“Pssh. More trips? Ma has sorted everything out for today Meteor Man.”, Quara says.
Quara was born to a tribe that are prominent amongst the Sabaan League, but she has been adopted by Ma Kuala’s small, but growing family. Officially she’s a patroller, something like a cross between a watchman and a guard against wild beasts, but off the books she’s Kuala’s bodyguard. Her beat tends to be within sprinting distance of her chief at any given time. She’s loud, proud, and likes to hear herself speak.
Right now you’re not two paces onto Ma Kuala’s street when Quara singles you out. You don’t generally go unnoticed.
She continues, “But I’ve heard one group had trouble. They scouted the place out so-so, but one came back with a bit less than they went with. It was that desolate stretch of broken rock. It’s said they didn’t even get chance to land before they were bombarded by debris. If you mounties can’t get through the galleons never will! Bet you’d get something out of it from the big shots if you came back with more knowledge on the place.
“What else? Well, there is a group headed over to... Lucky Island—inspired name by the way—”, no idea if that’s sarcasm with her thick accent, “to build some basic requirements to set up shop. Set off this morning. If all goes well you could head there and use it to fly even further out. No job as such, but who knows what riches are out there. Makes me wish I wasn’t needed here, you know?”
“Oh, you know what? I did hear some monks from Wish thought they saw a spirit in a passing cloud bank. What’s his name, the mean-looking one that counts as a chief? He came round and asked Ma to throw her bones to see if it was true. You’d have to head to their temple and ask them what’s what. Easy money if you make sure you’re paid up front, then when they don’t find nothing, you just shrug and go home after. The monks are fools, man.”
You take a step to the side, and she does to.
“Anyways, Ma is busy right now, so goodbye.”
Elsewhere on the island you hear the following:
- The last of the near uncharted islands (A5) is frigid and windy. Rather than floating in one place the many rocks abs islets move around each other.
- Some monks are looking for armed guards to help them track a huge creature that they perceive to be a ‘spirit’, whatever that means to them.
- The monks are fantasticly rich, with chests full of Mysian jewels!!!
- There’s no date for it, but a prominent Maykupuni chief hopes to set up a fighting tournament one day...
- Finally, something Quara didn’t know. A scholar on Aurlancea wishes to fly a mile back into the Tempest Wall for an unknown reason involving an invention of their own devising.
Exilis
Worm gives the arm-clasp a go, she’s the sort of person that knows a thousand facts on every culture, but rarely gets chance or reason to perform their rites. The other Fritz just nods. Seems like if one agrees to something that’s as good as them both doing it.
That was a very cool way of going about things, so mark experience!
On his way out the door, Hawthorne stops fast. “Oh!” he cries, “A gift from Jenna!” He pats down his various pockets and pouches, and eventually produces a water-tight pouch of... mud-fish eggs. He holds it up at eye level, nose wrinkling doubtfully, but then shrugs and extends it over to Rosac. “Lucky Island fish eggs. She insists they’re good to eat, but... follow your own light.” He winks, and he’s gone.
[OOC: That’s -1 Resource from me to my SWEET FRIENDO. The rest of my agenda was just to check up on my krake and crash out in my bunk on Aurlancea. I don’t think I’m in need of shopping; will I need to address my hit points?]
Now we’re winding this first session down, everyone write one bond for each member of the party. This will grant you +1 on your Aid/Interfere roll with them.
There’s still time to do some basic things (you can buy some mundane things like torches without even needed to make a post if you like).
Bundle of Arrows - 3 ammo, 1 coin, 1 weight
Leather Armour - 1 armour, 10 coins, 1 weight
Pipe & Pipe Leaf - 5 uses, 7 coins, 1 weight
Torches - 3 uses, 5 coins, 1 weight
Anything else mundane from the standard equipment list.
Traditionally the GM should ask three or so questions, and if the answer is ‘yes’ you each mark experience for it, but I’ll save us some time.
Each of you acted in accordance to your alignment, so mark experience.
We learnt something new and interesting about the world, so mark experience.
You worked well as a team, so mark experience.
Level Up
When you have downtime (hours or days) and XP equal to (or greater than) your current level + 7, subtract your current level +7 from your XP, increase your level by 1, and choose a new advanced move from your class. If you are The Wizard, you also get to add a new spell to your Spellbook.
Choose one of your stats and increase it by 1 (this may change your modifier). Changing your Constitution increases your maximum and current HP. Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.
—
I doubt you’ll level up this time, but we may be able to in the middle of your next expedition.
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited June 2019
[OOC: My bonds:
Exilis is as sharp as honed steel, and I will use my fires to temper him further.
Hawthorne seems to be seeking a new truth like myself; I should heed his guidance as I would the Inferno itself.
Also, Doruthan hears the word 'spirit' and is immediately on that jazz. If there's something here on the far side of the Tempest Wall he can commune with and learn from, he's going to chase that.
End of session, I'm at 5 XP, so no level ups here yet.]
“Look lively you lot!”, Quartermaster Adair roars, “You‘re on Republic time! You there, step out of that coil of rope so help me Gods! Don’t stack the flares by the black powder! You! Do I even need to say?!”
His furious voice is softened slightly by the fact he has a small boy sitting on his head, but only slightly. He chuckles when he sees you all approach.
“The folk of the hour, and here’s me thinking I could coast on being the pilot of this dirt pile for a few weeks yet. Good on you for braving the unknown. A wild sky is a freeing one, that’s what I say. If you take a look at the board over there it’ll have something to your liking I’m sure.”
Take a vote on one of the following:
- Explore the barren sliver of island surrounded by orbiting, hazardous rock at A5. An attempt was made to scout it but the team failed to land.
- A young club of monks from Pang’s Wish are looking for galleon guards as they hunt down a ‘spirit’ an elder saw. This will take you north of Lucky Island, at C4.
