Reynard steps forward, his loyalty to the crown in no doubt. He kneels in front of the king.
"I, Reynard Ferrand, second son of Lord Caer Ferrand, do solemnly swear fealty and obedience to you and your line, to serve you personally until death or your word release me."
He bends forward, kissing the pommel of the sword offered by his king. Standing he then formally bows to his liege and steps back into the group.
Nicolaus also bends down, trying to keep his facial expression as neutral as possible. A serf would certainly -- well, I know a trick or two for keeping them suppressed.Nicolaus didn't want to give himself away here, and in all honesty, the king wasn't a bad man. Unlike much of the nobility, he served to prevent his country from being ravaged by civil war. His assassination could have horrid effects.
To prevent that, Nicolaus kisses the sword, claiming, I, NicolausWertan -- using a surname he had just made up on the spot -- do swear by the gods to do as you command, until death meets me or you discharge me from servitude. Unable to think of anything more than that, he steps back, bows, and walks back behind Javier.
-DESCRIPTION- Alignment: Lawful Good Race: Human Class: Fighter Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Height: 6'3" Specialty: Survivor Background: Knight
-ATTRIBUTES- Speed: 25 feet Hit Dice: 1d10+3/1d10+3 Martial Dice: 1d6/1d6 Skill Dice: 1d4/1d4 Initative: 2 Vision: Normal Size: Medium
-LANGUAGES- Common
-ATTACKS- Longsword: 1d8 slashing (+5 to hit, +5 to damage) Lance: 1d12 piercing (+5 to hit, +5 to damage) Hand Crossbow: 1d6 piercing (+3 to hit, +2 to damage; disadvantaged if loading and attacking same turn; range 30/120)
-MANEUVERS- Protect
-CLASS FEATURES- Combat Expertise (can spend as many martial dice as needed on Maneuvers, or extra damage, or reducing damage to self) Fighting Style: Protector
-RACIAL TRAITS- +1 to abilities, except one which is +2.
Javier bends his knee next reciting the similar words, "I Javier Tischler do so swear by the gods to give you my obedience and loyalty till the time as you see fit to release me from said service."
He then kisses the pommel and moves back to join his companions. To him this is just a reaffirmaination of his loyalties and involves very little consideration. His mind is much more intrested in the name that 'Nicolaus' gave.
Kiss the pommel of a sword? These southerners and their strange ways... Have they not heard the term "kiss of death"? This king would be the laughingstock of Vyshan if he tried that up north.
Allowing his thoughts to ramble in his head, Algaris continues to monitor the events unfolding before him. He waits for Warinor to make the oath, wondering whether the halfling found the on-the-spot ceremony silly or regal. Barely blinking as the men, one by one, swear allegiance, Algaris finds his eyes flickering back to Clarisse every few minutes.
I wonder if she will actually take their oaths at face value... They seem earnest, but this woman seems one to doubt everything placed under her nose.
"I don't like X, they should remove it." "I like X, they should keep it." "They should replace X with Y." "Anybody that likes X is dumb. Y is better." "Why don't they include both X and Y." "Yeah, everybody can be happy then!" "But I don't like X, they should remove it." "X really needs to be replaced with Y." "But they can include both X and Y." "But I don't like X, they need to remove it." "Remove X, I don't like it."
Until you've had an in-law tell you your choice of game was stupid, and just Warcraft on paper, and dumbed down for dumber players who can't handle a real RPG, you haven't lived.
Lady and gentlemen.... I present to you the Edition War without Contrition, the War of the Web, the Mighty Match-up!
We're using standard edition war rules. No posts of substance. Do not read the other person's posts with comprehension. Make frequent comparison to video games, MMOs, and CCGs. Use the words "fallacy" and "straw man", incorrectly and often. Passive aggressiveness gets you extra points and asking misleading and inflammatory questions is mandatory. If you're getting tired, just declare victory and leave the thread. Wait for the buzzer... and....
One, two, three, four, I declare Edition War Five, six, seven eight, I use the web to
D&D should not return to the days of blindfolding the DM and players. No tips on encounter power? No mention of expected party roles? No true meaning of level due to different level charts or tiered classes? Please, let's not sacrifice clear, helpful rules guidelines in favour of catering to the delicate sensibilities of the few who have problems with the ascetics of anything other than what they are familiar with.
Just a quick note on the MMORPG as an insult comparison...
MMORPGs, raking in money by the dumptruck full. Many options, tons of fans across many audiences, massive resources allocated to development.
TTRPGs, dying product. Squeaking out an existence that relys on low cost. Fans fit primarily into a few small demographics. R&D budgets small, often rushed to market and patched after deployment.
You're not really making much of an argument when you compare something to a MMORPG and assume people think that means bad. Lets face it, they make the money, have the audience and the budget. We here on this board are fans of TTRPGs but lets not try to pretend none of us play MMORPGs.
Something like Tactical Shift is more magical than martial healing.
Telling someone to move over a few feet is magical now? :|
I weep for this generation.
Given the laziness and morbid obsesity amongst D&Ders, being able to convince someone to get on their feet, do some heavy exercise, and use their words to make them be healthier must seem magical.
Oops. I'll change the king's speach color to indigo. I picked purple for royalty without thinking about pc speech colors
King Aelfar grins widely, showing his strong white teeth. It indeed does our heart good to see men like you after tonight's events. But what about the little one? he asks, turning to Warinor. You seem to have something on your mind. There's nothing keeping you from showing your fealty isthere?
