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Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The fellowship: Vestri the Dwarf, Yuri the Outlander
Last time, the Fellowship saved a dinosaur ranch from a disaster that they caused, and were not greeted as heroes. They set out via old Dwarven tunnels, accidentally flooded the tunnel they were in, and took refuge in the nearby town of Bogden to recover. Continue reading “Chasing the Sunset & Family Medicine”
Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The party: Vestri the Dwarf, Yuri the Outlander
Last time, the Fellowship climbed a mountain, were almost eaten by Stoss the great Cloud Eel, and sent Stoss rampaging down the mountain to threaten people below. Now they must work with Stoss’ guardians (who tried to feed them to it) to contain it. Continue reading “Chasing the Sunset & Ranch”
Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The party: Dryden of Conwall the Collector/Hunter, Averiela the Elf, Lucia the Brave the Heir
Last time, the party saved the town of Bogden from werewolves. They spent the next week recovering in Bogden
Dryden gains Destiny: Hunter
Party Recovers: remove all marks from health, gear, and spells
The grateful citizens of Bogden offer the party several boons to choose from:
The party have trouble choosing between these enticing options. Perhaps they should bring Sallet and Sally (the lycanthropes) along with them, so they can deal with their transformation on the next full moon. The Champ thinks the lycanthropes should be killed to protect the rest of the town. Eventually they decide that the greatest treasure is knowledge!
Fellowship move: The Elder. Each character asks one question and receives a truthful answer
Lucia: Who built the Moon?
Anter is 85 years old, so she was not born when the Moon appeared 100 years ago, but she memorized the stories passed down from the Elder before her. The Moon was the Dragons’ greatest weapon, but it didn’t work. Shortly after the Moon appeared, the Dragons disappeared.
Dryden: How can I ensure the two werewolves and the whole community are safe.
Anter: The Champ wants to kill them to protect the community, but they are part of the community, so that will not keep the whole community safe. We could exile them so they don’t attack their fellow townspeople, but since they are part of the community, that does not protect the whole community. We could build cages and contain them on the night of the full moon. The best, but most difficult option, is to cure their lycanthropy.
Averiela: How do we stop the greatest threat to the world?
Anter: That’s the Moon’s purpose. Make the Moon work the way it’s supposed to.
Averiela: We should find the Dragons.
Dryden & Lucia: We know where one is.
Dryden explains the method he uses to cure the werewolves last week. He gives Anter two Healing Potions, but the Unicorn Sword (the other half of the ritual) is spent.
GM note: The Unicorn Sword is not part of Dryden’s gear, so it is not affected by the Recover move.
White Sand uses Holy Horn: restore one charge to Unicorn Sword
White Sand uses Infinite Compassion: restore one charge to Unicorn Sword
Averiela’s live Unicorn shares her power with the Unicorn Sword so that Anter can use it on the next full moon. Anter thanks them for their help, then quickly wraps the Unicorn Sword in a cloth and puts it away. Using the horn of a peaceful creature like a Unicorn as a weapon is an atrocity, and Anter’s really uncomfortable looking at it.
Dryden gains location bond with Bogden: I cured the werewolves in Bogden
Bogden Minimum Response Level increases to 1
Bogden Response Move: Bad Weather: rainstorm
Clouds and rain move in as the party finishes Recovering. The clouds and thick sheets of rain reduce visibility, and the ground turns to mud. The Platypeople love this weather, but it’s inconvenient for adventurers used to dry land. Tammeas the giant turtle loves the rain, but Knows Too Much is cranky.
Before they leave, they write on the Bogden Message board.
Lucia: Anter can be an ally. Watch out for Champ. The mayor will talk you to death (metaphorically) Also Sally and Sallet are werewolves (maybe)
Averiela: Whoa, that might cause prejudice!
Lucia crosses out Also Sally and Sallet are werewolves (maybe)
Dryden: If the full moon possess
And healing occurred,
Seek Anter.
Your worth she’ll assess,
If you be not deterred.
I have six words to spare!
Averiela: Do Sally and Sallet have Lycanthropy? Help them.
Lucia and Dryden want to find the Dragon in the Goblin city mentioned by Brianiac.
Averiela: Is that really the last Dragon?
Lucia & Dryden (in unison): It’s the only Dragon we know of.
Dryden: We head for Dragons or the edge of the map, where the water flows up! I’m going to insult that Dragon and bait it into fighting me!
Anter gives directions to the twin volcanoes: take the river that flows out of Bogden south until it connects to the Mighty River. From there, walk overland towards the twin volcanoes visible on the southern horizon. The party prefers the secret tunnels, but worries that the rainstorm has flooded them. The tunnel to Bogden has enough water in it to flow toward the main tunnel, as it did before it collapsed.
