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 caught up with the forgers that they promised to capture for Lady Evelynn. Edna ran into her older sister, and it didn’t go well. Ejected from a village that thinks it’s the last bastion of civilization, the Fellowship travels west.
The Fellowship reaches the edge of the forest and the edge of the plateau. At the edge of a steep droppoff, they overlook The Deadlands. It’s grey and gloomy with hostile ghosts everywhere! Transparent humanoid shapes with glowing red eyes. In the middle of the area, far in the distance is a purple glow. The glow reminds Yuri of his fiery Remnant Sword. Perhaps the two are related.
Yuri: I feel as though we should inspect the purple. Is it in the way that we are going?
Vestri: Now that we have these two, we should return to Lady Evelynn. Is that right, Edna?
Edna: Yes, we were supposed to deliver the forgers, and the original Double Bill, the weapon they sold her a copy of.
Soday: Whoa, whoa, don’t take us to Lady Evelynn! People go into her house and don’t come out!
Tomay: We sold copies of the Double Bill because the original was lost. We picked it early on, when we weren’t so precise. It belonged to Snort Goldfarb, a Goblin hero who went out to defend some kind of school or library and never came back. We figured no one would find the real one and call us out.
Vestri: You have been found out for your deception. It’s a very incorrect thing to do, breaking promises like that! You bring shame on the Dwarven name.
GM note: My players took over playing the NPCs. They help me not overwork myself. One said, “I’ll play the dumb one. Which one is that?”
Soday is very good with his hands, but not so much at talking to people. Tomay is the better speaker. The Fellowship wonders if they have to go through the Deadlands and all those ghosts. The forgers were trying to reach Vieport, which is southwest of her, but the Fellowship wants to go to Lady Evelynn’s estate, which is north.
Yuri: You say this goblin was protecting a mine? Or a cave?
Tomay: No, it was a place of knowledge. A school or archive or something, many years ago. It’s a legend.
Vestri: You re-created a weapon of legend without knowing what it looked like?
Tomay: No one knows what it looks like. That makes it easier to fake.
Soday: You’re not really going to give us to Lady Evelynn, are you?
Edna: That’s the deal that we made, and we keep our promises.
The Fellowship sets off to the north, towards Lady Evelynn’s estate. Edna breaks a twig off a tree before they leave the forest, so she can teleport back with Infinite WIndows later.
Long Journey: each player sets a scene, then the Horizon sets a scene to cause trouble
They descend the north edge of the plateau and enter the fields surrounding Fairmeadow. The crops were gathered months ago, so the fields should be empty, but an mutated and invasive species is overrunning them. It’s even got into a few silos, so Fairmeadow is worried about having food for the winter.
Vestri: I’m very strong, and, Edna, you’re very strong, and we have extra hands with us. Perhaps we can do some weeding. It won’t solve the problem entirely, but it will certainly help.
Edna looks to Ol’ Jardiner, who did this sort of thing at the Crusher-Harcourt estate. He yawns and waves her off. His stats are damaged.
Edna: Should we ask permission first?
Vestri: Yes, and we need someone to watch Soday and Tomay.
Yuri: Maybe they could stay in the jail. Does the town have a jail?
The Fellowship goes into town and looks for the biggest building, which is the town hall in the north. The person is charge is a Halfling man who weilds a six-foot-tall staff with a little flag on top. That helps him be visible in crowds of larger creatures.
Vestri: I assume the one with the flag is the one we should talk to.
Pepe: Hello, travelers, call me Pepe! I’m the sheriff in these parts.
Vestri: Hello, Pepe. As we were walking into town we noticed strange plants.
Pepe: Yes, the strangle-weed.
Vestri: It seems to be all over your silos and fields. Last time we didn’t spend much time her, but it seems you use those fields for farming.
Pepe: Yes, clearly. Is there a point to all this?
Vestri: We would like to remove a good portion of these plants. However, we are accomplanied by a couple of no-good men, do-badders, and we need a safe place to keep them so they don’t run away.
Edna holds Soday and Tomay up to show Pepe.
Vestri Talk Sense (+Wisdom, appeal to desire) 7-9 owe a favor
Pepe has a few cells in the town hall, and he agrees to hold Soday and Tomay there if the Fellowship will get rid of the strangle-weed.
Vestri: My companions and I will return shortly. After several hours of hard labor. We would be delighted to receive meager portions of food when we return.
