Chasing The Sunset & renovations

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 the tower of the wizard Allan A Zham, who recently left Thaumatown to rule itself, and discovered that Allan a Zham is actually dead!

The Fellowship considers the impact to the town from revealing this news. The town seems to be doing OK with their new self-government. Vestri suggests telling the authorities privately.

Edna: Is this a common thing, that y’all find remains that y’all gotta lay to rest? This seems to happen a lot.

Yuri: It does. It does. We have very morbid luck.

Vestri: I think he should be laid to rest, but Humans have very specific rituals. We just put people back in the stone. We should tell someone, specifically the person who takes care of the dead.

They’ve seen all there is to see in the Wizard’s tower, so it’s time to leave. Edna prepares to jump from the balcony into the crowded streets, because she can’t fit in the tower’s stairs.

Edna: Look out below!

Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see

Edna Overcome 10+

The crowd scatters and Enda lands on pavement, not people. A passing businessman barely breaks stride as Enda lands in front of him and scoffs as he passes.

Edna: Oh, you seem unafraid of death, good sir. Are you, perchance, the one who handles the dead in this town?

Businessman: Nah. I work 80 hours a week. I don’t care if I live or die. I have a meeting to get to. Get out of my way.

He walks between Edna’s legs and continues on his way. Vestri slowly takes the stairs, and Yuri prepares to jump down with his newly-learned leaping powers.

Yuri: Can you catch me? I am about to jump down.

Yuri Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see

Edna Overcome 7-9 temporary solution

Edna bobbles the catch and Yuri is bounced around above the crowd!

Yuri: Like Daniel Craig Bond movie with parkour, I will do tucks and rolls!

Yuri Overcome 6-

Yuri fall onto a Spider carrying a package in each of his six arms. The packages are scattered across the street.

  • Ruby, he/him, Spider.  He can connect you to people who have what you need. He can mediate games of chance, auction proceedings, and bargaining tables equally.
    • Third Party: Ruby likes to stay neutral in his dealings, and avoids causing harm to anyone he deals with. He likes to keep things fair. You can always trust a dealer to do whatever hurts everyone else the least.
    • Five Aces: This stat is Secret. The entirety of Third Party is a lie, and Ruby will help whoever gives him the biggest cut. The person with the best offer for Ruby is their Patron. Ruby can cheat once per deal, tilting things either in his favor or in the favor of his current Patron. He has no desire to keep things fair, only to keep the appearance of being fair, and will justify any abnormality by citing the various rules and practices of their dealing.
    • Wall Walker: Ruby can walk across any solid surface with ease, no
      matter the surface’s orientation. He can also spin webs to cross gaps or
      create bridges or build homes.

Yuri damages Ruby’s Wall Walker

Yuri: How are you sir? I am so sorry I am falling from the sky and hitting you.

Ruby scoops up the packages within arm’s reach, and tries to shoot webs to retrieve packages further away, but his spinnerets don’t work.

Ruby: Ah, no. Don’t mess with my packages. Ow! You really messed me up.

Yuri: I am a doctor. I am not 100% on my non-Human anatomy, but I think I can help. Do you mind if I take a look.

Ruby: How much is this going to cost me?

Yuri: I hit you from the sky. I feel bad. I will do it pro bono.

Ruby extends a non-injured hand to shake on the deal. Yuri is interested to learn about Spider anatomy. Yuri chats with Ruby while examines his wounds.

Yuri Speak Softly 10+ ask three questions

  • What can he tell us about his species’ physiology?
    • Spiders have a jointed exoskeleton. Two of their limbs are legs and the rest are arms. They stand upright like humans. An electrical field surrounds them, not strong enough to be harmful to others. It looks like a plasma globe all over his exoskeleton that arcs harmless to Yuri’s hands and tools. It’s a non-visual sense that’s especially good at sensing other Spiders.
  • What should I be wary of when dealing with him?
    • Ruby says all the right things about being a fair dealer, but he’s trying too hard to be seen as trustworthy.
  • How could I help him get healed?
    • Ruby’s exoskeleton will support a lot of weight, but is weak to folding. Breaking an arm is more serious for Spiders than for Humans. Yuri’s medkit will be effective.

