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Episode 9: Moon Unit - 15 Feb 2020 20:28

Setting

Androus the Yelmalian was still away, but the others were all present in Apple Lane.

Plot was a list of things that needed to be done for winter, but with an understanding that the adventurers might have their own ideas. They did, and it was entertainingly terrible. Plot enemy was provided by Tom McKinnell, who has deployed him against innocents.

IC Play

After a little time spent attending to such things as the cutting of trees and the dragging of wood, the adventurers gathered, their Rune points replenished, to decide how to deal with the great boar, Red-eye. Led by Ethrava, they concluded they were going to have to Heroquest to weaken the boar and strengthen themselves. They considered Orlanth and Aroka, but settled on a Yinkin quest, with Rastar to play Yinkin, and Laika to be Odayla, a huge figure out in the wilds.

Aileena did not offer to help, but Kareena the god-talker was happy to help them into the Heroplane, in the hope of seeing more of the great things they had previously done. Laika set off to the wilderness, carrying her crossbow just in case of trouble. Kareena danced a spiral in the snow for some time, and then the adventurers found themselves outlined by a longhouse, and Ethrava began to lament how her people were being attacked. She sang about it, and unfortunately did so without reference to the correct song.1 At that point, the enemy of the house - tusk riders - rode through the ritual. Laika, who was at a bit of a distance, noticed them, but everyone else was surprised as they burst out of the snow. One went for a farmer with a lance attack. Three went for Varaema, the softest-looking target.

Saronil snapped up a shield spell for Varaema, which undoubtedly saved her life, and she was hit twice, hard. However, it used up all of his Rune points. The tusk riders got away, with Ethrava failing to Befuddle a tusker.2 Laika tried to shoot, but missed, and the tusk riders got away into the snow. The adventurers turned out to be bad at tracking, and could not work out where they had come from or where going to.3 Varaema healed herself, first with magic and then with First Aid.

That evening, Rastar was earwormed by the music Ethrava had been singing. There was something wrong about it, and for a while he could not work it out. When it finally hit him, he realised there had been someone else singing too. Ethrava had made mistakes, but the other voice, also a woman's, had been malevolent, and taken advantage of Ethrava's errors to invite disaster in. When Rastar told his friends this, they managed to decide on another Heroquest to go after the voice and defeat their enemy, so they could get on with defeating Red-eye, without the previous defeat and the tusk rider enemies hanging over them.

Kareena was still happy to help, and Ethrava managed to cajole and persuade the farmers into enthusiasm, based on their cachet in the town4. They set off into another Heroquest, this one started inside where they could not be attacked, with lookouts posted. As they started to move into the Hero Plane to look for a thing, the Durulz cook from the Tin Inn came running to say their trophy had been stolen.

This time, they set out from Ernalda's longhouse. Ethrava found herself playing Uralda, the cattle mother, an Eirithan aspect. Ernalda was Laika. Rastar was Yinkin, but inside he was sure he was Eurmal really. They tried to set off, but Yinkin could not find any tracks, no matter how hard he cast spells or tried.

Ernalda, however, could feel something lying on the Earth that did not belong there, and they set off towards it. Soon, at the edge of the Storm Tula, they came across a longhouse in a round enclosure. Reddish smoke was issuing from a chimney, of all things. Humakt, or Saronil, recognised the shape of house, path, and wall as making up the Moon Rune. Ernalda, annoyed by the newfangled chimney or the Rune itself, ignited the thatch, which caught nicely but did not all burn away. In fact, the fire just stayed where it was, tame.

Yanafil Tarnils came out of the house to invite everyone in.5 Uralda accepted, and Ernalda hinted to Yinkin to go around the back, not through the door of hospitality. Saronil told Yanafil Tarnils he had nothing to talk about, and drew his sword.

Inside, Uralda was offered food and drink by a red-headed woman. The same red-headed woman simultaneously opened the back door to put out fish scraps and talk to Yinkin, although they did not realise this at the time. Time itself was a little strange in that longhouse, and they spent some hours eating and drinking, with the woman showing off all of her master's things but hardly mentioning the glowing, beautiful arm-ring that was set on a shelf. Yinkin, recalling he was really Eurmal in disguise, snaffled it. They left, and the door was barred behind them.

Outside, there had been all sorts of drama, subjectively fitted into a few seconds. Ernalda had cast Absorption on Humakt, while Yanafil Tarnils failed to cast his own magic. Humakt called on his own godly power, however, and managed to shatter the scimitar. Yanafil Tarnils did not surrender at that point. Instead, he cast Repair. The Moon God was plainly a better warrior, and Humakt was without his magic, but the magic that Yanafil Tarnils cast next went into the spell, and Ernalda felt her spirit refilled from the ignition of the roof. They put almost identical cuts on each other. Finally, Yanafil Tarnils got brought down by Humakt, but then his massively boosted Mindblast went off, punching through Humakt's spell protection. Then Ernalda went for him with an axe, and she'd spent all of her magic but Yanafil Tarnils hadn't, and defended himself successfully, then used Madness on her. Like Humakt a moment before, she fell.

The warrior god healed himself as Uralda and Yinkin stared, and he limped back to his home, and they went and sanctified an area for Ernalda, which gave them a cubic pit to climb out of back in the Middle World. Rastar had the arm-ring, which he excitedly showed off to the others and Kareena. Unfortunately, it now had a Moon Rune on it. They hid it, thanked everyone, and sent for Squinch. He was able to identify its magical properties - people would want it, and it was designed to bring Disorder. Ethrava noted they could use the Dragonnewt Plinth to get rid of the thing. Squinch suggested he look after it just to be safe, and was quickly pushed out of the door with thanks.

Varaema decided to Divine on it, and had a vision in which she could see people arguing, and… fumbled Harmony. And put the arm ring on. To save others from arguing, of course. To everyone else, it disappeared, and most people thought that Rastar had squirrelled it away.

Other Things

Apple Lane is now more likely to be quarrelsome and greedy. All of the worshippers will take a 10% boost to Darkness and Disorder. Those who took part, including Kareena, are immune to that, but may have other effects.