- The scholar and inventor Dadaru the Lonely is looking for a team to carry his latest invention back a few miles into the Tempest Wall. He claims to pay very highly should you succeed. His workshop is next to Fritz and Fritz.
You’ve had an day to sort your affairs, and in no small part because Exilis met with each of you to provide your mounts with curatives, you find yourself on Aurlancea together again. Skilled outriders with such shared camaraderie are hard to find, and so without making a spoken pact as such, you’re going to work together again.
Quartermaster Adair’s wife lovingly takes the boy, and kisses Adair on the head. He laughs a rumbling sailor’s laugh, then strolls up to you and peers over your shoulders. His wife walks slowly, but she holds herself with the pride of a queen. Her name is Eleanor, and she’s recovering from an injury sustained keeping the great engine alive as Aurlancea pierced the Tempest Wall.
“I’d sooner trust a bunch of naive foreign virgins than that Dadaru. He’s a weird one, and of the weirdest bunch, if you catch my drift.”, the Quartermaster says as he lights his pipe.
Exilis, you know he means Dadaru is a Uethill, a race of people that choose to live underground on their cavernous home island. They were never so much in the Republic as it formed around them. Their superstitions do not allow them to leave home for fear they will lose their soul, so Dadaru is truly alienated from his people, which earned him his title.
Doruthan, you hold 1 preparation. Your time with Toth discussing what you learned payed off. Spend your preparation at any time to increase a roll of 6- to 7-9, or 7-9 to 10+. Describe what Toth divined or gave you to prepare you for what was to come.
Doruthan has already voted to help the monks. What do the rest of you want to do?
Hawthorne will go for that, too -- maybe it's too optimistic to think it's a spirit and it's a talking spirit, but we gotta try to meet the neighbors if we can.
Snatching the note from the board you set off for the temple on Pang’s Wish.
You land with a dozen steps to go before the great door, always open to the elements, and dismount as a show of respect. You pass a few middle aged monks, hands lost in heavy robes, who nod to you on their way down to the village below on some errand.
The great hall is a calming place, designed to perfectly resonate with the breeze. Hanging tubular bells and mounted woodwind pipes play a melodious tune as you enter.
A few worshippers and monks quietly walk to and fro the inner chambers of the temple, but still as an oak tree an ‘anchorite’, a elder monk who remains solely within the temple, mediates crossed legged at the far end of the great hall. The elder is bald with a long scraggly white beard, bone thin and a pale blue from head to toe. There are many small scars on his shoulders, numbers perhaps, but not in a language you know. Maybe he can tell you where these more adventurous monks are?
I think for Hawthorne, the first-order association is "ghost." As in, "the boiler room is haunted by the spirit of a shift manager who died in a grisly and remarkable manner." Seances were a fad in his youth.
Of course, anyone would know that's not what monks from the Temple of Renewal mean when they say they've seen a spirit in a cloud. Non-Temple Sisans wouldn't have a very sophisticated understanding of what they do mean; maybe there's jokes about thanking your boots before you throw them out, or apologizing to a rock when you stub your toe.
The mediating monk speaks without opening their eyes or moving from their cross-legged position.
“I take it you’re hear to act as pathfinders and guards for our young spirit seekers, correct?”, he intones between an endless hum of ‘om’, “They are discussing matters in the Central Garden. It is a straight walk through the corridor to your left, you cannot miss it.”
As if on cue a breeze carrying the scent of flowers wafts into the main hall. The old monk smiles.
For the record, there’s nothing stopping you walking your mounts with you to the garden. There’s no rules about it and plenty of room for them to do so.
Endless_Serpents on
+1
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Doruthan's concept of a spirit is directly informed by his connection to the Inferno. It whispers to him with an inhuman tongue, the sounds of a burning fire or the crackle of a torch, but it has an intellect and intention that is indelible. At least, to its chosen mortal conduit. He understands it implicitly, when it chooses to speak to him.
Therefore Doruthan is absolutely a believer in the notion that there is an intelligence and desire in all things, animate or not, that can be conversed with.
Doruthan, having left Squall outside of the monastery ("Earthsky wurms aren't exactly the most pleasant house guests"), thanks the anchorite for his assistance. The Blaze Alive makes his way toward the Central Garden, an incense burner conspicuously dangling from his belt.
Yes, today will be a good day to meet the resident spirits of this place!
“Yo! Are you here about the mission! Yowza!”, a young monk hollers, “That’s great! Thanks for taking us up on the offer!”
She practically leaps towards you Doruthan, causing you to reflexively tense.
“Forgive her, she’s just excited. We all are. Elder Grew was out flying on his krake, that’s how he meditates, and he saw a spirit!”, a second young monk explains. This one looks to be the oldest at say, nineteen.
A third jumps down from a high wall, “Pretty gnarly right? It’s a big deal, a sign of fortune, sure, but if we can get up close and get it’s blessing we could, like, I dunno, make the crops good or ensure nice weather well into Autumn. It’s Summer now, but we need to make sure our first Winter here is as easy as we can make it. We’ve no one to fall back on, you dig?
Between them they explain that they’re willing to pay each of you 20 coins up front, which isn’t much really. They will provide you all 1 ration each when you need it, as well as granting you healing should it be required. Any healing, by aid or rest, done while they are present grants you +2 HP. When the spirit is found and the monks returned home safe the distant and mysterious elder monk Grew will reward you greatly, they assure you.
The monks are as follows:
The excitable Lina.
The gentle Pang.
The sensible Goh.
The quiet Zahab.
Zahab is practicing a slow, wide sweeping martial art, it brings the movement of water and air to mind. He smiles at you, then returns to his training. He’s by far the youngest, and can be no more than sixteen.
