“Vanished Lands” Update T3.35 — Team at Tarken

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session T3.35 of the latest adventuring party in my “Vanished Lands” heroic fantasy campaign setting. The teleconferencing team met on Sunday, 13 November 2011, and has been using Pathfinder, Skype, and an online dice roller.

In one ancient world, there was a region where strange majicks and demihuman races thrived. After “Holy Steel‘s” journey to the distant empire of Khemet, another motley group gathered in the northwestern “Vanished Lands” to explore a world full of perils and wonders….

After meeting in the Wisalef Forest, an unlikely band of adventurers encountered the hostile Centaur followers of Vappu Lahja on the Plains of Sathendo….

>>Telecom party Player Character roster, as of autumn 2011:

-“Asish Chen Ti” [Byron V.O.]-male Tsucharim human archer (Mongol-style Ranger), escaped from the kingdom of Gokuri; owner of Akita dog Genghis and horse Onimusha; NGl, Age 20, Lvl. 4

-“Jovinda Halflight” [Sammy H.]-female Half-Elf (Grugach/Hifalendorin) Cleric of Mekkil, goddess of nature; owner of horse Wyth-Amoi, or “Wind Spirit”; NGl, Age 23, Lvl. 4

-“Kazuo Takenaga” [Taum D’A.]-male Nezumi (Rat-kin) Monk from the Zedu kingdom in the Therud Forest; LNg, Age 20, Lvl. 4

-“Favelhorn Riftbringer” [Dexter V.H./absent]-male Mountain Dwarf Summoner; CGn, Age 51, Lvl. 1

-“Gawain Keary” [Paul J./absent]-male Saganim human Illusionist (proto-Celtic Wizard); NGc, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Kovar” [Beruk A./absent]-male Half-Orc/Saganim human Paladin of Mithras, god of contracts and brotherhood; LGn, Lvl. 3

-“Davven ‘Digger’ Hollysharp” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Faldine Halfling archaeologist (Tallfellow Rogue) from a pipeweed farm in Tarken; CGn, Age 45, Lvl. 3

>>”2 to 5 November 1229 B.C.E.:” Upon emerging from the barrow of a talking unicorn and Sidhe, the trio of Asish, Jovinda, and Kazuo found that nearly two months had passed. They visited the border village of Tarken to learn the whereabouts of their traveling companions and steeds, as well as the fanatical followers of the mysterious Vappu Lahja….

Asish rises shortly after dawn, little the worse for wear after drinking too much cider the night before. The Ranger finds Jovinda praying and Kazuo meditating outside the “Charging Cow” inn.

After breakfast, Halfling innkeeper Dwight directs Asish to the Hollysharp pipeweed farm. Jovinda and Kazuo talk with Holsaf Silbirch and Charon Galacticus [Carlos R./Non-Player Character], two Sylvan (Wood) Elves, to ask about their onetime traveling companions.

Holsaf, an arcanist with a bejeweled longsword, says he is visiting colleague Charon, who carries scrolls and a longbow. The latter Elf recalls meeting Digger, Kovar, and Gawain a few weeks ago [in “game time”]. Holsaf is visiting from Evesboro, which he says has been relatively quiet since the Orcs and Drow of Zuromm turned their attention south, to the human kingdom of Saganim.

Unaccustomed to hiking on foot, Asish makes his way to the farm of Digger’s family. The Tsucharim human finds industrious Faldine Halflings processing pipeweed for shipment. In one low-ceilinged hall, Asish meets Jamian, Digger’s eldest brother.

The brusque merchant accepts a gift of dried tea leaves and complains that Davven would rather wander than stay at the academy in Alfendi or work in the family business. Jamian admits to trading harsh words with his brother when he last visited, and he believes that the scholar and his retinue headed north, toward the Elven city of Alfendi, after looking for Asish.

Serious Holsaf and flirtatious Charon express some interest in trading and studying enchanted items, which Jovinda hopes to trade in exchange for cash for replacement steeds. Monk Kazuo wants for few provisions, but Cleric Jovinda is curious about the party of “Jade” [Sammy/N.P.C.] and notes that paying missions would be nice.

