Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The fellowship: Boris the Remnant, Yonne the Rain.
Last time, the Fellowship looked for someone who might know about the Forgotten Lands. It’s Boris’ mission to destroy them. This time, they look for Yonne’s people and find them unexpectedly.
At the time that Boris and Yonne expect Ol’ Jardiner to return through Infinite WIndows, no portal appears. Several minutes later, a thought bubble comes down from the sky to deliver a message to Boris.
Ol’ Jardiner: Infinite Windows is busy. I can’t make it back. Everything is fine.
Boris: He’s not going to come. Mmm, busy.
Yonne: How’s he going to find us?
Boris: With Infinite WIndows. It’s magic, I believe.
Ol’ Jardiner targets the friendship bracelet that he gave to Boris. He didn’t give it to Yonne because her acidic body would dissolve it. Boris and Yonne are in a forest of huge redwood trees.
Yonne: I want to find more people like me. I don’t know that we do that here. We’re looking for something new. Things are really old here.
The Fellowship sets off to find Doeb, a Rain that Atlas mentioned. They go north and pass the Hidden Library. Recent heavy rains threaten to flood the Hidden Library, which is at the bottom of the Volcano’s caldera. Already there’s a ring of water between the sheer walls of the calera and the round ceramic shell that surrounds the Hidden Library. Ghost Librarian stands at the entrance, using her poltergeist powers to push the water away, but that’s not a long-term solution.
Yonne: I feel like I should fix that. I don’t know if I can do it, but I’ll try.
Boris: If you have the capability. The library is a great resource.
Yonne has the power to create rain, but can she remove it? She tries to absorb the excess water and it works! The moutain can absorb the remaining water, so the HIdden Library is no longer in danger of flooding. Yonne waves at the Ghost Librarian, who nods. Yonne is quite a bit larger now and her voice is a bit deeper.
The sudden rain after a drought has endangered the Raging Rapids as well. They aren’t raging, or even flowing anymore. A hillside collapsed into the riverbed, blocking it, so the water is flooding out in all directions. The Mighty River, no longer fed from the Treacherous Mountains, is drying up. Giant Spiders (beasts, not the intelligent humanoids) are scrambling to escape the water, spinning webs to climb trees and avoid the water. Harpy Eagles also circle overhead, less concerned about the flood.
Yonne: Are they supposed to be doing that? The spiders?
Boris: Well, they’re nervous. They’re moving erratically. Spiders are usually more relaxed unless there’s prey around.
Yonne: I see a lot of bugs move like that.
Boris: They’re not bugs. They’re arachnids.
Yonne: What does that mean?
Boris: Uhhh, different kind of bug.
Yonne: Why do you think they are nervous?
Boris: Probably activity of the birds, and also the possibility of a mudslide?
Boris looks around and finds some emergency weblines spun by the Giant Spiders. He pulls them free and makes a lasso to help clear the logjam.
Yonne: Oh! Cool! Is it for the spiders? Maybe to ride them?
Boris: I’m far too large. I’m using this to grab the logs and pull, so I can clear the path for the water to flow naturally.
Boris does as he says and does pull a log out of the debris. Water rushes through and carries Boris away! Yonne decides that clearing the river is the more pressing matter and leaves Boris to his fate. She climbs upstream to where the mudslide first disrupts the river and focuses all the excess water she absorbed from the Hidden Library into a powerful jet of water. It works! The debris starts moving and the river returns to its natural course. Yonne thought she was acting alone, but there are several other Rain in the river with her! They multiplied the effect of her action.
Now, Boris is tumbling down the river with debris coming after him. He’s happy that Yonne has found her people and would give a thumbs up if the water didn’t get tumbling him against the riverbed. As Boris tumbles through a shallow section of river, he digs his feet into the muddy bottom. He stops his uncontrolled descent, but that was the only thing keeping him in front of all the debris! A boulder is rolling down the bottom of the river at him. He grabs a passing piece of wood and braces it against his shoulder. It acts as a ramp, pushing the boulder aside so he isn’t crushed. Now he’s standing firm on the bottom of the rapids. Even though it didn’t go straight over him, the weight of the boulder pushed him down into the muddy bottom. He’s stuck! Fortunately he doesn’t have to breath. Hopefully Yonne will notice his distress eventually.
Back at the head of the rapids, Yonne meets Latta and Cabochon.
- Cabochon (she/her) Rain
- Latta (she/her) 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.