Pepe: Well, that’s a separate deal.
Vestri Talk Sense (+Wisdom, appeal to desire) 10+
Pepe agrees, and the Fellowship heads out to the fields. Edna and Vestri use their immense strength to yank out the strangle-weeds deep roots.
Edna Overcome (+hope, Vestri’s aid) 10+
They keep their Uncontrollable Strength under control, and remove strange-weed from the silos without damaging the silos or the remaining food inside. They return to Fairmeadow in the evening and eagerly dig into the food provided by Pepe.
Fill Your Belly: Spend 1 food to heal 1 stat. If you share a meal, one person heals 1 extra stat.
Yuri heals Grace
Edna heals Sense
Ol’ Jardiner (extra healing) heals No Sense Of Right And Wrong
The next morning, the Fellowship heads west towards a swamp. Crows on the branches of the drooping willow and mangrove trees seem to be watching them. one flies away into the center of the swamp. The Fellowship finds that the swamp resists their passage. Yuri studies the situation
Yuri Look Closely 7-9 ask 3 questions, find 1 answer the hard way
- What do my senses tell me?
- It’s a spooky swamp. Some pools of water, tall reeds, twisted trees covered in moss. Crows fly around. Is that a floating log or an alligator?
- What is hidden or out of place? What looks suspicious?
- Yuri looks for a safe path, but there are traps everywhere.
- Tell me about the traps. How could they hurt me or help me?
- The traps are enhancements of nature. Some puddles are surprisingly deep, and vines constrict when they try to push through. The most obvious path passes a dead tree, which is rigged to fall when someone passes.
Yuri investigates the traps while keeping his distance. He hears spooky whispers, and some vines that he was intentionally keeping his distance from reach out towards him! Yuri leaps away, aiming for the path past the rigged tree.
Yuri Get Away 6-fffffffffffffffffff
Yuri: We have no intention of stealing. We are passing through.
Voice: There’s a road. Go back to Fairmeadow and take the road to Sugar’s Crossing.
Yuri: We’re already halfway and I’ve already gotten my boots wet. I don’t mean to be a stick in the mud, but….
Voice: You will be a stick in the mud!
The ground under Yuri’s feet turns into quicksand! Edna charges in on the path to defend Yuri.
Edna Overcome 10+
She knows the dead tree is rigged to fall and shoulder-checks it aside without stopping. Edna reaches down and grabs Yuri
Edna Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
One of Edna’s feet goes into the quicksand, so she grabs a tree with her free hand. She and Yuri aren’t sinking, but they aren’t free.
Collateral damage increases Samantha’s Swamp’s Reponse Level to 3
Samantha’s Swamp gains Wild Animal: When you reach this Response level, a Beast or Scourge threat will try to eat the next player who goes out into the open.
Yuri: Vestri, could you ask the earth…
Vestri: That’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Five Alligators emerge from various pools of water between Vestri and the others.
- Group of Alligators: Gators are a classic predator of the bayou, a dangerous enemythat uses the murky waters to hunt land-bound prey coming to drink.
- Chomp: The gator’s bite is Piercing. Anyone it bites is damaged twice.
- Ambush Predator: This threat is Secret until it attacks.
- 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.
Vestri Clear The Path 10+ leave a path
Vestri knocks the alligators aside, leaving an escape route that Edna and Yuri can’t use because they are immobilized.
Vestri: Earth, can you release my friends? Push them out. Better out than in, as they say.
Edna: Do they really say that?
Vestri: I’ve heard humans say it!
Vestri Speak Softly 7-9 ask 3 questions, get 1 unhelpful answer
Vestri Earth Friend use one question to ask the earth to move
- Please release my friends?
- The quicksand dries up and pushes Yuri and Edna to the surface
- What would they have us do next?
- The voice wants the Fellowship out of her swamp
- What should I be wary of when dealing with them?
- The mysterious voice’s capabilities are unknown.
Vestri: I think we should go back through the alligators and take the road after all. Clearly this person does not want us to be here.
Edna: I think this person is being extremely rude!
Voice: You are being rude, trespassing and destroying things!
Yuri listens carefully to locate the voice.
Yuri Overcome 6-
Yuri Fool Me Once 10+
Yuri’s Electrosense lets him detect nearby living things even without looking. When an Alligator attacks from behind, he jumps away! The mud grabs his boots, so he jumps away barefoot, revealing the Beast Traits that he has as The Apex: webbed feet and venomous spurs.
