Any Leftover Electromagnetic Folklore?

Game Master Iadel

(An experiment: playtesting a method for playtesting)


1 to 50 of 191 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next > last >>

Part One

“So while the doorway itself is invisible,” Ysvellei is saying, “there may be some subtle traces that reveal its location.”

She walks around a bend in the mountain pass. Just above the pathway ahead, thick white mist is continually appearing. At its origin, the mist is neatly shaped like a large vertical hanging circle, but then it flows forwards, outwards and downwards. The ground nearby is covered with so much dew that the dusty surface between the rocks has turned to mud.

As Donralaiz, Tririesk and Woohoo’oosh are following Ysvellei towards the mist, the air becomes warmer and more humid. There are footprints on the path - it seems that someone has taken a few steps away from the mist but then turned back towards it.

Ysvellei raises her eyebrows. “Or perhaps some not so subtle signs.”


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

“These footprints are newer than the ones I saw before - someone’s stepped through twice? Or maybe two different people? But it would have to be two different people with the same sized feet and the same taste in pointy-heeled boots…”


“Either way,” says Ysvellei, “this spot is still within the borders of the Wood. And no one who stepped through left any gifts or messages. According to our laws, this is Trespass.” The nymph looks at Donralaiz. “Do you understand what that implies?”


Human Witch

Donralaiz nods. “We’re allowed to use any sort of deception, illusion and mischief to defend our realm from the intruders.”


“Usually I wouldn’t invoke the trespass law against someone who turned around so quickly,” says Ysvellei. “But we have no idea where that gate leads, and I think it would be wise for us to find out. And to learn - using subtle means if we can - whether the people on the other side are a danger. We may not be defending just the Wood, but our entire world.” She takes a single step closer to the source of the flowing mist. “I do want to ask you again: are you sure you wish to do this? All we know about the place on the other side is that the air seems to be breathable…”


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

“And that the people there wear pointy-heeled boots!”

The pixie frowns for a few moments.

“Or the beings there have appendages ending in shapes that are very much like pointy-heeled boots!”


Human Witch

It occurs to Donralaiz that because this is the first time he’s been in the Wood when the trespass law was invoked, he has never witnessed Tririesk and Woohoo’oosh being allowed to make any and all varieties of mischief that they want to.

The people on the other side of that gate may regret the moment it opened… if they ever work out what caused the subsequent chaos.

“For the reasons you stated,” Donralaiz says, “I am more than willing to go.”

The prospect of unknown danger feels abstract, anyway. And I’m just trying not to think about the prospect of being asked to explain anything my companions will do during our mission…


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

“How dangerous can these people be? They can’t even keep their fog in order.”


Fey Owl Bard

“I whole-heartedly concur,” the owl says grandly. “Let us depart!”


Human Witch

And so we venture into the unknown, armed only with unpredictable magic and rock-solid logic…

He nods to Ysvellei. “We’ll report back as soon as we can,” he says, and then steps towards the source of the fog.


Fey Owl Bard

Woohoo’oosh flies over Donralaiz’s shoulder to go through the gate first. “History-making owl!”


For a moment, Woohoo’oosh sees nothing but light - it's off-white, faintly tinged with the colour of brass. And then the owl is flying low above a neatly trimmed lawn that slopes up to a single-storey wooden building. Several sets of folding doors have been opened in the wall facing Woohoo’oosh, revealing a large workshop. A woman with pale braided hair is sitting on a bench inside, adjusting a clockwork contraption with a screwdriver.


Fey Owl Bard

Woohoo’oosh decides there has been sufficient history-making-by-owls today. He lands quietly on the grass and waits for the others to catch up.


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

Will Tririesk turn invisible before going through the gate? (50% probability of Yes)
Decision: 1d100 ⇒ 41


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

“You’ll see me a bit later,” Tririesk says to Donralaiz, and disappears. She glides through the gate as quietly as she can.

Invisible Stealth: 1d20 + 20 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 + 20 = 46


Human Witch

In my experience, the fastest way to discover someone’s true nature is to observe how they act when they believe they can do whatever they like with no consequences. He considers possible ruses…

Plan 1: Pretend to be innocent, easily fooled and very easily impressed (1-40).
Plan 2: Pretend that whoever sent them is terrified of what may be on the other side of the gate, and has ordered Donralaiz to do everything he can to please (41-75).
Plan 3: Find someone charismatic and influential, and pretend to sell out to them (76-100).

