Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The fellowship: Dryden of Conwall the Collector/Hunter, Averiela the Elf/Elven Elite, Edna Crusher-Harcourt the Ogre/Knight, Markus the Squire
Last time, Edna rallied the Fellowship to rush north and defend the Hidden Library. Lucia chose to stay in the Forgotten Lands and let Markus (the regent and her younger brother) go along to get a taste of adventure. Flying north on their ship, the Luna Penumbra, they encountered a huge flying turtle with a castle on its back.
When Dryden opens Infinite Windows and Edna steps through, the Fellowship is debating how to approach the giant flying turtle. They are concerned that the Shadow Rain clinging to its underside are up to no good. The clouds hid the Luna Penumbra from the flying turtle and the Shadow Rain, so the Fellowship has the element of surprise. They decide to fly above the turtle to warn who ever is in the castle about the Shadow Rain.
Will was Lucia’s bodyguard, since since she’s staying at the Bastion of Memory, she sent Will out with Markus. He needs a bodyguard more than she does. Will is the Luna Penumbra’s pilot, and attempts to bring the ship close above the castle.
Will Engines Primed 10+ avoid harm, avoid notice
Will keeps the Luna Penumbra high enough above the castle so it’s still hidden in the clouds.
Exosuits: When a Quartermaster is assigned, they can give Protection to anyone leaving the ship.
The exosuits will protect the away team from the severe cold of a castle made of ice, but no quartermaster has been assigned. All the Companions are already working at other stations. Edna takes this opportunity to introduce her new friend, SSikila the Snakefolk.
Edna: She’s originally from Vieport and came up to Sugar’s Crossing to protect it, but decided that protecting the HIdden Library was more important. Her name is SSikila. You have to pronounce the double-S.
- Ssikila she/sher Snakefolk scout
- Needle Teeth
- Slippery
Assign Ssilika as Quartermaster
The Exosuits look like old-fashioned diving suits with big brass helmets, and hoses that run back to the Luna Penumbra. Ssikila splits her time between pumping a bellows to heat a fire, and another pump that sends the warm air down the hoses to protect the people in the exosuits from the cold.
Edna takes the lead and jumps from the Luna Penumbra to Bertha’s shell. She thinks that jumping directly into the castle would be rude.
Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see
Edna didn’t think to put the rest of the Fellowship in her apron before jumping. Dryden also leaps off the ship. After a short free-fall, Dryden pulls out his Flying Device and descends in a controlled manner. He wasn’t trying to see if Edna could catch him. He was trying to see how Markus would react.
Dryden Overcharged Flying Device: fly for a whole scene
Markus: Oh, is that what we’re doing?
Markus works up his courage and jumps over the edge!
Averiela: How do we not have a plan?
Averiela jumps too and runs on the raindrops to catch up with Markus. Dryden flies back up to grab him.
Averiela Perfect Grace: You can walk or run along any surface, including drops of rain falling from the sky
Dryden Overcharged Flying Device: fly for a whole scene
Dryden Overcome (+hope, Averiela’s assistance) 7-9 temporary solution
Markus is windmilling as he falls, so he knocks Dryden off-balance and they both end up hanging by their fingertips on either side of the Flying Device! Averiela free-falls to pass the Flying Device, then catches herself on raindrops and comes up under Dryden to boost him back onto the Flying Device
Averiela Overcome 7-9 pay a price
As Averiela pushes Dryden up, he kicks off one of her pauldrons and it falls past Bertha into the sea far below.
Averiela spends 1 use of Armor
Edna heard the commotion and is waiting underneath to catch her falling friends. Averiela gracefully flits from raindrops to raindrop and Dryden has the Flying Device under control, so Edna puts her arms down.
Edna: OK, good job, everyone. If you wanted to come along, I could have carried you.
Dryden: How’s that for free-fall?
Markus: That was cool! And terrifying.
The Fellowship approaches the entrance of the castle and see a shining liquid creature waiting to greet them.
- Gertrude she/her, Rain steward
- Iridescent Rain: A curiously beautiful monster that glistens in the sun.
