Actual Play - Second Game (9 Mar 12)

After camping out for the night, the party spent several hours in the morning hunting and relaxing.  Prior to their departure from the Valley, they were joined by Dara, Blaine and Delphi, bringing the party to ten!


Dara is a female Uruki noble from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  B5B86C/3, Streetwise-1, Leader-1, Bribery-1, Military Crossbow-1; has Clairvoyance and Telekinesis, level 3, Age 30.  Her grandsire is wed to the youngest sister of Tevin, Chieftain of Clan Wyghmore.


Blaine is a male Uruki from the Great Central Plain.  UPP:  A6A986, Bribery-2, Carousing-1, Revolver-1, Streetwise-1, Age 26.  Another recently exiled family, they too were adopted into clan Ludlow by Madden, the Chieftain when they reached the Valley of Arden.


Delphi is a famale Gnome rogue from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  A987A2/6, Brawling-1, Medical-1, Broadsword-1, Jack-o-Trades-1; has Teleportation, Awareness and Clairvoyance, level 6.  Her family serves under Artemis, Chieftain of Clan Maragos.


After introductions were made, the party set off into the Grey Hills.  The road gradually narrowed, becoming a meter wide path winding up into the hills and then mountains.   About 20 km south on the path, the party came to a split, with a small open place for camping.  One branch of the trail went south, the other due west, toward the Grey Hills. 


The party camped for the night.  In the morning, using psionics, they attempted to determine which route to take... extending their awareness in both directions.  They decided to go south.  


The path sloped up steeply, to a small peak, and from the top, the party was able to see several burned areas about a day’s travel south.  Continuing south, the party stopped once, where Zaccheus decided it was more important to get to the Highsmeet, and he left he party to head back north.  The rest of the party continued on, and by mid-afternoon, could smell smoke.  A few hours later, they reached the first impact site, finding a roughly circular patch a kilometer in diameter, centered on the path.  While the party cautiously approached the center of the burn, Lairgnen noticed The Watcher on the opposite side, standing just inside the line of felled, burned trees.  He attempted to get to him, but The Watcher turned, and headed into to trees.  Lairgnen was unable to locate him. 


In the center of the burn, the party found a deep depression with scorched earth.  Using their psionics, they attempted to determine what was there.  After much effort, they found a rocky meteorite about half a meter in diameter, weighing about 75 kgs.  Not sure what to make of it, they continued south toward the next burn site.


Two km further south, they found the second site about about a third of a kilometer east of the trail.  The terrain was rockier here, and in the central depression of the site, they found a 7 kg lump of almsot pure iron.  Tiernan brought the lump with him, and they continued to the third site.


The third site was less than 2 kilometers further south.  It was a much larger burn area, almost 3 km in diameter, and the central pit held some sort of metallic wreckage!  The party was unable to determine much about it, as it was twisted and bent, but the part exposed above ground was about 4 meters long, by 3 meters wide and 3 meters high.  


They found padded chairs inside, but nothing to indicate anyone had been in them when it crashed.  Looking around for tracks, in case someone had been inside, they found a small box with three buttons on it, sitting upside down just beyond the central pit.  After fiddling with the buttons, they were surprised to hear a voice, asking a question in an alien language!  Further experimentation allowed them to figure out that one of the buttons was a "push-to-talk" button, and after speaking into the box, the voice responded in their language!


The team asked several questions of the voice, and were told he was a space traveller with a warning for them.  He identified himself only as First Contact, and explained that the Red Zone Beacon in orbit had been turned off, and that therefore the protection afforded by it no longer existed.  Of course, the party had no idea what any of this meant, so they sent word to King Ossian via psionics and asked for instructions.  Word came back, via Zaccheus, who had now reached the split in the trail, that the King would send a team of porters to retrieve everything, and they were to head to the Highsmeet right away.


The party camped for the night, then headed north in the morning.  After meeting up with Zaccheus, they spent several days trekking west to the site of the Highsmeet, and arrived with 3 days to spare.  On the way, they contacted Ossian again, and were told he and his clan chiefs, and the other Kings would all come to the Highsmeet without waiting for their report.  


They met up with several Uruki at the site early to set up for the Highsmeet, and were brushed off.  They hung around until the Royal Contingent from Arden arrived in 5 horse-drawn wagons.  At that point, they showed the radio to King Ossian and the Chiefs, and demonstrated it by talking to First Contact.  Ossian immediately cut them off, and instructed them not to pass any more information to First Contact.  At this point, Artemis revealed to Ossian and the party that while the Gnomes had given up industrial technology when they arrived on planet, they had retained the knowledge of high technology, preserved in Gnomish libraries.  The Royal Contingent then conferred while the party waited outside.  


Changing their plans, the Royal Contingent directed the party to leave the Highsmeet, and look for the Gnome Library.  They were given only the information that it was south and east of the impact site.  Artemis wrote a scroll and embossed it with her seal and instructed them to show it publicly in every Gnome village they passed until they found the Library.  The scroll essentially said that with the Beacon down, it was time to start using technology again.  The team was given a wagon and 2 horses, and began their journey.


Travelling faster now, it took them three days to get back to the impact sites, and just a few kilometers beyond, the path formed a "T"; one path went NE, the other SW.  The team turned NE and travelled.  The only problem they ran into was when the path dipped between two cliffs, forming a gully, and sheep blocked their way.  After passing it, they continued, and found a village, where the mayor had a scribe copy the scroll for distribution away from the main path.  The group passed through 11 more villages in the next two days; staying in the last overnight.  In the morning, they were told the library was only half a day away, and just after lunch they arrived in the largest village they’d seen yet.  

