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, Prof. Gummidge the Lantern/Mad Genius, Stella the Halfling/Hunter
Last time, the Fellowship went to Port Fennrick to recruit powerful allies for their journey to the Moon. They were forced to flee after participating in a huge fight. This time, they travel through uncharted territory to find rare materials to build their spacecraft.
The Fellowship is out to sea on the Miranda, to the east of Port Fennrick.
Buckle: Baffle, have you ever met giant Platypeople?
Baffle: Yes, we’ve had contact with Willow’s Landing. Their technician won’t tell me why they’re giant, which means it must be pretty bad.
Buckle: I just assumed they were just like that.
Gummidge wants to go to Vieport to take the mirror from Vieport’s beam weapon and the power from their lightning fence to focus and power the hyperspace bridge. There’s also an icy comet far to the west that could be a focus. Stella prefers the comet because the people there don’t actively hate her. But maybe if they go to Vieport ready for a fight, it would go better than previous, ad hoc attempts.
Buckle: If we’re going to the giant turtle egg, we should keep our distance from Vieport, sail around it.
Stella: Do we think the comet is where we left it? It’s pretty big.
Gummidge: I hear it’s at the bottom of a giant crater. I don’t see how they could have moved it.
Buckle: It’s a nest. We could go around Vieport, sail around the coast, and look for an inlet.
GM note: the official map is blank past Vieport. We’ll have to create new locations for the Miranda to pass through.
The Miranda sails south, then west, following the coast. They pass Willow’s Landing, and an island with abandoned buildings on the shore. King Of The Hill Island is only trees sticking out of the water now. They skirt Vieport’s territory, since they aren’t welcome there.
Gummidge acts as navigator. He sends out his robotic crows (Huginn & Muninn) and sees Snake-folk patrolling the outer edges of Vieport’s territory. Each patrol has three Snake-folk, one riding a dolphin or shark and the others “on-fin”. Whale-birds, adapted to life their whole lives in water, play and leap near the ship. One leaps and swallows a Little Light in mid-air, but spits it out because it doesn’t taste like food.
Buckle gets it in his head to scout around underwater and see what kind of folks are living down there. He has the standard Platyperson implant that lets him breathe salt water as easily as fresh water. The salt collects in his tail, which makes it a better weapon. That’s one of the few pieces of advanced technology that all Platypeople are allowed to use. There are giant Sea-Stars here that have learned to hitch rides on ships and larger sea creatures. They’re about the size of Silk, Stella’s trained riding spider. There are also tiny hivemind Jellyfish that school together to form any shape, including a huge Jellyfish. They get smarter as they gather. Buckle tries to communicate with the jellyfish hivehimd.
- What should I be wary of when dealing with the jellyfish hivemind?
- We are the true organizers, better than strange organizers or heterogenous organizers. If you try anything aggressive, we will pull out your components and make them our components.
- What do they want and how can I help them get it?
- We would like if those little sharp tentacles from Vieport didn’t come around anymore. We like disorganized food, because it’s easier to catch.
- What’s the political vibe down here, Vieport-wise?
- The hivemind understands the concept of a city-state better than the idea of an individual. It calls political organizations “strange organizers” because they are not homogeneous. Different kinds of creatures of different sizes come together, even creatures that are dead and stiff but still able to do things. It considers Buckle part of the Miranda, and thinks it’s odd that he’s so far away by himself.
- Buckle: It’s OK. I am a collection of very tiny organisms all working in concert to create the entity you see before you.
- There’s a huge organizer by the shore that we avoid. Its influence wanes out here. It only has a few small tentacles, but when we try to sever them, they come back bigger. We mostly try to avoid them now. Here comes one now!
The jellyfish hivemind is terrified and scatters into individual tiny jellyfish. As the swarm disperses, Buckle can see the approaching patrol: 2 Snake-Folk and a Shark.
- Shark it/its: a war-trained mount for Vieport’s scouts
- Chomp: The sharks’s bite is Piercing. Anyone it bites is damaged twice.
- Ocean Terror: The shark is terrifying when on the hunt. While you are in the same water as a shark that is after you, you are in Despair.
