Session 2

The In Between

   Five days have passed, most of the ships are still tethered together and repairs are nearly complete. We still lay between realms, we are making very slow progress forward, the stormwall to our realm can still be seen behind us. Scouts have reported seen flashing up ahead in the distance of the next stormwall. I have heard that Faithjester is very busy trying to build and new mechanism that will allow us to pass through that wall hopefully without costing us another flagship.

   Recruitment has gone exceptionally well for Vigil, at least something is going right. Many of the ships are leery of having members of a different race policing their ship. Most would rather be left to policing their own craft and peoples. Which is not a horrible notion but under these circumstances, cramped spacing, food shortages and the like, a fleet Vigil is the best idea. I’ve met with a representative from most of the ships and have reached an understanding with them, to at least permit an office where the members of the vigil could work from, and be found if needed. The Orcs just wanted equal representation in the vigil. No more I suppose than we the elves would want if it were an Orc in charge of the vigil.

   The Artikhane were a bit trickier. I met with The Ambassador, a female by all accounts, who looks slightly elven but her body language and even her emotional imprint that I normally feel from everyone are totally alien to me, which is unnerving at best. One of the chief concerns that she voiced was that there were a number of places on their ship that are and would remain off limits to anyone but their own. I pressed but was countered on all fronts and settled for at least having an office provided to me for use with the vigil. Not a victory but still, they gave ground.

   I was on deck this morning in time to see the Master of the Hunt, Mareeg, and his group take off in search of game. I wish them well, since arriving here I haven’t seen a single thing flying through here other than us.

   I think that of those that I’ve met since arriving here Dweena may have one of the most difficult duties. She is basically accountable for all things, magestone, food, general goods and so on. It goes without question that certain groups of people and ships are going to try to hoard certain things like food. I think that she and I are going to be working together more then either of us suspect.

   A new day, early this morning I was summoned to the Horn of Wrath for our first away mission. Our group was assembled and given a small briefing on a Island with a structure on it that had been found. We boarded the prototype scouting vessel piloted by Lira who has all but moved into the ship as her own private living space and made our way there. A quick fly over inspection of the area did reveal a structure. A large pyramid shaped building with large smooth ramps running up the four sides. Lira moved us to the edge of the island to put down and depart. ( note to self Lira needs to work on docking procedures ) Not long after we started walking toward the structure I spotted some tracks, others were able to discern that they belonged to a large semi-bipedal leaping creature. That was more than likely used as a guard beast of sorts.

   Large leaping creatures indeed. Soon after seeing the tracks we were attacked by a small pack of them. Three at first, and then a second grouping of two more and a pack leader. Gunfire and Lira’s flanking maneuver were able to drop two of the first three. Chain is outstanding in a skirmish the ability to breath actual fire onto ones enemy, outstanding. Mareeg was having a bit of back and forth with the third when it seemed he simply lost his patients with the beast and picked it up and threw it almost seventy feet into the pack leader in full charge and nearly knocked it over. Imagine that strength. The second group was dispatched before the pack leader made his way to us. Honestly it was over quite quickly and even if nothing is in the structure we have some fresh meat to take back to the ship, the thick hide and solid bone will come in handy too, I’m sure.

   We pressed on to the building, and made our way up the ramps to the top hoping to find entry. A circular pattern in the floor and a pair of operating levers were centrally located at the top and the circle itself was suspiciously free of sand. After giving a good look around Lira found a secondary entry on the top that was hidden off to one side.

OOC / Moment 1

Out Of Character

   First off, after the Microscope session we had to build the world, I knew going in that the first session would be very interesting and I was looking forward to see how Lowell would deal with it. What his approach would be and such, he, as usual, did not disappoint. It was one of the most intense campaign openers I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. Characters were making life and death decisions from the opening scene and throughout the evening as the game rolled on and not just for themselves but for often times large groups of people that would become supporting cast for the game to come.

 The Cast

    The player characters that we have assembled, though unintentional do rather resemble the major arch types that you would find in a traditional Final Fantasy story, at least at first glance. I will try to keep this idea in mind as the game progresses and see if it holds throughout the campaign. I’m excited about this campaign for a number of reasons.

1. This will mark the first time either Ward or my sister Jeanne has joined a long-term game run by Lowell. Something I’ve been trying to arrange for sometime now for each of them.
2. The cast of PCs’ looks great. Scott has chosen an unarmed fighter for the most part aside from some fire Magic. Ward has chosen to challenge himself by running an Ork. Jeanne is finally getting the chance to breath life into the Namir a race she wrote up sometime ago and never had the opportunity to play out. Sherri is venturing out of her comfort zone and playing a Goblin female whom is getting on in her years.
3. My character, Whet Bloodlace an empathic pistoleer. I think he is an obvious front runner as leader for the group. Though that was not my intent going in, I’d like to see him pull in a tight 2^nd to the leader.
4. Lowell is running the game, I don’t mean this as lip service to my GM, he has a real gift for the role. He preps for games like no one I’ve ever played with. He takes his craft very seriously and I know he runs games at various gaming cons from time to time. If you enjoy playing in rpg’s or you are a GM for a group or two. You owe it to yourself to try and play in one of his games. It will change the way you run games forever.

