14. Outside the entrance to the ruin

The Lost Temple by 'Asur Misoa'

Currently

This follows on directly from the session entitled Scouting the ruins.

The girls have arrived at the entrance that Traci and the Princess noted opened out into a slightly larger area than the other three when they checked them out previously. It is large enough for the four of them the go side by side quite comfortably. They have lit torches which are carried by Alice and Melissa and upon entering see that the walls and ceiling are coated in a mildly glowing phosphorescent fungi. It doesn't give enough light to see much by so they keep the torches lit for the time being. The entrance turns into a passageway and leads directly to a wide marble stairway, ancient and overgrown with surprisingly lush and vigorous vegetation.

As the girls reach the top of the stairs a terrible piercing cry rings out stopping them in their tracks. It's impossible to tell just where exactly it came from given the echoing sound and limited lighting. What to do now?

The Options

The girls could light more torches in a bid to see further into the gloom and maybe get a little more warning if something should come at them unexpectedly. Or one of them could scout ahead enabling the other three to act as back up if something should happen. Melissa could use magic to obtain knowledge of what's ahead, or they could all simply push on a little more carefully and warily.

The Decision

Using magic doesn't strike them as a good idea at this point given that they may need Melissa's abilities in combat or for any number of other more important acts that may arise. It seems wasteful to make use of her abilities in these circumstances. Lighting more torches may seem like a good idea but they only have a limited supply and there's no real hope of it doing much for their current situation anyway. The sound could be anywhere, or any distance away, or disembodied or just about anything. Scouting ahead is definitely a viable way forward. It limits potential danger to one of the group while allowing the other three to prepare to leap into action if things look like turning bad, and simply pushing on blindly seems very naïve and unwise given the limited knowledge of what's causing the shrieking cries. It's as likely a warning cry that intruders have entered the ruins as it is a cry of pain or terror. 

They decide to send the Princess ahead with the others following on at a distance. She has a torch with her and her cutlass at the ready. 

What happens next

The Princess moves ahead slowly and soon vanishes into the darkness ahead. Her footsteps are clearly heard in the echoing chamber as she descends the wide, marble stairway overgrown with vines and other vegetation. She stops as a large, shadowy outline looms ahead of her(1d6=1). She calls to the others who rush to her side. 

They await whatever it may be that approaches, Traci and the Princess up front, Alice and Melissa behind. Melissa palms quicksilver while the others draw weapons.

Moving on

I'm going to move things ahead now since I feel things have slowed to a bit of a crawl. This is something I have no issue doing in solo play and may do it from time to time as and when need dictates. The primary reason for this at this time is due to Melissa taking a full 6 turns to regain consciousness. That's fine and fits with the narrative and what actually happened, but it can cause things to slow down too much. And since I have only myself to please and nobody to answer to I'm happy to help move things along. So here's what's happened off-screen.

• Traci and the Princess have gone back to Melissa and Alice with their findings.
• All four of them have rested and recuperated and are ready to continue.
• Enough time has passed that Melissa has regained consciousness and is fully recovered.
• They travel together to the ruins and are about to enter via the slightly larger open entrance. 

The next post picks up at their chosen entrance into the ruin.

13. Scouting the ruins

This follows on from the session entitled To the ruins.

Currently

Traci and the Princess begin their search of the ruins in the hope of finding another way in besides the one that's guarded by the beast. Their explorations turn up a total of (1d6=4) other ways in, of which (1d6=3) seem open and clear of any 'obvious' obstructions, while the remaining one consists of a pair of massive double doors, probably oak and are overgrown with brambles. It looks like this entrance hasn't been used in a very long time. All four entrances are large enough to allow the whole party to enter side by side if need be.

Traci and the Princess need to decide which entrance would be the best to enter the ruins by before reporting back to Alice. 

The options

• The three open entrances would seem the most likely, although they all look dark and unwelcoming from here but are clearly man-made as would likely be the case anyway at this ruin.
• The entrance with the doors might very well prove to be the most obvious to enter by since it would clearly have been designed as an entrance point in the first place. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing if it's actually as innocuous as it seems. Maybe it's a trap designed to ensnare the unwary, or maybe opening it after all this time will notify any inhabitants of their presence and cause no end of trouble.
• Another option is to create some makeshift torches from fallen branches and throw them a short distance into the three open entrances and see if it wields any pertinent info., although unlikely, it may just be enough light to see whether the immediate interior is a large open area or some kind of passageway, or something else.
• They could of course do the same thing but simply walk into the entrances instead of throwing the torches and standing back. This of course would be more risky, but would yield far more information about the immediate interior.
• A final option is to simply take the basic info. about the four entrances back to Alice and wait for Melissa to come round.

The decision and reasons for it

Traci and the Princess decide to venture into the immediate interior of the three open entrances.

