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, Lucia the Brave the Heir/Halfling Sheriff, Edna Crusher-Harcourt the Ogre/Knight
Last time, Edna and Dryden investigated a magical chamber with three sealed doors, and solved a puzzle to open one. Edna also used Infinite Window to get her other friends to a safe place.
Edna: I should explain. That was non-standard. We were lost in the woods, and Infinite Windows brought them to a known location. Is that OK? I should have asked first.
A gnome tumbles out of the first door, which was opened by solvind the riddle.
Gnome: You woke me up! Who are you and why are you here?
Dryden: When Rumple….mister Gnome, we are on a quest based on a mystery from a friend. We’re here to make the world better!
Edna: I’m Edna Crusher-Harcourt. Do you have a poem to recite or a picture to show us? Everyone wants us to solve some kind of riddle and no one explains why.
Gnome: At least you’re polite. Do you have the royal symbol?
Dryden: If you serve us some tea, I’ll send a friend to get the Queen.
Gnome: I’ll make tea and not invite you!
Edna tries to smooth things over by offering the use of her tea set.
Edna Talk Sense (+sense, explain plan) 7-9 owe a favor
Gnome: I’ll make the tea. You set the places.
The Gnome disappears back through is door. After some clanging, he returns holding a pot as big as he is. Dryden prepares to fetch Lucia from the banquet, but what’s the best way? Infinite Windows is fastest, but do they have anything from the banquet hall? Can he walk out through the tunnel? Does he need a gem to open the secret door?
Dryden: Would you reach that down for me?
Edna reaches up and takes the first gem from the socket above the door. There’s a chime that isn’t the full harmony that opened the first door, but the door doesn’t shut. Dryden goes back up the tunnel to the secret door in the library. He greet Greico IV, the gecko that is watchign the entrance for him. Then he leaps out the window!
Dryden: On A Mirror’s Edge: gain 2 Speed when you start parkouring
Dryden: spend 1 Speed to avoid an obstacle
Dryden grabs the upper edge of the windowframe and swings himself out onto the ledge. He leaps away from the library, and his cape swooshes out behind him, slowing his fall just a bit. He grabs a tree in the nearby park, then slides down. He has climbed many a tree in his time. He greets the tree that provided his escape route.
Dryden: Good to see you, Ol’ Bessie.
Drydne casually walks into the banquet, greets a few people, and finds Lucia. Dinner is over, and it’s a relaxing, less formal time of the gathering. People are strolling through the gardens, and servers carry trays of drinks and desserts around. The night is cold and foggy, but the palace is lit by torches. People are chatting. It’s late enough that leaving would not be impolite, but not late enough that it’s rude to stay. Most families with children have taken them home to sleep. Lucia moves from group to group, trying to at least make an appearance to everyone. People are concerned for Lucia’s safety on her distant adventures, and sad that the old king and queen died, but in general they’re happy. There’s no scandal crisis threatening the land. Dryden helps some servants clear a table and pockets a set of silverware.
Dryden: Lucia, I have a small question, if you have a moment.
He winks. Lucia bids her subjects goodnight and heads towards her chambers.
Lucia: Oh, Dryden, walk with me and we’ll discuss that matter.
Once they are inside the palace and away from most people, Dryden explains.
Dryden: We met a curmudgeonly RumpleGnome. He’s having tea with Edna right now. There are these three magic doors in a chamber with annoying pixies and what secret passage shall we use to leave the palace?
Lucia: Not the one where I must crawl.
Dryden: So the slide?
Lucia: Have you tested it recently? You go first.
GM note: This is great. These character are talking like they have a long history, but the players are making it up on the spot and following each other’s lead. Good improvisation!
They enter the armory and approach a big round shield with the royal symbol embossed on the center.
Dryden: Remember to push, then pull quickly!
Lucia: And I get to keep my symbol this time?
Lucia presses her Royal Symbol into a depression on the shield. She pushes, then pulls quickly. The shield swings out on a hinge, revealing a passage in the wall behind it. Lucia pulled her Royal Symbol clear of the mechanism this time. Dryden immediately jumps down the slide!
