Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The party: Buckle the Beast/Heart of Earth, Stella the Halfling/Hunter
Last time, Stella was pulled into interdimensional shenanigans by a mad scientist Lantern piloting a scarecrow. Buckle and the rest of the world were insulated from the effects by another Lantern named Mira.
Mira offers Stella a gift for helping contain the dimensional portals. She offers the location of a secret library, a sword made of light, and a Wire Port. Stella chooses the Wire Port and adds it to her Gear.
- Wire port. With the press of a button, this grappling wire teleports the wielder to whatever the end of the wire is attached to, instantly moving them along the wire’s length (2 Uses).
GM note: The players had to remind themselves what they were doing before the bottle episode. One player has been keeping a map of their travels, and used that to chart their course. In general, I don’t keep secrets from the players, but in an exploration game, not knowing what’s over the next hill is part of the fun, so I don’t give them access to my map.
The Fellowship just fled Port Fennrick are are sailing up the Mighty River on the Miranda, their racing yacht. Long ago, they heard some great power was hidden under one of two volcanoes, and they were only able to explore one. They’re going back to explore the other. They see two volcanoes to the south of the river, roughly across from the tributary that leads north to Bogden. The peak to the east is smoking. The peak to the west is not. The smoking peak conceals Swallet, a goblin city where Buckle met Ugg in a Fight Club. The Fellowship left hasily during a police raid on the facility. Buckle specifically remembers throwing food at cops.
Stella: I don’t want to go back there.
The Fellowship disembarks and walks inland. On the plain in between the two volcanoes, four Goblins are planting sod around a patch of disturbed earth. Buckle sends Ugg to investigate, since he’s a former resident and can blend in. He approaches and starts helping to move heavy rolls of sod with his robot arms, acting like he’s part of the work crew. He strikes up a conversation with one of the workers.
- Gaubeau Goblin she/her. She wears an eye patch on her left eye, with a small periscope that goes across her nose so her right eye can see from her left eye’s position.
GM note: we thought it appropriate to roll this move with Buckle’s stats, even though his Companion is the one doing the action diagetically.
Buckle Speak Softly 10+ ask 3 questions
- What can they tell us about this project?
- “Now that Swallet is back in Goblin hands, we’re correcting the mistakes of the previous administration and returning to secrecy.”
- What can they tell us about the previous administration?
- “Ugg! It’s me, Gaubeau. We were in Fight Club together, but I had both eyes back then. When the cops raided Fight Club, Fafnir fought them all the way back to City Hall and took over. She had us install a ramp to the surface and big sign so that she could attract worthy opponents to fight. After the second battle of Fight Club, Nub-Nub regained control of the city and she’s taking it back to its orginal purpose: to avoid notice by outsiders.”
- What should I be wary of when dealing with Nub-Nub?
- “Any visitors to this area can go to the library. There’s a library in the other mountain. All this time and we never knew it was there.” There’s a saying among Goblins, “The invention I can’t complete”, which means something that a person just can’t do, no matter how hard they try. “The invention Nub-Nub will never complete is a machine to make her tolerate adventurers!”
Ugg stays to finish laying the sod. Gaubeau invites him to visit her, since he’s back in the area. Nub-Nub returns to the Fellowship, who stayed hidden a distance away, and recounts what he learned.
Ugg: Y’all aren’t welcome. You know how they are.
Buckle: The library in the volcano PEAKED your interest, eh?
Stella: Let’s go to the library!
Buckle: Yeah, I like books.
Stella worries about the ever-burning Buckle destroying precious tomes by touching them. The Fellowship heads up the western peak. There’s a faint trail leading up. Further up the mountain, there’s a rocky area where they need to scramble. There’s a Dwarf cutting steps into the rocks to make the trail easier. Stella compliments his craftsmanship.
- Lofar Dwarf he/him
Stella: I haven’t seen stairs like these in 28 moon-cycles!
Buckle: Does the Moon have cycles?
Lofar: Don’t have much use for the Moon, but I can look it up in the library. I hoped to find treasure under this mountain, but I found knowledge. It changed my life. Go right ahead! The library is at the top.
Buckle: Let’s go. Every time we stop to talk, someone tries to steal from us.
The Fellowship climbs to the top of the volcano. Two staircases spiral down the caldera to a smooth dome of ceramic at the bottom. One of the staircases has been repaired. The staircases are mostly carved out of the volcano, but the repaired steps are stone from elsewhere. The Fellowship descends and finds a large entryway in the cermaic shell.
