Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The fellowship: Edna Crusher-Harcourt the Ogre/Knight, Vestri the Dwarf, Yuri the Outlander/Apex
Last time, the Fellowship finally found Vestri’s stolen Redrock Dagger in a ghost town deep in a forest. Unableto nagivate through the forest, Edna used Infinite WIndows to send Yuri and Vestri to Bogden, while she stayed with her other friends.
Vestri and Yuri approach Bogden, and remember their previous lycanthrophic adventures there.
Vestri: It’s been at least one moon. I’d like to make sure the family is whoie.
YuriL Time for their check-up, or follow-up procedure.
A Platyperson child sees and recognizes them
- Frog she/her/ Platyperson child
Frog: Yuri’s here!
Yuri: Sorry, I’ve been through a lot since I was here last. Could you show me where Froob resides?
Frog: Yeah, I know Sallet. Come on!
Frog grabs Yuri’s hand and leads him into the village. Frog is only 2 feet tall and Yuri is triple that, so he has to lean down to take her hand.
Vestri: Here, young lady, take my hand.
Frog gives him a weird look. His hand may be more convenient to hold, but she wants to hold Yuri’s hand.
Frog: Sallet! The doctor man is back!
Sally and Sallet, the mother and son who were bitten by werewolves, greet the Fellowship.
Vestri: I’m here as well. I see you are all still alive.
Yuri: How is everything? Are you still suffering from the curse?
Sally: We don’t suffer. We just spend the night in the bath every full moon.
Yuri: Champ is no longer trying to murder you? Very good.
Yuri Apex: you gain the Beast’s Animal Traits
Sally: Yuri, it looks like your time here rubbed off on you.
Yuri flaps his flippered feet.
Yuri: Da. Quite comfortable. I’m curious. Will these traits remain when I return home?
Froob, Sally’s husband and an alchemist, emerges. He was tinkering when the Fellowship arrived and had to finish up.
Vestri: You look well. Is everyone doing alright?
Froob. Fine thanks. Yuri, I would love to examine you to see how your animal traits are integrated, anatomically.
Yuri: As long is it’s non-invasive. Do you want a blood sample?
Froob: Of course not! I like you.
Vestri: You can’t just offer your blood! People can do strange things at long distances if they get your blood.
Yuri: No blood then.
Vestri: Especially don’t give blood to women with pointy . . .
Yuri: I’m not going to give her blood. I’m giving her my hand in marriage.
Froob lays a small strip of paper on his own webbed hands and it turns a different color. Froob puts a similar strip on the webs between Yuri’s fingers and it turns the same color.
Froob: Interesting. Drink this.
Froob offers Yuri some liquid in a tiny glass, and Yuri downs it like a shot of liquor.
Froob: Fascinating. That flavor is digusting to us.
Yuri: Tastes like literally nothing.
Vestri: May I have some? Hmm, very salty.
Infinite Windows opens inside Froob & Sally’s house. The ceilings are made for 4-foot Platypeople, so Edna has to crawl through.
Vestri: Lovely to see you, Edna. How was your trip?
Edna: There are some weirdoes out there. I told this guy about that dragon and he was sad that I killed it. Bootlicker!
Vestri: They were destroying the world!
Edna: Right! And there were all these magic puzzles. I’m bad at puzzles. We had to open these doors by solving riddles and we found the stone that fits in the socket by breaking the picture on the ceiling.
Yuri: Explain the broken pictures.
Edna: The pictures were made out of lots of little stones or tiles. It’s umm, a mosaic!
Yuri: It’s like a film. You know, film? A glass box that projects pictures everywhere.
Vestri: Sounds like powerful magic.
Edna: Oh, where are my manners. I am Edna Crusher-Harcourt, Dragonbane. And you are?
The Platypeople introduce themselves.
Edna: Could we retire outside?
They move outside so Edna can stand up, and The Champ is waiting for them.
- The Champ he/him Platyperson
- A Challenger Approaches: The Champ will never turn down a challenge, and they will not fight you if they think they can win through a contest of speed, strength, skill, or luck instead.
