Session 72.5

Meany has connected.

TMG has connected.

Meany:Pancreas.

Meany:Yo.

Liatai:Hi hi -- sorry I'm late. Fire had died down more than I thought; had to revive it.

TMG:No problem. :&gt;

Liatai:Give me a moment... I need to find where I stashed that paladin. :9

Meany:I will now assault your mind with subliminal images.

TMG:So yeah, talking to this halfling should be really quick. I'm going to ask him the same basic question that Gnogglebolt asked the more knightly rider human, but with three given answers in the same philosophy as those jedi Qs rather than using them directly (which would be weird, even modified for context)

Liatai:'Kay. Want me to prep any other paladins?

TMG:Probably not. We can just gloss over anything Gnogglebolt does at the other branches, when he talks to them, it'll be just to learn more about the Palm than scouting for anyone to meet with Pellan/Zyne

TMG:Asking questions like what kind of situations the Palm is called to handle, asking about some historical issues they've solved, and maybe a few questions dropped here and there to get the gist of what some of them think of the Mace, but that's about it, and we can just fast-forward all that.

Tokens dropped onto map 'Grasslands'Liatai:Pulling out Edaric just because he was there last time, one moment.

Anarchic Awesomeface:Go get 'em, tiger.

Liatai:'Kay. :3

Meany:Btw, you can both snag that token if you want.

Meany:<font color="#330000">It's uses are many.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">As Gnogglebolt is walking through the building and passes near the bench where the spacey halfling is sitting, Gnogglebolt slows down and thinks.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">''Okay, I think I've got just enough time to talk to one more....I might want to phrase my question better. Hmm...what if, instead of leaving it so totally open-ended, I provided several possible answers? Yeah, that'd be best, several possible answers representing different ways of thinking, as I'm looking for one or two....''

Meany:<font color="#330000">Protip: Meany:<font color="#330000">Consult with the people-person bard.

Meany:<font color="#330000">:V

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">''And those possible answers, what would they be...hmm....got it. Okay, let's see what this one's like...'' Gnogglebolt approaches the daydreaming halfling paladin. &quot;Hail, good sir? Spare a moment for a curious chatty stranger?&quot;

Halfling in Simple Clothes:<font color="#000000">The halfling looks over, having been humming a little tune to himself, and smiles. &quot;Always time for a little chat! And if we swap names, we won't exactly be strangers anymore, will we? Name's Gilas -- Gilas Lightfingers. You?&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">... and what should come on my music player but &quot;Little People&quot; from Les Miserables. :B

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Most indeed! I am Gnogglebolt Sparkgear, of Mazio! Pleasure to meet you, Gilas!&quot; Gnogglebolt bows, introducing himself and sitting down on the bench. &quot;I'm travelling about Akellon, and this Aureate Palm has fascinated me. Currently, you could say I'm conducting (PFFT xD ) interviews, learning about the men and women behind the Palm.&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Might you indulge me in a few questions?&quot;

Halfling in Simple Clothes:<font color="#000000">&quot;Interviews, y'say? Writing a book, looking to commission somebody, or something else entirely?&quot;

Meany:<font color="#330000">He's looking for a husband.

Meany:<font color="#330000">*shot so many times*

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt raises an eyebrow, leans back, and smiles. &quot;Hmmhmmhmm! Perhaps a bit of the second, another time.&quot; ''Very perceptive! A good sign.'' &quot;Anyway....I suppose the beginning is a good place as any to start when looking to learn about something or someone. What brought you into the service of the Palm?&quot;

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;Bit of a long story, that. Getting caught did.&quot; The halfling grins.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;If you don't mind me asking, of course.&quot; Gnogglebolt quickly adds.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Oh, long story indeed? Hmm. My time here is sadly somewhat short, I may be able to hear if you can give me a quick overview of it...&quot;

Meany:<font color="#330000">=3=

TMG:<font color="#000000">Sadly somewhat short. Say that 3 times fast, Lethiriss. :B

TMG:<font color="#000000">what's that for, meany? :B

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;That was the quick overview.&quot; :3 &quot;I was a thief about Passage and wherever my old caravan stopped when I was still with them. When I got caught, I got handed over to the Palm to straighten me out. And now, couple years later, here I am!&quot;

Lethiriss:<font color="#000000">Ssssadly sssomewhat sssshort. Not sssso bad. :B

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt's brow ride raises a fraction. &quot;Oho! I see.&quot; ''That's...-very- good! This one would be very likely to identify with Pellan and the others...I like where this is going!'' &quot;Funny how life works out like that sometimes, innit?&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">*brow ridge

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;It is, innit?&quot;

Meany:<font color="#330000">Just noting that...well, I may be rusty with halfling culture.