Saronil was imprisoned in his own mind, fighting Kargan Tor and losing every time.

Tags: 1625 apple_lane arm_ring chalana_arroy dark ernalda ethrava eurmal heroquest humakt kareena laika onjur rastar saronil uralda varaema yanafil_tarnils yinkin

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Episode 8: Shinty Town - 14 Feb 2020 16:23

Setting

Dark Season in Sartar is a time of snow and gales, and also, I decided ice shinty grudge matches against nearby clans.

What is ice shinty? Well, like ice hockey, but with less armour and more cheating.

Plot devices were provided by other members of my RPG group.

An extra player and a missing player meant Asprag, Ethrava's tenant, was promoted from NPC to PC for the evening.

IC Play

Asprag the Farmer found himself voted in as captain of the Shinty Team for the in-no-way-a-grudge-match against the Varmandings, the clan team from across the river. With so few people living in Apple Land and the clan, and with travel difficult, he appealed to the adventurers for help. Laika, Rastar, and Ethrava were in the village, and agreed to help.

Laika was already a competent skater. The rest were issued with skates and some quick lessons. Rastar turned out to get the hang of it pretty quickly. Ethrava… less so. Asprag sent Laika out to check out the river where it was going to be held, and Laika managed to work out that yes, it was a river, and frozen, and then came back.

Meanwhile, Saronil had been offered a quick bit of escort duty by Graria, the Lay Captain6 of the Temple of Humakt. Escorting a man to Apple Lane was exactly the sort of thing he felt he could do. Graria asked if he knew what Shinty was. When he didn't, he was invited to take a healer along; naturally, he plumped for Varaema.

The journey was not difficult. On the way Saronil worked out that he was with another Humakti, but one he did not recognise. At Apple Lane they met the large group of clan players and hamlet folk on their way out, and quickly followed along.

Asprag went out to help the opposing captain cut the centre line, as tradition dictated. His opposing number asked why there was a White Lady present, complaining that he wanted to get home that day. It was agreed that if someone had been healed of a major injury, they would not go back on the ice.

Rastar, as the person in the brightest clothing, was sent to choose a sapling for a puck. After the tree had been chosen and looked at for a bit, Laika was sent to help him choose a better shaped tree, and it was cut down and the puck made.

Asprag chose to put Ethrava and himself on the ice first, with Rastar and a few others. He got himself in control of the puck pretty quickly, and Ethrava fell over and got stamped on pretty heavily. Apple Lane drew ahead in the game, but the Varmandings were definitely more violent.

While sitting on the sidelines and cheering, having had her ribs put back in place by Varaema, Ethrava noticed blood on the snow, and rather more than she remembered anyone spilling. She called over Laika and they investigated - the ground was bleeding. Varaema's patient noticed and the WHite Lady came over, to say she could not do First Aid on the ground. Ethrava called up an earth spirit to find out what was under there. It was prepared to talk to her and to Laika - Laika even understood from its habits of speech that it was the sort of spirit that wanted blood. It said there was a dead thing under the ground.

Laika, Ethrava, and a couple of farmers began to dig.7 They got to a bit of a body, and a ghost began to form, and this was not the talkative kind - it attacked them instantly, and they had to destroy it, which caused the game of shinty to be paused. Laika got covered in the physical touch of the ghost, a layer of frozen gunk.8

Afterwards, they were able to ascertain that the bit of body they had pulled up was just that - a bit. A quartered corpse had been buried, with pig teeth embedded in the skin here and there. Reluctantly they asked for a longer pause in the game and began searching for the other bits. They found more, and fought another ghost, while the Varmanding team did nothing to help, but did at least agree to the game being paused. This was fortunate, as Asprag was rendered unconscious in the fight, and had to be put somewhere warm for a bit. Laika got gunked again. It was just as unpleasant the second time around.

While Rastar built a snow-corpse to help with the preparation of someone who was missing a lot of himself, one of the Hiordling team turned out to be a hunter who went out to get his alynx. Using her skills, he found two more spots under the snow, and one where he was sure there would be… something. Asprag was just about awake enough to decide to use all of his Rune Points to protect himself in spirit block… and they fought two small ghosts and then a huge angry pig-ghost. Asprag ended up unconscious again, and so Saronil was put in charge.

Then, leaving Varaema to put the spirit of the corpse safely to rest, the others went back to finish the shinty match. The other side were not prepared for the tactical Humakti's instructions to his team, and could not keep up with the skill and ferocity of Laika and the other farmers. With the healer occupied, it was over before dark, and the Hiordlings won, taking the trophy, an arm ring with some history. Asprag came round again in time to take the trophy home.

There was a lot of celebration, and the Humakti who had been escorted to Apple Lane seemed entirely unmoved by it.9

Other Things

A man with a hide and a half of land including some oak trees made an agreement with Laika to have her pigs on his land.

Shinty is hilarious because extra rules keep cropping up. Yes, you DO have to be conscious AND holding the stick, in a hand that IS still connected to your body… and there is precedent for every single ruling.

Tags: 1625 apple_lane arm_ring asprag dark ethrava hiordling humakti laika malani rastar saronil shinty varmanding

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Episode 6: There's a Moose Loose - 27 Jan 2020 00:18

Setting

Mostly on Fireday of Disorder Week.

Earlier in the day there had been an attack on a farm outside Apple Lane, by two Tusk Riders, who had kidnapped a farmer. He had been rescued, and the group repaired to the Tin Inn. Saronil, who had not been there, was escorting a group from Clearwine.

Plot taken from Chaosium GM Pack. This was the actual Defending Apple Lane plot as written, with last week's used as an expanded preamble.

IC Play

Saronil, Laika Pigwife (no close relation to the famous Leika) and Rastar the Entertainer were on their way from Clearwine to Apple Lane when the weather came down hard, and they had to force their way through the snow. About an hour away they saw shapes in the trees, and Saronil made the decision that they should not investigate, but press on despite the weather. They met a horseman coming the other way in the dark, and he had met Saronil before - he was Hendroste from Apple Lane. He took them via routes that were mostly clear of snow, and they got into the Tin Inn safely, if a little cold. Hendroste reported to those who were there that he could not get through - the shapes in the trees were probably Tusk Riders. Instead, he had brought back Saronil the warrior, and some famed members of the Ernaldori.