Yuri Top Of The Food Chain: Wild beasts will not damage you or get in your way
The Alligator realizes its mistake and slinks back into the water. Yuri lands and gets an electrosense reading from a nearby tree. He sees blue eyes twinkling through a crack in the tree. Yuri walks towards her.
Yuri: Hello!
Voice: What do you want?
Yuri: We would like to pass through and maybe solve your problem, but you were rude to us…
Voice: The problem is people passing through! And stealing my secret herbs.
Vestri: Stealing herbs? We are literally just passing through. What if you just showed us the fastest way to leave?
Yuri Talk Sense (+hope, Vestri’s assistance) (+Wisdom, appeal to desires) 6-
Yuri Fool Me Once 10+
Voice: Fine, follow me.
A short Human woman steps out from the tree. She’s goth-y and has a bob haircut parted in the middle. She leads the Fellowship through the swamp. She makes magical gestures and vines retract, tree branches lift, and the ground gets dry and firm.
Edna: This is much better. I’m not good at swamps.
Yuri: So what is this trouble with people coming through and stealing things?
Samantha: I won’t tell you what plants or where they are, but some of the villagers use my plants to make wine. They come in and stomp all over, like you–especially you with the huge feet–and take my herbs to make their signature wine.
Yuri: You can sell seeds of this plant and with that money you can build fence, or hire contractor to make fence around swamp.
Samantha: The traps already keep most people out.
Yuri: You wouldn’t have to reset traps or hurt people.
Samantha: But it’s so cathartic!
Yuri: That seems a little bit full of malice.
Samantha: Well anyways, here’s Sugar’s Crossing.
Yuri: Think about making a little bit of extra money. You could take vacation maybe. Who needs fence? You could travel!
Money and travel are unappealing to Samantha.
Samantha: Don’t come back now!
Samantha leaves the Fellowship at the southeastern edge of Sugar’s Crossing, near the le Grind Mill.
It’s a cold winter, so the river has frozen, jamming the water wheels in place. The mills always compete with each other, so each wants their wheels cleared, but would like the other wheels to stay stuck. They have a fierce rivalry, but they don’t escalate into outright sabotage.
A woman in chrome armor with curly bubblegum-pink hair stands on the ice by the le Grind mill’s water wheels. She performs showy, precise sword moves to cut out chunks of ice and free the water wheels. Her sword is made from the arm of a Giant Preying Mantis.
Edna: Oh, I recognize her. My other friends don’t like her. They say she’s cruel to animals. Her name is quite long. Elizabeth Eleanor Eadwynn. Lady Elizabeth Eleanor Eadwynn. Dryden calls her “Triple E”.
- Lady Elizabeth Eleanor Eadwynn, she/her Human Mage Knight
- Arrogant: Anyone who sings the praises of the Mage Knight can Keep Them Busy as if they got a 10+ without rolling.
- Counter Spell: The Mage Knight cannot be Kept Busy or damaged by magic or ranged weapons.
- Spell Sword: When the Mage Knight is trying to fight you, anyone who gets close to them must Pay a Price to do so.
Edna circles wide around the le Grind mill, hoping to enter Sugar’s Crossing without being spotted by Triple E.
Yuri: Should we help her?
Vestri: I always like helping people out. I’m strong enough to break the ice.
Yuri: Yes, break the ice with her. It’s a colloquialism. You are breaking the ice of a conversation. It is cold because it is yet to be started.
Vestri: I don’t understand. Hello, young lady! Do you need assistance?
Triple E stops and gives Vestri a strange look. Why is this person talking to me?
Triple E: Certainly not. I usually use my sword on things that fight back. This is no problem.
Vestri notices that her sword is made of an unusual material.
Vestri: Oh, I love unusual materials. May I see your sword?
Triple E: No! I won’t like you put your grubby hands on my wonderful weapon.
VestrI: I do not think this young lady needs our help.
Yuri: Have fun chopping at the river, I guess.
Triple E: This is just a quick favor for a friend. I’m moving out of this boring soon.
Vestri: I see.
Yuri: Icy! Yes, the river is very icy!
Vestri and Yuri catch up with Edna, cross the bridge, and go south towards the mill on the west side of the river. They pass the docks, which is crowded with unhappy people. The ice also prevents many boats from traveling along the river. People and cargo must take gangplanks laid on the surface fo the ice to reach the few boats that can break through the thin ice in the middle of the river.
