Out of Character (OOC) Thread

[Evie]

More about board games than RPGs, but this article about the psychology of board games and how European board games tend to differ from American games appeared in my feed this morning, and I thought it was interesting:

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/01/german-board-games-catan/550826/

Now I'm wondering if the same underlying gaming philosophies tend to show up in European RPGs as well? Maybe I should have actually gone into those gaming shops I passed by in Amsterdam rather than letting Hubby steer me away from them because "C'mon, you can buy RPGs at home! We're here to see different things!"   

[Bynw]

Um, you are human I take it Bynw?

Appearances can be deceiving yes.

[Laurna]

Oh dear, oh dear.

I am beginning to think I am the only one here who does not have a devious underside. Bynw definitly is proven to have it.  Jerusha, ummmm? Careful it is starting to show.  Evie, Yep.      Revanne. oh, You're on the good side, mostly.  So it is you and me.
I feel out numbered.   

by the by. If anyone wants to play the good guys, feel free to tell us how Dhugal took the measages from his son and what he plans to do about it.  Also someone can write Kelric and Richenda approaching Kelson. I will concentrate on Wash for a little while.

[Evie]

I'm more worried about that poor gong farmer who is going to get a nasty surprise later, given that he's the one who's carrying that medallion now....  :-(

Let me give Dhugal's reaction a bit of thought.

[Evie]

My darling brothers-in-arms, check your PM inbox.   

[Laurna]

Yeah for Duncan, Dhugal, Duncan Michael and Jass.
Much relief to see some action on the good team.

[Evie]

Yeah for Duncan, Dhugal, Duncan Michael and Jass.
Much relief to see some action on the good team.

Ailidh, hands on hips, says "Don't think I'm going to be left out of this!"   

[DerynifanK]

I'M with you Laurna. Relieved to finally see action from the goid guys,. Feel a little sorry for that Hong farmer though. I don't think St Christopher is going  to be good for him.

[revanne]

I have a mad busy couple of days so I doubt that I'll get to write anything. Please feel free to involve Columcil in any scenes as much as you like.

[Laurna]

I am looking at all my maps.

South of Culdi is a place called Droghera. the codex states this is where Alaric and Kelson discussed strategy  on
Codex also states that in 917 Gillebert of Droghera was "the first Deryni cleansed of his affection by the baptismal ministry of Raven" I am going to assume Gillebert then went back to Droghera to have children who are unaware of their heritage.
The codex also says that Saint Brigid of Droghera was known to "ring the cowbells" to bring home the herds for milking. the poor lined up to receive the cheese she made.  She was regarded as the protectoress of those engaged in dairy work.Codex page 50.

I suspect that part was added by Robert Regenald as I don't recall the books saying this. Nevertheless, we are thusly in the town of Droghera. Only half way between Cuiltierne and Culdi.

The codex time line says Kelson left Rhemuth early on Dec 8, 1123, He rescues Dhugal an Sadana somewhere on this road in the late afternoon of Dec 9, 1123. Kelson arrives back at Rhemuth on Dec 12. Given that they did not stop going out it would be a 30 hour ride. They took time to rest at night on the way home, making it full two days ride.

On some map somewhere (I can not find), there was a town of F.. A... (I can not recall the name) to the west. It is a good distance away from Droghera. but it is also flatter landscape. Still I would guess it is more than a twelve hour ride.

[Evie]

Drat!  I wish I had something besides the latest version of the map with me, because I was envisioning us much further south than that, at the edge of the mountain pass that comes out west of Arx Fidei, under the "ei" in "Cuilteine" on my version of the map.  (Sadly, I don't think I have a version that shows where St. Brigid's and/or Droghera are, but I'll check when I get home.)  They must be going at a real snail's pace, then, given that according to the mileage key on the map I have, it's only about 50 miles between Culdi and Cuilteine (give or take maybe 10 miles?).  Medieval way stations for travelers tended to be placed about 18-20 miles apart because that was considered an average day's walk for travelers on foot.  Roman armies, laden down with baggage and equipment as they were, traveled at roughly that pace also (20-25 miles/day, IIRC), so I figured four mounted and relatively unencumbered travelers fleeing for their lives would have covered at least twice that much ground, even if they weren't going at a canter or a gallop the entire time.  (Alkari once mentioned equestrian marathoners doing something more like 100 miles in a day, but I figure we're not trying to kill our horses, just trying to get out of Meara sooner rather than later. LOL!)  Maybe the roads are very badly maintained in that mountain pass, which could explain why we're going so slowly and why Darcy's horse had a problem with her horseshoe.  And maybe they had to go off-road and hide in the bushes at several points to evade pursuit. 

[Laurna]

I am going to say they went fairly slowly the first day. they cantered most of the second day even galloped at the end. but this is ruggied hilly landscape so a lot of up and down and and around bends in the river. Not a straight run. I am thinking the road from Ratherkin to Droghera/Cuiltene must be a much straighter easier road as Dughal road that in half a day. (Running his horses to death doing it.)
I agree we should have been a bit closer to Cuilteine. There is a book map(Somewhere) that shows St Brigid's closer to Cuilteine than the colored poster map that has Droghera on it. I did not guess those two places were one and the same place until I reviewed the Codex. Perhaps the poster map is just a little off. Medieval maps were never very reliable. LOL

[Evie]

On some map somewhere (I can not find), there was a town of F.. A... (I can not recall the name) to the west. It is a good distance away from Droghera. but it is also flatter landscape. Still I would guess it is more than a twelve hour ride.

You're not referring to Arx Fidei, are you?  Although if Droghera is midway between Culdi and Cuilteine, Arx Fidei would be to the southeast, not west of there.  West of any place we might be in that mountain pass would put us squarely in the heart of Meara, close to Ratharkin or the lands south of there.

[Laurna]

[Evie]

Ah, ok!  If instead of continuing as far SW as Cuilteine, we were to take that mountain pass south of Droghera to get to that clear area between the mountains and Rhemuth, Arx Fidei is pretty much in a straight line from there, about midway to Rhemuth in that grassy area.  My black and white map from the Deryni Adventure Game book (which I think is also the same map in the cover of the Childe Morgan trilogy, or at least is very similar) is nearly identical to the poster map, only it evidently has different locations marked on it.  Grrrr!!!  Someday what I want is a decent map with a mileage key and ALL of the locations from the books on it, even if I have to make one myself!