The king doesn't seem to actually suspect there is, but just in case, Clarisse's hand moves a little bit closer to the hilt of her rapier.
Warinor thinks this is an odd ceremony, but he goes through with it. "I, Warinor Hilltopple, solemnly swear allegiance and service to you, until such time as you release me, or death takes me." He kisses the sword and runs back to his companions, feeling rather awkward.
After the impromptu ceremony, Clarisse pouts. Majesty, I still do not tr--
Enough, Clarisse. The gods have little love for those who break oaths sworn by them. If they prove untrustworthy in their service to us, the wrath of the gods will sue for more justice than the king of a small country could hope to deliver.
The king turns back to you.
Now, for your first task.
We have accounted for nearly all of the castle staff and guests at the time of the attack. However, a few of the performers have somehow managed to disappear. The troupe had been traveling with a gypsy band that is camped a few miles from the city gates. Find out if they have rejoined the gypsies, and see if you come across any other clues.
We would wager our father's crystal goblets that some slippery serpent from Vyshan is behind the plot. We should have never become involved in Vyshan politics.
Algaris rolls his eyes at the king's suspicions, making an effort to not audibly scoff at the idea.
Yes, your Grace. We of Vyshan really had nothing better to do than march south to this sun-blasted pit, led by the blood son of our own leader, for the sake of assassinating you with a circus act. Winter save us, it's no wonder we laugh at you up north.
Still, the news is quite vexing to the elf's ears. The Viper strokes his chin in contemplation. Assassinations were not unheard of in Vyshan, but if the Norn family had wanted to remove the king from power so badly, they simply would have led an army south and unleashed the Berserkers of Beorn at the castle gates. As Algaris ponders the king's words, he does admit to himself that a cunning individual could swing the blame on to the Vysh by playing on the south's fears of the "savage" north.
Or is this all a trap laid by the king? What better way to have the southern holds chomping at the bit to march north than word of treachery by the Vysh? The king claims his double perishes, places the blame on a select few performers who conveniently can't be found, and then points fingers at the men who are farthest from home and known to distrust southern customs... It could be...
"I don't like X, they should remove it." "I like X, they should keep it." "They should replace X with Y." "Anybody that likes X is dumb. Y is better." "Why don't they include both X and Y." "Yeah, everybody can be happy then!" "But I don't like X, they should remove it." "X really needs to be replaced with Y." "But they can include both X and Y." "But I don't like X, they need to remove it." "Remove X, I don't like it."
Until you've had an in-law tell you your choice of game was stupid, and just Warcraft on paper, and dumbed down for dumber players who can't handle a real RPG, you haven't lived.
Lady and gentlemen.... I present to you the Edition War without Contrition, the War of the Web, the Mighty Match-up!
We're using standard edition war rules. No posts of substance. Do not read the other person's posts with comprehension. Make frequent comparison to video games, MMOs, and CCGs. Use the words "fallacy" and "straw man", incorrectly and often. Passive aggressiveness gets you extra points and asking misleading and inflammatory questions is mandatory. If you're getting tired, just declare victory and leave the thread. Wait for the buzzer... and....
One, two, three, four, I declare Edition War Five, six, seven eight, I use the web to
D&D should not return to the days of blindfolding the DM and players. No tips on encounter power? No mention of expected party roles? No true meaning of level due to different level charts or tiered classes? Please, let's not sacrifice clear, helpful rules guidelines in favour of catering to the delicate sensibilities of the few who have problems with the ascetics of anything other than what they are familiar with.
Just a quick note on the MMORPG as an insult comparison...
MMORPGs, raking in money by the dumptruck full. Many options, tons of fans across many audiences, massive resources allocated to development.
TTRPGs, dying product. Squeaking out an existence that relys on low cost. Fans fit primarily into a few small demographics. R&D budgets small, often rushed to market and patched after deployment.
You're not really making much of an argument when you compare something to a MMORPG and assume people think that means bad. Lets face it, they make the money, have the audience and the budget. We here on this board are fans of TTRPGs but lets not try to pretend none of us play MMORPGs.
Something like Tactical Shift is more magical than martial healing.
Telling someone to move over a few feet is magical now? :|
I weep for this generation.
Given the laziness and morbid obsesity amongst D&Ders, being able to convince someone to get on their feet, do some heavy exercise, and use their words to make them be healthier must seem magical.
Javier nods though internally is unconvinced with the King's blaming of the Vyshan. Vyshan tended to take the blame for way too many misfortunes when people didn't think things through clearly. He also doubted a decent Vyshan assassin would fall for something as simple as a body double unless the double was a near perfect match.
"That we will do. May we have your leave to first examine the body ourselves and question a few of the guests that may be able to provide as a clue towards the perpetrator?
Even the most powerful king would be unwise to detain so many nobles indefinately.The king holds out his hand and Clarisse places a quill in it. He writes on some parchment sitting in front of him. This certifies that you are now our investigators. You are free to proceed in whatever way you see fit and employ any deputies you trust. Do not forget that the gods are watching your actions.
If you require anything, let Clarisse know. He signs the paper with a flourish. We will now retire for the evening.
The King rises and exits the room accompanied with a few men at arms leaving behind Clarisse who is making not attempt to hide her tiredness from the long day.
If you wish to examine the stone body, it is still where we found it. Dascha--she points to another guard--can show you the way. Jeeves may still be up, but you may want to wait until morning to speak to other household members.
