GM: Stras Acimovic
Players: April Walsh, Jeremiah Frye, Sean Nittner
System: Spell and Blade by Stras Acimovic
Time in Town, continued
Here were my goals for town
- Talk to Loddi about his family’s 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!
And among those I wanted to do these town actions
- Convalesce (if I can find someone to help heal either of my wounds, both of them are weird).
- More training.
I’m pretty happy to say I got all but one of these finished, and the one I missed (a new palace contact) is mostly because we didn’t instantiate an NPC into that role, but since I met two other notable NPCs (three if you count the bat!) I’m still pretty happy!
Here’s how it all went down.
Loddi in the Tent (work in a project)
Loddi worked on understanding how the symbiote suit worked and spent time trying to attune to it, but he realized that not being skilled in attuning, it was going to be difficult. We had a discussion about it being a legendary item (yeah, it is one!) and how Loddi would attune to it…opening up his mind and learning form suit.
Loddi thought the process of opening his mind might be improved if he just has some psychedelic mushrooms to help him along the path…who else might know where to find such things, but Skanya. We had some discussion about who Skanya knew in her early life as thief, and the times she spent hiding in the caves under the palace, either playing games (when she was younger) or using it as a hideout (when she had started thieving).
We learned that there are ancient ruins beneath the caves the palace rests on. Some time ago the Red Queen exterminated all the major threats, but things like Dream Mushrooms still grew there. Skanya had a friend (the dice told us a good friend) who had some that she’d share some for old time sake. Skanya might look tough (she doesn’t) and experienced (she doesn’t) but believe it or not, she hasn’t taken a lot of drugs. She was concerned about how they would affect Loddi, so she agreed to wait outside the tent with Tippi and Nyx while he attuned in case anything went awry.
The suit shared the memory of past users (possibly the Ancients themselves!) and how they used it, in an attempt to teach Loddi. The Ancients used their technology to add dream appendages to the mind, such that an attuned door could be opened as easily as opening your hand. The training worked and he started learning the principles of interacting with it, like a new part of himself.
Rulgara reflecting (recovery)
Rulgara spent time in her apartment playing fussing about, playing with the Ancient extractor and tidying up, but eventually she got restless and took a walk. She had no destination in mind but eventually found herself walking through her old neighborhood and past her father’s now-abandoned smithy. Feeling nostalgic she climbed (carefully) up onto the roof of a building and ate snacks while watching the night sky.
Another way in the Palace (training)
After Loddi’s “meditation” was complete, Skanya asked for a favor as well. Since the fairground he camped in were above the palace, would he be willing to fly her into the palace below?
Why? She didn’t have a good answer, other than, so she could find another way in. As it turned out there is an aerie for the messengers on the roof of the palace and ask they landed on the roof talking about possibly meeting Loddi’s grandmother Ulna, the were surprised to hear another voice join the conversation. “You’re grandma sounds nice, I’d like to meet her too.”
We spun around to find the speaker and saw a short goblin sitting casually on the roof. Above him a giant bat flew menacingly over head. We learned he was Atok, his bat was Blackwing, and that Martiin, the messenger we helped made it safe to Rul. Atok was scouting the skies, not his normal duty, but when Ydra Nightwing tells you to do something, you do it. She’s scary.
We also learned that Skanya’s hearthfire turned Whitewing (Maratin’s steed and companion) into a lush. She’s constantly looking for fermented fruit now! Skanya offered to give him more, but that would only make things worse!
We introduced ourselves and then Skanya got about rappelling down to enter the palace (she’s going to find a new way in and out every time she can!) to start her training with Ydra.
As they trained to attune, Skanya was also able to ask a few questions.
- Shadowfolk. They might be spirits or creatures. Most likely best left alone.
- Kadr Hakar. Dangerous to individuals but not to Iskanard as a whole. If they’ve gone south for repairs we won’t be able to track them.
- Messenger – She hadn’t seen him. Maritin might have come through Rul, but he didn’t give a message to her. Especially not one from Zagneon Skybreaker! And also, never say that name in the palace. One whisper of it and someone will hear it, and if someone hears it, she will hear it, and if she hear it there will be hell to pay. Apparently, he-whose-name-will-only-be-alluded to killed her cat and that made Skanya not like him either! If he was delivering a message from a wizard, the most likely recipient was Kormel’s mentor Arcanix Zahrana.