This mill belongs to the Millers, a human family. The Fellowship strikes up a conversation with a chatty worker.
- Sarah Miller, she/her Human shift-leader & Nosy Neighbor
- A local busybody who is way too interested in everyone else’s business. Especially yours.
- Window Watcher: The nosy neighbor knows everything going on in the neighborhood, and will happily share this information with anyone who asks.
- Loose Lips: You may ask the nosy neighbor an extra question when you Speak Softly or Speak Harshly with them.
Sarah: Is there something going on around town that so many adventurers are coming through?
Vestri: We’re on our way to Lady Evelynn’s.
Sarah: Lady Evelynn, you say? What can you tell me about Lady Evelynn.
Vestri: Well, she bought a pike from these two gentlemen and we’re bringing them…
Edna: Hey, hey, we shouldn’t spread rumors!
Sarah: It ain’t a rumor if it’s true. So you’re bringing a couple of prisoners?
Soday & Tomay: Help! They captured us!
Sarah: Is this under nefarious circumstances? Criminals? You’re taking them to Lady Evelynn and not the guardhouse? I want to know because I’m a member of the neighborhood watch.
Soday & Tomay:We should definitely go to the proper authorities!
Sugar’s Crossing is a hub for commerce, so order and trust are quite important.
Sarah: We should at least get the opinion of someone in authority here.
Sarah calls a child over. The child is holding up yarn so someone else can pull loops of yarn off to make a ball of yarn. They look around for somewhere to put the loops of yarn down, then runs off towards the guardhouse.
Vestri: In the meantime, you would like some help breaking the ice down?
Sarah: Are you looking for payment, because the river ain’t flowing, so the money isn’t either.
Vestri: I’m just looking to make everyone’s lives a little easier. My friend here is a healer, so it’s his imperative.
Sarah: Well, isn’t he nice? And tall. Not as tall as her, of course. Or that fellow with the fake arm that came through the other day. He was taller than both of you. Of course we’ll take your free help.
Vestri smashes some ice with her mighty fists until the child returns with a guard.
Vestri: Uncontrollable Strength: You are strong enough to uproot trees, smash doors off their hinges, break through wooden walls or supports, and lift just about anything.
- Colalda they/them Elf. A local guard who is a real stickler for custom and order. Loves to stick their nose where it doesn’t belong, especially if they smells trouble.
- Rules Are Rules: Colalda cannot be bribed, and refuses to forgive rule breaking. They will always lecture you or arrest you, depending on the severity of the rule.
- Suspicious Glare: Colalda will follow the fellowship around as long as they are in the area they supervise. They keep a close eye on all their actions and moves.
Colalda: I hear there are criminals about! Criminals must be kept in the guardhouse according to Statute 8.6.10 paragraph A of the Sugar’s Crossing Mutual Protection Agreement
Yuri: What is the definition of criminal? Prosecuted? Innocent until proven guilty? What is the law of the land?
Colalda pulls out a book of rules and laws.
Colalda: This is the summary. People can violate a variety of statutes and face penalties of varying severity. Who are the accused and what are they accused of?
Yuri: These two are accused of the crime of forgery, but it did not happen here.
Soday: They kidnapped us!
Yuri: That’s what you do. You apprehend criminals. We were sent by Lady Evelynn to retrieve them because she was wronged.
Soday: No, we were kidnapped! Please don’t let them bring us to Lady Evelynn!
Colalda: Lady Evelynn. She comes into town, disrupts everything, thinks she can run everything. No, the Mutal Protection Force is the law in Sugar’s Crossing! You’ve all been accused of crimes, so you all must come with me to the guardhouse.
Soday: I’m OK with that! Just don’t let them take us to Lady Evelynn, please.
Edna glances out at the river where Vestri is breaking ice and doesn’t mention that he’s with the group. Colalda leads Edna, Yuri, Soday, and Tomay to the guardhouse. Vestri notices her friends moving off and hurries to join them. Colalda interviews everyone separately, starting with Yuri.
Colalda: You’ve been accused of kidnapping, but you say you are a vigilante hired by Lady Evelynn.
Yuri: I wouldn’t say vigilante. More mercenary or hired hand.
Colalda: Right, vigilantes do it out of passion, and mercenaries do it to get paid. Is Lady Evelynn paying you?
