Category: Apocalypse World

We are led by Skitterfly and Mefecil, the lieutenants of the Blackcoats and Conglomerate and come across a smoldering battlefield.

Thelian scans the battlefield, trying to identify the conflict and any current threats. The battlefield was abandoned by the forces a few weeks ago, though there’s smoldering still going on. Many fallen are blackcoats, but others are in mail without Conglomerate or Blackcoat markings.

Skitterfly curses “dammit”. Smoke roils across the battlefield, resolving into a animate suckerfish of smoke. 

Daelwyn asks what it is. 

“It’s a canker-knight”, replies Skitterfly. ”Have you not heard the tales of the canker-knight?” The smoke form sinks into the bloody battlefield and fills fallen suits of armor with living smoke. Three smoky forms wrapped by armor from the battlefield rise from the ground, draw blades and charge!

Thelian calls for Lt. Skitterfly and Mefecil to cover his flanks as he charges toward to smoke filled armor. Skitterfly follows a few paces behind, but Mefecil retreats behind his companion Snailo.

Raumoko takes human form and calls on Daelwyn to boldly fight; Daelwyn draws his bow and fires a volley of several arrows, peppering one smoke creature seriously but not fatally.

While everyone is distracted, Jess’s bolo from the edge of the treeline takes down Ubagork (Lt. Skitterfly’s henchman), who topples.

Thelian’s charge brings him close to the large armored smoke leader; he dances just out of the foe’s range. Thelian stabs his spear into the smoke glimmering in the joints between the great creature’s armor plates. Thelian’s ancient spear head shines pink as the smoke snares on the head. He drags the smoke out of the armored form; unnaturally, the smoke clings to the spear tip. But the armor falls, and the smoke dissolves, wisping away from the glowing spearhead. 

Jess rushes forward, striking the fallen Ubagork while it’s tangled; it’s grievously wounded and half sawn through, but mushrooms don’t bleed right.

The smoke of the last Canker-Knight creature begins flowing out, rattling nearby armor as it moves to animate a fallen giant’s armor. But Thelian strikes hard, stabbing the exposed smoke where it writhes outside the armor; pink glowing around the spear head; again drawing out the smoke. The battlefield armor ceases rattling and falls still, but combat continues between the band and the escorts.

Daelwyn pivots and fires his arrows at Snailo by surprise; Snailo’s shell turns aside just enough of the shot to barely keep its life.

Mefecil shouts about the contract, that the attack is unlawful. Jess volleys daggers at Snailo, who topples to the ground, shrinking and withering to the salted coating, dead.

Thelian calls for a truce, but is ignored; he’s citing an old form. (+1 XP)  Mefecil sneers, “cast down arms like the fallen Queen?” and strikes at Daelwyn. Daelwyn turns and flees, rushing to Thelian for protection.

Skitterfly’s eyes trace Ruamoko’s form for weakness; Ruamoko presses his hands together, his tattoos flash bright and blue, smoky ash clings to him as he begins calling on the volcano spirits to strike Skitterfly.

But Skitterfly is deadly fast; his moth wings unfurl as he leaps at Ruamoko. Skitterfly stabs Ruamoko in the chest before he can complete his spirit call. Ruamoko’s eyes fade from lava red to obsidian as smoke boils from Ruamoko’s wounds, and ash expels from him in a broad cloud. Ruamoko coughs as the ash afflicts him strongly, ash stings the eyes of all the combatants and reduces visibility for everyone to less than an arm’s length.

End of Session:
+1 XP for inspiring Ruamoko to show his contempt for civilized contracts
+1 XP for “protecting those weaker”
+1 XP learning about Thundering Steel’s embargo
+1 XP Learned about rites changing in Thundering Steel
+1 XP Overcome Canker-Knight = +6 Thelian this session

Dungeon World 8/23

Darkness, borne of smoke and flutters of ash settle on the battlefield. Everyone staggers, the ash concealing their opponents of a few breaths ago.

