Verad

Malin Greaves for the Final Act

Yes, sorry about the delay. Confirming Jana, V'aleera, and Gallien to go along with Orrin.

Not a problem!

I don't, but I really should given how the early stages of Verad's pitch is highly scripted. Nevertheless, I prefer taking the time to write it all out to incorporate minor differences in each attempt.

With the right amount of setup, it could be a good pre-Stormblood event. The trick would be framing the posts so as to avoid the issue of the other way that is a frequently awkward introduction - stumbling into a public place while badly wounded and begging for help. Self-immolation could easily come off as that.

I think if you actually did the above you'd get a lot of responses in a hurry. Do your best, folks. Light yourselves on fire in front of strangers.

Before everybody leaps to take S'imba's place, let me gently remind the group that his ship is still suffering damage and crew losses from its last foray. Taking a Travel event will mean he is unable to have those repaired. I promise that any NPC ship you have to hire will not have Aspects like /Seaworthy Like A Lead Weight/ and /Permanently Drunken Blind Crewmen/.

That's... basically how I'm seeing it. It's not your job to engage the wallflowers. Just because someone sits next to you at a bar does not mean you're obligated to RP with you. If he wanted to RP with you he should've emoted something, ANYTHING that might've hinted to that. Even if it's just... I dunno... * Broody McEdgelord's gaze flicked to his right as he noticed the Miqo'te sitting next to him. He huffed, still weary from the thousand Garleans he had slaughtered singlehandedly for the capture and murder of his third mother, and looked back at his drink. A drink as dark as his soul. SOMETHING. And even then you're under no obligation to engage him. So yeah. You're fine, don't worry about that guy. I understand the logic behind this post, but good lord emoting something to the effect of "glancing at so-and-so" as an intro in the manner you describe is one of the most awkward things I can experience as a player. Half the reason I made a character that sells junk to strangers is so I would never have to do that. The player's behavior in OP's post is unacceptable, to be clear. I just wonder if, to anyone else, an introduction of that nature is more repellent to RP than sitting in silence.

I am confirming the time for Grasp as January 3rd at 8 PM EST as originally planned. I have changed the date to reflect this, and added sign-ups based on those already interested. Please let me know if these interfere with your schedules.

Excellent final third of a film, but getting to that third was a hell of a slog.

That's fine. We still need to get a confirmed date.

I have updated the storyline with a new event! The Grasp Exceeds Its Reach A leve has been put out for nautically-minded adventurers to identify the location of the trading vessel Grasp of Halone. Owned by an Ishgardian merchant house, the Grasp sailed for the Rothlyht Sound in the Sea of Jade to gather rare herbal materials before returning, and has not been heard from since its departure three moons prior. Adventurers are requested in order to contact the missing vessel and ascertain its fate. Note: This is a Travel event. Signing up means foregoing all further uses of Turns. A ship is required; if no PC owns a ship, a premade one will be available for use. Time: TBD 1.Orrin Halgren 2. Jana Ridah 3. V'aleera Lhuil 4. Gallien Vyese Note that 17 Turns remain in this round.

You want to go for an intellectual hatred rather than a visceral one. Mean remarks aren't going to do that. Condescend. Act like their superior in every possible way, but be polite about it because you know they can't help themselves. Find pseudo-scientific reasons that they've failed, and as a nation they've failed quite a bit. Somebody with the Encyclopedia can summarize the bullet points there. This allows you to make a patronizing character who thinks, perhaps even quite reasonably in their view, that if only the Ala Mhigans behaved differently they'd be more successful. It's probably not a hatred that's going to come up much in the way you've presented it in your provided examples, but will be seen as more insidious by many.

Certainly! The Turn system we've implemented in this storyline allows for easier indirect participation. Just send me a PM indicating what kind of assistance you want to provide and I'll help with the rolls.

Looking for help recruiting, to be clear.

