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 IX

The journey toward the last son - the drunk: Pyimir. Determined to finish the bloody endeavor he began, Ozier follows Krekki's intuition into Pyimir's forest.

It’s lucky that we had a couple of ancillary characters to pull from for this campaign, and getting to play The Fae is just an added bonus. Be sure to check out Adrian Thoen’s other works (particularly Impulse Drive)

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter VIII

An easy and well-earned rest in the halls of Hed's floating castle (now inhabited by Krekki) is ruined when Pyimir's army takes advantage of our adventurer's respite.

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.

Series VI: The Sons of Arahallin - Chapter 0

The dream team is back, baby!! This is the set-up episode for Series VI, which I'm calling The Sons of Arahallin. For a change of pace, I (Nathan, that is) will be putting Ryan, JD, and Zach through the ringer in a series of boss battles as they rip through the lineage of the cyclopean king Arahallin.

Maybe-temporary music: “Walking in the Shadows” by “GO” Saito & Masae Saikade for the Lagoon OST

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XVII

Finally meeting Ypsilanti face-to-face, our party hopes to finally achieve what they set out to do. But it's not as easy as they'd hoped.

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XVI

After passing successfully through the mirror passage, Omid, Row, and Gashana have reached the innermost sanctum of Ypsilanti. But to explore it they first must survive a fight with its guardian when they're already weak.

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XV

We use Jason Cordova's Labyrinth Move (of Gauntlet fame; link incoming) to construct a session where our heroes explore the magical portal they figured out in the last chapter. They travel across great distances, but push through to get closer to the heart of the Dimansion... and to Ypsilanti's most private space.

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XIV

Confronted with an unknown contraption, but with sure-footed confidence in their direction, our party shakes off the fear of what came before. Together, they tackle a tower of violet light as friends that have been through hell but still hope to emerge on the other side.

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XIII

Omid, Row, and Gashana consider how best to handle a mysterious seal and the chain holding it in place. Then a face to face confrontation with someone unexpected leaves Row shaken.

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XII

Our heroes find themselves in alien territory as they get closer to their ultimate goal. But they're not alone, they still have more questions than answers, and they're running out of time. Spoilers for Series IV in the stinger on this one (kinda).

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XI

Omid, Gashana, and Row aren’t sure where to push forward, but a sudden confrontation drives them to make a decision. And we check in with the characters' emotional states in one of my favorite scenes of the series!

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter X

Our adventurers explore Ypsilanti's workshop. Despite feeling a little anxious, Gashana and Omid settle in for some reading. Row pokes around while waiting on the nerds.

V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chatper IX

Gashana starts a firefight, Omid watches too much pro wrestling, and Row tries to keep things together. When the way forward seems obscured by illusion, what else is there to do but play your own games of light and shadow?