- Rainbow Glow: Anyone within the iridescent rain’s light is filled with Hope, unless they are rolling against the iridescent rain.
- Water Jets: The iridescent rain can blast away anyone it pleases, sending them flying away from it on a jet of water. Only those within Melee range can be blasted away by this attack.
- Iridescent Rain: A curiously beautiful monster that glistens in the sun.
Gertrude: Welcome, unexpected travelers, to Bernard’s Castle. Are you lost in this storm? Do you require shelter?
Usually Lucia takes the lead when meeting new people, but she’s not here anymore. Edna has the most social graces of the new Fellowship, so she responds.
Edna: Pleased to meet you, I am Edna Crusher-Harcourt, Dragonbane, this is Dryden of Cornwall, Averiela, and Markus Ironheart. We saw your turtle in the storm and thought there might be some parasites or ne’er-do-well’s tagging along. They kind of look like you except more invisible.
Dryden: And they were on the underside. If I were on the turtle by invitation, I would not be there.
Gertrude laughs with a sound like tiny bells ringing, and the light shimmers as it refracts through her.
Gertrude: Yes, I imagine it would be difficult for solid folk to stay on Bertha’s underside without surface tension. Rest assured our guards are in no danger of falling. It seems like you were in danger of falling.
She looks at the hoses leading up from the exosuits into the clouds.
Gertrude: Where exactly did you fall from?
Dryden: We have a ship and were traveling back to The Continent. We fell from the ship because we were concerned about the turtle and the castle.
Markus: We thought maybe the things under the turtle were going to attack. We came to rescue you!
Markus strikes a heroic pose. It’s adorable.
- Bertha, she/her, Island Turtle:
- This turtle drifts through the sky, exactly like the islands of the Island Ring. Many civilizations make their home atop an Island Turtle.
- Island Shell: The Island Turtle has a whole Location on top of its back. Destroying the turtle destroys this Location.
- Taxi Turtle: The Island Turtle is big and sleepy, but friendly. As long as you catch it when its awake, it is willing to take you (and its entire Location) to any nearby destination, no questions asked.
- This turtle drifts through the sky, exactly like the islands of the Island Ring. Many civilizations make their home atop an Island Turtle.
Dryden and Markus chat with Gertrude while Enda sneaks off to the turtle’s head
Dryden Speak Softly (+hope, Markus’ assistance) 10+ ask 3 questions
- What were you doing? What will you do next?
- We are headed for the Sapphire Islands, because we heard there was a Shard of Rain there. King Bernard wants to link up with our scatered people.
- What can you tell us about the castle?
- Gertrude: The castle is a great example of #### style and it was overseen and mostly built by our great King Bernard.
- #### is a sound that most humanoids can’t make.
- Gertrude: The castle is a great example of #### style and it was overseen and mostly built by our great King Bernard.
- What should I be wary of when dealing with the Rain?
- They are guarded by Shadow Rain which are hard to see.
Meanwhile Edna stands on Bertha’s nose and asks her to fly to the Hidden Library and defend it from the invasion.
Edna We Need Your Help! 6- they will not help you, and they may even mean you harm.
Bertha is annoyed and shakes her head.
Edna Overcome 7-9 pay a price
As Edna stumbles around to keep her balance, a roll of gold coins falls out of her pack and falls into the sea.
Edna spends 1 Precious item
Edna returns to catch the tail end of Dryden’s chat with Gertrude.
Edna: OK, I’m glad everything is OK here. I think we should go.
Dryden: Gertrude, when you reach the Sapphire Islands, I have a friend named Gleador who could help you locate the Rain.
Edna motions the Fellowship to her, then turns to Markus.
Edna: Oh, you’re new here. I’ve got this apron with big pockets. Everyone gets in and I can jump back to the ship.
Dryden and Markus get in, but Averiela would rather climb the raindrops herself.
Averiela Perfect Grace: You can walk or run along any surface, including drops of rain falling from the sky
Edna Free Ride: You can carry the entire Fellowship
Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see.
