Mask of Khatri, a Perilous Intersections and FU walk-through, part 4

Continued from here is the fourth and final part of my Perilous Intersections walk through, examining the last two scenes of my actual play.

For the sixth scene, since I could think of no Fightback Scenes to try and counter the advances made so far, and since most of the questions were already answered, I jumped right into the final Big Boss Fight phase and final confrontation. I rolled to see if there was a last-minute alteration twist to any of the Big Questions, but rolled a no. It was already twisted enough anyway. No seed is required for this scene.

Relajii had the means to magically whisk Aleena back from her confinement in Turmish. She struggles to keep the mask from him, but is unsuccessful.

Relajii's ultimate plot comes to fruition! Aleena fails to contain the situation, and now is liable for whatever consequences come next.

Next is the optional Aftermath phase. I usually like a good denouement to figure out where the world stands. I think I'll be seeing more of Aleena Salenskar in the future, which makes it all the more integral.

I am next going to examine Solo RPG Voyages' One Cube Challenge, and examine if Aleena can clean up her mess.

Perilous Intersections adventure, a failure for our protagonist. But for us? Lots of fun!

Mask of Khatri, a Perilous Intersections and FU walk-through, part 3

Continued from here is the continuation of my Perilous Intersections walk-through examining scenes four and five.

Leaving off with a rather unwelcome curse that threatens to derail her quest, our heroine goes in search of the death cult leader. Here, I gave him a name, and used my chosen seed for scene four to give a bit of detail about his nature. I decided to give him a serpent-like aspect.

She tosses a point to use a special power and tracks him magically. Aleena is easily surrounded, but demands the mask anyway.

She handily conquers most of the challenges here, all of which were set up to provide a challenge as suggested by the increasing Danger Level. Except being able to capture the fleeing Valdemar, she defeats her opponents. This leaves her in the fictional position to deny a story probe for this scene.

Also, no change in the DL happens here, because there's no movement to either the positive or negative.

In the fifth scene, Aleena's magical compulsion gets her into plenty of hot water in Arrabar due to slaying some officials. This is a long chase scene ending in a confrontation in another land. I posed the challenge of travel inspired by the seed of the undead boatman, which could have derailed her had she not been able to determine his destination.

Confronting her target, I went ahead and posed a story probe just for fun that might turn the whole plot on its head. The answer was affirmative, which meant that the rakshasa who enchanted Aleena is behind the real plot. Even though I had confirmed answers for some of the Big Questions, it is still acceptable to amend them along the way before the Big Boss Fight phase.

Lastly, she causes trouble for herself in Turmish before getting captured there, earning her some points. The Danger Level is already at its highest point, so cannot escalate further. In the next scene, all missing BQ's must get answered, because there is only one seed remaining.

What will happen next? Will she be forced to play the unwitting part in Relajii's nefarious plot? Can she find a means to thwart whatever dark plan he has and free herself from her curse?

The conclusion of this short adventure in my next post...

Mask of Khatri, a Perilous Intersections and FU walk-through, part 2

Continued from here is part two of my Mask of Khatri walk-through for Perilous Intersections.

To set up, it's necessary to generate seeds. I wanted a shorter game, so I chose six. I use Rory's Story Cubes for my idea generator.

Given the character generation, which produced a conflict with Wianar, I went ahead and put his name in the Who position of the plot. This also facilitated my shorter game. And with only six starting seeds, it won't feel like such a panic to obtain three more answers. It was also fine to begin already with some danger (one step up on the DL), and close to the next phase of action.

Here's the first play sheet:

Starting with one of the Big Questions still left the phase in the Something Amiss phase, which targets the PC’s goals rather than the PC herself. I choose the hamster wheel for my scene’s obstacle. I knew Aleena would start by seeking out the last priest of Mystra there to protect and question him. I interpreted this event as a distraction (having Aleena “running in circles”). By the time she dealt with that, her target was already captured by someone. Taking the bait is very much in line with the idea of an intersection — an interpretation that has the potential to push the narrative in a new trajectory.

The action pushed on from naturally from there. But since the heroine was clocked on the head, it denied her being able to pose a Story Probe. I interpreted this as a setback for her, which raised the Danger Level. Although I didn’t have a second BQ yet, I felt justified to moving into the Rears Its Ugly Head phase. There was a good chance that whoever took Iankul would also be interested in Aleena as well.

Onward with scene two:

In this scene, Aleena finds herself a captive. I chose the scary skull (that Fright set of Rory’s Story Cubes is the bee’s knees!). I decided to interpret this as the cult’s scary leader and his countenance granted by his freaky mask. I also mixed up the order of things, so asked the Story Probe first, before jumping to the intersection event.

I came up with a bog-standard goal for the baddies, and got a “Yes” due to adding when to the die throw. Then, having my answer, I knew they were going to sacrifice the two Mystran priests for their nefarious death god.

A daring escape ensued, and I had some fun.

As an aside, FU is wonderful for those times when one really wants to delve more into story, because it really gets out of the way by the virtue of being able to resolve any big action in a single throw of the dice. Perilous Intersections is a bit demanding on the brain, and focusing more on its twists and turns it’s pushing than the system I’m using is helpful. Having said that, any rpg system that allows for twists and turns, like FU or Fate, adds to the experience.

Now I had a new BQ answered, but by implication, it also changed the Who. The subject of the plot was not confirmed by my probe, so is marked “u” for unconfirmed, and is subject to amendment during the Big Boss Fight. With one BQ answered (What) and one amended through guessing and clarification (Who), this balanced the DL, meaning no change for the next scene.

On to scene three:

This scene proved t be all too brief. I chose the tiger for my seed. Interpreting it gave a head scratcher, so I went with my immediate reaction. I knew Aleena wanted to take Iankul out of town for safekeeping and some questioning. However, I felt as though the intersection event had to come first here.

Yep, a rakshasa!

What did he want? First I had to see if Aleena could resist his powers. Nope. She was magically compelled to perform a task for him. The probe is as seen on the sheet. What could it be? I searched the events from before and decided it was that scary mask the leader of the death cult wore (that would eventually be my adventure’s namesake). What did it do and what was its significance? I had to play to find out...

