Game Summary - Session 5

31st of Winter, Year 99 after the war;

As the players sailed downstream out of Riverstadt, harsh winds and heavy snowfall beset the party. The fields are covered in snow and when the sun sets before they reach the bay, the adventurers lift the boat from the river and camp in the forest.
The blizzard continues the next day when they reach Termin Bay. The town seems empty, with most building snowed in. They return their kidnapped hirer to her sister's home, digging out the door to let her in, and decide to waste no time in paddling upstream in the blizzard to return to Riverstadt.
The blizzard lasts another day, and the party is forced again to flip the boat on the shore, and hikes for hours in the snow to find the shelter of the forest where they can make a fire. Illness affects a couple members of the group. In the morning they hike back to the boat. Snow is still falling, but the blizzard has stopped. The dig out the boat and continue, and the journey up river takes three days in all.
Upon their return, they inquire among the Revelation about a place to fence their stolen jewelery. The Revelation does not deal in foreign goods, but a man says he can arrange a meeting with a former contact the next day.
The party goes to the Red Raven tavern and meets a man to whom they are able to sell the stolen goods. The man tells them that, if they wish for connections who can give them more jobs, he may have a mission. They should decide and return the next day.
Of course they do, and are told that there will be a ball among the elite from Riverstadt and Marsheville in a few days. The Diebenstadt has a lock-breaking device they would like to have field tested, and some documents are located in the building that they would be willing to buy. They will have to acquire suitable outfits, and can gain entry with forged invitations.
The party gears up, and has a tailor make suits to suit them, at their price range, and in a few days they go to the party.
Entering, they attempt to mingle with the upper strata. Eko bothers some noblemen and eventually descends on a young lady who criticizes his cheap suit. The party banters for a moment with the frustrated heiress before she leaves in a huff. A young man approaches, angered that the adventurers have been antagonizing his lady friend. They persist in insulting the man, and before long Eko throws the first punch.
Roderick and Jean slink away (Clause is hidden on the street outside with the hounds) as Eko thrashes the young nobleman. Exiting the ballroom, Roderick and Jean alert the guards to the fight, who go rushing in to end it. The hall is undefended as the two sneak down the hall toward the document room.
Meanwhile Eko puts up a good fight, now taking on the nobleman's two friends, and knocking one out in swift order while blocking and dodging blows. One guard tackles the other nobleman, and the second guard fails to restrain Eko.
Roderick and Jean use the device to break the lock into an office where they gather up documents from a desk and a large chest, which also contains a sum of coins and a signet ring.
Eko tries to stomp another guard on the ground, but the guard manages to rise and draw a dagger. Eko takes his first hit of the night when the blade cuts through his side. Still conscious, he feigns a faint and falls. More guards are called to drag the men out and cover abandoned posts just as Roderick and Jean reenter the ballroom.
Four guards drag out the combatants, bound or unconscious, to the street outside. The party inside rumbles with shocked murmurings and fainting maidens.
Roderick and Jean hurry off down the street. The guards try to awaken the pummeled young men. When he suspects they will imprison Eko, Clause releases the dogs on the guards. One guard falls straightaway. Clause reaches the combat as the guards begin to fight off their canine assailants.
When one guard slays a dog, Eko can feign unconsciousness no longer, and joins the fight. Eko falls. Roderick and Jean, watching from a distance, try to sneak up on the fight. All the guards are down save one, who backs up to the wall. Seemingly of higher rank, he is a capable combatant, but has lost his weapon in the fray.
Jean is forced to come to Eko's aid. Roderick attempts a sneak attack, but is seen, and the guard takes him out. Finally, with all other fighters lying on the ground around them, Clause manages the fatal blow, splitting the last guard's skull.
Jean and Clause flee with their fallen comrades over their shoulders, back to The Revelation.
The next morning Morgan, leader of the Revelation, asks them to leave, to not endanger the gang by fleeing here after their crimes. Clause expresses his displeasure with the operation, and Jean says goodbye.
They reach the Red Raven, but their contact does not arrive. They decide to stay at the inn across the way while the others recover, and keep an eye on the Red Raven.
Their contact arrives on the third day. He says some among the Diebenstadt disapprove of their more obsequious methods, while others could make use of their talents. The decision has been to allow them membership to the coalition of thieves, but some will not do business with them. If they will adopt a more covert strategy, more doors may open.
They are paid for their mission, and given the name of their contact: Derek the Raven ("it's a long joke"). Codes are passed for contact purposes, and Derek is interested in the signet ring. He says he will return in a couple days with an offer.

The day is the 43rd of Winter, Year 99 after the War.

