We’ve reached the last week of Fall in our Mythic Bastionland solo campaign. The map is littered with militia and brimming with potential.
9th Short Day of Worwen, Ulf 638th Year
Weather: Rain
Morning Event Check: d4 → 1: Yes
Events Roll: d8, d4 → 7, 2: Good Stuff
Good Stuff Roll: d8 → 3: Seer Vision
— — — —
On the last Short Day of Worwen it rains. The sun is briefly visible at dawn, then it rises behind a mottled layer of verdigris clouds. What will come to pass in the plains of Mulnar today?
At the Sky Boulder, Sir Tollix permits himself half-a-day’s search of the fortress. In the afternoon he must ride back to Nebbit’s Heath. Almost twenty soldiers plus ponies means the chamber is quite crowded despite its size.
Tollix and his warband consider how they might clear the hallway and utilize the broken winch, but it is no use. They do not have the tools needed to fix the winch, nor to unclog the stairwell. With a successful CLA check (d20 → 12: Pass), the Weaver Knight is able to at least devise a way to dangle a soldier out of the window using their available rope. A successful SPI check (d20 → 2: Pass), shows that Tollix thinks this plan is worth it.
They select one of their number to go over the edge. They choose Hoog, a tall, tan youth who was once a refugee of another Ulfan war.
Hoog (Squire Rolls): VIG - 11, CLA - 6, SPI - 7, GD - 1
Hoog is lowered over the edge by a dozen soldiers. The Weaver Knight has attended to the rope harness himself, and there will be no rope failure.
Climbing Check - d6, d20 (Luck, VIG) → 6, 6: Good luck, Success
Hoog performs his task admirably, scaling upside-down below the curved edge, clinging to the moss and grass growing under the Sky Boulder. Before long he finds a series of Octavian-style hookholds, which bring him further below the precariously balanced rock, until he is surrounded by a thick layer of sodgrass, shimmering iridescent bronze. This is when the rain begins to pick up.
Hoog cuts away (d6 → 1) one bunch of the Vibrant Sodgrass, then finds a relic lodged in the sod. A scabbard, carved of black-lacquered wood, inlaid with swirling patterns of pale green silver. Hoog tugs the rope to signal the soldiers to pull him up. But (Luck Roll d6 → 1: Bad luck) the ascent beings complication. The rain is making the rock slick and water is getting in Hoog’s eyes. His grip is slipping. Hoog must make a Spirit check. SPI d20 → 11: Fail. He can choose, drop the grass, drop the scabbard, or let go of the boulder, counting on a VIG check to save him.
He is brave, and chooses whatever acrobatic maneuver allows him to hold both. VIG d20 → 18: Fail. He spins out of control. Damage: d8 → 6. VIG to 6. One point away from a mortal wound, (SPI Save → 3: Success) but he holds on to the treasure.
Hoog is hoisted back to the safety of the central chamber. He has likely broken several ribs, but secured the treasure. Sir Tollix investigates the scabbard and the plants. The scabbard gleams malevolently, but there is no sword in sight. One of Tollix’s soldiers has a specialty in plants, and asks to inspect the bunch of grass. Her name is Aliste, a sentimental girl who eats no meat in acknowledgment of the Great Bearmother Ursnae.
Aliste identifies the Vibrant Sodgrass. It add unique properties to metal through the forging process, of high value to the Ulfan smiths. This is an age of feudalism, and Sir Tollix takes the sodgrass and the scabbard when he leaves that afternoon, riding for Nebbit’s Heath with Lanches Longfin and Aliste who knows the grass. The Weaver Knight gives command of the Sky Boulder to Thorpe the Wolf. The Wolf will oversee the warband, fifteen able-bodied and one badly injured watchmen of Mulnar.
To the north, Nebbit’s halflings and the Falberge rangers both have the opportunity to try and convert their hexes. We’ll use Gnomestones HexWars rules.
Halflings, 2d6 → 5, 1; Villagers, 1d6 → 3
The halflings succeed in gaining the orchard, but it with a 1, it costs them a unit. Consider it personnel loss as halflings leave to tend the trees. They’ll come back later when reinforcements are called. We adjust borders to reflect the increase in land. Let’s try the ranger’s roll.
Rangers, 1d6 → 3; Villagers, 1d6 → 2. Also a success!
The Weaver Knight rides through half the night to reach Nebbit’s Heath. He risks an encounter check, and it triggers with a d6 → 2. The riders encounter a group of wild stagbeetles.