Cabochon: I don’t recognize you.
Yonne: I would not be recognized by you because I have never been here before. I have been living in the Drowned Forest since before I became aware of myself. I’ve never seen another before. We were on our way to the mountains to find one and here you are!
Cabochon: We’re always happy to meet more Rain. You said “we” Are your companions here in the water with us?
Yonne: One of the companions is far away. He uses magic to see us, but it’s busy today. I don’t know what that means. My other companion pulled out the big tree that was in the middle so we could, hmmm, where is he?
Latta: Cabochon, I didn’t see anyone come out of the water. That boar is still down there.
Yonne: Yes, the boar! That’s him. Oh. We should go get him.
The three Rain flow easily through the river. Yonne speaks to Boris, but he doesn’t hear anything over the water rushing over him. Yonne moves around him, so there’s a person-shaped section of still water in the midst of the tumult.
GM note: Does that make Yonne The Shape Of Water?
Yonne: Hello? Can you hear me? No?
Yonne tries to communicate with hand signals, but Boris can only see the shape of a Rain moving around. Boris reaches out for the person-shaped water and feels the tingle of Yonne’s acidic water.
Boris: Brrbrrrp rrugggbuurr!
Boris also can’t speak underwater. He gestures at his legs, stuck fast in the mud. Yonne digs Boris out with Latta’s help. The three Rain carry Boris to shore.
Cabochon: Thank you for returning the river to its proper course.
Boris: Happy to be of service. I’m all for the right state of nature.
Yonne: Can I ask you something? Where did we come from?
Cabochon: Just now we came from Lichenton.
Yonne: You know, creatures will make small versions of themselves, but I don’t think I had a big version of me.
Cabochon: This is complicated. I think we should discuss it in the comfort of our village.
Yonne: Can my boar come?
Cabochon: Yes, we have facilities for solid folk.
Cabochon and Latta lead Yonne and Boris to Lichenton, a village of Rain until a waterfall coming down from the Treacherous Mountains. An overhanging rock splits the waterfall in two, one on each side of the village. Yonne was looking for a place with Rain, and stumbled into this place with Rain quite by accident.
Yonne: Look, Boris, they even have a bridge for you. We don’t need bridges. Cabochon, can I ask you something else?
- What can they tell us about Rain? Are they also acidic or different?
- Cabochon: The Rain came to this world on a great icy comet several generations ago. The comet broke up in the atmosphere so not all Rain landed together. It seems that you were a small shard that landed alone and took a while to develop. Not all of us are acidic. Some are sneaky. Some are cold. Several different kinds.
- Yonne: Cold? Are they still liquid? When I get cold, really cold, I get hard.
- What would they have us do next?
- Stay here with your people.
- GM note: That means Yonne would retire from adventuring and leave the game. Not what Yonne’s player wants right now.
- What do they want & how can we help them get it?
- Cabochon: There’s been some commotion behind the walls.
- Cabochon shares glances with other Rain, not sure if she should reveal a secret. Yonne’s Rain and probably a new resident. She can learn the secrets.
- Cabochon: We have a space hidden behind the waterfall. Something further in the mountain has been quiet for a long time, but there’s been commotion recently. If you could go find out, that would be great.
Yonne: I like finding things out.
Boris: I agree. I also like finding things out.
Cabochon: I’m not sure that you’re solid friend–we’ve got to be inclusive. We’ll show him.
Boris: I don’t want to step on any, uh, toes?
Yonne: It’s OK. We’re liquid.
Cabochon leads them to a secret chamber carved out behind the waterfall. There are big machines and looms that Cabochon hurries them past.
Cabochon: That’s not important. Over here!
There are some metal drains, six inches across, in the back wall of the room. No way Boris can fit through.
Boris: That’s fine. I’m kinda curious about the looms. They’re Rain. Do they need this stuff? Is this all yours?
Cabochon: The drains were here when we got here.
Yonne: Have you seen anything like this before?
Boris: Drainage, yes. It’s common. I’ve seen looms before. It all seems like regular city technology.
Cabochon relaxes. Yonne and Boris look around.
- What is going on here? What do my senses tell me?
- Waterwheels extend into the waterfall, which spins them. The waterwheels share axles with big flywheels which power the looms.
- Is something hidden or out of place? What looks suspicious?
- Over the din of the machinery, there is some noise coming from the drainpipes. It sounds like voices.
- Tell me about the people working the looms? What are they doing? What will they do next?
