Scorpiox

Hello, everybody. I've been asked by the relevant authorities to decide on which LEGO sets I would like to receive for Christmas. I have narrowed down the list to one of two options: The most recent Star Wars AT-TE, reduced to £57.99 Lord of the Rings: The Mines of Moria, reduced to £53.21 Which do you think is the better set?

I can't remember where Triad is buried, but I know that we held a little ceremony for Hans just outside the temple of Zoot, beneath the hall.

Haldor stopped off at the marketplace in order to buy and sell some things. Reptillian Scale sold to Elphaba for 100 gold. Sickle Claw Knife sold to Anwyl for 60 gold. Total: 696 gold Dualis Sceptres upgraded to WP: 13 (-550 gold) Amethyst imbued into Dualis Sceptres (-50) Total: 96 Haldor then returns to the hall. I apologise for not roleplaying these deals, but I'm a little tired now.

I thought we had, sorry. Feel free to update your stats.

Haldor returned the smile and held it for some minutes, saying nothing. After a while he stood up and gestured for Jess to follow him. "Come on, Jess, let's see what's going down. What about this?" He pointed to an entry. "Guts mentioned something about Baltarok earlier, you'd be interested in that? I've always wanted to go to Baltarok, some place that ain't even a far cry from here or back home. Meet some new folks, help them out, the like. There's three trips off there in the next couple of days, we'd best sign for all of them to be safe." Haldor writes his name on the lists for Quests #88, #89 and #90, waiting for Jess to do the same. "And while we're up, perhaps I could pay a trip by the marketplace - I've got some stuff to sort out. You can come with me if you like."

Damn.

He laughed. "I think that's everything, for now. You know how to put things, Jess, I like it." Haldor reached instinctively for his drink, but put it down again before he had put it to his lips. He didn't feel all that much like drinking just then. "I disagree 'bout the snow, though. Snow's nothing special, it gets everywhere, it's cold, you can't eat it... it reminds me of home, means anger and getting hit if you look at some bloke the wrong way. Hostile... that's what snow is. Rain's cold, sure, and it makes you crap and miserable, but it can't hurt, not like snow can." He leaned back in his chair. "You know what, Jess? I'd like to go on a quest with you. Save the world again, though this time we can do it together and nobody'll get left behind. That sound like a plan to you?"

Haldor stopped to think for a moment. "I don't know - what do you like? What don't you like? That kind of - am I doing this wrong? Damn, I don't know what to say." The nord stared intently into his still-full tankard, and waited.

Haldor left his drink on the table, deciding better than to take a drink right then. "Sad to hear that. I don't mean to pry, 'course, it's just struck me how little I know about you. Feels like I've known you for years, yet it's been a bloody long time since we last sat down and, you know... talked. As long as you're safe, as long as - well, you get that you can always share anything you want with me, don't you?"

Thanks. This quest was certainly great fun to play, and I felt much more relaxed than I sometimes do when in parties mainly comprised of people in different timezones - as I didn't have to contend with an awful lot of catching-up and missing-out every day. The loot we received was fair, and the roleplay opportunities you offered were nice. My only critique would be that some of the battles seemed to take a while. I'm mainly concerning the final one, as for much of it we just seemed to be taking and dealing-out little damage to the enemies. I think that increasing the enemies' power and lowering their health would make for a more interesting battle. Other than that, it was a solid and well-executed quest that I enjoyed very much.

I'm hoping to steer Haldor and Jess' relationship in a direction both more interesting and realistic; and I'd love to read some criticism as to how I can better do this for my character's side.

Haldor smiled. "Yeah, let's do that. You find somewhere nice to sit, a little bit out of the way'd be nice... I don't think Guts wants to hear all of this. I'll go and give the bartender a kick." He orders a couple of pints of ale and carries them over to the table at which Jess has decided to sit. The nord seats himself opposite her and waits for a little while before speaking. "Damn, in all of this, I never asked about you, self-centred git that I am. How was the trip? Anything you'd like to share with me?"

