GM: Stras Acimovic
Players: April Walsh, Jeremiah Frye, Sean Nittner
System: Spell and Blade by Stras Acimovic
The start of this session I was like the White Rabbit. Frantically flipping through my journal—which currently has 52 pages of notes from this game—to find all the the things I wanted to do in town. Talk to Ydra, talk to Lyntok, talk to alchemists, ditch the dream ward bracelet, check in on my dad, find a healer for unnatural wounds, learn about the shadowfolk, tend to the flock at the church, learn more about the Kadr Hakar, find out if the Messenger arrived and who the letter was from. I remembered about half of that, and the session still went long.
I described Skanya experiencing the world like clickbait, everything excites her!
Town Phase
After our last time on Spell & Blade recap, we started the Town Phase. Here’s the current text, though it will likely undergo some revisions.
.
Loot and Coin
We started by selling our loot, but the choice of what to sell was difficult. We had so many treasures from the Tower of Ancients that we didn’t understand, and we weren’t sure we wanted to part with it. Loddi sold the solstice glass, Rulgara thought about selling he star silver, but held onto it. Skanya sold the dreamwire for a few coin. But by and large we kept our treasures including the glow sphere, symbiote suit, heat cube, sky compass, inexhaustible stylus, box of alchemicals, and indestructible glass vial (though Skanya had a plan for it).
Upkeep
Skanya has a room in the temple, alongside her know-it-all sister acolyte so she doesn’t pay for upkeep in Rul. [Acolyte town special] Loddi normally would have stayed in the Blue Barrel Inn or camped outside, but his family was in Rul in preparation for Moontide so he camped in the fairgrounds above the palace. Rulgara coughed up the coin for her apartment in the city.
Town Action: Convalesce
Loddi, used to toughing it on his own, gathered herbs and concoctions to remedy his own wounds [Town Action: Convalesce for free as a Hunter town special]
Visiting the Palace
Rulgara and Skanya headed to the palace to tell Ydra Nightwing about what we found in the tower. Getting to see here was just as convoluted as it was last time. The palace had guards (astride polar bears) but since we were Iskani citizens coming during the day and did not appear to be a threat, they let us pass inside without notice.
Once there however, we had no idea who to talk to. Last time Skanya just climbed up the outer wall and into the throne room window. We found a washerwoman with her basket of laundry and asked for an audience with Ydra. At first she chuckled like we were adorable (I mean, to be fair, we are adorable) but the more she heard about our discoveries and Skanya’s other approach to finding Ydra the more concerned she became “The goddesses will be the death of me” she said as she led us to the library.
There Ydra (the coolest chosen of of Akta) met Rulgara (the coolest chosen of Maya, the Red Queen better watch out!). She took us both in and had a flash of and understanding when she saw the sisters standing beside each other, the mighty Gar towering over Skanya.
Skanya, of course, had dozens of questions, but she sought to keep her excitement contained, and stared with just two.
How should I meet you in the future? Schedule a time. We’ll start tomorrow evening.
What in the what is this golden cube? Rulgara held it aloft, showed Ydra the ring that projected the titan in orange light, and we did our best to explain all we saw in the tower, including that moment where Gar attuned to the ring and knew with perfect accuracy where all of the titans were.
Ydra leaned down to ask Skanya in a conspiratorial whisper “you wanted to know where I kept my Eye?”
Skanya nodded, trying not to look too eager.
Ydra spread her back feathered wings wide and between the feathers we saw a hundred purple eyes, like the one that Skanya carried. Looking through the eyes she examined the cube for a time, and with Gar’s permission, held it.
“This cube seems to allow people who are not ancients to connect to the machines created by ancients through Dream.” After we inquired about how we could use it to interfere with the titans, she continued “You are not a Dream Wizard, I don’t think such a thing even exists, and meddling with this technology could be very dangerous. To assume the outside of the titans made of ancient metals, match the inside of the titans, possibly made of Dream, would be folly. Though you could learn to use his cube, you would likely have to be in their presence to use it, and you might find yourself trapped in another world if you tied to do so.”
Ydra started making gestures as though it was time for us to leave, but Skanya couldn’t help it, she had to ask one more question. “The Red Queen can summon shafts of star metal, right?”
“Yes, she does it with her six foot great sword called Woe that she took from a tower of ancients. And?”
“Well, if she can call star metal, does that also mean she knows where it’s going to fall…say during star fall?”