Lina does a star-jump, seemingly bursting with enthusiasm, then shouts, “We’ve got an airship! It’s great! It’s actually mostly broken, but great! We bought it and fixed it up, and that’s what we’ll take to find the spirit. There’s enough room for everyone sort of!”
Endless_Serpents on
+2
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
The Crag Made Flesh crosses his arms, and smirks down at the Jade Jewel of a monk.
There are almost as many varieties of spirit as there are islands in the sky - genii locorum, revenants, aspects, boggarts ... But when he stops to think on it, two types of spirits are at the top of Exilis's mind, and each could not be philosophically further from the other.
When a Shaman of the Aquilaeans reaches the natural end of their lifetime, the undertake one last journey into the mountainous eyries of their island home, seeking out a brooding electrum eagle pair. There, they end their days in fasting and meditation. After they pass, their body is consumed by the young eaglets, strengthening the bonds between the Aquilaeans and their eagles. The eagles so fed grow up to be larger, stronger, and more intelligent than normal electrum eagles; the shaman's spirit rides alongside the eagles, serving as guides and messengers of the gods. The shaman's bones are nearly always returned to the nearest Aquilaean village by the eagles, where the remaining bits of the shaman's spirit allows them to be used in auguries. Exilis carries a pouch of such bones with him at all times. All. Times.
The ancestral enemies of the Aquilaeans, the Oh'rah-hain, had their own uses for spirits. Using foul blood magic, they attacked the very souls of those with whom they warred in myriad ways, but among the worst was muntyremallack, the "Family Curse." One of their favorite uses for important captives, the muntyremallack required a two-day orgy of human sacrifice to build up sufficient power in the Oh'rah-hain priests, at the culmination of which the spirit was ripped from the captive and transformed into a blood hunter. This human-shaped cloud of red-colored mist retained enough of the original victim's features to be recognizable, though its face was always twisted in silent screams of torment. The blood hunter was then sent forth, and it unerringly sought out a close family member of the victim. Able to travel as quickly as shadows and pass through even the smallest gap, a blood hunter could easily surprise and murder its victim, devouring a portion of the target's soul, shredding the rest, and adding a new face. It then sought out a new victim, and then another, and another, until either the entire family line had been extinguished or the hunter itself was destroyed.
Exilis, standing separate Doruthan, remarks to Hawthorn, quietly, "These are old enough to be trained as warriors, but they comport themselves as children. We must ensure that when we speak, they listen - or else their blood will be on our hands."
[OOC: oops... Apparently have just had this spirit draft sitting here for a couple days. I'll just jump in here. ]
Hawthorne inclines his head, but gestures ambiguity with his left hand. "Oh, I wouldn't underestimate them," he murmurs, still following the kids' chatter.
No that’s it, she agrees and is completely fine with having a crappy old airship. She’s got her hands on her hips and a broad smile on her face.
Zahab gives you a polite nod of thanks Hawthorne. He was way to far away to hear your whispering, surely. Then he slowly and carefully twirls with one leg out stretched, and then flips onto two fingers and back into both feet.
“You done Zabby?”, calls Goh over her shoulder.
Goh is more or less the leader. She’s of a different sect than the others, an old fashioned bunch that remember a time when their faith was smaller, and a sword was needed to keep their freedom of expression. She’s the last of them, potentially, and tries to act more mature for it.
“Gentlemen, your payment, up front. Now please follow me to our craft. I promise you I can pilot it well enough, we need only your advice and, though I doubt we’ll need it, your protection from the wilds.”
She bows with her clenched fist striking her palm, while the other three bow with their hands by their sides.
—
After forgetting to untie it before lift-off, and a few boots to the hull later, you’re off. All the monks have to go on is a sighting and the spirits last noted direction. You’re going out west of Lucky Island, to uncharted sky. That’s becoming a welcome habit no doubt.
The wind is northern, blustery, but nothing your mounts can’t handle. The summer sun is high and the clouds are soft orange towers against the bright blue.
By flying in a foot from the deck Exilis (another of the many skills you learned as a scout) you learn of the limited understanding the monks have of the spirit.
- It’s large enough to see at a distance without a telescope.
- It has more than two wings.
- Light passes through it.
- It sings a beautiful song.
“I intent to dedicate a book of poetry to the spirit, and I hope I might offer tribute to its song in the form of my own piece. Once I hear it, I will bring it’s wonder to as many as I am able.”, the soft-spoken Pang suggests.
You barrel roll off and rejoin the port front of the guarding square. The rest of you are flying around the airship in your chosen position.
You’ve nothing opposing, so tell me your thoughts on the mission ahead of you, or ask an ally a question.
The wind swells beneath you, and is pick up at your backs. Looks like it’ll be a windy one today.
Lucky Island comes into view far below you. Not much has changed, but you see a single lazy line of smoke drifting from beneath a mushroom tower. Work is starting on the meeting place already.
Your course is set, but you could convince the monks to land on Lucky Island for a spell if you wish. Roll+CHA to offer your sound advice.
No matter what, they’ll heed your words.
On a 10+, hold 3.
On a 7-9, hold 1.
On a 6-, you gain no hold, and one of the monks disagrees with you. They become a rival to you.
Spend your hold at any time to add 1 to a roll you make on the island while the monks are present.
Otherwise it’s time for a Perilous Journey!
Choose your role, first come first serve, and make the move.
When you travel through hostile territory, choose one member of the party to act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster (the same character cannot have two jobs).
If you don’t have enough party members or choose not to assign a job, treat that job as if it had rolled a 6.
Each character with a job to do rolls+WIS.
On a 10+,...
... the quartermaster reduces the number of rations required by one.
...the trailblazer reduces the amount of time it takes to reach your destination (the GM will say by how much).
...the scout will spot any trouble quick enough to let you get the drop on it.
On a 7-9, each role performs their job as expected: the normal number of rations are consumed, the journey takes about as long as expected, no one gets the drop on you but you don’t get the drop on them either.
