EF 013: In Which Northface and Keredwel are Thirsty

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 01:16

> Lord Northface and the Princess Keredwel ride quickly away from the dragon on the hill, who has begun yelling about scones. The forest surrounds them, muffling the distressed cries of Northface's new precarious ally.

"Oh, brave knight!" Keredwel enthuses, "Thy silver tongue is honéd quite as sharp as my love's blade!"

[At this point, asking her where she wants to go might be on the table.]

C. Ross

"Happy to help, princess ...?"

BESW

She blushes, attractively. "Forgive my manners, good knight, for in my peril and distress I quite neglected them!"

"I am the Princess Keredwel of the Kingdom of Raxwel," she manages to curtsey on a horse, which is actually rather impressive, "new-come to this awful wooded place and eager to reunite with my True Love, whose fate is --alas-- unknown to me! I fear my plight is a piteous one!"

//

C. Ross

> I am pleased to meet you princess, I am Lord Brandon Northface. Seeing that this forest does not suit you, where can I take you?

BESW

"Ah! Such chivalry and honor! But alas," the Princess lifts her chin firmly, "I cannot leave. My love is lost in this terrible overgreen forest, and I must cleave unto him."

//

C. Ross

> Your loyalty is admirable princess. How then shall we find your noble love?

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 01:30

"We became separated in the forest, fleeing my wicked stepmother's wrath, and I despaired! Until a kindly bearded man took pity upon me, saying my love had fallen prey to a witch's evil spell but that he could work a charm to save my dearest!"

C. Ross

Raises an eyebrow, concerned "A wizard perhaps?"

BESW

"He needed only a small favor from myself, that I ask a blind man a question, and then he could save my love and we would tarry here no more..." Her lip quivers. "But woe! This man was evil, and he manipulated me most cleverly!"

C. Ross

Nods ruefully "A wizard indeed, so what now?"

BESW

"Yes, a wizard. Upon hearing the blind man's answer, this vile magician nearly killed me. I was saved by the blind man I had so cruelly tricked, and an athletic young girl in utterly inappropriate garb. They took me to see a dragon, for I do not understand what reason, and you know my story following that point."

C. Ross

Rides in silence for several paces "So ... you were separated from your love in the forest, have been tricked by a wizard, and lead to a dragon by a blind man, and nearly eaten."

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 01:36

Hearing her story summarized so baldly, she bursts into small, hiccoughing sobs. They're quieter and somehow more genuine than her earlier histrionics.

[Does Brandon carry a handkerchief?]

C. Ross

Grimaces at her sorrow, and reaches into his bag for a handkerchief, now well worn by the road I'm sorry Princess Keredwel of Raxwel, but I need to understand the situation clearly if I am to be of any help

BESW

She sniffles and pulls herself together, but clutches the handkerchief and twists it viciously even after her eyes are dry and her lip steady.

"Yes, good sir. I understand, but in truth I am at a loss."

C. Ross

Lord Northface nods I was off to see a hermit, and I hear tell of all sorts of men and beats in this wood, terrible and wonderful. I suspect something will know the fate of your love, but we must be wary of wizards. Perhaps it's best to be wary of blind men, dragons, and questionably dressed young ladies as well.

BESW

Keredwel nods firmly. "I have ever suspected poor couture a sign of moral degradation."

C. Ross

Lord Northface looks around the deepening forest "I need a drink, we should find water."

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 01:46

"I could freshen up a little, myself. And I do not mean to complain, but this saddle is not good for my dress."

[How much longer can this session run? What time do you have?]

C. Ross

[45 minutes or so...]

BESW

[And how lethal do you want this session and the next to potentially be?]

Problematic

[IT'S A TRAAAP!]

BESW

[Because there are three pools of water in the game at the moment: one turns you into gold, one belongs to a witch, and one was last seen being presided over by a pissed-off dragon.]

C. Ross

[I'm fine with it being as lethal as you want to make it, but lets avoid another dragon for the moment]

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 01:50

[Nah, it's the same dragon. Heh.]

[Okay, then I suggest you give the also-thirsty horse its head and let it find water.]

C. Ross

Lord Northface all but releases the reigns, but keeps a wary eye turned to the woods

BESW

[Would you like to decide where you end up, or leave it to me?]

[I'm totally gonna take you to the witch if you give me the reigns.]

C. Ross

[I was actually going to vote witch myself]

BESW

[Then please, take us to the witch!]

[I have no real notion of her that I'm attached to, except that she's got a magic pool of water and Sanguine's been assigned to kill her.]

C. Ross

The Noble Steed makes its way into a shallow valley, and shortly the tinkling of a small stream is heard

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 01:59

[Do you want me to take over?]

C. Ross

[Yes, was pondering hag or vixen ...]

BESW

The sloping sides of the narrow valley are thick with a spiky purple plant, and the low plants on the valley floor have the peculiar bright-green only found in swampy places.

