IC [DW] From the Outside

Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
"My father, and the family he served, were good men. But it was bad, cruel, and greedy men who killed them and destroyed their House. Not gods," Hawthorne says.
"The gods did nothing," 'agreed' the big man in a dark growl. "Nothing but -" But then he clamped down and flung even that away with an annoyed wave of a gauntleted hand.

The 'gods' had been far from neutral in his own little corner of hell...

He kept on walking.

Brier being out front scouting at the moment, that left just Trickle front and center in Hawthorne's field of attention. :)


OOC: Slice and Brier are ready to move on to the next scene (unless Hawthorne moves up to them in the column, that is)... Or I could have Brier move back for one of his periodical report about now if you want, Isida?
 
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GlassEye

Adventurer
Trickle

With Khirynnax scouting ahead in bird form, Brier breaking trail, and Slice having finished his conversation with Hawthorne Trickle is the only one near enough to hear the priestess of Ushane. He glances back over his shoulder then stops a moment so that Hawthorne can get close enough to carry on a conversation without having to raise voices. Apparently the rogue has tromped on enough small plants to have vented his frustration and is more willing to talk now.

"Oh, you weren't ignoring me, priestess. You were involved in a conversation I'd had my fill of. Nothing personal. Slice and I, and Brier, have been a team for a while now and when you work with someone day in and day out you learn where to jab the needle for greatest effect. Sometimes you gotta step away." Trickle walks along a bit farther. He's obviously thinking how to answer Hawthorne's question.

Finally he shrugs and continues, "We were traveling this way with our late employer and were set upon by one of his enemies. We tried to get him away, somewhere safe, and ended up in a running battle that lasted most of the night. The elf showed up with a promise of safety, but it came with strings attached. Pretty big strings. So, now we work for the Witching Troll. For a while anyway." He looks at Hawthorne through narrowed eyes. "What about you?"

[sblock=Sheets][sblock=Trickle][section]
Trickle
Human Thief (level 1; 0 xp)
Shifty Eyes, Cropped Hair, Fancy Clothes, Lithe Body

STR 9 DEX 16 (+2) CON 12 INT 15 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 8 (-1)
Max. hp: 18 Current hp: 18

Alignment: Neutral: Avoid detection or infiltrate a location.

Gear: (Load 6/9) – Base Dmg: d8
Dagger (hand, 1 wt.) and Short sword (close, 1 wt.)
Ragged bow (near, 2 wt.) and bundle of arrows (3 ammo, 1 wt.)
Adventuring gear (1 wt.)
Bloodweed poison (touch, 3 uses): target deals -1d4 damage ongoing until cured

[sblock=Thief Moves]Human: When you spout lore or discern realities about criminal activities take +1

Trap Expert: When you spend a moment to survey a dangerous area, roll+Dex (2d6+2)
10+: hold 3
7-9: hold 1
Spend hold as you walk through area to ask questions:
  • Is there a trap here and if so, what activates it?
  • What does the trap do when activated?
  • What else is hidden here?
Tricks of the Trade: When you pick locks or disable traps, roll+Dex
10+: you do it, no problem
7-9: you do it, but GM offers two options between suspicion, danger, or cost.

Backstab: When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy with a melee weapon, you can choose to roll your damage or roll+Dex
10+: choose two
7-9: choose one
  • You don’t get into melee with them
  • You deal your damage +1d6
  • You create an advantage, +1 forward to you or an ally acting on it
  • Reduce their armor by 1 until they repair it
Flexible Morals: When someone tries to detect your alignment you can tell them any alignment you like

Poisoner: Bloodweed (touch) is no longer dangerous for you to use. When you have time to gather materials and a safe place to brew you can make three uses of Bloodweed for free.
[/sblock][sblock=Bonds and Backgrounds]
I stole something from Needles.
Slice has my back when something goes wrong.
Artur knows incriminating details about me.

After a year and a day of service the Witching Troll will teach Trickle the secret of Witch's Tears.

In the course of his work Trickle came across a poisoner’s tome (no longer in his possession) that described a potent poison called Witch’s Tears. The poisoner learned the formula for the poison (frustratingly not written down in the book) from a powerful unseelie sorcerer, a troll…
[/sblock]​
[/section][/sblock][sblock=Khirynnax][section]
Khirynnax Skinchanger, AKA Khir
Elven Druid (level 1; 0 xp)
Wild Eyes, Messy Hair, Practical Leathers

STR 15 (+1) DEX 12 CON 13 (+1) INT 9 WIS 16 (+2) CHA 8 (-1)
Max. hp: 19 Current hp: 19

Alignment: Neutral: Eliminate an unnatural menace.

Gear: (Load 3/7) – Base Dmg: d6
Token of the Mire: the Copper Coil, age-blackened armband in shape of snake
Hide armor (1 armor, 1 wt.)
Staff (close, two-handed, 1 wt.)
Poultices and herbs (2 uses, 1 wt.)

