Anarion

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Okay, apologies for a bit of shuffling here. I was feeling a bit off as this was getting rolling and realized today that I was maybe using the wrong system for this (thanks to Thanqol for asking the question). So, after a bit of mulling and chatting some folks, we're going to switch systems to the Dark Age rules (which are a bit sparse because they've been a playtest forever, but they have what they need). You can find them at lumpley.com/index.php/awda

The premise of the setting doesn't change (Uther is still old and corrupted and that's killing the land and leading the kingdom to ruin). So everything in my first couple OOC posts is the same.

Switching to Dark Age does change your setup though: different playbooks, different types of moves and characters, a different starting situation than the wandering adventure party. My proposal for how this would work best is that you're all part of the same wealthy but small kingdom or duchy, either retainers for an NPC lord or one of you is the lord who the others serve.

It would look something like this:
Your keep and lands are not large, perhaps a day's ride across at most, and situated within Uther's kingdom. Perhaps near the forests a few days ride from Camelot. Your household swore oaths of fealty to Uther when he was younger, and you prospered under his rule. But now, you see that the land is suffering and the people under your protection suffer with it. You know that as the king, so the land, and you've heard dark rumors of Uther's doings. He has broken his oaths and abandoned his honor and so it is your duty to oppose him, though you are not strong enough to do so openly without being crushed. Your household must do many things. Offer refuge to those knights fleeing from Uther and build up your forces and your stockpiles. Provide relief to your people, who are beginning to suffer famine. Fight off raiders who are taking advantage of the weakened lands to prey upon the Kingdom. Seek out the aid of the fae, the druids, the church, and anyone else who will assist your efforts. Find Merlin and, if you're lucky, even Uther's rumored heir who could be positioned to succeed him.

As part of character creation, you'd also jointly define some specifics of your keep, the characteristics of your people and perhaps the characteristics of some other peoples if some of the characters are at the stronghold but come from elsewhere.

I realize this is a big shift, and again apologies for shuffling things up. I kind of forgot Dark Age existed and was trying to make Fellowship work as the best system I remembered while writing this up. I am much more excited to run this setup though and I do think it will be better!

Masks: BABYLON MUST FALL

[Potential 4. Insecure]

With the Annunaki in charge, no one can truly feel safe. But reading in the garden is the closest that Anathet can get. She had returned to her room and put away her Set costume in a portal for ease of access, and then simply gathered a handful of tablets. Some she kept for her own writing, some had short novels contained in them (she was really into the Hyperborea spin-off series where Jessamine, Esmeralda, and Kyouko had an unlikely team up), and one had her prize from the estate.

She tucked them into her sleeves and went out behind her little cottage to go and read in the moonlight. While one side of her little tea house had a clear view of the Seneschal's estate, on the back side, she had created a sand garden and behind that was a series of maple trees arranged in a neat grove. She had always loved the shape of the leaves and the way they turned colors during the seasons, and she loved the idea of building up a tranquil series of forest paths, so having the trees planted had been one of her first gardening decisions. It wasn't as fancy as the little rainbow falls she had crafted, but a maple grove with wandering paths set the mood of the place and allowed visitors (and the hostess) an option for tranquility and solace. She had begun planting various flowers around the bushes along with lines of hedges to better structure the experience, and one of the paths looped around to the uncovered area where the little stream and its waterfall garden was. Little steps to build up a nice space here. One that made her feel comfortable, and that pleased the Annunaki and their servants who visited. It was nice, at least, that they did appreciate her taste and she didn't have to do anything gaudy like some kind of huge sculpture of the winged cats they liked. They'd probably make her do a veil for it out of Azaleas, gods.

Evening visitors were exceptionally rare, especially at a time like this with such lockdown, and she wasn't sure whether Tia would be joining her or not after that little outburst, so she simply found a quiet spot at the base of a tree and set herself to reading.

It was not long before she was nearly quivering with excitement. Oh, this was so good. The Seneschal was in a bind, they could get anything out him. If they were careful, they might even embarrass him over it in a way that would make his rage afterwards impotent because they'd have even more blackmail material. It was probably too much to hope he could even be made into a permanent mole, but a girl could dream! At the least, they could use him to get access to, oh, maybe the Ab-Enkiji wing with its weapons and its anti-djinn laser. And perhaps she could get a hint of how to reach Tia, though that would be difficult without overplaying their hand. Ah, so many ideas, she was practically bouncing happily in her little spot by the tree, her robes rippling up and down with the motion. This was the best!

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Hey all. I realized yesterday that I was struggling a bit with how the overall party was forming up (the main thing being that everyone was too disconnected in one way or another from Uther's kingdom). I chatted with a couple folks and we're going to run a bit of an experiment with Thanqol changing his character to one prepared for him to explore how he can play with being typecast.

For Stveje, I'd like to ask if we can start Nin's story with her already having explored the kingdom a bit. I think the game will flow better if the characters aren't completely new to the world they're exploring (and anyway the premise is that they all start the game knowing that Uther is a problem and they're the ones to stop him). I know you're not as familiar with the overall Arthurian setting, so here are a few ideas of ways that Nin might be connected to the bigger kingdom. Feel free to modify these or do something different, they're just for inspiration.