Dryden & Averiela Fill Their Bellies & assign the extra healing to White Sand
Just before they leave, they remember that Roddy is still in a cell! He does not recognize Lucia’s authority, so she can’t order him to do anything. Dryden tries the diplomatic approach
Dryden Finish Them (Wisdom) Advantage: can’t avoid conversation while imprisoned 10+
Dryden points to White Sand, a live unicorn, and says that Unicorns are noble beasts, but EEE, who adopts the aesthetic of Unicorns by killing them, is evil. Roddy should join the authentic good team. He could be an asset!
Roddy forms bond with Dryden and joins as a Companion
Now they head out for real! They enter the secret underground tunnels and continue south. They approach a fork in the tunnel. Both sides go roughly the same direction, but one has water, and the other does not. Averiela scouts up the dry tunnel and finds a station. These tunnels were a transportation network long ago, and this was a large station with plenty of seating, and a counter that used to provide some amentities, maybe food and drink. All that was long ago, and the stone benches are covered in dust, and all the shelves are empty. Averiela’s keen Elven vision detects a slip of paper dovered in Dwarven runes: a winning ticket for a lottery that hasn’t operated in centuries. She also finds a secret compartment containing an ornate locked box.
Dryden investigates the box: picking it up, spinning it in his hands, knocking on it. The mechanisms remind him of ancient trap techniques he learned from The Trapper. Dryden was a student of The Trapper, but never saw his face. Dryden would go to a certain place for a lesson, trigger a trap, then figure out how to get out of it. The last time he went for a lesson, he didn’t get trapped. Instead of a trap, The Trapper left his scrolls explaining his techniques. That’s how Dryden found out that he had graduated.
Averiela: So can you unlock it?
Dryden: Yes and no. I’ll hold all the moving parts in the correct positions, and you should be able to remove the contents. We don’t want to be in a subterranean position to try thing. The trap collapses in like a vaccuum, and wears off in 6-12 hours.
This station has a spiral stone staircase leading to the surface, like the other stations the party has seen in these tunnels. They push back the covering at the top of the stairs, which turns out to be a curtain of flase grass, hiding the entrance in a meadow. They are just south of the Mighty River, which flows west to east. To the east, rapids coming down from huge white mountains, the Treacherous Mountains that Dryden and Lucia crossed not long ago. To the west, the Mighty River flows on for a long way. To the south, twin volcanoes are visible: one smoking, one dormant. On the north bank of the Mighty River is a town.
Averiela: Let’s open this box far from the entrance, so we don’t affect travel. Also far from the town.
Dryden: The radius of a trap this size is only 50 yards.
Drdyen will operate the puzzle box and put just the right pressure on the hidden mechanism on the bottom. Lucia will open the lid and grab what’s inside. Both must be ready to get ot a safe distance at any moment. Dryden has final instructions for Averiela, who is standing well clear.
Dryden: If we get stuck, wait it out. Throw stuff into the effect to use up its energy faster.
Lucia (+Hope w/Dryden assist) Get Away 10+
Everything goes as well as it could, which means Lucia and Dryden dive aside as the box and nearby landscape collapse into a tiny ball, but Lucia holds the prize in her hand!
DM note: Clearly this treasure of the Dwarves would be Dwarf-Made and Precious, but I had the players roll 2 d6s to select more item tags
It’s a Ceremonial Throwing Axe, used to show authority in Dwarven culture. It’s definitely still a weapon, but aesthetics were more important than efficiency. The handle is made of gold and the axe blade is deep blue crystal, sliced from a geode.
New item: Ceremonial Throwing Axe. Dwarf-Made, Precious, Thrown, Clumsy
The party heads to the nearby town of Thaumatown. Its narrow streets are crowded by tall narrow buildings. It seems claustrophobic, and looking closer only intensifies that impression. The streets are packed full of people rushing every which way. Enforcer Droids bark orders and direct traffic, but each Droid gives contradictory orders, pushing people into endless loops and traffic jams. In the air above, metal eys with buzzing wings watch over everyone.
Roddy, Knows Too Much, and White Sand stay at the edge of town. They don’t like crowds. Dryden shows a secret arm signal that indicates trouble. Roddy can watch for it with the scope of his pneumatic gun. Dryden identifies the Enforcer Droids as a public menace, and wants to figure out how to fix them. Maybe there’s a cool reward! As they try to enter the town, an Enforcer Droid warns that they are violating traffic regulations.
Lucia Symbol Of Royalty: grant an audience with anyone
Lucia demands to meet the ruler of this town. The Enforcer Droid recognizes her royal symbol and starts leading her towards a tower at hte back of town, ordering everyone out of it way. Before long, another Enforcer Droid directs Lucia’s Droid into a dead-end alley, then a third Droid closes the main road so they aren’t allowed to leave the alley.
Lucia Symbol Of Royalty: grant an audience with anyone
Lucia sees how this works and orders every Enforcer Droid that gets near her to take her to its leader. Soon an entire formation of Enforcer Droids are leading her to the tower, leaving a sector of town free from their nonsense orders. Living townsfolk cheer in relief. The Enforcer Droids open the doors at the base fo the tower, and Lucia and Dryden go inside. They climb the stairs and reach a study at the top. A balcony provides a great view of the city below. Bookselves line the walls, and tables are covered in scrolls and parchment. Everything is wrinkled and water-damaged. Most importantly, and most unfortunately, they find the dead body of a Wizard and the knife that must have killed him. This town has no ruler. Hasn’t had one for while, judging by the state of the body.
Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The party: Dryden of Conwall the Collector, Averiela the Elf, Lucia the Brave the Heir
Last time, Averiela joined Dryden and Lucia and they found a secret underground tunnel and talked their way past an armored crocodile. Now that the crocodile has left, they can either go back the way they came from or press on. Of course they go forward into the unknown! Dydren, Lucia, and their companions ride on the back of a giant pod turtle. Averiela is walking on the surface of the water (a perk of being an Elf) and carrying her wolf (Knows too Much) across her shoulders. Her unicorn (White Sand) is on the surface, awaiting magical communication from Averiela to know where to go. They travel quite way down the dark tunnel, following the current caused by the slight slope in the tunnel.
They come upon another tunnel that joins theirs from the right. The water in that tunnel is stagnant. It slopes up away from them, but there’s no more water coming down. Eventually, the slope of the tunnel will rise above the water level. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but too far away to make out what it is.
GM note: False choices are bad, but I ended up giving the party two in a row. Do you want to see a new thing that might be fun, or not have fun?
Lucia wants to investigate the side tunnel, so Dryden has to come along, because they are on the same turtle. As soon as they enter the side tunnel, Lucia is struck by metal spike, and half a second later, they hear an echoing “thunk” like a giant bottle of wine being opened, and some scrambling and clattering of stone.
Roddy (Sharpshooter) Eagle Eye: damages Lucia’s Wisdom
Lucia sighs, because she should have expected that. Dryden picks up the “supersonic knitting needle” and puts it in his cloak next to the other one. Averiela (who didn’t see Roddy in action) is shocked and concerned for Lucia.
Lucia: Hello, Roddy! I’m so happy to see you again. Hoping to come find you. Do you want some tea?
Roddy (Sharpshooter) Social Anxiety: retreat from people talking to him
Averiela sends Knows Too Much down the tunnel to scout and report back
Knows Too Much (Wolf) Pack Hunter: advantage, gather information from afar
Averiela Look Closely 7-9
Knows Too Much swims to the end of the water, and walks up the tunnel. The ceiling has collapsed, so there’s a pile of rubble and a hole open to the sky above. Knows Too Much climbs up and sees a flat plain with a few trees and bushes scattered around. One of the nearby bushes smells like meat and has a long metal tube sticking out of it. Roddy retreated from the tunnel, but is covering the entrance, so if a person sticks their head up, Roddy will shoot them. A good distance away, a group of Platypeople spot Knows Too Much and move aggressively towards him. They are specifically hunting wolves! Unlucky! Knows Too Much runs back down the tunnel and tells Averiela what he’s seen, but those Platypeople won’t be far behind.
Dryden tells Tammeas, his giant turtle, to come out of the water and take a nap. Everyone is on the dry floor of the collapsed tunnel. Dryden readies the wands they are using for light for their alternate use as one-time flashbangs! He got this idea from New Year’s party supplies and used it to escape detection back in the palace. The key is that the the projectile makes a ‘pop’ sound that makes people look shortly before exploding in a blinding flash. Dryden gets close to the tunnel exit and fires the wand up to blind Roddy.
Dryden Keep Them Busy 6-
The wand goes off prematurely and Dryden blinds himself! Two Platypeople climb down into the tunnel, close enough to menace Dryden with a torch and pitchfork.
Meanwhile, Averiela has sent Knows Too Much far down the tunnel to avoid the hunters.
Averiela Elder Arts Camouflage: become invisible
She walks invisibly past the Platypeople coming down into the tunnel. She knows where Roddy is hiding and sees him turning to aim at the other two Platypeople still above ground. He wasn’t expecting people to approach from that direction!
Averiela Finish Them (Grace) Advantage: invisible 10+ Taken Out
She takes a moment to determine the location of Roddy’s neck through his ghillie suit, then gives him a nerve pinch that knocks him out instantly!
Back in the tunnel, Lucia hails the Platypeople.
Lucia: Hello, Platypeople! We are friends! I am Lucia the Brave of the Forgotten Lands, and I’m exploring these lands with my companions.
Lucia Symbol Of Royalty: grants an audience with anyone
Platyperson hunter: You must go to the Mayor. And quickly. Night will be here soon, and with night, the Werewolves!
Averiela: Werewolves? You two drag me into the worst situations!
Two of the hunters will escort the party to the nearby town of Bogden, and the other two will continue to hunt for the wolf they saw earlier. Dryden fears for the safety of the other animal companions.
Dryden: How do you feel about giant turtles?
Platyperson hunter: I hear some grow so large they can fit a castle on their backs!
The party continues to be shifty and try to prevent the hunters from going down the tunnel and finding Knows Too Much.
Averiela: Can’t we just come clean?
Dryden: There is a wolf on my turtle’s back.
