Brendis, Orello, and Viatrix meet with Alovara and a mysterious figure at the Goran estate in order to make plans. Settling on a course of action, they head toward the House of Dust and Ash which has finally subsumed the Jatakan royal palace, altering space and time within.
We once again use a modified Labyrinth move by the wonderful Jason Cordova in this episode. It rules.
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After leaving the party, Brendis faces his ultimate fear. Then the party face their final, and most dangerous, challenge in the gladiator arena. However, the politics of Jataka continue to churn, leading to an unexpected swerve.
Our party makes it through their encounter with the city guard (ACAB), and joins the party celebrating the queen of Jataka - the reason for the current run of games they have been fighting in. But it’s awkward. Orello lunges headlong into what should be a social disaster, Viatrix stress eats in the corner, and Brendis looks for somewhere he can get fucked up. Some of this goes all right…
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We're back with the main party of Brendis, Orello, and Viatrix. Their last morning in the desert before returning to the city-state of Jataka, the party discusses what they went through in the Library of First Thought and make their plans for getting back in the city despite Brendis being wanted. Though a reunion with an old ally has them questioning what they should do next. This one is roleplay and plot heavy!
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We continue our GMless/full game by following Iltani Evermind and Tahunas as they seek to kidnap an invading desert elf and extract knowledge from their mind. Mostly Zach and J.D. DM this one, with input into the conversation from Ryan and Nathan adding key details to the fiction. Iltani and Tarhunas struggle with some personal issues before tackling their primary mission.
While the main characters are searching for a book of evil rituals, life in Jataka continues. We rejoin Kurul, Iltani, Tahunas, and Kinea in order to learn what is happening while the main characters are away. This GMless/GMfull game shows a different way to enjoy Dungeon World, and we have a ton of fun working with characters and fleshing out the politics of this city as our evil agents of the Ashkeshahri Empire attempt to manipulate Jataka’s future.
Brendis, Orello, and Viatrix, their goal attained, make their way back to the library tower in order to exit back out into the desert. But the lion riders sent to find them have already entered the tower and locate the party before they can safely leave.
Read MoreOur cup runneth over this episode as we were graced by the amazing Zack Garth (of the Heart Points podcast) and together we play the equally amazing Swords Without Master (by the, you guessed it, equally amazing Epidiah Ravachol). Hopefully this can serve as a primer to those new to the game and for those more familiar just sit back and enjoy!
Nathan’s eidolon is the title page of Animal Man #5 (editor’s note, I said it was drawn by “Chris Trog” which was a mis-remembering of the artist Chas Truog. I’m sorry I failed you -N)
Chimaera Zach’s Eidolon is the Bermuda Triangle, specifically the image seen above
Ryan’s Eidolon is a jar of jam he bought in the upper penninsula of Michigan (of course he ate the whole jar and I forgot to get a photo the night we recorded, so here’s a stock photo from Poorrock's website - N)
Heart Points Zack’s eidolon is the three of coins from the Trungles’ Starspinner Tarot
The crew continues traveling through the Library of First Thought, as Do'alar slowly pieces his past life back together in his mind. But retrieving Etrofasch's spellbook won't be as easy as simply finding it.
Read MoreOrello, Brendis, and Viatrix have made it safely to the Library of First Thought. Since their guide has a poor memory, we use Jason Cordova's excellent Labyrinth move to remind him of his past life and search for Letvedi Etrofasch's journal of vile rituals. We also begin looting ancient relics, but hey, we're just trying to help, right?
Brendis, Viatrix, and Orello start their day with a surprise before heading off into the desert to find a book. And they fight a god in there, somewhere.
Brendis, Orello, and Viatrix get back in the arena against Lilith the Bloodmistress and her two whipping boys in a race to reach the top of a spiked pyramid. But the politics of Jataka cannot be contained as an assassination interferes with the entertainment.
Read MoreIn our GMless / GMfull take on Dungeon World, we follow Kinea, Iltani, Tarhunas, and Kurul as they attempt to sow chaos in Jataka on behalf of the Ashkeshahri Empire. Each of us plays a character, and we let the Conversation be the GM for our game, and find this way of playing Dungeon World can be a very satisfying experience!
The crew party with the Ghoul, Orello takes a nap, Brendias moves a bomb, and Viatrix gets her gold before a great force enters the city. We also get the chance to meet another cast of characters.... who have their own plans for the city.
Despite the appearance of a ghostly castle appearing in the sky, the Jatakan festival continues, and our adventurers must fight once again in the pits, this time coming eye-to-eye with a flying tiger!
The party faces their first test in the Arena, though against less than worthy opponents.
Hey all,
We realized that some of the responses to the question about the elvish epochs may have been a tad garbled. So what follows are the transcripts for each answer.