On a 6, things go badly! Expect the worst!
Endless_Serpents on
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Doruthan flies Squall near enough to Exilis to at least shout over the wind. If the air is relatively still, he'll keep his voice down so as not to catch the monks' attention.
"Exilis, what do you think of this motley crew and their contraption? I'm just as eager to meet the spirits of this new sky, but these monks seem to me to be less prepared and equipped than they ought be."
Doruthan asks, "Exilis, what do you think of this motley crew and their contraption? I'm just as eager to meet the spirits of this new sky, but these monks seem to me to be less prepared and equipped than they ought be."
"I have seen better ships sold for scrap. And the monks themselves are green. I would suggest we stop on Lucky Island to better instruct them, but I worry they would not be able to get their boat moving again." He pauses a moment, and thinks. "The youngest one - Zahab? - is the only one who seems to be taking this seriously. Goh acts at being serious, but it is the seriousness of a lieutenant of foot on their first assault. When the feathers rain, we will see what her mettle is."
[OOC: As an immaculately-trained air cavalry scout , Exilis automatically succeeds as if he had rolled a 10+ on his Perilous Journey roll; given our decent stores of food, I suggest that I act as the Scout.]
[OOC: That reads like one of those old military songs. ‘Oooh, as an immaculately trained air cavalry scouuut...’ and then it devolves into doing something unmentionable behind a tent with the commander’s daughter by verse two.]
Hawthorne idly picks a twig off his robes and tucks it behind one ear. Jenna spreads out to catch more wind; the two are eager to see what’s over the horizon.
Geth, roll 2d6+2 Trailblazing
[OOC: apologies for posting sparsely — having some moving/new-job stress, so like I’ve been voraciously reading y’all’s updates but feeling low on creative juice]
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited July 2019
[OOC: No worries, I've been hit by the "Overtime Dad" thing the last few days. As opposed to "Full-Time Dad" that I'm always on anyway.
Doruthan can act as whatever needs to be done, and I've got 1 Preparation I can burn if I need to not make the roll suck. Trailblazer then, maybe? Getting there faster is good, right? Boy I suck at reading sometimes.
Also, I'm ambivalent to stopping at Lucky Island.
Also, @Endless_Serpents, would Doruthan have had time to grab some rations? I was a little unclear on the timing of things, and the only thing I (the player) care about gear-wise right now is making sure he's got rations for the trip (beyond what the monks are providing).]
Nips on
0
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
You fly swift and true over Lucky Island, casting shadows that cause the workers and officials below to stop and watch. You make great time, the old boat keeping pace with your mounts due to the most favourable winds. The monks say it’s destiny, but monks often do. Great work navigating Hawthorne!
You each must eat one ration, but none of your supplies are wasted or lost. Doruthan saw to that.
With Exilis ever at the fore, the scout ensured your safe passage. You head into unknown sky once more, just as the sky turns a light shade of green.
They sky, as you know, shouldn’t really do that...
The sun is high in the sky, and the new moon is also present. There’s no reason the sky should be anything but blue.
To the west you see an island of shifting sand and rocky plateaus. It has a huge hole through it, like a piece of cheese. Who knows how that happened, but it was no doubt thousands o years ago.
The sky is half covered in clouds, but it’s not set to rain today.
Hawthorne’s eyebrows climb up into the haze of his hair when he notices the sky. He stops Jenna in place and spins her in a slow circle. None the wiser, he sings out, “Friends, let’s converse on this new sky!” and wheels his lilac-grey krake in to land on the ship’s deck.
Gentle Pang, a large gangily looking young man with a bald head, slowly takes the twig from behind your ear Hawthorne.
“This is from a very old tree. See the knots? How hard and brittle it is? I don’t know what type of tree though.”, he says softly, almost a whisper, “I wonder where it blew in from?”
“You’re looking at twigs when the sky’s green! So help me Pang!”, scolds Goh.
Goh marches up to the fore of their craft and looks all around.
“Seems like it fades back to blue eventually, hard to tell. But it’s pretty green over there!”
There’s a lone slip of rock in the distance (top right of C4) that seems to, not glow, but exude the green sky from it. If you were to travel far enough beyond it the sky would return to its usual colour.
Time to investigate.
Exilis, Discern Realities to get an idea what’s visibly on that rock.
Hawthorne, do you seek the guidance of your goddess through spell, or would you Spout Lore about spirits?
Doruthan, the monks see you as someone like them (rightly or wrongly), roll+CHA.
On a 10+, they follow orders.
On a 7-9, they’ll go about what you want their own fool way.
On a 6-, they’ll get in the way.
[OOC: Feel free to continue the scene with Hawthorne on deck as you do this.]
[OOC: It’s summer, so I’m not fussed about you guys taking time away from your screens!]
Doruthan, Goh puts her hands on her hips and you’re pretty sure she’s trying to do an impression of you, whether she realises it or not.
She hollers up to you, “I think it wise to circle the rock, to see if there’s trouble to pummel or... not to pummel.”
Zahab is on the other side of the craft, crouched on a thin wooden guardrail. The lad waves to you as you land Hawthorne, then tumbled over to you.
“Your thoughts, Brother to the Moon?”, he queries, “I honestly couldn’t guess.”
0
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited July 2019
"Friend monks! Let us give the earth ahead a wide berth, until our noble scout Exilis can determine the safety of a landing!"
Doruthan rears back on Squall's harness, attempting to hold place in the sky. The reticent wurm bucks a bit and twists in the wind, but feels no reason to fight its rider in this moment.
The monks salute you (each one a different salute) and begin to work the lines to cause their craft to ascend slowly. A wide berth to their minds means high above it, which might work?
Doruthan, Squall lets out a slow, continuous growl. It slowly circles in on itself, sniffing and biting at the air. It want one of your rations. Choose now:
- Give Squall a ration.
