GM: Edmund Metheny
Players: Sophie Lagacé, Adrienne Mueller, and Sean Nittner
System: Dungeon World
Setting: Land of 10,000 Gods
Dawn woke on our heroes making haste from Fish For Dinner to the Capitol Big Drum City, with hopes of finding out who ordered the assassination of the Sirdar.
Notes from Edmund
Before we started the session we were introduced to the noble family of Big Drum City. Here’s what we’ve got:
King Ori: A handsome man, now beginning to show his age. He has ruled over Wet Plains for 17 years since the death of his mother. Not a hero, but determined to be a good ruler. He is also flambouyant, which is something that the people of Wet Plains appreciate. After all, if the nobility isn’t entertaining, what good are they?
Queen Kaviarasi: A known hero, with skin the color of a brilliant sunrise, In her youth she wielded the magical sword Alag (“To Separate”) and was the bane of Rakshasas throughout Wet Plains. Since the birth of her son the Prince and daughter the Princess she has stayed closer to home and has contented herself with training the Royal Guard.
Prince Aar: Quiet, studious, and often considered by the people to be too bookish and serious to be decently entertaining as a leader, Prince Aar nonetheless devotes his great intellect to the betterment of the people. His current project is an ambitious series of canals and dams that will improve irrigation and reduce flooding during monsoons.
Princess Xami: Determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps, Princess Xami is the current holder of Alag, though the artifact has evidenced no powers or abilities other than those of a normal sword in her hand. Even with no heroic abilities of her own, she is a skilled and dedicated warrior, but yearns for more.
Duke Jerk Face, er Omja Rahman: No description, only the picture, which says it all.
The worst ambush party
One the road at night, as we camped, Merit noticed figures looming the darkness, coming towards us. She woke Ram and called out to them, asking what they wanted.
“Your food.”
*mutter, mutter*
“Your coin!”
*more muttering among them*
“Your food and your coin and anything else that is of value. Okay?”
So these weren’t bandits. These were displaced starving farmers trying their hand and failing pretty bad at banditry. After some awkward exchanges we agreed to take them to Big Drum City so they could petition the duke to find them land to work or other employment and then to be arrested for their banditry. Kanta is a stickler for the the law.
Named for a Reason
Big Drum City has drums. Lots of them. Big ones even! We, heroes that we are, upon arriving at the gates were led in a drum procession to the duke.
Open Face Jerkdom
The Duke, who met us, was not in the least bit demure about ashamed of his bold faced greed and desire to better his family’s position. With a bit of brow-beating however, he acquiesced to help and then incarcerate our entourage of farmers as well as their families.
Prince Not So Charming
After meeting with the duke, a messenger can and told us that the prince would also like a meeting with us. We agreed and soon were in his palace. Very quickly we observed that the prince was very intelligent and very plain. Less than plain, he was sub-ordinary really, at least in the arena of having a convincing personality.
We also found out that our brow beating session actually disrupted the natural order of things. The duke’s role as a Ass-Hat General is actually one contrived by him and the king to allow the king to appear beneficent when the reigns in the duke, and for the duke to get things done. They have a plan to address the drought and food shortages, but it involves a lot of work to re-route irrigation, and it will take a long time to implement. The duke alone is capable of selling this bitter fruit to the people, as the are used to hearing bad news from him.
Parting ways
Kanta stayed with the prince, in order to review his plans of irrigation, and because she found his studious, reserved ways pleasant. She offered to aid the prince as she knew the names of many rivers and could help direct them, but she also asked that he help her find the one who ordered the assassination of the Sirdar. He agreed to aid her, but he would have to so without anyone knowing. The scene cut away with Kanta drawing a curtain closed around them.
Meanwhile, Ram, Rahi, and Merit went to go drinking, celebrating and deal making. Merit sold the magical artifact she obtained for several thousand coin. A nice sum, but still not quite what she owes her debtors. Ram, whose job was to look menacing noticed that the buyer was a Thugee, a true Thugee, who served the mistress death, even if she was a lowly member in the order. He discovered that a ceremony was happening shortly and made plans to bring is friends, despite the uninitated never being invited to any ceremony of the Thugee before!
We’ll find out what troubles this causes next time!
Thanks for the write-up! And thanks to Edmund for describing, and finding all the pictures of, the NPCs!
Favourite Bits:
– Kanta getting laid.
– Merit and Ram bantering. (And Merit and Kanta sniping!)
– Interplay between Rahi and Kanta’s leadership/morals. (Also cool to see Rahi intimidate that duke!)
– Cute to meet a non-charismatic prince and hear about his grande scheme
Other Thoughts:
– I’m a little worried about ‘ownership’ conflict re the death cult. I’ve got some opinions about Ram’s relationship to Death, and therefor also the religion as a whole. But it’s legitimately part of the larger world and would therefor fall under the GM’s domain. Sure we can figure out the details pre-play.