Cursed Son Saga Actual Play Thread

[Minion1stClass]

Tonight the group meets up to make characters for the next part of our Anmangarn Saga. This story will center around the youngest son of Chief Vestorfin after his curse was lifted and he became the heir. His first responsibility is to gather a group of people who will adventure with him to prove he is capable of leadership. 

While Elmalric was an NPC in the first part of the saga, he is a PC in this part.

Cast of Characters:

Elmalric Broken Curse - Orlanth Rex initiate and son of the chief

Elara Mapmaker - A Lhankor Mhy scholar and sorcerer originally from Balazar. 

Jindinna Wild-eye  Axe Hunter- Vingan initiate and woman on a mission of vengeance

Sarakt Half-born - Orlanth Initiate in the Thunder Brothers subcult and man trying to prove something

Alig Card Reader - Orlanth Initiate in the Donandar subcult and a skald who likes a good time.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Minion1stClass
Adding cast of characters

[Shawn Carpenter]

PCs taking on NPCs as PCs! It sounds almost like troupe play!

[Shawn Carpenter]

Also anything stupid that Minion1stClass says the GM does or says in this campaign is completely fabricated and libelous!

[Minion1stClass]

Just now, Shawn Carpenter said:

Also anything stupid that Minion1stClass says the GM does or says in this campaign is completely fabricated and libelous!

Get off my thread! Start your own! (thanks for the otter kit!)

[Minion1stClass]

I've edited the first post with our list of characters. When the final one is resolved I will edit again! But I thought I'd do a write-up real quick about our creation process for characters.

The player taking on Elmalric was given the character sheet and a brief history of the character. He also encountered him with his previous pc. He can make changes to his abilities as he makes the character his own.

My character has been done for awhile because I am THAT player. Nevermind that other stuff! I am actually playing a Lhankor Mhy sorcerer. I've wanted to play a sorcerer for awhile. I took my Balazaring character and aged her up and used her previous adventures as backstory. Plus, I GET A DOG!!! Sartarites will love my dog! They always do. They are out to restore the family name after their grandparent mucked up a Heroquest and brought temporary ruin to the clan. Since then, Heler followers have been nudged out of the way by Orlanth/Elmal followers as the chief's trusted advisors. (This is all in the What You Know About Me I sent to the other players.)

Jindanna's player had a rough idea of her character and we all talked about it and helped her flesh out the bits that maybe didn't work. From there, she got to work on making her character sheet.

Sarakt's player had ideas and we've tried to mesh them with the setting. His background was done and we just had to find the right cult and go over his options. For that, we're creating a new Thunder Brother for him to owe allegiance to. 

New Player's character is still unformed. He's got some great ideas and we're working to see which we can fit into the setting. He might go Lhankor Mhy though! (Love me some LM!)

Once we all talked through our ideas and gave our little background as we had, we went over the creation process and made sure everyone had a handle on it. Once they are done, they will send their sheets to @Shawn Carpenter and once he's looked them over they will all do one raise. We want them starting a little over starting stats. 

And there you go! Our process. 

Edited July 20, 2020 by Minion1stClass

[g33k]

10 hours ago, Minion1stClass said:

... once he's looked them over they will all do one raise ... 

Have I overlooked a "standard" element here, is a "raise" a well-defined bit of the RAW?

I get the gist of what this probably is -- and like the notion, very useful! -- but wondered if it had a cite or reference?

edit - derp!  HQ, somehow thought I was writing in the RQ forum!

Edited July 17, 2020 by g33k
derp

[Minion1stClass]

42 minutes ago, g33k said:

 

edit - derp!  HQ, somehow thought I was writing in the RQ forum!

No worries! Although the same would work in RQ I would think. Give people the ability to raise X things by X percent provided they do a nice write-up of how it happened. Homework! 

[jajagappa]

14 hours ago, Minion1stClass said:

Although the same would work in RQ I would think. Give people the ability to raise X things by X percent provided they do a nice write-up of how it happened.

