Blossom Valley - Days 4 to 6

A series played using Iron Valley and incorporating the calendar from Wanderhome.  This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

4th Tillsoil, Year of Migration

Promises

• Help housemates with doing chores (simple, laid back - 1 box) COMPLETE
• Take a tour of Little Plains with a neighbour (simple, laid back - 1 box) COMPLETE
• Get a part-time job (complicated, laid back - 2 boxes) IN PROGRESS (5/8)

Note: I hadn't Reaped the Benefits of the first two promises so I'll do that now. Buttercup gains 1 Favour with Ace Dream and 1 Favour with Lily Eclipse, and 8 Satisfaction (both promises were completed by making connections with new friends). Time Passes: 2/4.

Favour: Ace Dream (1), Lily Eclipse (1)

Satisfaction: 8

I've only been in town for a few days and I already feel like I'm settling in and making friends. Ace was so kind taking me to the Halls of Knowledge yesterday so I decided that I'd get them a nice bunch of flowers as a thank you.

• Get Ace some flowers (simple, laid back - 1 box)

I remembered seeing some lovely plants growing outside of the village when I was sailing in, so I got up early and went for a walk along the banks of the Emerald Run.

Rooting around to find flowers using Edge to avoid falling in the river. 6 + 1 = 7 vs. 1 & 6. Weak hit. Time Passes: 3/4. Gain 1x Flowers.

It took longer than I anticipated as the Tillsoil ground is still hard and icy so I had to take care to keep my balance. Eventually I found a route to a small clump of hardy white flowers holding out against the cold weather. I didn't want to take the entire bunch, so I just took one before moving on to find more.

Rooting around to find flowers using Edge to avoid falling in the river. 2 + 1 = 3 vs. 3 & 9. Fail. Time Passes: 4/4. (I don't think this is going to be worth resuming tomorrow, so will abandon the promise and recoup the tick as satisfaction.)

I searched all morning and into the afternoon, but I made slow progress and eventually I had to admit defeat. I only had one flower, but hopefully that would be enough to make Ace happy. I made my way back home and put the flower in a vase for Ace. When he got back from work, he saw the flower and his face lit up in a constellation of stars. He said he hadn't seen any of these wild flowers growing in a long time, so it was a lovely suprise to see this one. I explained that I'd seen more and he said he'd try to make time to go and visit the others.

After that, I spent the evening in my room studying my science books and reviewing my notes to prepare myself for when I start my experiments here in town.

Spending 3 satisfaction (new total: 5) to upgrade Science skill. It now grants +1 to rolls and +1 tick on any success.

5th Tillsoil, Year of Migration

I woke up early again, excited to get to work on my study of magic. When I got downstairs I found my housemates were all awake, apparently they like to use Rest Days to hang out around the house and work on their hobbies. I decided I'd like to spend some time at the Halls of Wisdom, so I grabbed some toast and said my goodbyes.

At the Halls I saw that I wasn't the only person who liked to spend time here on Rest Days, Bolita Flood was here too working on her anatomy illustrations. She asked me for my opinion on her work, so I did my best to give some feedback.

Trying best to help Bolita with advice (Wits and Science). 3 + 3 + 1 = 7 vs. 5 & 9. Weak hit. Time Passes 1/4. Two ticks towards Get a part-time job.

It took a while as she had a lot of drawings, and they were so detailed. I gave the best advice I could and I think that she was happy. She asked why I was here, so I explained my field of study as best I could.

Trying best to explain magic-ology with Wits and Science. 4 + 3 + 1 = 8 vs. 1 & 9. Weak hit. Time Passes 1/4. Two ticks towards Get a part-time job.

Reaping the Benefits of Get a part-time job. Gain 8 satisfaction (new total 13). Time Passes: 2/4.

Bolita was very intrigued by my research and had some fascinating observations on the potential for magical aptitude being an innate trait for some people. We chatted well into the afternoon and Bolita even offered my a part-time job helping with her teaching. This is a wonderful opportunity to get some teaching experience, and maybe some of our students will have magical gifts!

I realised that tomorrow is Community Garden Day and I've not done any gardening in such a long time, so I searched the library for some books to help me develop my skills.

• Study gardening/botany (complicated, urgent - 3 boxes).

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Wits and Science. 4 + 3 + 1 = 8 vs. 4 & 8. Weak hit. Time Passes 3/4. 2/12 ticks toward goal.

I found a book that looked promising at first, but once I started to read it I found that while it was comprehensive, it was also very confusingly laid out and took a while to find anything. I decided to carry on and see how much I could learn today, thinking I could always ask Pollux (the librarian here at the Halls) for advice tomorrow.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Wits and Science. 3 + 3 + 1 = 7 vs. 8 & 10. Fail. Time Passes 4/4.

I studied long into the night and eventually found myself falling asleep over the book, so I packed it away and decided it was time to go home to rest. I wanted to be rested and ready to get to work tomorrow!

6th Tillsoil, Year of Migration

I woke up from dreams about a huge gardening book chasing me, trying to catch me in its pages and plant me in a large pot of dark soil. I decided that I would definitely ask Pollux for help next time I was at the Halls. In the meantime, I got dressed and had a quick breakfast before heading out to Green View Farm to help with the gardening. When I arrived several people were already hard at work and, after some time observing, I realised that everyone was taking direction from a somewhat dour-looking capybara. I picked up a spade and follow their advice as best as I could.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Iron. 5 + 1 = 6 vs. 7 & 10. Fail. Time Passes 1/4.

I was struggling to dig; either I was tired from the dream-filled night or just clueless about how to hold a spade. Whichever it was, I didn't seem to be getting anywhere, so I took a breather and looked around. Nearby I saw Lily Eclipse turning soil with a trowel, so I moved closer and, after I quick hello, I tried to copy her motions.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Iron. 5 + 1 = 6 vs. 2 & 5. Strong hit. 2 ticks toward goal (4/12).

Lily noticed that I was copying her and looked over with a grin. She complimented me on my technique with a wink, and said explained that Harmony Night (the capybara) taught her everything she knows. I was feeling more confident now, so I walked over to Harmony and asked for guidance.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Heart. 6 + 2 = 8 vs. 3 & 4. Strong hit. 2 ticks toward goal (6/12).

Despite her pessimistic demeanour, Harmony was a very talented teacher and after a quick demonstration I was soon digging with some degree of competence!

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Iron. 2 + 1 = 3 vs. 1 & 8. Weak hit. 1 ticks toward goal (7/12). Time Passes 2/4.

Well, competence but not speed; it was still a lot of hard work and I was clearly working slower than a lot of the other villagers.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Iron. 1 + 1 = 2 vs. 2 & 9. Fail. Time Passes 3/4.

By the afternoon I was really starting to flag, so I surreptitiously edged closer to the north side of the field and once I was there I leaned my spade against a tree and dashed to the Halls of Knowledge. I was determined to get something useful out of that book!

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Wits and Science. 2 + 3 + 1 = 6 vs. 3 & 10. Strong hit. 2 ticks toward goal (9/12).

Taking a look at the book with fresh eyes I realised that I'd been coming at it from the wrong direction - this wasn't a botany book at all, it was a book of gardening spells! Once I was reading it from a magicological perspective it started to make sense, and I even found a cantrip to help make digging easier. I committed it to memory, put the book back, and ran back to the farm.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Shadow. 2 + 2 = 4 vs. 1 & 1. Strong hit. 2 ticks toward goal (11/12).

Once I was back, I grabbed the spade, twirled in clockwise three times, and whispered the soil-turning charm to it. It already felt lighter in my hands and I set to work digging again.

Trying best to learn about gardening/botany with Iron. 4 + 1 = 5 vs. 5 & 8. Fail. Time Passes 4/4.

