Game Night Tales from around the gaming table

 

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (49 days into game)]

 

84 days without incident.

 

Westport City.

 

As Westport is an outpost under siege, it is too dangerous for the orphans and widows of Mapledown to stay here.  After a talk with Agatha, she suggested moving them to the City-State of Dawn.  She also provided a letter of introduction and request for shelter to one Judge Brycen.

 

We have spent the day getting supplies and transforming the cargo hold of the Rose into a place where the 20 orphans and 30 widows and their children can stay in comfort.  Orn made a dream come true: a jungle-gym so big that it took every available inch of the cargo hold and included slides, suspended walkways and even a floating airship that they can swing from!  I must admit that when he finished it, we played on it for over an hour.  Someone had to test it out.

 

In the morning we will have a big send off, with all of the Mapledowners, so that the kids won't think this is a bad thing, but an exceptional fun adventure!  We've even purchased assorted toys for everyone.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (56 days into game)]

 

91 days without incident.

 

Heading South towards Dawn. Day 7.

 

We've taken a break and stopped over a massive forest 7 days into our trip to Dawn.  I figure that everyone needed a bit of room to stretch and run around.  The jungle-gym is great for the kids, but we forgot to consider the adults when building it.  We've spotted a large clearing with a wide slow moving river going through it.  The trees are already changing into their autumn colours, and there are plenty of fish in the river.  It's the perfect spot for an afternoon picnic.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (59 days into game)]

 

94 days without incident.

 

Heading East towards Dawn. Day 10.

 

We can see the massive walls of Dawn on the horizon; at least that's what we are assuming it is.  If the weather holds we should arrive in another 3 days; so much for it taking 3 weeks.  The Rose will prove she's the fastest, once again.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (62 days into game)]

 

97 days without incident.

 

City-State of Dawn.

 

I must say that we've had a much warmer welcome in Dawn.  There are many Ly'xi and Southern S'scal here, but none of the latter have the same features as my little brother.  I maintain that he must be a Northern S'scal, since he's at least 2 feet taller and has blue ridge-crests on his head.

 

Judge Brycen was an impressive figure and also seems to run this city; Agatha has some very powerful allies indeed.  His armour is similar to Orn's, but it is made out something Brycen calls Shard-steel.  We need to find out how to produce Shard-steel from the required crushed Shards, steel & acid -- we have everything but the acid.  He was also nice enough to provide us with a more complete map -- it includes more than triple the area of our current map, including Ly'xi and S'scal territories.

 

- 1x Large map of all known lands.

 

He personally showed us to the orphanage, which is a palatial home compared to the hellhole we grew up in.

 

The kids were all settled in and the massive jungle-gym has been dismantled and reassembled into its permanent home in the park behind the orphanage.  The widows and their kids have also been given homes in the surrounding area so that they can be nearby.

 

Both Orn and I have inspected the place and are satisfied that this is indeed what it appears to be.  However, to be on the safe side, we are leaving 4 of our dogs with them to be sure.  The priests have agreed to this as well.  The kids really grew fond of Jasper & Coon, both good guard dogs and decent hunters, and Chicken & Weasel, both great hunters and decent guard dogs.  I've taught Astrid, the shy little red head, all the commands she'll need to control the dogs.  No matter what happens, with those 4 they won't lack for protection or food.

 

Afterwards, we joined the Judges at an inn, as this was where they said we could purchase the finest whiskey, a present for Alex.  We bought a barrel of it and were introduced to a local brew called Fire Wine.  Orn really enjoyed it; I however found it much too hot for my liking.

 

- 1 Barrel & 1 small cask of the Fine Dawn Whiskey

- 3 Small casks of Fire Wine

- Ordered:  4x Barrels of Fire Wine, 1x Barrel of Acid, 10x Class 2 Lightning Shards.  Ready in a Month.

