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Three Feathered Rivals: Making a bad thing good. Game write up.


Noita

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I've been keeping notes on a PBP game over on rpol.net that's been running for a few years and shall stick them here for perusal if anyone's interested. I love reading other folks and saw Lawrence stick his thread up today so I thought I'd join in. It's an old school romp through the Wastes using RQ2 with some houserules, where the pc's are members of either the Prairie Thunder Bison clan or their allies the Skywatchers Rhino clan. Each of the braves received initiation visions from the various Feathered rivals, which include Condor, though no one really acknowledges that slacker... 

 

So...Our little band of braves have been sent out on their first patrol in the beginning of Sea Season, after each ran into one of the three Feathered Rivals during their Sacred time clan initiation rites.

After fireside tales, run ins with Hyenas attacking their herd, sneaky Impala braves, nature spirits, a near fatal run in with a Leaping Bear, a possession by a ghost, and a night spent at a holy spot with some thieving Baboons, the party departed on a quest to stop a scourge of Leaping Bears from attacking their clan. 

After first helping a long dead giant with his stomach complaint, the warriors found themselves facing off against Tripanandar himself. A short bloody battle ensued, leaving one pc dead and the party victorious. They then went on to discover that someone has called the Leaping Bears down on their clan, the clues pointing to the rival Red Thorn Bison Clan or at least one of their shamans. Who might or might not have just been captured by the same dastardly Impala Braves mentioned previously.

It's all go and the patrol, now heading home, with several recovered stray Bison and a small herd of captured wild Zebras, have just wandered into what might be an ambush……

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Some time later

 

Taking part in the community defeat of the Wicked Writher, ensuring their Khan's place as ruler of the Clan and bonus rain for the year. Battling ritual enemies both Impala tribe and Gagarthi outlaws led by the Red Thorn Shaman, who kidnapped a shaman's spirit during the ceremony and fled with it into the Wastes.

Rewards for a successful patrol, protecting the Herd and reporting on the evil Red Thorn Shaman. Disappointment at being left behind as a War party is dispatched to kill said Gagarthi and evil Shaman.

Love interests rekindled, bullies bashed and a friend buried.

Week long initiations into their Spirit Societies, taking trials, suffering deprivations and with varied visions, some leading to the belief that the Red Thorn shaman will escape the war party, others dealing with Tada, Genert and the Copper People.

The search for a white bone lance, reputably with Giant killing powers….An Earth Knight and his Copper Armour….A stone tower…..Returning the Wastes to it's once former glory.

The party have gained the nickname 'The Wandering Rangers' after the warriors of Tada, having copied Tada's deeds to defeat the Leaping Bear spirit. 

A sneaky plan is made to avoid their Khan's refusal to go fight the Red Thorn Shaman , where the party will pilgrimage to the Rhino Rocklands, (two pc's being Rhino Riders) this will take them past the Giant Finger Holes….

Battling Broo, both above ground and below, escaping hungry Rubble Runners, Pack Lizards and killing a nasty Chaos creature, meeting ancient spirits and now approaching the Rhino Rocklands, looking for help from the great ancestor himself, before heading to the bad Spirit place to face their enemy and get killed in numerous horrible ways….

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So…The Rhino Rocklands have been reached and the wandering Rangers (our crew of adventurers) approach the site of the long dead ancestor, looking to ask for boons and perhaps some help on their quest.

Approaching the rocks they spy other Rhino riders! Which turns out to be an old grandfatherly Wind Voice and one time adventurer Krakka Rumble, and his Daka Fal worshipping wife Gronya, both members of the Summer Fury clan, a clan made up mainly of Storm Bull warriors. With them is a young man who surprises the party in being a surviving member of the Sky Watchers Clan and a new pc. After a happy reunion, a Rhino ritual is performed successfully, so much so that the whole clan's rhinos are blessed with good health and any other surviving members of the decimated clan are alerted to the fact that some of their family are at the Rocklands.

During the typical after rites piss up, words are had between one pc and the Wind Voice, who about to throw them out is stopped by the untimely attack of Dark Eater worshipping Morokanth! 
A tough battle ensues with hyenas and Morokanth killed and party members sorely injured. Splitting up, one group heads to the nearby caves of an Earth Witch to protect their Shaman, who has gone to seek help from the witch, whilst the others stay in the camp to fight off the Morokanth and their Rune Lord…Yikes!

As is the way of Runequest the party win: the Rune Lord demoralised and surrendering with his remaining two warriors, whilst those Morokanth that entered the cave mysteriously vanish. Strange things are seen and an Earth Guardian is suspected.

In the camp the rest of the party leave the now bound prisoners and the Rune Lord in the care of the Wind Voice and one pc. A promise of good behaviour having been given. It seems the Wind Voice knows the Morokanth from before.

The entire party, bar one, meet below ground and encounter the Earth Witch who ties a few visionary loose ends together, hands out some knowledge about their next stop and importantly gives them some essential magical aid.

Several hours later, with hardly any POW left, the jubilant crew head up to find the camp empty…Not a person, Morokanth nor riding beast in sight!

After some quick investigating and bird interrogation, thanks to a Condor worshipping pc's Speak with Birds skill, they deduce that they've been had good and proper.

The Morokanth have gone SOuth with their companion and Bison, and their Rhinos East with Krakka.

What to do? Especially as time is running out with their kidnapped Shaman at the Giant Finger Holes.