Meany:<font color="#330000">But Gilas here might just be a saint by their standards.

Meany:<font color="#330000">Most wouldn't consent to forshortening a story, if I recall.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Indeed!&quot; Gnogglebolt chuckles for a moment, then continues. &quot;Well...another part of learning about someone is learning a bit how they think. If I may, I'd like to propose a hypothetical scenario to you, and ask how you'd go about solving it.&quot;

TMG:<font color="#000000">We're glossing over for both IC and OOC reasons, meany. :B

Meany:<font color="#330000">True, doesn't change facts, if facts they be.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Halflings are also masters of saying much without really saying anything at all. ;3

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;Shoot.&quot; :3

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt clears his throat, and takes a moment to construct it in his mind before speaking. &quot;You are the head of a branch in a town or city. Recently, it has been beleagured by a hoard of small, weak, but numerous creatures committing theivery, vandalism, attacks, and other crimes around the town. You know they're being given directions by a much larger and much more powerful entity who shows from time to time, leading particularly viscious assaults. What do you do?&quot; (hold for possibel answers)

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Train a militia and go out to meet them head-on?&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Set many hidden traps around the city?&quot;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Vicious. Sorry, spelling pet peeve. Viscous and vicious are not the same word. :B

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Eliminate the leader, and if possible, as why the smaller creatures were following it?&quot;

TMG:<font color="#000000">Vicious. Sorry. Couldn't remember. :B

TMG:<font color="#000000">...viscous. Thick fluid. Right.

Meany:<font color="#330000">The wonders of firefox.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt pauses, and waits for the halfling's answer.

Meany:<font color="#330000">And it's spellckecker.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Would it be &quot;ask why&quot; or the confusing &quot;as why?&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">*ASK why the

TMG:<font color="#000000">Sorry. Yes. Ask.

TMG:<font color="#000000">-ask- why the smaller ones were following.

Meany:<font color="#330000">&quot;He didn't set traps and kill us. :V&quot;

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;What say you to a combination of two of your solutions?&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt raises an eyebrow curiously and clasps his fingers. &quot;I suppose. Go ahead.&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">NO PICK ONE OF THE THREE THIS IS A BIOWARE DIALOGUE TREE--

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">I'm supposed to have a brick thrown at me right now, aren't I? :B

* Meany throws a flamingo.

TMG:<font color="#000000">That works. :B

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;Taking care of the leader's priority number one, of course. But the little ones'll keep causing trouble while we go after the leader, especially if the big one decides to order them to defend him. So you lay traps around the city to capture some of the little ones, keep 'em out of the way and out of the line of fire until the leader's taken care of. Questioning the captured ones might lead us to find out things we didn't know about the whole attack, their stronghold if they've got one, their motivation. A little knowledge goes a long way.&quot; :3

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;That's...actually far more in-depth and tries to account for details I didn't mention existed. However, I suppose it's still a suitable answer.&quot; ''And I suppose ding! I'll give you two-for-two! Fortunately for you, such forethought and search for knowledge is exactly what I'm looking for.'' Gnogglebolt looks down and thinks for a few minutes.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">After a moment, he looks back up. &quot;Well! I think I know enough for now--though of course, one can never know enough, whatever am I saying?--but I must take my leave for my other errands and catch my boat out of here.&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Do you think you might still be here in another week or two?&quot;

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;Unless I'm ordered out, should be!&quot;

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">&quot;Splendid! I just might be seeing you again.&quot; Gnogglebolt smiles, nodding. He stands up. &quot;Well, it was very good to get to know you, Gilas Lightfingers!&quot;

Tokens dropped onto map 'Grasslands'IMPOSSIBRU:<font color="#330000">A PERFECT SCORE?!