Character Abilities

Aside from our various skills and abilities we each were able to chose 4 unique talents from a list of 6 to begin the game with. Kind of like a talent tree from World of Warcraft. For Whet I chose the following 4 talents.

Blazing Branch Start

Combat Reflexes : Whet goes first in a standard combat round, except when surprised. This ability does not affect one-on-one duels.

Vigilant Branch Start

Pistoleer : Whet does +1d damage with pistols. Rapid Volley: By spending a point of Focus, Whet may fire two pistols on the same round at two different targets in any arc. Damage is 1 +5d. This requires having a pistol in each hand.

Vigilant Branch 1

Precognitive Parry: Whet’s uncanny perception allows him a Parry redraw against any opponent with a mind and emotions. This does not work against automatons, vehicles or the like. This is considered an abilitiy for the redraw limits.

Vigilant Branch 1

Mounted Combatant: Whet gains the ability Mounted Dodge- affecting himself and his mount. As well, his Mount’s # to be damaged increases by +1 while Whet rides.

Session 1, Part 2

   Tytessa Chillstealer stepped around the doorway, her expression went tight and she pressed her lips together into a fine line. A wave of her concern washed over me, as she returned my salute. Mission accomplished Ma’am. She nodded, excellent, now get your self to the infirmary. I tried to explain that it looked worse then it was and I would be fine. The next emotion was less concern and more anger. The infirmary now! Seeing as she is my superior, only slightly so, but superior no less I figured why fight it. I started to make my way down the hall and up to the next deck. I could still hear combat outside, people yelling and screaming. I could feel it all around me, crowded tight places are tough on me that way. It’s hard to keep out all of those emotions. Fear and hope battling back and forth for control. I felt like a small ship lost at sea in a storm being battered by wind and water. Finally I made it to the physicians bay, it was cramped with civilians injured and dyeing, Come to think of it I haven’t seen many other enlisted on the ship. The physician saw me and propped a shoulder under me as I began to slide down the wall. Honest… I didn’t feel that bad… turns out, adrenaline is pretty good thing. He and his crew went right to work on me. I faded in and out of consciousness a couple of times there and I can remember somebody saying that the military had to get preferential treatment because of their being so few of us left. So one of the nurses helped me up and moved me down to this bed on the far end of the deck away from people waiting to get in. The bandages feel good and tight. Seems this doc knows his trade. That’s good because if we’re that light on personnel, I’ll be seeing a lot of action.

   Just heard large explosion very near to us, and our whole ship just shuttered like we may have hit something. Not sure what is going on out there, and its driving me crazy. Sitting here writing this down now, I just over heard someone come in and say that Captain Bronz was seen being saved by an Ork, just as the Daughter of Woe exploded. Putting down the book and pen for now… I have to go see whats happening outside… more later.

   It’s been about 24 hours, the world as we know it is gone. This new area we’ve moved into is filled with a kind of dull orange light with no determinable source. Several spheres can be seen from our location.

   I am to accompany Tytessa Chillstealer, the ranking White Elf Military leader, to a meeting with the other leaders of the assorted races tonight on board our new flagship the Horn of Wrath. I can only assume that it will be a meeting to assess damages and losses and the redistribution of responsibilities. The sense of loss is palpable, as it should be I suppose after such an event. Couples torn apart, families fractured, entire decks of people spilled into the sky… whole races lost. This better be one heck of a meeting.

   The gist of what occurred is that the key did indeed work in the machine but in the process the machine ripped the Daughter of Woe in two while opening a portal through the Storm Barrier. What remained of the fleet was able to escape Lord Sunforge and his armies by passing through the barrier, but I find myself wondering… for how long.

   Following morning- It seems that after a brief and seemingly ill-timed argument between Captain Bronze and Commander Greybattle, that Greybattle will be our new Admiral and Bronze will be his 2^nd. Having lost her father in the destruction of the Daughter of Woe, I wouldn’t have wanted to be part of that discussion. I have a newfound respect for ‘Admiral’ Greybattle. The meeting last evening was as I expected, loss and damage assessment and new duty assignments. I am to be the Master of the Watch and as such one of my first task will be to recruit an able bodied Watch. One that I can trust to do the duty put before them. Others were given various new assignments as well. I’ll list those that I can remember below and what I know of them.

