As winter drew near, Su-Laing and a part of her family planned to leave the city and join her grandfather and the clan at their winter campground near a hot spring up on the steppes. She and Tetsukichi would be wed according to the traditions of the horse people.
The large party accompanying them included Beatriss (who was five months pregnant and finding the confines of city life progressively repugnant), Hatsu, 5 of Gwinch’s sohei, and 20 soldiers. They made camp in a strip of light woods growing between a ravine and steep cliffs. While gathering firewood, the soldiers discovered that many of the trees were thickly gummed with thick spider webs. The party considered returning to Khanbaliq or pushing on through the night, but both these options were rejected as dangerous. They sought shelter of some sort at the base of the cliffs and were happy to find a small, snug house. Beatriss’s vulpine admirer made a couple appearance in fox-form alarming some soldiers and amusing others.
Before squeezing into the house to sleep, they set up a watch. It was near dawn when the spiders attacked.
Well-organized and with great numbers, they killed multiple waves of attacking spiders without anyone being bitten. Soon after they chased off the last spider, and while debating whether to sleep another hour or break camp, O-me-sa appeared in human form. If Beatriss would consent to stay with him at his house in the forest, he would guarantee that the others passed through forest in safety. Beatriss readily agreed.
The travelers broke camp to continue their journey. Beatriss said that she hoped to join them in time for the wedding.
The rest of the journey was peaceful. Along the way they met Gunjar, a wandering shaman with four horses, who agreed to join their group and assist with the wedding ceremony. They reached the great camp of Duutar, Su-Laing’s grandfather, and they met representatives of the Sansar clan, including Tetsukichi’s soon to be adoptive father. Tetsukich said a temporary good-bye to his betrothed in order to go to the Sansar camp and go through the adoption ceremony. He built his own ger and a week later he returned to marry Su-Laing and to bring her back to his own new clan. During the bride’s first official meeting with her new in-laws, they were startled by the sound of a herd horses galloping into the camp. The horses were without riders, and unsaddled, and sweating as if they had been running for a long time. They began eating the grass around the newlyweds’ ger and the shamen agreed this was a good omen.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Perdu perdu
We thought we were being so smart. It was Pavel in fact, normally blundering along secure in his righteousness, who thought to look for a trip wire, and saw it. So we did like we did before: stood behind Tenniel and let her trip the wire with her polearm.
It was flour that poured from the ceiling in a big flammable cloud. We had a torch and the ensuing conflagaration consumed both our torchbearer and Perdu.
Pavel, as the surviving cleric, gave the last rites.
It was flour that poured from the ceiling in a big flammable cloud. We had a torch and the ensuing conflagaration consumed both our torchbearer and Perdu.
Pavel, as the surviving cleric, gave the last rites.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Kishi
Some people have asked when I'm going to post a photo of Red Bear, the player who plays Kishi, and because the answer is still "soon," meaning "later," I am instead posting this drawing of Kishi-- drawn by Bubu Singe (who plays Gwinch.)
This is Red Bear's first experience playing D&D, and Bubu Singe has provided a lot of guidance. I should be grateful for this and I am-- but at the same it's important to encourage new players to have confidence, to realize the satisfaction of contributing to the story of the game in a meaningful way.
And Kishi-- ahem-- Red Bear has succeeded in this. Bubu Singe like the idea of Red Bear playing a ninja. These are really hard characters to play. Their kewl powers rely heavily on powers of suggestion, and they are thrive on their own rather than as part of a team.
Therefore I told Red Bear that while Kishi was employed by Sato Masako, a powerful samurai, her true masters were-- of course-- her ninja family and her true job was to spy on Sato. And when she joined the rest of the party in a quest for seven swords belonging to the Sato family, her true objective was to recover them for someone else.
Stating at first level among intermediate-level characters, Kishi succeeded even better than she hoped, baiting Sato into a confrontation with his own retainers (the other PCs) that ended badly for him and for his clan. In terms of making a contribution to the shape of the game, I feel happy with the "raw materials" I provided her. On the other hand, I know she's felt lost sometimes, and wonder whether she would have better enjoyed starting with a fighter who could always be in the thick of things.
This is Red Bear's first experience playing D&D, and Bubu Singe has provided a lot of guidance. I should be grateful for this and I am-- but at the same it's important to encourage new players to have confidence, to realize the satisfaction of contributing to the story of the game in a meaningful way.
And Kishi-- ahem-- Red Bear has succeeded in this. Bubu Singe like the idea of Red Bear playing a ninja. These are really hard characters to play. Their kewl powers rely heavily on powers of suggestion, and they are thrive on their own rather than as part of a team.
Therefore I told Red Bear that while Kishi was employed by Sato Masako, a powerful samurai, her true masters were-- of course-- her ninja family and her true job was to spy on Sato. And when she joined the rest of the party in a quest for seven swords belonging to the Sato family, her true objective was to recover them for someone else.
Stating at first level among intermediate-level characters, Kishi succeeded even better than she hoped, baiting Sato into a confrontation with his own retainers (the other PCs) that ended badly for him and for his clan. In terms of making a contribution to the shape of the game, I feel happy with the "raw materials" I provided her. On the other hand, I know she's felt lost sometimes, and wonder whether she would have better enjoyed starting with a fighter who could always be in the thick of things.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Swan Lady
Beatriss has felt a growing antipathy toward Khanbaliq— the constant noise of construction, destruction, and more construction, the draft in her, too-bright room, the odors of moldering food, of the smoke, sewage, and sweat of so many unknown people. And so she went to the Forbidden City to visit Tetsukichi’s fiancée Su-Laing. As she looked forward to her wedding, Su-Laing also resented the feeling of the city closing around her. Rather than shuffle around a palace in slippers, she wanted to charge a horse across the steppes. So it was agreed, Su-Laing would ask to be married at a sacred spot on the plain of horses, surrounded by all the members of her clan. And Beatriss of course would go with them.