Dryden Overcome 6-
It’s been a long time since either of them used this slide, and things have changed. Dryden slides feet-first into a wall that wasn’t there before. His boots split open and his feet hurt.
Dryden damages Blood
Dryden: Someone did not get the proper permits before building!
Lucia waited and listened before sliding down, so she remains safely in the armory.
Lucia: Are you OK?
Dryden: My boots have been better.
Lucia: That secret passage is no good. Let’s try the one in my suite.
Dryden climbs up the slide and they walk towards Lucia’s suite.
Dryden: I want to file a complaint.
Lucia: Yes, whoever built that wall didn’t know how important that slide was. Maybe they didn’t know it was there, but they had to see it when they built the wall.
In Lucia’s sitting room there’s a hidden pocket door in the wall. For safety, it’s a one-way door. Even if someone finds the other end of the secret tunnel, they can’t open the pocket door and access Lucia’s suite. This secret tunnel is a boring walk, not a cool slide like the other, but it brings them outside the palace. They walk to the library.
Dryden: I could fly you up there if your Majesty prefers. We could climb vines. I could toss you, do parkour…
Lucia: Flying Device
Dryden spends 1 use of Flying Device
Dryden Modifications; Flying Device is always overcharged to carry 2 people
They fly up to the aviary at the top of the library. Dryden greets the ghostly messenger bird. Now that the main library and the hidden library under the volcano can communicate, will Dryden be banned from the library under the volcano as well?
Edna and the Gnome wrap up the tea ceremony around the time that Lucia and Dryden arrive. Dryden does the Will Smith pose to present Lucia to the Gnome. The Gnome pops up from tea, comes close to Lucia, walks all the way around her, then beckons her to lean in.
Gnome: You have her eyes. It really is you! Do you have the royal symbol?
Lucia presents her Symbol of Royalty and the Gnome grins.
Lucia: What is your name, my subject?
Gnome: I am Nobler. I hide a secret given to me by your great-great-grandmother
Nobler disappears through his door again and brings out three potted, then a table, then three glasses, and three mortars and pestles. He fills each glass with water, and puts one leaf from each plant into a mortar, grinds them, and puts the three powders in the three glasses.
Nobler: One will kill you. One will make you crazy. One will give you what you need. Drink one.
Lucia: Can I ask questions?
Nobler: Of course.
Lucia: Which one will make you crazy?
Nobler: Try harder than that!
Lucia Look Closely: 6- ask 1 question, find out the hard way
- What is hidden or out of place?
On the other side of the cavern, with all the moss and water, Lucia notices a vine. The leaves look like the leaves on one of Nobler’s potted plants. She follows the vine and looses her footing! The vine rises up to engulf her like a Venus Fly-Trap! Lucia draws the small ceremonial sword she wore for the banquet. It’s not her main sword, the beautiful blade with a storied history, but it’s still sharp. She slices at the plant.
Lucia Get Away 7-9 avoid harm
The plant screams at a painfully high frequency. The vines retract from around Lucia, but the whining continues. Dryden comes over to talk to the plant.
Dryden: Oh intrepid and sinister vine. Are you injured? Are you evil?
Dryden nudges Lucia.
Lucia Bloodline power Detect Evil: Not evil, but touched by ancient darkness.
Dryden: Let’s not drink from those leaves!
The leaves on the carnivorous vine match glass #3. Dryden grabs a section of vine. It’s sticky! He places it in a glass vial and puts it behind his cloak.
Dryden: Edna, will you help me look around?
Dryden Look Closely (+hope, Edna’s assistance) 7-9 ask 3 questions, find 1 answer the hard way
GM note: Asking something like “Which drink will kill me” is dangerous, because finding out the hard way could mean drinking the fatal liquid!
- What is hidden or out of place?
- They hear a mechanical, rhythmic sound from behind Nobler’s door. Click, click, click.
- Edna asks Nobler: Tell me about the second drink. How could it hurt or help me?
- Nobler says it would give her significant stomach pain, but would reveal the correct drink.
- Edna realizes it might reveal the right drink by process of elimination. She doens’t want to risk it.
