Chasing the Sunset & Omens

Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.

The fellowship: Edna Crusher-Harcourt the Ogre, Vestri the Dwarf, Yuri the Outlander

Last time, the Fellowship explored a decommisioned Robotics Facility, but that was just a distraction from their mission to take the ashes of a sword made from the horn of a Unicorn and cast it into the sea. Very bad energy to make a weapon by killing a creature so peaceful and good.

Vestri and Yuri book passage on a ship traveling from Thaumatown to Port Fennrick, which is on the ocean. Vestri anticipates spending the whole voyage very seasick. He does not like boats. Yuri looks through his Medkit but doesn’t have anything to help a Dwarf.

Yuri: I’m sorry that I am not equipped for this.

Vestri: I’m just not equipped to be on water.

Yuri books passage on a large Platyperson raft. Each side has rows of poles sticking out over the water, so Platypeople can hold on and swim to propel the raft.  There’s a cabin at the back and the rest of the raft is a big open space for passengers and cargo.

Yuri: Are you alright with this choice of boat?

Vestri: I already told you: I don’t like it but it’s fast.

Yuri sits in the cabin and Vestri sits in the head (a ship’s toilet).

GM note: I told my fellow players can Edna could appear at any time (since she left the previous group via teleporter accident) Now was the time to make a big entrance!

As the raft floats down the river, a horizontal window in the sky flickers open above it. The windows opens and shuts rapidly, and a woman the size of a minivan falls out of the window, hits the raft, and cracks three of the huge logs that form the raft’s deck! it’s Edna Crusher-Harcourt, 16 feet tall and 5,000 pounds.

Vestri feels the ship shake and rolls out of the head to the deck. He lies on his back and looks up at Edna, who also landed on her back. Edna gets up and looks around in confusion.

Edna: Where are the Unicorns? What are you people?

Yuri: Are you OK, ma’am? I am a doctor. You seem to have taken quite a fall.

Edna: Oh, I’m fine. I’m just worried about this boat. Oh, I’ve done it again.

Yuri Look Closely 7-9 ask three questions, one answer the hard way

• What’s going on with the window in the sky?
  • The window in the sky is different from the teleportation effect that brought Yuri to this world. It’s stationary relative to the world, so the raft moves past it. It flickers for a while, then disappears.
• Tell me about the crack in the boat?
  • Raeph, the captain of this raft, is an older Platyperson with greying fur and a tooth on a necklace as a badge of office. He comes out of the cabin to examine the damage to his boat.  It’s very hard to sink a raft, but the damage is significant enough that he wants to stop and make repairs immediately. He’s quite upset at Edna.
• Tell me about the Platypeople. What are they doing?
  • Some of the passengers panic when Edna arrives and jump into the river to swim away.. They attract the attention of Hunting Birds, who won’t attack a group, but will go after stragglers.

Mighty River response level increases because Edna causes collateral damage

Mighty River uses Wild Animal: a Beast Threat attempts to eat the next person who goes out in the open

• Hunting Bird: Birds of a feather hunt together.
  • Go For The Eyes: Hunting birds can only harm the stat Sense. If they would deal damage to someone whose Sense is damaged, the hunting bird Keeps Them Busy instead.
  • Eagle Eye: Hunting birds can see you coming a mile away, and will never attack the whole group at once. They go after stragglers, or those cut off from the group.

Yuri: Look at those birds. Look at how they are circling like vultures. Go not go out in the water.

Yuri Talk Sense (+sense, explain plan) 6-

Yuri Fool Me Once reroll to 7-9 they do as he asks, but he owes them a favor

Yuri: The boat can only sink, in which case you will be swimming. If you stay with the group, you will not be picked off by Vulture-birds. This is good plan, yes? Do not swim. Alone.

Some kids think Yuri is safe and clever, so they crowd around him, making it difficult for him to take physical actions. An acceptable trade-off for providing security, Yuri thinks.

Vestri jumps up and down and shouts at the birds to distract them from the swimming Platypeople.

Vestri Keep Them Busy 6-

Alas, a tiny Dwarf making noise is not an effective distraction. The Hunting Birds swoop down and injure a swimmer.

GM note: I hate injuring civilians! I’m so soft!

Edna looks at the Hunting Birds in the air and the Platypeople in the water. She’s not good at either element. If only this happened on stable ground!

