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Overview

About This Game

This game is intended to be a series of one-shots where players will have their character that can progress, but each one-shot has a defined beginning and end. In essence, this will allow for different stories to be told with different players as people come and go, but still allow for character progression for those who want to stay.

Game System

Worlds Without Number

Detailed Description

The Mystery of Elderglen

AdventurersontheRoad.jpg.c616f4a78a240e88360241e12da3baf3.jpg

Hail, brave adventurers! Your courage, cunning, and strength are sought for a quest of high intrigue and danger.  An esteemed academic from the renowned city of Erilune has tasked you with a mission:  to retrieve a potent arcane artifact hidden within the foreboding reaches of a sorcerer's lair near the isolated village of Elderglen.

About five days distant, the academic promises that this will be an easy journey, and anticipates your return in a fortnight.  The reward for the artifact is a sizable 1000 silver pieces, enough to make it well-worth your while.  However, the more savvy amongst you realize that 1000 silver for a simple "step and fetch" job is far more money than the task otherwise suggests.  And besides, if it were so simple, the academic could just send a Grad Student, after all.

However, and perhaps against your better judgement, you have accepted this quest, and find yourself four days into your journey, a day's walk outside of Elderglen.

Players will be asked to create a character using the World's Without Number rules, as written. A free version of the rules is readily available online. To start with, this game is designed to be ran as a series of one-shot adventures. The idea is to allow people to have characters that progress, and potentially even die. At the end of each one-shot, there will be a chance to break, write a new adventure, re-recruit, retire characters as desired, roll new characters as desired, and continue on.

For this first adventure, as part of the migration to Baldr, my hope is to bring in new players. As such, new players will take priority, however I will also likely over-recruit, as I anticipate a high level of attrition with newer players, as is the nature of Play-by-Post. That means, if you're interested, regardless of whether you are brand new to the website or an old hand, please apply!

For myself, I am also fairly new to Worlds Without Number. It is a rules set that I find really interesting to read, but have not had a chance to practice as much as I would like. Patience will be needed all around, however I believe that, together, we can have a great time weaving a new myth!

 

