Lost in Story

Hexplore24 — Day 29

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HEX K10

Weather: 8, Sleet

Ethereal Glow

The morning has no snow. Thin clouds let through dawn light which, reflecting off the pristine snowy landscape, creates an ethereal glow. A light semi-frozen rain falls in showers.

Travel will not be pleasant, but it is possible.

Let’s do a reaction roll to see how Blain is feeling this AM: 8, uncertain.

Blain, while calmer, is uncertain how best to respond to Goz’s treachery.

“I do not want to let Beacon down, but to let this provocation go and appear weak may be the worse choice,” he muses, sitting by the fire with most of the camp.

Let’s take a vote using reaction rolls:1

Belus: 8

Satis: 8

Malla: 4

Aima: 7

Witches: 12

Mahbe: 9

Malla, having invested a lot of time and energy into killing the mammoth, is very eager to get the stolen ivory tusks back. Most of the Beaconites are uncertain about what’s best.2

The witches want to leave, feeling no good outcome is possible at this point & they are eager to get out of Owsage.

Mahbe and the Prannites also wish to leave, feeling, there is no clear path to Blain getting a “win” out of the situation.

So, with disappointment, Blain agrees they should pack up and leave.

An added complication is the need to find a new route back to Beacon. The path they took to Owsage travels through Afah territory, and as a group of nearly 15, well above the Afah-imposed size-limit of 5 in a party, a new route home is needed.

Mahbe and the Prannites had hoped to buy new supplies in Owsage, allowing them to travel independently of the Beaconites – but Owsage has no such provisions for sale.3

Though, thankfully, the witches were returned their own camping supplies.

Witches want to journey alone? Yes

The witches let Blain and Malla know they will go their own way back to Beacon as a small group of four, allowing them to travel through the Afah’s territory.4

So, disappointed at their time in Owsage, the travelers pack up and head back out into the lands outside.

AM WATCH HAZARD: 6 - Nothing.

It costs 4 points to go from HEX K12 to HEX J11.

Instead of descending back into the forest they came from, Malla and Aima decide they should head east, staying along the hills that house Owsage. This will also, they hope, give them a better lay of the land, thus helping them find a good route home to Beacon.

PM watch hazard, 2, Exhaustion.

They rest, [-] to next hazard roll

Sleet continues to rain down, and the fresh snow on hilly terrain makes their progress slow, but all are glad to be free of Owsage.

Malla has them rest, and set up camp, hoping clearer weather will make their descent from these hills easier tomorrow.

Dusk Watch hazard [-] 2

Belus passes story check.

Satis cooking.

Satis cooks up mammoth meat, and Belus tells an inspiring story of adventure into the unknown as all reflect on the journey ahead.

Rescuing the witches had been a success, but now that they are on their own, having left Owsage with less riches than they arrived with, the mood is one of apprehension for what trials lay ahead.

Night watch [-] 1 – Encounter

Type: Terrain - Mountain.

Kirin, Delivering much needed luck.5

As the party settles in to sleep, they are awoken by a golden light, and the sound of chimes. Emerging from tents, squinting up at the radiance, they see a horse-like being walking in the air, looking down at them. Its face is a lion’s, with golden antlers, and everyone feels calm in its presence.

Roll: This Kirin bestows a magical item gift.

“Travelers,” the being speaks telepathically to them, “I come to thank you.”

Awe-struck, all stare up at the radiant being.

Thank because killed the Ooze? NO

Must be pilgrims.6

“You protected my pilgrims and saw them safely to Owsage. For this service, I want to repay you.”

Motivation: ENVIRONMENT ENEMY

SENTIENT SWORD, LAWFUL, INT 12, EGO 12 7

By OSE rules, only Satis can use a Sword of this power, which is good as when Satis becomes level 3, she can slot a magic weapon.

As Satis is a vapor witch, we will name the sword “Mist”.

Golden light collects in a point, then expands in the shape of a sword.

“As you kept my pilgrims safe, I will gift you Mist, a powerful sword, to help guide you across these lands.”

The sword floats down to a surprised Satis.

“Satis, Mist has chosen you alone to be its bearer.”

Satis takes the sword and feels magical energy radiating from it.

“Hello Satis,” Mist says in her mind.

“Hello Mist,” Satis replies in a whisper. Then she turns to face the being. “Thank you!”

And as the words leave her mouth, the being smiles, then in a flash of gold, vanishes.

Once the shock wanes, the group is filled with giddy excitement and wonder. All want to see Mist, and learn its secrets, but Mist tells Satis it is time to sleep.

Suddenly, the journey ahead feels full of promise and adventure.

Suddenly, the unknown seems exciting.8

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  1. I like this democratic approach to complex choices. Here, reaction rolls show me who has strong feelings about putting Goz in his place (5 or less), who is neutral (6-8), and who feels they should leave the whole thing alone (9+).↩

  2. The dice gave Malla a reaction score, and by interpreting it within the story’s context reveals more about her character.↩

  3. I’m wary of accumulating too many NPCs. The Prannites, who you may recall, emerged from a blizzard half-frozen, seeking refuge with our protagonists, the Beaconites. While I’m pleased they’ll remain part of the story for now, I don’t foresee them as permanent companions after spring arrives unless the narrative shifts significantly.↩

  4. I’m glad the witches decided to go off on their own. It avoids our traveling group from swelling to 20, and is keeping with the witch’s previously established independent nature.↩

  5. I’ve been using The Monster Overhaul for random encounters, and it’s nice that there are a few benevolent ones sprinkled in.↩

  6. There is a certain magic in having small things from the past get referenced. While this is me choosing a likely call-back, it is also how the Mythic GME plot threads and NPC lists allow random elements to get pulled back over and over, until a complex narrative emerges.↩

  7. I had the context of this being a valuable gift chosen by the Kirin for the group, and decided a sentient sword with the special purpose of helping them deal with enemies in the environment, made sense. Once that was selected I randomly rolled up this sword, and the results are great. I feel it’s very useful, and will help Satis become stronger, while not being overly powerful or game-breaking. It’s not invisibility or flying or anything — it’s just the ability to gain insight into encounters and situations much more readily.↩

  8. Earlier, the group felt disheartened. Now, invigorated by the Kirin’s gift, their spirits are lifted. This transition, driven by the randomness of dice, now appears as if it was intentional foreshadowing.↩

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