   -Dweena Squint – capable and resourceful Goblin women of some years by my reckoning was made something of a Logistics Officer for the fleet regarding food and other necessities. I recognized her as the goblin I handed the key off to before having to land. I also hear that she herself lost several sons in the last battle before making it through the barrier.

   -Chain Firespinner- eager and ambitious Scaleborn assigned to Master of the Vigil. His fire magic should be useful for signaling from ship to ship. I hear it told that it was he who organized the saving of the burning rescue Ark. A move that saved hundreds of lives, a move that cost him his own father. In past dealing with the Scaleborn I’ve heard mention of Chain’s father on more than one occasion, his passing will be mourned.

   -Lira Moondawning- a young Namir with foot falls like silk was promoted to Lead Scout. She accompanied a senior Namir named Syleng Wyrmbreaker a fortunate name without question but his eyes speak of secrets. It later I heard it was a force under Lira’s command that planted the device on the Dwarven Watchtower that assisted my escape.

   -Marreg Warmane- strong and capable, savior of our good Captain Bronze. I have not had many dealings with orks that did involve trying to kill them or avoid being killed by them, this new breed of ork is different. Though he bares the size and strength of an Ork, they resemble dark skinned humans. His people are known by Greybattle to be great hunters, for this he was given the place of Master of the Hunt.

   Final Entry of Note –
The other night at the meeting aboard the Horn of Wrath, I met Irisy Tearbrewer the leader of the Ghost Born. I am uncertain as yet how to describe them. I find them more human, but I would be remise in my description if I did not say that they could be elven. Racial appearances aside, Tearbrewer wins my creep of the week award. I have never before met the man, and he did indeed carry himself well but every fiber of my being screams that he is a vile Necromantic twin slayer.

Session 1, Part 1

   I sit here recovering in my bunk, the physician left only moments ago, but I wanted to get the events of the last 4 days down on paper before sleep over takes me and blurs the details of what has come to pass. These may be the last days of the world for all of mankind. I now know more people by name who have died then I do who are still living. It’s been nearly a week since we received the order, retrieve the Twilight Key at all cost. The Key, an artifact of great magic, was to be used as the energy source for a device that would be able to open a path through the Stormwall allowing us to flee the onslaught of Lord Sunforge. My people, the White Elves of Freespar, accepted the order proudly. Two full main Warships the Morning’s Light, and the Thunder’s Touch, set off for the Workshop that was said to be the holding place of the Twighlight Key.

   Roughly five days ago we encountered minimal resistance around what remained of the floating island that was home to the workshop and a small keep. Several of us made our way down and into the keep and the workshop. Everyone else remained aboard the ships doing what he or she could to defend the structure. The walls and floors shook around us as we made our way to the Great Lab. The attack was increasing, Sunforge himself would soon be there. We found the key, its keeper already killed by falling debris. By the time we made our way back outside the invading army had doubled and 4 of my men lost. I gathered my fellow elves and we made our way back to our wyvern mounts. Just as we climbed back into our saddles, a great thunderous crack split the air, all of us were momentarily deafened by the explosion. Ozone and smoke filled my nostrils the screams of the dying guardsman echoed in my head. I turned in time to see Sunforge arrive and crush what remained of the workshop and it’s Keep. Instinctively my wyvern leapt into the air and we began our run back to the Warships. Two more of my men fell in that last moment before the floating island supporting the workshop began to fall into nothingness.

   For the next two days we ran and they pursued, constant lightning barrages rocked both warships, we returned fire at every opportunity but those that we killed seemed to not matter. For everyone we knocked from the sky two more took its place. Thunder’s Touch was doing all they could to shield us on the Morning’s Light from the heavy fire until they could take no more. In a desperate maneuver the Captain spun the ship in an attempt to collide with Sunforge. The explosion was grand and for a moment we actually cheered, then as the smoke cleared, he could still be seen, the leviathan lived on. For another day the Morning’s Light dodged and fled the elemental hoard, but in the end we knew the ship wouldn’t make it another two days to the gathering point. The Captain came to me and had me gather my outriders and pushed the key into my hands. We would have to finish this trip on wings the ship was beginning to slow and had taken quite a beating. The good captain began overcharging the magstones, "I’ll try and buy you some time", and we saluted him as he returned to his post, and then we climbed atop our wyverns and leapt from the ship. I took point and the race was born anew, for three more days straight we flew, battered, beaten and exhausted. I lost most of my best friends in those three days.