Edna: Quick, is the water less than 20 feet deep? Fortune favors the bold!

Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see

Edna leaps into the water near the swimmers. Her departure rocks the whole raft, and her impact kicks up a huge splash, knocking Platypeople around. She immediately sinks because she’s dense, and the water is more than 20 feet deep, so she can’t reach the Platypeople on the surface. So much for grabbing them and leaping back to the boat. Yuri holds on to the children to keep them from falling.

Hunting Birds aren’t that dangerous, but Edna has no ranged weapons, Vestri hates the water, and Yuri is protecting children, so no one has a good answer for them. Edna slow-motion runs underwater to the bank of the river, then rips up chunks of turf and rocks and throws them at the Hunting Birds.

God of War: when you fight them by yourself, you can always Keep Them Busy.

Edna Keep Them Busy 6-

The Hunting Birds dive-bomb Edna

Edna Wobbles: normal weapons don’t damage her, only inconvenience her

Yuri: She is a very sturdy woman.

Vestri: I know! I was thinking the same thing.

The swimmers have stopped propelling the raft, so it’s just drifting downstream. Yuri wants to steer the raft away from the fight with the Hunting Birds and asks the Platyperson children to help him find the rudder. Raeph steps in and reminds Yuri that he is in charge of the raft. Yuri will have to convince him of his plan.

Yuri Talk Sense (+sense, explain plan) 6-

Raeph says that moving the raft is too dangerous. He drops anchor and gets his crew to work repairing the damage Edna caused. The Hunting Birds are still attacking people in the water. The Fellowship has barely made a difference.

Vestri Look Closely 10+

• What are the Hunting Birds doing?
  • The Hunting Birds quickly realize that they aren’t hurting Edna and return to the easy prey in the river.
• What do my senses tell me?
  • The river is near the ocean, so it’s flat and calm, good for big boats.
• Tell me about the vegetation lining the river. How could it hurt or help me?
  • The bushes on the shore would hide the Platypeople from the Hunting Birds, but expose them to the Wild Boars that also live along the Mighty River.
• Wild Boar: These wild beasts are popular among both halfling war riders
  and halfling chefs.
  • Pig-Headed: Boars are ferocious and territorial beasts. When you gain a Boar’s ire, it will chase you until this stat is damaged. They will follow you into a new scene if ignored.
  • Wild Charge: When a wild boar charges, it keeps going until it hits something. The first thing in their way that has a damaged Sense stat or is distracted takes 1 damage and is knocked aside by its wild charge. Anyone who is not distracted and has undamaged Senses can easily avoid the charge. If the boar hits nobody, it damages this stat instead.

Vestri: Dive underwater and come back to the ship! Be underwater as much as you can, Platypeople!

Vestri Talk Sense (+sense, explain plan) 10+

Platypeople can hold their breath for a long time and Hunting Birds can’t swim, so Vestri’s plan works well! All the stragglers disappear underwater and after about a minute they appear next to the raft. People on the raft pull them aboard and tend to the injured.

Vestri: Large lady, stamp your feet! There are Boars. Scare them and they’ll distract the Birds. I hear Boars are good eating.

Edna: Ugh, I can’t abide bores.

She crouches to leap, then stands back up.

Edna: I’ll walk alongside until you’re able to pull over.

Now that the passengers are out of danger.

Yuri: Children, go back to your mothers. Or fathers. Guardians. Jobs?

Raeph can concentrate on repairing the raft. The crew lashes the broken logs together with boards so they don’t shift and no-one can fall through the cracks. When that is complete, the raft resumes moving downriver towards Port Fennrick. Raeph does not pull over to let Edna board the raft, so she jogs along the shore.

Edna: I can pay for the damages!

GM note: A wonderful introduction. Edna shows up, uses most of her moves, makes a big impression, but actually ruins everything and doesn’t help. I love it!

Soon the raft reaches the checkpoint at the entrace of the Port Fennrick, where the river splits into a delta.  Each ship enters a chamber with doors in front and behind and sits there for several minutes before a town official waves it through. Gossip on the raft indicates that travel on the Mighty River is usually safe now that the Crocodile is gone, and that the inspection at Port Fennrick is faster than the previous method. Weird that no one seems to inspect the boats, though.