For now, that was enough to deduce that the cult was going to use the mask in some sort of rite to achieve their ends. But why? That remained to be seen. However, it was enough to raise the DL to its highest level. Things were getting difficult for poor Aleena! Also, not being able to act autonomously from her role as stooge for Relajii the rakshasa made life much more difficult.

In my next post, we examine scenes four and five, and things get turned completely upside down...

Mask of Khatri, a Perilous Intersections and FU walk-through, part 1

It occurs to me that I have very few walk-through AP's for my Perilous Intersections solo plot driver. I whipped up an example using my favorite ultra-lite, FU by Nathan Russell, which I later dubbed Mask of Khatri. In this first part, I simply go through a character generation process.

I love Forgotten Realms. I don't really know why. It's mostly nostalgic familiarity. Anyway, I'll go with this to generate some anchors and hooks. I decided to use the John Fiore's 9Qs NPC generator to fill in some missing gaps.

I recently came across this picture (credit: Jason Chan art):

An awesome piece of art. Off we go...

Aleena Seranskar

Background

Trained by not one, but two of the Seven Sisters in magic, Aleena is a native of Aglarond. Having served there as the Simbul’s personal handmaiden and a caretaker for the Queen’s house, her talents were recognized, and she served under another purpose.

A devout of Mystra, Aleena is also ordained as a member of the Lady of Magic’s clergy. Under that, she learned not only the secrets of the Art, but of the hearts of men, and the corruption that leads them to their folly. During her studies, she vowed to defy and destroy corruption where she found it.

She traveled to the deep south where corruption was great. In the steaming lands south of the Sea of Fallen Stars, she was captured by wemics. There she stayed with the tribe for months and developed a friendship with a massive male lion. Since then, they have been inseparable.

While working in the south, she met others of her cloth. In tandem, they focused on routing out the evil and corruption in places like Chondath. This was no easy task. The power and corruption was deep and old. She was poisoned by her own kind. Tholamin was a traitor and double-agent in the church and the employ of Lord Wianar of Arrabar. She survived the attempt, but she is now an uncompromising loner.

Aleena Today

Her search has now illuminated some sort of death cult in Arrabar that may or may not be connected to the elite’s corruption in the region. However, several others of her order have perished as sacrifices to the deity in question, their remains dumped in the streets at night after their dark rites. Aleena is trying to route out the group and see if it somehow relates to Wianar’s corruption.

Appearance

Aleena is slender woman of modest height garbed in common clothing. She has dark brown hair and dark eyes, with a pretty-but-plain face. She wears a cobalt blue cloak about her, and has seemingly few possessions. She carries a dagger with her concealed in one boot. She keeps her magical accoutrements in pouches about her belt.

Drives

Aleena is bent on the impossible — routing out ages-old corruption that seeks to destroy the world with unwieldy magical power. Currently, she concentrates on the areas of the south, specifically Chondath. She is tireless and unrealistic about her pursuit.

Relationships

Aleena is seen traveling abroad with her lion, Rovahan. He is the only companion she trusts. However, in cities, she enters usually alone if there is any alarm from the locals. Rovahan is free to roam the outskirts of town biding his time until Aleena emerges. Sometimes, he tracks her by scent at night by stealth.

Her nemesis is Tholamin, a trusted of Wianar who also serves as a cleric of Mystra. Currently, he believes Aleena to be dead. She wishes to keep this notion intact for the time being. Wianar is currently the subject of her investigation.

She has few friends, though the Simbul and Alustriel Silverhand are beloved mentors and friends. They are far away with problems of their own. Aleena has thought to reach out to the Emerald Enclave, whose aims parallel her own (via a different paradigm). She, however, correctly assumes that the Enclave would have trouble taking her as a trusted ally due to their aversion to sorcery and wizardry.

Stat Block

Concept. Lone Adventuring Sorceress-Priestess of Mystra
Descriptors. Willful, Inconspicuous, High Sorcery, Uncompromising
Gear. Concealed Dagger, Rovahan (Massive Male Lion)
Starting FU Points. 3
Conditions. [ ] Angry, [ ] Scared, [ ] Tired, [ ] Trapped, [ ] Blinded, [ ] Hungry, [ ] Dazed, [ ] Injured, [ ] Dying

Options

Options for spending/earning:

gain 1 for notable inconvenient twist
gain 1 for taking a hit
gain 1 for putting leverage on relationships
spend 1 to use a prop for a scene
spend 1 to use a rule-breaking power granted by a concept or a special thing

I'll cover the first three of ten scenes in the next post with images of notes plus my own commentary.

Powered by FU 2 — “Get Loot!” (Sword & Sorcery), part 2

Continued from here, part two of “Get Loot!”, a solo play report using Freeform Universal by Nathan Russell, and Perilous Intersections.

The Escape Attempt

GM’s FU Points To Use This Scene: 1

Gedric sat in fear listening to the distant noises. He had to get control of himself15. He shook his head and girded himself. Next, he felt the manacles. They were made of cold hard iron16. He pulled hard against them, feeling the snap of his thumb dislocate to pull his hands free. However, he fell back with a shout, and the iron links clanked loudly together. There was the sound of voices approaching.

 

Beast Master

Concept: Warrior-priest cultist of Malar
Descriptors: predatory instincts, athletic, uncivilized
Gear: spiked mace
Conditions: ▫️dazed ▫️trapped ▫️slowed ▫️out of action

Scrambling in the pitch blackness, Gedric felt along the wall’s edge, feeling the entry of a corridor way leading to the room17. He was well hidden as a single torch bearing man entered. It was the same one Gedric had followed into the merchant’s inn the previous night — or at least one looking the same dressed all in black with a wolfish face, black bristly facial hair and a grizzled build. The man’s surprise could not be more complete as Gedric leapt out18.

The man saw out the corner of his eye as Gedric leapt out to wrap his arms about his neck. With animal-like reflexes, the man twisted out of harm’s way and threw a glancing blow with a spiked mace he carried. The worst of the swing missed, but Gedric was tossed against the wall, getting winded and dazed.

The bearded man stalks over, now fully in the present moment19. Gedric shakes his head just as the moon looms over him, his weapon lifting to bear. Quick like a mouse, Gedric scurries away, a burst of adrenaline clearing the momentary haze.

