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One Shot Open Table Play Report

Mythic Bastionland

The Fanged Knight

The Leaf Knight

The Salt Knight

Myths

?

Prologue

The session started with a discussion about how the Company had accumulated a meaningful amount of Glory and how that influenced their standing in the realm. The Fanged Knight was keen to start a political career. Inspired by Bram Stoker he opted for a seat on the island of grey.  

Sudden Storm - 003.003

The Company voyaged to Sudden Storm, the colour faded from sky and thread alike. They spoke to the captain to learn about the Holding but the captain didn't really care much about the place and mainly had second-hand stories. Once they disembarked they sought a local to gain further intel and they encountered Suzy, a young hunter, who cared little for the paper pushers, but she knew a little of how the political game was played.

The Company decided it might be best to first rid the island of the greying curse. That way it downplayed the power of the current leadership who clearly had no say in the decision. Once completed the smallfolk would be so grateful that the Steward would have no way to refuse a seat on the council.

The company wished Suzy travel with them, and after some poor negotiation the Salt knight stepped up and offered his scaled steed. She could not possibly ride while the knight walked, so she promised she would only cash in once their quest was complete.

The greying-curse was a mystery to the smallfolk, so the Company decided the Seer to the north was the best course of action.

Spectre Ruins - 004.002

The Company travelled atop a cliff wall, the sea crashed on a rocky shore below. Late in the day they came upon a long set of stairs, rickety and weathered, that lead all the way down to the stony shore. Below sat a small wooden cabin, blasted by sun and wind. A faint clanging could be heard within.

The Company immediately went down to see what all the noise was about. The Leaf Knight stood at the still closed door and announced his presence. At which point the door swung open, a swirl of wind knocked everything within the cabin about, and out flew a pitch black hawk. It howled like a wolf and then flew toward the top of the cliff.

The Company was having none of it and immediately skewered the bird with a javelin and watched its limp body fall and splat upon the rocks beside the cabin. I am sure whoever sent that bird there to spy on passersby is going to be rather upset now.

Within the cabin the Salt knight found a piece of bark that had a charcoal drawing on it. It depicted a lone mountain on an island, the mountain was coloured black but a heart was left unshaded.

The Fetid Sanctum - 004.001

The next day the Company arrived at the Sanctum. In an otherwise grey landscape a cave entrance adorned with tattered banners of many colours stood out like a sore thumb. They entered a winding tunnel. Nearing the end they saw a wooden door that swung open the moment they were comfortably in view. Rich, an old man in tattered purple robes, stepped out and greeted them. He had foreseen their coming many dozens of times and acted as such.

He invited them into his room, a smallish living room with more furniture than it should contain. They chatted for a while, not entirely sure if this old chap was the seer or not. They offered gifts of rotted fish and putrid blood, but he looked at them strangely for of what use would they be to him. I thought this would be a clear clue that this chap was not the Seer, but it didn't land immediately.

The kettle started whistling and he shuffled off to the kitchen to get the tea. He returned to the lounge and placed a cup in front of each knight, at which point the Salt Knight added some salt to his tea (the most horrific moment of the session!).

Once all the knights had had their tea Rich escorted them to the Seer's chamber. There he was, in all his rotting glory, plastered to the wall, moaning softly. The tea was starting to work and the Company each took up a bedroll and fell into a strange slumber.

Visions

The Salt Knight:

Wishing to know how he would be remembered, experienced jolly singing in a tavern. The song referenced several great deeds that were achieved despite the Salt knight's many fumbles. When the song concluded the tavern-keep yelled out that another chorus be sung and the folk of the tavern obliged.

The Leaf Knight:

Seeking the undoing of the curse, experienced being in a shallow stream. He propped himself up on one elbow and proceeded to cut out his own heart. When he placed it in the water the stream swelled and he was engulfed by the water.

The Fanged Knight:

Seeking the place where the curse is to be broken, experienced ascension out of the earth into a dark cavern. Ascending furthermore to break through the ceiling and rising above the lone mountain on the grey island.

The Company woke two days later and Suzy was more than happy to be relieved from having no one, save Rich, to talk to.

Mt. Solus - 002.003

The Knights had travelled several hexes so far and the dice hadn't triggered any omens. I took this as a sign that this session wasn't about that omen-filled-travel-lifestyle and we montaged our way over to Mt. Solus.

Under Solus - 1. Teeth

The cave opening has sharp stalactites and stalagmites which deterred the horses, but the Company entered boldly.

I don't remember if I mentioned the puddle of water just beyond the "teeth" as sweet smelling. Either way the Company paid little attention to it.

Under Solus - 2. Mouth

The entrance cave was of soft pink rock. The knights thought this rather weird and the Fanged Knight broke off a piece of rock and tasted it. It tasted like rock.

The Salt Knight slid down the hole in the ground...

