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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 9791180" data-attributes="member: 42582">We did get in a session last Sunday. With two player present we had two PCs: Fea-bella the Elven Dreamwalker, and Telemere the Elven Ranger.Telemere's player provided the prologue, and thus was relieved of Exhaustion. The Elven duo decided to travel from the Forgotten Temple Complex more-or-less northwest, around the outcropping of the Griff Mountains to the Tower of Stars. (Here is a <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/torchbearer-2e-actual-play-of-this-awesome-system.691233/page-5" target="_blank">map</a>.) The weather roll (for early autumn) was Clear and Cool; and even a roll of Delayed on the Trouble on the Road table barely put a dent in their mood. A Pathfinder test (from Telemere as guide) succeeded, and so did a Scavenging test from Fea-bella the forager, locating 3 doses of healing herbs; and food and drink dealt with the consequences of the toll.When they arrived at the Tower, they found that there were other people there: Rufus, the constable of the Wizard's Tower (and <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/torchbearer-2e-actual-play-of-this-awesome-system.691233/post-8833084" target="_blank">an enemy of Golin</a>), with some soldiers and a mule and cart. Rufus was glad to see that Fea-bella did not have Golin with her, and there was some friendly discussion of what loot might be taken from the Tower. Rufus also said something about a message from Fella (Fea-bella's mother), but this did not come out for reasons that will soon be revealed!Fea-bella tried to persuade Rufus to take a dose of healing herbs, in anticipation of possible need arising from a foray into the tower; the test (on Manipulator) failed, and so while Fea-bella was clearly angling for payment, Rusus gratefully accepted the gift! The PCs then joined the soldiers in a camp; and as they did, what should they hear but the clippety-clop and tingling of bells that signalled the arrival of Fea-bella's Ranger friend Glothfindel, riding his steed Asfaloth. Fea-bella hadn't seen him <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/torchbearer-2e-actual-play-of-this-awesome-system.691233/post-9138753" target="_blank">since about a year ago</a>; Glothfindel had a sword with him, to give to Golin in exchange for the return of his own Dream-wise sword. And so was disappointed that Golin was not about.The two Elven PCs healed one another of Injury, with Glothfindel providing help. So the only remaining condition was Fea-bella's Exhaustion. For the players, this was probably where the session peaked - it was pretty much straight downhill from there.It began with the Adventuring-Friend-in-Camp rules (Scholar's Guide, p 122):*When meeting an adventuring friend out in the world, make one free test to recover from the angry or afraid conditions in the camp or town phase if time is spent reminiscing. *If they don’t need to blow off steam, an adventuring friend will instead offer a rumor (roll on the Tavern Rumors table).As Fea-bella was neither Angry nor Afraid, I duly rolled on the Rumours table (Scholar's Guide p 299), and got a 16:Challenge. A drunken warrior holds the door and challenges all comers. If you dance with them, test Fighter vs the warrior’s Fighter 6 (Might 3 and level 3 Duelist trait) or sit down.It turned out that one of Rufus's men (I'd refrained from following module T1 and calling them Burne's Badgers) was no ordinary soldier but a swordsman to match Conan or Aragorn, and he was angry about all these namby-pamby Elves muscling in on the mission to the Tower. Telemere took up the challenge, but was roundly bested in the duel of sword vs spear: he was Injured again.The PCs then tried to persuade the soldiers (led by the Duellist) to let them stay, and even to teach Fea-bella how to fight with a staff, but this Convince Crowd conflict failed, and the PCs (and Glothfindel) had to leave (as Elves were not welcome!).They decided to head north to the river, so that they could get fresh water. Another weather roll indicated that fog had rolled in, and Trouble on the Road had them lost. The Pathinder roll, for Fea-bella as guide, failed; and so they were lost. Fea-bella also wore out her shoes; but Telemere became Angry (from the Toll for travel). They stumbled into a ravine in the mountain-side, where the fog was not as thick. This was the entry-way to <a href="https://grognardia.