 

Intersection Event

Heading down the only available corridor, Gedric sees light ahead. He tumbles out into a large cavernous area. Many fiery forges are scattered about the floor of the cavern below him, each attended by many figures. All about various perches are several more of the shadowy night monsters Gedric had encountered the previous day. He was easily visible amid the more fierce light.

From behind him came the growling voice of his pursuer, and all about before him, the night monsters transfixed him in their unholy gaze. They groped about, climbing down from their perches to accost the petty thief.

 

Story Probe

• Are these dwarves bent into servitude to make some sort of unholy device? Yes!

His quick glance of the cavern floor revealed that these were dwarven craftsmen, each bent by broken spirits, leg shackles binding their legs, all working on some strange device which was being assembled in the center. About the device were several cultists chanting in an endless incantation in low tones. What the contraption was, Gedric didn’t know. Nor did he care more than saving his skin at the moment.

 

Night Beasts (squad of 4)

Concept: Demonic black gorilla of Malar
Descriptors: cloaked in night, immensely strong, athletic, taloned, vulnerability to the sun
Conditions: ▫️confused ▫️separated ▫️trapped ▫️slowed ▫️out of action

 

Lair of the Beasts

Concept: Hidden subterranean lair of cult of Malar
Descriptors: twisted ways, dark
Conditions (applied to PC): ▫️lost ▫️dead end ▫️escape

Gedric cursed his luck when he reached for his blades, realizing they were not there. He darted down a side passage20. Several other passages snaked away from the main one, each a twisted water-carved way. Through a series of backtracking, hiding, and moving, he evaded the bearded man and demon apes, all who fanned out in search.

Next, he tried to feel the air currents, seek light, and use his instincts in the dark to try to find an exit to his prison21. He seemed to be working his way further from the forge cavern

 

Summary

• DL escalates to ‘Overwhelming Odds (+2)’ — enemy plans thwarted for the moment (+), one BQ answered (–), plus a setback (–)
• seed produced the captured dwarves at forges being guarded by large number of apes
• story probe succeeded at establishing Why? — constructing some unholy device
• 1 FU points given due to overwhelming odds
• 1 GM FU point spent to make Gedric lost

Associated Rolls

17 Does Gedric take advantage of being hidden? Yes, and… [makes the beast master ▪️surprised; is ▪️hidden]
18 Does Gedric incapacitate the man? No, and… [Gedric is ▪️dazed]
19 Does Gedric scurry away in time? Yes, and… [Gedric is not ▫️dazed
20 Does he evade his pursuit? Yes…
21 Does he find an exit? No… [GM Point spent: and he’s ▪️lost]

 

BIG BOSS FIGHT

 

Fightback Scene: Failed Rescue

GM’s FU Points To Use This Scene: 2

Gedric stopped groping in the dark. It was pointless. Where was he to go? With startling new revelation about his mother — and, truth be told, he had never imagined his mother the martyr type — something awakened in him that he had never before known: legacy. Assuming he was from lowborn stock, or worse yet, the product of a whore, he wanted to learn more. Furthermore, there were some diabolical plan at stake here. Normally, survival of the street dictated that he was extremely self serving. However, he now contemplated that he could perhaps make a strike against two ends — A blow against these horrible cultists, and at the same time rescue those poor dwarves who might know of an exit.

He turned and began tracking his way stealthily back22. The place was a maze, and he was groping along blindly. There was no helping it…he was still hopelessly lost.

 

Intersection Event

He worked his way along a path by which he could hear distant metallic impacts at rhythmic intervals. Inch by inch he progressed when a incredibly loud boom behind him startled him. He could see nothing. Another bang before him thundered through the cavern. The air was still. He was again trapped. Unseen doors sealed off escape.

Then came the hideous laughter from something evil. Through a stout door came a low bestial voice. “You cannot so easily escape!” it said. “The son of Martyrsblood will not need much longer to wait…”

 

Stout Door

Descriptors: stout iron, heavy, squeaky
Conditions: ▪️locked ▫️dented ▫️in ruin

Gedric crept to the door and listened. There was no sound from beyond. He studied the lock and withdrew a few hidden picks he kept up his sleeve. Taking his time, he tried to summon calm patience23. However, he became eager as he noted that this was a familiar lock mechanism. He set about working it24.

It’s not long before he heard the satisfying click as the mechanism disengages. He slowly swung the door just wide enough to slip out. Just to maintain the deception, he closed the door behind him and set the lock again.

He continued his way, trying to at least find where his weapons were kept or some other useful items25. He wandered aimlessly, until he saw light ahead. Moving cautiously forward, he peered around a corner to observe a room with a few cots, some dried foods and a jug of wine. He spied his sabers in their sheaths leaning against a wall. However, another black-garbed cultist sat on the floor in the middle of the room, a cruel double-headed axe in his lap. His eyes were closed as though he was in some trance or meditation.

Acting with determined desperation, Gedric leapt into the room26. He rolled, snatched his blades, throwing off the sheaths and got their two tips under the man’s throat before he could get to his feet.

“Careful!” warned Gedric. “Let go of that axe haft and I might let you live a bit longer,” he promised27. He was good at lying, but this time, he really meant it.

However, these cultists were savages enthralled the passions of the beast. The man rolled back away and reached to snatch up his axe. However, Gedric clearly had the upper hand28. Gedric hacked away. The larger man was surprisingly agile and quick for his size and darted out of reach. Next, Gedric played to his conniving nature, and continued forward seemingly recklessly with his two blades29, hoping to lure his opponent into false feelings of martial superiority. However, the man snarled, anticipating Gedric’s next move. The cultist spun in perfect synchronicity to the thief and pounced on his exposed flank30. A powerful swat of the flat of his axe head sent Gedric flying. He struck a wall and went unconscious.