Asish asks for help acquiring travel rations and horses, so Jamian directs him to another brother, Panros, whom he had met previously. After some haggling, Panros sells Asish two riding horses and a mule with harness, tack, and feed for 292 crowns (gold pieces). The scout agrees to collect them the next morning and to not tell Jamian about any bargains.

Meanwhile, Jovinda and Kazuo go to a stable at the edge of the village to offer their services. The priestess of Mekkil, goddess of nature, asks ostler Gothard if any stray animals have been found in the past month or so. The wiry human says that some peasants found a horse wandering several weeks ago.

Jovinda is delighted to be reunited with Wyth-Amoi (“Wind Spirit”), and she and Kazuo agree to tend to injured or sick animals for 40 crowns. The Nezumi later tells Asish of their good fortune, and the scout is determined to find his own horse and dog again. Gothard recovers Jovinda’s saddle and clothing, which she had also thought lost, from the farmers.

Asish sells a magical dagger to Charon and decides to still get two horses even though Jovinda has recovered Wyth-Amoi and Kazuo has no interest (or skill) in riding. The next day, Asish, Jovinda, and Kazuo head north, following the Aevril Stream and a map of Ley lines.

Kazuo’s keen nose detects that a dog has recently marked trees at the edge of the wide Wisalef Forest. Asish is excited to find tracks of a horse, presumably Onimusha, and a dog, likely Genghis, and he presses on. The Tsucharim rider soon detects another set of footprints, belonging to a creature he can’t identify.

The trio hears barking and runs to see Onimusha and Genghis raggedly defending themselves against a large monster with canine hindquarters, long forelimbs ending in grasping claws, and a head that resembles a steaming rabbit skull!

Angry Asish draws his bow, wise Jovinda invokes her patron Mekkil, and nimble Kazuo maneuvers around….

Even though we’ll have to wait until Sunday, Dec. 4, to play this game again, I’m sure we’ll be eager to pick up where we left off! Byron, I look forward to seeing you when you visit the Boston area this coming weekend! Sammy and Taum, I’m sorry that you won’t be able to join whatever one-shot we play next Saturday, but I’ll try to touch base with you between our virtual sessions. Take it easy, -Gene

“VanishedLands” Update T3.34 — Unicorn trails

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session T3.34 of the latest adventuring party in my “Vanished Lands” heroic fantasy campaign setting. The teleconferencing team met on Sunday, 6 November 2011, and has been using Pathfinder, Skype, and an online dice roller.

After meeting in the Wisalef Forest, an unlikely band of adventurers encountered the hostile Centaur followers of Vappu Lahja on the Plains of Sathendo….

>>Telecom party Player Character roster, as of autumn 2011:

-“Asish Chen Ti” [Byron V.O.]-male Tsucharim human archer (Mongol-style Ranger), escaped from the kingdom of Gokuri; owner of Akita dog Genghis and horse Onimusha; NGl, Age 20, Lvl. 4

-“Jovinda Halflight” [Sammy H.]-female Half-Elf (Grugach/Hifalendorin) Cleric of Mekkil, goddess of nature; owner of horse Wyth-Amoi, or “Wind Spirit”; NGl, Age 23, Lvl. 4

-“Kazuo Takenaga” [Taum D’A.]-male Nezumi (Rat-kin) Monk from the Zedu kingdom in the Therud Forest; LNg, Age 20, Lvl. 4

-“Favelhorn Riftbringer” [Dexter V.H./absent]-male Mountain Dwarf Summoner; CGn, Age 51, Lvl. 1

-“Gawain Keary” [Paul J./absent]-male Saganim human Illusionist (proto-Celtic Wizard); NGc, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Kovar” [Beruk A./absent]-male Half-Orc/Saganim human Paladin of Mithras, god of contracts and brotherhood; LGn, Lvl. 3

-“Davven ‘Digger’ Hollysharp” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Faldine Halfling archaeologist (Tallfellow Rogue) from a pipeweed farm in Tarken; CGn, Age 45, Lvl. 3

>>”7 September to 1 November 1229 B.C.E.:” On the way north from the haunted hamlet of Alarn, the adventuring party had been attacked by Twigjacks. After some discussion, the travelers reluctantly agreed to split, with one half of them continuing into the Waletku kingdom of the Elves and the other half returning to the (proto-Western European) human kingdom of Hifalendor.

