Heavy role play and a dud ending
You win some you lose some. I have a tendency to over think things and in doing so frustrate people and over complicate situations.
Curtis' timely suggestion was perfect and in truth, wrapping the players was supposed to gag them, but for whatever reason I had a synapse failure or something because I didn't just say so.
In the end, the hamfisted ending that I exposited due to time constraint leads to the sort of Christmas episode I'm hoping for, but at what cost, right?
Making it Fit.
Sometimes you have to do things you would rather not do because you need things to go a certain way. Case in point was the exchange between Berholdt Ketterrog and Mactillian Llewellen.
Paul understood what I was after and that we were short on time. We all aim to be quick and smooth in our operations, and the running gag is that we continue to fail to be as quick and smooth as we want to be.
We stay the course fairly well, but as the stream will show there are pockets where, like the Bermuda Triangle, all is lost.
Power Players
Due to my work in developing the players as political figures, they've now achieved a point in the game where combat takes a back seat to the roleplay. This, as we've seen, can drag ass as folks are spending time discussing somewhat esoteric things without intending to.
I try to keep things moving forward, however of late, I've noticed I'm slipping up some and allowing myself to indulge where I ought not.
Keep in on the straight and narrow.
Should we police one another? I think the reality is that everyone needs to better police themselves. We're not professional actors or corporate schills, we're not trained to sit and smile, or present that Hollywood side. We're normal folks, and we like to socialize, and really, the game has always very much been a social thing first.
I appreciate a little bit of back and forth that allows me to relate to the people I see every Friday. Knowing my players makes me a better DM.
My first Patron
I would like to cordially thank LenSen13, a new arrival to the channel, and my first patron! The first member of our live studio audience over Discord!
I've not had this before so I am really not sure how this is going to go and I'm going to say right off the bat that it's an experiment.
As an arriving post, LenSen13 published 'The Gift' which I've edited for content, prose and fitment. It now sits here: The Gift.
Raffle Winner!
Congratulations to the winner of our hand knitted purple and pink dice bag! A special thank you to our skilled and wonderful player, Jessica for knitting that together. You can now hold your polyhedrals in a warm little sack made with care like it were coming from Santas Own Workshop.
How awesome is that?
I dunno wtf is going on
Season starts with the characters working to help build the road to the West Cloud Spires through their various channels.
There's a bit of a party at the beginning, the party ventures a bit with the recently returned Brightwood boy who had no family, and who was staying with the Summerhills.
The construction for the highway is set and under way, Echelon is employed to defend it and the characters each have their interests established.
A flume and strange elevator apparatus are revealed during excavation for the highway and folks figure it's important to check out why "strange things" that crawled out. Nobody asked about that part and I forgot to mention it when they reached the camp. They were zombie-ish humanoids shot dead.
Anyhow, the players delved down under ground, found the camp enjoyed a spot of combat here and a bit there, then made their way back up and out to find the camp under attack by a horde of barbarians.
When they returned to the city, they found some small signs of strangeness and amidst all the political back and forths, folks stated that they are suspicious of the Brightwoods.
That suspicion faded as the Brightwood influence grew.
The crew was deliberating while the survivors from the camp were being retrieved until then came the second attack from the barbarians and their dragon overlords.
Due to the forward thinking Ketterrog, the newly discovered dwarven ship from the under ground encampments was able to protect the survivors who were returning. The dwarven ship was crashed having lost the fight against the two dragons.
Returning to retrieve whatever survivors may remain, the players faced against an onslaught of impending barbarians who they routed by wy of deception.
With the front line secured, the players returned home to review the situation, deliver a fallen comrade and in a whirlwind of activity, the Ketterrogs moved on the Brightwood compound.
The reasons directly were unclear, but what was meant to be a stealthy operation quickly went sideways and the party was arrested by the Brightwood forces in quick fashion (mostly cause I had to wrap it for midnight).
The last session ended with the Brightwood boy telling everyone that they're fools and walking out of an illusion, leaving them in a chamber.
I'm looking forward to this coming session, but I feel I should warn everyone, it's gonna be Christmas cheesy :)
Merry Christmas!
