it sparks for sure.. though the energy is slice-able, lol... (this is a typical dutch saying, for when there is tension in the air..)
rephrase:
The tension in the air is so thick/ strong, one is able to make slices out of it..
or something along those lines 
I figure "the githyanki" is in here to mean "not to the barbarians of the Black Fleet..." But...
Would an oath to "the githyanki of the Black Fleet" include the duthka'giths of the Fleet as well? Would "the People of the Black Fleet" include both githyanki and duthka'giths (but not graith)?
Yep, picky about wording. 
Sorry for the echo, I posted this via my mobile, not to handy
Is Ya'shenn worming her way up? 
Not really. She's not a war leader. With that said, you can rely on Ya'shenn to seek out as much influence as possible. She's essentially an advisor/courtier type.
Right now, she's trying hard to "sell" Ii, Na'rai, and Kirath to the Black Fleet, and sees this as a sort of diplomatic task. She doesn't really trust the three of you to persuade the Fleet by yourselves
Two things that I've been thinking about:
Gav'jji probably only joined Styrrn's crew after the fall of the Revered Queen, not when the Incursion was announced. He's still a heretic.
If you were Styrrn, would you make Shar'shau your treasurer? (Heck, no!) (Also note that treasurer is probably wrapped up in the role of Quartermaster... you wouldn't make the guy who looted his own warband into your QM, would you?)
Gav'jji probably only joined Styrrn's crew after the fall of the Revered Queen, not when the Incursion was announced. He's still a heretic.
If you were Styrrn, would you make Shar'shau your treasurer? (Heck, no!) (Also note that treasurer is probably wrapped up in the role of Quartermaster... you wouldn't make the guy who looted his own warband into your QM, would you?)
Right now, she's trying hard to "sell" Ii, Na'rai, and Kirath to the Black Fleet, and sees this as a sort of diplomatic task. She doesn't really trust the three of you to persuade the Fleet by yourselves
Does Ya'shenn recognize Xer'mun's Order? (Or is it meant to be a secret?)
I wonder how Bladedancer is doing.
Yes
I figure "the githyanki" is in here to mean "not to the barbarians of the Black Fleet..." But...
Would an oath to "the githyanki of the Black Fleet" include the duthka'giths of the Fleet as well? Would "the People of the Black Fleet" include both githyanki and duthka'giths (but not graith)?
Yep, picky about wording.
Edit: ignore this
I like the fact that you are enjoying the scene, Zim. I, too, though it is causing me some stress.
Ii's rank and profession are a huge liability for her in the present situation. She may feel she has the authority, but absolutely none of the githyanki pirates would agree. Kudos for playing her character well, but ... Ii'Jyka'vaar may have to have some character development here before she, quite in-character, causes the Black Fleet githyanki to utterly reject her. And no, I don't think trying to kill some of them will help.
If it helps, Ya'shenn is very willing to take an oath. She's being legalistic about the wording of said oath because she doesn't want to get trapped into some form of obligation much further down the line due to a vaguely-worded oath.
(All of which is a bit ironic because she's morally capable of oathbreaking anyway, and may have actually broken an oath or two in her lifetime already. She just doesn't like to.)
Ii's rank and profession are a huge liability for her in the present situation. She may feel she has the authority, but absolutely none of the githyanki pirates would agree. Kudos for playing her character well, but ... Ii'Jyka'vaar may have to have some character development here before she, quite in-character, causes the Black Fleet githyanki to utterly reject her. And no, I don't think trying to kill some of them will help.
She might not care about her rank as much as it comes across though :+) remember she is a Sociopathic personality, lol. don't fret, don't get stressed plz because of the game, this is not my intention at all :+(
In the end she will prolly end up not killing anybody, it wont come that far here..
In the end she will prolly end up not killing anybody, it wont come that far here..
Just pointing out here that if Ii wants to lead this crew, she has to make them WANT to follow her in the first place. Now that the Revered Queen is a non-factor and the githyanki are politically fractured, using the fact she's a knight to push them around isn't going to work here -- especially not with a crew full of renegades, criminals, and heretics! Simply because she's a knight, the crew already has a built-in motivation to DISlike her.
In the end she will prolly end up not killing anybody, it wont come that far here..
