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Episode 18: Diggy Diggy Trench - 28 Jun 2020 17:22
Setting
Notes provided by Androus. Thanks, Androus
Plot was created by adding a few seeds - the Broo and the wild dwarf - and letting the adventurers deal with them or not.
IC Play
The party enters the mine. Androus and Aria give their reports. Saronil reports via the medium of interpretive dance.
T'Dwarf sends a scouting party of his own to Snake-Pipe Hollow.
In the rec room, the party has an unfamiliar arrival. Kosa Everlaughing - Babeester Gor. Dark eyes, dark hair. Red hands. Axe. They meet. Kosa is looking for Saronil to tell him that the Earth Temple in Clearwine wants to talk to him.
At the Snake-Pipe Hollow road, the party finds what appear to be remnants of dwarfs. They return with them to the Dwarf, who says there should have been five, but there are the remains of only four.
"That means there's a wild dwarf. They do not do well on their own. I would like it back."
"Dead or alive?"
"Alive, preferably."
In the morning, Androus asks the Dwarf how to deal with his errant colleague. "Normal human methods should work. If those fail, destroy it as defective, and return the parts to me."
Back to the path to Chaos they go. Varaema heads up the path, towards a trollkin at a turn in the path. It's wounded, hence her interest.
Except, when Androus challenges it to first blood, and does a pulled attack, it morphs into a broo and attacks. It managed to miss him and hit itself, and when it is crippled Androus drops it. Three others pop up at the same time Saronil tries to fall into the spike pit trap. After a bit of a punch-up, the party kill the broos without further harm to themselves.
A small troop of Storm Bulls is coming back from Snake-Pipe Hollow. Androus manages to annoy them by telling them the party sorted out the broos for them1. Once the situation is calmed down, and the two are being kept apart, the rest of the Storm Bulls help the group to burn the bodies. The party returns to the Alda-Chur path, but encounters the errant dwarf, digging. Party members do everything they can to stop it digging, but it's unstoppable. Saronil grapples its waist, Androus its legs and someone binds the legs, freeing Androus to try to knock it out. Unfortunately, he's too successful and the dwarf dies. The party takes its remains back to the Dwarf, receiving 25W ransom for their troubles.
The group returns to Alda-Chur, tarries a short while for worships, then onwards to Clearwine and Boldhome.
Other Things
The trollkin broo who fumbled and struck himself hard enough to be crippled was the most Runequesty thing that ever Runequested. It was perfect.
Tags: 1626 androus aria broo dwarf kosa mostali saronil sea varaema
Episode 17: Politics and Pedestrians - 13 Jun 2020 21:26
Setting
Plot was created by letting the player characters do things, with a little understanding as to what. Saronil was cut off from the rest, helping Eril to pay reparations to the Dwarf, but this went OK as he was able to explore the problem with the roads himself.
IC Play
Saronil got very very lost on his way out of Boldhome. Something didn’t seem to want to let him go north. He spent an entire day just trying to get out of Dangerford, and even managed to cross the river twice because he turned back halfway. He detoured via Alone while trying to get to Alda Chur from Herongreen.
Androuranos and Varaema went to the library, it was full of people celebrating. After working out that neither of them had any significant amount of money, they went and found their bankroll, Aria.
Issaries (Aria) went to meet Lhankor-Mhy and look for someone, according to their sacred duty at this time. And also, not by coincidence, to pay for the research into what the hell went wrong in Boldhome and how to fix it.
In the library there was line dancing to help teach the stories.2 Androus, as a lay member, joined in. The others got to be bored for some time.
When he finally reached Alda Chur after three more days than it should have taken, Saronil went to the Temple of Humakt, where Gallem was just finishing a sacrifice. The worship of Orlanth being forbidden here, he was in no way performing the rites that would send Orlanth into the underworld as a dead god. However, the rabbit he was sacrificing *was* dyed red.
Saronil gave a summary of events to Gallem. He was horrified, mostly at the thought that Saronil might be exiled enough to have to move to Alda Chur. Gallem suspected that the problem with roads was because the Prince of Sartar had been wounded, and was magically part of the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, back in Jonstown, the others finally had an answer from the library, in Fate week.3Eril’s protection of the HeroQuest had been mythologically flawed, as Humakt should not have been asked to help. The solution was not to have Lord Eril any more. This caused some consternation within the group.
As they began to make their way back, they went astray again. Fortunately, they were very close to a Temple of Knowledge, and therefore after a single further day, they were able to understand what had happened. The connections within the Royal Roads had been severed - in this case, the forks and intersections were not doing the job they should have.
Vareama and Aria deliver the information from Jonstown to the Hospital. From there, they take that to Lord Tennebris. He tells a messenger to go down to Androus’s temple RIGHT NOW THIS SECOND to try to stop the news spreading.