A crumbling stone house with a rotting wooden roof squats like a diseased toad at the far end of the tiny valley. A stream trickles loudly around the house, coming from behind it and spreading out into the swamp in front of the house.

A variety of spices and animals hang from the eaves of the house, including great strings of whole frogs alternated with strings of onions.

Problematic

[! is someone going to meet Morwen?!]

BESW

@Problematic [Morwen would never let her house get this bad.]

Problematic

[hangs head in shame]

C. Ross

Jun 22, 2013 02:04

Lord Northface pulls up his horse and looks around carefully

[Tempted to roll create advantage]

BESW

Two pails of pease, shelled and unshelled, sit beside the rickety rocking chair on the side-leaning porch. The door of the house hangs half-open.

It seems empty, but not abandoned.

C. Ross

"Hello? Do you mind if two weary travelers get a drink of water?"

BESW

A toad croaks in the swamp, and a black bird rustles its wings in the half-dead tree that rises from behind the low house, but no person answers.

[I'm angling for the classic "trespass on a witch's property while she's away" setup.]

C. Ross

Lord Northface dismounts and holds out a hand for the princess to dismount, his eyes still warily watching the area

[Makes sense to me]

BESW

The Princess Keredwel, still wringing Brandon's handkerchief, graciously allows him to help her dismount. Her eyes are puffy and her makeup is awful, but she has recovered her poise.

"Oh, good sir, this abode does not comfort me." She looks down at the mud squelching up over her once-fine embroidered slippers, now destroyed by wandering in the Forest, and sighs.

"Still, someone resides here, which is better than I can say for the rest of this strange Forest, and I am so thirsty."

C. Ross

Jun 22, 2013 02:11

"I must admit I'm not overfond of this place either, but we need to drink. Stay away from the house."

BESW

"Wild horses could not compel me to enter therein!" She shifts from one foot to the other. "...but do you think the resident would object to my resting in the chair?"

C. Ross

Lord Northface turns a harsh look toward the princess, and on seeing her distress, his face softens [Compel can't ignore the needy?]

BESW

[The criteria for starting to roll dice is that both success and failure would be interesting and we want to formalize the decision about which happens.]

[Sounds good, have a Fate point and a sense of forbidding doom.]

C. Ross

Lord Northface nods Go on, but do not touch anything else. He retrieves his waterskin and heads for the stream

BESW

The stream is bright and clear, even where it runs over the mud. It smells of limes, and the noise it makes as it runs is unnaturally loud.

C. Ross

Jun 22, 2013 02:17

Lord Northface looks up and scan the swamp as he dips his waterskin into the stream.

He begins to sing a hymn softly to himself, something about morning guilding the sky ...

BESW

[The stream is going to make an attack. It's going to be a MAJOR attack.]

[The nature of the attack is mental; it's trying to give him prophetic or clairvoyant visions.]

C. Ross

[Ok, not sure how he'd respond to that, but I guess Carefully, since he's been, well careful ...]

BESW

[Suggested consequences include things like "The Shadows Are Coming" or "I know my own death."]

C. Ross

[Ok then...]

BESW

[Forceful attack +7]

4d6

Dice Service

Jun 22, 2013 02:21

•

BESW

[For a result of +5]

C. Ross

[Careful defense +2]

4d6

Dice Service

•

C. Ross

[For a result of +1, 4 shifts]

BESW

[Would you care to invoke?]

C. Ross

Jun 22, 2013 02:23

[Would you endorse an invoke of Blessed are the Peacemakers?]

BESW

[My idea here is that a moderate consequence with dire implications could spur him to more dynamic action in order to remove it.]

@C.Ross [I'm not sure I see how that would apply, but I'm open to explanations.]

C. Ross

@BESW [He made peace in a big way, and now he's a little bit blessed]

BESW

[And that blessing is a protection against the visions? Okay.]

C. Ross

[So that would take me to +3, and 2 shifts, so a moderate consequence]

[How about Fated to face the darkness?]

BESW

[I like it!]

C. Ross

Jun 22, 2013 02:28

[Shall I narrate or shall you?]

BESW

[We can define the vision now, or leave it vague until something comes up. If we define it now, I'd like you to take initiative and start the conversation.]

[So yes, narrate away!]

C. Ross

Lord Northface reels back, his hand covering his eyes as his sight is clouded with mist, In his minds eye a red haze covers the ground as the bodies of men and beast lay scattered and broken, and the sword in his hand drips with blood and ichor

[Too much?]

doppelgreener

[If it's too much it could be metaphorical. You never know with these things!]

BESW

[Yeah, that's great! I'd like to change one thing: make the blood and ichor black.]

C. Ross

@BESW [Agreed]

BESW

Jun 22, 2013 02:34

[And that's about all the time you said you had, and it's a great place for a dramatic cutoff.]

C. Ross

[Yep, fun as always ... next session the witch!]

BESW

Thanks so much! These are great fun.

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