Training with the Silence Bringer (advancement)
Loddi wanted to learn to sneak and the best hunter in all of Iskanard was his patron spirit, the Silence Bringer. He brought reindeer bone marrow (a known preferred treat) and sat alone in silence for a full day. All around him snow fell, until suddenly it didn’t. He was alone, and then he wasn’t. Behind him was the massive form of the Silence Bringer, it’s wings shielding Loddi from the snow.
It did not speak but when Loddi asked for guidance it clutched a reindeer bone with it’s razor sharp talons and cut it into eight pieces. The eighth it cut again and the bone fragments formed a bone beast in the shape of a fox sized reindeer that would silently follow Loddi and teach him how to move with the lightest step.
Relighting the Forge (advancement)
Rulgara couldn’t wait to get back into the action. She knew that the path to acceptance in the Temple of Maya was to come with a scar and a story. She swept into the temple with her glowing hair and tales of mighty deeds.
“Let me tell you of the time when we three from Iskanard and a wizard’s apprentice from foreign lands delved into the stronghold of the Ancients and struck down their still living machines.” To emphasize her point the thrust out a fist that cast the orange light of the titan in front of her!
Though she still had detractors, the acolyte Kyssa Silversong stared daggers at them before they had the chance to jeer. The other however enjoyed the story, clapped, and celebrated. Rulgara finally felt a sense of camaraderie among them.
Meanwhile Skanya wanted to desperately to join the crowd and cheer for her sister, but her mother superior put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “I know, I know, I shouldn’t go interfere with the silver half of the temple.”
“That as well” The mother superior heard that Skanya might have been starting trouble before, “but more importantly, remember the tenant of Akta ‘a new moon must become full’. You’ve helped your sister get this far, but she needs to take it from here.” Skanya held back her cheers, but when Gar looked up from her story she could see her sister from across the hall vibrating with excitement.
Someone else took notice as well. A weathered smith with silver eyes like Gar and scars from many wounds. His knee was stiff from taking too many arrows, but Gar could tell he had sworn the Oath of Starfell and that he was a master smith with stories to tell and wisdom to share. His name was Ruldan and though he moved slow, he wanted to help.
Gar told him about the Ancient metals that felt like stone and how she wanted to learn their properties. He reminded her that once metal is worked, it often cannot be worked again, so he asked what she would make first. A simple tool, a knife made of the greenstone. She also understood the deeper meaning as it applied to start metal, that once it was forged, it could never ever be changed. That it was not forging an object, but an intention.
“There’s not a fire hot enough in this city to work that metal. You’ll need iceflame, and even that is uncertain.”
Gar too Dan to her father’s abandoned forge and they set to work cleaning it up, preparing it to be used once more. As they worked and trained together Ruldan asked her if she knew the most basic part of what makes an oath? That they go both ways. There is always something that is given in exchange. Her eyes changed when she swore the Oath of Starfell but that was not a side effect, it was part of the oath. That had change so that she could see the properties of metals that others could not. So that she could see when steel was tempered and when it was ready to strike.
Instead of paying for materials, Rulgara wanted to use the star silver to make a gift for Ruldan. She shared the notion with her sister and Skanya thought of making him a knee brace, one that would never get too cold in the frozen wastes or too hot when near the open fire. Gar liked the idea and worked with Dan to make it. He grumbled about the leatherwork needed and the challenges, but she learned those grumbles were the sign of his approval and his thanks!
Working with Ruldan she trained to study the world around her through senses she was only now discovering.
Grandma Ulna (recovery)
Loddi brought Skanya to his grandmothers tent. She came with a basket of herb reindeer cheese and soft bread. Tucked behind it was a flask of her father’s brew, the good stuff. “Hi grandma Ulna, I’m Skanya.”
Ulna heard Loddi’s story and while she believed her grandson, it wasn’t enough. “We hunt together, we fight, we prove our loyalty and our strength to each other.” She looked over Skanya’s tiny frame “You might not go out to hunt an ice wyrm, but there are other ways to prove yourself. If you want to be part of this family, to mark yourself as we do, you have learn our ways and teach us yours, you have to perform great deeds of your own.”