• It's a simple enough job to make a couple of torches and take a step or two inside each entrance. 
• Because they're only stepping inside, they're not in too much danger from anything that may be lurking in there. They could always simply run back out again if need be.
• By taking such a small risk, they could gain very useful information regarding which entrance to take.

What happens next

Traci and Melissa investigate the immediate interior of the three entrances and find the first and third entrances(both 1d6=3) lead into passageways big enough for them to walk comfortably down without much trouble, while the second entrance(1d6=4) opens into a slightly larger space.

The first and second entrances(both 1d6=6) show no signs of any recent activity at all and have clearly been unused for a very long time whereas the third entrance(1d6=3) although showing little sign of any recent activity, may have seen some little use in more recent times, though it still has a vaguely deserted air about it somehow.

[OOC: Melissa will regain consciousness in 3 more turns]

12. To the ruins

This follows on from the session entitled Alice takes charge

Currently

Alice heads off in the direction of the ruins with Melissa unceremoniously 'slung' across the saddle in front of her. She takes the same road Traci and the Princess used and encountering no problems(1d100=96) arrives at the ruins having made good time and greets the girls in good spirits.

The girls need to decide how to proceed now, Melissa is still unconscious after all and they need to decide how to approach the ruins or whether to approach at all yet, or maybe wait for Melissa.

The options

• They could scout out another entrance since Traci has already told them of the beast that lurks within. Splitting up could help find another way in. Maybe they take turns staying with Melissa while the others go off searching. 
• On the other hand, they could simply wait for Melissa to come round, but that's likely to be a while, and even if it happens quicker than they expect they don't know for sure when it will actually happen. For all they know it could be weeks before she regains consciousness, or not at all. 
• Are they even going to be safe this close to the opening that Traci emerged from given the proximity of that creature, the beast with her young? Is there a chance it ventures out, maybe during the hours of darkness? 
• Of course, one final option would be to put together a makeshift 'drag' to pull Melissa along and bring her with them, at least while they're skirting the ruin looking for a way in.

The decision and reasons for it

The girls decide to pair up, one stays with Melissa while two go off to scout out the exterior of the ruin. 

• It doesn't make sense to be dragging Melissa around with them when they don't need to. 
• They know they don't want to go in through the opening that Traci came from for obvious reasons, and since they are all well able for trouble if it should occur then splitting up makes more sense. 
• They all agree that just waiting around doing nothing makes little if any sense anyway.  

What happens next

Alice thinks it makes more sense for her to stay with Melissa now just in case she should take a turn for the worse or maybe even start to come round. Traci and the Princess head off to scout out the exterior of the ruins promising to return before nightfall.

[OOC: Melissa will regain consciousness in 4 more turns]

11. Alice takes charge

This session follows on from The party splits

Currently

Alice returns to the tavern with a young mage who sets to work, quaffing quicksilver and summoning much as Melissa would have done herself. The magic to rouse Melissa to consciousness isn't difficult for the mage and so she regains consciousness in(1d6=6) turns.

[OOC: see 'this post here' for an explanation as to why this succeeds now when it didn't before]

Alice realises she needs to find a way to transport the unconscious Melissa out of town, and soon.

The options

• She could hire a lift out of town to the ruins on a cart. This shouldn't be too difficult. Money talks of course and Alice looks innocent and harmless and would be unlikely to worry the driver even if he was aware of the presence. After all it's shown no signs of affecting anyone but the girls so far.
• She could just buy a horse outright and attach some sort of makeshift drag-sled to the back to transport Melissa. Or, maybe just drape her over the horse in front of her, undignified though this may be.
• Waiting it out doesn't seem to be much of an option given that they've already been here longer than they'd initially planned, and the guards are bound to be back sooner or later. The warning to 'get out of town' is still very much on Alice's mind. Still, maybe she could explain and buy some more time given that Melissa will wake soon(-ish).

The decision and reasons for it's success

Alice decides not to waste any more time and asks the landlord to procure a horse for her. She intends to simply have Melissa effectively 'slung' across the horse and ride her out of town towards the ruins herself. 

• The landlord probably just wants rid of the two of them at this point, and he's not averse to the money Alice offers either. He's no fool and can no doubt see he can kill two birds with one stone here.
• Melissa's not going to be complaining about her undignified exit from the town and the landlord will no doubt be very willing to help Alice get her onto the horse. He'll be glad to help them leave.
• The landlord doesn't want to attract the town guard any more than is necessary. His tavern is used by all kinds, some of them less than savoury, so the quicker Alice and her unconscious friend are out of his hair the better as far as he's concerned.
• Alice and Melissa will have to meet up with the other two at the ruin sooner or later, and the other two won't likely enter the ruins without them so Alice really needs to move sooner rather than later. It just doesn't make sense any longer to keep hanging around here when all that can be done for Melissa has already been done.

