campaign journal Roy's Six Seasons in Sartar

[pookie]

Monday, January 9th, 2023: Session 1 Write-up

Last night we had our first session of Six Seasons with Sartar run by Roy Duffy with the players all together. Players with female characters already had a solo session for their characters’ initiation, but this session brought the male characters, plus male NPCs, together for their initiation. We had a chance for all of the Player Characters to interact for the first time and there was some fun tension between the female characters, all adults, and the men, still children. This took place during Barntar's high holy day when there were games and races and food. Most of our characters took part and the races got quite tense, with some participants using underhanded tactics in places, but in the end, the final race was a declared a dead tie, between two of the Player Characters, a boy and a woman. There was lots of roleplaying and use of skills—such as Insight to read other opponents, the Movement Rune of course, and so on—in how the races played out and it seemed fitting that the winners were male and female.

The group is comprises of three female and two male characters. So far the women consist of Esraldorala, a Babeestor Gor worshipper, Diralari, a worshipper of Ernalda, and an Issaries worshipper, Ardessa. No indication yet of what the male characters, Finorth and Barengandi,  will be, although Orlanth and Humakt worshippers are likely.

Then we began the initiation for the male Player Characters and NPCs. Six Seasons with Sartar delves deeply into this and it is a really rich experience being able to roleplay something so fundamental to the character and actually begin to define the character through play. The first consists of solo encounters before continuing with an optional group quest that we will continue next week.

Our Game Master, Roy, has put a huge amount of effort into preparing the campaign and bringing it alive and even in this first group, it really shows. He has already said that with the set-up work he has already done, he will probably run it again.
 

[pookie]

Monday, January 17th, 2023: Session 2 Write-up

CAST
Game Master – Roy
Ardessa (Female, Issaries, played by Pookie)
Aventarl (Male, NPC)
Barengandi (Male, played by Scott)
Diralari (Female, Ernalda, played by Roz)
Esraldorala (Female, Babeestor Gor, played by Lloyd)
Finorth (Male, played by Keith)
Offin (Male, NPC)

Session Two began where Session One left off, with the boys undergoing their initiation into manhood as members of the Haraborn clan. Finorth, Barengandi, Offin, and Aventarl all decided they would continue, whilst Squint said that he was done and the Darestan was too shocked to continue. Setting out on the path from the respite after the time in the pits, they find themselves hemmed in by the dark and assailed from all side by sharp screams, before being attacked each by broo. Finorth and Barengandi were successful in beating their foul opponents, but Offin and Aventarl were not. Offin was swiftly decapitated, whilst Aventarl was knocked to one knee, but put up a spirited defence before the goat-headed creature fell upon him and devoured him! Offin would return from the initiation, but Aventarl did not, fighting in his father’s name to the end as desperately as he could. Finorth and Barengandi, pushed on, but would not speak of what they saw. It was at the feast to celebrate the successful completion of the men’s initiation, that the doors of the hall were blown open and all looked to see a strange vistor at the threshold. It was The Royal, the Haraborn’s Wyter and it had come to take Squint away. The young man went away willingly.

In the days that followed, Finorth, Barengandi, and Offin mentioned the promise made by Aventarl to find the body of the Telmori ghost had encountered in the pit and the friends, all adults discussed what they should do. Finorth expressed his reluctance, saying was not his problem. Barengandi was unsure, whilst Offin, rubbing his neck, said that he would, thinking that was chance to make up for his not completing the initiation with the others. Esraldorala, the Babeestor Gori said she would go if others did, as the Ernaldan, Diralari. The Issaries merchant, Ardessa, of the Haraborn village agreed with Offin and said we should all go. That Aventarl made a promise and that we should see to the safety of the Telmori’s body and thus his spirit. It would not be right to let it wander Haraborn lands.

So they set out, searching for the ravine below Mount Quivin where Aventarl had said the body lay. After stopping at Aventarl’s home to see his family, where Finorth and Barengandi comforted his father, Diralari and Ardessa comforted his mother, whilst Esraldorala stood guard outside. With the blessing given by Aventarl’s father, they eventually found the ravine. With some judicious use of rope and wood, they devised a way to bring the corpse up safely, despite a moment of vertigo by Ardessa. Then they followed the tracks that led to the ravine and then away. As they crossed the snow line, they first found the corpse of a wolf and then were ambushed by a Telmori man flinging javelins at them. One hit Ardessa in the leg as first a wolf and then the Telmori rushed the group. Esraldorala intercepted the wolf and with a blow to the head knocked it down, and Finorth quickly placed his sword to its head, ready to kill it if necessary. Ardessa called that they were not there to fight, but the Telmori rushed at Finorth heedless of her cry. With a strange look upon his face, Barengandi attacked the Telmori and took his arm clean off! As Diralari healed Ardessa’s wound, the Issaries merchant called out to everyone, “Don’t kill him!” Fortunately, the Telmori was unconscious by then. The encounter had been quick, and whilst Ardessa could not initially work out what was wrong with her cousin, she realised that from his vomiting after the short battle, that Barengandi was afraid of the Telmori! The battle had eased this fear, if only a little. They healed the wounded and bound them, before setting off on their quest.

Edited January 17, 2023 by pookie
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