Introductions happened - Laika was chiefly famous for having negotiated with a Stone Goddess and brought her into an alliance with the Clan, while Rastar claimed to be an entertainer, but had a fine sword with him, and armour to wear as well as his bright clothes. Laika said she was there to try to arrange to buy cattle. Ethrava recognised the story, and knew that Laika was enmeshed in politics. The Colymari knew a little about each other already.10

The group prepared for the coming fight, with a warding in front of the Tin Inn and one at the back gate.11 They spent much of the night pouring water onto the ground where it could freeze under snow. A wagon was pulled into position to help bar the big front gate, and the Sun Elk, Gnasher, was tied just behind the wagon.12

Around dawn, six Tusk Riders came, along the road and then filtering through the trees. They stopped out of spirit magic range to put on their own magic, and then charged. The first one in line slid on the ice13 and came in sideways, and was hit by the fourth in line, also sliding14. The other pigs managed to charge the gate but did not do much damage. Meanwhile, Androus peppered them with arrows15. Saronil leaned down to Repair the gate, using his spirit magic. After one of the tusk riders was left dead the group split up with some going around to the back while others stayed at the front.

Saronil and Ethrava dashed for the back, and Androus stayed up top on the wall. The biggest Tusk Rider took down his shield and he aimed for that man as they charged. Things got a little complicated as the gate took hammering after hammering. At the back a tusker managed to break the gate, but came to a dead halt as it did, only to run itself into Ethrava's befuddle spell, blocking the doorway. Its rider leapt off to face Saronil, and Laika stepped up to be the Humakti's back-up.

Despite Hendroste and Androus' defence at the front, the main gate gave way, but there was only one Tusk Rider there as a second lay dead on the ground with an arrow in his eye. On the ground were Rastar and the Sun Elk, Gnasher. Rastar stepped up and put his sword through the last Tusk Rider's abdomen, but got his sword stuck.16 This made very little difference as no sword could have helped him - the tusker completely mashed his head, destroying his helmet on the way.

Saronil managed to bring the Tusk Rider down, eventually. Laika calmly stepped in and finished the job when the man just refused to die. Ethrava then befuddled one of those who was going back around to the main gate.

Varaema threw herself off the wall where she had been crouching in case the archers were injured, and cast Harmony, making everyone calm. Everyone except Gnasher, who calmly ignored the calm peace offered by Chalana Arroy and threw a tusker into the air, damaging it badly.

The end result was a very dead Rastar, a sleeping Gnasher, and the bodies of several17 of the riders and tuskers. Androus saw one of the Tusk Riders pulling away the body of the leader, dead with a Yelmalian arrow through his eye. His geas to challenge darkness creatures to a first blood duel kicked in. With Saronil alongside and Asprag the farmer as a tracker, they set off into the snow. Pretty soon they saw the body of the leader of the tuskers, but they had to keep following the trail - three of the beasts had left this way.

Laika and Hendroste escorted Varaema and the body of Rastar (with extra bits in a bucket) to Clearwine, as fast as they could, with the body tied onto Varaema's High Llama. As they cut through the forest they found they were being followed by something, or else something huge was going in the same direction as them. Once they were out of the trees they could hurry along, but Hendroste was very apologetic over the danger he had put them in.

In Clearwine, Varaema had the body brought into the Lightbringers' Temple, where she used Heal Body to give Rastar a head back. They asked for their friend to be brought back to life, and on the spirit plane, Rastar met a goddess dressed in white. He recognised her as Chalana Arroy, and took an apple from her and ate it, on her instruction. This reminded him of the world, and it was delicious but strangely heavy.18 He woke with the taste of apples in his mouth.

Meanwhile the group had successfully followed the trail of the Tusk Rider who got away, but only Androus could keep up, so he ended up pulling ahead of his comrades. He managed to draw blood on his enemy, but the tusker charged him, the rider kept using some sort of spell19, and Androus turned20 and found Saronil again. They did not pursue further.

Back at the inn, Ethrava had calmed people down, helped make sure all was going well, and settled in. Everyone gathered there, and shortly there was a party in their honour. Hastur Lawspeaker arrived the next day to thank them on behalf of the Queen, and ask them as great killers of pigs to deal with Red-eye the boar.

Right at the end of the session, on Godsday, a letter arrived for Saronil. It was from Lord Eril, asking him to call on the Boldhome Temple as a personal favour.21

Other Things

Laika has decided to pick up Command Swine. Rastar has decided that Eurmal stole his Divine Intervention Rune Point, and is sulking. He is also rather poor again, having spent his ransom. He and Laika did some serious talking about wills and property if they should die.

Tags: 1625 androus apple_lane asprag colymar dark eril ethrava gnasher hastur laika leika rastar red_eye saronil varaema

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Episode 5: This Little Piggie - 18 Jan 2020 17:16

Setting

The characters had arranged to meet in Apple Lane in early Dark Season, after the harvests, to greet those who would be on their land and formalise the relationships. Saronil, who was not present, was assumed to have been held up.

Plot came from Chaosium GM's guide.

IC Play

The various farmers met up with the group in the Tin Inn, a large place with a ridiculously expensive roof that had hammered tin tiles on it. They were Asprag, Farnona, Ellinya, and Drostos, on the hides of Ethrava, Androuranos, Varaema and Saronil respectively. Everyone seemed to be competent. Varaema gave up the share of the Royal herd she had to her companions on proviso the tithe to her Temple was paid. Asprag was worried, which Ethrava and Varaema both noticed. He had had a minor argument with his husband, who should have arrived but had not. Varaema standing on her High Llama could not see anyone coming along the roads, so they headed out to the farmers' house with the last of the light. They could see smoke as they approached. Ethrava managed to get the Sun Elk to move at speed for once, and even in the right direction. She was the first there, and Asprag was close behind.