Game Summary - Session 4

The players, seeking a job, consulted some thieves until they were referred to a tavern keeper on the other side of Riverstadt.
The barkeep gave them the address of a woman who was willing to pay adventurers to kidnap her from her unhappy marriage.
The players gladly accepted the task, and spent the day observing the mansion.
At night they posted Leia as watch and climbed the tall fence. They took a guard by surprise and killed him, then reached the balcony and entered through a window.
They found something of which they had not been informed: an infant child. They spent some time trying to wrestle information from the nurse (as well as physical wrestling) who came to comfort the crying baby. Eventually they simply beat the nurse unconscious and left the charismatic Eko with the baby.
Crossing the hall, they found the master bedroom, and woke the master of the house and his wife. The sir was quickly subdued, as well as slayed a guard who came to the aid of the residents. The woman turned out to be the one who hired them. They took their payment and a jewelery box and left. A house servant begged them to leave the child, but was swiftly punched out. The party descended to the lawn, past the other servants watching in horror.
That same night, they rode a ship on the south river toward Termin Bay.

The day is now the 31st of Winter.

Game Summary- Session 3

After being nursed back to health by their fellow thieves, the players awake in the warehouse lair of the gang, and those who fell early are made aware of the loss of their friend, Inigo.
They travel out to his grave to find a priest speaking holy words over their fallen comrade. Corpse of their friend hardly buried, they recruit the cleric, Jean, into their party.
Asking around the gang for jobs to do, they learn of an impending execution that the gang plans to interrupt. Illegal halflings in Marsheville have been captured and will be hanged for unlicensed emigration from Halfhill.
The players have only a few days to prepare, and they lend their assistance in strategizing.
When the day comes, the halfling fugitives are led out from the courthouse into the square. A crowd gathers to see the hanging. Eight guards line the gallows, a small band of thieves looms on the adjacent rooftop, including the players, with bows at the ready.
Before the charges are read, a hail of arrows falls upon the guards, some wounding, others bouncing off armor, one striking into the crowd. The crowd begins to scatter as ropes fall from the rooftops. Clause descends into the maelstrom as guards scramble to the ready.
The next volley of arrows begins to fell guards, and the crowd still stands between the law and a direct fight. Halfling prisoners throw themselves low in fear, uncomprehending of what is happening.
When the crowd is gone from the square, only three guards remain. Clause runs to the gallows, deflecting blows and hacks down one guard. A citizen tries to interfere and is likewise cut down. When Clause turns to face his final opponent, the guard lies dead with an arrow in his throat.
The halfhlings are quickly untied and lead up ropes to the rooftop. A scout shouts that more guards are on their way. The gang slips down the other side of the roof, where escape ropes have been readied. Down a series of tight alleyways, carrying the slower of the halfling refugees, the gang ducks into a winery cellar, where they have been allowed refuge by a sympathetic citizen. They lie low in tentative celebration until nightfall, when groups split off to return one-by-one to the gang's hideout.
On the way back, the party's group encounters a group of young men beating a homeless man. With little hesitation Clause slaughters two of the men, and the third is slain with an arrow as he tries  to flee. They lift the limp and broken body of the homeless man and carry him back to base. Amidst the party they do what they can to make the injured man comfortable and bind his wounds.

MetaWarGame Revisions and Additions

Revision:
In a battle between two factions:
Former Rule: Winner loses 25% of his forces
                       Loser loses 75% of his forces
Revision: Because this does not make tons of sense for armies dramatically separated in size:
                      Winner loses forces equal to 25% of the opponents army
                      Loser loses forces equal to 75% of the opponents army
               Thus, you must be careful when facing a larger force, as a Pyrrhic victory is entirely possible.

Addition:
To combat another faction's mass recruiting, a new ability:
Slander- Works just like recruiting ( [Fol]d[Rep] ), but you choose a faction to target, and your propaganda troops sully that faction's name. Targeted faction loses troops in location where you slander, equal to your roll.

Also, in order to maintain at least the semblance of a regular schedule, I will send out the MetaWarGame emails every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
This way, people with Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedules can send in actions on Tuesday and Wednesday; and Tuesday, Thursday schedules can send in Monday and Wednesday.
Since Friday is game night (if we can keep that consistent), there's Saturday to send in actions for Sunday.
If you don't send anything in, it is assumed your faction is busy with other things, as are you. However, this will not confer the benefits of lying in wait.

Gods of Hommund

Weirdunn, the Grieving God
Weirdunn is the most ancient of the gods. He is father to the natural world and to the other gods. After he had created the earth, he was seduced by a woman, who bore him three children and revealed herself to be the evil goddess Vessa. Vessa brought chaos into Weirdunn's world, and he wept for what his creation had become, and his tears became the world's heroes.

• Weirdunn presides over the fortunes of heroes, and is the god of wisdom and learning.
• He is depicted as an old man, often weeping.
• Weirdunn is worshipped in temples of marble, usually only sparsely decorated. The church looks down upon opulence, and prefers minimal frivolity in its architecture.
• Weirdunn's followers fast at the change of seasons to feel the sorrow of their god. This is usually accompanied by meditation. Winter is the most important fast.
• Weirdunn's color is white, sometimes with blue trim.
• His elements are water and ice.
• His animal is the owl, and white owls are especially sacred. It is believed that there is somewhere a white owl with a man's eyes, through which the god can see his world more closely.
• His clerics wield the halberd, some scholars believe this has to do with the extensive reach of the god, or possibly with his greater distance from the mortal world.
• The church of Weirdunn preaches understanding toward heretics and nonbelievers.

