Game date: Storm 43, 1620.
Dramatis Personae: Pan (Charlie), Anastasia (Alan), Marcus (Lynne) present.Viran (Rupert) absent. Alan played Rupert's character Viran in his absence, and the GM controlled Richard's character Kyrolan. Toni having died, Alan introduced his new character Anastasia, a 16 year old farmer's daughter from the outskirts of Genest, younger sister of Electra.
Kimosa the Black Dryad explained that she was interested in trading the following products: Fermented slimes; a Healing Mould (scrape some onto a wound); Blade Venom; Systemic poison; an emetic; a hangover cure; a stimulant (an Upper); a hallucinogen or 3; a painkiller (which proved to have a side effect - see later); some horrible 'perfumes'; a "cure all disease" potion (antibiotic); and, of course, edible fungi. Her community wants: Dead animals up to a point; large quantities of wood, preferably rotted; Lead; Bronze, preferably worked into tools, arrowheads, axeheads, trowels etc.; ceramic products - potion vials, bowls, urns, plates; a large table; live insects, preferably giant ones.
Meanwhile, Anastasia had followed the other PCs into the forest to see what they were up to. She rather fancied herself as a scout in her new militia outfit, with the reassuring weight of the gladius at her side. From the edge of the clearing she had watched them avoid the Moving Trees; go into the central keep, only to be driven out by some kind of flames; enter the Lodril(?) temple (Kyrolan running out to roll in snow); go into the Earth Temple and then reappear, surrounded by grotesque little humanoids, to disappear into the keep again - presumably under duress?. Deciding they needed her help, Anastasia crept into the ruins, avoiding the dangers the others had so far revealed. She snuck into the keep...
Suddenly, Kimosa stiffened. "Have you lost a member of your party?" she asked the others. "No, why?" "Because there's a human in the upper levels. Could you go talk to them? You're more likely to be able to find out what they're up to." The PCs readily agreed, and intercepted the intruder creeping down a corridor. Imagine their surprise to find little Anastasia from Genest! How they laughed to hear her uneasy explanation of her presence. A SIZ 7 girlie, just 16 years old, presuming to help them - the village Hard Lads! Reluctantly they accepted that they couldn't send her back through the forest alone, and that she could join them temporarily.
They recalled Kimosa saying they could explore certain areas of the ruins. Where? She suggested they start next door.
Next door turned out to be a razed Ulerian temple. The PCs rescued part of an erotic statue (female sans legs) from the rubble - the only thing of value obtained on the entire trip. It was a *@#*%&* to get home, but Marcus and Kyrolan took it back on a drag they lashed together - arguing all the way.
Kimosa suggested their next exploration was in the best-preserved building around, in the northern part of the ruins. The Voralans declined to accompany the PCs, explaining that they didn't tend to come back from there. As the PCs walked up the street towards the building, they were jumped by 4 spiders a full 2m in diameter which scuttled / jumped out of a neighboring building. A long fight ensued (15 rounds).Viran & Kyrolan lost 2 & 1 SAN respectively. Almost immediately Viran was cornered and bitten, to collapse a couple of rounds later - combined HP loss and 6 CON down from poison. The PCs hadn't fought spiders before and kept hitting legs, which had little effect; Pan eventually got pissed off with one particularly resilient creature and reverted to the time-honoured method of despatching arthropods and stomped on it (well ... he kicked it).
With the spiders dead, what to do with Viran? They could heal him but, Kyrolan failed his Treat Poison skill. They took him back to the keep and Kimosa and offered her the spider bodies if she could cure Viran. She gave him some painkiller-fungus but couldn't cure the poison. Viran's pain disappeared, but he went off his head a bit - it had a hallucinogenic side-effect. She gave them a supply of 6 mushrooms which she said would last 2 seasons, to be used in emergencies only - treat them as Vigour potions.
Marcus, Kyrolan and Viran went back to torch the webs. No problem, but a huge 6 metre attercop survived and attacked, knocking 5 CON off Pan before being hewn apart! Repeat treatment on Pan...
The PC's assumed they could stay overnight with the Dark Elves. Strangely the elves agreed readily but said they would have to lock the PCs in a room during the hours of darkness; and should they hear a scraping, knocking noise outside then whatever they did, the PCs mustn't attempt to get out or watch what was going on. When pressed they claimed this was for religious reasons. Sure enough, late that night as the PCs slumbered in their luxurious chamber's decayed moss beds amidst the dank and musty shapes of coprophilic fungi, the Noise could be heard coming up the corridor. Marcus cut a small hole in the rotten door with his dagger and peered through into the corridor, lit by an eery green light from the slime on the walls. He reeled back in shock ( -3 SAN). Kyrolan looked next and he, too excaimed: "eurgh!" ( -1 SAN). They saw... well you'll have to ask them!
The next day the PCs set off home.
