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, Markus the Squire, Ol’ Jardiner the Harbinger
Last time, the Fellowship created a new location (the Smouldering Forest) and stirred up an adjacent location (the Bile PIt) by setting fire to the southern half of the Drowned Forest. This time . . . .
The Fellowship considers their options. They could explore the Bile Pit or the Smouldering Forest.
Dryden: I could set the northern half of the swamps on fire.
No one appreciates his joke. The castle still needs repairs, and Rutile is preventing their work crew from making progress with his Despair. Rutile is the biggest problem. They already tried to convince him that life wasn’t despressing, and tried to get him to move away. Neither worked.
Markus: Could we keep him busy and then hit him on the head?
Averiela: We could send him on a mission to the Ice Fields.
Ol’ Jardiner: If we put him in mortal danger, and I swoop in and save him, then he’ll owe me.
Dryden: Then you’ll be able to get a job for him or send him off on a quest.
Markus: What if you fail to save him?
Ol’ Jardiner: Ummm, that also solves the problem.
Averiela: Could we send him to pick something up from Vieport?
Ol’ Jardiner: How about Port Fennrick? I think he’d be better received there.
Dryden: I don’t know if we want to send him to any of our friends, because then we’ll have bad relations.
Averiela: What will we ask him to pick up? If he succeeds, he should pick up something.
What does the Fellowship or the castle need?
- Tell me about the workers? What are they doing? What will they do next?
- They are unable to get anything done because of Rutile’s despair.
- Worker: Our tools are broken. Our castle’s broken. I’m broken!
- What will happen if I send someone out to get tools?
- They could fall into one of the deeper pools in the Drowned Forest, especially around the collapsed wall.
- What is going on? What do my senses tell me?
- One of the outer walls of the castle has fallen outward. Many of the tools from the tool shed were eated by Quicksilver Slimes. Averiela used broken siege engines into heavy construction equipment. To the south, the Smouldering Forest still smokes. The rest of the Drowned Forest is draining. The courtyard is still flooded. The work crews are staying on the roofs of the outbuildings in makeshift quarters.
As Ol’ Jardiner examines the collapsed wall, he steps in some sand which collapses under him. He falls into water and the current drags him under the wall! Dryden usually has a Ranged Rope that would be perfect for this situation, but it’s still damaged by poisonous blood from a Forgotten Beast.
Averiela senses danger from the vibrations in the ground and sprints over the surface of the water to grab Ol’ Jardiner. She grabs him by the collar of his vest and throws him up, next to the wall. She runs up the water droplets falling from Ol’ Jardiner, grabs him again and pushes off the wall. They sail in a graceful arc and land safely on top of the water. They are safe, but the foundation under the wall is no undermined. Ol’ Jardiner yells instructions to the work crew, but they are too scared to approach. Rutile has been telling them how they could drown or be mained by an industrial accident.
Averiela: We’ve got to get rid of him.
Markus: Guys, it’s fine!
Markus runs in, heedless of danger as usual. He pushes large beams under the castle wall all by himself. They’ll hold, but he strained some muscles. He turns to Rutile:
Markus: We need a pump. We know Port Fennrick has one. It’s not that far of a journey and we need someone who will not be taken advantage of, and will see through anyone’s schemes to rip us off.
Ol’ Jardiner: I’ll write you a letter of introduction to the mayor. I’ve known her most of her life. It’ll be great.
Ol’ Jardiner checks the map and realizes that the journey to Port Fennrick is actually survivable for a normal person, as long as they don’t go through Evelynn’s Estate. Rutile gets directions and the letter of introduction, and leaves on his quest, and the work crew gets to work.
Ol’ Jardiner: We probably should have told him to buy tools as well.
One by one, the Fellowship realizes that they control an Artifact of Power that can open a portal to anywhere, including Port Fennrick.
Markus: We want this trip to take him a while. We want to be mostly done by the time he gets back.
Dryden: Right, but there’s nothing stopping us from also getting tools.
Avereiela: Do we all have to go?
Ol’ Jardiner: No. Someone with money should go, because I’m out.
Markus: I’ll go!
Dryden gives Ol’ Jardiner a handful of rubble collected from Port Fennrick. Ol’ Jardiner uses it as a material component in a ritual learned from a Strange Entity to safely open Infinite Windows.