Yuri spends Medkit to heal Ruby’s Wall Walker

Yuri: I see that you are a man–or Spider–who has connections, and I have two possible business propositions for you in a very vague way.  Have you seen anything related to this?

Yuri points at Vestri.

Ruby: I’ve seen Dwarves. I see lots of Dwarves.

Vestri reveals his jeweled dagger.

Vestri: Have you seen something exactly–almost exactly like this? Or do you know someone who specializes in such objects?

Ruby: I can’t say I have that in inventory, but I’m very good at finding things. I could go through channels to acquire it for you, but I’d need some money upfront, because this take significant effort to find this very specific item.

Vestri: Hmm, I don’t have coin for that right now, but I could pay for info about someone to talk to, so you don’t have to go through all that work.

Ruby: There’s no one better in town for getting rare items. You see the docks are a mess right now, delays! I can get through all that ineffeciency. What was the other item?

Yuri: This is more vague. No specific item. We were wondering if you have any knowledge or items that have to do with the Remnant?

Ruby: Yes, I do have a Remnant contact. Will any Remnant artifact do?

Yuri: The person that you know who is steeped in Remnant culture. They would be an excellent resource for me.

Ruby: Setting up a meeting for cultural exchange. Yes, very good!

Ruby wants a Precious item to set up the meeting. Yuri wonders if maybe he can do some work that is not illegal as payment.

Edna; Is this important for you, Yuri?

Yuri: This is how I believe I will be getting home, or stop the ending of this world.

Edna takes out her earrings (brooches for Human-sized creatures that she re-purposed) and gives them to Ruby as payment.

Yuri: That is incredible kindness. I feel like i should give you something.

Edna: I do love gifts!

Yuri: I know you like to Protect The Little Ones, and I have a little one. Would you like to have shared custody of Steven with me?

Edna: Wow, shared custody! That’s a big commitment!

Yuri: He is of sound mind and very independent. He just needs cuddles from time to time.

Edna: I am always up for cuddles.

Ruby accepts the jewelry and tells Yuri to meet him at a certain place after dark. Yuri worries that this contact is another Vampire, like O’Later in Port Fennrick. The Fellowship returns the to matter of Allan a Zham’s remains. How does this town deal with the dead? A morgue, Necromancers, a House Of The Dead? They start heading for the Civic Center in the middle of town, when suddenly…

Collateral Damage increases Thaumatown’s Response Level

Thaumatown gains Sheriff: someone will try to arrest a member of the Fellowship

  • Cowboy Sheriff: Lawman specialized in capturing outlaws and gun fighting.
    • Lasso: The cowboy can wield rope in unusual ways. They’re able to grab foes from a short distance away, tying them up to pull off of their mounts, or keeping them still for easy target practice.
    • Quick Draw: The cowboy has a six shooter (Ranged, Piercing, Reload). They always win in a contest of sharpshooting.
    • Rodeo: The cowboy can ride any animal big enough to hold it, and tame it for riding within a minute.

Sheriiff: Halt! Where do you think you’re going? And you, lady! Watch where you’re stepping. I heard somebody calling out about a dead Wizard. Is that you?

Edna: No, sir! I ain’t a dead Wizard. I’m quite alive. I don’t know any magic.

Sheriff: Yelling about dead Wizards could start a panic. We look up to Wizards in this here town. One was guarding us and only just decided we were ready to live on our own. We venerate Wizards around here. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?

Yuri: There’s a dead Wizard in the tower. Of at least a dead body. Maybe dead Wizard’s servant? An acolyte?

Sheriff: You’re coming with me and you’re going to show me!