Marcus rigged up a drag to get the legless nude staue of the woman home. Kyrolan helped him get it back as it was very heavy. But when they got back to the village, Kyrolan & Marcus fell out over it! They went for each other with their fists (and feet), Marcus saying it was his as he'd found it and rigged up the drag and done all the hard work. Kyrolan said it was the party's. It was a kind of release of tension after the 16-year-olds had returned from a dangerous journey. There followed a very instructive brawl: Marcus started adventuring, if anything, before Kyrolan and they have been on largely the same adventures. But Kyrolan was just so big and healthy that he only took a few bruises from Marcus, whilst his damage bonus got him through Marcus' light armour every time he hit. Eventually Kyrolan decided he didn't really want to kill his friend and, besides, Marcus was probably right about it being his - at least, Kyrolan acknowledged, Marcus had the largest share having been the one who spotted it and being the main one who dragged it back. Besides, Kyrolan didn't really want to just sell such a thing of beauty; he'd rather it stayed in the village. But when he put this to Marcus, he lost his temper, shouting "you keep it then - and I don't want to go anywhere with you lot again!" and stomped off. So the others tried selling it to Mr Icarnos. Unfortunately, he had no idea how much it was worth and offered to sell it for a commission in Thule. This was acceptable and so it was deposited with him. Unfortunately someone pinched it before he went to Thule! Mr Icarnos was very apologetic and offered the PC's 10L compensation (a hell of a lot, even for him) - this was split 2.5L to Kyrolan, Marcus, Pan & Viran and nothing for the girl.
The statue was stolen by Kyrolan. He decided to try & make up with Marcus so he could part on good terms before heading south. He tried to liberate it one night as a present for Marcus, but collapsed with the weight after a hundred yards & had to get Marcus to help. They carried it deep into Knightswood and hid it in a shady glade. Marcus seems to have regained his equanimity.
Calendar for the above
What next? I asked what the PCs would like to do next. Marcus declared he'd rather the others decided on an objective (for a change). Pan decided he'd like to go somewhere you hadn't been before. However, as predicted, the late Toni was the only one of the 3 players' characters who had taken a really consistent interest in mapping, there was a bit of a problem... And Hard Kyrolan left the party to go seek his fortune elsewhere (in Chicago!).
Appendix A: Paniteles Woodstock
First Impressions:
Pan is quite tall and has fair hair and grey eyes. He is quite intelligent, although a bit sly at times.
Second Impressions:
Pan has been in and out of trouble, whilst he was young; mainly for playing practical jokes on people. He is quite trustworthy and loyal to his friends.
Family: Pan has 4 brothers and a sister
Work: ???
Has a wife; A rural accent; sometimes wear some impressive armour; and have an air of confidence about you - a man of the world, well travelled and confident in your ability to handle yourself.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
General: The family is averagely well off farmers. Raise mainly horses, as own a large farm with poor soil. Anastasia lives at home with parents, grandmother, elder sister Electra and her husband, and younger sister Delores.Gets on well with all of them. At the age of 13 parent sdecided she was old enough to get a job, so into service at a big house in Thule. After a couple of years she left under a cloud [see Personal Enemies, below]. She is adopted.
Father: Occupation: Farmer. First name: Meril. Age: 50. Cult(s): Hon-Eel (grain goddess, initiate); Kalikos (lay); Yolande (lay); house Lare (a statuette representing the 'spirit of the house' - a Heartland custom). A robust, hearty man with a cynical eye about peoples' motives, but loyal to the Empire. Very proud of his fine kids, including the adopted one, and believes in not holding them back. "People were always telling me what I should do. I never got anywhere until I began making my own mind up." After growing up as the illegitimate offspring of a servant from Thule and a farmer's wife (the Garzeeni - farmers north of Genest), ran away from home aged 14 to seek fortune in Thule, then Aquapor. There were no openings, so forced into crime. Arrested for theft (a loaf of bread) at age 15, he was sentenced to a chain gang, but by currying favour with a visiting priest managed to get his case re-tried and he was given into the priest's care. Went round with him for a year becoming more interested in the Lunar faith, but eventually parted on good terms to become a settler in the Redlands. However, the 'settlers' were simply used as slave labour - as bad as the chain gang! After a few months the Emperor heard what was going on and had the men responsible executed, and the 'settlers' given some of those mens' wealth and freed. (It was more complex than that as the Redlands are not actually part of the Empire, but that's essentially what happened.) He married & returned to Genest with his new bride, began farming, and started a family. He doesn't disapprove of your joining the militia. His experiences reinforce his view that if you do what everyone wants you to, you end up being used by them; so if you want to strike out as an adventurer, he would support you if he thought you knew what you were doing. Therefore, he allowed you & Electra time off chores to join the militia.