There was blood on the snow and evidence of someone having been dragged away. The thatch was smouldering but not burning properly, it being Dark Season and everything being wet. Inside Ethrava and Asprag found his spear was missing, and so was his money. However, Androus found a bill hook that had been used as a weapon, and pulled off the part of the thatch that was burning. They found the trail of large trotters leading away.22 The group wanted to send Asprag back to the hamlet to warn people, but his husband was missing and he was having none of it. He demanded they burn the house as a warning, so he could come with them, and after a quick round of discussion23 they agreed to this plan.

In the near darkness they were able to follow the trail until it went into a copse of trees and did not come out of them. Asprag blurted out his fear that it was tusk riders who had taken his man, and he and Ethrava explained a bit about what was known of the Bloody Cult. As they were making up their minds how to approach, they heard a thin, wailing scream. Asprag ran for the woods and Ethrava managed to wrestle him down. With Androuranos still on his horse, they crept, loudly, into the forest.24 Ethrava had Spirit Sight to see what was up ahead in the darkness, which gave them warning there were five spirits up there, two moving like people, one not moving like a person who was tied up, and two moving like pigs. In short order, they were charged. Androus drew one away on horseback while shooting. To his annoyance several good shots were blocked by the rider's shield. Meanwhile Ethrava and Asprag fought the other, with Asprag putting his bill hook through the man's abdomen and getting it stuck there. Varaema ran around to see to the tortured man, who had been burned. She dealt with that by casting Sleep and then tending to the problems mundanely.

Androus out-rode his opponent in the woods, and finally managed to do enough damage the rider turned tail and fled. He put an arrow through his opponent's spine and chased down the tusker as well. Meanwhile, Ethrava had had a disaster with the tusker, which had broken her arm so badly it was shattered, and she had passed out from shock. Asprag managed to get his bill hook back, and killed the giant pig, and Varaema arrived and set the arm by using magic, and then Androus got back as well. They rescued the farmer Saraskos and put him onto a travois to take him back to town.25 Ethrava tried to heal him by Spirit Magic and then Rune Magic, but found that neither worked. They were met partway out by Hendroste, on horseback.

A quick planning session happened. Hendroste volunteered to go overnight to the Black Spear clan, to fetch warriors, and the others settled to make decisions, fortify the Tin Inn, and prepare in case more Tusk Riders attacked. Aileena and the god-talker of the Temple of All Gods, and Squinch, all had a few ideas. The villagers were moved into the inn for safe keeping for the night. Ethrava set up wardings across the front gate and Squinch across the back gate.

Other Things

A modest amount of loot from the Tusk Riders included two signalling horns, two broadswords, and the spear from Asprag's house, but the armour the riders wore was left, as they were in a hurry.

Tags: 1625 aileena androus asprag dark drostos ellinya ethrava farnona god_talker hendroste saraskos varaema

Comments: 0

Episode 4: Hide and Seek - 16 Jan 2020 21:46

Setting

The adventurers were on their way to deal with the dragon, having obtained the loan of magical arms and armour from the ghost of a King.

Plot is from the Chaosium Game Master Adventure Book from the screen pack.

IC Play

The game opened with the adventurers on the road to the Thunder Hills, on their way to fight a dragon. Ahead of them on the path Saronil noticed fighting. Up ahead was a spearman backed up against a rock by a trio of rough-looking men, obviously bandits. They rode up to help, making enough noise that the spearman at least noticed them. Saronil dismounted at speed but could not get the bandits to take notice of him until he finally tapped one and got his attention, meaning that the fight was honourable. Shortly thereafter, with the spearman bloodied and the bandits outnumbered, they fled. Varaema bandaged the man, and he introduced himself as Androuranos, or Hawk-eye. Rather surprising Varaema, he was from the Praxian Sun County temple, but did not speak Praxian, nor did he look blond-haired. Nevetheless he made it known who he was and they introduced themselves.

As they had saved him, it was clear he owed them a life debt, and they found themselves with a spearman, while in possession of a magical dragon-killing spear.26 They repaired to the hills, interrupted on the way only by a strange meeting.

Coming along a path they encountered some dragonnewts. Several were dancing. One was sitting, crosslegged and in a meditational posture, on a bird at least six feet tall, with thick, strong legs and a sharp beak. The dancing dragonnewts froze save for one who made his way towards them with elegant and sacred but above all very strange steps, and introduced himself to the here-and-now-meat-things as the Mouthpiece of Yanah Yaqal. Every time he mentioned his master's name the other dragonnewts took up a different tableau pose and waited again. He told them a dragon was imprisoned and asked them to help free it, offering a sword made of what he haltingly translated as 'flint' and the adventurers failed to recognise as obsidian. However, they had heard stories of enchanted flint, and decided this was the black blade stuff. The dragonnewt told them to cut off the imprisoned thing's head and take it to the place of holy travel, or as they called it, 'plinth'.

They went on to the tomb, while making plans. Soon, they found the place, a carved cave in a hillside.27 They went in, and the Yelmalian spotted tracks in the floor like a huge long weight had been dragged, and claws a half cubit long had scratched the ground. Cautiously, they advanced, with Varaema and Ethrava going first and supporting the great shield, and Ethrava also holding the bag of winds given to them by Dunorl.

They advanced into a chamber which had a sacrifice pit, and discussed fishing out the klanth and the gold they could see there, but decided against it. Then, in the next room, Androus28 (and then others) spotted the dragon they were after, wrapped around a cuboid altar there. On noticing that it had been spotted, it raised itself and with the logic of dreams became a woman who commanded them to worship their once and future goddess. After a resounding round of 'no', she took on her draconic form once more and attacked, and they attacked her. Yerezum Storn breathed toxic fumes, but the air elemental that Ethrava let out of the bag was enough to keep the air clean. Androus was able to stab her in the tail, crippling it, as she concentrated on Saronil initially. He overcame his fear of Dragons to step up to her, only to be met with the Demoralise spell. He ran to hide behind the shield. Seeing him run towards her, Varaema got the wrong idea and cowered away, leaving Ethrava in an exposed position as she had just cast Earth Shield for Androus, and was in the middle of casting Befuddle. Amazingly, this made the dragon pull up, confused. Yerezum Storm failed to cast a spell at the Yelmalian, who stabbed her through a wing, breaking the spell. She ran for it, trampling over the shield and flattening the three under it. Varaema, unarmoured, was hurt - the others were protected by their armour.