- Squall takes 1 stress, but with not disobey again during this expedition.
+1
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Doruthan grabs a chunk of breaded, roast meat from his pack and tosses it in the air ahead. Squall snaps its enormous jaws around the morsel, and settles down.
Hawthorne hops down off Jenna; she moves off to hover alongside the ship. "Well, cousin, I'm not quite sure. We don't get many spirits back home; I'm sure you'd know better than I." He pauses, brow furrowed. "But about the sky, I'm sure there's something, just on the tip of my tongue...."
Spirits aren’t required to keep a place ticking over, but when they’re around they come into symbiosis with a stretch of sky. When they’re happy, the sky is clear, when a island flourishes, so do they, and so on.
Though you’ve never heard of it, if anything could change the shade of the sky it’d be a spirit. This begs the question what mood, or state, would cause it to do such a thing. If a person’s skin turned a different colour, what would you associate that with?
Zahab smiles meekly, which turns into an disquiet stare.
He looks to Pang, who looks around to the others, then back to you.
Zahab speak for them all with his question, “But just what can make a spirit sick?”
Pang takes the wheel and lowers the craft a touch closer, against Dorathan’s better judgement.
“They say back home a bellyache is because of stomach devils. We know that’s not true... I am a man of medicine... But what ills a spirit? We must help it! Surely this is why it was spotted, it sought aid before if was too late!”
As the monk’s craft softly lowers, you all see that the rock is barren on top, with just a single shallow tepid pond, while its underside is coated in what appears to be bramble thorns, clinging vines and large chunks of driftwood. Almost like it’s the wrong way up...
Posts
“Pssh. More trips? Ma has sorted everything out for today Meteor Man.”, Quara says.
Quara was born to a tribe that are prominent amongst the Sabaan League, but she has been adopted by Ma Kuala’s small, but growing family. Officially she’s a patroller, something like a cross between a watchman and a guard against wild beasts, but off the books she’s Kuala’s bodyguard. Her beat tends to be within sprinting distance of her chief at any given time. She’s loud, proud, and likes to hear herself speak.
Right now you’re not two paces onto Ma Kuala’s street when Quara singles you out. You don’t generally go unnoticed.
She continues, “But I’ve heard one group had trouble. They scouted the place out so-so, but one came back with a bit less than they went with. It was that desolate stretch of broken rock. It’s said they didn’t even get chance to land before they were bombarded by debris. If you mounties can’t get through the galleons never will! Bet you’d get something out of it from the big shots if you came back with more knowledge on the place.
“What else? Well, there is a group headed over to... Lucky Island—inspired name by the way—”, no idea if that’s sarcasm with her thick accent, “to build some basic requirements to set up shop. Set off this morning. If all goes well you could head there and use it to fly even further out. No job as such, but who knows what riches are out there. Makes me wish I wasn’t needed here, you know?”
“Oh, you know what? I did hear some monks from Wish thought they saw a spirit in a passing cloud bank. What’s his name, the mean-looking one that counts as a chief? He came round and asked Ma to throw her bones to see if it was true. You’d have to head to their temple and ask them what’s what. Easy money if you make sure you’re paid up front, then when they don’t find nothing, you just shrug and go home after. The monks are fools, man.”
You take a step to the side, and she does to.
“Anyways, Ma is busy right now, so goodbye.”
Elsewhere on the island you hear the following:
- The last of the near uncharted islands (A5) is frigid and windy. Rather than floating in one place the many rocks abs islets move around each other.
- Some monks are looking for armed guards to help them track a huge creature that they perceive to be a ‘spirit’, whatever that means to them.
- The monks are fantasticly rich, with chests full of Mysian jewels!!!
- There’s no date for it, but a prominent Maykupuni chief hopes to set up a fighting tournament one day...
- Finally, something Quara didn’t know. A scholar on Aurlancea wishes to fly a mile back into the Tempest Wall for an unknown reason involving an invention of their own devising.
Exilis
Worm gives the arm-clasp a go, she’s the sort of person that knows a thousand facts on every culture, but rarely gets chance or reason to perform their rites. The other Fritz just nods. Seems like if one agrees to something that’s as good as them both doing it.
That was a very cool way of going about things, so mark experience!
If you’re heading to Doruthan, you’ll find him.
[OOC: That’s -1 Resource from me to my SWEET FRIENDO. The rest of my agenda was just to check up on my krake and crash out in my bunk on Aurlancea. I don’t think I’m in need of shopping; will I need to address my hit points?]
Now we’re winding this first session down, everyone write one bond for each member of the party. This will grant you +1 on your Aid/Interfere roll with them.
There’s still time to do some basic things (you can buy some mundane things like torches without even needed to make a post if you like).
Leather Armour - 1 armour, 10 coins, 1 weight
Pipe & Pipe Leaf - 5 uses, 7 coins, 1 weight
Torches - 3 uses, 5 coins, 1 weight
Anything else mundane from the standard equipment list.
Traditionally the GM should ask three or so questions, and if the answer is ‘yes’ you each mark experience for it, but I’ll save us some time.
Each of you acted in accordance to your alignment, so mark experience.
We learnt something new and interesting about the world, so mark experience.
You worked well as a team, so mark experience.
Level Up
When you have downtime (hours or days) and XP equal to (or greater than) your current level + 7, subtract your current level +7 from your XP, increase your level by 1, and choose a new advanced move from your class. If you are The Wizard, you also get to add a new spell to your Spellbook.
Choose one of your stats and increase it by 1 (this may change your modifier). Changing your Constitution increases your maximum and current HP. Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.
—
I doubt you’ll level up this time, but we may be able to in the middle of your next expedition.
Exilis is a good and faithful person; I trust him implicitly.