- They bring in moss that grows on the wall and turn it into thread. It’s soft and spongy and comes in a variety of pastel colors. They turn that thread into humanoid clothing. The activity in the drains is a distant concern. The workers aren’t scared yet.
Yonne: Latta, I think it’s safer to go a couple people–I’m not very good at explaining things, so it might be better to come see it with your own eyes.
Latta: No, this is your chance to step up and prove yourself to the village!
Yonne isn’t motivated by that. She’s already decided not to stay. They haven’t answered questions to her satisfaction and she wants to see this comet they mentioned.
But she is curious, so she goes up the pipe and emerges in the drain of a Dwarven apartment. Two Dwarves are moving in.
Yonne: Hi! Where did I just come out?
Dwarf: Honey, get in here. Hello? What are you–who and what are you?
Yonne: I’m Yonne. Don’t touch me. Do you know what Rain is?
Dwarf: I’m going to answer your question with a question. Why are you in my apartment?
Yonne: I’m trying to answer that question actually. Do you know what Rain is? Let me say it different. I’m Rain. See how I’m water but also a person? Kind of.
Dwarf: Kind of, yeah. I’m mostly there.
Yonne: So there are others like me and we live under a waterfall–they live under a waterfall in a village. On one room they have pipes…
Dwarf: I know pipes, yeah.
Yonne: …and the pipes there attach to the pipes here and they heard you guys but through the pipes your voices got all weird and distorted and they worried there was a problem so I came up here and it was just you.
Dwarf: So our drainage leads to your city. And that’s fine with them?
Yonne: Yeah! Well, not my city, but, yes. I could ask them.
Dwarf: I’d honestly prefer if you didn’t.
Yonne: But they hear noises and they’re spooked out.
Dwarf: I can try to keep it down past 9PM. So, no need to come back through our sink.
Yonne: By the way, where is this?
Dwarf: This is apartment 2B. Where is your city?
Yonne: OK, you know how there’s a big river? And there’s a big waterfall that splits into two? That’s where the village is.
Dwarf: OK. That’s good to know. You don’t have to come through these pipes anymore. Just tell them, “Don’t come through the pipes.” We’re just living our lives. Didn’t know we had other tenants.
Yonne: They don’t live in this room, but it’s connected.
Dwarf: You’re in this room.
Yonne: Oh, do you want me to leave? I’m sorry.
Dwarf: We’re in the middle of moving in. It’s an exhausting process. Not that you’re exhausting, but unexpected.
Yonne: OK, sorry. Ummm, bye!
Yonne goes back down the drain and returns to Lichenton.
Yonne: Hi Boris, what are you doing? Waiting? So there’s people living on the other side of the pipes and they say “Don’t go in the pipes”
Cabochon: People? What do you mean?
Yonne: By people I mean Dwarves. Have you heard of the City of Clay? It’s in this mountain and the Dwarves lost it and they got it back and they’re very excited and anyway this pipe connects to the house of one of–two of those Dwarves and they just want to live there and they can’t come through the pipes because they’re solid.
Cabochon: A city? A whole city?
Yonne: Yeah, there’s a whole city on the other side. This pipe goes to somebody’s house. Maybe some of the other pipes go into the city and not someone’s house. I can go through all of them until I find one that comes out into a city and then you could visit. Maybe?
Boris: It’d be an interesting way to trade. You’d need to make things that are six inches maximum.
Yonne and Boris discuss the logistics of drain-based commerce while Cabochon goes to talk to Mossmaster, the leader of the village. Mossmaster is pleased that the noises are from civilized Dwarves. She had heard about a monster under the mountain. Mossmaster stops Yonne from checking all the drains and orders the drains to be plugged up, separating the two settlements. Dwarves are good engineers. They can deal with all their sinks backing up.
Yonne: Thanks for telling me about the comet. I’d like to see it now. Which way is it?
Cabochon: It’s far to the west.
Yonne: Is it in a forest? Is it in a desert? On top of a mountain?
Cabochon: You go over the moutain and past the forest, then you reach the crater.
Yonne: Which forest?
Cabochon: The one to the west. The ancient forest.
Yonne: We were just there.
Boris: Life is a bunch of back and forth.
Boris has a few more questions before they leave.
- Tell me about the Forgotten Lands.
- Cabochon has not heard of the forgotten lands.
- Tell me about your culture. What do you do? Any upcoming events?
