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geekling 02-16-06, 07:51 AM

I think I might have played myself into a possible pickle, when it comes to why my character would stay working with these guys, should the (second) worst come to happen and another character in this game would get killed. So just incase, I'm hoping to get some inspiration from you guys. In the realm of Terris (DM's homebrew) many generations ago, the Giddywinkle clan established a clan burrow in the growing metropolis of Brindenford. As time passed this branch of the clan grew and flourished, the family trade (locksmithing - branching out into traps with time) likewise flurished and the Giddywinkle name became synonomous with quality. This is where our young adventurer-to-be grew up, in the hustle and bustle of the workshops there was always wild stories of glory and adventure to be had from patrons frequenting the workshops. Awakening in our little Yrin a burning desire for something more than life in the burrow and family business. During the later part of her childhood came the so called Scorcher invasion, the borders of the realm were plauged by warbands of Orcs. But Brindenford, safely tucked away in the heartlands of the realm stayed safe, if prepairing for the worst. For years the fighting went on, naturally the stories filtering into Brindenford, and the Giddywinkle workshops, grew into tales of ledgends and romance before they reached our young gnome's ears. Thus when our little gnome, finally reached maturity. She eloped (well, -ish) from the burrow to join the Brindenford militia. Rather than face the possible brouhahaha from the clan elders she snuck out and signed up, to present them with a fait-accompli at a later date. While the clan might not have ojected to Yrin joining the militia in the first place, and with time they certainly forgave her her actions, this reckless behaviour earned her a certain repute within the clan as a bit of a black sheep. Within the militia she was a assigned to a "special" unit, more suitable for her talents than a simple guard or battlefield position might have been. This unit never saw any action, as its main purpose kicked in in the case of Brindenford falling into enemy hands. As such, its primary function was one of a operating hidden in the shadows behind enemy lines, it also attracted a fair amount of persons with a less reputable background, rife with sneaky thieves opting for the militia rather than prison. Yrin young and impressionable, how shall I put it? Aquired a certain disregard for other people's property rights in this company. A few years later, as the invasion fought back, the orcs defeated, this unit - as much of the militia - was disbanded. Yrin returned to the burrow, but retained a connection to some of the criminal elements of Brindenford's underworld. She established herself, outside of the family business, as someone who wouldn't ask akward questions about jobs if given a fair share of the profits. Akward questions like, 'oi! this here warehouse door you want opened, although you don't have the key, are you the owner of said warehouse and/or have the authority to have it opened?' :P We fast forward an other year or so, Yrin is contacted by an old friend, Sindirk a retired adventurer - now inn keeper. He's putting together a band of fresh new blood to take up his own old exploits and have a (legal) job lined up, one that could use her talents (Yrin's a rogue/spellthief BTW) would she be interested? This is where the game starts. Before I go on, I really should mention that in this world ressurection and other means or returning from the dead, is extrememly rare. When our characters die, they stay dead unless there's a very special reason for bringing them back. Of course she is! Young Yrin is still burning with the flame of romaticised legends of adventure, knights is shiney armour fighting dragons, the plucky side kick, balls in crystal floored castles, heroes having a sing-a-long around the campfire after a day of saving the world. She can't wait to get out there, to see the world outside Brindeford. Her companions Sindirk have lined up, not quite so enthusiastic, both being seasoned veterans and good solid men, these know the rigors of life on the road. But the cause is right, and at least when it comes to one of them he owns Sindirk a favour anyhow. So they accept, the three of them. Yrin, Hugo (half-orc ranger/scout) and Hador (human fighter - wannabe paladin/knight of the chalice) set out, just before they are leaving Yrin overhears Sindirk taking Hador to the side and asking him to keep the gnome safe. Something she files away in her little brain as Hador = her own personal bodyguard. This is something that he does not disprove over the course of their adventure, she's still regarding him as her personal bodyguard. The feeling is mutual, from his actions in the game Hador seem to have taken it upon himself as (one of) his special purpose in life is to protect the gnome with his own life should it be necessary. On the other hand, Yrin does everything in her power to keep her bodyguard safe and sane. At the beginning of the adventure Hador commiting "suicide" was the greatest threat she had to battle. As long as Hador's alive and fighting for her, she feels much safer - sort of thing. These two characters have developed a special kind of bond - non-romatic! So much so that if we fast forward quite a bit, our three adventurers have more or less completed the job Sindirk sent them on and are heading back to Brindenford to report and collect payment. They have been joined by a fourth person, heading the same way, Corryn a half-elf druid. A much appreciated by our gnome companion as, well, Hugo and Hador are rather stuffy (never once were they up for a sing-a-long around the campfire!) and serious people, this young half-elf is more laid back and have a rather humourous approach to life more similar to Yrin's own. Although she has over the past few weeks been a little disillusioned over the particulars of a life as an adventurer, discovered just how quickly one delevelopes friction burns when walking for days, how dreary it is when those days are rainy ones, and most of all. How utterly replusive trail rations are when you've had no variation in your diet but them for the last couple of weeks. But I'm getting side tracked. One fateful night out four heroes are attacked by two ogres. It should have been an easy fight for them (by now we're lvl 3-4) But a combination of bad decisions, bad luck and critical rolls leaves the aftermath of the encounter with a dead-but-not-gone gnome. (This would be one of those rare occations where dead does not mean dead and