Just pointing out here that if Ii wants to lead this crew, she has to make them WANT to follow her in the first place. Now that the Revered Queen is a non-factor and the githyanki are politically fractured, using the fact she's a knight to push them around isn't going to work here -- especially not with a crew full of renegades, criminals, and heretics! Simply because she's a knight, the crew already has a built-in motivation to DISlike her.
I haven't used my rank as yet openly enough to push it through that way.
She is more worried about if she were to show any weakness, how would it be perceived.. "weakness" in her eyes might lead to not being taken serious any longer.
specially since she is fighting inwardly against being a god-slave...
In the future you could just ask for a mindlink ahead of time
In what sense? for my countering with wanting private discussion time?
It would allow for private discussions without having to leave the room and such.
Yeah, I'm ribbing a little. Command positions sound cool, but in reality they're a total pain in the ***.
Remember that although she has near continues access to a psion-telepath, she herself does not think in that way... so no she would not ask always for a continues mindlink, besides, being sociopathic she might think it invasive..
And regarding command positions, yea I guess so , but someone 's got to do it..
In RL I am actually good at it, in my line of work, with teams etc, I always end up team leading, lol, and although on the doors I am not the head doorman, I still show more organisational skills and initiative.. so I do know how it works,..
but with a bunch of scumbags ( crew full of renegades, criminals, and heretics! as you say, it is different to some extend)
Yea, I was trying to get at that. Perhaps I was too subtle? If so, let me be more clear: Ii'Jyka'vaar already has some strikes against her by being a Knight among outcasts. These are mitigated somewhat by her reputation thus far, having rebelled against Pale. However, I am having a hard time justifying at this point why ANY of the Black Fleet would want Ii to even COME ALONG, much less have her in a leadership position over them. Well, with the exception of Lehr'Asj'tor. He might just loose enough influence in the fleet by having supported the Knight in the first place that he decides to stay here with Ii'Jyka'vaar instead of sailing.
The situation might be salvaged, and Ya'shenn did an OK job of laying the groundwork for such, but I may have to have an NPC come in for the save. It might or might not work, depending on Ii's reaction.
Now, I'm not saying Ii's words and actions are out of character. In fact, I think you are playing her well. She should be smart enough to realize what's going on here, though. At first, she was feared enough, and had at least one influential crewman supporting her, that nobody was going to refuse her joining the fleet, though almost all were wary of her having a leadership role. Her refusal (more than once now) to take the skull and say "I'll do my best to not get you all killed" means that many of the pirates are now thinking the following about the Knight; "Maybe she doesn't know Vlaakith is destroyed, and she thinks she still has the authority of one of the Lich Queen's knights", "She's actually PLANNING to get us all killed and her honor won't let her swear that this is not the case" and "If she becomes angry and violent, how many will she slay, and will the other newcomers defend her? Will this turn into a fight were many or all of us are killed?" The Black Fleet pirates outnumber the newcomers by only about 2 to 1 here.
Only OK? I shall have to try harder in future.
I just came up with a number, at a table session this would have been much easier to discuss then via the net..
Yea, I was trying to get at that. Perhaps I was too subtle? If so, let me be more clear: Ii'Jyka'vaar already has some strikes against her by being a Knight among outcasts. These are mitigated somewhat by her reputation thus far, having rebelled against Pale. However, I am having a hard time justifying at this point why ANY of the Black Fleet would want Ii to even COME ALONG, much less have her in a leadership position over them. Well, with the exception of Lehr'Asj'tor. He might just loose enough influence in the fleet by having supported the Knight in the first place that he decides to stay here with Ii'Jyka'vaar instead of sailing.
The situation might be salvaged, and Ya'shenn did an OK job of laying the groundwork for such, but I may have to have an NPC come in for the save. It might or might not work, depending on Ii's reaction.
Now, I'm not saying Ii's words and actions are out of character. In fact, I think you are playing her well. She should be smart enough to realize what's going on here, though. At first, she was feared enough, and had at least one influential crewman supporting her, that nobody was going to refuse her joining the fleet, though almost all were wary of her having a leadership role. Her refusal (more than once now) to take the skull and say "I'll do my best to not get you all killed" means that many of the pirates are now thinking the following about the Knight; "Maybe she doesn't know Vlaakith is destroyed, and she thinks she still has the authority of one of the Lich Queen's knights", "She's actually PLANNING to get us all killed and her honor won't let her swear that this is not the case" and "If she becomes angry and violent, how many will she slay, and will the other newcomers defend her? Will this turn into a fight were many or all of us are killed?" The Black Fleet pirates outnumber the newcomers by only about 2 to 1 here.
