• Session 7: Misplaced trust

    Session 7: Misplaced trust

    When we left The Five they’d reunited in the Glass Tower and held the Lorebook in their hands. That’s a huge advance in their goals. There were signs of trouble. Some kind of odd tornado laden, green/black cloud storm sat over the Cliffs of Gallinor. Out East there is a trickle of smoke. Almost due North is the volcano in which the village they just escaped sits in the shadow.

    Dark, dreary times with an invading party of 12-20 cultists and their bonds coming for them. The Five decided to stay and fight.

    Maurice left the Tower to hide in the same patch of trees where Mansaray helped The Five a few days ago. The idea is to flank Chorl and the Naks when they attempt to charge the entry. Shonie hides up on the ridge where she and Hilltop will perform a delaying action so that the archers and casters can support from the observatory. That’s the role of Cortez, Saffron and Behn. Their bonds go to the ground floor with Aamar and the still recovering Samul. The priest checks the door to from outside to the pantry, blocking it with the stove and then blocking the pantry to foyer as well. That will delay alternate entry paths, unless Chorl and his followers just try to burn the whole place down. That would suck.

    It’s a plan. Outnumbered the hope is to defend in depth and wear out the waves of wolves, eagles, humans and goliaths. It could even work.

    Saffron is at the window looking towards Nak and one of the two giant eagles dives down to ground level. They other speeds towards the Tower. Behn is reinforcing the shelves that Shonie put in front of the broken glass windows. He should be able to take some cover using his trusty crossbow. As he pulls some wood past Cortez he recognizes a little of the language of Ken coming from the ancient goliath. Behn has no idea what is being said, just that it has similar sounds to the title of the book that Mo took and most of the Lorebook.

    There is a boom – it is louder than anything anyone has heard. All are knocked to the ground. Saffron springs up quickly and checks the window. The top of the volcano is gone. No eagles fly as there is a rain of ash and rock and fear. There is also a wave of ash rushing towards them and down the valleys along the mountain.

    Saffron didn’t really see the fear, she more felt it.

    Behn rushes to the broken windows and shouts “Shonie, Mo! RUN!” Saffron can hardly hear him. Their companions are hundreds of feet away.

    Aamar calls out “What happened?” And Behn barely hearing him, “Get up here!”

    Rushing up the stairs as quickly as possible the human passes the window to the southwest and sees no more storm. The sky there is currently clear, and as he rounds a bookshelf he sees that wall of ash and the rain of stone to the North. They are seconds away from the Glass Tower getting hit by a few dozen feet of hot ash. Shonie and Maurice are outside with their companions.

    Cortez is no longer muttering.

    The wave of ash shakes the mostly wood tower. It remains standing. Most of the group is safe. The land outside looks like it was hit with a heavy snow, if snow was warm. There is no sign of Mo and Shonie. A falcon taps on the window to the West. It is a bond, not wild.

    Aarmar Speaks with the Falcon as Behn sprints down the stairs. Maybe, just maybe he can find the two halflings. Saffron looks towards where the village of Nak was. Most trees are gone. The ridgelines she’d just scouted are forever changed.

    From the falcon Aamar learns that Mansaray was in the little hamlet past the dark woods. It is where they left Saffron while she was ill. It is the town where one bandit was sent to serve and earn back honor. It is where Mansaray was when the ash flow hit. The goliath sent his falcon to Cortez’ tower to tell them that the hamlet is gone.

    Behn throws the main door open and ash flows into the building. It’s just a few inches and bounding towards him is Mo’s little fox. Behn sprints back along the easy to follow tracks. Where they end he starts digging and digging. Maurice is nowhere to be found. The fox and Mitzie try to help, but still nothing.

    Worried and excited Behn huffs and blows a Gust Of Wind. Clearing a space and then another space as the light ash blows out of the way. Maurice is under a large tree that seems to have protected him a bit.

    “Heeellllp! I’ve found Mo.”

    Aamar and Saffron join him. Aamar uses First Aid on the halfling and Maurice can walk again.

    “What about Shonie?” and Saffron runs off to the ridge and those boulders. There are no tracks, no signs of life. “Behn, can you do that thing that cleared the ash?”

    “Maybe?” and he does it again. Hundreds of cubic feet of ash are blown away from Behn. Shonie is huddled over Hilltop. The two tucked against those boulders.

    Aamar cures their wounds.

    Scanning the skies for any of Nak’s eagles they only see a trickle of rocks and ash. The Five (there are actually five since Samul is still exhausted from his day long rage) trudge back to the Glass Tower. Shonie and Maurice are in tattered clothes. Hilltop is a bit singed, but healthy and happy.