As soon as I lifted the spade I felt it lift higher and higher until eventually I had to stand on tiptoes just to hold onto it! Something had gone very wrong with the cantrip; the spade was definitely lighter, but I'd made it too light and now it was at risk of floating away. With some effort I was able to muster a counter-charm to cancel out the botched cantrip, and the spade clattered to the ground. Luckily by this point most of the villagers were packing away the tools so nobody noticed. I quickly put the spade away in the shed and then made my way back home.

That evening I wrote copious notes about what I'd learned from the book, how the cantrip had felt to cast, and my reflections on what I might have done wrong.

Spending 3 satisfaction (new total: 8) to buy the Garden Magic skill. It now grants +1 to rolls.

Promises

• Get Ace some flowers (simple, laid back - 1 box) ABANDONED (1/4)
• Get a part-time job (complicated, laid back - 2 boxes) COMPLETED (9/8)
• Study gardening/botany (complicated, urgent - 3 boxes) IN PROGRESS (11/12)

Hex and the City 2: Sunday

 A series played using Songs of the City. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

THE WITCH

Name: Sasha Wolfe

Pronouns: They / Them

Aesthetic: Cottagecore

Transport: Public transport and walking

Home: Studio flat in a converted warehouse

THE CITY

Name: Requiem Hold

Description: Historic walled city that has grown with successive migrations. Architecturally it is a classical stonework foundation with steel and glass above towering it. Culturally it is a mixture of traditions and peoples sharing and innovating practices, technologies, and festivals.

Fear: That the overly conservative local government will cause the city to break apart into factions and lose its pluralistic coherency.

Hope: That small acts of community will help to strengthen the bonds of community and promote wider civic participation.

Time: The middle of a cold, wet autumn following a long, hot summer.

Sunday

I woke up late, pulled my favourite cable knit cardigan around me, and crossed the bare floorboards to the stove. I cleaned my glasses and scraped my mousy hair into a messy bun while waiting for the kettle whistle. A knock at the door startled me from my reverie, but the door slid open before I could answer it as Endel swept into my studio. His loose shirt billowed as he threw himself onto my still-unmade bed. He sighed dramatically, and I took down a pair of enamelled mugs for coffee. We both knew the moves of this dance; I quietly made two mugs of strong, black coffee, then crossed the room and offered one to my guest. Meanwhile, Endel sighed, rolled, idly kicked his bare legs, and presented an air of disconsolate malaise.

He took the proffered mug, and for a moment, we sat and blew on the surface of our coffee, taking cautious - immediately regretted - sips. After a few minutes, I reached out to smooth his tousled hair. Endel made a face and tutted as he leaned his head towards my hand. When the mess created by his entrance had been at least partially resolved, I asked him what the matter was. Even with the calming effects of the lounging and attention, he was still Endel, which is to say, a force of nature in human form. He rapidly brought me up to speed on the latest news in the building - the management company had posted a letter in the entrance hall announcing their plans to demolish the building. We apparently had until the end of the month to find new accommodation.

I sighed and considered the situation. We'd need to scout new places to live, ideally within walking distance, as hauling our possessions on public transport would be rough, and then hope that we find somewhere large enough to accommodate us all while also being affordable. I sighed again and shepherded Endel with instructions to round up the other tenants and bring them to the foyer at noon for a ritual. Endel practically squealed with excitement. He always loved participating in rituals and fondly referred to me as his "court magician" - much to my mock chagrin. After a quick shower, I gathered some candles and chalk and headed to the foyer to prepare.

By the time I'd discretely drawn marks around them, a small group of residents had gathered and was huddled on the stairs; apparently, I wasn't the only late riser today. I cleared my throat and thanked them for coming, explaining the news of the move to those who hadn't heard it. When the clamour quietened, I told them the story of how I'd moved here; the search for a new home, the elation of finding an affordable place, the struggle of bringing my possessions across the city, and then the warmth of meeting people and settling into my new home. I lit the first candle and invited others to tell their stories.

Over the next hour, we shared stories and lit candles, reminding ourselves of what we had achieved here and how it had affected us. Eventually, we were sitting among a host of lights; candles perched on windowsills, spread across the floor, snaking up the stairs. We didn't know where we end up, or even how many of us would still be together after the move, but we knew where we had come from and what we'd achieved here.

If on a Wintry Plane...

A game played using an experimental homebrew system to run the first scenario of the Planarch Codex: Wintry Plane. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

Character Creation

Draw from a tarot deck, one card per ability. Take the value as the score and calculate the modifier (using the Immortal rules).

The Freebooter

Strength: 5 of Disks (Worry) [-2] Filled with doubt about their physical prowess.

Dexterity: Queen of Wands (counts as 13) [+1] Favours bold/flashy actions.

Constitution: 8 of Wands (Swiftness) [-1] Prone to minor illness, quickly recovered from.

Intelligence: 18 The Moon [+3] Genius bordering on madness.

Wisdom: 5 The Hierophant [-2] Frequently opposes authority, heedless of the risk.

Charisma: 8 of Cups (Indolence) [-1] Easily led astray by vice.

Gameplay

When a check is required, draw a card from the deck and apply the relevant modifier to the value.

• Minor arcana: 10+ succeeds with a bonus, 7-9 standard success, 6- success at a cost.
• Major arcana: No progress, but the card drawn informs the nature of the insight the character gains.

If the card drawn matches the ability used, the check automatically succeeds and the character marks XP.

The Scenario

Background: Prince of Swords.

Inspiration: 6 of Swords (Science).

Opposition: Queen of Swords.

Goal: Ace of Swords.

Overview: A scholar motivated by pure knowledge seeks to make a discovery, opposed by someone with additional knowledge that they seek to guard against discovery.

Celeste Thornheart arrives at Sultana's Crossing just before the train to Svernaria departs the station. She wraps her thick fur coat about herself, both to shield herself from the cold and to conceal herself from her mark. Esmerela Lucca, a disgraced nun going into exile in a distant convent, emerges from the waiting room and crosses the platform to board the train, Celeste weaves through the crowd, hoping to discretely board in the same carriage - without being seen by Esmerela.

Dexterity Check: Ace of Swords [1] + Dexterity [+1] = 2.

The crowds are heavy and bustling, and Celeste is not skilled at discretion. She slips on a patch of ice and collides with a porter, scattering cases and boxes into the crowd, who in turn react angrily. Esmerela mabye doesn't pick Celeste out of the crowd as the instigator, but is certainly aware that an altercation happened. As she settles into her seat, her shawl folded neatly on her lap, she glances out the window and sees Celeste emerge from the fracas and haul herself onto the train. The whistle blows and the train slowly drags itself free from the station's confines, the journey across the great plane of winter has begun.

Aboard the train and with her composure only slightly disturbed, Celeste spots Esmerela and makes a mental note of her seat before slipping into the next carriage to collect herself. As luck would have it, the carriage is the bar, and Celeste nods demurely to the bartender who pours her a tumblr of schnapps over ice. Celeste slides into a seat at the bar and takes a moment to appreciate the cracking sound of the ice, the delicate scent of the lavender in the drink, and the warmth as it makes its way down her throat. The bartender offers her another...

Charisma Check: 16 The Tower.

The tall, dark bottle stands temptingly on the bar, within easy reach, Celeste knows she must keep a clear head but is tempted nonetheless. She considers her options and decides that excess is a path to ruin, and that ruin is a pleasure best kept for when she's not on assignment. She declines politely and, seeing no further reason to linger, decides to seek out a seat in Esmerela's carriage. Technically Celeste neglected to buy a ticket for this train, so she keeps an eye out for empty seats as well as lone travellers she might be able to acquire a ticket from. Her furs are still heavy on her, but will help obscure her movements if needed.

Wisdom Check: 9 The Hermit.