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-halls-of-tizun-thane.html" target="_blank">The Halls of Tizun Thane</a>, which I converted to TB2e quite a while ago.They found a dead body in the ravine. Searching it revealed a message with a password ("To gain entrance, say to the guard 'Take us to your master'.") and another with indecipherable notes. (This is the first encounter in the module, although the indecipherable notes were the result of a roll on the Stuff table following a successful instinctual looting roll by Fea-bella's player.)They also noticed the nandies gathered on the ledges above the ravine - these are a type of carnivorous ape found in the module. A successful Hunter roll by Telemere's player indicated that Telemere knew a bit about them:A nandie is a 5' tall black-brown tailless simian carnivore. It can walk or fight on two legs or scamper on all fours, and is an extremely agile climber. Nandies are s found in rocky hill-country or thick forest, where they can swiftly leap from rock to rock or swing through trees, twice as fast as their normal, knuckle-walking ground speed. Nandies live in colonies of 20 to 250+, headed by a mated pair, or by a nandie-bear that will laze while the nandies hunt and scavenge for it. The colony will live in a cave complex or in ruins. Forty per cent of the colony will be young (Might 1, Nature 1). They collect shiny items, and in a secluded corner of the colony will be their treasure hoard, a vast pile of glittering shards and object as well as possible coins and gems. Outside the colony nandies are encountered in groups of 2 to 12 adults; they are rarely encountered more than 1 mile from their colony. Nandies have their own simple tongue that consists of screeches and chatters - they make these noises almost incessantly. They are prone to screech and chatter to summon other nandies, who arrive at the rate of 10 to 20 per minute until the whole colony are there (the leaders are always the last to arrive). Nandies will always go to the summons of their leader, and so there is a chance that any nandies present will be summoned away if their leader is not on the scene. In their lair, those nandies present will always screech to summon those that are elsewhere. If left alone nandies will generally ignore anyone encountering them, or follow them inquisitively. If nandies attack, they will if possible throw rocks, lumps of wood and the like from a vantage point.The PCs proceeded down the ravine, as they needed water and ravines are, after all, caused by the flow of water. And so they came to the lake and the Halls sitting on a stone pier extending into the pool's centre. They filled their waterskins, and then proceeded to the entrance where they saw the iron golem guard, and spoke the password. And so it led them through the Halls (as per the module notes) to an inner hall with many mirrors.On the way through, they saw a grand hall with a large painting of an older man dressed in purple robes - Tizun Thane. A successful Scholar test by Fea-bella allowed her to recognise the portrait, and to recall that Tizun Thane is a high level evil magic user, as cruel as he is cunning. With his instinct to check if he is being watched when entering somewhere new, Telemere spotted eyes (though he doesn't know whose) looking through the peepholes where the eyes should be in the painting. Another hall had what seemed to be golems in chain armour with swords; but a successful Lore Master test meant that Fea-bellla realised that they were, in fact, just museum-type pieces held up by wood and straw stuffing ("scarecrows", as she put it).In the mirror room, they saw a body on the floor, in purple rooms. Telemere's instinct kicked in again, and with a successful Healer test he realised that it was dead, the skull caved in (probably a year or two ago) and with the brain missing. Fea-bella found a ring on the body, and a scroll sewn into the hem of the robe. A Lore Master test to try and identify the meaning of the ring's design (gold with a zig-zag bright green line running around it) failed; and the PCs were surprised when they were joined in the hall by a humanoid but tailed and spiny-headed lizard (a Silurian, according to Fea-bella, or at least her player). Its name was Hraven, and it called itself a Gruxu. (From memory, the original module used troglodytes, but in my conversion I had replaced them with Gruxu from deep beneath the earth's surface.) Because the PCs were Elves and not humans, it did not immediately intend them harm. It made clear its hatred of magic, and explained that it was in the Halls to find ancient texts. And it had not been able to enter the mirror room previously, due to the secret entrance (which the golem had opened for the PCs).Fea-bella showed Hraven the indecipherable notes, and Hraven read them excitedly, and seemed pleased. But didn't tell the PCs what they said! The PCs asked Hraven to take them somewhere where they could rest, and so it did. They tried to convince A Manipulator test allowed Fea-bella the opportunity to take the hem-sewn scroll without being noticed. Hraven took them to the guest rooms in the Halls. They tried to get food from Hraven also; I can't remember all the details, but my notes indicate there was a Convince conflict here, and the PCs lost but with a major compromise owed, and I remember