GM: Shaun “Sub 1” Hayworth
Players: Justin Diehl, Kristin Hayworth, and Sean Nittner
System: Burning Wheel
Setting: Burning Theorsa
My first adventure (second for the group) in Theorsa. I had some pretty weak beliefs when I first started burning Sir Balric. I knew he didn’t want to be noticed by enemies of his father, for fear his actions would incriminate the duke. So they started of being things along the lines of “I get a boat without drawing attention to myself”, which was pretty passive and weak. I thought later, well, how about I have another knight’s crest and I’ll impersonate him. That was better but left me wondering how I got it in the first place. Finally that led me to a belief with some real meat on it” “I must serve my lord in secret; I’ll find Sir Catamere in the port city, slay him and take his crest.” Yeah, that was good stuff.
The session before Sir Madoc and Moya started a whole long of craziness (bar fights, rumors of death cults, you name it), so when this one started Baldric was having a somber conversation with Eogin, his priest and confessor. He was announcing his dark intentions and the priest tried fervently to stop the dark deeds but his mind was set and his mood grim.
Moya aided in the duplicity, writing a letter inviting Sir Catamere out to hunt with Balric. On the way out Baldric opened old wounds between the family and incited Catamere into accepting a duel. The fought an ugly battle (as Fight! Often is) out in the woods, and when Baldric had buried his blade in the throat of Sir Catamere, the deed was done. He buried the body with his own crest to make it appear as though Baldric had died in the fight and returned to the port city covered in the blood of his enemy.
Oh… and Moya posed a Baldric’s lover in bed to shoo away the guards. Always fun times to be had in Moya’s bed.
Eogin meanwhile wanted no part of the violence (although he did bless Baldric’s sword), instead he found us new lodging and a leper he believed Plomae would cure. Here “blessing” was to let him walk in the shoes of a leper himself for a day. Yay leprosy for 24 hours!
Thoughts on this game.
I felt the like the “I’ve got to kill Sir Catamere and take his identity” was a little forced. I was pretty determined to do it and when Eogin challenged Baldric on it, I wasn’t really willing to budge. I think that is bad form on my part. It’s the reason social conflict exists, so that people can push each other around, make the other relent, even when they think they are right. Should have gone to Duel of Wits on that one and been ready to accept the outcome.
I can see it already (and have seen it in subsequent sessions), I’ve picked a character who stands on a moral precipice, unable to move in any direction for fear of falling off. Kristin has a character that is concerned with practical matters and what is needed to get the job done. As I’ve seen before with Saul and Jameson (from the Dresden game) our character are often at odds over moral issues. While yelling at each other is fun, I feel it’s already a little too played out. I’ve got a plan for how to bring Baldric down, way down. Poor Eogin, he’ll have three despicable scoundrels to try and council.
Leprosy for a day, only a few hours before were to board a pirate ship, was brilliant! I so wish it had come up when we actually got on the boat, that would have been awesome.