Yuri wonders if they use X-Rays, but has trouble explaining what he means.  Vestri interrupts to suggest talking to the giant woman, since she suddenly teleported in, just like Yuri did. Yuri explains his involuntary teleportion was very different.

Yuri: It was very vicious and aggressive, and that was more of a beautiful opening in the space-time.

Port Fennrick also has a checkpoint for people entering the town on foot. Edna approaches the gatehouse and crouchs down to address the guard inside.The guard gives her a bit of trouble for saying she’s with the raft when she’s not on the raft, but when he realizes that she’s rich (she wears a lot of jewelry) he changes his tone and welcomes her to Port Fennrick.  After thanking him, Edna considers ducking under the guardhouse, then backs up and carefully jumps over it.

Back on the raft, Yuri is curious about this inspection with no inspectors.  He asks the passengers about it.

Yuri Speak Softly 7-9 three questions, one unhelpful answer

• What can they tell me about this new inspection policy?
  • A new mayor came in to clean up the town and make everything run smoothly.  People who try to bring in contraband get caught, so they somehow know what’s onboard, even though no-one comes aboard.
• What should I be wary of when dealing with the people in charge?
  • If you keep your nose clean, you’ll be fine, but they don’t like troublemakers. Socially-acceptable people have a good time here.
• What do they want from stopping each ship?
  • It’s a mystery. No one knows what they’re doing.

Yuri still rambles about radiation hitting bones and seeing people without their clothes, but Vestri does not get it. The official in charge of the locks tells Reaph that his raft is damaged, but lets the raft through. When the raft docks, Edna approaches apologetically.

Edna: I’m so sorry for the trouble. I just gotta make it right. Let me pay for the damages. You’ll need some big logs to replace the ones I broke (I’m sorry about that. There are some trees around here. I could bring some likely-looking ones to you, if that would help.

Edna spends a Precious item.

Edna removes one of her bracelets, which is actually a ceremonial armor belt made of gold and set with jewels. It was built for a human’s waist, but it fits on her wrist. Raeph accepts the belt, weighs it in his webbed hands, and realizes that it will easily pay for the repairs,

Raeph:  That would be super-helpful. That would make up for the discrepency between this and the cost of the repairs. Thank you so, so much. You can leave them outside the city. We will send a team to pick them up. You don’t need to come near our boat again. Thank you.

Edna leaves thinking that went well. Raeph is terrified of her and wants her as far away as possible. Yuri and Vestri figure such a strong person could throw the ashes of the Unicorn Sword into the sea from where she stands.

Vestri: Ma’am! Before you go off to chop down trees or whatever, I was wondering if you could do us a favor.

Edna: I suppose I owe you for all the trouble I caused on the raft. I am Edna Crusher-Harcourt. What’s your name?

She offers one finger for a handshake.

Yuri: You can just call me Yuri. It’s wonderful to meet you, Edna.  I’m just curious about — I’m not from this plane of existence. How did — do you teleport?

Edna: Not usually. We were in the forest. Had some trouble with the Fairies. These Unicorns were going to take us to their meadow. I could see it through the portal. I go to walk through the portal and I fell out on the boat. Are there Unicorns around here? Maybe they are nearby.

Yuri: No, only Platypeople.

Vestri: I don’t know about any Unicorns, but if you could take this bag and chuck it into the ocean, that would be wonderful.

Edna: OK, what’s in it?

Yuri and Vestri stumble over each other to say “cremated ashes” but avoid saying exactly what was cremated. Edna recognizes a solemn ocassion and wants to say a few words, but doesn’t know which words.

Edna: It’s so tragic. To the earth we must all return one day. Most people, at least.

She turns and throws the bag across town and into the ocean.

Yuri: Do you have to train for that? How do you? Do you play baseball? Sports of any kind?

Edna: You know, sports training is appropriate for a young lady’s upbringing, but I quickly outgrew the competition at home.

Yuri: I see. You’re very talented. Gifted!

Edna: I guess you could call Ogrism a gift. That’s what my momma called it.

Yuri: Life is just chaos and you gotta accept the cards you’re dealt.

Edna: I suppose I do alright.

GM note: The Boss’s Agenda is Gracious Host, so the Fellowship will be invited to a banquet. My co-GM and I define the details necessary to meet the Boss face-to-face.