Asish, Jovinda, and Kazuo plan to follow a map of Ley lines to see where Unseelie Fey might be gathering. They send Gawain, Kovar, and Digger to villages near Alarn to search for missing peasants and knights.

With his dog Genghis at his side, Ranger Asish scouts ahead into the autumn woods, followed at some distance by Jovinda and Kazuo. Genghis and Kazuo’s sensitive noses detect trails left recently by humanoids, but they find no other signs of passage in the fallen leaves and branches.

Asish finds a defensible position and pitches a “cold camp” — one without a fire. He sees what looks like a horse with a rider outlined in the moonlight and shares his observations with Jovinda and Kazuo, who sit chilly watches but see nothing.

The next morning, the trio is surprised to smell fresh bread! The Tsucharim human, Half-Elf, and Nezumi follow the scent to a grassy mound from which a plume of smoke emanates. They warily circle around until they see a low stone archway.

A creature with cloven hooves, a goatee, and a single, coiled horn greets them: “Good morning! I thought you’d never awaken — come get breakfast!” Jovinda is delighted to meet a talking unicorn, but Kazuo and Asish are confused until they recall legends of the Ki-Rin from their eastern homelands.

Corvaralus (or “Carlos” for short) leads the wanderers beneath the earth, where they find a stone hearth in the center of a white, vaulted chamber. Slender demihumans sit around the perimeter, talking quietly. The newcomers happily partake of the warm bread, fruit pies, and sweet cakes that remind them of temples of Yondolla.

Paelivi Rutteskina, an elegant Danaan Sidhe, introduces herself to Jovinda and company. Asish warns of the dangers posed by the aggressive followers of Vappu Lahja, and Vellamo Karjana notes that the mysterious woman has a Fey-sounding name.

Jovinda explains that the border community of Alarn has been abandoned after supernatural attacks, which seem to be coordinated, unlike the normal behavior of Centaurs, Satyrs, Korred, and similar folk. The inhuman members of the Seelie Court are disturbed and say they’ll be more careful in “crossing the paths between worlds.”

When Kazuo describes a reptilian scent that he had noticed in Vappu Lahja’s camp, Vellamo theorizes that a dragon could be involved, even if many of the magical beings aren’t especially subtle.

Paelivi initially declines to get involved in mortal concerns, but Carlos shames her into offering aid. Paelivi says that in return for showing the way once when it is unclear, Jovinda must either find and share Vappu Lahja’s true nature only with her or she must choose the “way of those who walk in the woods” when ultimately deciding between her human and Elven heritages. The priestess of Mekkil, goddess of nature, agrees.

Carlos asks fellow beast-kin Kazuo if he has ever fallen under the thrall of Vappu Lahja, and the Monk admits that he had once been so ensorcelled. The unicorn bids the Nezumi to touch his horn, granting him a moment of insight and strengthening his resolve against future mental attacks.

The tall demihumans disappear like morning mist, and Carlos bids his new friends farewell. He says he’ll keep watch for foes more organized that the occasional bandits or monsters. After filling their bags with baked goods, Asish, Jovinda, and Kazuo clamber outside and are surrounded by snow!

Asish studies the heavens and concludes that nearly two months have passed outside the barrow while only one afternoon seemingly passed inside! Too late, Jovinda remembers some of the warnings about dealing with the otherworldly Fey. Kazuo wonders about their companions and the state of their fact-finding missions.

Even more upsetting, Asish discovers that Genghis, horses Onimusha and Wyth-Amoi, and the pack mule have long gone. Rather than report to the Elves in the city of Alfhileno or immediately tackle enemy encampments, he recommends looking for their animals and companions back to the south.

The team trudges to Digger’s hometown of Tarken. Frost-covered farms surround neat Halfling burrows and human buildings of brick. Relieved that Tarken hasn’t yet succumbed to the same fate as Alarn, Asish and fellows go to an inn for a warm meal.