Androus was falling behind the dragon but she stopped to breathe fire at him, killing the air elemental but failing to make contact with him fully - the gouts of flame splashed off his shield. He managed to bring his spear to bear and struck his third, killing blow. Yerezum Storn died blocking a doorway.

They soon found a treasure room, where Androus claimed the many golden goblets there in the name of Yelmalio, despite the calls of others. However, as they came out of the room the goddess statue on the cubic altar woke, and declared she was free, and this was her Temple. Her name was Orgovale Summer. For their help she gave Androus a golden amphora, but not the goblets - he relinquished his claim on them. Varaema was given some earrings that were a spell matrix, and Ethrava was given an arm ring and the offer of establishing a Temple. Saronil was given a flat look.

They went out, having cut off the dragon's head and squeezed past its corpse, and soon found a plinth where dragonnewts were waiting, dancing an entirely different dance. This time they were all painted half black and half white, save one who was painted half green and half a slightly different green, and the one on the demi-bird, who was not painted.

The same one as before approached them, and said that Sanah Yaqal was in their debt and would come if they placed purple nardus flowers on the plinth. This was not the same name as it had used before, but it seemed to be the same dragonnewt being indicated.

The news was taken to Queen Leika, who celebrated by giving them land, a hide each, and twenty cattle from her royal herd for Ethrava to divide. Ethrava asked Kalis to provide a new priestess for the Temple, and asked her mother to help oversee it, effectively sharing out her pat on the head from the Queen.

The weapons and armour were returned to King Berenvenos29 and all was well.

Other Things

There was some magical loot. which should probably be recorded. There was some Temple and Magical training, then it was the end of Fire Season. While Saronil was training at the Temple of Humakt in Boldhome, he was challenged for his sword, and won, and his opponent's sword was almost broken in trying. Later, Saronil learned that Eril had personally noted he would be displeased if anyone more tried to challenge that season. Saronil also found out that the Boldhome Humakti had a blacksmith.

Tags: 1625 androus boldhome clearwine colymar earth eril ethrava kalis leika orgovale_summer saronil thunder_hills varaema yerezum_storn

Comments: 0

Episode 3: Dragon yer Heels - 07 Jan 2020 18:09

Setting

Ethrava, Saronil and Varaema were in Boldhome, where Ethrava was the newest Initiate in the Temple.

Plot is taken from the Chaosium Gamemaster Screen Pack adventure book.

IC Play

High Earth (or maybe Low Earth) Priestess Kalis asked her dear Ethrava to deliver a letter to Apple Lane, and to take a guard or two with her. Ethrava grabbed Saronil and Varaema and took them that way. Varaema also agreed to get some Red-root powder from the Horsemaster there.

On the way, however, they saw30 a dragon flying overhead. The dragon scared their mounts as it flew off into the distance, meaning Varaema had to put the Sun Elk to sleep to let Ethrava catch it again. They then woke it up and hurried onward, reaching a steading with dead cattle and dead people. The poisonous breath of the dragon had killed much of what had not been killed by the beast itself, including one of the farmers. The survivors, helped by Varaema's knowledge of how to treat poison, burned their dead. The adventurers then gave them an escort to Clearwine, to see the Queen.

Queen Leika was concerned about the report, and asked them to look into whether it was in the Thunder Hills, and also ask the Dryad Tarndisil31 for what knowledge she had. Dunorl, Storm Voice of Orlanth, gave them the run-down on how to deal with dragons, and after that Hastur the Law-speaker told them about the history of dragon-killers in the area, and an old grave or two where he thought they might be buried. Dunorl also gave them a bag that would command the wind inside it, just in case they happened to run into the dragon while investigating. They lodged the letter and the message for the Horsemaster with the Lawspeaker.

Then, they dutifully went off to see the Dryad32, and she did them the honour of coming to the edge of her grove33 so that Saronil did not have to leave his sword behind. She spoke mainly to Ethrava, who was a Priestess-in-training of Ernalda. Tarndisil was generous with information about the dragon known as Yezerum Storn, whom she remembered from the time of the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. She probably wished for worship once more, and was likely in or by the Queen's Tomb - both of the Sartarite Natives knew where that was.

She also said that if Leika wished for a lasting peace, she could create it by bringing Tarndisil the tusks of Red-eye the boar.

They came back to Clearwine34 with the message to find that Leika was away, searching the Starfire Ridge for the dragon. Dunorl bored them for a while until Hastur moved him gently aside to explain a point of law, and suggested that while the Queen was away they could go to Apple Lane with their message, and take the chance to go past the Old Grave he had mentioned, on Malani lands.

This, they did.35 They found their way towards the grave site, pausing along the way only long enough to insult a group of Malani hugely when a trade-talk conversation went wrong36. Fortunately, the person doing the talking was a White Lady and therefore not immediately a target. Thus, they blundered around for a few days, until they found hospitality at a hearth where the farmer knew which old grave they meant, and sent them there with his boy.

They found that the place had already been opened some time ago, but on crawling in - Ethrava first as she was of the Earth37 they found themselves in an offering chamber. There was a body there, a corpse holding a silver cup as if he had died in the act of theft. There were also bowls and cups that might once have held offerings. Saronil put the cup back where it looked like it went, and then filled the cups and bowls a little before Ethrava led the way into the next room. There was a pile of grave goods and the ghost of a big man who appeared to be angry at them that he was forgotten. Ethrava talked him around quickly, and he agreed to let his equipage be used for this single task as long as the Colymar came to make offerings once a year, at his grave.

