Series IX: Cyclopolis of the Damned - Introduction

We kick off our Third Cycle around our table with the beginning of Series IX, entitled “Cyclopolis of the Damned.” We first are introduced to Kimin Bilaskis the Shaman who harvested power from a dead god and carries another around his neck, Milio Miretti the Bard who escaped the slaughter of Lucco and lived with the Fjord-Dwarves, and Uraziti the Spellblade, youngest son of the Shah of Ashkeshahr and hidden weapon of a secret order.

Then the dungeon master asks a few questions to fill out some details of the party’s lives and travels before heading the the walled dwarven city of Law.

We just launched a Patreon, so if you’d like to support us, check it out! Supporting us on Patreon will let you vote on upcoming games you want to hear us play in C-Sides and gets you an invite to a discord channel. You can also get an unabridged version of our podcast feed starting with Series IX, more like you’re sitting at the table with us. This week, the Patreon episode includes discussions we had while crafting bonds and flags, some silly game ideas we riff on, and more jokes. The feed will also include wrap-up episodes after each individual series, game readings and discussions, and occasionally some additional C-Sides. We will be uploading all of our notes from our games to the Patreon for your reference. You could also get all of our future releases, starting with the Dualist (not a typo) playbook for Dungeon World and the Streak playbook for World Wide Wrestling!

We have shirts and stickers for sale over at thechimaera.bigcartel.com!

You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram AT chimaeracast.

The Bard playbook is part of the core Dungeon World rules. The Shaman can be found in Grim World from Boldly Games. And the Spellblade can be found in Incomplete Adventurer by Trevor Murray & Ben K. Rosenbloom.

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter XI

This is it. The end of the cyclopes (which we found out well after recording this series from my Latin-studied partner is phoenetically the same as “cyclops”) and all because of Arahallin. Also yes, a group of weasels can be referred to as “a confusion”.

At the beginning, I wanted to run a game that was very different from Series V: fights! blood! weasels! and this turned out to be a blast. The next series has been recorded and you’ll see the intro session next week, and Ryan may have brought the best series we’ve recorded to life. So stay tuned.

-N

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter X

Our adventurers battle the final of Arahallin's sons, Pyimir but their dreams constantly plagued by the incessant father.

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter VII

Our adventurers make it through the area that once housed the valley of Iggthot, which is quickly being consumed by the pity-seeking rains of the oldest of the cyclopes, Hed.

We finally get to see what the failed cyclops has for ability, and what Krekki can really do.

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter VI

After a pyrrhic victory over Iggthot the Valleymaker, our adventurers grieve and convalesce. Krekki shows his usefulness as Hed rears his ugly... well... head.

This episode was hard. Greeg was a favorite of our characters, and his sea-salt cantankerousness was a joy to build around. And despite the early conversation in this episode, I was extremely sad (and sorry, to Zach) when he died. There was a hush at the table (and, later, when listening back to the recordings) coupled with a fear of how we’d procede.

But we kill our darlings.

More to the point, though, Last Breath is the best move in Dungeon World and to bend the rules to accomodate (read: force) a narrative is disingenuous and works to errode both the emotional stakes of the game and the main tenant of Dungeon World: play to find out what happens.

Krekki has legs, though (literally now!) and we’ve had a lot of fun playing the Brute Playbook in games off-air before now, so finding a(n almost) suitable replacement was easy. And as usual, Zach is more than capable of bringing one of my half-ideas to vibrant and wry life.

Let’s see what happens now. At least Socks is OK.

-N

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter V

After fighting off his followers, our adventurers gather within the great earthen exoskeleton of Iggthot, the Valleymaker and combat the powerful cyclops to the death.

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter IV

The adventurers attack Dodjal, the second son, from within and without, after aid from the sword construct Krekki. Plus, The Chimaera's storied history of making too much of a fight out of gropus of troglodytes continues!

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter III

Faced now with Dodjal, a cyclops demanding of awe and attention, our adventurers give pause and consideration to the upcoming battle, even seeking the advice of Krekki, a construct made of swords (!).

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter II

Nulsc, running headlong into the cyclopean town, leaves Ozier and Greeg to fend for themselves, as guards, a dragon, and a petty DM try to kill the party.

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter I

Nulsc, Greeg, and Ozier step foot on the island of the dead cyclopean god Arahallin for the first time, with promise to kill his five sons.

Here, they encounter Laharisfur, whose inherited breath feeds the kiln he mans with myopic attention.