One Foundchild pc legs it after the Bison (and his stolen dog) emulating a myth where his god tracks down Brother Dog, stolen in the Great Darkness.

Whilst the rest of them, never expecting to see him again, run after the Rhinos, with the intention of all meeting up at their Quest's final destination

 
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Our lone Condor brave heads off to locate his stolen dog, bisons and kidnapped companion, running like the wind and emulating his god. He tracks them to the rocky, spirit filled gorge, where the party had spent the previous night camping.

The band of Morokanth have positioned themselves under an overhang, nicely situated above the pool below. There's watchful guards, but luckily they're all celebrating their crafty theft with stolen Kumiss. The kidnapped companion is tied up and guarded by an awakened Gern, heavily armed and armoured and the allied spirit of the Rune Lord Zakeen Two Thumb, khan of the Black Mud Morokanth clan.

Our intrepid pc, meets up with the strange Mostali construct again and whilst consuming some powerful mushrooms (Our Condor brave is that way inclined…Louche hippies of the trails), hoping for spiritual guidance, he secretly observes the enemy camp from across the ravine. Locating his dog and Bisons, he then embarks on a clever negotiation with several local spirits that eventually leads to a rather crowded, drunken and tripping standoff in the middle of the Morokanth camp.

As words are exchanged, the ground littered with morokanth dead, the Gern cuts the bound prisoner's throat as Zakeen uses Rune magic to escape.

A major character is dead, the bisons and dog reclaimed, and importantly new spirits met. But it is a bittersweet victory and the pc heads off to rendezvous with his friends.

Next: No Wound Day, drunk Storm Bulls, the reclamation of Rhinos and the charge of the heavy brigade…..
 

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Back at the Rhino Rocklands our intrepid party, track the dastardly rustler Krakka to a spot between two large rock spurs. Nestled between them is a camp. A camp filled with an assembled Storm Bull gang, mainly comprising of Rhino braves, but also several High Llama warriors from the Hooked Lance Clan. There are yurts, assorted mounts, including the Rhinos owned by our heroes, and the start of a shin dig.

That's right, on the morrow it is No Wound Day, where Uroxi party, fight, fall over and then wait to get healed. A plan is formed and come the next day the Rangers bide their time, watching as the berserkers steadily get trashed. 

Eventually another group arrives bringing with them two human prisoners (Ogres) who are escorted deeper into the Rocklands, leaving behind only a handful of Lay members to keep guard on the camp. This is the chance the party needed and after Krakka's allied spirit is captured and stuffed in a sack (It was a Manul cat) the braves charge in, free their mounts, steal Krakka's and then laughing hysterically ride off into the Wastes, having stampeded the other beasts.

Alerted to the theft the intoxicated Storm Bulls come running after them and that's when the Broo hit, called by the holy day to fight their enemies….
-----------------------------

During the game the party have picked up several pieces of loot, one in particular was a golden disc found on the long dead body of what looked like a Yelmalion. It seems to be a map of some sort from the engravings on both sides. There's writing too, but being illiterate nomads they have no idea what they say. Another set of maps had been found earlier, drawn on a long roll of lead. Hooks galore for a later date.
-----------------------------

What followed was the culmination of their main reason to be travelling….The Giant Finger Holes, battling the evil shaman and hopefully freeing the spirit of their own shaman Long Grass.

Mist filled mornings, the sounds of Baboons and then a night time scout whilst avoiding ravenous ghosts, finds our crew amongst jumbled piles of massive building blocks, peering down in to the five huge holes in the ground. Fires illuminate the pits, looking as if they had indeed been made by the fingers of a giant, long ago when the Wastes were green. There are pools of stagnant water far below, surrounded by vegetation, barely hiding the entrances to several tunnels and caves.

A squat figure is spotted peering from the shadows, a pygmy Impala rider most like. Allies of the Shaman.

Abseiling down, the Rangers find an ancient Earth complex, with secret doors opened with mythic help. Battles with ghouls follow: undead Impala braves who'd survived the previous war party's victory only to fall foul of their master's new magic.

Then an ancient guardian of the earth is tricked and reveals the tomb of her lover, an Earth Knight, warrior of Tada himself. Promises are made and the party enters smoke filled caverns, one by one killing their foes until the final battle with the Shaman.

Victorious but sorely wounded, the Rangers have freed the Holes of evil and allowed for the forces of good to begin the ritual cleansing. The Earth Witch arrives, fills in some gaps and Emesh-Ga the Earth Knight becomes the party's guardian spirit. Most importantly they have freed their own shaman and gained bound spirits in return.

A side trip is planned, for there are paralysed Sable Women, the last uneaten prisoners of the ghouls. Grandmother Spider is contactable nearby. Off they go, encountering wild dogs, the eight legged spirit herself and a nest of giant scorpions. Freshly killed Yelmalion warriors are found, adding to the mystery of the trip. So far from home and carrying unreadable clay tablets…. Ambushed by Impala riders the braves head back with spider poison gained by offering worship to the darkness spirit.

The women are healed…Then the Storm Bull worshippers arrive, whom negotiate over the defeat of Krakka, steals some of the groups hard earned loot in return and finally departs to the east on a Heroquest. The Rangers, having promised to return in Earth Season then split up.

