Posted on by Cliff

Chasing the Sunset & Four Elements

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 Remnant Dungeon related to Yuri’s magical sword, and found an item that will allow them to unlock more doors.

Yuri picks up the light left behind when the Abyssal beast exploded and wonders what to call it. It’s clearly a lantern, but Lanterns are a species of people in this world. Reverse Lantern? No, it emits as well as absorbs it. Polarity Lamp? Toggluminator? Yes, Toggluminator! The Fellowship returns to the bar and the surviving Remnants shrink from the Toggluminator. Shadows aren’t affected by normal weapons, but the Toggluminator can make them vulnerable. Also, the bright flash of the Abyssal Beast’s death just killed half the Remnants in the room. Yuri reads the room and puts the Toggluminator in his bag.

Remnants: We already died once. We won’t do it again!

Yuri: No need to fear. I mean you no harm. Feel free to leave.

The Remnants slink away into the trapped room to the east. Yuri uses the Toggluminator to unlock the door to the west, behind the bar.

  • A monster is defending something here. What are they protecting? A magical amulet that reacts to Yuri’s sword. It’s important to the quest.

The door opens to a storeroom shaped like a spiral. It has the small footprint of a multi-storey storage room, but heavy packages can be pushed up or down the sloped floor to any point in the room, no hoists or elevators required. The ceiling is 15 feet high, generous for the Human-sized Remnants, but just a bit to small for Edna. More urgently, a hundred Kobold Pokers have arrayed themselves against the door several ranks deep. It’s like they knew someone was coming! Behind them is a Kobold wearing a fancy amulet. He’s obviously in charge, and the amulet reacts to Yuri’s sword.

  • Gang of Kobold Pokers: These Kobold warriors hide behind shields and poke their enemies with a well-used spear.
    • Gang: This enemy can act against everyone at once. When this enemy is destroyed, this stat is damaged, or this is their only stat left, replace the Gang with two Groups of this enemy. This stat can only be damaged by Area, Dangerous, or Giant attacks.
    • Use the Pointy Bit: The Poker’s attacks are Piercing.
    • Big Shield: When an ally would be damaged while the Poker is near them, damage this stat instead.
  • Kobold Lord: he/him This kobold wears the amulet, making them the boss.
    • Amulet: Whoever has the Kobold Lord’s amulet is the current Kobold Lord. All kobolds obey the Kobold Lord so long as he wears the amulet. If this stat is damaged, the Kobold Lord loses the amulet and becomes a different type of  kobold. If another kobold picks up the hat, replace their stats with these ones.
    • Scamper Away: When the Kobold Lord becomes damaged, he runs away.

Yuri: Always enjoy a welcome party. I am owner of amulet. Ca nwe trade for it? I promise to return it when we’re done.

Vestri: Do you intend to keep that promise?

Yuri: Da, why not?

Kobold Lord: This intruder intends to overthrow our eternal society!

The Kobolds have been locked in the storage room for a very long time, and it’s all that they remember. As far as they know, they have always lived like this.

Yuri: No, no need to overthrow. It’s just that my sword reacts to your amulet.

Kobold Lord: You’ve got it backwards. The sword reacts to the amulet, so the sword must belong to us!

Yuri: Hmmm, convincing. What is use of amulet?

Kobold Lord: It’s my badge of office. Proof of my right to rule! What could be more useful that that which binds our eternal society?

Yuri: Provisions. We can reach the top shelves for you, or release you from this room.

A murmur runs through the ranks of the Kobold. They’re short, and don’t have ladders to reach the top shelves, so those shelves have remained full and untouched.

Kobolds: The top shelves? Their contents are legendary! Philosophers have long debated what is in those untouchable cans. Leave the spiral? Is there even anything outside? Those strangers must have come from somewhere.

Vestri: You’re going to run out of food eventually.

Kobold Lord: We’ve had food for all of history.

Vestri: How long is that?

Kobold Lord: The spiral is eternal!

Vestri: I’m from a world outside your spiral, and Yuri here is literally from another world besides that one.

Shocking revelations! One bold Kobold breaks ranks and approaches the Fellowship.

  • Tin-Tin III: Kobold he/him

Tin-Tin III: I want to go outside!

Kobold Lord: Seize that traitor!

The ranks of Kobold Pokers advance on Tin-Tin III. Edna reaches down and picks him up, far out of the reach of their tiny spears.