- I Always Win!: During a contest, the Champ’s Cuts are Hard Cuts.
- Is That All You Got?: When the Champ would be damaged or
destroyed, damage this stat first.
The Champ: I bet you think you’re a big deal, big person!
Vestri: She is a big deal!
The Champ: You don’t impress me. I bet your faster than your short friend there.
Edna: Ol’ Jardiner? I guess he’s slow. But I’m quick! I have the record for the Liminal Bay Dash!
The Champ: Never heard of it. Sounds fake.
Vestri: You haven’t heard of much!
Vestri Keep Them Busy 7-9 draw attention, face retaliation
The Champ turns to Vestri, whom he already dislikes, and vomits a string of insults.
Vestri Overcome 10+
Vestri doesn’t respect The Champ’s opinions, so he’s unaffected.
Ol’ Jardiner: This guy thinks he has a sharp tongue, but it’s only good for tacos.
The Champ: Edna, let’s see how fast you are at the River Slalom, if you can even fit between the posts!
The River Slalom is a test of Platyperson agility. Posts are set up in the river that connects Bogden to the Mighty River, and Platypeople swim through the course as quickly and accurately as possible.
Ol’ Jardiner: Down by the river? Great! Let’s have a contest to see who can get out of town the fastest.
The Champ A Challenger Approaches: The Champ will never turn down a challenge.
Sally runs ahead to observe the finish. When Sally slaps her tail to indicate she’s in place, Froob sends the racers off! The Champ sprints away. Ol’ Jardiner jogs a bit, then circles back to the Fellowship.
GM note: Ol’ Jardiner probably should have spent “No Sense Of Right And Wrong” stat for this cheat, and rolled Keep Them Busy to see how long The Champ was distracted.
Vestri: I don’t know whether to be offended or impressed.
Yuri puts out his hand to offer Ol’ Jardiner a low five. Ol’ Jardiner looks at his hand, then gives Yuri a candy.
Ol’ Jardiner: Good riddance. Where were we? What’s our mission here?
Edna: This is the only place we could go to escape Saarland.
Vestri: We need to track down those forgers.
Yuri: The werewolves are no longer werewolving, so we could just leave and not wait for The Champ.
Edna: Before we leave, I’d like to talk to an elder or a leader in the community.
Froob introduces Edna to Mayor Belvo.
- Mayor Belvo he/him, Platyperson Fast-Talker
- Mixed-Metaphor-a-Minute: When you listen to a Fast-Talker for too long, your Sense is damaged.
- Natural Charm: Every word that comes out of the Fast-Talker’s mouth is gold. If your Sense is damaged, they can distract you for as long as they like.
Edna Speak Softly 10+ ask 3 questions
- What do they want and how can we help them get it?
- Belvo: Food! We’re short on food because Platypalooza was disrupted by the werewolf attack. It’s not just the food. Bogdens’ reputation has been damaged. How many people will return for next year’s festival?
- Yuri: Lucy could maybe help. We could do some trades. She could do PR.
- Vestri: Stop bringing her up!
- Edna: I can quickly and securely deliver goods for a premium, so I’d need something from you to trade.
- Tell me about Bogden’s specialties.
- Belvo: It’s the experience! You can’t export that.
- Vestri: That could be the slogan.
- GM note: Bogden has unique metallurgy, but Belvo doesn’t think unbreakable knives are unusual, and Edna doesn’t know about them.
- What would you have us do next?
- Belvo: Give us some food!
Edna gives a signal and Ol’ Jardiner climbs onto her shoulders and opens her backpack. He hands out package after package of food. Edna eats a lot to keep her giant body running.
Edna spends 2 Giant Food
Edna: That’s free, but when I come back with more food, you’ll have to buy it.
Edna forms a bond with Belvo: Edna supplied Bogden with food.
Belvo Mixed-Metaphor-a-Minute: When you listen to a Fast-Talker for too long, your Sense is damaged.
Edna damages Sense
Yuri: We should leave before The Champ returns.