What happens next

The landlord is more than happy helping Alice. He provides a horse(for a fee of course), and is happy to help Alice get on her way. Alice heads off in the direction of the ruins on the outskirts of town with Melissa slung across the horse in front of her. None of the townsfolk attempt to stop her(1d6=5), and there are no guards in sight(1d6=5).

[OOC: Melissa will regain consciousness in 5 more turns]

Rational argument vs randomness

Alice, our cleric, has been having trouble bringing Melissa round. This, to my mind shouldn't be a difficult thing to do for a cleric that has the ability to call upon divine aid and other healing abilities. The problem was caused initially by my wanting to add a little randomness into each scenario. Unfortunately, when dealing with characters that have well defined abilities 'built in' as it were, this randomness causes a problem in that, as we have seen with Alice trying to heal Melissa, sometimes the dice simply won't play ball, and so something as simple for a cleric as healing manages to fail, and fail big, every single time. I've papered over these cracks for the time-being by blaming Alice's failure on the influence of the presence but I'll have to alter how this sort of thing works in future.

Initially it was rational argument that dictated what happened in every situation, and this is where the answer lies I think. The mistake I made was in attaching randomness to situations that should have simply been a matter of me saying, 'Alice is an experienced Cleric so she calls upon divine aid to heal Melissa, who regains consciousness in(1d6) turns'. This would have allowed Alice's abilities to come into effect as they should have while still allowing a little randomness.

This whole campaign was designed around the use of rational argument first and foremost of course. I must remember that going forward.

10. The party splits

This session follow on from What to do now?

Currently

The party is split, with Alice in the tavern tending to Melissa and the Princess and Traci heading for the ruins. Alice's abilities are failing to have any effect upon Melissa and she remains unconscious. 

Alice needs to find help to bring Melissa round since she's unable to do so herself. 

The options

• Her first thought is to send out for another magic-user in the hope that magic can do what her own divine aid can't. She has money, plenty of it, they all do and the faster Melissa is back in the land of the living, the faster they can depart, which should please everyone.
• Another option is to transport Melissa to the ruins herself. It would get them away from town and there seems to Alice to be no real reason why she can't wait for Melissa to come round there at the ruins just as well as here. Would she be able to hire someone with a carriage of some sort to take them though?
• The only other thing she can think of is to keep trying to wake her in the hope that her divine aid will come through for her at some point. 

The outcome

Alice decides she's got nothing to lose by continuing to call upon divine aid(1d100=34), and once again Melissa stirs a little but otherwise remains unconscious. It looks like the presence continues to have a very real hold over Melissa. Given this fact, Alice enlists the help of the landlord to take Melissa back upstairs to a room and then heads off to seek help from the local magic-user. She's not comfortable leaving Melissa alone but has paid the landlord well to ensure her privacy.

[OOC: Melissa has completed her 4 turn cooldown period and is able to use magic again]

9. What to do now?

This follows on from the session entitled Back to the tavern.

Currently

The girls are back at the tavern again, waiting it out until Melissa regains consciousness and they're finally able to venture out of town. There's a heated debate between them about whether to leave Alice with Melissa until she recovers while Traci and the Princess start to head off towards the ruins to scout out another way in. Traci knows where the beast is of course and wants to avoid it at all costs if possible.

Moving forward

• Alice is ok with remaining with Melissa until she regains consciousness, and besides she says she wants to see if Melissa's recovery is affected at all when Traci isn't around. The presence was initially attached to Traci after all so she makes a good point.
• Traci has wanted to head back to the ruin for a while now anyway, and the Princess is edging for action of some kind. She's liable to go stir-crazy waiting around here and just wants to be getting on with it, whatever the 'it' may reveal itself to be.
• If the guards do return, it may be just as well that Traci and the Princess aren't here. Alice will probably have an easier time of it if they see her tending an unconscious friend alone. 

How it plays out

Traci and the Princess head off after procuring a few basic supplies leaving Alice to once again attempt to call upon her divine aid to bring Melissa round(1d100=2), but things take another turn for the worse when after at last beginning to stir previously, she now sinks right back down into a state of deep unconsciousness once again. With the other two gone, Alice begins to wonder just how long she's going to be stuck here apparently powerless to help.

[OOC: Melissa is on turn 3 of a 4 turn cooldown due to her use of quicksilver] 

8. Back to the tavern

This follows on from the session entitled Disaster! 

Currently

Melissa is still unconscious but between them they manage to get her back to the tavern where Alice begins working on her in the hope of bringing her round. The girls begin discussing options, trying to figure out where to go from here.

Moving forward

• Traci just wants out of this place at this point and takes the opportunity once again to suggest they go back to the ruins. She's convinced now more than ever that the answer to their problems with the presence will be found there.
• Alice's interest in the presence is piqued even more now. It interests her greatly, especially since her previous attempts to shield Traci from it just seem to have resulted in it attacking Melissa. Did her divine shielding stop it from attacking Traci, or did it simply attack Melissa because she was the one casting magic? Whatever the truth, Alice wants to know more.
• The Princess may very well agree to go back to the ruin this time. Her barely supressed rage is in need of an outlet, and whatever they find back in the ruins may very well provide that outlet. And besides, Alice seems intent on going wherever she needs to to find this presence.

