am sure that there are many still."

"Leadership or no, we must continue."

Subject: Re: A Leader Among the Ruins

Bermid abandons them just as they are preparing to enter the unknown grasslands. Erk has no argument, since the rule of law is on the young noble's side. But he finds himself discomfited by what appears to be relief in the man's eyes.

"I will go at once," he says to Bermid. "I would like to take Buchek with me. His familiarity with the people's, and their customs and lands, will aid in the questioning." Erk turns to the grasslander and says, "Let's go find out what we can find out."

[Matt, before I can do the questioning, I need a couple things. Where are these prisoners? What do they look like? And, since it has been so long since we started, what information did we think they might have?]