Lairgnen spoke to a passerby and was directed to the correct building.  At the library, a small, nondescript building, they found an elderly man seated behind a counter.  He asked their business and they showed him the scroll.  After they described their mission, he excused himself, and disappeared through a door.  He was gone for ten minutes, and returned with plans for a simple radio.  He handed them the plans, and directed them to the silversmith, with the order to begin building.  He asked what the party felt should be built next, and as they began brainstorming other items to ask about, the librarian told them to go to an inn, and come back in the morning with a specific list of requirements.

Actual Play, First Game!

Today was our first Star Clans game!  We had seven players to start, all from the Northernmost Kingdom, ruled by King Ossian, Chieftain of Clan Denby.  Here’s our current cast of characters:

Lykaios is a female Gnome barbarian from the Valley of Arden.   UPP: 877AB6/6, Broadsword-4, Leader-1, Brawling-1; has Telepathy level 6, Age 26.  Her family serves under Artemis, Chieftain of Clan Maragos.

Alec is a male Gnome rogue from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  B9CAA3/6, Longbow Cbt-1, Streetwise-1; has Telepathy, Clairvoyance and Awareness, level 6, age 18.  His family serves under Artemis, Chieftain of Clan Maragos.

Zaccheus is a male Gnome scientist from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  673EA8/A, has Telepathy and Telekinesis, level A, age 22.  His family serves under Artemis, Chieftain of Clan Maragos.

Cinnia is a female Uruki noble from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  9A686C/C, Gambling-1, Sporting Crossbow Cbt-1, Leader-2, Admin-1, Broadsword-1; has Telekinesis level 12, Age 26.  Her grandsire is a first cousin to Kyler, Chieftain of Clan Gower.

Gildas is a male Uruki rogue from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  738796/6, Jack-of-all-Trades-2, Leader-1, Medical-1, Broadsword-1, Streetwise-1; has Telepathy and Awareness, level 6, age 26.  His family serves under Kyler, Chieftain of Clan Gower.

Tiernan is a male Uruk noble from the Valley of Arden.  UPP:  78658E/4, Admin-1, Longbow Cbt-1, Streetwise-1, Medical-1, Carousing-1, Leader-1; has Awareness, Telepathy, and a special talent, all level 4; age 26.  His grandsire is the youngest brother (of 5) of Tevin, Chieftain of Clan Wyghmore.

Lairgnen is a male Uruk from the Great Central Plain.  UPP:  8888A2, Interrogation-1, Broadsword-2, age 18.  His family was exiled recently, and made their way to the Valley of Arden, where Madden, Chieftain of Clan Ludlow took them in.

Character creation ended up taking 2.5 of our three hours allotted.  During the last half hour, we began actual play.

During the Northernmost Kingdom’s Kingsmeet, the characters were summoned to the table of King Ossian.  Once they were all seated at his table, he spoke:

“Each of you has been recommended by your Clan and by your Family, as having the potential to accomplish a mission of great importance not only to our Kingdom, but to the other Kingdoms of the Valley as well.  As you know, shortly after the Reformation in Uruk a century ago, Tristan, Chieftain of Clan Denby was banished for blasphemy.  He and the entire Clan went into exile, moving to the Borderlands.  His youngest son, Condon, led us to this Valley, and sued for peace with the Gnomes already living here.  Together, we have grown and prospered during our banishment, and it is time to reunite our Kingdoms with the High King in Uruk.  The Highsmeet, held every 20 years at the shore where planetfall took place, begins in two weeks.  We have not attended since our banishment, though we’ve kept an eye on it each time.  Your task, then, is to travel southwest, and leave the Valley.  You will head west through the Grey Hills, and make an appearance at the Highsmeet, where you will request an audience with the High King.  Tradition dictates he must hear you; and you will use the opportunity to open talks for reunification.  Should he agree, you will let us know immediately, and I and the Clan Chiefs will depart for the Highsmeet ourselves.  I recommend you outfit yourselves tonight; and leave first thing in the morning.”

He then granted them 2000 credits each to outfit themselves, and dismissed them.  As the party visited the weapon smiths and other craftsmen, gathering the supplies they needed, night fell.  The characters noticed an unusual abundance of shooting stars, an auspicious sign, before turning in for the night.

They were roused early by messengers from the King.  “You are summoned back to the King’s tent immediately, for additional instructions before you depart!  Make haste!”

When they’d reassembled at the King’s Table, Ossian again came in and sat at the head, and began without preamble:  “Last night, you probably noticed the shooting stars… I’ve received reports that several crashed into the Grey Hills, due south of the end of the Valley.  Since you’re already heading that way, and you should have the time, I want you to attempt to find the impact sites before you head west to the Highsmeet.  Should you find anything of import, you will let us know right away!”  With that, Ossian stood, and left the tent.

The party then gathered their supplies, and began their trek southwest along the main road running the length of Valley.  Their trip was uneventful, and they passed through the other two Kingdoms without incident.  Midway through the fifth day of their journey, they reached the end of the Valley.  The road sloped up into the mountains, narrowing to the meter-wide path that led to the Grey Hills.