How it plays out

The girls decide it's time to kill two birds with one stone and head back to the ruins. They'll be out of town and away from the guards and also able to properly investigate and deal with the strange oppressive presence that is clearly still latched onto Traci, or more probably the entire group of them now. Unfortunately, Alice isn't having any more luck in bringing Melissa round any quicker(1d100=35) and she remains in a state of  near unconsciousness.

Looks like they'll be stuck here for a while longer yet anyway.

[OOC: Melissa is on turn 2 of a 4 turn cooldown due to her use of quicksilver]

 

A Final Note with regard to post formatting

I expect this to be the last time I talk about this. I've tried various small changes to the formatting/playstyle of these posts and am happy enough with the way the last session played out to stick with it. I'm glad I experimented with it, and to be honest that experimentation goes well with the FKR(Free Kriegsspiel Revolution) idea, which I like very much.

Now, on with the important stuff.

7. Disaster!

This follows on from the session entitled Outnumbered

Currently

Disaster! With Melissa unconscious leaving the girls outnumbered by both guards and townsfolk they're now in a serious fix. The girls fall back to surround her while the Captain of the Guards shouts his final warning. 'Drop your weapons now, or face the consequences'.

Moving forward

First thoughts are that there aren't many options if truth be told. But let's look a little deeper.

• So Alice is mostly concerned with looking out for Melissa, crouched over her she seems to be attempting to call upon the help of her divinity in the hope of bringing her round quicker. Certainly, the sooner Melissa regains consciousness, the more options they have.
• In the confusion of Melissa's failed attempt to summon, Traci has managed to draw her own flintlock and has taken up a defensive stance beside Melissa and Alice. She's hoping that the sight of a second flintlock might be enough to persuade the guards that things clearly aren't going to go entirely their own way. Do the girls actually have the upper hand here now, even given Melissa's situation? Flintlocks are a good persuader I'll wager.
• The Princess will simply not back down. This is made even clearer as she steps back and realises that Traci also has her flintlock pointed at the Captain. Two flintlocks vs one. The odds have to be good for the girls now, surely?

How it plays out

Traci and the Princess decide that they clearly have the advantage, pointing out in no uncertain terms that he's only got one shot and they have two. They shout at him to lower his weapon and move away[1d100=93], which he does, signalling to his guards to back away. As he moves off he shouts a warning to the girls, 'Get out of town while your luck holds'.

Melissa is still barely stirring[1d100=38] as they drag her unceremoniously back into the tavern.

[OOC: Melissa is on turn 1 of a 4 turn cooldown due to her use of quicksilver]

Another attempt at changing the playstyle

The change to the way the previous session was played out came about naturally and wasn't planned at all. Reading it back now a few days later has led me to think this'll be the way forward. I'd still like to get away from the bullet point method and have each session play out more as a conversation(albeit a one-sided conversation), or more accurately, the sessions would play out in the form of a block of prose broken up by two or three headings to prevent that 'wall-of-text' feeling. I wasn't satisfied last time I tried this, but as I remember, it was more a mixture of bullet points and prose at that point.

Maybe I'll try again next session and see how I feel.  

6. Outnumbered

Currently

This follows on from the session entitled The Town Guard.

With the town guard standing their ground, weapons drawn on both sides and about a dozen townsfolk[1d100=13] pressing in upon them, the girls look to each other for ideas. And with the Flame Princess barely holding her anger in check they need to find a way out of this impasse; And quick!

What are the options?

• They could attempt to talk their way out of it. I mean there's no sign of any more guards arriving anytime soon so maybe they'd be open to further discussion. Then again, they've shown no sign of budging from their fairly steadfast position so far so it may be a hiding to nothing. And keeping them talking could end up working to their advantage if they have in fact managed to get word out for more men.
• Making a run for it could be worth considering. The townsfolk are mainly gathered around and behind the guards and there are plenty of alleys and small streets behind the girls they could scatter into. Or they could just run back into the tavern and try to make for the rear exit. Either way, running must surely look tempting, assuming the Flame Princess can be dragged away of course, and that's definitely not certain.
• Magic is a very real option. Melissa already has her quicksilver ready to quaff. It would take but a moment to start summoning. But it would mean no more magic for another 4 days[1d6=4] or else quaffing even more quicksilver with all the risks that involves(addiction, risk of magic failing etc.)
• Of course they could just put their weapons away and go with the guards. This doesn't seem likely to end well though, and they'd still have to talk anyway when they get back to the guardhouse, except it'd be on the guards terms now instead of their own. Seems like this'd be a last resort.