They eventually meet Digger’s brother Panros. The friendly pipeweed farmer says that Davven, who is not a favored son in their prosperous family, passed through town a few weeks ago. He was accompanied by a scholarly man (Gawain) who talked with the local mage and a burly, armored warrior who kept to himself and slept in the barn (Kovar).

Once he verified that some of the people fleeing Alarn had arrived safely in Tarken, Digger’s band continued north, according to Panros. The local militia has been alerted of the Centaurs massing near Kedetura and the strange beasts around Alarn.

Panros also reveals that an attractive woman followed Digger a few days later. “Jade” [Sammy/Non-Player Character] traveled with a Saganim warrior, a Hifalendorin duelist, and a Centaur. Asish is curious, but Jovinda and Kazuo are more wary.

Kazuo is pleased to learn that his erstwhile traveling companions are still alive, and Jovinda asks for an introduction to “Charon Galacticus” [Carlos R./N.P.C.], the Sylvan Elf Wizard who talked with Gawain. However, the Monk and priestess must first attend to Asish, who gets drunk on cider while missing his horse. They have to carry him up to his room…

Byron, Sammy, and Taum, it was good see all of you online after our latest break! Paul and Rob, let us know when you think you’ll be able to rejoin us, and I hope that Dexter and Beruk can eventually do so as well.

Our next virtual fantasy session is still on for Sunday, Nov. 13, and Team 1 (the crew of the Blackbird) for the FATE 3e “Vortex” space opera will convene on Monday, Nov. 14.

Please note that we won’t be meeting on Nov. 20 because Byron will be visiting Boston in the nights prior to that date! Once again, let me know your availability for a possible game on Saturday, Nov. 19, and stay in touch, -Gene

Role-playing roundup: Fantasy, fall 2011 edition

Wallpaper for Mouse Guard RPG — Mouse Guard!

In the past few months, I’ve enjoyed reading through some of the role-playing games displayed at this year’s GenCon. During recent visits to game shops and on various message boards, I’ve heard and seen speculation about a fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, prompted in part by the return of designer Monte Cook to publisher Wizards of the Coast.

I still feel strangely detached from these discussions because I’m not running or buying D&D4e supplements. Even if I’m not a hardcore grognard as some in the old-school Renaissance, I’ve come to prefer simpler rules, lower-powered scenarios, and heroic role-playing over combat simulation. If D&D5e addresses those preferences as well as some retro-clones do, I might yet return to the popular tabletop fantasy RPG brand.

Fortunately, I lack no support as a Dungeon Master in the meantime, thanks to Paizo’s excellent Pathfinder (a.k.a. “D&D3.75”) line. Although the rules are still complex, the artwork and prose in each book about the Golarion/Inner Sea setting inspires the imagination. The Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat books are no exception, with numerous options for Pathfinder Player Characters of all occupational classes.

I found Ultimate Magic to be slightly more useful and better balanced than Ultimate Combat, partly because the latter introduced classes such as the Gunslinger and Ninja that I would limit in my homebrew game. Between them and the Advanced Player’s Guide, any Pathfinder player should have more than enough ways to develop and tweak characters, replacing a veritable pile of D20/Open Game License/D&D3.x splatbooks (many of which I’ve now sold).

On a related note, I recently got the Tome of Horrors Complete for Pathfinder. I was a big fan of the D20 monster book, which revived several old favorites from previous editions of D&D. It included creatures from old adventure modules and the Fiend Folio, including the gold-eating aurumvorax, the statuesque caryatid column, and the floppy flumph. The new compilation has about 800 pages of monsters, with everything from the mysterious dark creepers to Lucifer himself and numerous animals!

Even though I’ve tried to limit the number of sentient species in my “Vanished Lands” campaign setting, I and most of my gamers have enjoyed encountering new beasties in the books and scenarios. The Tome of Horrors Complete is a fantastic addition to Pathfinder‘s Bestiaries I through III.