• Nin was attacked by a wild beast/bandits/something when she was first traveling and rescued by a knight. The knight took Nin back to her keep to recover, and in gratitude, Nin did odd jobs for the family and returned there several times after her travels. She's seeing the fortunes of that family suffer under Uther and taken it on herself to stop him.
• Nin has actually been traveling for a while and was inspired by a younger, healthier Uther and the beautiful kingdom that he had, perhaps even visiting Camelot and emulating some of the chivalry of his court. She's started to see changes though and hear dark things and is resolved to fix the problem.
• Nin has been to several villages and loves the kind of simple life that many of the peasant farmers lead, so different from the frustration she's had with her own people. Maybe she even dreams of getting her own piece of land and settling down somewhere, eventually. But with the way things are going, she's worried about the villages she knows.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Tatters, the answer to your question is how much weight you want to be able to put behind that strength. You can say "my character is strong" and do strong character things, but if that's just part of the description, you don't have much backing if I tell you later that an NPC is stronger than Constance, or that she's not positioned to overcome a problem with strength. If you list a trait, it's more fixed, you get to mark it over damage and tell us how it protected you without narrative interference from anyone else. So if you want the last word on being able to say "I lift that boulder and heave it away" without anybody being able to contradict it, that's what the mechanical trait is for.

Also, answer the questions I asked you, Tatters. =P

Stveje, these are great, love the hidden castle. I kind of just want you to name the goat goddess Romme or Rom (as in the middle English for Ram). That description of their land and practices is very clearly Scotland, so they'll be from past the Northernmost part of the kingdom, and the castle will be a place of power there. I expect things are a bit more wild and chaotic in their homeland, but also less corrupted and dying than near Camelot.

Masks: BABYLON MUST FALL

[Potential 4. Insecure]

[Unleash powers: 6+2+3=11]

So it was a game of hide and go seek. Set could do that sort of trick even without portals. Perception was nothing but a trick of the mind, after all. She laughed silently to herself, nothing but the softest rustle of colorful skirts on stone. Or were they colorful? Her own aura was muted, her jewels seeming to suck up the light of her clothing until she melded into the stone around her, dancing through the library.

Oh Tia, Tia, at least you had the good graces to pick the Seneschal of Marduk's library for your foolishness. The only better place to play would have been a lab of one of the Ab-Enkiji, those mad scientists who didn't know half the forces they tampered with.

Set slipped from the statue where she had been crouched with Tia, circled the upper tier with her soft sandals no more than a whisper on the stone. The guards were pounding their loud boots, but they weren't here yet and her search wasn't long.

Let's see, let's see. Adumbrian star rod, seized in battle, useless for a disturbance because it would be either silent or the entire room would be alight with celestial fire. Zhianku anti-gravity orb, oh that one was a fake she could see the magnets embedded in the base, that was cute, wonder why the Seneschal had that out on display. Hmm, maybe the Annunaki mesh generator, presumably on display as some of the Seneschal's old gear in a past campaign. Hmm, no no that would have been more obvious, it would be confusing if they looked around the room and saw it now but not before when the psychic disturbance happened. Ah! Ah, there, a necklace of sapphires in a display case. Most of the guests probably thought this one decorative, but Anathet recognized a gem meant to trap psychic energy, the Zhianku had thousands of them. This wasn't in their style, but perhaps it was captured from another group? It didn't matter either way, this was absolutely perfect. She could make it seem like the psychic energy from Tia had been the first sign of the artifact malfunctioning. Pump in a little more energy, let it start feeding on the perceptions of people coming into the room, and they'd all think it was just some thing that had broken for one reason or another. If it got blamed on some hapless cleaning slave, she'd have to see about mounting a rescue later.

Set raises her own bracelet, lapis gemstone humming in harmony with the sapphires, and the lights in the room flicker and darken. Or maybe people only see them darken? In come the guards through the door where the statue had been, and Set's bracelet shines once with a bright flash, transferring its energy to the dormant necklace. Now count heartbeats with Set

One

She leaps from the balcony to the lower level, nothing but a shadow fading into all the other shadows. The suddenly much darker shadows. Marianne would love it here.

Two

She circles again, the light linens cling to her thighs and outline her legs as she dashes, but nobody sees it because her whole energy is focused on suppressing her own aura. Nobody is looking at her, they're looking up at the flash of light that reached them later than it should have, as though it were swimming through water, not shining through air.

Three

She's behind a shelf, bringing herself closer to the reading nobles than she managed before Tia had pushed her back. She's pressed up flat, nothing but a piece of the stonework herself, just one more in a long line of pointless trophies to an insatiable ego.

Four

The room is bathed in darkness, but the lights haven't gone out. The guards are stumbling, pushing forward as though they're brushing thick foliage out of their way. It's nearly pitch black, just wait for it.

Five

The glass case shatters, the energy that Anathet had embedded in the sapphires, that had sucked away the perception of everyone in the room bursts forth in a blazing light. Everyone is blind, the artifact has gone wild! A little ghost wearing rainbows runs past a central table and picks up a tablet dropped by an advisor to the Seneschal. She passes within a few feet of his face, but he never sees her.