Averiela: Wolf, not Werewolf.
Dryden: I have never known a Werewolf to ride a turtle
Dryden Talk Sense (+hope for Averiela’s assistance) “Don’t kill our wolf” 7-9
The Platypeople won’t kill him, but they will place Knows Too Much in custody for the night, just to be sure. That’s what they are doing to the other suspected Werewolves. As they all walk towards the town, Dryden and Averiela provide glowing character references for Knows Too Much. Averiela carries the unconscious Roddy and signals White Sand to come to her.
Averiala Elder Arts: Whisper On The Wind. Send a short message
Fairmeadow is a town that contains a fairground, but Bogden is a fairground that contains a town. Platypalooza is a huge event for Platypeople everywhere and the population quadruples during the yearly celebration.
When they reach town, the hunters put Knows Too Much in one of six cells that are set up outside the stadium. One contains a Platyperson, one contains a Human with two other Humans visiting. Roddy and Knows Too Much are placed in the next two, and two more are empty. Each cell is about 2 meters on a side, made of bamboo jammed into the ground, and covered with a roof. Each cell stands alone, several meters from the next cell, so if any of the occupants do turn into Werewolves, they won’t be able to grab and bite their neighbors.
Mayor Belvo greets Queen Lucia The Brave and her companions, and prepares a banquet for them. Alas, Platypalooza last month was disrupted by Werewolf attacks (the reason for the increased vigilance tonight) and all the vendors fled prematurely. Usually Platypalooza buys all the leftover food, but now they are regretably a bit short.
Bogden location stat: Famine. When the party Fills Their Belly, one character must pay a price
Dryden Pay A Price: 1 food
Dryden contributes some of his food so that everyone has enough. He also works on his magical collections a bit
Dryden Workaholic: spend 1 food to restore or switch gear
Bogden location stat: Famine. When the party Fills Their Belly, one character must pay a price
Dryden Pay A Price: 1 food
He sees a small Platyperson child looking at his extra portion with big sad eyes, and he can’t resist. Using his knowledge of traditional Platyperson food, he selects a Fried Giant Spider Leg On A Stick to give to the child. Dryden insists that the Giant Spider Leg is still “squeaming” and his companions insist that “squeaming” is not a word at all, and it’s certainly not the action that makes people “squeamish”
Belvo explains that Platypalooza is the biggest Platyperson cultural celebration around, and last month it was disrupted by Werewolves! The Werewolves were all slain, but three people were bitten, and all the festival-goers fled in a panic. Two of the bite victims were locked up in the cells outside, and the third victim is missing. Maybe they were one of the vistors and fled in the confusion.
After this useful story, Belvo won’t shut up, but Lucia corners him in conversation, matching each of his stories with a story about her travels.
Belvo Mixed-Metaphor-a-Minute: will damage Sense by talking
Lucia Keep Them Busy 7-9
GM note: I ruled that, instead of distracting Belvo temporarily, Lucia was able to limit the damage to herself, which is more like the 7-9 result of Overcome (pay a price to take the 10+ result) It made sense in the fiction.
Averliela wants to know more about the Werewolf situation and seeks out a wise Platyperson. She finds Anter, a village elder. She tells Averiela that when the full moon rises at sunset, which is quite soon now, normal people who have been bitten will transform into Werewolves and rampage. The webs on their hands pull back, revealing big claws! Their bills thicken and spout horrible fangs! A bite will cause a victim to turn into a Werewolf on the next full moon, if they survive. Not everyone survives a Werewolf attack. She also points out that Belvo is excusing himself from the dinner party, supposedly on official business, but really to hide in his home from the werewovles. Belvo’s a coward.
Dryden ponders how to cure a Werewolf. He does have a unicorn sword with healing powers. Unicorns are creatures of healing, opposed to Werewolves, creatures of destruction. A Werewolf’s bite pierces and injects a contaminant unwillingly. If a victim willingly took a healing potion, then was pierced by a unicorn’s healing horn, the healing in the horn could combine with the healing in the victim’s system and overcome the curse!
GM note: It’s clever and costs a lot of resources, including both charges of the Unicorn Sword, which are not easily regained, plus Dryden has to fight Werewolves to administer the cure, so I was convinced that this was an appropriate solution.
While Dryden explains his plan and gives his healing potions to the two prisoners, Lucia looks around for sources of evil.
Lucia The Forgotten Lands unique feature: Detect Evil
The prisoners seem kind of evil, but not really, like the evil is hidden or overlapping with something. She detects evil clearly from a large Platyperson pacing back and forth at the entrance of the town, spoiling for a fight. Also at the entrace of the city, White Sand arrives.
The sun sets and the two prisoners in the cells turn into Werewolves! The human prisoner’s friends are close to the cage one is grabbed by the Werewolf!
Lucia Get Away 7-9 bring someone along
Lucia grabs the human and pulls her free, but the Werewolf slashes Lucia with its claws.