    Climbing the stairs to the observatory in the Glass Tower and Cortez they have questions. He’s old and wise. He could know what just happened.

    Behn asks “Did you do this?”

    “I guess I did. We decided that Chorl was gaining too much power and needed to be stopped.”

    “We?” Aamar interrupts.

    “I and the other Scholars at the libraries around Kin. We decided to end his time. It may have worked.”

    “Wait – you blew up a mountain to stop Chorl?” Saffron is stunned.

    “Yes, he’ll be slowed down at worst. He may be ended. Even if he comes back, others will now have the powers he has.”

    Aamar asks “Powers?”

    “Pray to Quar, you will find he has more to offer you now. Saffron, your words are more potent. Behn, you will be able to do things that surprise and amaze. As Chorl’s Awakening leaked some magic into Kin, this broke the cage. It will also let the Others into Kin.”

    The group exchange glances. Cortez just wiped out at least one hamlet and probably more, changing the landscape of the Western Wildes to maybe stop a former student. That and this talk of even more magic. When the Awakening (now the Minor Awakening?) came tens of thousands died. Kingdoms like Sheljar fell.

    “Do you need the Book?” Aamar asks the old man.

    “No, it is just a history of Kin with some spells. I have that here among my other books too.”

    They back away from Cortez. Trust between them is dead. Sure, they have the book they wanted, but he’d wiped minds clean of others that hunted the Lorebook and blown up a volcano to trouble one man.

    Without a mule, they load up Mitzie and Saffron’s dog to pull Samul on a sled behind them. The going is slow. Devastation surrounds them. Passing through the forest that was once dark and spider ridden is relatively easy. Then they round the bend where they’d seen that waterfall and see what the town was. It was in a valley from the once-high mountain. Now, it is desolate with only a single barn’s rough above the flow of ash.

    Those with axes hack their way into the barn. It is warm, there is hay in the loft and five cattle on the ground floor. No people live. None of the cattle were bonded. The Five (back at six) settle in for the evening. Saffron sings a Song of Rest. They are all refreshed, even Samul.

    In the morning they tear down some of the flooring to take the cattle on their journey to Telse. They have the Lorebook, five cattle, a story none will believe and a trail left behind them that anyone could follow.

  • Simple Shield Options

    Simple Shield Options

    One of the things I want to do is provides some spell-less class options for the people of Kin. Since the continent and its associated islands have been without magic for millenia the standard Bard, Paladin, and Ranger builds make little sense. Current characters were built knowing that they will eventually get spells, but they do not know when. Some players made the choice to make their characters knowing that. But with the mundane ranger out there in the wild, this option makes a ton of sense for gaming in the Everflow.

    The Paladin build is a bit more difficult. In order to fit the Kingdom of Kirtin’s Shield the 5th edition shield rules need to be tweaked. There needs to be a wider variety of shields for a shield expert to use. But one of the blessings about 5th edition is that it starts on a simple foundation compared to other rule-sets in Dungeons & Dragons history.

    by Arctic Wolf at https://flic.kr/p/bREyzg
    by Arctic Wolf at https://flic.kr/p/bREyzg

    As the Basic Rules outline there is one type of shield, not the nearly dozen that existed in previous systems. To add options and keep it simple, I chose to mimic the armor system – light, medium and heavy. The base shield would be medium and the rules unchanged. That keeps the general rules simple enough. Most shields work like this.

    The heavy shield, or tower shield, is that massive portable wall that an archer’s companion or shield wall would carry with them in order to protect the archers, siege operators or polearm users (often peasants). It is heavy (45 pounds, requires a 15 STR to use), expensive (30 gold) but provides a strong AC bonus of +4. A shield that large also reduces movement by 10 feet, in addition to any encumbrance issues. One ally of the wielder, or the wielder, can use an action to take full cover behind the tower shield. Only Fighters, Paladins and Clerics (War domain priests of Ahid, Az, Sel and Nuk) are proficient in this shield.

    The light shield, or buckler, is tiny. It is strapped to the forearm and can allow for dual weapon fighting. It isn’t great at protection and it can hamper the ability to fight with two weapons. Weighing only 4 pounds it costs 20 gold and provides just a +1 AC bonus. But there are limits. If the character is using both weapons they do not get the defensive bonus. If the player commits their character to the defensive mode they can use their shield hand in a reaction. Bards, Rangers, Rogues, Clerics and Fighters start with proficiency in the buckler.