One group heads back to the clan, laden down with loot and extra mounts, whilst the rest head back to the pool filled ravine, the site of Kaonu's death, on a mission to convince two spirits there to relocate to the Giant Finger Holes.
-----------------------------

Once there they encounter a lone Bison rider, a close friend who has been away, he'd tracked them down, unaware of the true motives behind their trip. His mother is a raid bride from Sun Country and luckily he is able to shed some light on the strange golden disc and clay tablets. It is a map showing the location of the fabled Lassiter's reef and orders for the Yelmalions scouts who are searching for 'something'.

The party suddenly find their camp over run by terrified Baboons, fleeing for their lives from a Basmoli hunting party. A battle ensues, ending with a tense stand off and the Basmoli leaving with their clan's magical lion skin, previously stolen by the Baboons.

Whilst recuperating, a cat mysteriously explodes deep underground, resulting in the group discovering an ancient Mostali tomb, linked to an EWF official. Notes on a map, found on a mummified corpse, point to an old ruin south of where they are and a tower glimpsed sometime ago on the banks of the Zola Fel.

Whilst trying to work out how to open the tomb's door, a horn is sounded outside in the ravine

 

Edited by Iskallor
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Much to the surprise of the party it is not raiders, but instead a small group of Rhino riders, bearing the marks of the Sky Watcher Clan! Several older women, a group of youths and more importantly a childhood friend of the other Rhino rider pc's. Another follower of Raven, he has bad news having stumbled on the remains of the decimated Ostrich clan that the Rangers had previously made friends with. Killed by Broo.

Also of note, the party had discovered that the Lizard spirit of the ravine, was angry with them because perhaps unwisely the other follower of Raven had sacrificed to Grandmother Spider in one of the ravine's caves, thus allowing her to get a toe hold in the area. Said Lizard then refused to help the Rangers in protecting the Giant Finger Holes. Not to worry for our new player talked the talk, ensuring his place with the party and at least convinced Oglod (The Lizard spirit) that there was a solution.

All that remained to be seen was whether old Granny Eight Legs was going to agree….
 

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Negotiations take place and plans are hatched, which eventually sees a happy compromise reached, with both spirits remaining. One being the caretaker during the day, the other during the night. Both sides think they have won, which in a way they have.

Once sorted the attention returns to the Mostali tomb, where traps are sprung, adventurers shredded, cans of Spam discovered and a room full of Mostali secrets raided. Maps, Keys, tools and wriggly silver fish. Hooks for the Big Rubble, the Zola Fel and Dwarf Knoll are included.

Throughout the searching of the tomb the group are joined by the small copper construct who apart from trying to help keeps mentioning, between offering copious amounts of Mostali booze, that the tomb is protected by someone called Bigmouth.

Before the party can celebrate, a trap is sprung and half the group vanishes into a pit, causing the death of a yet another familiar. The survivors are shot through a tunnel out of the nearby cliff face and into the pool below.

After near drowning two of the pc's get out, but fifteen minutes later the last Ranger is still below the surface....

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The missing Ranger is saved with the help of an ancient Mostali artefact that she'd found, and once reunited the guardian of the tomb appears, shortly afterwards a band of Impala riders arrive, intent on revenging their relative's recent death at the hands of the Rangers.

After a short battle the guardian: a giant Gobbler, explodes killing one pc and a young Rhino girl. A sad state of affairs indeed and after their funeral the Rangers head back towards the Giant Finger Holes, releasing their Impala prisoners after promises of peace are made. The Impala braves work for a Yelmalion band, who are somewhere nearby searching for a lost treasure: Lassiter's reef. The party have in their possession a map that hopefully shows the way to the fabled reef, whatever that might be. Of course it's magical, in code and probably needs a trip to Sun County to unravel it's mystery. Luckily in the possession of the Impala braves was found a special pass allowing it's bearers entry into the land of the Yelmalions.

On route to the GFH's the party runs into a Bison sept of the Red Thorn Clan, enemies of their own. Luckily the matron is an aunt of Salen and bloodshed is avoided. Something odd is going on though and the braves find themselves being measured up for future marriages. Hearing that they are going to the GFH Salen's aunt and several braves accompany them.

As they near the GFH, the party, having seen a rainbow flashing across the sky, initiate the Welcoming home ceremony, reaching the holes and finding a large group of nomads waiting for them.

Several Eirithan priestesses, from the Impala and High Llama nations are there with escorts (One a group of scary axe sisters), surrounding the Earth Witch. Much magic is cast and the already greening site transforms for a while to how it used to look in the Green Age. From the vegetation watch many people, who gradually join the procession going deep underground.

Some of these turn out to be a group of braves from the friendly Black Shield Bison Clan, allies of our pcs.

A ceremony is held in the ancient earth temple complex, which in great style is turned upside down by the two Raven braves, who kinda by mistake/on purpose summon Raven himself to the party. A theft occurs, people are annoyed and the ceremony ends. But it's all good as it turns out that what was stolen was in fact stolen once before, and is just another myth playing itself out.

The Rangers depart, saying goodbye to the Red Thorns but now in the company of the Black shields who wish to visit the Bison Grasslands as they have an important message for the Prairie Thunder elders.

Several days of encounter filled travel ensues, with a particularly dangerous run in with two nesting wyverns leading to more deaths, hilarity and loot. Surprisingly two of the Red Thorns turn up wanting to join the Wandering Rangers.

Whilst this goes on several other pcs arrive back at the Bison Grasslands far to the south, escorting a handful of heavily laden rhino home with their two shamans. Once settled and after a good old fashioned brawl they recruit several new characters to join the group.