Sister Moon's eye is on Doruthan; I'll help him find his way if I can. ]
Exilis is as sharp as honed steel, and I will use my fires to temper him further.
Hawthorne seems to be seeking a new truth like myself; I should heed his guidance as I would the Inferno itself.
Also, Doruthan hears the word 'spirit' and is immediately on that jazz. If there's something here on the far side of the Tempest Wall he can commune with and learn from, he's going to chase that.
End of session, I'm at 5 XP, so no level ups here yet.]
“Look lively you lot!”, Quartermaster Adair roars, “You‘re on Republic time! You there, step out of that coil of rope so help me Gods! Don’t stack the flares by the black powder! You! Do I even need to say?!”
His furious voice is softened slightly by the fact he has a small boy sitting on his head, but only slightly. He chuckles when he sees you all approach.
“The folk of the hour, and here’s me thinking I could coast on being the pilot of this dirt pile for a few weeks yet. Good on you for braving the unknown. A wild sky is a freeing one, that’s what I say. If you take a look at the board over there it’ll have something to your liking I’m sure.”
Take a vote on one of the following:
- Explore the barren sliver of island surrounded by orbiting, hazardous rock at A5. An attempt was made to scout it but the team failed to land.
- A young club of monks from Pang’s Wish are looking for galleon guards as they hunt down a ‘spirit’ an elder saw. This will take you north of Lucky Island, at C4.
- The scholar and inventor Dadaru the Lonely is looking for a team to carry his latest invention back a few miles into the Tempest Wall. He claims to pay very highly should you succeed. His workshop is next to Fritz and Fritz.
You’ve had an day to sort your affairs, and in no small part because Exilis met with each of you to provide your mounts with curatives, you find yourself on Aurlancea together again. Skilled outriders with such shared camaraderie are hard to find, and so without making a spoken pact as such, you’re going to work together again.
Quartermaster Adair’s wife lovingly takes the boy, and kisses Adair on the head. He laughs a rumbling sailor’s laugh, then strolls up to you and peers over your shoulders. His wife walks slowly, but she holds herself with the pride of a queen. Her name is Eleanor, and she’s recovering from an injury sustained keeping the great engine alive as Aurlancea pierced the Tempest Wall.
“I’d sooner trust a bunch of naive foreign virgins than that Dadaru. He’s a weird one, and of the weirdest bunch, if you catch my drift.”, the Quartermaster says as he lights his pipe.
Exilis, you know he means Dadaru is a Uethill, a race of people that choose to live underground on their cavernous home island. They were never so much in the Republic as it formed around them. Their superstitions do not allow them to leave home for fear they will lose their soul, so Dadaru is truly alienated from his people, which earned him his title.
Doruthan, you hold 1 preparation. Your time with Toth discussing what you learned payed off. Spend your preparation at any time to increase a roll of 6- to 7-9, or 7-9 to 10+. Describe what Toth divined or gave you to prepare you for what was to come.
Doruthan has already voted to help the monks. What do the rest of you want to do?
Hawthorn, who reached out to the platebacks in peace, is a friend of nature, so I will be their friend as well.
Doruthan, traveler from a strange land, does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach them.
XP
I'm at 7/8, so no level at this time.
Voting
They all seem equally awesome, and Exilis can come up with a reason to prefer any of them, so I'll happily vote along with Doruthan.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
You land with a dozen steps to go before the great door, always open to the elements, and dismount as a show of respect. You pass a few middle aged monks, hands lost in heavy robes, who nod to you on their way down to the village below on some errand.
The great hall is a calming place, designed to perfectly resonate with the breeze. Hanging tubular bells and mounted woodwind pipes play a melodious tune as you enter.
A few worshippers and monks quietly walk to and fro the inner chambers of the temple, but still as an oak tree an ‘anchorite’, a elder monk who remains solely within the temple, mediates crossed legged at the far end of the great hall. The elder is bald with a long scraggly white beard, bone thin and a pale blue from head to toe. There are many small scars on his shoulders, numbers perhaps, but not in a language you know. Maybe he can tell you where these more adventurous monks are?
What do you think of when you hear ‘spirit’?
I think for Hawthorne, the first-order association is "ghost." As in, "the boiler room is haunted by the spirit of a shift manager who died in a grisly and remarkable manner." Seances were a fad in his youth.
Of course, anyone would know that's not what monks from the Temple of Renewal mean when they say they've seen a spirit in a cloud. Non-Temple Sisans wouldn't have a very sophisticated understanding of what they do mean; maybe there's jokes about thanking your boots before you throw them out, or apologizing to a rock when you stub your toe.
“I take it you’re hear to act as pathfinders and guards for our young spirit seekers, correct?”, he intones between an endless hum of ‘om’, “They are discussing matters in the Central Garden. It is a straight walk through the corridor to your left, you cannot miss it.”
As if on cue a breeze carrying the scent of flowers wafts into the main hall. The old monk smiles.
For the record, there’s nothing stopping you walking your mounts with you to the garden. There’s no rules about it and plenty of room for them to do so.
Therefore Doruthan is absolutely a believer in the notion that there is an intelligence and desire in all things, animate or not, that can be conversed with.
Doruthan, having left Squall outside of the monastery ("Earthsky wurms aren't exactly the most pleasant house guests"), thanks the anchorite for his assistance. The Blaze Alive makes his way toward the Central Garden, an incense burner conspicuously dangling from his belt.
Yes, today will be a good day to meet the resident spirits of this place!
She practically leaps towards you Doruthan, causing you to reflexively tense.
“Forgive her, she’s just excited. We all are. Elder Grew was out flying on his krake, that’s how he meditates, and he saw a spirit!”, a second young monk explains. This one looks to be the oldest at say, nineteen.