    Here’s a not fancy table (also the first table on Full Moon Storytelling).

    Type Cost AC STR Classes in Kin Effect Weight
    Buckler 20 +1 – Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue +1 to AC and use that hand for a reaction or can use that hand for an action with no AC bonus. 4 lb
    Medium 10 +2 – Cleric, Druid (non-metal), Fighter, Paladin, Ranger  – 6 lb
    Tower 30 +3 15 Fighter, Paladin, Cleric (War) Reduces movement rate by 10 feet. Can be used as total cover by giving up an action. 45 lb

    Again, the goal is to add some shield options with significant differences from the baseline rules, but to keep things simple for those that want to play simply. Many people clearly enjoy that 5th edition does not have rules bloat.

  • Teegan’s last day at home

    Teegan’s last day at home

    Korlot is a small walled town along the hillside in the Lothian Highlands. Every morning Teegan and her little brother leave the Upper Gate with the handful of goats their family collected. They head out to the managed clover fields with their fences. The family cannot dedicate time to herd goats, not today. Dad will work the rye and barley with Ried today. Mom is working on the cheese this morning. In the afternoon she will be trading family mohair for a shield for Teegan and Rohan

    The family isn’t rich enough to buy two shields, and like many who raise two children so close together their weapons-of-age are hand-me-downs. Teegan’s already started practicing with Pa’s hammer. It is light and natural to her hand. She would also take Dad’s halberd.

    Rohan hasn’t practiced. His friend Spence helped him create a pike. It was cheap and simple. Spence found a bit of iron to shod the staff. Hopefully the pike keeps the boy ten feet further from trouble.

    Little Alleway is out front of the goats. The yippy terrier is horrible herder, but Rohan loves him. Everyone in the family has a terrier, except Teegan. Everyone loves them, except Teegan.

    Last year, when she reached bond-age, grandpa was dying. Teegan provided his care for most of the season. She’d bring him tea and listen to the stories about when Korlot mustered out in the most recent attempt to take back Kirtin-on-the-Lake. He’d speak of loyalty and might, of failure and friendship, and of disappointment that the north could not defend themselves from Azsel and Kirtin needed help from the thieves of Daoud.

    As she listened Ha-Lim, the immense bighorn ram, would be at Pa’s feet. As Pa weakened Ha-Lim crept closer. During this time her friends were bonding with various dogs, ponies and cats. She did not go on a bonding journey. Pa had a few months and so many stories.

    by RLEVANS at https://flic.kr/p/6NZYBj
    by RLEVANS at https://flic.kr/p/6NZYBj

    So she listened. She learned. She brought Pa tea, goat cheese and bread. She started to bring Ha-Lim clover and grass. When she cleaned the room, she cleaned for the ram too. When she walked to the well for water, Ha-Lim followed. The rare times that she left the house to bring the goats in, Ha-Lim followed.

    When they buried Pa the ram was there, as usually happens when the person passes before the animal in a bond. He laid next the burial plot for a while and then trotted over to Teegan. Teegan never went on a bonding journey, never had a bonding ceremony. It didn’t matter. Ha-Lim is now her bonded partner in life.

    It’s a lot better than those damn yippy dogs. He’s horrible at helping herd the goats, eats the vegetables and grains when working the crops and the horns get in the way of cuddling. None of those things matter. Ha-Lim is quiet and elegant. Every breath reminds Teegan of Pa. And all those memories of Pa are also memories of Ha-Lim.

    Plus, when Rohan and his friends get too foolish threatening to have the ram bowl through their group tends to get them to change their focus.

    “Rohan! That billie is pissed off. Call Alleway back here,” she screams out. “And dammit, stop throwing rocks at the goats!”

    Tomorrow the four of them will be off to Kirtin-in-the-Sky. They will serve their not-Winter with the Shield of Kirtin. After a week or so of training they’ll head to the northern hills to show force against Azsel. Rohan is going to be trouble with a ten-foot pole, keeping that kid under control is hard enough. Giving him distractions like weapons and new friends will be a disaster, and a requirement of the law.

    “Alle, get here!” and he throws one final stone. ‘Throws one final stone’ could be Rohan’s middle name.

    “Rohan, here’s your bread. Eat, then go tell Ried to watch the goats. We have to finish packing.”

    That evening the town would hold Teegan and Rohan’s Service Feast. That celebration of their final step into adulthood ends their time as youth. The moment they take to the trails and roads to Kirtin-in-the-Sky they are adults. They will serve the Kingdom and starting with next Winter they will be ready whenever Kirtin needs them.