Encounter attitude check, d12 → 12: Very favorable
I’m not sure what very favorable stagbeetles do, but let’s say that the party won’t have to suffer CLA damage for staying up late. The magic of the beetles.
— — — —
Meanwhile, in central Mulnar, the recently activated revolutionary militia bands wait for directions. An unexpected message arrives at daybreak: the Ulfans are coming by sea. The exhausted messenger rode all night from Warktower. There is no time to waste.
The biggest potential asset for the Ring Knight is the large contingent of disillusioned guards stationed at the Old Wall of Mulnarn, an historic battle site and notorious waste of coin. It will be difficult to swing these famously recalcitrant troops to the side of revolution, but still it must be tried.
The militia ride with haste to congregate in numbers by the River Nism at midday. The rain is falling steadily, and the low fall river is rising. The militia attempt to cross the river, and in this case we will rule it as a Spirit check. Luckily the Mulnarn are driven by love of homecountry and brotherhood.
SPI Check 3d20 → 13, 19, 11: Success, Fail, Success
Two units make it across the river successfully, but a 19 is quite bad. Let’s give that unit a VIG check as well.
VIG Check d20 → 11: Fail
They missed by one, terrible news! What was initially an easily crossable river became a dangerous torrent in the rain. The third platoon suffer casualties as several armored soldiers are swept downstream. The remaining militia are seriously demotivated, and their color is switched to grey.
The Mulnarn militia that crossed the river find the languishing troops by the Old Wall, where they live in squatter-style military tent villages. The revolutionaries are eager to convince their counterparts to join to cause, but the wayward guards are equally committed to being demotivational. It seems that a fierce battle of the Spirit is unavoidable. We will use standard warband combat rules, but with SPI rather than VIG. There is always the chance of the active troops being disillusioned to the point of dissolution.
Mulnarn Rebels: VIG 10, CLA 10, SPI 13, GD 3, Weapon - fervor (d8)
Mulnarn Lazy Guards: VIG 10, CLA 10, SPI 13, GD 3, Weapon - complaining (d8)
The rebels send out their best heralds to plead, scold, and galvanize. The wall guards in turn lob ambivalent statements reflecting the arbitrary nature of political upheaval and peddling the allure of minimizing one’s own responsibility. The fighting is fierce.
Rebels Initiative Check CLA, d20 → 2: Success
Rebels Attack, d8 → 4
Impassioned speech bring the lazy guards GD to 0, and (anti)spirit to 12. A Spirit Save for a Spirit Wound.
Lazy Guards SPI Save, d20 → 11: Success (barely)
The Lazy Guards strike back! They argue about the relative meaninglessness of individual action against the inherent dynamics of unmanageable societies.
Guards Attack, d8 → 8
It’s so persuasive! I guess the low road is easier after all. Rebel GD to 0, spirit to 8.
Rebels SPI Save, d20 → 15: Fail
The rebels are down a warband, but it’s not over yet. It feels wrong to retreat, almost like agreeing? Which is sort of what normal retreat is too.
Rebels Attack, d8 → 1. Guard spirit to 11.
Lazy Guards SPI Save, d20 → 6: Success
Guards Attack, d8 → 2
The final rebel warband’s GD goes to 1.
Rebels Attack, d8 → 2. Guard spirit to 9.
Lazy Guards SPI Save, d20 → 2: Success. These guards are stubborn!
Guards Attack, d8 → 4. Rebel GD to 0, SPI to 10.
Rebels SPI Save, d20 → 17: Fail
Incredible, it’s an utter failure. All of the Mulnarn rebel troops are demotivated. It’s their first major defeat of the war, and it comes at the hands of their countrymen. It’s hard to know who to blame, but maybe we can start with Colonel Bloot, because he did a terrible job.
The troops are faded to black and wander off in the direction of Cape Topaz. Bloot is left to trudge back to Falberge empty-handed. A devastating turn of events.
— — — —
The Ulfan Navy sails through the drizzle, headed for Warktower. We’ll give them a small yet meaningful chance to get lost.
Lost checks, 2d20 → 8, 14: Not lost
Oh well, could have been a fun opportunity to encounter some of our coastal features.
The warships approach. Captain’s Achiad and Langerholz bicker and jostle for position as they sail into the bay. The whole navy will not fit in one hex, so some of the troops will remain on the outskirts. Warktower accepts them without conflict.