Nathan:
Jetaka was first.
Then Hemrathra, who was dog-headed and quick to laugh, became bored and stole the hair of three of their siblings:
Long-haired Linnr
Short-haired Brefr
and a single hair from Aardr, whose hair measured between their siblings'.
Then Hemrathra, who was dog-headed and quick to laugh, planted in the nothing that was and is Jetaka the three hairs, to grow three queen-mothers.
Long-lived Linnr'akal, who went north in fear
Short-lived Brefr'akal, who went south in excitement
and Aardr'akal, whose life measured between her siblings', stayed in the nothing that was and is Jetaka.
Then Hemrathra, who was dog-headed and quick to laugh, became jealous and stole the hands of long-lived Linnr'akal.
"Sister, let me in" laughed Hemrathra.
"I will not" and Aandr'akal did not.
Then Hemrathra, who was dog-headed and quick to laugh, became angry and stole the skin of short-lived Brefr'akal.
"Sister, let me in." laughed Hemrathra
"I will not" and Aardr'akal did not.
Then Hemrathra, who was dog-headed and quick to laugh, became spiteful and stole the words of Aandr'akal, whose life measured between her siblings'.
"Sister, let me in" laughed Hemrathra
And Aandr'akal could not say no.
Zach:
Personal Journal of Vor Calkan, Master Informancer to the Obsidian City.
My masters have put me on the path of dictation to a servant as one of the most powerful forms with which one can ponder. Thusly, this new entry may contain a more casual tone… I do hope my many future readers find this 'relatable.'
I am a good way into my research of the ancient elven cultures of Jetaka, and if I may be so blunt, it is mostly a fruitless labor. Either the elves have great reason for keeping how their ancient civilizations function a secret or the only scraps left for me to dig up are bedtime stories told to pig farmer's daughters. One particular interviewee tried to tell me that the lands themselves turned on the elves… she said her grandfather would tell her of days when the fields of grain would belch forth demons that would slaughter the farmers.
These interviews have led me down the path of the poet, ah errlack, for I am trying to read betwixt all of the fairy magic and discern what happened to the culture itself. From my best guess I would say there was a distinct split between what perhaps was the "ruling class" and the "peasants." These stories all seem to shape around the parable of the great forces outside of the walls…. A desolate coming darkness that children were warned of from a young age. There is one particular parable that a handmaiden told me about: a great warrior-- I think we all know this one-- yes, yes, he was a farm boy who was thrust into the harsh world far before his chin could support any amount of stubble, and yes (of course!) there is a magic shield that is said to have pierced the unknown and the lies told by the great darkness. He is said to have united the kingdoms of elves and parlayed with the great darkness taking one of its own as an advisor to create harmony. His rule is said to have been a time of great peace and prosperity for all. The story blathers on about some terrible betrayal from within the King's own heart… something about the cost of containing the wickedness of the world and so forth, but it doesn't really speak to how the elves lived. The little bit of archeology I have been able to do with Timir has brought up little more than stone and bone… hardly anything telling the history I am trying to collect. I shall try and get a more substantive answer from this handmaiden, but I'm worried she might be getting more and more tight lipped around me. It seems like all of the servants are giving me a sideways glance nowadays…. Okay Timir, you may stop scribbling….. Timir! No, it's not funny! Stop smirking, you nuisance
JD:
I make my daily offerings to Hidden-From-Sight that you are protected from the vile assault of the human savages. I remain thankful you were with the refugees that escaped through the lands of the Ape-Men. I can only have faith that my letters have reached you thanks to our Messenger.
I regret that I am not coming to you. War-Elder Mosstheedu has taken over command after Prior-Elder’s death by the Dobr’akal. We skirt skyward alongside the Destroyed Place since we can no longer be followed and we sharpen our weapons to cut out stomachs. Soon we will bring wrath upon the humans despite their greater numbers. I fear only their Necromancers because of what happened at the palace. War-Elder believes we will drive the war to its finity. I listen for the howling.
If tomorrow is fruitless, I fear I will no longer be able to wait to rejoin with you. What is the meaning of this war if we are not Together? I am constantly lost in my memories of your eyes staring into mine. It is not for the continuation of Elves that I fight, but rather for our Family. Nothing else is meaningful to me any longer.
I am summoned by War-Elder. I apologize for my brevity but I must go. Farewell for now.
A new adventure begins! Meet our intrepid adventures, about to be thrown into mortal combat in the Arena in a city beset by elven sorceries, and on the edge of revolution.
Intro music by friend of the show Ryan!
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
Our adventurers battle the final of Arahallin's sons, Pyimir but their dreams constantly plagued by the incessant father.