 

Summary

• DL remains at ‘Overwhelming Odds (+2)’ (maximum) for getting a setback
• no BQ’s clarified (Story Probe never came to be due to fiction)
• seed produced a trap
• 1 FU points given due to setback
• 2 GM FU points spent to modify roll #27
• no seeds remain

 Associated Rolls

22 Does he find his way back? No.. [1 FU point spent to re-roll a 3, remains a 3]
23 Does he create calm patience for himself? No, but… [he has encountered this sort of lock before]
24 Does he unlock the door? Yes, and… [he opens it quietly; he’s no longer ▫️trapped]
25 Does Gedric find his sabers? No, and… [1 FU point spent to re-roll a 1] Yes, but… [the room is guarded by a cultist]
26 Does Gedric get to his sabers before the man can react? Yes, and… [he gets them leveled at the man’s throat before he gets to his feet]
27 Does Gedric get the cultist to surrender? [2 GM Points spent to tip the odds] No, but… [he has the upper hand in the duel]
28 Does Gedric inflict harm on the cultist? No…
29 Does Gedric lure the cultist into a false sense of martial superiority? No, and… [the tables are turned, giving Gedric’s opponent the upper hand]
30 Does Gedric defend himself? No, but… [the cultist spares his life; Gedric is ▪️unconscious; 1 FU point earned]

Stay tuned later this week for the final showdown...

Powered by FU 2 — “Get Loot!” (Sword & Sorcery), part 1

Here's a solo actual play report of Freeform Universal and Perilous Intersections, featuring Gedric Twoblades, a character concept inspired by this great art by Jason Chan, which I designed for play in the Forgotten Realms. However, this adventure has a strong Sword and Sorcery vibe to it. I started with a simple premise: in Mulmaster, the sorcerer, Ag-morthon, wants an artifact from a rival Blade…Gedric is to fetch it or the sorcerer will direct to him the crime lord, Jornah Kneebreaker, to whom Gedric owes more than money. A little adventure, I call, “Get Loot!”

I have posted few actual play examples of PI, but it's nice to see that some are making use of it. Sophia, over at die heart, is making use of them for her wonderful Dungeon World solo play.

RULES

This will use straight-up FU, for the most part, with aspect like play similar to Fate (á la “create an advantage” actions to put details into play). Spending FU points can grant rule-bending powers in the form of unopposed beat-the-odds rolls.

FU points are fed through complications that have sufficient bite to them. Complications may be fed off of particulars in relationships, drives, flaws, or any details or descriptors in play that may be negative.

In dueling matches of import, the back-and-forth is handled by establishing an upper hand detail. Touches can only be scored by having it. It also is a detail that grants a bonus die.

The GM gets FU points per scene based on the current Danger Level (at Disadvantaged or higher level) plus maybe an extra point or two to assign to the main baddie. These points may be spent to alter Beat the Odds rolls, as normal, or spent to create some scene complication, spent to get rid of a negative condition applied to an NPC, or add some negative detail.

PERILOUS INTERSECTIONS

PI will guide the action. Five seeds will keep this a short one. Two Big Questions (BQ’s) have answers already, due to how I'm starting this one, but may be altered (treat as unreliable). Other BQ’s could be added if context dictates. That starts this in the Rears Its Ugly Head phase, with a bit more aggression directed particularly at our hero.

What we have so far:

Who? Ag-morthon (made this up for my starting scenario)
What? Wants Farnas Del Unthiley’s magical crystal
Why? (this seems to be my only unanswered question so far)

Our Danger Level starts at the usual place (Advantageous -1).

I also rolled the following seeds (all generated through Rory's Story Cubes): an inferno, digging holes, spyglass, treasure chest, hang from a branch.

GEDRIC TWOBLADES

Concept: Petty thief or hired sword depending…
Descriptors: deceptive, nimble, thievery, selfish
Gear: sinister eye patch, twin sabers, ceremonial dagger
Starting FU Points: 2
Conditions: ▫️angry ▫️scared ▫️tired ▫️trapped ▫️blinded ▫️hungry ▫️dazed ▫️injured ▫️dying

Description: A cloaked vagabond, two sabers dangling at his hip. Long, stringy hair. Eye patch. Just something not quite right…
Relationships: Me, myself, and I! Never had people too close. Wrenching costs too much more than a night, and the slum lords always want a piece of the action. Screw ’em!
Drive: Jewels, women, and luxury (order depending).

REARS ITS UGLY HEAD

Scene 1. The Job

Gedric had a hangover. Had he dreamt it? No! He remembered the sorcerer’s gaunt face. The instructions were plain — sneak into the tower of some Farn? Farn…Farnas Del Unthiley — a member of the ruling Blades of Mulmaster to get some crystal.

Why should I? Gedric asked silently. Then he remembered…the sorcerer promised that he would deliver him to one Jornah Kneebreaker, a man Gedric truly wished never to see again. Not only he owed the man a substantial sum of money, but he also took something from the crime lord’s soon-to-be-wed that couldn’t be given back. That gave urgency to the job.

He needed food to quell the revolution in his belly — or maybe not. Regardless how he started his day, it was time to get to work.

His first priority was to scope out the habitat of this Farnas fellow — discover its defenses and security. Fortunately, Gedric not only had skills in getting inside secure places, but he also found friends in not-so-friendly places — the type of folk who might know such details.

 

Mulmaster

Concept: Dangerous city on the Moonsea
Descriptors: guarded by day, thieved by night, sprawling, shadowed civic labyrinth

He bumbled about trying to find any locksmith who might be bought that would know the layout and security of Farnas’s place1. His search turned up nothing. He did find out, however, that the ruling Blade resided in a keep on the side of mount Mulmaster2, the more secure quarter where the upper class resided. He had also learned that Del Unthiley was away on business, and was not expected back for two more days. The rogue smiled…

Without good knowledge of the place through sources, he decided to case the joint himself.

 

Intersection Event: Spyglass

As he set out up the hill, he couldn’t help but notice two dark clad figures shadowing his movements. Savvy to such maneuverings, Gedric decided to turn things around.

He gave the fellows the slip3, and circumnavigated their position, ducking under the flap of a pottery merchant’s stall along a narrow market, and turned the tail on the stalkers. However, they each noted their missing mark and split up. Both being the same in appearance by his quick observation, Gedric arbitrarily chose the leftmost to tail.

