Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The party: Buckle the Beast/Heart of Earth, Stella the Halfling/Hunter
Last time, the Fellowship upended Imperial society again by revealing that fast-travel doesn’t teleport people. It creates copies. Those copies are gone and the originals just returned. This time they, and everyone in the Imperial capital, deals with the consequences.
GM note: I created a bunch of clocks, and every time the players made a move, I’d fill in segments of a clock in another region. So the Fellowship can’t handle everything. When they spend time on one thing, other things happen without them.
Imperial Capital
Response Level 6 (2 base, 2 location bonds, upset the natural order, cause collateral damage)
Response moves:
- Famine: Pay A Price when you Fill Your Belly
- Bustling: Despair to Get Away, hard to avoid being overheard
- Bad weather: Thin air, Overcome after doing something athletic or become Winded and have Despair on next roll
- Guardian: a powerful creature defends a location
- Famous: When you roll 6-, a citizen will interrupt for good or ill
- Invader: Priscilla (the first Emperor)
Claudius (the current Emperor) and Priscilla (the first Emperor) both returned from the Belly of the Land and both claim the throne.
Buckle goes to the Geologists’ headquarters to see if the Geologist friends he made at the Saline Caverns are alright after that whole rhino thing. He remembers that they are still at Lake Samak, because they didn’t get pulled into the Belly of the Land like Stella and Buckle.
Stella wants to see the local branch of the Academy. The Academy building floats respectfully above the ground to avoid damaging it. Gangplanks lead from the ground to the entrances. The Academy wants to be culturally sensitive, but some in the capital see it as the Academy being too good for the Empire and avoiding the land. The local branch specializes in Abjuration: defensive spells and anti-magic. The Fellowship joins a crowd heading for the Academy building. These are normal people who want protection from the scary things happening around them: a charm to prevent becoming a goo person, or a spell that reveals and repels goo people.
Stella Look Closely 10+ ask 3 questions
- Is anything hidden or out of place?
- There’s a pickpocket taking amulets and charms from people in the crowd and re-selling them. Stella recognizes the Halfling skill to Sting Like A Bee.
- she/her Halfling Thief
- Tell me about the mages in the crowd. What are they doing? What will they do next?
- Stella notices a strange sight. An elf who actually looks old has his hand on the shoulder of a young Human man, who deftly leads him through the crowd, even though his eyes are closed. The blind leading the sighted.
- Xander he/him Elf Researcher
- Mr. Snicket he/him Human Student
- What will happen if I approach Xander & Mr. Snicket?
- Mr. Snicket easily steps around her. He uses divination to see the crowd better than he could with his eye.
Stella is incredibly upset by the Halfling Thief. Stella steals too, but from her enemies, not random people on the street.
Stella: We aren’t thieves for the sake of thievery! That’s not the Halfling way!
Stella approaches the thief from behind and puts an arm around her.
Stella: Hey, Jodi!
Stella didn’t check her address book. She just made up a name. She’s mad at this person. But she’s right!
Stella Keep Them Busy 10+
Jodi: Hey, uh–I don’t think I know you. Whose cousin are you?
Stella Sting Like A Bee
Stella steals a charm. A nail bent into a spiral on a chain bracelet.
Stella steers Jodi out of the crowd. She wants to call out her bad behavior without getting her in trouble. Someone will overhear, but not the person that Jodi just stole from. She holds up the bracelet.
Stella: What are you doing? This is not what we do!
Jodi: Of course it is. You’re good. I didn’t even notice. We should work together.
Stella: I’m using it to prove a point. This is not the way we should use our skills as we move throughout the world after the Giant War. Where are you from?
Jodi: I grew up right here in the Empire, on the coast.
Stella keeps having to adjust to learning about new populations of Halflings.
Stella: Does that mean there’s more of you–more of us? In the Empire.
Jodi: I live in a house with nine distant cousins on the outskirts of town. It’s a big country. We’re not the only ones.
Stella: I will not be participating in these cruel jokes on random strangers!
Jodi: It’s not a joke. This is serious. I’m re-selling these for big money. This is how we get ahead, except you’re stopping me from making sales.
Jodi shows off a full coin purse.
Stella: Fine! If you have to do it, don’t do it in front of me! I don’t want to see it.
Jodi nods and disappears into the crowd. Stella wonders what is happening to make Halflings feel like they need to hustle and steal to get ahead.
A very wizardly looking wizard with a pointed hat and fancy robes comes to the doorway of the Academy and projects a giant illusion of himself above the crowd.
Alluvon he/him Elf Headmaster
Alluvon: The Academy is limited to essential personnel only. You have to go home. All our mages are busy dealing with the current emergency.
