Session 2, continued
Heading Home with Head Hung Low
Note: I’m not happy with two aspects wasted on antipathy towards humans, so I’m revising his Trouble to solemn oath instead of hatred grown 100 years.
Compel. Random draw produces a mighty enemy broods.
Cubes Rolled. bridge over a brook, cutting paper, and sorcery!
It stood clearly before him.
Normally, the protective mythal created a fine perpetual mist around the landmarks of the elf nation, helping to veil them from unfriendly eyes.
He was soon approached by one of the Vale Guard, who was distraught that a evil thing had come to pass. He was rushed to the Sorcerer’s Grove, where a moot of the wizard enclave was taking place. He arrived as the discussion turned toward the unraveling of the mythal.
It was believed that the Phaerimm had found a way to eat at the living magic surrounding the kingdom. Once the magic was broken, it would lay open the elven vale to any hostile force. As Rysdan listened, he interrupted, laying out the story of his recent failure. After telling of Mourn and the theft of the crown, he asked the elders if that’s why the enemy was able find a vulnerability.
The consensus was affirmative. “It will only get worse,” forewarned Rosór Rendwater, the eldest of the council.
Note: trying to tie the story with some of the faces & places I’ve already outlined, I’m taking the liberty to throw some of those in.
Rysdan asked if this Mourn Braegan could be tracked. The wizards conferred together and decided to risk a ritual of divination to locate the renegade.
In the evening, they returned. “We know he is somewhere in the vicinity of Neverwinter,” reported Rosór. “Where precisely, we could not see.”
They warned Rysdan that it was important to find the crown quickly. The sands were quickly running out of the hourglass. Rysdan asked to be teleported to the human city. Rosór replied that it was too dangerous to do so while within Evereska, due to the unraveling of the mythal, which had the potential to disrupt the already risky spell. Instead, they instructed Rysdan to leave the realm, and take a magical scroll which he could use once he has left the boundaries of the mythal. It would provide him a one way trip to Neverwinter.
Rysdan accepted the gift and sword that he would bring the crown. As he left, he couldn’t help but feel the apprehension. The people were wary of attack. They could lend no aid to him. The tomb guardian was on his own.
Note: This scene was built purely from an event compel. A few new elements were introduced which will be updated on the list at the end of the session.
At the Fringes of the Realm
Note: Decided to flip another coin to see if something would interfere with Rysdan’s spell casting, even though I promised only to do so once per session. It was heads, so, I went with it.
Compel. I got Neverwinter’s Evereska’s closest ally — but too far to lend real aid. The distance thing stood out. Clearly, Rysdan had interference, and appears somewhere else.
Cubes Rolled. gears, puzzle piece, and blindly feeling a face.
Once in the twilight of the vastness beyond the elven hills, Rysdan performed the ritual. The magic spent on the scroll, he was enveloped by a swirling vortex of pure energy. He disappeared, and then found himself whole again…
He expected to hear the carriage wheels on the cobbles of Neverwinter, and he looked forward to seeing Juliet again. He did not hear any familiar sounds of the city. Instead, he heard cavernous echoes, and he was in an impenetrable darkness.
The sounds were of a gibbering insanity. Suddenly, he was frozen by an unbreakable vice grip. His blade slid free from his scabbard, leaving him without his main weapon. He was hoisted up off his feet and carried through the air.
He knew not how long he traveled this way. His screams were unheeded, and his struggles futile. When he regained his senses, he found himself in some subterranean nightmare. There was a strange fortress in a large cavern. Illuminated by magical fire, he saw the horrific forms of the writhing, serpent like Phaerimm — the completely alien race of magical floating slugs. At the top of their cone was a fanged mouth with surrounding arms. At the tail of the tapering monstrosity was a poisonous barb.
The Phaerimm were some of Faerun’s most powerful and feared creatures.
Two carried him via some incredible telekinetic magic to the fortress. There, he beheld a fell king with a mane of white hair and a crown of cold iron. The terrible king regarded him with dead blue eyes. Rysdan could not free himself, and he felt the strain on his sanity.
[ In the Fate Freeport Companion, this is a major sanity trigger — Rysdan gets a success on his overcome roll ]
The cold king introduced himself, calling himself Klothain the Black, lord of the Phaerimm. “Welcome to my refuge, Rysdan Nythil. How nice of you to pay me a visit before the fall of your people’s realm.”
Klothain asked Rysdan to join him — to be a worthy soldier like Mourn Braegan had become. Then the fell lord began to press Rysdan with questions about the many factions and strengths of Evereska. Rysdan refused, which angered the evil tyrant.
The dread lord rose up from his throne and began a ritual. Rysdan felt the workings of magic loosening his mind and tongue.
[ Klothain casts compulsion successfully, getting one answer ]
The elf resisted as long as he could. Some secrets came out after long hours of torment, but he could not remember which ones. In the end, he was a collapsed heap on the floor.
“Remove him,” said the lord. “Place him in the dungeons. He will answer more questions tomorrow.” [ Compel ]
End, Session 2
Ending this with 5 Fate Points.
This is another minor milestone. I’ll tweak his unforgiving of man’s ruthlessness to one kind act despite his antipathy for men to reflect the when he helped the mad drifter in the first scene of session 2.
For the game world, there’s a few changes. The unraveling of the mythal is a change from the last mythal as an issue for Evereska, as well as wary of attack. We have a new sympathizer, Rosór Rendwater, and a main baddy — Klothain, King of the Phaerimm.
Story Questions Revisited
1. Will Rysdan find the thief Mourn in time to help his kingdom? (Campaign Level)
2. Will Rysdan reconcile his own hatred of man and that of Juliet’s father? (Campaign Level)
3. Can he have any real future with Juliet? (Campaign Level)
4. Will Rysdan catch up to Mourn Braegan? (Scenario Level)
5. Will he win a confrontation with the traitor and wrest the crown from him? (Scenario Level)
6. Will Rysdan escape the clutches of Klothain to resume his quest? (Scenario Level)
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