GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Avram Grumer, Quinn Blackwell, Web Crittenden, Derek Guder
System: Blades in the Dark: Dagger Isles
The Dagger Isles, an archipelago that the Empire once colonized and now seeks to consume. As the leviathans recede from our world, the desperation for power from Imperial City has amplified the attacks on your home, but they have also exposed a weakness. Now is the time to strike. Now is the time to restore the Dagger Isles to the children of Sky Mother and Sky Father.
This was my first timing running a game at Metatopia, my first time testing this starting situation, and my first time having all the pieces of the campaign structure (starting situation, empire sheet, fractures, and entanglements) all present and ready. Phew.
I read the starting sitch and immediately spotted a few issues. Some were just minor corrections I should have made in advance but the others included:
- Offering more possible targets and why hitting them would be useful and timely.
- The sitch benefits from a pressure cooker (in this case, a patrol arriving)
- Portraying Palad as hurt and driven, not stupid.
Anyway, with that said, here’s how I opened:
Two weeks ago, all of Birngan shook. A massive shipment of electroplasm mined from the earth—from the bones of the Gods Beasts—was en route via rail back to Akoros, when a terrible storm broke out. Just as the spark-powered train entered the void gate, the volatile cargo exploded, causing damage all the way through the void gate and into the heart of Akoros, the Imperial continent.
When the train emerged it was battered by the torrents of time. Everyone onboard was dead, and the train itself was pocked and rusted as though it had traveled for a century in the void sea.
Since then shipments via train have halted while spectrologists investigate. The warship Dominion, stationed at artillery-fire range off the coast, sent three boats with munitions to reinforce the soldiers stationed on Biringan as they try to find the cause of the explosion. Two of the boats arrived. One did not.
Your Iruvian contact Ruby invited you to meet with the promise of arming your revolution. When you arrived however, members of Ibarra’s Faithful, a crew of reckless firebrands, were there as well.
The moment Ruby reveals the electroplasmic rifles, it is clear what happened to the missing boat. Palad, representing Ibarra’s Faithful, announces a plan that will involve all of you. “Togehter, with these weapons, we’ll take the drill site and destroy the machine that is boring into our Sky Mother!”
You can tell from Ruby’s raised eyebrow she thinks this is a terrible idea, but she’s not going to dictate your path.
Palad’s proposes assault on a vastly stronger target. It may succeed, but only at great loss.
Will you go along with his plan, or propose using the weapons for a more attainable goal?
It’s a little long still, but it did get the game started. After I read the sitch folks made their Scoundrels:
- Itum Gabat, the Sarong. Child of the Datu Kobb Home-Among-Mangroves and until just recently a staunch imperialist, but now driven to reject what they previously believed. (Derek)
- Mio Malaya, the Barung. A conscript who fought in the Unity War but was “losr” during a battle. Swore a Gisi to punish Daggerites who turned against their people. (Web)
- Awa Salong, the Suneater. Head servant in the Datu’s house. Uncle figure to Itum. Challenged with the impossible task of preserving the Datu’s integrity in front of his people. (Avram)
- Ria Cadapaw, the Bonewalker. Recently returned from the dead she feels invulnerable now and ready to try anything. A-Glint-of-a-Smile. (Quinn)
Mio was the one invited to this meeting by Ruby, but he also knew that while most of the Imperials would be looking to the sea to find the missing boat, his former commander Lt Regina Nuncio would be looking on land, and word was that she was working with a terrifying Spirit Warden named Song to find the guns by following their electroplasmic signature.
Palad is a problem
Awa started with a question to Palad about his intention and expectation on what sounded to her a hopeless mission. He was full of self righteousness and conviction, but when Ria joined the conversation and touched him, she could sense he had just lost someone very close to him and that sorrow was driving him as well. Their combined efforts gave him pause and he was willing to listen further (Success on a Risky/Limited Command).
Itum follows up with a new proposal. Let’s take these guns and distribute them amongst the people so they are harder to find. Palad liked the idea of arming the people but wasn’t sure how that was to advance their cause. Just as Itum wound have answered the lights went out and they heard Dew-Shrouded-Petals whisper “a patrol is coming”. (Mixed result on a Risky/Limited Sway)
Dew was Ria’s contact and close friend and she thought he might keep it cool when talking to the guards. One bloody fist cracking against his jaw showed she was wrong (bad result on a fortune roll) but Itum stepped up in his place and recognized the soldier as Caro, a lazy officer who wanted an easy post…like being a guard for their father the Datu. Promises were made and Caro agreed to come back later when they had reinforcements. (Success on a Desperate Consort).
Meanwhile Mio noticed Ruby had disappeared.
Engagement roll
The crew settled on a travel score to sneak the guns thought the banyan and keep Numcio and Somg chasing ghosts (figuratively). The score started in a risky situation as Mio’s close friend Miranda, still morning her lost husband, was helping them stash guns in the back room of her house.
We called it there because of time (2 hour slots are tough and I wanted time for feedback) and because I don’t really need to playtest running scores.
Feedback and improvement:
- Having the marines patrolling outside and then arrive creates some great tension. We should build that into the starting situation.
- The sitch should offer a few more viable targets: the rail repairs (Sabotage), a prison (Liberation), arming the people (Contraband), maybe even hitting a target Ruby especially wants to get her as an ally.
- Present Palad a passionate and willing to die, not stupid.
- This sitch was great. There needs to be a more specific one for the Ministry (currently it requires the GM to come up with a way to start things off.
- We need a few more examples of reasons Daggerites would want the Imperium to stay in power (lighting barriers, safe transit to the mainland, maybe healthcare or schools, etc).
- The Fractures sheet gave focus to play. It’s working!