The Fellowship takes the Sheriff back to the Wizard’s tower. Vestri leads the Sheriff up the stairs while Edna and Yuri jump to the balcony. The Sheriff bursts into tears at the sight of the bones in Allan a Zham’s distinctive robes.

Sheriff: But how? He showed himself to everyone! He told us he was leaving.

Yuri: He is a Wizard. He has magic. Or another Wizard also had magic.

Edna: It seems like you need to make a lot of arrangements to deal with this unfortunate circumstance, so we could just get out of you way, so you can hadle that.

Edna Talk Sense (+Wisdom, +hope from Yuri’s assistance) 7-9 owe a favor

Sheriff: Oh, I owe you an apology for stirring up trouble. You were just trying share the truth with me *sob* I gotta get all the town’s government in on this, Since you’re much faster than I, you gotta make your way to the clock tower and ring it out for all to hear. You gotta ring the bell four times. They’ll know what it means. A ring, a ring, a ring, wait, one, two, three, and then a ring! You got that?

Yuri: Fourth ring on four.

Edna: Ring, ring, ring. One, two, three. Then one, two, three, and then ring.

Sheriff: No you only do “one, two, three” once.

Edna: OK, so you ring one, two, three, and then you ring again.

Sheriff: No, it’s ring, ring, ring, one, two, three, and ring. I hope you got it, because if you do it wrong it’ll mean something totally different!

Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see

Edna leaps to the roof of the Civic Center.

Thaumatown's Clock Tower. A haxagonal tower with a catwalk spiraling up to six clock faces.
Thaumatown’s Clock Tower

She climbs the tower like King Kong and grabs the minute hand on the clock. She moves it back and forth past 12 to make the bell ring. Ring! Ring! Ring! . . . . . . Ring! The new goverment knows the code, but not the general public. Unknown to the Fellowship, Redstone hears this signal, but he’s a ways out of town and will take a while to return. Edna climbs down the tower and dangles her feet off the roof of the Civic Center, waiting for her friends to catch up with her. Once the Fellowship is reuinited, their next task is to meet Ruby’s contact at night.

Ruby meets the Fellowship in a dark alley after dark. Edna stands at the corner and leans in. Ruby appears to be alone.  His Remnant expert is nowhere to be seen. As a passer-by walks past the mouth of the alley, the shadow in the alley reaches out and engulfs them! The shadow-covered figure stops, jerks around, and walks shakily over to the Fellowship.

  • Lingering Shadow: A place where darkness rests, no matter how bright the light around it may become. Exposing the lingering shadow to bright intense light or fire destroys it, removing this threat.
    • Shadow Trap: This threat is Secret. When someone enters the shadow or steps too close to it, they are pulled in, then damage this stat.
    • Armor of Darkness: Anyone pulled into the shadows becomes engulfed by them. When they step out, the darkness is controlling them, acting as both armor and puppeteer. They become a Shadow Warrior until the armor is removed from them.

Shadow: Whaaaat is your business with the Remnant?

Yuri: Do you know Remnant language. If it was written down, would you be able to read it?

The Shadow nods and says a few incomprehensible words as evidence.

Shadow: Of course I speak the old tongue.

Yuri offers the Shadow the book he found in Allan A Zham’s study. Edna squints and wonders if her servant Viktor should fetch a lantern to make reading easier. The Shadow hisses in displeasure.

Yuri:  You are an actual Remnant! How? Not to be distracting from my own point, but I am so intrigued by your physiology! You used to be a person and are now a living shadow. How did that come to be?

Shadow: Thissss one makes mmmany demands.

Yuri: I don’t mean to be offensive. Feel free to ignore my words. You seem very nice.

Shadow is pleased to find someone interested in Remnants, since they are mostly forgotten. The book contains recipes of various remedies, but mostly for Dragons, not Humans.

Yuri: What if your culture could be celebrated again?

Shadow: Pleasing, but unnnnlikely.