The Pathfinder: “the Vanished Lands” teleconferencing team is still struggling to get back to its regular Sunday night schedule because we’ve had difficulty getting quorum because of travel and family obligations. I hope that the eight role-players, scattered across the U.S., will soon be able to resume Skype sessions.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve considered using FATE 3e Legends of Anglerre for the telecom fantasy game because I think the lighter rules set would be a good fit for that venue. Also from Cubicle 7 is The One Ring, the latest game set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

I was favorably impressed by the production value of The One Ring, which overcame some of my initial misgivings about its limited scope — it’s set in the Wilderlands during the Third Age, between the events of The Hobbit and those of The Lord of the Rings. A game with more limited starting options is a good idea for starting players, but then why not outline the character–creation process more clearly?

What if I was relatively new to the hobby and wanted to replicate a member of the horse-riding Rohirrim or an Elf from Lothlorien because I’ve seen Peter Jackson’s popular films? Just as Iron Crown Enterprise’s Middle Earth Role-Playing stuck too closely to the complicated RoleMaster system and Decipher’s Lord of the Rings RPG relied too heavily on the movies, Cubicle 7 risks confusing fans with its plan to expand its view of that world piecemeal.

That said, I liked The One Ring‘s character–development mechanics, which encourage altruistic play over the “kill things and take their stuff” mentality that’s all too common in D&D and various videogames. This feature is similar to what I enjoyed in Decipher’s underrated Lord of the Rings (if slightly less so in Lord of the Rings Online multiplayer computer game).

Speaking of encouraging good role-playing, the Mouse Guard boxed set is a thing of beauty. Based on an award-winning set of comics and a streamlined version of Burning Wheel, this would be the ideal way to get my animal-loving nieces into gaming. I strongly encourage fans of anthropomorphic fantasy, such as GURPS Bunnies & Burrows, Redwall, and Shard, to read the collected comics and buy this game.

The boxed set includes a softcover version of the core rulebook (which I already have in hardback), character record sheets, and rules and adventure supplements. The counters are a bit funny, looking like oversized collectible erasers, but even if I don’t get to run Mouse Guard anytime soon, this game will be another rich source for sparking imagination and setting a heroic tone.

I’ve been swamped again with work and travel, but I plan to post about science fiction RPGs, the new TV season, and more as soon as I’m able!

“Vanished Lands” Update T3.23 — Leaving Alarn, again/Twigjacks

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session T3.33 of the latest adventuring party in my “Vanished Lands” heroic fantasy campaign setting. The teleconferencing team met on Sunday, 18 September 2011, and has been using Pathfinder, Skype, and an online dice roller.

After meeting in the Wisalef Forest, an unlikely band of adventurers encountered the hostile Centaur followers of Vappu Lahja on the Plains of Sathendo….

>>Telecom party Player Character roster, as of autumn 2011:

-“Gawain Keary” [Paul J.]-male Saganim human Illusionist (proto-Celtic Wizard); NGc, Age 20, Lvl. 2

-“Davven ‘Digger’ Hollysharp” [Robert A.S.]-male Faldine Halfling archaeologist (Tallfellow Rogue) from a pipeweed farm in Tarken; CGn, Age 45, Lvl. 3

-“Asish Chen Ti” [Byron V.O.]-male Tsucharim human archer (Mongol-style Ranger), escaped from the kingdom of Gokuri; owner of Akita dog Genghis and horse Onimusha; NGl, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Jovinda Halflight” [Sammy H.]-female Half-Elf (Grugach/Hifalendorin) Cleric of Mekkil, goddess of nature; owner of horse Wyth-Amoi, or “Wind Spirit”; NGl, Age 23, Lvl. 3

-“Kazuo Takenaga” [Taum D’A.]-male Nezumi (Rat-kin) Monk from the Zedu kingdom in the Therud Forest; LNg, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Kovar” [Beruk A./absent]-male Half-Orc/Saganim human Paladin of Mithras, god of contracts and brotherhood; LGn, Lvl. 3

-“Favelhorn Riftbringer” [Dexter V.H./absent]-male Mountain Dwarf Summoner; CGn, Age 51, Lvl. 1

>>”4 to 6 September 1229 B.C.E.:” Upon returning to the haunted hamlet of Alarn, the wanderers found slain knights, Unseelie Fey among buildings damaged by a summoned tornado, and Assassin Vines in nearby woods. They then regrouped at an outlying barn.