Besides the time she asked for, I will defend my actions;
She is a Knight, first and foremost, but this has nothing to do imo with Vlaakith,
yes, she might be an anachronism in this situation, and on top she does not have sense motive..(which really shows she cant feel the other side) which surely makes it hard for her to grasp the other sides pov.
I think the pirates are offered a finger, and they want the hand.
Well l, I do think you are being totally in-character. But I also think that if you want to be a team captain you have to at least put on the jersey.
I say change the time frame to a few minutes instead of 40. The pirates actions and those of the Jade will stand, but I will tone down just how unacceptable Ii's proposal is.
After Na'rai takes the skull, the pirate s will forget about Ii's intransigence for the moment.
Time request adjusted from 2 score to a few..
You know, Ii is more on the spot than she would otherwise be because Kirath isn't around. We have 3 commanders, yet one of them is an NPC and the other is absent right now.
I am not sure how to further reply IC, as I am playing fully to character and have difficulty how she would want to even "appease scum"
A few notes:
To those who actually have historical knowledge of this particular ritual, it's clear that Ya'shenn knows a HELL of a lot about it, probably more than 99% of githyanki. Some of her word choices (particularly the 'Death to the enslavers,' 'ardent despiser of the illithid,' and 'shall be a single crew' bits) are quite historically correct. (Azure permitting, anyway.)
At the same time, she's taking pains to avoid saying or doing anything that could be deemed as heretical. (Nobody's going to be able to ban any phrases along the lines of "Death to the Enslavers!")
She's oath-taking in an extremely formal way. I should probably write a piece in the Rrakkma section about naval oaths...
Nothing prevents a knight from being pragmatic, right?
Thinking more about this... The party might be able to score some political points just by being able to manage a notoriously unmanageable crew. If we manage to do so. ("You weren't supposed to actually succeed!") Heh heh.
For the sake of cool flavor notes:
Maybe there are multiple ways to hold the skull while taking this kind of oath. Some might hold it aloft (like a trophy) like Na'rai is doing. One might also hold it out below eye level, to show that the illithid are inferior/to be despised. A third way to do it is to hold it below eye level in one hand, but to hold a drawn blade aloft in the other hand. By holding a blade higher than the illithid skull, you're demonstrating both the superiority of githyanki steel over illithid wickedness, and your own willingness to destroy illithid.
Wouldn't want to escalate the current tense situation, though.
Don't make me re-write that really long post! 
If Ii still wants to drag Ya'shenn off somewhere, she can. I want Ya'shenn's oath to stand, though. (This is me and not Ya'shenn talking: I'd advise taking up the skull and making some oath that works for Ii.) I don't know your character like you do, though.
Maybe there are multiple ways to hold the skull while taking this kind of oath. Some might hold it aloft (like a trophy) like Na'rai is doing. One might also hold it out below eye level, to show that the illithid are inferior/to be despised. A third way to do it is to hold it below eye level in one hand, but to hold a drawn blade aloft in the other hand. By holding a blade higher than the illithid skull, you're demonstrating both the superiority of githyanki steel over illithid wickedness, and your own willingness to destroy illithid.
Wouldn't want to escalate the current tense situation, though.
Oh god, Azthri would definitely make use of the blade variant.
Just woke up.. catching up reading..
All the freedom and vows, crap... "freedom" yea right.
"Am really starting to hate this"
Cinnabar sounds rockin'! Harkens to the intrigue that is laced into this game, which I really enjoy. Would be fun to see them lurking in future episodes.
Maybe there are multiple ways to hold the skull while taking this kind of oath. Some might hold it aloft (like a trophy) like Na'rai is doing. One might also hold it out below eye level, to show that the illithid are inferior/to be despised. A third way to do it is to hold it below eye level in one hand, but to hold a drawn blade aloft in the other hand. By holding a blade higher than the illithid skull, you're demonstrating both the superiority of githyanki steel over illithid wickedness, and your own willingness to destroy illithid.
Wouldn't want to escalate the current tense situation, though.