Thelian wipes away the caked ash and stretches his senses, (fails +1 XP on Discern Realities check), spying 2 glowing red eyes that float through, stirring the ash. Thelian sweeps at them reflexively, but the spear slashes through without resistance.

Mefecil calls out in panic, slashing his spear, “where are you?” Jess lurks in the nearby ashen shadows, unseen, and strikes at the many-eyed. His knife severs several eye-stalks, but Mefecil doesn’t fall. They square off; as Jess darts in, taking a serious slash in the side from Mefecil’s spear, but his dagger sinks deep in the foe, who shudders and falls, its many eyes stare sightlessly.

Daelwyn seeks out Jess in the ash cloud, calling “Let me take a stab at that,” but is blindsided and shouldered to the ground by Ubagork (who remains bound). As the mushroom beast lines up to smash Daelwyn’s head in, Daelwyn calls out “Umami!”.

Ruamoko runs through the mist, seeking out Daelwyn and Ubagork. Ubagork looms overhead, while Daelwyn is smeared in ash underfoot. Ruamoko still streams ash from his wounds, looking almost like an elemental with glowing lava like eyes; Ruamoko slams his taiaha into its chest and it falls together into the ash beside Daelwyn. Daelwyn calls out “Thanks Ruamoko! He was not a fun guy!”

Thelian calls a challenge to the red eyes; stabbing his spear forward. The spear head sticks in the nearby mass, a blow scored. The spear begins to glow and smolder, burning Thelian’s hands. Thelian’s spear sears hot and glows like molten metal… 

Daelwyn strums mightily and the sound thrums out, as almost visible concentric circles, guiding him and Ruamoko through the falling ash, the sound waves opening a clear space, exposing the melee of Thelian and the fire spirit.

Under the sounds of chaos, Jess positions himself carefully, sinking into the ashen shadows and prepared to strike should Skitterfly reappear or a new foe expose itself.

The burning spear cannot be held long, so Thelian commits. He leaps mightily, torquing the spear so he will fall atop the spirit with his weight to drive the spear deep, pinning it. As the spirit is pierced and pinned into the ground, its skin bursts, expelling flames and fire that scorch and cruelly burn Thelian.  The lava eyes lose their molten glow, now cold and sharp 2 obsidian eyes stare up from the fallen spirit. 

Skitterfly emerges from the ashen smoke; Jess leaps unseen from ambush, intercepting it in mid-flight. Skitterfly’s assassin training holds, casting its dagger forward despite the interception. The dagger flashes towards Thelian, almost catching him unaware. At the last moment Thelian tries to leap aside, but staggers with exhaustion into the dagger’s path… and the dagger strikes true, deep into his chest.

Skitterfly writhes under Jess, and confusedly asks “You betrayed them, so that means you’re on our side, right?” Jess calls it a fool, drives the knife deep, and it expires.

Thelian’s feet slide on the slippery ash, and he topples, spilling his blood into the ash. He bleeds at the verge of death.. 

(Last Breath, roll total = 8, so death will bargain to begin the next session.)

+1 XP, for Thelian, interposed himself between foes and friends.
Group XP: What we learned? +1 XP,  Overcome Foes: +1 XP. Loot memorable treasure? No

Dungeon World 7/19

The Slough of the Sun is a district, swampish, with a crashed starship at its center.

Weirdly, the water can look extremely deep; like it goes through to space at the bottom. Stars shine through in places.

Jess, scouting makes a discovery (7). Across the path Jess notes that our path is little traveled; ahead a string small circles of mushrooms, almost growing in the the shape of footsteps.

Thelian (8) — we’re being stalked, by glowing eyes occasionally — but Jess is set on by tendrils out of the reeds. Like worms, they come out of the ground; he leaps aside, but they continue crawling up; they sprout near him, their gross oily tendrils crawl around his new feet.

With a torch he sweeps at them, they wither back and “bleed” dark oil. The light draws attention; Thelian rushes forward to help him, but the threat retreats.

