Torchbearer – Cursed Lands
Year Two – Session 3
September 15, 2019
Prologue
Aelfwynn was not present during the last session, but the remaining Roman and Korbuzier managed to cover some ground. They got their pilfered goods from the basement to camp and managed to map out most of Crowthron. Korbuzier managed to notice a lurking figure and chased him to the gate. Romans followed his track to the edge of Tent City, a city in the shadow of the Black Cathedral.
Aelfwynn although absent from the group, took the opportunity to search through the ruined city trying to find ways through that were less treacherous.
The Characters Beliefs, Instincts and Goals
Aelfwynn
Belief: The Forest is in ruin and its everyone’s responsibility.
Instinct: Always blaze a new trail.
Goal: Find The Bow in the ruins of Crowthorne.
Korbuzier
Belief: Anything worth doing is worth doing in style.
Instinct: Always assess the danger when presented with a treat.
Goal: Find a lead to where one of your shipmates is located.
Roman
Belief: Watch over the people and raise against suffering
Instinct: Always search for traps when entering a new area
Goal: Look for clues for The Bow
Town
A mercenary guard stands next to a crude wooden palisade. She leans on the wooden spikes with a sort of bored expression.
“What business do you have here?” the guard causally remarks.
“We are simply travelers passing though,” Aelfwynn answers.
“Its a long way to be traveling.”
“Aye, it is.”
“Keep to yourselves and your blades sheathed and I think there will be no problems.”
Tent City is a collection of tents, lean-tos and hastily constructed Awnings hanging over the mostly hardened population. It stands at the base of the steps of The Black Cathedral.
The Black Cathedral is large with blood red ichor seeping over the glass windows giving it a menacing look.
Town phase
2d6 = 7 peaceful Town. Its a burgeoning religious bastion, with many of the amenities limited. There is only stables ready for lodging at this time. A Market place and Tavern stand ready for use through the crowds there look a little mean. Of course personal business can be sought out here.
Aelfwynn set out to find someone who knows who the man with the bird shield and black robes is. Personal buisness +1 CoL
This is a circles test. Because Aelfwynn’s alignment is chaos he cannot find the man directly, as you are only allowed to search for people within your alignment. So he searches for someone who knows that person instead.
(Also everyone else is chaos as well.)Circles Test: Rank 4 Circles with 2 helpers.
Obstacle 3Roll: 1, 3, 2, 6, 4, 2
Spends a fate to explode the sixes.
Fate: 22 successes against Ob 3. Failure!
A thin weedy snarky merc, sharpening a thin knife. He wears a monocle which makes his eyes seem abnormally bulgy. He is hunched over a table. This merc knows of a person who fits the description and actions, but wants a job done before he tells them. He is owed money by a fellow merc and wants them to collect, or at least beat the man up.
“I think I know who you are searching for. I will tell you for a price…”
“What sort of price?”
“What are you willing to pay?”
“Money is the obvious choice, but we are an enterprising bunch. We can discuss it.”
“Alright. Yeah… you can do. I will help you find this person if you do beat up a man for me.”
They agree to help this man in exchange for information. He takes you over to a tent where there a huge 6′ 6″ man stands. The weedy merc yells at him, “Hey you you have to pay up now! You owe me. These guys are going to help me make it even!”
If a deep voice the man says “I don’t think I owe anything to you.”
“Easy now big guy. There is four of us and we recently spend time in the wilds. Do you really want this to come to violence?”
The monocled man starts to say something but is cut short with a punch in the face by the larger man. Laying to the ground he yells “Get him!” to the adventurers
Conflict
Aelfwynn takes the lead of the conflict to capture the brutish debtee. Disposition roll. Personal buisness +1 CoL
Volley 1
After a little debate they decided that capturing the brute was the best course of action.
Fighter Test: Rank 4 Fighter with 1 helper.
Roll: 4, 6, 4, 4, 2
4 successes added to his Will rank 3, for a Disposition of 8.Aelwynn: 3/3
Roman: 3/3
Korbuzier: 2/2
The warrior stands ready.
Fighter Test: Rank 5 Fighter.Roll: 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 3
4 successes added to his Will rank 3, for a Disposition of 7.
Debtee: 7/7
The Warrior is using a sword and gives himself a +1D to attack.
Korbuzier equips a dagger, Aelfwynn has a dagger equip as well. And so does Roman.
Round 1
Attack Versus Defend.
Warrior Swings his sword is rolling 5 Dice +1D for sword. 6 Dice, rolling 5 success! Wow terrible luck!
Korbuzier is parrying blow and getting directed to where best to stand, getting 1 Helpers and Hunter is 2. 3 Dice, rolling 1 success.
Korbuzier takes 2 and and Roman takes 2
K 0/2, R 1/3, A 3/3
W 7/7
Round 2
Maneuver against Maneuver is independent test.