Parallel wavelengths. I read the "passing of the skull" and thought holding a ceremonial blade when making a vow was an apropos action. Hopefully, the ceremonial aspect will hold and we won't have a bar fight on our hands due to tetchy pirates.
As to the tension, I am enjoying it, probably because I don't have to make everything work. *munches popcorn* However, a decorated slaver slayer might at least put the scale back a bit toward "Maybe they won't all get us killed."
However, for personal and political reasons, Xer'mun made a point about being outside the command structure. Hopefully the wording makes it clear that when lives are on the line, he'll be at the front defending them, while he desires simply to work alongside the Black Fleet and Git'ribani.
Looking forward to the trip, but the conference has been pulpy and entertaining. 
Ii'Jyka wasn't so much reviled by having to speak the content of a vow, she was balking against the fact she somewhat ( in her eyes) being forced to make a vow in the first place, specially to a rabble like this, with no authority.
In her view, they should be happy. Somone is volunteering to oversee a mission and take
responsibility for those actions.
The Silver Stalkers are an ancient Order and likely prominent enough to be known by a cultured Tunarathi like Ya'shenn, at least in rumor. Here's a "rumor mill" version of their story:
If the Knights are the Queen's honorguard, the Stalkers were the Queen's huntsmen, a nickname that would've been their designation at one point in the Vlaakith succession. The Stalkers are good at what they do; their rivals would say too good. Their members seem to know when Illithid were nearby, even when magic and psionics are suppressed. The Stalkers have acted as scouts and infiltrators for the People, capable at hunting both aberration and psion alike. Despite this, Stalkers often have a short life span, being the forward scouts and first contact with the Enemy in their septs. Few Stalkers have held visible positions in the political system, which their detractors claimed is due to their preference for operating in the shadows. They have been a rather clandestine group, not of same nature as Cinnabar, but enough that it did not help them during the intense Orthodoxy of the last Vlaakiths.
They have had a tenuous relationship with the Vlaakiths from their beginning, especially during the Lich Queen saga. Their Order arose during the early monarchy, in a time when some Gith nobility could draw their lines from other Forerunners beside Vlaakith. The tension between the Order and the Queens is perhaps best signified by the Stalker leadership's ancient ritual of "The Silver Way," a pilgrimage into the deep Astral in the footsteps of original Liberators around the time of "retirement." How they kept themselves from being purged is unclear and open to conjecture. Some claim it is because they are part of the Band of Silver, or even part of the Silver Eyes. Others say that their high amount of dangerous missions was Vlaakith's punishment for the Order, or what appeased her so that she didn't punish their implicit defiance.
I concur. Hope everything is well.
Are/were the Silver Stalkers often used to hunt down other githyanki, or did that task normally go to other Orders? I'm trying to gauge Ya'shenn's level of paranoia. The not-so-good relationship between the Stalkers and the most recent Revered Queen is something that Ya'shenn would regard positively, though.
Wauw, anti climax, I thought when I would finally post, there would have been more reaction then at least this .. meh
How far away is Starmantle from Urmlaspyr? How many days' sail, considering the speed of our ships?
The not-so-good relationship between the Stalkers and the most recent Revered Queen is something that Ya'shenn would regard positively, though.'Yanki hunting isn't their normal venue, not like the Knights. Their Order might take exception to those they deemed dangerous or "tainted" by illithids. (Like Jhank'kor... :\ ) Ya'shenn shouldn't worry more than usual about the Silver tagalong.
Yeah, the Order is an experiment with the question, "But what about the other Liberators?" They're pretty hardcore about remembering where the People came from.
I concur. Hope everything is well.
As do I.
To Bladedancer: if you want Kirath to make a specific oath, simply PM me or post it here. I will copy/paste and edit it into the correct post.
How do I interpret this? (yes, I know, no sense motive).
How do I interpret this? (yes, I know, no sense motive).
But yea, using the phrase 'directed by her own hubris' is an ever-so-slight dig at the Knights in general, implying that Ii will probably not be much of a team player, and will not likely obey the orders of whoever is in charge unless she herself wants to do so.
This scene is awesome
BoGr Guide to Missile Combat:
1) Equip a bow or crossbow.
2) Roll a natural 1 on d20.
3) ?????
4) Profit!