- They are preparing a shipment of waterproof sweaters for the Halfling merchants who climb up the rapids with a walking boat. There are some buildings especially made to accomodate solid folk. Most buildings have fixed grates over doors and windows to keep out vermin, but they also prevent solid folk from entering. The Rain’s fluid bodies pass through the grates unhindered.
- Tell me about the rock splitting the waterfall.
- Cabochon: That’s something I didn’t know to be worried about.
- She consults with the town’s engineers and they confirm that it is stable.
Boris: Do you find it difficult to interact with people who are quite different in makeup and culture?
Cabochon: That’s my job. I’m the best here. We’re having a good conversation, aren’t we?
Boris: I’m curious because I’m nothing like a Halfling. You seem on the ball, being able to, uhh, navigate. Is that difficult and how did you learn to do that?
Cabochon: Do you want to be my apprentice and learn to be a diplomat?
Boris: I’m looking for common points of interest I can use in my day-to-day life for conversing with people who find me abnormal.
Cabochon: I must admit I have an advantage over you. I am the trade representative of exclusive artisans. People are willing to put up with quite a bit of eccentricity to get access to our fine goods. If you are indispensible, you are allowed to be eccentric. That’s my wisdom.
Boris: So if I’m ingrained in something necessary, they can overlook certain things? Thank you. I will think on that and find a way to implement that.
Yonne: What certain things are you referring to?
Boris: Over time, I may have terrified enough people to have folk stories–my form is unsettling to most.
Yonne: People find me unsettling.
Boris: They would be more curious with you and more terrified of me.
Yonne: ‘K.
Boris wants to maintain correspondence with Cabochon, but Lichenton is intentionally out of the way. He could send messages on the Halfling ship, but it only comes every month, and Boris would need to stay near the Mighty River to catch it. Harpy Eagles live in the trees around the rapids nearby. Boris plans to catch and train one as a messenger bird.
Boris: Cabochon, I intend to train an eagle to further our communication because I think you are an expert in communicating with various types of people and would like your input when I feel stuck.
Cabochon is flattered. She’s nervous about large predators like eagles. Boris promises to train the eagle to drop messages so Cabochon doesn’t have to get close to it.
Boris: I feel bad asking without offering anything in return, so if the town ever needs a solid animal, I’m their thing.
Yonne: I will return when he returns.
Cabochon accepts Boris’ deal and is disappointed to learn that Yonne is not staying in Lichenton. The Fellowship write on the message board before they leave
Yonne: The pipes in the loom room lead up to the private homes of City of Clay dwarves. They don’t like when you appear there.
Boris: Cabochon can share who visited recently. If you are solid besure to respect the Rains’ space.
Boris looks in the tall trees surrounding the Raging Rapids for an eagle’s nest. He finds one and climbs, but his path is blocked by the webs of Giant Spiders. Ever a resourceful chap, Boris looks for sticks that he can use to turn the web into a snare for an adult eagle. He finds a Giant Spider! It scurries out and tries to ensnare him in its web
- Giant Spider: Many find these massive spiders absolutely terrifying, but halflings find their mobility to be second to none.
- Wall Crawler: Giant spiders can walk across any solid surface with ease, no matter the surface’s orientation. They can also spin webs to cross gaps or create bridges or build homes.
- Creepy: Giant spiders are terrifying. If your Courage is damaged, you
cannot stand up to a Giant Spider.
Boris dodges the Giant Spider’s web shot and uses the stick that he found to wrap webbing around the Giant Spider. He doesn’t want to hurt it, so he tries to swing it to another tree. It smacks against the trunk of the other tree and looks foolish.
GM note: That damages the “Creepy” stat
The Giant Spider extricates itself from Boris’ web and pulls on signal lines to alert other Giant Spiders to the intruder. Boris needs to get through the Entangling Web before reinforcements arrive.
- Entangling Web: A spider’s web or briar grove that just won’t let you go.
- Sticky Feet: Anyone who falls into the web becomes entangled, unable to leave unless they Overcome this trap, or an ally rescues them. Trying to Get Away through this place is impossible, and the move cannot be made.
- Shifting Walls: The web shifts and changes, both in response to damage and at the whims of the creature that controls it. Whenever the web is damaged, and whenever a monster here has the spotlight, open a new path and block off an old one through the web.
- Highly Flammable: If fire or a Burning weapon are used in this place, the whole area lights up. The entire region becomes Dangerous and Burning. Anyone who gains the spotlight within the web will take damage if they are still in the web when the spotlight moves on from them.