The decision and what happens next

The girls decide enough is enough and turn one by one to Melissa who with a knowing smile quaffs a dose of quicksilver and summons a spirit to sow fear and panic amongst the guards and townsfolk.

Something terrible happens at this point when Melissa is overcome by the very presence she attempted to protect Traci from in a previous session just at the crucial moment[1d100=1], and her summoning fails spectacularly. She subsequently collapses and is unconscious. The situation is about as dire as it could get.

[OOC: Melissa is now on a 4 turn cooldown due to her use of quicksilver]

A quick note on the previous session

My attempt to change the way the sessions are played out or formatted didn't really work out as I'd hoped. At first glance there doesn't seem to be much of a change. The headings for each section have been altered, but that really is the extent of it. I did however try out several different options before coming full circle right back to where I started though. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just confirms that what I had was just fine as it was anyway. I'm happy enough for the moment.

5. The Town Guard

Currently

Alice is attempting to call upon divine aid to protect Traci from the presence that followed her out of the ruin. They are then stopped leaving the tavern by the Town Guard. This follows on directly from the session entitled The Next Morning.

Alice, being an experienced cleric has no trouble calling upon her deity. She asks for divine protection for Traci and binds the two of them together in a holy pact that may not be broken without the promise Traci made being fulfilled. This is a sacred undertaking and it's import is explained to Traci and accepted by both parties. Upon leaving the tavern with the others they're stopped by a small but well-equipped contingent of the town guard. There have been accusations made regarding Traci and the 'foul things' that she brought with her out of the ruin. 

What are the options?

• First thought is to lie. I mean, how does anyone know that the presence is connected to Traci in the first place? Traci herself barely sees anything, just shadows at the edge of vision really. Even if they're convinced of it, how is making an enemy of Traci and friends going to solve anything? If they're arrested or held in confinement wouldn't that simply ensure the presence remains in the town? And what if they banish them from the town, are they sure it'd leave with them? 
• They could try to fight. But the town guard are composed of more than just these four[2d6=4] they face here, and they'd have to be ready for a fierce, ongoing battle if they started anything now. 
• Melisa's magic might help, but there's enough attention from the townsfolk as it is without attracting more, and besides, it might just convince the onlookers here that the town guard were right about them all along, then what would happen? There's a lot of townsfolk looking on, many of whom look ready to step in if things turn nasty.
• Maybe the simple truth could help everyone, if only because having the town guard to back them up if things turn nasty in some way wouldn't be a bad thing. Then again, if the town guard choose to disbelieve them anyway then they'd likely end up in the same situation as if they'd decided to lie their way out of it in the first place. 

The decision and reasoning behind it

The Flame Princess, acting unilaterally, draws her sword and steps forward, adopting a clearly aggressive stance. Traci and Alice reluctantly take up positions either side of her and Melissa steps back behind them palming a dose of quicksilver in the event she needs to use magic.

• The Princess was always quick to anger and is fiercely loyal to her friends. She has also led from the front for a while now and even though there's no official acknowledgement from the others of any sort of leadership, she is a natural leader and this is entirely in character for her. The others won't be happy about it, but they immediately move to support her anyway since they have always recognised and acted upon any decisions or move she's made in the past.
• The town guards are well aware of the potential forces a magic user such as Melissa might be able to call forth and would likely be very reluctant to risk any actual aggressive moves on their part. They would have seen her palm 'something', and even if they didn't see what it was they're not stupid and will know now if they didn't already that she's prepared to cast. There's a chance they might have even seen quicksilver used before and be aware of it's dangers and it's terrible potential.
• If they view Alice as less of an immediate threat to them, then the same can't be said of Traci. She's pointing a flintlock pistol at them and has her other hand resting on the hilt of her cutlass. The four of them make a formidable sight and the guards may actually be wondering how they're going to defuse this situation before it escalates. 

What happens next

The guards are clearly taken aback by this aggressive turn of events. It can be assumed they will have drawn weapons before approaching the girls too I think. Even if the Captain orders an undignified retreat, the townsfolk, who've been happy enough watching so far are probably going to fancy their chances against four women. There is of course the distinct possibility that if they do back away, the townsfolk will simply wander off, but it seems unlikely, and they may very well remain and attempt to overpower the girls with sheer force of numbers. 

The Flame Princess's actions may have initially been intended to force the guards to back-off, but all she's really achieved is an uncomfortable standoff with both the guards and the townsfolk. 

More thoughts on the way forward - Part 2

Part of the reason for this blog apart from being a place to actually play is to allow the play-style itself to evolve and change over time. This process is by natural progression as the game unfolds rather than actively looking for ways to change the way I'm playing. 