Asish recommends comparing the map of the borderlands that Digger had obtained for mysterious mage Octavius Karstus, now that the Ley lines hidden on it have been enhanced. The scouts compare the intersections, or Ley line nodes, to the positions of villages and abandoned hill forts.

Gawain and Kovar note that the nefarious kingdoms of Zuromm or Gokuri could exploit the old forts to destabilize the frontier between the Waletku kingdom of the Elves and the (proto-Western European) human kingdom of Hifalendor. Jovinda and Kazuo agree that Vappu Lahja and the Unseelie Fey would also be attracted to such nodes.

The group focuses on one pair of mystical currents. One supernatural stream runs from northwest to southeast, roughly from Alfendi to Kedetura, while the other runs from northeast to southwest, from Alfhileno to Nadwi, parallel to the Aspar River. The Ley lines intersect a few miles north of Alarn, on the way to the Sandia family farm.

Rather than deal with the Redcap in Alarn’s ruined chapel, the rodent of unusual size, or whatever is lurking in the “Mellow Mule” inn, the adventuring party rides northeast. Ranger Asish helps his companions ford the Aspar River.

While hiking through high grass, Monk Kazuo hears the jingle of armor, and the group halts and quietly dismounts. A Halfling mercenary from Tarken, Digger’s hometown, breaks camp while chatting with a female Centaur. Wary of followers of Vappu Lahja, the team of six waits for them to leave before continuing its ride.

Rather than have everyone visit the Sandia homestead and potentially offend the peasants, Jovinda goes alone. The priestess of Mekkil recognizes the field hands from Alarn she had met previously and is greeted by Daisy, granddaughter of family matron Violet. Jovinda enters the main farmhouse as her allies watch from a safe distance.

Alyssa angrily calls down from an upstairs nursery to ask about Kazuo, “the only person who ever understood me.” Daisy says that childbirth has not improved her cousin’s disposition, although Violet is still more charitable toward her heir.

Other than the Centaur attack that Jovinda and her friends helped repel a month before, the farm has escaped Alarn’s fate. Violet explains that she “has an arrangement” that somehow keeps monsters away from her kin. The Half-Elf excuses herself to the outhouse, where she covertly casts Detect Evil.

The Cleric senses malicious intent coming from the nursery and politely declines Violet’s offer for her group to stay the night. Jovinda rides Wyth-Amoi back to her fellows, whom she informs of the strangeness at the Sandia homestead. Nezumi Kazuo is not surprised. As promised, Jovinda delivers some of the horses left behind in Alarn by the deceased Paladins of Urda and Otih before departing.

The setting sun casts long shadows as the travelers continue north toward the faerie rings that Jovinda had previously encountered. However, they find the edge of the Wisalef Forest difficult to pass through because of overgrown underbrush and brambles that they don’t remember. Kovar senses evil all around them.

Eight small stick figures emerge and surround the party! Asish whistles to his dog Genghis to guard Jovinda, as the tiny humanoids spray the Tsucharim rider with thorns. Kazuo hits one with a Stunning Fist, but Jovinda’s first arrow misses.

Digger readies his sling staff, and Illusionist Gawain identifies the Twigjacks as Unseelie Fey creatures. Kovar maneuvers, but the armored Half-Orc Paladin of Mithras finds the no easy trail for the horses to retreat.

Asish fires cold steel arrows, eventually destroying two of his foes. The Twigjacks press their attack, wounding the intruders with splinters. Kazuo unleashes Flurries of Blows, shattering another opponent, and Jovinda casts Shield of Faith on herself and Guidance on Kazuo.

Although Digger’s first sling stone goes wide, his Deadly Teamwork with Kazuo is successful, and the Halfling helps fell another rogue Fey. Gawain’s Color Spray spells stun some of the Twigjacks, and he casts Bull’s Strength on Kazuo.

Archer Asish badly damages the remaining ambushers, which badly injure his horse Onimusha. As martial artist Kazuo drops a fifth Twigjack, Jovinda invokes Mekkil for a Cure Light Wounds on Digger and to channel positive energy, healing all combatants.