- Tell me about Nobler. What is he doing? What will he do next?
- Nobler sits and drinks his tea. He’s watching and judging the Fellowship.
Dryden: Nobler, may I have some of your tea?
Nobler: Of course!
Nobler serves Dryden a cup of tea. Dryden sniffs the tea, then sniffs drink #1 and drink #2. Drink #1 smells like the tea. Dryden smiles and drinks drink #1. Nobler goes in his door and returns with a bag.
Nobler: Your Majesty, despite your reckless companions, I entrust you with these seeds. They take 40 days to grow and need sunlight each day.
Lucia: What plant will grow from these seeds?
Nobler: I thought this was what you were here for!
Lucia: Much knowledge has been lost since my great-great-grandmother’s time.
Nobler: Haven’t you found a Dragon?
Lucia: Actually, it’s an egg….
Edna: Yeah, we killed that thing!
Nobler reacts in horror! His eyes well up with tears.
Dryden: Much has changed. That one dragon went bad and threatened the land. We do have an egg.
Nobler: So much has changed. You’re not ready. Perhaps your granddaughter…
Nobler packs up his equipment and closes his door. The third door, a tall narrow metal door, opens.
Edna: That was weird. And it was more than one dragon that went bad. Ah, you were being diplomatic because he was upset.
Edna hears the sound of water beyond the third door. She can fit through the door if she turns sideways, so she sticks her head in to take a look. Through the door is not a cavern. It’s very open. The sound of water comes from a fast-flowing river perhaps half a mile away. There’s a boat on the riverbank. The ground is covered with moss. She hears birds chirping and forest creatures moving around. Edna returns and reports to the Fellowship
Edna: It’s outside in there. I think we have to get on a boat. I don’t like the water.
Dryden: Maybe you can jump alongside on the bank.
The Fellowship goes through the door, then Edna gathers them all into her apron and leaps to the riverbank
Edna Free Ride: You can carry the entire Fellowship
Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see
They see a bald head and brown robe carried along by the current towards some rapids.
Man: Help, help!
Edna leaps diagonally forward to the other bank, and when she’s above the victim, she throws Dryden at him!
Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see
Edna Toss Aside 10+ throw someone to land safely about where you aimed
Dryden crosses his arms and enters the water feet-first. He swims to the surface, grabs the struggling man, and fires his Ranged Rope towards shore.
Dryden spends 1 use of Ranged Rope
Lucia anticipated his move and is ready to catch the rope. She’s still in Edna’s apron, so she holds tight to the rope and Edna takes a few steps back.
Dryden Get Away (+hope, Lucia’s assistance) 10+ avoid harm, bring someone along
They pull Dryden and the man safely onto shore.
Edna: OK, what’s your riddle? Which waterfall do we have to go over?
Lucia: Give him some space. Sir, are you OK?
Man: Thank you. My leg hurts. I was out on my morning walk and slippedon a loose rock.
Dryden: How many eons have you done this morning walk?
Man: Every day is now. How did you get here?
Dryden: Have you met Rumple . . . Nobler?
Man: I don’t know that name. It’s been a while since breakfast and I want to get out of these wet clothes.
Edna: Viktor, bring out lunch and offer your spare clothes to, uh?
Man: Frederick. Friar Frederick
Edna: A fryer, eh? Maybe you want to prepare this meal.
GM note: Edna doesn’t know about Catholicism.
Lucia enhances the food that Viktor brings out and Fellowship has a lovely meal with their new friend.
Edna spends Giant Food: feed 3 people
Lucia Wonder Chef: When you fill your Belly, you don’t spend food. Each person who heals heals 1 extra stat.
Dryden heals
Ol’ Jardiner heals
Frederick heals
Dryden: My heel is healed.
Frederick: Where are you from. How long have you been traveling?
Lucia: We are on a quest in the library of the Forgotten Lands.
Frederick: Never heard of it. Can you tell me a story? I like stories.