The figure wound through the streets, Gedric keeping close, but not too close. The way led him to a run-down looking inn in the merchant’s quarter. Gedric put the hood of his cloak up and entered after. Taking a seat in a shadowed corner, he spied the figure4.

 

Story Probe

 

• Is it Zhentarim agents? No, something else…

The man removed his own hood to reveal a woodsman of some sort. He greeted a similarly garbed man with a full black bristling beard. He thought he could make out, “Did you capture the rogue swordsman?”

“No, he gave us the slip…” answered the first.

“The beast lord tolerates no failure,” said the first in an almost growling voice. “Find him, or face the consequences. Malar guide you!”

The first bowed and removed himself. Gedric felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand. He had never before heard of a beast lord. The fact anyone was hunting for him did not bode well.

 

Summary Notes

• Danger Level goes to ‘At Odds (+0)’
• Gedric gets an FU point
• seed produced the pursuers
• story probe failed
• ‘Who?’ changed tentatively; this also nullifies ‘What?’

Associated Rolls

1 Does Gedric find a relevant source willing to give security details? No, but… [he learns the location]
2 Does he learn interesting gossip about Farnas’s mansion? Yes, and… [that Farnas is away]
3 Does he turn the pursuers into the prey? Yes, but… [they split up]
4 Does Gedric observe his target surreptitiously? Yes… 

Scene 2. Casing the Joint

Not wanting to waste time, Gedric set out again for the Lord’s Quarter on Mount Mulmaster.

 

Lord’s Quarter

(may be combined with Mulmaster proper)
Concept: Home of the paranoid and corrupt ruling class
Descriptors: vigilantly guarded night and day, formidable walls and gates.

He set back up the path toward the wealthy quarter, choosing a circuitous route to elude any would be followers5. He was furtive, avoiding the sundry street influences, but couldn’t help feeling as though he was being watched. By whom, or from where this gut feeling came, he had no idea.

Next, Gedric set about locating a good spot from which he could observe the manse of Del Unthiley6. He spied a rooftop blind from atop a quiet ruin sitting squat between two other walled establishments. Furthermore, noting the movements of the many patrols about the Lord’s Quarter, they paid the ruin no mind.

He furtively stole across an alley and hopped a low stone wall and made his way up the crumbling building’s facade.

Once in position, he made himself comfortable and gazed out across the road toward the dwelling of Farnas Del Unthiley. He observed some interesting things of note7.

 

Story Probe

• Does he note a schedule leaving the place unguarded at night? No, something else…

Throughout his watch, he noted that two pairs of guards circled the bailey grounds in opposing directions. He spotted a growth of trees inside the wall on the far side. He noted that the two pairs, when crossing directly in front of the shrubbery would afford anyone twenty five breaths before they might have a chance to put their gaze at the front of the main building. There was entry through a front door, or on the upper level by way of climbing vines and an overlooking terrace. The upper windows were always dark, appearing that servants worked in the main floor, while the upper story was vacant.

He liked his dry lips, having spent much of the night looking out. Coming down from his perch, it was time to get some rest before putting the plan to action the next night on the eve before Del Unthiley’s return.

 

Intersection Event: Hang from Branch

As he dropped to the broken flagstones, another black form dropped from a nearby refuge. A lumbering long-armed form followed stealthily after.

 

Night Beast

Concept: Demonic black gorilla of Malar
Descriptors: cloaked in night, immensely strong, athletic, taloned, vulnerability to the sun
Conditions: ▫️Confused ▫️Dazed ▫️Trapped ▫️Injured ▫️Out of Action

Gedric, lost in his thoughts8, was oblivious of the charging horror at his back and was knocked down with tremendous force. Air blasted from his lungs with a grunt. He struggled to turn on his side and scramble up9. He was too pressed by the black horror looming over him to get on his feet, but had managed to turn and draw his twin sabers.

Gedric frantically worked his blades from his prone position to ward off groping hands10, and managed to buy enough margin to find his feet. The monster before him was hulking. In some primitive simian shape, Gedric had the feeling he faced a savage monster of the deepest jungles of Chult; however, this beast was otherworldly. He could not see the horror under the shadow of the void from whence this thing came.

Backing away11, he tried to find a narrow choke point at an archway that crossed a narrow lane in order to control his movements. The monster came on too swiftly, closing the gap, but opened a gap under its hideously gangly arms as black talons poised to strike. He ripped the unseen flesh open with his offhand blade12 and managed a downward chop with his primary blade as the monster doubled over, finishing it off.

The creature melted into black ichor before his eyes. Though he was alive and prevailed against some demon of the void, Gedric fled in fear and loathing…


 
Summary Notes

• DL remains ‘At Odds (+0)’
• seed produced the pursuing night beast
• story probe failed
• no BQ’s added or altered

Associated Rolls

5 Does Gedric loose any would-be followers? Yes, but… [is ▪️watched]
6 Does he identify any possible refuge conducive to spying at the target site in question? Yes, and… [the place is overlooked by guards]
7 Does he gain valuable intelligence of the place that may help him? Yes…
8 Does he observe his pursuer? No, and… [is ▪️prone]
9 Does Gedric get to his feet? No, but… [gets his blades ready for defense]
10 Does he keep the night beast at bay? [1 FU point spent to up the odds] Yes, and… [removes ▫️prone]
11 Does Gedric take advantage of a strategically defensible position? No, but… [the thing opens itself up for attack]
12 Does he take advantage of the creature’s reckless opening? Yes, and… [inflicts ▪️injured and ▪️out of action]

Scene 3. The Interrupted Plan in Action

Gedric had a fitful sleep at best. Thoughts of Jornah making good on his promise and namesake gave him a throbbing sensation in the legs. Then, leering shapes in the darkness of which he is only aware from the revolution in his insides cause him to toss and turn. The day wears on gloomily under thick clouds. Hail pelts from the heavens — as good a time to get to work as any, he mused.

Waiting for nightfall, he moved out by circuitous track again. He felt at any moment, some mobster might jump from the shadows to grab him13. His sense of paranoia made him tense and jumpy. He was sure he heard muffled footsteps behind him. Gedric was quickly loosing his customary roguish cool14. With some half-heard grunt, he took off at a dash, panic pushing to near madness.