At last everyone is reunited, debriefed and rewarded and the Rangers then get down to business...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Six weeks of ceremonies, shaman apprenticeships, spell learning, initiations and training then sees them back in the Wastes, this time heading westwards on an Elder commissioned scouting trip to ensure that it is safe for the whole clan to move early next year. Once at the Zola Fel they are to investigate rumours of a new settlement, scout the river valley and return with their news. There are six new members of the Rangers: Two Prairie Thunder braves, two of the Black Shield warriors and the two Red Thorn braves.

The party intend to also search out an ancient tower seen by their scout on a previous trip, and marked on a map found in the Mostali tomb. Plus most importantly they must find the home of Kinope, one of Zola Fel's daughters, who might just be able to help them cleanse the contaminated waters of the GFH.

On the second day of their trip, following a dried serpent (river), one of their number suddenly falls sick as they drop down into the lowlands, finding a cliff toad infested seasonal waterfall and pool. The Toads are dispatched and two young Baboons saved, the last remaining survivors of the We Seen the Sea troop.

What follows next is unexpected, but totally in keeping with the craziness that typically follows our intrepid heroes..

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I run my encounters and npcs using the GM emulator so all sorts of randomness occurs. In this case the whole next encounter ran off a failed sense chaos roll and a random rolled ghost encounter.

To the South of where the party is there is a place called Daka's oasis and when the party reached the pool they observed a flock of vultures eating something in the near distance.

It turned out to be a high Llama and it's hapless rider. The Baboons mention that they and their dead companions had been contracted to work for this man, waiting whilst he rode off to the distant oasis. An oasis known to be haunted by spirits from the God's war. Oh oh. On investigating the carrion, one of the PC's gets possessed by a powerful spirit, which using his new body runs off at high speed towards the nearby cliffs. Chased by the rangers they find two carved entrances in the rock face, through which the spirit has run.

What ensues is ancient sacrifice, the awakening of Basmol evilness, skeletons, an underground complex, a Basmol Mummy and finally a heroquest where Tada beats Basmol. The party splits in to two groups, one at the pool guarding their shaman and their sick companion, the others Heroquesting to beat the reanimated Basmol Lord.

Demoralising fights, pesky hyenas, blood sucking siblings that change into flocks of bats, a Ranger killed and turned into a zombie, Basmol defeated and skinned and then after half exploring the complex, dawn comes sealing the den from the outside world...

Pushed for time the party must leave, heading for a known mini oasis 10km away. Which when they arrive they find to be occupied by a band of Heroquesting Agimori braves in the company of a powerful fire spirit. Un communicative, it's only when one of the players summons Ehawee, the Skullbush Woman, that the party realise that they are in great danger and must flee at once. The Agimori are walking a myth where they once fought Basmol himself.

It's only when the party flee that they realise that another one of the pcs had been possessed by the Basmol Lord at the moment of his defeat at the hands of Tada. The whole reason he had reappeared was that he had been called by the Agimori heroquest. That pc had remained behind in the mad rush to flee, to lead the band of Basmol berserkers who had now appeared....

The party have gained an new enemy, which turns out to be the White Lion. An ancient hero come back to the world, intent on returning his people to their former glory.

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The party continue, their mission paramount for the moment, traveling past the Zebra Grazing whilst shadowed by a large band of Zebra riders, and now several nights later have summoned Saxaul, a nature spirit, asking the Green Age spirit for help in finding water and digging around her roots to find the poisonous Goyo tuber that they can boil into blade venom.


The party wind their way across the Wastes until they arrive at the massive valley walls of the Zola Fel. Riding down they spy their first collective view of the sea before arriving at the fly infested, muddy shore line.

Smoke plumes rise from a dozen spots in the Delta, the largest amount coming from what must be a settlement some distance away (The newly built Corflu).

Deciding to try and get to the river, hopefully avoiding the mud, so as to scout out this settlement, the Rangers stumble across two children in difficulties in a small channel.

Cue a nasty mudshark attack which results in the children being saved by our plucky heroes. They’d been collecting eel traps, and as the Heroes pull them from the water their River folk family arrives.

There’s a tense stand off, before the mother runs to her children. The Party are quite scathing in their view of the river folk, until the River folk family's Grandmother arrives and turns out to be a former member of the High llama tribe.

On the way to the River settlement a Lunar patrol arrives nearby, hunting this particular family, thus establishing a further reason to get on...Rebel! Another person arrives proving to be a foreigner who lives with these people (A Darjiini deserter).

Over the next few days the party are given an introduction to a new way of life and food! After some discussions, and a near riot when the Shallow Water family discover one of the players bound familiar is a Rubble Runner, a compromise is made. The Riverfolk will give the party fetishes that keep away flies on the condition that they clear out some mudsharks that are bothering them.

Sound familiar? I thought so…

The Shallow Water family’s totem is that of the Mudcrab, a spirit that is in frequent conflict with that of Mudshark and these riverfolk are somehow mythically stymied in fighting this nasty creature. So much so that many of them are missing limbs.

Of course the party agree, and also discuss the possibility of the river folk bringing them to Corflu.

The settlement, well hidden in the delta backwaters consists of several longhouses used during Fire season, surrounded by wooden totem poles. Within this boundary large dragonflies can be seen scooting about gobbling any flies they find. The poles are carved with representations of these insects and are made of a blackwood not from the area. (The River Folk/High Llama matriarch in her adventuring days befriended a Gorakiki Uzko, who is now hiding all the way down here with her followers. In trouble in the Big Rubble she has divined that her Goddess will thrive down here in the Delta…This links in with Tolkazzi paying the Uz to come to Corflu the following year.)