Yuri: There is a cataclysm that is going to happen–I am sure of it–I’ve seen visions from a magical item. Your people are speaking to me through this sword. I believe that the Remnants, through me and the sword and this book, can end the cataclysm and so bring back the world’s knowledge of your culture.

Shadow: I would do thisssssss, but I am restricted to the sssshadows. I cannot leave this town or trrrravel in daylight.

Yuri wonders about how to transport the Shadow. In a light-proof box? Can the Shadow shrink to any size? Does it need a body to interact with the world? There is the dead Wizard up in the tower.

Ruby: I could get you a high-quality light-proof box so you can transport Shadow in the sunlight. No leaks, guaranteed! It will cost you.

Yuri: I have excellent knowledge–intel if you will–on several hoards of very expensive and uncommon items.

Knowledge and uncommon items are Ruby’s favorite things! Ruby accepts the trade. Yuri draws a map of the contraband warehouse in Port Fennrick. Ruby scuttles over the roof and returns a few minutes later with the box. The Shadow flows from the person into the box.

Passer-by: That is the worst thing that has ever happened to me!

Yuri forms a Bond with Heath.

He flees.  The Shadow, whose name is Heath, remembers a library inside a volcano to the south that could have more information about Yuri’s quest. Two volcanoes are visible from Thaumatown, just across the river. Edna offers to throw everyone across the river.

Vestri: I’ll agree to be thrown only if Gurtin is carried!

Yuri Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see

Edna Toss Aside Ol’ Jardinier, Viktor, Vestri, and Hundrin

GM note: the consequences for “Toss Aside” on a 6- are: the thrown person can decide where and how to land. If Edna throws a friend, she and they agree on where and how to land, so I don’t see any bad outcomes from throwing a friend. Edna’s player didn’t even roll.

Edna Uncontrollable Strength: life Gurtin the Drill Tank

Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see

There are two volcanoes here. The eastern one smokes, and the western one does not.  On the plain between them, a ramp leads down into the earth. There’s a sign over the entrance that says “COME TO SWALLET AND” but the bottom half has been broken off. Yuri doesn’t think the Hidden Library would be in a city. He looks for roads, but there are none. There’s not even a road leading from the underground ramp. It reaches the surface and just stops.

Yuri: Do you, sir, have any idea which of the volcanoes has the library?

Heath: Nnnever been there myself. Nnnnever heard of Swallet.

Yuri: OK, thanks. Are you comfortable in there?

Heath: Darkness comforts me.

Yuri:  Very nice. Do you require treats?

Heath: I no longer eat … or breathe … or sleeeeep.

Yuri: I will find something to put in your box that is also dark and slightly malicious in nature.

The Fellowship heads down into Swallet to ask for directions. The ramp is plenty big enough to accomodate Edna.

A map of the Goblin city of Swallet. The city is at the bottom of an underground carvern. On the eastern wall, a waterfall falls into lake with a park around it. In the middle of town, a big ramp leads down from the surface to a building at the south edge of town, with big signs advertising Fafnir's Fight Club and urging all comers to challenge the dragon. At the west wall of the cavern is a large building with lots of pipes coming out of it. Some kind of industrial facility.
A map of Swallet

Swallet is a bustling steampunk city built in an underground chamber. The ground the Fellowship was walking on is an artifical ceiling. The inhabitants here are mostly Goblins. The building at the bottom of the ramp is a burned-out shell.  The strange group of outsiders immediately draw attention.

Goblin:  There’s nothing for you fighters here. Fight Club is over, Just go away.

Yuri: Not interested in fighting. Interested in libraries. Is this where the library is?

Goblin: You should leave. We’ve had enough of outsiders coming in and trying to fix things. There was a fire. Trash service was down for weeks. A Dragon beat up City Hall.

Yuri: Dragon?

Goblin: She’s gone, thankfully. Most of the other troublesome outsiders are too.