Then it's out the lower doors and into the hallways as our little ghost bounds of the room. She needs only find some shadows and wait for her bracelet to finish its attunement and then she will be out and gone with none the wiser.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Rules note. We were discussing info moves, and as a house rule for making PBP flow better, we're going to experiment a bit with Look Closely and Speak Softly. Instead of getting a whole bunch of questions, treat them as one question. Just, any question whatever is fictionally appropriate. If you roll a 10+, you'll get a clear answer and maybe even info volunteered to let you know if something is amiss so you don't get sucker punched for not asking the right question. If you get a 7-9, you get some info that helps you move forward but you might find out the hard way or be in a tight spot. If you miss the move, they'll lie, refuse to answer, you'll misunderstand the situation, or some other similar kinda bad thing that drives the plot.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

High King Uther Pendragon

Old Fellowship Stats

Profile: Watch the World Burn
Extra Cut: Leave chaos in the Overlord's wake.

Agendas
Create Opportunities To Do Good
Play To Find Out What Happens
Fill the world with strange and painful events

Stats
High King: The people of the land owe him fealty and will not betray their oaths to him so long as he is true to them.
Pendragon: Even in age, Uther is blessed by a combination of martial power, luck, and magic of various sorts. A knight lacking similar blessings cannot defeat him (or a group he commands) in direct combat
Corrupted: Uther is one with the land and so his illness and madness are always reflected around him. Attempts to use magic in his presence are rolled with despair and healing may not be used at all.

As with all Overlords, Uther is also a Threat to the World

Sources of Power
The Throne at Camelot
The Crown of the High King

Weakness
The Blessing of the Lady of the Lake. Any weapon charmed with her favor is particularly suited to Uther's undoing.

Foibles (a reminder)
Uther is arrogant, busy, and bound by honor.

Generals
Pellinore, King of Isles
Threat to the World
Unrivaled: Pellinore's reputation precedes her, and she will only appear with advance warning
Unbeatable: Pellinore cannot be damaged (she can still be destroyed). When she deals damage, she will send the target flying out of her way.

Army
The Organization (with some flavoring from the Scourage at times)

Gear
Typically a powerful lance and sword, though Uther does not possess Excalibur or any similar enchanted blade at present
A clever plan (1 use): reveal a trap or escape route right when you need it
A trick up your sleeve (1 use): Produce anything you could possibly need right now

Bonds
King Pellinore has sworn an oath to me as high king and serves loyally

Possible Fellowship bonds
I destroyed _______ 's hometown.
I have caused great harm to _______ 's people.
I killed someone important to _______ .
_______ killed someone important to me.
_______ knows the details of my previous defeat.
_______ 's people serve me now.
Only _______ knows my Weaknesses.
I have fought _______ before, and left a wound upon them. It burns in my
presence.
_______ was once my friend.
_______ secretly admires me and the things I do.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Tatters, this is very cool and I love the poetry! Couple questions for each.

Stveje: What sort of place are your people tied to? Traditionally, the small folk might have been viewed as connected to druidism, perhaps worshipping a nature goddess. What kind of sacred space do your people protect? How closely connected are they to nature? To the traditional stories of the Fae and changelings? Do they hide their powers when interacting with other folk or make themselves seem more like spirits than physical beings with all their size changing and tricks?

Tatters: What has happened to the glen and the knightly home? Are the ruins of fire built upon, or left as they were? What of the glen? What secrets do your father's folk still protect?

Thanqol, at the moment I don't have any questions because we chatted separately about where Sir Selzi may be now and the nature of the cathedral, but if you have other notes, this is a good time for them.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Wise words from the Stag knight
I’ve ridden the length and breadth of the kingdom. When I was young and my hair the tawny color of fresh wheat, I fought with King Uther in his vanguard. Let me tell you, the land has seen a lot of good from his peace, however he got it. If you ask me, we have Merlin to thank for much of that, a shame he’s missing now, so I’ve heard.

Times may be hard, but people haven’t forgotten that they were once harder. The difference between having a fire and a roof and being out in the cold is a real one, these old bones know it.

But I’ll tell you this, if I tell you anything. A roof without bread is a frail shelter indeed.

Think on that when you travel. Remember your humility and your knightly oaths. Remember that generosity, not force of arms will be your greatest strength. If you take your due and depart, you’ll be no better than bandits, and you’ll have nary a soul come to join your banner when Uther comes to find you.

He will at that, mark my words. Don’t think you can ride about sowing dissent with your theories that it’s his fault the wheat’s shriveled and the mead’s bitter. Best then, to show some nobility on your parts. Show the people that there’s a better choice for them than old King Uther and prove to them before you need them that they can rely on you to honor your oaths.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Hi Stveje and welcome! I think this is quite neat, I really like the feel of the character, being both a trickster who wants honor and a grumpy but idealistic personality. That's a neat set of contrasts.

In context of the setting, I imagine her people to be a small group of unusual Fae living probably in the central forests of Briton. Probably, if we're conserving detail, not too far off from where the dragon in Thanqol's story wound up when it flew its way into Britain and found a place to make a den.