that Hraven did give them some meat. Though its provenance was unclear. Hraven then headed down the tunnel to the underearth and the city of the Gruxu; the PCs didn't follow. Instead, they decided that rather than eating the meat, they would use it as bait to fish in the pool. A successful Scavenger test found them something to use as a fishing rod. They wanted to find some grain to eat also, and I mentioned that on the way in they had passed a stable. So they headed there, looking for oats. There was a failed test here - another Scavenger, I think - and the PCs found themselves assailed by a group of nandies! They decided to flee from them, but this Flee conflict was a failure, with only a half-compromise owed by the nandies. So the PCs had got out of the Halls, as they desired - rather than being completely headed off by the nandies - but the nandies had called their leader, the dreaded nandie bear:Type: Troll The nandie-bear is a loathsome, 8' tall ape-like creature, semi-neanderthal in facial features with baleful eyes, large teeth and shaggy black hair. Not only is the beast a carnivore, but it has a natural preference for human flesh. It can move silently in its natural habitat. The few occasions it ventures from the colony of nandies that it heads are always in the dead of night; it conducts such forays alone. It will otherwise leave the colony only if summoned by the nandies. When encountered, the nandie-bear will always issue a terrifying haunting cry to summon any absent nandies. Apart from this cry, the beast is totally silent. However, it emanates a powerful aura of evil that will cause horses, dogs, mules, etc to skitter and start if the nandie-bear approaches within 100 yards, even if it is concealed. The nandie-bear’s cry can be heard for a radius of 1 mile, and is one of the most frightening sounds of the wilderness. horses (other than those ridden or led as steeds), dogs, mules, etc will panic on hearing it, and any opponent in a conflict who loses one or more points of disposition will take the Afraid condition, apart from any other consequence or compromise.The nandie bear issues its cry, but Telemere, being a Fearless Elf, was not affected. And Fea-bella was already Afraid. (I can't recall why, but I think from a failed test). Fea-bell was also Angry (from the grind), and Telemere Exhausted and Sick (for the same reason - or maybe Exhaustion was from toll). About now (maybe a bit earlier?) Telemere decided to Grit His Teeth (and so recovered from Injured, but had Scavenger drop from 2 to 1) and Sweat Out the Fever (and so recovered from Sickness, but had his Nature drop from 4 to 3).The nandie-bear, with 7 nandies, was trying to drive off the PCs but strip all their gear from them; the PCs just wanted to escape with their gear intact. Unfortunately for the players (and their PCs) they lost all their hit points in the first round (I think it was) and did no damage, and so were driven off without compromise. And the nandies pulled off their backpacks, satchels, bandoliers, etc. Telemere kept his armour, shoes and belt with knife, and waterskin (but the nandies did get his hatchet, with its easily-graspable haft). Fea-bella kept her belt with dagger and waterskins, and the ring remained safe in her pocket. It was pretty tragic. Somewhere around here Telemere's player had his head in his hands, repeating to himself "It's just a game, it's just a game."The PCs did have 3 camp checks, and so elected to camp. Both recovered from Angry, Fea-bella recovered from Afraid, and with the Song of Serenity sung by Fea-bella, Telemere recovered from Exhaustion. So Telemere has no conditions, but Fea-bella is still Exhausted (as she was at the start of the session). The camp event roll also indicated that the PCs were lost - as I explained, in running from the nandies they didn't know where they had ended up in the rocky and foggy terrain; and so the next session will have to start with a Pathfinder test.At the end of the session, Telemere received two Fate (for pursuing his goal, of finding food; and for using his instinct to good effect) and three Persona (he had been conflicted with his Belief that persistence is folly; in taking on the duel, had stood up for his Creed that this world of humans needs guidance away from their follies and struggling; and had been the teamworker, helping Fea-bella with many checks).Fea-bella received three Fate (for pursuing her goal, of getting trained in staff fighting, for following her Belief that only the rich get anywhere in this world by incessantly looking for loot, and by using her instinct usefully) and two Persona (for upholding her Creed that in these dark times, the free peoples must stand together, and for MVP - though I can't remember now what this was based on, it made sense at the time!).Hopefully we will get in another session soon.</blockquote>

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