Community

OSR
  1. What's new in this game
  2. Aavarius
    It's the latter, unfortunately. It's mundane medicine, not magic. But it'll help in the long run. I threw a bunch of dice into my last post. I don't know if they're even needed, but they're available if so. Speaking of which, I bombed the Lead skill roll, so if it's going to matter I'll Masterful Expertise that thing. Just let me know. Finally, gathering Alchemy supplies is slow going, but I figure many hands makes for light work. No dice required for that, though. Crafting things is also slow, but maybe Phaedra can train/supervise a bunch of people to make stuff all at once? Actual crafting does require dice, so that roll is there if needed. Hope all that makes sense.
  3. Aavarius
    Phaedra, Sage of the Ordo Hermetica Phaedra had seen people commanded. Her father had done so on many occasions as a caravan master. Some were men-at-arms, others were laborers, others scribes and accountants. The Ordo was likewise hierarchical. As an aspirant she had been ordered about by the properly Ringed tutors and masters. She certainly wasn't an officer in any kind of military sense herself, but she at least understood the theory of leadership. And even if the folk of Jaston didn't follow her specifically, they needed to follow somebody, and somebody needed to speak clearly for leadership. Phaedra did her best to counter any superstitions or assuage any fears the people might have. She was particular to explain, Here is what we know versus Here is what we can't be certain of. She was frank with them that a vampire seemed like the most obvious monster that threatened them, but what they had witnessed in the house sent mixed messages. She wanted them to be clear-headed about what they might face, for the absolute last thing she wanted to do was for them to form into an emotional, directionless mob. And where possible, she tried to help Otto and company out as well. That grand education was useless if she didn't put it to use helping with the armament of the people. She didn't have any silver to contribute, herself, but she could at least help them with what they had. There were other ways she could help them arm themselves, too. With the children and the womenfolk of the town (those of them that were left) she could direct them to finding alchemical ingredients to make all sorts of useful things.
  4. Bobcloclimar
    While they're traveling back to town, he will tell them about his discoveries on the second floor - namely that the room he saw was decorated very differently (and happily) from lower floor: Toktok will help Otto with weaponsmithing as much as he can, although he does have to sleep eventually. Also, what's the chance that the house will disappear overnight, and we're going to be run out of town for crying wolf in these trying times? 😁
  5. Powderhorn
    Day 11 - Jaston, Early Morning Word is quickly spread through Jaston that what has ailed them is a vampire from three quarter's day walk away. That there is a tangible object to focus their attentions on gives rise to an ad-hoc militia forming, quickly trying to gather up what silver is available to form weaponry. Some, of course, instead choose to flee - with words such as "I'll try my luck on the road to Erilune," and things in that spirit muttered. It is, in a word, a chaos similar to if a fire started in the middle of the night - except without a fire to point to and attack. Otto is joined by the local blacksmith to turn out as many silvered weapons as possible, not only able to equip the party, but also a sizable portion of the formed militia. The night continues to pass - and though there are some false starts, words of "I see a shadow moving!" in the end, no vampire arrives. With the dawn, the town wants to vent their anger at someone, or something, and they are prepared to march on the vampire's lair.
  6. Powderhorn
    We'll go for the denarius-style coin, having a long historical reach.
  7. Tecumseh
    The basic plan is to start making silver weapons. Daggers, stilettos, throwing knives, etc. Otto will want to improve Xan's (rapidly improvised) silver knuckles. Even a spear or some arrows could be possible since the amount of metal is relatively modest. A helper - Toktok or Phaedra, since they have Craft and Polymath, respectively - could assist in sharpening blades, or attaching arrow/spear heads to the wooden shafts. Otto's plan is to melt down his silver coins, but he's happy to take donations. Calculating volume, a cubic inch of metal can create a blade that's 8" long, 1" wide, and 1/8" thick. That might be enough for multiple throwing blades. How far his supply of silver goes depends on the size of the coins. The most common Roman coin - the denarius - was about the size of a US nickel, but medieval silver pennies were often closer to the size of a dime. It would take about 16 US nickels to get that cubic inch of metal. US dimes are about half the volume of a nickel, so it would take 32 of those. Otto's silver - not including what he already 'spent' on Phaedra's silver knuckles - would be enough for 3-6 weapons.
  8. Tecumseh
    Otto Eckhart The troop staggers back to Jaston. Otto's feet are screaming at him. "We must make haste," Otto pants, even though everyone's been making haste all day. "We must gather the town guard, if any remain. Let us inform the tavern to spread the word. Phaedra, can you inspire them? "I must get to work. Find me silver! I will seek out the blacksmith, if one remains. Even if they are gone, I will use their forge and molds. I should have a serviceable blade within an hour. Toktok, you are handy. If we work together it will go even faster."
  9. Powderhorn
    Day 11 - Jaston, Late Evening The walk back to Jaston is a dour affair. Finding the lair of a vampire is no easy feat, but leaving it unresolved leaves a bitter taste in some mouths. Still, others would argue that you still have the faculty of taste - a fate not guaranteed had you stayed to fight. Exhausted, you enter town as the last light of day begins to fade. The streets are empty - but this is no surprise anymore, for Jaston is a town suffering under its casualties to date. No new sheriff has been appointed. While it may have only been a day, so too is there the suspicion that none would accept if offered. And so, returned at last, you must decide what to do next.
  10. Tecumseh
    Cool, good to know. Is the healing salve instant, or do you apply it before resting and then your night's rest is more effective?
  11. Aavarius
    Phaedra, Sage of the Ordo Hermetica Phaedra didn't like the fact that they had to retreat from their mission, but she was wasn't so honor-bound as to be unable to give way to pragmatism. She hoped they had made the right call. In her heart she believed returning to finish the job properly would be enough to make up for the lives already lost in this monstrous tragedy. She didn't feel much like talking on the way back. The usual spirit of good cheer had been drained from her, exsanguinated, so to speak, like so many in Jaston.
  12. Aavarius
    Otto may be right! Those aren't unreasonable assumptions. We'll find out, of course. When we get a chance, Phaedra has a healing salve with the following benefit: If the subject isn’t Frail, they regain half again as many hit points as usual after a night’s rest, rounded up. Frail characters get no benefit. Feel free to claim use of one at the appropriate time.
  13. Ikul
    Suibne gets out in a remarkable hurry, clearly relieved to be further away from the vampire, yet terrified of pursuit. He moves on grimly, occasionally remarking on how strong, terrifying, dangerous, well-armed, ancient-looking, long-clawed, sharp-toothed, or otherwise intimidating the vampire is.
  14. another aka