Yuri: I don’t think so. I”m not really sure. It’s been a long time since we agreed to do this, but we did agree to do this.
Colalda: Hmm, a vigilante with a questionable memory.
Next, Colalda interviews Edna.
Colalda: You have been accused of kidnapping. How did you come across these two men?
Edna: We were tracking them down because they stole heirlooms from my friend Vestri.
Colalda: They are thieves as well?
Edna: Yeah, they steal artifacts, then make copies and sell them. It’s theft and fraud.
Colalda: Do you have any examples of their forgeries?
Edna: I’m not carrying them. You should ask Vestri. He has the original. I’m not sure if he kept the fake or threw it away. They also sold Lady Evelynn a forgery, so we said we would find the original and the people who tricked her.
Colalda: Is she paying you?
Edna: It’s a favor for a favor.
Colalda: Under what authority do you think you are allowed to take these two men?
Edna isn’t used to people telling her that she can’t do things.
Edna: I made a promise!
Colalda interviews Soday and Tomay together.
Colalda: Alright gentlemen, be straight with me. What’s happening here?
Soday: We were traveling and this group came upon us and grabbed us…
Tomay: We’re going to disappear! No one’s ever going to see us again!
Colalda; Do you have any names of examples of people who have disappeared in Lady Evelynn’s house?
Tomay: Pomplamoose! She’s easy to spot. She’s a giant albino Platyperson. Eight feet tall!
Colalda: How did they disappear? Are they held in the estate?
Tomay: That’s the best case! I hear terrible rumors. Maybe her shadow eats them.
Colalda: Interesting. We’ve been looking–you don’t need to know anything about other investigations. Back to the traveling. Where from? Specifically.
Soday: There’s this cool campground with magical flames. Before that we were at the Oolite Mine, but they wanted to close it off so we left.
Colalda remembers that Opal Oolite broke out of this very guardhouse a few months ago. He presses the brothers about the names of Dwarves they met on their travels, but they don’t know Opal.
Colalda; Back to this forgery business…
Tomay: What’s the sentence for forgery here?
Colalda goes on about the many factors that can affect conviction and sentencing: evidence, economic damage, length of criminal career, and so on. The brothers focus on the fact that all the penalties are imprisonment, not banishment or injury.
Soday: We confess! We finds some cool artifacts and we make a copy and sell the copy.
Tomay: I have technical drawings here. The Dwarf who kidnapped us was mad because we took his family heirlooms. He’ll back up our story.
Colalda: Interesting. We’ll take all that evidence and we’ll have to hold you here until trial. If you are convicted, time served will be counted against your sentence.
The brothers are thrilled to stay in jail and co-operate enthusiastically. Finally, Colalda interviews Vestri.
Colalda: I wonder if you could shed some light on these forgeries.
Vestri: I’m confused. I just followed my friends here.
Colalda: You’ve all been accused of kidnapping, which makes sense if these two brothers are forgers and you have a victim of said forgers.
Vestri: Yes, they are forgers. You see, I am on a quest. My family, the Redrock family, many centuries ago made two beautiful matched daggers. Let me show you one.
Colalda puts their hand on their sword when Vestri enthusiastically draws a weapon, but relaxes because Vestri just wants to show off the craftsdwarfship. Vestri explains, in a roundabout way, that the Fellowship tracked down the forgers with Lady Evelynn’s assistance, because she was also a victim of the forgers.
Colalda: Do you have the original and the fake dagger on you?
GM note: What did happen to that fake dagger? We all check our memeories and notes.
Vestri: No, one of Edna’s friends has the dagger.
Colalda: Very convenient. Are you staying in town?
Vestri: We were just on our way to drop these two off with Lady Evelynn.
Colalda: I’m curious about that, why you all thought you had the right to take these criminals to a third party rather than the authorities.
Vestri: I gave her my oath.
Colalda: OK, but oaths vs. laws. One is enforceable the other is just words.
Vestri: Well laws are different in every town, and they weren’t in a town when we found them. Lady Evelynn offered me information on my quest in exchange for my oath that I would return the wrong-doers to her.
Colalda: That about sums it up. Thank you very much. We’ll be in touch.
Vestri: Alright. I will go catch up with my friends then. If it is forgeries you’re looking for…
Vestri remembers that Lady Evelynn doesn’t want anyone to know that the Double Bill in her collection is fake.