Haldor looks back at her, his expression softening somewhat. "'course it does. I know I shouldn't blame you for the things that happened there, it was nothing to do with you... I'm being unjust, I know. But... it was the blackest moment of my life so far Jess, were a good many points that I thought to myself "hey, what happens if we all get kicked-in down here and this witch is able to succeed?" When we came back, there was so much clonking about in my head that I needed someone real close to talk to. I have a great good many comrades, sure, bastards I can swing a pint or a sword with ease for, but I ain't got an awful lot of friends. One of our number betrayed us, tried to join the other side. Out of ignorance rather than malice, I'll give him that, but it is because of this that we lost Hans. That says it all, don't it? Who can a bloke really trust? These fighters and spell-flingers I went out there with, could have been any of 'em under the lies that Arthur was, I guess I just rely too easily." He looked around for an ale, only to find his glass empty. "I need to stop doing this crap to myself - too much thinkin' ain't good for a man. Sometimes you just gotta get off your ars.e and do stuff. This ain't gonna sort anyone's problems." The nord paused for a moment. "I'm glad you came back, Jess."

UsernameMDM, would it be possible to agree on our trade out of character? I know that this isn't the normally done thing, but interrupting Haldor and Jess' conversation to talk money would look odd.

"I'm mostly fine, bit disheveled, and I drink to much it ain't healthy, but yeah, I'm well. I've been doing a fair amount of stuff lately, you know the usual, saving cities, saving islands, saving the bloody whole world. Nearly died, of course, and some other people did. We got Wren, Jess, we got her. It's done, but she got Triad, Bal and Hans first. I had to bury my friend in a godforsaken hellish temple." Haldor sighs, deciding to cut to the point. "Couldn't you have left a note, some clue, anything? I thought you'd pissed off for good, Jess." He holds up his hands. "I came this close to having the side of my head caved in, and when I returned... you weren't there. Do you know how that feels, Jess?" The nord collapses back into his chair and looks away, a forlorn expression on his features.

I don't think you have to justify your character's actions. If they're good, people will like them, and perhaps praise you for them; if they aren't good, people will not like them, and perhaps give you prompts as to how to write better in the future.

How much longer will Elphaba be in the marketplace, Sandy? Swils: just so you are aware, Haldor has accepted the deal, I just don't want to break the roleplay string unless I have to.

"Ach, nothing touches my heart more than knowledge some poor watch officer won't be able to reassure everyone she's in charge. Are there any quests soon that might be of interest to me? Look at me, barely been back a day and I'm planning to get away again. I guess some part of me gets a kick from saving cities, and I want to do it again." Haldor nods as two of his old friends arrive at the table. "Good to meet you again, Thormanil. As nice as that blade you're handling there is, it ain't really much different from the kind of equipment I'm lugging around already. 190 gold's the price if you want to straight-up buy this thing, interested?" "And you, Hoke. I see you've got some fine artefacts there you don't seem to be using. Would you be happy to part with either your warrior's treads or that bastard Vonnetate's chains in exchange for one of these lovely eye-pokers? If you're planning on holding on to both of those, I'll be more than chuffed to just take the gold." The nord's deals are suddenly interrupted by the arrival of another person he has known for a long time. Upon realising who it is who calls his name, Haldor's grin fades and he looks at Jess, speaking calmly and dispassionately. "Jess, you're right, I haven't seen you in bloody ages. Where have you been?"

Sorry, Hall-Folks, I'll try and reply to you all later.

I disagree, I think that Eubric should have the kinds of weather that fit story-wise regardless of whether or not they make geographical or meteorological sense.

"So that's settled then." Haldor stood up and made his way over to Guts' table, before sitting back in a chair and planting his muddy boots on the table as was most comfortable for him. "You heard any interesting news lately, Guts?" "By all means, help yourself. I picked up a couple of them in the city I was last in. Had to get rid of a tyrant and sort out a couple of things, one of my few quests that I can happily say did a lot of good - but I couldn't leave without testing the local hardware, could I? 190 gold's the price on 'em if you're into weapons of this kind."

Haldor rubbed the back of his skull with a pained look. "Easy for you to say - ain't there a gentler way to get a bloke's attention? Anyway, I've taken a look at what you're carrying around and unfortunately there ain't much attracting my eye. I could probably keep this here stone for you until we meet again and your wallet's looking a bit fatter, sound fair?" The nord gazes over his shoulder to notice a friend of his eyeing up his equipment. "Aren't I just the most popular man today? Can I help you, Hoke?"

Just because you want him to be a cold-blooded killer, which he isn't...

There Haldor was, sitting there, minding his own business when some bugger decided to throw something hard at his head. "Och, who was that?" The nord looks around to see Guts nodding towards him. "Did you do that?"

Seconded.