- 2x Snake-Folk scouts: A long snake person, with powerful jaws and a sinewy frame.
- Needlepoint Teeth: A Snake-Folks’s bite leaves multiple wounds that bleed profusely, making healing difficult. Their bite is Necrotic.
- Slippery: Snake-folk aren’t shaped like anybody else in the world. They may damage this stat to escape, at any time and from any situation.
Buckle flees into the coral reef on the sea floor, bringing a few jellyfish with him. The patrol can’t find him.
Jellyfish: You fast. Patrol fast. Good.
Buckle: Buddy, you wanna come ride our boat with us? What do I call you, and what pronouns do you use?
With only a few members, this hivemind isn’t as smart.
Buckle: What you name, and how call you?
The jellyfish are convinced to join Buckle’s organization and they return to the Miranda after the patrol moves on.
- Jammie they/them, Bucket of Jellyfish
- Sting
- Disperse
Buckle: I’ve got this jellyfish in a bucket. Is there any way for my friend here to move around?
Gummidge: Yes, like how I move around more easily inside Gallbagger.
Gummidge gets to work on some kind of device and stops paying attention to anything else.
GM note: We generated a random location with this tool: https://cliffnordman.com/ttrpgs/horizon/. Kankero’s Labyrinth.
The Miranda finds a river that will take them inland to the west of Vieport. Sort of. It’s a huge sewer drain from a huge, tangled dungeon. This endless dungeon has tunnels and halls of all shapes and sizes, including a sewer that’s big enough for to sail a small ship into. It’s mostly built with craggy mossy stones. Some drains are noticably sloped, and others are level and easy to sail through. Some tunnels are sealed with stone doors. Some doorways have collapsed. Stairs and bridges extend the labyrinth into the third dimension. A confusing hodgepodge of architecture that has been built and rebuilt many times.
The shore is littered with rubble, suggesting that the laybrinth used to extend out further, but has been worn down by the tide. The Miranda sails up the sewer and some starfish latch on for a ride.
Stella and Buckle are on deck. Gummidge stays on deck because Gallybagger won’t fit below. He’s engrossed in trying to add legs to Jammie’s bucket. Silk has taken over the crow’s nest and covered the top of the mast in webbing. Ichabod and Elektra are flying above. The Miranda sails past a broken bridge, and now there are two spiders on the mast! Silk and a humanoid Spider! The intruder gives a strange cry, and flying creatures swarm onto the Miranda from every crevice, alley, and shadow. Bats, big dragonflies, ravens, and more snatch anything not secured and claw at everyone on deck.
- Tanthier, he/him Spider Commander: This sneaky trickster grants stealth to the Horde.
- Ambush Command: All nearby Horde threats, including this one, can walk on walls, move silently, and hide quickly. Until one Horde threat makes itself known or is found, all nearby Horde threats are Secret.
- Flying Swarm: A large number of flying things, getting all over the place. Bats, dragonflies, ravens – whatever they are, they make escape difficult.
- Cover Everywhere: Anyone trying to Get Away from a place with a Flying Swarm must Pay a Price first.
Gummidge is distracted from his work and thinks the Spider who unleashed this swarm is very rude. He points one of Gallybagger’s baggy sleeves at the mast and fires a grappling hook at the intruder.
Gummidge: Don’t you see a genius at work here? What gives you–
Gummidge reels the grappling hook back in and realizes Tanthier is dead. He just wanted to scold him face to face. He tosses the body overboard, embarrassed. Meanwhile, the swarm has snatched jewelry from Gallybagger’s pockets.
Stella: Get down here, right now!
All beasts must obey Stella’s commands and they all land in the water, which is uncomfortable for many of the creatures.
Gummidge: Unexpectedly effective, young Halfing! Now which one has my bracelet?
Stella: And return the bracelet.
A raven flies up and drops the bracelet at Gallybagger’s feet.
Stella: Bother us no more. Go about your business. Except you two.
Stella makes two Ravens stay behind.
Stella: Hey, Buckle, can you ask them? I cna’t talk to them in meanungful ways. It’s so sad. They know these canals. Can you get information on what’s ahead?