Ever since I saw the post on alt.games.ftp.tekumel that Steve Lopez wrote, I have been wondering if a more simple layout for each session might be more fun. The method I'm using to lay out each session at the moment has worked well so far, and I see no reason why it wouldn't continue to be ok going forward too. But sometimes I think it would be nice to just write each session more simply, rather like I'm writing this right now. No bullet points, no special formatting, just write it all out in a stream of prose breaking it up with nothing more than normal paragraphs. 

This is just another thought and I may reject it once I've tried it, but I would like to try it and see if I'm happier with it. I think I'll be happier playing it out using that simpler method, but it remains to be seen if I can tolerate the end result. It does have to be somewhat presentable too otherwise there's no point.

And as I write this it occurs to me that I sort of did this already in Session 003.5 - Problems, Problems It didn't really contain full options and arguments as a usual session would, but it is similar to what I'm thinking about here.

I'll try it with the next session and see what I think.

4. The Next Morning

Current Situation

Traci waits in the Tavern bar for her three friends. She needs to discuss her situation with them before they leave. This follows on from her previous meeting with her New Friends.

Alice and Melissa arrive down from their room together followed some time later by the Flame Princess. They greet her and she sits with them, buying them breakfast and striking up conversation with them. She soon broaches the subject of the presence, assuring them that she's put the idea of venturing back into the ruin on hold for the time-being and turning to Alice, directly asks for her help.

Options

Traci is convinced the cleric, Alice, may be able to help her rid herself of the presence that has latched onto her. 

• The first thought is to attempt to use Alice's 'calling' as leverage to persuade her to help, maybe she could disperse it or drive it away if not outright destroy it. The idea of using Alice's 'calling' for her own ends doesn't sit well with her though.
• She could try pointing out that since they've been together all evening and have now met again this morning, they may inadvertently have alerted the presence to them too. Who's to say it won't seek them all out in future once it's done with Traci? This is very risky though and may just anger them. It could also be seen as on coercion, verging on emotional blackmail.
• One last thought is to offer them something they can't refuse. Maybe the promise of an act of loyalty or service, or something personal that she could do or carry out for them. Something they might not wish to do themselves, something dangerous or abhorrent to them. This isn't a thought she relishes, but it may do more to persuade them than her potential attempts to coerce them or play on their fears. 

Her decision

Traci decides to offer something of herself, in exchange for Alice's help in ridding her of the presence. An act of loyalty, or a dangerous or abhorrent task in the future or something. She feels she can do this because:

• It must be clear by now that she's cut from the same cloth as them. She's an adventurer, someone used to the kind of situations they themselves often find themselves in. It must occur to them that such a person would be very useful to have around.
• She has basically promised them anything they wish to name, so long as it's in her power to give of course. This has to be a very powerful argument for successfully acquiring the clerics help if ever there was one.
• Once the presence is gone, or at least nullified, having an ally like Traci joining them in any future endeavours has to be a good thing. It will have occurred to the women that it might just be in their best interests to grab this gift horse with both hands.
• She's fast becoming their friend. They're likely to want to help her now even if the offer of the selfless act she promises wasn't on the table.
• Her offer will probably come as a bit of a shock to them. They probably would have expected a more usual, mundane payment, and so it will serve to show them just how much more than that she values their help and friendship.

The outcome

Her new friends may very well have thought about asking Traci to join them. In fact it would be a little surprising if the thought hadn't occurred to them by now. It would probably be more likely though if the presence wasn't part of the deal, so this argument isn't as strong as it might otherwise have been. Then again, if they've considered it at all then they've probably considered how useful it could be having someone else in their little party once she's free of the presence. Add to that Traci's offer to take upon herself a dangerous or abhorrent task that they may shy away from themselves at some point, well, that has to be a very tempting offer by anyone's standards. Her assumption that her recent friendship with them carries any weight at all though is more than a little optimistic I think. They're clearly women that have seen a bit of life and aren't likely to be swayed soo easily, so this isn't the best of arguments for success. There is also the fact that Alice is of course a cleric, and might actually want to help with Traci's unfortunate situation. 

Traci's offer is a very powerful one here, and Alice does have good reason to want to help. Alice agrees to Traci's proposal.

Problems, Problems

What to do now?

The previous session has thrown up a bit of a problem. Traci had thought she'd be able to persuade the three women, who we now know to be Alice, Melissa and the Flame Princess, to accompany her back to the ruin in a bid to find out more about the oppressive presence, but they are proving to be a little more discerning about who they hook up with. They're friendly enough and seem to like her, but they're very wary, and to be honest, rightly so. Traci really should have foreseen just how difficult it would be to win them over given that they'd already sensed that awful presence following her when she entered the tavern. Too late now. 

The possibility of persuading them to do anything now seems to be very slim, and she truly does need their help. Alice, the blonde cleric would be of invaluable aid given the current predicament, and that's quite without what help the other two could provide. Traci simply can't afford to walk away from them.

But what to do about it?