[sblock=Druid Moves]
Elf: In addition to any other attunements, the Great Forest is always considered your land.

Born of the Soil: Attuned to the Stinking Mire—when shapeshifting you may take the shape of any animal who might live in your land. Your tell (a crown of ivy) remains no matter what shape you take.

By Nature Sustained: You don’t need to eat or drink. If a move tells you to mark off a ration just ignore it.

Spirit Tongue: The grunts, barks, chirps, and calls of the creatures of the wild are as language to you. You can understand any animal native to your land or akin to one whose essence you have studied.

Shapeshifter: When you call upon the spirits to change your shape, roll+WIS.
10+ hold 3
7-9 hold 2
On a miss hold 1 in addition to whatever the GM says.
You may take on the physical form of any species whose essence you have studied or who lives in your land: you and your possessions meld into a perfect copy of the species’ form. You have any innate abilities and weaknesses of the form: claws, wings, gills, breathing water instead of air. You still use your normal stats but some moves may be harder to trigger. The GM will also tell you one or more moves associated with your new form. Spend 1 hold to make that move. Once you are out of hold you return to your natural form. At any time, you may spend all your hold and revert to your natural form.

Studied Essence: When you spend time in contemplation of an animal spirit, you may add its species to those you can assume using shapeshifting.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Bonds and Background]
Trickle smells more like prey than a hunter.
The spirits spoke to me of a great danger that follows Slice.
I have showed Needles a secret rite of the land.
Artur has tasted my blood and I theirs. We are bound by it.

After a year and a day of service the Witching Troll will reveal a secret of the fae's primordial essence.

Khirynnax was an outsider, too fey for the humans, too unseelie for the elves. He didn’t care because he sensed a deeper essence, pure and powerful, that he needed to understand. When a halfling told him there was one who could put him on the path that might lead to his understanding Khirynnax didn’t hesitate. He made his way to the Witching Troll and readily accepted the bargain of service that the troll required as payment.
[/sblock]​
[/section][/sblock][/sblock]
 

doghead

thotd
Day One - in the wilderness

The early morning slides slowly into day. Eventually you stop long enough to sort out a few basic questions, like how far is it to Hengistead. Three or four days is the answer. Which means that you might need to make a move.

[sblock=OOC] So lets start with something that I really liked when reading the rules: Special Move - Undertake a Perilous Journey

DW said:
When you travel through hostile territory, choose one member of the party to act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster. Each character with a job to do rolls+Wis.

On a 10+:
* the quartermaster reduces the number of rations required by one
* the trailblazer reduces the amount of time it takes to reach your destination (the GM will say by how much)
* the scout will spot any trouble quick enough to let you get the drop on it

On a 7–9, each role performs their job as expected: the normal number of rations are consumed, the journey takes about as long as expected, no one gets the drop on you but you don’t get the drop on them either.

You can’t assign more than one job to a character. If you don’t have enough party members, or choose not to assign a job, treat that job as if it had been assigned and the responsible player had rolled a 6.

Distances in Dungeon World are measured in rations. A ration is the amount of supplies used up in a day. Journeys take more rations when they are long or when travel is slow.

A perilous journey is the whole way between two locations. You don’t roll for one day’s journey and then make camp only to roll for the next day’s journey, too. Make one roll for the entire trip.
[/sblock]
 

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
With Khirynnax scouting ahead in bird form, Brier breaking trail, and Slice having finished his conversation with Hawthorne Trickle is the only one near enough to hear the priestess of Ushane. He glances back over his shoulder then stops a moment so that Hawthorne can get close enough to carry on a conversation without having to raise voices. Apparently the rogue has tromped on enough small plants to have vented his frustration and is more willing to talk now.

"Oh, you weren't ignoring me, priestess. You were involved in a conversation I'd had my fill of. Nothing personal. Slice and I, and Brier, have been a team for a while now and when you work with someone day in and day out you learn where to jab the needle for greatest effect. Sometimes you gotta step away." Trickle walks along a bit farther. He's obviously thinking how to answer Hawthorne's question.

Finally he shrugs and continues, "We were traveling this way with our late employer and were set upon by one of his enemies. We tried to get him away, somewhere safe, and ended up in a running battle that lasted most of the night. The elf showed up with a promise of safety, but it came with strings attached. Pretty big strings. So, now we work for the Witching Troll. For a while anyway." He looks at Hawthorne through narrowed eyes. "What about you?"

"On the path back from counseling a couple when a group of what I'm given to understand are the same soldiers came down the road. And they were not interested in conversing with me, or indeed doing anything cordial. Whatever had fallen them before on the road, they would not listen to reason. I had to flee, and the Witching Troll protected me from their sight in exchange for a service. I took it as fate," Hawthorne explains. "And worry not about Slice. Those who are often so prickly are defending their hearts most fiercely. Those that still have them, that is."
 