We actually did that in the RQ game I'm playing in.  After the main character background, we each did a season-by-season update for the year 1626.  

For each season, we rolled a random 1D6+3 number of experience checks to attempt experience rolls, plus one Passion roll and one Rune roll (or optionally adding new Passion @60%).

And we worked out what was going on for our character that season.  Players would riff off of what others did too so that we ended up with interrelated events for our backgrounds (plus ideas and loose ends our GM could run with).

[Minion1stClass]

14 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

And we worked out what was going on for our character that season.  Players would riff off of what others did too so that we ended up with interrelated events for our backgrounds (plus ideas and loose ends our GM could run with).

That's what we did in Valley of Plenty of interlude tables! If people rolled the same thing, which only happened once in playtesting, they had a shared experience.

[Nevermet]

I love the Helering / Elmali tension.

[Minion1stClass]

Just now, Nevermet said:

I love the Helering / Elmali tension.

Me too! If I hadn't changed my character I was super looking forward to playing that up. I even had an Elmal rival on my character sheet. She was just real similar to another character, same runes and all, so I changed up. I should update that.

[Nevermet]

Make an Argan Argar worshipper who just hates everyone  

[Minion1stClass]

LOL Always tempting. But, considering the other characters I have gone with a reasonable person. Someone not prone to sudden antics and violence. A know-it-all, because she believes she does, who is younger and so damned sure of herself it might be off putting. But she was a genius kid raised in Balazar and the locals all whispered she was a witch or sorcerer because of her interests and the way she acted. Which is why she latched onto Lhankor Mhy so damned hard. FINALLY! It's good to be smart and want to know all the things!

[Shawn Carpenter]

4 hours ago, Minion1stClass said:

It's good to be smart and want to know all the things!

Maybe you can become one of Argrath's warlocks!!

 

[Minion1stClass]

12 minutes ago, Shawn Carpenter said:

Maybe you can become one of Argrath's warlocks!!

 

I will get up from my desk, walk two feet, and punch you SO hard!

[Nevermet]

😱 K I N S T R I F E !!!!!!!!! 😱

[Minion1stClass]

3 minutes ago, Nevermet said:

😱 K I N S T R I F E !!!!!!!!! 😱

I identify as Uz. He knows what he has to deal with. LOL If he'd never introduced me to Glorantha he'd be safe.

[Minion1stClass]

Cursed Son Saga Part One – Family Obligations and Cow Trouble

Freezeday, Harmony Week, Storm Season, 1618

Elmalric Broken Curse, heir to the Anmangarn chief Vestorfin Tribute Taker is to present his war band to his father today. He has selected:

 Jendinna (sometimes called Wild-eye because of a lazy eye) Axe Hunter, a Vingan from the Kelfaring bloodline. She is recently returned to the tribe’s lands as her parents are Issaries who travel.

Sarekt Half-Born, a Thunderbrother (who follows Useful Brother) from the Ortheling bloodline.

Alig Cardreader, a Dondandar also from the Ortheling bloodline.

Each of them received a visit from a family member before being presented. Neither of the mentioned bloodlines are happy to have someone hitching their future to Elmalric, only recently cured of being a half-wit. Sarakt’s father is unhappy and bluntly says he is disappointed. Alig and Jen are both offered bribes for removing themselves from the situation. Jen accepts a small payment when she says she is going along to learn more about this potential new chieftain. Alig uses his divination cards to show he is making the right decision. (The player drew the Chariot IRL.) Alig's player is using a real Tarot deck, his idea, and drawing cards IRL when his character does. It's a neat little thing he brought to the game. 

Before going inside, Elmalric gives his new warband a final pep talk. He rolls on his Law Speaker ability (his call) and fumbled to a success on the resistance. The group were not left instilled with confidence, but none of them backed out. Not even after he mentioned his sister, a Humakti Sword, informed him if he came to grave harm or died, she swore to kill those with him. Alig draws another card, the Sun. Because the player is new, Shawn had him roll on his Cartomancy skill and he got a success to a failure.