With everyone safely aboard, the Luna Penumbra continues north
Dryden: So who is attacking the library?
Edna: O’Later, the Vampire who runs Port Fennrick. That’s on the other river.We figure they’re going to come at night. I don’t know if this would work, but if you could open a portal to somewhere that is sunny, we could really mess up the vampires. Can it be sunny somewhere when it’s night time here?
Dryden goes through the tokens he’s collected for teleportation, but most of the locations are south, not east or west. The City Junkward is far west of the Hidden Library, so that could work.
Going straight north will take the Luna Penumbra to Vieport. Taking a commendeered ship back to its home port would invite trouble, so they need to change course. Markus examines the charts and says to go around to the east, because the library is slightly east of Vieport (and mostly north)
Long Journey. The Framework tells how the forces of evil make the journey harder
Tall cliffs rise from the sea where the Luna Penumbra makes “landfall” Fortunately the Luna Penumbra is a flying ship, so it just keeps going. The plateau is densely forested, and Vieport is visible in the distance off the port side. There’s a bright flash from the palace. A beam weapon has been fired towards the Luna Penumbra!
Will Engines Primed: Finish Them (+Engine) 7-9
As Will takes evasive action, Edna yells orders so the crew hustle just a bit more, making the ship just a little faster. Will banks the ship steeply, but turns hard enough that centripetal pushes everyone into the deck and no one falls off.
Edna Capable Crew: spend 1 Crew to increase roll by 1: 10+ you escape
Edna looks down at the forest on the plateau.
Edna: I think that’s where my older sister lives. They call it the Last Village. They think the forest covers the whole world.
Dryden: Seems like it’s a complicated family situation. I’ve got my to-do list: “Destroy Vieport’s beam weapon” and I’ll add “Return for Edna’s sister”
Markus: Could we stop on the way and pick her up?
Edna: She wouldn’t want to come, and I’m feeling time pressure about the invasion.
Long Journey: each player sets a scene.
The Luna Penumbra encounters some turbulent wind. The turbulence is actually a Cloud Eel, circling and sizing up the ship.
- Cloud Eel: These massive eels spend most of their time sleeping, but when its time to feed, they feast, to power their next hibernation.
- Cloudhome: The cloud eel is Secret while it hides within the clouds.
- Ravenous: Sky serpents chase after the biggest, easiest food, trying to eat as much as they can as quickly as they can. Their massive jaws are full of needle point teeth and deal Necrotic damage to anything they don’t simply devour in one bit.
- Tough As Nails: The first time this threat would be damaged or destroyed, damage this stat instead.
It lunges with a huge mouth full of needle-like teeth! Dryden slams a lever to the stop mazimizing the force of the Luna Penumbra’s repulsor shield.
Dryden Hull Holding 6-
Luna Penumbra spends 1 Armor
It’s no good! The Cloud Eel bites down and wraps itself around the ship. It’s scaly body passes over the deck, but the head is which means Edna can walk up and sucker punch it.
Edna Finish Them (+Courage, drive away) 10+ TAKEN OUT
GM note: We forgot about Tough As Nails.
The Cloud Eel flinches from the blow and flees. Its body scrapes across the deck and loses some scales.
Edna: Ooh, these look valuable. Have you guys heard about commerce? It’s amazing. The people in Sugar’s Crossing paid me so much for that Elven cloth.
Averiela looks offended.
GM note: I think the Long Journey should end now. One event each for 4 players, plus 1 framework events. Deliver the Dragon Egg, Lucia sends Markus out, encountering Bertha, Vieport’s beam weapon, encountering the Cloud Eel. That’s five. We did one extra scene
Long Journey: each player sets a scene.
GM note: We passed over Fairmeadow, but both characters from Fairmeadow Fair are no longer in this party, so we had no reason to visit.
Markus excitedly watches the new land that he’s flying over, and notices bandits preparing to ambush travelers on a road!
Markus: Will, stop the ship! We have to save them!
Edna: Check this out! I learned this from my friend Yuri. They’re going to gain class consciousness.
Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see.