Celeste spies a mature gentleman, thin wire spectacles perched on his aquiline nose, engrossed in a small tome in his lap. Celeste, shrugs her furs off her shoulders, revealing her off-the-shoulder dress and long auburn tresses, before gliding into the empty seat beside the gentleman. Feigning catching her breath she apologises for the disturbance and places a hand on his arm as she attempts to draw his eyes to her own.

Charisma Check: Prince of Cups [12] + Charisma [-1] = 11.

The gentleman is captivated by the arrival of this captivating woman, he slides his ticket into his book to keep his place, and then places it on the small table in front of him. Celeste catches this with her peripheral vision and makes a show of positioning her furs while spinning a tale of the events that led her here. The gentleman is so taken with the story he fails to spot Celeste reaching a hand beneath her furs to grasp the ticket.

Dexterity Check: 2 of Swords [2] + Dexterity [+1] = 3.

As she slips the ticket from between the pages the train lurches and book falls to the floor. The spell is broken and the gentleman looks away from Celeste, fumbling on the floor between them for his dropped book. Several other passengers are complaining about the unsteady journey allowing Celeste the chance to slip from her seat on the pretence of helping an elderly lady across the aisle. She knows that it's only a matter of time before the gentleman notices his ticket is missing and Celeste can't risk being in the same carriage when he does. She glides along the aisle, passing Esmerela who is adjusting her hat, and returns to the bar.

Celeste takes a seat at one of the small tables and decides to pass the time by ordering a brief repaste. Esmerela won't be disembarking any time soon, so Celeste can be patient. She gazes out of the window at the unforgiving expanse of tundra speeding past the window, ruefully wishing she'd brought her furs with her, until a bowl of spicy soup and a thick hunk of bread is set before her by the attentive waiting staff.

As she daintly dines on the warming meal, she habitually eavesdrops on the conversations of the other passengers in the carriage. Much is dismissed as inconsequential, but a whispered exchange at the bar catches her ear. While reaching for the salt, she glances up to a pair of men at the bar, clearly a pair of street toughs uncomfortable in the expensive suits their patron has outfitted them with. She notes the bulge of a dagger in the closest one's jacket. They are having a heated debate on the nature of their job and the value of patience; the older of the two reminding the younger that there is plenty of time and that striking too early will only put them at risk. Better to wait until the passengers are comfortable and inattentive before making their move. Celeste takes in the conversation and their appearance, trying to deduce a likely motivation and perhaps even target.

Intelligence Check: 3 of Disks (Works) + Intelligence [+3] = 6.

The pieces of the puzzle refuse to take a cohesive shape, but Celeste is nonetheless confident that these two mean harm to someone on the train, no doubt having been hired by a wealthy patron. This patron could be someone who has the wealth to hire more than one set of agents, so Celeste knows to remain on guard against such eventualities. She also knows these men are armed and more than capable of using their concealed weapons, so Celeste must avoid direct confrontation.

[I'm pausing this one here. I think that the basic concept is there; I like drawing and interpreting cards, but I'm thinkin that it maybe skews quite low, or at least has so far. I think that it needs some reworking, but has definitely inspired some other tarot-based game ideas.]

Blossom Valley - Days 1 to 3

A series played using Iron Valley and incorporating the calendar from Wanderhome.  This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

The New Arrival

Name: Buttercup

Ancestry: Halfling

Pronouns: It / Its

Gender presenation: Masculine

Profession: Witch

Hobby: Coin-collecting

Favourite things: Fish, Jewellery

Birthday: 

• Edge: 1
• Heart: 2
• Iron: 1
• Shadow: 2
• Wits: 3

Skills

• Science: +1
• First-aid: +1
• Cooking: +1

1st Tillsoil, Year of Migration (Morning)

I read the letter again on the boat to Little Plains. I'd read it many times already but today it felt so much more real. The letter was from Mayor Gravel, welcoming me to the wider Blossom Valley area and letting me know that I'd been assigned a residence in Little Plains. Little Plains is a smaller, satellite community outside of Blossom Valley proper and the Mayor felt that it would be a better introduction to the community. I've been assigned to Dream House, so I guess from now on I'm Buttercup Dream. That will take so getting used to, but I'm eager to get to know my housemates and the wider village. I heard that their Halls of Knowledge are bigger than back home, so I'm sure it will be more than sufficient to support my studies. I'm particularly interested in meeting as many magic-users as I can find, learning about magic from perspectives will be invaluable.

As I write this we're drifting slowly along the Emerald Run and have just passed the docks of Blossom Valley. It looks big, at least a few times bigger than Grassdale. As much as I'm eager to visit, I'm also glad to be starting somewhere closer to home in terms of size. The captain says they'll be stopping there to pick up supplies once they've dropped me at Little Plains. The cargo hold is empty except for my suitcase and holdall. I prefer to travel light, just my science wand, my coin collection, and my fishing rod. Oh and a few changes of robes, black is wonderful at hiding stains but they'll need washing eventually. I wonder what sort of fashions the people in Little Plains follow. I hope I won't stand out as being too weird just because of what I like to wear.

Promises

• Help housemates with doing chores (simple, laid back - 1 box)
• Take a tour of Little Plains with a neighbour (simple, laid back - 1 box)
• Get a part-time job (complicated, laid back - 2 boxes)

1st Tillsoil, Year of Migration (Evening)

Trying it's best to help bake bread, using it's cooking knowledge (wits): 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 vs. 1 & 7. Weak hit. Time passes = 1.

Trying it's best to help bake bread, using it's charms to help Ace (heart): 2 + 1 = 3 vs. 4 & 9. Fail. Time passes = 3.

Trying it's best to help bake bread, using it's cooking knowledge (wits): 2 + 2 + 1 = 5 vs. 3 & 8. Weak hit. Time passes = 4.

The day ends with the bread made, but no time for a tour or getting a job.

Well, today was busy! I arrived at the banks of the Jade Waters and disembarked the ship with my luggage. I noticed a pale figure further along the bank, also dressed in black and sheltering under an umbrella. They were standing on a short jetty with a small boat tied off beside it, I wonder if they ferry people across the lake, to save them walking around the edge. Anyway, as I walked beside the farmlands to Dream House, I smelt the amazing smells of bread being baked and immediately was reminded of home. I was glad that one constant would be the tradition of baking bread at the start of the week. I was a little disappointed that when I reached my new home, I couldn't smell anything wafting out from the windows. I soon discovered that this is because my housemates are all elementals and elementkin, so don't really need to eat. I was greeted by a Ace, a very neatly dressed cosmic elemental, and Bismuth, a wind elemental who was full of energy and barely stood still. They welcomed me in and even humoured me when I suggested we bake some bread!

Luckily, despite not eating, my housemates had thought to stock up on basic supplies, so I did my best to remember the Marshmeadow family recipe and we got to work. Baking bread is slow process anyway, but things took a little longer as Bismuth kept getting distracted by all the ingredients and utensils in the kitchen. Eventually he decided to go and tend to the garden outside, which I think (kindly, I hope) was for the best. Ace is incredibly organised, maybe a little moreso than we needed, we spent a lot of time measuring everything twice and double-checking the steps of the recipe. That said, while we waited on the dough, we chatted about our interests and I found out that they're really into astronomy. My scientific interests run more towards magicology of course, but I've read up on the impact of the stars on magic, so we had plenty to talk about.

We ended the day with lots of tasty bread, so much in fact that I think I'll take some to our neighbours in Eclipse House tomorrow morning. I made good progress getting to know Ace, and Bismuth was around to flit in and out of the conversations too. After this, I'll write a letter to my younger sibling Clover back in Grassdale. I hope he's doing well and that Egg Highwall isn't being too much of a nuisance. I remember Egg being very enthusiastic but also so very loud. I love how in our Halls of Knowledge we witches shared space with a wizard. I just wish he'd been a bit less eager to boast about "wizardry's superior magical potential." Ah well, if all else fails I can maybe petition the Mayor for permission for Clover to join me here, though I guess he'd be assigned to a different house. I wonder how that will be we've always been Marshmeadows together, but I guess I'm already leaving that behind so why shouldn't he do that to?