He rushed through the empty night streets full of mist, shadows, and malice. Whoever his stalker was, he dogged Gedric’s every step.

 

Intersection Event: Digging Holes

Gedric backed into a darker alleyway, huddling in the dark against a cold wall. His breath came in short gasps, and fear gripped his heart like solid ice. Suddenly, from the ground came a great black arm. Another seemed to issue from the stone of the wall against which he braced himself. He tried to scream, but another sinuous arm snaked around his mouth. He was swallowed within the shadow itself.

When he could feel once again, he found himself in a cold lightless place. He felt stone under his feet, and his breath echoed against hardened walls. The sound of approaching steps came, along with a bestial snort.

 

Story Probe

• Is it the beast lord demanding sacrifice of a surviving son of a dead heroic Ilmater priestess? Yes!

Out of the cold came a hideous deep voice that carried great power and was the embodiment of predatory-inspired fear. Although he could not see, his mind’s eye saw hate-filled monstrous eyes leering hungrily at him.

“You are the bastard son of Shaela Martyrsblood, suffered disciple of Ilmater,” it said. “I know this by the stench of your blood. The veil of unclean ways cannot mask it. You will die tonight during the blood moon…the rite has begun!”

Then, the terrible thing was gone. Gedric tried to free himself, but found himself manacled.

 

Summary

• DL escalates to ‘Disadvantaged (+1)’ — two BQ’s clarified, one BQ answered, plus a setback
• seed produced the groping demonic things from shadow drawing aged rid into shadow
• story probe succeeded producing interesting character backstory and impending issue
• 2 FU points granted due to complications
• impending issue detail established: the rite has begun!

Associated Rolls

13 Does he maintain stealth? No, and… [he picks up a new tail]
14 Does Gedric outrun his pursuers? No, and… [he is ▪️scared]

 Stay tuned for more...

Doria in the Savage North, part 2

Well, this was a ridiculously long period since the last time I was able to sit in peace. At least I got to finish this. The session resulted in plenty of twists and turns in this phase of play. One more part to go to bring it to conclusion.

Rears Its Ugly Head

Three: The Hunt for Jermal

Setup: Doria goes out on the street looking for Jermal, knowing that he is the key to unraveling the mystery and encountering the Zhentarim in Luskan

Position: Disadvantaged (+1)

Does Doria find signs of the madman? Yes…

Does she shadow him unseen? (1FU spent) Yes, and…

It is not long before Doria hears her kinsman frothing at the mouth near the center of town where the Host Tower of the Arcane casts its malevolent four-pronged shadow. Doria remains unseen to Jermal, and…

Seed: Tree

Intersection: the idea suggests the actual Host Tower of the Arcane, which has been described as a tree-like structure rising very high with branches in the four directions. A wizardly person appears at the base of the tower and attempts to take both Jermal and Doria (since it’s the Rears Its Ugly Head phase, we’ll assume they’re savvy and have Doria already on their radar). (Conflict)

Valdaris Blackrot

Concept: Evil Necromancer

Descriptors: Evil Genius, Gaunt, Death Magic, Sick Ambition

Gear: Wand of the Dead

Conditions: none

FU Points per Scene: 1

As Doria watches Jermal under the sinister shadow of the great tower, a black-robed gaunt man suddenly appears. With a simple point of the finger, he has Jermal enthralled and commands him to approach, which he does with the staggering steps of a zombie.

Does Doria resist the effects? Yes… (But using Valdaris’s one FU point, it changes to No, and…) (+1FU)

[X] Enthralled

Doria too is dumbstruck and wanders to the wizard. Through some gate effect, she and Jermal both disappear within the tower she presumes. They are placed in a cell, still bound by the spellcaster, and unable to move or speak.

Story Probe: Does the wizard discuss war plans against the Harpers with his minions? D6+1 = No

Something Different: drawing a mysterious alien face (which I’m interpreting as telepathic; so maybe some mind-flayers) and intersecting against the Story Probe, Valdaris discusses with a illithid he calls Klorpus how to extract some power from Jermal that will allow control of a vast undead army.

Scene Close: Things are looking bad, and Jermal has some hidden gift that the necromancer needs to control a fell army. This clarifies How (and helps lower the DL), and changes what Doria thought about Who. The Harpers are involved somehow, but Valadaris seems to be at the heart of the plot (– DL). Even though she’s suffered a setback (+ DL), it still amounts to lowering the Danger Level for the next scene.

Four: Escape

Setup: Doria attempts a daring escape with Jermal

Position: At Odds (+0)

The two regain their senses (at least Doria does — Jermal is just crazy). She watches the guards assigned to their cell, timing their routine and looking for an opportunity.

Interpreting the intersection of the scene later, this gives Doria a chance to make a break for it first. The intersection will be added later, to see what complication arises.

Does she overpower the guards at an opportune moment? Yes…

Collecting her weapons and leading the insane Jermal along, Doria seeks a way out.

Does she maintain stealth? No, and…

Sneaking through the maze, a magical alarm sounds, and guards pursue them.

Seed: Lightning

Intersection: interpreting the idea as the obvious, this means that hedge mages appear, unleashing destructive magic to destroy Doria and apprehend Jermal. (Conflict)

Hedge Mages

(squad of 3)

Concept: Apprentices of the Arcane

Descriptors: Naive, Curious, Magic

Conditions: [ ] Confused, [ ] Slowed, [ ] Out of Action

Does Doria avoid their magical attacks? Yes, but…

Powerful thunderbolts are released and other energetic attacks. Doria dives to safety, but Jermal is caught in a spell of holding.

Does Doria close the distance to the mages? Yes, and… [X] Magic Dispelled

Like a wildcat, Doria rushes forward. She lays about with her blade and puts the mages on the defensive. One of them who had the hold on Jermal releases the spell in a panic to defend himself.

Does she escape with Jermal? No…

Try as she might, Doria turns down a passage only to run into armed guards. Every passage seems blocked off. There is no other way than to fight!

Tower Guards

(squad of 5)

Concept: Armed Guardians

Descriptors: Duty Bound

Gear: Long Halberds

Conditions: [ ] Confused, [ ] Slowed, [ ] Out of Action

Does she punch a hole through the guards? Yes…

Her vengeful streak fueling her on, Doria smashes through the armed guards with blade and force of will, sending them scattering.