Edna: I have a story! So I have this friend, he’s from very far away and his sword was giving him bad dreams. Showing him awful stuff that was going to happen. So we followed the sword and we got the scabbard to turn it into a key, but these Vampires attacked us, so we left that town. We found a door on the side of a mountain and, ugh! That Sky Serpent. It doesn’t matter. We went inside and found a Dragon sleeping in the middle of this huge chamber, wrapped around an hourglass, no, a century glass! The far side of the chamber was an awful machine. A Doomsday Engine! The Dragons lost the war and were going to destroy the world out of spite! Well we didn’t let that happen! We fought that Dragon. I threw it through the century glass. Glass and sand everywhere! We deactivated the Doomsday Engine, saved the world, and killed the Dragon.
Frederick: A Dragon! You killed the Dragon? Why were you there?
Edna: Yuri’s sword led him there.
Frederick: You followed a dream and helped your friend.
Lucia: A long time ago. when I adventured with Gleador, attended the Fairmeadow Fair. We went to the pub. Tavern. inn. Whatever. First, someone was pick-pockting everyone. We stopped the thief. The correct thief, not the scapegoat.
Frederick: What did you do with the thief?
Lucia: We called the sheriff. Then a man in the kitchen stole some mead and we chased him and caught him at the edge of the swamp. The Swamp of, what was her name?
Dryden: You’ve told me many times, but I forget.
Gm note: Lucia’s player turned to Gleador’s player to remind her of the name, but Gleador’s player is now playing Dryden, not Gleador. Dryden wasn’t there, so he doesn’t remember.
Lucia: Samantha. Samantha and Ferdinand, an Elf who could shapeshift into a bull. We discovered that the innkeeper stole herbs from their swamp to make his famous mead. We negotiated between them so Samantha and Ferdinand got credit and they would no longer be harrassed. We remain friends to this day.
Frederick: What a touching story.
Dryden: Let me tell you about Star-Rider! he appeared on the darkest day of a town that lost its bridge. The Moon…..
Frederick: Moon?
Dryden: An orb that reflects light. Like a ball just out of reach. The Vampires tried to destroy it with a doomsday device.
Edna: Not the Doomsday Engine, though. That’s different.
Dryden: Pieces of the Moon fell from the sky and destroyed the bridge. Star-Rider flew in, saving people. Children cheered!
Frederick: You saved children?
Dryden: Children, elderly, merchants who can’t get out of the water, people tangled in ropes.
Frederick: These are great stories, and great stories make me sleepy.
He lies down, and now it’s sunset.
Lucia: Wait, do you have a story for us?
Frederick: In the morning.
He pulls his clothes tight and goes to sleep. Viktor has a pained look. He’s a slim man, so Frederick was already stretching his spare set of clothes a bit. This will stretch them further. Dryden and Edna investigate the area.
Dryden Look Closely (+hope, Edna’s assistance) 10+ ask 3 questions
- What do my senses tell me?
- Time is a bit different here. Everything is a little bit off. The time of day seems linked to Frederick.
- Tell me about the boat. How could it hurt or help me?
- It’s an ordinary rowboat that could carry about 5 Human-sized creatures.
- What is hidden or out of place?
- There’s rustling in some greenery a ways off. More rustling. A Giant Panther, 8 feet tall emerges from the trees. Two more appear nearby and they run towards the Fellowship!
Edna God Of War: Keep Them Busy no matter who they are
Edna Keep Them Busy 10+
Edna intercepts and starts wrestling with all three Giant Panthers!
Lucia Detect Evil: Panthers are not evil
Dryden Queen of the Wild: All Beasts are your Companions
Dryden: Hey, what’s your name? Please come here?
The Giant Panther growls and runs at Dryden!
Edna Toss Aside 7-9 land safely where enda aims
Edna grabs the tail of the fleeing Giant Panther and throws it into the river. The Giant Panther recovers and walks across the surface of the water back towards the Fellowship. Edna moves to protect Lucia.
Lucia Quiet! Don’t Move: hide yourself and your allies
Dryden, Lucia, and even Edna disappear, but Frederick is still visible. He’s not a member of the Fellowship, and he didn’t notice Lucia’s signal because he’s asleep. The Giant Panther growl and sniff around, confused that their prey has vanished. When one gets within Edna’s reach, she grabs it by the scruff of the neck and lifts! Panther are long, so its back legs don’t leave the ground, but it is in an awkward position!