Edna jumps from the Luna Penumbra and lands near the bandits.
Edna: You gotta be nice to these people. You’re poor and they’re poor. You’ve got to rob from the rich to give to the poor! Yeah!
Edna Talk Sense (+Wisdom, appeal to desire) 7-9 owe a favor
Bandit: We should rob the rich, right? Are you rich?
Edna: Huh. Yuri said I was OK because I was “doctor rich” I don’t know what he meant. He’s the doctor, not me. But I need to practice what I preach.
Edna hands over a roll of gold coins.
Edna spends 1 Precious item
Edna: Here you go. It might not be that easy with the next guy, but think of how many of these travelers you’d have to rob to get that much money.
The bandits go talk amongst themselves while Edna is proud of her good deed.
Bandit: We’re going to rob you again.
Markus: We gotta go help her! How do we get down there?
Luna Penumbra Escape Pods: leave the ship with a !0+ on Get Away. Can hold up to 8 people.
As the bandits advance on Edna, an escape pod carrying Averiela, Dryden, and Markus lands nearby.
Dryden: Go Markus, be a hero!
Averiela is appalled, but Dryden thinks this is a great way for Markus to get some experience without too much risk. They’re just bandits. Markus runs between Edna’s legs and swings his sword wildly to drive the bandits back.
Markus: You leave her alone!
Markus God Of War: you can Keep Them Busy no matter who they are.
Markus Keep Them Busy 10+
Edna Toss Aside: 6- they go where they want, and run into someone damaging them
Edna grabs one bandit and throws him straight up. She meant to catch him but doesn’t, and he falls on Markus!
Markus damages Armor
Averiela steps in, because the situation is getting out of hand. She jumps in with her titanium sword, parrying and feinting with inhuman grace.
Averiela Keep Them Busy 7-9
Markus pushes the bandit off and runs up to a bandit that Averiela has pushed off balance.
Markus Finish Them (+Courage, force retreat) 10+ TAKEN OUT
That bandit flees, but a few still fight.
GM note: I really thought these bandits would be pushovers, so I didn’t really give them stats. Maybe they were a Group and now there are two individual bandits?
Dryden uses his Magnetic Scepter and tries to disarm one of the bandits.
Dryden Overcome 10+
Edna is embarrassed that these bandits are giving her more trouble than a Cloud Eel. They were supposed to be enlightened! Yuri is much better at this. She approaches a bandit:
Edna: Come on, hit me!
Edna Wobbles: normal weapons don’t hurt you
Edna Overcome: 7-9 temporary solution
Edna I Know Something You Don’t: When you successfully Overcome the attacks of an enemy, you gain an Advantage over them.
The bandit strikes Edna squarely in the leg, but the axe doesn’t penetrate. She claps her huge hand over the axe and the bandit’s arm, trapping him.
Edna: I am the wrong person to rob. Notice that I’m talking to you and not breaking your arm. You should rob other rich people. I’m trying to be nice to you.
Edna Finish Them (+Wisdom, show the error of thier ways) 7-9
Bandit damages a stat. TAKEN OUT
GM note: These guys are weak, surely they have only one stat.
Edna sits down and sulks as the caravan passes without incident.
At long last, the Fellowship arrives at the Hidden Library. They see boulder traps rigged on the path up to the mountain. Dryden’s library card was revoked, and he’s a little worried the Ghost Librarian might hold that against him. Markus is very excited to visit this library. He grew up in the library in the Forgotten Lands and the librarians liked him because he asked so many questions. He enters through the entrance carved through the ceramic shell. Inside are two glass cases showing relics of the two heroes who stopped the previous invasion: Snort Goldfarb’s Power Armor and polearm, and Gwideon Greenhanded’s sword and horseshoes (unicorn-shoes?) Markus meets the Ghost Librarian, a sheet ghost with glasses hovering in front of her eye holes.
Ghost Librarian: Did Buckle send you? Are you a mage or a warrior?
Markus: I am Prince Markus from the Forgotten Lands. When I heard that the library is going to be under attack and this group of people was going to help, I had to come along because I love the library!