A third jumps down from a high wall, “Pretty gnarly right? It’s a big deal, a sign of fortune, sure, but if we can get up close and get it’s blessing we could, like, I dunno, make the crops good or ensure nice weather well into Autumn. It’s Summer now, but we need to make sure our first Winter here is as easy as we can make it. We’ve no one to fall back on, you dig?
Between them they explain that they’re willing to pay each of you 20 coins up front, which isn’t much really. They will provide you all 1 ration each when you need it, as well as granting you healing should it be required. Any healing, by aid or rest, done while they are present grants you +2 HP. When the spirit is found and the monks returned home safe the distant and mysterious elder monk Grew will reward you greatly, they assure you.
The monks are as follows:
The excitable Lina.
The gentle Pang.
The sensible Goh.
The quiet Zahab.
Zahab is practicing a slow, wide sweeping martial art, it brings the movement of water and air to mind. He smiles at you, then returns to his training. He’s by far the youngest, and can be no more than sixteen.
Lina does a star-jump, seemingly bursting with enthusiasm, then shouts, “We’ve got an airship! It’s great! It’s actually mostly broken, but great! We bought it and fixed it up, and that’s what we’ll take to find the spirit. There’s enough room for everyone sort of!”
"...sort of?"
There are almost as many varieties of spirit as there are islands in the sky - genii locorum, revenants, aspects, boggarts ... But when he stops to think on it, two types of spirits are at the top of Exilis's mind, and each could not be philosophically further from the other.
When a Shaman of the Aquilaeans reaches the natural end of their lifetime, the undertake one last journey into the mountainous eyries of their island home, seeking out a brooding electrum eagle pair. There, they end their days in fasting and meditation. After they pass, their body is consumed by the young eaglets, strengthening the bonds between the Aquilaeans and their eagles. The eagles so fed grow up to be larger, stronger, and more intelligent than normal electrum eagles; the shaman's spirit rides alongside the eagles, serving as guides and messengers of the gods. The shaman's bones are nearly always returned to the nearest Aquilaean village by the eagles, where the remaining bits of the shaman's spirit allows them to be used in auguries. Exilis carries a pouch of such bones with him at all times. All. Times.
The ancestral enemies of the Aquilaeans, the Oh'rah-hain, had their own uses for spirits. Using foul blood magic, they attacked the very souls of those with whom they warred in myriad ways, but among the worst was muntyremallack, the "Family Curse." One of their favorite uses for important captives, the muntyremallack required a two-day orgy of human sacrifice to build up sufficient power in the Oh'rah-hain priests, at the culmination of which the spirit was ripped from the captive and transformed into a blood hunter. This human-shaped cloud of red-colored mist retained enough of the original victim's features to be recognizable, though its face was always twisted in silent screams of torment. The blood hunter was then sent forth, and it unerringly sought out a close family member of the victim. Able to travel as quickly as shadows and pass through even the smallest gap, a blood hunter could easily surprise and murder its victim, devouring a portion of the target's soul, shredding the rest, and adding a new face. It then sought out a new victim, and then another, and another, until either the entire family line had been extinguished or the hunter itself was destroyed.
Exilis, standing separate Doruthan, remarks to Hawthorn, quietly, "These are old enough to be trained as warriors, but they comport themselves as children. We must ensure that when we speak, they listen - or else their blood will be on our hands."
[OOC: oops... Apparently have just had this spirit draft sitting here for a couple days. I'll just jump in here.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
No that’s it, she agrees and is completely fine with having a crappy old airship. She’s got her hands on her hips and a broad smile on her face.
Zahab gives you a polite nod of thanks Hawthorne. He was way to far away to hear your whispering, surely. Then he slowly and carefully twirls with one leg out stretched, and then flips onto two fingers and back into both feet.
“You done Zabby?”, calls Goh over her shoulder.
Goh is more or less the leader. She’s of a different sect than the others, an old fashioned bunch that remember a time when their faith was smaller, and a sword was needed to keep their freedom of expression. She’s the last of them, potentially, and tries to act more mature for it.
“Gentlemen, your payment, up front. Now please follow me to our craft. I promise you I can pilot it well enough, we need only your advice and, though I doubt we’ll need it, your protection from the wilds.”
She bows with her clenched fist striking her palm, while the other three bow with their hands by their sides.
—
After forgetting to untie it before lift-off, and a few boots to the hull later, you’re off. All the monks have to go on is a sighting and the spirits last noted direction. You’re going out west of Lucky Island, to uncharted sky. That’s becoming a welcome habit no doubt.
The wind is northern, blustery, but nothing your mounts can’t handle. The summer sun is high and the clouds are soft orange towers against the bright blue.
By flying in a foot from the deck Exilis (another of the many skills you learned as a scout) you learn of the limited understanding the monks have of the spirit.
- It’s large enough to see at a distance without a telescope.
- It has more than two wings.
- Light passes through it.
- It sings a beautiful song.
“I intent to dedicate a book of poetry to the spirit, and I hope I might offer tribute to its song in the form of my own piece. Once I hear it, I will bring it’s wonder to as many as I am able.”, the soft-spoken Pang suggests.
You barrel roll off and rejoin the port front of the guarding square. The rest of you are flying around the airship in your chosen position.
You’ve nothing opposing, so tell me your thoughts on the mission ahead of you, or ask an ally a question.
The wind swells beneath you, and is pick up at your backs. Looks like it’ll be a windy one today.
Lucky Island comes into view far below you. Not much has changed, but you see a single lazy line of smoke drifting from beneath a mushroom tower. Work is starting on the meeting place already.
Your course is set, but you could convince the monks to land on Lucky Island for a spell if you wish. Roll+CHA to offer your sound advice.
No matter what, they’ll heed your words.
On a 10+, hold 3.
On a 7-9, hold 1.
On a 6-, you gain no hold, and one of the monks disagrees with you. They become a rival to you.
