[OOC] Heart of Darkness (Part II)

[Mindsiege]

I assumed there would be something like telling Boanagh that you're ready to go then and there. But then you started discussing Kosev's condition and it seemed you assumed that you and Boanagh alone would erect a big campsite on your own. I just was trying to make sure you would head out with the right expectations and determine your approach more clearly. Simply indicate to me where exactly you want to head first and what you are bringing with you. Any extravagant things like traps certainly need a bit more preparation. Also you have to find a way to reconvene with Loch, if you want his help. And lastly, I really just want to hear who you are exiting the camp with. Currently, it would just be Boanagh.

[secretID]

OK...seems like we've been very far apart.

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

I assumed there would be something like telling Boanagh that you're ready to go then and there.

OK - so you actually want that dialogue?

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

it seemed you assumed that you and Boanagh alone would erect a big campsite on your own.

As opposed to...? I understood IC and OOC that Kosev was leaving, even as an NPC. Was that wrong? And can Jimmy just draft a bunch of darklings? Or maybe you were expecting a recruitment drive from him? I was thinking that the darkling elder(s) would do that if it were possible.

Re the campsite, I thought we were mostly taking over an existing, abandoned one, but that was discussed a while back, so I may misremember that.

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

I just was trying to make sure you would head out with the right expectations and determine your approach more clearly.

I really have very few expectations because I have very little understanding/idea of the setting. As I understand it, there's a bunch of intersecting tunnels, and there are camps of varying sizes, in I don't remember if they're unknown to most or just to me, secretID.unknown locations, most/all of which are purged or abandoned.

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

Simply indicate to me where exactly you want to head first

I'm really confused by this. The plan has been to pose as a camp of darklings in the tunnels. IIRC, we were going to go to an existing, abandoned camp, but my memory isn't great on that point. I don't think I have the ability to say anything more precise because I don't have a map or the slightest idea of the layout. (Do I? Have I missed or forgotten something?)

Or were you thinking that J & B might head somewhere other than the tunnels? I thought that that was very clear.

Or do you just mean that you want me to be explicit IC, like, "Boanagh, let's head out into the tunnels?"

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

and what you are bringing with you.

Hasn't that been made clear? - the gear on his sheet plus the generic darkling stuff he just got IC, right? I'm very confused by this.

That said, as I noted, I am now thinking about picking up some traps/alarms, since it's not too late, so I may add to it in my next post.

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

Any extravagant things like traps certainly need a bit more preparation.

Before leaving the big camp? What kind of preparation, other than purchasing them, of course?

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

Also you have to find a way to reconvene with Loch, if you want his help.

Whoa..."find a way?" As in dialogue it out? That may take a long time, PBP. (We also have the significant communication limitations.) When you reintroduced him, I assumed you were going to bring him into the big darkling camp. I can't imagine how/where else they would meet; Jimmy's not going to backtrack all the way to him, of course. I guess you expected me to tell him to meet Jimmy at the big camp in the last sending...? (In retrospect, I think I thought that Loch knew where Jimmy was, but I guess he couldn't have been sure.)

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

And lastly, I really just want to hear who you are exiting the camp with. Currently, it would just be Boanagh.

See above. I didn't see that as in Jimmy's/my control, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

It now seems to me that we've been waiting for each other quite a bit. I wonder if you would like something more like what I've witnessed in some games, in which the players pretty liberally world-build, creating NPCs, etc. I'm very hesitant to do that unless asked, but maybe that's what you're expecting...?

[secretID]

This post has Jimmy's expression of the desired destination. I don't think you've given me any more info that would help me/him be more specific, but maybe I missed that somewhere...?

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by secretID

OK - so you actually want that dialogue?

It doesn't have to be a dialogue. Just something that indicates to me that you're completely done with everything inside the outpost. I didn't want to make the decision for when Jimmy considers himself ready to leave and I wasn't sure if you wanted me to move things forward while there were still things Jimmy might do.

Originally Posted by secretID

As opposed to...? I understood IC and OOC that Kosev was leaving, even as an NPC. Was that wrong? And can Jimmy just draft a bunch of darklings? Or maybe you were expecting a recruitment drive from him? I was thinking that the darkling elder(s) would do that if it were possible.