Host Tower of the Arcane

Concept: Mysterious and Highly Magical Tower

Descriptors: Arcane Mysteries, A Maze that Defies Physics, Password Protected

Does she find an exit? Yes…AND!

Flying through strange passages with a pack of angry guards on her tail and an incoherent geriatric barbarian on hand, she flies into some sort of magical gate chamber. A wizard in the midst of some magical research or purpose has an active portal open. Doria flies through the portal, finding herself free of the tower, AND somewhere else entirely…

Story Probe: because of the fiction, no Story Probe needs to be asked.

Scene Close: If I could think of a logical Story Probe, I could go ahead and state it. In this case, an action sequence without furtherance to the plot is fine. The DL goes down one step because I consider Doria escaping Valdaris’s clutches with Jermal is a success in thwarting the antagonist’s plans. We still have answers for only three of the Big Questions, which means we are still in the Rears Its Ugly Head Stage.

Five: the Grotto

Setup: Doria investigates a mysterious cavern complex for more clues of her enemy

Position: Advantaged (-1)

Note: The grotto sounds scary and mysterious. A great place to start! Why here? What details of the system let me to assert this stage? In Perilous Intersections, flexibility and narrative license are built right in. As long as there is reason to frame a scene, the player can exercise any license he sees fit to set that scene in any place that makes sense. For me, a mysterious grotto could be anything… It does not necessarily dictate a real place, such as another city, other part of the continent, different world, or what have you. I did not have to use a Seed or a random idea to generate the setting for this scene.

Doria finds herself in a vast, artificially lit cavern. Water drips in many places, but it is not empty…

Does she investigate in stealth without alerting anyone? Yes, and…

Story Probe: Does Doria find a barbaric slaves exhuming corpses from a mass grave? D6-1 = 4; No

Something Else: using the image of dice, the idea of a game or score intersects with the question to suggest that the (dead) barbarians themselves are undead legions of some great army being housed in the Underdark that is being made ready to be released when the enemy has gained control of the legion (presumably through Jermal). There are human and goblinoid overseers here.

Doria is left with the horrifying view of hundreds of her dead kin. Unsure what to do, she tries to come up with a plan. Her thirst for vengeance now includes the wizard Valdaris in addition to the Zhentarim, who are no doubt involved. She reasons that wherever the cave is, it must be reasonably close to the target of the attack.

Now, I haven’t included an intersection yet, so here it goes:

Seed: Sunflower

Intersection: a sunflower suggests a ripening and giant growth…and also seeds. I’m also low on revelation-type events, and the clock (remaining Seeds) is ticking down. Without changing the personal danger for our heroine, this sounds like when Doria is focused on the scene, Jemal wanders off and is grabbed…“We got you!” says one. “Good,” says a hobgoblin general. “Call Klorpus…when he extracts the seeds from the barbarian’s mind, the army will be ready to attack.” (Revelation)

Doria’s chance to free Jermal again is probably best now rather than later. Even though the DL is low, it makes sense that there are great numbers here. If she fails, that’s a setback, making the final showdown harder. The last of the Big Questions must get answered in the next scene regardless of what happens here. Combat seems likely…and the great numbers will be represented by some squads. If she gets a poor result on some of her FU Beat the Odds questions, that may mean more squads come to the call.

Hobgoblin Overseer

Concept: Big Mean Hobgoblin Boss

Descriptors: Tough, Intimidating, Fighter

Gear: Man-cleaver (huge battle axe)

Grotto Squads

Concept: Mooks for Hire

Descriptors: Duty Bound

Gear: Rusty Sword

The Grotto

Concept: Unknown Vast Cavern

Descriptors: Vast

Conditions: [X] Unknown

Does Doria surprise the captors? Yes…

Doria leaps out and surprises the goblinoids that have Jermal in hand.

Does she free him with a swipe of the sword? Yes, and…

She lashes out like a panther, smiting two of the hobgoblins. Grabbing Jermal by the hand, she dashes out through the nearest passage, and leaves her pursuit confusedbehind her.

Does she find escape? No, and… (+1FU)

Dashing down that way, she comes only to a dead end cavern with more corpses lying on various slabs. Trapped! Turning, she grits her teeth and draws dirk and sword. She must fight for her life to get free.

Does she fare well against the squad? Yes, but…

[X] Reinforced

The wildcat becomes a lioness. Bodies begin to heap at Doria’s feet, but more reinforcements arrive. The overseer hefts a massive axe and orders his grunts forward.

Does she convince the hobgoblin to meet her in single combat? Yes, and…

Doria calls out the leader in single combat. The huge hobgoblin accepts her challenge and agrees that a map showing the way out is hers if she defeats him.

Does she fare well? Yes, but…

The two stalk around taking account of each other then meet in a clash of steel. She is the faster, gouging a wound in his side, but he shrugs it off being trained for worse hurts.

Does she press the attack? No, but… AND

Both participants are [X] Injured

A brief exchange too fast to follow with the eye results in Doria stepping back, wide eyed. Blood begins to flow down her arm from her side where the cruel axe nearly maimed her. The hobgoblin grinned, but staggered. It turns out that Doria’s initial touché was worse than he thought.

Does she press the attack? Yes, and…

[X] Dying

With a final burst of speed, Doria ducks under her larger foe’s slow and clumsy attack. A spin and slash opens up the hobgoblin’s abdomen. He looks down as his innards spill out.

“I’ll be taking that map,” she said as her opponent slumped to his knees. She reached in and produced a dogeared parchment before her foe fell on his face.

“Get back, or the same pile of dead meat will be made of you all!” she warned the crowd of minions.

Does she intimidate them? Yes, and, AND…

The crowds parted for her and most disperse in fear of their commanders, feeling themselves liberated from their unwanted duties. Furthermore, one of the hobgoblins agrees to lead the two to the closest exit from the caves to the lands beyond.

Scene Close: Nothing further was answered this scene. The only question remaining is Why, which must get answered during the next scene (there is only one Seed remaining). The only moving criteria for changing the DL that was met was thwarting the antagonist’s plans, which Doria did resoundingly. The DL stays put for the next scene, since it’s already at its lowest level.

