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The Shadow of Yesterday

Lambert's Quest for Redemption


Session Two

2007-09-06

I'm typing this up a few weeks after actual play, so this session report is based on my sparse notes and poor recall. I am probably forgetting a lot of cool Bonus, Penalty and Gift Dice applications, and this stuff really makes a session of TSoY special.

Evicted, continued

When we left Lambert he had just lost the first volley of a Bring Down the Pain conflict. He had tried using Sway (I) at which he's Unskilled and taken a level 1 Harm. Now he was about to try another tactic. We went into free play, and Dahlman described Lambert pulling his sword and intimidating Mrs. Zunker into handing over the armor, and I stated that the three goons would stand between him and Mrs. Zunker. Dahlman thought about it for a second, and instead of committing to fight on, Lambert folded.

Lambert pulled out his sword when faced with the three goons, but decided that to resort to violence for personal gain was just sinking too low, and he walked away.

Looking for Food, but Finding Only Trouble

Lambert left without a place to live, his armor, was now hit by the hangover munchies. Dang, when did he last have a decent meal?

He decides to head to the Singing Nightingale to beg for some food. Swiftly moving to the kitchen door in the back, he sneaks it open and spots the old chef Aldabas sweating by the hot stove. "Hey Aldabas, Saugrin told me to come back here for some food," said Lambert, trying to trick the old man into giving him some food.

Dahlman narrated the old chef into existance, while I got Aldabas from the list of names I had available for the game. Lambert was using Unskilled Deceit (R) versus Aldabas Competent Resist (I). The stakes were that Saugrin would walk in on the scam in progress.

Aldabas hesitates, just as Saugrin comes walking into the kitchen, spots Lambert and yells, "What are you doing here? Get out!" He runs over to the door, trying to shut it in the face of Lambert. However, Lambert's scrounges up some reserve vigor and in a pantherish twist evades Saugrin and runs up the stairs from the kitchen to Adele's bedroom door.

Saugrin was using his Adept Scrapping (V) ability versus Lambert's Unskilled Athletics (V), but with a bonus from his Vigor Pool, and perhaps a Gift Die, Dahlman won the opposed roll.

Lambert desperately tried to sway Adele to unlock her bedroom door and let him in, "I want to apologize to you in person," he said. Adele would have nothing of it, but you could her the pain in her voice.

Lambert lost the Unskilled Sway (I) versus Adele's Adept Resist (R) conflict very badly, Adele ended up with four Success Levels.

Lambert was forcefully pulled off the door by Saugrin, causing Lambert to snap. He jumped Saugrin and beat him to a pulp. Straddling Saugrin and pounding his face in, with blood splattering the walls Lambert's own face. Not until Adele slapped Lambert across the face, did he realize that he was well on his way to killing Saugrin.

We played this conflict incorrectly, but the results were still spectacular. Dahlman spent an Advance on buying Competent Scrapping (V) in trying to defeat Saugrin, who is Adept at Scrapping (V). We wanted the stakes to be that Lambert goes to far and nearly kills Saugrin in anger, but these kind of conflicts are hard to model using Competitive Ability Check in TSoY. Saugrin won big, which with our stakes meant that he was badly beaten up. Saugrin being a better scrapper resulted in him getting worse beat up than had he not know anything about scrapping. Systematically this was a bit wonky, but for the story it was great!

Lambert dizzily scrambled down the stairs to the kitchen. On his way out he grabbed a wooden dish full of stew and a loaf of bread. At least he won't go hungry tonight...

Seeking Counsel

Lambert walked the grimy city streets for hours after eating his stolen meal. When he comes to he's outside a little temple, and stumbles in, not knowing what else to do. He is greeted by Brother Oehlert, who counsels Lambert.

This was a fantastic scene! Dahlman and I roleplayed out the counselling, with lots of reflections on Lambert's poor choices in his life. We ended up rolling a Counsel (R) ability check for Brother Oehlert, which healed the Reason Harm Lambert had suffered. We also used this as a refreshment scene for Reason. Great stuff. I once again forgot Scene XP, but awarded one point for this scene after the session.

Leaving the City

Brother Oehlert encouraged Lambert to take action, and do something to attain his goals. As a result he left the city, to go on a mission to help himself and humanity in general, but early on in his travels he was faced with a tough decision. His feet ached, his sides hurt, and he was getting hungry again. Damn, this used to be much easier when he was young and in shape. He missed the company of his old friends. How was he ever to find his way without Droggot the Ranger? After some hesitation, he found the strength to power on to fullfill his mission.

This was an unopposed ability check with Lambert's Unskilled Endure (V), but with some pool points and perhaps the last Gift Die, he won and powered on. We loved playing out his hesitation.

A Chance to Help His Fellow Man

After hours of walking through the forested hills, he sees black smoke rise over the next hill. When he gets there he finds a ransacked caravan, with dead men scattered all around. Two children run up to him and request his help. Their caravan was attacked and ransacked by orcs, they killed all the men and kidnapped all the women and children.

Lambert now hears a low moan, and finds an old farmer, Rudien Vorg, trapped under an overturned wagon. He manages to free him, but Rudien is badly hurt.

I think we had an unopposed ability check with Dahlman rolling Lambert's Athletics (V) to free Rudien without damaging him, but that didn't work. This scene was worth two XP.

Rudien wants to chase after the orcs, but is too badly hurt. Lambert dresses his wounds and puts him in charge of the two children and asks Rudien to take them to the Singing Nightingale to await his return with the women and children. Lambert scrounges up some gear and weapons and sets off after the orcs. Luckily they aren't very careful and their tracks are easy to follow.

The Orcs' Nest

After long hours of following the orcs, deep into the dark forest, he comes to a cliff face with a gaping cavern opening up into a glade. The glade is littered with skulls, some quite fresh. Unable to spot a guard, Lambert looks for an alternative entrance and finds a smokestack rising from the top of the cliff. Taking a rope off his shoulder he decides to climb down this makeshift chimney.

To be continued...

We both thought this was a good place to wrap up the session. We discussed our play for quite a while, and both love where we're taking this story so far. Now we'll see how much we like TSoY for dungeon bashing, as Lambert will clear out the orcs' nest next session. The good thing is that with TSoY's ability checks and Bringing Down the Pain the player is always in control of when to switch to a more granular level of conflict resolution.

I hope you enjoyed reading this actual play session report,

Yoki

Lambert Lejonklo

End of Session Two

Pools

Vigor: 3, Instinct: 2, Reason: 6

Secrets
Keys
Abilities
Development

Session Three

Read Session Three of Lambert's Quest for Redemption.

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