gone in this game.) Hador who saw her go down, can still see her spirit, at least until he's healed back up into conciousness. Near enough mad from these visions he is instrumental in the events that will save her life, though it has fled from her body. To cut the story short, two important NPCs are in a position to step in and thus bring about the what I as a lowly player in the game would dub the main story arc. One of these Aquii a proper space-alien (not even humaniod!) and a surgeon to boot, manages, once he's got Hador to bring her to their space ship! To patch the gnome up by the means of unknown to this world technology. Our little gnome gains an implanted cybernetic symbiotic lifeform that keeps her alive. This may or may not have been preformed on the orders of other NPC, Edge. As far as Yrin is concerned, as she was, well dead for most of this bit and very much confused afterwards, it's all down to Aquii against the orders of Edge. Edge then come along and demands payment from her companions. He wants them to do an easy job for him, as his vessel is damaged and thus prevents him from doing it and repairing the vessel at the same time. Aquii, can not, with being a non-humaniod alien, operate on his own on this world where his kind is well... alien. As Edge and Aquii, are in a rather desperate situation, he's not satisfied with just asking but to ensure their payment. He informs the group that the gnome is alive, for now, but the procedure is but a temporary one. He will not consent to making it permanent until the job have been completed, they've got a week or so. Once that week is up, unless they've finished the job, the gnome dies. Again! and this time beyond any means of repairing the damage. Needless to say, they've got no option but to consent to his terms. The job is a simple one of delivering supplies to hidden operatives of Edge's organisation. Aquii will travel with them as a guide, and to keep an eye on them. Now my little gnome, understandably is rather confused by all of this, and really does loose a little bit of her sparkle for a while, while she's working her brain around it all. But being an easy going person she recovers and even gains a certain rapport with Aquii. As she a) sees him as the one that saved her life against his superiors wishes, b) is just facinated by his alien-ness, and c) they are quite similar with a wideeyed childlike curiosity about things. Aquii in her mind fills a space somewhere between a favourite uncle and a pet. Naturally, this whole dying business only serves to strenghten the bond between Hador and Yrin, one of the few things she can remember from being dead is him being there. The plot thickens, our group of heroes find out things about this organisation. Much down to Aquii being a blabbermouth as they are traveling with him. They are part of some intergalactic empire, one that right now seems to have this little low-tech world in their sights. One fraction is trying to take it over and another fraction (Edge and that lot) is trying to stop them as it would upset the balance within the empire. However, the whole party (and Yrin in particular) is having some problems with really seeing Edge's lot as the good guys at this point. Holding one of their lot's life as hostage kind of makes for that sort of situation. This is later helped by our group getting more and more involved and seeing the handiwork of the other lot, but perhaps more so by finding out that some other NPCs that have in the past had a big impact (a few of them certified knights of the chalice) on Hador's life in particular being involved on Edge's side of things. It also helps that once they find out why our party is working for Edge, they are quite outraged at his actions. Not at saving the gnome, but the using her life as a hostage to blackmail them into working for him. But the knowledge of being on borrowed time, time that may run out any day now, wears away on our little Yrin. She's hearing the seconds of her newfound temporary life ticking away. So things comes to pass that Hugo, one of her faithful companions from the very beginning, dies. Yrin, illprepaired to have to deal with the possible death of her companions (her own temp death does not count) goes rather hysterical, which is not at all helped by the sheer terror of seeing Hugo reanimated as an evil undead, and thus having to kill their friend over and over again as he just won't stay down. In the aftermath of this, it is revealed that this thing about Yrin falling down dead any day now as the procedure was only temporary. Was all a big fat lie. Yrin is fine, not counting for outside circumstances, she'll live to be a ripe old gnome. More hysterics. Yrin, is not a happy bunny, none of them are, having lived with the certain knowledge of her time being counted in days rather than years, waking up each day worrying over if this is her last one... etc and so forth. She blaims it all on Edge. Aquii saved her life. But she's hopping mad at Edge he's the one that spoiled it, and by his lies Hugo died. Still, they are too involved in this all now to get out of it. At least not until, this undead thing Hugo fell foul of is taken care of. In this process Corryn too gets killed. And pressed to the breaking point and beyond, Yrin can not handle another death, not even a day after she lost Hugo. She's rather lost her taste for adventure in the face of the hard reality of people, friends loosing their life. Of their original group, it is just Hador and Yrin left. And there we are, as long as Hador's still alive, Yrin will go where ever he goes, there's too much history and loyalty for them to split up. Hador's got plenty of reasons to work with this lot. As does the other PCs - the new ones to replace Hugo and Corryn. So as long as he's alive we're fine. But should the worst come to happen and Hador is next in line... Well Yrin just don't really have any reasons to stay in a position where she's working for Edge. (Even if I do!) He might be Pelor himself, but in her vivid and often rather confused imagination he's EVIL! and probably wants her dead. It should be mentioned that they haven't come across him again since that fateful day when he sent them out on that job. And that's my problem. I know I'm probably being a worry-wart and taking out possible scenarios in advance here. But I seem to be blind on what on earth would be her motivation to keep working for Edge without her loyalty to Hador to keep her in place. The only possible variable I can see is a reconciliation with Edge himself, which should be interesting to say the least. :P Still I am loathe to hang it all on such a thin thread as that, I guess I'm fishing for ideas here.