Werewolf damages Lucia’s Blood
Averiela Elder Art Stardust
Averiela blows a puff of stardust from her fingertips into the Werewolf’s face, and it collapses in magical slumber. Dryden asks the humans were their friend was bitten, and stabs he sleeping Werewolf in that same spot with the Unicorn Sword.
Dryden Finish Them Sense (advantage: asleep) 10+Taken Out!
When the healing energy of the Unicorn sword enters the Werewolf and meets the healing energy inside, there’s a flash of brilliant light that momentariloy makes the entire circulatory system glow through the Werewolf’s fur. It’s hruts for a moment, then the monster’s body shrinks into its normal human form.
The group moves to the next cell, where the Werewolf is tearing at the bars. Dryden sets up a dart trap pointed at the cell, and Averiela tries to interfere with the Werewolf’s escape.
Averiela Keep Them Busy 6-
She gets too close and the Werewolf’s claws catch her and pull her against the bars. Lucia rushes in and together they overpower the wolf and pull free
Averiela Get Away (+aid Lucia) hope 10+ avoid harm
Dryden fires the dart trap. Inside the small cage, the were wolf can’t really dodge
Dart Trap poison: Werewolf is sluggish, giving Hope to deal with it.
Dryden Finish Them (sense) advantage: poisoned in a cage. hope 10+ Taken Out!
Dryden steps in and stabs the Werewolf with the Unicorn Sword. Again, the two healing energies meet, mix, and dispel the curse. As the last of the healing energy in the Unicorn Sword is spent, it releases a pulse that smells like warm spring grass. Both Werewolves in the cells have been cured.
The group hears screams from elsewhere in the village. The third Werewolf victim was hiding here all along! Averiela wants Knows Too Much released, so Lucia gives the order, and it is done!
Lucia Yes, My Liege: those of lower rank obey Lucia without question
They run towards the source of the sound, and see an injured Platyperson stagger out of a house. The Champ, the large and evil Platyperson Lucia noticed earlier, is also running towards the house.
GM note: I linked the floor plan of a house in the teleconference
Dryden and Champ enter the Great Room via the south door. Lucia enters the Great Room from the east door. Averiela enters the Studio Bedroom, also from the east porch. Averiela geussed correctly, and sees a bed with broken restraints, a Werewolf, and Sally (a Platyperson) in imminent danger! Stardust is no good, since Sally is panicing and her screams would wake the werewolf as soon as Averiela put it to sleep.
Averiela Keep Them Busy 6-
Averiela whips out her bow and fires several arrows to deter the Werewolf. One nicks the creature, but not enough to distract it from grabbing and biting poor Sally. Lucia is next to arrive, running in through the bedroom door, reversing her grip on her longsword and aiming a knock-out blow with the pommel towards the Werewolf’s skull
Lucia Finish Them (Sense) +despair 7-9
Werewolf damages Tough As Nails
The Werewolf staggers and drops Sally, then stands up and turns to attack Lucia. The Champ enters the room at high speed and delivers a vicious tail slap to knock the Werewolf away.
Dryden’s knockout bolas (Melee, Dangerous, Clumsy) + Magical Collection (+Ranged tag) + Curious Curios: Fast (-Clumsy tag)
Dryden prepares his space-warping knockout-gas bolas for a quick strike from outside the room.
Dryden Finish Them (Sense) advantage: kicked by The Champ 10+ Taken Out!
The bolas entangle the Werewolf and spew debilitating gas, knocking the Werewolf unconscious. The cloud of gas spreads, threatening everyone in the Studio Bedroom: Averiela, The Champ, Lucia, and Sallet. Lucia warns Averliela and they dive out the door together onto the porch.
Averiela Get Away (+aid Lucia) hope 10+ avoid harm
The Champ and Sallet both collapse. Quiet settles over the village. The Werewolf attack is over. Dryden leaves the bolas out for the rest of the night, until the Werewolf turns back into Sallet: the son of Sally and Froob (the injured Platyperson who fled the house)
Averiela wants to find Patient Zero and figure out this Werewolf curse. She tries to get information out of Froob, who was clearly hiding a bite victim and put himself and the whole town at great risk.
Averiela: We need you to be honest. We’re not trying to get you in trouble.
Averiela: Speak Softly 6- Ask 3 questions. 1 untrue answer, 1 unhelpful answer
Averiela will not be able to gather any clues from the Werewolf that bit Sallet. It was killed by a high-speed flaming log, which completely destroyed the body. Froob is only thinking about his son and finding a cure. Averiela notices potions and chemistry equipment in the house. Perhaps Froob is turning to dark magic in his obsessive quest.
GM note: The players intend to stay in Bogden to Recover, and foiling the Werewolf attack gives them the Fellowship of the Platypeople, which will grant everyone a fellowship move, and unlock a few Destiny Playbooks. Too much to deal with at the late hour. We agreed to handle this at the beginning of next session and said good night.