    Many meet their partner during Summer Service. Teegan just wants Rohan to come home alive. That’s probably going to be harder than meeting someone, even if Azsel doesn’t raid. Rohan can’t stop talking about Azsel-ite cavalry on dogback.

    He’s excited at the chance of battle and his bond is a tiny, yippy terrier. This is a horrible combination.

  • Session 6: Safety in stone, signs in the sky

    Session 6: Safety in stone, signs in the sky

    This session was different. Up to this point there’s been some rather standard role-play. All that three tiers stuff – exploration, combat and social interaction in some balance. Each session’s balance was different, but most followed a particular pattern.

    • Recap
    • Introduce problem in the episode
    • Try to solve the problem
    • End in a place of sanctuary

    That’s basic episodic style and necessary because the group of players has a core and others that drop-in for sessions when they can. Having a sanctuary enables simple entry points and doesn’t have to include a drop-in riding an axebeak from the horizon.

    In session five timing prevented an adequate sanctuary. Four characters raided the village of Nak and they were still there when we ran out of time. In order to create some permanency of play and not skip three or more weeks due to soccer schedules session six took place in just 90 minutes.

    And because of real-life schedules one of the four raiders was not present. One of the two more regular characters was going to be at this session. Again, the group of three-four is inside a town with multiple patrols and maybe other obstacles preventing them from leaving. We have 90 minutes of play.

    The solution was a co-operative narrative montage.

    Session six did not start in Nak. It starts with an out-of-game recap of situation as stands for each character after session five and then begines in the Glass Tower’s basement about 16 hours later. Cortez asks Behn how they got the Lorebook from the Cult of Nak.

    Behn described the battles and conflicts of session five when Cortez interupts, “But how did you get away?”

    Maurice responds that they had to sneak around the patrols that were between them. The discussion continues as Aamar describes an encounter with a bear at night. Shonie thanks them for returning and asks why Samul the Barbarian is exhausted. Another explains how fierce the barbarian fought, and Behn brings up that the two were shot with some kind of magic missile.

    Cortez no longer cares for the tale of escape and asks for the Lorebook. He sees a few pages that are mere remnants of themselves. “You found Chorl?”

    This ends the montage portion.

    The mostly confused group say “no.”

    “You said there were three patrols, but you only needed to avoid the two. Where did the other go?”

    “To the North, up the mountain,” Mo answers.

    The Five do not know if Chorl is present in that group, but Cortez seems confident that he was and he will be coming back to them. Chorl is a halfling and former student. He seems to have taught Anderson something as well. Anderson no longer breathes and cannot answer if this is true.

    Shonie interrupts, “they are coming to us. Should we stay or attempt to get back to Telse. Kellamon never sent a receipt message back to us.”

    Behn asks Aamar if he can use his Stone to talk to Telse. “The Stone does not connect to Telse. It’s messages are vague, but certainly not from Telse.”

    A basic map of the small mostly wood tower.
    A basic map of the small mostly wood tower.

    Cortez and The Five start to discuss the options of defense in place, noting that Shonie repaired some of the damage to the observatory windows. It would be better than running, since Cortez would need help and does not want to abandon his books. As the group is discussing a trap involving a flanking operation with missile support from the observatory Aamar heads to that highest of floors. Maurice followed closely and asked the wise cleric of Quar if he could read the book that Mo took earlier. Aamar says it is “The Creation and Use of Transmutation Stones During the First Age.”

    All but Samul follow. He is on the first floor in the guest room recovering from his exhaustion. From the windows on the 3rd floor of the observatory they look out at the skies. Towards Nak they see three giant eagles in the air. They seem to be circling and searching rather than heading straight to the Glass Tower. Just beyond those eagles the volcano appears more active than typical.

    Aamar asks Cortez “is the volcano normal?”

    “It is more active than in my lifetime.”

    To the southwest past the Cliffs of Gallinor is a storm with that sickly greenish-grey. To the east is a thin trickle of smoke out over the Bay of Sheljar. Nature looks ominous and the Five, with their allies, believe that soon the rest of the Cult of Nak with their leader Chorl will be coming.

    Chorl and his followers are willing to destroy the Lorebook. The group know Chorl had 10-16 people with their bonds of wolves and eagles on patrol. The Five don’t know when they are coming, just that they took the Lorebook once and will almost certainly try again.

    This 90 minute or so session moved the story along while regrouping the various participants inside their “homebase.” Using a small amount of available time assured that the tale will still be told, even if in smaller chunks than are typical.

