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<blockquote data-quote="Truename" data-source="post: 5076791" data-attributes="member: 78255">Session 2 (Scenes 2-1 and 2-2)This was a neat session. It dragged in parts, but the player's choices in this one should reverberate. They've also managed to go way off the rails of the plot. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />A bit of background: in prepping for this session, I decided that Larion was a misogynistic and cruel, but experienced, fieldworker who resented Shealis and her silly decision to send a talkative Solon on a covert mission. He wishes to supplant Shealis and take over as head of the Gate Pass operation.I've also decided to play the Shahalesti as a very fey race, with Jim Butcher and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell touches. So the fey are subtle and dangerous. Tie in Cwndydd, whose player has gone along with this characterization full bore, and we have the recipe for some intrigue.So before the session, I prepared some notecards. I decided that, if the players managed to capture Larion, that he would try to make a fey bargain with the players. Of course, the best fey bargains are like The Monkey's Paw--dangerous and destructive. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />To make it even more interesting, I decided that Larion would address the Shahalesti character in &quot;court eladrin&quot; that only an eladrin would speak. To simulate this, I handed Cwndydd's player prep-prepared notecards rather than talking. I created bastardized versions of the card for those that spoke elvish.Here are the cards:[code]Card 1:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &quot;Translated&quot; Card 1:Agent of Winter, perhaps we can&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Cold Servant, I give to thee what thouexchange favors.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; give to me.Card 2:I will tell you the location of the&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Three for three, binding in law. I givecase, the name of its possessor, and&nbsp; &nbsp; the queen and her scepter, and a boon yetwill grant my assistance with one&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; shared.other thing, which I will tell youbefore we are agreed. I ask threeboons in return.Card 3:First, agree not to speak of my terms&nbsp;&nbsp; Lowest, share not thine tongue an theyto anyone, unless they are present&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; also share it with thee, lest the donkeywith us here and have similarly&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; cry.agreed.Card 4:Second, release me and promise no&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Middling, let me and my children, and myretribution for my actions here&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; children's children, fly free.tonight.Card 5:Third, you and your companions kill&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Highest, smite the queen, who holds theshe who ordered me here, and who now&nbsp; &nbsp; scepter.possess the case.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The boon yet shared is a wasp, hiding&nbsp; When you do, my third boon is this:&nbsp;&nbsp; amongst the drones.I will strike from behind,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Agree, now!unsuspected, and aid you in theattack.&nbsp; Are we agreed?[/code]They did capture Larion, who told the Solon to return home, and then made his offer. This is the part that dragged a bit, because several players didn't have anything to do while the eladrin considered his cards and what to do next. But eventually they all understood the deal and, to my utter amazement, they accepted the bargain! I made a big deal about them ritually shedding blood, and warned them that their agreement was magically binding, but they agreed to it in an instant. Only one person balked.I had Torrent express discomfort with the idea of murdering someone, but she eventually went along with it too.I have to admit, this surprised me. On the other hand, I think it's a good way of introducing that their decisions have consequences early. I'm going to play up Shealis' willingness to discuss giving them the case when they meet her. And if they back out of their agreement--well, then there's Monkey's Paw-style results that can come along later.In retrospect, I think it's because they knew the Solon was a good-aligned creature, and they thought the Solon was with Larion (rather than Shealis). I had them roll an Insight check when the deal was done, and they did well, so they saw a flash of &quot;mouthful of jagged teeth&quot; in Larion's smile when he left... that left them a bit uncomfortable with their decision. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"&nbsp; class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing&nbsp; &nbsp; :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> When they meet Shealis, I'll be sure to convey that Solon is Shealis's familiar, not Larion's. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devil.png"&nbsp; class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":devil:" title="Devil&nbsp; &nbsp; :devil:" data-shortname=":devil:" /></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Truename, post: 5076791, member: 78255"] [b]Session 2 (Scenes 2-1 and 2-2)[/b] This was a neat session. It dragged in parts, but the player's choices in this one should reverberate. They've also managed to go way off the rails of the plot. :) A bit of background: in prepping for this session, I decided that Larion was a misogynistic and cruel, but experienced, fieldworker who resented Shealis and her silly decision to send a talkative Solon on a covert mission. He wishes to supplant Shealis and take over as head of the Gate Pass operation. I've also decided to play the Shahalesti as a very fey race, with Jim Butcher and [I]Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell[/I] touches. So the fey are subtle and dangerous. Tie in Cwndydd, whose player has gone along with this characterization full bore, and we have the recipe for some intrigue. So before the session, I prepared some notecards. I decided that, if the players managed to capture Larion, that he would try to make a fey bargain with the players. Of course, the best fey bargains are like [I]The Monkey's Paw[/I]--dangerous and destructive. :) To make it even more interesting, I decided that Larion would address the Shahalesti character in "court eladrin" that only an eladrin would speak. To simulate this, I handed Cwndydd's player prep-prepared notecards rather than talking. I created bastardized versions of the card for those that spoke elvish. Here are the cards: [code] Card 1: "Translated" Card 1: Agent of Winter, perhaps we can Cold Servant, I give to thee what thou exchange favors. give to me. Card 2: I will tell you the location of the Three for three, binding in law. I give case, the name of its possessor, and the queen and her scepter, and a boon yet will grant my assistance with one shared. other thing, which I will tell you before we are agreed. I ask three boons in return. Card 3: First, agree not to speak of my terms Lowest, share not thine tongue an they to anyone, unless they are present also share it with thee, lest the donkey with us here and have similarly cry. agreed. Card 4: Second, release me and promise no Middling, let me and my children, and my retribution for my actions here children's children, fly free. tonight. Card 5: Third, you and your companions kill Highest, smite the queen, who holds the she who ordered me here, and who now scepter. possess the case. The boon yet shared is a wasp, hiding When you do, my third boon is this: amongst the drones. I will strike from behind, Agree, now! unsuspected, and aid you in the attack. Are we agreed? [/code]They did capture Larion, who told the Solon to return home, and then made his offer. This is the part that dragged a bit, because several players didn't have anything to do while the eladrin considered his cards and what to do next. But eventually they all understood the deal and, to my utter amazement, they accepted the bargain! I made a big deal about them ritually shedding blood, and warned them that their agreement was magically binding, but they agreed to it in an instant. Only one person balked. I had Torrent express discomfort with the idea of murdering someone, but she eventually went along with it too. I have to admit, this surprised me. On the other hand, I think it's a good way of introducing that their decisions have consequences early. I'm going to play up Shealis' willingness to discuss giving them the case when they meet her. And if they back out of their agreement--well, then there's Monkey's Paw-style results that can come along later. In retrospect, I think it's because they knew the Solon was a good-aligned creature, and they thought the Solon was with Larion (rather than Shealis). I had them roll an Insight check when the deal was done, and they did well, so they saw a flash of "mouthful of jagged teeth" in Larion's smile when he left... that left them a bit uncomfortable with their decision. :lol: When they meet Shealis, I'll be sure to convey that Solon is Shealis's familiar, not Larion's. :devil: [/QUOTE]

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