Daelwyn knows that the Sun-Swamp has a number of creatures and fauna are affected in strange and mysterious ways. “The city from the sky changes it all”.

Thelian keeps an eye out for dangerous things, in case the tendrils are holding us delayed for an ambush — but none manifests. We continue to the city/ruins unharmed, arriving late — almost around midnight.

Before we cross the river, we come upon Crimson’s Crashpad, an inn. Ruamoko arm wrestles a purple, one armed woman; when they prove well matched, he shifts into a great ape and slams her arm to the table. The hostess quickly moves us to another table and asks us to not make a scene.

The river catches light , like a sudden dawn, brightening intensely. Small pools of light scattered through the city also glow on the same schedule. 

A glowing ball is in/below the river; shining through the deep cracks, like the stars that shine from the depths of the ponds, creating a second “day” near the end of the night.

Since they were tired, and the room was expensive, Thelian decided to sleep. Daelwyn does the same. Ruamoko stalks the streets, exploring the town; searching out a meal. Jess had attempted to sleep on the roof, but the bright of the river woke him and he decided to search the town for the oil that we’d spotted bleeding from the ground.

Jess came across a trader, Skaxxx, selling goblets of the oily fluid. The oil becomes the worms when spilled; when they’re climbing up from the ground, he pockets the cup surreptitiously and kicks over oil in the meantime; letting the oil worms menace the shopkeep. (The cup is worth 80 silver.)  

Ruamoko eats a meaty mushroom; it cuts like a rare steak. Later, he strides the city, locals follow while playing music to match his stride; when he changes to a velociraptor and they break out scary deeper music. A body sinks into the river, he spies.

After a few hours the river-day ends, and the stars and night emerge again; the city slides into night. Ruamoko comes back, shortly before actual dawn.

On the next day’s journey, a weasel-person is in a blind, talking with a deer-person. They’re watching over the path to Thundering Steel, hiding and waiting for travelers to fall into a pit trap. Jess scouts ahead as normal.

Jess warns us about the blind, pointing Ruamoko at it. Ruamoko changes into a triceratops and Daelwyn leaps aboard; they charge at the blind, but Daelwyn is scraped off by the low tree branches. Ruamoko smashes forward sans rider, smashing into the crouched weasel man, trampling it underfoot, where it’s crushed.

The Deer w/ feathered antlers shrieks out in birdsong; after a startled pause, it starts hopping away.  Ruamoko shifts into a panther and chases it down. 

There’s a person, dying, laying in the water, a previous victim of the weasel ambush. She squawks like a chicken as Jess steps on her; she’s stained dark with blood at the water’s edge.

Jess saves Yaya Baga (the chicken lady), and they escape together. She lives in a hut with giant human feet. She is an alchemist, and identifies some of Jess’s old loot. Vagzarks storm on vanity, when drunk it turns you into the most beautiful version of yourself. Treat a Cha roll as 10+. 

Jess strolls back from Yaya Baga’s, and rejoins the companions who were still searching out their missing friend.

As we approach the border of Thundering Steel, sharp chiseled towers thrust up from the ground. There’s a zone of death; it’s heavily guarded, a notoriously deadly barrier to keep the dangers of the district contained. Dealwyn tells the tale of Sir Gordrick the Wanderer, who visited every parish of Dis. He rescued his third wife, Brunhilda, from the district.

There road leads to the gates, and legal entry is allowed, but only under 

“If you have been sent here under punishment of law,” or a long series of other causes to be committed to the district. A few seconds later the second tower’s guard repeats the same speech a few seconds delay. One faction is the blackcoats, the other wears black coats with gold accents. There are two large factions, The Conglomerate of War and Valor was Thelian’s old faction. 

Our goal is to escort Aapri’s sister Ubri out of the sector — or, that failing, to deliver the trinket that allows their distant communications.

The moth creature whistles, and the barrier briefly dissolves. As they approach, Thelian suggests indirectly that Jess vanish into the shadows. Daelwyn and Thelian sign the contract; they review it carefully.

