BOB's Diatribe
John - Stay away.
Do not try to play the martyr and say you want to leave then do not follow through. That is the exact problem we are in. 10 sessions with ZERO decision making. ZERO concrete action plans.
On the 20th I made my post stating clearly how we were going to wrap up the Third Time is Tradition Story arc and move on to the next ones.
You then post an hour later saying "I was unaware that it was possible to handle some of these things on line, I will attempt again as I will not have much time on Friday, even when I am on line."
BULLSHIT clear and simple. You have known for decades to do both here on the site and during sessions. You just had your dream story in both places, you left other players out when they involved you in stories and then you abandoned them.
You then in the last 48 hours say you do not want to have anything to do with the rest of the group. Fine that is the way it is.
You say you do not want to build anything up. Then fine that is the way it is.
I have said I require concrete ideas and plans. You refuse to give them In Character or Out of Character. Other players have tried to work with you and you refuse to even acknowledge that.
SO
Hoffman is at Skull Church on his own as a 5th level fighter. He has asked ZERO people to help him. He has explicitly said he does not want to to be under Branwyn's assistance. You said that you do not want to do any build up there.
SO
1 fighter living 100 feet above a couple hundred Goblins. The previous resident here had magical items and two trained griffons to help him keep the goblins in check. Those are all gone.
1 fighter living in a rotten decrepit farmhouse that needs a 100% rebuild. Zero arable lands. No food supplies.
The previous resident had a family to provide people, supplies, money, food, etc etc etc.
1 fighter who has chosen to turn his back on everyone who went through all the trials and heartaches of people dying, level draining, etc.
1 fighter turning his back on the character who held to her commitment to grant him landed status, something that she had never had in her life until recently, something that the fighter no longer is qualified for but she follows through on her commitment.
My estimate is that Hoffman will take over Skull Church and then will die from being attacked by Goblins within 48 hours. Now there are no defenses for the church because your group has removed them all, so the goblins can now reenter the catacombs where they were evicted from. The priest and building crew will die in ambushes. Any parishioners who attempt to come back will perish. Skull Church will continue the reputation of being cursed.
Now the rest of the group will go off back to Dragon Fen thinking, what could have been.
As I stated elsewhere:
"The group will go back to Dragon Fen and do training, work around the Estate and I will have at least two or three adventures for the group. In the back of Branwyn's mind there will be the nagging, "we should go back and deal with Skull Church finally" but there will always be another story arc that needs to be done first before you can get back to it. A few months of game time will pass and then word will come of a new threat that has taken over Skull Church.
And we start the Fourth Time is Foolish story arc."
This is what you have chosen John. I am making sure this is here so in 2021 when the group is fighting in Skull Church they remember exactly why.
Because John was given chance to have something close to what he wanted and he walked away because it was not exactly perfect.
If any other player or character was given the opportunity to have a character that is diminished in power to be treated exactly like nothing had happened they would have Out of Character discussed how to play it out, say that as a Player they were very happy but they wanted to roleplay a bit of resentment or depression over the results. In Character play it how ever.
Given an opportunity as a 5th level character to have land, with income and the ability to help create part of the world. You threw it away and I do not understand why.
I was very clear already on what would happen.
Lisa had already stated before this latest mess that she was not going to be in on Friday's session so that everyone else could make decisions.
Now you have left them screwed over John.
TMO has a character that can logically be said to be at the church for a month or three to help stabilize it but that is all. His character cannot take it over on a permanent basis both from the view point of the group has not known him more than a couple of weeks and the character cannot take any lands.
Carissa gave up her main character to play so this story arc could play out 5 months ago. Her characters cannot take the church area for multiple reasons.
Spring does not have a character who can take over this area because of the religious issues.
Michael has a character that is new to the group by a couple of months and it makes no sense to let him have the church as his own.
Ryan has a character that might be able to fit into taking over the place, a dwarf evicting the goblins and taking over the caves is a good story arc. Ryan would need a henchman to play so he can go out on adventures with the group. It is maybe doable over the course of some good roleplay and creative planning.
Lara has a character the group just met 4 days ago. She has minimal grasp on how all this ties together.
But that group of Players now has to make choices, enact concrete plans and move the story forward.