Stella: Stay out here. I’m not sure how much room there is inside.
Buckle agrees, although he doesn’t see much reason to fear his burning heat. It’s not doing anything to the ceramic he’s walking on.
Stella enters the ceramic dome through a large, square opening. Immediately inside are two display cases. One contains a Goblin Power Suit. The other contains four horseshoes. The Librarian approaches and greets Stella. The Librarian is a ghost: a sheet with two holes for eyes and glasses hovering in front of those holes. This is a different kind of undeath from the Remnant, and from the hungry dead in the Deathlands outside Vieport. Truly, this world has many ways to not completely die. Past the display cases are shelves full of books, and desks and chairs for reading. There are two other patrons: a Human man facing away, his desk piled high with books; and a Platyperson with a lot of gear. Stella recognizes him, but takes a moment to remember where. It’s Perry Ogre-Bane, whom they met when they stopped to repair the Miranda on that small island.
- Perry Ogre-Bane Platyperson he/him. A cautious and highly skilled bounty hunter. They never move in unprepared.
- Weakness Exploit: The hunter knows the weaknesses of their prey, and brings appropriate weapons and armor. Their weapons can damage anyone in the fellowship through any defenses they have, ignoring them entirely.
- Tailored Resistance: The hunter has Protection. For each player in the fellowship, they choose one Move or Gear option to be immune to. That Move always fails against them, and that Gear doesn’t do anything to them. The hunter chooses their resistances at the start of each scene they appear in.
- Equipment Reliant: The hunter is nothing without their tools. Their strength and speed are unremarkable, and they rely and gear to keep up. The hunter is in Despair if they are ever without their equipment.
Perry is engrossed in studying a map, and has a few books spread out on the table. Stella tries to make a cool entrance by pointing our Evelynn’s estate.
Stella: Hey, it’s not there! How old is this map?
Perry looks up, startled, and stares at Stella for a moment.
Perry: You! With the boat. You fought the Half-Ogre.
The Librarian shooshes him. He continues in a low voice.
Perry: It’s at least 150 years old.
Stella Speak Softly 7-9 Ask 3 questions. 1 unhelpful answer
- What is Perry doing? What will he do next?
- Perry has a new quarry that promises sizable rewards. He’s researching Dragons.
- What should I be wary of when dealing with Perry?
- Perry’s a professional. He’s polite and avoids burning bridges, but he’s ultimately after glory and money. He’ll kill you if he has a reason.
- What can you tell me about the hunt?
- There are reports of Dragon attacks out west. He’s checking old maps because Dragons have been gone for 100 years. He hopes to find how they used to move. He has not moved on to the stage of gathering equipment to counter Dragons specifically.
Stella’s not happy. Surely Perry is hunting Fafnir, a former member of the Fellowship! Fortunately he’s still doing research and isn’t close to attacking her. Attacks out west? There are vampires out west. They hate Dragons for creating the Moon, right? Stella keeps a calm exterior, but is panicking internally.
Stella: Wow, what a cool adventure. Mind if I tell my team? They’d be impressed.
Perry: Are you going after it yourself? You’ve already taken one trophy from me.
Stella: I’m not interested in money.
Perry: You’ll understand if I don’t share my research with you.
Stella gets the hint that she should leave, and returns to Buckle at the entrance of the library.
Buckle: Well,what kind of books are in there?
Stella: More important than books. Fafnir! Perry is in there researching how to hunt Dragons!
Buckle has emotions! He hatched Fafnir from an egg! She’s out there alone. Can she fend for herself? Buckle starts to march into the library to talk to Perry.
Stella: No, you might put her in danger! He doesn’t know who she is, but we do.
Buckle: So should be do nothing?
Stella: We’re going to try to stop him. Maybe he needs travel companions. It’s a long journey out west, and Dragons are dangerous.
Buckle: Fafnir’s not that dangerous.
Stella gestures towards Swallet.
Buckle: Maybe she can take care of herself. Maybe she doesn’t need me!
Buckle sadly plops down and sits on his flat tail.
Stella: She needs you in this moment more than ever! Do you think you can talk him down?
Buckle: He seemed reasonable.
Stella: He’d stab you in the back for money.
Buckle: We can sort this out, Platyperson to Platyperson.
Buckle walks into the library and the Librarian stops him. His burnign presence is an unacceptable risk to the collection. She agrees to page Perry. Everyone hears a ghostly whisper right in their ears.