Here’s the dynamic of the two captains as Endel sees it. Achiad the Fourth is scrawny, dour, dishonest, and irredeemably self-interested. Sontt Langerholz is practical, hardened, and lusts for battle. The main issue comes from their differences in motivation. Achiad’s orders are to deliver the envoy. Langerholz’s orders are to guard the envoy. They have interpreted their orders is distinctly differently ways. Achiad is looking for a way to get rich. Langerholz is looking for a way to start a fight. For now they will remain in Warktower, because tomorrow Endel must attend the court at Warktower Dike to pay respects to the town Bailiff.
— — — —
Over at Castle Lumewood, the rains may finally curb the wildfire.
Wildfire, 3d6 → 2, 2, 4: The fire is extinguished.
The Mulnarn rangers camped in the Loamwood are faced with tough circumstances. Though the initial flanking maneuver was bold, the Mulnarn were unable to provide a followup, and now they are isolated, near to a superior enemy force. On the bright side, they’ve been enjoying their time with the burrowing otters (they are not river otters, they access water through seeping pools in the bottoms of their burrow). Let’s give them a SPI check to see if the groups can bond.
SPI Check, d20 → 1: Great Success
The Mulnarn Rangers can now ride otters into battle. Their stats get an upgrade to reflect the change.
Mulnarn Otter Riders: VIG 13 CLA 10 SPI 13 GD 4, Shortbows (d6 long), Bite (d6)
It’s been a challenge identifying an icon system that satisfyingly communicates the nuances in faction and troop type. For now we will change the Otter Riders border to blue, keeping their number Mulnar maroon.
Meanwhile, the Ulfan garrison sends the scouts to investigate the recent burns. It’s a troubling scene, the first indication that the Mulnarn could face famine next year. If we ever get that far.
— — — —
Down at Lake Nism, the hydra continues to follow it’s bestial urge to return to the sea. By nightfall it will be deep in Falberge Forest. By tomorrow it will approach the walls of Falberge.
Remember Cwym Forlynn, the captain of the recently destroyed fisherfolk militia? It’s ok if you don’t,but surely you remember the Seer Vision from the encounter table at the beginning of this episode. While healing feverishly in an inconspicuous fisher’s shack maintained by a kindly elderwoman (people in the world of Gnomestones heal rapidly, as is the way of things), Cwym is visited by this vision.
Seer Selection d6, d12 → 6, 12: Rising Seer
Cwym is looking up at a starry expanse. They lie on their back in a field of long dark grass. The wind whips overhead, and the grass dances like schools of silvery fish. Cwym can see themself lying in the grass.
There are shapes in the stars. Directly overhead is a ferocious four-legged beast, and Cwym knows it is a lion, though they have never seen or heard of one up till now. Then they see a helmswheel, and a study shield glittering against the pitch-black sky. The stars do not appear to lie that far from Cwym, as if they could jump up and touch them. Once when Cwym was young he had felt a roll of velvet cloth as it hung off the the back of a passing merchant’s cart, now they wondered if the sky might feel as soft as that.
One star is shining brighter than the rest, and then it begins to move, fluttering around the sky like a will-o-the-wisp from the stories told by the lake villagers. The star alights on a very small constellation, which appears to be a rat. The rat constellation speaks to Cwym.
“Starlight embers burning bright,
shine upon this chosen ward,
Kneel upon my shrine at dawn
and pour the light upon the sword”
Cwym does not know what to make of this. They feel the urge to move, to stand up and wave at the starrat, but cannot.
“What am I supposed to do?” yells Cwym.
The starrat unfolds itself and disintegrates into plumes of ethereal firelight, which rapidly expand to fill the much of the sky. The plumes organize themselves into the shape of a burning person. The starfire-person speaks in the voice of a middle-aged man.
“You are awash with fortune Cwym, the gift of one who’s destiny lies directly before them. All you must do is walk in your path. I have seen you kneel upon my shrine my acolyte.”
Cwym attempts to grapple his mind around the vision, and in response it begins to fade.
“Seek the potter,” calls the seer, “Fear the mists!”
The vision drains away, and Cwym is back in the shack.
— — — —
That means it’s time for our afternoon event check!
Afternoon Events Check, d4 → 2: No (Phew)
— — — —
Finally, we must attend to the predicament of Gnomepoleon. He could have really used that Seer Vision.