  • Piyu returns to a hut

    Piyu returns to a hut

    The clouds overhead are dark and gloomy. Winds have picked up enough that Fani is staying close to Piyu. She’d rather not fly and that bird certainly isn’t made for walking. As hail falls Piyu knows that he must stop running and find shelter. His escape didn’t include clothing for a run through the mountains and this type of storm.

    * * * * *

    He took the opportunity to escapte when he earned his weekly hour with Fani. The Scoques were kinder than most other halflings, in that they allowed their goliaths to visit their companions on occasion. Most of the birds on the ranch didn’t even have their wings clipped. The treatment of bonds like Fani, the quality of life for Piyu and his friends and the lack of aggression in enforcing Azsel policies meant that most accepted their place.

    Scoques Ranch became the new tribe. Most of the others considered the Scoques themselves the new tribal leadership and went about their business. It was the better of awful situations with which the border tribes along River Crinth dealt. Many were in fact settled. They were going to get sold or forcibly bred. They could choose their own family and even occasionally would be allowed to participate in local festivals celebrating the Everflow, or Harvest, or Migration.

    While much of the Azsel/Crinth relationship is about a quest for power through slavery versus freedom for the Scoques family it may be something more like servitude, though none earn their freedom. It is supposedly possible. Piyu doesn’t want possible. He wants his bird on wing and his feet sitting in a cool mountain pond while the two of them fish together. Piyu wants to be free, even if that means less well off.

    So Piyu left. He ordered Fani away and followed. Just walking off Scoques Ranch Piyu heads towards the hills. He does not break into a run until he crosses the fence on the ranch. Then his huge stride opens and he runs and runs and runs.

    It is the worst escape plan. At this point he’s committed. He runs through the afternoon and the night not resting until the next morning. Fani brings him back some fish. The two find a crevice and nestle in for a short rest. Goliath and bird will need to get up soon and keep running.

    * * * * *

    Piyu heads back to the hut he’d passed a while ago. It’s the only cover he’s seen since he escaped the settled lands. He thinks he’s still far enough ahead that shelter makes more sense than pushing through this type of storm. Hail is starting to fall, even though it is the Summer. There is also a wicked green tint to the clouds back over River Crinth.

    There’s just one problem. Someone is in the hut.

    Correction there are two problems. A small group is climbing up the slope behind that hut. They are about a half mile away. Three small halflings and too many dogs to bother counting now.

    Three problems – there are tiny sparks flashing back and forth across the river. They are red and gold. Smoke starts to billow out from a ranch near Scoques. Even smaller are the hints of blues and greens in the distance. What is this?

    The storm opens in full. Hail and winds and a tornado off in the distance. It does not matter now that the tiny building is occupied. Fani needs shelter. So they open the door and stare at Master Kellamon Scoques Lady Harsop and Bastos. Piyu can’t see Latarza, but that may not matter. He’s face-to-face with someone who though friendly will be taking him back to the Ranch.

    Lightning splits the tree behind him. Fani gives a soft cry. The peel of thunder shakes their souls.

    “I can’t run through this.”

    “Come in,” Kell says. Moving back. “You don’t have weapons?”

    “No. I just wanted to get away,” Piyu, despite having a huge size advantage speaks with a hint of fear. The Scoques don’t use whips, and rarely even nets, but the natural order is that halflings are in charge, even when alone.

    “I’ll start a fire.” Kellamon begins to gather some dry hay into the fire pit.

    “No!” Piyu shouts quietly. The little halfling raises an eyebrow and looks back. “There’s someone else coming Master Kellamon.”

    “Slavers? We wouldn’t hire slavers!”

    “They almost certainly are, but I didn’t get a close look. Master Kellamon today is going to change our lives.”

    “Yours will be worse for it.”

    “No, this isn’t about me and trying to leave. This storm is different. It will last through the day, maybe the next.” And in front of Piyu’s hands a greenish cloud, hail and a tiny tornado appear.

    Kellamon’s jaw drops. Bastos whimpers. Fani tucks her head under wing. Piyu just stares in wonderment at the model of the weather that somehow appeared in front of him. He’s never done this before today.

    “Close the door.” Kellamon’s authority is slightly weakened. The door closes, untouched by goliath hands.

    Piyu is startled. Maybe it was the wind, acting in concert with the words? The visual model of the storm disappears.

    “Let’s settle in and hope that those slavers pass don’t notice the hut. If they do I will try to pay them off.”

    It is the night when things change for Piyu, Kellamon and all of Kin.

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