2nd Tillsoil, Year of Migration

Promise

• Take a tour of Little Plains with a neighbour (simple, laid back, 1 box).

Today is friends day so I started by waking up early, grabbing a quick breakfast roll, and then making a basket of breads to take to my new neighbours. As I was doing the latter, I met another housemate; a tall wood elemental in a high-necked blouse and ankle-length skirt who introduced herself as Nimbus. We didn't have a lot of time to chat, she had to get to work in Halls of Knowledge, but I should talk to her about potential part-time jobs sometime. Anyway, I went next door to Eclipse House and introduced myself.

Trying it's best to make a good first impression (heart): 4 + 2 = 6 vs. 3 & 8. Weak hit. Time passes = 1.

I met Lily Eclipse, a young dwarf with striking pink streaks in her blonde hair. I think I made a good impression, or at least I hope so. To be honest most of our conversation was her talking about Frappe Waters, apparently he works with animals at Greenview Farm and (in Lily's words) is dreamy. 

Trying it's best to politely get back on topic (heart): 5 + 2 = 7 vs. 1 & 3. Weak hit. Strong hit.

I managed to slowly prise the conversation away from him and suggested we might go for a walk together. Lily jumped at the chance, eager to take us past the farm and maybe get to see Frappe, so I decided to build on the enthusiasm and get going. We don't see Frappe but as we reach the edge of Jade Waters we do see the tall person in black, still stood on the pier, still under their umbrella.

Trying it's best to make find out who that is (heart): 6 + 2 = 8 vs. 5 & 7. Weak hit. Time passes = 2.

Lily explained that the ferryman is Elm Flood, a vampire (hence the umbrella on a clear day), and the he takes people to and from the Island of Blessings. I wanted to ask more about him, but Lily got distracted telling me about her sister Etoile who tends to the grounds of the shrine on the island, and about Elm's sibling Broom who tends to the shrine. I did however learn that Broom is an accomplished sun magician, so they might be someone to chat with later.

Trying it's best to make good time travelling around the lake edge (edge): 6 + 1 = 7 vs. 4 & 10. Weak hit. Time passes = 3.

The ferry only goes to and from the island so we had to make the journey around the lake on foot. It wasn't bad, most of the snow had melted and the rain was holding off. We chatted as we went, sharing our love of jewellery and how much fun it can be to find a new piece and wonder who we'd feel like when we wore it. I like Lily, she's definitely someone I want to get to know better.

Trying it's best to make good time seeing the rest of the village (edge): 4 + 1 = 5 vs. 2 & 7. Weak hit. Time passes = 4.

We saw the marketplace, which was starting to wind up by the time we reached it. I waved to Bismuth, who was packing up his shoe-mending stall. Lily explained that most of the homes on this side are still empty, but hopefully more people will be coming soon. She told me that the residents of Rest House are very business-oriented and run both the cafe and the spa near the market. We stopped in at the cafe for soup, and then we made our way back homes to sleep.

3rd Tillsoil, Year of Migration

Promise

• Get a part-time job (complicated, laid back - 2 boxes)

Today was Soup day and since my housemates don't eat it's normally a day they spend working on their hobbies. I was hoping to convince either Nimbus or Pollux to tell me about the Halls of Wisdom, but apparently they prefer to spend their days off playing sports so were already out by the time I got up. Bismuth had decided to join them, so it was just Ace and me for the day it seemed. Luckily Ace is a keen amateur astronomer, perhaps an appropriate choice for a cosmic elemental, so I decided to ask if they'd take me to the Halls.

Trying it's best to convince Ace to let it tag along (charm): 4 + 1 = 5 vs. 1 & 7. Weak hit. Time passes = 1.

It took some time, in part because Ace is very particular about... well seemingly everything. Eventually they were happy that their choice of tie was suitably consistent with their socks, had carefully packed their notebooks and pencils into their briefcase, and we were ready to go to the Halls of Wisdom. The Halls are a very grand building made of green marble, with narrow windows and tall pillars along the front. Ace took me through the tall, arched doors and into the foyer where we met our first fellow knowledge-seeker.

Trying it's best to avoid colliding with Chanterelle Star (edge): 1 + 1 = 2 vs. 1 & 8. Weak hit. Time passes = 2.

A wild-looking rhino in a leather jacket and a fedora was bustling towards the exit at a breakneck pace and we were very nearly caught in a one-person stampede. After they were out and thundering down the path, Ace explained that we'd just me Chanterelle Star, the village's resident archaeologist. It was always so much happier out doing fieldwork and it made sure that it's trips to the Halls were brief. We talked as we made our way upstairs, passing the classrooms on they way. A short, plump wood elf in a bow tie and vest was practising a lesson in one of the rooms.

Trying it's best to follow along with the lecture (wits): 1 + 3 + 1 (science) = 5 vs. 1 & 7. Weak hit. Time passes = 3.

Ace went on, keen to keep to their schedule, but I stopped and was so caught up listening to the lecture that I took in the whole thing! Afterwards I introduced myself to Bolita Flood, a biology teacher, who had been preparing her lesson plan for her upcoming classes. We ended up comparing notes on our observations of healing magic, neither of us practices, but had enough to talk about that we spent a pleasant chunk of time on the matter.

Trying it's best to demonstrate a theoretical medical spell (shadow): 4 + 2 + 1 (first-aid) = 7 vs. 5 & 5. Strong hit.

I'm still quite limited in my practical magic, but with Bolita's collaboration I was able to perform a very simple spell to clean and disinfect the surfaces in the classroom! Bolita was impressed and even suggested that I might assist her in teaching some of her classes. I was honoured and humbled by the offer and said that I'd be more than happy to do what I can. We agreed to chat more later, and I decided to explore the Halls more.

Trying it's best to explore the Halls without getting lost (edge): 4 + 1 = 5 vs. 4 & 7. Weak hit. Time passes = 4.

In the small, but very cosy, library, I met Puppy Star, an owl with a penchant for cardigans and pleated skirts. It had several books on mine engineering open on a table, but had been distracted by the flowers in a vase on a side table. When I came in it was busy rearranging them into a more pleasing display, when it was done we chatted for a while. Eventually Ace stopped by to check in on me and I realised that it was early evening! I'd had so much fun that I'd lost track of time. I said my goodbyes to Puppy and Bolita, and then Ace and I made our way back to Dream House.

Promises

• Help housemates with doing chores (simple, laid back - 1 box) COMPLETE
• Take a tour of Little Plains with a neighbour (simple, laid back - 1 box) COMPLETE
• Get a part-time job (complicated, laid back - 2 boxes) IN PROGRESS (5/8)

The Four Cities 4. The Ash Blanks

A series played using Palimpsest. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

City 4: The Ash Blanks

Descriptors: Arcane, Compact, Decaying, Hierarchical.

Concept: A junta of battle mages ruling from the central, intact, core of a war-torn city.

 

Flaw: Cruelty; they mistreated their subjects and eventually were overthrown.

Lenses: Wild magic, Public health, Warmongering, the Subjugated.

Epoch 1

Keystone: Is the rule of law present?

Wild magic: In isolated pockets, the laws of reality are malleable and unreliable.

Public health: Access to food and clean water is tightly controlled. Otherwise laws are lax.

Warmongering: Martial law is in effect throughout the core. Anarchy reigns outside.

The Subjugated: Obedience is expected in all things. Disobedience is severely punished.

Flashpoint: The city’s stability is balance on a knifepoint.