Somewhat bolstered, the group goes inside to find the tent empty except for Vestorfin and his wife and a couple of his most loyal thanes from the Ularic and Valarning bloodlines. Vestorfin offers his own warning to those who stand with his youngest son. He tells them Elmalric will be chief one day and their deeds now can stand them in good stead for then. Or they can suffer for them immediately.

Before anyone can respond, the durulz Humakti Sharpfeather enters and says there are visitors outside. He ushers in a Lkankor Mhy sage known as Bluebird and a young woman with a dog. Vestorfin immediately rises to greet his old friend, it having been 6 years since they saw each other last. Bluebird says he has been in Balazar, although he is late from Whitewall, and his assistant came from Balazaring citadel of Trilus.

Elara speaks up and promises her dog will not cause trouble, there will be, “No repeat of the Alone incident” and Vestorfin simply gives her an odd smile. Jen draws her axe upon first seeing the dog, but puts it away, keeping her hand near it. Elara then approaches Elmalric with a letter from his brother Anbrast at Whitewall. Bluebird meanwhile tells Vestorfin he was sent by Anbrast and Leika who asked him to check on Vestorfin’s health and offer what assistance he could.

As the two older men get to talking, the younger people leave, Elara shadowing them and asking if she can come along. As she looks around, she notes the strange tent in the distance and wonders about it. I rolled my Lhankor Mhy initiate with a Steel Trap memory bump out to learn the origin of the owner with a success. When Elmalric says it is where the blacksmith is at, she wants to go look, but the others want to go drink.

Elara goes off and meets Piku where I rolled again with my Lhankor Mhy and same bump out for another success and made him for a Third Eye Blue clan member. She has no idea about the creature he calls a bellows worker but plans to ask her mentor later. In the meantime, she asks for a new axe. One scary enough looking to keep people away so she doesn’t have to use it. In trade, she offers to find his missing daughter. He agrees to the axe for magic trade and tells her to come back in the morning.

When she finds the others, they are gathered off to one side of the camp around a fire where people gather to drink. Elmalric wrestles with Sarekt when no one else offers. The first round, Elmalric fumbles to Sarekt’s success. Sarekt also has a mastery over Elmalric. The second round was a failure to a success. As was the third. Jen gave it a go with Sarekt next and the contest was a success to a success, but Sarekt still had a mastery over her.

Elmalric received a hero point for his actions in seeing his friend want to wrestle and offering himself as sacrifice.

After, Jen told Elara the story of Orlanth and the dog demon, quite embellished, but Elara simply pointed out Posey was a dog and not a demon. When Elara pointed out the superiority of Balazaring beer over the local stuff, Jen rolled a success to know about the dangers of the local brew in Balazar. Her family are Issaries traders, after all. They also discussed Elara using her magic to find the one-armed Lunar Jen is on a quest to find for harming her sister.

We cut to dinner and after the meal Hendrick Many Ransoms, a member of the Ortheling bloodline, said some of his cows were going missing. He asked for help and said, looking to make trouble, that surely Elmalric and his friends could solve the problem. So, Vestorfin said they would go assist so, as Hendrick said, “misfortune would not befall the rest of the clan herds.” Alig drew a card to see how the cow mission would go and pulled the 3 of Pentacles. 

Elara offered her help to Elmalric and when he didn’t seem enthused, she reminded him of her Lightbringer requirement to help another Lightbringer and insisted. Although she said she might offer something else in return if he did not want her help, something of value to assist. But he grudgingly agreed to let her come.

At the end of the meal scene, the group were all given a Hero Point for their RP over the last few scenes as it we were all getting to know each other.

Waterday, Harmony Week, Storm Season, 1618

As Elara was to get her axe the next morning, somewhat surprised Piku would have it ready so quick, I asked to spend a Hero Point to delay Hendrick in the morning so I had time to go get it. The GM agreed a single hero point would cover the delay of the thane.