Suddenly a man in uniform is standing right behind Yuri. He hands an invitation to each of the three.

Official: O’Later the town chieftain is throwing a banquet for exceptional people and he’d like you to attend.

Yuri: Do you have an invitation for Steven, or is he my plus-one?

The official is very impressed by Steven, the only housecat in the world. Yuri shows the official how to properly pet Steven, who purrs. Once the Fellowship agrees to attend, the official disappears as suddenly as he appeared.

The banquet is after sunset in the town hall, easily visible because of the tall clock tower above it. The Fellowship has some time to explore and prepare before attending. Edna wears well-made traveling clothes, but has fancy clothes in her pack.

Edna: Come, Jardiner, we must prepare!

She looks around, under her jacket, inside her pack. Jardiner is not with her! He did not come through the portal. Edna hopes that he and the others are well. Yuri is concerned that she is separated from her companion. Edna does want to link up with him again, but he was with people who seemed nice, so she’s not too worried.

Yuri: Where in the world were you before, just out of curiosity?

Edna describes some landmarks and Yuri figures out she was far to the west, near Cloudhold. but definitely on this plane, unlike himself.

Yuri: It will be easy to reconnect you with your friends. Your French friend.

No one else knows about “French”. Edna looks for a large structure to get changed and leaves the scene.  Yuri gets the impression that he should dress up for this meeting with the town chieftain. The invitations are quite nice. he considers buying new clothes. Vestri plans to freshen up with a nice dirt scrub.

Yuri: I am confused how you wash yourself. You scrub youself with dirt. To be clean?

Vestri: Yes, you see, you use especially dry dirt, a high content of stone. It’s a scrub, so you loosen up all of the dirt and dead skin and then we have a scraper, so you can scrape off all that stuff.

Yuri: No water.

Yuri wonders about stinky pits. Each Dwarven mine has a stinky pit where they throw the garbage. Vestri goes off to prepare and Yuri ponders his magical sword.

GM note: Yuri’s player can Command Lore about the sword, so it’s up to them to say what powers the sword has and how Yuri interacts with it. The player is amazed to have such narrative power. The sword gives Yuri nightmares of some vague catalysm. Would the sword lead him to someone who knows about the disaster, or would it lead to the weapon that could cause the calamity. Is this like Halo, or Mass Effect, or The Witcher, or even Dr. Strangelove?

The players suggest that universes are colliding, starting with buildlings leaking through into the City Junkyard, and the sword points the way to stop all universes of smashing into each other! Yet another amazing explanation for the City Junkyard that isn’t the explanation I established. Alas!

Yuri doesn’t know much about dowsing, but he vaguely remembers a story, so he gives it a try. He balances the sword on a finger, just past the hilt. The blade starts turning to point at something and Yuri follows it. He finds himself at a secure warehouse. The building is surrounded by a fence with a sign that says “DO NOT ENTER – by order of Chief O’Later” Yuri doesn’t see guards patrolling. Security is suspiciously light all over the town. He decides to ask O’Later about it instead of breaking in.

After sunset, Edna, Vestri, and Yuri arrive at the town hall.

Edna: Oh! Happy to see y’all again! While I was gettin’ ready, these littel floatin’ eyeballs appeared, but they had little bifocals on ’em, so I knew it was Jardiner using his magical powers to check on me.

Vestri: I’m glad your friend’s doing well.

Yuri: that’s interesting and cool.

Edna: Yeah, yeah. Little bifocals. They’re amazing. They help him read real good and see far away with the other half.

The entrance and main chamber of the Town Hall are big enough to accomodate Edna. There are two tables set up: another Ogre sits at a large table, while O’Later (a Human man) sits at a human-sized table.

O’Later: Ah, esteemed travellers! Come, sit, sit!

Vestri sits on a human chair with his elbows up on the table, looking a bit like a child and digging into platters of food immediately.

O’Later: Apologies. We’ll get you a more suitable chair.

He snaps his fingers and a servant appears next to Vestri with a high chair suitable for a Dwarf sitting at a human table. Vestri struggles a bit to climb the rungs because he is still holding a plate full of meat.

At the big table, Edna introduces herself to the other Ogre, a woman named Bork.  Edna offers a handshake, but Bork uses a different greeting gesture.