Episode 4: New Story Aspects: Only Blood Can Mend the Wound - As before, there is still a broad public call for the swift trial and execution of Dominic Morris, the mutineer of the Maiden's Wound. This sentiment has become increasingly hostile since the announcement that the trial would be postponed pending further investigation of the events leading up to the massacre, and may turn violent. Shift Towards Patriotic Sentiment - Despite the above, a growing number of Limsan citizens are of the mind that Morris was surely engaging in mutiny for patriotic reasons related to Limsan security, and are now supporting the move for a thorough trial instead of a drumhead court. This is making some citizens more prone to seeing sense and calling for civility; on the other hand, it's also starting to cause clashes between the two camps. City of Wonders - Amidst all of this, a large shipment of cheap, harmless magitek items have appeared on the markets of Hawker's Alley. All of these appear to be designed for the sake of convenience and home-living rather than instruments of mass destruction. New Events: Hawker's Alley Havoc While the influx of magitek items on the markets have been a general boon for purchasers, not all of them are available in equal quantities, and some are clearly more popular than others. One item in particular, the Miniature Wave Oven, a kind of shard-powered device for faster cooking, has become a top seller amongst sailors expecting to be at sea for extended periods. This has made it a popular choice for Starlight gifts, and Limsan shoppers are not known for their manners when it comes to competing over limited supplies. Various merchants of the Hawker's Alley stalls are requesting security forces to supplement Yellowjacket patrols and help prevent theft. Time: Thursday, December 29th, 8 PM CST 1. Chakha Hotgo 2. Zanzan Yanzan 3. Virara Wakuwa 4. Leanne Delphium Dress to Impress The term of enlistment for a number of sailors attached to the Fourth Squadron is due to end in a moon's time. There has, however, been a lull in Grand Company volunteers of late. Without receiving replacement forces, the Fourth Squadron will be undermanned and its field of operations more prone to exploitation by those pirate crews which flout the law of the land. Lieutenant Daqu Hequ is requesting support from officers of similar rank and patriotic adventurers of the Foreign Levy in running a recruiting drive. Time: Friday, December 30th, 8 PM CST 1. Aya Foxheart 2. L'Rinhi Khett 3. Anstarra Silverain 4. Jana Ridah Millioncorn Mystery Several shipments of grain intended to supply Maelstrom vessels from farms created under the terms of the Limsan resettlement program have either gone missing or been severely below their expected projections. Maelstrom Commissary is requesting sellswords of the Foreign Levy to investigate the shirkers at Millioncorn Malm in Summerford and find the source of the problem. Time: January 1st, 8 PM CST 1. Liadan Summerfield 2. S'imba Tia 3. W'Chaza Yheli 4. Klynzahr Ihyrnachtwyn The Grasp Exceeds Its Reach A leve has been put out for nautically-minded adventurers to identify the location of the trading vessel Grasp of Halone. Owned by an Ishgardian merchant house, the Grasp sailed for the Rothlyht Sound in the Sea of Jade to gather rare herbal materials before returning, and has not been heard from since its departure three moons prior. Adventurers are requested in order to contact the missing vessel and ascertain its fate. Note: This is a Travel event. Signing up means foregoing all further uses of Turns. A ship is required; if no PC owns a ship, a premade one will be available for use. Time: TBD 1.Orrin Halgren 2. 3. 4. Available Turns: 1/25 Turns Used: Orrin Halgren -Investigate -Act (4 Player Maximum) East Aldenard Distribution Inc. -Investigate -Prepare W'chaza Yheli -Prepare x2 Chakha Hotgo -Prepare Banquo Viquo -Prepare Anstarra Silverain -Prepare Leanne Delphium -Prepare [Failed] Virara Wakuwa -Investigate -Act Osric Melkire -Discussion x 2

I can, sure. The door opened slowly with a creak, when a small head poked from it. A small miqo'te with orange-red hair looked around, ears perked up as she noticed the person in the room. She scurried to them, her deep puppy-dog brown eyes looked up at them, flashing a bright fanged grin. "H-Hello there, Sir!" Okay, good. You're engaging multiple senses, giving a decent visual of the character, and indicating a reasonable amount of personality with a brief stutter. I think perhaps the visual isn't absolutely necessary because we have reasonably decent avatars, but I would engage with this post. And, in fact, I will. What days and times are good for you, and can you find a reason for this character to brave the Quicksand?

What do your average posts look like? Can you give an example?