“Ah, to craft star metal you need both sisters, Maya and Akta to guide you. Akta has the domain of comets, night, and knowledge. You’ll need a Chosen of Akta to help you find where the stars will fall.” Skanya’s eyes went wide. I mean, after all, Ydra was a Chose of Akta. “Tell me little moon shadow, what would you make from star metal?”
Skanya looked to Rulgara and back to Ydra. “I don’t really know. I guess, whatever Rulgara wanted to make.” When pressed about what she wanted most, the closest she could come up with was that she’d like a way to replenish her father’s supply of the Blue Barrel special brew, but she didn’t have any idea how star metal could help with that. She turned to Rulgara for ideas.
“I’d make you a chain shirt, light as a feather, to protect you from harm Skanya.”
Ydra told us that an entire starfall would usually not produce enough metal for that…and that crafting star metal was not a matter of making an object, but a matter of manifesting your belief and your will into a physical form that would last forever.
“Then I would make a circlet for you to wear around your wrist that would represent my love and protect you from harm.”
Skanya looked up and away to try and hold back the tears. Finally she made eye contact with Ydra (somehow that was easier than looking at Rulgara in that moment). Her voice cracked as she says “Yeah, she would make that.” She swallowed and regained her composure a bit. “So, where could we find a Chosen of Akta that could show us the way?” She asked as though she didn’t know she was standing right in front of a Chosen right now.
“There are two in the city, and this one (referring to herself) cannot escort you on an adventure, but perhaps the other can.” After more prying (these chosen do like to make your work for it. “The other is Xravik Shadowsong, or at least that is what he was called, he likely has a more devious epithet now. He is in the dungeons.” She did not know why, but seemed to not be entirely ill disposed towards him and also tacitly encourage us to find out for ourselves what he did to find himself there.
Town Action: Carouse
Loddi, caroused with his family of hunters. Among them were:
- Grandmother Úlna, a beast-touched, who wore a necklace with six white owl feathers.
- Loddi’s parents, eager to see their son and hear his exploits.
- Cousin Kryzan, the hunter who spits in the face of danger and launches himself into the maw of ice wyrms.
- Mary Arrgarr, huge wolf-like creatures, that danced and sniffed butts with Nyx.
They had fatty ice wyrm meat that would keep the citizen or Rul fed over Moontide, furs that could be used for armor and clothing, and glands that the alchemists prize. Raw good that were needed in Rul and made them welcome guests in the grounds above the place.
Loddi attended bringing vegetables and spices to contribute to the feast. He had meant to bring up the topic of inviting Skanya into the family during a quite moment with his grandmother, but it slipped out during the revelry and the other hunters protested. “She’s no hunter. She hasn’t gone out on the wastes with us and brought back a wyrm to feed the family.”
Maybe Skanya could prove herself to them like she proved herself to Loddi, but in the moment, it just felt bad to hear these people he called family doubt his friend. [Carouse. Trouble result. 1 Social Wound]
Town Action: Convalesce
Rulgara, not sure why her insides felt like they wanted to be her outsides after encountering the false sun inside the tower, visited the medic who normally tends to her injuries in the arena. He had her do several movements and tested if she was abnormally sensitive, weak, or numb in her digits. He asked questions her physiological responses so far like whether she has pooped blood, peed blood, or if blood had just left her body in unexpected ways. When he was done, he offered both good and bad news. Rulgara told him to give her the bad news first. “This is going to take time. You need to spend a few weeks taking it easy and resting. That means no smithing or fighting or pushing your body to hard…the good news is you’re young and if you give it time you’ll probably heal without any permanent issues.” The medic offered some fluids for her to drink that would increase her blood flow to see if the current bruises were replaced by new bruises after they healed and if she expelled anything that would be of concern, but mostly told her to take it easy.
“Sure thing doc.”
Town Action: Carouse
Rulgara headed to carouse with her with her rambunctious gladiator friends. What to doctors know. All was well and she felt great until she suddenly started vomiting blood. Hey, that’s what medic had be asking about!
Despite being Marked by Maya, Gar got the sense she really did need to rest up and so the next day she skipped going to temple in order to eat soup and recover. [Carouse. Trouble result. 1 Physical Wound]
Lyntok’s Story
Skanya was concerned for her sister, but also thought it might present a possibility. She could go to the temple (the temple of Maya and Akta are one building, split directly in half between the bright and dark side) and find a way for her sister to return without being shunned. Backstory: Rulgara used her hammer’s father, a star metal item meant only for creation to strike someone in combat, which is considered blasphemous by the acolytes of Maya as that was using an item for an intention that opposed it’s purpose.