So the party head off, suspecting the Darjini is going to do something bad, kill all the Mudsharks and discover a strange stone Newtling eye in the mud (Aha that’s where you got to!). But disaster strikes one of the players as her hand is bitten off and chewed up…..

More to follow:
Trouble in Corflu...Crafty Lunars...Healing magic...Hanging with the enemy over a few beers...Agimori Wizards...Murder....Piracy....Lost chances....Up to the siege of the Stone tower, where as I write the party are preparing to storm the tower from the roof and hopefully from outside the main door, where they have managed to start what could be a major forest fire nearby...Whoops.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Returning to the settlement the Rangers discover that the only places that have powerful enough healers to regrow their companion's limb is either the far off Horn Gate or Corflu where there is a Deezola priestess.

This quite rightly puts the party in a fix, but due to time constraints they must go to ask the Lunars for help. Promising to bring the Rangers to the settlement, the Riverfolk ask them to try and find out where one of their elders is. He was captured recently by the Lunars and they think he is somewhere on the island. 

During a celebration before they leave, where the party become lay members of Zola Fel, several Newtlings are met and one of them directs a pc to the Zola Fel priest in Corflu when shown the odd stone Newtling eye (Rainbow mounds anyone?)

Going with the party are two of the Riverfolk, one a member of the main family who resides there - The Deep channel folk. They explain that a special holy day is occurring, partly celebrated by a market day that will bring in folk from all over the delta, thus providing cover for them to sneak in without alerting the Lunars. The party are on edge about having to be so close to their enemies, so leave most of their weapons and gear behind, instead dressing as locals.

 

 

 

 

 

Corfluarrival_zpscac9d0cf.jpg

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Corflu is reached, and disguised as Riverfolk the party begins their search for the Shallow Water elder and a healer for their injured companion. Much shennanighans ensue, with love affairs, drinks with lunar soldiers, poisoned crossbow bolts, Lunar ceremonies, double crossing, a raid on newtling hunters, promises made and rumours of ancient treasures. Not to mention the arrival of a ship from far to the west which deposits an Agimori wizard on the dock. Finally after crucifixions, happy Zola Fel folk, religious days, freed Newtlings, healed amputations and a tip off about a certain boat heading to Pavis with their Shallow Water Elder, the party gain places on said boat both in the employ of the Wizard who wishes to scope out a tower that over looks the river, someway to the north, and as guards of the Shallow water prisoner. Crafty pc's! (they'd framed the other guards for murder...and got them executed)

Also on the boat are several lunar scribes, a wronged merchant, hopefully an ancient treasure dug up in the river mud, and the women folk of the recently murdered Newtling hunters. This will be fun.

With the help of the boatmen the prisoner is freed (they were guarding him so a bit of a no brainer there), the merchant thrown overboard and the cargo stolen. One of the scribes saves the life of a pc and gains his and his friend's freedom. It's only later that it's realised that they are carrying the treasure. Oh well.

Stopping off back at their friendly river folk settlement, the Rangers retrieve their mounts and companions to head off with the Wizard in search of a stone tower...

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  • 4 weeks later...

The stone tower.

( The party are heading to the shrine of Kinope, before swinging inland and back to the GFH's to complete their two weeks of service to the Earth Witch there)

Encounters with a party of High Llama riders results in a map being traded for, showing a part of the Big Rubble, and then the Stone Tower is reached. One of the Rangers had been there briefly during his backstory, scouting out the river a season ago. During this trip he'd killed a Tusk rider and this is who they expect to meet there.

After a stealthy approach the Rangers climb up to the roof, having observed two creatures fly off in the darkness. Making their way inside, a good old fashioned scrap occurs, full of the usual violence. Eventually prevailing the party rests whilst the Wizard heads downstairs to look for the secret laboratory/library or something, he'd previously mentioned to them. A fire started outside during the night unfortunately grows into a forest fire, which proceeds to burn everything in it's path to the South (We find out later it kills a fair amount of animals and people before dying out).

Next day a Broo war party, the last remnants of a group hunted by the Prairie Thunder Clan and their allies the Black Shields, assaults the tower, having presumably been alerted by the huge forest fire. A predictably vicious fight starts with the Broo shaman being picked off very quickly and the Broo climbing up with crude ladders into the tower, leading to a tense stand off , before breaking out into violence once more and a victory for the Rangers..Just.

It's then that they discover that the Agimori Wizard can't be found. His trail leads below to a skeleton filled basement with no obvious exits. During this time a Black Shield Posse arrives having been on the trail of the recently killed Broo, they are relieved that the last of the Broo have been wiped out and decide to stay for the night before returning East.

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No that's cool, It's nice to know that someone appreciates it :). I'm happy for questions etc...

The players are a few weeks ahead of the last update (game time), I shall try and get the rest written up once I get a spare moment.