Well, going back to the ruin alone just isn't going to work, and in fact going back in at all was probably just a bad plan full stop. After all, the thing already followed her out of the ruin anyway. What good could she have expected to come from venturing back in? She also has no idea where the women are headed, and when they're going. Would they even let her join them if it came to it? The magic user, Melissa, and particularly the cleric, Alice, should be willing to help her, surely? And we don't even know what the flame princess is capable of.

It's a bad situation. She can't simply follow them around like a little lost puppy. The only way out of it I can see for Traci is to speak to the cleric and see if she can help rid her of the presence once and for all. Never mind the ruin. It was a bad plan to begin with. She just needs to rid herself of this thing now.

How to 'Solo play'

One of the people that inspired me to try out solo play was a man called Steve Lopez(aka Churak hiMrukkal, Grey Cloak Clan of Fenul) who I found entirely by accident when I came across one of his old posts to the google group alt.games.frp.tekumel which was posted way back in 1996. It answers a question posted by Joseph M. Saul who asks:

">Adventuring solo, without, say, a programmed adventure like the AoT

>books, is an utterly alien concept to me. What do you do? Write a

>novel, basically? Talk to yourself? For me, social interaction is

>paramount in RPGing, so I'm kind of at a loss as to what you are up to."

...the reply from Steve Lopez,

"As a fairly serious chessplayer, I've had to hone certain skills in which I attempt to think like my opponent  ("If I do *that*, he does *this*, then if I do *that* in reply, he does *this*," etc.). Solo RPG adventuring works the same way. You set up a situation, play a little bit of it, then spend a lot of time thinking about what you'll do next, what the consequences will be etc."

Since I couldn't have described solo play any better than this, it seemed only sensible to simply let the genius of Mr Lopez's response stand alone as testament to how I am aiming to play myself. 

n.b. The original google.groups message can be found here: alt.games.frp.tekumel, (links to the full text of the message above).

3. New Friends

Current situation

Traci is seated with three women after introducing herself and striking up conversation with them. This follows on directly from the session in The Tavern.

Traci has found new friends it would seem, and is busy discussing what can done about the unseen presence that seems to have followed her out of the ruin. The three women claim they are just back from a lengthy 'ruin-raid' in a small village some leagues from here and aren't aware of any strange goings-on in the area, but they seem a little edgy and noncommittal, especially with regard to Traci and her current situation.

Options

Traci wants to push for more information from the women but it's tough going and they're actively evasive with regard to any mention of the oppressive presence she felt.

• One thought is that she could try to outdrink them. If they end up suitably inebriated they may spill the beans, if there are in fact any beans to spill. Of course this means she'd need to stay this side of sloshed herself, which given the way the evening's headed could be tricky.
• She could of course just continue to ingratiate herself upon them thus ensuring their ongoing friendship. It remains to be seen if her newfound friends continue to be as friendly in the clear light of day though. There's no telling how three hungover women will react when they wake up next to our oppressed heroine the following morning.
• Brutal honesty could also be an option here too. She could simply ask them to come back into the ruin with her and investigate the actual place the presence came from. Plenty of unexplored places in there. She did after all take the shortest route through the ruin in the first place. She would need to tell them about the beast though. 

Her decision

She decides to try and convince the women to join her in a return trip to the ruin. She feels confident of success because:

• They've already spoken of their recent 'ruin-raid', so it's very clear from the outset that a venture such as this wouldn't be anything out of the order for them. They're more than up to the task.
• Traci has been plying them with alcohol all evening and they seem to be perfectly receptive towards her. She's been very friendly and they've responded well enough to her.
• They're three women who're obviously in the same line of business as her and would probably be happy to have another experienced woman join them in any future ventures into the unknown.
• They seem aware of the presence that followed Traci out of the ruin and although they were a little apprehensive at first, it doesn't seem to be bothering them now. Perhaps they've encountered something similar themselves. Traci could be forgiven for thinking that it may not be much of an issue after all, and might actually be one of the common denominators that help bring them together.
• Since the women have just returned from a recent venture, it's possible they're on the lookout for another opportunity to make money, and by their own admission they've just raided a ruin so Traci's offer to accompany her into another ruin may well be seen as an attractive proposition.

The outcome

The three women are aware of the oppressive presence they noticed when Traci first entered the tavern, and there's a real possibility it might negate any thoughts of potential help that may be forthcoming. But it's also a fact that they are all very well matched in experience and choice of profession and are more than up to exploring this ruin with her. Unfortunately, having just returned from one expedition, they're certainly not likely to rush straight into another. And besides, as the conversation moves on Traci begins to get the distinct impression that they didn't just happen upon that ruin they raided by chance. This, along with that presence is enough to make Traci realise the futility of her current predicament.

So the women remain uneasy around Traci and reject her offer to return to the ruin with her.

2. The Tavern

art by 'Jason Rainville' - from left: Alice(Cleric), Flame Princess(Fighter), Melissa(Magic User)

Current situation

This is a scene from Traci's adventures which takes place immediately after she exits The Ruin.