GM note: This session could have been a lot more interesting! Stuff I missed, or which was overcome by accident
Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
The party: Agnes Nutter the Harbinger, Buckle the Platyperson, Rook the Remnant
Anges and Rook quickly leave Thaumatown and arrive in Bogden in the aftermath of a werewolf attack! Most of the people who arrived to celebrate Platypalooza are fleeing in panic. Those bitten by the werewolves have been put in cages. There is spirited debate about how dangerous they are and what to do with them. Festival goers are mourning the victims of the werewolves, and the werewolves themselves. Agnes grabs a fleeing Buckle and they all duck into an empty shed. Agnes demands an explanation from Buckle. Buckle gives a brief summary of last night’s werewolf attack. Buckle’s consistently bad at telling stories, but Agnes gets the gist.
Nobody wants to stay in Bogden to help, and they aren’t welcome in Thaumatown either. People in both towns indicated that twin volcanoes to the south were important, so the crew decides to head that way. They join the hurried exodus of partygoers. Crowding is no problem for Rook, who just floats through people. This startles someone, who throws a punch at this strange phantom. Her fist goes right through Rook and hits the next person. This causes a confused scuffle/stampede! Rook shrugs, since the fight won’t affect him any more than the crowd did, but he uses his hypnotic voice to dazzle the crowd into calming down.
The crew reaches the Mighty River and needs to get across. Rook just floats across, dragging his toes in the water. Wallace (the magenta Pomeranian) is scared of water and won’t approach the river! Buckle makes a blindfold of Wallace, and holds the dog on his belly as he floats across. Agnes flies over the river on Snek.
On the far bank, they are beset by Platythugs: young ruffians with switchblades shaking down travelers for cash! Agnes is not impressed. She declares a terrible curse in a big spooky voice. Whenever they threaten someone, they will poop their pants! To break this curse, they must help 20 people. One platythug doesn’t believe this weird lady and her big talk, so he threatens her, and finds out she wasn’t kidding! The whole gang flees in terror!
The crew approaches the twin volcanoes and must decide which one to investigate. Anges flies ahead on Snek to scout. She discovers that the smoke from the eastern peak isn’t volcanic smoke. It’s from wood and garbage. She also sees Brainaic (who arrested her in Thaumatown) climbing the eastern peak. She flies into the Caldera and sees it’s covered with pipes, smokestacks, and hatches. A very unnatural mountain. She returns to share this information with the team. They sent the Brainiac this way to get rid of him, but he’s on the trail of something amazing! Rook says “We thought this was a fool’s errand” and Buckle replies “We are also fools.”
Buckle and Agnes follow Brianiac stealthily. Brainiac looks over the lip of the caldera, gets excited, and rappels over the edge. Rook just floats through the mountian, but discovers metal structures that count as “inside” that he cannot enter without permission. Buckle & Agnes peer over the edge to see what Brainiac is doing. Brainaic swings at the end of the rope to reach a door in the wall and go inside. Agnes and Buckle look around, but there are no doors or access panels on top of the caldera. To get inside, they need to go down into the pit. Buckle uses Brianiac’s rope to swing to the same door that Brainiac used. He invites Rook inside, and Agnes flies in as well, thanks to Snek. Inside the door is a smooth metal ramp leading up into the mountain, with a swinging door at the end. Rook scouts ahead and peeks their head through the door. It reveals the top of an elevator shaft, and the elevator car is headed down with Brainiac inside!
When the car reaches the bottom of the shaft, Brianiac slips out and hides as a team of Goblins start loading trash into it. Rook returns to report to the rest of the team, and htey discuss what to do next. They take so long discussing that the car is filled with trash and sent to the top of shaft, where it tips out and starts sliding down the ramp! The crew is trapped between an avalanche of garbage and a sheer drop! Not Rook, of course. Trash just passes through them. Agnes flies out, and Buckle runs for it, but is bowled over by the tide of garbage. Agnes, flaoting by the mouth of the chute, grabs Buckle as he falls out, but she’s pulled off of Snek by his weight, and now they are both falling! Snek dives, coils around both of them, and pulls out before they and the mass of garbage smash into the ever-burning trash heap below! Agnes gets bonked on the head by a toaster, and the whole scene is witnessed by an amazed Goblin on a lower walkway! Agnes waves and the Goblin hurries back inside the mountain. Buckle would very much like to be put down now. Snek deposits him on the walkway that the Goblin used, and they all follow the Goblin inside.
Rook asks the goblin to help them find Brainiac, saying that he’s a shady character who means the Goblins ill. This seems reasonable to the Goblin, whose name is Grickle. Buckle is just tickled to meet Grickle. With Grinkle leading the way through the tangle of pipes, catwalks, and tunnels, they spot Brainiac down below. He activates a booby trap, bursting a steam pipe and burning Agnes! Brianiac runs for it and Rook follows. Agnes sends Snek ahead to block Brainiac’s escape route with a cloud of poison gas! This lets Rook catch up to Brainiac, but Rook lets him go. Brainiac flees the facillity, passing a crew of Goblins headed to repair the damage from his trap. The Goblins arrive at the broken pipe and blame the unauthorized intruders (Agnes and Buckle) for the damage. Agnes says they are after the real intruder, who actually did the damage. Grickle confirms her story. Agnes asks the repair crew to help search for Brainiac, but they need to fix this pipe first. (Also, Agnes is pretty creepy.)