Awlfwynn is moving of to the side and trying to get distance between himself and Roman, forcing the hulk of a man into the center.
The man is trying to avoid getting pinned and backs up into the street as much he can.
Aelfwynn rolls 0 successes.
Warrior rolls 5 dice and gets 2 success. He chooses +2 D to his next action.
Round 3
The warrior attacks as Roman also attacks.
Warrior attacks with his sword and rolls 8 dice.
Roman cuts his coin purse distracted with not caring about the battle and only for the money. Gaining a check.
Roman rolls only 1 success while the Warrior rolls 3 success.
K0/2 R0/3 A1/3
W6/7
Volley 2
Round 1
Feint agianst a maneuver is independent!
Warrior is rolling 2 Dice, 0 Successes!
Aelfwyn is rolling 3 Dice, 1 Success!
The warrior trys to sucker punch bunch misses.
Round 2
Attack against Attack is independent as they try and hit each other in the face.
Aelwynn rolls 3 success while the Warrior rolls 1 success managing to reduce the heroes collective disposition to zero.
Major Compromise
Managed to snag a few coins, just enough to convince the merc to reveal his information. The warrior drives off group. They lost but managed to gain a few coins not enough for a whole die worth of resources but just enough to convince the other merc to tell him what he knows, since he is a boastful man.
Away from the fight, the skinny knife-wielding merc tells the group about the gravedigger. A weird man that lives in the forest and has been burying bodies of the fallen. He apparently is know for his strange behavior and only travels to town to loose people following him.
The Adventure Begins
The adventure phase starts.
The dog charges at the group barking furiously. I t seems like it is trying to tell the group something. It barks wildly and circles and trots off before looking back to see if the group follows.
“Quick follow the dog!” says Korbuzier in a low whisper.
The dog leads the group to an old twisted tree. With a bird sitting on it.
In the perfect imitation of Korbuzier’s voice, the bird says, “Go away dog”, as the dog continues to bark up the tree.
The bird proceeds to try and call other birds to mate with him. “Hey birds, come over and look at me! I beautiful! Other birds!” The bird ruffles in annoyance.
“Stop barking do! You are scaring the other birds away!”
Alfwynn suggested that the bird spoke in the voice of Korbuzier and that is why he the bird’s won’t hang out with him. The bird thinking it was a human trick was not convinced. Korbuzier decides that they can offer help and try to persuade the bird to join him so that they may discover the solution to the problem together.
Persuader test
Trying to convince the Bird to follow them so they can discover the solution to the problems together.
Persuader Test: Rank 2 Persuader + Tapping Nature for 5 for a total of seven dice
Against Nature 1 of a sparrow birdKorbuzeir Roll: 5, 3, 2, 5, 6, 6, 2
Bird Roll: 44 successes beats 1 success. Korbuzier convinced the bird!
The bird decided to ride on Korbuziers shoulder and takes flight, but as he nears the bird, a energy builds in the air as a bolt of light escapes the bird and strikes Korbuzier in the throat. His voice is restored, but a little harsh. The bird didn’t escape a fate so easy, as feathers fall to the ground.
The way to Crowthorn is the second test on the Grind.
The group decides to travel back to the ruins of Crowthorne. Aelfwynn the Ranger takes the lead.
Aelfwynn leads the group back to Crowthorn. His pathfinder rank is 2.
Pathfinder Roll: 1, 4
Ob: 11 successes beats Ob 1. Aelfwynn successfully traverses the hill lands back to Crowthorne.
Arriving at Crowthorne they set about searching the ruins.
Searching the burnt-out homes south of the well for treasure yields nothing to find but a garbage heap and muck. Perhaps useful for scavenging but certainly no treasure to be found.
They decide to make an effort to move the bodies away from there camp, with the spell. Firstly because they presence could attract wildlife and the gravedigger, and secondly the spell would make the progress easier.
Casting Mystic Porter, a.k.a. magic fork lift. To move the bodies away from camp.
Arcanist Test:
K Roll: 6, 5, 3, 4
Ob 2
Success!
To the Northeast of the well is a ruined shrine. After they deposited the bodies a ways away form the ruin, they thought an inspection of the Ruined Shrine was in order. Reading the istription reveals that it is a Shrine to Bywinn the Defender of Men and Hero of Crowthore. A good idea to search for hidden compartments by pushing the craved figures on the shrine.
A small click sound and a door opens up alone the back of the shirne. Its swings inward and its presence was hidden in the carved trim. Inside a hole with wooden rungs hammered into the side leads down into the ground. Its smooth sides makes it easy to traverse the ladder.
At the bottom they find as amounts to a panic room with three pathways leading out. It has been decades since anyone has walked this path and a moldy threadbare blanket lies discarded in the corner.
End of Session rewards
Paper, Dice and Plastic 