Edna Overcome 10+

Kobold Slingers emerge from thier hiding places in the shelves and fire a hail of tiny pellets at Edna.

  • Group of Kobold Slingers: These kobolds are well-practiced with their powerful slingshots, firing rocks at their enemies from afar and then running away immediately.
    • Group: This enemy can act against two people at once. When this enemy is destroyed, this stat is damaged, or this is their only stat left, replace the Group
      with two normal enemies.
    • Rock to the Head: When they fire at an enemy who does not know they are there, the Slingers can damage this stat to deal damage as a Hard Cut.
    • Scamper Away: When the Slingers becomes damaged, they run away.

Group of Kobold Slingers Rock to the Head + Group: Damage Edna & Tin-Tin III

Edna Wobbles: Normal Weapons can’t hurt you

Edna Protect The Little Ones: When an ally within your reach would Overcome incoming harm, they may choose to have you take that harm instead of rolling.

Edna puts her other hand over Tin-Tin to protect him, and flinches from the bullets like one might flinch walking out into heavy rain.

GM note: Since the Kobold Slingers were dealing damage as a Hard Cut, Tin-Tin III didn’t have a chance to Overcome, so Protect The Little Ones should not have triggered.

Group of Kobold Slingers Scamper Away: When the Slingers becomes damaged, they run away.

The Slingers see their attacks fail and retreat, having accomplished nothing. Since Edna has Tin-Tin III up so high all ready, she puts him on a top shelf. Tin-Tin’s spear point is a can opener, so he opens a can that no other Kobold has ever touched!

Tin-Tin III: It’s green beans! Green beans, just like on the lower shelves!

The Kobold Pokers are thrown into chaos! Long-held beliefs are confirmed and overthrown in an instant. Endless debates resolved just like that! Tin-Tin III pushes cans down and Kobolds swarm towards them. In the confusion, Yuri walks up and grabs the amulet from around the Kobold Lord’s neck!

Yuri Get Away 6-

Yuri Fool Me Once: re-roll 1 die 7-9 avoid harm

Some loyal Kobold Pokers notice Yuri’s theft and move to encircle him.

Yuri Overcome 10+

Yuri baseball slides past them and between Edna’s legs. Edna puts her heels together, blocking pursuit. Edna has been filling her pockets with canned food from the top shelf.

Edna and Vestri restore all Food in their Gear

Now it seems like time to leave. To give the Kobolds permanent access to the upper shelves that seem so exciting to the little folk, she breaks shelves to form a ramp.

Edna Uncontrollable Strength: uncontrolled actions cause collateral damage

Edna damages Tin-Tin III

The cans on the shelf/ramp slide and roll down into the crowd. The Fellowship retreat from the chaos, but leave the door open in case any Kobold wish to explore.

Vestri: Maybe some of them will explore the wider world, or at least the bar.

Yuri: They’ll be scared of the Remnants.

Vestri: They won’t be able to get down the cliff face at the entrance, so they’re still stuck in here.

Edna: What strange people!

Vestri: That’s the Eternal Spiral.

Yuri: The Eternal Pantry.

The Fellowship returns to the circular trap corridor and Yuri unlocks the north door with the Toggluminator.

  • What cool centerpiece makes up the majority of this room? A large statue in a pool.

The statue is a bit taller than Edna. The statue holds an orb aloft in one hand. Surrounding the statue is a pool of water, fed by a waterfall. It must drain to somewhere, because the pool does not overflow.  The statue is covered in glowing fungus.

Edna: Oh, this could be a life-size statue of an Ogre. but it might also be a monumental statue of a Human.

Edna Look Closely 6- ask 1 question& find out the hard way

  • Tell me about the statue. how could it hurt or help me?
    • The orb in the statue’s outstretched hand must be important. Fungus doesn’t grow on it. Edna moves in to examine the statue and slips as she enters the pool. She falls against the statue and the fungus releases a puff of spores. They are an inhaled poison!

Edna damages Grace

Edna takes a breath, chokes, holds her nose, and tries to Mighty Leap away, but can’t get good footing on the slick underwater surface. She falls back and scrambles out of the pool.

Edna: Don’t go! *cough, cough* It’s bad!

Yuri: Do you need medical attention?

Edna: I’m OK. Just don’t breathe that stuff.

Vestri wraps a handkerchief around his face. It’s not a particularly clean cloth.

Edna: I think the statue holds something important. Yuri, does your sword react to it?