Buckle speaks the language of beasts. Stella can only give orders.
- What can you tell us about the labyrinth?
- The maze is a lot of fun. Ravens enjoy remembering things and finding shiny things, so they like having their secret ways through the maze. When people come in, they can follow them unaware and take their shiny things and whatever is good to eat. There’s a castle in the center of the maze where there’s always a big feast, but the ruler of the maze doesn’t let them eat it.
- What were you doing? What will you do next?
- They were following Tanthier, who usually leads them to good treats, but that’s ruined. If passers-by are this dangerous, they might as well try for the feast at the castle.
- What should we be wary of when dealing with the ravens?
- They remember faces and hold grudges.
Buckle: Do you want help visiting this feast? Will you show us where it is?
The Ravens think that is a great idea. They lead the Miranda to a castle.
Buckle: You wait here. We’ll go figure out what’s going on and try to get you in.
One Raven waits. The other flies off.
The main entrance to the castle is open. A person stands in the entrance to welcome and challenge them.
- Iggy le Feu she/her Human Scorned Champion: They were supposed to be The Dragon. But instead, you are, and they are not happy with the great dragons’ decision.
- A Hero Scorned: The Scorned Champion is bitter and single-minded, and will try to harm or hinder The Dragon whenever they have the chance, regardless of what their mission is.
- Champion of Fire: The Scorned Champion takes no damage from fire and heat, even dragonfire. Their attacks have the Burning tag.
- Armor of Red and Gold: When the Scorned Champion would be damaged or destroyed, damage this stat instead.
She wields a spear tipped with a giant tooth. Her red and gold armor is made from scales. Surely from dinosaurs, since Dragons aren’t available. Her helmet is made from a Snake-Folk skull with open jaws. Its fangs frame her face. Buckle isn’t technically a Dragon, but he smells like one. He’s been around Dragons and has the secret of Dragonfire.
Iggy: You have done well to come through the labyrinth, now only one challenge remains before you can share in Lord Kankero’s feast.
She stops and stares at Buckle.
Iggy: Two challenges.
Buckle: Hello, friend! We’re wondering if you can help use get though to the river to get up to the turtle egg.
Iggy: I can’t believe this. I trained and studied for years. I know all the Dragon history and teachings and apparently they’ve chosen this fool from beyond the grave to empower! The world truly is unfair.
Buckle: Wait, beyond the grave? Are you talking about the dead Dragons or the live Dragons?
Iggy cycles quickly through some unflattering facial expressions, then continues calmly.
Iggy: Tell me more, scale-brother.
Buckle: You haven’t met Fafnir? I hatched her.
Iggy: Is she on the boat?
Buckle: She’s not on the boat. She flew away. She had the whole teenage years thing. It’s family drama. You understand.
Iggy: Do you know where she went?
Buckle: She’s around somewhere. I think she flew off to murder Vieport, so we try to avoid Vieport. We almost got laser beamed by that spider.
Iggy: Maybe we can talk about that over dinner. Come on in.
Buckle: Very kind of you to offer a feast. Stella, you should get Gus. He needs to make sure all the ingredients are solid.
The Fellowship walks into the courtyard towards a table piled high with food. A Giant Crabs leaps down from the keep! His claws go for Buckle and Gummidge.
- Lord Kankero, he/him, Giant Crab: These armored crustaceans crush their enemies in their mighty claws. Once they grab you, they won’t let go until they fall asleep.
- Meaty Claws: Anyone damaged by the Giant Crab becomes grabbed. The Giant Crab can grab up to two enemies at a time, and will only let go if this stat is damaged.
- Armored Shell: The Giant Crab can only take damage from Piercing or Giant attacks.
Gummidge activates rocket boots, grabs Stella, and dashes under Lord Kankero before he lands.
Buckle: Oh, are you Lord Kankero? Can you give usdirections to the turtle egg?
Lord Kankero’s lands on Buckle and grabs him with a meaty claw. He picks him up and holds him upside-down at eye level.
Lord Kankero: First, you must prove yourself worthy!
Stella: For directions?
