Small Odds: Brass Dragon Circus & Traveling Sideshow

This text-only game runs Alternate Saturdays (Next game 11/22) at 11:00 AM Pacific (Currently Standard) Time

Status: Looking for one player (10.25.25)

It is the year 822, Post Divergence. 822 years since the Primes - the elder gods - locked themselves away along with the Betrayers - the elder gods of strife. 822 years without their intervention in our lives. Sure, enough of their influence trickles through to offer guidance, to bestow the relatively minor miracles of the priests. But the horror of the Calamity has never threatened the people again.

That isn't to say everything has been perfect. Tal'Dorei's bloody rebellion 300 years ago; The Border Wars twenty-four years ago; the Chroma Conclave 12 years ago; various small wars; the death of Eilistraee, God of Redemption; the resulting Time of No Mercy in the middle of the past year... life has been complicated. But the people have weathered trials before, and they weathered these. They are resilient, determined folk.

They will need that resolve now more than ever.

Three months into the new year, Yuan-Ti have overrun parts of Eastern Tal'Dorei. Soulless predators who see us as little more than occasionally clever food, they infiltrated our communities using a new and unknown magic to adopt near-perfect disguises and now strike from within in numbers which threaten to overwhelm. Stilben, not recovered from the Time of No Mercy, has fallen. Westruun weathered an attack, but took a serious pounding. Whitestone had the deRolos and their forces to keep the city safe, and Turst Fields put up a surprisingly robust defense, her walls holding up well. But smaller towns have disappeared, wiped from existence by the horde on Yuan-Ti

But the people will not go quietly.

Making their way through this continent-spanning event are the many and varied folk of The Brass Dragon Circus and Traveling Sideshow. Founded about 12 years ago - shortly after the Chroma Conclave - by survivors of that dark time, The Brass Dragon Circus has traveled the land for 12 years, earning a solid reputation for fun, entertainment, and amusement, a family-friendly and affordable time for all the peoples of Tal'Dorei. Wherever the circus goes, good times will surely follow, even in these dark times.

But there's more to the Brass Dragon Circus than clowns and acrobats. A group within the circus calls the circus home, using the circus as a cover. Bree "The Tempest" Stormdottir, one of the Circus' owners, leads teams of these, coordinating crews of mercenaries, thieves for hire, and troubleshooters, all working under the cover of a colorful caravan of entertainers and roustabouts. These crews of operators perform services more rarefied but less amusing while cadres of clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists, high-wire acts, animal trainers, knife-throwers, and sideshow acts such as The World's Tallest Halfling, a snake-charmer, a strongman, a deft illusionist who happens to be a Goliath, and many others keep audiences entertained... and distracted.

You will play one of these operators. You are a mercenary, or a thief-for-hire, or a troubleshooter. Part of a larger crew, your jobs usually come from Tempest. Often you have your pick, sometimes she'll assign a specific job. Between jobs you're free to pursue your own interest; we all have a past, and most of us look to our own futures.

The jobs aren't always legal, but we do have rules; a code of conduct by which each of us abides. We do not assassinate. We do not kidnap for ransom. We do not rob or otherwise exploit the common folk, or those who cannot afford the losses. No Strike-Breaking (though we have been known to help striking workers). While on a job, we do not kill humanoids if the killing can be avoided. A job may be declined, but once accepted, we see it through. And we do not betray our own.

We all have a cover job. It's usually something small, something we can leave when the Tempest calls. Sometimes we aspire to the applause of the crowd, and if you've the chops for it, Ringmistress Helzaba may hire you as a performer as well. She was quite the performer in her day, and has quite an eye for talent. Now she performs a different role, and is adept at nurturing the enthusiasm of the crowd.

The Small Odds,* one of the crews of the Brass Dragon, has traveled into **Iron Kingdom. Their job to find a stop a new breed of Yuan-Ti made my twisting Hobgoblins into snake monsters has grown to now include rooting out the snake folk disguised among the Hobgoblins.

This is a game for 4-5 players. Text Based. Semi-weekly sessions here on Roll20. Discord for reminders and between-session chat. Familiarity with Tal'Dorei and events involving Critical Role's first campaign Vox Machina are a strong plus (Much of the events in Vox Machina form the history from which this series draws), but I accept anyone willing to look up stuff when needed so I don't have to spend too much time on exposition for things every PC should know. Characters must be familiar with the world; but players may fake it.

This game has lots of RP, and I welcome players who are not afraid to extemporize with me. As long as we don't contradict established facts, I love to roll with your ideas. There's also lots of opportunity to pursue personal side goals for those interested.

I tend to play smaller combat through narrative and die rolls. For larger fights, I'll break out maps and tokens. When not in a fight, I use the map area for illustration.

This is one of three weekly or bi-weekly sessions. Two other groups of PCs each pursue jobs for Tempest, and their own goals, other nights of the week. Your actions affect the world for all, as do theirs.

This game has lots of RP, and I welcome players who are not afraid to extemporize with me. As long as we don't contradict established facts, I love to roll with your ideas. There's also lots of opportunity to pursue personal side goals for those interested.

I tend to play smaller combats through narrative and die rolls. For larger fights, I'll break out maps and tokens. When not in a fight, I use the map area for illustration.