Choosing an initial approach: 1d100 ⇒ 21


Human Witch

“Limmiri?” Donralaiz says to his familiar. “Can you manage wide-eyed naivety? I’m thinking that if we persuade the people on the other side that we’ll believe anything they tell us… the results may be instructive.”

“I don’t understand any more why you bother making plans at all,” replies the ice mephit in their characteristic chilly whisper. “But… wide-eyed and naive it is. We’ll see how long we can keep up the act with your fey friends on the loose.”

Donralaiz steps through the gateway, and his familiar flies alongside him.


When Donralaiz steps through the gate, he sees the brass-tinged light briefly, and then he is standing on a sloping lawn behind Woohoo’oosh. The pale-haired woman does not appear to have noticed any new arrivals yet - she is still concentrating on the piece of clockwork she is adjusting.


Human Witch

Donralaiz breathes in the air, which is filled with the scent of freshly mown grass. It’s been a long time since I smelled that…

As Donralaiz walks past Woohoo’oosh, he glances sideways and down at the owl, trying to convey something like Follow my lead via a tilt of his head alone.

Bluff for a secret message: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20


Human Witch

Donralaiz strides towards the building, and he waves. “Hello! We happened to notice that there’s a bit of a gap between realities over there, and we wanted to check that you know about it. Could be a hazard, if people don’t realise it’s there.” He glances back over his shoulder and sees that the gate is indeed invisible from this side. There’s no hint of any fog. But the air is definitely warmer and much less thin here.

Bluff to seem friendly and perhaps excessively helpful: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10


Two rolls:

Perception for Zefalra: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8
Sense Motive for Zefalra: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10


As Donralaiz speaks, the woman raises her head and stares at him. After a few moments, she puts the clockwork aside on a bench, stands up and steps forward into the daylight.

Although she looks about thirty years old, her hair is almost completely white - there are just a few copper-coloured strands running through her complex braids. Her skin is a darker copper colour, with a metallic sheen that’s particularly noticeable where the sun reflects off her cheekbones.

She’s wearing light grey overalls over a black tunic. She frowns at Donralaiz but doesn’t respond to him - it’s possible that she hasn’t understood a word he’s said.


Fey Owl Bard

“Hello!” says the owl brightly. “It would greatly help our prospects for constructive communication if you would be so kind as to say something! Anything!”

Bluff to appear to be a wholly helpful owl: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33


The woman’s frown vanishes as her eyes widen. She stares down at Woohoo’oosh.


Fey Owl Bard

“Anything at all!”


The woman takes a few more steps forward. In a gentle tone, she says several words in a language that neither Woohoo’oosh nor Donralaiz has ever heard before.


Fey Owl Bard

I think someone has a lot of talking ahead of them. But who shall it be? Donral’s got the humanness but I have the wordiness…

Spell target: Donralaiz? (1-40)
Spell target: Woohoo’oosh? (41-100)

Choosing a target: 1d100 ⇒ 24


Fey Owl Bard

Well, I don’t know what the humans here are like. But the ones who wander into the Wood always treat Donral like… a person, even if they don’t trust him. While to them the rest of us are nuisances, puzzles or things to be appeased…

“Incoming understanding!” says Woohoo’oosh. With fluttering feathers and arcane hoots, he casts voluminous vocabulary. He brushes a wingtip across Donralaiz’s ankle.


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

Meanwhile, Tririesk stealthily flies past them. She has plans to explore the building as much as possible while keeping an eye on what's happening outside.


The woman’s eyes become even wider as she watches Woohoo’oosh’s spellcasting.

A roll:
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27


Human Witch

The woman’s unfamiliar words start acquiring meaning in Donralaiz’s mind, and when he speaks he can answer her in her own language.

He continues trying to seem friendly. “Hello! My name is Donralaiz. This is Woohoo’oosh and this is Limmiri. Is that your gateway between worlds back there? If not, we thought you should know. There’s a gateway between worlds back there.”