Staging Point of the Immersabilis, Location Unknown A sharp stamp of his boot on the ground. A crisp salute, arm across his chest. Above all else, Ulf made sure to lock eyes with the men and women of the cohort as they returned the gesture, one by one, while leaving the guts of the great metal beast to report to their centuries aboard the Firmitas. The Pilus was well aware that his gesture delayed proceedings. The cohort’s engineers would need the vessel clear ere they could perform maintenance, and a delay in the return of the crew would likewise slow the arrival of those bound for service in the submersible - strange word, even in Garlean, which did not roll easily off the tongue - for the next sennight. Any centurion could handle this matter, and were he answering to a Tribunus for the duration of the expedition, Ulf was sure he could expect to meet with disapproval for his actions, if not censure for those of stricter mind. In his own command, however, he would have none of it. Those willing to risk their lives for the Emperor by climbing into the Immersabilis and plying the waters of the Sea of Jade deserved at least this moment, if not more. In Garlemald there were memorials aplenty for those who had braved the first airships, whether to share the triumph of their successes or honor those lost to the failures. Ulf had no such guarantee that the soldiers of the Special Expeditionary Cohort would ever see such appreciation - not with what the Architectus had said of the operation, at any rate - and so he would give the soldiers what respect they were due. As the last of the men stepped off of the small plank connecting the submersible to the lower decks of the Firmitas, Ulf broke his salute and signalled with a slight nod for the architectoi crews standing nearby, tools at the ready. “Standard maintenance. Have the vessel ready within two bells’ time.” “No - no, a day, at least!” Ulf’s attention snapped to the figure clambering up the gangplank, one he hadn’t expected. The Architectus Magiteci tended to sleep on the Immersabilis rather than make use of his quarters on the battleship. The Pilus couldn’t fault him for that, as it was the man’s invention, and closer to his heart than any child he might have. But it did mean he saw little of his own superior in this expedition, and it was also another mark against the sanity of Academy graduates. Looking over the submersible’s design, with its squat exterior only barely above the waterline and the bulk of it beneath, as if it was threatening to sink at any moment, Ulf could not fathom any soldier wanting to spend their days living in such a thing. And yet there before him stood Virgil nan Gravis, clambering up the ramps and out of breath as if he had not tasted the air above ground in nearly a moon, clutching a transcribed reading from the submersible’s instruments tight against his chest. Ulf held out his hand to stay the engineering crews, giving Virgil time to reach the deck. “Architectus, that will put us behind our patrol schedule. The colony is expecting a supply shipment within the day.” He tried not to glare down at his superior. The Architectus was already nervous around a crew of Ala Mhigans, the Pilus among them. To his knowledge, the expedition was the first time the Garlean had been outside the borders of Garlemald proper, and the lack of a third eye amongst any soldiers of the cohort was doubtless upsetting. “Use the gunships, then. Aerial observation for the supply vessels at high altitude. We have to make these changes, Pilus.” Stumbling to his feet, Virgil’s frame was still not that much taller - he was short for a Garlean, short enough that without the third eye he never bothered to conceal, he could be confused for a Midlander. He held the transcription record, a device patterned after old Allagan tomestone methods of storing information, up to Ulf’s eyes as if the Pilus could decipher the series of parallel lines by sight alone. “I have it, Pilus. I’ve found the source.” Unable to conceal his surprise, Ulf’s eyes widened too much for Virgil not to notice, judging by the victorious smirk that crossed the Architectus’ face. He worked quickly to regain his composure, his face returning to the placidly stern expression he used with superiors and soldiers alike. “How, sir? We still haven’t charted the new search pattern, and the patrol routes cover well-known waters.” “Depth, that was the mistake, Pilus.” Virgil ran a hand through his hair, dark and matted from too many nights in the submersible. “Depth! The signal was in the original search pattern, we just weren’t searching low enough. We had but to press a few hundred yalms deeper than safety projections allowed - “ “Sir - “ Virgil cut him off with a wave of his hand. “A brief dive, Pilus, very brief. Well within the expected ranges of tolerance for the ship, have no fear - though your crew might be a bit ill after. Nothing lethal, I’m sure. Suffice it to say we were able to get a position, but it’s deeper still. We’ll need to make adjustments to the converter to handle a trip that extreme, and likely install some materials for visibility - I have some notes here about a reinforced searchlight, and - “ “And the crew?” Ulf tried to stand straighter still. This wasn’t a conversation to be had in front of the engineers, but Virgil’s love of his ship overrode any concerns about security he might have. “And the colony? Reports from the Sea Wolf indicate that they ought to have two more ships inbound since you rewrote the codes. They still need our guarantees.” “Never mind the crew. Once the proper adjustments are made and a few points on the interior are reinforced, they’ll be as well as ever. And as I said, gunships will suit just fine for temporary security. We only need to make small dives to pinpoint the source’s location. Beyond that? Well, we accelerate! Do you still have your woman in Limsa?” “She’s not ‘my woman’, Archi - “ “Pilus Hartsblood, do you still have your woman in Limsa?” Virgil tended to avoid eye contact when he was plotting out repairs and adjustments to the Immersabilis, but now there was nothing but a direct, unblinking stare, marred only by a slight twitch in the center of his brow, as if his third eye were trying to blink. “...Yes, Architectus." “Good. Be in touch, and tell her to activate the Shadows. If we can’t spare the time to keep them safe, we’ll keep Limsa too busy to want to go there.”

I am intrigued by this opinion and would like to know more.

I see it is time to do my annual run of the Lone Wolf series. Hopefully I can get further than Book 9 this time around. RIP Joe Dever. My current state of existence is your fault.

Updated awards to add S'imba Tia and Klyn, who were both forgotten in the original post. Sorry!

With the completion of Saturday's event, Phase 1 of Merchant, Marine, is complete. Milestone rewards follow below. Significant Milestones Criteria for significant milestones for this event are related not to number of events in which a character participated, but to whether or not their actions significantly altered the plot, or the plot has significantly altered the character to date. Gallien Vyese Osric Melkire Liadan Summerfield Bartu Bolir/Tiergan Vashir/Lurial Vashir (Choose 1 character, player's choice) Hihisa Hisa/Chakha Hotgo (Choose 1 character, player's choice) Aya Foxheart Leanne Delphium W'chaza S'imba Tia Minor Milestones This is a bonus minor milestone that is strictly related to participation. All of the players above get this minor, in addition to the following: Zanzan Yanzan Qara Hotgo Kanaria Melkire V'aleera Lhuil Virara Wakuwa Klynzahr Ihrnachtwyn I will be taking a week off from events to post material to the IC thread, and welcome other participants to do the same at this time.

Just to confirm, after some discussion with all participants, Big Buccaneering has been rescheduled to Monday, November 21st, at 8 PM CST.

If you mean the ship event from last round, we decided after delays to move on without it. You are more than welcome to sign up for Customary Arrangements.