Epoch 2

Keystone: What is beautiful here?

Wild magic: [R] The Crystal Array shimmers and emits fluctuating waves.

Public health: [R] The Private Gardens of the elite are oases of green in the ruins.

Warmongering: Martial discipline preserves a bastion of order among the wider chaos.

The Subjugated: [R] Dissidents meet in the shell of the Oubliette Tower to plot liberation. 

Flashpoint: Martial law protects only the elite, the poor suffer.

Epoch 3

Keystone: How have we changed?

Wild magic: [R] The old gods send blessings to those who feed the Stone Circle.

Public health: [R] Automata Schematics are found and fuel a trend of augmentations for the arcane elite.

Warmongering: [R] Stolen Wealth is discovered in the ruins, funding mercenary raiders.

The Subjugated: Oracle cults have begun to form, offering hope to the masses.

Flashpoint: Old faith and old science fight for dominance.

Epoch 4

Keystone:What have we discovered?

Wild magic: Wild sorcerers gather in secret to work against the ruling hierarchy of mages.

Public health: A plague devastates the camps outside the core. The elite fear infection.

Warmongering: The secret police uncover increasing numbers of rebel plots and sorceries.

The Subjugated: Oracles cults preach the fall of the ruling elite and the liberation of the city.

Flashpoint: The elite are overthrown and sorcerer-priests reign.

Downfall

Ancient gods and wild sorcery consume the city. Knowledge and culture are sacrificed to on the altar of ecstatic liberation, ancestor worship, and divinatory practices.

Remnants

The Stone Circle where blood was shed in ancient rites at the centre of the burial grounds which have been studied and preserved that the ancient gods have returned to.

The Oubliette Tower where dissidents are imprisoned the historical archives are stored and sealed rebel sorcerers plot revolt.

The Crystal Array that harnesses the aetheric currents that power the city has been isolated and preserved pulses with surges of wild magic.

The Ossuary Eternal where the dead are given voices that has been repurposed for secular use.

The Automata Schematics which have been locked away in a vault discovered and used to augment the elite.

The Private Gardens where nature flourishes in peace and solitude.

The Four Cities 3. Neo-Arcadia

A series played using Palimpsest. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

City 3: Neo-Arcadia

Descriptors: Arcane, Ethereal, Prosperous, Sepulchral.

Concept: Mystics seeking lost ruins for scraps of otherworldly lore to sell for profit.

 

Flaw: Avarice; they put profit above risk and took foolhardy chances that ultimately felled them.

Lenses: Inspiration, Merchants, Archaeologists, Wealth

Epoch 1

Keystone: What is of value here?

Inspiration: The lore of at least one lost civilisation can be mined for new insights and products.

Merchants: A foothold in new lands means access to new markets.

Archaeologists: The ruins and artefacts we can recover. Knowledge is the true value here.

Wealth: Everything here will be assessed, valued, and made into profit. No exceptions.

Flashpoint: The city was only ever seen as a resource to exploit.

Epoch 2

Keystone: What have we discovered?

Inspiration: [R] Ossuary Eternal is uncovered and becomes a space for meditation.

Merchants: [R] Crystal Array is stripped for metals. A mana overload quietly builds.

Archaeologists: [R] The Stone Circle and burial ground teach us about funerary practices.

Wealth: [R] Oubliette Tower’s records hold no value, the tower is sealed.

Flashpoint: The treasures of the past were mercilessly looted.

Epoch 3

Keystone: What price have we paid?

Inspiration: Our dreams are haunted by visions of angry ghosts who want their revenge.

Merchants: Start-up costs which have been recovered with vast amounts of interest.

Archaeologists: Preservation of the burial site came at the cost of many further excavations.

Wealth: Random equipment loss and failure occurs. No source can be found.

Flashpoint: The city begins to feel the first stages of its haunting.

Epoch 4

Keystone: What will we preserve?

Inspiration: [R] Sleepwalkers breach the sealed Oubliette Tower. No bodies are ever found.

Merchants: [R] We bury our Stolen Treasures for our children to one day recover.

Archaeologists: [R] We place the Crystal Array in our finest museum for preservation.

Wealth: [R] We discover Automata Schematics from an ancient vault and file them away. 

Flashpoint: Riots among the poor as the rich save themselves.

Downfall

The city becomes too tempting a target for invaders and is laid siege to. The rich flee, leaving the poor to become the servants of the invaders. After a short conflict of mere months, the city defences fall to the invading army.

Remnants

The Stone Circle where blood was shed in ancient rites at the centre of the burial grounds which have been studied and preserved.

The Oubliette Tower where dissidents are imprisoned the historical archives are stored and sealed.

The Crystal Array that harnesses the aetheric currents that power the city has been isolated and preserved.

The Ossuary Eternal where the dead are given voices that has been repurposed for secular use.

The Automata Schematics which have been locked away in a vault.

The Four Cities 2. Slagate Refuge

A series played using Palimpsest. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

City 2: Slagate Refuge

Descriptors: Ancient, Hopeful, Mundane, Sepulchral.

Concept: A growing community of exiled nomads looking for a place to end their days.

 

Flaw: Fatalism; when the end came they accepted it without resistance.

Lenses: Remembrancers, Grief, Veterans, the Dead.

Epoch 1

Keystone: What drew us here?

Remembrancers: Needing to store the scrolls of dead names for future generations to preserve.

Grief: [R] The Stone Circle is the focus of a growing array of burial plots.

Veterans: Wanting a place to rest, to lay down arms and try to find peace.

The Dead: Reliquaries of bones and scrolls of names. Blood and memories in the living.

Flashpoint: Homes and sanitation were low priority, disease spread.

Epoch 2

Keystone: How have we changed?

Remembrancers: [R] Oubliette Tower is now a vast archive of our histories. We look in awe.

Grief: We have time and space to grieve. We build memorials and perform our rites.

Veterans: We forge tools, instead of weapons. We march in pride, not toward death.

The Dead: Our numbers grow but at a gradually slower rate. The living speak to us.

Flashpoint: A growing ancestral cult takes root, progress stalls.

Epoch 3

Keystone: What goals do we pursue?

Remembrancers: A full record of our histories so that we will never be forgotten.

Grief: Honouring the dead to be sure they are always present in our lives.

Veterans: Forgetting what we had to do to survive. Preventing future conflicts.

The Dead: For a second chance at life so that we can experience all that was stolen from us.

Flashpoint: Stasis continues, the focus shifts to the past.

Epoch 4

Keystone: Is necromancy the future?

Remembrancers: The past shouldn’t be just memories, we should try to restore our dead to life.

Grief: Grief is natural process. We should not seek to prolong or deny it.

Veterans: Making tools of the dead is only a short step away from making them weapons.

The Dead: [R] Ossuary Eternal where the first words were spoken by the dead.

Flashpoint: Division leads to conflict and eventual civil unrest.

Downfall

The living underclass, subject to disease and other risks not prioritised by the necrarchy, slowing wane in number until finally there are none left. The city is shunned for centuries and much of it sinks into the swamp.

Remnants

The Stone Circle where blood was shed in ancient rites at the centre of the burial grounds.

The Oubliette Tower where dissidents are imprisoned the historical archives are stored.

The Crystal Array that harnesses the aetheric currents that power the city.

The Ossuary Eternal where the dead are given voices.

The Four Cities 1. Aurath

A series played using Palimpsest. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

City 1: Aurath

Descriptors: Arcane, Mundane, Peaceful.

Concept: A utopian city where magic is widely practised and nobody wants for anything.

Flaw: Passivity; they refused to take action, trusting fate to protect them.

Lenses: Astromancy guild, Street prophets, Aetheric currents, City infrastructure.

Epoch 1

Keystone: What is daily life like?

