Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The fellowship: Edna Crusher-Harcourt the Ogre, Vestri the Dwarf, Yuri the Outlander
Last time, the Fellowship found the entrance to the secret facility that Yuri’s magic sword has been guiding him to. The entrance closed behind them, so they must go forward and explore.
Vestri’s Drill Tank and his cousin who maintains it both stayed outside. Edna and Yuri try to remember which one is Gurtin and which one is Hundrin. Hundrin is the Drill Tank and Gurtin is the Dwarf. They walk into the first room, an entrance hall of some kind.
The western half of the room has shifted down, leaving a gap between western ceiling and eastern floor of about a foot. A plinth in the center of the room is pinned between the ceiling and floor, keeping the western side of the room from falling further. Desiccated fruit on the plinth reveals that this was a place where people would come and leave offerings. Edna scratches the metal plinth with her fingernail, then scrapes one of her diamond rings across it.
Edna: This is solid platinum. I’m not usually impressed by money, but this is worth quite a lot of money.
Vestri: Better leave it. It’s holding up the ceiling.
Yuri: We can get it on the way out. Speaking of, how are we going to exit? We needed a ride to reach the entrance and we don’t have a ride back out.
Edna picks up Ol’ Jardinier in one hand and sticks that arm through the gap into the sunken part of the room. Ol’ Jardinier calls out what he sees.
Edna Look Closely 6- ask 1 question, find out the hard way
- Tell me about the hidden door. How could it hurt or help me?
- Obviously a door gives access to a new place. This door is secured by runes, and if you try to open the door without providing the correct offering, fire will consume you!
GM note: Shouldn’t there be a consequence for that bad roll? Oh well.
Yuri remembers that he is carrying a living Remnant in a light-proof box. Perhaps Heath would like to come out and help.
Yuri: We are in a Remnant house. Would you like to come out? It’s all desecrated.
Vestri: Desiccated.
Yuri opens the box and Heath emerges. It’s dark in here, but Heath thrives in the dark, and Vestri can see just fine in darkness.
Yuri: Did you live here?
Heath: Nnnno. We had many . . . towers.
Yuri: Can you read these runes? Maybe run you hand over them?
Heath: I don’t sssssee. Sight isn’t usefullll in the dark. I sense heeeeat.
Ol’ Jardinier begins describing the runes to Heath, heedless of the danger of reading magic waords aloud without understanding them.
Yuri: What if there was ice monster?
Heath: I sense cold too.
Yuri: What if air monster? You should gain eyes. I’m a doctor. I’m looking out for your safety.
Edna: Don’t mention “looking!” That’s insensitive!
Edna opens the door to the north, which is accessible to all and not locked by dangerous runes.
A short hall leads to a circuler area with a central column. From that column, various blades and spikes whirl around at different speeds, directions, and heights! The door didn’t need to be locked, because this room of traps would prevent intruders from going any further! The column appears to have controls which might allow safe passage. Vestri could figure out the controls if he could get close without being torn apart.
Edna Keep Them Busy 7-9 draw attention for a moment
Edna waits to get the timing, then stomps on the lowest spinning blade, pinning it to the floor. She grabs it with her hands to secure it and nods towards the central column. The bottom two feet of the room are now clear of hazards, so Vestri prepares to move to the column.
Vestri: You could come if you crawl.
Yuri: I don’t trust that I can stay under two feet.
Vestri crouch-walks to the column to examine the controls.
Vestri Let Me See That: ask 2 questions about interesting technology or architecture
- What is this for? How do I use it or break it?
- These traps are to prevent traspassers from getting deeper into the facility. Pulling the four levers on the four sides of the central column will deactivate the spinning blades.
- Who made it and why should I care about them?
- The Remnants built this. They built the whole facility, which seems to be important to the calamity that Yuri is trying to prevent.
The blade starts to slip out from under Edna’s boot, and she tries to hold it back!
Edna Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
Edna I Know Something You Don’t: Overcoming an attack gives you an Advantage
Vestri hustles back to safety. Edna hears the metal groan as the blade slips free. It turns once, trying to pick up speed.
Edna Finish Them (kill, +Blood) 7-9 damage Trap Column
Edna strikes the lower blade as it passes by, snapping it off the central column. The area is now slightly safer, at least for very short intruders.
Vestri hears a rhythm in the motion of the traps and absent-mindedly starts tapping his fingers in time. Heath recognizes the beat. It’s an old Remnant song!
GM note: The players decided the song was Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees.
Vestri: I think I’ve got this. Your friend Heath is singing something to me.
Vestri Overcome 7-9 pay a price (damage Wisdom)
Following the beat, Vestri confidently steps into the whirling blades and pulls the first lever. Wait, duck, step to the next lever and pull it. Carefully keeping time, with Heath hissing the song in his ear, Vestri moves around to pull the third lever. There’s a section of the song where the regular four-count rhythm changes to a six-beat rhythm, and Vestri doesn’t expect it, so he moves a bit early and gets clipped in the arm by a blade! He pulls the fourth lever and all the spikes and blades stop and retract. The room is now safe. The northern and eastern doors are locked by runes, so the Fellowship opens the western doors.
Vestri and Heath were still humming the old Remnant song. The rest of the Fellowship could almost hear it too. Edna throws open the doors to reveal a saloon full of Remnant shadows. They were singing the old song too. They stop and stare at the new arrivals.
Yuri: Good thing they are on our side. Look, Heath is not a captive! You can stay here. Go talk to them.
Heath tries to talk to them, but they hiss in an unknown dialect.
Yuri reveals the magical sword that guided him here. He hopes the Rements will recognize it and help him understand his quest.