Lord Kankero: Most people want the food.
Buckle: But I like hunting for my food.
Iggy: Kill him!
Iggy takes the opportunity to stab Buckle, because she hates him especially.
Stella: Buckle, set the bushes on fire! Gus, it’s time for a crab melt!
Buckle complies and Gus produces a surprising amount of butter and starts boiling it over the fire.
Gummidge, not a team player, executes his own plan. The lantern that forms Gallybagger’s head swings open and Gummidge himself (a floating ball of light) flashes, blinding everyone nearby. he flings out his baggy sleeves and big metal spikes come out. He stabs upward at Lord Kankero’s belly, but the spikes just slide along along the armored shell. Lord Kankero brings his carapace down, pinning Gummidge under his full weight.
Lord Kankero is not impressed by Buckle, so he throws him away. Buckle grabs on and flips up onto the claw instead of going flying. Buckle aims his venomous spurs at joints in Lord Kankero’s armor. Lord Kankero is taken aback. He hasn’t been attacked in this way before.
Stella starts free-running. She leaps over the giant crab and past his claws to reach Gus. She takes the tub of boiling butter from Gus and spider-jumps off of Gus’s braced hands. She pours the butter down on Lord Kankero, who is intimidated by the idea of becoming part of his feast. The butter flows harmlessly down his armored shell and he grabs Stella when she lands.
Lord Kankero: Iggy, subdue that creature, and we’ll have won!
He has Stella in one claw and Gummidge pinned underneath him, but Buckle is still running around free. Iggy and Buckle lock eyes. Buckle screeches to a stop and strikes her with lightning! She collapses mid-run.
GM note: Armor Of Red And Gold should have protected Iggy, but I forgot.
Lord Kankero: Ha ha! You have impressed me!
Lord Kankero tosses Stella aside and gets up off of Gummidge. Stella lands safely.
Lord Kankero: You are worthy to share my feast! The rest will have to wait outside.
Buckle: Why can’t everybody join?
Lord Kankero: Look at them. They’re wimps. Only you are worthy.
Buckle: That one is an interdimensional being with a suit of power armor that destroyed a small town recently. That one is a threat to the world when she rides her spider. I am mostly afraid of these two.
Lord Kankero: Very well. Even the greatest warrior can slip in a moment of weakness.
Buckle: There are a couple of Ravens, the ones that brought us here. They deserve food too.
Lord Kankero: We’ll give them the leftovers.
Swarms of normal crabs come out to serve and attend. They also put out the fires and carry Iggy off to be tended to. The Fellowship fills their bellies at Kankero’s feast. Kankero plays rough, but once they gain his respect, he’s a jolly fellow and a fast friend. He sends them off towards the “turtle egg” in the Rain Crater. The Ravens guide them through the Labyrinth.
KANKERO’S LABYRINTH MESSAGE BOARD
Buckle: Offer the swarm a spot at the table and they might help you.
Gummidge: You only need to impress Lord Kankero. Don’t kill anyone!
Stella: If Iggy thinks you are a dragon and you are not one, be sure to remind her real ones are out there to lose attention.
The Fellowship follows the river north through several locations, but the river doesn’t reach all the way to the Rain Crater, so they must dock and go the rest of the way on foot. Gummidge sends his robotic ravens ahead to scout.
- Is anything hidden or out of place?
- There’s another party of adventurers camped on the outer slope of the crater: a Rain, a Halfling, and an ugly bipedal Boar with an evil look about him.
- Stealthy sentries protect the crater. The Fellowship can’t approach undetected.
- Shadow Rain: A sneaky and deadly slime that strikes from darkness.
- Ambush Tactics: When attacking someone who does not know where the shadow rain is attacking from, it is Piercing and Necrotic.
- Mostly Invisible: Shadow rain is Secret, and remains Secret until this stat is damaged. In addition, nobody can see the shadow rain’s attacks coming while it is Secret. This stat becomes damaged if anyone Looks Closely in an area with shadow rain hiding in it.
- Tell me about the Comet. How could it hurt or help me?