The portal appears inside a room. City Hall has been rebuilt around the spot where Dryden collected the debris. This is the new, permanent City Hall, replacing the temporary shelter built after the Anti-Library Weapon accidentally bombed the original city hall. It’s a grand building. All the hallways have 20-foot ceilings. The Mayor’s an Ogre after all.
Averiela: How thoughtful of them.
Ol’ Jardiner: She’s the boss! She told them how to build it.
The Fellowship has interrupted a heated conflict over zoning. The dry building on top of the boardwalk is in conflict with the underwater building directly beneath it. The topside building is a bakery that starts early, and the underwater building is a nightclub. Shortly before dawn each day, the workers in the nightclub are trying to sleep when the bakery turns on its ovens. The Platyperson representing the city is shocked by the Fellowship’s arrival.
Averiela: This is why you zone commercial and residental separately.
- Quill, she/her, Platyperson Advisor: A loyal advisor, well-informed of your kingdom’s status at all times, and with plenty of opinions about it too.
- Consultancy: The Advisor is always trying to tell you what to do. If your Wisdom is damaged, they sound extremely convincing, and you will always do what they say.
Quill: You’re not on the schedule. You can’t just barge in from who-knows-here. You need to sign in at the front desk.
Averiela: It’s a bad idea whether I’m supposed to be here or not.
Averiela leaves before anyone can reply. Ol’ Jardiner slinks out because he was scolded. The rest of the Fellowship follows.
Markus: I wouldn’t be sad if I never had to sit in a meeting like this again!
On the way to the front desk, Ol’ Jardiner sees Edna! They run to greet each other. Edna scoops him up and hugs him as he babbles about the Moon and his new castle, and all his adventures. Eventually he gets to the point.
Ol’ Jardiner: We need tools. They were eaten by Quicksilver Slimes from the Bile Pit.
Markus: I am all about re-building and old castles and I want it to great, so I will pay for the tools. I think they should build a secret passage. Under the wall. Over the wall. A secret bolt hole. I’ve got hopes and dreams.
Edna walks with the Fellowship to a warehouse and picks up a big crate, then looks around for
Markus: There might be someone arriving in the next three to twenty days–not really sure–also looking for a water pump.
Averiela: Just distract him. It would be conveneint for us if he stayed here one to four months.
Markus: Should we pay for it in advance and make him think you’re very kind? Don’t tell him that we were here. You can use it as leverage or whatever.
Edna: Look at you, with the politics.
Markus pays for the tools and Dryden pays in advance for the water pump.
Dryden: Well, Edna, have fun with the rest of your commerce–
Averiela: Wait! We’re here and we’re not going to see the mer-people nightclub? Or the other things in the city?
The Fellowship leaves City Hall, looks around the city, and goes to the bakery over the night-club.
Dryden: I’m going to buy a cake for the night-club.
Markus: This is how we broker a peace! Then the night-club can just get better housing for their workers.
It’s about noon, the bakery is open. The young Halfling at the counter looks a bit frazzled.
Baker: Sorry, this is my mom’s shop. She had to go to a meeting and it’s running long, but here, look at all these things.
Everyone buys a delicious pastry. No wonder the night-club workers can’t sleep. When Halflings get up, eat together, and start baking, it’s a celebration every day! They sing and dance and stomp as they get to work. The night-club is called “The Ventral Fin” because it’s on the underside of the city. Averiela worries that the whole night-club is underwater.
Markus: If we had our exosuits, we could go in.
Averiela wants to wait around until The Ventral Fin opens. Ol’ Jardiner thinks there’s always something interesting at the docks. Averiela would rather visit parks and museums. They look at a display in City Hall of rare items that O’Later confiscated and Edna was unable to return to their owners. There’s a couple of chairs with end tables made of one spiraling piece of wire. An abstract sculpture, layers of hexagons. Averiela recognizes the styles of two Elven cities: Milbar and Hamiss. The two cities have been at war for a long time, even by Elven standards. The owners of these pieces went through Port Fennrick, got robbed, went home, and died in the war. Very unlucky.
Averiela: That is unfortunate in so many ways. I do not know these artists, but while this is tragic, the fact that they are here together is a sign of future unification and peace. What a brave display.
The Halfling docent showing the Followship around frantically takes notes.
Dryden: If I’m not mistaken, one of my former teachers–let’s just say that his explosions eventually caught up to him. He used to make things like that. It looks like a statue, but it’s meant to take out a fortress gate.
