Thursday, December 14, 2006

Triften's Game: Session n+1

(This will be edited to correct mistakes as my notes are crap.)

Most of the party is hungover after a night of heavy drinking and grumbling about the Black Talon. Jared wakes first and, using a piece of wood, jams the door to Stetta's cart. Meanwhile, Holostarchander decided hang himself upside down in hopes of inducing a vision to provide guidance for the party. He awakens, inverted and numb, with a splitting headache.

Terrence awakens to find himself in Stetta's strong embrace. Fight-or-flight instincts kick in when Stetta informs Terrence that he has made her a real woman, causing Terrance to fling himself, screaming, at the stuck door. Jared watches and listens from outside. Eventually, Terrance free's himself from Stetta's den of iniquity and retreats to the near-safety of his own cart.

After Terrence's screaming quiets down, Holostarchander regains feeling in his limbs and begins his own bout of screaming. (I can't remember who helped him down from his suspension.)

Jared grants Stetta the day off, suggesting she have a picnic with Terrance, before wandering into town to find an apothecary who might provide a love potion. Terrence desperately searches for alcohol, finding that Jared has moved or emptied all of the stashes. Jared finds an apothecary who asks for a rather high price for a love potion and decides to convince the rest of the party to chip in for it to help smooth over the dynamics.

While Jared is gone, Terrence impersonates Jared to try and convince Stetta that Jared is also interested in sleeping with her. When Stetta sees Jared, after he returns from his trip to the apothecary, she lets him down easy and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Jared recovers from the kiss and pitches his idea to the others regarding the love potion. The rest of the party is skeptical.

(There may or may not be a session break here.)

At this point, it is nearly mid-afternoon, and Serpentia is nowhere to be found. Flacco and Kurako take a look around in the nearby grove of trees (druids have a habit of wandering off you know) and Kurako discovers Serpenta's snake by itself. The snake is sluggish and lethargic. The twins attempt to sell the snake (rocks nearly fall) but eventually just return to camp with it to show the others.

Before the discovery of the snake, Terrence bumps into Steve in town. Steve also dresses up (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) and has a small traveling act, so Terrence suspects that Steve has stolen Serpenta away from their show.

Regardless, the show must go on and the troupe has already reserved a section of the marketplace in which to perform. After setting up the tent (and having someone with the Use Rope skill check over the work) and getting ready to start, two small birds fly into the tent. The birds alight on Prima's shoulder and, speaking in Serpenta's voice, deliver a message explaining that Serpenta was kidnapped by the Black Talon and being carried off, possibly northward but she is unsure. She provides information regarding the possible location of King Ordna's wizard who might be able to help them. (I can't remember what the second bird did, but it might have told off Prima and Donna.)

The show is excessively average and after the crowd clears out a number of soldiers remain (I think they may have been from another tavern excursion by the twins.) Thinking fast, someone unties the shoddy ropework, collapsing the tent. Thinking homocidally, someone else lights the tent ablaze. In the ensuing havoc, the party is able to slink away into the night, heading northward.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Triften's Game: The First n Sessions (n ≈ 3)

(This will be edited to flesh out events.)

The story begins in the capital, unimaginatively named "Talwar". The party has been performing together for a few months.


(Jared's vision happens here, correct?)

(Something happens causing them to head down the road after a couple shows. I believe it may have involved pissing off a Black Talon officer.)

The party heads down the road towards the coast. Portsmouth-on-Lides is known to be a little more cosmopolitan and more appreciative of the arts. Along the way, the party spots an ambush up ahead. A small group of PCs circles around and surprises one of the bandits. The rest of the bandits had heard the PCs' approach and stepped aside, leaving "Deaf Gilroy" to be found. After 3 bandits are taken down, their leader, Rigg, flees, leaving a 4th bandit to be captured. The party gives the bandit quite a scare and, in return, receives information on where to find Rigg.




The party stays in a small village along the road for a few days to hold a couple of shows. Earnings are mediocre compared to the city but passable considering the locale. (NOTE: This may have occured before the bandit encounter.)