Yuri Talk Sense (+Wisdom, appeal to emotions) 7-9
Yuri Fool Me Once 10+
The Remnants indicate that the person in charge is through the double doors to the north. That’s who Yuri should go to.
Yuri and the Fellowship open the doors to the north and step into a featureless black void! The bar is still visible through the doorway, but the room they are in is featureless and black, They can’t even tell how big the room is, except for the great, softly-glowing serpent in the center!
- Primordial Abyss Beast: A terrible serpent, glowing softly. It rests in the deepest and darkest corner of the world, where nothing can be seen but itself.
- Primordial Beast: A primordial beast is ancient and perfect. Its attacks are Giant. It cannot be harmed by standard weaponry. It cannot be destroyed – if it would be, it takes damage instead. This stat functions even while damaged.
- Abyssal Champion: This primordial beast has Protection from the perils of the abyss. It has unusual senses, and can see through the deepest darkness. It always knows where you are. You cannot hide.
- Terror of the Deep: The abyssal beast can hunt you throughout its domain. You cannot Get Away from it.
Yuri: This would be a good time to use that Wizard Dagger, Vestri!
Edna: Wizard-Killing Dagger.
For the first time in her adventures, Edna meets something she considers a serious threat. Fighting’s a game for someone as tough and strong as Edna, and she’s rarely serious. Now she wields her metal-shod walking stick as a Giant weapon and prepares to kill!
Yuri: Is it ethical to make Heath join this fight? Heath, how do you feel about attacking this creature?
Heath: Ssscared.
Yuri: I’m scared too.
The Abyssal Beast lunges for the doors, trying to trap the Fellowship in the dark with no escape.
Vestri Uncontrollable Strength: lift just about anything
Vestri Keep Them Busy 10+
Amazingly, the tiny Dwarf grabs the Abyssal Beast around the midsection and pins it to the ground! Edna rushes in to bash its brains in, if it has brains . . . if that’s really a head.
Edna Finish Them (+Blood, kill) 7-9
Abyssal Beast damages Abyssal Champion
Abyssal Beast Primordial Beast: Giant attacks hit three characters at once
The Abyssal Beast attacks everyone: biting at Edna, rolling over Vestri to crush him, and lashing at Yuri with its tail.
Edna Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
Edna I Know Something You Don’t: Overcoming an attack gives you an Advantage
Edna jams her walking stick vertically in the Abyssal Beast’s jaws, preventing them from closing.
Vestri Overcome 6-
Vestri damages Grace
Vestri feels the Abyssal Beast shift its weight and braces in a squat to lift the creature’s coils over himself. His stance is wrong and the Abyssal Beast rolls over him.
Yuri Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see
Yuri Overcome 7-9 temporary solution
Yuri I Know Something You Don’t: Overcoming an attack gives you an Advantage
Yuri leaps and catches the Abyssal Beast’s tail in mid-air.
Edna and Yuri see that they control both ends of the Abyssal Beast. Through a move that Yuri taught Edna, they both have an Advange over their foe. With a move that Edna taught Yuri, they can finish it right now! They leap in opposite directions! Like Beowulf breaking Grendel’s arm, they’ll use internal trauma where regular weapons won’t do.
Edna & Yuri Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see
Yuri Finish Them (+Blood, kill. +hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+
Abyssal Beast Primordial Beast: It cannot be destroyed – if it would be, it takes damage instead.
Abyssal Beast damages Terror Of The Deep
Edna hit a wall as she jumped. The room has a form. It’s not infinite darkness. The Abyssal Beast retreats to the ceiling, wrapping around pitch-black stalagtites that eclipse its glowing coils. There is terrain here after all. The Abyssal Beast rips rocks from the ceiling of the cavern and throws them at he door, trying once again to seal the Fellowship in its lair. Edna leaps for the door while she can still see it!
Edna Mighty Leap: jump to anywhere you can see
Edna Overcome 10+
Edna Uncontrollable Strength: You are Dangerous, and any uncontrolled action you take can cause collateral damage or destroy the world around you.
Edna clears the doorway by knocking the rocks into the bar! Remants dive for cover and Steven (who had curled up on the bar to sleep) yowls!
Steven damages Purr-fect Rest
Vestri doesn’t carry ranged weapons, so he improvises, copying the Abyssal Beast’s tactic of tearing up rocks and throwing them up at the Abyssal Beast. He hisses in what he hopes are bad words in the Remnant language.
Vestri Deepdelve: see in the dark (to find rocks)
Vestri Uncontrollable Strength (to dislodge and throw rocks)
Vestri Keep Them Busy 7-9 their attention is on you & you will face retaliation
Yuri sees his chance and leaps to strike a deathblow with his magical sword!
Yuri Finish Them (+Blood, kill) 6-
Yuri Fool Me Once 10+
Abyssal Beast damages Primordial Beast
Abyssal Beast TAKEN OUT
The force of Yuri’s leap drives the sword into the Abyssal Beast up to the hilt. The glow from the sword fills the Abyssal Beast, which bursts, showering the chamber with light! The bits of the Abyssal Beast seem to turn to paint, splattering over the chamber so that was once black on black is now white on white! The intense light instantly kills Heath and any Ramnants near the doorway of the bar!
The only thing left of the Abyssal Beast is a curious lantern. This Reverse Lantern alternates between emiting and absorbing light at the flip of a switch! It can open the rune-locked doors the Fellowship passed earlier.
END OF SESSION MOVE:
- Did we thoroughly explore a new location? Only half-done with this dungeon, so NO.
- Did anyone find what they were seeking? Yuri still doesn’t know what the sword does, or what disaster he’s preventing. NO
- Did we learn something new about the world and its peoples? YES, we learned about Remnants.
1 Boon: Heal