Players: Matthew Klein, Dale Horstman, Karen Twelves, Sean Nittner
System: Polaris
Turns out my AP reports sound good when read by Google text to speech. Thanks Google. Because Matt and Dale listened to the last AP report they were able to catch us up on what happened.
Long ago, the people were dying at the end of the world.
Chara’s Tears
But hope was not yet lost, for Chara still heard the song of the stars.
And so it was that Chara sat in the moonlight crying, asking herself if Nashira was truly a demon. “My love. What if we were wrong?”
Four Birds rested a leather head on her shoulder and spoke in Nashira’s voice “Your heart is heavy my love. How fares my sister?”
“I care not for Mira. It is you that I loved. Tell me, were we wrong?”
“I was not a demon in life, but I am one in death.”
But only if Chara saw a reflection of Nashira in Four Birds, still innocent. Someone she could still save.
And that was how it happened.
And so it was that Chara decided she would bring Nashira back from the dead.
Minkar’s Dreams
But hope was not yet lost, for Minkar still heard the song of the stars.
And so it was that Minkar was in Lasath’s emporium. The store was resplendent, filled with handing beads twilking in the light, rugs in deep colors, and other wonders. Lasath was a tall merchant with alabaster skin covered in henna designs. He wore green robes and seemed to glide rather than walk.
“Ah, one of my favorites has returned. Let me shar with you the new wonders I have obtained. Perhaps you would be interested in this jeweled abacus?”
“I have no need of it, but it is lovely.” Minkar was trying to get to the point where Lasath offered her something more powerful to combat her nightmares. The drugs were no longer working.
“Yes, yes. What about this beatifull glassware, prismatic colors, handblown and incredibly fine.”
“I have glassware.”
“Ah let me show you my pièce de résistance, an obsidian mirror.” As Lesath pulled the cover from the mirror he revealed stone covered in a black liquid that moved like oil and was highly reflective.
In the mirror Minkar saw herself surrounded by snow. “I am having dream again. I need something stronger.”
“Ah…I wasn’t sure if this was something you could endure, but perhaps it is what’s necessary.” Lesath let Minkar continue to observe herself in the mirror while he opened a golden box filled with many treasures. At the bottom of it he pulled a set of glass vials that were all colored the different hues of the rainbow, but appeared to be empty. “If taken in order they will put you in a deep slumber. Each of these have the last breath of a dying hero. If you take just a very small inhalation so you do not let the breath go free, and you just breath in one each night in order, you should sleep well. I must warn you though that non one has successfully used these. But Minkar, you seem like you need something this potent to battle your own demons.”
“What happened to the others who took it?”
“There have been three. One of them is no more. One of them it has had no effect on, but they took a vow of silence and have become a recluse, and one…well… they are in a fluid state at the moment, we shall see what comes of it.
And so it was that Lasath asked for an usual price, that Senator Dziban, who had interfered with his trade, be removed.
You ask far too much. “My sword only swings for the queen of the stars” [Marking the Knight Stellar aspect]
“Ah yes, he need not be slain, simply scared away so that he bothers me no more.”
And that was how it happened.
And so it was that Minkar left in the shadows with the last breath of dying heroes.
Zi’s Investigation
But hope was not yet lost, for Zi still heard the song of the stars.
And so it was that Inquisitor Maaz inspecting the stables where Caph was held. Asking the stable hand if he could have gotten out on his own. “Not without breaking something.”
“Could he have lifted the bar with a shim from inside?”
“He wouldn’t have had the strength or the leverage to do that…Not without help.”
In the evening when Zi was unbraiding his hair, he saw torchlight (from many torches) outside his home. He greeted Inspector Maaz at the door and welcomed him in. Zi offered a glass of starlight wine but Maaz declined because he was on duty (someone had to be).
“The squire who was mistaken when he accused you has gone missing. Do you know anything of this?”
“I have no knowledge of this.”
Maaz could see immediately that Zi was lying to him.
But only if he had no proof of it.
But only if he would doggedly pursue the truth without rest.
And so it was that Inquisitor Maaz left and Zi was alone with his father Asimdike’s armor, where he spotted a blood stain that would not come out. He buffed the plate so hard that it showed his reflection, or rather the reflection of his father who looked at him with disappointment in his eyes.