Spend your hold at any time to add 1 to a roll you make on the island while the monks are present.
Otherwise it’s time for a Perilous Journey!
Choose your role, first come first serve, and make the move.
When you travel through hostile territory, choose one member of the party to act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster (the same character cannot have two jobs).
If you don’t have enough party members or choose not to assign a job, treat that job as if it had rolled a 6.
Each character with a job to do rolls+WIS.
On a 10+,...
... the quartermaster reduces the number of rations required by one.
...the trailblazer reduces the amount of time it takes to reach your destination (the GM will say by how much).
...the scout will spot any trouble quick enough to let you get the drop on it.
On a 7-9, each role performs their job as expected: the normal number of rations are consumed, the journey takes about as long as expected, no one gets the drop on you but you don’t get the drop on them either.
On a 6, things go badly! Expect the worst!
"Exilis, what do you think of this motley crew and their contraption? I'm just as eager to meet the spirits of this new sky, but these monks seem to me to be less prepared and equipped than they ought be."
The wind grows at your backs, and the monks are quick to man the lines. Lina hollers and whoops as the old boat picks up speed.
"I have seen better ships sold for scrap. And the monks themselves are green. I would suggest we stop on Lucky Island to better instruct them, but I worry they would not be able to get their boat moving again." He pauses a moment, and thinks. "The youngest one - Zahab? - is the only one who seems to be taking this seriously. Goh acts at being serious, but it is the seriousness of a lieutenant of foot on their first assault. When the feathers rain, we will see what her mettle is."
[OOC: As an immaculately-trained air cavalry scout
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Geth, roll 2d6+2 Trailblazing
[OOC: apologies for posting sparsely — having some moving/new-job stress, so like I’ve been voraciously reading y’all’s updates but feeling low on creative juice]
Doruthan can act as whatever needs to be done, and I've got 1 Preparation I can burn if I need to not make the roll suck. Trailblazer then, maybe? Getting there faster is good, right? Boy I suck at reading sometimes.
Also, I'm ambivalent to stopping at Lucky Island.
Also, @Endless_Serpents, would Doruthan have had time to grab some rations? I was a little unclear on the timing of things, and the only thing I (the player) care about gear-wise right now is making sure he's got rations for the trip (beyond what the monks are providing).]
I’ll post after 1800GMT, it’s a busy one today.]
You each must eat one ration, but none of your supplies are wasted or lost. Doruthan saw to that.
With Exilis ever at the fore, the scout ensured your safe passage. You head into unknown sky once more, just as the sky turns a light shade of green.
They sky, as you know, shouldn’t really do that...
The sun is high in the sky, and the new moon is also present. There’s no reason the sky should be anything but blue.
To the west you see an island of shifting sand and rocky plateaus. It has a huge hole through it, like a piece of cheese. Who knows how that happened, but it was no doubt thousands o years ago.
The sky is half covered in clouds, but it’s not set to rain today.
What do you do?
“Dude.”, another replies.
Gentle Pang, a large gangily looking young man with a bald head, slowly takes the twig from behind your ear Hawthorne.
“This is from a very old tree. See the knots? How hard and brittle it is? I don’t know what type of tree though.”, he says softly, almost a whisper, “I wonder where it blew in from?”
“You’re looking at twigs when the sky’s green! So help me Pang!”, scolds Goh.
Goh marches up to the fore of their craft and looks all around.
“Seems like it fades back to blue eventually, hard to tell. But it’s pretty green over there!”
There’s a lone slip of rock in the distance (top right of C4) that seems to, not glow, but exude the green sky from it. If you were to travel far enough beyond it the sky would return to its usual colour.
Time to investigate.
Exilis, Discern Realities to get an idea what’s visibly on that rock.
Hawthorne, do you seek the guidance of your goddess through spell, or would you Spout Lore about spirits?
Doruthan, the monks see you as someone like them (rightly or wrongly), roll+CHA.
On a 10+, they follow orders.
On a 7-9, they’ll go about what you want their own fool way.
On a 6-, they’ll get in the way.
[OOC: Feel free to continue the scene with Hawthorne on deck as you do this.]
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Doruthan, Goh puts her hands on her hips and you’re pretty sure she’s trying to do an impression of you, whether she realises it or not.
She hollers up to you, “I think it wise to circle the rock, to see if there’s trouble to pummel or... not to pummel.”
Zahab is on the other side of the craft, crouched on a thin wooden guardrail. The lad waves to you as you land Hawthorne, then tumbled over to you.
“Your thoughts, Brother to the Moon?”, he queries, “I honestly couldn’t guess.”
Doruthan rears back on Squall's harness, attempting to hold place in the sky. The reticent wurm bucks a bit and twists in the wind, but feels no reason to fight its rider in this moment.
Geth, roll 2d6+1 for Monking Out (CHA)
Doruthan, Squall lets out a slow, continuous growl. It slowly circles in on itself, sniffing and biting at the air. It want one of your rations. Choose now:
- Give Squall a ration.
- Squall takes 1 stress, but with not disobey again during this expedition.
(-1 Ration)
Geth, roll 2d6+0 Spout Lore
Though you’ve never heard of it, if anything could change the shade of the sky it’d be a spirit. This begs the question what mood, or state, would cause it to do such a thing. If a person’s skin turned a different colour, what would you associate that with?
He grins triumphantly at Zahab. “Do you think this green sky could mean the spirit of the island is feeling, ah, a bit queasy?”
He looks to Pang, who looks around to the others, then back to you.
Zahab speak for them all with his question, “But just what can make a spirit sick?”
Pang takes the wheel and lowers the craft a touch closer, against Dorathan’s better judgement.
“They say back home a bellyache is because of stomach devils. We know that’s not true... I am a man of medicine... But what ills a spirit? We must help it! Surely this is why it was spotted, it sought aid before if was too late!”