He closes the doors behind him. The crowd is unhappy. People close to the door rush up the gangplank, but it’s suddenly frictionless and they slide off. Mr. Snicket and Zender walk up the gangplank and the door opens to let them in.
Stella reunites with Buckle. She’s ready to go to the Geologists for Buckle’s errand, but he realized that he needs to contact the rest of the Fellowship left behind at Lake Samac. They head for the Logistics Hub. It’s very busy, but this is what the Logisticians train for. They have protocols for emergencies! There is a line for people who need to send messages via the cannon towers. They are trying to update the census because the list of people who live in the Empire has changed a lot. The census people walk down each of the various lines to enroll people, since they’re a captive audience. Buckle sees that everyone is signing the form, so he also signs. He accidentally becomes a citizen of the Empire and gets a temporary identity card. Buckle also updates the message board.
Buckle: Be careful with fast travel. We told the Land not to clone and imprison you, but it’s still learning.
An important message arrives.
Emperor Claudius: Priscilla has no claim to the throne. Anyone following her is a traitor.
Stella: Mom and Dad are fighting.
A short time later, another message arrives.
Emperor Rossius: This Claudius isn’t the Claudius who was ruling the Empire. That Claudius melted into a pile of goo, and I am his heir. I am Emperor Rossius!
While the Fellowship is running errands, the capital is in an uproar! Everyone in line with Buckle is way less relaxed than him. Finally, Buckle sends his message to Samac Lake, telling the rest of the Fellowship to join them in the capital.
He and Stella go to the Geologists’ headquarters. All the Geologists are inside and the doors are shut. Buckle knocks on the front door, but there’s no answer. He knocks louder. Stella looks for alternate entrances. There’s a terrace on the upper floor with doors leading inside. Stella remotely knocks on the upper windows.
Stella (+hope, Buckle’s aid) Keep Them Busy 10+
A Geologist walks out onto the terrace, doesn’t see anyone, and walks to the railing and looks down.
Buckle: Hello, we hope our friends are alright. I had a group of Geologists that got to meet our friend the land and we got separated and arrived here, after we convinced it that it needs to set healthy boundaries. Do you know how those people are doing?
Geologist: We are mainly in conference to replace Corum, the Head Geologist, but there is a sub-committee vigrously debating whether you’re a hero, or we should kill you.
Buckle: I’m sure we could talk this over. I’m just looking for my friends. Your lnad is a little bit erratic and needs some lessons in adulting.
Geologist: That’s offensive!
They go inside and come back with the Buckle sub-committee.
Geologist: There he is! he was there when Corum died. He says he’s going to teach the Land a lesson.
Buckle: I already taught the land some boundaries. That’s how everyone got back.
A more radical Geologist has realized that he doesn’t need the Land’s permission to us his earth magic. He pulls rocks out of the ground and throws them at Buckle.
Buckle Overcome 7-9 pay a price
Buckle spends 1 use of Anarchy Reigns
Buckle dodges some rocks. He can’t dodge one, so he makes it explode! He’s showered with gravel, which is much better than being hit by a whole rock.
More traditional Geologists rein in their radical collegue and go back inside for a quick conference.
Geologist: Alright Buckle, you’re an important part of whatever is going on. We have summoned the council. You may make a statement on your own behalf.
Buckle: I don’t know what’s wrong with you people. Whatever you’re doing, the relationship you have with the magic of the land– It needs friendship and boundaries. You’re being awful parents. Or maybe children. You really need to have heart to heart with thel land–which is quite easy to do! I’m just going to point out!
Buckle Talk Sense (+Sense, explain plan) 10+
Geologist: Alright, we can’t pin all this on you, just because you were there when it happened.
There’s a loud noise from the airbase. A small blimp broke its mooring line and is moving away from the airbase in an unscheduled departure. Buckle wanted to talk to the flying creatures there anyways, so the Fellowship heads her.
There’s a crowd around this important location as well. These people want to flee the capital or the whole Empire. Some of them already stole the blimp. The airbase personnel are trying to keep the crowds back, appealing to protocols that the crowd no longer believes in. The pterosaurs and large eagles on the airbase have been riled up by the commotion. Buckle approaches a Pteranodon that’s thrashing in its pen.
Buckle: Hey, buddy, you OK?
Pteranadon: No! All these strange people grabbing at me!
The Pteranodon (named Kzaak) flies over and perches on the wall around the airbase. It’s close to Buckle, but out of reach of all the other people.
Buckle Speak Softly 7-9 ask 3 questions, 1 unhelpful answer
- What can you tell us about what happened at the airbase?