His mother Azha entered and saw Zi’s glum look. “Your father was too fierce and many time his boldness ended badly. Just know I will do anything to protect you and your station.”
And so it was that Zi ended the night, finishing the entire bottle of of starlight wine on his own.
Atria’s Oracle
But hope was not yet lost, for Atria still heard the song of the stars.
And so it was that Atria snuck into Lesath’s emporium, pulled the covering away from the mirror, sat on the ground before it and asked with reverence for the Oracle’s guidance.
Grumium, their ugly cat, meowed expectantly behind Atria and placed his head on their shoulder. Atria brushed him away and he meandered to through the store, finding his way to merchant Lesath who was watching Atria in the shadows. Grumium showed him affection never granted to Atria.
“Oh Oracle, I have my doubts. Please reassure me that Nashira was a demon.” Atria saw themself in the mirror, surrounded by stars.
The stars pulsed in response and their reflection moved like a marionette. “The stars cannot lie. They can only exist. And so they must be true.”
Still unsure Atria pleaded again “We followed your guidance. If we were wrong…”
“You are responsible for your actions. The song of truth that we taught you does not tell you the truth. It makes what you say truth. You made the truth you wanted. Now… do you want to learn another song?”
Atria’s eye glittered “Oh…. yes!”
And so it was that Atria touched, their skin covered in oily darkness, and then stepped into it. The Atria that stepped out had the wound their left hand (not that their right hand), just has they always had. Atria, made of stars.
They called to Grumium who was drawn to them as if pulled by an invisible leash. They had learned the Song of Luring (and found out that their Song of Truth was actually the Song of Manifesting).
And so it was that Atria, made of stars, stepped into the night.
A promise made
And so it was that Char and Atria stood on the field of battle outside the city of the Mistaken, fighting back to back. Four Birds flew overhead scouting threats and warning of them as they arrived.
While they had been accustomed to fighting beside each other, subconsciously Chara noticed something was wrong. Atria fighting with their left hand cause their synergy to falter occasionally.
Chara told Atria, only knowing what she saw in Four Birds (and not what Atria saw in the mirror) “I believe that Nashira was not a demon when we killed her, but she is now. We made her a demon. Which means we could unmake that mistake.”
Atria plugged their blade into a demon and asked “Was it me that killed that demon, or the sword? Who killed Nashira?”
“We did, with our own hands.”
“Who made her a demon?”
“We cannot know, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we save her.”
Chara wore Nashira’s locket opening on her chest and for a moment it glowed red. In the distance the Lord of Flames, marshalling the demons, sending them one at a time…listening into all that was said.
But only if the Lord quaked in fear because of Chara’s conviction.
“Atria, will you go with me into the Old City to rescue Nashira?”
Atria’s eyes glittered like the stars “I can do better, I can lure her out”
Chara has never trusted Atria s much as she does now.
And so it was that Chara and Atria pledge to bring Nashira back from the dead and restore her.
The “killer” revealed
And so it was that int he dead of night, Minkar was diving in the river to find the body of Caph, and her demon tainted blade. The water was full of bioluminescent that lit her way.
But only if her loyal squire Altair found her and called down from the bridge above. He saw his knight in need and quickly began disrobing to dive down and aid her.
Minkar tried to keep him safe from the horror beneath the water “You should not be here Altair. It is dagnerous.”
He was not dissuaded “It is my duty to serve you. I swore upon your silver sword to always stand at your side.
She commanded him “Leave now, and never speak of this.”
“I can only do the latter my liege, but I will carry your secret unto my death.” He jumped into the water.
But only if he was a weak swimmer and Minkars sword was pulling him down.
But only if Minkar rescues him and took the sword back. “Altair, you are going to see something under this water that will change you. You will hate what we find.” Altair was undeterred, still innocent and trusting blindkly in Minkar.
But only if they the river was pushing them towards a waterfall where Inquisitor Maaz and his retinue were combing the river, looking for the body of Caph. Their torchlight visible and time running short.
Minkar saw a glint underwater and dove again. She surfaced with the ice cold body of Caph and told Altiar that he needed to pull the dagger from Caph and claim it as his own.