But first she’d go check on Lyntok and Lynara. When she arrived it was hard to get a word in edgewise because Kikira, Rulgara’s so-called #1 fan (Skanya argues that she could be #2 at best) kept asking questions about Gar and why they couldn’t stay through Moontide to watch the gladiator games. Kikira had died her hair blue, much to her fathers chagrin, to prove her dedication to Gar. Point to Kikira.
When the excited teen was placated, Skanya asked Lyntok what he knew of the Kadr Hakar and the woman that tended to their sky ship. He shared a lot!
- The ship went down because it was hit by ground lightning.
- The people were speaking Verani and didn’t realize Lyntok understood them.
- Kadr Hakar have been in Isknard for some time. This wasn’t a raid, they were up to something else.
- All the gear was tied to the outside of the ship because the cargo hold had been modified to hold people, perhaps dozens of people.
- While the raiders normally do kidnap people, as far as he could tell, the cargo hold was meant to transport people to Isknard rather than take them.
- He saw map and from what he could glean they had very detailed information about the defensibility of Rul as well as many smaller villages to the northwest. Information about things like granaries and population. The kind of thing an invader would want to know, but who would invade Iskanard, even the almighty Empire of old decided our hope was too much work.
- There was another ship in Iskanard, and the raiders he encountered were concerned that they were running late. The other ship would have perhaps pulled them along to bring them back.
- They seemed to be trying to go back south. Possibly for repairs.
- The woman who managed the ship had two children she was training, one of them no older than nine. She wasn’t part of the crew and though they seemed to be people that respected martial prowess and ruled by violence they would defer to her when she asserted herself.
- They had a title for her, that Skanya would later learn meant Engineer in a language that was similar to Nakar (spoken by the alchemists).
Skanya was worried that they were planning some kind of invasion but couldn’t fathom where. More likely there was some treasure buried in the frozen wastes they wanted to claim, but if so, why bring so many people. She though this would be a concern of the state, but Lyntok seemed to think she’d need of find more evidence of foul play before others too notice. Curiosity and concern were killing her.
Town Action: Carouse
In the afternoon Skanya made it to temple to perform service and tend the flock. She heard stories and shared comforts with the people who attended temple. She also overheard her know-it-all roommate gossiping about the shadowfolk and how the only mention of shadowfolk is the sacred temple of Akta, which isn’t in Rul! It is hidden away somewhere. The high priest interrupted and sent the acolyte to preform menial tasks, but that night, before bed Skanya showed interest and her roomate exploded with more information. “We can’t possibly know the location of the lost temple because it’s been struck from the records…but what if it hasn’t been removed from all the records. I heard it was in a cave somewhere marked with a giant statue of Akta. The temple is supposed to have all the forbidden books of knowledge!” [Acolyte Town Action: Carouse. Rumor gained]
Skanya had difficulty sleeping that night, dreams of exploring hidden temples filling her mind.
In the morning however, she talked to the acolytes of Maya and told them about Rulgara’s exploits, trying to impress them. Most didn’t believe her or thought she was exagerating, but one of the people in the temple spoke up “I was one of the people captured by the Kadr Hakar and Rulgara saved us. I don’t now if all these stories about ancient towers is true, but at least that much I saw with my own eyes!” That seemed to move some of the acolytes but others still bore a grudge. Finally one of them, Kyssa Silversong spoke up “It doesn’t matter if we like her or not. The rules of the temple are clear. If she shows up with a scar and a story she can stay here and use our forge.” There was much grumbling but Skanya was delighted that she found a way in for her sister.
She returned where Gar was resting with soup and news. Gar had plenty of scars and even more stories to share!
Sisters
The sisters talked about the sky compass (what Skanya is calling it) and what it might be pointing to. Skanya noticed that it moved but it always pointed up. She thought for a moment it might be a sky city, but on a clear day she looked up and could tell there wasn’t one where it pointed. Maybe it pointed to the stars?
Gar wasn’t sure either, but since she was at home resting, she offered to monitor it and track it’s movements to try and figure out what it was pointing to.
Town Action: Training
Skanya attended the palace to train with Ydra. Before they began she admitted that she was probably rushing into things before and thought it was probably a good idea to slow down a bit. “Ydra, it get the sense from you that being a Chosen of Akta isn’t always stars and rainbows. Could you tell me what it’s like?”
“Most people ask me about the goddess, but not about myself. Do you love you family Skanya?”