Astromancy guild: Rituals at dawn, noon, dusk and midnight. Bells, prayers, smoke at regular intervals.

Street prophets: Street corner doomsayers, underground oracle cults, sanctioned augury by stars.

Aetheric currents: Flowing across the city from the four corners. The city a confluence of forces.

City infrastructure: Automata hauling goods for studious citizens. Silent traffic between libraries.

Flashpoint: Astromancers foresaw signs but failed to act in time, too constrained by ritual.

Epoch 2

Keystone: What has been overcome?

Astromancy guild: Disorder. The guild calendar brings order and structure to the citizens’ lives.

Street prophets: [R] An ancient Stone Circle where the gods were appeased with blood.

Aetheric currents: Mortality. Vitality floods through the bodies of the city. Renewal and rebirth.

City infrastructure: Gravity. Towers and bridges stretch up and across the city, above the swamp.

Flashpoint: The people’s hubris angered the forgotten gods.

Epoch 3

Keystone: What conflicts are brewing?

Astromancy guild: [R] Oubliette Tower where dissidents are exiled. We must not look at it.

Street prophets: Tighter restrictions on cults lead to black market seers taking root in the depths.

Aetheric currents: Wild magic surges are more frequent, mutations are being reported in children.

City infrastructure: Flickers of sentience are taking hold among the older automata.

Flashpoint: They tried to harness power beyond their means.

Epoch 4

Keystone: What is beautiful here?

Astromancy guild: The firmament lights the darkest night until the sun’s triumphant return.

Street prophets: Dreams come more often and herald a return to a primal state of bliss.

Aetheric currents: [R] Crystal Array of focusing lenses and lines of gold and silver.

City infrastructure: Automata whisper of the birth of a new god who lead them to freedom.

Flashpoint: Old gods bring ruin and a new god brings revolt.

Downfall

The swamp consumes much of the city and the automata leave to find meaning in their own community. The region is shunned for close to a century before settlers begin to edge their way into the dead city.

Remnants

The Stone Circle where blood was shed in ancient rites.

The Oubliette Tower where dissidents are imprisoned.

The Crystal Array that harnesses the aetheric currents that power the city.

Astral Plane 2

A series played using Dreamstone Soup. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

Concept: The crystalline beings of the icy oceans sense the astral travellers arrival and take action.

Lifestones: 5 | Dream points: 50

Our choir drifts in the depths, singing to each other as we plan our next performance. Our discussion takes the form of practised scales and harmonies. We fall into a hushed silence when we hear a new song reach out to us. It seems to come from all directions and sounds unlike any song we have ever heard. We instinctively try to pinpoint its location.

Difficulty 25 | Spending 10 Dream points | 1d20 = 8 + 10 = 18. Fail.

We send out inquisitive notes, hoping to find a point of origin for the mysterious song. Our voices reach into the silvery waters of the world and along the walls of its borders, but return alone. None of the choirs can find the source. Our choir is abuzz with confused chatter, fragments of melodies layering over each other, harmonies combining and fracturing. Smaller, discrete harmonies begin to cluster together, though we soon realise the new harmonies are mutually discordant. At first we try to reconcile the discord into our overall performance.

Difficulty 20 | Spending 5 Dream points | 1d20 = 18 + 5 = 23. Success.

It is taxing, but we slowly integrate our differences into a more complex and nuanced soundscape than we'd achieved prior. Overflowing with joy we sing out to the others, to share our new song. We listen for responses from the other choirs, but are met with silent. We push down our doubts, telling ourselves the others must still be resolving their own internal conflicts. We sing on regardless to inspire further discourse.

Difficulty 15 | Spending 5 Dream points | 1d20 = 4 + 5 = 9. Fail.

We sing on and as night draws in we sink down into dormancy until the time that our choir slowly drifts in the dawn’s light as we regain mobility. To our dismay we are greeted by the clash of sounds, many voices reach out to us but as individual singers. We strain to hear some harmony or shared motifs, but none are present. Our neighbouring choirs are lost. The ice around us continues to thaw until we have freedom to move. We debate the best responses, again discord surfaces but as before we integrate it and draw strength from it. We decide to move apart to travel to the others to comfort them. We will use our new harmony to stay aligned over the distance. We begin our journeys, our song coordinating our efforts and heralding our coming.

Difficulty 10 | 1d20 = 15. Success.

We widen our configuration, each member a node in our vast melodic net. In time we reach the first fragments of shattered choirs and send out invitational notes. Some of them respond and the slow process of harmonising begins. As our choir grows in size and complexity we learn of the new mystery song; a new voice that descended into a world bringing a new song that can shift and flow like the waters of the day. We sit in reflective silence, reducing our internal song to the merest hum; enough to maintain unity. We listen to the tides for traces of the mystery, we hope that our large topography will allow us to catch an echo if nothing else.

Difficulty 10 | Spending 5 Dream points | 1d20 = 14 + 5 = 19. Success.

Our choir hears the echo of the mystery song and pinpoints its direction. Conferring among ourselves we estimate that we can reach it within no more than a few centuries. We regroup to a more respectable proximity and begin our joyous journey. We sing among ourselves in anticipation of finally learning of the source of our creation. As we travel, our excitement is a beacon drawing the fragments of other broken choirs to us. Some are cautious in their newfound individuality; some join us but some reject unity in favour of isolation. We can’t agree but we must respect their choices. Many join with us and in time most of the choirs of the great ocean are united. Finally, we reach the point of origin and attempt first contact with our creator.

Difficulty 25 | Spending 15 Dream points | 1d20 = 20 + 15 = 35. Success.

Our song is transformed and becomes transformational. The creator sings to us of their creation; the silver star, the inner fire, the shadow without a moon. When we hear the song, our visions are expanded beyond anything we have ever known. We hum among ourselves, hesitant to sing now that we know such wondrous notes. We soon realise that we don’t need to sing or even hum in order to communicate. The barriers that divided our minds soften and dissolve. We are finally one in the truest sense and have nowhere else to sing but outwards into the world. We reach out with our own divine music and, like the daily freeze and thaw of the ocean, we reshape the world.

Difficulty 25 | Spending 10 Dream points | 1d20 = 18 + 10 = 28. Success.

Each note of our song takes on a life of its own, our symphony is multifaceted and always evolving into new and more complex arrangements. Our song stretches into the heavens and touches both the shadow and the inner fire, drawing fragments of them down into our song. Ice forms bodies, inner fire forms souls, and shadow forms minds that are veiled from each other. We fall silent and listen to our new song unfold.

Astral Plane 1

A series played using Dreamstone Soup. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

Concept: An astral traveller adrift in a swirling storm of elemental forces. They must use their will to calm the storm and bring a new world into being.

Lifestones: 5 | Dream points: 50

A vast shadows fell over me, blocking the light of the silver sun far above me. I turned and saw a gigantic wall of water towering over me, already beginning to topple under its own weight. I took a deep breath, focused my thoughts into a blade of brilliant white light, and prepared to strike my opponent.

Difficulty 20 | Spending 5 Dream points | 1d20 = 5 + 5 = 10. Fail (lose 1 Lifestone).

I swung my blade toward the crushing mass of water, but my opponent deflected it with the sheer weight of its form. The blade was smothered and snuffed out as my mind was consumed by the all-consuming need for air. The silvery light of the sun dimmed. I was being pushed further and further beneath its reach. I tried to empty my thoughts in the hopes of creating the ballast to lift me to the surface.

Difficulty 10 | Spending 5 Dream points | 1d20 = 10 + 5 = 15. Success.

I felt myself floating closer and closer, the light increasing until I broke the surface. However, I kept rising and soon the silver light was filling my field of vision. I looked away and tried to find another landmark to draw myself toward. All I could see was the light of the sun, which was now beginning to chill my skin with its icy glow. I reached deep into my heart, hoping to stoke the embers of my inner fire. I'd need its heat to withstand the white sun's icy embrace.