Colalda: You’re going to want to finish that sentence.
Vestri: …I’ll ask Edna about her friend with the fake dagger.
Colalda lets the Fellowship go, but keeps Soday and Tomay in custody. As the Fellowship leaves the guardhouse, Colalda follows at a distance, trying not to attract notice.
Colalda Suspicious Glare: Colalda will follow the fellowship around as long as they are in the area they supervise. They keep a close eye on all their actions and moves.
Edna: We got the forgers most of the way to Lady Evelynn, but we don’t have her weapon.
Vestri: I’m not sure we will ever find her weapon. They don’t even know where it is or what it looks like. We could go back to that library.
Edna: Isn’t that what Soday was talking about?
Vestri: If it is that library, it would be very nice for us, and if it’s not that library, then this library would have books about it.
Yuri: And I have a library card! It’s possible inter-library loan?
Yuri: Do we think that if we leave these two idiots in jail and tell Lady Evelynn she can, with her connections, sneak them out?
Edna: What do we do about the original weapon? Do we tell her we have leads, or follow those leads first?
Vestri: We’re so close. We should go talk to her, let her know the forgers are here and we’ll go track down a lead on her weapon.
The Fellowship goes to Lady Evelynn’s estate. The path out of town goes over a ditch with a small wooden bridge, hastily built when half of the river suddenly flowed through a new channel. That new channel is dry, thanks to the Fellowship’s efforts.
At the gate, Edna cycles through her jewelry (no, not the magic friendship bracelet) to show the pearl that Evelynn’s messengers use as a beacon. This demonstrates to Kali, the gatekeeper, that Edna has business with Lady Evelynn. Jayce greets the Fellowship at the door and says that Lady Evelynn will see them immediately.
Lady Evelynn: Ugh, it’s been so long! Where are the forgers? Where is my stuff?
VestrI: We mostly have your forgers. We brought them all the way from the Oolite Mine, but unfortunately, they were detained by the sheriff in Sugar’s Crossing.
Lady Evelynn: What month is it, Jayce?
Jayce: Elves, ma’am.
Lady Evelynn: Probably that Colalda! Worst case, we can wait until a friendlier captain rotates in. What about the Double Bill? I want to replace this fake with the real thing
Vestri: Somay and Today have informed us that they don’t know what the true weapon looks like, but they have told us the story of where it may rest. The Goblin who had this weapon went on a quest to rescue a repository of knowledge centuries ago. But there’s a wonderful library nearby. Perhaps the weapon is there, or perhaps they have information about it. In any case, we will do this thusly.
The Hidden Library is so close that Evelynn might make the trip personally.
Lady Evelynn: You have gotten me closer to my goals, but apparently I must reach each of them myself.
Yuri: We don’t mind doing it.
Lady Evelynn: Fine. Bring me my weapon.
Jayce: We do hope for your triumphant return quite soon.
Edna: Yes, we were just going.
Jayce shows the Fellowship out, and they head for the Hidden Library. As they pass through Sugar’s Crossing, Colalda follows them, then stands at the edge of town and squints at them as they disappear into the distance.
Colalda Suspicious Glare: Colalda will follow the fellowship around as long as they are in the area they supervise. They keep a close eye on all their actions and moves.
Vestri: Well, that’s half our oath fulfilled.
Edna: That didn’t go really well, guys. High society manners. She was unhappy.
The Fellowship reads the message board outside the Hidden Library. One message stands out.
Buckle: Vampires are going to try to take over the LIbrary. We’ll be back to do something about that.
The Ghost Librarian greets them at the entrance, looking a bit nervous.
Librarian: Did O’Later send you?
Vestri: No, we are here looking for a book about, what was the name?
Yuri: The name of the Goblin was, I have it written down here, Snort Goldfarb.
Librarian: Ah, we have a display of his heroic defense of this library, including his Power Armor and weapon. The heroic efforts of Snort and Gwideon Greenhanded the Harbinger held off the forces of evil long enough for our mages to complete this defensive shell.
Vestri is very upset right now. He doesn’t want to take a historical artifact that has such importance to the library and give it to some rich person, but he did give his oath. He can’t break his oath. He tell the Librarian stories about his families history, including the daggers, which he shows and explains. He’s trying to do something good for the Librarian and avoid dealing with his dilemma, but he’s also distracting the Librarian.