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
The early morning slides slowly into day. Eventually you stop long enough to sort out a few basic questions, like how far is it to Hengistead. Three or four days is the answer. Which means that you might need to make a move.

"Well, I'm not horrible at wilderness travel, but I gather that Khirynnax or Brier may be far better trailblazers than I. If there is something needful, I can certainly give it a try. I've done a bit of fishing in my time, for certain, if you wish me to try to stream when we stop of a night."
 

Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
"If I see that druid bastard again, leading the way's not going be the first thing we're going to 'discuss'," stated Slice before tearing a huge chunk out of his loaf of trail bread with his teeth.

A few heartbeats physically chewing, but his mind was already made up: "We'll do the usual: Needles on scout, Trickle on the lead. Do your trout thing if you want, Silent Girl." They had rations enough to last either way.

He washed down the bread with some water from the nearby stream.

Beasts he wasn't too concerned about, but they were still in contested territory, likely with Tahnurson's men buzzing everywhere about after their victory yesterday...

Brier, casually perched on a curving branch some ways up, just whistled together with the local song birds: he had no problems with that. "Battle basilisk on the way, exchange riddles three with the Guardian of the Bridge?"
 

GlassEye

Adventurer
Khirynnax lands nearby and shifts back to elven form. He pushes his way through the brush to rejoin the group as they discuss the plan of travel for the days to come. "I'll do my part. I know my way through forests."

Trickle nods slowly with a quick glance over at Slice. "Alright, you find the best trail for us, then." That shifting trick would be pretty useful for a scout but Trickle would rather keep an eye on him until he knows the elf can be trusted.

[sblock=Sheets][sblock=Trickle][section]
Trickle
Human Thief (level 1; 0 xp)
Shifty Eyes, Cropped Hair, Fancy Clothes, Lithe Body

STR 9 DEX 16 (+2) CON 12 INT 15 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 8 (-1)
Max. hp: 18 Current hp: 18

Alignment: Neutral: Avoid detection or infiltrate a location.

Gear: (Load 6/9) – Base Dmg: d8
Dagger (hand, 1 wt.) and Short sword (close, 1 wt.)
Ragged bow (near, 2 wt.) and bundle of arrows (3 ammo, 1 wt.)
Adventuring gear (1 wt.)
Bloodweed poison (touch, 3 uses): target deals -1d4 damage ongoing until cured

[sblock=Thief Moves]Human: When you spout lore or discern realities about criminal activities take +1

Trap Expert: When you spend a moment to survey a dangerous area, roll+Dex (2d6+2)
10+: hold 3
7-9: hold 1
Spend hold as you walk through area to ask questions:
  • Is there a trap here and if so, what activates it?
  • What does the trap do when activated?
  • What else is hidden here?
Tricks of the Trade: When you pick locks or disable traps, roll+Dex
10+: you do it, no problem
7-9: you do it, but GM offers two options between suspicion, danger, or cost.

Backstab: When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy with a melee weapon, you can choose to roll your damage or roll+Dex
10+: choose two
7-9: choose one
  • You don’t get into melee with them
  • You deal your damage +1d6
  • You create an advantage, +1 forward to you or an ally acting on it
  • Reduce their armor by 1 until they repair it
Flexible Morals: When someone tries to detect your alignment you can tell them any alignment you like

Poisoner: Bloodweed (touch) is no longer dangerous for you to use. When you have time to gather materials and a safe place to brew you can make three uses of Bloodweed for free.
[/sblock][sblock=Bonds and Backgrounds]
I stole something from Needles.
Slice has my back when something goes wrong.
*** knows incriminating details about me.

After a year and a day of service the Witching Troll will teach Trickle the secret of Witch's Tears.

In the course of his work Trickle came across a poisoner’s tome (no longer in his possession) that described a potent poison called Witch’s Tears. The poisoner learned the formula for the poison (frustratingly not written down in the book) from a powerful unseelie sorcerer, a troll…
[/sblock]​
[/section][/sblock][sblock=Khirynnax][section]
Khirynnax Skinchanger, AKA Khir
Elven Druid (level 1; 0 xp)
Wild Eyes, Messy Hair, Practical Leathers

STR 15 (+1) DEX 12 CON 13 (+1) INT 9 WIS 16 (+2) CHA 8 (-1)
Max. hp: 19 Current hp: 19

Alignment: Neutral: Eliminate an unnatural menace.

Gear: (Load 3/7) – Base Dmg: d6
Token of the Mire: the Copper Coil, age-blackened armband in shape of snake
Hide armor (1 armor, 1 wt.)
Staff (close, two-handed, 1 wt.)
Poultices and herbs (2 uses, 1 wt.)