The following morning, Elara tripped over Alig’s foot and woke him, so she asked if he wanted to come. “Since he was already awake.” Elmalric and Sarekt also tagged along as she went to get her axe. Elmalric did not go to the forge but stayed back a bit as he did not like the bellows worker and did not want to be around it.

Elara got her new axe and sat down with a map and one of her grimoires to locate Piku’s wayward daughter after he gave her information about it. It’s one of Elara’s signature things, using maps, so there was no roll required. It was the first time Sarekt and Alig saw sorcery at work, but I forgot to point this out. ☹ We shall see what happens in later games. She did her spell, tracing runes and sigils in the air after marking her blanket with a circle and other sigils that the map rested on. At the bottom of the map she placed a yellow crystal that began to roll along the map, tracing a path, and ended at Redstone Caverns. After ending her spell, she gave the news to Piku who dismissed their business as done.

When they arrived back at the chief’s tent they waited a moment more before Hendrick and his son Olvar Fleetfoot (because of his speed and his ability to dance). Hendrick is hung over and Elara offers that raw liver, of any kind, will cure a hangover. They set out on the half day’s walk to the winter pasture of Hendrick’s herd.

Once there they meet Beringa Shadow-tress, a house carl who is not happy acting as a herder. Hendrick leaves Olvar and Beringa to show the group around and heads back to the camp. After hearing of the missing cattle, a single cow taken at night with the sound of a rushing wind before and sometimes a snapping sound, they investigate the latest crime scene.

Elara made a Hunter (her background) role and augmented with Posey (a hunting dog) which got her a mastery and I rolled a success. She found a bit of blood she collected and tried to trace the path where whatever might have swooped down stole the cow from.

The whole group is sure the creature is a flying creature. And were all spooked with the exception of the non-Sartarite when dragons were mentioned. The group broke up to investigate with Jen and Beringa finding a strong, old tree someone might climb and keep watch in the night. Elmalric, Alig, and Sarekt looked for other tracks or signs of trouble but found nothing. Alig drew another card for more information and pulled the 7 of Swords. Elara insured she was with Olvar to go look across the small valley and see if anything had perched in other trees. No one found anything conclusive, but Elara and Olvar had an argument when he accused her dog of being a demon and accused her of doing demon dog magic. She informed him she was a Lightbringer and did Lightbringer magic and thus, their short romance (in her head) died.

Elmalric wanted to gather the cows under a small copse of trees and asked Beringa her advice. He rolled and received a success on his Listen and Find the Best Way so determined her saying it was a bad idea was her wisdom speaking and they would not.

Elara then asked Beringa which cow she disliked the most. She had complained already of hating cows. When pressed, she pointed to a thinner one. Olvar agreed and said it did look “mean.” So, Elara said they should take the most hated cow and stake it out as bait. The others, not coming up with anything else, agreed.

We ended the session after coming up with a plan for the night. Jen would watch from the tree, Olvar would stay with the majority of the herd, and the rest of the group would be closer to the stake out cow being used as bait. If it is a flying creature, only two of us have bows.

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Minion1stClass
Clarification!

[Shawn Carpenter]

To be fair, it is a mean looking cow.

 

[Nevermet]

I hope its ok, but I'm jealous of your game

[Minion1stClass]

4 minutes ago, Nevermet said:

I hope its ok, but I'm jealous of your game

That's all Shawn! I just take the notes and make him play every NPC for me to talk to.  

[Minion1stClass]

Tonight's game saw the party take down a wyvern. Someone was poisoned! Full details tomorrow, but the new chieftain's heir and his compatriots are off to a good start!

[Nevermet]

A wyvern was poisoned?!?!

 

 

....i should go

[Minion1stClass]

3 minutes ago, Nevermet said:

A wyvern was poisoned?!?!

We tried to save it! It ate a bad cow is our best guess! 😛

[Nevermet]

Man... we really need to step up those PSAs about Chaos Cows