Rensol, The Avenger
The first son of Weirdunn and Vessa, Rensol was born and went forth unto the world, told by Vessa to create as he would. Rensol gave form to the Dwarves, a fierce race after his own mind, and gave them courage and skill in practical crafts.

• Rensol is the god of battle and all honorable competition. He watches over soldiers and the brave. He is the patron of the Dwarves, and among them is known as Dwarvenhammer. The souls of those who die in battle are his to reassign.
• Rensol is always depicted in armor.
• Rensol is worshiped in mead halls constructed out of the strongest trees. The prestige of such halls, used for warriors' celebrations, is judged by the weapons and armor hung on the walls by storied and pious soldiers and heroes.
• Those who wish to serve Rensol as priests must have served in conflict before appointment, and upon each rise in rank swear an oath to combat a chosen sin. In order to maintain rank, the highest ranking member of any congregation of Rensol must lead a crusade against his chosen sin every five years, and rid the world of one sinner for each man under his command. As such, many armies have a squadron, sometimes even a legion, of battle priests fighting in the name of Rensol to purge the world of the wicked.
• Rensol's color is red, with black and sometimes gold.
• His elements are stone and lightning. Which of these is most prominent varied by culture.
• His animal is the ram.
• His clerics and paladins wield the hammer or the great sword. This too varies by region.
• Rensol's priests think nonbelievers honorless cowards, and will respond violently to heresy.

Tsura, The Gladewalker
The only daughter of Weirdunn and Vessa, Tsura went forth into the world and created the Elves. She gave them the forests that she so loved, and imbued them with her special gift: arcane magic.

• Tsura presides over the forests, and governs the forces of arcane magic. She is the goddess of love, lust, and marriage. She is the patron goddess of the Elves.
• Tsura is depicted in thin or sheer robes, or in a garb of vines, with fine features and long black hair worn down or in braids.
• Tsura is traditionally praised in natural, often vine-covered and surrounded by gardens, wooden buildings. Her priests are all women, and none who serve her may be virgins, for all who serve Tsura must know Her gifts. For this reason, many houses of prostitution will contain a small shrine to the goddess, and many temples are havens for sorceresses.
• Houses of Tsura year-round practice the growing of grapes for wine where possible, and at the start of Spring a festival is held. Plays are performed (comedies are the most honored), wine and other drugs are consumed, and often orgies break out, but violence is absolutely forbidden. The festival lasts until all the temple's wine from the past year has been consumed, and it is custom for attendees to bring their own stores to extend this time. This festival usually takes place in a field outside town, and the festival is seen as a necessary release of restraint, so that it does not build up in the public so as to become harmful.
• Tsura's colors are green and pink.
• Her elements are air and vegetation.
• Her animal is the elk.
• Her clerics wield staves, either the thick bludgeoning sort, or quarterstaves, varying by region.
• Her church preaches understanding towards nonbelievers.

Gulmar, The Gluttonous God
The last child of Weirdunn and Vessa was diverted from the others. When Weirdunn was able to caution Rensol and Tsura about their dual nature, Vessa distracted Gulmar with the promise of food, and told her favorite son to create whatever he wished. So Gulmar in his sloth lazily created the humans, a race without any particular talents.

• Gulmar is the god of wealth and civilization. He is the creator of humans. His nature makes him a gluttonous god, and his vices make him Vessa's favorite son. Merchants and politicians pray to Gulmar.
• Gulmar is depicted as a jovial and rotund man in elaborate robes.
• Gulmar is worshiped in elaborate and ornate marble temples, often with high ceilings and decorations of gold.
• Gulmar's pious observe a day of rest every tenth day, where shops are closed and families are expected to eat together. A feast is held in the temple, with wealthy members bringing dishes and drinks. During the night, the doors are left open for the poor to feed on the scraps.
• Gulmar's colors are green and black, sometimes gold.
• His element is metal.
• His animal is the boar, though sometimes satirized as the pig.
• His clerics wield the mace primarily, and any of their weapons is often richly crafted and decorated.
• Gulmar's church denounces heretics and nonbelievers.

Vessa, The Queen of Devils
Vessa seduced the Father of Gods to loose her creation upon the world, but seeing most of her children won back to the side of Weirdunn, she was enraged and cursed their creations. She banished the Dwarves to deep below the earth, where no one could ever see their magnificent towers and wondrous fortresses. She cursed the Elves with near-endless life, such that they would be forced to watch all the mortal things in their forests wither and die, and when the other gods in pity granted the humans their best traits, Vessa imbued them also with her worst, and forced them to always be in conflict between their natures.

• Vessa is the goddess of chaos and evil creatures. The souls are the wicked fall under her domain, to be reincarnated as twisted monsters.
• Vessa's face is never depicted, as to do so is believed to bring the worst of ill-fortune, even to her own followers.
• Her colors are black and grey, and occasionally deep purple.
• Vessa's worshipers are opposed to any sort of law or government.
• Her animal is the jaguar, or similar cats. Black panthers (/lions/cougars/etc) are especially sinister.
• Her clerics wield morning stars, or sometimes whips.