Vestri: He’ll start a fight either way.
The Fellowship begins a Long Journey to the Oolite Mines.
Scene: The route out of Bogden leads past The Champ and the River Slalom.
The Fellowship sees The Champ and Sally waiting at the river slalom course.
Vestri: I can’t even swim. I sink like a stone.
Yuri: You are what you are.
Vestri: I am what I am. We can eat stones, but that’s not all–you’ve seen me eat! Pay attention!
The Champ: Finally! You’re so slow.
Ol Jardiner stops and looks at The Champ, then starts limping.
Edna: We’re in a hurry. Tell me about the slalom.
The Champ explains the rules and points out the gates in the river leading down to the finish, where Sally is watching.
Edna: To be clear, the finish line is here?
Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see
Edna leaps directly to the end of the course.
Edna Finish Them (+Grace, overwhelm) 7-9 damage one stat
The Champ Is That All You Got?: When the Champ would be damaged or destroyed, damage this stat first
The Champ damages Is That All You Got?
The Champ: Wow, you cheated as much as it’s possible to cheat. Zero of twenty-five gates. No one has ever done so bad!
Yuri: But so fast! Is this fastest time ever?
The Champ: She doesn’t even have a time! That was so bad! You’re disqualified.
Yuri: Champ, Champ, you are so aptly named.
The Fellowship continues on their way, not bothered by their “defeat” by The Champ. Before they go to far, Edna picks up a rock from the riverbank.
Scene: Crossing the Mighty River
Recent heavy rains in the area have caused rampant plant growth, as well as swelling the Mighty River. Pollen creates a misty haze, and the Mighty River is deeper than usual. Edna can’t see to jump across, and the Mighty River is so deep she will be sink and be underwater if she tries to walk across. The pollen triggers Vestri’s hay fever.
GM note: Edna’s mobility is so good that we’re creating obstacles specifically so she doesn’t trivialize all traversal.
Edna: Maybe I could hold my breath and run across the riverbed.
Vestri: Look for vines or creepers. We could lash them together into a rope and let Edna drag us across. Maybe I’m rocklike enough that if I curl up and flatten myself, Edna could skip me across the river.
Yuri: Steven is fine with getting wet, but not with being submerged. I’m not comfortable with Steven being skipped across the water.
The Fellowship finds plenty of vines and creepers in the overgrown vegetation and makes a rope long enough to reach across the river. Edna holds one end, takes a deep breath, and walks across the river.
Edna Overcome 10+
She sinks to the bottom (she’s dense because her skeleton is mostly metal), gets traction on the riverbed, and emerges safely on the other side.
Edna: I did it! I’ll hold my end. Tie your end off and climb across.
There’s some confusion about the plan. The Fellowship yells back and forth, holding a rope across a river with heavy boat traffic, but luckily no boat passes just now.
Edna: Or tie yourselves to the rope and I’ll yank you across?
Each member of the Fellowship ties a lenght of rope around themselves and ties the other end to the main rope.
Edna & Vestri Uncontrollable Strength: you can lift almost anything
Vestri Get Away (+hope, Edna & Yuri’s assistance) 10+ avoid harm, bring someone along
Edna pulls. Vestri curls up, hoping to skip like a stone. Yuri holds Steven. Hundrin and Ol’ Jardiner also come along. Gurtin and Viktor are still on the far side. Edna throws the rope back, and they tie themselves to it.
Edna & Vestri Uncontrollable Strength: you can lift almost anything
Vestri Get Away (+hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+ avoid harm, bring someone along
Now everyone is safely on the south bank of the river, and the Fellowship can continue on their journey.
Scene: There’s a strike in Templeton
The Fellowship approaches Templeton, the Dwarven callege town built into a cinder cone volcano. A crowd of prostestors are blocking access to the city. From their slogans and signs, the Fellowship can discover their greivances. Miner’s are on strike because mine owners are brinign in students who mine for free for work-study programs. The students are willing to work without pay and operate experimental machines, which decreases safety, undermines the value of labor, and violates union rules. Edna takes a closer look
Edna Look Closely 7-9: ask 3 questions. 1 answer the hard way
- Tell me about the picketers. What are they doing? What will they do next?