Her squire tried with all his might but the dagger kept slipping from his hands. Finally he placed both feet upon the both and both hands on the blade. With one mighty pull, he loosed the dagger from it’s bloody sheath, but in doing so, flung backwards and crashed his head upon a stone.
But only if the dagger whispered to Minkar “the blood price has been paid” and took Altair as her blood debt.
It shall not come to pass! [Minkar rolled Light and failed.] It did come to pass!
And so it was that Altair’s body was found by the Inquisitor, holding the murder weapon that killed Caph. All just a little bit too easy.
Ending the Hunt
And so it was that Zi entered the giant halls of the inquisitor’s office. Hexagon shaped rooms with vast libraries and dozens of scribes, investigators, and cyphers reading old texts, recording reports from witnesses, and filtering all the information to the central hub, Inquisitor Maaz. Each of the corners of the giant room had a pillar with one of the six virtues. The corner that Maaz’s office came from was inscribed with Truth.
Zi found him with two junior inquisitors that held the blade (safely in a box with velvet lining) and were pleading with him to make a final judgement. As Zi appeared the close the case quickly so he could not see what as within.
Once again they spoke, but this time Zi was armed with the knowledge Minkar shared with him. Maaz said that he sought the truth, and accepted that the truth might lead to unfortunate outcomes (they shared a moment looking at a stain glass relief of the beautiful city as the dawn was just rising for the first time, before the fall).
Maaz protested that there were still too many unknowns to made a final determination, and that
But only if Zi called him out for being led by his own emotions rather than the truth and shamed him into closing the case. “You have the victim, the killer, and the weapon. Why would you keep searching unless there is another truth you want to find?”
It shall not come to pass. [Zi rolled Ice + Zeal and succeded] But it does come to pass!
And so it was that Maaz gives up the formal investigation. He will now hunt Zi personally.
A Confession
And so it was that Atria called the four knights together at Minkar’s well-furnished by compact quarters (a garden she claimed and made her own). There was one cup, one fork, one spoon, one knife, but it was private and tucked away without inquiring neighbors.
The knights discussed Atria’s plan with different looks on their faces: confident (Atria), hopeful (Chara), doubtful (Zi), and mistrusting (Minkar).
Zi protested “We just got this case concluded, why do you want to bring it up again?”
Atria countered “Is there anything more noble than saving a knight from the Mistaken?”
“Wouldn’t she have questions…about why we killed her?”
“She will come around when she learns truth. Wouldn’t you be grateful if you were saved from being a demon? Even if she hates us, it is still the right thing to do!”
And so it was that we agreed to go and save Nashira. The four knights all put their hands together to make a vow when Minkar said “I just have one question. Why is your wound on the left hand and who are you?” She drew her blade to strike the demon clearly masquerading as Atria!
Atria was confused (she did not know herself to ever be anything but left handed) and she says “I grabbed the that demonic blade with my sword hand. This is my sword hand.” Holding her hand aloft. When she could not convince them with words she offered to show proof and asked that we all come with her to learn.
But only if Atria was first bound in chains and her silver sword taken away.
But only if there was a shred of trust in her as a knight.
And so it was that the four knights once again crept into Lesath’s emporium to look upon the obsidian mirror. Atria told us how the Oracle had guided her.
Chara recoiled “I though it was the stars that guided you.”
“It was. Look into the mirror and you will so.”
Minkar knew the mirror well. “There are not stars in that mirror, only endless know.”
Atria’s companions believed that the mirror had corrupted them and they locked Atria away!
It shall not come to pass [Atria rolled Ice an failed] But it does!
And so it was that Atria was and the mirror were taken into custody. A new case for Inquisitor Maaz to pursue.
But that all happened long ago, and now there are none who remember it.
Thoughts on the game
We had a blast. Often though we weren’t sure when to invoke the ritual language and sometimes we backtracked or retconned to make it work.
Matthew called a few times when I tried to use “But only if” to undo or negate something rather than to add to something, which was a good distinction. It led to the moment of me says “Oh yeah, I know how to respond. Fuck you. It shall not come to pass” (that was a kind and loving fuck you of discovery).
By the end of the session Atria’s zeal was down to 2, while Chara’s is still at 4. Clearly I need to push her harder. And now I know what she wants (to bring back Nashira!) so I’m excited to do it. Next session: Prison Break!