Yuri: I’m very interested in Dragons. Did they leave any artifacts? Think of us as a Dragon clean-up crew.

Goblin: Oh, no! None of that! We’ve had people devoted to Dragons before! Look what happened. *points at burned building*

Yuri: We are not devoted to Dragons, just to cleaning. Oh, that’s not realistic. What did this Dragon look like?

Heath was, in fact, devoted to serving Dragons before his untimely death, so there’s a displeased rattling from his box.

Goblin: I didn’t see it myself, but my buddy saw it. He says it was 40 feet long, metal scales, big spikes. Very scary.

Yuri: Maybe it was a machine?

Goblin: We Goblins know machines. It was not a machine!

Yuri wonders how to get to the other volcano, since the library is not here. He remembers Gurtin, a Drill Tank specialized in digging through rock and earth.

Yuri: Do you mind if we dig–no structural damage–just bore a hole straight…

Goblin: Troublemaking outsiders! I’d better get Nub-Nub!

She runs off, with the Fellowship half-heartedly following trying to be friendly. They let her go, then wonder if they should even be in this town. Maybe they should climb the volcanoes. Why doesn’t anyone remember the library? Edna is disappointed that she missed Fight Club.

  • Nub-Nub, she/her Goblin wearing a Powersuit: This mechanized suit is more  vehicle than armor. Anyone wearing it is significantly more dangerous than they would otherwise be.
    • Powered Movement: The powersuit has rocket-powered boosters, and can leap to anywhere its wearer can see.
    • Rocket Fist: The powersuit is Melee, Ranged, and Piercing.
    • Heavy Armor: The first time the powersuit or the person wearing it would
      be damaged or destroyed, damage this stat instead.
    • Threat to the World

Nub-Nub leaps over a building and lands next to the Fellowship. Her seven-foot-tall Powersuit lets her tower over Goblins and most of the Fellowship.

Nub-Nub: Halt, outsiders! We’ve had enough disruption to our town. You should leave!

Vestri: I’m very good at fixing structural damage, ma’am!

Nub-Nub: No way! The last adventurous outsiders who promised to keep the town safe set half of it on fire. Anything you do on the surface, I don’t care. Just get out.

Yuri: Did you make that power armor?

Nub-Nub: Yes, do you want a demonstration?

Edna: If you try to hurt him, I’ll pry you out of that tin can and show you what hurting people means.

Insulting Someone In Charge raises Swallets Response Level

Edna Talk Sense (+Wisdom, emotions) 7-9 owe Nub-Nub a favor

Nub-Nub is willing to not attack Yuri if the Fellowship leaves immediately, which is agreeable. Edna walks up the ramp backwards, staring at Nub-Nub.

Back on the surface, the Fellowship discusses which volcano to drill through, and where, and what earth-moving equipment and skills they have. Edna suggests going to the top and looking down the big hole in each mountain to see what’s inside. The Goblins didn’t say which mountain their secret town was under.

Vestri: Let’s go the one that’s smoking the least.

Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see

Edna leaps to the rim of the eastern volcano and looks around.

Edna Look Closely 6- one question, find out the hard way

Edna damages Sense

Edna teeters on the edge of the caldera,then falls in! A few seconds later, the rest of the Fellowship, thousands of feet down the slope, hear a loud, low-frequency ringing, like the biggest gong in the world. Yuri jumps up to investigate

Vestri: Wait, don’t leave– Well, Hundrin, they’re gone agian.

Yuri Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see

Yuri looks down inside the caldera. The walls drop almost vertically quite a ways, but there’s a plug at the bottom. Edna fell on that, not into magma.

Edna: There’s a perfectly spherical ceramic shell down here. It’s not rock. Also there are stairs. Maybe I should have taken the stairs.

