Arc 2: Episode 1

Scenes from the Insurrection

Fire Season 1622 (Orlanth “dies” in Darkness season of 1621)

The new procedures do not permit a concise re-ordering of the events.

We checked the resources: all were doing well. This is a clan that has achieved high morale through omens (provided by Syf), divine grace channelled through Oghma, wealth through a combination of honest dealing (Graham’s new character) AND righteous brigandage (Ty on the case). The peace rune is in crisis because of the big mouth of — you guessed it — Stayn.

[the resource cycle served to give a sense of what has happened in the intervening year since our last session, and set up the fictional situation for our little session).

Some situations that arose from the resource roll. Riffing on colour, I had the players who made the role for that resource get involved in conflicts related to the resources that they had rolled for. Not consciously. I think Color-first led me that way.

PC: New Merchant
Setting: Riverside
Colour: Pyramid Faction
Clan Resource: Wealth
NPC: Scharman Ingilli
Situation: Merchant doing his honest trading, complaining about the corruption coming in as a result of the long occupation and the emergency measures. A follower of the Ingilli overhears the complaints of Graham’s PC and Greengill the newtling. Merchant’s truth rune empowers his calm resistance to the intimidation.

PC: Syf
Setting: The Pairing Stones
Colour: Clan History
Clan Resource: Magic
NPC: Hollowheart the Whirlvish
Syf meditating on the mysteries of a river swelling without rains. Hears whispers from the outside. And it is a pack of whirlvishes heading for her and the Pairing Stones. Given that the clan has moved its shrine to the Pairing Stones, Syf is under the full protection of the clan wyter, which happens to have a “Confuse Undead” feat attached to it (they were from the Upland Marsh). The nasties swirl off into the desert to track down a new target, Tintalker.

PC: Stayn
Setting: The Farmer’s Market
Colour: Divine Powers
Clan Resource: Peace
NPC: Hucipites, Polemarch of the Marble Phalanx
Stayn is singing satirical songs in the market. Suddenly, the crowd begins echoing his words. Donadar is giving his quondam follower a taste of what the power of song can do. A troop composed of Sundomers, Marble Phalanx, and Constables switches from intimidating the crowd to slaying them. Stayn calls on sorcery to intimidate the Polemarch, the Polemarch’s powerful stellar magic fights off the elemental but the troop retreats. A “win” with some costs. Explains why the Peace rune

PC: Ty
Setting: Garhound
Colour: Moon Faction
Clan Resource: War
NPC: Jaxarte Wideread for colour, but the permanent NPC is Radak, the Governor’s Bodyguard
Ty is busy training the Garhound fyrd in the tactics of organized warfare. This is the day supercilious censor Jaxarte shows up for a meet with the Garhound chiefs (Brygga and Darvos). Ty holds his temper, even when Radak tries some intimidation. He, however, sneaks off to warn some local tribesfolk about the presence of the censor, setting up a possible ambush.

PC: Oghma
Setting: Home Turf
Colour: Storm Faction
Clan Resource: no strong connection established
NPC: Yvane Blackspear
We know that the new Oghma is not a lone herdsman, but has chosen the role of spy for Brygga and the “Motherland” group of Orlanthi who are taking orders from the homeland. This scene revealed how he became a spy. Yvane wanted to avenge the insult the Hucipites did to the remaining Orlanthi in New Pavis. So, she summoned her god and stirred up a few youth to follow her. Oghma slipped into the gang. They ran across the rooftops until Hucipites was cornered, running a shakedown in Rivertown. Yvane was on the verge of unleashing her spear when Oghma tripped one of the gang, tipping the hand of the assassins. They retreated to the desert hideout of Tintalker and his “Vengeance” group who are dedicated to assassination and terror against Lunars and sell-outs. Looks like he has infiltrated them.

[This is a trial run of the new procedures: PCs place themselves in the setting, I respond to the colour and make moves for the various factions through named NPCs, then I will let the PCs take a turn approaching NPCs in their settings. Hopefully we get a back and forth every session, climaxing in an extended contest. But if the turns break over 2 sessions, sobeit]