Yuri Look Closely 10+ ask 3 questions

  • Tell me about the orb. How can it hurt or help me?
    • It will help solve the puzzle to access the boss, but there’s a risk of magical discharge if the orb is used improperly.
  • What will happen if I put the sword close?
    • The orb glows with caustic patterns, like light reflected from water.
  • What is hidden or out of place?
    • At the base of the statue, almost covered by fungus, is a small recess that might hold something.

Vestri: Edna, can you hold me up to grab the orb?

Vestri Overcome (+hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+

Of course she can. Vestri holds his breath, grabs the orb, and Edna pulls him out of the cloud of spores with no ill effects

Vestri: Here’s another glowing item to help you see in the dark.

Vestri gives the orb to Yuri and Yuri ponders the three magic items he has collected so far. The amulet from the Kobolds is a block of metal, twisted to match the Eternal Spiral. The orb is the size of a basketball, smooth like glass, with a faint aquamarine glow. It can purify water that it touches. Yuri’s sword has a flaming blade and gives him mysterious visions.

Yuri Look Closely 6- ask 1 question& find out the hard way

  • What will happen if I put these items together?
    • The orb is dim, and Yuri brings his flaming sword close to get a better look. The items touch, there’s a magical discharge, and the sword becomes searing hot to the touch!
  • Fake Firewall: The fire is an illusion. The heat and pain are not real. Only the  brave or reckless may pass.
    • This threat is Secret.
    • False Heat: Anyone who gets close to the fire feels its intense heat. Even those who are normally immune to flames will find it uncomfortably hot, and even painful to touch (this is a hint that it is not real flame). This pain is not real, but only those with Hope can muster the strength to pass through.
    • Disbelief: If someone becomes convinced that the flames are fake, they may attempt to Overcome the fire and walk through it anyway. But the pain is immense, and they will roll with Despair. Once someone makes it through by this method, damage this stat.

Yuri drops the sword, and thinks about pushing it into the water, or splashing it somehow. He can’t bear to touch the sword directly.

Yuri: Maybe I could use Vestri’s dagger.

Vestri: My what? Absolutely not!

Yuri: Can you speak to the earth to make a little ramp?

Vestri Speak Softly 10+ ask 3 questions

  • What can you tell us about this chamber?
    • It was carved by Dragons’ claws.
  • What should be be wary of when dealing with this chamber?
    • The source of the fungus is behind the wall, in whatever recycles the water.
  • Please make a ramp so the sword will slide into the water.
    • Will do.

The sword slides down the ramp into the water, but the water doesn’t hiss and no steam rises the the sword.

Yuri: Maybe if I touch them together again.

He wades into the water holding the orb. When the orb touches the impure water, it reacts. The orb purifies water by heating it to 170 degrees, which kills most harmful microorganisms. The water around Yuri becomes uncomfortably hot!

Yuri Overcome 10+

Yuri scrambles out of the water before it scalds him. The orb heats and purifies the water, which drains and goes past the source of the corruption somewhere in the walls, then comes out in the waterfall again. Eventually all the water is pure, and Yuri can try again to grab his sword. Edna holds onto Yuri and yanks him out of the hot water as soon as he grabs the sword

Magic Sword False Heat: Hope is required to grab the sword

Yuri + Edna The Bonds That Bind Us: When two people with bonds with each other work together, they have Hope

Yuri Overcome (+Hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+

When Yuri grabs the sword, he realizes that the burning heat is only an illusion. Now he can handle it normally. He replaces it in its scabbard.

Vestri: Now, what have we learned about banging two magical items together?

The fungus at the base of the statue is now dead, thanks to the purified water, so the hidden recess may be accessible.

Yuri: I don’t want to mess with fungi. Is not fun for this guy.

Vestri: If only we had a way to put a lot of water on the statue.

The Fellowship backtracks to the bar, which is sure to have some way of carrying liquids, like mugs or barrels.  The few Remnants that they see retreat before them.  A few brave Kobolds are exploring the bar, led by Tin-Tin III. He wears a corkscrew around his neck to imitate the amulet that Yuri took. A Kobold finds a package of salted peanuts, which she’s never had before, and almost chokes on the strong flavor.  Edna waves to Tin-Tin III and grabs an empty barrel.

Back in the chamber with the statue, Edna uses the barrel to scoop up hot purified water and throw it on the statue to kill the rest of the fungus.