“Yes!” Skanya blurted out before Ydra was even finished. She was go glad to have an question she knew the answer to emphatically.
“But sometimes they aren’t easy to love, true?”
“That doesn’t matter. That’s the point of family, you love them even when it isn’t easy.”
“But it can start to feel like a job, can’t it?”
Skanya looked incredulous. For once she knew her footing. “So what it it does. Sometimes it takes work to care for people, but you do it anyway. And jobs aren’t bad. Jobs can be rewarding if your doing something that is meaningful to you.”
“Well, a god isn’t a person, but their relationship to the Chosen is very close. It can sometimes be wonderful, but it can also be great burden.”
Skanya looked down “I know about being a burden.”
“It’s much easier to become marked by Maya than it is to be marked by Akta. Maya is bright and everyone looks to her. Loving her is simple. Seeing Akta is harder.” She talked more about what being a chosen meant to her and what it took. “Do you remember the ethos of Akta?”
Skanya recited her ethos. Not perfectly, but close
Stories are the currency of the soul.
A new moon must become full.
Do not let darkness conceal your own truths.
Ydra was pleased that she remembered (mostly) and further pleased that Skanya decided to take more caution in her studies and learn to Attune, before trying to learn Divination.
“Akta wants us to help us become our true selves and for us to help others do the same. When you look in the mirror you see all of our faults, but you haven’t seen how you’re doing her work even now.”
Skanya did not know how to respond. She wanted to believe Ydra, but in her heart it felt like pity more than praise. Just the same she studied under her tutor and began to learn how to attune to her Eye of Akta.
“Find a box to put it in!” Ydra told her during the training. “I’m serious. You never know when she’s going to look through it and she often does so in the most inopportune times. Get a box!”
Skanya also discovered through her training that things that glow purple in the eye are those than contain secrets. That could be a hidden door, an item with unknown properties, or just something that Akta is interested in. Her sky compass glowed back in the temple…there’s got to be more to it. [Training Action]
What’s this Do
Skanya, always full of questions, visited an Ancient-Touched alchemist in Rul to find out more about the woman who worked on the sky raider’s ship. She offered the indestructible glass vial in exchange for knowledge. The work she learned from Lyntok meant “Engineer” but not in any language (or script even) that she spoke. It was related to the Alchemist’s native Nakar language.
Though it was clear this was a word that came from the Sky Cities from the Age of Legends, he scoffed as though such engineers were still primitive in comparison to…he would not say. Skanya (though not Sean, who knows better) thought he was just jealous!
Skanya recalled the runes tattooed on her [Recall] with decent accuracy and the alchemist told her to give him a night to do research. In the morning he shared that the rules were instructions for repairing a sky ship. “Why would someone tattoo themselves with instructions? Why not put it in book?”
“There are formulas that are difficult to keep in your head. It I told you the number 73574…. would you still remember it in a day? In a year? So much knowledge that’s it’s impossible to remember it all.”
“Sure, mnemonic devices make sense, but still, why would you need them on your body?”
“Perhaps if the instructions needed to be on hand at a moments notice. Perhaps if books could not be saved. Perhaps if your whole world was falling and you the knowledge within was dire…My people have suffered great tragedies and found ways to preserve what matters most.” He revealed tattoos of his own!
While working with the alchemist (who over and over assured that this was his home and that alchemy was just like brewing, and that we were all friends here) we determined that strange cylinder Rulgara found separate solid particulates from liquids, leaving pure water and a cube of whatever was mixed with it before. “Some kind of extraction method.”
Next time on Spell & Blade
We’re planning another town phase, with the plan to step through things a big faster, however because I always want to know all the things, here’s my of things I want to do before we leave:
- Talk to Loddi about his families stance on Skanya. Does she need to go prove herself to them?
- Find another way into the Palace (I have an idea, but I don’t want to spoil it)
- Talk to my dad, see how he’s doing, share the alchemical with him and see of any of them would help him make another batch of the Blue Ice Liqueur. Maybe Gar’s cylinder could help as well.
- Talk to Ydra about the Kadr Hakar and their machinations, the messenger, the wizards seal, the shadow folk.
- Find another contact in the city. A palace guard or someone else who could take actions to defend Rul if needed.
- Talk to Xravik Shadowsong to find where the next starfall will be.
- Go with Rulgara to the Temple to show her scar (the lightning bold maybe?) and her story!
Oh yeah, and I need to do some town actions too:
- Convalesce (if I can find someone to help heal either of my wounds, both of them are weird).
- More training.