Vestri Keep Them Busy 10+
Ol’ Jardiner damages No Sense Of Right And Wrong
Edna Get Away (+hope, Ol’ Jardiner’s assistance) 6-
While the Librarian’s attention is on Vestri, Ol’ Jardiner reaches in and grabs the Double Bill from the display case! There’s a taboo spell protecting it! With a loud noise, Ol’ Jardiner is teleported away! The Librarian whirls. Edna is standing next to the open case.
Edna: I didn’t know he was going to do that.
Librarian: I’ve been having so many problems with library patrons. They get in fights. They almost set fires. They steal things. And now we’re going to get invaded. Maybe we should have stayed sealed. Hold on! You carved the big entrance. You tried to steal our weapons. How do I know you’re not with the invaders?
Yuri: We don’t even know about the invasion. I am a card-carrying member! I want to help the library. Is there a donation box?
Edna feels guilty because her ancestor was part of the previous invasion force.
Vestri: Ma’am, let me be truly honest with you. My friends and I made an oath to a lady that, in exchange for information about the daggers that I just showed you, we would find this weapon. I did swear an oath, and oaths are sacred, as you know.
Lbirarian: And so is history. I can’t let you take this history out of this library.
Yuri: We have no intention of–we are not going to steal your polearm.
Vestri: I greatly regret this oath, but I’m afraid that I must keep it. I cannot break an oath. I know that contradicts what you just said and I wish I could take it back, but unfortunately it is not in my power. But, I could seal the hole for you again if that is what you desire.
Librarian: But you would still take the weapon? We are at an impasse.
Vestri: I really don’t want to take it. I do regret the oath that I have made.
Edna feels an obligation to her friend Vestri, but also an obligation to this library, which her family has harmed. She’s strong enough to break most things. Can she break an oath?
Edna: Here, here! Clearly Lady Evelynn didn’t know the situation. If I go back and explain, I’m sure she will understand and release Vestri from his oath. I’m sure I can fix this.
The Fellowship leaves the library. They meet Ol’ Jardiner on the rim of the volcano.
Ol’ Jardiner: That was weird. Teleported out here.
Edna: I can’t believe you tried to rob the library!
Ol’ Jardiner: That’s the thing we need. We came here to get the thing. I don’t see the problem.
The Fellowship returns to Lady Evelynn’s estate. Jayce welcomes them in. He slightly raises one eyebrow when he sees that they are not carrying a polearm, but shows them in to Lady Evelynn without saying anything about it.
Lady Evelynn: Where’s my weapon?
Edna: The original Dobule Bill is at the library in the volcano. Snort Goldfarb is a hero who defended the library years ago. They keep his Power Armor and weapon on permanent display. It’s a precious artifact. I’m sure you understand the significance of history. Will you accept knowing that it’s right there, displayed in a place of honor?
Lady Evelynn: Half the reason that it’s desireable is that it’s from a fallen hero. Of course I still want it.
Yuri: What if we have something equally as interesting that may be a replacement?
Vestri worries that Yuri is about to offer one of his Redrock daggers. Edna worries that Yuri is about to offer the Elven helmet she bought from an extinct civilization.
Yuri: What we have is an ancient artifact that is from a people that have long past. Only Remnants are left. One of the vestiges is this magical lamp. Massive in size with inscriptions from the artisans who made it. It was used to save the world–
Vestri: –from a Dragon!
Yuri: Very interesting artifact. Yours for the taking if our oath is no longer needed.
Yuri Talk Sense (+Wis, appeal to desires) 10+
Vestri forms a bond: Yuri saved me from breaking an oath.
Lady Evelynn: I’ll change the deal. I no longer want the Double Bill. I want this–what do you call it?
Yuri: Toggluminator. Super-cool.
Lady Evelynn fiddles with the Toggluminator and activates it in positive mode. The bright light from the lamp throws a huge shadow of Lady Evelynn against the wall. As Lasy Evelynn fumbles to turn the Toggluminator off, the shadow does not match her movements. It seems to move on its own. Lady Evelynn turns off the Toggluminator and the shadow is gone. The Fellowship’s deal is done. Edna returns the magical pearl before leaving.
END OF SESSION MOVE
- Did we thoroughly explore a new Location?
- NO
- Did anyone find what they were seeking?
- NO
- Did we learn something new about the world or its people?
- YES, the story of Snort Goldfarb, and Edna’s sister in the Last Village
One Boon: restore Gear