Six: the City

Setup: Doria and Jermal come upon a city

Position: Advantaged (-1)

Note: I don’t know yet what city this will be, but I’m assuming some sort of war will be waged on a powerful enough organization or nation that there will be a city of some sort. I’m also going to mix it up a bunch in this scene, starting with some investigating and building a bit of context for a Probe. Then, I’ll throw in the intersection last. Strategically, we want the DL to remain low, so Doria will try to clarify What — who is this war waged against? The Seed will somehow impose the Why regardless of her efforts here due to the lack of remaining Seeds. Hopefully, if she doesn’t get a setback, these will balance out.

Doria with her hobgoblin escort emerges from a cavern. Below her on the water is a walled city surrounded by shoulders of mountainous rock under a cloudy sky. She does not yet recognize what city it is. She leaves the hobgoblins behind and leads Jermal to the gate of the city.

Story Probe: Is this a powerful city with magical rulers that is a rival of the Zhentarim, like Mulmaster? D6-1 = 5. Yes! This answers What more definitively, and begins to hint at Why (the Zhentarim are using high powered wizards of Luskan to eliminate certain magical rivals). We will get more details later in this scene.

Doria discovers the city’s name from the guards. She considers her options — the Harpers were involved. Undoubtedly, they wanted to thwart this plot, although she has no clue what their true interests are. She also considers alerting the powers that be about the attack, hoping they might give Jermal protection; however, she reconsiders this too. If the rulers here knew that the crazed tribesman was the key to controlling a legion of undead, were they completely unscrupulous (likely) and capable of great magic too, they might just as easily turn the tables against their own enemies. In any case, that would mean the same fate for Jermal and the desecration of the remains of her kin. The last option was to run and hide.

The best option, although hopeless, was to seek any Harper agents here ask for their help. She had no idea how to go about that except in the most blunt fashion as is her wont — find the seediest tavern where dark business is conducted (and hopefully watched by other powers) and call them out.

Mulmaster

Concept: Evil Moonsea City

Descriptors: Dangerous, Steeped in Intrigue, Maze of Machinations

The Crying Siren

Concept: Nastiest, Seediest Tavern in Mulmaster

Descriptors: Den of Cutthroats, Legitimate Place of Illegitimate Business

In steps Doria with her mumbling companion. She sets him in a quiet corner and begins her ‘inquiry’. She lays the silver pin of the harp she picked up from her initial scuffle with the Harpers in Luskan on the counter of the bar in front of the barkeep and asks him in a not-too-subtle voice where she could find Harper scum.

Does she get the info she seeks? Yes, and… AND!

Even as she is asking, she notices a figure step up behind her. Two more flank her. They are grim faced men, and one of them bears a similar pin.

Doria spins about to greet the men. “I encountered your men in Luskan,” she said. “I want to talk.”

Warily, the men lead her to a private parlor. She brings Jermal along who begins raving again about the looming war.

The Harpers chastise Doria for openly talking of them, blowing their cover. She counters and tells about their comrades who were looking for the raving barbarian and the encounter with the necromancer. She asks for their help.

They fill in the story.

Note: this is the last scene of Rears Its Ugly Head which will complete unanswered BQ’s. It doesn’t matter how it’s answered, though incorporating the last Seed is a part of it. Without further Probes, a good amount of license will be used to provide details; and, as a result of no available Probe left for the scene, it means that the BQ detailed here is subject to amendment during the Final Boss Fight. Here, I’m allowing the NPC informants to fill in the missing details. It will be colored, however, by the perception and agenda of the Harpers.

Sevae, the leader of the trio tells the story: Anestal Devilsend, an agent of the Black Network, has been bent on recovering the Ring of Fire — a fell circle of magical stones wrought by the wizards of Netheril and buried under what is now a local temple. It is a gate to one of the Nine Hells, and capable of loosening beings of unthinkable power and evil and he alone has the key to unlocking it. Anestal hopes to use his undead hordes to assail Mulmaster, and they, along with the barbarian’s seed are the key to open the Ring of Fire. The Harpers’ mission in Luskan was to track Jermal, knowing he was key to Anestal’s plan, though they didn’t know exactly how he fit. It turns out that the mad barbarian has some curse laid upon him, through which Anestal can wield the power of raising the dead, among other powers. Sevae and his companions were in deep cover in Mulmaster to keep an eye over the temple.

Having those answers, Doria asks what next to do. Sevae only responds that to hide away somewhere is a temporary fix. Some conflict with Anestal is inevitable, and now, it seems, so too is one with Valdaris Blackrot, his colleague in Luskan.

Intersection: Using the last seed, of fire, Doria smells something as smoke begins to creep into the room. Screams from the taproom indicate a fire is burning the Crying Siren. She doesn’t doubt that Zhentarim spies have tried to flush her out. (Conflict)

Raging Fire

Descriptors: Chaos Reigns, Hot Flames

Conditions: [ ] Out of Control [ ] Conflagration

Grabbing Jermal, Doria heads out the door and finds the nearest exit.

Does she find a clear exit? [-2FU] Yes…

Out of the private room, the smoke is thicker and people shriek. Sevae and his men push their way forward, trying to help. Down a back way they go and then into a darkened smoke-filled alley. As soon as they break free of the burning building and into the alley, several dark figures loom out of the shadows.

Zhentarim Thugs

Descriptors: Treacherous, Greedy

Gear: Gleaming Short Sword

Conditions: [ ] Confused, [ ] Slowed, [ ] Out of Action

Does Doria cut through them? No, and, AND…

[X] Unconscious [+1FU]

Without warning, more figures pop out from their flanks. Sevae and his men are cut down. Before Doria can free her blade from its scabbard, a heavy impact hits her hard on the back of the head and she swoons. The last thing she sees is Jermal screaming as figures hoist him over their shoulders and abscond with him.

Scene Close: Well, that could have gone better! At least, it answers the last of the BQ’s, though with Doria’s setback, it’s not only an elevation of the Danger Level, but a trigger for the next phase, the Final Boss Fight.

We are left with a worksheet that looks like: