Unfortunately, one of the players couldn't make it, so we went with our backup plan, Burning Wheel. The awesome and talented +Lloyd Gyan, who ran our TB games, also ran this game for us.
I need to update my entire #51in15 list so far, but I can officially add Burning Wheel to it and cross off #4 from my Gamer's Resolutions list for 2015 now that I've made a BW character and played at least one session. Hopefully I'll get to play more!
Meet our characters, and take a look at the actual play below.
Player Characters
Elion Malerethir
(played by me)
 |
| Source: http://www.fotolog.com/dodeira/22837993/ Image used without permission. |
Stock: Elf
Concept: Noble-turned-adventurer singer/songwriter
Lifepaths
1) Born Etharch
2) Song Singer (Wilderness)
3) Bard (Citadel)
Age: 137
Stats
• Will B7
• Perception B5
• Power B3
• Forte B3
• Agility B5
• Speed B5
Skills
• Elven Script B2
• Song of Songs B3
• Song of Merriment B3
• Sing B4
• Oratory B3
• Etiquette B3
• Musical Instrument (Lyre) B3
• Song of Soothing B4
• Lament of the Westering Sun B4
• Verse of Friendship B4
• Tract of Enmity B3
• Conspicuous B3
• Bow B2
• Sword B2
Traits
• Born Under the Silver Stars (Char)
• Essence of the Earth (Dt)
• Fair and Statuesque (Char)
• First Born (Dt)
• Grief (Dt)
• Keen Sight (Dt)
• Etharchal (Dt)
• Vocal (Char)
• Abused (Char)
• Boaster (Char)
Attributes
• Health B6
• Steel B6
• Reflexes B5
• Mortal Wound B9
• Grief B4
• Hesitation 3
• Stride 8
Gear
• Elven clothes
• Elven shoes
• Elven instrument (lyre)
Relationships
Lord Sitheron Malerethir, his abusive, older brother (Significant, immediate family, hateful/rival)
Reputation
Etharch Lord (2D)
Resources and Circle Abilities
• Resources B1
• Circles B3
Physical Tolerances Grayscale (PTGS)
Su B2, Li B4, Mi B6, Se B7, Tr B8, Mo B9
Beliefs
1) Do whatever it takes to earn coin
2) My way or the highway
3) I shall have Calvin's back, because he listens to me
Instincts
1) Always collect payment after giving a performance
2) When confronted with trouble, make my nobility known
3) TBD
Background
Born to the noble House of Malerethir in the capital, forest city of Mythaenathyr, Lord Elion was the second son of Etharch Pellnarenquarien and wasn't expected of much growing up. His father focused his efforts on grooming Elion's abusive, older brother, Prince Sitheron, while Elion was free to pursue his own interests - namely music.
It would be a lie to say that Elion had it easy, for Sitheron had always been a bully to him. He always claimed they were lessons for Elion and that they were for his own good, but Elion certainly didn't see it that way. Once, Sitheron took advantage of a routine, sparring match intended for basic, self-defense training and went too far. He maimed the back of his younger brother's knee, and Elion henceforth developed a permanent limp in his left leg.
All Elion wanted to do his entire life was sing, write songs, and perform in peace. With his older brother constantly looming over him like a dreary, storm cloud, Elion knew this wasn't possible. After 137 years, he finally grew tired of his home and life as an Etharch noble. He decided to leave and pursue the life of an adventurer - a traveling bard - free from his brother's abusiveness and free to explore the wide, world around him.
Elion crossed the Kysh Sea, avoiding the Orc pirates by sheer luck, and arrived in the international city of Agrigon. For the past, few months, Elion has been performing at the Sloppy Unicorn, a fisherman's lodge/brothel and the seediest tavern in Mermaid's Row - the harbor district in the city's outer ring.
Little does he know that Prince Sitheron has made it to Agrigon as well to serve as an ambassador for the Etharch Elves. He currently resides at the Etharch Embassy in the center ring of the city, and with iron/salt becoming scarcer commodities in Mythaenathyr, his primary mission is to establish better and safer trade routes with Agrigon to avoid the Orc pirates (led by Pirate King Zolgrub).
Calvin Bonnivier
(played by +brian meredith)
Stock: Man
 |
| Source: http://tinyurl.com/k4m8uv3 Image used without permission. |
Concept: Urban ex-student thief
Lifepaths
1) City Born
2) Student (City Dweller)
3) Pickpocket
Age: 20
Stats
• Will B4
• Perception B4
• Power B4
• Forte B4
• Agility B4
• Speed B5
Skills
• Write B3
• Rule of Law B3
• Anatomy B2
• City-wise B3
• Crowd-wise B2
• Read B3
• History B3
• Inconspicuous B3
• Sleight of Hand B3
• Brawling B2
• Persuasion B2
Traits
• Lazy (Char)
• Dog Lover (Char)
• Evasive (Char)
• Rabble-Rouser (Char)
• Plain Faced (C-O)
Attributes
• Health B4
• Steel B3
• Reflexes B4
• Mortal Wound B10
• Hesitation 6
• Stride 7
Gear
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Companion animal (dog)
Property
• A leaky shack
Reputation
Lazy-do-nothing (1D)
Affiliation
School alumnus (1D)
Resources and Circle Abilities
• Resources B1
• Circles B2
Physical Tolerances Grayscale (PTGS)
Su B3, Li B5, Mi B7, Se B8, Tr B9, Mo B10
Beliefs
1) Easy money is the best money
2) Stewart is my best friend; I'll always take care of him
3) Always be on the lookout for new, "friends"
Instincts
1) Always keep an eye out for someone following
2) Watch for drunks; they have a tendency to "lose" things
3) When in trouble, disappear in the crowd
Background
Calvin's father was a shop owner and wanted the best for his son, so he made sure Calvin got an education before he took over the store. Shortly after school, Calvin decided that life was far too boring and far too hard. After many attempts to straighten him up, his father finally gave up. They no longer speak. Calvin now lives in a tiny, little shack near town with his best friend and dog, Stewart. They survive on whatever Calvin can beg, borrow, or steal.
'Fleck' Hartwicus Schlafebilder
(played by +John Evans)
.png) |
| Source: unknown Image used without permission. |
Stock: Man
Concept: Son of the disposed count-turned-runner
Lifepaths
1) Born Noble
2) Apprentice (City Dweller)
3) Runner (City Dweller)
Age: 19
Stats
• Will B3
• Perception B4
• Power B4
• Forte B5
• Agility B4
•Speed B5
Skills
• Brawling B2
• Ditch Digging B2
• Drinking B2
• Hauling B1
• History B2
• Inconspicuous B1
• Knives B2
• Mending B3
• Poetry B1
• Read B2
• Streetwise B3
• Write B2
Traits
• Broken In (Dt)
• Fleet of Foot (C-O)
Attributes
• Health B4
• Steel B3
• Reflexes B4
• Mortal Wound B10
• Grief B4
• Hesitation 7
• Stride 7
Gear
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Family ring
• Poor quality dirk
• Throwing knives
• Traveling gear
Property
• "Quality" room at the flophouse
Weapons
• Poor quality dirk
• Throwing knives
Relationships
• Altmar, his stepfather (Powerful, other family, hateful/rival)
• Reikert, his former master (Minor, hateful/rival)
Resources and Circle Abilities
• Resources B0
• Circles B1
Physical Tolerances Grayscale (PTGS)
Su B3, Li B6, Mi B7, Se B8, Tr B9, Mo B10
Beliefs
1) Reikert will stop searching for me - I will make sure of it
2) Get loot hard and fast
3) The Smiler will respect me
Instincts
1) Always check if I'm being followed
2) Always check for escape
3) TBD
Background
After having been born into a noble household as the 3rd son Hartwicus found his life turned upside-down when his father, Siman, was killed in battle (or murdered by a traitor at an opportune time in the fighting) during a revolt. His father's cousin, Altmar, had led the uprising claiming that Siman was no legitimate lord of the land. To consolidate his power Altmar married his mother Ethelind and sent Hartwicus' older brothers to his two strongholds in the far the North. Originally Altmar had tried to appease Ethelind and let Hartwicus stay at the castle with her. When the rumour emerged that she was garnering support for her boys Altmar took Hartwicus away from her as well.
Rather than have any two brothers held together Altmar decided to secretly place Hartwicus as an apprentice within the Count's town. Altmar also felt this would pain Ethelind, her baby boy an apprentice to a road builder. His master, Reikert, was keen to please this new lord and treated Hartwicus harshly, the boy was soon only known as 'Fleck' and little remembered.
Fleck's life took a turn for the worse when in a drunken stupor he lost all control of himself and he hit his master with a wooden plank from behind. Fleck fled to the imperial town,perhaps knowing his sycophant stepfather spent much of his time at court.......
Upon arriving in the imperial city Fleck tried to find a respectable job, he struggled and had to admit he could not.... To save money he started offering help at the flop-house and the tavern under it. The landlord, Berick, gave him the odd job and Fleck proved reliable and efficient - he might not be the strongest or biggest man but he is well capable of carrying his share quickly through the town.
He had learnt from the master not to ask questions, to keep out of sight and that showed its reward - Berick and his friend the Smiler now use Fleck regularly to transport things quickly through town (also at night....). Fleck is hates this much less than his previous job but that is not high praise, he realises that he has to start moving up in the world to avenge his father's murder. He does not know yet how but he is sure that he will make Altmar pay one day....
Session #1
A Foiled Robbery in Agrigon
There's no record for the tests, but I'll do my best to remember them accurately and post them in italics along with notes. Unfortunately, I don't remember all the Obstacles and failures (especially for the tests that succeeded), but I'll try to include the specifics for next time.
Note: I'm still new to the rules, and others of us have made mistakes too. If you find any mistakes with our tests, mechanics, etc., please feel free to correct them, and I'll make a note of it for our next session.
+Tim Franzke was already kind enough to point out that our PCs shouldn't have FoRKed in their own skills for Beginner's Luck tests, but other players could still help with skills.
I'm learning a lot as I go through this, and I'm sure others in the group are too, so thank you!
Prior to the start of our first session, we came up with our situation.
Calvin didn't know Fleck very well, but they both frequented the Sloppy Unicorn, the seediest tavern in Mermaid's Row (aka the harbor district in the outer ring of the city of Agrigon), where Elion had been performing for the last, few months since his arrival to the city. They drank together, on occasion, and Calvin eventually found out that Fleck was a runner for a flop-house owned by a man named Berick who worked for a shady fellow named Smiler.
The two got to talking one night, and after numerous pints, Fleck mentioned his employers were storing something quite valuable in a warehouse, southwest in the inner ring of the city, next to one of the trade houses.
Calvin knew Fleck wasn't earning much of a living working for Berick, and after more drinking, Calvin convinced Fleck to rob his employers blind. Elion, who was acquainted with the two, overheard them and was invited to take part in the heist as well for a part of the cut.
Thus, we find our characters at the Sloppy Unicorn one evening, figuring out what to do.
Reconnaissance
Elion, Calvin, and Fleck needed to do some reconnaissance, so they split up. Elion, Calvin, and his pet dog, Stewart, took a walk along the ten foot high walls separating the outer and inner rings of the city, while Fleck investigated the warehouse solo.
Elion and Calvin tried to figure out where the city guards patrolled, when they rotated shifts, and where there was a clear enough opening for them to hop the wall once they had the stolen loot.
Elion took his time observing, and they finished their reconnaissance much later than expected (around 1am). His keen sight helped, as did Calvin taking watch around the corner and whistling for anyone approaching. The good news was that they found an opening that lead to the Merry Lou - a part of Mermaid's Row where the nobles tended to frequent. The bad news was that many nobles were known to pass through the opening, and it was roughly a twenty minute trek from warehouse.
Not all the guards were noble; some had been recruited from the poor districts and some were hired from the Society of Sellswords. One of the sellswords, Archimedes Pail, was in charge of the guards overseeing the warehouse. He was a plain and simple man with at least two weapons on his person at all time.
Plans and Deals
The next afternoon, Calvin, Elion, and Fleck met up at the Sloppy Unicorn to discuss their plan before Fleck had to leave for his day job.
Fleck suggested stabbing one the guards with a knife and sneaking in through the back, but Calvin and Elion disagreed. Elion figured he could provide a distraction by entertaining the guards with music, wine, and women (provided by Mag, the proprietor). Fleck saw no logic in Elion's plan, and they each tried to persuade each other to go with their plan. Calvin liked Elion's idea more and took his side. In the end, it was Elion's way or the highway.
Elion was wrong.
It turned out Mag didn't like Fleck or Calvin, but she did like coin, so she offered to help Elion out for a 70/30 split, so long as he didn't mention her name. Elion wasn't a haggler, but he managed to talk Mag into a 60/40 split plus a week's worth of cleaning and maintenance labor on Fleck's part.
Trouble in the Alleyway
After the deal was struck, Calvin wanted to find a couple of daggers to steal, so he and Elion left the tavern to go outside.
Elion conspicuously played his lute in the middle of a crowd to distract people, while Calvin looked around for a mark to steal from. He saw a man enter an alleyway and followed him but soon discovered it was a trap.
Another man appeared on the other side, and Calvin tried to run away, but the thugs jumped him and stole his shoes.
The Delivery
Fleck was busy working at the flop-house, owned by Berick, in the outer ring of the city.
Fleck's employer, Berick, was a round fellow who typically organized workers for his boss, Smiler. Berick felt comfortable with his position and knew there would always be a boss to work for, so he may as well work for Smiler.
Smiler was a slightly twitchy man with a skinny, wiry figure and otherwise average looks. He looked bland for the most part except when he smiled. His teeth were perfect, and he was known for his smile - hence the nickname. Smiler was the type who was always quite sure of himself. He felt comfortable around Berick, because he knew Berick never groveled and knew his place.
Blinder was one of Smiler's henchmen. He was blind in one eye and had a jar full of pickled eyeballs back at his house. He never revealed where he got them from and never spoke much, but when he did, his words were calm and collected.
Fleck was about to take off for the day, when he heard the three arguing in the next room. Fleck knocked on the door, and the arguing stopped.
Smiler told him to come him.
As Fleck opened the door, he saw Smiler, Berick, and Blinder standing over a table with a map of the city sprawled across it and a dagger sticking out of a particular spot.
Smiler told Fleck that a package had gotten through the Orc barricades and that he wanted him to pick it up from Dark Brand, First Mate of the Golden Hammer - the ship that arrived at the docks - and deliver it to Archimedes Pail at the warehouse that same night.
Smiler stressed the importance of not opening the package and delivering it as quickly as possible without any detours.
Fleck nodded and made his way to the Maven Docks.
Very few ships typically make it across the Kysh Sea due to the Orc embargo, so many people were surprised to see the Golden Hammer arrive. Fleck immediately noticed that the sails were tattered and the ship had many broken sides. It mostly came through on its rowers when it slowly entered the harbor.
Fleck also noticed that the eyes of the crew looked dead. The men looked completely broken, like they'd been through hell.
Fleck sought whoever was in charge, telling them he was here for the package, and First Mate Dark Brand, a fairly small man, let him aboard.
The interior of ship was even worse. The crew was huddled in a corner, not trying to leave. Fleck thought he heard someone crying. Someone hung upside down from the mast, their skin rotten with flies buzzing around and birds pecking at them.
It was a horrible sight which truly terrified Fleck.
They reached the former captain’s quarters, where the windows were broken, maps were tattered, and everything was in disarray. Dark Brand grabbed a small, scroll case and handed it to Fleck.
Fleck took it and thanked him, before he took his leave. He cautiously walked backwards, all the way to the exit, and saw that the entire crew was now leaving single-file and heading toward the brothels.
Fleck gingerly made his way to the warehouse to meet Archimedes. There were four people inside. The guard stationed out front stopped him and said, “State your business.”
Fleck said he had a package for Archimedes, and the guard let him through
Archimedes’s office was upstairs with a balcony that overlooked the main warehouse. Fleck greeted Archimedes and handed him the parcel.
The sellsword opened a desk, placed the scroll case inside, and locked it with a big key attached to his belt before dismissing Fleck who made his way back to the Sloppy Unicorn.
A Foiled Robbery in Agrigon
Calvin, Elion, and Fleck finally rendezvoused, and Fleck still looked terrified from what he saw aboard the Golden Hammer.
Calvin asked what was wrong, and Elion jested about how Fleck heard he was to work for Mag for a week. Fleck raised an eyebrow, and Elion told him about the deal they struck with Mag. Fleck was clearly irritated but shook his head and said that wasn't why he looked terrified. He proceeded to tell them everything that happened with his last job, and the three decided they needed to rob the warehouse as soon as possible.
Elion asked Mag if her girls were ready, but her mind seemed scattered. She kept staring at some of the crew members from the Golden Hammer with a worried eyes. Elion asked what was wrong, and Mag said, "Forget about it, pay no attention. These girls could use a break tonight. Go take care of the job."
With everything in place, Calvin, Elion, and Fleck went ahead with their plans.
At the warehouse, Calvin and Fleck stayed back, while Elion sauntered toward the front guard playing his lute and leading Mag's girls. The guard did a double-take and looked wide-eyed before calling the the other guards from inside.
Elion tried to persuade the guards that Archimedes hired the girls for them and that he was to play music for entertainment. He also held up a couple of bottles of wine and grinned widely. The guards were rather suspicious but agreed to let the girls inside and have fun with them, but Elion had to remain outside and they were to take turns.
Archimedes was dead.
Note: I'm still new to the rules, and others of us have made mistakes too. If you find any mistakes with our tests, mechanics, etc., please feel free to correct them, and I'll make a note of it for our next session.
+Tim Franzke was already kind enough to point out that our PCs shouldn't have FoRKed in their own skills for Beginner's Luck tests, but other players could still help with skills.
I'm learning a lot as I go through this, and I'm sure others in the group are too, so thank you!
Prior to the start of our first session, we came up with our situation.
Calvin didn't know Fleck very well, but they both frequented the Sloppy Unicorn, the seediest tavern in Mermaid's Row (aka the harbor district in the outer ring of the city of Agrigon), where Elion had been performing for the last, few months since his arrival to the city. They drank together, on occasion, and Calvin eventually found out that Fleck was a runner for a flop-house owned by a man named Berick who worked for a shady fellow named Smiler.
The two got to talking one night, and after numerous pints, Fleck mentioned his employers were storing something quite valuable in a warehouse, southwest in the inner ring of the city, next to one of the trade houses.
Calvin knew Fleck wasn't earning much of a living working for Berick, and after more drinking, Calvin convinced Fleck to rob his employers blind. Elion, who was acquainted with the two, overheard them and was invited to take part in the heist as well for a part of the cut.
Thus, we find our characters at the Sloppy Unicorn one evening, figuring out what to do.
 |
| Medieval Port by Kurobot Source: http://kurobot.deviantart.com/art/Medieval-Port-438458531 Image used without permission. |
Reconnaissance
Elion, Calvin, and Fleck needed to do some reconnaissance, so they split up. Elion, Calvin, and his pet dog, Stewart, took a walk along the ten foot high walls separating the outer and inner rings of the city, while Fleck investigated the warehouse solo.
Elion and Calvin tried to figure out where the city guards patrolled, when they rotated shifts, and where there was a clear enough opening for them to hop the wall once they had the stolen loot.
Elion took his time observing, and they finished their reconnaissance much later than expected (around 1am). His keen sight helped, as did Calvin taking watch around the corner and whistling for anyone approaching. The good news was that they found an opening that lead to the Merry Lou - a part of Mermaid's Row where the nobles tended to frequent. The bad news was that many nobles were known to pass through the opening, and it was roughly a twenty minute trek from warehouse.
Elion tested Beginner's Luck for Observe with help from Keen Sight (+1) and Calvin (+1). Result was a failure.
Edit: I believe Elion also got +1 for taking his time (thought it was still a failure), however due to Care of the Eternal, Elion actually should have gotten +2. Many thanks to Tim again for pointing this out!Meanwhile, Flek spent the entire night staking out the warehouse from outside. He found out that the guards changed shifts every two hours. At night, there were four guards (two outside - one in front, one in back - and two inside). During the daytime, there were eight guards. The last, nightly shift change took place an hour before sunrise.
Not all the guards were noble; some had been recruited from the poor districts and some were hired from the Society of Sellswords. One of the sellswords, Archimedes Pail, was in charge of the guards overseeing the warehouse. He was a plain and simple man with at least two weapons on his person at all time.
Fleck tested Beginner's Luck for Observe. I believe he FoRKed in Inconspicuous (+1). Result was a success.
Plans and Deals
The next afternoon, Calvin, Elion, and Fleck met up at the Sloppy Unicorn to discuss their plan before Fleck had to leave for his day job.
Fleck suggested stabbing one the guards with a knife and sneaking in through the back, but Calvin and Elion disagreed. Elion figured he could provide a distraction by entertaining the guards with music, wine, and women (provided by Mag, the proprietor). Fleck saw no logic in Elion's plan, and they each tried to persuade each other to go with their plan. Calvin liked Elion's idea more and took his side. In the end, it was Elion's way or the highway.
Fleck and Elion tested Persuasion against each other. Since neither had Persuasion, it was a Will vs. Will versus test. Calvin helped Elion by taking his side (+1). Fleck had 0 successes; Elion had 5.
Side note: we were actually unsure of this and later posed a question in the BW G+ Community and found out we did it right.
Edit: I should also mention that Mag is a stubborn, hardheaded woman who resembles Bette Midler. Her husband was a sailor who drowned after a run-in with Orc pirates, and she's been the sole proprietor of the Sloppy Unicorn ever since.Fleck caved and left for his day job, while Elion approached Mag to convince her to help. He had a pretty good standing at the Sloppy Unicorn and had been one of the best performers she'd had in ages. Elion even had his own, VIP table with his name carved into it and an actual tablecloth. When Mag was in an especially good mood, she'd even decorate it with a candle, and sure enough, a candle was lit at their table. Elion thought it would be a piece of cake convincing Mag to let him bring some of her girls to the guards and tell them Archimedes paid for their entertainment, while Calvin and Fleck snuck in to steal the goods.
Elion was wrong.
It turned out Mag didn't like Fleck or Calvin, but she did like coin, so she offered to help Elion out for a 70/30 split, so long as he didn't mention her name. Elion wasn't a haggler, but he managed to talk Mag into a 60/40 split plus a week's worth of cleaning and maintenance labor on Fleck's part.
Elion tested Beginner's Luck for Haggling with Calvin by his side and helping by suggesting Fleck works some labor (+1). Result was a failure, but Elion spent 1 fate point to re-roll two 6s and ended up with a final success.
Trouble in the Alleyway
After the deal was struck, Calvin wanted to find a couple of daggers to steal, so he and Elion left the tavern to go outside.
Elion conspicuously played his lute in the middle of a crowd to distract people, while Calvin looked around for a mark to steal from. He saw a man enter an alleyway and followed him but soon discovered it was a trap.
Another man appeared on the other side, and Calvin tried to run away, but the thugs jumped him and stole his shoes.
Calvin tested Beginner's Luck for Observe with help from Elion playing his lute and drawing a crowd (+1). He FoRKed in City-wise, Crowd-wise, and I believe Inconspicuous as well (+3). Result was a failure.
Running pass the thug was a Speed vs. Power roll. Result was a failure.
The Delivery
Fleck was busy working at the flop-house, owned by Berick, in the outer ring of the city.
Fleck's employer, Berick, was a round fellow who typically organized workers for his boss, Smiler. Berick felt comfortable with his position and knew there would always be a boss to work for, so he may as well work for Smiler.
Smiler was a slightly twitchy man with a skinny, wiry figure and otherwise average looks. He looked bland for the most part except when he smiled. His teeth were perfect, and he was known for his smile - hence the nickname. Smiler was the type who was always quite sure of himself. He felt comfortable around Berick, because he knew Berick never groveled and knew his place.
Blinder was one of Smiler's henchmen. He was blind in one eye and had a jar full of pickled eyeballs back at his house. He never revealed where he got them from and never spoke much, but when he did, his words were calm and collected.
Fleck was about to take off for the day, when he heard the three arguing in the next room. Fleck knocked on the door, and the arguing stopped.
Smiler told him to come him.
As Fleck opened the door, he saw Smiler, Berick, and Blinder standing over a table with a map of the city sprawled across it and a dagger sticking out of a particular spot.
Smiler told Fleck that a package had gotten through the Orc barricades and that he wanted him to pick it up from Dark Brand, First Mate of the Golden Hammer - the ship that arrived at the docks - and deliver it to Archimedes Pail at the warehouse that same night.
Smiler stressed the importance of not opening the package and delivering it as quickly as possible without any detours.
Fleck nodded and made his way to the Maven Docks.
Very few ships typically make it across the Kysh Sea due to the Orc embargo, so many people were surprised to see the Golden Hammer arrive. Fleck immediately noticed that the sails were tattered and the ship had many broken sides. It mostly came through on its rowers when it slowly entered the harbor.
Fleck also noticed that the eyes of the crew looked dead. The men looked completely broken, like they'd been through hell.
Fleck sought whoever was in charge, telling them he was here for the package, and First Mate Dark Brand, a fairly small man, let him aboard.
The interior of ship was even worse. The crew was huddled in a corner, not trying to leave. Fleck thought he heard someone crying. Someone hung upside down from the mast, their skin rotten with flies buzzing around and birds pecking at them.
It was a horrible sight which truly terrified Fleck.
They reached the former captain’s quarters, where the windows were broken, maps were tattered, and everything was in disarray. Dark Brand grabbed a small, scroll case and handed it to Fleck.
Fleck took it and thanked him, before he took his leave. He cautiously walked backwards, all the way to the exit, and saw that the entire crew was now leaving single-file and heading toward the brothels.
Fleck gingerly made his way to the warehouse to meet Archimedes. There were four people inside. The guard stationed out front stopped him and said, “State your business.”
Fleck said he had a package for Archimedes, and the guard let him through
Archimedes’s office was upstairs with a balcony that overlooked the main warehouse. Fleck greeted Archimedes and handed him the parcel.
The sellsword opened a desk, placed the scroll case inside, and locked it with a big key attached to his belt before dismissing Fleck who made his way back to the Sloppy Unicorn.
A Foiled Robbery in Agrigon
Calvin, Elion, and Fleck finally rendezvoused, and Fleck still looked terrified from what he saw aboard the Golden Hammer.
Calvin asked what was wrong, and Elion jested about how Fleck heard he was to work for Mag for a week. Fleck raised an eyebrow, and Elion told him about the deal they struck with Mag. Fleck was clearly irritated but shook his head and said that wasn't why he looked terrified. He proceeded to tell them everything that happened with his last job, and the three decided they needed to rob the warehouse as soon as possible.
Elion asked Mag if her girls were ready, but her mind seemed scattered. She kept staring at some of the crew members from the Golden Hammer with a worried eyes. Elion asked what was wrong, and Mag said, "Forget about it, pay no attention. These girls could use a break tonight. Go take care of the job."
With everything in place, Calvin, Elion, and Fleck went ahead with their plans.
At the warehouse, Calvin and Fleck stayed back, while Elion sauntered toward the front guard playing his lute and leading Mag's girls. The guard did a double-take and looked wide-eyed before calling the the other guards from inside.