The last barrier falls, bringing a wash of wind scented with blood, rust, and gunpowder. In the distance cannon boom.

The guards assigned to escort/recruit are:

Lt. Skitterfly (mothman) & Ubagork is a large muscled mushroom person. 

From Border Policeman Meficil of the many eyes, and Snailo are the Conglomorate faction.

Both of the gates close at almost the same time; Jess barely makes it through. He dons the necklace and contacts Aapri, verifies that the necklace works. She sees that we’re in Thundering Steel, he tells her that we just arrived.

Start up in action next time, defending against the goblin raiding party.  Daelwyn sings an inspiring ballad; unfortunately, the goblins are seized by the electric pounding of the beat.

Thelian rushes forward to clash with the goblins; they leap over his thrust, and bear the shield and spear tip to the ground, then slash at his ankle with a rusty sickle; another bites his nose. (12 damage – 2 armor, +1 XP). 

The manure farmer’s goodwife rings a bell, which is caught and repeated by neighbors. Cannon shot from the town plows nearby.

Thelian finds his resolve, leaps back to the cover of the low wall running along the road. With that security, he pivots to the attack, striking relentlessly and cutting down the last four who hadn’t fled.

When the cannon shot continues, Thelian tries to discern the cause, and shouts out a warning to Raumoko, that they’re probably firing at the terrifying dragon. Raumoko shifts back to human form. (+1 XP, discern realities failure) 

Thelian and Jess meet the approaching warriors from the town.

Daelwyn chats with the manure farmer, joined by the now human Raumoko. 

• Raumoko is ogled by the wife.
• Dealwyn is charmed and invites her to the celebration in the town, but she demures.

While we carouse —

    One-upper, Boreast Lario, brags about the founding of Castledale.    Lich-queen was slain by an unnamed hero, slew the lich queen with an ancient and powerful magic spear.

    A beggar kid approaches Jess, confides that target lives in Castledale, owns a jeweler’s shop, many attempts have been made in the past, but he’s too protected.

    Daelwyn one-up poetry battle with Boreast, telling competitive tales; Boreast is not limited by by actual myth and history, just making up increasingly fake but gilded stories, which dazzle the local rubes.

    After Boreast finishes a tale and the crowd is dazzled by his boasts, the skeleton bell rings out.

    The graveyard has 2 guards at the edge, who bicker about not entering the graveyard where the 

XP: Alignment +1 (defended town & farmer), +1 XP for learning, +1 XP for defeating re-re-re animated skeletons

The session begins with the party being debriefed by the Wizards Dirnov, examining their mystical measuring apparatuses from the expedition into the Heart of Ice. They try to get us to  describe more of our experiences, particularly the gem people of the frozen city, gained from exploring the world beyond the rift… without compensation. Daelwyn catches them at it and turns the tables, leading the wizards to reveal their motives– the demoness in the heart of ice, when she wakes, owes them a debt. 

We sell them their rival’s exploration journal (captured from the top of the crevasse camp) for another 100 silver, netting us 125 silver apiece. They send us off, and we return home, to the Savage Lands district.

We live high in a treetop apartment — relatively spacious, with one other group sharing the building on our branch. The Savage Lands were battered by a storm that threw down nearby apartment trees while we were away on our last mission… leaving our current rent looking cheap (at 5 silver a day) due to the shortage of housing. If we’re ever unable to pay, the landlord now has every incentive to toss us to charge the next group a higher rent.