Indeed, two spiral staircases twist down opposite sides of the caldera. One staircase is broken near the top, requiring a scary jump, but the other is intact.  There’s a chunk missing from the rim of the caldera as well. Yuri motions to Vestri, then walks down the intact staircase. The ceramic shell is covered by a layer of debris that fell over the years. Edna’s impact knocked the debris aside, revealing the smooth white shell, but elsewhere, a casual glance might not notice the regular shape under the pebbles and scrubby plants.

Yuri Look Closely 10+ ask three questions

  • Is something hidden or out of place?
    • There’s a crack in the ceramic shell (not where Edna fell) big enough for a human to slip through. It’s definitely too small for Edna. There’s a faint glow inside the crack.
  • Tell me about the architecture inside the caldera. How could it hurt or help me?
    • The shell is the result of a powerful magic spell. It wasn’t built or carved, like the two staircases, it was conjured into existence.
  • Tell me about the crack. How could it hurt or help me?
    • The library is inside the shell, and the crack is how to access it. Yuri approaches the crack and hears a ghostly voice: “Dooooo not reshelve boooooks!”

Yuri considers ways to enlarge the hole so Edna can fit into the library, but Edna wants to make a good impression by not opening with property damage. Yuri will go inside and see what’s up, while Edna waits at the rim for the Dwarves.

Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see

Yuri slips through the crack and finds an unpleasant and creepy library.  Rows of shelves hold hundreds of books. Books are piled up in some areas. There are tables for reading, and everything is lit by unnatrual blue torches. A large desk in the back is clearly the librarian’s desk, and at the desk hovers the ghostly librarian! She’s a classic sheet ghost, with glasses floating in front of the eye holes.

Librarian: Welcome to the Library. Do you have a library card?

Yuri: Does it cost anything to sign up? I am a recent resident.

Since it’s dark inside, Yuri opens the box and releases Heath.

Librarian: Ah, Lingering Shadows. We have several specimens in the back. Do you wish to add to our collection of knowledge of creatures of darkness?

The Librarian actually hasn’t issued any library cards in a long time. She floats into the back section, past a sign that says “STAFF ONLY”. Papers and booklets hover around her and she tries to figure out what to do with Yuri.

Librarian: The Library’s reopening was recent and unexpected. The bylaws have not been updated. It’s says here you must demonstrate fealty to the ruler of the Forgotten Lands to get a library card.

Yuri: The Forgotten Lands, those are of the Remnant?

The Librarian is unfamiliar with the term “Remnant”. The Forgotten Lands are across the sea.  Their plan to remove themselves from the entanglements of the wider world must have been successful, since they are unknown.

Yuri: I am a champion of all lands because there is a cataclysm and I am going to stop it. I am championing not-death for everyone, including the Forgotten Lands.

Librarian: The last Champion who came here tried to take the knowledge of this Library to become a cataclysm.

Yuri: I would like to leave everyone alive, and also go home, so I have no reason to cataclysm.

Librarian: Life and home: two desires no longer available to me.

Anyone can use the reference section under the supervision of a librarian, so Yuri picks out a table and the Librarian collects some books.

Outside, Vestri and the Companions walk up the mountain to join Edna at the rim.  Vestri and Enda look around, perhaps for another entrance.

Vestri Look Closely (+hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+ ask three questions

  • What is hidden or out of place?
    • There is no second entrance.  The shell is a sphere that completely encloses the library.
  • What will happen if Gurtin tries to drill through the ceramic shell?
    • Dwarf-made items are almost unbreakable. A Dwarf-made item did make the initial crack, so Gurtin could slowly drill through the ceramic shell.
  • What do my senses tell me?
    • There’s evidence of an old, overgrown war-camp. There’s a graveyard with forty spearpoints stuck into the ground in rows, and a chunk of volcanic rock with the word “CRUSHER” carved into it.

Edna: Another Crusher, a few generations back, went out to prove himself.  He would sign up for any fight that he could find. The family lost touch with him. I think this is where he died.

Edna sits down and stares at the grave marker of a family member that he never knew. Vestri sits beside her in silence. Steven the housecat curls up in Edna’s lap.