So the crew leaves the sanitation facility and emerges into Swallet, the underground city of Goblins. It’s really hot down here, and they don’t know where Brainiac went.
Chasing the Sunset is a West Marches-style exploration game using Fellowship 2nd Edition‘s Horizon rules.
Party: Fafnir the Dragon, Stella the Halfling, Buckle the Platyperson
The full moon will rise tonight, so it’s time for Platypalooza, the greatest celebration of Platyperson culture! A party boat heading upriver spots Buckle and invites him and his companions to join. They do, and the boat goes up the Mighty River and takes a tributary to the north to the Platyperson town of Bogden. Paulie, the former mobster, is also on the boat, but there’s no reason to fight anymore.
From the river, all that’s visible is the great dam of Bogden, which creates a large, flat marsh suitable for Playtpeople living. the waterfall prevents the party boat from advancing further, so everyone has to disembark and walk up the switchbacks to the top of the dam. Bogden is a village year-round, but Platypalooza temporarily makes it a vast city. Platypeople from all over the continent come here to celebrate, and people from other cultures also attend because it’s a great party. The permanent dwellings are off in the back. and most of the artificial marsh is a fairground, with booths, stages, games, and so on.
The leader of Bogden officially kicks off the festivities with an opening speech, but our crew realizes that he’s a tricky politician. Listening to his speech will damage their Sense, so they ignore him and explore the shops and stalls. Fafnir loves food and Buckle points out traditional Platyperson food. Lots of fried food. There are giant spider legs on skewers, competing hot sauce vendors shouting about the virtues of their special recipes, and so on. One booth has a challenge: eat a spicy seed pod. Only a few seeds are needed for a whole pot of hot sauce. Fafnir jumps at the chance, and since she’s immune to damage from fire and heat, she has no problem eating the spicy seeds! She gladly receives the cheers of onlookers and a sampler platter from the impressed vendor.
Stella finds Clara, a fellow Halfling running a booth. Clara sells pastries, which are a staple in Halfling culture, but an exotic treat to Platypeople. Clara is one of many Halflings who fled the Halfling homeland during the Giant War, a war against Giants. Part of the reason that Stella explores this continent is to find scattered Halflings and tell them the good news: It’s safe to return home. The war is over! The Halflings won by surrendering! Instead of fighting the physically superior Giants, Halflings let them settle in Halfing towns, then relentlessly pranked them until the giants got so annoyed that they fled! Clara is delighted to hear the news ,and starts a batch of celebratory peace cookies. Stella asks if Clara knows where other Halflings are. There’s usually one in every city. Clara mentions Sam, living in a walled city to the north. Stella and Clara say farewell with the old Halfling saying, “You always have a home.”
As the crew is moving through the crowd, looking for more fun, a large Platyperson roughly shoulders past Fafnir. Fafnir won’t stand for such ill-treatment. “I’m not stairs! You can’t just stomp over me!” The large Platyperson is The Champ! He says “I’m on my way to win the Fluming championship again. There’s still time for you to sign up. Meet me on the field and see how easily I can stomp over you!” It’s on now! Fafnir, Stella, and Buckle rush to sign up for the tournament. Fortunately, Buckle can explain the rules of the traditional Platyperson game to the Dragon and the Halfling. Silk, Gus, and Rose will cheer from the stands.
Each team has to take a log from the log pile, stand it upright at their base, and climb it. One point for reaching the top. One bonus point for flipping the log during the dismount, but failing the dismount costs one point. It’s a foul to clearly hit with another player, so don’t get caught! The field is flooded, since Platypeople are amphibious.
The first team that the crew faces in the preliminary round is three lumberjacks. The referee slaps his tail to begin the match, and everyone rushes for the log pile! Stella keeps the lumberjacks busy while Fafnir and Buckle grab a log. Fafnir is ready to climb the log, but Buckle can’t raise it himself. Fafnir switches with Stella so she can help raise the log. Once it’s up, Fafnir runs from the lumberjacks, spreads her wings, and flies to the top of the log! One point! A flippy dismount for a bonus point and it’s 2-0. Fafnir goes in to get another log, but the lumberjacks block her path out. She’s super-strong, so she picks up the log and flies over them, dropping the log to her teammates and continuing into the stands. Stella and Buckle raise the log, and Stella flies in to land on top. Foul! It’s illegal to score from out of bounds! The crew loses a point instead of gaining it. Next, Fafnir interferes with the lumberjacks and gets caught. She has to wear a penalty vest, restricting her movement. The vest is designed for Platypeople, so it’s especially awkward on her. She’s around the same size, but has more limbs, and in different positions. The field is reset, and when the refereee slaps his tail, Fafnir and all three lumberjacks rush for a log. Fafnir draws their attention by running in a figure-8. With all three focused on her, there’s no one left to score or prevent Stella and Buckle from scoring. Buckle is barely able to lift the log by himself, and Stella struggling upwards, barely slapping one hand on top. It counts! The crew wins and goes to the next round of the tournament!