Kosev is now an NPC that has shown a very strong desire not to continue this quest and other worrisome behaviour. Apart from that, I'll treat him like any other NPC.

There doesn't need to be a recruitment drive, but I recall Jimmy mentioning that he doesn't want the smaller darklings around because it would risk their lives. If you want more darklings around, that is possible. It doesn't require Jimmy to take action, but it requires his decision vocalized in the narrative.

Originally Posted by secretID

Re the campsite, I thought we were mostly taking over an existing, abandoned one, but that was discussed a while back, so I may misremember that.[...]This post has Jimmy's expression of the desired destination. I don't think you've given me any more info that would help me/him be more specific, but maybe I missed that somewhere...?

I thought I had signed off somewhere that this is possible, but I wasn't aware whether that was what Jimmy had actually decided on. I might have missed that this had been clear to you along the way.

Originally Posted by secretID

I really have very few expectations because I have very little understanding/idea of the setting. As I understand it, there's a bunch of intersecting tunnels, and there are camps of varying sizes, in I don't remember if they're unknown to most or just to me, secretID.unknown locations, most/all of which are purged or abandoned.

That's pretty much the exact understanding of the current situation. There are the various border outposts, the indeterminate heart of the colony, and whatever "suitable" location inside it that Jimmy and Boanagh determined offscreen to be the best choice for his plan. All of that requires no further discussion, I just never understood that there had been a conclusive "I'm ready to go to the abandoned campsite".

Originally Posted by secretID

I'm really confused by this. The plan has been to pose as a camp of darklings in the tunnels. IIRC, we were going to go to an existing, abandoned camp, but my memory isn't great on that point. I don't think I have the ability to say anything more precise because I don't have a map or the slightest idea of the layout. (Do I? Have I missed or forgotten something?)

Or were you thinking that J & B might head somewhere other than the tunnels? I thought that that was very clear.

Or do you just mean that you want me to be explicit IC, like, "Boanagh, let's head out into the tunnels?"

I've understood now that the abandoned campsite was the goal, I probably just missed that as locked in along the way.

The reason I thought you wouldn't go there immediately was because the last GM post informed you that Loch will await you in the south inside the border outpost beneath the Heart Tree. He will not know how to reach the abandoned campsite without being informed how to get there, and doing so in 25 words is probably impossible.

Originally Posted by secretID

Hasn't that been made clear? - the gear on his sheet plus the generic darkling stuff he just got IC, right? I'm very confused by this.

That said, as I noted, I am now thinking about picking up some traps/alarms, since it's not too late, so I may add to it in my next post.

Because I wasn't sure that the abandoned campsite had been decided on, I hadn't been sure to what extent you'd be bringing the generic darkling stuff. With that decision being locked in, I know what items you'll have and you won't have to be more concrete.

If you can fashion some trap that will work inside a general cavernous layout, that sounds like something exciting to bring with you. Though it's unclear to me how you will ensure that what walks into that trap will be what you want to trap.

Either way, I didn't mean to make this more complicated than it needs to be, I merely thought packing your bags hadn't been decided as completed. If you're good, then I'm good.

Originally Posted by secretID

Before leaving the big camp? What kind of preparation, other than purchasing them, of course?

You'll have to tell me what kind of trap you want to fashion and I'll have to determine if it can be acquired and if that's all that needs to happen. If it's simple stuff, it won't be more difficult than saying Jimmy got everything he needs from the darklings.

Originally Posted by secretID

Whoa..."find a way?" As in dialogue it out? That may take a long time, PBP. (We also have the significant communication limitations.) When you reintroduced him, I assumed you were going to bring him into the big darkling camp. I can't imagine how/where else they would meet; Jimmy's not going to backtrack all the way to him, of course. I guess you expected me to tell him to meet Jimmy at the big camp in the last sending...? (In retrospect, I think I thought that Loch knew where Jimmy was, but I guess he couldn't have been sure.)