Mother: Occupation: Full-time mother / farmer's wife. First name: Olaris. Age: 47 .Cult(s): Hon-Eel (initiate); Hwarin Dalthippa (lay); Carmanian Invisible God (student); house Lare; Deezola (lay); 7 Mothers (lapsed lay); Pelora (lay); Invisible Orlanth (lapsed lay); White Moon (lapsed lay); some spirit cults (occasional worshipper); Crimson Bat (lapsed lay); Nysalor (occasional worshipper); Red Emperor (occasional lay); Kalikos (lay). * Gossipy *. Superstitious - always nagging you about how to do things. * Credulous * .Highly religious in a non-analytical, faddy way - easily persuaded that X ought to be worshipped. But interest tends to wane after a few weeks (perhaps that's characteristic of Lunars?). The details of each cult tend to blur into all the others after a while. Father Groatalus needs extreme patience when talking to her. * SIZ 15 (fat), INT 10, CHA 14, PA 13. * Current priority: marrying you off. * Extremely conventional, hates father's flouting of customs. Worries about "what the neighbors will think" constantly. The Spirit Cults mentioned above are things like the ruins in Knightswood - someone has told her she should worship / respect the stream, for example, so she says a little prayer whenever she goes to draw water. The Crimson Bat membership arose during her youth in the Redlands; she was mightily impressed by it and thought it was wonderful.
Siblings: 1. Electra. Elder sister. Joined the militia (only girl in it at the time), but when she married & got pregnant she was discharged. Cults: Hon-Eel, 7M. 2. Anastasia herself. adopted as a baby because her parents, Lovaris and Meredeth Black, were being sold into serfdom to pay debts, and claimed she had died whilst their friends Meril & Olaris looked after you, which they were delighted to do as they loved babies. Meril believes they were taken to Thule and sold to a Mr. Overwood in Autumn 1605. 3. Delores, younger sister. Mercenary soul. Cults: Hon-Eel, wants to join Etyries when old enough. Age 14.
Family pets: Delores breeds rats as food for bound spirits, magic sacrifices, terrier-ratting competitions etc. She sells them via Mr Icarnos to be resold in Thule where no doubt they die, but this doesn't seem to bother her. She is trying to collect and selectively breed exotic rats such as albinos, large-eared, superlarge etc. At any one time she has about 20 adults in cages.
Family History: See father, above. Also: your blood-parents were refugees from the northern barony, which was suffering from the Blue Plague at the time. They tried farming in this area, but their farm failed and thay went into debt, then were sold into serfdom by their patron, some nob. Meril had some papers they gave him to give to you, but he's lost them.
Family friends: None of note.
Family enemies: None of note.
Personal friends: Gelert, your nearest neighbors' kid. You have grown up together. His family are modestly-poor thatchers, the father's side is pure Genest-locals for many generations. However, his mother is a foreigner (i.e. still born in Bindle, but many leagues away) and he himself only came to Genest around the age of 7. He's a bit of a slob, like his dog (a completely undisciplined mongrel which is a real pain). You know the other PC's vaguely.
Useful Contact: Verus Heraldus.
Personal enemies: You pissed off your Thule employer, Lord Rennol. He thinks you stole from his house. You suspect it was his son Oros, whose amorous advances you rejected, who stole to pay his gambling debts and left a couple of trinkets in your room. Oros is 18 years old, a rake and wastrel, and a complete waste of space. His father, Lord Rennol, is the Baron's chief military advisor, in charge of his personal soldiers, and quite an important man.
Childhood incident: When you were 10 or so you saw Dreyfus Nomen, a near-neighbor, being visited by a tall, distinguished looking fellow at dusk. Naughtily you crept up to his house and peeked through the window to see who they were. They were just finishing buying a large sack from Dreyfus. As you watched, a human arm pushed out of the sack, and a moaning noise emanated from it! Calmly, the stranger coshed the captive's head with the hilt of a dagger until they went limp. You ran home in terror and couldn't bring yourself to tell anyone what you'd seen [mild insanity, a block on thinking of the event; but sometimes the memory comes back in nightmares and you remember for a few minutes].
Schooling: Essentially none; illiterate; no-one teaches peasant women.
Places you've been: Reventon, Genest, Thule
Family status: Respectable farmers
Your cult: 7M (Lay, joined Storm 1620); Hon-Eel (lay); house Lare.
Prospects: Marriage to a farmer or labourer Typical working day: Up at dawn, work about half the hours of the day. Luxury, compared to being a maid in Thule!
Starting skills: Due to farming / maid background gets +2 STR. +25% Ride Horse - very familiar with them. 30% Cooking.+10% on dagger AT, thrown rock, scythe, grain flail. +5% fist AT and PAR. Speak Lunar (New Pelorian) 15% + Comm. Bonus.
Lores: Animal (farm): 33% (other: 11%) Plant (farm): 33% (other: 11%) Human: 05% + Knowledge Bonus, both Lunar Countryside and Lunar Town. Mineral: 05% + KB, specifically soil. World: 05% + KB - weather, geography etc.
Starting equipment: joined the militia so has the usual such stuff. In addition can borrow a horse whenever from home. 1d6L cash.
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