    Xan Lycas When Otto echos Phaedra's call for their departure Xan considers her relief to be a mark of shame as she is yet unscathed. She had survived their encounter with the bandits, but Éabha's absence in the face of a far less mundane foe has shaken her. Prayer and penance were in her future. Once we are out of the woods. As they march back to town, Xan thinks on how to explain to the residents of Jaston what they had found and what would be needed of them to get through the night. The closer they get to the town, the less certain she is of her words as the pace and duration of the walk wear at her. Soon enough it becomes far easier to focus her energy on maintaining a steady gait, and keeping the growing discomfort from distorting her features.
  15. Tecumseh
    Otto Eckhart Otto makes sure that the hounds get out the window too. They probably will be eager to escape from a foreboding place, but leaping out a window may not come naturally to them. Outside, Otto scoops up the backpack that he had thrown out the window earlier. "Toktok!" he shouts. "We're pulling back!" Presumably Toktok would see four people and some hounds jump out the window, but it's best to make sure. Otto looks back at the house, trying to study the exterior for later reference. Retreating does not sit well with him; perhaps there is no one left to save, but if there are any survivors then their doom is sealed. It's a long walk back to town. The armor means that Otto doesn't need to eat, drink, or sleep, but it doesn't stop him from getting exhausted. He looks forward to being able to sit down and spend the night silvering weapons while his feet throb. That happy thought keeps him going as they race the sunset.
  16. Powderhorn
    Day 11 - A Strange Home, Mid-Afternoon Toktok, listening for the feet, hears them withdraw the same direction they entered from. However, at the same time he sees below his comrades pouring out of the open window and in a general retreat from the blood-sucking foe inside! The vampire reloads the crossbow, but it is too late - the escape has been made good. Now, there is the truth of it: It is already mid-afternoon, you have violated a vampire's lair, and you need to make it to safety before the sun goes down. Dungeon Master I am going to ask for a Physical saving throw to make it back to town before the sun goes down, due to the (relatively) late hour. A failure will give 1 System Strain. System Strain Most forms of healing and certain other magical powers add to a target’s System Strain. System Strain is a measure of how much stress the target’s body is under, and how profoundly it has been taxed by magical energies, hunger, privation, and forced healing acceleration. A character’s maximum System Strain is equal to their Constitution attribute. Thus, someone with a Constitution of 13 could accumulate up to 13 points of System Strain. This strain is usually lost at a rate of one point for every night of good, refreshing sleep. Healing often adds to a target’s System Strain, whether as first aid or as the effect of some magical power. If the target is already at its maximum System Strain, it can’t handle the additional stress and gets no benefit from the effect or attempting healing.
  17. Powderhorn
    I think the overall consensus is to withdraw and regroup, so will write accordingly.
  18. Tecumseh
    Otto is inclined to stay and fight, but he will not try to do it solo. If the others are retreating to town then he will reluctantly follow. He's expecting to be laughed at for such an outlandish tale. Perhaps a few folks from the tavern can be riled up, but the guards were already talking about skipping town after the disappearance of the sheriff. Even if people believe us, Otto thinks many will run rather than fight. Maybe we can assemble a small mob - Phaedra is fairly charismatic - but Otto still expects the magical house to be gone by the time we return.
  19. Aavarius
    I've got a feeling the prep needed to assault the house is going to take several days, but I otherwise think that plan is the better of a lot of bad options. Gathering courageous people, silver, and (optionally) alchemy shenanigans may take a bit. I'm hoping if the town understands what's going on they'll better be able to hold out until we get them organized. Until Powder's sudden but inevitable rug pull... 😆 Regardless of what course of action we decide on, I think we may have to get on the same page OOC before we can IC. If I get overruled by the rest of the group who wants to stay and fight I'll go along with the team decision. It's definitely not worth creating discord over. What do the rest of y'all think we ought to do?
  20. another aka
    I've been mulling this over for a while (i.e., overthinking) and do not feel like I have fully landed. For the sake of expediency, I'm going to go along with returning to the town. Let's mobilize the villagers (and their pitchforks and torches) to make a stand overnight. The alleged vampire will have to leave well before dawn to get back to his keep. If we can hold out, we can return at crack of dawn (assuming that it is still there), with whoever has survived, and sufficient equipment to level it.
  21. Powderhorn
    @another aka - Also pulling back?
  22. Tecumseh
    Otto Eckhart Otto sees Suibne engage the vampire in hand-to-hand combat. He's tempted to charge forward and join the fray, but he knows that Suibne is buying them time.. "Out we go!" he says to Xan and Phaedra as he jumps through the window to the sunlight beyond. OOC - Round 11 Main Action: Total Defense, AC now 23 Move Action: Out the window
  23. Powderhorn
    So there must be some alchemical supplies in town, as they were part of the caravan. What ones, however, are uncertain in this moment. As far as finding saltpeter and sulfur in the woods - less likely. As far as time to get back, it's plausible that you could get back to town before the alleged vampire could even start due to the light conditions, but even if not, to cover that sort of distance that quickly he would need a way to teleport.
  24. Aavarius
    A bit busy, but the plan is to post to both my games tomorrow! Apologies for delays. I think fighting it would mean sudden and inevitable doom. The numbers just aren't on our side. But from a non-meta perspective, It's supposed to be literally unkillable without silver or sunlight. We have, unfortunately, limited quantities of both. I do think toppling the house is a good long-term strategy, but we aren't equipped for that right now either. That takes manpower and tools we're also short on. (As an aside, I'm A-OK with Alchemy blasting stuff! That worked out pretty good for Captain Kirk vs. the Gorn. Problem is, I don't know where to get the supplies. Any chance Phaedra can find saltpeter and sulfur around here? Charcoal is easy enough to make in a forest. Realistically, all of these would take time to mine/grind up. Maybe it can be done with a heroic crafting montage *cue inspiration background music* but that's up to Mr. GM if I can get away with it.) Realistically, I think our best bet is to force march back to Jaston ASAP. Doing that gives us better access to tools and manpower we need to do the job properly. That's assuming it's even physically possible to get there before nightfall, of course. It's not clear to me that's possible yet. At the very least, we don't have any evidence that he can travel over long distance any quicker than we can. (Though that doesn't guarantee he can't, of course)
  25. Tecumseh
    I figure we have to make a stand. Otherwise it will just hunt us in the night; it said as much. Better to fight now in the daylight. I don't think our odds improve with time.
  26. Ikul
    This thing has about as much HP as the party put together, two attacks per round, each of which have a real chance of killing a character outright and immunity to almost everything we can throw at it. IMO fighting this thing is not so much courting death as trying to figure out what to name our third child with it.
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