The Ghost Librarian is happy to meet someone from the Forgotten Lands, someone so enthusiastic about knowledge. She wants to issue Markus a library card, but he brought his library card from the main library in the Forgotten Lands. The Ghost Librarian adds a stamp indicating that the card is also valid at this location.
Ghost Librarian: Plese observer the signs. Don’t reshelve books, and no fighting.
Markus Speak Softly 6- ask 3 questions, 1 false answer, 1 unhelpful answer
- What can they tell us about Vampires?
- Of course the library has a compendium of Vampire Lore. She floats to a shelf and pulls a few books out with telekinesis.
- Ghost Librarian: Hmm, it’s not here. Another patron must have checked it out. Sorry, I don’t have that information for you.
- What can they tell us about the reason for the invasion?
- Ghost Librarian: O’Later must want to destroy the information about himself and other creatures of darkness so no one can use it against him.
- What would the Ghost Librarian have us do?
- She wants all the defenses she can get. One group set traps around the volcano. Another group ventured forth to find re-inforcements. Last time, there were warriors that held off the invaders long enough for mages to weave the protective shell around the library.
- Ghost Librarian: It seemed like a good idea, but there were consequences. We lost contact with the other libraries, our information has become out of date. Also, I died.
GM note: Let’s not get into the details of being trapped inside the library forever. That’s too dark for this kind of game.
Edna: I think my friends and I have the eastern approach covered.
Markus: We could fight from the Luna Penumbra. Should we hide key volumes from the library to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands?
Edna: So we take the most important books and put them on our warship, which we then fly right into…
Markus: No, not on our ship. What devious things does the library have to protect the books?
Ghost Library: An impenetrable ceramic shell.
Averiela and Markus examine the Hidden Library for tactical advantages
Averiela Look Closely (+hope, Markus’ assistance) 10+ ask 3 questions
- Is something hidden or out of place?
- They look in dark corners for hidden passages, but find a hidden person! He’s clinging to the wall and wearing an unfamiliar uniform!
- Leonard he/him human Shadow.
- Death From Above: Shadows can climb along walls and ceilings as quickly as they can run, and as silently as a ghost. When the Shadow drops down on an enemy from above, they can either kidnap them or deal damage to them as a Hard Cut, their choice.
- Patience: The Shadow is Secret until they make a Cut. When they escape or hide, they become Secret again until they make a Cut.
Averiela points out Leonard to Markus, then drops into Camouflage
Averiela Elder Art Camouflage: become invisible and undetectable until you attack or reveal yourself
Leonard tries to break line-of-sight and hide again, but Markus pursues!
Markus Keep Them Busy 6-
Markus runs around a corner yelling, and the yelling suddenly stops! Leonard was able to hide and turn back to ambush Markus, grabbing him and putting a hand over his mouth.
Shadow Death From Above: Shadows can climb along walls and ceilings as quickly as they can run, and as silently as a ghost. When the Shadow drops down on an enemy from above, they can either kidnap them or deal damage to them as a Hard Cut, their choice.
Shadow Patience: The Shadow is Secret until they make a Cut. When they escape or hide, they become Secret again until they make a Cut.
Markus struggles agains his captor.
Markus Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
Markus breaks free and the two are wrestling, equally grabbing and being grabbed, Markus starts yelling again. Averiela leaps from bookcase to bookcase to reach the battle and find a good angle. Leonard goes for his dagger, but as he winds up to stab Markus, Averiela looses an arrow.
Averiela Enemy at the Gates: When you are hidden from your target and wield a Ranged weapon, you can spend 1 Ammo to Finish Them with +Grace
Averiela Finish Them (+Grace) 7-9 deal damage
Shadow damages Patience
Leonard goes up to the ceiling and runs for the exit. Markus and Averiela run after him.
Markus: Intruder, intruder!
Edna: They’re already here! They’re inside!
Dryden deploys a Bear Trap at the entrance to the ceramic shell. He puts it on the floor, but Leonard is on the ceiling, and flips over the rim of the entrance as he exits. Edna tries to corral Leonard with her arms.