On the previous evening the tiny dictator led a procession up a hill to the sacred Story Book relic for his coronation, but it didn’t go as planned. The Luck table gave us ‘something potentially bad’, in the form of a gnome-squabble on top of the sacred hill. Yertzen Bluetoe the Chief of South Peak, Guala the Fruit-Grower, Dorf and Derf Schmergite of the Imperial Guard, and Chark the Chewer argue variously for their own leadership potential. The rotdruids moan and spin in circles. Schmitze engages gnomes at random with the Schmocratic method, wherein you agree whole heartedly with everybody else’s perspective. Let’s make a very important Luck Check.
Luck Check, d6 → 3: Not great
Looks like Gnomepoleon will have to engage in a ceremonial trial to defend his throne. It’s time to play some Gnomestones.
The gnomes howl and chant and rumpus on the hill all night. On the morning of Short Day begins a political ritual in which relics are tossed into rings as a form of voting. These ‘gnomestones’ have symbols representing each great family of the Gnomes De Le Jardin. Many of old guard possess stones, the solemn clinks of their tosses setting a reverant tone for the event. No votes are secret. Tomothy Two-Tongue votes for Dorf and Derf, who share a circle, and Prudscilla the Mighty votes for herself. Chark glares at his fisher-bandits expectently, but few of them possess the coveted voting stones.
The sun is dropping in the sky by the time the stones are counted and returned by old BikBik Who Counts the Votes. The onlooking gnomes can tell that many family stones have not been cast, votes of confidence for Gnomepoleon. Chark the Chewer does not receive many stones in his ring, but he is spared too much embarrasment, for Yertzen Bluetoe and Guala the Fruit-Grower are both stunningly unpopular, with Yertzen not receiving a single stone.
In the end the victors are Dorf and Derf Schmergite, the left and right hand of Hergur Blergald (who tellingly did not run). They are talented warriors and leaders in their own right. Here are the official results. Each nominee rolled a d20.
1 : Yertzen Bluetoe, Chief of South Peak
2 : Guala the Fruit-Grower
14 : Dorf and Derf Schmergite of the Imperial Guard
5 : Chark the Chewer
8 : Prudscilla the Mighty
As the sun nears the horizon, Gnomepoleon and the Schmergite twins face one another in front of the Story Stone, circled by a throng of gnomes. The ritual must be carried out with exacting precision. The three gnomes produce sacred artifacts, small cubic stones with designs carved in each side. The light gleams off the rocks. Dorf’s gnomestone is carved of ruby, and Derf’s is sapphire. Gnomepoleon’s stone is made of petrified basilisk bone. A murmur goes through the crowd, and all eyes turn to BikBik. The ancient gnome peers at the twins past dirt encrusted eyelids. He slowly raises a single mottled finger, for the twins may only use one gnomestone between them. The twins huddle, and choose the sapphire.
The gnomes present their stones and say the sacred lines.
Gnomepoleon, “High or low?”
Dorf and Derf, “High!”
The gnomes roll.
Both display a 1. They roll again. Dorf and Derf both hold the die when they roll it.
The sapphire displays a 2, and the bone shows a 5. The gnomes begin to chatter excitedly. Bikbik is about to proclaim Gnompeleon the winner, then Dorf’s shriek cuts through the hubbub.
“Wait! Double or nothing!”, he brandishes his ruby. The gnomes murmur and nod.
Gnomepoleon smiles, then bellows, “Roll!”
Dorf rolls. It’s a 4.
Gnomepoleon grimaces and then proclaims, “Low!”
He rolls the bone. It’s a 2. The gnomes erupt into cheers and song. Dorf and Derf are jeered and razzed, and later they will give a substantial portion of their wealth to Gnomepoleon. His throne is secure.
— — — —
In this fashion we end the 9th Short Day of Worwen. Time for one more Events Check.
Night Events Check, d4 → 1, Yes
Events Roll, d8, d4 → 6, 4: Nature
Improptu table (1 - gnomes, 2 - sailors, 3 - weaver, 4 - other), d4 → 2: Sailors
MB Beast Roll, d6, d12 → 4, 8: Tiger Spiders
Looks like trouble for the Ulfan sailors.
— — — —
So many great story lines— heroic Hoog, the Mulnar revolution devoured by its own apathy, the apprentice Ulfan quillsmith’s diplomatic mission, otter riding rangers, fisherfolk visions, an epic gnomestones coronation match, just to name a few of the threads. I’m rooting for the Weaver Knight to rally the ambivalent Mulnarians before the hydra crashes through them en route to the sea. This is one of the best installments yet!