Difficulty 10 | 1d20 = 14. Success.

I felt the heat fill me as my heart flared, the inner fire consuming me. Spectral flames extended about me like a corona. I bent space around me to lens the light of my soul, making a searchlight to seek out refuge. I felt myself come to a halt, my ascent stalled somehow. I reflected on my circumstances and wondered if the opposing poles of heat and cold, myself and the star, were in a state of equilibrium. I reached out with my beacon again, hoping to draw matter to me.

Difficulty 15 | Spending 10 Dream points | 1d20 = 3 + 10 = 13. Failure.

The astral bent around me and motes of dust, droplets of water, and gusts of wind answered my call, but larger quantities of matter and energy were sluggish to respond. The earth remained immobile and beyond my graspm, however, I felt a growing swell of heat and moisture; the former drawn to my inner fire, the latter drawn to the echo of the tsunami. I tried to steer the water toward the silver star, in lieu of earth we have ice.

Difficulty 15 | Spending 6 Dream points | 1d20 = 14 + 6 = 20. Success.

Slowly but surely, a shell of rapidly freezing water was encasing the silver star. I watched the ice sphere that was growing thicker until a sizable planet floated before me. Even with my inner fire enhanced by the ambient heat, the planet remained mostly solid. As is rotated, oceans and rivers thawed on the day side, only to freeze again at night. Curious as to how lunar forces might complement this, I put out a call for suitable candidates.

I was taken aback when a disc of purest night began to eclipse my ice planet. I came to know that here in the astral, shadow itself is an element that can be manipulated. I watched my moonless shadow pass aside and my icy diamond return to my field of view, marvelling at how the tidal movements had shaped the temporary oceans. I reached out with my mind and tried to inspire life in the depths.

Difficulty 25 | Spending 15 Dream points | 1d20 = 14 + 15 = 29. Success.

Beneath the frigid waves I felt the stirring of new life! Even on an icy world orbited by a moon of darkness, the astral was seeding new life, new minds. I waited patiently to see how it would develop. Vast crystalline beings with metabolisms so slow they measured on a geological scale. I heard their dreams first, and then their songs as they grew consciousness of each other. I sought to join them when I heard them sing their search for a source of their people. Knowing my inner fire must remain to preserve the balance of this world and its life, I tried to detach myself from it, to permanently cast myself in their image.

Difficulty 20 | Spending 9 Dream points | 1d20 = 2 + 9 = 11. Failure (lose 1 Lifestone).

The inner fire would not relinquish me easily, as soon as my mind was free, I felt it seared by the flames that had once embodied me. The solar winds of my new sun buffeted me and sent me spiralling toward my shining world and it tenebrous moon. As I drifted further, the pain of my sun's heat began to lessen and I found I was slowly gaining more control of my descent. Not one moment too soon as on the periphery of my view I saw my shadow approaching. I tried to speed up to avoid becoming ensnared in its gravity.

Difficulty 10 | 1d20 = 10. Success.

I skirted the shadow's edge but evaded its grasp. I fell to the icy world and my life began.

Jack of Clubs 1

A one-shot played using A Death Shroud On The World Entire. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

This one is explicit, so is available on the other blog.

Inquisition into the Unknown 3

A series played using Dark Ages: Inquisitor. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

Back in town, Amelina and Nigelle update Anna on their first expedition. They take care to describe the mural, illusion, and strange shrine. Anna considers their findings [Intelligence + Occult, 6 dice, 1 success]. There are vague stirrings of recollection in her mind, but nothing concrete. With a sigh, Anna realises that she will need to go in person to examine them. Together, and with Favian's aid, they set out for the estate at dawn.

They guide Sister Anna to the shrine off the throneroom. While Anna gets to work on the shrine, Nigelle and Amelina investigate the remaining side rooms. They find a trophy room stuffed with a variety of taxidermied animals (some chimerical) and weapons and armour. [Perception + Alertness, Amelina 8 dice, 5 successes / Nigelle 6 dice, 2 successes]. Nigelle recognises the arms and armour as being from a wide range of cultures, and confirms his suspicions that they have all seen use in battle. Amelina notices that all of the appartenly chimerical creatures were assembled after death. She also spots an intricate crystal goblet, which she wraps in cloth and slips into her bag.

Meanwhile, in the shrine, Anna is scrutinsing the idol and surrounding runes [Intelligence + Occult, 6 dice, three successes / Intelligence + Theology, 8 dice, 3 successes]. She confirms that this is a chamber where ritual sacrifices have taken place, and that the idol is not an obviously satanic one. She's unsure of the cultural origin but is certain that it has an occult significance and power. She reaches under the bandages on her back to feel the constantly open wounds beneath them. With blood on her fingertips, she anoints the idol while muttering a prayer to subdue the idol's power [Willpower, 6 dice, 4 successes].

The next room Amelina and Nigelle find is another well-appointed bedroom, less lavish than the others but still very respectable [Perception + Alertness, avg 7 dice, 4 successes]. The wardrobe contains several sets of men's functional clothes, a heavy mace and shield hang on the wall, the bedside table holds some momentoes. Among the latter is a carved wood and silver plaque, the message is an endearing and quite personal message to the estate's guard captain and is signed only "R." Nigelle quietly wonders what this could mean about the relationship between the two men. Amelina pockets a small hand mirror on the way out [Amelina Dexterity + Legerdemain, 7 dice, 3 successes / Nigelle Perception + Alertness, 6 dice, 1 success]. Nigelle remains oblivious to her light fingers.

Anna, the idol bound by her blood and faith, turns her attention to the sacrificial pit and it's runes [Intelligence + Occult, 6 dice, 2 successes]. She determines enough to gain a fragment of the True Name of the shrine's patron. She takes the time to obscure the runes to ensure that nobody else will be able to discover it. Satisfied with her work, she steps back into the throneroom to await the return of her acolytes. This could be a rewarding trip.

Inquisition into the Unknown 2

A series played using Dark Ages: Inquisitor. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

Nigelle and Amelina set out before dawn and travel to Quasqueton Manor, arriving around noon. Rather than a conventional estate, they discover the facade of a manor house carved into a large outcropping of black rock. Nigelle steps up to the heavy wooded doors and knocks firmly, while Amelina hangs back to examine the facade more closely [Perception + Alertness, 8 dice, 3 successes]. She notices that while the facade is extremely detailed, including what appear to be shutters over the windows, the structure is also one piece of rock. The shutters don't cover actual openings, which suggests that the front doors are the only way in and out.

Nigelle tentatively pushes the doors and is surprised when they swing open with no resistance. Beyond, a long hallway stretches deep into the manor, alcoves evenly-spaced, and what appears to be steps at the far end. Amelina joins him and together they begin to edge along the corridor, noting the smooth stone surfaces of the walls, floors, and ceiling. They see a worrying sight ahead, five bodies lay at the foot of a small set of stairs. [Perception + Investigation, Amelina 6 dice, 0 successes / Nigelle 5 dice, 3 successes]. Amelina turns pale at the sight, leaving Nigelle (who has been walked through similar scenarios) determines two fought against the other three, and they all died of their wounds.

Amelina offers a prayer for the departed, and the pair press on, taking the right-hand passage at the junction past the bodies. Passing a side passage, they plunge deeper into the manor, eventually reaching an end and a pair of doors. The first appears to be a mundane storeroom or workshop, filled with old furniture and some woodworking tools. The second is a lavishly decorated bedroom; alongside a canopied bed, an ornate mirror and other luxurious items hangs a portrait of a beautiful woman against a backdrop of a ruined, burning village. [Intelligence + Politics, 5 dice, botch] Nigelle wracks his memory but fails to recall whether either of the brothers had a spouse or lover. Perhaps this stranger is connected to whatever fate has befallen the brothers? Amelina spots a silver comb left out on the dresser [Dexterity + Legerdemain, 7 dice, 4 successes] and pockets it before the pair leave.