- Most people assigned to the airbase don’t fast travel because air travel is plenty fast, so only a few of them melted into goo. Even a few are still plenty upsetting. Jodi, my pilot, (that’s a different Jodi, not the Halfling thief) went to find out what happened and she hasn’t come back. Then all these strange people showed up and started grabbing everything and everyone.
- What does it want? How can I help you get it?
- I want to be reunited with Jodi. Do you know where she is?
- What should I be wary of when dealing with this pteranodon?
- Usually, animals are much stronger than people, so a panicky animal is dangerous, even by accident. Buckle’s one of the most powerful people in the world, so he has a much higher threshhold for danger.
Buckle wants to find Jodi (the pilot). Stella watches the blimp. It’s not doing well. Whoever is at the controls is not a trained pilot. Stella calls on the giant Cicadas that have been dormant in the ground. More things unexpectedly rising out of the ground. Sand and rocks flow away as six horse-sized insects push themselves out of the ground. They keep pushing upwards and their carapaces split down the middle. They continue rising as they molt, leaving hollow, translucent shells behind. Stella jumps on one and leads all of them aloft, towards the struggling blimp.
Buckle: Kzaak, do you mind helping me find out what my friend is doing? Then we can find Jodi
Buckle Talk Sense (+Sense, explain plan) 10+
GM note: Buckle agreed to do Kzaak a favor before rolling.
Buckle (on Kzaak) follows Stella upwards. Kzaak has a saddle, so it’s easier to ride than the cicadas.
The blimp has a two sets of controls for a pilot and co-pilot, eight passenger seats, and a cargo compartment in the back. There are a lot more than eight passengers, and the people at the controls seem to disagree on what the blimp should do. One looks like he at least works on the airbase. The blimp is wandering around and could hit any of the tall bulldings in the capital. The pilots keep over-correcting and tossing the passengers from one side to another.
Stella sends a pair ot Giant Cicadas to each side of the blimp envelope, and flies her Giant Cicada in front of the gondola to get the pilots’ attention. One is looking at the controls. The other is looking at the first. Seeing Stella right in front of them surprises them and they go to full reverse thrust. Stella tries to yell to them, but they can’t hear her through the windows and over the four propellers. Stella sends her Giant Cicada to the top of the blimp. She lands on the envelope and wall walks down to the underside, which is possibly more surprising than flying nearby.
Buckle: Stella, what are you doing?
As Stella approaches the gondola, she’s hit by the wash from the propellers, and the pilots jerk the blimp again in surprise.
Stella Overcome 6-
Stella’s feet are sticky, but there’s a limit. The sudden movment breaks her grip and she falls off the blimp! Buckel and Kzaak dive after her.
Buckle Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
Kzaak grabs Stella’s leg in its mouth. Her weight throws off its balance and it starts fluttering down to land. Stella calls upon the sixth Giant Cicada (six was just the right number) and it picks her up.
Buckle: Stella, maybe we shouldn’t walk through the slipstream. Do you want me to disable the engines?
Now Buckle and Stella can both fly. Stella commands the five Giant Cicadas on the blimp’s envelope to smooth any sudden moves from the pilots. She guides the blimp away from any tall buildings and back towards the air base.
Stella Overcome 7-9 take a setback
The blimp is flying straight, but away from the city and over the cliffs, so the blimp has even futher to fall.
Buckle and Kzaak fly up under the left nacelle, hoping to open a maintenance hatch and remove the crystal powering the engine.
Buckle Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
Kzaak can only get close for a moment, so Buckle only has one chance to disable the engine
Buckle Technical Plan 7-9 it’s more complicated. Pay a price to make it work
Buckle damages Beak
The hatch needs to be opened by a screwdriver. Buckle jams his bill into it, opens the hatch, and yanks out the crystal. The engine shuts down. Now the propellers nearby aren’t spinning at dangerous speeds, but the lack of thrust makes the blimp lurch towards Kzaak
Buckle Get Away 6-
Kzaak get tangled on the wing connecting the nacelle to the gondola
Famous: on a 6-, a citizen will interrupt
Passenger: It’s him! It’s the Avatar! He’s in trouble. I gotta help him.!
The passenger opens the door and leans out, reaching for Buckle. Buckle makes his eyes flare up.
Buckle: Get back in the cabin!
Talk Sense (+Grace, impress) 7-9 owe a favor
Passenger: OK, you come to me.
(Fireworks burst over the palace. Something important happened over there.) Entering the cabin to take control of the blimp sounds easier than removing the other crystal. Buckle motions for Kzaak to push him into the cabin and it disengages from the blimp and flies away.
Buckle Overcome 6-
Buckle: Kzaaaaaaaaaak!
It doesn’t work! Buckle falls and it’s a very long way down. He tries to swim, but it’s not working. That gives Stella more time to react. She dives towards Buckle, but can’t catch him.