   The air rushed by me as we gained altitude and speed. It was as if Velsari, my wyvern, could sense the urgency in my soul. We had to get the key to the fleet, not just for us, but for all of mankind. On wing, we were able to keep better distance between each other and made harder targets. The other outriders dipped and weaved protecting me, protecting the key from harm. Finally the old dwarven watchtower came into view. We pressed for higher altitude to set up for a speed run by the watchtower. It was there that we were told the Namir would have a surprise waiting for our pursuit. Once we were high enough we pushed the wyverns into power dives toward the tower, hoping the speed we would gain would leave our pursuers far behind and draw them close enough to the tower so that whatever had be planned would be more effective. I was able to dodge one large lightning strike hurled from behind me. The second bolt struck a portion of the wall of the watchtower in front of me sending debris flying into the air. A huge fragment struck me in the chest knocking me from my mount. I felt the air leave my body as I spun head over heals and gazed into the beyond below, waiting to engulf me. I glanced back up and could see Velsari not far from me yet and I screamed out for help while clutching the Twilight Key. To my own amazement she must’ve understood, because she turned and collapsed her own wings to fall and catch me. We struck each other in mid fall, I wrapped an arm around her neck and she slipped under me and caught my weight. Once back in the saddle she corrected our path and I turned and watched my two cousins’ saluted me before they turned back to help slow horde chasing us.

   I refocused on the mission, I had to complete the task. I could see the fleet before me, the various racial ships arrayed around the flagship Daughter of Woe. This close to the Stormwall the wind and rain hit me in waves it was starting to get hard to see with the water running in my eyes, but I could make out a small figure making its way toward me from the fleet. My near fall had taken me to low and the pack of elementals chasing me allowed Sunforge and his horde to see the fleet as well, they descended upon the Blooded Moon, home to the last of the Lunar Elves. They ripped into it like savage beast, tore its side open wide and the elves spilled from the broken hull like blood from a wounded sky whale. It was over in seconds. The horde had massed and moved to press when suddenly the dwarven watchtower exploded with brilliant light and a force like I had never seen. The Namir had triggered it, they had waited for the horde to mass and move close enough before detonating their lethal trap. Hundreds of the elementals fell, like dried and dead leaves falling from the trees, most still smoldering as they fell from sight. Still hundreds more advanced into our ship’s ranks. The small figure that was moving toward me was now close enough to see detail. It was Dweena Squint, a goblin sent forward to receive the Key. I pressed it into her hands, she received it well and with no words and with only a slight tilt of her head made her way to the Daughter of Woe. It was here that I reigned in Velsari and took a moment to take in the battle. The Billowing Storm, one of only a few human vessels had moved to block the assault and was destroyed for her efforts. Fates Nemesis, was moving to provide aid to one of a pair of rescue arks that was now on fire and defenseless. My own people’s ship, Goddess’s Tear, was not far from my position, I motioned for Velsari to land there. Once on deck she collapsed in pain, I could see where her left wing and been severely damaged, and she hadn’t complained once. I could see it in the faces around me that my wounds looked far worse then they felt. I pulled my riding helm off and then realized it was not the rain in my eyes, but my own blood. My shirt and leather-riding vest, were both soaked through. I heard her voice before I could see her, issuing orders and trying to keep others moving. I turned to offer my salute as she entered the port flight deck.

Pre-Game

     The background for the campaign was designed using the Microscope system. Which admittedly I was very concerned about. I have been playing rpg's for going on 30yrs, yep life time geek that's me. And until now I never quite realized the control issues I had about my games. I very concerned about what could come about by just turning the history of the 'world' over to my trusted GM and the rest of my fellow players. As it turns out... Its awesome !! I am very pleased with the outcome as a player and a GM, I can with confidence fully endorse what Microscope has done as far as world building. We will be using the Action Card System for the actual game play. It is a Home Brew system that my very good friend Lowell Francis has been building and testing for a number of years now.

    In a nut-shell, the background of the game world is that the world itself was shattered by a mage some many years ago and the world as we know it now consist of a number of independent floating city-islands. These city-islands have in recent time began to fall thus killing all of the people living on them. So in desperation the various kingdoms have begun building great 'arks' and sky ships to survive on. A secondary development is that in their search to find a way to keep their Island from fall out of the sky a group of mages discovered that by summoning other-world elementals and through a process could convert them to a power source and then used to continue to keep their cities aloft. Unfortunately a "side-effect" of this being converted to a power source the elementals were killed. (go figure) Well as if matters weren't bad enough for the various kingdoms, Lord Sunforge, the master of the other-world elementals has come to this world with vengeance on his mind and now he and his armies are hunting all who lived here.

    So it is with all of these things going on the few peoples of this world will ban together in a rag-tag fleet of sky ships and arks to press forward into unknown territories fleeing Lord Sunforge and their failing islands. They don't know what lies beyond the great Storm Barriers that have long separated the various sections of their world from each other.