[sblock=Druid Moves]
Elf: In addition to any other attunements, the Great Forest is always considered your land.

Born of the Soil: Attuned to the Stinking Mire—when shapeshifting you may take the shape of any animal who might live in your land. Your tell (a crown of ivy) remains no matter what shape you take.

By Nature Sustained: You don’t need to eat or drink. If a move tells you to mark off a ration just ignore it.

Spirit Tongue: The grunts, barks, chirps, and calls of the creatures of the wild are as language to you. You can understand any animal native to your land or akin to one whose essence you have studied.

Shapeshifter: When you call upon the spirits to change your shape, roll+WIS.
10+ hold 3
7-9 hold 2
On a miss hold 1 in addition to whatever the GM says.
You may take on the physical form of any species whose essence you have studied or who lives in your land: you and your possessions meld into a perfect copy of the species’ form. You have any innate abilities and weaknesses of the form: claws, wings, gills, breathing water instead of air. You still use your normal stats but some moves may be harder to trigger. The GM will also tell you one or more moves associated with your new form. Spend 1 hold to make that move. Once you are out of hold you return to your natural form. At any time, you may spend all your hold and revert to your natural form.

Studied Essence: When you spend time in contemplation of an animal spirit, you may add its species to those you can assume using shapeshifting.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Bonds and Background]
*** smells more like prey than a hunter.
The spirits spoke to me of a great danger that follows Slice.
I have showed Needles a secret rite of the land.
*** has tasted my blood and I theirs. We are bound by it.

After a year and a day of service the Witching Troll will reveal a secret of the fae's primordial essence.

Khirynnax was an outsider, too fey for the humans, too unseelie for the elves. He didn’t care because he sensed a deeper essence, pure and powerful, that he needed to understand. When a halfling told him there was one who could put him on the path that might lead to his understanding Khirynnax didn’t hesitate. He made his way to the Witching Troll and readily accepted the bargain of service that the troll required as payment.
[/sblock]​
[/section][/sblock][/sblock]
 

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
Hawthorne is oddly not unnerved by Khirynnax's shifting trick. Perhaps because the sea is changeable, or so many of its creatures can shift color and form, or perhaps she's just that calm.

Or she might have some fine herbal blends she's not sharing with anyone. It's hard to tell.

Particularly because it seems this day that the fist are singularly uncooperative when they pause for the evening. With a sigh, Hawthorne breaks out the rations instead with a bit of a sheepish grin. "Not today, my friends. Perhaps I'll try fishing again in the morning. They might be more hungry then."

[sblock=OOC]OOC: Got a 6. Poo.

Oh Slice, I'm taking you as one of my bonds, "I'm working on converting Slice to my faith." This should be highly entertaining, and possibly violent, all around. :D[/sblock]
 

doghead

thotd
Days One to Four - A Perilous Journey through the Wilderness

The journey takes 4 days, taking you south from the the nord coast, overland through the rolling hills of Øst Riding which gradually become the Gnarwle Hills. Gains made are lost as the party is forced to backtrack or circle around obstacles. The going is harder than expected, and the wilderness miserly with its bounty. 5 rations each are consumed. The party is successful, however, in avoiding trouble. Mostly the trouble comes in the form of wild animals of little interest to the travellers.

Two encouters are of different. The first occurs early in the evening of the second night as you push on a little bit later than normal in an effort to make up lost time.

From a rocky outcrop on the side of a hill you see a small pack of wolves in a small clearing below. They are in a loose half circle watching warily as another wolf, significantly larger, tears into the carcass of an animal. As you watch, one of the pack gets too close and the larger wolf rears up on its hind legs before savaging the interloper. Moments later the interloper is dead, and the rest of the wolf pack flees into the woods, their mournful howls fading as they leave. The larger wolf returns to its meal. For a moment it squats on its hind legs, sniffing the air and peering around. But the moonlight shadows are deep and the breeze is in your face making you safe enough from detection so long as you remain quiet.

What do you do? You are free to leave well enough alone if you wish.

[sblock=OOC]I made the rolls for you as GE and BF seem to have suffered a bout of stage fright ... :)
Move: Undertake a Perilous Journey
1. Scout - Trickle (Roll 9+1 = 10) You spot trouble early enough to get the drop on any encounter
2. Trailblazer - Khyrinnax (Roll 5+2 = 7) You take the standard number of days to complete the journey
3. Quartermaster - Hawthorne (6) You each consume one extra ration. Hawthorne marks one XP.[/sblock]
 
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Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
OOC: A bit too quick on the trigger there, Doghead (it's a public holiday here). Backtracking to when Khirynnax first made his appearance if I can:

Slice just stood on the druid's approach, not really believing the shear balls on the man: like nothing had happened eh? Like that had any chance of working.

"So what have you got to say to us, druid?"

And by his stance it had better be good.
 

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