With this managed, they borrowed his kit, hauled the dead corpse outside to make sure its spirit had gone on, and set off for Clearwine. On the way they saw the dragon flying overhead again, probably heading to the Tomb, and certainly for that area.

Other Things

The group paused a little early to allow other adventurers to join the group next week.

The GM would like a medal for not calling this episode 'enter the dragon'. For one, that might be next week when she kills them all.

Tags: 1625 apple_lane dunorl earth ethrava hastur kalis leika red_eye saronil tarndisil varaema yerezum_storn

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Episode 2: Fearing the Reaper - 22 Dec 2019 23:28

Setting

Late in Fire Season, as Ethrava returns to her Clan to live a dull life again, accompanied by Saronil, who ransomed her, and Varaema, her Praxian Guide.

Plot taken from Journey of the Heroes episode 2, episode 3 and episode 5 - significant NPCs are the same, although there is no overarching 'go Westfaring, young man'.

Brief Flashback

Saronil had a run-in with a Duck who declared he was running a Customs Post for the new Prince, Kallyr. Saronil happily paid 5 Clacks to help defend the Kingdom, despite being a bit puzzled by the fact there was only one person at the roadblock.

IC Play

As the group were riding down towards Wilmskirk, or in Ethrava's case attempting to control her Sun Elk on the way to Wilmskirk, they were caught up by a Duck on foot, who noticed Saronil and ordered him to follow, saying he should bring his friends, as they might be needed. All he would say was that there was a problem with the Undead in Whitewall. It was not until they had reached the city that the Duck even stopped to introduce himself; his name was D'Val the Sword, and he was travelling to Wilmskirk because there had been a call for a Humakti Hero. His Temple had sent him. As a Duck with absolutely nothing to prove, when he bought them all drinks it was pints all round, including for him.

Ethrava had heard of D'Val, and talked about his tales - he was eight feet tall with eyes of fire, she said. D'Val corrected her, first about his height and second about the number of eyes he had. D'Val did not know much about what he was going to be facing.

That evening being Wildday, D'Val took Saronil to a private room for worship. The Duck's Rune Magic failed him, but Saronil stepped in to Sanctify the place, and then D'Val led him through the night's worship. During that time, Saronil noticed the sword he was using was iron. D'Val was not just a Duck, but a Rune Lord.

In the morning, Varaema had to worship, but it was deemed a White Lady would be safe when travelling overnight, and D'Val told her to do that. The others travelled to Whitewall over the course of the next day, and found a shanty town around an empty, destroyed hill fort. D'Val bought them rooms at the only 'inn' in town, a tiny place that sold food, drink, and floor space. Saronil and Ethrava did some evening rounds to talk to guards, finding out that there were shambling undead beyond the gates up into the White City itself, and booking a conversation with the local Orlanthi, Gostin. Unbeknownst to them, D'Val was Divining on what they would face, and found out that there were servants of Delecti about. He spent part of the night searching for vampires, and slept the rest. In the morning, he sent the pair off to speak to Gostin, and had another nap. Varaema arrived in the 'city', having not asked at Wilmskirk about what was known about the situation in Whitewall.

Gostin and his bard had also heard of D'Val the Sword, although they were rather disappointed when Ethrava told them how he was 4'7" with a single metaphorical eye of fire. Saronil changed the subject. Gostin offered to raise the militia, but, as Ethrava noticed, he did not use the word 'fyrd', which indicated he did not have the right to call men up under him. Nevertheless he said he could get twenty men in to fight. The numbers in the hill fort were estimated around 50 undead.

Varaema arrived reported to the guards and then the inn to find out where people were, and then to the makeshift Temple of Chalana Arroy where she met and impressed the High Healer, Jaldis. Jaldis was able to tell her that the inner city probably held 30-50 undead.

Ethrava and Saronil checked with the guards again, and called for ladders once they were sure the zombies could not climb. Saronil spotted that, incredibly, some of the bodies were wearing Lismeldan wave-pattern cloth, a marker of the Tribe from West of Colymar lands. They seemed to have been dead for under a year, although Saronil was not sure if that was the magic of undeath keeping them. When they checked later, D'Val indicated that was possible. He also told Saronil to take command. On the way around the city, they noticed the near-drought conditions. There was a river nearby but there had been no rains for a while. Ethrava checked in with the local Ernaldan Initiate (no Priestess here) and was told it had been at least six weeks since rain.

The next day, the militia mustered around dawn. Saronil failed to impress them, but D'Val suddenly turned into a shouty sergeant-major sort, and terrified them into believing in their new leader.38 Saronil lead the group up through the gates, but found that he was losing control as the zombies hit his front line. D'Val asked him for permission to command, which he gave, as zombies were all up in the everything.

With Ethrava in the back row with Varaema, most of the group got up the hill unscathed.39 However, Saronil's arm was broken by a zombie and he was about to be killed by another when it flew to pieces as D'Val used Turn Undead.40 In the final charge, Ethrava was badly hit in the head and then trampled by D'Val running over her to get zombies, while the other two were also injured.41 Saronil healed himself enough to look around for his charges, and found that Ethrava was dying near to him, so he saved her. Varaema tried to fix Ethrava's head wound with first aid and made it worse42, and one of the militia had to use magic. They traipsed up to where D'Val was finding out, much to his displeasure, that he hated being hoisted shoulder-high by the victorious men he had just led.

At the top of the hill, all slightly worse for wear, they found that only four buildings still stood in the centre, although there were no undead things here. The buildings were temples to Humakt, Chalana Arroy, Ernalda, and Orlanth. Saronil detected the undead near them, and found that three - Orlanth's, Ernalda's, and Humakt's had undead in. Up close the temples had all been defaced. Those of Orlanth and Chalana Arroy were thatched, and the thatch was in bad condition on Chalana Arroy's Temple.

While he was planning how to deal with the Temple of Humakt, Saronil realised that the thatch on the Temple of Orlanth was on fire43, and ordered the men to form up outside it. A beautiful-looking woman emerged, and looked D'Val in his remaining eye. The Duck froze44,but Saronil ordered his men to charge, and led them, and the woman turned into smoke and fled. They were unable to work out where she had gone, but when D'Val started being able to move again45, he looked pointedly at the smoke of the burning thatch.