Digger maneuvers to flank with Kazuo, and Gawain casts Aid Another and Bull’s Strength on the nimble Rogue. Jovinda casts Resistance on Asish, who refrains from using flames against the stick folk because he fears igniting the forest. The three remaining Twigjacks flee into the dense thorns.

Gawain and Digger pick up some branches left behind for later study. Perceptive Asish eventually deciphers them as a map of nearby caches of scavenged treasure. It includes a longspear and heavy wooden shield, probably taken from one of the knights’ men at arms; a bird Feather Token; and 250 crowns (gold pieces) in assorted coins and gems.

Jovinda notes that the Elves of the Seelie Court in Alfhileno and Alfendi had also offered money for scouting various threats in the borderlands. The group hastily finds a spot to camp for the night before venturing deeper into the forest…

Despite another slow start and a late and abrupt ending, I enjoyed seeing all of you online for the game. Since I’ll be traveling again this coming weekend, and Paul, Byron, Sammy, and Taum won’t be available on Sunday, 2 October 2011, our next session probably won’t be until Oct. 9. In the meantime, please take advantage of the Google Groups message board!

The FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Bulldogs: “Vortex” space opera teams will also continue in October. Take it easy, -Gene

“Vanished Lands” Update T3.32 — Redcap and vines

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session T3.32 of the latest adventuring party in my “Vanished Lands” heroic fantasy campaign setting. The teleconferencing team met on Sunday, 21 August 2011, and has been using Pathfinder, Skype, and an online dice roller.

After meeting in the Wisalef Forest, an unlikely band of adventurers encountered the hostile Centaur followers of Vappu Lahja on the Plains of Sathendo….

>>Telecom party Player Character roster, as of late summer 2011:

-“Kovar” [Beruk A.]-male Half-Orc/Saganim human Paladin of Mithras, god of contracts and brotherhood; LGn, Lvl. 3

-“Asish Chen Ti” [Byron V.O.]-male Tsucharim human archer (Mongol-style Ranger), escaped from the kingdom of Gokuri; owner of Akita dog Genghis and horse Onimusha; NGl, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Jovinda Halflight” [Sammy H.]-female Half-Elf (Grugach/Hifalendorin) Cleric of Mekkil, goddess of nature; owner of horse Wyth-Amoi, or “Wind Spirit”; NGl, Age 23, Lvl. 3

-“Kazuo Takenaga” [Taum D’A.]-male Nezumi (Rat-kin) Monk from the Zedu kingdom in the Therud Forest; LNg, Age 20, Lvl. 3

-“Davven ‘Digger’ Hollysharp” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Faldine Halfling archaeologist (Tallfellow Rogue) from a pipeweed farm in Tarken; CGn, Age 45, Lvl. 3

-“Gawain Keary” [Paul J./absent]-male Saganim human Illusionist (proto-Celtic Wizard); NGc, Age 20, Lvl. 2

-“Favelhorn Riftbringer” [Dexter V.H./absent]-male Mountain Dwarf Summoner; CGn, Age 51, Lvl. 1

“3 to 4 September 1229 B.C.E.:” After finding Paladins of Otih and Urda slain near Alarn, the adventuring party regrouped at a barn on the outskirts of the Hifalendorin (proto-Western European) human hamlet. The holy warriors had been sent ahead from the city of Nadwi.

Rather than disturb the scarecrow-like corpse constructs, Kovar, Jovinda, and Kazuo boldly decide to explore the abandoned community for clues to the whereabouts of the missing knights and peasants.

Scouts Digger and Asish ride out to check the perimeter and outlying farms for the spellcaster who recently summoned a tornado against them. Favelhorn and Gawain quietly study their arcane tomes and watch the steeds.

Armored Kovar notices relatively recent tracks in Alarn’s muddy streets, and Nezumi Kazuo keeps a wary eye (and nose) out for trouble. Jovinda spots a small demihuman running toward the ruined chapel, and the Grugach and her companions give chase.