Meanwhile, Androuranos is telling lord Farenor all of this… The messenger comes in with a letter from Tennebris. Faremor tells Androus to tell Captain Hardeep and only then reads the letter, thus ensuring he cannot be silenced.
On the last day of sacred season, Lord Farenor challenges Lord Eril over the matter. Lord Eril wins, despite being badly wounded, and is a dickhead about it. Varaema saves Farenor’s life, earning enmity from a number of very powerful people between 0 and 5 inclusive. As Farenor falls to Death, the burden of communicating with the Cold Sun becomes Hardeep's. He rises to the occasion; Lord Hardeep becomes the new Light Son of the Temple.
There is a whole bunch of walking around talking to people. Aria revealed to her High Priest what the problem with the roads was, as far as the Jonstown Temple could work out, and the Issarians prepared to go tell people and help keep the road system working.
Other Things
The politics here was very good fun, and I am exceedingly proud that I managed to keep a straight face despite the Chief Priest of Lhankhor Mhy having fumbled a Library Use roll. Eril's entirely justified anger at all of the accusations he had been sloppy about ensuring Humakt was not damaging to the quest were looked on as a means to make political capital - right up until he proved that he could still defeat the lord of another Temple in combat.
Episode 15: Most things go quite badly wrong - 06 Apr 2020 20:05
Setting
Most of the adventurers were in Clearwine.
Plot was created from a known item, and working out how the adventurers interacted with it and other items.
Thanks to Saronil for the notes.
IC Play
Hero quest started off.
Orlanth said tearful goodbyes to Ernalda and went off to do the thing.
Sneaky god followed him.
Issaries? And some other god did a sidequest. And traded a trinket to Varaema
Humakt stabbed Orlanth to provide a shortcut to the underworld
Chalana Arroy was there too
Then the air tore, a red woman with six arms came through and stabbed orlanth quite a lot.
Humakt and that other god that the storm bull was representing fought the red demon
The air was red and a red moon was in the sky (Lunars!)
Varaema stepped into the circle and healed Yelmalio
Then Humakt was injured and she tried to heal death. At this point she passed out.
When she came round, everyone was dead or dying, but the red moon was gone.
Her high priestess did what she could for Kallyr Starbrow, but the wounds could not be healed with magic, the same was true for everyone else injured, or at least, those closely related to Kallyr - most people, given the worship.
Varaema helped to save people all night.
Saronil, Aria and Androuranos (and Helver):
Went off through the north gate and along the road. There were a number of annoying Lunar traps that exploded when prodded. They saw something in the distance, possibly some Lunars.
They went back to northgate and found an enemy disguised as a rock. Saronil poked it and it bit his hand, then he killed it and they eventually managed to pry it off his arm. It was an armadillo with a huge bitey mouth.4
Then they discovered a cannon5 and muskets pointed along the road, they dived off the road and got shot at a bit. I will note that Aria’s pathfinding Rune spell identified them as enemies.
Then some Lunars appeared and were obliterated by the cannon.
More lunars appeared and were attacked by the PCs, the gate sounded the retreat, PCs left and got back to the gate. As soon as they were not in contact with the Lunars, a magical attack started from the gate, on the Moon worshippers. They did not seem to be very popular at ALL at the gate.
They noticed a big red Moon Rune in the sky and ran towards it; then part way down the stairs, the gate behind them exploded.
They went down and found many, many people dead or dying. Every Orlanthi related to Kallyr or worshipping in support of her was wounded. Urox was recovering from his wounds, and Lord Eril was wounded but refusing magical healing.
They helped with first aid and/or running messages.
In the morning, one of Aria’s friends advised her and her companions to get out of town because people were angry about the north gate.
So they left. Helver had already been Banned, cast out from his Temple.
Saronil has a letter to deliver to the Dwarf of Dwarf mine
Varaema has some investigation to do into why no-one can be healed.
Other Things
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!! Aaaand breathe.
I had provided Helver as a one-time escape with potential Divine Intervention, but as it turned out he was not needed. However, he did genuinely mess up, by getting in other people's plans. It was possible to save the cannon - but difficult.
Tags: 1625 andros aria cannon eril feshin helver kallyr lightbringers sacred_time saronil varaema
Episode 14: Happy Fun Hugging Time - 27 Mar 2020 18:36
Setting
Kindly written up by Saronil's player with a few extra bits of grammar thrown in by the GM.
Plot was made up by the GM putting stuff together from the past few weeks.
IC Play
Happy Fun Hugging Time
The fame building with the dead animals around it was a trap! Filled with Lunars!
There was a lot of fighting and hugging, in which the Lunars mostly hid inside a building and made us fight each other, and to counteract this, Varaema made us hug each other.
Then the Lunars got bored and captured everyone.
They asked a lot about what we were doing and where we were going and special things that were happening.