Farther up the road to Portsmouth, the party encounters a regiment of Black Talon marching down the road. Taking up the whole road. Demanding the party clear off the road. The oxen, being oxen, move slower than the Black Talon would like and so one set of carts is unceremoniously shoved off the road. Thanks to the sloping terrain, the cart ends up listed a little over 45 degrees. The oxen are used to pull the cart upright once again and, after a bit of swearing, the party continues toward the coast.




It is night when the party arrives in Portsmouth, so they convene on a tavern and get in some heavy drinking (getting sloshed on the slush fund). Flacco has an encounter with some dishonest folk who attempt to drug her. Luckily, Kurako has her back and keeps anything bad from happening. Terrance gets especially drunk and is carried back to camp by Stetta. Stetta and Terrance kiss. (This statement in no way implies that a particular party initiated the contact, just that it happened.) Upon return to camp, everyone heads to their carts, except for Terrance, who is carried into Stetta's.




Additionally, somewhere in all this, it was established that five consecutive days of the week are: Odinswag, Throggsday, Freersday, Gundersog, and Gundersoth.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Triften's Game: Intro/Character creation - 8/9/2006

Intro:

The Kingdom of Talwar spent a few centuries as a mish-mash set of warring provinces, always worrying about the next orc incursion, the next lizardfolk raid, or the next kua-toa encounter. 50-some years ago, through brilliant tactics and diplomacy, Ordna of Lides united the human provinces and he was crowned King of Talwar. King Ordna formed an alliance with the eastern and western elf kingdoms so that when an aggresive campaign by the now-united human armies drove the orcs into the forests, their respite would be short-lived. The few survivors retreated to their old strongholds deep in the western swamps.



Throughout this time, Talwar saw increased trade with the dwarves of the northern mountains. Ordna's diplomats were able to enlist the assistance of the dwarves in the form of the great mountain wyrms. The dwarves revered the great wyrm, Falbjynsthfar, and with his blessing, were able to ride others of his kind. With the help of the dwarves and the wyrms, the Talwar army, led by their elite Black Talon soldiers, swept through the western swamps, bringing death to the old Orc kingdoms. The week of genocide would be known as "The Purge" and, for a time, would be celebrated for bringing a new peace and safety for humans, dwarves, and elves.



As the campaign concluded, General Haldren, Captain of the Black Talons, saw his opportunity and, thanks to the massive military machine Ordna had constructed, seized control of the kingdom. Ordna was executed and martial law was declared, enforced by dozens of newly promoted Black Talon regiments. His lieutenant, Kalrid, was promoted to General of the Black Talon, and served his new king well in the coming reign of tyrrany.



However, King Ordna was no fool and had instructed his most trusted assistants and advisors on what to do if these events should pass. Though Haldren got the crown and the kingdom, there were many secrets that slipped through his fingers. It is hoped that one day, these secrets can be his undoing.



The world:

Generic D&D (magic works "normally"), demi-humans rather rare, with dwarves and elves staying hidden away from the insanity of the human kingdom. Dragons/Wyrms are smaller than regular D&D and the most intelligent specimens are a few notches below elephants.



The players:

I wanted as many people to be at the character creation session so everyone could work together and make sure the characters had a good reason to travel and stay together. Attendance was less than spectacular but Noah and Sean came up with the concept of being a band of traveling performers.

  • Terrence and Jared, bards played by Noah and Sean, tear up the stage as the prima-donnas, Prima and Donna.
  • Stetta, a fighter carrying the burden of an abused childhood played by Emmy, performs feats of strength to wow the crowds.
  • The Great Holostarchander, a sorcerer played by Jake, amazes with spectacular pyrotechnics.
  • Serpenta, the snake-charming druid played by Katie, charms more than just animals with her incredible show.
  • Flacco and Kurako, a rogue-fighter duo played by Tanya and John, astonish with acrobatics, dancing, and acrobatic dancing.

The characters have pooled their money to start their careers with 4 wonderful carts and two pair of the strongest oxen their money could buy.