There were now, to Saronil's senses, two undead in the Temple of Humakt. However, once he had formed up his men to go in, with him and D'Val at the front, he could sense no more. D'Val, Saronil and Ethrava went into the Temple of Humakt to find there was a rip in the air there, and they could see some sort of swamp through it. Varaema went to her own temple, and found a White Lady had been killed there, nailed to the ground. Ethrava's Temple had had the lower half filled in, desecrating that, too.

D'Val sent Saronil to fine Ethrava and tell her to keep quiet about the rip for a bit, but to send for Gostin, and get ready to go for help46. Varaema sent down the hill for Jaldis, and then started to prepare the dead body for a proper pyre and burial.47

Jaldis came up the hill with Gostin, and met Varaema. The young White Lady had just found a medallion that the body had been wearing, which Jaldis took and put on. D'Val arranged with Gostin for supplies to be made ready and sent with the group, and then sent them to Boldhome to explain the situation and ask for help. Jaldis noted to Varaema there was no need to ask the White Ladies there.

The journey, which was uneventful, took two days, first up to Wilmskirk and then a short day's ride up to Boldhome. Ethrava was riding on a borrowed bison rather than risk her Sun Elk misbehaving, but it turned out she could not make those work properly either48

In Boldhome, Ethrava made straight for the Earth Temple to make nice with Kalis, the High Priestess there, while Varaema went to the Temple of Chalana Arroy to help out. There, she was quickly spotted as having troubles in her mind and put into the area of the hospital that had women in childbirth, and bad wounds. This was also, not by coincidence, where an Initiate was singing the Comfort Song.

Saronil thought a bit about Lord Eril Humakti, and whether he should go straight to the Prince, or whether he should go via Eril. He decided his duty was to avoid telling the High Sword of Humakt about what was going on, but to do as D'Val had indicated and talk to Kallyr directly. He climbed up the thousand steps to the palace, and asked for an audience. When it was granted, Kallyr Starbrow saw him in a small room with a couple of attendants. She named herself over his stammers49, and also introduced her Chief Priest Tennebris and Lord Eril. Saronil explained the problem including the rift in the Humakti Temple. Kallyr looked at Eril, who admitted grudgingly that he did indeed know how to dedicate a Temple. She told Tennebris and Eril to deal with it, and Saronil was dismissed.

Saronil walked down the stairs with Eril50 and met Kalis51 and Ethrava52 coming up. Eril sent them up to the palace53 to find out what was going on. At the bottom of the stairs he informed Saronil that they would travel to Whitewall together.

The next day they set off for Whitewall as a group.54 and spent two days getting there. As they came in towards the city there was a decision to be made on whether to push on into darkness55 Eril was not in favour of doing so, but Ethrava pointed out to Tennebris that there were Initiates of Ernalda who might be in danger, and this was enough to hurry them on. At the top of Whitewall, Tennebris looked glumly at the remains of his Temple and then he and Kalis had a cheat-off for whose Temple would be rededicated first, resulting in Tennebris looking smug, and being given first go.

Eril went to examine the Temple of Humakt, where D'Val was still meditating where he had been left. There was a rather tense handover from the Duck, who then went straight to sleep, snoring in the corner. Eril sat down to guard the hole rift. Saronil guarded the temple itself. In the small hours, he heard Eril speak a word that meant Death, and for a brief moment he understood Separation from the soul.56 This also gave him an understanding of the High Sword's power.

In the morning, Orlanth's temple was rededicated, and then in turn, each of the adventurers were called on to help with theirs.57 Ethrava picked up a healthy respect for Kalis, and Varaema learned that Jaldis had a mind like a scalpel, and was capable of great concentration. Saronil found out that Eril was not only powerful, but that his power was wide-ranging and deep, as he had the most difficult task of all, being backed only by a Rune Lord and an Initiate, and with a magical construct trying to keep the place from rededication. After that, Eril left immediately, handing over the Temple to D'Val, who put Saronil in charge and crawled back to sleep.

Pretty much immediately, the rain began to fall. Tennebris got absolutely soaked in his roofless Temple, but Kalis kindly invited him into Ernalda's house to take advantage of her hospitality. There, he got to sleep on the floor. It was better than the storm.

Afterwards the group stayed in Whitewall for a short time. Ethrava lamented to Kalis about her problems with ransom, and Kalis offered to have the money sent, if Ethrava would move to Boldhome. Ethrava agreed to this enthusiastically. Meanwhile Saronil heard that D'Val was denying having been in command and saying that had been Saronil. He asked D'Val to stop lying about this, which the Duck took with a frozen moment Saronil did not notice, followed by a quiet explanation that he was not in fact lying. Saronil agreed this was the case, but said D'Val was pushing a narrative that did him too much credit. D'Val pointed out that Saronil needed to tell the truth to others, then, which was a thing that happened.

D'Val offered to fight Saronil for the challenge sword (See Episode 1) if Saronil wanted it to be guarded by the Temple. Saronil decided against this.

Outcomes

D'Val's legend has spread. He is, at least in Wilmskirk, no longer known as an 8' tall hero, but by his true height, 4'7". He is also celebrated there as a great Humakti hero.

Saronil picked up a D6 on his Death Rune and Fear (Eril).

End of Season happened, with some reputational gains for their fine work.

Tags: 1625 d'val eril ethrava fire kalis kallyr saronil tennebris varaema

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Episode 1: Ransom and Cattle Raid - 16 Dec 2019 15:13

Setting/Setup

1625, after Dragonrise and the retaking of Sartar. In my game, that happened in Fire Season, so I have some time to work before Dark Season makes things cold.

Official Plot (tm) taken from https://d-infinity.net/game-content/runequest-thursday-188-cattle-raid-koli-complete-gloranthan-adventure-river-cradles . Twisted to have the correct time/place/rule system.