Stella Overcome 6-
GM note: At first, I assumed that a long fall would Take Out anyone, but adventurers are very tough. We eventually decided that the fall would deal 4 damage, and Overcoming could reduce it to 2 damage.
Buckle tries to rocket jump. He throws explosives below him to accelerate him upwards, reducing the speed at which he hits the ground.
Buckle spends Anarchy Reigns
Buckle Overcome 10+
Buckle damages tail slam
Buckle damages Courage
Buckle hits the ground hard! He rocks back and forth in a small crater, holding his tail.
Stella orders the Giant Cicadas to force the blimp back to the airbase.
Stella Technical Plan (in Despair) 6-
The Giant Cicadas can’t compensate for the pilots’ attempts to steer with one remaining engine. The blimp goes down towards a fancy house on the edge of town. The owner of the house comes out and performs some magical gestures. The edge of the cliff (where a front yard would be on most houses) explodes upwards, making a cloud of debris that slows the blimp just before it hits the house. The envelope starts deflating and the owner runs around raising spires of rock to stabilize the blimp and the house. Yesterday, using the Land like this was illegal!
Some of the blimp’s passengers are injured: concussions, broken bones, some bleeding. There’s an emergency aid station a few blocks away. Stella decides that bringing the aid workers to the victims would be easier. She flies over with her six Giant Cicadas and tells the aid workers to get on. The aid workers don’t want to ride weird monsters.
Stella: It’ll be so fast. I was just there when it went down. See how fast I got here?
Medic: And you didn’t bring anyone? You said people were wounded!
Stella: I’m not good at this, OK? I’m getting the professionals for a reason.
Stella Talk Sense (+Wisdom, appeal to emotion) 6-
Medic: Look, this seems callous, but it’s actually important. Medics have to keep themselves safe first. If I get hurt, I can’t help any more people, so I’m not getting on that thing.
Stella is satisfied that the medics will assist the crash victims at normal speed.
Buckle rejoins Stella. A lot has happened since the Fellowship left the ground. As they walk through the streets, they overhear the news. Claudius and Priscilla chose champions to fight for them, and Claudius’ champion killed Priscilla’s champion (Belloc, a copy of whom attacked Buckle a few nights ago). The Geologists have picked a new head Geologist. There’s a ceremony at headquarters. Also, as people try to quickly leave the city, a certain man offers to buy what they can’t take along with a suspicious amount of hard currency. He has an unending supply of gems and is buying houses and furniture and other bulky items. Buckle wants to know if the Land got any say in who gets to run the place, both Emperor and Head Geologist. He heads for Geologist Headquarters first.
The Fellowship joins the crowd at Geologist Headquarters. The new Head Geologist is a Gregory, relatively young man. He’s giving a speech about moving forward into this new era and this new way of interacting with the Land. All the changes are scary, but they will move forward and things will be better. Buckle interrupts.
Buckle: Did you ask the Land’s consent for this new relationship?
Gregory: Look, here’s the guy who showed us how it could be done. Of course. We’ll have the land as a partner in all our decisions.
Buckle gets down, puts his hands on the ground and sends an inquisitive feeling.
Land reaction table: action affects entire location
New response move: Bad weather: unnatural heat
The land associates coziness and good feelings with heat, so it heats up the whole capital. Not enough to melt rocks, but enough to be uncomfortable.
There’s a faction in the crowd that doesn’t trust the Geologists anymore, since the Geologists didn’t know about fast travel trapping people. They blame the Land and the Geologists for all the trouble with the dead returning and people melting.
Protestor: Gregory says that times need to change. They do! But not by co-operating with the thing that imprisoned all our heroes and deceived us!
Buckle: It didn’t know what it was doing. It needed some guidance. You need to have a heart-to-heart, something more violence and discord won’t help.
Buckle Talk Sense (+Wisdom, appeal to emotion) 10+
The protestors quiet down. They don’t admit that Buckle was right, but they stop disrupting the ceremony and blend into the crowd. Buckle wants to chat with Gregory. He waits for the ceremony to end, but something else interrupts them both! Alarms ring and communication bullets ping into all the communication towers. A Geologist runs out to Gregory.
Geologist: Rossius assassinated Claudius! He said he wasn’t the real emperor! He’s seizing power!
Half of the people run towards the palace to see what’s happening. The other half want to avoid coups and assassins and run the other way. Buckle communes with the land again:
Buckle: Help.
NO END-OF-SESSION MOVE
Imperial Capital Message Board
Stella: The Palace is in dismay, the recent Emperor was assassinated by his heir (Rossius). Gregory was appointed to lead Geologists and is approved by Land.