 

After a discussion of the merits of speed & firepower over slow & heavy defences, we were invited to show off our Lightning Cannon, by shooting it at one of their airships.  We followed Brycen's ship out to their testing area and at their assurance that we couldn't possibly harm them we fired both cannons into their broadside.  As they said, we didn't harm the ship, and witnessed the true power of the Judges.  Somehow they can block or absorb attacks against them by using what appears to be a regular hand held shield.  They were impressed by the cannons nonetheless.  As this was the first time we'd ever fired them against an actual ship, I asked Brycen what they were comparable to.  The little prototype that Orn added to his Orncycle was on par with a medium cannon and the full sized one on the Rose, which fried 2 shields, he said was easily equal to a city flak cannon -- we knew that it was powerful, but not quite that powerful!

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (63 days into game)]

 

98 days without incident.

 

City-State of Dawn.

 

This morning we said our farewells to the Mapledowners at breakfast at the orphanage.  The food was very good, much better than the gruel that we were fed as kids.

 

Judge Brycen also attended, and he brought 3 crates of books on a variety of topics -- seems that he was actually listening to us yesterday when we bombarded him with questions.

 

-  3x Crate of books, various topics.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (77 days into game)]

 

112 days without incident.

 

Heading North into Ly'xi territories. 14 days.

 

We've been travelling North for 2 weeks; the days are getting shorter and colder.  Orn is hating the cold, and hasn't gone topside for at least 10 days.  I, on the other hand, have never felt more alive and invigorated.  This morning we woke to find the ground covered with a white substance both Sari and Agador called "snow."  We stopped and went out to experience this Snow.  The dogs went nuts, especially the Winter Wolves, diving head first into the stuff.  It was as if the whole landscape was covered in feet of shaved ice!

 

We had a giant "snowball" fight that went Orn-sized; somehow Orn, Sari & I wound up inside one and rolled down a massive hill, only to be stopped by the trees at the bottom.  But if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have made friends with 4 gigantic Winter Wolves.  The Alpha stood well over 20 feet tall, the others were around 15 feet.  I wonder if Ly'xi ride them?  I wonder if our 2 wolves will get that big.  If they do, it will be problematic for us to keep them on the Rose.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (80 days into game)]

 

115 days without incident.

 

Heading North in Ly'xi territories. 17 days.

 

As directed by a Ly'xi Judge, I have been following my instincts to find the "North Camp."  This morning we have come upon a massive winter storm, and my gut is telling me that I should head straight into it.

 

The others have voiced their concerns, but I am the captain and so we will head in.

 

Hopefully I am not wrong.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (81 days into game)]

 

116 days without incident.

 

Heading East in Ly'xi territories. 18 days.

 

We survived the storm, barely.  Within its centre was the North Camp.  I now recall that only Ly'xi are allowed, but at the time I'd forgotten that, and so I had to defend my little brother from getting killed.  Which also meant he did likewise.  There was a bit of a tussle and poor Orn and I were netted, but after a bit of fast talking, while Orn held everyone at a standstill, I convinced them that we could be trusted.

 

At this meeting there were 18 Royals, planning to start a War with the Empire, over the taking of the Ly'xi mine called Haven.  Orn met another "Knight of Makura," and Royal, so now I guess he'll want me to call him "Little Brother, Knight."  He gifted Orn with some kind of weird Shard that will allow him to look like whatever he wants, which will be of great help to us.  It seems that up here Ly'xi hate S'scal and attack them on sight.

 

We also found out that Orn's armour was once owned by their leader, one "Fire Storm", who was lost to them a decade ago in a battle with a S'scal battle fleet, far to the south.  It also appears that our incident tokens are actually Ly'xian General clusters, which explains Magnus reaction when seeing them in Westport.

 

We've been given need directions to find Magnus and so must now head East.  The other Makuran Knight has graciously provided supplies and better winter wear for most of the crew.

 

Captain's Log:  [Date (90 days into game)]

 

125 days without incident.

 

Town Of Winterbone.

 

We have arrived at the outskirts of Winterbone, the fishing town we were told that Magnus should be at; hopefully we will find him here.