A quick update: The last weeks of Earth Season: They have crossed the Chaos filled Bleak hills, suffered kidnappings from cannibals and fighting scorpion men. Found the Giant Finger Holes to be surrounded by hostile forces. Mythically faced off Yelmalions hunting for their map to lassiter's reef, hooked up with some odd Agimori, been sent on a mission to rid the Sandstorm Hills of a nest of chaos Harpies by the Earth Witch, travelled via Hoofcrack to gain some anti disease magic from the Morokanth there (Zakeen Two Thumb's clan the Black Muds). Found an ancient Golden Age ruin, taken part in a heroquest marrying a serpent to the local earth goddess, fought the Harpies, discovered that some have heroquested to return to their pre dawn glory as guardians of their Earth Goddess, where we find them now on the way back to the Earth Witch, in the company of a bunch of Vingan Impala braves, a family of Rhino riders, the Harpy queen, and the Black Mud Morokanth shaman who has been banished with his followers. Tomorrow is Vinga's holy day...

There's a few Jack O'Bears somewhere in there that got chopped up too....

Edited by Iskallor
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Hi everyone,

I'm one of the players (Amara Brightsky) in this game and I can assure you, it's been well worth it and thoroughly rewarding.

From my perspective though, the story above is incidental. The thing that's made the story truly amazing has been the interactions between the characters. The collective groans any time Ohanzee tries to go off and do his own thing (most of the time it's a disaster and he needs rescuing and probnably has a limb lopped off to boot), the discussions over who gets to be Tada the next time the group heads towards the Giants Finger Holes (I think the party should be thankful I've not been elected, as I would be less likely to be diplomatic regarding the situation there). The suicidal tendencies of most of the Storm Bull worshippers in the party...though that might be a given. Our interactions with all the tribes we encounter. The attempts to convert me to Red Moon worship (the fact I own a sable antelope and seem to crit every ride attempt on it not withstanding) and the suspicion Amara comes under for it.

Other things...I loved the lego diorama the GM made of Amara and Thunderfoot :-)

If you have any questions from a player perspective, please ask and I (among others) can surely answer :-)

 

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I should really list the players

Rhino Riders. Skywatcher Clan.

Akala Stoneface: Thunderbird brave, Waha

Amara Brightsky: Thunderbird brave, Vinga

Hoskar Two-Feather: Condor Brave, Issaries

Ohanzee Shappa: Raven brave, Orlanth

Bison Riders. Prairie Thunder Clan.

Henal Longgrass :Thunderbird brave, Waha

Kobal :Thunderbird brave, Waha. Ex Khan's grandson.

Melock: Raven brave, Waha

Salen Dustchaser: Condor Brave, Foundchild, Brother Dog.

High Llama. Blue Llama Clan.

Tarosh Long Neck :Thunderbird brave, Waha

NPC Rangers

Leaper :Thunderbird brave, Bronze Treasure. Impala Nation.

Greeshar Longhorn :Thunderbird brave, Storm Bull. Rhino Rider.

Tarnessh Listens-To-Silence : Sun Hawk. Kobal's Half brother.

Sand Fox: Waha. Bison Rider

Nixa : Waha. Bison Rider

Gloaming: Sun Hawk, High Llama Rider. Recently reincarnated, returning with the death rune.

 

 

Edited by Iskallor
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I knew the login Iskallor was not unknown to me ! I started the game with you as Kaonu but was unfortunately unable to follow, because of real life time constraints, which I regret. But I'll enjoy reading the adventures of my former clan mates. There was indeed a lot of interaction between players, this was fun.

Edited by Zit
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Wind on the Steppes, role playing among the steppe Nomads. The  running campaign and the blog

 

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On 1/9/2016 at 6:31 AM, Zit said:

I knew the login Iskallor was not unknown to me ! I started the game with you as Kaonu but was unfortunately unable to follow, because of real life time constraints, which I regret. But I'll enjoy reading the adventures of my former clan mates. There was indeed a lot of interaction between players, this was fun.

Kaonu!  I'm Kobal in the game.  Kaonu unfortunately met his end due to treachery, but the characters will get their revenge (just have to work out how to defeat a rune lord and his followers).

GM Iskallor puts a lot of time and effort into the game for us.  And the quality of posts by the others always makes me want to improve my own.

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One of our followers of Raven just got asked to tell a story by a Hyena Trickster with the words you can't trick a trickster

He begins "You can't trick a Trickster."

"There was a time when Mallia was too strong, disease spread through the land, man and beast alike fell to her spirits, Death was all about our land."

"There were not enough living to deal with the dead and corpses lay about unburied and un-burnt, bloated under the heat of Bright Treasure and spreading Mallia's gift to all who went near them."

"Waha called a moot and all the great khans who were not already fallen came and all the great spirits came too, all but Hyena that is."

"Hyena and his people were sleeping for they had consumed the body of Genert and the body of that giant was enough to sustain them for an eternity."

"Waha was furious that Hyena ignored his call and he sent The Bull to wake him and bring him with his tail between his legs, but Hyena just opened one eye at the coming storm and with a sigh arose wearily and moved into his den in the Earth and slept out the storm laughing in his sleep.

"When the The Bull returned alone Waha's anger was greater still, but Raven said to him I have an idea to rid the lands of the piled dead and to teach Hyena a lesson too."

"Waha and the Great Spirits and the Great khans listened as Raven spoke and one by one they smiled and Waha nodded when Raven had finished and said this was a good plan."

"Raven send Thunderbird and Condor past Hyenas den thelling then that as they passed by the den they were to speak aloud of the great feast that Waha had prepared for all of his guests and that it awaited till after the moot was over. He told Sunhawk to stay away because he is no fun and he always spoils the fun of others."

"As they did so Raven created a glamour over the dead to make their corpses smell sweet as honey and look like freshly slaughtered beasts and he then called to Little Brother telling him to blow the smell into Hyenas den."