Boris chews through the webs easily and reaches the nest. Inside is a young Harpy Eagle. It’s fluffy crest is very cute, but mostly it looks worried to see an unfamiliar creature appear in its home. Yonne is still on the ground. She’s not sure what Boris is doing, but she would help if he asked for it.
The shadow of a adult Harpy Eagle falls across the nest. Boris wants to earn the chick’s trust, so he tries to regurgitate whatever he ate last. Unfortunately, anything in his mouth is completely destroyed so he just dry heaves. No time to be polite. He scoops up the chick just as the adult Harpy Eagle scoops him up!
- Harpy Eagle: A huge bird of prey with a crest of feathers on its head.
- Dive Bomb: The pteranodon deals damage as a Hard Cut when it descends
from high above onto its prey. - Get Carried Away: The pteranodon can fly off with anyone they deal damage to. If they are not stopped quickly, they will escape to the skies. They will never willingly drop someone they carry until they reach their destination.
- Dive Bomb: The pteranodon deals damage as a Hard Cut when it descends
Boris feels the Harpy Eagle’s claws in his shoulders distantly, like a tummyache. He doesn’t feel anything intensely. The Harpy Eagle reaches down with its beak to grab its chick back, and Boris tries to bite it back. The Harpy Eagle is confused that its prey is trying to eat it.
Even from down on the ground, Yonne call tell that Boris is in trouble. She climbs a tree (one without Giant Spider webs) to get closer to the eagle. She uses water pressure to blast rocks and debris at the Harpy Eagle’s wings to force it down. She’s not worried about injuring Boris because she assumes that he’s like her. They can climb walls. People give them looks. They aren’t sure how old they are. People call them weird. So he probably won’t be hurt by a long drop.
She strikes true and the Hapry Eagle begins and barely-controlled descent into the trees! Boris doesn’t want to harm these birds. He just wants to kidnap a child and raise it to serve him. Boris easily shrugs off the Harpy Eagle’s claws and turns to grab the Harpy Eagle with one arm, squeezing the chick in between them. With his free arm, he grabs at passing branches to slow their descent. He succeeds in bringing them to a stop without injury. The Harpy Eagle picks up its chick and hops back along the branch. It’s confused by this creature which stole its chick, but protected both birds after being attacked. It’s it hostile or friendly? Boris snatches the chick and slides down the tree trunk! The Harpy Eagle isn’t fast enough to stop Boris from grabbing the chick, but does hit him with a claw as he passes. It’s too injured to pursue, so Boris gets away with the chick.
Yonne and Boris both watch the Hapry Eagle for a moment to make sure it is no longer a threat. Yonne flows up to Boris.
Yonne: Um, hello, did you do the thing that you needed? Is it going to carry letters?
Boris: Maybe in some time. I have procured the eagle. Now I must raise it and train it.
Yonne: See? Isn’t it interesting how the big ones make small ones?
Boris: I can describe to you what that means, if you’d like. Are you familiar with reproduction?
GM note: What exactly does Boris know about reproduction? Unlike normal creatures, the cursed Boarmen don’t reproduce. He’s been around creatures that reproduce sexually for centuries, but how closely has he observed the process?
Boris: They–most things couple, and those couples yield small versions of that species.
Yonne: Yes, I’ve seen it from the water. There’s two, and then there’s small ones. So where’s the other bird then?
Boris: Some of them don’t couple for life. And sometimes they just leave the small ones.
Yonne: Have you made a small one of you?
Boris: I can’t.
Yonne: Why not?
Boris: There’s no other me.
Yonne: So if I go spend time with another Rain I’ll make a small Rain?
Boris: You should ask the other rains. When we send a letter, I’ll put a line, then I’ll say, “This is Yonne’s side of the letter. I forgot to ask..”
Yonne: Hello, how do we make small ones of us? How many Rain do we need?
The Fellowship leaves messages on the Raging Rapids message board:
Yonne: There is a town of Rain up the river called Lichenton, where they make waterproof sweaters. Also, Harpy Eagles can carry letters when trained.
Boris: Spiderwebs can put you in a sticky situation. Be sure to send your most courageous if you want to face them.
END OF SESSION MOVE
- Did we thoroughly explore a new location? YES
- Did anyone find what they were looking for? YES
- Did we learn something new about the world and its people? YES
GM note: Yonne learned about the birds, but not the bees
Three boons
- Yonne and Boris level up
- restore gear
- heal