The merchant lady, Dagryr, who gave Aria a mission was there, and probably in charge.
They were very clear that they wouldn’t let anyone go to Boldhome to warn people about their presence and would route the ransom request through far away places. At least for a couple more days. They also claimed to be protecting us, although did not say what from.
Then they agreed to accept all Androuranos’s stuff as ransom and let him and Varaema go with a promise that they wouldn’t send anyone against them.
(And to stay on the road)
Then Androuranos told his temple bosses basically everything and Helver turned up to ransom Saronil and Aria. Lord Farenor sent a letter to Eril, probably with all of that in.
They discussed all the things they knew on the way back to Boldhome, while passing dugouts that might contain hidden lunars.
Other Things
Androuranos had a philosophical moment in which he didn't want to send anyone against the Lunars but did want to warn people.
Tags: 1625 andros aria boldhome dagryr lunar saronil storm varaema
Episode 13: Lucky for Some - 21 Mar 2020 00:22
Setting
Everyone was in Boldhome. It was early Storm Season.
Plot was largely made up to move things into the next plot arc.
IC Play
Everyone was in Boldhome.
Aria was happily trading and got threatened by an offended Malani, who first of all looked for her in the market, and then at the inn where she was staying, finally stepping out in front of her in an alley as she left her inn hurriedly. He explained, while being large and irritated6, that she had offended both by returning the alynxfish skin in a bad condition, and by having it sent by courier instead of coming in person, despite it being the remains of a holy animal. He called on her to come talk to him, with or without her champions. He would be staying at the Tribal Mansion for two weeks, and then would be back in his lands.
Quite naturally, Aria called on the others who had been involved7. Androuranos was particularly irritated. He and Saronil both offered to stand as her champion, and they explained what the word ‘champion’ meant in tradetalk. They all went up to the Malani mansion, where they were welcomed to Tribal Lands as guests - each of them accepted this hospitality. Those who had met him recognised Donalf ‘Elkshagger’ Malani, the man greatly insulted by Varaema’s fumbled trade talk.
Aria, as the person who had initiated the insult, talked to Graslian about the matter, after Varaema had failed to persuade him to be entirely peaceful, despite her lovely personality. Aria managed to persuade Graslian to accept a public apology in the Prince’s court (with Saronil speaking for Rastar and Laika, mostly to ensure that Rastar wouldn’t blurt out something rude) and a cash payment for the damage to the fish skin.
On their way out to arrange these things, Donalf Malani stepped in front of Saronil to challenge him for his sword. They walked out to deal with it right away. Donalf and Saronil both called on their Sword Trances, and Donalf used less magic, and his began first; he struck Saronil, who was still preparing, and won the sword, which he had wrapped carefully and taken away. He then went back to the Temple to admit what had happened, first to D’Val and then, at his suggestion, to Lord Eril. Eril was less than pleased, deploying the full finger-steepled stare.8
Varaema took the money for the fish skin to the Malani lands, as negotiated - in this case, the Malani Tribal Mansion. That being dealt with, she donated the rest of her money to her Temple, clearing her tithe, and giving rather more than 50% of her income.
Androus reported to his temple to say what had happened. Farenor himself spoke to the Initiate, asking him to return a week before Sacred Time for a secret mission. Those who had no reason to stay in Boldhome left for Apple Lane, agreeing to come back to Androus if possible. Laika was unsure whether her husband would want her to leave so soon before Sacred Time, and how her pigs would do in her absence.
On Humakt’s High Holy Day, Saronil got the taint of failure from Alda Chur removed from him, by dancing, prayer, worship, and meditation. He also had the power of the Challenge Sword returned to his second weapon9.
Varaema Divined to work out how to bring Granshi around, and took the advice from her High Healer, Beneva. Laika went back to Apple Lane as her pig (Stif) was homesick. And also to visit her husband. Varaema, Aria & Rastar went too, so that they could attempt to wake the Storm Bull, Granshi, clearing Aria and Pellia of the possibility of being Chaos Tainted. They woke up the storm bull and got him to proclaim the traders as chaos free.
They came back to Boldhome with pigs to sell, and Durggi to help sell them. Aria did her best, but was not a pig expert, and didn’t get the prices she could have for ten of the forty Durggi hoped to sell. Kalis, however, was delighted to meet Durggi and the pigs, and talked to him for a long time about porcine care. Knowing that Laika was going to be away, she suggested standing in as a proxy wife for him. Durggi sighed and looked at Laika and refused10, which Kalis told them was very sweet. She had her nails painted to match Stif’s trotters.
Andoranous was asked by Farenor to go to a lake by Jonstown, and take with him a group of people, and act casual. He was to bring back water from a pool there, in his gold amphora, without invoking the name of Orgovale Summer. Right outside, he was spotted by Helver, who advised him to take care, suggesting that people would already be aware that Kallyr was planning a Lightbringers’ Heroquest, and the Lunars or others might be attempting to stop them.