- The comet itself is the size of an office building and rests in the center of a crater half a mile across. The comet is partially metal, partially ice, with veins and spires of ice and metal over craggy perforated stone. Rain slide over the surface and go in and out of the holes in the comet.
- Gummidge: I detect that certain spires of ice do have the refective properties that I need. If I could take one, I could use it to focus the hard-light bridge and send it into hyperspace so the journey to the Moon will be shorter than the full distance. Many people live here and might object to me taking a piece.
- Buckle: That’s OK, we know them. Remember? They were going up and down to this while we were on Bertha.
- Tell me about the Rain. What are they doing? What will they do next?
- Many of them are preparing for a ceremony involving the other adventurers.
- Gummidge: We’ll have to evade several patrols, but I think that if we wait for that ceremony, we can just slice off that spire and book it!
Buckle: You haven’t really interacted with the Rain ninjas, have you?
Gummidge: I saw them. They’re not that sneaky.
Buckle: They always seem to attack first.
Gummidge sends Huginn and Muninn to harry the nearest sentries by flying around with klaxons and wanring lights.
Gummidge: I didn’t have a plan past this point. I just wanted them to know they aren’t as sneaky as they think.
Buckle: Do you have some way of slicing off the crystal from a distance? I can have Elektra go in and fly it away.
Gummidge: Not from a distance. I was going to cut it myself. Let’s go!
Gummidge dashes up the towards the rim of the crater with his rocket boots. Buckle runs after him and sends his Little Lights to continue to harrass the Shadow Rain. Rain in and around the Comet see Gummidge dashing down the crater’s slope towards them. Gummidge approaches the comet just as an Iridescent Rain emerges from a hole.
- Earnest, he/him 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.
She panics and blasts Gummidge with her water jets. He’s forced back some distance. The Iridescent Rain flees and raises the alarm.
Breaking the community’s rules increases the Response level. New response move: Guardian
A big chunk of ice melts and starts moving under its own power.
- Water Elemental: A melted shard of the Rain’s comet, with only basic awareness and a single goal: Protect the comet.
- Drowning: A Water Elemental attacks by surrounding its enemies in water. Anyone caught by it risks suffocation.
- Aqueous: A Water Elemental can fit through gaps of any size, and it is completely invisible inside a body of water.
- Tough As Nails: The first time a Water Elemental would be damaged or destroyed, damage this stat instead.
Gummidge: This is definitely going to hamper my blowtorch.
Up on the rim, the Shadow Rain have noticed the intrusion and rush to respond. Stella notices that the icy comet makes the air around it very cold, and wonders how to approach safely. The Shadow Rain is counter-ambushed by Buckle’s pet Mountain Lion, which is also sneaky. The Mountain Lion splashes the Shadow Rain all over and it does not reform.
Back at the comet, Gummidge is engulfed by the freezing cold Water Elemental. Buckle ignites the kerosene that he planted the last time he was here, just in case. Fire everywhere!
Causing collateral damage increases the Reponse Level. New response move: Show of Force.
Gummidge forces his way out of the Water Elemental, but loses his survival knife in the process. He grabs the icy spire, opens Gallybagger’s “helmet” and starts cutting through the spire. A sudden blast of ice freezes Gallybagger! The King Rain has arrived!
- Rain King: A powerful Rain who embodies the cold of interplanetary space. Snow follows wherever they go.
- Freezing Touch: Anything touching the Rain King will rapidly lose all heat, becoming coated in a thin layer of ice within moments. Anyone frozen this way cannot use any frozen parts of their body, and if they become fully frozen, they are Taken Out.
- Snowstorm: Snow follows the Rain King wherever they go. This makes any area with a Rain King slippery and unsafe by default.
- Threat To The World: You must pay a price to act against a Threat To The World
Buckle: Stella, ride me into battle!
Buckle casts off his fireproof suit and gives it to Stella. Stella grabs a bag from Gus.
Gummidge: Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. We need just a bit of this for a very important scientific advancement. If we could discuss this calmly, I’m sure we could find suitable compensation
The Rain King refuses to speak solid languages, so the Iridescent Rain translates his demand:
Earnest: Put out this fire. Clean up this mess.