href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilith-ivory/2387846636/">Bird SongOriginally uploadeddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd by Lilith Ivory
In the meantime, Su-Laing’s family was hosting a party that night . . . would Beatriss like to attend? The draw of the party was an appearance by the Swan Lady—a very pale woman wearing wings constructed of white feathers and a mask. Everyone marveled at the singular way that she sang and danced, and at the incredible paleness of her face, her neck, and limbs. Beatriss recognized her as a Cynadecia; like most of the people she remember, the woman was half-oblivious to the people gawking at her and seemed to believe that she was a swan. Making inquiries over the next few days, she learned that the Swan Lady belonged to a wealthy merchant who lived somewhere in the Green Zone. Her questions generated a lot of reciprocal curiosity since Beatriss was also from Cynadecia, and despite her efforts to conceal it, also had oddly pale skin.
There was a second mystery as well. Cair, an explorer from “distant lands” living in luxurious captivity as a special guest of the Emperor, visited Beatriss to tell her he’d heard some strange things about her friend Gwinch. He had allowed a woman from the monastery outside the city to not only join his meditation hall, but to replace him as its leader. He’d surrendered his private quarters to live among the other junior monks. And most recently, he had disappeared completely. Deflecting Cair’s worries, Beatriss went to see for herself. The woman—Sheevani—explained that Gwinch had performed well at the komite. The ultimate victor, Sensei Luche, invited Gwinch to study at his monastery for a couple months. Sheevani was managing his meditation hall until he returned. Satisfied by this explanation, and generally comforted by Sheevani’s demeanor, Beatriss asked if she herself might move into the compound—Sheevani welcomed her.
After a few days living on the compound, Beatriss accepted Sheevani’s invitation to participate in the evening studies conducted at meditation hall. She accepted the invitation. What she saw made her rethink Cair’s insinuations regarding the “changes” that had happened in Gwinch’s absence. Besides the ample supplies of food and beer, what surprised her most was that the religious instruction was provided by young women who, while wearing monks’ robes, did not show advanced understanding. The samurai, however, were very attentive when they read from the sacred texts.
Beatriss asked Sheevani for an escort and guide and went to visit Gwinch at the monastery of Sensei Luche, two hours away from the city. She was welcomed there and she met Gwinch. Gwinch confirmed Sheevani’s explanation of his whereabouts. Gwinch knew about the evening studies—he had brewed the beer. As long as the money was collected by donation, he was ok with it. On the way home, Beatriss and her companions spied a white crane standing in a large pond. The monks stood in silence and watched the bird until it flew away. For the rest of their journey home, Beatriss heard the monks whispering that the grace of a crane, while less obvious than that of a swan, was ultimately more beautiful, at least to a man of enlightenment and understanding.
After a few days living on the compound, Beatriss accepted Sheevani’s invitation to participate in the evening studies conducted at meditation hall. She accepted the invitation. What she saw made her rethink Cair’s insinuations regarding the “changes” that had happened in Gwinch’s absence. Besides the ample supplies of food and beer, what surprised her most was that the religious instruction was provided by young women who, while wearing monks’ robes, did not show advanced understanding. The samurai, however, were very attentive when they read from the sacred texts.
Beatriss asked Sheevani for an escort and guide and went to visit Gwinch at the monastery of Sensei Luche, two hours away from the city. She was welcomed there and she met Gwinch. Gwinch confirmed Sheevani’s explanation of his whereabouts. Gwinch knew about the evening studies—he had brewed the beer. As long as the money was collected by donation, he was ok with it. On the way home, Beatriss and her companions spied a white crane standing in a large pond. The monks stood in silence and watched the bird until it flew away. For the rest of their journey home, Beatriss heard the monks whispering that the grace of a crane, while less obvious than that of a swan, was ultimately more beautiful, at least to a man of enlightenment and understanding.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
down? (Pavel & co.)
There must be something else here besides hobgoblins. The "loose fish" who'd killed our man-at-arms met his own end at the cold cold hands of an undead creature who nearly took killed Perdu. And although we destroyed him, we don't know where he came from.
At both ends of the hobgoblin's lair-- the treasure room and a fetid rat's den behind a secret door-- we found a flight of stairs going down. And that's where we need to go next.
At both ends of the hobgoblin's lair-- the treasure room and a fetid rat's den behind a secret door-- we found a flight of stairs going down. And that's where we need to go next.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Cheating Death
Pavel, Tenniel, Perdu, and their hirelings pushed further into the hobgoblins' lair, overcoming two fiery barricades before reaching their treasure room. Pavel took an arrow in the chest, but pulled it out, was healed, and continued fighting, so great was his zeal to destroy these evil beings. Here, we met another of their seargents, and blinded him with the divine light of righteous vengenace before smiting him. One of the seargent's underlings fled the battle and Samig, our valiant man-at-arms, followed in close pursuit-- only to be shot by an arrow from the darkness. He died the death intended for Pavel, and we would not brave the darkness to recover his body.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
nobody here but us rats
Pavel and his companions returned to the Keep, sold some jewelry and recruited some new hirelings. And then they returned to the Caves.
We’ve re-entered the hobgoblins lair, but so far it seems to have been abandoned. Hoping to evade any sentries, we entered through the chimney and found a small flock of blood-sucking birds nesting there. The ashes in the fireplace were cold. The dining hall tables had been broken up to barricade and booby-trap the front entrance. We returned to a secret room we’d located in our last expedition, and found nothing inside but half-starved rats. In what we guess was the former sleeping chamber of the hobgoblin chief, we met and destroyed a ghoulish, undead monster. By its features, this may have once been the chief himself.
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