Edna: Oh, I’m sorry, darling. I’m first-gen, not a native Ogre.

Vestri: Not a native Ogre? I thought Ogres were just born from other Ogres, no?

Edna: Yeah, when Ogres have children, they’re Ogres, but – you’re a doctor, you know about this – sometimes a human kid just keeps growing. Ogreism. It’s rare.

Yuri: Of course! Of course that’s how it happens. Sometimes.

Vestri: I thought it was like, you know a Dwarf is always a Dwarf. Sometimes a Dwarf comes from rock and sometimes a Dwarf comes from another Dwarf. Ogres can come from humans sometimes. That’s very interesting.

Yuri: Yes, a doctor has confirmed it.

O’Later: Ho, ho. Yes, it’s fascinating the many different way that different cultures have of propagating themselves. But now, tell me news of the outside world. I’m so busy here keeping Port Fennrick in tip-top shape.

Vestri: Just upriver, unfortunately Platypalooza had to end early this year, because of Werewolves, but don’t worry! The Werewolves have been –

Yuri: They are nowhere-wolves! They are no Werewolves.

O’Later: Ha! But seriously, Werewolves are a horrible plague upon the land. I hate them.

Yuri: Yes, the killing must stop!

Vestri: Yes, I agree also that the killing must stop.

O’Later thinks that an oddly specific phrase, but lets it pass.

Vestri: And I’m looking for the twin of this dagger! Perhaps you know something of its twin?

Vestri pulls out the Redrock dagger to show just the people at the table, not the whole room.  Edna is impressed. She likes pretty, expensive things.

O’Later: I’ve not seen precisely one of these, but we have many fine goods travelling through the port. Perhaps we could keep an eye out for it. I am not a weapon expert, but if you could tell this man the specific marks by which we could recognize it?

Vestri: As you can tell there’s a gem there with my family crest on it, and the other would have the same. It would look pretty much exactly like this one. It’s Dwarven make from the third century. I don’t know if you have something in your library about it being lost in a Dragon hoard or…

Everyone seems pretty unhappy when Dragons are mentioned.

O’Later: Fortunately those arrogant and ruthless lizards were wiped out some time ago. The world is much safer for it.

Yuri changes the subject by asking about O’Later’s recent rise to power. O’Later explained that he’s stopped unsavory dealing and contraband, makiing the city much safer for the good people of Port Fennrick. Yuri wonders how the city is so secure with no visible enforcement. No one boarded the boat, yet it was inspected.  Yuri’s wonder encourages O’Later to brag.

GM note: Me “Is anyone’s Blood stat damaged?” Players: “That’s ominous.”

Yuri Speak Softly 10+ ask 3 questions

• What were the security officials doing?
  • O’Later says, “If people don’t know where you are, they act like you’re everywhere. It’s self-regulating. People won’t act out because they don’t know when they can be caught. But we back it up by being able to catch them. Look behind you!” An official appears behind Yuri, then steps back into the shadows and vanishes from view. Inspectors do board the ships, but no one sees them!
    • O’Later’s Shadows.
      • Death From Above: Shadows can climb along walls and ceilings as quickly as they can run, and as silently as a ghost. When the Shadow drops down on an enemy from above, they can either kidnap them or deal damage to them as a Hard Cut, their choice.
      • Patience: The Shadow is Secret until they make a Cut. When they escape or hide, they become Secret again until they make a Cut.
• What can he tell us about what’s in the secure warehouse?
  • If my Shadows find contraband on a ship, or someone brings it in from Finsea, they confiscate it and store it in several secure buildings.
• What does O’Later want? Why take over Port Fennrick?
  • O’Later doesn’t say it outright, but gives the impression that he serves some higher master, and has been sent out to expand their influence.

Yuri wonders what counts as contraband, and O’Later gives the non-answer of “things that aren’t conducive to the well-being of Port Fennrick.”

Yuri: Is it possibly getting very packed with all the contraband? Maybe you need assistance removing some? I feel a strong magical connection to one and I need to see it.

Edna: Yuri, do you want to throw all that stuff out in the ocean like I did with your other package?

Vestri: That wasn’t contraband. That was cursed.

Yuri: Cursed cremation. What the person wished for. Where they wanted to be. At peace.

O’Later: Someone with a curse wanted their ashes thrown into Finsea? Did they consult the mermaids?

O’Later tells an attendant to check with the mermaids who live in Finsea to see if the curse is afflicting them.

Yuri Talk Sense (+Sense, explain plan) 10+

O’Later is intrigued by Yuri’s directness and says that after dessert, they will go to the warehouse and see this item that calls to Yuri. No promises that he can take it. Yuri is quite grateful and shows off Steven, the only housecat in the world.

O’Later: Those reflective eyes! Those fangs! Clearly a child of the night.

Yuri: Yes, he is up all hours of the nights. Sleeps most of the day though.

O’Later: Relatable.

Vestri hasn’t been paying much attention. He’s eating everything and storing some to take back to Hundrin. Yuri leans over and discreetly asks if calling O’Later a vampire would be rude. Vestri’s shocked reaction tells Yuri that he should definitely not mention it ever.

At the big table, Edna chats with Bork, the Ogre in charge of O’Later’s forces. She’s uncomfortable in the role of enforcer, and extra uncomfortable at formal events. Her suit doesn’t fit quite right.  She half-shouts everything in a monotone.

Bork: I, you’re very pretty. Your clothes look nice.

Edna: Thank you very much. I think that suit would look really great with a little tailoring.

Bork: I definitely want more room in the shoulders. It’s very tight. I don’t like it. But I don’t know where to find Ogre clothes. It’s hard in small village.

Edna: If Ol’ Jardiner was here, I’d have him fix you up, but he’s off somewhere.  When I see some fabric that speaks to me, I buy it. When I get enough together, I have Ol’ Jardiner whip something up. There’s nothing like wearing custom-tailored clothes. You’ll feel like 10 Precious objects!

Bork sees a disturbance and gets up to deal with it, but as soon as the big Ogre gets up, the troublemakers settle down.

After dessert, O’Later and Bork lead the Fellowship to the secure warehouse. Bork slides open the massive double doors to the warehouse. O’Later pats Yuri on the shoulder and gives him a little shove forward, encouraging him to demonstrate his magical connection. Yuri clears his throat, takes a power stance, nd draws his sword and balances it on his finger. It turns and directs him to a certain box on a certain shelf.

GM note: I don’t really know what Yuri’s sword does, and neither does Yuri’s player, so we brainstormed a bit to invent what Yuri found in that box. A big magical crystal? Part of a machine?

Yuri finds a narrow cylinder about three feet long with a slot on one end and various bumps and projections along its length. Vestri scurries over to inspect the item before Yuri can pick it up. Artifacts and crafting are Vestri’s specialization!

Vestri Let Me See That

• What was this made to do? How do I use it or break it?
  • It turns the sword into a key, but where is the lock? The sword blade fits in the slot on the end, so the cylinder is almsot like a scabbard, but twisting the sword inside the cylinder rearranges the projections on the outside.
• Who made this and why should I care about them?
  • GM note: Would it be cool if the people who made this are now all ghosts? Players: Yes!
  • The makers are now known as The Remnant. They used to serve the Dragons, but they were all wiped out around the same time that the Dragons disappeared.

Vestri: Your sword fits inside it. It’s made to open something. it’s very interesting.  It was made by – you don’t know much about our world – there was a group of people known to worship the Dragons. The Dragons disappeared about a hundred years ago and so did they, so I’m afraid there’s no one we can ask.

Yuri: We have magic. Ghosts seem magic. Why not talk to ghosts with magic? Is that possible?

Vestri: Dwarves come from the stone and we return to the stone, but other creatures can leave behind spirits, as far as I know.

O’Later gives a signal and Bork slams the doors of the warehouse.  Shadows drop from the ceiling on Yuri and Vestri!