Edna Keep Them Busy 10+
Edna: Who is this guy?
Averiela Finish Them (+Sense, disable) 10+ TAKEN OUT
Averiela takes careful aim and pins Leonards foot to the floor with an arrow!
Markus runs out the door and hits Dryden’s trap! Webs shoot out and wrap him up like a burrito, immobilizing him.
Ghost Librarian: This isn’t one of O’Later’s agents. The uniform is different.
Dryden once befriended a colony of spiders who taught him how to tie a perfect knot. He undoes that knot on his web trap and all the strands loosen and fall away, leaving Markus free. Now to interrogate their captive.
Dryden Speak Softly 7-9 ask 3 questions, 1 unhelpful answer
- What can he tell us about the invading army?
- They’re hiring adventurers as mercenaries. Tha’ts redundant. Adventurer. Mercenary. There’s a big guy like her, a cool sword-user. She’s really mean though. A couple others.
- What was he doing and what will he do next?
- A terrible truth: He’s getting precise targeting info for the big gun!
- What should I be wary of when dealing with him?
- Besides Leonard’s ambush tactics, there’s the big gun! He points to the west.
- Leonard: You can’t even see the mountain from here, but the eggheads say they can make it work again and aim it at the library.
Dryden remembers a mountain with a gun built into it. Doctor MacLeod built it to destroy the moon! Dryden and Lucia killed Doctor MacLeod and thought the threat of the Anti-Moon Weapon was eliminated. The Fellowship moves out of earshot to confer about what to do with their prisoner.
Dryden: We should passionately explain to him that he’s working for the wrong people.
Edna: I tried that. That was bad.
Averiela: I can Mesmerize him.
The Fellowship throws out ideas for what to tell Leonard. The books are on the Luna Penumbra! Kill your boss! That probably goes against his values, and he’s beat up. The easiest way to approach is the path with all the traps. Provide false targeting information for the big gun. Maybe the co-ordinates to Vieport! Dryden wants to destroy the beam weapon on the roof of the palace. Markus isn’t known in Vieport, but the rest are wanted for commandeering the Luna Penumbra. Returning to get co-ordinates would be risky. Can they be sneaky enough? The Palace is a well-known landmark that will appear on any map. Averiela asks the Ghost Librarian for an atlas
Averiela Talk Sense (+Sense, explain plan) 7-9 owe a favor
“Don’t get shot by a giant gun” is a great motivation for the The Ghost Librarian to give them a map.
GM note: I gave my players an actual paper map, which was very exciting!
Averiela writes down the co-ordinates of the Sea Viper’s palace and gives them to Leonard.
Averiela: You must provide this targeting information to your employer
Averiela Elder Art Memserize: Give a command to someone who can hear you and understand you. They will follow that command to the best of their ability, and they can only resist if it would go against what they value most.
Dryden ties Leonard up with intentionally weak knots and Averiela removes her arrow from his foot. The Fellowship makes a point to go elsewhere and leave Leonard unobserved. He slips free of the ropes and flees the volcano, followed at a distance by Knows-Too-Much.
The Fellowship makes final plans for the upcoming battle. Dryden and the Vampire Lord will compete to control the local Beasts. Dryden tells local birds to eat any bats they see. They leave messages for other defenders on the message board. The Fellowship takes the Luna Penumbra west to intercept the mercenaries before they reach the Hidden Library.
HIDDEN LIBRARY MESSAGE BOARD
Edna Crusher-Harcourt: Mercenaries inbound from east. Airship will intercept. Army inbound upriver from Port Fennrick. Stay clear of debarkation point. Feel free to use boulder traps.
Dryden of Cornwall: The beasts under my command will bow to defenders of the library. Perhaps my valor will earn back a library card.
Averiela: We planted false targeting coordinates for the anti-moon cannon (and Vieport) Cannon is in the mountain to the west. Off to destroy cannon.
Markus Ironheart: Having heroic adventures! Happy! Let’s save the beloved library. Hurrah!