"The smell was so good that it woke Hyena and awoke in him his appetite once more and as he awoke so too did all his children and they smelt the great feast and saw freshly slaughtered beasts."

"Hyena ran to the feast and fell upon it devouring the rotting dead as did his children all the time laughing that they had bettered Waha and the others at the moot, stolen their feast."

"They did not fall to Mallia's spirits because they had within them already the parts of Genert and even dead and divided his health sustained them."

"Of course Condor is all to easily fooled and he forgot that this was a trick and he swooped down and fell into the feast with as much vigour and when Condor's children saw this they too swooped down and joined the feast."


Ohanzee finishes smiling "Can't trick a Trickster?" His smile broadens "But then again once the hunger was awoken in Hyena and his children it never left them, and when carrion is not enough herd beasts are hunted. So who really had the last laugh?"

Edited by Iskallor
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  • 2 weeks later...

I normally play Melock in this game, but because he panicked when he thought something was going to explode and dived in to a pool, only remembering when he hit the water that he couldn't swim and died from a mixture of drowning and being crushed by some sort of water beast when they where at the Giants Finger Holes, I've been running Tarosh Long Neck. Luckily Melock was resurrected but not in time to leave with the others, its been quiet a challenge to run Tarosh differently from Melock as the former is a follower of Thunderbird and is a good fighter and the latter is a sneaky Raven follower who is slowly starting to follow Grandmother of Spiders and had a bound spirit in a spider and then a rubble runner, much to the displeasure and horror of some of the other characters. As has been said by the other players that have posted, Iskallor puts an amazing amount of effort in to the game and the interaction between players is the icing on the cake. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Morning folks, Ohanzee's player signing in for the first time here :)

This is his telling of their adventures since leaving on the Earth Witch's quest against the harpies, as told to the Red Thorn Sept they've met between Rhino Gorge and the Giant's Finger Holes...

 

Tales by the camp fire


Ohanzee takes a seat by the fire and charges his pipe with the last of his supply of tobacco taking a stick from the edge of the fire and using the burning end to light the weed in the bowl. "Well as you know I'm sure" suck, suck, suck "we were tasked by the Earth Witch"  suck, suck

 "to deal with the Harpies who were plaguing the herds here about and spreading their filth and disease."   suck, suck, suck

The pipe is at last properly lit and the surface of the weed glowing with each draw so the Raven brave throws the stick onto the fire and takes a deep draw before passing it on to Hatha first.

"Well the first thing that we realised shortly after leaving was that Banyak Bulu had sent some of his personal braves ahead of us, no doubt to steal our thunder as it were." He sighs deeply shaking his head for effect "This was a mistake, a miscalculation on his part of their abilities I'm afraid, or perhaps on his preparations for them."

Ohanzee smiles "But in a round about way he did aid our quest through this action" and he places a hand on the bull-roarer about his neck "Though I'm sure it was not his intent and I'm afraid to say it ended badly for his braves." Now he looks at Hatha and the gathered from his sept "I hope that there were none of yours in their number for we were only able to rescue one of their number and I believe that the rest have all perished."

Turning to look about he asks the Sky Watcher children "Bring the man-gern forward" then he turns back to the Red Thorns "Is he from your sept? If so you may have him and I'm sorry for his state, though rest assured that is nothing to do with us, but I will come to that in due time."

"We travelled with the Morokanth to Hoof Crack via the Rhino Rocklands and it is there that we met more Morokanth seeking to join with the Mud Claw clan because they had been burned out by a raging wildfire down by the great serpent."
 he glances at Tarnessh with a wry smile "Most unfortunate. There too that we were attacked by the foul Chaos Harpies. They almost took one or two of us, but we prevailed, taking them from the sky with missile and spell and then destroying the corrupt things."

"It was there too that we met more of our clan, Sky Watchers."
 he indicates the Rhino Riders "On we went with little further incident save witnessing the passing of a number of Ostrich Riders on their return from a quest there to best Mallia. That was unfortunate, for I got too close and lost my sight for a night and a day though I was not sure whether it would ever return!"

"Anyway it did. At Hoof Crack we traded with their shaman, the white skinned Broken Claw for items that might help our task and he gifted us with fetishes to ward against Mallia's displeasure when we faced the Harpies."

"From there we travelled on to the hills and our Seza remained behind to help Broken Claw deal with the wrath of the bested Mallia, her and one of our number as a protector. And this was a good job too because whilst we were gone their khan Zakeen Two Thumb returned with his braves. There is bad blood between many Rangers and him and he took this out on the Seza and her guardian. There is bad blood between him and Broken Claw too now."
 He looks about and leans forward speaking quieter, conspiratorially "Broken Claw has separated himself and his followers from the clan and goes to the Earth Temple seeking refuge. He says there is disagreement between him and this khan but you should know, their whole clan is gathering there, braves in numbers. Broken Claw says it is just to choose a new khan of khans, but that is surely not enough to cause such a rift between the two to drive off the shaman?" 

He sits up again "But I'm telling it out of order. Where is that pipe, that's the last of my smoking weed and I'd like another go before that is gone!" he chides in a friendly manner.

"It was on our way to the hills that we witnessed the first pure, clean Harpy, a beautiful white feathered creature left dead in a tree. No sign of disease nor dirt upon her."