Shadow Death From Above: appear and kidnap Yuri

Shadow Death From Above: appear and kidnap Vestri

Yuri I Need To Know: Speak Softly no matter the situation

Yuri Speak Softly 10+

• Tell me about the Remnant?
  • O’Later hates the Remnant, servants of his eternal enemies. He thought they were all wiped out, and had seen to many of them himself. He won’t let Yuri take thier artifact and continue their work.
  • Yuri: I have no intention of continuing any work. I would like to get home. I apologize for what the Remnants did. i am not Remnant.
• What does O’Later want and how can I help him get it without dying?
  • He hates Dragons and all their allies and wants them all wiped out.
  • Yuri: Obviously there are stil some remnants of the Remnants. What if I am your spy and get all the information about the Remnants, and then boing bing bang boom! You can get them off your plane of existence.
• What is O’Later going to do next?
  • GM note: How much will O’Later belive Yuri’s implausible but completely-true story? Edna could cause trouble. On a player level, what do you think about Edna starting a fight? Players: “Do whatever you’re going to do. Whatever’s true to her character, do it. The the thing! We’re always here to cause chaos.” I’m so used to being a GM and being careful not to force the players’ hands, because I have unlimited power and can take unilateral action. But now I’m also a player, and expressing my character through the mechanics available is something I’m allowed to do. I don’t need to ask permission!
    
  • O’Later’s plans evaporate when Edna gets involved!

Edna: This is how you treat guests? How dare you? Get off of them!

Edna grabs the Shadow menacing Yuri and throws him!

Edna Toss Aside 6- tossee’s choice

Edna tries to throw him into the wall on the far side of the warehouse. In mid-air, the Shadow uses his dual daggers in icepick grip to catch the row of boxes Edna threw him past and slow down safely. O’Later tranforms! He’s a Vampire Lord!

• O’Later is Melee and Piercing, and he heals whenever he deals damage to a Blood stat. Sunlight and holy symbols deal damage to him.
  • Blood Frenzy: Your weakness is a vampire’s power. When your Blood is damaged, you are in Despair against O’Later.
  • Lord of the Night: Beasts and monsters will do as O’Later tells them to. Beast and Scourge threats cannot harm O’Later, and they always follow O’Later’s orders to the letter. O’Later can drink the blood of any Beast to heal. This kills the Beast.
  • Sunburns: When this stat has been damaged by sunlight or holy symbols, O’Later is filled with Despair and must try to flee the scene.
  • Threat To The World: Anyone acting against him must Pay A Price.
• Bork: This massive creature is smarter than she looks and eager to prove her worth.
  • Big And Scary: Anyone trying to act against Bork is in Despair.
  • Caught One!: When Bork deals damage, she also picks up and grabs the person she damaged. If she is not stopped, she’ll walk off with them.
  • Eager To Please: Bork is trying her best and just wants to be loved. Anyone who is nice to Bork immediately forms a Bond with her. When Bork is harmed, erase all Bonds the fellowship has with her. Bork will not join the fellowship as a Companion unless someone can form three Bonds with her.

Vestri Clear The Path 7-9

Vestri uses his low center of gravity and superior density to force his way out of the Shadow’s grip. He knocks the Shadow aside and charages forward, smashing into a stack of crates, which collapses on top of him.

Vestri damages Wisdom

Yuri has a path to escape, but he wants to talk to O’Later and get more information. He runs while calling back

Yuri Speak Softly 7-9 three questions, one unhelpful answer

• What can O’Later tell me about vampirism?
  • O’Later: You will join the winning team. you will not die, in fact, you will live forever!
  • Yuri: Well, in sunlight I might die.
  • Vestri: Who wants to live forever?
  • Yuri: I could learn a lot of medicine and be with Lucy for a long time. How long do Devils live?
• What is O’Later’s boss doing, and what will they do next?
  • O’Later refuses to answer.
• If Yuri agrees to become a Vampire, can he trust O’Later not to kill him?
  • O’Later is fine with turning Yuri, since that would prevent him from helping his enemies. As a Thrall, Yuri would not be able to harm other Vampires.
  • GM note: I have ideas for a Vampire Destiny Playbook. Players could not embrace Vampirism, because all player have the agenda “Improve the world around you” and becoming an evil monster violates that. So they would start as a Thral and could advance to be cured, or to become a Daywalker. If Yuri gets bitten, I’ll have to write that up before next session.

Yuri: This is an interesting propostion. I’d like to mull this over. I don’t want to be evil. Do I have to be evil? Do you guys know that you’re evil? I don’t know the morality of this plan. You don’t have to eat people. You could start a blood bank. You don’t have to eat the people you rule from that shadows. Politics is like that anyways. Blood-sucking politicians.

Edna grabs O’Later and throws him into the warehouse doors.