Under Solus - 7. Nerves

..and emerged in a cavern with veins of hematite adorning the walls, reflecting light all around. The chamber contained a variety of statues made from all different kinds of rock. Each one with a heart-shaped hole through their chest. The Salt knight found the statue depicting the Pepper knight and felt justified in stealing taking the shield.

Under Solus - 10. Gut

In this chamber the Leaf Knight led the Company through man-high grasses and stumbled upon a shining stone heart and a heavy stone sword.

Under Solus - 12. Aorta

The Company came upon a chamber that was half sloped rock and half lake. A great amount of vines hung from the ceiling and a putrid odour hung in the air. There was a waterfall feeding the lake which the Salt knight decided to swim towards. The Leaf knight and the Salt knight shouted some instructions to each other and awoke the large white ape that slumbered above.

The ape swung down, seeing the vulnerable Salt knight as an easy target, but the others threw daggers and javelins and managed to sever vines and threw the ape off balance. Allowing the Salt knight to reach the shore.

The ape rebalanced and the others continued their barrage on the ape. They did a decent amount of damage and chose to try to slow the creature down. The Fanged knight player decided against a bolster since, and I quote: "that one point of damage is not gonna stop him". Little did they know that a single point of damage would've been the difference between a normal wound and a Mortal Wound that would've taken the beast out of the fight.

I think we can all agree that anything that happens from this point on is the Fanged knight's fault!

The ape caught up with the Salt knight, who valiantly turned to face it. It thrashed and snapped at the knight. What would've been a fatal bite was blocked by the Salt knight's parry. This enraged the beast who, in a frenzy, grabbed the Salt knight's arm and opposite leg and tore the knight in two. Tossing the pieces in the air as he did so.

Seeing their friend die the other knights rode down the ape and both discovered the joy of rolling 10+ on the smite die. The Leaf knight got the final blow as he used his newly found stone sword to collapse and tear the ape's chest. Suzy, who had essentially been the Salt knight's squire, picked up his things.

While the Company caught their breath the corpse of the ape deflated and out of the heart emerged an old lady, Angela. She was accused of being a horrible ape, but she said she had been dreaming for many dozens of seasons. She had come to this place in search of her husband, but was somehow ensorcelled.

The Company, not being sociopaths, had no intention of killing her and thought it best she travel with them. *cough*.

Under Solus - 7. Nerves

The knights travelled through this chamber on their way to chamber 14 and used the heart they had found to awaken a statue. Imagine how easy that ape fight would've been if they had a statue knight with them!!

Under Solus - 14. Heart

The Company made their way to the main chamber. Sitting on a red and white gingham pick-nick blanket was an old man who was drinking from a stream that flowed through the chamber. Angela reunited with her husband and since the session was coming to a close I didn't indulge too much in their story.

The Leaf knight recognised this chamber from his vision. He felt reluctance in offering his heart (he figured he still needed it) and tried to get around it by cutting the heart of his reflection and contemplating using the heart of a fish. He kicked himself for already having used the stone heart to awaken the statue.

It was eventually Suzy, the squire, that mentioned there was a heart in this cave system that was probably still warm and not being used. The Salt knight's heart was promptly retrieved and the Leaf knight described the ritual of him placing it in the water. As he did the heart dissolved and created a brilliant trail of colour in the water.

Epilogue

In the weeks that followed colour returned to the island. First creatures that had a lot of life, birds and foxes and squirrels and weasels, showed colour. Followed by insects and other pests and finally the plants appeared vibrant. The table agreed that this would be quite the visual onslaught for locals, so the Company stayed a while to help with the transition.

The Fanged knight felt the vibe of the island was off and it was no longer fitting as a potential home, but the Leaf knight thought this place was new a newly formed paradise. At the start of the session I had mentioned that a seat on the council might be in the cards and at this point we decided the Leaf knight would indeed ascend to councillor as the Master of Coin. Their first course of action was to expand agriculture and put this island on the map as a burgeoning trade hub. I know that these tasks would otherwise fall under Steward, but given the political situation in the holding I don't think it made sense that the Leaf knight would receive that position. Besides, Lady Detheena is swamped with paper work and could use someone helping out!!

Final Thoughts

The battle in the "Aorta" chamber was far from great. The ape is based on a white blood cell that just destroys whatever it comes across, but I think I should've been more clear in my description that the dude resided in that chamber. It doesn't fit the white blood cell theme but I think I can let it slip a little to allow my players to make better informed decisions.

Second, I think I needed to make it more clear that the ape was bearing down in the Salt knight and that a big play was needed, since this guy is no joke. The Salt knight could've dived under and tried to hide in the mud for 10 seconds. The other knights (with higher stats) could've interposed. In the end the Salt knight went down without having done much. Luckily that player had the squire for the remainder of the session.

I forgot to ask the players what they thought would be a fitting epilogue for Angela, her husband, and the awakened statue. :(

I do like that as a conclusion for this session I get to edit my map to add some colour to the island and turn the mountain into a salt mountain!!

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Mythic Bastionland