Skanya had no answer. She could not prover herself in this moment, and though she liked Loddi’s family and they seemed to like her, she did not know if she would ever fit in among them.
“I know I’m not part of your family, but you’ve seen a lot, and I wonder if you might now how to help me. I witnessed a nightmare that still haunts me. The whole life of a creature that knew nothing but torment.”
“Well it just so happens, one of the names of our patron is the Dream Hunter.”
Skanya spent the night with Loddi’s family, and got the first good night of sleep she had since her time in the tower.
Alchemical Questions
Skanya took the four vials she found in the tower of the ancients and showed them to her father, but he did not recognize them. Perhaps and alchemist would. Another opportunity to work with her father lost.
She’d talk to the alchemist again next time they returned to Rul, now it was time to find the second Chosen of Akta.
Shadowsong
Loddi, Rulgara, and Skanya gathered together at the dungeons, which were mostly cold except for a warm room where the dungeon keeper nursed a fire. He told us that Xravik Shadowsong had turned himself in! That he was awaiting the Red Queens judgement! That he demanded three meals every day!
We passed the exasperated steward and made our way down to cell three to find a complete unit of a man. Maybe in his 20s or 30s, great shape, lustrous black hair, kitted out like an and adventurer, and pompous enough to be meditating in his cell that probably wasn’t even locked.
“Hello Mr. Shadowsong, we’re Skanya, Rulgara, and Loddi, and we’d like you to help us find the next starfall.” Skanya smiled.
Xravik wanted to know what we wanted it for and Rulgara told him it was to make a circlet to protect Skanya. “My sister has a knack for getting herself into trouble.”
Xravik pulled the leather thong from his hair and let it fall down in waves around his shoulders, filled with glowing purple eyes. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were purple as well. He looked us over and then grunted with frustration “You’re not lying.”
We asked why he he was locked in the dungeon and he told us the story of how, unlike the great and glorious Yydra Nightwing, the goddess Akta blessed him with knowledge that would only bring him suffering. In this case it was about plague creatures that he could not touch and that should not touch others. He found a great weapon and used it to destroy them, but destroyed half of the village he was protecting in the process! The people were okay, but the granaries were burned down along with a great many other buildings. So he was here to await the Red Queen’s judgement for his “crimes”.
Plauge people? Could those be the shadowfolk the saw? Could those be what the Kadr Hakar were transporting to the north? Undead from the Verard? If the creatures killed people, would they make more creatures like them? Could they pick off villages once at a time without being noticed? And those these creatures were vulnerable to silver and sunlight, Iskanard isn’t rich in silver, and in few days the sun won’t come up for another three months!
We talked about what we could do to help but besides warning people we didn’t know how to make a difference. The undead don’t like fire either, so we’d warn people to stock up on pitch and prepare defenses like burning arrows and lines of pitch that could create walls of fire when ignited. Maybe that would help, but Skanya still wanted to do more.
She took Rulgara aside and asked if chasing after star metal was really the right thing to do? Why do all this to make something that would protect Skanya when all of Iskanard might be in danger. Gar told her that this was something we could do and also that finding star metal was more important than just the metal itself, she suspected they would learn things on their journey that would be in important for them to know.
“Dungeon Keeper. I’m ready to be let out. I’ll return for the queen’s judgement soon!”
Heading out
As we prepared for our journey we had a few final encounters.
Loddi asked his wild cousin if the wanted to come with us, hoping we could make a get a few more argarr to pull the sleds (since we’d be bringing back a lot of ore) but cousin Kryzan had hunted and ranged all year, he was ready to take time to celebrate!
Instead, Loddi’s father offered him the great ice boat, driven by the powerful winds and equipped with sleds to fly across the snow. None of us knew how to pilot it, but how hard could it be? Muahahaha.
Rulgara was approached by a foreigner who had somehow heard we were going to find the star metal and he made her an offer, an impossibly large offer. He showed her a giant cart full of gold that could be hers. She sighed and shook her head “Last here a foreigner came here feeling entitled, blood was spilled. No one you ask to do this thing, could perform it without breaking their oaths.”
From atop the mountain others saw us leave and and then set out. We were not just going to find the star metal, we were racing everyone else there!