The Fellowship agrees and immediate hostilities cease. They start putting out the fires: stomping them out, burying them. Ichabod (the young phoenix) eats some of the fire. Once they are done, they can begin negotiations.
Buckle: I don’t do a good job of talking to freezing Rain people. Stella, what should I say?
Gummidge: Oh great Rain King, I am Professor Worzel Gummidge–
Stella: Oh, you have a first name! Wow!
Gummidge: –these are my companions, Stella Muddyfoot and Buckle. We are trying to right a great celestial wrong. You see, our night sky has recently been brightened by the Moon. We found that the Moon is a great machine built by the Dragons. It was ment to eliminate the Vampires, but it has malfunctioned. If we could have just a small piece of your comet, I would be able to create a machine to reach the Moon and restore it to its original function, ridding the land of a terrible scourge.
The Rain King speaks and Earnest translates:
Earnest: We are not terribly concerned with Vampires. We find their bites merely annoying. Do you seek to change the Moon again? Behold, since the new Moon we have noticed a slight change in its luster.
Gummidge directs his advanced sensors towards the Moon.
- Is something hidden or out of place?
- He can see that the Moon is covered with large hexagonal mirrors, like the ones that fell out of they sky. The light of the Moon has a slightly different quality. The change is somehow magical.
Gummidge: My hypothesis is that if the pure light from the sun reflected off the Moon, it would have the same deletarious effect on Vampires as direct sunlight has. But there is a magical tweak to it, which I was not expecting. I suppose there must be some have been some magic to it, since, for most of its history, the Moon has not reflected pure sunlight.
The Rain King speaks again. He is not impressed that Gummidge didn’t already notice the change.
Earnest: This is our home. It safely carried us for uncounted years. How can I trust you with a part of our ancient artifact for some half-baked plan?
Stella: Could we make a trade? Or a payment? Does he have something in mind?
Earnest: It would be nice if there were more wet and cool locations where Rain could migrate. If you can reach the Moon, surely you can change this planet.
Buckle: Have you been to Bogden? It’s a wonderful place with people like me, who like to live in the water and out of the water. It’s nice and swampy, and we do fluming. Have you ever played fluming?
Stella: We should make him aware of Samantha’s Swamp.
Buckle: We have friends in the swamp. Ferdinand is still there right?
Stella: No, he left.
Buckle: Nobody’s there anymore. It’s nice and wet.
Earnest: That seems logistically more simple than taking command of Bogden. Yes, a piece of your world for a piece of ours.
Gummidge points out to the Rain King exactly what part of the spire he needs as a focus. Originally Gummidge planned to take a big piece, but he’s made a bad impression, so he asks for the smallest usable piece. The Rain King surrounds that part of the spire, freezes it especially cold, then forms one of his pseudopods into a pick and precisely knocks the piece free.
Earnest: Here you go. We’ll make preparations to go to Samantha’s Swamp. I’m glad we were able to handle this in a civilized manner. If you need anything in the future, let’s start with this way, not your way.
Stella: Fair. Fair.
Buckle: How to you want us to say we’re here and introduce ourselves?
The Rain King moves in a way that a solid body could never replicate.
Earnest: This is our traditional greeting, but we understand it can be difficult for, umm, solid folk. Just call out, “Hail, friends of the Rain King!” before you get to the rim of the crater. We don’t like when people sneak up on us.
The Fellowship leaves with all the pieces needed to create the machine to reach the Moon. They still need a power source. The Medallion of Cleft Sky is powerful enough, but it would be consumed in the journey. Other things powerful enough include the electric fence that keeps hungry ghosts out of Vieport, a waterfall, or a volcano. Buckle’s not ready to give up his Artifact of Power just yet.
Buckle: Let’s go to Vieport.
RAIN COMET MESSAGE BOARD
Buckle: The egg isn’t an egg after all! Though it does seem to be able to birth giant Rain. They may attack if you barge in.
Gummidge: Bundle up, fleshbags! Their sentries are already watching you, so be polite.
Stella: Announce yourself so you don’t surprise the Rain King. If you know the traditional Rain greeting, he will be impressed.