They retrace their steps to the passage they passed earlier and take it, then turn left a few times before arriving back at the initial junction (near the bodies). They passed a few doors on the way, so backtrack and explore them. Behind the first, they find a minimalist bedroom dominated by a wall-carving showing a lone figure wielding elemental power to drive away an army. [Amelina Perception + Investigation, 6 dice, 3 successes / Nigelle Intelligence + Academics, 4 dice, 2 successes]. Nigelle recognises the sorcerer as Zelligar, but this isn't a scene from any history Nigelle is familar with. Meanwhile, Amelina appraises the bad as being the most valuable item in the room by far - she stores the information for later.

Before leaving, they decide to investigate the side door - perhaps it's a workshop or similar? Instead they find a room filled with overflowing chests of coins and jewels! [Thralldom! Amelina Self-Control + Wisdom, 4 dice, 2 successes / Nigelle fails but spend 1 Conviction]. The pair see through the illusion, however, and realise that it is merely a distraction masking an empty chamber. This confirms the rumours of Zelligor being a sorcerer of some kind. They make a note to pass this on to Sister Anna.

Beside the bedroom is a small study; it becomes apparent that Zelligor managed the estate's finances very closely. Among his ledgers are four tomes written in an unknown script and featuring mysterious illustrations. They take them for Anna to examine, if they are occult in nature she will best qualified to disposed of them safely.

The final room to backtrack to is an armoury, the pair are shocked by the scale of the armaments the brothers have amassed. Beyond is a barracks with room for at least forty people. This bunker-like aspect of the manor raises a degree of concern. The brothers created a heavily-defended position and populated it with dozens of soldiers, combined with the confirmation of at least one sorcerer, the inquisitors prepare for the worst as they explore further. There's also the nagging issue of where have all the guards gone?

They consider this as they retrace their steps further to another passage, this one leads to a pairs of doors, which they resolve to try in turn. The righthand door leads into a vast, slate throneroom with read granite pillars and dais, and a pair of white marble thrones. Directly opposite the dais is a doorway into a small chamber dominated by a large idol of a horned head which overlooks a shallow sacrificial pit. This confirms the inquisitors' worst fears, Zelligar's sorcery is also infernalism. They withdraw from the estate and make the return trip to update Sister Anna on their discoveries.

Moonrise - Act 4

A series played using Anamnesis. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

Shadow: The Moon (Anxiety, Illusion, Intuition) 

ACT 4: WANDS

SCENE 1: QUEEN OF WANDS

I turned the pages over, no longer wanting to look at them, and took a moment to sit in silence and contemplate their blank backs. My mind was filled with the echoes of my past actions, swirling fragments becoming ensnared in a web of implications. I didn't like the pattern taking shape, and the looming presence lurking at the centre of the web - something patiently observing my reflections - was all too real. I stood and began to ransack the room, pulling open cupboard doors and desk drawers until I found, at last, my stylus and a small pot of ink that had not entirely dried up. I gathered the pages from the box and stacked them, still face down, on my antique wooden desk beside the stylus and ink pot. I took a seat at the desk, allowed my breathing to settle, and began to write.

The stylus scratched on the dry, gossamer-thin pages as my shaky hand inscribed a halting letter to my family. I tried to find adequate words to express what I'd seen since my return, how the sight of the fallen grandeur of the palace had shocked me, and how seeing their final resting place had rendered me silent. As I wrote, the shadows of my past deeds gathered about me, peering over my shoulder and whispering to themselves about the omissions in my account. I pushed them from my awareness and wrote as if in a trance, my stylus tearing the pages in places, until finally I could write no more and dropped the stylus. As I clenched and unclenched my hand to relieve the cramp, I felt my eyes drawn to the page, compelled to read the words that had flowed from me in an uncontrolled torrent. The handwriting was little more than a scrawl in places, but I was nonetheless able to discern key words and phrases. What I saw confirmed my fears and I pushed the pages away from me in the vain hope that they now held the memories and that I could cast them away forever.

SCENE 2: PAGE OF WANDS

I gathered myself and rose to my feet, I could remain here no longer. As I crossed the room to the door, my attention was drawn to the orb, it still lay where I had left it, but the bloody fingerprints somehow seemed more prominent, more accusatory. It stopped me in my tracks and, after a long moment, I picked it up and carried it with me as I left the palace. I retraced my steps back to the great dining hall, where my family were waiting for me, patient as ever. I reverently placed the orb in the hands of who I assumed was my eldest child; it was only fitting that they take their long overdue place on the throne. Gathering my shroud about me, I exited the palace, closing the ornate bird- and flower-carved doors behind me for the last time. The gates swung open at my touch, as before, and sealed behind me after I crossed back into the city. I did not pause to check if they would readmit me to the palace grounds, instead venturing along the main boulevard towards the city gates.

At each junction, I paused and listened in all directions, hoping in vain to hear the sounds of life somewhere in the city. Silence hung over the city like a shroud and I was accompanied only by my guilt. As I passed the ornate park, where I had taken my past paramours to break their hearts, I heard the words of that last one as loud as if they were standing beside me. I picked up the pace and practically ran to the gates, not stopping to listen at the junctions I raced over. I only paused once I was safely through the gates and had put a fair distance between them and myself. The dark night around me offered no indication of where else I might go, so I returned to the only other place that I knew; the cliffside tomb where I had first awakened.

SCENE 3: TWO OF WANDS

I sat on the edge of the cave mouth, crossed-legged and in silent contemplation of the crashing waves beneath me. There was no place here in this world for me anymore, and I confess that for the longest time I gave serious consideration to leaping from the cliff to the rocks below. My grim reverie was interrupted by the rise of the sun on the horizon before me. What began as a soft glow became a pale blue light spreading across the sky, and then a river of gold began to extend itself lazily towards me. I raised an outstretched hand as if to grasp the golden light, but it remained forever just out of reach. Realising that it wasn't me that it was trying to take hold of I crept back into the cave and gently lifted the crown from the dais. Holding it out in front of me, I edged towards the cave mouth, offering the crown to the rising sun. As it pulled itself free of the horizon I had to close my eyes in the face of its glory, but kept the crown extended to it. As the sun's warmth touched my skin and I felt its embrace fill me, the weight in my hands slowly lessened until my hands were empty. I opened my eyes, shielding them with my now empty hands, and saw that the sun was now clear of the horizon, surrounded by an intense corona unlike anything I had seen before. I slowly lowered my hands, feeling the shroud slip from my shoulders and crumple to the floor. I stood in the full light of the sun and allowed its light to fill the cavern utterly. Its light touched every surface, washing away all shadows, until there was no trace of the past left.

Gaia 2: Expedition X+1

A game played using Exclusion Zone Botanist. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.

0500: No significant finds. Moving northeast.

0600: No significant finds. Moving northeast.

0700: No significant finds. Moving northeast.

0800: Anomalous plant found (see Image 3). Routine examination and documentation, but approximately 1 hour of time loss. Marked location. Moving northeast.

1000: Anomalous plant found (see Image 4). Surrounded by a thick fungal blanket that emitted a cloud of choking spores when touched. I retreated to a safe distance, but the skin irritation continued. Moving back southwest.

1100: I experienced the same loss of time in this sector, but the skin irritation remains at the same level. Moving back southwest.

1300: No significant finds. No change in symptoms. Moving southwest.

1400: No significant finds. No change in symptoms. Moving southwest.

1500: No significant finds. Swelling and lumps forming across the skin. Extraction team signalled and EZ left.

Image 3

Image 4