Edna overcome 7-9 Pay A Price

Edna damage armor

Between the splashing water and the puffs of spores, it’s dangerous work, but eventually the statue is clean. Edna and Vestri investigate.

Vestri Look Closely (+Hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+ ask 3 questions

  • What do my senses tell me?
    • This statue is definitely a life-size statue of an Ogre. Ogres are stockier than humans, and with the fungus removed, the statue’s build is more apparent. Also, an inscription on the base of the statue identifies this as Walter the Unquenchable, an Ogre hero famous for protecting a Human village by defending its well from bandits. Fresh water is life, so saving the well saved the town.
  • What is hidden or out of place?
    • Inside the hidden recess is a petrified finger. Walter the Unquenchable lost a pinky finger in his famous defense, from a strike that he mostly blocked. This is that finger.  Looking closely at the statue, Edna notices that it is missing a finger.
  • What will happen if I place the petrified finger on the statue?
    • Edna tries completing the statue with the actual finger, but nothing happens.

Edna keeps the finger, as it’s a link to Ogre culture. Since she was raised by Humans, she still feels a bit disconnected from her fellow Ogres.

Edna is curious about the door in the collapsed room that she can’t access.  Vestri can ask the earth to move and make space for Edna. Dwarves come from stone, so asking stone to move is like asking a relative for a favor.

Vestri Speak Softly 7-9 ask 3 questions, 1 unhelpful answer

  • What should I be wary of in this inaccessible space?
    • The collapsed half of the room is unstable. Move carefully.
  • Please excavate a ramp so Edan can climb down.
    • The earth moves, but the ramp is too small.
  • Please make the ramp much bigger.
    • The earth moves again, and this time Edna can reach the other side of the room.

Yuri opens the door with the Toggluminator. There’s a short walkway over a circular pit. Above the walkway, a large metal fan, and above that, a narrow chimney, presumably to the outside. A large switch is mounted at the end of the walkway. The collapsed room behind them had a planth where people could leave offerings. The good offerings were taken inside and put in the spiral storage room. The bad offerings went here: a room for burning trash. Dump the trash into the pit, then hit the switch to activate the fire and the fan that sucks the smoke out of the room. The Remnants used their Abjuration mgic to survive the fire tornado that filled the room, but the Fellowship doesn’t have access to such spells. Like the room next to it, this room has partially collapsed, so formerly smooth walls are rough and jagged, and bringing the rest of the room down wouldn’t be hard, especially for Edna.

Edna; This chimney is our way out.

Yuri carefully moves the amulet around to see if it reacts to anything in the room. Swinging his flaming sword around seems too dangerous. The amulet reacts to something inside the metal fan above.

Yuri: I could throw a rock to knock it down.

Vestri moves back to the entrance to avoid a rockslide.

Edna: If I jump up there, I’ll wreck.

Yuri: I could go. Will you catch me when I fall?

Edna: I’m always ready to protect you!

Yuri Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see

Yuri leaps to the beams that attach the six-bladed fan to the walls of the chamber. The assembly is in bad shape because of the collapse, so Yuri kicks the fan loose.

Yuri Overcome 10+

Yuri avoids causing further collapse, and Edna tries to catch the falling fan gently.

Edna Overcome 7-9 temporary solution

Edna leans over the edge of the walkway to catch the fan. It doesn’t hit or dislodge anything, but Edna is off-balance and could fall into the pit.

Vestri runs up and grabs Edna to steady her.

Vestri Uncontrollable Strength: Strong enough to lift almost anything

Vestri Overcome 10+

The Dwarf stabilizes the Ogre who is five times his height.

Vestri: What are you two doing? Get down from there.

Yuri: I do not have good footing for landing.

Vestri: fall into my arms.

Vestri (+hope, Yuri’s assistance) 10+

Yuri drops and Vestri catches him safely.

Vestri: I’m very good at being there for you. I’m a rock that’s always steady.

Edna tears the fan apart and finds an artifact inside the hub. It’s a metal hoop two feet across. it’s light, but difficult to rotate because of the gyroscopic effect of the air inside, which constantly spins at hurricane speed.

The Fellowship now has four Remnant artifacts representing the four elements of Dragons’ magic.

  • flaming sword
  • watery orb
  • metal amulet
  • windy hoop

With these artifacts, they can open the final door in the dungeon, revealing a terrifying monster and the source of Yuri’s calamitous dreams.

NO END OF SESSION MOVE