Edna Pay A Price to act against Threat To The World

Enda Uncontrollable Strength: can always Pay A Price by causing collateral damage

Edna Toss Aside 6- tossee’s choice

Bork is in the way and O’Later strikes her instead of the doors!

Bork damages Eager To Please

Bork erases all Bonds with Edna

Vestri: What are you doing Yuri, we have to get out! Vampires and Dragons are mortal enemies because they’re both far to strong for any of us little folk to deal with.

Yuri: Dragons are dead and this vampire man could make us into Vampires…

Vestri: I don’t want to be a Vampire! Dwarves are made of stone and we return to the stone. I don’t want any of this living forever.

In all the confusion, the Shadow that Edna Tossed Aside slipped away and now drops down on Yuri!

Shadow Death From Above: appear and damages Yuri’s Grace

Vestri jumps on the Shadow to bowl him over, but fails.

Vestri Keep Them Busy 6-

Shadow damages Vestri’s Grace.

Meanwhile in the main aisle, the two Ogres clash. Edna still has some goodwill for Bork that she doesn’t have for her employer.

Edna Overcome 7-9 Pay a Price for permanent solution.

GM note: The warehouse is full of valuable items, so technically Edna could keep chooseing collateral damage, but the player characters don’t care about any of those items, so breaking them is not an interesting penalty. I need to choose something else.

Edna damages Armor

Edna shrugs off Bork’s blows and steps past her to engage O’Later. O’Later’s not scared, since Edna’s failed a bunch of moves.

The Shadow points one dagger at Yuri and the other at Vestri. Yuri lunges in to disarm him.

Yuri Overcome 10+

Yuri I Know Something You Don’t: gain an Advantage when overcoming an enemy’s attack

Yuri Finish Them( +Sense, knock out. +hope, Vestri’s aid) 10+

The Shadow is surprised that his dagger is no longer in his hand, and is unprepared for being pummeled unconscious by Yuri and Vestri. Vestri immediately turns and charges the other Shadow.

Vestri Keep Them Busy 10+

Vestri tangles up the Shadow’s legs and he collapses.

Yuri Finish Them (+Sense, knock out)

Yuri Fool Me Once: reroll Finish Them 7-9

Yuri damages Shadow’s Patience

Yuri strikes a blow, but the Shadow is back on his feet, still able to fight.

Meanwhile, Edna faces a Threat To The World by herself. She doesn’t respect O’Later as a threat, so she just grabs him.

Edna Toss Aside O’Later 10+ smash something and take damage

Edna damages O’Later’s Lord Of The Night

Edna throws O’Later through the wall of the warehouse near Yuri and Vestri so they can escape.

Port Fennrick Show Some Respect: increase Response Level for causing collateral damage

Port Fennrick Show Some Respect: increase Response Level for insulting the person in charge

O’Later Big Fish: Increase Response Level for angering the Boss

Port Fennrick gains Show of Force: Boss gains one free Hard Cut

Port Fennrick gains Famine: Pay A Price to Fill Your Belly

Port Fennrick gains Guardian: activate a Machine Threat

The crates Edna knocked over earlier scattered various items around the floor. One of those items is moving on its own!

• Hidden Turret: A gun disguised as a prop of some kind, like a potted plant or a lamp post. It walks around on hidden tripod legs when no one is looking.
  • Ordinary Object: This threat is Secret while it remains immobile.
  • Open Fire: The hidden turret is a Ranged weapon.

A bubble blower uses compressed air and a series of hoops that dip into soap solution, but it clicks over to a different resrvoir and the little hoops now scoop up bullets and drop them into the tube of compressed air! The pressure increases and it starts firing at Yuri!

Vestri charges through the hole in the wall, knocking O’Later aside!

Vestri Pays a Price to act against a Threat To The World: damage Blood

Vestri Clear The Path 10+

Yuri remembers watching Jackie Chan movies and times a dive roll by listening to sound of the bubble blowerbuilding pressure to lethal levels before firing.

Yuri Overcome 10+

He gets around the corner and has a clear path to the hole in the wall.

Edna also runs for the exit

Edna Get Away 7-9 avoid harm.

Edna, Yuri, and Vestri all flee through the hole in the wall before O’Later can recover and stop them. Next time we’ll start with a chase scene!

END OF SESSION MOVE

Yes, but it’s late, so we will do it at the start of next session.