Docent: This might explode?
Dryden: I don’t know if you’ve heard any strange sounds from it, but it’s a pretty cool piece. He’d make them look really pretty. He’d hope that they take them in, but he always had trouble with his detonators.
Docent: So we’ve played right into his hands?
Dryden: Yes, that’s probably not something you want in this location at the moment.
The Docent runs off. A short time later, Edna arrives.
Edna: I hear one of these things is dangerous?
Dryden: Yes, the one that looks kind of like a rainbow piece. It’s beautiful. I don’t know how it ended up here. Knowing the former occupants, I could guess. It was designed to be a gate-opener. By explosions.
Edna: How is it detonated? By vibration? Chemicals?
Dryden: He went through different periods. He tried one by temperatures. He tried one by chemical composition. Is it salt water or fresh water beneath us?
Edna: This is a river delta. It’s a mix.
Dryden: That’s probably it. He had one with corrosion from salty sea air. You know how some metals turn color over time? This would take in the salts or whatever and eventually it would open.
Edna picks up the scuplture and goes outside. Ol’ Jardiner stays behind because he can. He’s not Edna’s companion any more. Out on the boardwalk, Edna winds up and throws the sculpture over the horizon to the south! Averiela’s eyes get really big.
Averiela: You threw it away? It was magnificent!
Edna: It was dangerous. I can’t have it threaten my people.
Averiela: There was a rumor that the Great Plum was here. I was hoping you had come across it. It’s a beautiful glass plum with a little silver on the bottom and a little silver on the top. It’s considered magnificent because the glass is so smooth that you can not distinguish where it begins or ends.
Edna: That does sound delicious, but I don’t remember eating it.
Averiela: Hopefully you wouldn’t eat a piece of art. One of our greatest pieces of art. About four hundred years ago we sent it out with a delegation, but they never came back. It would look particularly nice on that hexagonal piece, or you could send return it. That would be very nice.
Edna: It that down in–
Edna kneels and leans close to whisper.
Edna: In the Forgotten Lands?
Averiela: In that direction, yes.
Ol’ Jardiner: Oh! Right! My friend really wants to get back to the Forgotten Lands. He thinks he was from there, but he’s forgotten his way. Could you tell me where it is?
Edna: I need to keep the secret for my good friend Lucia. It wouldn’t be right.
Markus gives Ol’ Jardiner a weird look. They travel together and he was born in the Forgotten Lands. He could have asked at any time.
The Fellowship heads to The Ventral Fin when it opens. There’s a line to get in, but it’s underwater. When Ol’ Jardiner goes up to breathe, the mer-folk behind him takes his place in line. There is an amphibous room where they could breathe, if they make it through the line. The VIP entrance goes directly there, if they can find it and convince the bouncer to let them through.
Dryden: Have they ever seen an Elf dance on water?
Averiela hopes that Edna or Markus can pull rank, but Lucia is the queen, not Markus, and Edna has already spent a lot of time with them and must return to her duties. Markus looks around and finds the VIP entrance to The Ventral Fin. Above-board, there’s an alley between the bakery and several other buildings. The drain in that alley drops into the water in a place not visible from the street. That’s the secret entrance. Markus stays behind because he doesn’t like being underwater. Averiela, Dryden, and Ol’ Jardiner drop down. The door is guarded by a mer-Shark
- Merfolk Shark: A buff, powerful merfolk with a bad attitude.
- Jaws: The shark’s bark is as bad as their bite. Their bite is a Melee, Piercing weapon. Anyone trying to use Speak Softly, Talk Sense, or Keep Them Busy against a shark must damage their Wisdom to do so, as the shark berates them and belittles them all throughout.
- Street Shark: The shark is king of their turf. Nobody messes with them without facing the consequences. They can command other Merfolk Innocents to do as they say, without question.
Dryden: Go for it, Averiela. I’ve got your back. I’ve got a plan, but need a moment.
Averiela walks over the surface of the water to the bouncer, who lifts his head above water.
Averiela: Hey, is this the place?
Bouncer: If you have to ask, you clearly don’t belong here. Come down here so I can talk to you properly.
Averiela: What do you mean come down there? Why don’t you come up here?
Bouncer: I’m not leaving my post. That’s the oldest trick in the book. Next you’ll tell me there’s an old fish who needs help crossing the street.