Sorry, but Loch has never taken the path you took and had no possible way to confirm where you are right now. His current location is where he said in his sending. He also made clear that you only have 25 words to ensure he'll meet up with you, because he has no further level 3 spell slots. He got into contact with you, but I wasn't planning to handwave him into existence, I figured that was what we had settled on. Technically fetching him from the other outpost isn't that much of an inconvenience, because the colony supposedly is rather safe to traverse and also faster to pass than the way your party took through the mountains. I'm not worried that it will detract from the adventure, and since Jimmy isn't aware of any timelimit he's going to have to listen to his gut to decide if it's worth it to reconvene with Loch.

Originally Posted by secretID

See above. I didn't see that as in Jimmy's/my control, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

It now seems to me that we've been waiting for each other quite a bit. I wonder if you would like something more like what I've witnessed in some games, in which the players pretty liberally world-build, creating NPCs, etc. I'm very hesitant to do that unless asked, but maybe that's what you're expecting...?

No, I don't usually allow players to take agency over the game world beyond what their characters can influence through actions. So if Jimmy doesn't take any steps to influence who would come with him, then him and Boanagh will be the only ones to go. Same with the decision to meet Loch in the other outpost, you can ignore that hook and progress as you prefer.

Personally, after hearing what you thought we are at, it seems like you're ready to move forward. Feel free to give Boanagh a last IC reply to not leave him hanging on his last question and then declare that Jimmy is heading out. Seems like everything is in order otherwise. I had hoped that was clear with the GM instructions, but I suppose I could have been clearer. If Loch doesn't receive a reply to the second sending, I'll have him act accordingly.

[Mindsiege]

@edit:
I fixed in the post above that Loch is south of Jimmy, not north. They are in two different outposts. The path between the two is part of the darkling territory and Boanagh would have no concern to take the extra time if Jimmy thinks that the extra manpower is worth it.

[secretID]

OK; I think we're all clear. I started working on my IC post while I was waiting for you, and realized that Loch's second message had already answered some of my questions.

Re traps, I was mostly thinking just about the hunting trap in the PHB, plus maybe some bells hung on strings or something.

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by secretID

Re traps, I was mostly thinking just about the hunting trap in the PHB, plus maybe some bells hung on strings or something.

Easily acquired, though you can figure that the hunting trap in particular is a bit dusty when the darklings find it for you.

[secretID]

About done with my post. Does Tink need to sleep, when summoned as an imp?

[Mindsiege]

I couldn't find anything conclusive on the question "Do devils sleep?". I figure if normal imps don't need sleep, an imp familiar won't either. I saw opinions that devils don't sleep, but I have found nothing on it in the rules yet. If you have any additional insight, we can do it like that, but if we can't find it in the rules I'd say they don't need to sleep.

[secretID]

I have no additional insight, and I would rule the same way. It doesn't seem like they should sleep.

[secretID]

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

Boanagh looked mildly perplexed as Jimmy volunteered the elder as the examiner while he himself would watch from a distance

Oops. I thought Boanagh was referring to the darklings when he said "we," since Jimmy wouldn't know what to look for.

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

if the matter with Kosev is resolved, I think we're ready to move the scene to Jimmy's departure from the outpost.

Yup - ready to roll!

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by secretID

Oops. I thought Boanagh was referring to the darklings when he said "we," since Jimmy wouldn't know what to look for.

It was a fair mistake to make, and also a little funny. Boanagh wasn't offended, and he also didn't know what to look for.

[Mindsiege]

This game is on the top of my list now, but for the night my creative juices are used up, and I wanted to properly close the thread that had been left open between Kosev and Boanagh now that he basically abandoned the two of you. The next post will also send you into the colony, assumed as a no-light formation with Tink 30' in front and Jimmy/Boanagh side by side. Let me know if that checks out for you.

Also, please let me know if you're good with the current post rate. I might be able to shorten the interval of posts at the expense of having an evening to chill like today.

[secretID]

I'd rather Tink 70' ahead, Jimmy and Boanagh together.

The post rate will only matter once other PCs get to comparable levels. Right now I think I have the highest level party out. They'll be around Jimmy's level when they finish this adventure, and they're concluding their story arc. I don't think we have any chance of catching them, so...*shrug*.

[secretID]

I fixed his sheet and his post template.