IMPOSSIBRU:<font color="#330000">IMPOSSIBRU.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Hmm, something intriguing I noticed. When it comes it idenfification with the Raiders, Gnogglebolt caught the redemption angle well enough from the former criminal, but he didn't think of the military angle with Sir Varten. It's been mentioned that the four founding Raiders are former military. :.

Gilas Lightfingers:<font color="#000000">&quot;Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Sparkgear of Mazio. Have a safe journey!&quot;

TMG:<font color="#000000">Trrrrrue... &gt;.&gt; But in my defence, Gnogglebolt himself is not inclined to think militarily first.

Meany:<font color="#330000">It shows. ^^;

Meany:<font color="#330000">He is definitely a peacetime leader.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt waves back with a 'Thank you!' and heads out of the building with Edaric. ''Alright. Gilas Lightfingers, first choice. If he's not around when I get back, Locke Varten second choice. If -he's- not around...well, I'll see if there are any new off-duty paladins in the rotation, and if not, then I'll just find the ones in Thalinde and pick the best out of them.''

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Thinking of that, hope Altonor sends a letter back soon with Pellan'Zynes answer to that little confusing omission from earlier...

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Right then. Since this is back in Reed, Gnogglebolt goes around with Edaric, gets the parts for his latest device (still to decide, we can get back to that in irc after this), and also gets those three books the first paladin he talked to told him about.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">And then, fast-forwarding through the Passage and Resca visits. One of the bigger questions Gnogglebolt asks both branches is what kind of tasks and issues are the paladins called to address?

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">As well as asking if any of them have any stories of a few historic issues the local branches have taken care of in the past, and what their methods for doing so were.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">I'll give you some time to type up a suitable detail-vauge infodump. :B

GM:<font color="#000000">You already got an answer to that first question from Rania Saswen. Want me to repost it?

TMG:<font color="#000000">Oh, that, right. I remember that.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Nah, nevermind. Onto the second one. :B

GM:<font color="#000000">Rania Saswen: &quot;Our duties are to the gods, to the kingdom, and to the greater good of the realm. That means combatting threats whenever they pop up, serving the kingdom and communities in in times of need, serving as a military force when required, supplementing the local guard, crusading in the name of all three, and lesser-known duties like rehabilitating criminals and assisting in quests of redemption.&quot; ... &quot;Ah, yeah. That tends to be one of our less glamorous duties, dealing with necromancers and trying our hardest to make sure they and their creations stay dead after they've been condemned to death.&quot; (You caught me mid-copy.)

TMG:<font color="#000000">Well that works too. :B

TMG:<font color="#000000">Good to have a refresher

TMG:<font color="#000000">But yeah, Gnogglebolt -does- canonically ask that question again, really just to get it from as many different mouths as he can, and cross-reference for the subtle nuances and differences between the different branches. But that's not actually important to here. :B

GM:<font color="#000000">There are countless stories of Palm knights doing good about the area -- so many that it may be hard to tell fact from fancy. But a common thread among them all is an adherence to their code of honor at all times, mercy, effectiveness when it comes to banishing the undead and denizens of the lower planes back to their masters, and upholding the cause of Good in the name of their gods and King.

Meany:<font color="#330000">Queens never get the respect in these things.

Meany:<font color="#330000">*shot*

Meany:<font color="#330000">:V

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">As the general overarching tone of all the stories he gets, Gnogglebolt likes what he hears.

GM:<font color="#000000">When Gnogglebolt asks the first question again in certain branches, he finds that... well, most of the time, the answer is exactly the same as above, in some cases nearly verbatim. Must be something the paladins are taught from the start of their service.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Hmm, so it is indeed their specific code. That works.

GM:<font color="#000000">The first line is almost always repeated verbatim.

GM:<font color="#000000">&quot;Our duties are to the gods, to the kingdom, and to the greater good of the realm.&quot;

Meany:<font color="#330000">Warning bells, man.

Meany:<font color="#330000">They're a hivemind.