Averiela: We’re just looking for a good time tonight, see new sights, maybe bring a little cultural exchange.
Bouncer: I’m assuming that’s some kind of euphemism.
Dryden releases his prank weapon. It takes the form of a punk mer-Shark that makes rude gestures. The way it moves its gill slits mockingly imitates an older, slower shark. The Bouncer won’t tolerate such disrespect and chases the illusion as it swims away.
The Fellowship enters the night-club. There’s a VIP party for a Dwarf performer called Platinum. She’s surrounded by adoring fans. She has a custom set of percussion instrument, like a drum-set combined with a xylophone that wraps around her. She’s performing tomorrow, so the instrument sits in a corner. Ol’ Jardiner and the other Halfings in the room bounce up and down in the water. It’s half-height for taller creatures, but quite high for Halflings. Averiela stands on top of the water.
Platinum doesn’t like anyone else being the center of attention. She sees it as a challenge. Platinum and Averiela have a dance battle! Averiela is in the mood to dazzle the whole club. She’s loving the music and is a little peeved that this Dwarf isn’t just loving herself and being the greatest Dwarf that she can be. Averiela takes it to the next level, the way the Elves do when they have fun together. Averiela dances on top of the water, throwing out water droplets with her feet. She does a handspring ending in a handstand. She continues throwing out water from one hand, then the other. She springs from one hand to the next–still in time. Her musicality is on top of things. She dances on the splashing water so it looks like she’s running on air. She pushes off the wall, flies over the crowd, and ends with a beautiful swan dive into the water.
One of Platinum’s fans, Pippen, is so impressed by the dance that he switches allegiance.
- Pippen, he/him, Halfling adoring fan.
- Cheerleader
- Danger Magnet
Platinum: My night is ruined! First that mess on the waterways, now this! What a terrible tour I’m having!
Platinum leaves early, but Averiela stays and parties all night long, until the ovens above turn on.
Dryden: Tradition beginning! Donut dance!
Dryden dances up to buy the first donut, then notices that no one is following him. He sees his dream of bringing the night-club and the bakery together crumble and he falters and stops dancing. He’s so embarrassed. The Fellowship is black-listed from the club.
Averiela: But it was such a good party!
Buncer: You snuck in. Our VIP left early. You’re keeping us up late. You’re trying to get us in trouble with the bakery, We have enough trouble already! You’re out!
Averiela: Fine! I was still epic.
Pippen agrees. As he is being escorted out, Ol’ Jardiner argues and makes a scene. When no one is looking, Mucilage (Ol’ Jardiner little pet Slime) rolls across the night-club’s black-list and takes the Fellowship’s names. Ol’ Jardiner didn’t even have a good time. This is just for spite.
Averiela forms a bond with Ol’ Jardiner.
Averiela: Thank you all for indulging my tourist urges.
Dryden: Donut, anybody?
Ol’ Jardiner glady accepts. He didn’t sleep and was treading water all night. Before they can return to Port Fennrick, the Fellowship must wait for City Hall to open. Infinite Windows is in one of the meeting rooms. When it opens, they go back to the portal which they left unguarded for about 18 hours.
The Fellowship returns to the Luna Penumbra and finds a stand-off. The nightclub owner went through the portal to explore, and the crew of the Luna Penumbra think they’re a hostile boarding party.
Dryden: Hey, guys, you’ve got a club. If you want some people who really know how to dance–They could work off the time.
Ol’ Jardiner: That’s funny. I’m for it. Edna can handle them.
The club owner is in no position to argue.
Ol’ Jardiner: Larry, Lu-Lu, Lawrence, Landis–whatever your names are. Come on.
The Twin Dancers co-operate, like a cat that knows it’s being held securely, but will struggle if it senses any inattention.
Ol’ Jardiner: Check it out. These guys will be totally awesome dancers at your club. This is a chance to do something positive with your lives after what I assume is a long career of ne’er-do-welling. Through you go!
They shove the nightclub owner and the Twin Dancers through and Ol’ Jardiner closes the portal behind them. Surely everything will be fine.
The Fellowship delivers the new tools to the workers. It’s just a matter of time before the wall is raised and fortress is in shape. Outside, the greenery that Averiela planted is slowly bringing life back to the Drowned Forest. The moat is marked with poles so that people don’t suddenly walk from knee-deep water into 20 feet of water.
NO END-OF-SESSION MOVE