The water collection was a complete success, but on the way back, they spotted a stead with several animals lying down. It was the last before the run-in to Boldhome itself, and the North Gate.
Other Things
Log by Androus: episode-13-logged-notes
I am SO happy the elk-shagger trade-talk fumble finally saw the light of day again.
Tags: 1625 androus aria donalf eril farenor granshi graslian helver kallyr laika malani rastar saronil storm varaema
Episode 11: Bull in the Marketplace - 05 Mar 2020 23:20
Setting
Aria joined the campaign. Several people could not make the session, so it was small.
The GM made stuff up based on which NPCs were around in Apple Lane.
IC Play
Aria had overwintered in Tarsh, with her family, but some family spat or argument led to one of her uncles essentially showing her the door, and then the city gate. She went via Alda Chur and Dangerford to Jonstown, meeting with a wet duck11 roadblock12 on the way. From there, she was invited to join a caravan going to Jonstown by a merchant there, Dagryr. Dagryr asked her to look out for a thing, an arm ring that had gone missing from there, and might still be in the area. The loss of it, Dagryr said, was likely to be causing disharmony. She described it as having Harmony and Movement Runes, and the Rune of Sartar.
Dagryr was putting together a caravan with two other people, Pallia and Sangen. Pallia had 4 mules and Sengen only had one, and specialised in taking orders for metals and high-value goods, and in passing orders on. Aria added her mules, and they agreed to meet the next morning.
When morning came, Dagryr was held up by something and said to go ahead, according to Pallia, so they went through Birne's Squeeze and came safely to Apple Lane. Just as they were setting up, and people were flocking round, they heard the sound of breaking furniture from the Tin Inn, and Varaema apologised for the Storm Bill. Then she went in to calm Granshi. The visitor had drawn a human-shaped target on the wall in charcoal, and was practicing throwing furniture at it, while Gooseberry cowered behind his rock-built serving counter. Varaema managed to talk him down13 but could not extract a promise he would not do it again. However, as the conversation was ending, he suddenly began to sniff the air, and said there was Chaos about, and he needed to deal with it. He got back to the market, trailing Varaema.
Androus had been talking with the merchants, getting to know them, but did not see Sangen go missing immediately after Varaema left. However, Aria spotted a figure escaping very fast on a horse. Shortly thereafter Granshi arrived, found out who was missing, and went and violently stole a horse from Hendroste, punching him out of the way. Hendroste, who had just had a horse taken by Sangen thought it was the same robbery and came to report it to the village square, as he did not want to chase after a Storm Bull in full flood.
Androus and Varaema gave chase. Androus managed to catch up with them first. Granshi had just thrown himself from his horse onto the merchant's and they were grappling while they fell, with Granshi already having been stabbed. Androus managed, after a little time, to grab the reins of the merchant's horse, and get it away. Granshi stabbed and slashed at the merchant but some magic kept his weapons from harming Sangen. The merchant was mostly defending himself and backing off. Varaema repeatedly tried to get between the two who were fighting, and repeatedly failed as she bounced off Granshi, who was almost twice her size.
Finally, realising that he was unlikely to win, the merchant ran off, casting Mobility to get away, and sprinting across broken ground towards cover. Granshi chose that point to ask Varaema to pull the dagger out of his gut, which she did14. He keeled over. Varaema noticed that the edge of the wound she was trying to deal with were coated in something strange, but noticed it too slowly to stop herself getting it all over Granshi's skin as well. The Storm Bull stayed uncharacteristically silent, and indeed limp, as they carried him back to town. They took him to the Ulerian Temple to be looked after.
Meanwhile, Pallia asked Aria if Dagryr had asked her anything odd, which led into a conversation about the arm ring. Dagryr had asked Pallia to look out for it, and even offered money. Pallia said she would give Aria a cut if it was located, but had little connection to her god right now, hinting heavily that Aria could Divine for it. After waiting for a bit, and thinking about it, Aria did, and was told it was 'On the arm of Harmony, and in the Hero Plane', a strange combination. She also had a receipt from Issaries - probably part of the divination process but nevertheless also a holy mystery.
Pallia also asked Androus about the ring, offering a broken Wheel and the bit of gold to mend it, as payment. He said he would have a think about it overnight.
Varaema went to ask her goddess how to deal with a Storm Bull and wake him up peacefully. She received the answer, 'Dispel the magic upon him and cast Tame Bull'.
She later asked how to rid herself of the greed ring, and was told, 'Rid it of the arm, or the arm of greed'.
Other Things
Tags: 1625 androus apple_lane aria chaos dagryr granshi greed haromny hendroste issaries pallia sangen storm varaema