Edna forms a Bond: Vestri mourned with me

Vestri forms a Bond: Edna was vulnerable before me.

Vestri sits in silence with Edna for a while, but his brain starts working on the engineering problem before him. He waits until the mood feels a little less heavy before speaking.

Vestri:  I think I can make a crack that we can all fit in. It will take a while.

Edna: I appreciate you thinking of me, but you should get permission from the librarians. It’s their place, not ours.

Vestri walks down the stairs to talk to the Librarian.

Inside the library, Yuri wants to finagle a library card, so he can trade it for something else later. Heath assists Yuri with his research, asking the right questions that lead the Librarian to relevant books.

Heath damages Armor of Darkness

Yuri Look Closely (+hope, Heath’s assistance) 10+ ask three questions

  • What can they tell us about the location of the door to which Yuri’s sword and scabbard are the key?
    • It is north past the Singing Hills.
  • What can they tell us about Remnant magic?
    • The Remnant had no need for magic that Dragons were good at.  Dragons are very direct, so the Remnant used subtle support magic. Their schools were Divination (seeing things), Abjuration (protection), and Enchantment (subtlely affecting other people)
  • What can they tell us about Redrock daggers?
    • Nothing about daggers specifically, but Redrock did help construct the underground tunnels in the area. (There’s an underground tunnel on the east wall of Swallet. A waterfall empties from that tunnel into a park.)

Heath compliments the Librarian on the powerful Abjuration that created the ceramic shell around the library. The Librarian didn’t personally cast the spell, and leads Heath and Yuri to the display dedicated to the attack on the library that required the creation of the shell.  A memorial to the Legends of the Past! Two heroes fought an entire army trying to come down and seize the library’s knowledge for an evil warlord. Snort Goldfarb, a Goblin in a mighty Powersuit, and Gwideon Greenhanded, the blind Wizard riding a magical horse, saved the day by delaying the army long enough for the magicians within to complete the powerful spell of protection.

GM note: The history of the library was established by a one-shot game I played with some friends. Snort Goldfarb and Gwideon Greenhanded are player characters.

Vestri: Hello, are you in charge of this place? You seem like it. I was just wondering, how would you feel about enlarging the crack?

Librarian: It is time to share this library’s knowledge with the world again, and most people won’t crawl through a crack for it. A larger entrance would be good.

Vestri: Hundrin will take Gurtin and start immediately. While I’m here, I was wondering if you have any books about Redrock daggers that look like this?

The Librarian pushes a couple of books that are already on Yuri’s table towards Vestri, because Yuri already asked this question. Hundrin and the Librarian co-ordinate for the best place and size for an entrance to the library.

Yuri: I hate to keep harping on this, but since we made an entrance for the library, does that show that we care enough about the library and the Forgotten Lands to get a library card?

The Librarian is convinced and issues Yuri a library card.

END OF SESSION MOVE

  • Did we thoroughly explore a new location? YES, Hidden Library
  • Did anyone find what they are looking for? YES, progress on Yuri’s quest
  • Did we learn something new about the world and its people? YES, the Remnant

Three boons:

  • Level up:
    • Vestri
    • Edna: learn Yuri’s “I know something you don’t” move.
      • Yuri: I learned this from a therapist. Is very much paying attention to non-verbal cues of the person you are dealing with, so you can tell exactly what their next move is. It never fails.
      • Edna: These therapists must be powerful and wise fighters!
      • Yuri: They are wise and powerful in their own way, but very non-confrontational if you get a good one.
      • Edna: Yes, I have found wandering sages, rumored to be legendary fighters, but they refused to fight me. Weirdly frustrating.
  • Heal
  • Restore Gear
    • Edna opens her jewelry case and puts on new Precious items
    • Polish Gurtin, sharpen drill-bits, and so on.
    • Yuri’s gear is irreplacable, but his Medkit was spent, not lost, so he can restore its use.