Elion tried to persuade the guards that Archimedes hired the girls for them and that he was to play music for entertainment. He also held up a couple of bottles of wine and grinned widely. The guards were rather suspicious but agreed to let the girls inside and have fun with them, but Elion had to remain outside and they were to take turns.
Elion tested Beginner's Luck for Persuasion with a +1 situational modifier from having the girls and wine with him. Result was a failure.Elion played his most joyous tune, a song of merriment, and created wonderment for the guard situated outside. Meanwhile, Fleck came out of the shadows, slit the guard’s throat, and moved his body the corner. Calvin and Fleck proceeded with plan B (Fleck's original plan) and went around back to take care of the other guard in the same fashion.
Elion tested Song of Merriment. He FoRKed in Sing and Musical Instrument (+2). Result was a success, forcing the guard to test Steel for Wonderment. He failed.
Side note: Calvin and Fleck were hiding in the vicinity and should have made Steel checks too, but that didn't happen. We could say they were far enough away and not in Elion's presence, but in truth, they probably would have heard the song and had to make Steel checks as well.
There was no Knives test on Fleck's part; rather, the GM automatically let Fleck slit the guard's throat after the guard failed his Steel test.The guard in back spotted Calvin who sheepishly said he was lost and looking for the temple. The guard looked worried and clearly didn't believe him, so he went inside and shut the door.
Calvin tested Beginner's Luck for Persuasion. Result was a failure.Fleck signaled to Elion to go through the front, and Elion proceeded to do so. Two of the guards were busy fornicating with the girls, while the third started mentioning they had intruders and told Elion to leave immediately. Elion tried to persuade the guard that he was merely checking on girls as instructed to make sure they were OK, but he failed, and the guard started calling on Archimedes loudly.
Elion tested Beginner's Luck for Persuasion. Result was a failure.At that point, Elion panicked and ran forward with a poor quality dirk drawn (which Fleck let him borrow) and tried to stab the guard. Calvin and Fleck simultaneously ran in to help, but Elion's self defense training didn't help him that time.
Elion tested Sword with help from both Calvin and Fleck (+2) and spent a persona point (+1). Result was a failure.Everything was a blur afterward, and when Calvin, Elion, and Fleck finally came to, they were all tied up inside the warehouse. One of the guards punched Elion in the face a few times for fun, while another guard rushed downstairs and was freaking out, yelling.
Archimedes was dead.
End of Session #1
Artha
Beliefs
• Elion earned 2 Fate for beliefs #1 & #2
• Calvin earned 1 Fate for belief #1
• Fleck earned 1 Fate for belief #2
Instincts
• Elion earned 0 Fate
• Calvin earned 1 Fate for instinct #2
• Fleck earned 0 Fate
Traits
N/A
Humor
Elion earned 1 Fate
Right Skill, Right Time
Elion earned 1 Fate
Embodiment
Fleck earned 1 Fate
Moldbreaker
N/A
Personal Goals
N/A
Workhorse
Elion earned 1 Persona
MVP
None yet
Deeds
N/A
Totals
Elion earned 4 Fate, 1 Persona
Calvin earned 2 Fate
Fleck earned 2 Fate
Grief Advancement
Lastly, Elion witnessed Fleck slitting a guard's throat right in front of him, so that's Ob 5 for Grief. Elion's Grief is B4, so that earns him a Challenging mark.
Burning Wheel is definitely a crunch, but I knew that going into it and honestly had a lot of fun playing the game and learning the rules. Writing this AP, I've gone through all the PCs and have been reading through the rule book non-stop, so I definitely feel a lot more comfortable than I did when I first started. Still, there's a ton more to learn, and it'll probably take a while for me to become fluid with everything, but I'm excited to keep going. I enjoy trying out new games, and even though I'm generally not one for crunch, this game has me strangely hooked.
I don't know when we'll play again, but I really hope we continue. If we do, you can be sure I'll post more APs.
In the meantime, I have many others to write, so keep checking back and thanks for reading. Until next time!
In the meantime, I have many others to write, so keep checking back and thanks for reading. Until next time!
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