GM: Edmund Metheny
Players: Sophie Lagacé, Adrienne Mueller, Karen Twelves, and Sean Nittner
System: Dungeon World
Setting: Land of 10,000 Gods
Back in the land of 10,000 Gods.
Tamingula Island
The island appeared to have a rocky surface with bleached white trees going from it. But upon closer inspection we found the surface spongy and marsh like, and the the trees not trees at all, but tall parasitic creatures that grew on the flesh of this giant beast. The entire island smelled of rotting flesh, but where the white parasite tendrils bored into it, the stench was even more foul. Ram pierced one of the creatures with his spear and thick black blood oozed out of it, smelling worse still.
Kanta observed the creatures, and the place through her 3rd eye and discovered there was a curse placed here, once bound to a focus object and that something about Sagma stood out, he was no ordinary guard.
They also noticed the other boat that lay wrecked against these shores and on it found it’s captain, his corpse exsanguinated by what had to be vampire.
Unhappy inhabitants
As we inspected the island, it’s inhabitants took notice of us as well. The tree-like parasites began uprooting themselves and moving slowly towards us. We attempted to flee, moving northward around the island, but moments after we started moving we found ourselves back where we started. The curse was upon us!
Merit searched the area, looking for other traps that might befall us, and sure enough she discovered a patch of the tamingula’s skin that had been worried away and anything that landed on it, would be sucked into the creatures innards. She also discovered a copper brooch embossed with the image of a tamingula.
Attempting to drive them back, Ram, having exchanged weapons with Rahi, hacked away at the tree-like creatures with the guard Sagma’s sword and though he drove them back, they encircled him as well, and soon he was surrounded and disappeared from our sight.
Improbable Investigations
Merit and Kanta began trying to understand the curse while Rahi went looking for Ram.
Merit noticed that the brooch felt angry somehow, and as Ram’s encounters got even more dangerous, it became enraged! Kanta tried to understand the relationship between the island and the brooch but all that she could surmise was that the guard Sagma was somehow key to understanding all of it. She called him out and ordered him to reveal to her what he knew and why he had come with us on our journey. He said that he was only a simple guard and that he wanted to assist great heroes. Kanta could detect no deception in his voice. Merit grabbed the brooch back and claimed it as hers.
Ram and the dead man
Once separated from the rest of his allies Ram found the tree creatures were now fleeing from him. Soon after he noticed a tower far off, one which he should have noticed before. Then a voice spoke to him in his head and asked that he agree to a peaceful discourse. He agreed and an old fisherman stepped out from behind nothing at all. The fisherman did not look right, his body decayed and moving with jerky motions.
He explained that he was not a man at all, but a Decani, or vampire, and that he wished to speak to the one who knew death personally. The island was not a suitable home for him and he wished to find something better. Ram suggested that he go to the mainland, where there would be bodies to feast on, but the vampire suspected that Ram did not intend to aid him in such an endeavor. The vampire then produced Vijaya from nowhere as well and attempted to coerce Ram further, but the holy killer would have none of that. He lunged for the sword, but the vampire turned into a bat and flew off.
Shortly after Rahi, who had gone searching for Ram emerged from the copse of tree to find him, though now the party was split in half.
Getting very angry
Kanta wanted the brooch to get more information about it. Merit said it was hers. They began arguing and insulting each other. Soon their own anger and vexation peaked and both of them noticed, Merit, then Kanta a white tower off in the distance.
Tower of Bone
When we all found each other again, it was at the base of a tower made of human bone. Kanta observed that over a thousand must have died to make this tower. Merit observed that it was better than being made of Yaksa bone!
Inside we found bare furnishing and a single spiral staircase up. As we ascended Ram asked Kanta what he should do when confronting a vampire. “Make no bargains with it. Trust none of it’s lies. Expose it to the light.” [Yay, I got to use my know-it-all move].
At the base of the steps, Sagma, the guard turned to Rahi (who had traded weapons again with Ram and was once again holding the guard’s sword) and he told her that this was her moment. While the rest of us saw a human guard, Rahi saw Durga, eight armed goddess of victory, for which Vijaya must have been named. Rahi raced up the stairs, blowing past Kanta and Ram.
Tricksy Vampires
At the top we found the vampire, who tried once again to bargain with us for Rahi’s blade. Ram charged him but then he turned into a bat and flew off. At the same time the tower of bone – which was an illusion all along – disappeared and we all went falling down toward the ground.
Rahi lunged out to grab the bat, was not quite quick enough. Kanta summoned a friendly wind to soften our fall and slow our decent but at the last moment decided not to wrap Rahi in the protective winds, hoping she would take hold of the bat.
When we landed, Rahi saw her father standing before her, holding her sword. Once again, the vampire tried to manipulate us but this only infuriated Rahi and she charged into him. There was a titanic clash as their swords met and Rahi was thrown back, shaken by the blow. And though she should have been grievously injured, she was untouched. Beside her she saw the broken blade of the guard, shattered in twain. In her hand however, she was holding Vijaya!
Merit, curious as to the nature of this brooch fiddled with it and discovered that one of its powers was to take control of the creature’s body, like a marionette. Uncertain of the intricacies she simply swung the brooch and slammed the vampire into a rocky wall.
Ram, leapt up on the creature and wrapped his rummel around it’s throat. However as he choked it, the creature’s head turned around completely, wrenching tendons and snapping ligaments, then it’s terrible teeth bit into the holy killer’s face!
Kanta, knowing that she did not know this creatures true name, but that it had been using illusions to deceive us over and over, opened her third eye, opened it so wide, that all could see the creature for what it really was. A giant obsidian hulk with bulging muscles, red eyes, and horns.
Merit once again smashed the vampire down toward Rahi, and then the bearer of Vijaya charged forth, lifted up her great relic blade, and cut the creature in twain!
We could be heroes
The vampire dissipated and disappeared in a mist. Neither escaping or truly slain, but banished from our realm and hopefully unable to return until the next Night of Blight.
Moments later the great tamingula island began to sink, and we all made haste to return to Berun Tek’s boat. On the return to Fish for Dinner we reflected upon our experience, learned new things, and changed our bonds with each other [everyone is level 2 now]!
Favourite Bits:
– Sean intuiting Edmund’s design (re Vampires casting Illusions), or Edmund allowing his spout lores to work -whatever that was, it worked out really well.
– Merit and Kanta’s anger escalation scene was super cute. As was Merit’s commitment to keeping her brooch!
– Appreciate Edmund bringing in the Gods in our backstories.
– Ram jumping in to help Rahi (from the hole) and Rahi being concerned about Ram when he went missing. Nice mutual protection thing going on.
So glad Rahi has her sword back! Wonder what our next adventure will be.
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