We decide to take on the job that Jess was given by Aapri, which involves delivering an artifact (one necklace of a magically linked pair) to her sister Uupri. Her sister is somewhere in Thundering Steel, but we have to find out where in the district she is. She’s offering 100 silver total for this dangerous job, which seems quite scant for such a dangerous district, without even considering that there are other districts to traverse along the way…

While she’s pitching us the job, Jess ducks out to “use the restroom”. He encourages Ruamoko to distract Aapri, so he can burgle her place while she’s distracted, to look for signs of deception or corroborate her story. He examines her not-luxurious room, pockets a cloak clasp, and returns to the meeting. Jess throws Aapri’s clasp on the table and notes that we’re no small fish — that there’s substantial danger and not a large fee to back it. Thelian shows scars from his time in the Thundering Steel district, emphasizing the danger, to back Jess’s play. Aapri doesn’t have cash, but promises Daelwyn that she’ll be in our debt, if we can just find her sister. It’s been years since they saw each other, and the district is a grinder of war; we nod and accept the mission. (There’s also a moment where her eyes linger on Thelian; probably wondering if he’s the same Thelian of the stories and tales.)

We set off to the south, heading through the Castledale parish. The seaside district is centered on a castle with a surrounding village. We’ve heard that they want to dominate nearby districts, extending their stability and finances into neighboring Dis. It’s a very defensible parish; famous for their extensive livestock and steeds. Long ago, the current rulers conquered the deer people and their necromancer queen; some of the deer people remain around the fringes.

While we’re advancing through the district, in the hills near the village Jess spots (with his new spyglass) an armed band of goblins preparing to raid the village. Jess calls out and the goblins pivot to intercept our group instead. Thelian moves to intercept… and end session.

We traveled to the Palace district where we interviewed and were hired by the Wizards Dirnov,  to explore the newly arrived district that’s sandwiched between the Salt and Starlight districts. In the interview they give us a number of odd vials, explaining that this one will crystalize and that one turn colors. They have foreseen a great deal about the new district, but cannot tell us much, to avoid corrupting their foresight. (They also gave us a “can of nuts” with a spring loaded snake inside, so they’re jokesters too.)

Among the tantalizing warning devices is that a vial of red material, something like still fluid blood, will freeze when we reach the frozen heart with icy blood flowing through its veins. We should explore the district until this other vial precipitates… which is also a warning, and we should hustle out of the dangerous new parish. There’s also a thread that will trace beads to record temperatures, and other wonders that we’re to retain.

We hire at 10 gold for each of us explorers for the dangerous journey, plus we retain anything we find… but they may be interested in artifacts that we recover.

We discussed the two districts, and decided to traverse the Starlight Parish, to approach the new district from the south. The Starlight Parish, Daelwyn tells us, is known for almost perpetual starry night. Their people are honor bound and prone to dueling, psychics are common within the district, and are prone to misreading your thoughts and provoking a duel.

The district includes a reflected – or inverted gravity world below. It’s lit dimly, largely by the distant stars, but also a few lanterns outside the building.

Thelian +1 XP as quartermaster for traversing the district.; costs 8 coins for Thelian as a bribe to not beat up a vendor.

A duel is scheduled in the tunnel that we must traverse on our way to the district; Jess gets roped into witnessing. We take an inn for the night, then reach the fissure at the edge of the district.

The district has been open for only a week; we see pitons in the walls; and people in a base camp. Jess sneaks up to listen in on people in the base camp, but one of the wandering people in the camp sets down a book and starts his way. 

Gagra Etu is surveying the new plane. The wizard Wagrat levels his wand when Daelwyn explains that we’re here on behalf of the brothers Dirnov. That which provokes them, and they level threats demanding that we leave; Jess scurries forward while they’re distracted and snatches a huge tome.

Wagrat unleashed a rain of sparkling fire that dripped over Daelwyn, Raomoko, and Thelian. Thelian runs toward the chasm and leaps across; it is too far and he snatches a rope dangling from the far face… but he has 10’ to climb. Rao becomes a winged panther and leaps across, slashing into the wizard as he pulls out a stone focus. He falls dead from the savage bite.

Gagra calls out and rushes from the tent with a knife, but Daelwyn drops her with a volley of arrows before she could reach Rao in panther form.

We explore the base camp and find climbing kit (x3), cold weather gear (x2), 5 uses of adventuring gear + 5 rations. 

+1 XP for learning about the world, session end.