As preamble, there was a ransom to pay. Ethrava Earthwife, trainee Priestess, started the game taken for ransom. A friend kindly agreed to NPC her for a while so that my newest players could get a handle on the game.

The Saga

From Tinder Fox tula they followed the thief
bent close to the ground sharp-eyed Scaffloc the tracker
Through narrow defile past they found stolen cattle
Ethrava sang out swallowed archers with earthquakes
but from behind that came fire and chanting
So Saronil sprinted to fight the foul ogress
surrounded by fires she finally fell
Vareama took care of the mounts most mistreated
Victorous then they returned to their journey
on zebra and llama and sun elk they rode
— Saronil

IC Play

Ethrava made herself agreeable to her captor, a bison rider who was pretending happily that she was his guest, and was a polite person. She was brought in to Pimper's Block to meet the Ransomer.

The Ransomer in this case was a Humakti, Saronil, sent along with 1000L. As far as he could make out, he had been sent fresh from Boldhome, and not even from his home town of Clearwine, because he had massively annoyed Lord Eril Humakti, by getting in over the walls before his right flank.

Saronil had a guide, his friend Varaema All-healer, a Chalana Arroy initiate who was a good counterpoint to his highly armed competence, and made sure she was the one going in front some of the time. In the encampments around Pimper's Block, Varaema went around healing a lot of people, including helping a bison rider who had an infected wound in his arm.

The exchange with someone-or-other Forkbeard went well, and Ethrava was freed, immediately suggesting that they head for Pavis where the action was, but ultimately understanding that her mother's status as well as her own loyalty to the Clan indicated she should go back to Clearwine and face the drums. She also understood from the fact only one warrior had been sent that she was not in good standing, and nobody really cared about her, making it imperative she did return, or her mother, a Priestess, would not have much authority left.

They set off, with Varaema being given a free bison for Ethrava by the man she had healed, who said it was the wrong season to be keeping it anyhow. Electing to take a route back along the difficult but passable track through the Cinder Fox Tula, they came into a village that was within Sartar, where Ethrava agreed to help with stolen cattle, for their hosts. She volunteered the aid of Varaema, on the grounds that Praxians were all good at tracking, but luckily for them they were offered aid, a man called Young Scaffloc, who was about sixty.

The grounds to the East were broken up and rocky, unsuitable for bringing an army, but workable for driving a few cattle to steal them, especially in a dry season. With Scaffloc's help they managed to follow the tracks until they came to the border of Prax. Around that area were some Lunars, spotted easily by Saronil.

After these had turned out to be a pair of local cattle, unrelated to the task at hand, and Saronil had looked appropriately embarrassed, they moved on, and this time saw a Rhino rider, facing away from them, by the side of the path. On finding out he was dead, they made offerings, which moved his spirit to talk briefly to Varaema, who understood him; he had killed several accursed lunar-loving Sable-riders here, and his friend had survived, seating him for burial facing the block. He had noticed chaotic things pass him by, but been unable to stop them. His name was Razig Tanarau.

A little while later they passed a troll trader, who told them they were probably headed the right way, and thanked them for their warning about chaos beasts, and sold them jewellery and trinkets suitable for Praxians, healers, and rhino riders. The trader agreed to go to Clearwine, to pick up money owed by Ethrava for her terrible bargaining for a rather nice arm ring, and to trade there as well.

They moved on, tracking the cattle to a cliffside, which they approached carefully, using magic to find enemies - there was someone on the cliff above them. With Scaffloc using his bow to provide some covering fire, Saronil ran for the cliff, followed by Varaema, who was hoping to help. Scaffloc's bowstring broke, and he had to use javelins, but he was a pro and kept up fire while he remembered where his spare string was. (GM forgot the replacement time, but he did take some useless moments being bad with a javelin, so that was fine.)

Saronil got up the cliff and found a human figure there, with an axe. They fought, and Saronil won. Meanwhile, the figure had pushed rocks down onto Varaema, who had healed herself, tried to climb up, failed, fallen, and hurt herself. She was almost but not quite hit by the dead human figure.

Ethrava had noticed a wind going along the canyon as the fight began, so she warned them of a huge bird or some other problem. They went along, and as they reached where the canyon opened out, they saw before them an area with a low wall, behind which two people were ready to shoot, and did.

Varaema cast Harmony, effectively stopping her friends from aggressive movements, but Scaffloc, canny old man that he was, shrugged it off and sent arrows back at the raiders. Varaema ran forwards to try to get the edge of the harmony effect to the raiders, freeing up the minds of Saronil and Ethrava.

Ethrava summoned a large Earth Elemental beneath the archers, who ceased to be a problem. Unfortunately by this time they had already peppered Varaema, such that her white robes were reddened. Also unfortunately, there was a further foe in a cave beyond, who targeted Saronil with fire. Saronil ran in to defeat this one, narrowly cutting her down in a clumsy butchery fight that went to fists and fire and a last desperate sword swing, and then the foes were all done.

The loot from the place was recovered, the 'humans' were discovered to have sharp teeth, and thus be ogres, and the cattle were un-raided. Among them Ethrava discovered a Sun Elk, a bad-tempered relative of the bison that she could just about ride, although it took a sleep spell to get it to lie down so its saddle could be taken off and its sores treated.

The look included a Praxian rhino goad, which was obviously expensive, so they offered that to Razig's spirit on the way back. He accepted it, and challenged the Humakti to a spirit fight, by starting one. Saronil was being defeated when Ethrava stepped in and clobbered Razig, driving him back to his body. He thought this was a splendid wheeze, and offered over his sword, on the proviso that they fight for it. Ethrava accepted.

The cattle were returned and the tale was sung. The sword was fought over, and Saronil won it - it was not magicial like his one was, but the Boon of Humakt could be moved to it if he wished.

Item: Challenge Sword

To win the sword of Razig Tanarau in combat against the wielder earns a one-time reward of 1D3 Reputation. The wielder must always be prepared to fight for it against any honourable challenger.

Tags: 1625 ethrava fire saronil varaema

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