Meany:<font color="#330000">:V

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Oh yah, and I suppose Gnogglebolt did visit a lone Palm member guarding one of the riverside hamlets/thorps, and asks him many of the same questions. In particular, are there any -differences- that stand out between the lone rural paladin and the city paladins?

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Hey! I've read A Miracle of Science! Hiveminds can be good! :U *I suppose I'm brick'd? :U *

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Anything in attitude or methodology?

GM:<font color="#000000">Not much. The small-town paladins tend to be a little on the quirkier side sometimes, but they still adhere to the same code and behavior patterns.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Gnogglebolt takes that as a good sign, too.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">And with that, well....hmm. Can't think of much else at the moment.

Meany:<font color="#330000">:V

GM:<font color="#000000">When it comes to the Leaden Mace, since I know Gnogglebolt was going to ask about this, too, the overwhelming consensus is that they're counted among the Palm's allies, and staunch ones at that, though they do differ when it comes to methodology. Some Palm members feel that they are too harsh, while others mutter that employing dishonorable sorts is... well, dishonorable. Others support them, grateful for the support and for the information they provide.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Oh yeah, that. Gnogglebolt takes all that information in stride. A bit expected, you could say.

GM:<font color="#000000">Surprisingly, one of the more common sentiments regarding the Mace is that they're not organized enough.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">That -is- surprising.

GM:<font color="#000000">The Palm is a military organization, Gnogglebolt. :P

Meany:<font color="#330000">It's comparing The Army to a PMC, dude.

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Hey, your word squiggly, not mine. :P

Meany:<font color="#330000">:P

GM:<font color="#000000">What Meany said. :P

Gnogglebolt:<font color="#000000">Well. Gnogglebolt decides that the Mace certainly isn't all bad (though he never really thought that to begin with,despite what dramaz may indicate), though like some of the other paladins Gnogglebolt thinks there are things they could be better about (but then again, everyone could be better about something). Other than that, nothing much more to do here ...well, there's a plan to talk to the -castleon- Palm and ask them about Yoriver and the north, but I don't think we should do that right now. &gt;.&gt;

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Yeah, definitely not, there are -many- sessions between then and now. :P

Liatai:<font color="#000000">The coast, one more event, and then Castleton.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Thought so.

TMG:<font color="#000000">well, also going back to Thalinde and meeting back up with altonor and pellan! Unless that's the &quot;one more event&quot;. :B

TMG:<font color="#000000">Righto.

TMG:<font color="#000000">I've got two ideas for two different devices Gnogglebolt could be working on right now. Shall we go back to the irc and work them out?

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Sure, though keep in mind I'll be multitasky. :3

TMG:<font color="#000000">Acknowledged.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Server down when you're saved and ready.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Ohwaitasecond.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Meany, I can show you the tinker workshop almost done.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Saved, gonna sign out to avoid lag.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Lia said she wanted me to get your opinion on...what was it...feng shui artistic architecture or something? :B

TMG:<font color="#000000">Not that it was meant to be artistic in any way...

Liatai:<font color="#000000">Aha. :B Meany, I recommended him to you because you have a good design sense, and because Barbarus would be around Castleton before the party would.

TMG:<font color="#000000">Right then. I'll preface your viewing of the map by saying it's a very very boxy building that was designed by someone who likes such regular shapes and was designed purely for function first, meany. :B

Liatai:<font color="#000000">... and because Guardian quarters severely lack color. They're all beige. :B *brick'd*

TMG:<font color="#000000">But other than that, have at it when I load it.

Liatai:<font color="#000000">So. Much. Beige. XD

TMG:<font color="#000000">The elve's one was going to be redone in wood. xD

Liatai:<font color="#000000">That's still a shade of brown, that's not an improvement! XP

TMG:<font color="#000000">And I haven't gotten around to putting the colorful beds in the Guardian's quarters yet. :B

Meany:<font color="#330000">Ahem.

Meany:<font color="#330000">Let Sszeyl paint it.

TMG:<font color="#000000">*snrk* Alrighty lia, I'll load the map when you're off. xP

Liatai:<font color="#000000">All right. x3

You have disconnected.