"Then, as Hoskar has said, we headed into the hills with one of their own, Dark Claw and soon after entering them we were set upon by the Jack-O-Bears. They came at us in the dark and picked us out one at a time with their control of the mind. Thus they sought to separate us and draw out our numbers to pick off easily. Thanks to the Sun Hawks though we were able to drive them back with the light and regroup and once prepared they were no match for us. We took the fight to their den and I myself killed the mother with a crossbow bolt in its arse!"

"It was in amongst the remains of the victims that we found this"
 he pats the bull-roarer again "that would prove so vital to our quest and perhaps came from Banyak Bulu"

"It was also with them that we found the poor wretch."
 he nods towards the crazed brave "They had him dancing like a puppet to try to distract us. I guess that they kept him alive so that his flesh was fresh, but his mind couldn't stay as fresh."

"There were giant ants too, but we managed to avoid them, and on into the hills our journey took us. As we went we were faced with the prospect of climbing the exposed cliff face to reach the Harpy lair, not a task to take lightly at the best of times, but even more so with the prospect of harpies picking us off the cliff side as we climbed!"

"So we followed a serpent, Nathair Sliabh the Mountain Serpent, deeper into the hills for the path along its banks was flat enough to bring the mounts. And it was as we passed along this river filled as it is with the filth of the place that it constantly must wash away that I had an idea. It has been there so long, perhaps it new a path that it had cut into the hills that travelled up high from a different time, something we could use to get closer to the lair undetected."


He snorts "It new such a way, but not what I was expecting. I summoned him and we spoke. We explained that our quest would aid him in lessening the filth by what the Harpies dropped at least and he agreed telling us to keep along our course. We found the place he spoke of, an ancient temple to the joining of Water and Earth to bring Fertility."

"There was a bit of an... erm accident and the ancient spirits of the place were awoke, the spirit of the River Priest and Earth Priestess. Feathers were soothed and offers made and accepted and the Wandering Rangers re-enacted the long since forgotten marriage of the River and the Earth. I was the River and Amara the Earth"
 he gestures at the redhead and smiles warmly.

"The waters of the river rose up into the cave temple, then up still through a great circular chimney. Up we went, husband and wife, wedding guests, Wandering Rangers carried upon a great plug of life bringing river silt and water. We passed up and through the Hero world where we bettered Daga the drought and imprisoned him for a year."

The Raven brave coughs "Pass the kumiss, my throat is dry from this telling and there's a way to go!" He takes a deep drink before continuing. "Not all of us travelled on, some remained to guard the mounts and destroy more broo, but that is their tale to tell. Ours continues when we burst from the Hero World back into our own and erupted from the top of the shaft in a great spewing of watery mud."

He pauses a moment "It was good for us to have found this path, but not good perhaps for those of Banyak Bulu's braves who made it that far. We did not know, but we discovered that they were above where the shaft opened. If they were alive when we started the ceremony then they were not after our emergence, they were buried by the mud and water and we only discovered their remains by accident."

"We also discovered a great and ancient Whitewood tree, or rather the ceremony and the life giving that it brought awoke the tree. We spoke to the spirit of the tree, an ancient Aldryami and she wished us well on our task and bid us return to her when our task was complete."

"On we travelled, through the body, turned to stone by the Bull himself perhaps, of a gigantic Harpy! We thought it to be a statue only and a way to their lair at the top of the cliff unseen. It wasn't until we were inside what was likely once its belly that we discovered that it was still seeping its digestive juices!"

"Amara slipped there and quite literally fell from its arse!"
 he sniggers at the thought "And Tarosh followed. We carried on and climbed to its head where we smashed our way out the back of its skull and they climbed the cliff face. It was the Bull's day and his winds kept the creatures penned in. We fought them there and they captures Tarosh and withdrew into their tunnels."

"At this point we split, I called to the Bull and he answered, picking me up and hurling me to the top of the cliff. It was then that Gloaming apparently threw himself from the cliff, offering himself to the Bull in sacrifice for a successful mission. Anyway I lowered a rope so that Amara and Henal could climb up."

"We blocked they escape holes with nets whilst the others entered through the main tunnel and we all fought our way to the nest proper. Above we found the roost of their elders and I leapt in from above to dispatch them whilst the other two fired upon them and then climbed down the rope we brought."

"We rejoined in the others and prepared for the final push. But we had now discovered another beautiful pure breed Harpy and she told us of their queen, Hilimaz Mushen who their shaman was soon to sacrifice to their foul mother."

"We entered their inner sanctum and this is where the fight was hardest. Hoskar fell to a poisoned missile and started his journey toCondor's nest. Amara was greatly injured too. Their shaman began its evil rituals and summoned forth a great swarm of diseased spirits as well as an ancient ancestor spirit and I began spinning the bull-roarer. It drew all of these spirits to me and left the others free to deal with the living."

"With Raven's support, the power of the bull-roarer, my own innate link to the Spirit rune and a spirit arrow that I'd found at Hoof Crack I fought and destroyed those dozen or so things and the dozen more that came from the Harpy mother they summoned from the pit. Henal ran when it appeared, but the Bull entered him and he ran back all the faster!"

"The others together destroyed all those that remained, though a couple fled with eggs. We freed the queen and she brought back not just Hoskar, but Gloaming too."

"The day won we burnt the place and returned, first to the hidden valley of the dryad where she gifted us with knowledge and more, and then back via the River and Earth temple. Back to Hoof Crack which I have spoken of already and then via Rhino Gouge where tricks were played much to the amusement of and ancient Spider and an ancient Lizard and to here."

Edited by RuneMagus
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