Traci is walking hesitantly through the backstreets. She quickly becomes aware of an oppressive presence that seems to be following her every step, but she sees and hears nothing. Quickening her pace, she sees the warm, welcoming glow of a rowdy tavern just up ahead and makes for it immediately. She enters the tavern and the strange, oppressive feeling diminishes before dispersing almost entirely.

Options

Traci's immediate concern is to find out what the strange presence is that seems to have followed her out of the ruin. Three young women drinking together at a nearby table seem to be taking a particular interest in her and make no attempt to hide it. 

• My first thought is that Traci will attempt to strike up a conversation with the three women, but first impressions indicate simmering hostility and she wouldn't want to find herself violently ejected. Then again, a round of drinks and a friendly smile might break the ice. Three women may very well welcome a fourth to their little party after all. And Traci could do with some friends in her line of business. 
• Another option is to simply sit quietly and ignore them. First impressions make it seem likely that they have seen more than their share of unusual situations themselves. Maybe patience and a keen ear are all that's needed. But this risks sitting around drinking alone all evening only to risk ending up learning nothing of use anyway. And then there's the obvious problem of a woman alone in a place like this. It's probably just asking for trouble.
• Then of course there's the option of her taking a room here for the night and waiting for the morning light, always assuming there are rooms available of course, and that trouble doesn't find her first. The problem with this is that she needs information and is not likely to get it by slipping off to a room and waiting it out.

Her decision

Traci decides the first option is probably the best and so buys a round of drinks in an attempt to strike up conversation with the women. She thinks she'll succeed because:

• There are three of them and Traci's a young woman on her own in this place. She's not likely to be considered much of a threat to them anyway.
• There's a pile of coins on their table so it should be obvious that by buying them drinks she's simply attempting to strike up conversation or befriend them. 
• The fact that they were staring intently at her when she entered the tavern seems to indicate that they are as interested in her as she is in them.

Outcome

Since all three of the women are clearly as interested in Traci as she is in them, it seems extremely unlikely that they'll immediately go on the offensive and launch an unprovoked attack, especially since Traci's quite clearly alone. On the other hand, they could very well be staring at her for any number of reasons; they could be sizing her up to rob her later, or they may recognise something of that strange presence about her, or maybe they're simply planning on having a little fun at her expense. But then there's the drinks she's kindly buying for them, which are a clear indication of her desire for friendship. So even if their interest in Traci still remains a little unclear, she's still winning them over for the time-being with her desire to befriend them, albeit through the liberal use of alcohol.

So we find that Traci is able to successfully strike up a conversation with the women even given the initial perceived hostility.

More thoughts on the way forward

I tried a little dry run regarding the use of the newsgroup question & answer method I spoke of in the last post but I'm still not satisfied that it will work here. I like the idea of it and it works well for an actual newsgroup that has multiple members asking questions, but for solo play it just comes across as forced and artificial. 

I have an idea that simple prose in the form of a paragraph that describes the current situation would be better in the long run. I wrote just such a paragraph anyway in the first playthrough under the heading Initial Observations as a way of describing what was happening in the poetry before playing it out, which means writing the prose first so that I've something to work with straight away. The poetry part can then be written at leisure, or not at all. This means the worldbuilding and gameplay won't be delayed in any way.

This is how I summed up the current scene that was being described by the poetry in the first session,

'So, the scene is set. It's a classic stand-off it would seem. The beast is protecting her offspring and seems hesitant, not wanting to provoke an attack but standing her ground nevertheless. Traci, on the other hand needs to get to one of the 3 exits, two behind her and 1 up ahead behind the beast. There's also a large opening where there was once a side wall directly to her left which has a large quantity of fallen stone piled up in front of it making it less straightforward an exit than it might at first seem.' 

So in future, the prose will come first as a rule, with the poetry being generated from it rather than the other way around. I'm happier with this change already. I think it'll work well. 

Nope, time to re-think

I only need to look at the date of the last post, not to mention the infrequency of the posts here to know that posting stanzas from an epic poem and then using them as a scene to play through just isn't going to work in the long run. Here's some bullet points to guide me from here on out,

• The poetry just isn't going to work here on the blog, and I think that would be best left to other mediums if I'm going to continue with it at all.
• I like the question/answer format that was used once upon a time on the old Tekumel newsgroups way back when. These are archived on the Tekumel site under the Blue Room mailing list archive. Of course if I use this format I'll be faking it by asking and answering, but I don't really see an issue with it. The tendency for the answers to be given in-world by the characters worked very well and it's that that I'd like to try to emulate too.
• Playing in-world will likely be quite sporadic and I'll have to just see if it works or simply dies a swift death.

That's it for now. I'll prepare some questions from the standpoint of someone new to the world and see how it pans out.