“Hello, I’m Zefalra,” the woman replies, sounding somewhat dazed. She glances for a moment at Donralaiz, but then she’s staring at Woohoo’oosh again. “Welcome to the Heights. I was going to make a no doubt foolish-sounding exclamation about a talking owl, but now… Owl. Who can cast a spell to help you speak my language. Sorry. Is this usual where you’re from? Where are you from?”


Human Witch

Donralaiz decides that Woohoo’ probably only needs a selective translation. “Her name is Zefalra,” he says quickly. “And we’ve arrived at a place called the Heights.”

He shrugs. “I don’t really know what’s usual,” he says to Zefalra. “Everyone says our home is a bit peculiar. Did you know about that gap? It doesn’t look very well signposted.”


“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Zefalra says. “Gap? How did you get here? Round from the road? You’re not really equipped for a journey through the Depths…”

A roll:
Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27


Meanwhile, Tririesk has reached the workshop. It’s a large space, so it doesn’t seem that cluttered, but there’s still a lot of stuff here, mostly clockwork devices, large and small, at various stages of completion. There are also several cupboards with lockable glass doors - the shelves inside them are filled with scrolls and books.


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24


Tririesk happens to notice that the woman has left a ring with a number of slender keys attached to it on the bench near where she was working.

Tririesk also notices the quiet sound of footsteps, perhaps coming from the other side of the building.


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

Will the keys inexplicably end up in Tririesk’s possession? (60% probability of Yes)
Decision: 1d100 ⇒ 13


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

The books and scrolls are almost certainly very dull indeed. But Donral may be able to find something useful in there. Besides: Mischief.

Stealth to pick up the keys without jangling them: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (4) + 20 = 24


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

Tririesk then stealthily flies out of the workshop and around to the other side of the building, to see who’s paying a visit.


Fey Owl Bard

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31


Human Witch

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 2 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 0 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 0 + 2 = 17


As Tririesk flies around a corner of the building, she sees a young man with steel-coloured skin and silvery hair walking along a path towards what is probably the front door. Several other people are also approaching, but in a wide formation, as though they are planning to split up and go around both sides of the house.

‘Formation’ is perhaps an appropriate word, as these people are dressed in dark grey clothes that vaguely resemble military uniforms.


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

This looks potentially awkward.

Option 1: Stay close to the self-important-looking person who’s heading towards the front door, to find out what he’s doing (1-60).
Option 2: Fly back to warn Donralaiz and Woohoo’oosh (61-100).
Decision: 1d100 ⇒ 100


Human Witch

So she doesn’t know about the gate? Donralaiz glances downwards. The woman is wearing boots, but he didn’t pay enough attention to the footprints back on the mountain pass to be able to tell whether there’s a match.


Tririesk quickly overtakes the people walking around the house, but they are already visible to Donralaiz and Woohoo’osh by the time she rejoins her companions.

Some of the people in uniform-like clothes are frowning. Donralaiz, Woohoo’osh and Tririesk have all seen this expression before, on the faces of certain talented but arguably narrow-minded human travellers who are suspicious of any kind of unfamiliar magic within the borders of the Wood. But these particular people are not looking at the new arrivals to their world - instead, their attention is focused further away, in the direction of the invisible gate.


Human Witch

“Wait!” says Donralaiz, and starts running to his left, hoping to get between one of the groups of uniforms and the gate. “I think you may be missing something important!” His tone is an attempt at breathless naive earnestness.

Diplomacy to delay whatever they’re trying to do: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29


Pixie "Knight" (actually rogue)

Still invisible, Tririesk flies close to Woohoo’oosh. “What is Donral saying?” she whispers.


Fey Owl Bard

“I’ve no idea,” replies the owl. “But somehow… I’m still convinced.”


Human Witch

What were they planning to do before I interrupted? Those looks of concentration directed at the gate were a bit worrying. We need to make sure we have a way back.

Keep up the enthusiastic and harmless act.

“We’re just here on a neighbourly visit,” he says. “To check you knew about the hole in reality. Hello! Also, one of our friends wandered through earlier, and maybe she's lost. We need to find her before we return home, or she could become trapped here forever.”

Hopefully Tririesk is nearby and gets the hint.

…But of course, even if she is nearby, she probably can’t understand a word I’ve just blathered.

1 to 50 of 191 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Online Campaigns / Play-by-Post / Any Leftover Electromagnetic Folklore? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.