As sunset lengthens shadows on the northern Plains of Sathendo, Jovinda casts Light on an acorn and tosses it into the temple. A wizened, bearded man about two and a half feet tall with a long, pointed cap growls in response. “Go away!” he says. “This is mine now.”

Undeterred, the Cleric of Mekkil, goddess of nature, enters the defiled shrine as Kovar dismounts and enters from the rear. Jovinda recognizes the creature as a Redcap, a murderous Unseelie Fae. He doesn’t give his name, but he sees Half-Orc Kovar and assumes that he’s in charge of the Half-Elf. Kovar wonders whether the fellow is something between a Gnome and a Goblin.

“Are you part of reinforcements?” the unnamed Redcap asks. Monk Kazuo notices that the Gnome-like man wears metal-tipped boots and has joined two sickles with a chain, like a kusari-gama. Wily Kovar plays along with the Redcap, trying to get more information, while priestess Jovinda notices smashed holy symbols on the dusty floor.

The trio manages to depart the desecrated chapel without a fight and continues walking through the village. The “Mellow Mule” inn is among the buildings left untouched by the tornado, but Jovinda resists the temptation to confront whoever she sees moving inside.

Kovar, a Paladin of Otih, lord of the sun and justice, believes that the inn may be the headquarters of an invading force. Kazuo notes, however, that no links have yet been found to secretive mage Octavius Karstus, the nefarious kingdoms of Zuromm and Gokuri, or the mysterious Vappu Lahja.

At the edge of nearby woods, Kazuo spots movement. A rodent of unusual size (no relation to the Nezumi) lopes away from abandoned Alarn. In an attempt to reconstruct where farmers or knights would have fled from the haunted inn, the Paladin, Cleric, and Monk enter the darkling woods.

Jovinda finds broken branches, and a little farther north, Kazuo sniffs human sweat of fear on shreds of clothing. The trees loom over the winding path, blocking out the emerging stars, and roots and rocks jut out from the damp earth.

Digger goes to check on those at the barn, while Asish follows his friends’ footprints into the edge of the Wisalef Forest. The Tsucharim Ranger whistles to his dog Genghis as he cautiously guides horse Onimusha through the scratchy branches.

Asish rejoins Kovar, Jovinda, and Kazuo just as they find another sign of refugees from Alarn — a shiny sliver of silver that turns out to be a bracelet around a wrist bone wrapped in roots. Jovinda is unable to explain how thick plants could have grown around a corpse in only a few weeks.

Her question is soon answered when grasping branches and vicious vines reach out in attack! Asish hops back into the saddle, recognizing the Assassin Vines from his servitude to the Nannuattan (eastern Dark Elves). Jovinda casts Shield of Faith on Kazuo and is given a hand up to Onimusha.

Kazuo launches a Flurry of Blows, and Kovar draws his masterwork longsword and also backs up from the writhing roots. Leafy tendrils and clod-covered roots whip at the group. One woody tentacle grabs Jovinda’s ankle and pulls her from Onimusha!

Asish turns his horse around to grab Jovinda, but Onimusha is slowed by the entanglement. Kazuo leaps in to help his fallen ally before she is strangled, and Kovar slices the vine with his sword but is smacked in return.

Jovinda clears a path with Wood Shape, and Kazuo and Kovar follow. The Paladin lays on hands, but the fleeing foursome is unable to escape injury from the carnivorous plants. As they bind their wounds by torchlight, Asish recommends returning to the barn rather than spend the night in wilderness full of feral monsters…

After last month’s hiatus because of summer travel, it was great to see most of you! Dexter, Paul, and Rob, we still missed you, and note that Paul and Sammy & Taum won’t be able to attend some upcoming sessions. How does Sunday, 28 August 2011, look for each of you? Byron, I’m glad that you were eventually able to join us, but please try to let us know in advance of any future delays.

We still need to discuss alternate times and games, but in the meantime, to keep the current campaign going, I’ll be lowering the bar to three players for quorum, exploring Google+, and working on backup scenarios. Like the FATE 3e “Vortex” space opera, we should be able to overcome future scheduling disruptions with a little forethought and communication. Take it easy, -Gene