Librarian: Perry Ogre-Bane, please meet your party at the front entrance.
The Human with the piles of books almost jumps out of his chair at the sound. Perry is also uncomfortable, but comes to meet Buckle at the entrance.
Perry: I remember you. What’s the deal?
Buckle: Perry, I hear you’re hunting a Dragon. She’s my daughter, Fafnir, and Platyperson to Platyperson, I must ask you to stop.
Perry: Ah, it’s name is Fafnir–your daughter?
GM note: Platypeople incubate eggs, and Dragons hatch from eggs, so Buckle’s claim isn’t as outlandish as a Human claiming to have a Dragon daughter, but it’s still really weird! Dragons are extinct, after all.
Perry feigns concern to try to get Buckle to overshare and reveal some weakness he can use against Fafnir. Buckle senses the danger.
Buckle Overcome 10+
He doesn’t overshare, and even get Perry to reveal some information. Buckle says that he hatched Fafnir from an egg and took her on the Fairy Ferry because she wanted to ride it. Fafnir is very important to Buckle. She’s his responsibility!
Buckle Speak Softly 10+
- What can Perry tell us about Dragons?
- Dragons were powerful enough to rule the world. They can fly and breathe fire, and are generally great physical specimens. They are so rare that most people think they are extinct.
- What does Perry want, and how can we help him get it?
- Perry wants to test his skills and be recognized for them. If the Fellowship wants to help with those goals, two obvious roles are heralds and opponents.
- What is Perry doing? What will he do next?
- After he learns about Dragon’s weaknesses, he will go west and meet the Count who issued the bounty. Perry produces a wanted poster with Fafnir’s name and a vague silhouette of a winged reptile.
Buckle: My baby is wanted by the law?!
Buckle forgets that he’s also wanted by the law.
Buckle: I’m certainly not telling people how awseome you are if you kill my daughter!
Stella: He’ll tarnish your name!
Buckle: I’ll tarnish more than that!
Perry doesn’t want to deal with this anymore and tries to walk away. Buckle keeps engaging him in conversation.
Buckle Keep Them Busy 6-
Buckle: You could hunt other targets. There are Dinosaurs! A Spider with a laser cannon! Werewolves in Bogden!
Perry reaches into one of his many pouches and pulls out a case containing a number of Werewolf teeth. He walks past Buckle, but Stella is leaning on the edge of the entrance to the library.
Stella Talk Nonsense: Talk Sense by telling grandiose lies with a straight face 10+
Stella: I guess you’re not interested in Cerberus. Surely you’ve heard of the one and only Cerberus?
Stella Talk Nonsense: On a 10+ you may Sting Like A Bee
Stella Sting Like A Bee: You can only Sting Like A Bee against those who are
larger than you.
GM note: Stella and Perry are the same size, so she can’t Sring Like A Bee.
Dragons are rare, but a completely unique monster is too good for Perry to pass up.
Perry: I’ll tell the Librarian that I’m done with my research and we’ll get underway immediately.
When Perry goes inside, Buckle leans in to Stella:
Buckle: What Cerberus?
Stella: It’s a big dog with three heads
Buckle imagines Wallace, the magenta pomeranian he met in Port Fennrick.
Perry returns, ready to set out a journey.
Stella: You’re under the imporession I’m going with you. I have a mandate to find Halfings in this continent. Deviating from my mission with have severe consequences. I’ll pay you great riches to hunt this creature for me.
Perry: Half up front is standard.
Stella: I’m not carrying that much cash on me, but I can give you collateral.
Stella offers King’s Blades, a pair of oversized swords once wielded by a fierce Half-Ogre.
Perry: I won’t fake accomplishments and accept trophies from a battle I didn’t fight. I can go get cash from your stronghold.
Stella: I’ll mark it on your map. Take the river east to the sea, then head north along the coast. When you reach Castellum, ask how to find the dinosaurs. They’re my friends, and will show you my stronghold hidden in the jungle.
Perry produces a scroll with a template contract for hunting. He fills in a large sum for the reward, and Stella signs it.
Stella: Remember, tell Castellum that you’re with the dinosaurs.
Perry sets off, hoping for glory and a big payday, unaware that Castellum hates dinosaurs, and anyone friendly to them.
END OF SESSION MOVE
- Did we thoroughly explore a new location: YES, the pocket dimension
- Did anyone find what they were seeking? YES, Buckle is protecting his loved ones (Fafnir)
- Did we discover something new about the world or its people? NO
Two boons: healing, gear