Now that they have the hang of this, the crew is able to beat other opponents and reach the finals, against The Champ and his dangerous team! The match begins at sunset, and the stands are packed as most other events have wrapped up, and everyone wants to see the final showdown! Big lenses on towers around the arena catch the last light of sunset and focus a spotlight on the referee, as he announces the two teams and hypes up the crowd.
The Champ’s team is mean and effective. In addition to the Champ, widely known as the greatest individual player the game has ever know, there’s a Brawler, tough and strong; and a Hunter, who disappears under the shallow water to reappear at an inconvenient time. The crew huddles to discuss strategy before charging into battle.
At the tail slap, Stella and Fafnir rush for a log. Champ and Brawler get in their way, and Hunter silently slips under the water, disappearing. Stella insults Brawler’s mother as she tries to slip by, and he angrily slams her into the stack of logs. Obvious foul! The field is reset. At the tail slap, Champ heads right for Fafnir. Stella moves to intercept, but Champ dodges to the side and kicks her leg as he passes. Stella falls into the water and is face to face with Hunter, who strikes her again. No call from the ref. Meanwhile, Fafnir and Buckle try to keep Brawler away from the logs, but he wrestles one away from them. Stella gets in Champ’s face to keep him busy, and snatches something from his pockets while he’s distracting. It’s blackmail material on the referee! No wonder our crew aren’t getting the calls they deserve! Fafnir and Buckle steal Brawler’s log back. While the three are tussling near the stack of logs, Fafnir breathes fire, setting fire to the whole stack! Flaunting her immunity, she climbs on top of the flaming pyre and lies down. Brawler and Buckle fall into the fire and catch a light! Fafnir grabs Buckle and hurls him out to their goal, where the shallow water extinguishes his flames. She follows that up by hurling a flaming caber out to Buckle. Stella tries to set the log up for Buckle to climb, but Brawler is coming for her!
During this exciting match, the sun has set, and the full moon has risen. The cheers from the massed spectators turn into screams! People start running, and three large figures emerge. Three werewolves: one of the left, one of the right, one near Stella’s companions! Buckle looks closely and realizes that the bite of these monsters can turn its victims into more werewolves! He yells at the crwod to run! A werewolf slashes at Silk, knocking it out of the stands into the flooded playing field. This clears space around the werewolf, so Fafnir seizes the opportunity, hefting a flaming log, and throws it like a mighty javelin! It strikes the werewolf and carries it through the stands! Nothing left but a pile of flaming debris! Buckle assists Silk, and Stella engages one of the remaining werewolves to keep it away from civilians. It still has clothes and pockets, and she swipes a slingshot. Fafnir’s about to leap into battle, but the Champ is upon her. He yells, “You’ve ruined the game, and you’ve stolen my spotlight!” and throws a mighty punch. Fafnir catches the Champ’s fist in her claws and her face shines with the power of her conviction. She says, “You say you’re the hero of these people? Prove it! Save them from these creatures!” The Champ is stirred by her impassioned speech. He agrees, but after they beat these monsters, he wants to finish the game and beat Fafnir. the Champ strides towards the werewolf by Stella. The werewolf swings down with his massive paw. The Champ dodges the paw, which crashes into the benches. The champ steps on the paw, pinning the werewolf, and winds up a powerful blow to the jaw. These things don’t look so scary after that humiliation. Stella finishes that werewolf with its own slingshot. As the werewolf crumples to hte ground, it transforms back into the Platyperson that it used to be.
Was that all of them? Some people are hiding under benches. Other have fled the stadium and cowering in tents around the fairground. There’s a third werewolf that no one engaged! It left the stadium and is running for a tent full of helpless civilians! Fafnir flings herself into the air and hastily attacks form the air! This will be an awkward landing that leaves her in a bad position in front of rampaging, but she’ll land a mighty blow first. The blow is enough! They both crash to the ground, but only Fafnir gets back up. The werewolf also shrinks back into a human form as it dies.
All the stands and booths have hastily closed. Shopkeepers and partiers alike are fleeing the area. The Champ wants to continue the game, but Hunter disappeared in the chaos and hasn’t re-emerged. The referee declares that hte Champ’s team can’t continue and must forfeit! The Champ is going to tell the referee something, but notices that he no longer has the blackmail material! He’s lost the game, lost his leverage, and Fafnir outshone him in combat. His defeat is thorough! He stomps away, but his little webbed feet make funny slapping noises. The Mayor of Bogden hails out crew as heroes! they receive the prize money, and for saving the town, he tells them a secret: There’s a legendary magical site under extinct volcanoes to the south. The crew examines the blackmail material. Platypeople don’t use paper, since it would dissolve in water, so documents are written on wax tablets. These documents prove that the referee is actually a beaver with a false bill, not a Platyperson at all!