- The picketers block the roads going into the city, shouting slogans. They only let people through if they sign a petition to rebuke the students, and remove all work-study students and experimental machines from union mines.
- What is hidden or out of place?
- From her higher vantage point, Edna sees a fresh tunnel entrance inside college grounds. The college has sappers digging a tunnel that will bypass the picket line.
- What will happen if I mention the metal dwarves from the Oolite Mine?
- Edna: Experimental machines? Like those metal miners down south?
- Union members:
Union members: This is terrible! Students will learn about solidarity and will be paid eventually, but these metal dwarves do it for free and won’t stop or rest! It’s dangerous, inhumane, and offensive! Where are these metal dwarves?
Edna: Go south past the magic rest stop. Watch out for the dung bettle holes. It’s a big cone in the ground. You can’t miss it.
The union members share this information and confer. The mood seems more angry now.
Yuri: I feel we did something bad. Did we promise not to bring anyone back there?
Edna: I thought we promised to let the forgers go.
The Fellowship moves around Templeton and continues south.
Scene: The Magic Rest Stop is empty
The Fellowship approaches the Magic Rest Stop, with the wall that Vestri created on their last visit. They walk around to the entrance and see that the rest stop is completely empty! There are no travelers here! The magic fire at the center is still burning, but it’s not as full and bright as it usually is.
Edna: If there’s no-one here to feed it, will the fire burn out?
Yuri: Does it need special fuel? Unicorn blood?
Vestri: Just feed it like any fire.
Yuri: You feed fire on this world? Does it have a mouth?
Vestri: No, it’s normal fire! You’ve made campfires with us.
Yuri Look Closely
Yuri Fool Me Once: re-roll one die & keep the result 7-9 ask 3 questions, find 1 answer the hard way
- What is hidden or out of place?
- Bandits are hidden around the outside of the wall! They’ve carved out alcoves and hide inside, covering themselves with cloaks that imitate the appearance of the wall.
- Tell me about the bandits. What are they doing? What will they do next?
- The bandits lie in wait to attack travelers who think they are safe. People in the light of the fire can’t harm each other, but the wall blocks the light! The bandits are hoping to attack the Fellowship, but they need the right opportunity. The Fellowship in intimidating!
- What will happen if I bring some of the fire outside the wall?
- Yuri goes into the Magic Rest Stop and picks up a burning branch. As he turns around to walk away, the flame tries to stay with the main fire and blows back in Yuri’s face!
Yuri Overcome 10+
Yuri ducks and puts the branch back.
Vestri leans against the wall, regretting that he ruined the Magic Rest Stop by trying to save it. He whispers to the wall.
Vestri Earth Friend: When you Speak Softly with the earth, you may use one of your questions to ask it to move for you
Vestri Speak Softly 7-9 ask 3 questions
Vestri: Thanks for doing what I asked. You can go back to being flat.
The wall sinks down and eight cloaked figures are standing on flat ground. Vestri grabs his hammer and the bandits reach for their weapons, but now everyone is lit by the light of the fire, so they can’t fight.
Vestri: You better get out of here!
Yuri: Or you could just relax.
Vestri: Don’t be nice to them!
Yuri: Let me tell you about collective action. The travelers that you steal from are working class just like you. The rich are ones extracting value from all of you to keep you poor and unstable. You should really use your forward thinking and gusto to solve the societal issues that make you want to steal.
Yuri Finish Them (+Wisdom, show the error of their ways) 10+ TAKEN OUT + Forge A Bond
Most of the bandits run off, excited to attack the 1%. One Bandit stays to be Yuri’s desciple.
Vestri: You know, Edna’s rich.
Yuri: She’s doctor-rich. That’s fine.
Edna ponders her plan to make big money from transporting rare goods. What will she do with all that money, and is that a benefit to society and others?
NO END OF SESSION MOVE