Edna Finish Them (advantage: hidden) (+Courage, force retreat) 7-9 damage a stat
GM note: What are these creatures’ stats anyways? The person running this part of the game doesn’t have the books with the lists of creatures and stats.
The Giant Panther disappears into a puff of mist!
Edna: These things aren’t so tough!
One Giant Panther heads towards Edna, the other toward camp, Frederick, and the Companions. Dryden follows unseen.
Dryden Silent Predator: When you stalk unaware prey, they can never see you coming until you make yourself known.
Lucia is really glad that she wears armor, even to formal events. She takes inventory of her weapons and selects a throwing dagger to hamstring the Giant Panther threatening Edna
Lucia Finish Them (advantage: hidden) (+Sense, disable) 6-
The knife misses and the Giant Panther leaps and swipes at Lucia. As soon as Lucia saw the knife go wide, she started diving behind a nearby tree.
Lucia Get Away 10+ avoid harm, avoid notice
Edna, who was right there to deffend Lucia, gives a shocked and hurt look.
Edna Protect The Little Ones: When an ally within your reach would Overcome incoming harm, they may choose to have you take that harm instead of rolling.
Meanwhile, the other giant Panther notices Frederick and trots toward him. Dryden follows and leaps into action to protect his sleeping friend.
Dryden spends 1 use of Flying Device
Dryden spends Curious Curios for a mirror and sparkler fountain
Dryden reflects the light from the sparkler fountain with the mirror onto the ground in front of the Giant Panther. It’s like a laser pointer and the big cat can’t resist it. Dryden leads the Giant Panther away from Frederick and back towards Edna.
Dryden Keep Them Busy 10+
Menawhile, Edna sees the other Giant Panther going for Lucia.
Edna: you’re not going to ignore me!
Edna Keep Them Busy 10+
Edna rassles the huge cat again. Lucia and Dryden understand the situation and work together like people who have known each other all their lives.
Lucia spends Arrow Trap
Lucia sets up an arrow trap and Dryden leads his Giant Panther into its path. Lucia triggers the trap and the Giant Panther dissolves into a puff of mist when the arrow strikes it. Now they can turn their attention to the final Giant Panther. Edna’s having an easier time fighting one instead of three.
Dryden: OK, panther thing. I know you’re not a beast. Can you understand me?
The Giant Panther dissolves into a puff of mist and Frederick is standing next to Edna.
Frederick: That was a great story! Too bad you can’t stay. We’d have so much fun. You demonstrated courage, compassion, kindness, bravery, and heroism.
He presents a shimmering silver key to Lucia, then he too dissolves into a puff of mist. The land changes when he disappears. The ground is bare and hardly any water flows through the river. A faint ringing sound gets louder and louder. Edna gathers everyone into her apron and leaps back to the door
Edna Free Ride: You can carry the entire Fellowship
Edna Mighty Leap: Jump to anywhere you can see
The Fellowship goes through the door, back to the scret chamber. With a mighty rumble, the tall narrow door closes behind them.
Ol’ Jardiner: Hmmm, you impressed him with your virtues. What does he think about vices?
Edna: Lucia, this is abrupt, but what does the Forgotten Lands import? What’s hard to get here?
Lucia: We get most necessities locally. We don’t grow silk. We like exotic foods, like fancy cheeses and apples.
Edna: OK, good, good.
Lucia: We have artisans, but there are certain sculpture and painting techniques that none of our people know. That’s stuff that only wealthy people can buy.
Edna: Naturally.
Edna schemes about importing valuable items through Infinite Windows while Dryden goes through his collection.
Dryden Workaholic: Spend food to restore Gear.
END OF SESSION MOVE:
- Did we thoroughly explore a new location?
- No. we only opened 2 of the 3 doors
- Did anyone find what they were seeking?
- Yes, we’re on this quest for Lucia
- Did welearn something new about the world and its people?
- Yes, Lucia’s ancestors had magical secrets.
Restore gear
level up